bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Regulatory role of Chitinase 3-like 1 gene in papillary thyroid carcinoma proved by integration analyses of single-cell sequencing with cohort and experimental validations
Authors: Zhang Xiaojun , Peng Wanwan , Fan Jie , Luo Ruihua , Liu Shanting , Du Wei , Luo Chaochao , Zheng Jiawen , Pan Xinghua , Ge Hong 
Published: July 2023

AbstractPapillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is one of the most common thyroid carcinomas. The gross extrathyroidal extension and extensive metastases of PTC lead to high rates of recurrence and poor clinical outcomes. However, the mechanisms underlying PTC development are poorly understood. In this study, using single-cell RNA sequencing, the transcriptome profiles of two PTC patients were addressed, including PTC1 with low malignancy and good prognosis and PTC2 with high malignancy and poor prognosis. We found that epithelial subcluster Epi02 was the most associated with the malignant development of PTC cells, with which the fold change of Chitinase 3-like 1 (CHI3L1) is on the top of the differentially expressed genes between PTC1 and PTC2 (P < 0.001). However CHI3L1 is rarely investigated in PTC as far. We then studied its role in PTC with a series of experiments. Firstly, qRT-PCR analysis of 14 PTC patients showed that the expression of CHI3L1 was positively correlated with malignancy. In addition, overexpression or silencing of CHI3L1 in TPC-1 cells, a PTC cell line, cultured in vitro showed that the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of the cells were promoted or alleviated by CHI3L1. Further, immunohistochemistry analysis of 110 PTC cases revealed a significant relationship between CHI3L1 protein expression and PTC progression, especially the T (P < 0.001), N (P < 0.001), M stages (P = 0.007) and gross ETE (P < 0.001). Together, our results prove that CHI3L1 is a positive regulator of malignant development of PTC, and it promotes proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of PTC cells. Our study improves understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the progression of PTC and provides new insights for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of PTC.
Fovea-UNet: detection and segmentation of lymph node metastases in colorectal cancer with deep learning
Authors: Liu Yajiao , Wang Jiang , Wu Chenpeng , Liu Liyun , Zhang Zhiyong , Yu Haitao 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Background
Colorectal cancer is one of the most serious malignant tumors, and lymph node metastasis (LNM) from colorectal cancer is a major factor for patient management and prognosis. Accurate image detection of LNM is an important task to help clinicians diagnose cancer. Recently, the U-Net architecture based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) has been widely used to segment image to accomplish more precise cancer diagnosis. However, the accurate segmentation of important regions with high diagnostic value is still a great challenge due to the insufficient capability of CNN and codec structure in aggregating the detailed and non-local contextual information. In this work, we propose a high performance and low computation solution.

Methods
Inspired by the working principle of Fovea in visual neuroscience, a novel network framework based on U-Net for cancer segmentation named Fovea-UNet is proposed to adaptively adjust the resolution according to the importance-aware of information and selectively focuses on the region most relevant to colorectal LNM. Specifically, we design an effective adaptively optimized pooling operation called Fovea Pooling (FP), which dynamically aggregate the detailed and non-local contextual information according to the pixel-level feature importance. In addition, the improved lightweight backbone network based on GhostNet is adopted to reduce the computational cost caused by FP.

Results
Experimental results show that our proposed framework can achieve higher performance than other state-of-the-art segmentation networks with 79.38% IoU, 88.51% DSC, 92.82% sensitivity and 84.57% precision on the LNM dataset, and the parameter amount is reduced to 23.23 MB.

Conclusions
The proposed framework can provide a valid tool for cancer diagnosis, especially for LNM of colorectal cancer.
Is vagotomy necessary in palliative surgery for incurable advanced gastric cancer?: a retrospective case–control study
Authors: Park Yong-Eun 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Background
The interplay between the nervous system and cancer plays an important role in the initiation and progression of gastric cancer. Few studies have presented evidence that the sympathetic nervous system inhibits the occurrence and development of gastric cancer while the parasympathetic nervous system promotes the growth of gastric cancer. To investigate the effect of vagotomy, which is the resection of a parasympathetic nerve innervating the stomach, on the progression of gastric cancer, a retrospective study was conducted comparing the prognosis of simple palliative gastrojejunostomy (PGJ) and palliative gastrojejunostomy with vagotomy (PGJV).

