bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Towards standardizing basophil identification by flow cytometry
Authors: Sonder Soren Ulrik , Plassmeyer Matthew , Loizou Denise , Alpan Oral 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundBasophils normally make up &lt;2% of the white blood cells (WBC). There is no clear consensus for basophil identification by flow cytometry. The increased demand for basophil activation test (BAT) to identifying and monitoring allergic patients highlights the need for a standardized approach to identify basophils.MethodsUsing flow cytometry we analyzed whole blood stained with antibodies against: IgE, CD123, CD193, CD203c, CD3, HLADR, FcɛRI, CRTH2 and CD45. We examined unstimulated blood as well as blood stimulated with Anti-IgE and fMLP. Finally, we compared the results to a complete blood count (CBC) from an FDA approved hematological analyzer.ResultsBasophil identification relying on just one surface marker performed worse than approaches utilizing two identification markers. The percentage of basophils from WBC determined by flow cytometry results had a good correlation with the CBC results even though the CBC results were generally higher. Stimulating whole blood with the basophil activators did not interfere with the basophil identification markers.ConclusionIn flow cytometry assays, two surface markers should be used for identifying basophils and if a very pure basophil fraction is desired a third marker can be considered. In our hands the approaches that included CD123 in combination with either CD193, HLADRnegative or FcɛRI performed the best.
Amyloid-mediated remineralization for tooth hypoplasia of cleidocranial dysplasia
Authors: Guo Xiaohe , Yang Xiaoxue , Liu Peisheng , Huang Xiaoyao , Gu Yang , Guo Hao , Xuan Kun , Liu Anqi 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionCleidocranial dysplasia (CCD) is an autosomal-dominant, heritable skeletal and dental disease, involving hypoplastic clavicles, defective ossification of the anterior fontanelle, dentin and enamel hypoplasia, and supernumerary teeth, which can seriously affect the oral and mental health of patients. Amyloid-like protein aggregation, which is established by lysozyme conjugated with polyethylene glycol (Lyso-PEG), forms a mineralized nanofilm layer on a healthy enamel surface. However, whether it can form a remineralization layer in dental tissues from CCD remains unclear.MethodsThis study evaluated deciduous teeth from healthy individuals and a patient with CCD. Because pulp and dentin are functionally closely related, stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) from CCD patients and healthy individuals were collected to compare their biological properties.ResultsThe results found that deciduous teeth from patients with CCD exhibited dentin hypoplasia. In addition, the proliferative ability and osteogenic potential of SHED from patients with CCD were lower than those of control individuals. Finally, Lyso-PEG was applied to dentin from the CCD and control groups, showing a similar remineralization-induced effect on the dentin surfaces of the two groups.ConclusionThese results extend our understanding of the dentin and SHED of patients with CCD, exhibiting good caries-preventive capacity and good biocompatibility of Lyso-PEG, thus providing a novel dental therapy for CCD and patients with tooth hypoplasia.
