bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cardiovascular Risk After SARS-CoV-2 Infection Is Mediated by IL18/IL18R1/HIF-1 Signaling Pathway Axis
Authors: Zhang Liwei , Li Mingxing , Wang Zhiwei , Sun Peng , Wei Shunbo , Zhang Cong , Wu Haoliang , Bai Hualong 
Published: January 2022

ObjectivesCurrently, cardiovascular risk associated with COVID-19 has been brought to people’s attention, but the mechanism is not clear. The aim of this study is to elucidate the mechanisms based on multiple omics data.MethodologyWeighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify key pathways. Combination analysis with aneurysm and atherosclerosis related pathways, hypoxia induced factor-1 (HIF-1) signaling were identified as key pathways of the increased cardiovascular risk associated with COVID-19. ScMLnet algorithm based on scRNA-seq was used to explore the regulation of HIF-1 pathway by intercellular communication. Proteomic analysis was used to detect the regulatory mechanisms between IL18 and HIF-1 signaling pathway. Pseudo time locus analysis was used to study the regulation of HIF1 signaling pathway in macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) phenotypic transformation. The Virtual Inference of protein-activity by Enriched Regulon (VIPER) analysis was used to study the activity of regulatory proteins. Epigenetic analysis based on methylation revealed epigenetic changes in PBMC after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Potential therapeutic compounds were explored by using Cmap algorithm.ResultsHIF-1 signaling pathway is a common key pathway for aneurysms, atherosclerosis and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Intercellular communication analysis showed that macrophage-derived interleukin-18 (IL-18) activates the HIF-1 signaling pathway through IL18R1. Proteomic analysis showed that IL18/IL18R1 promote NF-κB entry into the nucleus, and activated the HIF-1 signaling pathway. Macrophage-derived IL18 promoted the M1 polarization of macrophages and the syntactic phenotype transformation of VSMCs. MAP2K1 mediates the functional regulation of HIF-1 signaling pathway in various cell types. Epigenetic changes in PBMC after COVID-19 infection are characterized by activation of the type I interferon pathway. MEK inhibitors are the promising compounds for the treatment of HIF-1 overactivation.ConclusionsThe IL18/IL18R1/HIF1A axis is expected to be an therapeutic target for cardiovascular protection after SARS-CoV-2 infection. MEK inhibitors may be an choice for cardiovascular protection after SARS-COV-2 infection
NETosis in Long-Term Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and Its Link to Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Aukrust Sverre Grøver , Holte Kristine Bech , Opstad Trine B. , Seljeflot Ingebjørg , Berg Tore Julsrud , Helseth Ragnhild 
Published: January 2022

BackgroundNeutrophil extracellular traps NETs have been linked to glucose and the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). NETs also play a role in vascular inflammation and the development of coronary artery disease (CAD). The role of NETs in CAD progression in patients with long-term T1DM is unclear. We aimed to 1) investigate whether levels of circulating NETs markers were elevated in long-term T1DM subjects compared to controls, and 2) explore whether levels of NETs were related to the presence of CAD.Material and Methods102 patients with &gt; 45 years of T1DM and 75 age-matched controls were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Median age was 62 years. Computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) was performed in 148 subjects without established coronary heart disease. For the current study, CAD was defined as a coronary artery stenosis &gt;50%. Double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (dsDNA) was measured by a nucleic acid stain, myeloperoxidase-DNA (MPO-DNA), citrullinated histone 3 (H3Cit) and peptidylarginine deiminase 4 (PAD4) by ELISAs, while gene expression of PAD4 was measured in leukocytes from PAXgene tubes.ResultsCirculating MPO-DNA levels were significantly lower in patients with T1DM than in controls (0.17 vs 0.29 OD, p&lt;0.001), while dsDNA, H3Cit, PAD4 and gene expression of PAD4 did not differ with respect to the presence of T1DM. There were no significant associations between NETs markers and HbA1c in the T1DM group. None of the NETs markers differed according to the presence of CAD in patients with T1DM. While all circulating NETs markers correlated significantly with circulating neutrophils in the control group (r=0.292-393, p&lt;0.014), only H3Cit and PAD4 correlated with neutrophils in the T1DM group (r= 0.330-0.449, p ≤ 0.001).ConclusionsIn this cross-sectional study of patients with long-term T1DM and age-matched controls, circulating NETs levels were not consistently associated with the presence of T1DM or glycemic status, and did not differ according to the presence of CAD in patients with T1DM. Our results entail the possibility of altered neutrophil function and reduced NETosis in T1DM. This warrants further investigation.
Pregnancy-Related Attack in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder With AQP4-IgG: A Single-Center Study and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Deng Shuwen , Lei Qiang , Lu Wei 
Published: January 2022

