bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Application of stable index and transport index for regional air pollution over Twain-Hu Basin
Authors: Yue Yanyu , Bai Yongqing , He Huan , Xu Lin , Chen Xuan , Zhou Yue , Tang Zijun , Zhan Tian 
Published: January 2023

Affected by stagnant and transmission air pollution, Regional pollution day (RPD) frequently occurs in Twain-Hu Basin. In the winter halfaear of 2015–2021 (November to March of following year), the Regional pollution days reached 331 days. A variety of weather systems together lead to regional air pollution. Based on the observation data of PM2.5 concentration and multi-source meteorological elements during the study period, the weather types of Regional pollution days in Twain-Hu Basin can be divided into four types by using the T-model (T-PCA) classification method, namely, uniform pressure field (42 days), front of cold high-pressure bottom (180 days), back of high-pressure (81 days), and low pressure with an inverted trough field (28 days). Under the influence of uniform pressure field and front of cold high-pressure bottom, it shows the meteorological characteristics of static pollution and transmission pollution, respectively. A stable index (STI) is constructed to describe the PM2.5 pollution caused by the stagnant weather, and a transport index (TRI) is constructed to describe the PM2.5 pollution caused by the transport weather. They have a satisfactory evaluation effect on PM2.5 pollution under the influence of uniform pressure field and front of cold high-pressure bottom, respectively. Interestingly, the correlation coefficients between the pollution index (A stable index + transport index) and PM2.5 concentration could increase obviously to 0.48–0.71 when A stable index and transport index are considered comprehensively. Furthermore, the validation in the winter halfaear of 2021/2022 show that the correlation coefficient of most stations is above 0.70. Therefore, satisfactory performance in validation suggests that this index construction method can be well applied to regional pollution assessment in Twain-Hu Basin.
Recombinant full-length Bacillus Anthracis protective antigen and its 63 kDa form elicits protective response in formulation with addavax
Authors: Sharma Shikhar , Bahl Vanndita , Srivastava Gaurav , Shamim Risha , Bhatnagar Rakesh , Gaur Deepak 
Published: January 2023

IntroductionBacillus anthracis is the causative agent for the lethal disease anthrax, primarily affecting animals and humans in close contact with an infected host. The pathogenicity of B. anthracis is attributed to the secreted exotoxins and their outer capsule. The host cell-binding exotoxin component “protective antigen” (PA) is reported to be a potent vaccine candidate. The aim of our study is to produce several PA constructs and analyze their vaccine potential.MethodsWe have designed the various subunit, PA-based recombinant proteins, i.e., full-length Protective antigen (PA-FL), C-terminal 63 kDa fragment (PA63), Protective antigen domain 1-domain 4 chimeras (PA-D1-4) and protective antigen domain 4 (PA-D4) and analyzed their vaccine potential with different human-compatible adjuvants in the mouse model. We have optimized the process and successfully expressed our recombinant antigens as soluble proteins, except full-length PA. All the recombinant antigen formulations with three different adjuvants i.e., Addavax, Alhydrogel, and Montanide ISA 720, were immunized in different mouse groups. The vaccine efficacy of the formulations was analyzed by mouse serum antigen-specific antibody titer, toxin neutralization assay, and survival analysis of mouse groups challenged with a lethal dose of B. anthracis virulent spores.ResultsWe have demonstrated that the PA-FL addavax and PA63 addavax formulations were most effective in protecting spore-challenged mice and serum from the mice immunized with PAFL addavax, PA-FL alhydrogel, PA63 addavax, and PA63 alhydrogel formulations were equivalently efficient in neutralizing the anthrax lethal toxin. The higher levels of serum Th1, Th2, and Th17 cytokines in PA-FL addavax immunized mice correspond to the enhanced protection provided by the formulation in challenged mice.DiscussionWe have demonstrated that the PA-FL addavax and PA63 addavax formulations exhibit equivalent efficiency as vaccine formulation both in a mouse model of anthrax and mammalian cell lines. However, PA63 is a smaller antigen than PA-FL and more importantly, PA63 is expressed as a soluble protein in E. coli, which imparts a translational advantage to PA63-based formulation. Thus, the outcome of our study has significant implications for the development of protective antigen-based vaccine formulations for human use against the lethal disease anthrax.
Exploring the research landscape of the past, present, and future of thyroid nodules
Authors: Chen Pei , Feng Chenzhe , Huang Leyi , Chen Haolin , Feng Yeqian , Chang Shi 
Published: January 2023

IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to assess the landscape of thyroid nodules research during the last 22 years using machine learning and text analysis.MethodsIn November 2021, we obtained from PubMed all works indexed under the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) subject line “thyroid nodules.” The entire set of search results was retrieved in XML format, and metadata such as title, abstract, keywords, MeSH words, and year of publication were extracted for bibliometric evaluation from the original XML files. To increase the specificity of the investigation, the Latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic modeling method was applied.ResultsOur study included 5,770 research papers. By using frequency analysis of MeSH terms, research on thyroid nodules was divided into two categories: clinical and basic. The proportion of clinical research is nearing 89% and is dominated by the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules. In contrast, the proportion of MeSH terms relating to basic research was just 11%, with DNA mutation analysis being the most common topic. Following this, LDA analysis revealed the thyroid nodule study had three clusters: Imaging Studies, Biopsy and Diagnosis, and Epidemiology and Screening of Thyroid Cancer. The result suggests that current thyroid nodule research appears to have focused on ultrasonography and histological diagnosis, which are tightly correlated. Molecular biomarker research has increased, therefore enhancing the diagnostic precision of thyroid nodules. However, inflammation, anxiety, and mental health disorders related to thyroid nodules have received little attention.ConclusionBasic research on thyroid nodules has unmet research requirements. Future research could focus on developing strategies to more efficiently identify malignant nodules, exploring the mechanism of thyroid nodule development, and enhancing the quality of life of thyroid patients.
LncRNA EN-90756 promotes CPB2-induced proliferation and inhibits apoptosis in IPEC-J2 cells by affecting the JAK-STAT signaling pathway activation
Authors: Yang Jiaojiao , Zhang Juanli , Yang Qiaoli , Huang Xiaoyu , Yan Zunqiang , Wang Pengfei , Gao Xiaoli , Li Jie , Li Na , Gao Yi , Gun Shuangbao 
Published: January 2023

BackgroundLong non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), as key regulators, are closely associated with the development of a variety of disease. However, the mechanisms by which lncRNAs regulate Clostridium perfringens type C induced piglet diarrhea are unclear.MethodsIn the present study, we explored the expression and characterization of lncRNAs in a C. perfringens beta2 (CPB2) toxin-treated intestinal porcine epithelial cell line-J2 (IPEC-J2) using RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq).ResultsA total of 6,558 lncRNAs were identified, of which 49 lncRNAs were significantly differentially expressed between the control and CPB2 groups. Functional enrichment analysis showed that the target genes of differentially expressed lncRNA EN-90756 were mainly associated with defense response to virus, and negative regulation of apoptotic process. LncRNA EN-90756 was significantly up-regulated in IPEC-J2 cells at different time points after CPB2 treatment. Functionally, knockdown of lncRNA EN-90756 might regulate the proliferation and apoptosis of IPEC-J2 cells by affecting the Janus kinase (JAK)-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling pathway. LncRNA EN-90756 may be involved in CPB2 toxin-induced piglet diarrhea by regulating the expression of its target gene MX1 (encoding MX dynamin like GTPase 1).ConclusionLong non-coding RNA EN-90756 affected the antiviral ability of IPEC-J2 cells by regulating the expression of MX1. Meanwhile, lncRNA EN-90756 might regulate cell proliferation and apoptosis by affecting JAK-STAT signaling pathway activation. These findings provide novel perspectives and directions for further exploration of the regulatory mechanisms of lncRNAs on CPB2 toxin-induced diarrhea in piglets.
Innate immunity mediator STING modulates nascent DNA metabolism at stalled forks in human cells
Authors: Lazarchuk Pavlo , Nguyen Vy N. , Brunon Salomé , Pavlova Maria N. , Sidorova Julia M. 
Published: January 2023

