bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and effect of Plasmodium spp. and hookworm co-infection on malaria parasite density and haemoglobin level: a meta-analysis
Authors: Mahittikorn Aongart , Masangkay Frederick Ramirez , De Jesus Milanez Giovanni , Kuraeiad Saruda , Kotepui Manas 
Published: April 2022

AbstractThe dual effects of co-infection of Plasmodium spp. and hookworm on malaria remain under debate. This study investigated prevalence, prevalence odds ratio (POR) of co-infection and impact of co-infection on malaria parasite density and haemoglobin levels in comparison to Plasmodium mono-infection. The protocol for this systematic review and meta-analysis is registered at PROPERO under ID: CRD42020202156. Relevant literatures were obtained from PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and Scopus on 25 December 2020. Mean difference (MD) and confidence interval (CI) of malaria parasite density and haemoglobin were compared using a random effect model. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochrane Q and I2 statistics. Publication bias was determined by visualising funnel plot asymmetry. Of 1756 articles examined, 22,191 malaria cases across 37 studies included 6096 cases of co-infection of Plasmodium spp. and hookworm. The pooled prevalence was 20% (95% CI 15–26%, I2 99.6%, 37 studies) and was varied in terms of geographical region. Co-infection occurred by chance (OR 0.97, p 0.97, 95% CI 0.73–1.27, I2 95%, 30 studies). The mean malaria parasite density for co-infection (478 cases) was similar to Plasmodium mono-infection (920 cases) (p 0.24, MD 0.86, 95% CI − 0.58–2.29, I2 100%, 7 studies). The mean haemoglobin level for co-infection (90 cases) was similar to Plasmodium mono-infection (415 cases) (p 0.15, MD − 0.63, 95% CI − 1.49–0.23, I2 98%, 4 studies). Co-infection was common and occurred by chance but varied by geographic region. Further studies are required to investigate the mechanism of hookworm infection on malaria severity. Additionally, detection of hookworm infections among patients with malaria in endemic areas of both diseases is recommended to prevent severe malaria.
Intravascular polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography based on polarization mode delay
Authors: Li Yan , Moon Sucbei , Jiang Yuchen , Qiu Saijun , Chen Zhongping 
Published: April 2022

AbstractIntravascular polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (IV-PSOCT) provides depth-resolved tissue birefringence which can be used to evaluate the mechanical stability of a plaque. In our previous study, we reported a new strategy to construct polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography in a microscope platform. Here, we demonstrated that this technology can be implemented in an endoscope platform, which has many clinical applications. A conventional intravascular OCT system can be modified for IV-PSOCT by introducing a 12-m polarization-maintaining fiber-based imaging probe. Its two polarization modes separately produce OCT images of polarization detection channels spatially distinguished by an image separation of 2.7 mm. We experimentally validated our IV-PSOCT with chicken tendon, chicken breast, and coronary artery as the image samples. We found that the birefringent properties can be successfully visualized by our IV-PSOCT.
Accurate inference of crowdsourcing properties when using efficient allocation strategies
Authors: Hotaling Abigail , Bagrow James 
Published: April 2022

AbstractAllocation strategies improve the efficiency of crowdsourcing by decreasing the work needed to complete individual tasks accurately. However, these algorithms introduce bias by preferentially allocating workers onto easy tasks, leading to sets of completed tasks that are no longer representative of all tasks. This bias challenges inference of problem-wide properties such as typical task difficulty or crowd properties such as worker completion times, important information that goes beyond the crowd responses themselves. Here we study inference about problem properties when using an allocation algorithm to improve crowd efficiency. We introduce Decision-Explicit Probability Sampling (DEPS), a novel method to perform inference of problem properties while accounting for the potential bias introduced by an allocation strategy. Experiments on real and synthetic crowdsourcing data show that DEPS outperforms baseline inference methods while still leveraging the efficiency gains of the allocation method. The ability to perform accurate inference of general properties when using non-representative data allows crowdsourcers to extract more knowledge out of a given crowdsourced dataset.
Second-trimester serum high mobility group box-1 and uterine artery Doppler to predict preeclampsia
Authors: Wairachpanich Varangkana , Phupong Vorapong 
Published: April 2022

