bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Proposing new body mass index and waist circumference cut-offs based on cardiometabolic risks for a Central Asia population: A feasibility study
Authors: Kali Aknur , Gusmanov Arnur , Aripov Marat , Chan Mei-Yen 
Published: August 2022

BackgroundLower BMI cutoffs as compared to standard cut-offs have been recommended to reduce the risk of obesity-related co-morbidities in some ethnic populations (e.g. south Asian and Chinese populations). Recent attempts have also been made to establish ethnicity-specific BMI cutoffs to identify individuals affected with obesity in relation to type 2 diabetes risk in multi-ethnic populations based in the UK and North America. However, to date, there is yet to have any published work done to identify these cut-offs in Central Asia populations nor specify any difference for genders even though the fat distribution varies amongst the different ethnic groups as well as between the genders. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study exploring new BMI and WC cut-offs in this population.MethodsTo address this gap, we used a database of secondary care electronic health records from the National Research Cardiac Surgery Center to identify BMI and waist circumference cutoffs for obesity based on the risk of developing diabetes and other cardiometabolic disorders among 297 adults in Kazakhstan. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis were utilized to investigate the relationships between risk factors and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). BMI and WC thresholds were predicted using the Youden index.ResultsFor an equivalent age-adjusted and sex-adjusted incidence of type 2 diabetes at a BMI of 30·0 kg/m2 in White populations, we found higher BMI cutoffs for Kazakhstani women (30.5 kg/m2) but lower cut-offs for men (28·9 kg/m2). As for waist circumference, the cut-off points for females were 95cm and 104 cm for males.ConclusionsFor Central Asia populations, the current recommended BMI and WC cutoffs may not be suitable and further work is needed to establish specific cut-offs for this population.
Photocatalytic Activity of Zero-Valent Iron Nanoparticles Highly Dispersed on Porous Carbon Materials
Authors: Liang Dan , Fan Yanfei , Yue Taixing , Wang Wen , Shang Qiaoyan , Chen Ping , Zhu Minghui , Liu Yan , Cui Guanwei , Tang Bo 
Published: August 2022

During the traditional homogeneous Fenton reaction process for water treatment, the consumption rate constant of Fe2+ is much greater than its regeneration rate constant, which makes Fe2+ an almost stoichiometric loss and produces iron sludge waste. In this article, highly dispersed zero-valent Fe nanoparticles loaded on porous carbon materials (Fe-EMC) were synthesized by a one-step calcination method using Flammulina velutipes natural carbon source and Fe(NO3)3 as raw materials to solve the aforementioned problem. The as-prepared Fe-EMC materials are characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, electron probe microanalyzer, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and N2 adsorption–desorption measurements. It exhibits excellent photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dyes under a broad pH region. Under conditions of 0.3 g/L Fe-EMC, 0.2 M/L H2O2, pH 7.0–11.0, and 50 mg/L MB, 97.98% of the MB dyes in the solution were completely degraded within 1 h. It was attributed to the efficient regeneration cycle between Fe2+ and Fe3+ in the Fenton-like system with light irradiation, which can promote the generation of active oxygen species.
Leachability of mercury in coal fly ash from coal-fired power plants in southwest China
Authors: Huang Yiming , Liu Jinling , Wang Guan , Wang Qingfeng , Zeng Boping , Xiao Zhongjiu , Sun Guangyi , Li Zhonggen 
Published: August 2022

Mercury (Hg)-laden coal fly ash is an environmental concern when it is exposed to precipitation or surface/groundwater under natural conditions. In this study, fly ash samples collected from fifteen coal-fired power plants in Guizhou province of southwest China were subjected to examine the different Hg binding forms. The results showed that total Hg in fly ash from these CFPPs ranged from 30 to 870 ng/g. The percentage of different Hg binding forms in coal fly ash decreased in the following order: strong complexed form (64%–91%) &gt; acid-soluble form (1%–25%) and sulfide form (3.4%–14.8%) &gt; ion-exchangeable form (0.01%–8.1%), and water-soluble form (0.01%–4.4%). The low proportion of water-soluble and ion-exchangeable forms indicated that Hg was not easily removed under natural conditions. Furthermore, fly ash samples from three out of fifteen CFPPs were carried out the leaching experiments to disclose the leachability of Hg and the transmedia migration potential of this element. The results indicated pH dependence of Hg leachability, with more than 4-times fold higher Hg been leached out under acidic (pH &lt; 5.5) and strong alkaline (pH &gt; 13) conditions than under neutral and weakly alkaline conditions (pH = 7–12). In addition, Hg was leached out more in higher liquid/solid ratio than lower ratios. Nevertheless, Hg concentration in extract (&lt;7 ng/L) of these three CFPPs under all conditions was well below the applicable regulation limits, and less than 0.11% of total Hg was leached out. This study demonstrated that Hg in the CFPP fly ashes was more stable under natural conditions when exposed to surface/groundwaters and had a negligible Hg leachability.
First record of organochlorine pesticides in blood of wild and captive African leopards, Panthera pardus pardus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Authors: van As Michelle , Smit Nico J. , Wolmarans Nico J. , Wepener Victor 
Published: August 2022