Background: The cGAS/STING pathway, part of the innate immune response to foreign DNA, can be activated by cell’s own DNA arising from the processing of the genome, including the degradation of nascent DNA at arrested replication forks, which can be upregulated in cancer cells. Recent evidence raises a possibility that the cGAS/STING pathway may also modulate the very processes that trigger it, e.g., DNA damage repair or processing of stalled forks.Methods: We manipulated STING levels in human cells by depleting or re-expressing it, and assessed the effects of STING on replication using microfluidics-assisted replication track analysis, or maRTA, a DNA fiber assay, as well as immuno-precipitation of nascent DNA, or iPOND. We also assessed STING subcellular distribution and its ability to activate.Results: Depletion of STING suppressed and its re-expression in STING-deficient cancer cells upregulated the degradation of nascent DNA at arrested replication forks. Replication fork arrest was accompanied by the STING pathway activation, and a STING mutant that does not activate the pathway failed to upregulate nascent DNA degradation. cGAS was required for STING’s effect on degradation, but this requirement could be bypassed by treating cells with a STING agonist. Cells expressing inactive STING had a reduced level of RPA on parental and nascent DNA of arrested forks and a reduced CHK1 activation compared to cells with the wild type STING. STING also affected unperturbed fork progression in a subset of cell lines. STING fractionated to the nuclear fractions enriched for structural components of chromatin and nuclear envelope, and furthermore, it associated with the chromatin of arrested replication forks as well as post-replicative chromatin.Conclusion: Our data highlight STING as a determinant of stalled replication fork integrity, thus revealing a novel connection between the replication stress and innate immune responses.
Characteristics of stroke service implementation in Armenia
Authors: Sahakyan Greta , Orduyan Mira , Badalyan Sevak , Adamyan Ani , Hovhannisyan Mariam , Manucharyan Hasmik , Egoyan Sagatel , Makaryan Yuri , Manvelyan Hovhannes 
Published: January 2023

BackgroundAcute stroke care service in Armenia was established in 2019 after the implementation of the National Stroke Program (NSP). This study aimed to provide an up-to-date account of the current image and clinical characteristics of acute stroke service implementation at a tertiary hospital in Armenia by analyzing the quality of care and identifying the areas that need improvement.MethodsWe analyzed patient data from a single hospital in 1 year after the establishment of acute stroke care service (February 2021–January 2022). We selected patients who were within 0–24 h from symptom onset at admission and included patients who benefited from reperfusion therapies (intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and/or endovascular thrombectomy (EVT)). A favorable outcome was defined as a drop in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) by more than four points at discharge and a modified Rankin score (mRS) of 0–2 at 90 days.ResultsOf the total 385 patients, 155 underwent reperfusion therapies, 91% of patients (141/155) arrived by ambulance, 79.2% (122/155) had neurological improvement at discharge, and 60.6% (94/155) had an mRS of 0–2 at 3 months. Less than 5% of patients had early direct access to the rehabilitation center.ConclusionOur study demonstrated that the implementation of NSP with organized protocol-driven inpatient care led to significant advancement in acute stroke service performance. We believe that our report will serve as a model for achieving advanced and structured stroke care in a resource-limited context and contribute to the future development of the healthcare system in our country.
Treatment mode and prognosis of esophageal perforation after radiotherapy in patients with esophageal carcinoma
Authors: Chan-Jun Zhen , Wen-Wen Bai , Ping Zhang , Yu-Zhi Song , Ya-Jing Wang , Xue-Ying Qiao , Zhi-Guo Zhou 
Published: January 2023

