bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Overexpression of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells enhances osteogenesis and promotes critical cranial bone defect regeneration
Authors: Zhou Yiwen , Zhu Peixiang , Shen Siyu , Wang Yanyi , Li Baochao , Guo Baosheng , Li Huang 
Published: May 2023

Background: Reconstruction of cranial bone defects is one of the most challenging problems in reconstructive surgery, and several biological tissue engineering methods have been used to promote bone repair, such as genetic engineering of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (Fgfr2) is an important regulator of bone construction and can be used as a potential gene editing site. However, its role in the osteogenesis process of BMSCs remains unclear. This article clarifies the function of Fgfr2 in BMSCs and explores the role of Fgfr2-overexpressed BMSCs carried by light-induced porous hydrogel (GelMA) in the repair of cranial bone defects.Methods: Lenti-virus was used to overexpress Fgfr2 in BMSCs, and cell counting kit-8, transwell, and flow cytometry assays were conducted to investigate the proliferation, migration, and characteristics. After 0, 3, 7, and 10 days of osteogenic or chondrogenic induction, the changes in osteogenic and chondrogenic ability were detected by real-time PCR, western blot, alkaline phosphatase staining, alizarin Red staining, and alcian blue staining. To investigate the viability of BMSCs carried by GelMA, calcein and propyl iodide staining were carried out as well. Finally, a critical cranial bone defect model was established in 6-week-old male mice and micro-computerized tomography, masson staining, and immunohistochemistry of OCN were conducted to test the bone regeneration properties of implanting Fgfr2-overexpressed BMSCs with GelMA in cranial bone defects over 6 weeks.Results: Overexpression of Fgfr2 in BMSCs significantly promoted cell proliferation and migration and increased the percentage of CD200+CD105+ cells. After osteogenic and chondrogenic induction, Fgfr2 overexpression enhanced both osteogenic and chondrogenic ability. Furthermore, in cranial bone defect regeneration, BMSCs carried by light-induced GelMA showed favorable biocompatibility, and Fgfr2-overexpressed BMSCs induced superior cranial bone regeneration compared to a normal BMSCs group and an untreated blank group.Conclusion:In vitro, Fgfr2 enhanced the proliferation, migration, and stemness of BMSCs and promoted osteogenesis and chondrogenesis after parallel induction. In vivo, BMSCs with Fgfr2 overexpression carried by GelMA showed favorable performance in treating critical cranial bone defects. This study clarifies the multiple functions of Fgfr2 in BMSCs and provides a new method for future tissue engineering.
Molecular epidemiology and characterization of antimicrobial-resistant Staphylococcus haemolyticus strains isolated from dairy cattle milk in Northwest, China
Authors: Shoaib Muhammad , Xu Jie , Meng Xiaoqin , Wu Zhongyong , Hou Xiao , He Zhuolin , Shang Ruofeng , Zhang Hongjuan , Pu Wanxia 
Published: May 2023

