bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Causality between cholecystectomy, blood lipids, and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events: a Mendelian randomization analysis
Authors: Liu Fang , Yang Ti , Ke Peifeng , Chen Yufan , Guo Jiafan , Cao Mo , Zeng Xiancheng , He Yifeng , Duan Juan 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
Background
Several studies have provided evidence of changes in lipids and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) after cholecystectomy. However, the results of these studies are controversial. Here, we performed Mendelian randomization (MR) to predict the effects of cholecystectomy on blood lipid levels and MACCE with less confounding.
Methods
Summary data on cholecystectomy, lipid levels, and MACCE were obtained from publicly available genetic databases and analyzed using two sets of genetic instruments. MR analyses were conducted using the inverse-variance weighted (IVW; primary method for causal inference in two-sample MR analysis) method. We performed multivariate MR (MVMR) to screen and prioritize the most likely causal lipids and analyzed the mediated effects of these lipids.
Results
Six types of MACCE, including angina, chronic ischemic heart disease, coronary heart disease, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and ischemic stroke, were found to have a negative association with cholecystectomy. Furthermore, we identified a decreased apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A1 (ApoB/ApoA1) ratio with subsequent coronary heart disease with a mediated proportion of 52.9% (95% CI: 21.5–97.5%, P = 0.000), chronic ischemic heart disease with a mediated proportion of 42.6% (95% CI: 23.1–91.6%, P = 0.000), and a reduced risk of myocardial infarction with a mediated proportion of 39.4% (95% CI: 24.8–95.5%, P = 0.000).
Conclusions
The findings present genetic evidence supporting the link between cholecystectomy, blood lipids, and MACCE, which may offer valuable insights into the mechanisms involved in the improvement of blood lipids and the prevention of MACCE following cholecystectomy.
Trends in Degenerative Lumbar Spinal Surgery During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic in Republic of Korea: A National Study Utilizing the National Health Insurance Database
Authors: Yuh Woon Tak , Kim Jinhee , Kim Mi-Sook , Kim Jun-Hoe , Kim Young Rak , Kim Sum , Chung Chun Kee , Lee Chang-Hyun , Park Sung Bae , Kim Kyoung-Tae , Rhee John M. , Ko Young San , Kim Chi Heon 
Published: August 2023

Abstract

During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Republic of Korea (ROK) experienced three epidemic waves in February, August, and November 2020. These waves, combined with the overarching pandemic, significantly influenced trends in spinal surgery. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the trends in degenerative lumbar spinal surgery in ROK during the early COVID-19 pandemic, especially in relation to specific epidemic waves. The secondary aim was to compare surgical outcomes, including length of hospital stay (LOH), hospital costs, discharge disposition, the 30-day readmission rate, and the reoperation rate, between periods before and during the pandemic. A retrospective analysis of ROK’s national health information database (NHID) was conducted on all patients who underwent surgery for degenerative lumbar spinal diseases. Two cohorts were established: pre-COVID-19 (January to December 2019) and COVID-19 (January to December 2020). Propensity score matching and joinpoint regression were utilized. During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of surgeries decreased following the first and second epidemic waves (p < 0.01 and p = 0.21, respectively), but these were offset by compensatory increases later on (both p < 0.01). However, the third epidemic wave did not lead to a decrease in surgical volume, and the total number of surgeries remained comparable to the period before the pandemic. LOH was reduced by 1 day (p < 0.01), while mean hospital costs increased significantly from 3,472 to 4,042 USD (p < 0.01). Additionally, both the transfer rate and the 30-day readmission rate significantly decreased (both p < 0.01), while the reoperation rate remained stable (p = 0.73). Despite the substantial impact of the early epidemic waves on degenerative lumbar spinal surgery, the overall number of operations and surgical outcomes during the early COVID-19 pandemic were comparable to pre-pandemic levels. These findings suggest that lumbar spinal surgery may not need to halt due to a pandemic. These insights should be widely disseminated to inform and guide future strategies in managing similar health crises.