AbstractThe objective of this study was to identify the predictive value for preeclampsia of second-trimester serum high mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) and uterine artery Doppler in singleton pregnancies. Between April 2020 and April 2021, a prospective study was conducted on singleton pregnancies with a gestational age of 16–20+6 weeks at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. Maternal characteristics, uterine artery Doppler, and serum HMGB1 were collected. Serum HMGB1 levels and mean uterine artery pulsatility index (UAPI) were combined to calculate the predictive value for preeclampsia. A total of 393 pregnant women were analyzed, with 25 cases (6.4%) developing preeclampsia and 5 cases (1.3%) developing early-onset preeclampsia. Baseline characteristics of preeclampsia and normal pregnant women were comparable. Preeclamptic pregnant women had significantly higher mean serum HMGB1 levels than normal pregnant women (1112.8 ± 363.1 ng/mL vs 910.8 ± 486.1 ng/mL, p = 0.013). There was no difference in the mean UAPI. Any early-diastolic notching was found more frequently in the preeclampsia group (32.0% vs 12.5%, p = 0.013). The cut-off value for serum HMGB1 levels above 1.04 MoM as abnormal value to predict preeclampsia had sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of 88.0%, 53.5%, 11.4% and 98.5%, respectively. When using abnormal serum HMGB1 levels combined with mean UAPI above 95th percentile, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV to predict preeclampsia were 88.0%, 50.8%, 10.8% and 98.4%, respectively. This study showed that serum HMGB1 at 16–20+6 weeks of gestation were effective in predicting preeclampsia. The addition of UAPI did not improve the prediction performance.
Comprehensive human amniotic fluid metagenomics supports the sterile womb hypothesis
Authors: Wang HanChen , Yang Gui Xiang , Hu Yuxiang , Lam Patricia , Sangha Karan , Siciliano Dawn , Swenerton Anne , Miller Ruth , Tilley Peter , Von Dadelszen Peter , Kalyan Shirin , Tang Patrick , Patel Millan S. 
Published: April 2022

AbstractAs metagenomic approaches for detecting infectious agents have improved, each tissue that was once thought to be sterile has been found to harbor a variety of microorganisms. Controversy still exists over the status of amniotic fluid, which is part of an immunologically privileged zone that is required to prevent maternal immune system rejection of the fetus. Due to this privilege, the exclusion of microbes has been proposed to be mandatory, leading to the sterile womb hypothesis. Since nucleic acid yields from amniotic fluid are very low, contaminating nucleic acid found in water, reagents and the laboratory environment frequently confound attempts to address this hypothesis. Here we present metagenomic criteria for microorganism detection and a metagenomic method able to be performed with small volumes of starting material, while controlling for exogenous contamination, to circumvent these and other pitfalls. We use this method to show that human mid-gestational amniotic fluid has no detectable virome or microbiome, supporting the sterile womb hypothesis.
Phytochemical analysis reveals an antioxidant defense response in Lonicera japonica to cadmium-induced oxidative stress
Authors: Li Chengcheng , Tang Yi , Gu Fengwu , Wang Xiaoqian , Yang Wei , Han Yang , Ruan Yanan 
Published: April 2022

