bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Clinical Differential Study on Symptomatic Lacunar Infarction between Smoking and Non-smoking Male Patients
Authors: Diao Sheng-Peng , Peng Zhong-Xing , Liu Ai-Qun , Zhou Zhi-Hua , YU Qing-Yun , Hong Ming-Fan 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
Objective: Lacunar infarction（LI） has a high prevalence and recurrence rates. Smoking is a risk factor for stroke and has a large population. At present, there are no studies on the clinical differences of symptomatic LI between patients with smoking and non-smoking. This study aimed to reveal the relationship between smoking and LI and help the treatment and primary and secondary prevention of LI. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of symptomatic LI in male patients. These patients were divided into the smoking group (SG) and non-smoking group (NSG). The variables with P<0.1 in univariate analysis were used as correction factors in multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: We enrolled 202 smoking and 162 non-smoking male patients with symptomatic LI. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the differences of SG age of onset<65Y（OR 2.461, 95%CI 1.524～3.973, P<0.001）, hyperlipidemia (OR 0.543, 95% CI0.332-0.887, P<0.05), drinking rate(OR 1.865, 95%CI 1.153-3.017, P<0.05), leukoaraiosis (OR 0.503, 95%CI 0.27-0.939, P<0.05), asymptomatic cerebral infarction (OR 0.484, 95% CI 0.276-0.846, P<0.05) and recurrence rate within 3 months of stroke (OR 2.792, 95% CI 1.014-7.691, P<0.05) were statistically significant. Conclusions: Smoking could lead to the onset age of symptomatic LI male patients significantly earlier, the prevalence of hyperlipidemia increased, accompanied by a higher drinking rate, with a higher incidence of leukoaraiosis and asymptomatic cerebral infarction. Smoking is a significant risk factor for LI. This study suggests that quitting smoking plays a vital role in the treatment and the primary and secondary prevention of LI.
Evaluation of the first two Frontline cohorts of the Field Epidemiology Training Program in Guinea, West Africa
Authors: MacDonald Pia D. M. , Collins Doreen , Diallo Boubacar Ibrahima , Bah Mariama Boubacar , Bah Marlyatou , Standley Claire J. , Corvil Salomon , Martel Lise D. 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
BackgroundThe 2014-2016 Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa revealed weaknesses in the health systems of the three most heavily affected countries, including a shortage of public health professionals at the local level trained in surveillance and outbreak investigation. In response, the Frontline Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) was created by CDC in 2015 as a three-month, accelerated training program in field epidemiology that specifically targets the district level. In Guinea, the first two FETP-Frontline cohorts were held from January to May, and from June to September 2017. Here, we report the results of a cross-sectional evaluation of these first two cohorts of FETP-Frontline in Guinea.MethodsThe evaluation was conducted in April 2018 and consisted of interviews with graduates, their supervisors, and directors of nearby health facilities, as well as direct observation of data reports and surveillance tools at health facilities. Interviews and site visits were conducted using standardized questionnaires and checklists. Qualitative data were coded under common themes and analyzed using descriptive statistics.ResultsThe evaluation revealed a significant perception of improvement in all assessed skills by the graduates, as well as high levels of self-reported involvement in key activities related to data collection, analysis, and reporting. Supervisors highlighted improvements to systematic and quality case and summary reporting as key benefits of the FETP-Frontline program. At the health facility level, staff reported the training had resulted in improvements to information sharing and case notifications. Reported barriers included lack of transportation, available support personnel, and other resources. Graduates and supervisors both emphasized the importance of continued and additional training to solidify and retain skills. ConclusionsThe evaluation demonstrated a strongly positive perceived benefit of the FETP-Frontline training on the professional activities of graduates as well as the overall surveillance system. However, efforts are needed to ensure greater gender equity and to recruit more junior trainee candidates for future cohorts. Moreover, although improvements to the surveillance system were observed concurrent with the completion of the two cohorts, the evaluation was not designed to directly measure impact on surveillance or response functions. Combined with the rapid implementation of FETP-Frontline around the world, this suggests an opportunity to develop standardized evaluation toolkits, which could incorporate metrics that would directly assess the impact of equitable field epidemiology workforce development on countries’ abilities to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats.
