bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the Network Readiness Index (NRI) Using Multivariate Statistics
Authors: Tokmergenova Madina , Dobos Imre 
Published: February 2023

The Network Readiness Index (NRI) is one of the indicators that shows the level of digital development of countries. The NRI for 2021 shows the development of 130 countries, in contrast to the 45 countries covered by the International Digital Economy and Society Index (I-DESI) of the European Union, which measures only the most developed countries. This paper aims to determine the relationship between 12 sub-pillars of NRI. We use Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to perform a mapping of our data to a lower-dimensional space, and further analyse the causal relationships between the principal sub-pillars using partial correlation coefficients, concluding that two of the twelve main sub-pillars can be explained by ten independent sub-pillars. Thereafter, we use cluster analysis to group our objects (i.e. the 130 countries) into clusters.
Analysis of the effect of metal ions on the ability of Xylanase to hydrolyze wheat bran by molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Hou Mingrui , Liang Chuanqi , Fei Yanan , Yang Dan , Zhang Ningjing , Lu Yujie , Wang Lei , Xing Zhiqiang , Zhao Zongpei 
Published: February 2023

Introduction: Wheat bran is the main by-product of wheat processing, containing about 30% pentosan and 0.4%–0.7% ferulic acid. Wheat bran is the main raw material used to prepare feruloyl oligosaccharides by hydrolysis of Xylanase, we discovered that the ability of Xylanase to hydrolyze wheat bran could be affected in the presence of different metal ions.Methods: In the present study, we have probed the effects of different metal ions on the hydrolysis activity of Xylanase on wheat bran and tried to analyze the effect of Mn2+ and Xylanase by molecular dynamic (MD) simulation.Results: Our results suggested that Mn2+ had improved the Xylanase hydrolyzing wheat bran to obtain feruloyl oligosaccharides. Particularly when the concentration of Mn2+ reached 4 mmol/L, the optimal product has been obtained 2.8 times higher to compare with no addition. Through the MD simulation analysis, our results reveal that Mn2+ can induce structural change in the active site, which enlarges the substrate binding pocket. The simulation results also revealed that the addition of Mn2+ resulted in a low RMSD value compared with the absence of Mn2+ and helped stabilize the complex.Conclusion: Mn2+ could increase the enzymatic activity of Xylanase in the hydrolysis of feruloyl oligosaccharides in wheat bran. The finding could have significant implications for the preparation of feruloyl oligosaccharides from wheat bran.
Factors associated with interest in scientific research in dental students of six Cuban universities
Authors: Corrales-Reyes Ibraín Enrique , Villegas-Maestre José Daniel , Valdés-Gamboa Leonardo , García-Raga Mónica , Véliz-Concepción Olga Lidia , Torres-Fernández Lilian Susana , Tusell-Hormigó Diana , Vitón-Castillo Adrián Alejandro , Torrecilla-Venegas Rolando , Mejia Christian R. 
Published: February 2023

IntroductionTo determine the factors associated with interest in scientific research in dental students of six Cuban universities.MethodsThis is a multicenter cross-sectional analytical study. Interest in scientific research was the dependent variable, and it was assessed through a questionnaire proved to be reliable (Cronbach’s α = 0.88). We obtained adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR), 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), and p values through generalized linear models.ResultsA total of 587 students were part of the research, and 57.9% manifested interest in scientific research. However, when they were asked if they wanted to pursue a research career in the future, only 45.1% responded affirmatively. We found, through multivariate analysis, that there was more interest in scientific research among those who were student assistants (aPR: 2.42; 95% CI: 1.41–4.16; p = 0.001), those who had previous studies (aPR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.02–1.79; p = 0.034), and those who had received awards in scientific events (aPR: 1.74; 95% CI: 1.26–2.41; p = 0.001). In contrast, there was less interest among those who were at the clinical stage of their career (aPR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.49–0.89; p = 0.006), adjusted for seven variables.ConclusionsThere exists interest in scientific research and we found some factors associated with this. This has to be taken into account in order for educational institutions to generate strategies.
Untargeted metabolomic profiling of sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction
Authors: Cao Yan , Liu Zhengyu , Ma Wenfeng , Fang Chen , Pei Yanfang , Jing Yingxia , Huang Jie , Han Xiaotong , Xiao Weiwei 
Published: February 2023