AbstractCadmium (Cd), though potentially beneficial at lower levels to some plant species, at higher levels is a toxic metal that is detrimental to plant growth and development. Cd is also a carcinogen to humans and other contaminated plant consumers, affecting the kidneys and reducing bone strength. In this study we investigated responses of growth, chlorophyll content, reactive oxygen species levels, and antioxidant responses to Cd in honeysuckle leaves (Lonicera japonica Thunb.), a potential Cd hyperaccumulator. Results indicated that plant height, dry weight, leaf area, and chlorophyll content increased when honeysuckle was exposed to 10 mg kg−1 or 30 mg kg−1 Cd (low concentration). However, in response to 150 mg kg−1 or 200 mg kg−1 Cd (high concentration) these growth parameters and chlorophyll content significantly decreased relative to untreated control plant groups. Higher levels of superoxide radical (O2·−) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were observed in high concentration Cd groups. The activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), and glutathione reductase were enhanced with exposure to increasing levels of Cd. Additionally, the Ascorbate–Glutathione (AsA–GSH) cycle was activated for the removal of H2O2 in honeysuckle in response to elevated Cd. The Pearson correlation analysis, a redundancy analysis, and a permutation test indicated that proline and APX were dominant antioxidants for removing O2·− and H2O2. The antioxidants GSH and non-protein thiols (NPTs) also increased as the concentration of Cd increased.
Differential expression of an endogenous retroviral element [HERV-K(HML-6)] is associated with reduced survival in glioblastoma patients
Authors: Shah Ashish H. , Govindarajan Vaidya , Doucet-O’Hare Tara T. , Rivas Sarah , Ampie Leo , DeMarino Catherine , Banasavadi-Siddegowda Yeshavanth Kumar , Zhang Yong , Johnson Kory R. , Almsned Fahad , Gilbert Mark R. , Heiss John D. , Nath Avindra 
Published: April 2022

AbstractComprising approximately 8% of our genome, Human Endogenous RetroViruses (HERVs) represent a class of germline retroviral infections that are regulated through epigenetic modifications. In cancer cells, which often have epigenetic dysregulation, HERVs have been implicated as potential oncogenic drivers. However, their role in gliomas is not known. Given the link between HERV expression in cancer cell lines and the distinct epigenetic dysregulation in gliomas, we utilized a tailored bioinformatic pipeline to characterize and validate the glioma retrotranscriptome and correlate HERV expression with locus-specific epigenetic modifications. We identified robust overexpression of multiple HERVs in our cell lines, including a retroviral transcript, HML-6, at 19q13.43b in glioblastoma cells. HERV expression inversely correlated with loci-specific DNA methylation. HML-6 contains an intact open reading frame encoding a small envelope protein, ERVK3-1. Increased expression of ERVK3-1 in GBM patients is associated with a poor prognosis independent of IDH-mutational status. Our results suggest that not only is HML-6 uniquely overexpressed in highly invasive cell lines and tissue samples, but also its gene product, ERVK3-1, may be associated with reduced survival in GBM patients. These results may have implications for both the tumor biology of GBM and the role of ERVK3-1 as a potential therapeutic target.
Optimizing antiviral therapy for COVID-19 with learned pathogenic model
Authors: Dutta Abhishek 
Published: April 2022

AbstractCOVID-19 together with variants have caused an unprecedented amount of mental and economic turmoil with ever increasing fatality and no proven therapies in sight. The healthcare industry is racing to find a cure with multitude of clinical trials underway to access the efficacy of repurposed antivirals, however the much needed insights into the dynamics of pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 and corresponding pharmacology of antivirals are lacking. This paper introduces systematic pathological model learning of COVID-19 dynamics followed by derivative free optimization based multi objective drug rescheduling. The pathological model learnt from clinical data of severe COVID-19 patients treated with remdesivir could additionally predict immune T cells response and resulted in a dramatic reduction in remdesivir dose and schedule leading to lower toxicities, however maintaining a high virological efficacy.
Facile synthesis of low toxicity iron oxide/TiO2 nanocomposites with hyperthermic and photo-oxidation properties
Authors: Popescu Traian , Oktaviani Matei Christien , Culita Daniela Cristina , Maraloiu Valentin-Adrian , Rostas Arpad Mihai , Diamandescu Lucian , Iacob Nicusor , Savopol Tudor , Ilas Monica Cristiana , Feder Marcel , Lupu Andreea-Roxana , Iacoban Alexandra Corina , Vlaicu Ioana Dorina , Moisescu Mihaela Georgeta 
Published: April 2022