Methods
From January 01, 2000, to December 31, 2021, the medical records of patients who underwent PGJ or PGJV because of gastric outlet obstruction due to incurable advanced gastric cancer at the Yeungnam University Medical Center were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups: locally unresectable gastric cancer (LUGC) or gastric cancer with distant metastasis (GCDM), according to the reason for gastrojejunostomy, and factors affecting overall survival (OS) were analyzed.

Results
There was no significant difference in surgical outcomes and postoperative complications between the patients with PGJV and patients with PGJ. In univariate analysis, vagotomy was not a significant factor for OS in the GCDM group (HR 1.14, CI 0.67–1.94, p value 0.642), while vagotomy was a significant factor for OS in the LUGC group (HR 0.38, CI 0.15–0.98, p value 0.045). In multivariate analysis, when vagotomy is performed together with PGJ for LUGC, the OS can be significantly extended (HR 0.25, CI 0.09–0.068, p value 0.007).

Conclusions
When PGJ for LUGC was performed with vagotomy, additional survival benefits could be achieved with low complication risk. However, to confirm the effect of vagotomy on the growth of gastric cancer, further prospective studies using large sample sizes are essential.
Pancreatic follicular dendritic cell sarcoma: a rare case report and systematic literature review of 7 cases
Authors: Li Xu , Gu Jin , He Qingyun , Han Shuwen , Wu Huichao 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Introduction
Pancreatic follicular dendritic cell sarcoma (FDCS) is an exceptionally rare and low-to-moderate malignancy, with only seven reported cases to date. Clinical diagnosis of FDCS is challenging due to the lack of distinct biological and radiographic features.

Case presentation
A 67-year-old woman presented to the hospital with a 4-day history of severe abdominal pain. Imaging studies (CT and MRI) revealed a large cystic mass located at the tail of the pancreas, which was suspected to be myeloid sarcoma (MS) based on EUS and CT-guided pancreatic puncture. Postoperative pathology and immunohistochemistry confirmed the diagnosis of pancreatic FDCS. After the diagnosis was confirmed, the patient received postoperative chemotherapy with the CHOP regimen. At 11 months of follow-up, there was no evidence of recurrence. Seven published cases have been reviewed to comprehensively summarize the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment options of FDCS.

Conclusion
While imaging can be useful in detecting pancreatic FDCS, it should be interpreted with caution as it can be challenging to differentiate from other pancreatic tumors. Pathology and immunohistochemistry are considered the gold standard for diagnosis, with CD21, CD23, and CD35 being specific tumor cell markers. However, preoperative diagnosis of pancreatic FDCS remains difficult, and the pancreatic puncture may further increase the risk of misdiagnosis. The disease is highly prone to recurrence and metastasis, and surgery is the preferred method for both diagnosis and treatment of localized disease.
A global neuronopathic gaucher disease registry (GARDIAN): a patient-led initiative
Authors: Collin-Histed Tanya , Stoodley Madeline , Beusterien Kathleen , Elstein Deborah , Jaffe Dena H. , Revel-Vilk Shoshana , Davies Elin Haf ,   the International Gaucher Alliance (IGA)
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Background
Gaucher disease (GD) is a rare autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder. GD types 2 and 3 are known as neuronopathic Gaucher disease (nGD) because they have brain involvement that progresses over time. Implementing a systematic approach to the collection of real-world clinical and patient-relevant outcomes data in nGD presents an opportunity to fill critical knowledge gaps and ultimately help healthcare providers in the management of this patient population. This paper summarizes the development of a patient-initiated Gaucher Registry for Development Innovation and Analysis of Neuronopathic Disease (GARDIAN).

Methods
The International Gaucher Alliance led the GARDIAN planning, including governance, scope, stakeholder involvement, platform, and reporting. Registry element input was determined in a series of meetings with clinical experts, patients, and caregivers, who identified key clinical variables and the draft content of nGD patient-reported outcomes (PRO) and observer-reported outcomes (ObsRO) focusing on symptoms, patient physical and emotional functioning. These were then tested in cognitive interviews with patients with nGD (> 12 years of age) and caregivers.