Effects of the different Tai Chi exercise cycles on patients with essential hypertension: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Yin Yikun , Yu Zhengze , Wang Jialin , Sun Junzhi 
Published: March 2023

ObjectiveThe main treatment for essential hypertension at this stage is pharmacotherapy. Long-term pharmacotherapy is costly with some side effects. Tai Chi, a bright star in traditional Chinese arts, relaxes both mind and body and has been shown to relax blood vessels and lower blood pressure. This study aimed to systematically review the therapeutic effectiveness of the Tai Chi exercise cycle on blood pressure and cardiovascular risk factors of patients with essential hypertension.MethodsSearching CNKI, VIP, CBM, PubMed, EBSCO, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science to collect randomized controlled trials about Tai Chi exercise in the treatment of patients with essential hypertension according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The search time ranged from the date of database construction to December 2022. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool was used to evaluate the included trials. The meta-analysis was performed with RevMan5.3 and Stata12.0 software.ResultsAccording to the meta-analysis, compared with the controls, Tai Chi exercise with a cycle of more than 12 weeks may be better for the reduction of systolic blood pressure (SBP) [MD = −11.72, 95% CI (−15.52, −7.91)] and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) [MD = −4.68, 95% CI (−7.23, −2.12)], as well as increasing the content of nitric oxide (NO) [MD = 0.99, 95% CI (0.69, 1.28)]. The blood lipid metabolism ability may also be improved after more than 12 weeks of Tai Chi exercise, total cholesterol (TC) [SMD = −0.68, 95% CI (−0.89, −0.46), triglyceride (TG) [SMD = −0.84, 95% CI (−1.25, −0.43)], low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) [SMD = −1.58, 95% CI (−2.29, −0.86)]. However, the improvement of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) [SMD = 0.54, 95% CI (0.28, 0.79)] was better with a less than 12 weeks exercise cycle. A subgroup analysis for exercise frequency and time showed that the exercise frequency should preferably be more than or equal to 5 times per week for patients with hypertension, and for patients with hypertension plus hyperlipidemia, the exercise frequency less than 5 times per week with exercise time less than 60 min each day may be more beneficial.ConclusionThe meta-analysis indicated that a more than 12 weeks Tai Chi exercise cycle with less than 60 min each time and more than 5 times per week may be more beneficial in blood pressure reduction, NO level increasing and blood lipid metabolism improving in the comparison with the other exercise cycles. For patients with hypertension plus hyperlipidemia, exercise frequency of less than 5 times per week may be better.Systematic Review Registration[http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero], identifier [CRD42022352035].
Role of mutans streptococci, acid tolerant bacteria and oral Candida species in predicting the onset of early childhood caries
Authors: Villhauer Alissa , Zhu Min , Shi Wei , Xie Xian Jin , Hughes Pamella , Lesch Amy , Weber-Gasparoni Karin , Kolker Justine , Drake David , Banas Jeffrey A. 
Published: March 2023

AimEarly childhood caries is the most common chronic infectious disease in children in the United States. This study, which is part of a larger, longitudinal study exploring oral microbiological components of caries development in children, reports on the impact of total mutans streptococci (MS), total acid tolerant bacteria and Candida species on the development of dental caries in a subset of these children. Of particular interest was the relationship between caries development and co-colonization of mutans streptococci and Candida species.MethodsChildren between the ages of 12 and 47 months displaying no evidence of dental caries were recruited for a longitudinal study (n = 130). Twelve age- and gender-matched pairs were selected. In each pair, one child developed caries during the study, and one did not. Whole mouth plaque samples were collected by swab at baseline and every 6 months thereafter for a duration of 18 months and spiral plated for microbial counts (CFU/ml). Cut-offs based on percent of total cultivable flora were designated for all microbial measures. A scoring system designated by the Plaque Microbial Index (PMI) was developed for use in statistical analyses to assess potential predictive factors for caries risk assessment.ResultsChildren who developed caries were significantly more likely to harbor higher percentages of acid tolerant bacteria (p = 0.003), MS (p &lt; 0.001) and have Candida species present (p &lt; 0.001) at ≥1 visit leading up to caries onset. Mean PMI scores derived from the aforementioned microbial measures, were higher for caries-active children than for caries-free children (p = 0.000147). Co-colonization of MS and Candida species was significantly associated with caries development (p &lt; 0.001) and detection of both at the same visit had a 100% positive predictive value and 60% negative predictive value for caries development.ConclusionIn children who developed caries, there was a statistically significant association with the percent of total flora that was acid tolerant, the percent of MS, the presence of Candida and co-colonization of MS and Candida species. Combining these microbial measures into PMI scores further delineated children who developed caries from those who remained caries-free. These microbiological measures show potential as predictive factors and risk assessment tools for caries development.
Frontal wedge variations and controls of submarine landslides in the Negros–Sulu Trench System, Philippines
Authors: Nawanao Lyndon P. , Ramos Noelynna T. 
