bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identification and Validation of Novel Serum Autoantibodies Biomarkers for Staging Liver Fibrosis in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B
Authors: Qi Saiping , Li Jing , He Xiaomin , Zhou Jialing , Chen Zhibin , Li Xiaojin , Zhang Bei , Ma Hong , You Hong , Huang Jian 
Published: January 2022

Aim: Liver fibrosis monitoring is essential in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). However, less robust, noninvasive diagnostic methods for staging liver fibrosis, other than liver biopsy, are available. Our previous study demonstrated a panel of cellular proteins recognized by autoantibodies that may have potential value in discrimination of CHB and liver cirrhosis. We aim to assess the diagnostic value of these serum autoantibodies for staging liver fibrosis.Methods: Candidate autoantigens were screened and assessed by microarray analysis in 96 healthy controls and 227 CHB patients with pre-treatment biopsy-proven METAVIR fibrosis score, comprising 69, 115, and 43 cases with S0-1, S2-3, and S4 stages, respectively. Autoantibodies with potential diagnostic value for staging liver fibrosis were verified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Receiver operating characteristic curve was conducted to evaluate autoantibody performance.Results: Microarray analysis identified autoantigens CENPF, ACY1, HSPA6, and ENO1 with potential diagnostic value for liver fibrosis staging, among which CENPF and ACY1 were validated using ELISA. CENPF and ACY1 autoantibodies had area under the curve values of 0.746 and 0.685, 58.14 and 74.42% sensitivity, and 88.41 and 60.87% specificity, respectively, for discriminating liver fibrosis stages S4 and S0-1. The prevalence of CENPF and ACY1 autoantibodies was not correlated with age, sex or level of inflammation.Conclusions: Autoimmune responses may be elicited during progression of liver fibrosis, and serum autoantibodies may be a valuable biomarker for staging liver fibrosis deserving of further study.
Development and Validation of a Novel Microbiome-Based Biomarker of Post-antibiotic Dysbiosis and Subsequent Restoration
Authors: Blount Ken , Jones Courtney , Walsh Dana , Gonzalez Carlos , Shannon William D. 
Published: January 2022

Background: The human gut microbiota are important to health and wellness, and disrupted microbiota homeostasis, or “dysbiosis,” can cause or contribute to many gastrointestinal disease states. Dysbiosis can be caused by many factors, most notably antibiotic treatment. To correct dysbiosis and restore healthier microbiota, several investigational microbiota-based live biotherapeutic products (LBPs) are in formal clinical development. To better guide and refine LBP development and to better understand and manage the risks of antibiotic administration, biomarkers that distinguish post-antibiotic dysbiosis from healthy microbiota are needed. Here we report the development of a prototype Microbiome Health Index for post-Antibiotic dysbiosis (MHI-A).Methods: MHI-A was developed and validated using longitudinal gut microbiome data from participants in clinical trials of RBX2660 and RBX7455 – investigational LBPs in development for reducing recurrent Clostridioides difficile infections (rCDI). The MHI-A algorithm relates the relative abundances of microbiome taxonomic classes that changed the most after RBX2660 or RBX7455 treatment, that strongly correlated with clinical response, and that reflect biological mechanisms believed important to rCDI. The diagnostic utility of MHI-A was reinforced using publicly available microbiome data from healthy or antibiotic-treated populations.Results: MHI-A has high accuracy to distinguish post-antibiotic dysbiosis from healthy microbiota. MHI-A values were consistent across multiple healthy populations and were significantly shifted by antibiotic treatments known to alter microbiota compositions, shifted less by microbiota-sparing antibiotics. Clinical response to RBX2660 and RBX7455 correlated with a shift of MHI-A from dysbiotic to healthy values.Conclusion: MHI-A is a promising biomarker of post-antibiotic dysbiosis and subsequent restoration. MHI-A may be useful for rank-ordering the microbiota-disrupting effects of antibiotics and as a pharmacodynamic measure of microbiota restoration.
Exosome-Transmitted miR-128 Targets CCL18 to Inhibit the Proliferation and Metastasis of Urothelial Carcinoma
Authors: Shang Donghao , Liu Yuting , Chen Zhenghao 
Published: January 2022

