bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Study on the biological effects of ZnO nanosheets on EBL cells
Authors: Li Mei , Ma Yonghua , Lian Xiaodi , Lu Yan , Li Yuanyuan , Xi Yao , Sun Xiaolin 
Published: October 2022

In this study, the biological effects of ZnO nanosheets were initially investigated using embryonic bovine lung (EBL) cells cultured in vitro as a model. ZnO nanosheets were prepared by a hydrothermal method, and their structure and morphology were characterized, and their effects on EBL cell viability, oxidative stress, cell proliferation, and apoptosis were investigated. The results showed that 12.5 μg ml−1 ZnO nanosheets can cause morphological changes in EBL cells. The toxic effects of ZnO nanosheets on EBL cells were time-dependent. Caspase-3 activity in EBL cells changed under certain conditions with the introduction of 25 μg ml−1 ZnO nanomaterials, and EBL cell apoptosis was promoted. Under different concentration and time effects, ZnO nanosheets induced an increase in ROS levels in EBL cells, indicating that they have an oxidative damage effect on cells. The toxic effects of ZnO nanosheets on EBL cells were discussed, including concentration effect, time effect, and cytotoxic effect, which eventually led to cell oxidative damage.
Bond behavior of NSM strips in corroded/cracked reinforced concrete
Authors: Al-Akhras Nabil , Othman Osama 
Published: October 2022

There is limited research on the bond behavior of NSM strips embedded in corroded/cracked reinforced concrete (RC). Therefore, this study was initiated to evaluate the bond behavior between corroded/cracked RC and NSM strips. The test specimens consist of two concrete prisms (reinforced and plain) mounted from two opposite sides with NSM strips. After 28 days of moisture curing, twenty-four specimens were immersed in saline solution and were exposed to three accelerated corrosion levels with steel mass loss of 2.2, 4.1 and 8.1%. The bond behavior was evaluated using double shear pullout test. The study showed that the corrosion cracks increased with the increase of corrosion level. The maximum crack width reached 0.91 mm at corrosion level 3. The mass loss of the corroded reinforcing steel increased from 2.1% for corrosion level 1–8.3% for corrosion level 3. The bond strength between NSM strips and corrosion cracked concrete was significantly decreased with maximum reduction of 48% at corrosion level 3. The other bond characteristics including maximum slip, bond toughness and bond stiffness were also decreased with corrosion with percent reduction of (31, 67 and 35%), respectively. The failure mode of the bond between NSM strips and corrosion cracked concrete was splitting of concrete. Theoretical models were proposed for predicting the bond strength between NSM strips and corrosion cracked concrete based on corrosion level and crack width. The proposed models showed excellent agreement with the experimental results from the current study and the literature.
Paper-based LRET sensor for the detection of total heavy rare-earth ions
Authors: Chen Qiang , Tang Keren , Luo Dengwang , Han Luodan , Yu ChunXiao , Shen Yiping , Lin Qi , Chen Yiting , Li Chunyan , Chen Jinghua , Lan Jianming 
Published: October 2022

Based on the mechanism of luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET) and using a special single strand DNA as the recognition element, a portable paper-based sensor for the accurate detection of total heavy rare-earth ions (mainly Gd3+, Tb3+ and Dy3+) concentration was proposed. The RNA cleaving-DNAzyme should recognize rare-earth ions to cleave RNA on DNA duplexes linking UCNPs and AuNPs, causing UCNPs and AuNPs to approach each other, inducing LRET, which attenuated the green upconversion luminescence (UCL) triggered by the 980 nm laser. UCL was captured by a charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensor and processed with the red-green-blue (RGB) image to quantitatively analyze heavy rare-earth ions in the samples. In the range of 5–50 μmol·L-1, the sensor has good sensitivity, with the limit of detection of 1.26 μmol L−1.
Left ventricular strain patterns and their relationships with cardiac biomarkers in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction
Authors: Zhang Lisha , Wan Yixuan , He Bo , Wang Lei , Zhu Dongyong , Gao Fabao 
Published: October 2022