Published: March 2023

Frontal wedge characteristics provide clues to the efficiency of the overriding slab for large displacement during megathrust and upper-plate earthquakes, whereas submarine landslides along active margins may trigger or amplify tsunamis. The lack of clear precursors of submarine failures poses difficulty in monitoring and providing real-time alert warning systems. With that, delineating submarine features along active margins, their spatial distribution, and controls provide valuable information in identifying regions susceptible to large submarine landslides and tsunami hazard assessments. In this study, we performed terrain and morphometric analyses on 20 m resolution bathymetry data to map submarine landslides, submarine canyons, and lineaments in the forearc margin of the Negros–Sulu Trench System in the Philippines. Lineaments are distributed mainly along the frontal wedge, where previous seismic surveys revealed that the mapped ridges are morphotectonic expressions of thrusted sediments. The morphological variations of the four frontal wedge segments were attributed to heterogeneous sediment influx, convergence rates, and subduction processes. More than 1,200 submarine landslides and their morphometric parameters were delineated, and exploratory spatial analyses indicate clustering and underlying controls. The tendencies of prolate submarine landslides (high L/W) to significantly cluster along submarine canyons while oblate morphologies (low L/W) along the frontal wedge reflect the different environments and geomorphological conditions to form these contrasting shapes. Ubiquitous small submarine landslides are mainly controlled by submarine canyon systems at relatively shallow depths of &lt;2 km, where high sediment influx from inland sources preconditions instability. Large submarine landslides (&gt;0.5 km3), on the other hand, are significantly most clustered where the Cagayan Ridge seamount collides and subsequently subducts beneath the northernmost frontal wedge. This suggests the dominant role of seamount subduction and related tectonic processes causing slope steepening to mainly induce large submarine landslides. This study unveiled how submarine landslides vary morphologically depending on their spatial, geomorphological, and tectonic controls in the active margin. This new information provides clues in identifying offshore areas susceptible to large submarine landslides that may induce damaging tsunamis in the Negros–Sulu Trench System as well as in other active margins of similar underlying controls.
Letrozole cotreatment improves the follicular output rate in high-body-mass-index women with polycystic ovary syndrome undergoing IVF treatment
Authors: Liu Yali , Lin Jiaying , Shen Xi , Zhu Qianqian , Kuang Yanping 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundWomen who have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) with high body mass index (BMI) typically have an attenuated ovarian response and decreased follicular size, which are linked to unfavourable clinical outcomes following in vitro fertilization (IVF) therapy. The follicular output rate (FORT), a qualitative indicator of follicular response, seems to be positively linked to the clinical outcomes of IVF. Progestin-primed ovarian stimulation (PPOS) has become an alternative to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues to inhibit the premature luteinizing hormone (LH) surge. As letrozole (LE) shows promise in enhancing ovarian response, we compared PPOS with and without LE for PCOS in high BMI women with a focus on the FORT and associated clinical and pregnancy outcomes.MethodsFor the recruited 1508 women, ten variables including AFC; age; basal sex hormone level; BMI; infertility type; period of infertility and number of previous IVF attempts were chosen in the propensity score matching (PSM) model to match 1374 women who taken the MPA+ hMG protocol with 134 women who received the MPA+ hMG+ LE treatment at a 1:1 ratio. FORT was selected as the primary outcome measure. The number of oocytes retrieved, viable embryos, hMG dosage, duration, oocyte maturity rate, fertilization rate, and implantation rate were established as secondary outcomes.ResultsFORT was substantially elevated in the MPA+hMG+LE group compared with the MPA+hMG group (61% [35%, 86%] vs. 40% [25%, 60%], P &lt;.001). Interestingly, the LE cotreatment group had a considerably lower mature oocyte rate despite having a similar number of mature oocytes and embryos recovered. The average hMG dosages and durations in the study group were similar to those in the control group. The implantation rate in the study group was numerically higher but without statistic significant than that in the control groups (43.15% (107/248) vs. 38.59% (115/298), OR 1.008, 95% CI 0.901-1.127; P &gt;.05).ConclusionThe effect of LE combined with PPOS on FORT is better than the effect of the standard PPOS treatment in women with PCOS and a high BMI, but there is no substantially beneficial impact on pregnancy outcomes or the cycle features of COS, including consumption of hMG.
