bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic among patients with lung and head and neck cancer assisted in a public cancer center in Brazil
Authors: Veloso Gilson Gabriel Viana , Amaral Flávia Duarte , Nogueira-Rodrigues Angélica 
Published: April 2023

Abstract

Background There is no updated national data regarding the real impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on delaying diagnosis and treatment among patients with lung, and head, and neck cancers in Brazil. This study aimed to analyze the COVID-19 pandemic impact on cancer diagnosis and clinical outcomes among lung, head, and neck cancer patients assisted in a tertiary cancer center in Southeastern Brazil, as well as to analyze these patients’ pretreatment clinical features.Methods Retrospective cohort of patients with lung or head and neck cancer assisted in a tertiary cancer center in southeastern Brazil between January/2019 and December/2021. To assess statistical differences among groups [i.e., cohort 2019 versus (vs.) 2020 and 2019 vs. 2021] chi-square test was used with a 5% significance level and 90% power for sample size calculation. Differences among baseline clinical features and sociodemographic characteristics were evaluated either by T-test for two samples or Fisher’s or Pearson’s chi-square test (for quantitative or qualitative variables). All utilized tests had a 5% significance level.Results 652 patients were included, 332 with lung and 320 with head and neck cancer; it was observed a significant decrease in oncologic treatment recommendations and increase in palliative care recommendation for patients with lung cancer, despite similar stages at diagnosis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, more pain symptoms were reported at the first Oncology assessment (p < 0.05 in all of them). Compared to 2019, head and neck cancer patients diagnosed in 2021 presented a worse initial performance status (p = 0.017). There was a statistically significant reduction in mortality for patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer in 2021 when compared to 2019 (p = 0.003).Conclusions This research highlights high mortality rates for patients with lung and head and neck cancer in Brazil, even before the pandemic started, as consequence of advanced diseases at diagnosis and limited access to best treatment options at the publica health system. This is a reflection of how fragile the public healthcare system even before facing an acute public health crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, the total impact on public health may follow for many years.
Use of Liraglutide for obesity in HIV. A case report
Authors: Singh Sahil , Aguirre Ivette , Sankar Daniel 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Background
Obesity is a complex, chronic, relapsing condition and is one of the greatest contributing factors to chronic disease burden in our society. It is also well-known that weight gain after antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiation can occur among people living with HIV and can occur with most antiretroviral classes. We report the case of a drug interaction involving Liraglutide and Rilpivirine, which resulted in an increased HIV viral load with risk of ongoing transmission
Case presentation
A young HIV positive Caucasian woman with excellent adherence to ART experienced weight gain during her pregnancy. This weight gain increased when she was switched to Tenofovir Alafenamide 25mg / Emtricitabine 200 mg / Bictegravir 50 mg. She was unable to lose weight despite a calorie-restricted diet and a regular exercise regimen. To avoid second generation integrase inhibitors (INSTI) she was treated with Tenofovir Alafenamide 25mg/Emtricitabine 200mg/Rilpivirine 25mg. She consulted her general practitioner to obtain weight reducing agents. She was prescribed Liraglutide, the daily injectable Glucagon-Like-Peptide (GLP)-agonist known to have weight loss properties. However, due to sub-optimal absorption of Rilpivirine through pharmacokinetic (PK) interactions of Rilpivirine and Liraglutide, our patient lost HIV virologic control and had breakthrough viraemia with risk of HIV transmission to her husband.
Conclusions
Potentially serious adverse effects stemming from drug interactions involving medications used in clinical practice can occur, leading to loss of HIV virologic control.
