bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Social and therapeutic decline earlier than physical and psychological domains after discharge in heart failure patients: A patient-reported outcome measurements of latent transition analysis
Authors: Yang Hong , Tian Jing , Li Jing , Han Linai , Han Gangfei , Zhao Jinghua , Han Qinghua , Zhang Yanbo 
Published: September 2022

BackgroundAmong patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), response shifts are common in assessing treatment effects. However, few studies focused on potential response shifts in these patients.Materials and methodsData of CHF patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were obtained from three hospitals in Shanxi, China, from 2017 to 2019. A total of 497 patients were enrolled and followed up at 1 month and 6 months after discharge. Latent transition analysis (LTA) was employed to determine the longitudinal transition trajectories of latent subtypes in CHF patients in the physiological, psychological, social, and therapeutic domains.ResultsThe patients were divided into high- and low-level groups in the four domains according to the LTA. One month after discharge, the physiological and psychological domains improved, while the social and therapeutic domains remained unchanged. Six months after discharge, the former remained stable, but the latter deteriorated. The factors affecting the state transition in four domains were as follows. The influencing factor of the physiological domains are gender, age, tea consumption, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and light diet; those of the psychological domain are gender, occupation, smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity; those of the social domains are age; those of the therapeutic domains are education and income.ConclusionThe disease status of CHF patients has shifted over time. Risk factors accelerate the deterioration of patients’ condition. Furthermore, the risk factors of social and therapeutic domains deteriorate patients’ condition faster than those of physiological and psychological domains. Therefore, individualized intervention programs should be given for CHF patients who may be transferred to the low-level groups to maintain the treatment effect and improve the prognosis.
What makes a giant fruit? Assembling a genomic toolkit underlying various fruit traits of the mammoth group of Cucurbita maxima
Authors: Reddy Umesh K. , Natarajan Purushothaman , Abburi Venkata Lakshmi , Tomason Yan , Levi Amnon , Nimmakayala Padma 
Published: September 2022

Since their introduction in Europe, pumpkins (Cucurbita maxima Duch.) have rapidly dispersed throughout the world. This is mainly because of their wide genetic diversity and Plasticity to thrive in a wide range of geographical regions across the world, their high nutritional value and suitability to integrate with local cuisines, and their long shelf life. Competition for growing the showy type or mammoth-sized pumpkins that produce the largest fruit of the entire plant kingdom has drawn attention. In this study, we used genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms to resolve admixture among different pumpkin groups. Also, to resolve population differentiation, genome-wide divergence and evolutionary forces underlying the evolution of mammoth-sized pumpkin. The admixture analysis indicates that the mammoth group (also called Display or Giant) evolved from the hubbard group with genome-wide introgressions from the buttercup group. We archived a set of private alleles underlying fruit development in mammoth group, and resolved haplotype level divergence involved in the evolutionary mechanisms. Our genome-wide association study identified three major allelic effects underlying various fruit-size genes in this study. For fruit weight, a missense variant in the homeobox-leucine zipper protein ATHB-20-like (S04_18528409) was significantly associated (false discovery rate = 0.000004) with fruit weight, while high allelic effect was consistent across the 3 years of the study. A cofactor (S08_217549) on chromosome 8 is strongly associated with fruit length, having superior allelic effect across the 3 years of this study. A missense variant (S10_4639871) on translocation protein SEC62 is a cofactor for fruit diameter. Several known molecular mechanisms are likely controlling giant fruit size, including endoreduplication, hormonal regulation, CLV-WUS signaling pathway, MADS-box family, and ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. This study provides a general framework for the evolutionary relationship among horticulture groups of C. maxima and elucidates the origins of rare variants contributing to the giant pumpkin fruit size.
Identification of molecular subtypes of coronary artery disease based on ferroptosis- and necroptosis-related genes
Authors: Liu Wen-Pan , Li Peng , Zhan Xu , Qu Lai-Hao , Xiong Tao , Hou Fang-Xia , Wang Jun-Kui , Wei Na , Liu Fu-Qiang 
Published: September 2022