Results
Core registry data elements (n = 138) were identified by seven global clinical experts from Egypt, Germany, Israel, Japan, United Kingdom (UK), and United State (US) and reviewed via online Delphi method by 14 additional clinicians with experience of nGD from six countries and three pharmaceutical representatives. The elements were consistent with those identified via interviews with 10 patients/caregivers with nGD from Japan, Sweden, UK, and US. Key domains identified were demographics, diagnostic information, health status, clinical symptomatology, laboratory testing, treatment, healthcare resource utilization, aids/home improvements, and patient/caregiver burden and quality of life, specifically physical functioning, self-care, daily and social activities, emotional impacts, support services, and caregiver-specific impacts. Nine caregivers and six patients from the US, UK, China, Mexico, Egypt, and Japan participated in the cognitive interviews that informed revisions to ensure that all items are understandable and interpreted as intended.

Conclusions
The comprehensive set of clinical and patient relevant outcomes data, developed collaboratively among all stakeholders, to be reported using GARDIAN will bridge the many gaps in the understanding of nGD and align with regulatory frameworks on real-world data needs.
Success and complications in lumbar punctures of pediatric patients with leukemia: a study protocol for a randomized clinical crossover trial of a bioimpedance needle system versus conventional procedure
Authors: Sievänen Harri , Kari Juho , Aarnivala Henri , Becker Stefan , Huurre Anu , Långström Satu , Palmu Sauli 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Background
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common malignancy diagnosed in children. At present, the long-term survival from pediatric ALL is well over 90%. However, the probability of event-free survival is reduced if the lumbar puncture (LP) procedures at the beginning of the patient’s intrathecal therapy cause blood leakage into the spinal canal and blast cells contaminate the cerebrospinal fluid. According to the literature, such traumatic LP procedures concern one out of five pediatric patients with ALL.
Recently, a novel medical device measuring the tissue bioimpedance at the tip of a spinal needle was found feasible in pediatric patients with ALL. The LP procedure was successful at the first attempt in 80% of procedures, and the incidence of traumatic LPs was then 11%. The purpose of the present study is to compare the bioimpedance spinal needle system with the standard clinical practice resting on a conventional spinal needle and investigate its efficacy in clinical practice.

Methods
The study is a multicenter, randomized, two-arm crossover noninferiority trial of pediatric hemato-oncology patients that will be conducted within the usual clinical workflow. Patients’ LP procedures will be performed alternately either with the IQ-Tip system (study arm A) or a conventional Quincke-type 22G spinal needle (study arm B). For each enrolled patient, the order of procedures is randomly assigned either as ABAB or BABA. The total number of LP procedures will be at least 300, and the number of procedures per patient between two and four. After each study LP procedure, the performance will be recorded immediately, and 1-week diary-based and 4-week record-based follow-ups on symptoms, complications, and adverse events will be conducted thereafter. The main outcomes are the incidence of traumatic LP, first puncture success rate, and incidence of post-dural puncture headache.

Discussion
The present study will provide sound scientific evidence on the clinical benefit, performance, and safety of the novel bioimpedance spinal needle compared with the standard clinical practice of using conventional spinal needles in the LP procedures of pediatric patients with leukemia.

Trial registration
ISRCTN ISRCTN16161453. Registered on 8 July 2022.
Recombinant protein EBI3 attenuates Clonorchis sinensis-induced liver fibrosis by inhibiting hepatic stellate cell activation in mice
Authors: Zhao Lei , Li Jia , Mo Gang , Cao Deping , Li Chun , Huang Guoyang , Jiang Liping , Chen Gen , Yao Hongbing , Peng Xiaohong 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Background
Chronic infection with Clonorchis sinensis can cause hepatobiliary fibrosis and even lead to hepatobiliary carcinoma. Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 3 protein (EBI3) is a subunit of interleukin 35, which can regulate inflammatory response and the occurrence of fibrotic diseases. Previous studies have reported that the expression of EBI3 in the serum of patients with liver cirrhosis is reduced. The present study aims to investigate the biological effects of EBI3 on liver fibrosis caused by C. sinensis and the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Methods
We first established a mouse model of liver fibrosis induced by C. sinensis infection and then measured the serum expression of EBI3 during the inflammatory and fibrotic phase. GO (Gene Ontology) and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway analyses were performed to investigate the potential role of EBI3 in liver fibrosis by regulating the extracellular matrix structural constituent and collagen catabolic process. Recombinant protein EBI3 (rEBI3) was added to hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in vitro with C. sinensis antigen to explore its function. Finally, the therapeutic effect of rEBI3 was verified by intravenous injection into C. sinensis-infected mice.