IntroductionNon-aureus Staphylococcus (NAS) species are currently the most commonly identified microbial agents causing sub-clinical infections of the udder and are also deemed as opportunistic pathogens of clinical mastitis in dairy cattle. More than 10 NAS species have been identified and studied but little is known about S. haemolyticus in accordance with dairy mastitis. The present study focused on the molecular epidemiology and genotypic characterization of S. haemolyticus isolated from dairy cattle milk in Northwest, China.MethodsIn this study, a total of 356 milk samples were collected from large dairy farms in three provinces in Northwest, China. The bacterial isolation and presumptive identification were done by microbiological and biochemical methods following the molecular confirmation by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) was done by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion assay and antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) were identified by PCR. The phylogenetic grouping and sequence typing was done by Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) and Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) respectively.ResultsIn total, 39/356 (11.0%) were identified as positive for S. haemolyticus. The overall prevalence of other Staphylococcus species was noted to be 39.6% (141/356), while the species distribution was as follows: S. aureus 14.9%, S. sciuri 10.4%, S. saprophyticus 7.6%, S. chromogenes 4.2%, S. simulans 1.4%, and S. epidermidis 1.1%. The antimicrobial susceptibility of 39 S. haemolyticus strains exhibited higher resistance to erythromycin (92.3%) followed by trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (51.3%), ciprofloxacin (43.6%), florfenicol (30.8%), cefoxitin (28.2%), and gentamicin (23.1%). All of the S. haemolyticus strains were susceptible to tetracycline, vancomycin, and linezolid. The overall percentage of multi-drug resistant (MDR) S. haemolyticus strains was noted to be 46.15% (18/39). Among ARGs, mphC was identified as predominant (82.05%), followed by ermB (33.33%), floR (30.77%), gyrA (30.77%), sul1 (28.21%), ermA (23.08%), aadD (12.82%), grlA (12.82%), aacA-aphD (10.26%), sul2 (10.26%), dfrA (7.69%), and dfrG (5.13%). The PFGE categorized 39 S. haemolyticus strains into A-H phylogenetic groups while the MLST categorized strains into eight STs with ST8 being the most predominant while other STs identified were ST3, ST11, ST22, ST32, ST19, ST16, and ST7.ConclusionThese findings provided new insights into our understanding of the epidemiology and genetic characteristics of S. haemolyticus in dairy farms to inform interventions limiting the spread of AMR in dairy production.
Role of atrial natriuretic peptide in the dissociation between flow relations with ventricular mass and function in a community with volume-dependent hypertension
Authors: Yusuf Suraj M. , Norton Gavin R. , Peterson Vernice R. , Mthembu Nonhlanhla , Libhaber Carlos D. , Tade Grace , Bello Hamza , Bamaiyi Adamu J. , Mmopi Keneilwe N. , Dessein Patrick H. , Peters Ferande , Sareli Pinhas , Woodiwiss Angela J. 
Published: May 2023

BackgroundWhether differential effects of volume load on left ventricular mass (LVM) and function occur in sustained volume-dependent primary hypertension, and the impact of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) on these effects, is unknown.MethodsFrom aortic pressure, velocity and diameter measurements and echocardiography, we determined in an African community (n = 772), the impact of systemic flow-induced increases in central pulse pressure (PPc) and circulating ANP (ELISA) on LVM and indexes of function.ResultsStroke volume (SV), but not aortic flow (Q), was associated with LVM and mean wall thickness (MWT) beyond stroke work and confounders (p &lt; 0.0001). Adjustments for SV markedly decreased the relationships between PPc and LVMI or MWT. However, neither SV, nor Q were independently associated with either myocardial s', e', or E/e' (p &gt; 0.14) and adjustments for neither SV nor Q modified relationships between PPc and s', e' or E/e' (p &lt; 0.005 to &lt;0.0001). SV was nevertheless strongly and independently associated with ANP (p &lt; 0.0001) and ANP was similarly strikingly associated with s' (p &lt; 0.0001) and e' (p &lt; 0.0005), but not E/e', independent of confounders and several determinants of afterload. Importantly, ANP concentrations were inversely rather than positively associated with LV diastolic dysfunction (DD) (p &lt; 0.005) and lower rather than higher ANP concentrations contributed markedly to the ability to detect DD in those with, but not without LV hypertrophy.ConclusionIn populations with sustained volume-dependent hypertension, flow (SV)-related increases in PP have a major impact on LV structure, but not on function, an effect attributed to parallel striking beneficial actions of ANP on myocardial function.
Comparative analysis of students’ emotional and motivational profiles in mathematics in grades 1–6
Authors: Hanin Vanessa , Gay Philippe 
Published: May 2023