Improving Variational Autoencoders Reconstruction Using Prototypes
Authors: Oliveira Dario Augusto Borges , Rosa Laura Elena Cue La 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Variational autoencoders implement latent space regularization with a known distribution, which enables stochastic synthesis from straightforward sampling procedures. Most of the various existing regularization approaches struggle with balancing proper regularization and good reconstruction quality. Here, we propose to circumvent such limitations by implementing a distributed latent space regularization using prototypical deep clustering with known distributions. Our approach enables high-quality data synthesis by simply decoding samples from such distributions around prototypes and disregards training any further auxiliary network to explicitly learn the decoder synthesis from codes. Such schema enables obtaining an appropriate number of clusters for solid regularization with better reconstruction quality and improved synthesis control. We experiment with our method using widespread exploratory benchmarks and report that regulariza-tion centered on optimal prototypes’ coordinates or cluster centroids neutralizes the adverse effects regularization terms often have on autoencoder reconstruction quality, matching non-regularized autoencoders’ performance. We also report appealing results for interpreting data representatives with simple prototype synthesis and controlling the synthesis of samples with prototype-like characteristics from decoding white noise around prototype coordinates.
Effectiveness of a new endodontic irrigation system for removing smear layer and dissolving simulated organic matter
Authors: Neto Raimundo Sales de Oliveira , Lima Luana Arantes de Souza , Titato Pedro Cesar Gomes , de Andradre Flaviana Bombarba , Vivan Rodrigo Ricci , Alcalde Murilo Priori , Duarte Marco Antonio Hungaro 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
OBJECTIVES:The study aimed to evaluate the potential for dissolution of organic tissue in areas of simulated complexity and cleaning of root walls of the new iVac® endodontic irrigation system.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty mandibular premolars were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy before and after biomechanical preparation. Then, they were distributed according to the final irrigation protocol into groups with conventional irrigation, passive ultrasonic irrigation with metallic insert (PUI), and iVac® system, and new photomicrographs were obtained. For tissue dissolution analysis, glass capillaries filled with catgut were attached to the cervical and apical thirds of twenty prototyped upper incisors. They were weighed before and after the previously mentioned irrigation protocols. The data were statistically compared with a significance level of 5%.
RESULTS:The final irrigation provided greater cleaning of the walls in the cervical, middle, and apical thirds of the root canals (P<0.05), with no statistically significant difference between PUI and iVac®, regardless of the analyzed thirds. Both ultrasonic irrigation protocols dissolved a significantly greater volume than the conventional irrigation protocol (P<0.05), with no difference between the two protocols (P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS:The iVac® system showed wall cleaning and tissue dissolution similar to PUI with a metallic insert, and both were superior to conventional irrigation.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The new irrigation system iVac is more effective than conventional irrigation and has similar wall cleaning and tissue dissolution to PUI.
Large-scale genomic analyses with machine learning uncover predictive patterns associated with fungal phytopathogenic lifestyles and traits
Authors: Dort Erika , Layne Elliot , Feau Nicolas , Butyaev Alexander , Henrissat Bernard , Martin Francis , Haridas Sajeet , Salamov Asaf , Grigoriev Igor , Blanchette Mathieu , Hamelin Richard 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Invasive plant pathogenic fungi have a global impact, with devastating economic and environmental effects on crops and forests. Biosurveillance, a critical component of threat mitigation, requires risk prediction based on fungal lifestyles and traits. Using a machine learning approach that separates phylogenetic and genomic feature signals, we analyzed 387 fungal genomes to test the hypothesis that there are predictive signatures associated with phytopathogenic lifestyles and traits. Our results lend strong support to this hypothesis, and our analyses uncovered genomic patterns associated with phytopathogenic lifestyles and traits, identifying gene families that are potentially important in the evolution of plant pathogenic fungi. We found that the top-performing feature sets for predictions included carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), peptidases, and secondary metabolite clusters. Expansions in the number of CAZyme and peptidase genes, and of specific families such as CBM63, were revealed in the genomes of plant pathogens compared to non-phytopathogenic genomes (saprotrophs, endo- and ectomycorrhizal fungi) and were strong predictors of phytopathogenicity. Such genomic feature profiles could be useful to predict risks of fungal plant pathogens in future biosurveillance activities.
Physically inactive as a risk factor for obesity and r/educed physical function in young adults
Authors: Rachmawati Maria Regina , Kusumaningsih Widjaja Laksmi , Suhartini Sri Mukti 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Physical inactivity is associated with increased rates of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Some of the factors that indicate a person has risk for future NCDs are obesity and reduced measures of physical performance, such as appendicular muscle mass (ASM), hand grip strength (HGS), and gait speed (GS).