ObjectiveSepsis is a life-threatening condition secondary to infection that evolves into a dysregulated host response and is associated with acute organ dysfunction. Sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction is one of the most complex organ failures to characterize. This study performed comprehensive metabolomic profiling that distinguished between septic patients with and without cardiac dysfunction.MethodPlasma samples collected from 80 septic patients were analysed by untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) metabolomics. Principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discrimination analysis (PLS-DA), and orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were applied to analyse the metabolic model between septic patients with and without cardiac dysfunction. The screening criteria for potential candidate metabolites were as follows: variable importance in the projection (VIP) &gt;1, P &lt; 0.05, and fold change (FC) &gt; 1.5 or &lt; 0.7. Pathway enrichment analysis further revealed associated metabolic pathways. In addition, we constructed a subgroup metabolic analysis between the survivors and non-survivors according to 28-day mortality in the cardiac dysfunction group.ResultsTwo metabolite markers, kynurenic acid and gluconolactone, could distinguish the cardiac dysfunction group from the normal cardiac function group. Two metabolites, kynurenic acid and galactitol, could distinguish survivors and non-survivors in the subgroup analysis. Kynurenic acid is a common differential metabolite that could be used as a candidate for both diagnosis and prognosis for septic patients with cardiac dysfunction. The main associated pathways were amino acid metabolism, glucose metabolism and bile acid metabolism.ConclusionMetabolomic technology could be a promising approach for identifying diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction.
Interactive effect of prepregnancy overweight/obesity and GDM history on prevalence of GDM in biparous women
Authors: Xu Xia , Huang Feipeng , Guo Yanni , Zheng Lianghui , Yan Jianying 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundPrepregnancy overweight/obesity (OWO) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) history may increase the prevalence of GDM in parous women, but little is known about their potential combined effect on the prevalence of GDM in biparous women.ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the interactive effect of prepregnancy overweight/obesity (OWO) and GDM history on the prevalence of GDM in biparous women.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted on 16,282 second-birth women who delivered a single neonate at ≧28 weeks of gestation twice. Logistic regression was used to assess the independent and multiplicative interactions of prepregnancy overweight/obesity (OWO) and GDM history on the risk of GDM in biparous women. Additive interactions were calculated using an Excel sheet that was made by Anderson to calculate relative excess risk.ResultsA total of 14,998 participants were included in this study. Both prepregnancy OWO and GDM history were independently associated with an increased risk of GDM in biparous women (odds ratio (OR) = 19.225, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 17.106, 21.607 and OR = 6.826, 95% CI = 6.085, 7.656, respectively). The coexistence of prepregnancy OWO and GDM history was associated with GDM, with an adjusted OR of 1.754 (95% CI, 1.625, 1.909) compared to pregnant women without either condition. The additive interaction between prepregnancy OWO and GDM history was found to be not significant with regard to GDM in biparous women.ConclusionsPrepregnancy OWO and GDM history both increase the risk of GDM in biparous women and have multiplicative interactions but not additive interactions.
The efficacy of topical aminophylline in local fat reduction: A systematic review
Authors: Abdi Dezfouli Ramin , Hosseinpour Ali , Qorbani Mostafa , Daneshzad Elnaz 
Published: February 2023

