bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index and serum albumin predict prognosis in rectal cancer patients undergoing curative resection
Authors: Qiao Yating , Zhang Aimin , Zhang Tao , Bai Tianliang , Peng Xinyu , Lin Hengxue 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Background: Systemic nutrition and inflammation have been reported to be associated with the prognosis of various cancers. The aim of this study is to explore the predictive value of systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and serum albumin in postoperative prognosis for patients with rectal cancer(RC) who received curative resection. Methods: A total of 184 eligible RC patients were included in this retrospective study. X-tile software was used to determine the optimal cut-off values for SII and serum albumin. The relationship between serum albumin/SII and clinicopathological parameters was analyzed. The effects of serum albumin and SII on overall survival (OS) were assessed by univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards model analysis and Kaplan-Meier curves.Results: The ideal preoperative cut-off points of NLR, PLR, and OPNI were 2.5, 133.3, and 39.5, respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified that the lymphocyte (P =0.011), Serum albumin (P=0.010), SII (P =0.012) and tumor diameter (P=0.032) were significant prognostic markers for OS. The median OS in the Serum albumin-low and Serum albumin-high groups was 22 months and and not observed (P < 0.001), and that in the SII-high and SII-low groups was 15 months and not observed (P < 0.001), respectively.Conclusions: SII and serum albumin could be feasible and promising biomarkers for prognosis in RC patients who received curative resection.
Isolation of a Novel Antimicrobial Polypeptide from Aspergillus Niger Isolate LC3
Authors: ÜSTÜN Ayşe , YAZICI Ayşenur , ÖRTÜCÜ Serkan 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
There is a need to discover new antimicrobial agents due to increasing resistance to antibiotics. Researchers focused on AMPs (antimicrobial polypeptide) for these new agents discovered before antibiotics and did not develop resistance as much as antibiotics. In this study the extracellular proteins from isolate LC3 belonging to Aspergillus were purified for new AMP discovery and then tested for antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Antimicrobial activity was determined by the trypsin/proteinase K assay, which was polypeptide-based, and it was observed that this protein was a protein of about 11 kDa by gel overlay assay. Then the minimum inhibitory concentration of purified AMP molecule against S. aureus ATCC 25923 and MRSA was 8 µg/ml and 32 µg/ml, respectively and the AMP molecule was confirmed. ITS sequence analysis showed that isolate LC3 was identified as Aspergillus niger, using the Bioedit sequence assembly program, the sequence was deposited with the GenBank database with accession number MK332597. These results indicate that the purified AMP molecule has the potential to be used in infections caused by S. aureus.
Socioeconomic drivers of healthcare utilization among the elderly with reference to working and non-working population: Insights from LASI
Authors: Nath Nayan Jyoti , Chaudhary Aditi , Kumar Shubham 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Background: The elderly population of India has been escalating exponentially over the past few decades, caused by a decline in fertility and an increase in life expectancy. The increase eventually transcended the disease burden on the public healthcare system. Therefore, it becomes crucial to evaluate the healthcare utilisation pattern of the elderly based on their socioeconomic and working condition.Methods: To measure healthcare utilisation, we have used access to public and private healthcare services. Descriptive analysis and multivariable logistic regression were used to understand utilisation patterns by working status and some selected sociodemographic parameters. All the results were reported at a 95% confidence interval.Results: We have used the data from the first wave of longitudinal ageing study of India (LASI) with a sample of 22,680 older persons 60 years and above. The study identified that 50 per cent of the working elderly access private service; however, 26 per cent access public healthcare services. It was found that working status of the elderly alone did not influence access to healthcare services, but education is also an essential indicator for utilising healthcare services. Further, factors such as gender, marital status, religion, wealth, tobacco usage, self-rated health, ADL and IADL were significant contributors to utilising healthcare services in the elderly.Conclusion: This study suggests that working status and other sociodemographic indicators are associated with the utilisation of healthcare services, highlighting that increasing health needs among the elderly requires strengthening the quality and appropriate public investment in health.