AimsThis study aims to assess left ventricular (LV) function in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by LV strain patterns based on cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking (CMR-FT) and to explore the relationships between LV strain patterns and cardiac biomarkers in these patients, such as cardiac troponin (cTnT) and N-terminal prohormone of the brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP).MethodsA total of 64 HCM patients with preserved LVEF and 33 healthy people were included in this study. All subjects underwent contrast-enhanced CMR, and all patients took blood tests for cTnT and NT-proBNP during hospitalization.ResultsDespite the absence of a significant difference in LVEF between HCM patients and healthy controls, almost all global and segmental strains in radial, circumferential, and longitudinal directions in the HCM group deteriorated significantly as compared to controls (p &lt; 0.05). Moreover, some global and segmental strains correlated significantly with NT-proBNP and cTnT in HCM patients, and the best correlations were global radial strain (GRS) (r = −0.553, p &lt; 0.001) and mid-ventricular radial strain (MRS) (r = −0.582, p &lt; 0.001), respectively, with a moderate correlation. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) results showed that among the LV deformation parameters, GRS [area under the curve (AUC), 0.76; sensitivity, 0.49; specificity, 1.00], MRS (AUC, 0.81; sensitivity, 0.77; specificity, 0.79) demonstrated greater diagnostic accuracy to predict elevated NT-proBNP, and abnormal cTnT, respectively. Their cut-off values were 21.17 and 20.94%, respectively. Finally, all global strains demonstrated moderate, good, and excellent intra- and inter-observer reproducibility.ConclusionLV strain patterns can be used to assess the subclinical cardiac function of HCM patients on the merit of being more sensitive than LVEF. In addition, LV strain patterns can detect serious HCM patients and may be helpful to non-invasively predict elevated NT-proBNP and cTnT.
Compositional effects on the hydrogen storage properties in a series of refractory high entropy alloys
Authors: Zlotea Claudia , Bouzidi Anis , Montero Jorge , Ek Gustav , Sahlberg Martin 
Published: October 2022

The possible combinations in the multidimensional space of high entropy alloys are extremely broad, which makes the incremental experimental research limited. As a result, establishing trends with well-known empirical parameters (lattice distortion, valence electron concentration etc.) and predicting effects of the chemical composition change are vital to guide future research in the field of materials science. In this context, we propose a strategy to rationalize the effect of chemical composition change on the hydrogen sorption properties in a series of high entropy alloys: Ti0.30V0.25Zr0.10Nb0.25M0.10 with M = Mg, Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Ta and ∅ (corresponding quaternary alloy). All materials are bcc alloys and absorb hydrogen at room temperature forming fcc or pseudo-fcc dihydride phases. The maximum hydrogen storage capacity at room temperature strongly depends on the valence electron concentration (VEC) of the alloys: the capacity is high (1.5–2.0 H/M) for low values of VEC (&lt;4.9) whereas, a drastic fading is observed for VEC ≥4.9 which is the case for alloys with M being a late 3d transition metal. The structural analysis suggests that steric effects might not be responsible for this trend and electronic reasons may be invoked. Increasing the VEC by alloying with late 3d transition metals will fill the unoccupied valence states and the electrons from interstitial hydrogens can no longer be accommodated, which is unfavorable for hydrogen storage. Moreover, the onset temperature of desorption increases almost linearly with VEC for this composition series. These findings suggest that alloys with low VEC are more likely to become promising candidates for hydrogen storage.
CircRNA-regulated immune responses of asian honey bee workers to microsporidian infection
Authors: Zhu Zhiwei , Wang Jie , Fan Xiaoxue , Long Qi , Chen Huazhi , Ye Yaping , Zhang Kaiyao , Ren Zhongmin , Zhang Yang , Niu Qingsheng , Chen Dafu , Guo Rui 
Published: October 2022