Characteristics of plasma exosomal RNA profile in obesity-related knee osteoarthritis
Authors: Lun Tao , Zhang Bin , Li Song , Feng Daibo , Gong Yunquan , Xiang Wei , Zhang Tongyi , Huang Bo , Xiong Yan , Ni Zhenhong 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
Background: As the most important risk factors of knee osteoarthritis (OA), obesity is closely related to the clinical symptoms and OA progression of patients. The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics of exosomal RNAs in plasma of knee OA patients with obesity and discussed their potential diagnostic and therapeutic value in obese knee OA.
Methods: The 101 participants with knee OA patients were divided into three groups according to BMI class. The corresponding clinical information was recorded and the correlation with obesity was analyzed. Next, we extracted the plasma exosomes from three OA patients with obesity (BMI≥30kg/m2) and three OA patients without obesity (BMI 18.5-24kg/m2). Then, quantitative sequencing of the whole transcriptome exosomal RNAs, including mRNAs, lncRNAs and circRNAs, was performed and the differential expression of the exosomal RNAs were analyzed. At last, the function of differential RNAs in plasma exosomes between the two groups were discussed via GO enrichment, KEGG pathways and interaction Analysis.
Results: There was a negative relationship between BMI and HSS (Hospital for special surgery) score and a positive relationship between BMI and WOMAC (The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis) index in 101 participants with knee OA. There were 334 mRNAs and 29 lncRNAs showing significant differential expression between obesity OA group and non-obesity OA group, including 189 up-regulated mRNAs, 145 down-regulated mRNAs, 15 up-regulated lncRNAs and 14 down-regulated lncRNAs. Signal pathway analysis showed that metabolism-related changes including metabolism and organismal system, fatty acid metabolism, positive regulation of fatty acid oxidation, adipocytokine signaling pathway, insulin resistance were enriched in obesity-related OA group. Furthermore, 7 differentially expressed lncRNAs related to lipid metabolism process were screened out, including lnc-TAL1-3-2, NONHSAT209148.1, lnc-DLEU2, Inc00969, lnc-CABP4-2, lnc-CHD1L-5 and lnc-ERICH1-19. However, there was no differential expression of cirRNAs between two groups.
Conclusion: Knee OA patients with obesity had more serious clinical symptoms and signs. Compared to the control group, there was obviously differential expression of mRNAs and lncRNAs in plasma exosomes of knee OA patients with obesity. The differential mRNAs and lncRNAs in plasma exosomes may potentially affect synovial inflammation of joint and participate in the pathological injury of OA. Our data suggested that plasma exosomal RNA may be a potential diagnostic and intervention target for OA patients with obesity in the future.
The redox-sensitive R-loop of the carbon control protein SbtB contributes to the regulation of the cyanobacterial CCM
Authors: Mantovani Oliver , Haffner Michael , Walke Peter , Elshereef Abdalla A. , Wagner Berenike , Petras Daniel , Forchhammer Karl , Selim Khaled A. , Hagemann Martin 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
SbtB is a PII-like protein that regulates the carbon-concentrating mechanism (CCM) in cyanobacteria. SbtB proteins can bind many adenyl nucleotides and possess a characteristic C-terminal redox sensitive loop (R-loop) that forms a disulfide bridge in response to the diurnal state of the cell. SbtBs also possess an ATPase/ADPase activity that is modulated by the redox-state of the R-loop. To investigate the R-loop in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, site-specific mutants, unable to form the hairpin and permanently in the reduced state, and a R-loop truncation mutant, were characterized under different inorganic carbon (Ci) and light regimes. Growth under diurnal rhythm showed a role of the R-loop as sensor for acclimation to changing light conditions. The redox-state of the R-loop was found to impact the binding of the adenyl-nucleotides to SbtB, its membrane association and thereby the CCM regulation, while these phenotypes disappeared after truncation of the R-loop. Collectively, our data imply that the redox-sensitive R-loop provides an additional regulatory layer to SbtB, linking the CO2-related signaling activity of SbtB with the redox state of cells, mainly reporting the actual light conditions. This regulation not only coordinates CCM activity in the diurnal rhythm but also affects the primary carbon metabolism.
Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals the heterogeneity of tumor-associated macrophage in three subtypes of breast cancer
Authors: Yuan Yan , Zhang Shu , Huang Jian 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
The heterogeneity and the complex cellular interaction of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) have a crucial effect on different subtypes of breast cancer (BC) progression and response to treatment. In this work, we combine published single-cell RNA sequencing data from 24 BC patients and co-culture experiments of macrophages with three subtypes of BC to identify heterogeneity of TAMs. We find that TAMs in the three subtypes of BC not only have diverse features and functions, but also emerge to the crosstalk within subtypes. The results of pathway enrichment analysis, cellular communication, and ligand-receptor pair analysis show that heterogeneous TAMs can activate different pathways in cancer cells and epithelial cells by expressing specific ligands and binding to different receptors. We revealed the unique role of heterogeneous TAMs in regulating the biological functions of different tumor microenvironments, and by targeting heterogeneous macrophages in different subtypes of breast cancer may provide a novel insight for the precision immunotherapy of breast cancer.
Evaluation of green development levels of resource-based cities: A case study of typical cities in Anhui Province
Authors: Yu Yao , Duan Chuanqing , Gong Cheng , Hu Shuheng , Ding Zhaogang 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
The green development of resource-based cities is an important method to deal with increasing concerns of resource and the environment. From the perspectives of ecological cities and urban sustainable development, this paper constructs a comprehensive evaluation system of urban green development that integrated supporting force index, traction index, and driving force index. Considering the importance of such indexes and the relationship between the indexes, an optimal combination model of weight determination is constructed based on the organic integration of an entropy weight method and a maximizing deviation method. Five typical resource-based cities in Anhui Province, Hefei, Huainan, Maanshan, Huaibei, and Tongling, were included in the empirical research. The evaluation results showed that the green development level in Hefei was much higher than that of the other four cities. The level of green development in Maanshan was moderate, while the overall situations of Huainan, Tongling, and Huaibei were not satisfying. Accordingly, some targeted countermeasures and suggestions were provided in this paper, hoping to improve the level of green development of resource-based cities in China.
Response surface optimization of Entandrophragma cylindricum (Sapelli) pulping/delignification using a hybrid organosolv ethanol/soda process
Authors: Nnanga Hubert Justin Guissele , Cheumani Arnaud Maxime Yona , Njungab Emmanuel , Saha Jean-Bosco Tchinda , Ndinteh Derek Tantoh , Ndikontar Maurice Kor 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
The pulping potential of high lignin-containing tropical hardwoods is not well-reported in the literature. The forestry exploitation of these woods generates high amounts of residue each year of first and second transformations of the woods. This work studied the pulping of Sapelli (Entandrophragma cylindricum) wood species using a hybrid caustic soda solution/ethanol process using the Response Surface Methodology with Central Composite Design. The water/ethanol ratio was fixed at 40/60 (v/v) following preliminary experiments. The three pulping parameters namely temperature, time and alkali charge were chosen as independent variables. The pulp response characteristics were yield, kappa number and cellulose content, as well as the interactions between these pulping parameters. The results of the study and the quadratic equations models equations obtained provided the basis for selecting the optimal conditions of pulping according to the desired pulp characteristics. The generated mathematical relationship showed that the optimal pulping conditions were time 120 min, temperature 180°C and alkali charge 29.95%. The experimental yield, 45.01%, kappa number, 9.6 and cellulose content, 0.4028 g/g of initial wood obtained by applying the optimal conditions were close to the theoretical values generated by the experimental designs. The amount of cellulose in the pulp was also close to the amount of cellulose in the raw wood, showing that the hybrid pulping method caused only a slight degradation of cellulose. The cellulose in optimal pulp was type I cellulose as shown by X-ray diffraction. The optimal pulp was also characterized by Fourier Transformed Infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analyses. Experimental designs can be used to optimize the caustic soda/ethanol pulping of wood to produce only slightly degraded cellulose as an intermediate for various industrial applications.
Albumin versus Balanced Crystalloid for the early resuscitation of sepsis: a randomised feasibility trial. The ABC-Sepsis Trial.