Pan-cancer analysis: Predictive role of TAP1 in cancer prognosis and responses of immunotherapy
Authors: Tu Zewei , Li Kuangxun , Huang Yuyang , Lv Shigang , Li Jingying , Wu Lei , Huang Kai , Zhu Xingen 
Published: April 2022

Abstract

Background: Transporter associated with antigen processing 1 (TAP1) is a transporter that processes and presents the major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) restricted antigens, including tumor-associated antigens. TAP1 is aberrantly expressed in multiple cancer types, and also involves in tumor immunity. Therefore, the predictive role of TAP1 in cancer development and treatment is expected. Methods: Transcriptomic profiles were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) database. Genetic alteration, protein distribution and interaction information were downloaded from cbioPortal, Human Protein Atlas (HPA) and Compartmentalized Protein-Protein Interaction (ComPPI), respectively. Single-cell analysis was conducted on Tumor Immune Single-cell Hub (TISCH) website. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was employed to investigate the functioning mechanism of TAP1 by R package “clusterProfiler”. Immune cell infiltration of Pan-cancer was explored by Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) 2.0 webtool and visualized by R programming language. Correlation between TAP1 expression and immunotherapy biomarkers was explored using Spearman’s correlation test. Association with immunotherapy responses of TAP1 was investigated using the information of the cancer cohorts with patients received immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Results: TAP1 expression was elevated in most pan-cancer types and exhibited distinct prognostic value in diverse cancer types. Within tumor tissues, immune cells expressed more TAP1 than malignant cells. TAP1 expression was significantly correlated with immune-related pathways, infiltration of T lymphocytes and immunotherapeutic biomarkers. Cohort validation revealed a significant correlation with immune therapeutic effects and verified the prognostic role of TAP1 in immunotherapy. Western blot assay indicated that TAP1 is upregulated in GBMs compared with adjacent normal brain tissues (NBTs).Conclusion: TAP1 was a robust tumor biomarker, and a novel predictor of clinical prognosis and immunotherapeutic responses in distinct cancer types.
Predicting the risk of acute kidney injury after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation： development of a new predictive nomogram
Authors: Gan Zhaoping , Chen Liyi , Wu Meiqing , Liu Lianjin , Shi Lingling , Li Qiaochuan , Zhang Zhongming , Lai Yongrong 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Purpose: The purpose was to predict the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) within 100 days after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in patients with hematologic disease by using a new predictive nomogram.Methods: Collect clinical data of patients with hematologic disease undergoing HSCT in our hospital from August 2012 to March 2018. Parameters with non-zero coefficients were selected by the Least Absolute Selection Operator (LASSO). Then these parameters were selected to build a new predictive nomogram model. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve, C-index, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used for the validation of the evaluation model. Finally, the nomogram was further evaluated by internal verification.Result: According to 2012 Kidney Disease Improving Global Guidelines (KDIGO) diagnostic criteria, among 144 patients, the occurrence of AKI within 100 days after HSCT The rate was 29.2% (42/144). The C-index of the nomogram was 0.842. The C-value calculated by the internal verification was 0.809. The AUC was 0.842, and The DCA range of the predicted nomogram was from 0.01 to 0.71.Conclusion: This article established a high-precision nomogram for the first time for predicting the risk of AKI within 100 days after HSCT in patients with hematologic diseases. The nomogram had good clinical validity and reliability. For clinicians, it was very important to prevent AKI after HSCT.
A comparative NMR-based metabolomics study of lung parenchyma of severe COVID‑19 patients
Authors: Hurtado Joaquín I. , López-Radcenco Andrés , García José Luis Izquierdo , Moyna Guillermo , Rodriguez Fernando , Greif Gonzalo , Nin Nicolas 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic was the leading cause of mortality due to a single infectious agent in 2020 and 2021. The fatality rate for individuals admitted to the ICU for this condition was over 60%. A metabolomic analysis based on nuclear magnetic resonance was performed on patients who died in the ICU due COVID-19 and other fatal respiratory diseases. Although there is information on metabolic signatures in COVID-19 patients' serum and plasma, little is known about the infection site in the lungs. We found statistically significant differences between metabolites related to energy metabolism and inflammatory processes, revealing a unique metabolic profile.