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the demographic characteristic of pregnancy-related attacks (PRAs) in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). In addition, we investigated the predictors of PRAs as well as the effect of immunosuppressive (IS) therapy in patients with pregnancy-related NMOSD.MethodWe retrospectively analyzed data on clinical and diagnostic characteristics, therapeutic management, and pregnancy outcomes for PRAs in AQP4-IgG-positive NMOSD patients admitted to the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University. Moreover, we searched the literature (without any temporal restriction) to identify all such similar cohorts and performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of IS therapy on NMOSD patients with PRAs.ResultWe collected clinical data on 117 women with AQP4 antibody-positive NMOSD; we ultimately included 33 patients (34 pregnancies). Ten patients were relapse-free during pregnancy, and 23 (69.7%) had PRA; attacks were most common during the first trimester of the postpartum period. Maintenance of IS treatment during pregnancy was found to greatly reduce PRAs in patients with NMOSD. PRAs were associated with a higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) at relapse during pregnancy and shorter time interval between the last relapse and conception. The meta-analysis suggested that maintenance of IS treatment during pregnancy can significantly reduce the RR of NMOSD (95%CI=0.35-0.62; z=5.18, p&lt;0.0001) and had no adverse effect on the miscarriage rate. However, the unhealthy newborn occurrence among those receiving IS treatment was 3.73 times higher than that of those not receiving treatment during pregnancy (95%CI=1.40–9.91; z=2.64, p=0.008).ConclusionOur study results demonstrates that pregnancy can induce the onset or relapse of attacks in NMOSD patients. The increased NLR value and disease activity may be a predictor for PRAs in patients with NMOSD. Moreover, administration of IS treatment during pregnancy can reduce the relapse rate. However, the dosage of drugs and risks of adverse effects to the fetus need to be considered. Future prospective studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm and extend our findings.
Quantitative Test and Engineering Application of Wear Resistance of a Kind of Mine-Filled Composite Pipeline
Authors: Wang Yong , Yang Gang-feng , Ma Cheng-liang , Jia Quan-li , Jin Qin-guo 
Published: January 2022

Wear resistance is one of the most important performance indicators of filling pipelines, but there are few studies on its quantitative test and life prediction. In this paper, an experimental device and its application method for testing the wear resistance of the pipeline are proposed, and the device is used to test the wear resistance of the self-developed lining composite pipeline, the traditional 16 Mn steel pipeline and the ordinary carbon structural steel pipeline. The results show that the wear resistance of the composite lining material is 12.35 times of that of 16 Mn steel and 7.32 times of that of ordinary carbon structural steel. The wear resistance mechanism is analyzed from the perspective of the material composition of the composite liner, mainly because the composite liner material uses fused alumina grain sand, silicon carbide and other extremely wear-resistant materials with high hardness as aggregate, and the aggregates are spherical or nearly spherical particles, with smooth surface and small friction resistance. Finally, through a comparison engineering application of a certain iron ore concentrate transportation. Compared with the traditional 16 Mn steel pipeline, the composite lined pipeline has been used for more than 5 years without any problems, while the traditional 16 Mn steel pipeline is worn through within 1 year. Engineering application shows that the composite lined pipeline has good wear resistance, and it also confirms the reliability of the detection method proposed in this paper.
Serum Uric Acid Might Be Positively Associated With Hypertension in Chinese Adults: An Analysis of the China Health and Nutrition Survey
Authors: Han Yingdong , Han Kaidi , Han Xinxin , Yin Yue , Di Hong , Wu Juan , Zhang Yun , Zeng Xuejun 
Published: January 2022

