bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors: study of 266 cases focusing on clinicopathological characteristics, immunophenotype, and prognosis
Authors: Zhang Shuwen , Chen Jingjing , Zhang Rui , Xu Liqin , Wang Yan , Yuan Zaixin , Hou Xiaohui , Feng Jian 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Objective
Pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) consist of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC), typical carcinoid (TC), and atypical carcinoid (AC). We aimed to analyze the immunophenotypic, metastatic, and prognostic risk factors for PNETs.

Materials and methods
A total of 266 patients with PNETs were enrolled, including 219 patients with SCLC, 18 patients with LCNEC, 11 patients with TC, and 18 patients with AC. Clinicopathological characteristics and immunophenotypes were compared among the subtypes of PNETs. Risk factors for metastasis, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed.

Results
Thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) and the Ki-67 index were significantly different among subtypes of PNETs (all P < 0.05). Smoking (OR, 2.633; P = 0.031), high pretreatment carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA > 5 ng/ml: OR, 3.084; P = 0.014), and poorly differentiated pathotypes (P = 0.001) were independent risk factors for lymph-node metastasis. Smoking (OR, 2.071; P = 0.027) and high pretreatment CEA (OR, 2.260; P = 0.007) were independent risk factors for distant metastasis. Results of the multivariate Cox regression model showed pretreatment CEA (HR, 1.674; P = 0.008) and lymphocyte–monocyte ratio (LMR) (HR = 0.478, P = 0.007) were significantly associated with PFS; BMI (P = 0.031), lymph-node metastasis (HR = 4.534, P = 0.001), poorly differentiated pathotypes (P = 0.015), platelet–lymphocyte ratio (PLR) (HR = 2.305, P = 0.004), and LMR (HR = 0.524, P = 0.045) were significantly associated with OS.

Conclusions
PNETs are a group of highly heterogeneous tumors with different clinical manifestations, pathological features, and prognoses. Knowing clinicopathological characteristics and immunophenotypes of PNETs is significant for diagnosis. Pretreatment PLR, LMR, and CEA have certain value in the prognosis of PNETs.
Signatures of genetic variation in human microRNAs point to processes of positive selection and population-specific disease risks
Authors: Villegas-Mirón Pablo , Gallego Alicia , Bertranpetit Jaume , Laayouni Hafid , Espinosa-Parrilla Yolanda 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe occurrence of natural variation in human microRNAs has been the focus of numerous studies during the last 20 years. Most of them have been focused on the role of specific mutations in disease, while a minor proportion seek to analyse microRNA diversity in the genomes of human populations. We analyse the latest human microRNA annotations in the light of the most updated catalogue of genetic variation provided by the 1000 Genomes Project. By means of the in silico analysis of microRNA genetic variation we show that the level of evolutionary constraint of these sequences is governed by the interplay of different factors, like their evolutionary age or genomic location. The role of mutations in the shaping of microRNA-driven regulatory interactions is emphasized with the acknowledgement that, while the whole microRNA sequence is highly conserved, the seed region shows a pattern of higher genetic diversity that appears to be caused by the dramatic frequency shifts of a fraction of human microRNAs. We highlight the participation of these microRNAs in population-specific processes by identifying that not only the seed, but also the loop, are particularly differentiated regions among human populations. The quantitative computational comparison of signatures of population differentiation showed that candidate microRNAs with the largest differences are enriched in variants implicated in gene expression levels (eQTLs), selective sweeps and pathological processes. We explore the implication of these evolutionary-driven microRNAs and their SNPs in human diseases, such as different types of cancer, and discuss their role in population-specific disease risk.
Clinical presentation and therapeutic outcome of patients with jackhammer esophagus—a multicenter cohort study in Japan
Authors: Hosaka Hiroko , Kawami Noriyuki , Manabe Noriaki , Kuribayashi Shiko , Sato Hiroki , Funaki Yasushi , Ayaki Maki , Hara Ken , Ueda Chise , Matsumura Tomoaki , Fujiwara Yasuhiro , Wada Masafumi , Kishino Maiko , Yano Fumiaki , Masaoka Tatsuhiro , Ishimura Norihisa , Akiyama Junichi , Ochiai Yorinari , Uraoka Toshio , Iwakiri Katsuhiko 
Published: March 2022