Compared to aquatic ecosystems, limited information exists on organochlorine accumulation in terrestrial ecosystems, and this is specifically true for terrestrial carnivores that have received limited attention in terms of studies on pollutant bioaccumulation. The African Leopard, Panthera pardus pardus (Linnaeus, 1758), is a popular focal species for research by ethologists and ecologists, but a noticeable knowledge gap exists with regards to toxicological aspects. To address this gap, the aim of this study was to determine baseline organochlorine pesticide (OCP) concentrations in blood of live wild and captive leopards in South Africa, and to explore the relationship between OCP levels and different conservation management strategies. Peripheral blood samples of seven captive and seven wild leopards, representing regular and melanistic individuals within the captive population, were collected while under sedation. The ΣOCP concentrations in blood serum were detected by means of GC-ECD. Statistical relationships among pesticide content in leopards from three geographical areas, different sexes, age groups and conservation status were examined. Captive leopards from this study had a slightly higher mean ΣOCP concentration (901 pg/ml) than wild leopards (768 pg/ml), and captive females had lower mean levels of ΣOCPs (797 pg/ml) than males (1,058 pg/ml). OCPs accumulated in the following order DDTs (27%) &gt; HCHs (21%) &gt; Heptachlors (15%) &gt; CHLs (15%) &gt; Drins (14%) &gt; HCB (8%). Differences in OCP composition profiles of resampled captive individuals were also found. The sources of OCPs in the leopards can be attributed to the historic and current use of, e.g., DDT and HCHs, for malaria vector control and in insecticides/avicides in South Africa. For the captive leopards in this study the main source is possibly contaminated chicken that formed the major portion of their diet. This is the first report on OCP concentrations from leopards in Africa and highlights the need for this parameter to be considered in terms of the conservation management of healthy populations.
NcRNA-mediated upregulation of CAMK2N1 is associated with poor prognosis and tumor immune infiltration of gastric cancer
Authors: Peng Kaipeng , Ren Xiangqing , Ren Qian 
Published: August 2022

Gastric cancer (GC) is still notorious for its poor prognosis and aggressive characteristics. Though great developments have been made in diagnosis and therapy for GC, the prognosis of patient is still perishing. In this study, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in GC were first screened using three Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets (GSE13911, GSE29998, and GSE26899). Second, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) data were used to validate expression of these DEGs and perform survival analysis. We selected seven candidate genes (CAMK2N1, OLFML2B, AKR7A3, CYP4X1, FMO5, MT1H, and MT1X) to carry out the next analysis. To construct the ceRNA network, we screened the most potential upstream ncRNAs of the candidate genes. A series of bioinformatics analyses, including expression analysis, correlation analysis, and survival analysis, revealed that the SNHG10–hsa-miR-378a-3p might be the most potential regulatory axis in GC. Then, the expression of CAMK2N1, miR-378a-3p, and SNHG10 was verified in GC cell lines (GES-1, MGC-803, BGC-823, HGC-27, MKN-45, and AGS) by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. We found that SNHG10 and CAMK2N1 were highly expressed in gastric cancer lines, and the miR-378a-3p was lowly expressed in BGC-823, HGC-27, and MKN-45. Furthermore, CAMK2N1 levels were significantly negatively associated with tumor immune cell infiltration, biomarkers of immune cells, and immune checkpoint expression. In summary, our results suggest that the ncRNA-mediated high expression of CAMK2N1 is associated with poor prognosis and tumor immune infiltration of GC.
Repression of enhancer RNA PHLDA1 promotes tumorigenesis and progression of Ewing sarcoma via decreasing infiltrating T‐lymphocytes: A bioinformatic analysis
Authors: Huang Runzhi , Huang Dan , Wang Siqiao , Xian Shuyuan , Liu Yifan , Jin Minghao , Zhang Xinkun , Chen Shaofeng , Yue Xi , Zhang Wei , Lu Jianyu , Liu Huizhen , Huang Zongqiang , Zhang Hao , Yin Huabin 
Published: August 2022