Background: Previous studies have clarified the relationship between serum uric acid (SUA) and hypertension; most of previous studies suggest that elevated uric acid levels are associated with an increased risk of hypertension, while in China, there are relatively few studies to explore above association. The objective of this longitudinal study is to investigate the correlation of SUA and hypertension in Chinese adults with a nationwide large-scale sample.Methods: Data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey 2009, 2011, and 2016 were used; a total of 8,469 participants (3,973 men and 4,496 women) were involved. This study was conducted separately by gender. Clinical characteristics of the participants among different uric acid groups are compared. The binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between SUA and hypertension. Restricted cubic spline analysis with three knots of the SUA concentration were used to characterize the dose-response relationship. Additionally, we compared the incidence of hypertension in the different baseline uric acid groups during follow-up in 2011 and 2015.Results: After the covariates were fully adjusted, we found that elevated uric acid levels were correlated with increased risk of hypertension in both males (p &lt; 0.01) and females (p &lt; 0.01). With 2-year or 6-year of follow-up, we found participants with higher baseline uric acid levels had a higher incidence of hypertension (p &lt; 0.01). In stratified analysis by obesity, above relationship remained significant in nonobesity population (males: p &lt; 0.05, females: p &lt; 0.01) and became nonsignificant in obesity people. In stratified analysis by age, above positively correlation remained significant in middle-aged men (p &lt; 0.05) and elderly women (p &lt; 0.01). Restricted cubic spline revealed the dose-response relationship between SUA and hypertension; we also found that above relationship was much stronger in females.Conclusion: This study suggests that elevated SUA levels might be positively associated with an increased risk of hypertension in general Chinese adults.
Everyday Functioning in a Community-Based Volunteer Population: Differences Between Participant- and Study Partner-Report
Authors: Verrijp Merike , Dubbelman Mark A. , Visser Leonie N. C. , Jutten Roos J. , Nijhuis Elke W. , Zwan Marissa D. , van Hout Hein P. J. , Scheltens Philip , van der Flier Wiesje M. , Sikkes Sietske A. M. 
Published: January 2022

Introduction: Impaired awareness in dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders made study partner-report the preferred method of measuring interference in “instrumental activities of daily living” (IADL). However, with a shifting focus toward earlier disease stages and prevention, the question arises whether self-report might be equally or even more appropriate. The aim of this study was to investigate how participant- and study partner-report IADL perform in a community-based volunteer population without dementia and which factors relate to differences between participant- and study partner-report.Methods: Participants (N = 3,288; 18–97 years, 70.4% females) and their study partners (N = 1,213; 18–88 years, 45.8% females) were recruited from the Dutch Brain Research Registry. IADL were measured using the Amsterdam IADL Questionnaire. The concordance between participant- and study partner-reported IADL difficulties was examined using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Multinomial logistic regressions were used to investigate which demographic, cognitive, and psychosocial factors related to participant and study partner differences, by looking at the over- and underreport of IADL difficulties by the participant, relative to their study partner.Results: Most A-IADL-Q scores represented no difficulties for both participants (87.9%) and study partners (89.4%). The concordance between participants and study partners was moderate (ICC = 0.55, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.51, 0.59]); 24.5% (N = 297) of participants overreported their IADL difficulties compared with study partners, and 17.8% (N = 216) underreported difficulties. The presence of depressive symptoms (odds ratio [OR] = 1.31, 95% CI = [1.12, 1.54]), as well as memory complaints (OR = 2.45, 95% CI = [1.80, 3.34]), increased the odds of participants overreporting their IADL difficulties. Higher IADL ratings decreased the odds of participant underreport (OR = 0.71, 95% CI = [0.67, 0.74]).Conclusion: In this sample of community-based volunteers, most participants and study partners reported no major IADL difficulties. Differences between participant and study partner were, however, quite prevalent, with subjective factors indicative of increased report of IADL difficulties by the participant in particular. These findings suggest that self- and study partner-report measures may not be interchangeable, and that the level of awareness needs to be considered, even in cognitively healthy individuals.
Deducing the Impact of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Physical Performance on Cognitive Function in Healthy Older Adults
Authors: Gerten Sina , Engeroff Tobias , Fleckenstein Johannes , Füzéki Eszter , Matura Silke , Pilatus Ulrich , Vogt Lutz , Pantel Johannes , Banzer Winfried 
Published: January 2022