Background and aimsSome studies have reported that the topical forms with aminophylline as the active ingredient appear to be relatively effective on local fat burning while having no/minimal side effects. This systematic review accumulates all of the data on the local fat-burning potency of aminophylline topical formulation.MethodsDocuments were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases until Aug 2022. Data were extracted from clinical trials reporting the reduction in thigh or waist circumference as a result of using topical forms containing aminophylline. Screening of included studies was performed independently by two authors and the quality assessment of included studies was performed based on the Cochrane Collaboration’s approach.ResultsOf the 802 initial studies, 5 studies were included in the systematic review. Several concentrations of aminophylline were used in different studies. Most studies administred the topical formulation on participants’ one thigh, and the other thigh was considered to be the control for comparing the fat reduction amount. Except for one study, all other studies reported that all participants lost more fat on the treated area than the control groups. The amount of fat reduction differed in studies regarding their different aminophylline concentrations and administration routines. In the case of side effects, except for some studies reporting skin rashes, other studies reported no significant side effects at all.ConclusionsAminophylline topical formulation offers a safe, effective, and much less invasive alternative to cosmetic surgery for localized fat reduction. It seems that the 0.5% concentration, administered five times a week for five weeks is the most potent concentration. However, more high-quality clinical trials are needed to verify this conclusion.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42022353578.
Impact of the 21-gene expression assay on treatment decisions and clinical outcomes in breast cancer with one to three positive lymph nodes
Authors: Li Guan-Qiao , Xie Shang-Jin , Wu San-Gang , He Zhen-Yu 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundTo assess the practice patterns of the recurrence score (RS) based on the 21-gene expression assay on adjuvant chemotherapy recommendations and survival outcomes in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+)/HER2- breast cancer (BC) with one to three positive lymph nodes (N1).MethodsWe included patients with T1-2N1M0 and ER+/HER2- BC diagnosed between 2010 and 2015 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Oncotype DX Database. Breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) and overall survival (OS) were assessed.ResultsWe included 35,137 patients in this study. There were 21.2% of patients who had RS testing in 2010, which was significantly increased to 36.8% in 2015 (P &lt; 0.001). Performance of the 21-gene testing was associated with older age, lower tumor grade, T1 stage, lower number of positive lymph nodes, and progesterone receptor-positive disease (all P &lt; 0.05). In those without 21-gene testing, age was the main factor significantly related to the receipt of chemotherapy, whereas RS was the main factor significantly related to chemotherapy receipt in those with 21-gene testing. The probability of chemotherapy receipt in those without 21-gene testing was 64.1% and was decreased to 30.8% in those with 21-gene testing. On multivariate prognostic analysis, the performance of 21-gene testing was associated with better BCSS (P &lt; 0.001) and OS (P &lt; 0.001) compared with those without 21-gene testing. Similar results were found after propensity score matching.ConclusionsThe 21-gene expression assay is frequently and increasingly used for chemotherapy decision-making in ER+/HER2- BC with N1 disease. Performance of the 21-gene testing is associated with improved survival outcomes. Our study supports the routine use of 21-gene testing in the clinical practice of this population.
Serum glycoprotein non-metastatic melanoma protein B (GPNMB) level as a potential biomarker for diabetes mellitus-related cataract: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Huo Da , Liu Yuan-Yuan , Zhang Chi , Zeng Lv-Tao , Fan Guo-Qing , Zhang Li-Qun , Pang Jing , Wang Yao , Shen Tao , Li Xue-Fei , Li Chuan-Bao , Zhang Tie-Mei , Cai Jian-Ping , Cui Ju 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundDiabetes mellitus (DM), a metabolic disease that has attracted significant research and clinical attention over the years, can affect the eye structure and induce cataract in patients diagnosed with DM. Recent studies have indicated the relationship between glycoprotein non-metastatic melanoma protein B (GPNMB) and DM and DM-related renal dysfunction. However, the role of circulating GPNMB in DM-associated cataract is still unknown. In this study, we explored the potential of serum GPNMB as a biomarker for DM and DM-associated cataract.MethodsA total of 406 subjects were enrolled, including 60 and 346 subjects with and without DM, respectively. The presence of cataract was evaluated and serum GPNMB levels were measured using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit.ResultsSerum GPNMB levels were higher in diabetic individuals and subjects with cataract than in those without DM or cataract. Subjects in the highest GPNMB tertile group were more likely to have metabolic disorder, cataract, and DM. Analysis performed in subjects with DM elucidated the correlation between serum GPNMB levels and cataract. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis also indicated that GPNMB could be used to diagnose DM and cataract. Multivariable logistic regression analysis illustrated that GPNMB levels were independently associated with DM and cataract. DM was also found to be an independent risk factor for cataract. Further surveys revealed the combination of serum GPNMB levels and presence of DM was associated with a more precise identification of cataract than either factor alone.ConclusionsIncreased circulating GPNMB levels are associated with DM and cataract and can be used as a biomarker of DM-associated cataract.
Development and validation of a nomogram for evaluating the incident risk of carotid atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Feng Xiao , Ren Liying , Xiang Yuping , Xu Yancheng 
Published: February 2023

IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics of carotid atherosclerotic disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, investigate its risk factors, and develop and validate an easy-to-use nomogram.Methods1049 patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes were enrolled and randomly assigned to the training and validation cohorts. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified independent risk factors. A method combining least absolute shrinkage and selection operator with 10-fold cross-validation was used to screen for characteristic variables associated with carotid atherosclerosis. A nomogram was used to visually display the risk prediction model. Nomogram performance was evaluated using the C index, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, and calibration curves. Clinical utility was assessed by decision curve analysis.ResultsAge, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and OGTT3H were independent risk factors associated with carotid atherosclerosis in patients with diabetes. Age, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, smoke, HDL-C, and LDL-C were characteristic variables used to develop the nomogram. The area under the curve for the discriminative power of the nomogram was 0.763 for the training cohort and 0.717 for the validation cohort. The calibration curves showed that the predicted probability matched the actual likelihood. The results of the decision curve analysis indicated that the nomograms were clinically useful.DiscussionA new nomogram was developed and validated for assessing the incident risk of carotid atherosclerotic in patients with diabetes; this nomogram may act as a clinical tool to assist clinicians in making treatment recommendations.
Regulatory T cell enhancement in adults with cystic fibrosis receiving Elexacaftor/Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor therapy
Authors: Westhölter Dirk , Raspe Jonas , Uebner Hendrik , Pipping Johannes , Schmitz Mona , Straßburg Svenja , Sutharsan Sivagurunathan , Welsner Matthias , Taube Christian , Reuter Sebastian 
Published: February 2023

IntroductionCystic fibrosis (CF), especially CF lung disease, is characterized by chronic infection, immune dysfunction including impairment of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and an exaggerated inflammatory response. CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators have shown to improve clinical outcomes in people with CF (PwCF) with a wide range of CFTR mutations. However, it remains unclear whether CFTR modulator therapy also affects CF-associated inflammation. We aimed to examine the effect of elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor therapy on lymphocyte subsets and systemic cytokines in PwCF.MethodsPeripheral blood mononuclear cells and plasma were collected before and at three and six months after the initiation of elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor therapy; lymphocyte subsets and systemic cytokines were determined using flow cytometry.ResultsElexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor treatment was initiated in 77 PwCF and improved percent predicted FEV1 by 12.5 points (p&lt;0.001) at 3 months. During elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor therapy, percentages of Tregs were enhanced (+18.7%, p&lt;0.001), with an increased proportion of Tregs expressing CD39 as a marker of stability (+14.4%, p&lt;0.001). Treg enhancement was more pronounced in PwCF clearing Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. Only minor, non-significant shifts were observed among Th1-, Th2- and Th17-expressing effector T helper cells. These results were stable at 3- and 6-month follow-up. Cytokine measurements showed a significant decrease in interleukin-6 levels during treatment with elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (–50.2%, p&lt;0.001).ConclusionTreatment with elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor was associated with an increased percentage of Tregs, especially in PwCF clearing Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. Targeting Treg homeostasis is a therapeutic option for PwCF with persistent Treg impairment.
Development and validation of a radiomics-based nomogram for predicting a major pathological response to neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy for patients with potentially resectable non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Liu Chaoyuan , Zhao Wei , Xie Junpeng , Lin Huashan , Hu Xingsheng , Li Chang , Shang Youlan , Wang Yapeng , Jiang Yingjia , Ding Mengge , Peng Muyun , Xu Tian , Hu Ao’ran , Huang Yuda , Gao Yuan , Liu Xianling , Liu Jun , Ma Fang 
Published: February 2023