Background: The molecular mechanisms of EWS-FLI-mediating target genes and downstream pathways may provide a new way in the targeted therapy of Ewing sarcoma. Meanwhile, enhancers transcript non-coding RNAs, known as enhancer RNAs (eRNAs), which may serve as potential diagnosis markers and therapeutic targets in Ewing sarcoma.Materials and methods: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between 85 Ewing sarcoma samples downloaded from the Treehouse database and 3 normal bone samples downloaded from the Sequence Read Archive database. Included in DEGs, differentially expressed eRNAs (DEeRNAs) and target genes corresponding to DEeRNAs (DETGs), as well as the differentially expressed TFs, were annotated. Then, cell type identification by estimating relative subsets of known RNA transcripts (CIBERSORT) was used to infer portions of infiltrating immune cells in Ewing sarcoma and normal bone samples. To evaluate the prognostic value of DEeRNAs and immune function, cross validation, independent prognosis analysis, and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis were implemented using sarcoma samples from the Cancer Genome Atlas database. Next, hallmarks of cancer by gene set variation analysis (GSVA) and immune gene sets by single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) were identified to be significantly associated with Ewing sarcoma. After screening by co-expression analysis, most significant DEeRNAs, DETGs and DETFs, immune cells, immune gene sets, and hallmarks of cancer were merged to construct a co-expression regulatory network to eventually identify the key DEeRNAs in tumorigenesis of Ewing sarcoma. Moreover, Connectivity Map Analysis was utilized to identify small molecules targeting Ewing sarcoma. External validation based on multidimensional online databases and scRNA-seq analysis were used to verify our key findings.Results: A six-different-dimension regulatory network was constructed based on 17 DEeRNAs, 29 DETFs, 9 DETGs, 5 immune cells, 24 immune gene sets, and 8 hallmarks of cancer. Four key DEeRNAs (CCR1, CD3D, PHLDA1, and RASD1) showed significant co-expression relationships in the network. Connectivity Map Analysis screened two candidate compounds, MS-275 and pyrvinium, that might target Ewing sarcoma. PHLDA1 (key DEeRNA) was extensively expressed in cancer stem cells of Ewing sarcoma, which might play a critical role in the tumorigenesis of Ewing sarcoma.Conclusion: PHLDA1 is a key regulator in the tumorigenesis and progression of Ewing sarcoma. PHLDA1 is directly repressed by EWS/FLI1 protein and low expression of FOSL2, resulting in the deregulation of FOX proteins and CC chemokine receptors. The decrease of infiltrating T‐lymphocytes and TNFA signaling may promote tumorigenesis and progression of Ewing sarcoma.
Establishment of prognostic model for postoperative patients with metaplastic breast cancer: Based on a retrospective large data analysis and Chinese multicenter study
Authors: Wang Ge , Sun Xiaomin , Ren Xin , Wang Mengmeng , Wang Yongsheng , Zhang Shukun , Li Jingye , Lu Wenping , Zhang Baogang , Chen Pingping , Shi Zhiqiang , Liu Lijuan , Zhuang Jing 
Published: August 2022

Purpose: Models for predicting postoperative overall survival of patients with metaplastic breast cancer have not yet been discovered. The purpose of this study is to establish a model for predicting postoperative overall survival of metaplastic breast cancer patients.Methods: Patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database diagnosed with MBC from 2010 to 2015 were selected and randomized into a SEER training cohort and an internal validation cohort. We identified independent prognostic factors after MBC surgery based on multivariate Cox regression analysis to construct nomograms. The discriminative and predictive power of the nomogram was assessed using Harrell’s consistency index (C-index) and calibration plots. The decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to evaluate the clinical usefulness of the model. We verify the performance of the prediction model with a Chinese multi-center data set.Results: Multifactorial analysis showed that age at diagnosis, T stage, N stage, M stage, tumor size, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy were important prognostic factors affecting OS. The C-index of nomogram was higher than the eighth edition of the AJCC TNM grading system in the SEER training set and validation set. The calibration chart showed that the survival rate predicted by the nomogram is close to the actual survival rate. It has also been verified in the SEER internal verification set and the Chinese multi-center data set.Conclusion: The prognostic model can accurately predict the post-surgical OS rate of patients with MBC and can provide a reference for doctors and patients to establish treatment plans.
Screening performance of C-reactive protein for active pulmonary tuberculosis in HIV-positive patients: A systematic review with a meta-analysis
Authors: Meca Andreea-Daniela , Turcu-Stiolica Adina , Bogdan Maria , Subtirelu Mihaela-Simona , Cocoș Relu , Ungureanu Bogdan Silviu , Mahler Beatrice , Pisoschi Catalina-Gabriela 
Published: August 2022