Time-varying spatial accessibility of primary healthcare services based on temporal variations in demand, supply, and traffic conditions: A case study of Seoul, South Korea
Authors: Kim Kyusik , Kwon Kyusang 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Background: Although demand, supply, and traffic conditions are interdependent, scholars have considered them separately when measuring the accessibility of healthcare services. Additionally, the temporal variations in these three factors is given relatively less attention in healthcare accessibility research, which mislead the wise policy decisions of healthcare planners. This study aims to examine the spatiotemporal variability of accessibility to primary healthcare services and identify areas with spatial discrepancy between time-varying and static accessibility models in Seoul, South Korea. Methods: Using the generalized two-step floating catchment area method, we measure time-varying spatial accessibility with de facto population from hourly-collected mobile-based data, available healthcare facilities, and actual traffic conditions in Seoul, South Korea. Additionally, the bivariate Local Moran’s I allowed for the identification of the areas with discrepancy between the two accessibility models.Results: The results show that a geographical pattern of time-varying accessibility significantly differs with that of static accessibility. Time-varying accessibility is lower in commercial areas and higher in residential areas, compared with static accessibility, whose accessibility is higher in central Seoul. The result of the bivariate Local Moran’s I analysis highlights that ignoring time variations of the three factors will result in overestimation in commercial areas and underestimation in residential areas. Based on the discrepancy between the two models, we typified overestimated areas and underestimated areas as attention needed and false attention areas, respectively.Conclusion: We suggest areas in which the healthcare policy needs to pay more attention by identifying areas with spatial discrepancies between time-varying accessibility and static accessibility. Considering the time variations will provide a more realistic impression of spatial accessibility to primary healthcare.
Association between arsenic concentration of groundwater and mortality from leukemia and urological cancers in the northwest of Iran
Authors: khamutian samira , Rahmani Alireza , Doosti-Irani Amin , Shokoohizadeh Mohammad J. , Razdari Roya Ahmaddoost , Niksiar Sharareh 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Arsenic is one of the most important toxic elements in the environment and considered as a challenging threat to human health. The present study aims to determine the relationship between arsenic concentration in groundwater and mortality rates due to urological, and leukemia malignancies in Hamadan, Iran, as a hotspot of arsenic concentration. A total of 370 samples of tap water from urban and rural areas in all 9 counties of the Hamadan province was collected by grab sampling method. IBM SPSS Statistics V22.0 and linear regression model were applied to investigate the relationship between arsenic levels and mortality rates. The inverse distance weighting (IDW) method in ArcGIS 10.8 software was used to show spatial patterns of arsenic concentration and to estimate the unknown points. According to the results, in rural regions of Kaboodarahang, including Qapaqtapeh-ye Kord, Churmaq, Quhurd-e Olya, Qohurd-e Sofla, Jaganlu, the concentration of arsenic in groundwater were obtained 91.73±19.81, 100.45±20.3, 185.4±69.05, 180.5±31.2, 160.75±41.64 ppb, respectively. In some areas of Malayer and Nahavand, the As concentration ranged 1.7 - 10 times higher than standard values. Based on linear regression fitting, the risks of mortality for urological cancer, were 4.25 per 100,000 for men, and 1.28 per 100,000 for women, and regarding leukemia, they were 4.56 and 6.76 per 100,000 for men and women, respectively. In conclusion, this study provides an evidence that an exposure to high levels of arsenic was significantly associated with mortality rate due to leukemia and urological cancer.