Objectives: Study to analyze the risk of physical inactivity to obesity and physical performance in young adult.
Method: The cross-sectional study included 419 young adults consisting of 206 (49.2%) men and 213 (50.8%) women. Physical activity (PA) values were determined using the International PA Questionnaire (IPAQ), with an inactive score <600 METs and an obesity standard ≥ 25 kg/m2. The values of lower ASM, HGS, and GS were based on the 2019 AWGS criteria.
Results: Physical inactivity rates were 327 (78%), while in men were lower than women; 154 (47%) and 173 (53%) (p=0.125). Obesity rates were 162 (39%), however, in men were higher than in women; 101 (62.3%) vs 61 (37.7%) (p<0.001). The low ASM rates were 104 (25%), i.e., in men were lower than in women; 34 (32.7%) vs 70 (67.3%) (p<0.001). The low HGS rates were 32 (8%), that is relatively similar between genders; 18 (56.3%) and 14 (43.8%) (p=0.464), as well as the low GS rates were 55 (13%), also similar between genders; 23 (42%) and 32 (58%) (p=0.25). Physically inactive was a risk factor; for obesity in men of OR (95% CI)=1.2 (0.6-2) and in women of OR (95% CI) = 1.5 (0.7-3), for lower ASM of OR (95% CI) = 1.6 (0.9-3), and for lower HGS of OR (95% CI) = 1.6 (0.6-4.2). Physically inactive was not a risk factor for lower GS of OR (95% CI= 1 (0.6-2).
Conclusion: Most of young adults were physically inactive, thus increasing the risk of obesity, and decreasing muscle mass and muscle strength.
Clinical trial registration The study did not have a clinical trial registration. The study did not have a clinical trial registration, as it did not intervene.
The Effect of the Enzymes Trypsin and DNase I on the Antimicrobial Efficiency of Root Canal Irrigation Solutions
Authors: ÇANKAYA Tülin DOĞAN , AYDIN Zeliha UĞUR , ERDÖNMEZ Demet 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Objectives The purpose of this study was to use a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of using 2.5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), 2% chlorhexidine (CHX), Irritrol, and chitosan-coated silver nanoparticles (AgCNPs) alone or in combination with deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I) and trypsin pre-enzyme applications in dentin samples contaminated with Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis).Materials and Methods 144 dentin blocks with confirmed E. faecalis biofilm formation were divided randomly according to the irrigation protocol to be tested (n = 12): NaOCl, CHX, Irritrol, AgCNPs, Trypsin/ NaOCl, Trypsin/ CHX, Trypsin/ Irritrol, Trypsin/ AgCNPs, DNase I/ NaOCl, DNase I/ CHX, DNase I/ Irritrol, and DNase I/ AgCNPs. Dentin blocks were stained with the Live/Dead BacLight Bacterial Viability Kit and viewed with CLSM after irrigation applications. The percentage of dead and viable bacteria was calculated using ImageJ software on CLSM images. At a significance level of p < 0.05, the obtained data were analyzed using One-Way Anova and Post-Hoc Tukey tests.Results In comparison to NaOCl, CHX had a higher percentage of dead bacteria, both when no pre-enzyme was applied and when DNase I was applied as a pre-enzyme (p < 0.05). There was no difference in the percentage of dead bacteria between the irrigation solutions when trypsin was applied as a pre-enzyme (p > 0.05). AgCNPs showed a higher percentage of dead bacteria when trypsin was applied as a pre-enzyme compared to other irrigation solutions (p < 0.05), while the pre-enzyme application did not affect the percentage of dead bacteria in NaOCl, CHX, and Irritrol (p > 0.05).Conclusions No irrigation protocol tested was able to eliminate the E. faecalis biofilm. While the application of trypsin as a pre-enzyme improved the antimicrobial effect of AgCNPs, it did not make any difference over other irrigation solutions.Clinical Relevance: Pre-enzyme treatment with trypsin improved the antimicrobial activity of AgCNPs. The combined use of these two solutions may be useful as a treatment support in endodontic practice, as it helps to separate bacteria from the biofilm matrix.