BackgroundTuberculosis (TB) is the leading infectious cause of mortality worldwide. In the last years, resistant strains of the etiological agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, have emerged, thus demanding more triage tests to identify active pulmonary TB (PTB) patients and to evaluate their disease severity. Therefore, acute-phase reaction serum tests are required for monitoring TB patients, among WHO symptom screening recommendations. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a non-specific inflammatory biomarker that has been recently proposed for TB screening and can be quantitatively analyzed through cost-effective point-of-care assays. A previous meta-analysis found CRP to be highly sensitive and moderately specific for active PTB with confirmed HIV infection.MethodsWe performed a meta-analysis update of diagnostic tests, pooling sensitivities, and specificities in order to assess the accuracy of CRP as a potential test for the screening of HIV-associated PTB in outpatients. We searched MEDLINE, Web of Science, and SCOPUS for eligible articles before 19 October 2021.ResultsWe identified 13 eligible studies with HIV-positive patients with PTB. At a CRP threshold of 10 mg/L, CRP pooled sensitivity was 87% (76%–93%) and pooled specificity was 67% (49%–81%), with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.858. Using a CRP threshold of 8 mg/L, pooled sensitivity was 82% (72%–89%) and pooled specificity was 82% (67%–92%), with an AUC of 0.879. We found that CRP has a high sensitivity in the screening of PTB in HIV-positive outpatients, consistent with findings reported previously.ConclusionsRegardless of pooled specificity, better results were found using the CRP threshold of 8 mg/L as a test screening of PTB, meeting the need of further approaching specific TB diagnostic methods and reducing resource consumption.
Schlafen family is a prognostic biomarker and corresponds with immune infiltration in gastric cancer
Authors: Xu Jiannan , Chen Songyao , Liang Jianming , Hao Tengfei , Wang Huabin , Liu Guangyao , Jin Xinghan , Li Huan , Zhang Junchang , Zhang Changhua , He Yulong 
Published: August 2022

The Schlafen (SLFN) gene family plays an important role in immune cell differentiation and immune regulation. Previous studies have found that the increased SLFN5 expression in patients with intestinal metaplasia correlates with gastric cancer (GC) progression. However, no investigation has been conducted on the SLFN family in GC. Therefore, we systematically explore the expression and prognostic value of SLFN family members in patients with GC, elucidating their possible biological function and its correlation with tumor immune cells infiltration. TCGA database results indicated that the SLFN5, SLFN11, SLFN12, SLFN12L, and SLFN13 expression was significantly higher in GC. The UALCAN and KM plotter databases indicated that enhanced the SLFN family expression was associated with lymph node metastasis, tumor stage, and tumor grade and predicted an adverse prognosis. cBioportal database revealed that the SLFN family had a high frequency of genetic alterations in GC (about 12%), including mutations and amplification. The GeneMANIA and STRING databases identified 20 interacting genes and 16 interacting proteins that act as potential targets of the SLFN family. SLFN5, SLFN11, SLFN12, SLFN12L, and SLFN14 may be implicated in the immunological response, according to Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Additionally, Timer and TISIDB databases indicate that SLFN5, SLFN11, SLFN12, SLFN12L, and SLFN14 are involved in the immune response. Furthermore, Timer, TCGA, and TISIDB databases suggested that the SLFN5, SLFN11, SLFN12, SLFN12L, and SLFN14 expression in GC is highly linked with immune cell infiltration levels, immune checkpoint, and the many immune cell marker sets expression. We isolated three samples of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) and activated T cells; the results showed the expression of SLFN family members decreased significantly when T cell active. In conclusion, the SLFN family of proteins may act as a prognostic indicator of GC and is associated with immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoint expression in GC. Additionally, it may be involved in tumor immune evasion by regulating T cell activation.
Cuproptosis-related gene index: A predictor for pancreatic cancer prognosis, immunotherapy efficacy, and chemosensitivity
Authors: Huang Xufeng , Zhou Shujing , Tóth János , Hajdu András 
Published: August 2022