AbstractBackgroundJackhammer esophagus (JE) is a hypercontractile esophageal motility disorder diagnosed using high-resolution manometry (HRM). We sought to determine the clinical presentation and therapeutic data of patients with JE in Japan.MethodsThe study included patients with JE, diagnosed through HRM performed for suspicious esophageal motility disorders. Demographics, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, radiology, and therapy data were collected from patient charts.ResultsAmong the 4,412 HRM tests performed, 89 patients (61.6 ± 13.4 years; 64 males, 25 females) were diagnosed with JE (2.0%). Dysphagia was the most frequent symptom (80%), followed by chest pain (40%) and heartburn (25%). Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed abnormal findings in 32% of patients: corkscrew/rosary beads appearance in 26%, narrowing in 11%. Eosinophilic infiltration (> 15 eosinophils/high power field) was diagnosed in 21%. Esophagography showed abnormal findings in 9% of the patients. For the initial therapy, 47 patients received medical treatment followed by peroral endoscopic myotomy (21 patients) and laparoscopic myotomy (two patients). Thirteen patients did not receive any treatment and 10 of those (77%) reported spontaneous resolution of symptoms. Patients who required invasive treatment experienced severe disability in their quality of life and greater maximal distal contractile integral than those who did not.ConclusionsHRM showed that the prevalence of JE was very low (2%). Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed some characteristic features of JE in patients. Some patients showed improvement of symptoms without invasive treatments. Follow-up with/without medical treatment should be considered before performing invasive treatment in patients whose distal contractile integral is relatively low and the quality of life is not impaired.
Psychological and Emotional Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on People Living with Chronic Disease: HIV and Cancer
Authors: Focà Emanuele , Fornari Chiara , Arsuffi Stefania , Vetrano Maria Chiara , Calza Stefano , Renzetti Stefano , Copeta Silvia , Berruti Alfredo , Castelli Francesco , Compostella Silvia , Quiros-Roldan Eugenia 
Published: March 2022

AbstractPeople living with chronic disease (PLWCD) are the frailest category, both for the risk of severe COVID-19 illness and for the impact on the care continuum. Aim of this study was to analyze coping strategies and resilience in people living with HIV (PLWH) compared to people living with oncological diseases (PLWOD) during COVID-19 pandemic. We administrated an anonymous questionnaire, which explored the emotional experience, the demographic factors linked to a COVID-19-related stress syndrome, the patient’s perception about the adequacy of clinical undertaking from the hospital and the resilience. We analyzed 324 questionnaires. There were no significant differences in prevalence of psychological distress among the whole cohort; however, PLWOD were calmer, less troubled, and more serene than PLWH. Moreover, PLWH smoked more, ate more, and gained more weight than PLWOD. Most patients didn’t feel lonely and continued to take pleasure from their activities. No differences in resilience were found between the groups. In the whole cohort lower levels of resilience were found in patients that were unemployed, with history of psychological disorders and in those who experienced more feelings of anger, anxiety and concern. In our study, patients seemed to preserve their well-being, and to activate adaptive coping during the pandemic.
High abundance of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in bee pollen collected in July 2019 from Southern Germany
Authors: Friedle Carolin , Kapp Thomas , Wallner Klaus , Alkattea Raghdan , Vetter Walter 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) are secondary plant defense compounds and known pre-toxins when containing a 1,2-double bond. They are commonly produced by various plants and may thus be present in bee pollen which may be consumed by humans as food supplements. In this study, PA were determined in bee pollen samples from 57 locations in Southern Germany sampled by means of pollen traps in July 2019. Samples were analyzed by using palynological methodology and solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by LC–MS/MS. In total, 52 pollen samples featured total pyrrolizidine alkaloids (ΣPA) with concentrations up to 48,000 ng/g bee pollen, while the N-oxides (NO) echinatine-NO and rinderine-NO clearly dominated. In contrast, the palynological analysis only detected 33 samples with pollen from PA-producing plants. Accordingly, the results showed that palynological analysis is not sufficient to determine PA in pollen. In addition, a risk assessment was followed to estimate the risk of the detected PA concentrations to humans.
Recombinant human erythropoietin and interferon-β-1b protect against 3-nitropropionic acid-induced neurotoxicity in rats: possible role of JAK/STAT signaling pathway
Authors: Sayed Rabab H. , Ghazy Amira H. , Yammany Mohamed F. El 
Published: March 2022