Aim: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a heterogeneous disorder with high morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs, representing a major burden on public health. Here, we aimed to improve our understanding of the genetic drivers of ferroptosis and necroptosis and the clustering of gene expression in CAD in order to develop novel personalized therapies to slow disease progression.Methods: CAD datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus. The identification of ferroptosis- and necroptosis-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and the consensus clustering method including the classification algorithm used km and distance used spearman were performed to differentiate individuals with CAD into two clusters (cluster A and cluster B) based expression matrix of DEGs. Next, we identified four subgroup-specific genes of significant difference between cluster A and B and again divided individuals with CAD into gene cluster A and gene cluster B with same methods. Additionally, we compared differences in clinical information between the subtypes separately. Finally, principal component analysis algorithms were constructed to calculate the cluster-specific gene score for each sample for quantification of the two clusters.Results: In total, 25 ferroptosis- and necroptosis-related DEGs were screened. The genes in cluster A were mostly related to the neutrophil pathway, whereas those in cluster B were mostly related to the B-cell receptor signaling pathway. Moreover, the subgroup-specific gene scores and CAD indices were higher in cluster A and gene cluster A than in cluster B and gene cluster B. We also identified and validated two genes showing upregulation between clusters A and B in a validation dataset.Conclusion: High expression of CBS and TLR4 was related to more severe disease in patients with CAD, whereas LONP1 and HSPB1 expression was associated with delayed CAD progression. The identification of genetic subgroups of patients with CAD may improve clinician knowledge of disease pathogenesis and facilitate the development of methods for disease diagnosis, classification, and prognosis.
Signature of seven cuproptosis-related lncRNAs as a novel biomarker to predict prognosis and therapeutic response in cervical cancer
Authors: Liu Xinyu , Zhou Lei , Gao Minghui , Dong Shuhong , Hu Yanan , Hu Chunjie 
Published: September 2022

Background: Given the high incidence and high mortality of cervical cancer (CC) among women in developing countries, identifying reliable biomarkers for the prediction of prognosis and therapeutic response is crucial. We constructed a prognostic signature of cuproptosis-related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as a reference for individualized clinical treatment.Methods: A total of seven cuproptosis-related lncRNAs closely related to the prognosis of patients with CC were identified and used to construct a prognostic signature via least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis in the training set. The predictive performance of the signature was evaluated by Kaplan–Meier (K-M) analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, and univariate and multivariate Cox analyses. Functional enrichment analysis and single-sample gene set enrichment analysis were conducted to explore the potential mechanisms of the prognostic signature, and a lncRNA–microRNA–mRNA network was created to investigate the underlying regulatory relationships between lncRNAs and cuproptosis in CC. The associations between the prognostic signature and response to immunotherapy and targeted therapy were also assessed. Finally, the prognostic value of the signature was validated using the CC tissues with clinical information in my own center.Results: A prognostic signature was developed based on seven cuproptosis-related lncRNAs, including five protective factors (AL441992.1, LINC01305, AL354833.2, CNNM3-DT, and SCAT2) and two risk factors (AL354733.3 and AC009902.2). The ROC curves confirmed the superior predictive performance of the signature compared with conventional clinicopathological characteristics in CC. The ion transport-related molecular function and various immune-related biological processes differed significantly between the two risk groups according to functional enrichment analysis. Furthermore, we discovered that individuals in the high-risk group were more likely to respond to immunotherapy and targeted therapies including trametinib and cetuximab than those in the low-risk group. Finally, CC tissues with clinical data from my own center further verify the robustness of the seven-lncRNA risk signature.Conclusion: We generated a cuproptosis-related lncRNA risk signature that could be used to predict prognosis of CC patients. Moreover, the signature could be used to predict response to immunotherapy and chemotherapy and thus could assist clinicians in making personalized treatment plans for CC patients.
Immediate postpartum anemia and associated factors among women admitted to maternity ward at public hospitals in Harari Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia: A facility-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Abebe Gizaw Taddesse , Kure Mohammed Abdurke , Yadeta Tesfaye Assebe , Roba Kedir Teji , Amante Tariku Dingeta 
Published: September 2022