Objective:To investigate the regulatory function of exosome-transmittedmiR-128and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 18 (CCL18) on urothelial carcinomas (UCs).Methods:Tumor tissues, paracancerous tissues, and serum were collected from 20 patients with UCs (diagnosed at Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University). CCL18 was detected by immunohistochemistry and ELISA. PCR was used to measure the expression levels of CCL18 andmir-183,miR-128,mir-33ain UCs. We acquired exosomes from mesenchymal stem cells and synthesized exosomes overexpressingmiR-128(HMSC-128-EV). The effects ofmiR-128on the migration and invasion abilities, apoptosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of BUC T24 cells were investigated by co-culturing HMSC-128-EV. The therapeutic potential ofmiR-128on disease models was explored by injecting HMSC-128-EV into nude mice.Results:The expression of CCL18 in UCs was significantly higher than that in normal tissues (p&lt; 0.05), and the serum level of CCL18 in patients with UC was significantly increased compared with those in healthy controls (p&lt; 0.05). CCL18 overexpression or downregulation enhanced or suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasion of BUC T24 cells, resectively (p&lt; 0.05). The exosome-transmitted miR-128 can inhibit cell proliferation (p&lt; 0.05), invasion (p&lt; 0.05), and migration (p&lt; 0.05) in UCs, and these effects can be reversed by CCL18. In terms of apoptosis,miR-128was able to promote the occurrence of BUC T24 apoptosis (p&lt; 0.05), which can also be reversed by CCL18. In addition,miR-128can inhibit the proliferation (p&lt; 0.05) and metastasis (p&lt; 0.05) of UCs in nude mice.Conclusion:ThemiR-128inhibits the proliferation, invasion, migration of UCs, and promotes its apoptosis by regulating CCL18 secretion.
Secoisolariciresinol Diglucoside Improves Ovarian Reserve in Aging Mouse by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress
Authors: He XueLai , Wang Yong , Wu MeiQi , Wei JiangChun , Sun XianDuo , Wang AnHua , Hu GaoSheng , Jia JingMing 
Published: January 2022

Ovarian reserve is a key factor in the reproductive function of the ovaries. Ovarian aging is characterized by a gradual decline in the quantity and quality of follicles. The underlying mechanism of ovarian aging is complex and age-related oxidative stress is considered one of the most likely factors. Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) has been shown to have good scavenging ability against reactive oxygen species (ROS) which slowly accumulates in ovarian tissues. However, it is unknown whether SDG had beneficial effects on aging ovaries. In this study, we used 37-week-old female C57BL/6J mouse as a natural reproductive aging model to evaluate the role of SDG in ovarian aging. SDG (7 and 70 mg/kg) intragastric administration was performed in the mice daily. After 8 weeks, the effects of SDG on aging ovaries were evaluated by counting the number of follicles and the expression of follicle-stimulating hormone receptors (FSHR) in the ovary. The mechanism of SDG on the aging ovaries was further explored through ovarian metabolomics. It was found that SDG can effectively increase the number of growing follicles and increase the expression of the FSHR protein. The metabolomics results showed that the ovaries in the SDG intervention group achieved better uptake and transport of nutrients, including amino acids and glucose that are necessary for the development of oocytes. At the same time, the ovaries of the SDG intervention group showed that the drug reduced ROS generation. Additionally, we found that ovarian telomere length and ovarian mitochondrial DNA copy number that are highly susceptible to ROS damage and are also related to aging. The results showed that SDG can significantly increase mitochondrial DNA copy number and slow down the process of telomere shortening. These data indicate that SDG improves ovarian reserve by inhibiting oxidative stress.
Rehabilitation Care at the Time of Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) Pandemic: A Scoping Review of Health System Recommendations
Authors: Negm Ahmed M. , Salopek Adrian , Zaide Mashal , Meng Victoria J. , Prada Carlos , Chang Yaping , Zanwar Preeti , Santos Flavia H. , Philippou Elena , Rosario Emily R. , Faieta Julie , Falvey Jason R. , Kumar Amit , Reistetter Timothy A. , Dal Bello-Haas Vanina , Bean Jonathan F. , Bhandari Mohit , Heyn Patricia C. 
Published: January 2022