Authors: Gray Alasdair , Oatey Katherine , Grahamslaw Julia , Irvine Sîan , Cafferkey John , Kennel Titouan , Norrie John , Walsh Tim , Lone Nazir , Horner Daniel , Appelbaum Andy , Hall Peter , Skipworth Richard , Bell Derek , Rooney Kevin , Shankar-Hari Manu , Corfield Alasdair 
Published: August 2023

Abstract

Purpose
International guidelines recommend intravenous crystalloid as the primary fluid for sepsis resuscitation, with 5% human albumin solution (HAS) as second line. However, it is unclear which fluid has superior clinical effectiveness. We conducted a feasibility trial comparing 5% HAS with balanced crystalloid in the early resuscitation of adults with sepsis in UK Emergency Departments (EDs), to investigate recruitment metrics and determine clinical event rates to inform subsequent trial design.
Methods
Multicentre, open, parallel-group randomised feasibility trial of adults with sepsis and a NEWS2 ≥ 5 who required intravenous fluids within one hour of randomisation. Main outcomes were recruitment rate and 30-day mortality.
Measurements and Main Results:
We recruited, as planned, 300 participants over 12 months. Mean (standard deviation) age was 69 (± 16) years, and 151 (50%) were male. From 1303 participants; 502 participants were potentially eligible and 300 randomised and received trial intervention. The median number of participants per site was 19 (range 1 to 63); 2.4 participants per site per month. 30-day mortality was 17.9% (n = 53). 31 (21.1%) participants died within 30-days in the 5% HAS arm, compared with 22 (14.8%) participants in the crystalloid arm; adjusted odds ratio 1.50 (95% confidence intervals; 0.84 to 2.83).
Conclusions
The ABC-Sepsis trial demonstrated the feasibility to recruit to a multicentre fluid resuscitation trial in UK EDs with recruitment on target and > 95% of participants receiving the intervention. There was separation in 30-day mortality outcome between arms with balanced crystalloid arm having a non-significantly lower mortality. The reasons for this are unclear.
The Current Situation and Prospect of China's Pension System: A Survey Based on Shenzhen
Authors: Zhong Zhichao 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
China’s pension system has undergone historic changes since the reform and opening up. Pension insurance is one of the most important system in social security and a major social policy for social and economic development. With the aging population, the diversification of employment mode and the development of urbanization, various reasons have affected the implementation of the pension system. Shenzhen is one of the fast-growing cities and is the frontline representative of reform and opening up. 92% of Shenzhen residents participated in the public pension system. This article studies the satisfaction of the pension system from the perspective of the insured and collected 352 valid questionnaires to conduct an empirical analysis, mainly based on the customer satisfaction theory, using the Likert scale method to investigate the satisfaction of Shenzhen residents with the pension system and their attitude towards commercial endowment insurance. The results of this study show that the satisfaction of the pension system is affected by the gender, income and knowledge of the policy content, and the number of children and age will affect people’s intention to purchase commercial pension insurance. How to make overall plans according to the development level of each city and how to give full play to the “insurance” function of the pension system are important issues that must be faced under the economic transformation. This study has important implications for the improvement of China’s pension system, and it can also provide theoretical and empirical basis for future reform of the pension system, especially for the development of China’s commercial pension insurance.
Model of Age-Dependent Dynamics and Biokinetics of T-Cells as Natural Biodosimeters
Authors: Tolstykh Evgenia I. , Vozilova Alexandra V. , Akleyev Alexander V. , Zalyapin Vladimir V. 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
Circulating T-lymphocytes are used as "natural biodosimeters" for estimating radiation doses, since the frequency of chromosomal aberrations induced in them is proportional to the accumulated dose. Moreover, stable chromosomal aberrations (translocations) are detected years and decades after exposure. Internal incorporation of radionuclides often leads to non-uniform exposure, which resulted in difficulties in the application of retrospective biodosimetry using T-lymphocytes. Some properties of T-lymphocytes complicate retrospective biodosimetry in this case: (1) the thymic production of T-cells depends significantly on age, the maximum is observed in early childhood; (2) the “lymphocyte-dosimeter” accumulates changes (translocations) while circulating through the body. The objective of this paper is to describe the technical characteristics of the model of age dynamics and T-cell biokinetics and approaches to assessing the dose to circulating lymphocytes under various exposure scenarios. The model allows you to quantify the fractions of T-lymphocytes that were formed before and after exposure. The model takes into account the time fractions that circulating lymphocytes spend in various lymphoid organs. Age-related thymic involution was also considered. The model predicts that after internal exposure to 90Sr, the doses to T-lymphocytes can differ significantly from the doses to the bone marrow and other tissues. For uniform external γ-exposure, and for internal exposure due to non-bone -seeking radionuclides (for example, 144Ce), predicted doses to T-lymphocytes are very close to bone marrow doses. The model allows to quantify the correction factors for FISH-based doses to obtain doses to organs and tissues.