BackgroundAnemia in the postpartum period remains a considerable public health problem in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. It is the most common indirect cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. It is also a major health problem in women of reproductive age, affecting their quality of life, occupational capacity, lactation, and immunological function. Immediate postpartum anemia has a significant impact on women's quality of life, although its predictors have received little attention in Ethiopia, notably in Harari Regional State. Therefore, this study aimed to determine its magnitude and contributing factors in Eastern Ethiopia.MethodsA facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from June 1stto August 30th, 2021, among 484 postpartum women admitted to two public hospitals in Harari Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia. Data were collected using a pre-tested, structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. About 2 mL of blood samples were collected and analyzed using the cell-Dyne 1,800 machine. The collected data were entered into Epi-Data version 4.6 and analyzed using SPSS version 25. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to estimate the effect of independent variables on immediate postpartum anemia. An adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was computed to report the presence of the association. Statistical significance was declared at ap-value of &lt; 0.05.ResultsThe overall magnitude of immediate postpartum anemia was 28.1% [95% CI (23.7, 32.1)]. Lack of formal education [AOR: 3.92; 95% CI: (1.85, 8.33)], having antenatal care &lt; 4 visits [AOR: 3.18; 95% CI: (1.53, 6.61)], a history of cesarean delivery [AOR: 3.40; 95% CI: (1.89, 6.10)], a history of maternal blood loss [AOR: 4.78; 95% CI: (2.22, 10.30)], pre-delivery Hgb level &lt; 11 g/dl [AOR:5.46; 95% CI: (3.09,9.67)], and having no iron-folate supplementation [AOR:3.27; 95% CI: (1.31, 8.15)] were factors statistically associated with immediate postpartum anemia.ConclusionsIn this study, nearly one-third of mothers admitted for postpartum care developed anemia within 48 h of giving birth. Women's educational level, frequency of antenatal care, mode of delivery, a history of maternal blood loss, pre-delivery hemoglobin level, and iron-folate supplementation status were identified as immediate postpartum anemia risk factors. Therefore, promoting the benefits of adequate antenatal care and iron-folate supplementation during pregnancy is crucial to avoiding the risks of postpartum anemia.
Dynamic changes of cytokine profiles and virological markers during 48 weeks of entecavir treatment for HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B
Authors: Li Minghui , Gao Yuanjiao , Yang Liu , Lin Yanjie , Deng Wen , Jiang Tingting , Bi Xiaoyue , Lu Yao , Zhang Lu , Shen Ge , Liu Ruyu , Wu Shuling , Chang Min , Xu Mengjiao , Hu Leiping , Song Rui , Jiang Yuyong , Yi Wei , Xie Yao 
Published: September 2022

ObjectiveThe aims of this study were to investigate the kinetic changes of serum, virological, and immunological markers during entecavir (ETV) antiviral therapy and to explore whether these indicators can predict the antiviral efficacy of ETV in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.MethodsHBeAg-positive CHB patients were enrolled and treated with ETV 0.5 mg/day. Clinical biochemical, virological, and serological tests were performed at baseline and every 12 weeks during the 48-week treatment. Plasma levels of cytokines (Flt-3L, IFN-α2, IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-17A, IL-6, TGF-β1, TGF-β2, TGF-β3, and TNF-α) were measured at baseline and at 12 and 24 weeks after treatment. Analysis of the trends of these clinical indicators in ETV antiviral therapy was performed.ResultsA total of 105 HBeAg-positive CHB patients were enrolled, and 100 of them completed 48 weeks of ETV treatment and follow-up. After 48 weeks of treatment, hepatitis B s antigen (HBsAg) decline ≥ 1 log10 was found in seven patients, but no patient achieved HBsAg disappearance. serological HBeAg disappeared in 13 patients, and serological HBeAg transformed in 3 patients. The baseline HBsAg and HBeAg levels, HBV DNA load, IL-10, and TGF-β1 levels in the complete virological response group were lower than those in the incomplete virological response group, while the ALT level in the complete virological response group was higher than that in the incomplete virological response group. Both univariate analysis and multivariate analysis showed that baseline biochemical indexes, virological indexes, and cytokine levels had no correlation with the complete virological response at 48 weeks. In multivariate analysis, low baseline HBV DNA load, and HBeAg and IL-10 levels were significantly associated with ALT normalization after 48 weeks of ETV treatment (HBeAg OR = 1.003, 95% CI 1.001–1.006, p = 0.007; HBV DNA OR = 0.184, 95% CI 0.046–0.739, p = 0.017; IL-10 OR = 0.040, 95% CI 0.972–0.999, p = 0.040).ConclusionCytokine levels changed dynamically during ETV antiviral therapy. Low baseline HBV DNA load, and HBeAg and IL-10 levels were significantly associated with ALT normalization after 48 weeks of ETV treatment.
Increased sIL-2Rα leads to obstruction of IL-2 biological function and Treg cells differentiation in SLE patients via binding to IL-2
Authors: Long Dan , Yu Shujiao , Zhang Lu , Guo Yang , Xu Shumin , Rao Yuting , Huang Zikun , Luo Qing , Li Junming 
Published: September 2022