Purpose: The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2 has imposed a significant burden on health care systems, economies, and social systems in many countries around the world. The provision of rehabilitation services for persons with active COVID-19 infection poses challenges to maintaining a safe environment for patients and treating providers.Materials and Methods: Established frameworks were used to guide the scoping review methodology. Medline, Embase, Pubmed, CINAHL databases from inception to August 1, 2020, and prominent rehabilitation organizations’ websites were searched.Study Selection: We included articles and reports if they were focused on rehabilitation related recommendations for COVID-19 patients, treating providers, or the general population.Data Extraction: Pairs of team members used a pre-tested data abstraction form to extract data from included full-text articles. The strength and the quality of the extracted recommendations were evaluated by two reviewers using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.Results: We retrieved 6,468 citations, of which 2,086 were eligible for review, after duplicates were removed. We excluded 1,980 citations based on title and abstract screening. Of the screened full-text articles, we included all 106 studies. A summary of recommendations is presented. We assessed the overall evidence to be strong and of fair quality.Conclusion: The rehabilitation setting, and processes, logistics, and patient and healthcare provider precaution recommendations identified aim to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection and ensure adequate and safe rehabilitation services, whether face-to-face or through teleservices. The COVID-19 pandemic is rapidly changing. Further updates will be needed over time in order to incorporate emerging best evidence into rehabilitation guidelines.
Associations Among Diffusion Tensor Image Along the Perivascular Space (DTI-ALPS), Enlarged Perivascular Space (ePVS), and Cognitive Functions in Asymptomatic Patients With Carotid Plaque
Authors: Liu Hui , Yang Shuai , He Wei , Liu Xiaojuan , Sun Shanyi , Wang Song , Wang Yang , Zhou Xiaoliang , Tang Tao , Xia Jian , Liu Yunhai , Huang Qing 
Published: January 2022

Background and Aim: Carotid atherosclerosis (CAS) is a common pathogenesis of cerebrovascular disease closely related to stroke and silent cerebrovascular disease (SCD), while the insufficient brain perfusion mechanism cannot quite explain the mechanism. The purpose of this study was to utilize diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) to evaluate the glymphatic system activity and correlated DTI-ALPS with enlarged perivascular spaces (ePVS), carotid intima-media thickening (CIMT), mini-mental state examination (MMSE), and serological indicator in individuals with carotid plaque.Methods: Routine MRI and diffusion tensor images scan of the brain, carotid ultrasound, and blood examination were conducted on 74 individuals (52 carotid plaque subjects, 22 non-carotid plaque subjects), whose demographic and clinical characteristics were also recorded. DTI-ALPS index between patients with carotid plaque and normal controls were acquired and the correlations with other variables were analyzed.Results: The values of ALPS-index in the carotid plaque group was significantly lower compared to normal controls (2.12 ± 0.39, 1.95 ± 0.28, respectively, p = 0.034). The ALPS-index was negatively correlated with the basal ganglia (BG)-ePVS score (r = −0.242, p = 0.038) while there was no significant difference in the centrum semiovale (CSO)-ePVS score. Further analysis showed that there are more high-grade ePVS in the BG compared to the carotid plaque group than in the non-carotid plaque group (84.6% vs. 40.9%, p = 0.001).Conclusions: ALPS-index reflects the glymphatic system of the brain, which is associated with early high-risk cerebrovascular diseases. There may be damage in the function of the glymphatic system which induces the expansion of the perivascular space (PVS) in the BG in individuals with carotid plaque.
Event-Related Potentials in Women on the Pill: Neural Correlates of Positive and Erotic Stimulus Processing in Oral Contraceptive Users
Authors: Schmidt Norina M. , Hennig Juergen , Munk Aisha J. L. 
Published: January 2022

Background/Aims: Exposure toward positive emotional cues with – and without – reproductive significance plays a crucial role in daily life and regarding well-being as well as mental health. While possible adverse effects of oral contraceptive (OC) use on female mental and sexual health are widely discussed, neural processing of positive emotional stimuli has not been systematically investigated in association with OC use. Considering reported effects on mood, well-being and sexual function, and proposed associations with depression, it was hypothesized that OC users showed reduced neural reactivity toward positive and erotic emotional stimuli during early as well as later stages of emotional processing and also rated these stimuli as less pleasant and less arousing compared to naturally cycling (NC) women.Method: Sixty-two female subjects (29 NC and 33 OC) were assessed at three time points across the natural menstrual cycle and corresponding time points of the OC regimen. Early (early posterior negativity, EPN) and late (late positive potential, LPP) event-related potentials in reaction to positive, erotic and neutral stimuli were collected during an Emotional Picture Stroop Paradigm (EPSP). At each appointment, subjects provided saliva samples for analysis of gonadal steroid concentration. Valence and arousal ratings were collected at the last appointment.Results: Oral contraceptive users had significantly lower endogenous estradiol and progesterone concentrations compared to NC women. No significant group differences in either subjective stimulus evaluations or neural reactivity toward positive and erotic emotional stimuli were observed. For the OC group, LPP amplitudes in reaction to erotic vs. neutral pictures differed significantly between measurement times across the OC regimen.Discussion: In this study, no evidence regarding alterations of neural reactivity toward positive and erotic stimuli in OC users compared to NC was found. Possible confounding factors and lines for future research are elaborated and discussed.
Can Time-Lapse Incubation and Monitoring Be Beneficial to Assisted Reproduction Technology Outcomes? A Randomized Controlled Trial Using Day 3 Double Embryo Transfer
Authors: Guo Yu-han , Liu Yan , Qi Lin , Song Wen-yan , Jin Hai-xia 
Published: January 2022