AbstractThe present study aimed to assess the feasibility of developing low-cost multipurpose iron oxide/TiO2 nanocomposites (NCs) for use in combined antitumor therapies and water treatment applications. Larger size (≈ 100 nm) iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) formed magnetic core-TiO2 shell structures at high Fe/Ti ratios and solid dispersions of IONPs embedded in TiO2 matrices when the Fe/Ti ratio was low. When the size of the iron phase was comparable to the size of the crystallized TiO2 nanoparticles (≈ 10 nm), the obtained nanocomposites consisted of randomly mixed aggregates of TiO2 and IONPs. The best inductive heating and ROS photogeneration properties were shown by the NCs synthesized at 400 °C which contained the minimum amount of α-Fe2O3 and sufficiently crystallized anatase TiO2. Their cytocompatibility was assessed on cultured human and murine fibroblast cells and analyzed in relation to the adsorption of bovine serum albumin from the culture medium onto their surface. The tested nanocomposites showed excellent cytocompatibility to human fibroblast cells. The results also indicated that the environment (i.e. phosphate buffer or culture medium) used to disperse the nanomaterials prior to performing the viability tests can have a significant impact on their cytotoxicity.
Synthesis of nucleoside-substituted carbonate and diol derivatives through the carbon dioxide reaction using polyionic liquid catalysts
Authors: Xu Gui-Qing , Ma Xue-Ning , Jia Xian-Bin , Dong Ya-Hao , Jiang Yu-Qin , Li Xin-Juan 
Published: April 2022

Under the combined action of water and polyionic liquids, nucleoside drug intermediates was synthesized through CO2 conversion.
Objective and Subjective Benefit of Direct-to-Consumer Hearing Devices in Middle-Aged Adults
Authors: Helfer Karen S. , Mamo Sara K. , Clauss Michael , Dunn Lincoln 
Published: April 2022

Purpose:
The purpose of this project was to assess subjective and objective benefit provided by several direct-to-consumer hearing devices for middle-aged adults. The primary goal of this study was to determine the extent to which this type of device can yield benefit when users are listening in a range of acoustic conditions, rather than to compare benefit among devices.

Method:

Participants (
M
age
= 58 years,
n
= 40) completed a speech perception task with and without one of four direct-to-consumer devices. Stimuli were presented with three types of maskers (steady-state noise, modulated noise, and competing talkers) at two different signal-to-noise ratios and two target levels. Participants also rated the effort required to complete the task with and without the devices and completed a short questionnaire about device comfort and perceived effectiveness.

Results:
The amount of objective benefit (in terms of speech recognition accuracy) varied among the four products, with two of the four devices yielding statistically significant benefit with medium-to-large effect sizes. Reduction in self-rated listening effort was noted from the use of all four devices, with a moderate effect size. Degree of hearing loss (4-frequency pure-tone average) was not significantly associated with the amount of either subjective or objective benefit. Responses to the posttask questionnaire indicated that many of the participants would be willing to use these or similar devices in the “real world.”

Conclusions:
Our findings support the concept that direct-to-consumer hearing devices have the potential to improve objective and/or subjective speech recognition in middle-aged adults, at least when fit to prescriptive targets. Benefit from these devices was not related to degree of hearing loss in this sample of participants.
Feasibility study of tau-lepton anomalous magnetic moment measurements with ultra-peripheral collisions at the LHC
Authors: Bühler Paul , Burmasov Nazar , Lavička Roman , Kryshen Evgeny 
Published: April 2022