Nosema ceranae is a widespread fungal parasite for honey bees, causing bee nosemosis. Based on deep sequencing and bioinformatics, identification of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in Apis cerana workers’ midguts and circRNA-regulated immune response of host to N. ceranae invasion were conducted in this current work, followed by molecular verification of back-splicing sites and expression trends of circRNAs. Here, 10185 and 7405 circRNAs were identified in the midguts of workers at 7 days (AcT1) and 10 days (AcT2) post inoculation days post-inoculation with N. ceranae. PCR amplification result verified the back-splicing sites within three specific circRNAs (novel_circ_005123, novel_circ_007177, and novel_circ_015140) expressed in N. ceranae-inoculated midgut. In combination with transcriptome data from corresponding un-inoculated midguts (AcCK1 and AcCK2), 2266 circRNAs were found to be shared by the aforementioned four groups, whereas the numbers of specific ones were 2618, 1917, 5691, and 3723 respectively. Further, 83 52) differentially expressed circRNAs (DEcircRNAs) were identified in AcCK1 vs. AcT1 (AcCK2 vs. AcT2) comparison group. Source genes of DEcircRNAs in workers’ midgut at seven dpi were involved in two cellular immune-related pathways such as endocytosis and ubiquitin mediated proteolysis. Additionally, competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network analysis showed that 23 13) DEcircRNAs in AcCK1 vs. AcT1 (AcCK2 vs. AcT2) comparison group could target 18 14) miRNAs and further link to 1111 (1093) mRNAs. These target mRNAs were annotated to six cellular immunity pathways including endocytosis, lysosome, phagosome, ubiquitin mediated proteolysis, metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450, and insect hormone biosynthesis. Moreover, 284 164) internal ribosome entry site and 54 26) ORFs were identified from DEcircRNAs in AcCK1 vs. AcT1 (AcCK2 vs. AcT2) comparison group; additionally, ORFs in DEcircRNAs in midgut at seven dpi with N. ceranae were associated with several cellular immune pathways including endocytosis and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. Ultimately, RT-qPCR results showed that the expression trends of six DEcircRNAs were consistent with those in transcriptome data. These results demonstrated that N. ceranae altered the expression pattern of circRNAs in A. c. cerana workers’ midguts, and DEcircRNAs were likely to regulate host cellular and humoral immune response to microsporidian infection. Our findings lay a foundation for clarifying the mechanism underlying host immune response to N. ceranae infection and provide a new insight into interaction between Asian honey bee and microsporidian.
Association of insomnia and daytime sleepiness with low back pain: A bidirectional mendelian randomization analysis
Authors: Shu Peng , Ji Lixian , Ping Zichuan , Sun Zhibo , Liu Wei 
Published: October 2022

Purpose: Observational research has indicated the presence of a causal relationship between sleep disturbances and low back pain (LBP). However, the link may have been biased by confounding factors. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential causal association of insomnia and daytime sleepiness with LBP by using mendelian randomization (MR).Methods: Genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics of insomnia were obtained from a large-scale GWAS meta-analysis (n = 1,331,010; individuals from UK Biobank and 23andMe) or UK Biobank alone (n = 453,379). The summary statistics of daytime sleepiness were from UK Biobank (n = 452,071) and LBP were provided by the FinnGen Release 6 (210,645 individuals with 16,356 LBP cases and 194,289 controls) or UK Biobank (5,423 cases versus 355,771 controls). Linkage disequilibrium score (LDSC) regression and bidirectional MR analysis was employed to estimate genetic correlation and causal relationship. In the MR analysis, the inverse variance weighted method (IVW) was utilized as the main analysis procedure, while MR-Egger, Weighted median and Robust adjusted profile score (RAPS) were utilized for supplementary analyses.Results: LDSC analysis showed that LBP were significantly genetically correlated with insomnia (rg = 0.57, p = 2.26e-25) and daytime sleepiness (rg = 0.18, p = 0.001). The MR analysis revealed that genetically predicted insomnia was significantly associated with an increased risk of LBP (OR = 1.250, 95% CI: 1.186–1.318; p = 1.69e-16). However, the reverse causality was not confirmed. No evidence was identified supporting causality of daytime sleepiness and LBP.Conclusion: This study demonstrates a putative causal link of insomnia on LBP and a null causal effect of LBP on insomnia. Furthermore, a causal link between daytime sleepiness and LBP were not reported. This finding may stimulate new strategies for patient management in clinical practice, benefiting public health.
Development and verification of the glycolysis-associated and immune-related prognosis signature for hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Hu Bo , Qu Chao , Qi Wei-Jun , Liu Cheng-Hao , Xiu Dian-Rong 
Published: October 2022