Breast cancer patient-derived microtumors resemble tumor heterogeneity and enable protein-based stratification and functional validation of individualized drug treatment
Authors: Anderle Nicole , Schäfer-Ruoff Felix , Staebler Annette , Kersten Nicolas , Koch André , Önder Cansu , Keller Anna-Lena , Liebscher Simone , Hartkopf Andreas , Hahn Markus , Templin Markus , Brucker Sara Y. , Schenke-Layland Katja , Schmees Christian 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Despite tremendous progress in deciphering breast cancer at the genomic level, the pronounced heterogeneity remains a major obstacle to the advancement of novel and more effective treatment approaches. Frequent treatment failure and the development of treatment resistance highlight the need for patient-derived tumor models that reflect the individual tumors of breast cancer patients and allow a comprehensive analyses and parallel functional validation of individualized and therapeutically targetable vulnerabilities in protein signal transduction pathways. Here, we introduce the generation and application of breast cancer patient-derived 3D microtumors (BC-PDMs). Residual fresh tumor tissue specimens were collected from n = 102 patients diagnosed with breast cancer and subjected to BC-PDMs isolation. BC-PDMs retained histopathological characteristics, and extracellular matrix (ECM) components together with key protein signaling pathway signatures of the corresponding primary tumor tissue. Accordingly, BC-PDMs reflect the intertumoral heterogeneity of breast cancer and its key signal transduction properties. DigWest®-based protein expression profiling of identified treatment responder and non-responder BC-PDMs enabled the identification of potential resistance and sensitivity markers of individual drug treatments, including markers previously associated with treatment response and yet undescribed proteins. The combination of individualized drug testing with comprehensive protein profiling analyses of BC-PDMs may provide a valuable complement for personalized treatment stratification and response prediction for breast cancer.
Maximizing total sugar recovery from pretreatment-hydrolysis of sweet sorghum bagasse through cultivar selection and process optimization
Authors: Bedzo Oscar K. K. , Diedericks Danie , McIntosh Paul , Rorke Daneal C. S. , Rensburg Eugene van , Gorgens Johann 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
The nature of a sweet sorghum cultivar influences the recovery of sugars from the bagasse during pretreatment. The sugars recovered are used in applications for conversion to high-value products such as alcohols, organic acids, and other fuels and chemicals. The severity of the pretreatment used plays a crucial role in the yield and quality of the sugars that can be recovered. Therefore, a strategic approach was taken to lower the severity of the pretreatment process to a combined severity factor (CSF) value of 0.48, whilst maintaining a high level of total-sugar recovery (i.e. 68% (w/w) and higher). This was achieved by screening 23 sweet sorghum cultivars for high-performance characteristics at low-severity conditions and optimizing the pretreatment process conditions. The pretreatment conditions included time, temperature, and acid concentration ranges of 5 to 60 min, 150 to 210 oC, and 0.00% to 0.96% (w/w) H2SO4, respectively. Cultivar AP6 was identified as the best performer, producing the highest total sugar yield of 78.17%. A reduction in total by-product formation from 4.79 to 2.79 g/100 g biomass was also observed. Three preferred cultivars selected for pilot scale pretreatment using steam explosion resulted in maximum total sugar recoveries that exceeded 80% (w/w). Cultivar engineering/selection provides an opportunity to utilize lignocelluloses that will liberate sugars at desired yields while reducing the generation of by-products by implementing low severity pretreatments.