IntroductionMathematics continues to be a real stumbling block for many low-performing students. Research over the past decades has highlighted the joint and determining effects of emotions and motivation on learning and performance in mathematics and has shown an increase in negative emotions over the course of schooling. Inter-individual emotional differences and increasing classroom heterogeneity necessitate profile analysis that focuses on particular combinations of variables as they exist within groups of individuals.MethodsThe purpose of this cross-sectional research is twofold: (1) to identify the emotional profiles of 1,505 elementary school students (ages 6–12) in mathematics, and (2) to document, on the basis of expectancy-value theory, how these profiles differ in terms of beliefs about competence, perceived value, and performance.ResultsThe results highlighted two profiles over the 6 years: positive and negative. Three other profiles were observed repeatedly throughout schooling: the anxious, the self-esteem focused, and the emotionally disengaged.DiscussionThree pivotal years emerged from the analyses: the first year (transition to a more formal type of teaching), the third year (enculturation in normative evaluation practices and social comparison) and the final year (centering of learning around the external certification test). In terms of the dependent variables, the tendency of young children to overestimate their competences attenuates their negative emotions and the undesirable effects of these in terms of learning. Anxious and full-negative profiles performed the poorest and placed less value on mathematical learning. These findings indicate that interventions addressing the specific needs of each age and profile are needed.
A real-world study for timely assessing the diabetic macular edema refractory to intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment
Authors: Hsieh Tsung-Cheng , Deng Guang-Hong , Chang Yung-Ching , Chang Fang-Ling , He Ming-Shan 
Published: May 2023

BackgroundEarly Identifying and characterizing patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) is essential for individualized treatment and outcome optimization. This study aimed to timely investigate optical coherence tomography (OCT) biomarkers of DME refractory to intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy.MethodsWe retrospective reviewed 72 eyes from 44 treatment-naïve patients who were treated with intravitreal anti-VEGF for DME. OCT scans prior to anti-VEGF were evaluated for serous retinal detachment (SRD), size of outer nuclear layer cystoid changes, diffuse retinal thickening, integrity of the inner segment-outer segment (IS-OS) junction, quantity and location of hyperreflective foci, vitreomacular interface abnormalities, and epiretinal membrane (ERM). The Baseline best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness was recorded at baseline and 4 months after treatment with anti-VEGF. The main outcome measure was the correlation between spectral-domain OCT measurements and BCVA response at baseline and after anti-VEGF treatment (mean change from baseline; ≥ 10 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters in BCVA).ResultsPartially continuous IS-OS layers (partially vs. completely continuous: β, -0.138; Wald chi-square, 16.392; P&lt;0.001) was predictor of better response to anti-VEGF treatment. In contrast, ERM (present vs. absent ERM: β, 0.215; Wald chi-square, 5.921; P=0.015) and vitreomacular traction (vitreomacular traction vs. posterior vitreous detachment: β=0.259; Wald chi-square=5.938; P=0.015) were the predictors of poor response. The improvement of BCVA trended toward the OCT predictive value of central macular thickness reduction; however, this was not significant.ConclusionPartially continuous IS-OS layers is predictive of better response to anti-VEGF therapy in DME. Meanwhile, ERM is a significant predictor of poor response.
Analysis of characteristics of four patients with adrenal unicentric Castleman disease
Authors: Yu Hao , Wang Yuepeng , Li Yijun , Du Jin , Guo Qinghua , Gu Weijun , Lyu Zhaohui , Dou Jingtao , Mu Yiming , Zang Li 
Published: May 2023

BackgroundCastleman Disease (CD) is a group of diseases with characteristic lymph node histopathology, characterized by marked enlargement of deep or superficial lymph nodes. Adrenal CD is rarely reported, and an accurate preoperative diagnosis of adrenal CD is difficult.MethodWe report four cases of CD in the adrenal gland confirmed by pathology and review the characteristics of this rare disease, highlighting the necessity of diagnostic evaluation and follow-up of the patients.ResultsAll of the patients sought medical advice because of adrenal incidentalomas. No significant abnormalities were presented in the biochemistry or endocrine systems. The imaging suggested a moderate-to-large mass with uneven moderate contrast enhancement of the adrenal region, similar to a pheochromocytoma. All cases were misdiagnosed as pheochromocytomas before operation and finally confirmed by histopathology. Three cases were pathologically diagnosed as hyaline vascular CD, and one case was diagnosed as plasma cell CD. All the patients are alive without recurrence after a median follow-up of 8 years.ConclusionThe adrenal CD should be considered after excluding pheochromocytoma and malignancy in the adrenal region. The long-term prognosis of patients with complete resection of the mass is excellent.
Exploring the role of gut microbiota dysbiosis in gout pathogenesis: a systematic review
Authors: Shirvani-Rad Salman , Khatibzade-Nasari Niloufar , Ejtahed Hanieh-Sadat , Larijani Bagher 
Published: May 2023