Relationship between risk factors for impaired bone health and HR-pQCT in young adults with type 1 diabetes
Authors: Sochett Etienne B. , Dominicis Mary , Vali Reza , Shammas Amer , Elia Yesmino , Moineddin Rahim , Mahmud Farid , Assor Esther , Furman Michelle , Boyd Steve K. , Lenherr-Taube Nina 
Published: March 2023

ObjectiveIn type 1 diabetes, risk factors associated with impaired bone health contribute to increased risk of fracture. The aim of this study was to (1): compare the high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) parameters of young adults with type 1 diabetes with those of healthy controls (2), identify sex differences, and (3) evaluate the association between diabetes and bone health risk factors, with HR-pQCT.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study in young Canadian adults with childhood onset type 1 diabetes. Z-scores were generated for HR-pQCT parameters using a large healthy control database. Diet, physical activity, BMI, hemoglobin A1C (A1C) and bone health measures were evaluated, and associations were analyzed using multivariate regression analysis.ResultsEighty-eight participants (age 21 ± 2.2 years; 40 males, 48 females, diabetes duration 13.9 ± 3.4 years) with type 1 diabetes were studied. Low trabecular thickness and elevated cortical geometry parameters were found suggesting impaired bone quality. There were no sex differences. Significant associations were found: Vitamin D (25(OH)D) with trabecular parameters with possible synergy with A1C, parathyroid hormone with cortical parameters, BMI with cortical bone and failure load, and diabetes duration with trabecular area.ConclusionsOur data suggests impairment of bone health as assessed by HR-pQCT in young adults with type 1 diabetes. Modifiable risk factors were associated with trabecular and cortical parameters. These findings imply that correction of vitamin D deficiency, prevention and treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism, and optimization of metabolic control may reduce incident fractures.
GIS integrated RUSLE model-based soil loss estimation and watershed prioritization for land and water conservation aspects
Authors: Singh Mahesh Chand , Sur Koyel , Al-Ansari Nadhir , Arya Prashant Kumar , Verma Vipan Kumar , Malik Anurag 
Published: March 2023

Land degradation has become one of the major threats throughout the globe, affecting about 2.6 billion people in more than 100 countries. The highest rate of land degradation is in Asia, followed by Africa and Europe. Climate change coupled with anthropogenic activities have accelerated the rate of land degradation in developing nations. In India, land degradation has affected about 105.48 million hectares. Thus, modeling and mapping soil loss, and assessing the vulnerability threat of the active erosional processes in a region are the major challenges from the land and water conservation aspects. The present study attempted rigorous modeling to estimate soil loss from the Banas Basin of Rajasthan state, India, using GIS-integrated Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) equation. Priority ranking was computed for different watersheds in terms of the degree of soil loss from their catchments, so that appropriate conservation measures can be implemented. The total area of Banas basin (68,207.82 km2) was systematically separated into 25 watersheds ranging in area from 113.0 to 7626.8 km2. Rainfall dataset of Indian Meteorological Department for 30 years (1990–2020), FAO based Soil map for soil characterization, ALOS PALSAR digital elevation model for topographic assessment, and Sentinal-2 based land use and land cover map were integrated for modeling and mapping soil erosion/loss risk assessment. The total annual soil loss in the Banas basin was recorded as 21,766,048.8 tons. The areas under very low (0–1 t ha-1 year-1), low (1–5 t ha-1 year-1), medium (5–10 t ha-1 year-1), high (10–50 t ha-1 year-1) and extreme (&gt;50 t ha-1 year-1) soil loss categories were recorded as 24.2, 66.8, 7.3, 0.9, and 0.7%, respectively, whereas the respective average annual soil loss values were obtained as 0.8, 3.0, 6.0, 23.1, and 52.0 t ha-1 year-1. The average annual soil loss among different watersheds was recorded in the range of 1.1–84.9 t ha-1 year-1, being highest (84.9 t ha-1 year-1) in WS18, followed by WS10 (38.4 t ha-1 year-1), SW25 (34.7 t ha-1 year-1) and WS23 (17.9 t ha-1 year-1), whereas it was lowest for WS8 (1.1 t ha-1 year-1). Thus, WS18 obtained the highest/top priority rank in terms of the average annual soil loss (84.9 t ha-1 year-1) to be considered as the first priority for land and water conservation planning and implementation. The quantitative results of this study would be useful for implementation of land and water conservation measures in the problematic areas of the Banas basin for controlling soil loss through water erosion.