Identification of a novel subtype of astrocytes in HIV-associated pain pathogenesis
Authors: Tang Shao-Jun , Zheng Junying , Spurgat Michael , Yuan Subo , Liu Xin , Gelman Benjamin 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Pathological pain is a frequent complication in HIV patients, yet the underlying mechanism remains elusive, and effective therapeutic targets have not been identified. Reactive astrocytes are specifically activated in the spinal dorsal horn (SDH) of HIV patients with pathological pain and required for HIV-associated pain development in mouse models. These findings suggest that reactive astrocytes play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of HIV-associated pain. However, due to the heterogeneity of reactive astrocytes, the pathogenic subtype remains unknown. In this study, we used single-nucleus RNA-seq (snRNA-seq) transcriptomic analysis to identify a novel subtype of HIV-pain-associated astrocytes (HIPAs) in the lumbar spinal cord of HIV-1 gp120 transgenic models and in the spinal cord of HIV patients. HIPAs express galectin 3 (Gal3) and exhibit transcriptomic signatures of phagocytosis and inflammation. We demonstrated that HIPAs phagocytose neuronal components and are associated with neuronal degeneration. We also found that knockout (KO) of Gal3 in gp120 transgenic mice reduced the number of HIPAs. Furthermore, Gal3 KO inhibited the expression of mechanical allodynia and HIV pain-related pathogenic processes, including neuronal degeneration and neuroinflammation, in gp120 transgenic mice. Our data collectively suggest that HIPAs are a novel Gal3-expressing astrocytic subtype that plays a critical role in gp120-induced pathogenesis in the spinal pain neural circuit. Targeting HIPAs may provide a potential therapeutic strategy for treating HIV-associated pain.
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis secondary to unrecognized Bartonella henselae infection: A Case report
Authors: Hempel Amanda , Manzoor Fizza , Petrescu Dan 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Bartonella henselae are intracellular bacteria transmitted to humans through animal bites and scratches contaminated with the feces of arthropod vectors, and are most commonly associated with cat exposure although transmission from other mammals has been reported. Bartonella henselae infection has a spectrum of clinical manifestations and has rarely been reported as cause of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in immunocompromised hosts.
CASE PRESENTATION:
We present a report of Bartonella henselae infection progressing to HLH in an immunocompetent host. The patient initially presented with regional lymphadenopathy but the diagnosis was not suspected as the patient reported no exposure to cats. On further history, he did report a scratch from a dog prior to development of symptoms. The patient was treated with methylprednisolone, intravenous immunoglobulin and anakinra for the HLH and three months of Doxycycline for Bartonella infection, with complete resolution of symptoms.
CONCLUSIONS:
Although commonly associated with cat exposure, Bartonella henselae transmission can occur after exposure to other animals including dogs and clinicians need to maintain an index of suspicion for timely diagnosis. Bartonella henselae is associated with a spectrum of clinical manifestations which can include disseminated infection with severe complications such as hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Prompt initiation of Bartonella treatment is essential when thought to be the trigger for hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis although the optimal treatment regimen is unclear.
Overexpression and virus-induced gene silencing of Cytochrome P45082G24 from safflower revealed positive insights into flavonoid accumulation and methyl jasmonate tolerance in transgenic plants
Authors: Wang Yufei , Li Zhiling , Ahmad Naveed , Sheng Xiaoxiao , Iqbal Babar , Naeem Muhammad , Wang Nan , Li Fengwei , Yao Na , Liu Xiuming 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
The cytochrome P450 superfamily of monooxygenases plays a major role in the evolution and diversification of plant natural products. The function of cytochrome P450s in physiological adaptability, secondary metabolism, and xenobiotic detoxification has been studied extensively in numerous plant species. However, their underlying regulatory mechanism in safflower still remained unclear. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the functional role of a putative CtCYP82G24-encoding gene in safflower, suggesting crucial insights into the regulation of methyl jasmonate-induced flavonoid accumulation in transgenic plants. The results showed that methyl jasmonate (MeJA) was associated with a progressive upregulation of CtCYP82G24expression in safflower among other treatment conditions including light, dark and polyethylene glycol (PEG). In addition, transgenic plants overexpressing CtCYP82G24 demonstrated increased expression level of other key flavonoid biosynthetic genes, such as AtDFR, AtANS, and AtFLS, and higher content of flavonoids and anthocyanins accumulation when compared to wild-type and mutant plants. Under exogenous MeJA treatment, the CtCYP82G24 transgenic overexpressed lines showed a significant spike in flavonoid and anthocyanin content compared to wild-type and mutant plants. Moreover, the virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) assay of CtCYP82G24 in safflower leaves exhibited decreased flavonoid and anthocyanin accumulation and reduced expression of key flavonoid biosynthetic genes, suggesting a possible coordination between transcriptional regulation of CtCYP82G24 and flavonoid accumulation. Together, our findings confirmed the likely role of CtCYP82G24 during MeJA-induced flavonoids accumulation in safflower.