ObjectivesGut dysbiosis is believed to be one of the several mechanisms that are involved in the pathogenesis of gout. This systematic review aimed to summarize the role of gut dysbiosis in gout disease and uncover the underlying mechanisms.MethodsA comprehensive search was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases up to October 2021. Animal studies and human observational studies, including case-control, cross-sectional, and cohort studies assessing the association between gut microbiota composition and gout were included. The quality of included studies has been evaluated using the Newcastle–Ottawa Quality Assessment scale (NOS) and the SYRCLE's risk of bias tool.ResultsInitially, we found 274 studies among which 15 studies were included in this systematic review. Of them, 10 studies were conducted on humans and 5 studies were conducted on animals. Increased abundance of Alistipes and decreased abundance of Enterobacteriaceae alters purine metabolism, thereby aggravating gout condition. Moreover, a higher abundance of Phascolarctobacterium and Bacteroides in gout modulates enzymatic activity in purine metabolism. Butyrate-producing bacteria such as Faecalibacterium, prausnitzii, Oscillibacter, Butyricicoccus, and Bifidobacterium have higher abundance in healthy controls compared to gout patients, suggesting the anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial role of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-releasing bacteria, such as Enterobacteriaceae, Prevotella, and Bacteroides, are also involved in the pathogenesis of gout disease by stimulating the innate immune system.ConclusionExploring the role of gut dysbiosis in gout and the underlying mechanisms can help develop microbiota-modulating therapies for gout.
Xylocopa caerulea and Xylocopa auripennis harbor a homologous gut microbiome related to that of eusocial bees
Authors: Gu Yifan , Han Wensu , Wang Yuquan , Liang Danlei , Gao Jinglin , Zhong Yihai , Zhao Shan , Wang Shijie 
Published: May 2023

BackgroundEusocial bees, such as bumblebees and honey bees, harbor host-specific gut microbiota through their social behaviors. Conversely, the gut microbiota of solitary bees is erratic owing to their lack of eusocial activities. Carpenter bees (genus Xylocopa) are long-lived bees that do not exhibit advanced eusociality like honey bees. However, they often compete for nests to reproduce. Xylocopa caerulea and Xylocopa auripennis are important pollinators of wild plants on Hainan Island. Whether they have host-specific bacteria in their guts similar to eusocial bees remains unknown.MethodsWe targeted the bacterial 16S rRNA V3-V4 region to investigate the diversity of bacterial symbionts in the fore-midgut and hindgut of two carpenter bees, X. caerulea and X. auripennis.ResultsA maximum of 4,429 unique amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) were detected from all samples, belonging to 10 different phyla. X. caerulea and X. auripennis shared similar bacterial community profiles, with Lactobacillaceae, Bifidobacteriaceae, and Orbaceae being dominant in their entire guts. X. caerulea and X. auripennis harbor a highly conserved core set of bacteria, including the genera Candidatus Schmidhempelia and Bombiscardovia. These two bacterial taxa from carpenter bees are closely related to those isolated from bumblebees. The LEfSe analysis showed that Lactobacillaceae, Bifidobacteriaceae, and the genus Bombilactobacillus were significantly enriched in the hindguts of both carpenter bees. Functional prediction suggested that the most enriched pathways were involved in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.ConclusionsOur results revealed the structure of the gut microbiota in two carpenter bees and confirmed the presence of some core bacterial taxa that were previously only found in the guts of social bees.
Dynamic causal modeling reveals increased cerebellar- periaqueductal gray communication during fear extinction
Authors: Paci Elena , Lumb Bridget M. , Apps Richard , Lawrenson Charlotte L. , Moran Rosalyn J. 
Published: May 2023