Objective: To determine if the application of time-lapse incubation and monitoring can be beneficial to clinical outcomes in assisted reproductive technology.Methods: A total of 600 patients were equally randomized to three groups, namely, conventional embryo culture and standard morphological selection (CM group), time-lapse culture and standard morphological selection (TLM group), and time-lapse culture and morphokinetic selection (TLA group). Notably, 424 undergoing fresh autologous in vitro fertilization cycles were analyzed, 132 patients in the CM group, 158 in the TLM group, and 134 in the TLA group. Main outcomes included clinical outcomes, embryo development rates, and perinatal outcomes.Results: Clinical pregnancy rates in the time-lapse groups were significantly higher than in the CM group (CM 65.2% vs. TLM 77.2% vs. TLA 81.3%). Implantation rates and live birth rates were significantly higher for the TLA group (59.7 and 70.9%) compared with the CM group (47.7 and 56.1%) but not compared with the TLM group (55.4 and 67.1%). There was no statistical difference in miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy rates among the three groups. Overall, birth weight was significantly higher in the time-lapse groups (CM 2,731.7 ± 644.8 g vs. TLM 3,066.5 ± 595.4 g vs. TLA 2,967.4 ± 590.0 g). The birth height of newborns in the TLM group was significantly longer than that of the CM group and TLA group (CM 48.3± 4.4 cm vs. TLM 49.8± 2.3 cm vs. TLA 48.5± 2.7 cm).Conclusion: Time-lapse incubation and monitoring have a significant benefit on clinical pregnancy rates and on overall birth weights while morphokinetic analysis is not necessary.Clinical Trial Registration: [www.ClinicalTrials.gov], identifier [NCT02974517].
Heart Rate Variability Indices as Possible Biomarkers for the Severity of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Following Pregnancy Loss
Authors: de Faria Cardoso Cláudia , Ohe Natalia Tiemi , Bader Yazan , Afify Nariman , Al-Homedi Zahrah , Alwedami Salma Malalla , O'Sullivan Siobhán , Campos Luciana Aparecida , Baltatu Ovidiu Constantin 
Published: January 2022

Background: Psychological distress, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is commonly evaluated using subjective questionnaires, a method prone to self-report bias. The study's working hypothesis was that levels of autonomic dysfunction determined by heart rate variability (HRV) measures are associated with the severity of PTSD in women following pregnancy loss.Methods: This was an observational prospective cohort study with 53 patients enrolled. The DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) PTSD scale (PCL-5) was used to assess the severity of PTSD in women after pregnancy loss. The cardiac autonomic function was assessed using HRV measurements during a deep breathing test using an HRV scanner system with wireless ECG enabling real-time data analysis and visualization. HRV measures were: standard deviation (SD) of normal R-R wave intervals [SDNN, ms], square root of the mean of the sum of the squares of differences between adjacent normal R wave intervals [RMSSD, ms], and the number of all R-R intervals in which the change in consecutive normal sinus intervals exceeds 50 milliseconds divided by the total number of R-R intervals measured [pNN50 = (NN50/n-1)*100%] [pNN50%].Results: The PCL-5 scores had a statistically significant association with HRV indices (SDNN; RMSSD, and pNN50%). Patients with PTSD had similar mean heart rate values as compared to patients without PTSD (PCL-5), but significantly higher SDNN [median[IQR, interquartile range]: 90.1 (69.1–112.1) vs. 52.5 (36.8–65.6)], RMSSD [59.4 (37.5–74.9) vs. 31.9 (19.3 – 44.0)], and PNN50% values [25.7 (16.4–37.7) vs. 10.6 (1.5–21.9)]. The SDNN of the deep breathing test HRV was effective at distinguishing between patients with PTSD and those without, with an AUC = 0.83 +/− 0.06 (95 % CI 0.94, p = 0.0001) of the ROC model.Conclusions: In this study, HRV indices as biomarkers of cardiac dysautonomia were found to be significantly related to the severity of PTSD symptoms in women after pregnancy loss.
Healthcare Workers' Resilience Mediates the Influence of Organizational Commitment and Anxiety Response to Viral Epidemic on Their Quality of Life in the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Son Hoon Sung , Kim Kyumin , Cho Inn-Kyu , Lee Joohee , Choi Jung Mun , Kil Kwang Hyun , Kim Jiyeon , Hong Youjin , Ahn Myung Hee , Chung Seockhoon 
Published: January 2022