Abstract3-Nitropropionic acid (3-NP) model serves as a beneficial tool to evaluate the effect of novel treatments for Huntington’s disease (HD). The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the neuroprotective effect of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) and interferon-beta-1b (IFN-β-1b) in 3-NP-induced neurotoxicity in rats. Rats were injected with 3-NP (10 mg/kg/day, i.p) for 2 weeks and were divided into five subgroups; the first served as the HD group, the second received rhEPO (5000 IU/kg/every other day, i.p.) for 2 weeks, the third received rhEPO starting from the 5th day of 3-NP injection, the fourth received IFN-β-1b (300,000 units, every day other day, s.c) for 2 weeks, and the last received IFN-β-1b starting from the 5th day of 3-NP injection. All treatments significantly improved motor and behavior performance of rats. Moreover, all treatments markedly restored mitochondrial function as well as brain-derived neurotrophic factor level, and reduced oxidative stress biomarkers, pro-inflammatory mediators, nuclear factor kappa B expression, caspase-3, and Bax/Bcl2 ratio in the striatum. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates the neuroprotective potential of rhEPO or IFN-β-1b on 3-NP-induced neurotoxicity in rats. Furthermore, our study suggests that activation of JAK2/STAT3 or JAK1/STAT3 may contribute to the neuroprotective activity of rhEPO or IFN-β-1b, respectively. We also found that early treatment with rhEPO did not confer any benefits compared with late rhEPO treatment, while early IFN-β-1b showed a marked significant benefit compared with late IFN-β-1b.
Sown mini-meadows increase pollinator diversity in gardens
Authors: Griffiths-Lee Janine , Nicholls Elizabeth , Goulson Dave 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Habitat loss and fragmentation are considered the foremost threats in pollinator decline, and in England and Wales, 97% of wildflower meadows were lost by 1984. The value of creating flower-rich margins in agricultural environments is established, yet there is growing potential to support pollinator populations in urban landscapes. We used citizen science to investigate the effectiveness of small 4m2 sown wildflower ‘mini-meadows’ in UK gardens and allotments in recruiting beneficial insects. Participants were allocated one of three treatment groups: Mix 1 (commercially available ‘meadow mix’); Mix 2 (formulated based on existing literature on pollinator foraging preferences); or Control (no additional wildflowers). All participants conducted insect sampling over two years using standardised pan and sticky trap methods May–August. Samples were returned for identification by trained specialists. Mini-meadows provided resource-rich habitats, increasing wild bee richness and supporting on average 111% more bumblebees, 87% more solitary bees and 85% more solitary wasps in the year following seed-sowing, compared to Control plots. The wildflower mixes were also taxon-specific in their attractiveness. Mix 1 attracted more solitary bees and bumblebees, whereas Mix 2 attracted more solitary wasps. There was no significant difference in the abundance of hoverflies between treatments. Higher abundance of solitary wasps and bees caught amongst the mini-meadow was perhaps due to shorter foraging ranges.