BackgroundThe decrease of IL-2 level is believed to play an important role in the disease occurrence and development of SLE, but the relevant mechanisms have not been fully clarified. Many studies have found that the level of soluble interleukin 2 receptor α (sIL-2Rα) in SLE patients is significantly increased. Considering the fact that sIL-2Rα has the ability to bind IL-2, we want to know whether the increased sIL-2Rα has some impact on the level and function of IL-2 in SLE patients.MethodsNew onset SLE patients, treated SLE patients and healthy volunteers were recruited. The levels of serum IL-2, IL-2 mRNA in CD3+T cells and serum sIL-2Rα were detected and compared in these subjects. Two mixed solid-phase sandwich ELISA system were designed to measure exclusively the heterodimers complex of sIL-2Rα/IL-2. The sera from SLE patients were pretreated with or without immune complex dissociation solution and detected for IL-2 levels. IL-2 standard or serum from HCs were used to co-incubate with recombinant sIL-2Rα or serum samples with high levels of sIL-2Rα and detected for IL-2 levels by ELISA. The inhibitory effect of sIL-2Rα on IL-2 biological activity was investigated by CTLL-2 cell proliferation assay. The frequencies and absolute counts of Treg cells were detected by flow cytometry before and after the addition of recombinant sIL-2Rα.ResultsThe levels of serum IL-2 in SLE patients were significantly decreased and negatively correlated with SLEDAI. However, there was no significant difference in IL-2 mRNA levels in CD3+T cells between SLE patients and healthy controls. The levels of serum sIL-2Rα in SLE patients were significantly increased, positively correlated with the SLEDAI and negatively correlated with the levels of serum IL-2. sIL-2Rα was shown to bind to IL-2 to form immune complex, resulting in false reduction in the detection level of serum IL-2 and significant decrease in biological activity of IL-2. The increase of sIL-2Rα was demonstrated to be one of the important mechanisms for the obstruction of Treg cells differentiation in SLE patients.ConclusionIncreased serum sIL-2Rα can bind to IL-2, leading to obstruction of IL-2 activity and Treg cells differentiation.
Effect of hot etching with HF on the surface topography and bond strength of zirconia
Authors: Liang Zhuoran , Liu Yang , Jiang Yulin , Liu Pan , Zhang Yannan , Meng Fanhao , Liu Min , Cui Zhi , Ma Jinbao , Chen Jianfeng 
Published: September 2022

Zirconia has occupied an increasingly important role in oral clinical applications in recent years. However, how to achieve the ideal bonding effect of zirconia is a significant problem that needs to be solved urgently in oral clinics. Hot etching treatment of zirconia is a hot spot of current research, but it is still unclear about the optimal acid solution and the effect of hot etching on the surface topography and bond strength of zirconia. This study evaluated the effect of hot etching with HF and HCl on the surface topography, roughness, crystalline phase, zirconia/resin cement interfacial evaluation and shear bond strength of zirconia. The results showed that the hot etching groups produced completely different topographical changes on the surface of zirconia than the sandblasting group. Obvious interfacial cracks were observed in the sandblasting group. The HF hot etching group achieved the highest roughness values (78.17 ± 4.94 nm) and the highest shear bond strength (25.09 ± 4.09 MPa). Compared with HCl, hot etching with HF could achieve more uniform and dense porous morphology, greater roughness and shear bond strength. Moreover, there were no prominent zirconia/resin cement interfacial cracks and crystal phase transformations on the surface of zirconia.
Portable sauna stimulated-diaphoresis for the treatment of fluid-overload in peritoneal dialysis patients: A pilot study
Authors: Maggiani-Aguilera Pablo , Chávez-Iñiguez Jonathan S. , Navarro-Blackaller Guillermo , Hernández-Morales Karla , Geraldo-Ozuna Ariadna Lizbeth , Alcantar-Villín Luz , Montoya-Montoya Olivia , Luquín-Arellano Víctor Hugo , García-García Guillermo 
Published: September 2022