The Human Well-being and Environmental Degradation Nexus in Africa
Authors: Aladejare Samson Adeniyi 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Environmental degradation continues to attract interest from academics, policymakers, and other stakeholders. However, empirical studies have been limited particularly in the choice of human well-being indicators. Therefore, this study extends the literature by broadening the nexus between human well-being and environmental degradation in 29 African countries from 1970 to 2019. Preliminary tests adaptable to effects of cross-sectional dependency and heterogeneity in panel dataset were adopted, alongside the cross-sectional auto-regressive distributed lag model and the Dumitrescu-Hurlin causality approach. Findings from the study showed that the adopted human well-being indicators such as globalisation, life expectancy and human capital development were environmentally enhancing both in the short and long term. In contrast, growth in income was found to be environmentally degrading in the short and long term. At the same time, urbanisation was only environmentally detrimental in the long term with no significant short-term effect. Natural resource rent which served as a control variable was environmentally degrading both in the short and long term. Also, a bidirectional association between human well-being and environmental degradation was confirmed. Consequently, this study implies a win-win symbiotic nexus between the environment and human well-being in African countries.
Combined Influence of Rainfall and Groundwater on the Stability of an Inner Dump Slope
Authors: Wang Zhiliu , Liu Bo , Han Yanhui 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Landslides are a commonly encountered natural disaster throughout the worldwide. Among the various contributing factors, water is one of the major factors to induce slope instability. This work investigates the landslide problem induced by the combined action of rainfall infiltration and groundwater. To explore the correlation characteristics between the stress and stability of the dump slope under the coupling action of groundwater and rainfall, a mechanical model of the dump slope under the coupling action of groundwater and rainfall was established and a theoretical solution of FoS was developed to accommodate the effects of the seepage action of water and the strength reduction of soil in the process of water migration. It was determined that the primary factor inducing slope instability can change with groundwater and rainfall conditions. There exists a critical wetting front and critical groundwater depth where the dominant factor affecting slope safety changes, and a method for calculating the critical depth for slope instability is proposed. As groundwater depth increases, the critical wetting front depth increases; correspondingly, the critical FoS decreases. As the depth of the wetting front extends, the critical groundwater depth rises and FoS decreases. Meanwhile, the theoretical solutions are validated in a case study for the Shengli #1 open-pit mine. The results of the study may provide directional guidance for the stability analysis of similar slopes.
Diabetes treatment cost analysis in Jilin Province in 2016- 2019 using the structural change method
Authors: Zhou Zheng , Yu Jianxing , Jia Huanhuan , Feng Tianyu , Yu Xihe 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Aim: To analyse the development trend of diabetes treatment costs in Jilin Province and its related factors from 2016-2019 and to provide a theoretical basis for the reform of the health care system in Jilin Province, the reduction of residents' disease burden and the formulation of relevant policies.Method: Based on the SHA2011 method of health cost accounting, the data on diabetes treatment expenses in Jilin Province were collated. The change trend of diabetes treatment cost and project constitution in Jilin Province was analysed by structural analysis.Results: The total cost of diabetes treatment increased from 2 billion 348 million yuan in 2016 to 2 billion 833 million yuan in 2019, with an average annual growth rate of 6.46%. The average outpatient expenses for diabetes in Jilin increased from 240.53 yuan to 304.61 yuan, corresponding to an average annual increase of 8.19%. The average hospitalization expenses related to diabetes in Jilin Province decreased from 7280.63 yuan to 6707.33 yuan, a decrease of 2.70%.Conclusion: The cost of diabetes treatment in Jilin Province showed a rapid growth trend. The increase in hospitalization expenses was mainly due to the increase in the number of outpatients. The increase in outpatient expenses was mainly due to the increase in average outpatient expenses.