Precision measurements of the anomalous electromagnetic moment of leptons (al) may serve as one of the most promising directions in the search for new physics beyond the Standard Model. While the experimental value of the electron magnetic moment agrees with theoretical predictions with up to 11 significant digits, the muon magnetic moment shows deviations from the Standard Model value at the level of 4.2 sigma, indicating the possible occurrence of new physics effects. Although the aτ of the tau lepton with its heavy mass is expected to be ${{m_\tau ^2} \mathord{\left/
{\vphantom {{m_\tau ^2} {m_\mu ^2}}} \right.
\kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {m_\mu ^2}} \approx 280$ times more sensitive to new physics effects than aμ, measurements of this quantity are rare. This is because the standard spin precession methods are not suitable for aτ measurements due to the very short tau lifetime.
Ultra-peripheral collisions of heavy ions at the LHC may serve as an alternative tool to measure aτ. In ultra-peripheral collisions, hadronic interactions are strongly suppressed and long-distance electromagnetic processes dominate, providing an environment to study the electromagnetic properties of the tau lepton. The di-tau production process PbPb → PbPbγγ → PbPbττ contains two gamma-tau vertices and hence provides enhanced sensitivity to the anomalous magnetic and electric moments.
In this contribution we discuss the feasibility of the aτ measurement in ultraperipheral collisions with the ALICE experiment and present projections of the sensitivity of the measurement for the upcoming heavy ion run in 2022 at LHC.
Assessment and Monitoring of Coagulation in Patients with COVID-19: A Review of Current Literature
Authors: Uzun Günalp , Althaus Karina , Hammer Stefanie , Bakchoul Tamam 
Published: April 2022

AbstractCoagulation abnormalities are common in patients with COVID-19 and associated with high morbidity and mortality. It became a daily challenge to navigate through these abnormal laboratory findings and deliver the best possible treatment to the patients. The unique character of COVID-19-induced coagulopathy necessitates not only a dynamic follow-up of the patients in terms of hemostatic findings but also the introduction of new diagnostic methods to determine the overall function of the coagulation system in real time. After the recognition of the high risk of thromboembolism in COVID-19, several professional societies published their recommendations regarding anticoagulation in patients with COVID-19. This review summarizes common hemostatic findings in COVID-19 patients and presents the societal recommendations regarding the use of coagulation laboratory findings in clinical decision-making. Although several studies have investigated coagulation parameters in patients with COVID-19, the methodological shortcomings of published studies as well as the differences in employed anticoagulation regimens that have changed over time, depending on national and international guidelines, limit the applicability of these findings in other clinical settings. Accordingly, evidence-based recommendations for diagnostics during acute COVID-19 infection are still lacking. Future studies should verify the role of coagulation parameters as well as viscoelastic methods in the management of patients with COVID-19.
Phenotypic Changes in Mammary Adenocarcinoma (4T1) cells In Vitro after Treatment with Carcinosinum
Authors: Silva Thaís Cristina da , Santos William Alves dos , Pinto Sandra A.G. , Rocha Paulo Ricardo Dell'Armelina , Hurtado Elizabeth Cristina Perez , Bonamin Leoni Villano 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Objective The present study aimed to identify possible phenotypic changes in 4T1 (murine mammary adenocarcinoma) cells in vitro, including viability, HER-2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor-type 2) expression, and metastatic potential, after treatment with Carcinosinum in different homeopathic dilutions (12cH, 30cH, 200cH) shaken mechanically in pure, sterile, water from a commercial stock dilution.
Methods Treated cells were cultured in R10 medium, using 24-well plates, 105 cells per well, and treated with vehicle, Carcinosinum 12cH, 30cH or 200cH; untreated cells were used as the baseline control. After 24 hours of treatment, the percentage of apoptotic cells was analyzed by annexin V. Cell morphology was evaluated by microscopy after hematoxylin-eosin and Giemsa staining, whilst HER-2 expression was assessed using immunocytochemistry. The metastatic potential was determined by the expression and activity of the enzyme matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) using zymography. The cytokine profile was established using the cytometric bead array method.
Result Treatment of 4T1 cells in vitro with Carcinosinum 30cH produced an increase in the number of annexin V-positive cells (apoptosis) and decreased expression of proactivated MMP-9. Cells treated with Carcinosinum 200cH presented hyper-expression of HER-2 on the plasma membrane, identified by immunocytochemistry. There were no differences in cytokine production among treatments.
Conclusion The data show promising results for Carcinosinum 30cH in vitro, but in vivo studies are also required to evaluate the role of tumor microenvironment in its effects.