AimThe term “Cuproptosis” was coined to describe a novel type of cell death triggered by intracellular copper buildup that is fundamentally distinct from other recognized types such as autophagy, ferroptosis, and pyroptosis in recent days. As the underlying mechanism was newly identified, its potential connection to pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is still an open issue.MethodsA set of machine learning algorithms was used to develop a Cuproptosis-related gene index (CRGI). Its immunological characteristics were studied by exploring its implications on the expression of the immunological checkpoints, prospective immunotherapy responses, etc. Moreover, the sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs was predicted. Unsupervised consensus clustering was performed to more precisely identify different CRGI-based molecular subtypes and investigate the immunotherapy and chemotherapy efficacy. The expression of DLAT, LIPT1 and LIAS were also investigated, through real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), western blot, and immunofluorescence staining (IFS).ResultsA novel CRGI was identified and validated. Additionally, correlation analysis revealed major changes in tumor immunology across the high- and low-CRGI groups. Through an in-depth study of each medication, it was determined that the predictive chemotherapeutic efficacy of 32 regularly used anticancer drugs differed between high- and low-CRGI groups. The results of the molecular subtyping provided more support for such theories. Expressional assays performed at transcriptomic and proteomic levels suggested that the aforementioned Cuproptosis-related genes might serve as reliable diagnostic biomarkers in PAAD.SignificanceThis is, to the best of our knowledge, the first study to examine prognostic prediction in PAAD from the standpoint of Cuproptosis. These findings may benefit future immunotherapy and chemotherapeutic therapies.
Effect of InxAl1-xAs graded buffer materials on pseudomorphic InP HEMT
Authors: Ai Likun , Tian Fangkun , Xu Anhuai , Huang Hua , Qi Ming 
Published: August 2022

In this paper, The InxAl1-xAs graded buffer was inserted between the InAlAs buffer layer and the pseudomorphic In0.66Ga0.34As channel layer to improve material quality in channel. The results show that the InxAl1-xAs graded buffer layer with 50 nm thickness can obtain a good heterojunction interface and the root mean square (RMS) of 0.154 nm. The two dimensional electron gas (2-deg) mobility and concentration were 8570 cm2/Vs. and 2.7 cm−2 × 1012 cm−2 at 300K, respectively. InxAl1-xAs graded buffer layer can enhance the interface quality and the electrical performance through releasing the interface strain caused by pseudomorphic In0.52Al0.48As/In0.66Ga0.34As HEMT. This study shows great potentials by incorporating InxAl1-xAs graded buffer layer in pseudomorphic InP HEMT materials to improve the properties of devices.
Vitamin D intake as well as circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D level and risk for the incidence and recurrence of colorectal cancer precursors: A meta-analysis
Authors: Guo Li-liangzi , Chen Si-si , Zhong Li-xian , He Kai-yin , Li Yu-ting , Chen Wei-wei , Zeng Qiu-ting , Tang Shao-hui 
Published: August 2022

ObjectiveVitamin D consumption and circulating 25(OH)D level are associated with decreased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) and colorectal adenoma (CRA), but few studies have assessed their relationship with the incidence and recurrence of CRC precursors. Therefore, we performed this meta-analysis to further evaluate the association.MethodsWe searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and Embase databases in English until August 2021. Studies evaluating the association of vitamin D intake and circulating 25(OH)D level with risk of CRC precursors were included. A random-effects model was used to pool the risk estimates.ResultsA total of 48 studies were selected for inclusion. The CRC precursors incidence was negatively correlated with total vitamin D intake (RR = 0.84 95%CI: 0.80–0.88) and circulating 25(OH)D level (RR = 0.79 95%CI: 0.67–0.92). However, vitamin D intake and circulating 25(OH)D level did not show significant effects on the risk of CRC precursors recurrence. For dose-response analysis, evidence of a linear association was found between CRC precursors incidence and circulating 25(OH)D level, and the risk decreased by 14% per 10 ng/ml increment of circulating 25(OH)D level (RR = 0.86 95% CI: 0.75–0.99).ConclusionVitamin D intake and circulating 25(OH)D level can play an effective role in reducing the risk of incidence of CRC precursors. However, they have not prevented the recurrence of CRC precursors.