Objectives: Participating in physical activity and maintaining physical performance as well as reducing sedentary behavior are discussed to be beneficially associated with cognitive function in older adults. The purpose of this cross-sectional analysis was to differentiate the relevance of objectively measured physical activity, physical performance, and sedentary behavior on cognitive function in healthy older adults (n = 56, age = 76 ± 7 yrs, gender = 30 female).Methods: Accelerometer based physical activity and sedentary behavior were analyzed as minutes per week spent sedentary and physically active with light or moderate to vigorous intensity. Participants' physical performance was assessed via cardiopulmonary exercise testing and analyzed as maximal workload and heart rate, heart rate reserve and peak oxygen uptake. The assessment of cognitive function included working memory, attention, executive function, and verbal memory. Data was analyzed with Spearman and partial correlations. Trial registration: NCT02343029.Results: Light physical activity was moderately associated with executive function (r = −0.339, p = 0.015). Attention was significantly associated with maximal workload (r = −0.286, p = 0.042) and peak oxygen uptake (r = −0.337, p = 0.015). Working memory was associated with maximal workload (r = 0.329, p = 0.017).Conclusion: Whereas a broad range of cognitive function were beneficially linked to physical performance, light intensity activities in particular showed an impact on executive function. Our research underlines the need to separate the impact of physical performance and physical activity on cognitive function and highlights the relevance of light physical activity.
A Preoperative MRI-Based Radiomics-Clinicopathological Classifier to Predict the Recurrence of Pituitary Macroadenoma Within 5 Years
Authors: Zhang Yu , Luo Yuqi , Kong Xin , Wan Tao , Long Yunling , Ma Jun 
Published: January 2022