Identification of conditions associated with gene expression variation using GENEVA
Authors: Hu Zicheng , Kaur Navchetan 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
Motivation: While the normal expression patterns of human genes have been well characterized, how the expression varies under different conditions, such as diseases, drug treatments, and genetic perturbations, is not fully understood. Information related to gene expression variation is critical for understanding the regulation of human genes and identifying approaches for targeting disease-related genes. Results: We previously developed a method named GENEVA to mine a massive amount of RNA-sequencing data to identify previously studied conditions associated with the expression variation of ACE2. Here, we provide an introduction to GENEVA and its web application. We demonstrate that GENEVA can be used to study the expression of previously understudied genes. Availability: GENEVA is implemented as a web application and is available at https://genevatool.org/
Effects of Manipulations of Oblique Pulling on the Biomechanics of the Sacroiliac Joint: A Cadaver Study
Authors: Xu Zhun , Huang Zhiping , Zhang Zhaocong , Feng Ziyu , Yan Yiguo , Zhu Qingan , Li Yikai 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
At present, there are many clinical reports on the treatment of sacroiliac joint (SIJ) dysfunction by manipulation of oblique-pulling (MOP). However, the specific mechanism of MOP on the SIJ remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of MOP on the biomechanics of SIJ and the effect of the anterior sacroiliac ligament (ASL) on the stability of sacroiliac joint. Firstly, nine cadaveric pelvises were applied by MOP-F1 and MOP-F2. Then, segmental ASL resection and SIJ fixation were performed. The range of motion of SIJ were observed in all procedures. Under MOP-F1 and F2, the average total angles were 0.84° and 1.52°, and the displacements were 0.61 mm and 0.98 mm, respectively. Compared with MOP-F1, MOP-F2 caused greater obviously rotation angles and displacements of SIJ. In addition, SIJ mobility significantly increased after complete resection of ASL. The increase was mainly due to the transection of the upper part of ASL. Conclusively, MOP-F2 caused greater rotation angles and displacements of SIJ and it was a more effective manipulation. The ASL played an important role in maintaining the stability of the SIJ, and the upper part of ASL contributed more to the stability.
Cell Type-specific Study to Unveil the Relation Between DLBCL and GBM Through Blood-Brain-Barrier Disruption
Authors: DEY ASHMITA , Maulik Ujjwal 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
Diffuse large B cell lymphoma is an aggressive and fast-growing form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. DLBCL becomes fatal if it is not treated in the early stage. Despite its aggressive nature, ~50-70\% patients respond successfully, whereas ~30-40\% patients have an inadequate response to the currently available therapies. DLBCL spread to the brain through spinal fluid. It is becoming a rapid emergency to detect the cell-specific changes of DLBCL metastasis that leads to central nervous system (CNS) disorder. As per our knowledge, the cell-specific studies of genes of DLBCL involved in CNS disorder are still limited. To bridge this gap, we proposed a novel analysis. Firstly, we have identified DLBCL cell-specific gene clusters and considered genes along with their associated pathways that have an impact on blood-brain-barrier disruption. In the second stage, we tried to establish the relation between Diffuse large B cell lymphoma and glioblastoma based on cell-specific pathways. Interestingly it has been observed that high semantic-valued pathways are the prime regulators of GBM. Finally, this study reveals how cell types are responsible for the pathway shifts and also provides a cell-specific channel of triggering the progression of GBM among DLBCL patients.