IntroductionThe treatment response to neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy varies among patients with potentially resectable non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) and may have severe immune-related adverse effects. We are currently unable to accurately predict therapeutic response. We aimed to develop a radiomics-based nomogram to predict a major pathological response (MPR) of potentially resectable NSCLC to neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy using pretreatment computed tomography (CT) images and clinical characteristics.MethodsA total of 89 eligible participants were included and randomly divided into training (N=64) and validation (N=25) sets. Radiomic features were extracted from tumor volumes of interest in pretreatment CT images. Following data dimension reduction, feature selection, and radiomic signature building, a radiomics-clinical combined nomogram was developed using logistic regression analysis.ResultsThe radiomics-clinical combined model achieved excellent discriminative performance, with AUCs of 0.84 (95% CI, 0.74-0.93) and 0.81(95% CI, 0.63-0.98) and accuracies of 80% and 80% in the training and validation sets, respectively. Decision curves analysis (DCA) indicated that the radiomics-clinical combined nomogram was clinically valuable.DiscussionThe constructed nomogram was able to predict MPR to neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy with a high degree of accuracy and robustness, suggesting that it is a convenient tool for assisting with the individualized management of patients with potentially resectable NSCLC.
Morphological characteristics of retinal vessels in eyes with high myopia: Ultra-wide field images analyzed by artificial intelligence using a transfer learning system
Authors: Mao Jianbo , Deng Xinyi , Ye Yu , Liu Hui , Fang Yuyan , Zhang Zhengxi , Chen Nuo , Sun Mingzhai , Shen Lijun 
Published: February 2023

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the retinal vascular morphological characteristics in high myopia patients of different severity.Methods317 eyes of high myopia patients and 104 eyes of healthy control subjects were included in this study. The severity of high myopia patients is classified into C0–C4 according to the Meta Analysis of the Pathologic Myopia (META-PM) classification and their vascular morphological characteristics in ultra-wide field imaging were analyzed using transfer learning methods and RU-net. Correlation with axial length (AL), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and age was analyzed. In addition, the vascular morphological characteristics of myopic choroidal neovascularization (mCNV) patients and their matched high myopia patients were compared.ResultsThe RU-net and transfer learning system of blood vessel segmentation had an accuracy of 98.24%, a sensitivity of 71.42%, a specificity of 99.37%, a precision of 73.68% and a F1 score of 72.29. Compared with healthy control group, high myopia group had smaller vessel angle (31.12 ± 2.27 vs. 32.33 ± 2.14), smaller fractal dimension (Df) (1.383 ± 0.060 vs. 1.424 ± 0.038), smaller vessel density (2.57 ± 0.96 vs. 3.92 ± 0.93) and fewer vascular branches (201.87 ± 75.92 vs. 271.31 ± 67.37), all P &lt; 0.001. With the increase of myopia maculopathy severity, vessel angle, Df, vessel density and vascular branches significantly decreased (all P &lt; 0.001). There were significant correlations of these characteristics with AL, BCVA and age. Patients with mCNV tended to have larger vessel density (P &lt; 0.001) and more vascular branches (P = 0.045).ConclusionThe RU-net and transfer learning technology used in this study has an accuracy of 98.24%, thus has good performance in quantitative analysis of vascular morphological characteristics in Ultra-wide field images. Along with the increase of myopic maculopathy severity and the elongation of eyeball, vessel angle, Df, vessel density and vascular branches decreased. Myopic CNV patients have larger vessel density and more vascular branches.