Results
The results showed that the serum expression of EBI3 increased in the inflammatory response phase but decreased in the fibrotic phase. The excretory-secretory products of C. sinensis (Cs.ESP) were able to stimulate HSC activation, while rEBI3 reduced the activation of HSCs induced by Cs.ESP. Also, the protein expression of gp130 and downstream protein expressions of JAK1, p-JAK1, STAT3 and p-STAT3 in HSCs were increased after rEBI3 incubation. Finally, intravenously injected rEBI3 inhibited hepatic epithelial-mesenchymal transition in C. sinensis-infected mice by inhibiting HSC activation and reducing liver injury.

Conclusion
This study confirms that rEBI3 can attenuate C. sinensis-induced liver fibrosis by inhibiting HSC activation and may be one of the potential treatments for liver fibrosis.

Graphical Abstract
Left ventricular remodeling in rheumatoid arthritis patients without clinical heart failure
Authors: Park Elizabeth , Ito Kazato , Depender Christopher , Giles Jon T. , Bathon Joan 
Published: July 2023

AbstractRheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients have a 1.5- to twofold higher risk of developing heart failure (HF) and a twofold increased risk of HF-associated mortality compared to those without RA. HF is preceded subclinically by left ventricular (LV) remodeling in the general population. There is a relative absence of prospective studies following RA patients from pre-clinical to clinical HF as well as prospective studies of LV remodeling in RA without clinical HF. In our study, 158 RA patients without clinical HF were enrolled and underwent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) at baseline and on follow-up between 4 and 6 years. Extensive characterization of RA disease activity and cardiovascular risk factors were performed. LV remodeling was prevalent at 40% at baseline and increased to 60% over time. Higher levels of interleukin-6 (IL 6) were associated with concentric LV remodeling on follow-up. The use of tocilizumab was also significantly associated with baseline LV remodeling (relative wall thickness). These findings suggest a role for IL-6 as a biomarker for LV remodeling in RA patients without clinical HF. Future research should focus on prospective follow-up of LV remodeling and the effects of IL-6 inhibition on LV remodeling in RA patients.
Sleep quality and clinical association with sleep disturbance in systemic sclerosis
Authors: Wongthawa Nonthaphorn , So-gnern Apichart , Mahakkanukrauh Ajanee , Suwannaroj Siraphop , Foocharoen Chingching 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Background
Poor sleep quality is a common and potentially debilitating problem in systemic sclerosis (SSc). To date, no data clarifies the potential factors related to poor sleep quality and the clinical associations with sleep disturbance among Thais with SSc—mainly the diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc) subset. We aimed to evaluate sleep quality and identify the clinical association with sleep disturbance among SSc patients.

Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted between May 2021 and September 2021. Adult SSc patients were enrolled at the Scleroderma Clinic, Khon Kaen University, Thailand. All patients had their neck circumference measured, underwent airway evaluation using the Mallampati classification, had sleep quality assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Berlin and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 completed. In addition, the clinical association with poor sleep quality (or sleep disturbance) was investigated using the PSQI.

Results
A total of 88 patients were enrolled. Forty-eight (54.6%) patients experienced poor sleep quality (95%CI 43.6–65.2). Digital ulcers and dyspepsia were associated with poor sleep quality as per a logistic regression (OR 10.73: 95%CI 1.09–106.15 and 4.60: 95%CI 1.01–20.89), respectively. Overall pain—evaluated using the visual analog scale (VAS)—was positively correlated with the PSQI score (Rho 0.2586; p = 0.02).