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) refers to the malignant tumor associated with a high mortality rate. This work focused on identifying a robust tumor glycolysis-immune-related gene signature to facilitate the prognosis prediction of HCC cases.Methods: This work adopted t-SNE algorithms for predicting glycolysis status in accordance with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-derived cohort transcriptome profiles. In addition, the Cox regression model was utilized together with LASSO to identify prognosis-related genes (PRGs). In addition, the results were externally validated with the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) cohort.Results: Accordingly, the glycolysis-immune-related gene signature, which consisted of seven genes, PSRC1, CHORDC1, KPNA2, CDCA8, G6PD, NEIL3, and EZH2, was constructed based on TCGA-HCC patients. Under a range of circumstances, low-risk patients had extended overall survival (OS) compared with high-risk patients. Additionally, the developed gene signature acted as the independent factor, which was significantly associated with clinical stage, grade, portal vein invasion, and intrahepatic vein invasion among HCC cases. In addition, as revealed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the model showed high efficiency. Moreover, the different glycolysis and immune statuses between the two groups were further revealed by functional analysis.Conclusion: Our as-constructed prognosis prediction model contributes to HCC risk stratification.
Enrichment of type I interferon signaling in colonic group 2 innate lymphoid cells in experimental colitis
Authors: Irie Emi , Ishihara Rino , Mizushima Ichiro , Hatai Shunya , Hagihara Yuya , Takada Yoshiaki , Tsunoda Junya , Iwata Kentaro , Matsubara Yuta , Yoshimatsu Yusuke , Kiyohara Hiroki , Taniki Nobuhito , Sujino Tomohisa , Takabayashi Kaoru , Hosoe Naoki , Ogata Haruhiko , Teratani Toshiaki , Nakamoto Nobuhiro , Mikami Yohei , Kanai Takanori 
Published: October 2022

Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) serve as frontline defenses against parasites. However, excluding helminth infections, it is poorly understood how ILC2s function in intestinal inflammation, including inflammatory bowel disease. Here, we analyzed the global gene expression of ILC2s in healthy and colitic conditions and revealed that type I interferon (T1IFN)-stimulated genes were up-regulated in ILC2s in dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. The enhancement of T1IFN signaling in ILC2s in DSS-induced colitis was correlated with the downregulation of cytokine production by ILC2s, such as interleukin-5. Blocking T1IFN signaling during colitis resulted in exaggeration of colitis in both wild-type and Rag2-deficient mice. The exacerbation of colitis induced by neutralization of T1IFN signaling was accompanied by reduction of amphiregulin (AREG) in ILC2s and was partially rescued by exogenous AREG treatment. Collectively, these findings show the potential roles of T1IFN in ILC2s that contribute to colitis manifestation.
Worldwide trends in mortality related to Parkinson's disease in the period of 1994–2019: Analysis of vital registration data from the WHO Mortality Database
Authors: Lampropoulos Ioannis C. , Malli Foteini , Sinani Olga , Gourgoulianis Konstantinos I. , Xiromerisiou Georgia 
Published: October 2022