Both species richness and growth forms affect nutrient removal in constructed wetlands: A mesocosm experiment
Authors: Luo Yumei , Chen Quan , Liu Fan , Dai Can 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionPlant richness is thought to improve the function of constructed wetlands (CWs), but most CWs are planted with monocultures, with only a few employed polycultures, which have drawn contradictory conclusions. We suppose functional diversity is the key to better performance of plant communities and hypothesize that CWs planted with diverse growth forms are superior in plant growth and nutrient removal.MethodsIn this study, six emergent plant species categorized into slender type (Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani, Typha orientalis), fan type (Iris sibirica, Acorus calamus) and large type (Canna indica and Thalia dealbata) were planted in monocultures, combinations (two species of the same growth form) and mixed polycultures (six species of three growth forms). We then compared how plant growth and nutrient uptake differed among treatments.ResultsIt showed that the polyculture considerably increased the removal of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP), but the combination did not outperform monoculture. High consistency in the patterns between underground biomass and total biomass indicated that plant roots were essential for nutrient consumption. Compared with slender and fan plants, the large plants had a greater biomass increase in polycultures, which greatly accelerated the absorption and assimilation of TN and TP.ConclusionOur study indicated that plant community with various growth forms reduced the intensity of interspecific competition, increased the functional diversity, and greatly enhanced the ability of pollutant removal. Our results also provide some suggestions for plant selection and combination designs in CWs.
Development of alternative herbals remedy for gastric cancer based on transcriptomic analysis of immune infiltration and ferroptosis
Authors: Li Mingyue , Tao Jie , Qian Rui , Jiang Feng , Song Yinzhi , Zeng Zhicong , Cai Changlong 
Published: March 2023

Objective: Screening out potential herbal medicines and herbal ingredients for the treatment of gastric cancer based on transcriptomic analysis of immune infiltration and ferroptosis.Methods: Gene expression profiles of gastric tumour tissues and normal tissue samples were obtained from the GEO database and the samples were analysed for immune cell infiltration condition and differential expressed genes of ferroptosis. Key genes were screened by protein-protein interaction (PPI) and enrichment analysis, and molecular docking was used to predict and preliminary validate potential herbal and traditional Chinese medicine components for gastric cancer based on the key genes. Finally, RT-QPCR was used to validate the prediction results.Results: Immune cell infiltration analysis revealed high levels of infiltration of activated CD4 memory T cells, monocytes, M0 macrophages in gastric tumor tissues, while plasma cells and resting mast cells had higher levels of infiltration in the paraneoplastic tissues. Differential gene expression analysis identified 1,012 upregulated genes and 880 downregulated genes, of which 84 immune related differentially expressed genes such as CTSB, PGF and PLAU and 10 ferroptosis-related differentially expressed genes such as HSF1, NOX4 and NF2 were highly expressed in gastric cancer tissues. The results of enrichment analysis showed that they mainly involve 343 biological processes such as extracellular matrix organization and extracellular structural organization; 37 cellular components such as complexes of collagen trimer and basement membrane; 35 molecular functions such as signal receptor activator activity and receptor ligand activity; 19 regulatory pathways such as cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions and retinol metabolism. Finally, two key genes, TLR4 and KRAS, were selected and 12 herbal medicines such as Radix Salviae liguliobae, Rhizoma Coptidis, Rhizoma Polygoni cuspidati and 27 herbal ingredients such as resveratrol, salvianolic acid b were predicted on the basis of key genes. Molecular docking results showed that KRAS binds tightly to coumarin and magnolol, while TLR4 can bind tightly to resveratrol, curcumin, salvianolic acid b, shikonin. Subsequently, the effect of resveratrol and magnolol was experimentally verified.Conclusion: Herbal medicines such as S. liguliobae, Rhizoma Coptidis, Rhizoma P. cuspidati and herbal ingredients such as resveratrol, curcumin, salvianolic acid b may provide research directions and alternative therapeutic approaches for immunomodulation of TME and ferroptosis of tumour cells in gastric cancer.