Implications for insect conservation
Domestic gardens and allotments provide huge potential habitat for pollinators, and small-scale floral enhancements can attract more beneficial insects in fragmented urban landscapes, supporting urban biodiversity, pollination services and biological control.
A comprehensive review on methods for promotion of mechanical features and biodegradation rate in amniotic membrane scaffolds
Authors: Sarvari Raana , Keyhanvar Peyman , Agbolaghi Samira , Roshangar Leila , Bahremani Erfan , Keyhanvar Neda , Haghdoost Mehdi , Keshel Saeed Heidari , Taghikhani Afsaneh , Firouzi Nima , Valizadeh Amir , Hamedi Elham , Nouri Mohammad 
Published: March 2022

AbstractAmniotic membrane (AM) is a biological tissue that surrounds the fetus in the mother’s womb. It has pluripotent cells, immune modulators, collagen, cytokines with anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory effect, matrix proteins, and growth factors. In spite of the biological characteristics, some results have been released in preventing the adhesion on traumatized surfaces. Application of the AM as a scaffold is limited due to its low biomechanical resistance and rapid biodegradation. Therefore, for using the AM during surgery, its modification by different methods such as cross-linking of the membrane collagen is necessary, because the cross-linking is an effective way to reduce the rate of biodegradation of the biological materials. In addition, their cross-linking is likely an efficient way to increase the tensile properties of the material, so that they can be easily handled or sutured. In this regard, various methods related to cross-linking of the AM subsuming the composite materials, physical cross-linking, and chemical cross-linking with the glutraldehyde, carbodiimide, genipin, aluminum sulfate, etc. are reviewed along with its advantages and disadvantages in the current work.
Determination of Thermal Parameters of Concrete by Active Thermographic Measurements
Authors: Krankenhagen Rainer , Jonietz Florian , Zirker Stefan 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe knowledge of the thermal parameters of a particular concrete is essential for thermal design of a building, but also could help to identify and assess the state of a concrete structure. Active thermography has the potential to be applied onsite and to provide a fast investigation of thermal properties. In this work, three different concrete samples were investigated by active thermography in reflection and in transmission setup. It was found that this method yields the same results without direct contact as the Transient Plane Source (TPS) method as an established inspection tool.
The Association Between Religiosity, Spirituality, and Medication Adherence Among Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Elhag Marwa , Awaisu Ahmed , Koenig Harold G. , Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamed Izham 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThis systematic review aimed to summarize the literature on the relationship between religiosity or spirituality (R/S) and medication adherence among patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and to describe the nature and extent of the studies evaluating this relationship. Seven electronic databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, the Cochrane Central Library, ProQuest Theses and Dissertations, and Google Scholar) were searched with no restriction on the year of publication. The Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the eligible studies. Due to the heterogeneity observed across the included studies, data synthesis was performed using a narrative approach. Nine original studies published between 2006 and 2018 were included in the review. Only a few quantitative studies have examined the relationship between R/S and medication adherence among patients with CVDs. Most studies were conducted in the USA (n = 7) and involved patients with hypertension (n = 6). Five studies showed a significant correlation between R/S (higher organizational religiousness, prayer, spirituality) and medication adherence and revealed that medication adherence improved with high R/S. The other four studies reported a negative or null association between R/S and medication adherence. Some of these studies have found relationships between R/S and medication adherence in hypertension and heart failure patients. This review showed a paucity of literature exploring the relationship between R/S and medication adherence among patients with other CVDs, such as coronary artery diseases, arrhythmia, angina and myocardial infarction. Therefore, the findings suggest that future studies are needed to explore the relationship between R/S and medication adherence among patients with other types of CVDs. Moreover, there is a need to develop interventions to improve patients’ medication-taking behaviors that are tailored to their cultural beliefs and R/S.
Unsupervised anomaly detection in multivariate time series with online evolving spiking neural networks
Authors: Bäßler Dennis , Kortus Tobias , Gühring Gabriele 
Published: March 2022