BackgroundMortality due to Parkinson's disease (PD) and its long-term trends worldwide in recent decades remain unknown. No previous studies have simultaneously studied age- and sex-specific mortality trends at a population level worldwide. Insights gained from this study can help identify high-risk populations and inform healthcare service requirements for managing Parkinson's disease globally.ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to examine trends in mortality from Parkinson's disease by age-group and sex across countries all over the world. In this study, we used worldwide registry data to examine the temporal trends in PD mortality across most counties of the world from 1994 to 2019 using joinpoint regression.ResultsIn data from vital registration systems, huge variations in the patterns of deaths due to Parkinson's disease were observed both over time and between countries. Between 1994 and 2019, there was a significant increase in mortality rates globally in both men and women. In more detail, the mortality rate (per 100,000) in 1994 was 1.76 and reached 5.67 in 2019. Greater increases in mortality were seen in men than in women; and in older than in younger people.ConclusionsThere has been a striking rising trend in Parkinson's disease mortality globally. Persistent age and sex disparities are found in Parkinson's disease mortality trends. Our findings may have important implications for future research, healthcare planning, and provision.
The National Italian Guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of children with pediatric ataxias
Authors: Lacorte Eleonora , Piscopo Paola , Sagliocca Luciano , Vignatelli Luca , Taruscio Domenica , Vanacore Nicola ,   The Ataxia Guideline Development Working Group (GDWG)
Published: October 2022

BackgroundAtaxia is a rare neurological condition causing a deficit in the coordination of motor activities, preventing the fluidity of movements. Children with ataxia may show several different ataxic signs, along with difficulties in walking autonomously and ataxic gait often associated with trunk instability. Ataxic signs can be either acute or chronic, and in either case, the diagnosis can be extremely complex. Symptoms and their etiology are often widely heterogeneous, even within the same condition.MethodsThe guideline was developed based on the methodology defined by the Methodological Handbook of the Italian National Guideline System (SNLG) and was reported following the AGREE-II checklist. The SNLG methodology required the adoption of the GRADE approach for the whole development process. To facilitate the implementation of the contents and recommendations from the guideline, two care pathways were developed based on the NICE and the European Pathway Association (EPA) models.ResultsThe guideline included 28 clinical questions, 4 on the identification and management of acute ataxias, and 24 on the diagnosis and management of chronic ataxias. The document included 44 recommendations, 37 clinical recommendations, and 7 recommendations for research.ConclusionThe working group, despite the lack and methodological limitations of the evidence, deemed as essential to provide indications and recommendations, in particular in some clinically relevant areas. The care pathway was produced as a tool to facilitate the implementation of the contents and recommendations. The interactive version of the pathway is available on the SNLG website along with a leaflet dedicated to families and caregivers.
The effect of hip abductor fatigue on knee kinematics and kinetics during normal gait
Authors: Tang Yuting , Li Yanfeng , Yang Maosha , Zheng Xiao , An Bingchen , Zheng Jiejiao 
Published: October 2022

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of hip abductor fatigue on the kinematics and kinetics of the knee joint during walking in healthy people to provide a new approach for the prevention and treatment of knee-related injuries and diseases.MethodsTwenty healthy participants, ten females, and ten males, with a mean age of 25.10 ± 1.2 years, were recruited. Isometric muscle strength testing equipment was used to measure the changes in muscle strength before and after fatigue, and the surface electromyography (SEMG) data during fatigue were recorded synchronously. The Vicon system and an AMTI© force platform were used to record the kinematic parameters and ground reaction force (GRF) of twenty participants walking at a self-selected speed before and after fatigue. Visual 3D software was used to calculate the angles and torques of the hip and knee joints.ResultsAfter fatigue, the muscle strength, median frequency (MF) and mean frequency (MNF) of participants decreased significantly (P &lt; 0.001). The sagittal plane range of motion (ROM) of the knee (P &lt; 0.0001) and hip joint (P &lt; 0.01) on the fatigue side was significantly smaller than before fatigue. After fatigue, the first and second peaks of the external knee adduction moment (EKAM) in participants were greater than before fatigue (P &lt; 0.0001), and the peak values of the knee abduction moment were also higher than those before fatigue (P &lt; 0.05). On the horizontal plane, there is also a larger peak of internal moment during walking after fatigue (P &lt; 0.01).ConclusionHip abductor fatigue affects knee kinematics and kinetics during normal gait. Therefore, evaluating hip abductor strength and providing intensive training for patients with muscle weakness may be an important part of preventing knee-related injuries.