Trajectories of Health-Related Quality of Life In Patients With Advanced Cancer During The Last Year of Life: Findings From The COMPASS Study
Authors: Lee Jonathan , Shafiq Mahham , Malhotra Rahul , Ozdemir Semra , Teo Irene , Malhotra Chetna 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
Background: Patients with advanced cancer prioritise health-related quality of life (HrQoL) in end-of-life care, however an understanding of pre-death HrQoL trajectories is lacking. We aimed to delineate and describe the trajectories of physical, social, emotional and functional HrQoL during last year of life among advanced cancer patients. We assessed associations between these trajectories and patient socio-demographic characteristics, healthcare use and place of death.Methods: We used data from 345 decedents from a prospective cohort study of 600 patients with a solid advanced cancer receiving secondary care at public hospitals in Singapore. Patients were surveyed every three months until death and HrQoL was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – General (FACT-G) questionnaire. Interviews were conducted between July 2016 and December 2019. Group-based multi-trajectory modelling was used to assess potential heterogeneity in the four HrQoL dimensions during patients’ last year of life.Results: We identified four distinct trajectories of HrQoL - (1) overall high HrQoL (47% of sample), (2) progressively decreasing HrQoL (32%), (3) asymmetric decline in HrQoL (13%), (4) overall low HrQoL (8%). Compared to patients with secondary or above education, those with primary education or less (β=1.39, SE=0.55, p-value=0.012) were more likely to have “progressively decreasing HrQoL” or “overall low HrQoL” in contrast to “overall high HrQoL”. Compared to patients with ‘overall high HrQoL’, those with ‘overall low HrQoL’ had longer length of hospital stay during the last year of life (β=0.47, SE=0.21, p-value=0.026) and were more likely to die in a hospice/care home (β=1.86, SE=0.66, p-value=0.005). Conclusion: Our results showed heterogeneity in deterioration of HrQoL among patients with advanced cancer in the last year of life. Systematic monitoring of HrQoL, early identification and referral of high-risk patients to palliative care may provide timely relief and mitigate the steep decline in their HrQoL.Trial Registration: NCT02850640
Screening of a High-yield Strain of Avermectin B1a by Colony Analysis In situ
Authors: Gou Zhongxuan , Li Junhua , He Feng , Bamao Zhaxi , Li Zixuan , Xu Tingyu 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
Avermectin, an agricultural antibiotic, is widely used as an agricultural insecticide and an important lead compound of antibiotics. It is manufactured by Streptomyces avermitilis through fermentation. Manufacturers pay special attention to screening for strains with high fermentation capacity based on morphological properties of the colony and by the result of shake flask fermentation. These traditional screening methods are time-consuming, labor-intensive and require specialized equipment. Moreover, evaluation of colony appearance is highly subjective. To improve and accelerate the screening process, we developed a rapid in situ screening method. Forty-four strains isolated naturally from the spores of industrial high-yielding strains were studied. The data show that the colony fermentation titer is highly correlated with the yield from the shake flask fermentation of avermectin, and the Pearson R is 0.990. The total titer of avermectins by shake flask fermentation is also highly correlated with the B1a titer (Pearson R is 0.994). This result also shows that strains can be quickly screened by analyzing the colony titer. Pigment rings of the colonies that appeared after growing and maturing on the new medium plate were analyzed. The chosen colonies were directly marked and punched and then extracted with methanol. The fermentation ability can be evaluated by measuring the absorbance at 245 nm. This methodology can be applied in both natural breeding and mutation breeding conditions. By continuously breeding from 2008 to 2020, the flask titer of avermectin B1a increased from 4582±483 µg/mL to 9197 ± 1134 µg/mL.