ObjectiveRetrospectively analyzed the esophageal carcinoma (EC) patients with esophageal perforation (EP) after radiotherapy to discuss the treatment and prognosis.MethodsData of patients with EC who had EP after radiotherapy in Hebei Cancer Hospital were collected from 2001 to 2020 and retrospectively analyzed. All analyses were performed using SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 18. 0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Ill., USA). P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.ResultsA total of 94 patients with EC were enrolled, among which 72 were males and 22 were females, with a median age of 62 (38–82) years. The tumor was located in the upper thoracic in 45 patients, middle thoracic in 45 patients, and lower thoracic in 4 patients. There were 30 cases of tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) and 64 cases of esophagomediastinal fistula (EMF). All patients died within 11 months (median: two months) after EP. After EP, 48 patients were treated by tube feeding (include nasal feeding and gastrostomy), 26 patients by esophageal stenting, and 20 patients by fluid infusion therapy, and their one, three, and six months survival rates after EP were 81.3%, 31.3%, and 12.5% (P = 0.000). In the TEF group, the one, three, and six month survival rates after EP of tube feeding, esophageal stenting and fluid infusion groups were 88.2%, 17.6%, 11.8%; 45.5%, 27.3%, 0%; and 50.0%, 50.0%, 0% (P = 0.345). In the EMF group, the one, three, and six months survival rates after EP of this three groups were 77.4%, 38.7%, 12.9%; 26.7%, 20.0%, 6.7%; and 22.2%, 11.1%, 0% (P=0.002), respectively.ConclusionMost patients with EP after radiotherapy died within six months, with low survival and poor prognosis. Tube feeding therapy can achieve relatively good survival, especially for patients with EMF. The survival of patients treated by tube feeding therapy is significantly better than the survival of those treated by other methods.
Modifiable factors for migraine prophylaxis: A mendelian randomization analysis
Authors: Zheng Hui , Shi Yun-Zhou , Liang Jing-Tao , Lu Liang-Liang , Chen Min 
Published: January 2023

Objective: To examine the causal effect of potentially modifiable risk factors contributing to migraine pathogenesis.Methods: We performed Mendelian randomization analyses and acquired data from United Kingdom Biobank, FinnGen Biobank, and the MRC IEU OpenGWAS data infrastructure. An inverse-variance weighted (IVW) model was used to examine the relationship between 51 potentially modifiable risk factors and migraine in 3215 participants with migraine without aura (MwoA), 3541 participants with migraine with aura (MwA), and 176,107 controls. We adopted a Bonferroni-corrected threshold of p = 9.8 × 10–4 (.05 divided by 51 exposures) as a sign of significant effect, and a p &lt; .05 was considered as the sign of a suggestive association.Results: More years of schooling significantly correlated with lower odds of MwoA pathogenesis (OR .57 [95%CI .44 to .75], p &lt; .0001). More vitamin B12 intake (OR .49 [95%CI .24 to .99], p = .046) and lower level of stress [OR 8.17 (95%CI 1.5 to 44.36), p = .015] or anxiety disorder (OR 1.92 × 109 [95%CI 8.76 to 4.23*1017], p = .029) were suggestive to be correlated lower odds of MwoA pathogenesis. More coffee intake (OR .39 [95%CI .22 to .7], p = .001), lower level of eicosapentaenoic acid status (OR 2.54 [95%CI 1.03 to 6.26], p = .043), and more light physical activity (OR .09 [95%CI .01 to .94], p = .046) were suggestive to be associated with lower odds of MwA.Conclusion: The years of schooling, light physical activity, vitamin B12 intake, and coffee intake were the protective factors for migraine; stress, anxiety, and eicosapentaenoic acid status were harmful factors. Interventions could be developed based on modifying these factors for migraine prophylaxis.
Airflow ejection-wrapped clamping type seedling picking method and parameter optimization
Authors: Ma Guoxin , Chen Xi , Liu Yang , Han Luhua , Mao Hanping , Hu Jianping 
Published: January 2023

Since the current clamp-type and push-out-type seedling picking method brought damage to seedlings, this study aimed to proposed an airflow ejection-wrapped clamping type seedling picking method, which used airflow to eject out seedling and the seedlings were wrapped clamped to reduce the damage of seedlings during seedling picking process. The parameter model was established through theoretical design, then the parameters were optimized through coupling simulation analysis, and the validity of these parameters was verified through experiments. We found that the diameter of the airflow nozzle was selected as 3.5 mm to match with the drainage outlet of the plug tray, and the airflow pressure which could eject out seedlings was calculated as 0.146 Mpa~0.315 Mpa on the basis of gas jet dynamic. The fluid-solid coupling simulation of airflow ejection in Comsol proposed that the seedlings could be ejected out under the airflow pressure was equal to or greater than 0.4 Mpa, and the airflow should be maintained for about 0.3 s to ensure the posture of the seedlings ejected out for better seedling clamping. The further fluid-discrete body simulation of airflow ejection by using Fluent-Edem coupling method indicated that the seedling was damaged under airflow pressure of 0.5 MPa, so the airflow pressure should be set as 0.4 MPa during seedling ejection process. Besides, a wrapped clamping type effector which clamped the seedlings from all sides in the form of flexible package was also designed to match with the airflow ejection method, and the RecurDyn-Edem coupling simulation showed that the end-effector could tightly clamp the seedling without damage when the angle between the clamping slices and the vertical direction was 8.5°. Finally, the airflow ejection-wrapped clamping type seedling picking device was manufactured, and the verification tests verified the simulation results. This research can provide some references for the automatic seedling picking technology.
Identification of multiple novel genetic mechanisms that regulate chilling tolerance in Arabidopsis
Authors: Sahoo Dipak Kumar , Hegde Chinmay , Bhattacharyya Madan K. 
Published: January 2023