AbstractWith the increasing demand for digital products, processes and services the research area of automatic detection of signal outliers in streaming data has gained a lot of attention. The range of possible applications for this kind of algorithms is versatile and ranges from the monitoring of digital machinery and predictive maintenance up to applications in analyzing big data healthcare sensor data. In this paper we present a method for detecting anomalies in streaming multivariate times series by using an adapted evolving Spiking Neural Network. As the main components of this work we contribute (1) an alternative rank-order-based learning algorithm which uses the precise times of the incoming spikes for adjusting the synaptic weights, (2) an adapted, realtime-capable and efficient encoding technique for multivariate data based on multi-dimensional Gaussian Receptive Fields and (3) a continuous outlier scoring function for an improved interpretability of the classifications. Spiking neural networks are extremely efficient when it comes to process time dependent information. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our model on a synthetic dataset based on the Numenta Anomaly Benchmark with various anomaly types. We compare our algorithm to other streaming anomaly detecting algorithms and can prove that our algorithm performs better in detecting anomalies while demanding less computational resources for processing high dimensional data.
A Lifestyle Intervention During Pregnancy and Its Effects on Child Weight 2.5 Years Later
Authors: Haby Karin , Gyllensten Hanna , Hanas Ragnar , Berg Marie , Premberg Åsa 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Aim
The aim of this study was to evaluate if overweight and obesity in the offspring is reduced by a low-intensity antenatal primary care intervention with focus on diet and physical activity for pregnant women with obesity, comparing children to mothers receiving the intervention with children to mothers who did not.

Methods
This study is a follow-up of children 2.5 years of age after their mothers’ participation in a non-randomised controlled intervention intending to limit gestational weight gain. All study participants received standard antenatal care. The intervention group received lifestyle support via motivational talks with midwife and support from dietician. Data on child weight were collected by medical records, letter and phone.

Results
There was no significant difference between the groups 2.5 years after intervention (International Obesity Task Force ISO-BMI 25 (child BMI corresponding to adult BMI of 25): 20% vs. 21%; ISO-BMI 30: 4.6% vs. 1.3%). The mother’s BMI at the beginning of pregnancy significantly influenced child BMI at 2.5 years (r = 0.13, p = 0.014, r2 = 0.017). For each unit of increase in maternal BMI at enrollment, the probability of child ISO-BMI ≥ 25 increased by 7.5% (p = 0.021) and of ≥ 30, by 12.9% (p = 0.017)

Conclusion
The frequency of overweight and obesity of the children at 2.5 years of age was significantly correlated to the mother’s BMI, but not correlated to the mothers’ participation in the antenatal lifestyle intervention. Thus, it seems important to address obesity and lifestyle issues before and between pregnancies.
Trial registration The study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: NCT03147079.
A 3D Griffith peeling model to unify and generalize single and double peeling theories
Authors: Liprandi Daniele , Misseroni Diego , Bosia Federico , Fraldi Massimiliano , Pugno Nicola M. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractIt has been shown in recent years that many species in Nature employ hierarchy and contact splitting as a strategy to enhance the adhesive properties of their attachments. Maximizing the adhesive force is however not the only goal. Many animals can achieve a tunable adhesive force, which allows them to both strongly attach to a surface and easily detach when necessary. Here, we study the adhesive properties of 3D dendritic attachments, which are structures that are widely occurring in nature and which allow to achieve these goals. These structures exploit branching to provide high variability in the geometry, and thus tunability, and contact splitting, to increase the total peeling line and thus the adhesion force. By applying the same principles presented by A.A. Griffith 100 years ago, we derive an analytical model for the detachment forces as a function of their defining angles in 3D space, finding as limit cases 2D double peeling and 1D single peeling. We also develop a numerical model, including a nonlinear elastic constitutive law, for the validation of analytical calculations, allowing additionally to simulate the entire detachment phase, and discuss how geometrical variations influence the adhesive properties of the structure. Finally, we also realize a proof of concept experiment to further validate theoretical/numerical results. Overall, we show how this generalized attachment structure can achieve large variations in its adhesive and mechanical properties, exploiting variations of its geometrical parameters, and thus tunability. The in-depth study of similar basic structural units and their combination can in future lead to a better understanding of the mechanical properties of complex architectures found in Nature.