Identification and Validation of a Novel Immune-related Five-lncRNA Signature for Osteosarcoma
Authors: Huo Tianqun , Li Jun , Liu Baofang , Zhai Yu , Wu Xingbiao , Fu Zhiguo , Tao Hongming , Zhao Hong 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
Background: Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common malignant tumor in primary bone cancer. It often occurs in children or adolescents. It has the characteristics of strong invasiveness, early blood metastasis, and poor prognosis. Recent studies have shown that the tumor microenvironment (TME) and immune-related lncRNAs (IR-lncRNAs) play an important role in tumor prognosis. Therefore, exploring prognostic biomarkers that reflect the bioheterogeneity of OS can provide better interventions for patients.Methods: The gene expression data and corresponding clinical data of OS patients were downloaded from the GEO (n=102) and TARGET (n=101) databases. We applied single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) to the transcriptomes of these samples, generating the three immune subgroups. The ESTIMATE algorithm, CIBERSORT, and Kaplan–Meier analysis were used to explore the TME and tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) among the 3 immune subgroups. The immune gene set in the ImmPort database was used to screen out immune-related mRNAs (IR-mRNAs) in the two databases, and IR-lncRNAs were selected through coexpression with IR-mRNAs. Based on these groupings, we identified differentially expressed immune-related lncRNAs (IRD-lncRNAs) between the high- and low-immune subgroups. Then, an IRD-lncRNA prognostic signature was established by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression.Results: We found that as the immune status of the immune subgroups increased, the prognosis significantly improved (P<0.05). Moreover, the stromal, immune, and ESTIMATE scores increased, while tumor purity decreased (P<0.01). The TIIC results showed that CD8+ T cells had a positive correlation with the prognosis of OS (P<0.01). After using the ImmPort database and coexpression analysis, we screened 3767 IR-lncRNAs and identified 117 IRD-lncRNAs between the immune-H and immune-L subgroups. Finally, we identified five IRD-lncRNAs as a prognostic signature for OS. Kaplan–Meier, ROC curve and univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses further confirmed that the prognostic signature was an innovative and significant independent prognostic factor.Conclusion: The study results may help clarify the impact of the TME on OS and provide a method to predict the prognosis of OS patients using the five-IR-lncRNA signature as a potential biomarker.
Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of some Nigerian Accessions of Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc) using DArT SNP Markers
Authors: OSUNDARE OPEYEMI TUNDE , Akinyele Benjamin O. , Odiyi Alexander C. , Paliwal Rajneesh , Oyatomi Olaniyi A. , Abberton Michael T. 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
Bambara groundnut is one of the crops with inadequate molecular research to show its full potentials. Previous studies showed morphological diversity with inadequate information to confirm genetic variations. In the quest to reveal the genetic potentials, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of the selected accessions were extracted through leaf samples at 3 weeks old, using Dellaporta Miniprep for Plant DNA Isolation procedure. The high quality DNA was sequenced using Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) markers to unlock diversity among Bambara groundnut of Nigerian origin. Cluster analysis (neighbor-joining clustering) of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP’s) were used to generate sub-population to show relatedness and differences. Seven sub-populations were generated with 5,927 (50.13 %) high quality DArT markers out of the 11, 821 SNPs generated. This revealed high genetic diversity existed among the selected Bambara groundnut accessions in Nigeria. This also revealed that DArT markers were highly efficient in classifying the accessions based on molecular expressions. This study also identified markers responsible for genetic variation that could facilitate the characterization of larger collections for further utilization of genetic resources and most importantly Bambara groundnut for the purpose of crop improvement.
PRMT5-Mediated RNF4 Methylation Promotes Therapeutic Resistance of APL Cells to As2O3 by Stabilizing Oncoprotein PML-RARα
Authors: Huang Xinping , Yang Yongfeng , Zhu Dan , Zhao Yan , Wei Min , Li Ke , Zhu Hong-hu , Zheng xiaofeng 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a hematological malignancy driven by the oncoprotein PML-RARα, which can be treated effectively with arsenic trioxide (As2O3) or/and all-trans retinoic acid. The protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) is involved in tumorigenesis. However, little is known about the biological function and therapeutic potential of PRMT5 in APL. Here we show that PRMT5 is highly expressed in APL patients. PRMT5 promotes APL by interacting with PML-RARα and suppressing its ubiquitination and degradation. Mechanistically, PRMT5 attenuates the interaction between PML-RARα and its ubiquitin E3 ligase RNF4 by methylating RNF4 at Arg164. Notably, As2O3 treatment triggers the dissociation of PRMT5 from PML nuclear bodies, attenuating RNF4 methylation and promoting RNF4-mediated PML-RARα ubiquitination and degradation. Moreover, knockdown of PRMT5 and pharmacological inhibition of PRMT5 with the specific inhibitor EPZ015666 significantly inhibit APL cells growth. Combination of EPZ015666 with As2O3 shows synergistic effects on As2O3-induced differentiation of bone marrow (BM) cells from APL mice, as well as on apoptosis and differentiation in primary APL cells from APL patients. These findings provide mechanistic insight into the function of PRMT5 in APL pathogenesis and demonstrate that inhibition of PRMT5 or in combination with As2O3 might be a promising therapeutic strategy against APL.