IntroductionThe extinction of fear memories is an important component in regulating defensive behaviors, contributing toward adaptive processes essential for survival. The cerebellar medial nucleus (MCN) has bidirectional connections with the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) and is implicated in the regulation of multiple aspects of fear, such as conditioned fear learning and the expression of defensive motor outputs. However, it is unclear how communication between the MCN and vlPAG changes during conditioned fear extinction.MethodsWe use dynamic causal models (DCMs) to infer effective connectivity between the MCN and vlPAG during auditory cue-conditioned fear retrieval and extinction in the rat. DCMs determine causal relationships between neuronal sources by using neurobiologically motivated models to reproduce the dynamics of post-synaptic potentials generated by synaptic connections within and between brain regions. Auditory event related potentials (ERPs) during the conditioned tone offset were recorded simultaneously from MCN and vlPAG and then modeled to identify changes in the strength of the synaptic inputs between these brain areas and the relationship to freezing behavior across extinction trials. The DCMs were structured to model evoked responses to best represent conditioned tone offset ERPs and were adapted to represent PAG and cerebellar circuitry.ResultsWith the use of Parametric Empirical Bayesian (PEB) analysis we found that the strength of the information flow, mediated through enhanced synaptic efficacy from MCN to vlPAG was inversely related to freezing during extinction, i.e., communication from MCN to vlPAG increased with extinction.DiscussionThe results are consistent with the cerebellum contributing to predictive processes that underpin fear extinction.
A very low-carbohydrate diabetes prevention program for veterans with prediabetes: a single-arm mixed methods pilot study
Authors: Griauzde Dina H. , Hershey Cheryl , Michaels Jamie , Evans Richard R. , Richardson Caroline R. , Heisler Michele , Kullgren Jeffrey T. , Saslow Laura R. 
Published: May 2023

IntroductionAll Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers offer the MOVE! Weight Management Program to help patients achieve and maintain a healthy weight through a calorie-restricted, low-fat diet and increased physical activity. Yet, most MOVE! participants do not achieve clinically significant weight loss of ≥5%. A carbohydrate-restricted diet may help more Veterans to achieve ≥5% weight loss.MethodsThis was a single-arm explanatory sequential mixed methods pilot study conducted in one VA health care system. Veterans with prediabetes and body mass index ≥25 kg/m2 were invited to participate in a group-based, virtual, very low-carbohydrate Diabetes Prevention Program (VLC-DPP) consisting of 23 sessions over 12 months. Participants were taught to follow a very low-carbohydrate eating pattern, defined as 20–35 grams of net carbohydrates per day. The primary outcomes were measures of feasibility and acceptability, including program uptake and session attendance. Secondary outcomes included change in weight, hemoglobin A1c, lipids, and patient-reported measures of food cravings, stress eating, perceived health status, and motivation. Interviews were conducted at 6 months to identify factors that facilitated or hindered participants’ achievement of ≥5% weight loss.ResultsAmong 108 screened Veterans, 21 enrolled in the study (19%), and 18 were included in the analytic cohort. On average, participants attended 12.4/16 weekly sessions and 3.6/8 bimonthly or monthly sessions. At 12 months, mean percent weight loss was 9.4% (SD = 10.7) with 9 participants (50%) achieving ≥5% weight loss. Three factors facilitated achievement of ≥5% weight loss among 10/16 interviewees: (1) enjoyment of low-carbohydrate foods; (2) careful monitoring of carbohydrate intake; and (3) reduced hunger and food cravings. Three factors hindered achievement of ≥5% weight loss among 6/16 interviewees: (1) food cravings, particularly for sweets; (2) challenges with maintaining a food log; and (3) difficulty with meal planning.ConclusionA VLC-DPP is feasible and acceptable and shows preliminary efficacy among Veterans with prediabetes. The program’s weight loss effectiveness compared to standard MOVE! should be evaluated in a larger-scale trial. Such a program may be offered in addition to the standard MOVE! program to expand the menu of evidence-based lifestyle counseling options for Veterans.Clinical Trial Registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04881890, identifier NCT04881890.