Conclusion
Around half of the SSc patients reported poor sleep quality, and the significantly associated factors were digital ulcers and dyspepsia. The PSQI scores positively correlated with overall pain as evaluated by VAS. With early assessment and treatment of digital ulcers, stomach symptoms, and pain control, sleep problems might be reduced among SSc patients.
Bayesian inference for non-anonymous growth incidence curves using Bernstein polynomials: an application to academic wage dynamics
Authors: Fourrier-Nicolaï Edwin , Lubrano Michel 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
The paper examines the question of non-anonymous Growth Incidence Curves (na-GIC) from a Bayesian inferential point of view. Building on the notion of conditional quantiles of Barnett (1976. “The Ordering of Multivariate Data.” Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series A 139: 318–55), we show that removing the anonymity axiom leads to a complex and shaky curve that has to be smoothed, using a non-parametric approach. We opted for a Bayesian approach using Bernstein polynomials which provides confidence intervals, tests and a simple way to compare two na-GICs. The methodology is applied to examine wage dynamics in a US university with a particular attention devoted to unbundling and anti-discrimination policies. Our findings are the detection of wage scale compression for higher quantiles for all academics and an apparent pro-female wage increase compared to males. But this pro-female policy works only for academics and not for the para-academics categories created by the unbundling policy.
Comparative assessment of the DNA damage caused in cumulus cells by Corneumon®, Gonal-F®, Pergoveris® and Puregon® in women undergoing assisted reproduction techniques, and its impact on reproductive outcomes
Authors: ALCALÁ-SÁNCHEZ Ximena , CUAPIO-PADILLA PEDRO , SALAZAR-LÓPEZ CARLOS , RODRÍGUEZ RICARDO , TETELTITLA MARIO , BAHENA IVAN , BETANCOURT MIGUEL , CASAS EDUARDO , CASILLAS FAHIEL , LÓPEZ ALMA , BONILLA EDMUNDO 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Assisted reproduction technology (ART) is performed with the support of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) to increase the number of oocytes retrieved, thus improving the success rates of in vitro fertilization (IVF). Several recombinant human follicle stimulating hormone (rhFSH) are used in ART, and significant research has been undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the various comercially available rhFSH. Due to their close bio-dynamic relationship with the oocyte, cumulus cells (CCs) have been proposed as biomarkers of oocyte quality. The aim of the present study was to perform a comparative assessment of the DNA damage caused in CCs of women undergoing ART by four widely used rhFSH in IVF protocols, Corneumon®, Gonal-F®, Pergoveris® and Puregon®, and to analyze the impact of the CCs DNA damage on several IVF outcomes. Comet assay results show that the tested rhFSH caused variable and statistically significant levels of CCs DNA damage (Corneumon® < Pergoveris® < Gonal-F® < Puregon®). Analysis of the reproductive outcomes show that the groups with lower CCs DNA damage (Corneumon® and Pergoveris®) had higher number of oocytes retrieved, fertilization rates, and number of high-quality embryos suitable for IVF/vitrification, than the groups with higher CCs DNA damage (Gonal-F® and Puregon®), however the differences between the groups were not statistically significant. In addition, the Pearson’s correlation between fertilization rates and CCs DNA damage was statistically significant, r = −0.98, p = 0.017. These results support CCs DNA damage as an index of the effectiveness of rhFSH and human oocyte competence.
MPPT techniques for PV systems: A comprehensive review of current trends and recent advances in AI
Authors: Boubaker Olfa 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Over the past decades, solar photovoltaic (PV) energy has been the most valuable green energy. It is renowned for its sustainability, environmentally friendly nature, and minimal maintenance costs. Several methods aiming to extract the highest photovoltaic energy are found in the vast literature. The aim of this review is to focus on current trends and the most recent advances in the field. A “Scopus” bibliographic survey is conducted around survey and research articles published over the past three years (2019–2022) according to a predefined selection method. Over the selected works, different taxonomies of maximum power point tracking (MPPT) approaches are found. The list of associated performance criteria is also established and current trends in the field are well identified. This survey paper could be a useful reference for researchers and companies concerned by the sustainable development goals (GSD) for clean energy production and climate change.