Objective: In the COVID-19 pandemic era, healthcare workers suffer from psychological problems such as anxiety in response to the viral epidemic and it may decrease their quality of life (QoL). The aim of this study was to explore the influence of healthcare workers' stress and anxiety response to the viral epidemic and their organizational commitment on their QoL. We also explored the mediating effect of resilience on any association.Methods: From January 28, 2021, to January 29, 2021, 389 workers responded to an online survey that included the rating scales Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-9 items (SAVE-9), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ), and the WHO-5 well-being index.Results: A better QoL (WHO well-being index top 25%) of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic era was predicted by low stress and anxiety in response to the viral epidemic [SAVE-9, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.92, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.87–0.97], a high level of resilience (BRS, aOR = 1.26, 95%CI 1.15–1.37), and high organizational commitment (OCQ, aOR = 1.04, 95%CI 1.02–1.07). Mediation analysis showed that resilience partially mediated the effects of stress/anxiety in response to the viral epidemic and the organizational commitment on the quality of life.Conclusion: We observed that the stress and anxiety of healthcare workers in response to the viral epidemic and organizational commitment influenced their QOL. Their resilience mediated the relationship between their psychological problems and QOL.
COVID-19 Pandemic and Maternal Psychological Wellbeing During the Malaysian Movement Control Order: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Kalok Aida , Syed Anwar Aly Syarifah Aminah , Abdul Rahman Rahana , Mahdy Zaleha Abdullah , Sharip Shalisah 
Published: January 2022

Background: COVID-19 pandemic had resulted in nationwide lockdown as a disease control measure. Potential harm to self and baby due to COVID-19 infection as well as uncertainties about delivery are among contributors to maternal anxiety. We aimed to assess the prevalence of psychological distress among pregnant women during the Malaysian Movement Control Order (MCO).Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between May and June 2020 in a teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A self-administered electronic questionnaire was distributed which included the following; (1) Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS 21), (2) Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS), (3) MCO effect questionnaire, and (4) newly designed COVID-19 pregnancy-related anxiety. Chi-square test and logistic regression were performed to determine significant associations whilst mean scores comparison were conducted through Mann-Whitney-U-test.Results: Four hundred and fifteen women were included in the final analysis. The prevalence of psychological distress among our cohort was 14.7%; with a two-fold increase of risk among the non-Malays (AOR 1.98, 95% CI 1.00–3.89) whilst a greater number of social support showed a protective effect (AOR 0.51, 95%CI 0.28–0.92). Malay ethnicity (p &lt; 0.001) alongside greater household income (p = 0.014) were positive predictors of a higher sense of maternal wellbeing. Multiparous women and those of higher economic status experienced the more negative effect of the MCO. Around 88% of our women reported a higher level of COVID-19 pregnancy-related anxiety. Younger (p = 0.017) and first-time mothers (p = 0.039) were more likely to be anxious. Although adequate maternal knowledge on COVID-19 was associated with a greater sense of maternal wellbeing (p = 0.028), it was also linked to a higher level of COVID-19 related anxiety (AOR 3.54, 95% 1.29–9.70).Conclusion: There was a relatively low prevalence of psychological distress among expectant mothers in Malaysia during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Expectant mothers should receive accurate and reliable information on the effect of COVID-19 on pregnancy to relieve some maternal anxiety. Maternal health screening is important to identify individuals who would benefit from extra support and mental health intervention, especially in prolonged lockdown.