IntroductionCold stress adversely affects the growth and development of plants and limits the geographical distribution of many plant species. Accumulation of spontaneous mutations shapes the adaptation of plant species to diverse climatic conditions.MethodsThe genome-wide association study of the phenotypic variation gathered by a newly designed phenomic platform with the over six millions single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) loci distributed across the genomes of 417 Arabidopsis natural variants collected from various geographical regions revealed 33 candidate cold responsive genes.ResultsInvestigation of at least two independent insertion mutants for 29 genes identified 16 chilling tolerance genes governing diverse genetic mechanisms. Five of these genes encode novel leucine-rich repeat domain-containing proteins including three nucleotide-binding site-leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR) proteins. Among the 16 identified chilling tolerance genes, ADS2 and ACD6 are the only two chilling tolerance genes identified earlier.DiscussionThe 12.5% overlap between the genes identified in this genome-wide association study (GWAS) of natural variants with those discovered previously through forward and reverse genetic approaches suggests that chilling tolerance is a complex physiological process governed by a large number of genetic mechanisms.
Co-creation and self-evaluation: An accountability mechanism process in water, sanitation and hygiene services delivery in childcare centres in Nairobi's informal settlements
Authors: Chumo Ivy , Kabaria Caroline , Elsey Helen , Ozano Kim , Phillips-Howard Penelope A. , Mberu Blessing 
Published: January 2023

BackgroundAccountability strategies are expected to enhance access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) service delivery in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC). Conventional formal social accountability mechanisms (SAMs) for WASH service delivery have been inadequate to meet the needs of residents in informal settlements in LMICs. This has prompted growing interest in alternative informal SAMs (iSAMs) in Nairobi's informal settlements. To date, iSAMs have shown a limited effect, often due to implementation failures and poor contextual fit. In childcare centers in Nairobi's informal settlements, co-creation of the iSAMs process, where parents, childcare managers, researchers and other WASH stakeholders, contribute to the design and implementation of iSAMs, is an approach with the potential to meet urgent WASH needs. However, to our knowledge, no study has documented (1) co-creating iSAMs processes for WASH service delivery in childcare centers and (2) self-evaluation of the co-creation process in the informal settlements.MethodsWe used a qualitative approach where we collected data through workshops and focus group discussions to document and inform (a) co-creation processes of SAMs for WASH service delivery in childcare centers and (b) self-evaluation of the co-creation process. We used a framework approach for data analysis informed by Coleman's framework.ResultsStudy participants co-created an iSAM process that entailed: definition; action and sharing information; judging and assessing; and learning and adapting iSAMs. The four steps were considered to increase the capability to meet WASH needs in childcare centers. We also documented a self-evaluation appraisal of the iSAM process. Study participants described that the co-creation process could improve understanding, inclusion, ownership and performance in WASH service delivery. Negative appraisals described included financial, structural, social and time constraints.ConclusionWe conclude that the co-creation process could address contextual barriers which are often overlooked, as it allows understanding of issues through the ‘eyes' of people who experience service delivery issues. Further, we conclude that sustainable and equitable WASH service delivery in childcare centers in informal settlements needs research that goes beyond raising awareness to fully engage and co-create to ensure that novel solutions are developed at an appropriate scale to meet specific needs. We recommend that actors should incorporate co-creation in identification of feasible structures for WASH service delivery in childcare centers and other contexts.