BackgroundFluid overload (FO) is a common problem in patients with peritoneal dialysis (PD), it is associated with adverse outcomes and may persist despite adjustements in PD therapy.ObjectiveTo evaluate the feasibility and safety of stimulated diaphoresis to reduce FO with the use of a portable sauna bath.MethodsOpen-label pilot study in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and FO. The primary outcome was the treatment-related adverse events; secondary outcomes were changes in over-hydration (OH), body weight and blood pressure, FO symptoms, and sleep quality. Dialysis prescription and daily data were recorded. The intervention period consisted in a 30-min, 45°C sauna bath, daily for 10 days, using a portable sauna bath.ResultsFifty-one out of 54 total sauna bath sessions were well tolerated. In three (5.5%) sessions adverse effects were reported: transient dizziness in two cases, and a second-degree skin burn in a patient with advanced diabetic neuropathy. OH (6.3 ± 1.2 L vs. 5.5 ± 1.3 L, p = 0.05), body weight (67.7 ± 11.4 vs. 66.8 ± 3.8 kg, p = 0.003), diastolic blood pressure (92 ± 13.5 vs. 83 ± 13.3 mmHg, P = 0.003) and PSQI score (7.3 ± 3.7 vs. 5.1 ± 3.2, p = 0.02) improved significantly between the control and intervention period, respectively.ConclusionsStimulated diaphoresis with a portable sauna bath could be a novel, safe, and effective alternative way to reduce FO in CAPD patients. Larger studies are needed to confirm our results.Clinical trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03563898.
The association of exercise test variables with long-term mortality in patients with chronic Chagas disease
Authors: Silva Rudson S. , Mendes Fernanda S. N. S. , Fleg Jerome L. , Rodrigues Junior Luiz F. , Vieira Marcelo C. , Xavier Isis G. G. , Costa Henrique S. , Reis Michel S. , Mazzoli-Rocha Flavia , Costa Andrea R. , Holanda Marcelo T. , Veloso Henrique H. , Sperandio da Silva Gilberto M. , Sousa Andréa S. , Saraiva Roberto M. , Hasslocher-Moreno Alejandro Marcel , Mediano Mauro F. F. 
Published: September 2022

BackgroundThe identification of variables obtained in the exercise test (ET) associated with increased risk of death is clinically relevant and would provide additional information for the management of Chagas disease (CD). The objective of the present study was to evaluate the association of ET variables with mortality in patients with chronic CD.MethodsThis retrospective longitudinal observational study included 232 patients (median age 46.0 years; 50% women) with CD that were followed at the Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and performed an ET between 1989 and 2000. The outcome of interest was all-cause mortality.ResultsThere were 103 deaths (44.4%) during a median follow-up of 21.5 years (IQR 25–75% 8.0–27.8), resulting in 24.5 per 1,000 patients/year incidence rate. The ET variables associated with mortality after adjustments for potential confounders were increased maximal (HR 1.02; 95% CI 1.00–1.03 per mmHg) and change (HR 1.03; 95% CI 1.01–1.06 per mmHg) of diastolic blood pressure (DBP) during ET, ventricular tachycardia at rest (HR 3.95; 95% CI 1.14–13.74), during exercise (HR 2.73; 95% CI 1.44–5.20), and recovery (HR 2.60; 95% CI 1.14–5.91), and premature ventricular complexes during recovery (HR 2.06; 1.33–3.21).ConclusionOur findings suggest that ET provides important prognostic value for mortality risk assessment in patients with CD, with hemodynamic (increased DBP during exercise) and electrocardiographic (presence of ventricular arrhythmias) variables independently associated with an increased mortality risk in patients with CD. The identification of individuals at higher mortality risk can facilitate the development of intervention strategies (e.g., close follow-up) that may potentially have an impact on the longevity of patients with CD.