A pattern of Covid morbidity expression in the industrial backdrop of Paschim Burdwan
Authors: Chatterjee Rishika , Mukherjee Rishav , Mitra Arup kumar , Das Satadal 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Objectives: The study was conducted to know how Covid-19 and TB affected the people of Paschim Burdwan, India for 12 months period (from August 2020 to July 2021).Materials and Methods: Covid-19 cases were studied in terms of age groups (viz.≤19,≥20 to≤45,≥46 to ≤60 years and >60 years)and genders forfirst and second waves of Covid -19 in the mentioned part of our country.Results and Conclusions: It was found that most of the peopleof ≥20 to≤45 years of age were affected more compared with other groups. In the 0-19 age group, females were more affected (7.44%) than males (4.74%)and few of them were statistically evaluated.Pollution parameters viz. Nitrogen oxides(NOx), Carbon oxides(COx), Sulphur oxides(SO2), particulate matters ( PM2.5, and PM10) in the Asansol area of Paschim Burdwan were studied for the month of July 2019,2020 & 2021but there was no significant change and they are not linked to increased Covid-19 cases.
Mental health and associated factors for Vietnamese migrants in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic: A comparative analysis on resident status
Authors: Thi Hue Tran , Kitajima Tsutomu , Takeshi Sawada , Hiroko Miyakubi 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Background
The ongoing Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had wide-ranging health and socio-economic effects on the global population. This impact, however, is not uniform across all sections of the population. It has been observed that migrants to other countries, who relocate from their home countries for better living conditions, are more vulnerable to such disruptions than the general population. This study attempts to assess the health and economic challenges faced by Vietnamese migrants living in Japan.
Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional study of 589 Vietnamese residents in Japan using a self-administered questionnaire that included a 20-item tool from the Center for Epidemiologic Studies – Depression Scale (CES-D) as well as questions related to the pandemic and socio-demographic information. We examined to what extent and how, (1) pandemic-related risk factors such as COVID-19 infection, access to health care, job and food insecurity; (2) socio-demographic factors such as age, gender, length of stay, language proficiency; and (3) protective factors such as perceived social support, were associated with mental health outcomes. We also investigated who were more vulnerable among this group of migrants.
Results
The results showed that nearly half the participants had depressive symptoms higher than the general population in Japan. Students reported a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms (47.6%, 16.9 ± 9.0) than those with other resident statuses. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that more severe depressive symptoms were associated with self-perceived poor health conditions, and difficulties in accessing health facilities. Perceived social support, however, was observed to be a protective factor against depression.
Conclusions
Although measures are taken to protect people from COVID-19, it has created depression and uncertainty among the Vietnamese migrants, which needs to be addressed immediately. Findings from this study can guide efforts to build more effective public health approaches to reduce the burden of mental health among vulnerable populations within Japan and globally.
Bioinformatic Characterization and Phylogenetic Analysis of Cold-Regulated Genes Across the Genus Eucalyptus
Authors: Malakar Ayushman , Barthwal Santan , Chandra Girish 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Cold or frost stress is one of the severest abiotic stresses which hinders the distribution, productivity and yield of Eucalyptus worldwide. Almost all aspects of cellular functions are affected under the exposure of cold stress. Being an economically important species, development of cold tolerance in Eucalyptus is very important. Different signalling cascades are known to be activated under cold stress. ICE1-CBF pathway is found to play master regulatory role in cold stress sensing pathways in majority of woody forest plants. In this study, across the genus Eucalyptus, 24 cold-regulated genes (CORs) are identified, divided in 3 gene families namely ICE, CBF and DHN, characterized by the presence of signature motifs and conserved domains in the sequences. Exhaustive location on chromosomes and sequences for these genes are acquired from several databases. These sequences are further analysed with several bioinformatic tools to establish evolutionary relationships among them. Predicted protein sequences from BLASTX are subjected to multiple sequence analysis and percentage similarity matrices are constructed with BLOSUM62. Phylogenetic trees for every gene family are developed using MEGA X using the Maximum Likelihood (ML) method and statistically validated through bootstrapping method. The analysis of these ICE, CBF and DHN genes directed towards cross-talk of different stress response pathways. Cluster of CBF genes are found in Eucalyptus resembling high similarity suggesting a major duplication event during the evolutionary track of this genus. The results of this study will prove to be beneficial in understanding the cold acclimation process and developing genetically improved cold tolerant Eucalyptus.