Mohs surgeon workforce survey: A spectrum of clinical, academic, and leadership activities
Authors: Scott Jeffrey F. , Lam Charlene , Ahn Ji Won , Yu Sherry H. 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
Workforce adequacy for Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to describe the current spectrum of clinical, academic, advocacy and leadership activities through a survey of members of the American College of Mohs Surgery (ACMS). The ACMS membership was electronically sent a 43-question anonymous survey between January and May 2023 and there was a 10.7% response rate representing 184 members across 37 states. Nearly 90% are board certified in micrographic dermatologic surgery and 10.3% indicate that they practice in a rural setting (57.1% suburban and 32.6% urban). The median number of half-days surgeons performed Mohs surgery is 6 and nearly half of Mohs surgeons work in a dermatology-only medical group (48.4%), do no use immunohistochemical stains (60.3%), and do not participate in a multidisciplinary tumor board (58.7%). Many respondents indicate they have capacity in their clinical schedules to accommodate more cases and the reasons are multifactorial.
Building Blocks Driven Self-Adaptation in Ant Colony Optimisation
Authors: Gaddam Jyotheesh , Barca Jan Carlo , Nguyen Thanh Thi , Angelova Maia 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
This paper presents the implementation and evaluation of the ant colony optimisation with adaptive building blocks, an approach designed to improve the performance of the ant colony optimisation algorithm by selecting self-adaptive building blocks through Elitist, Roulette, and Hybrid (combination between Elitist and Roulette) selection strategies. Ant colony optimisation's performance is heavily dependent on the selection of its parameters, including the building blocks, which determine the search space.The proposed approach aims to enhance the ant colony optimisation algorithm's performance by adapting the building blocks during the optimisation process, with the goal of improving the exploration and exploitation of the search space. The approach selects the most promising building blocks in a dynamic process based on their performance in previous iterations and updates them accordingly. The proposed algorithm was evaluated using the CEC'2013 benchmark functions, which are commonly used to evaluate optimisation algorithms. The results of the experiments demonstrate that Elitist selection outperformed all other algorithms, including the standard ant colony optimisation, Roulette, and Hybrid. Elitist selection of building blocks showed the best performance in terms of computational time and the number of iterations required to reach the optimal fitness value.
Protective effects of Shensuitongzhi formula on intervertebral disc degeneration via downregulation NF-κB signaling pathway and inflammatory response
Authors: Ge Qinwen , Wang Xu , Zeng Qinghe , Hu Songfeng , Jin Hongting , Wang Ping-er , Li Ju 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
Low back pain (LBP) is a common orthopedic disease over the world. Lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is been regarded as an important cause of LBP. Shensuitongzhi formula (SSTZF) is a drug used in clinical treatment for orthopedic diseases. It has been found that SSTZF can have a good treatment for IDD. But the exact mechanism has not been clarified. The results showed that SSTZF protects against LSI-induced degeneration of cartilage endplates and intervertebral discs. Meanwhile, SSTZF treatment dramatically reduce the expression of inflammatory factor as well as the expression of catabolism protein and upregulate the expression of anabolism protein in LSI-induced mice. In addition, SSTZF delayed the progression of LSI-induced IDD via downregulation the level of NF-κB signaling key gene RELA and phosphorylation of key protein P65 in endplate chondrocytes. Our study has illustrated the treatment as well as the latent mechanism of SSTZF in IDD.