Objective: To investigate the ability of a MRI-based radiomics-clinicopathological model to predict pituitary macroadenoma (PMA) recurrence within 5 years.Materials and Methods: We recruited 74 recurrent and 94 non-recurrent subjects, following first surgery with 5-year follow-up data. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify independent clinicopathological risk factors. Two independent and blinded neuroradiologists used 3D-Slicer software to manually delineate whole tumors using preoperative axial contrast-enhanced T1WI (CE-T1WI) images. 3D-Slicer was then used to extract radiomics features from segmented tumors. Dimensionality reduction was carried out by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). Two multilayer perceptron (MLP) models were established, including independent clinicopathological risk factors (Model 1) and a combination of screened radiomics features and independent clinicopathological markers (Model 2). The predictive performance of these models was evaluated by receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.Results: In total, 1,130 features were identified, and 4 of these were selected by LASSO. In the test set, the area under the curve (AUC) of Model 2 was superior to Model 1 {0.783, [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.718—.860] vs. 0.739, (95% CI: 0.665–0.818)}. Model 2 also yielded the higher accuracy (0.808 vs. 0.692), sensitivity (0.826 vs. 0.652), and specificity (0.793 vs. 0.724) than Model 1.Conclusions: The integrated classifier was superior to a clinical classifier and may facilitate the prediction of individualized prognosis and therapy.
Iron Deposition in Gray Matter Nuclei of Patients With Intracranial Artery Stenosis: A Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping Study
Authors: Mao Huimin , Dou Weiqiang , Wang Xinyi , Chen Kunjian , Wang Xinyu , Guo Yu , Zhang Chao 
Published: January 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to use quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) to systematically investigate the changes of iron content in gray matter (GM) nuclei in patients with long-term anterior circulation artery stenosis (ACAS) and posterior circulation artery stenosis (PCAS).Methods: Twenty-five ACAS patients, 25 PCAS patients, and 25 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent QSM examination. Patients were scored using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) to assess the degree of neural function deficiency. On QSM images, iron related susceptibility of GM nuclei, including bilateral caudate nucleus, putamen (PU), globus pallidus (GP), thalamus (TH), substantia nigra (SN), red nucleus, and dentate nucleus (DN), were assessed. Susceptibility was compared between bilateral GM nuclei in healthy controls, ACAS patients, and PCAS patients. Partial correlation analysis, with age as a covariate, was separately performed to assess the relationships of susceptibility with NIHSS and mRS scores.Results: There were no significant differences between the susceptibilities for left and right hemispheres in all seven GM nucleus subregions for healthy controls, ACAS patients, and PCAS patients. Compared with healthy controls, mean susceptibility of bilateral PU, GP, and SN in ACAS patients and of bilateral PU, GP, SN, and DN in PCAS patients were significantly increased (all P &lt; 0.05). In addition, mean susceptibility of bilateral TH and SN in PCAS patients was significantly higher than in ACAS patients (both P &lt; 0.05). With partial correlation analysis, mean susceptibility at bilateral PU of ACAS patients was significantly correlated with mRS score (r = 0.415, P &lt; 0.05), and at bilateral PU in PCAS patients was correlated with NIHSS score (r = 0.424, P &lt; 0.05).Conclusion: Our findings indicated that abnormal iron metabolism may present in different subregions of GM nuclei after long-term ACAS and PCAS. In addition, iron content of PU in patients with ACAS and PCAS was correlated with neurological deficit scores. Therefore, iron quantification measured by QSM susceptibility may provide a new insight to understand the pathological mechanism of ischemic stroke caused by ACAS and PCAS.
A New Coordinate System for Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Vestibular System
Authors: Liu Weixing , Chen Gui , Xie Junyang , Liang Tianhao , Zhang Chunyi , Liao Xiao , Liao Wenjing , Song Lijuan , Zhang Xiaowen 
Published: January 2022

Objectives: To develop and evaluate a new coordinate system for MRI of the vestibular system.Methods: In this study, 53 internal auditory canal MRI and 78 temporal bone CT datasets were analyzed. Mimics Medical software version 21.0 was used to visualize and three-dimensionally reconstruct the image data. We established a new coordinate system, named W–X, based on the center of the bilateral eyeballs and vertex of the bilateral superior semicircular canals. Using the W–X coordinate system and Reid's coordinate system, we measured the orientations of the planes of the anterior semicircular canal (ASCC), the lateral semicircular canal (LSCC), and the posterior semicircular canal (PSCC).Results: No significant differences between the angles measured using CT and MRI were found for any of the semicircular canal planes (p &gt; 0.05). No statistical differences were found between the angles measured using Reid's coordinate system (CT) and the W–X coordinate system (MRI). The mean values of ∠ASCC &amp; LSCC, ∠ASCC &amp; PSCC, and ∠LSCC &amp; PSCC were 84.67 ± 5.76, 94.21 ± 3.81, and 91.79 ± 5.22 degrees, respectively. The angle between the LSCC plane and the horizontal imaging plane was 15.64 ± 3.92 degrees, and the angle between the PSCC plane and the sagittal imaging plane was 48.79 ± 4.46 degrees.Conclusion: A new W–X coordinate system was developed for MRI studies of the vestibular system and can be used to measure the orientations of the semicircular canals.