Cyclophilin A associates with and regulates the activity of ZAP70 in TCR/CD3 stimulated T cells
Authors: Anto Nikhil Ponnoor , Arya Awadhesh Kumar , Muraleedharan Amitha , Shaik Jakeer , Nath Pulak Ranjan , Livneh Etta , Sun Zuoming , Braiman Alex , Isakov Noah 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
The ZAP70 protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) couples stimulated T cell antigen receptors (TCRs) to their downstream signal transduction pathways and is sine qua non for T cell activation and differentiation. TCR engagement leads to activation-induced post-translational modifications of the ZAP70 protein tyrosine kinase, predominantly by kinases, which modulate its conformation, leading to activation of its catalytic domain. Here we demonstrate that ZAP70 in activated T cells is regulated by the cyclophilin A (CypA) peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase), and that this regulation is blocked by the CypA inhibitor, cyclosporin A (CsA). We found that TCR crosslinking promoted the rapid and transient formation of cyclophilin A (CypA)-ZAP70 complexes, which were dependent on Lck-mediated phosphorylation of ZAP70. Cyclosporin A (CsA) inhibited CypA binding to ZAP70 and prevented CypA-ZAP70 colocalization at the cell membrane. In addition, fluorescent cell staining and imaging analyses revealed that TCR/CD3 triggering led to the association of the ZAP70-bound CypA with the TCR/CD3 complex within the immunological synapse. Enzymatically active CypA downregulated the catalytic activity of ZAP70 in vitro, an effect that was reversed by CsA and confirmed in vivo by FRET-based studies. We suggest that CypA plays a role in determining the conformational regulation and activity of ZAP70 in TCR-engaged T cells and impact on T cell activation by intervening with the activity of multiple downstream effector molecules.
Development of Risk Prediction Nomogram for Sarcopenia in Patients Receiving Maintenance Hemodialysis
Authors: Cai Genlian , Ying Jinping , Pan Mengyan , lang Xiabing , Yu Weiping , Zhang Qinqin 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
Background

Sarcopenia is a progressive and generalized skeletal muscle disorder characterized by accelerated loss of muscle mass and function that is more commonly observed in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis compared to the general population. This study aimed to explore a simple nomogram to evaluate the risk of developing sarcopenia.
Methods

From March to June 2021, 615 patients on maintenance hemodialysis were identified at the First Affiliated Hospital College of Medicine Zhejiang University and randomly divided into development cohorts (n=369) and validation cohorts (n=246) in a 6:4 ratio. Multi-factor logistic regression analysis was used to screen out statistically significant variables to construct risk prediction models. The line plots were drawn to evaluate the effectiveness of the predictive models from three aspects: differentiation, calibration, and clinical net benefit, and were further tested by Bootstrap method.
Results

Our study indicated that 16.6% patients enrolled in our study were diagnosed with sarcopenia. Serum creatinine, serum albumin, C-reactive protein, serum phosphorus, body mass index, and upper arm muscle circumference were identified as independent risk factors for the development of sarcopenia in patients on maintenance hemodialysis. The area under the ROC curve of the line chart model was 0.88 with 90% sensitivity and 75% specificity. The Yoden index was 0.64, and the internal verification C-statistic was 0.864.
Conclusions

Our study not only proved that sarcopenia was commonly observed in patients on maintenance hemodialysis but also established a prediction nomogram to evaluate the risk for developing sarcopenia in such patients.