bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
CpG Site-Specific Methylation-Modulated Divergent Expression of PRSS3 Transcript Variants Facilitates Nongenetic Intratumor Heterogeneity in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Lin Shuye , Xu Hanli , Pang Mengdi , Zhou Xiaomeng , Pan Yuanming , Zhang Lishu , Guan Xin , Wang Xiaoyue , Lin Bonan , Tian Rongmeng , Chen Keqiang , Zhang Xiaochen , Yang Zijiang , Ji Fengmin , Huang Yingying , Wei Wu , Gong Wanghua , Ren Jianke , Wang Ji Ming , Guo Mingzhou , Huang Jiaqiang 
Published: April 2022

BackgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal human tumors with extensive intratumor heterogeneity (ITH). Serine protease 3 (PRSS3) is an indispensable member of the trypsin family and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several malignancies, including HCC. However, the paradoxical effects of PRSS3 on carcinogenesis due to an unclear molecular basis impede the utilization of its biomarker potential. We hereby explored the contribution of PRSS3 transcripts to tumor functional heterogeneity by systematically dissecting the expression of four known splice variants of PRSS3 (PRSS3-SVs, V1~V4) and their functional relevance to HCC.MethodsThe expression and DNA methylation of PRSS3 transcripts and their associated clinical relevance in HCC were analyzed using several publicly available datasets and validated using qPCR-based assays. Functional experiments were performed in gain- and loss-of-function cell models, in which PRSS3 transcript constructs were separately transfected after deleting PRSS3 expression by CRISPR/Cas9 editing.ResultsPRSS3 was aberrantly differentially expressed toward bipolarity from very low (PRSS3Low) to very high (PRSS3High) expression across HCC cell lines and tissues. This was attributable to the disruption of PRSS3-SVs, in which PRSS3-V2 and/or PRSS3-V1 were dominant transcripts leading to PRSS3 expression, whereas PRSS3-V3 and -V4 were rarely or minimally expressed. The expression of PRSS3-V2 or -V1 was inversely associated with site-specific CpG methylation at the PRSS3 promoter region that distinguished HCC cells and tissues phenotypically between hypermethylated low-expression (mPRSS3-SVLow) and hypomethylated high-expression (umPRSS3-SVHigh) groups. PRSS3-SVs displayed distinct functions from oncogenic PRSS3-V2 to tumor-suppressive PRSS3-V1, -V3 or PRSS3-V4 in HCC cells. Clinically, aberrant expression of PRSS3-SVs was translated into divergent relevance in patients with HCC, in which significant epigenetic downregulation of PRSS3-V2 was seen in early HCC and was associated with favorable patient outcome.ConclusionsThese results provide the first evidence for the transcriptional and functional characterization of PRSS3 transcripts in HCC. Aberrant expression of divergent PRSS3-SVs disrupted by site-specific CpG methylation may integrate the effects of oncogenic PRSS3-V2 and tumor-suppressive PRSS3-V1, resulting in the molecular diversity and functional plasticity of PRSS3 in HCC. Dysregulated expression of PRSS3-V2 by site-specific CpG methylation may have potential diagnostic value for patients with early HCC.
Prognostic Role of Pretreatment C-Reactive Protein to Albumin Ratio in Urological Cancers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Wu Minhong , Zhou Yan , Chen Qingsheng , Yu Zhiling , Gu Hongyong , Lin Pengxiu , Li Yanling , Liu Cailing 
Published: April 2022

BackgroundTo investigate the potential prognostic role of C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR) in patients with urinary cancers, including renal cell carcinoma (RCC), bladder cancer (BC), and prostate cancer (PC).MethodsWe searched and screened literatures with PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science in January 2022. We applied combined hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess the associations.ResultsThirteen studies including 2,941 cases were analyzed in our study. Merged results indicated that highly pretreated CAR was associated with inferior overall survival (HR 2.21, 95% CI 1.86-2.62, p &lt; 0.001) and progression-free survival (HR 1.85, 95% CI 1.36-2.52, p &lt; 0.001) for urinary cancers. In a subgroup analysis of OS by tumor type, CAR can be a predictor in RCC (HR 2.10, 95% CI 1.72-2.56), BC (HR 3.35, 95% CI 1.94-5.80), and PC (HR 2.20, 95% CI 1.43-3.37). In a subgroup analysis of PFS by tumor type, CAR can be a predictor in BC (HR 1.76, 95% CI 1.03-3.02), and RCC (HR 1.90, 95% CI 1.25-2.89). The reliability and robustness of results were confirmed.ConclusionsHigh pretreated CAR was effective predictor of poor survival in patients with urinary cancers and can act as prognostic factor for these cases.Systematic Review RegistrationPROSPERO (CRD42022306414).
A Study to Evaluate Accuracy and Validity of the EFAI Computer-Aided Bone Age Diagnosis System Compared With Qualified Physicians
Authors: Cheng Chi-Fung , Liao Ken Ying-Kai , Lee Kuan-Jung , Tsai Fuu-Jen 
Published: April 2022

Study ObjectivesIn previous research, we built a deep neural network model based on Inception-Resnet-v2 to predict bone age (EFAI-BAA). The primary objective of the study was to determine if the EFAI-BAA was substantially concordant with the qualified physicians in assessing bone ages. The secondary objective of the study was to determine if the EFAI-BAA was no different in the clinical rating (advanced, normal, or delayed) with the qualified physicians.MethodThis was a retrospective study. The left-hand X-ray images of male subjects aged 3–16 years old and female subjects aged 2–15 years old were collected from China Medical University Hospital (CMUH) and Asia University Hospital (AUH) retrospectively since the trial began until the included image amount reached 368. This was a blinded study. The qualified physicians who ran, read, and interpreted the tests were blinded to the values assessed by the other qualified physicians and the EFAI-BAA.ResultsThe concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) between the EFAI-BAA (EFAI-BAA), the evaluation of bone age by physician in Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital (KVGH), Taichung Veterans General Hospital (TVGH2), and in Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital (TZUCHI-TP) was 0.9828 (95% CI: 0.9790–0.9859, p-value = 0.6782), 0.9739 (95% CI: 0.9681–0.9786, p-value = 0.0202), and 0.9592 (95% CI: 0.9501–0.9666, p-value = 0.4855), respectively.ConclusionThere was a consistency of bone age assessment between the EFAI-BAA and each one of the three qualified physicians (CCC = 0.9). As the significant difference in the clinical rating was only found between the EFAI-BAA and the qualified physician in TVGH2, the performance of the EFAI-BAA was considered similar to the qualified physicians.
Time Interval From Early-Term Antenatal Corticosteroids Administration to Delivery and the Impact on Neonatal Outcomes
Authors: Li Jing , Zhang Jing , Hao Qingfei , Du Yanna , Lu Jie , Chen Haoming , Cheng Xiuyong 
Published: April 2022

ObjectivesTo determine the association between the time interval from antenatal corticosteroids administration to delivery and neonatal complications in diabetic mothers undergoing early term (37+0 to 38+6 weeks) scheduled cesarean section (ETSCS).Study DesignA retrospective cohort study of women with any form of diabetes in pregnancy undergoing ETSCS was included. Cases were stratified into the following groups based on the time interval from the first dose of corticosteroids administration to delivery: &lt;2, 2–7, and &gt;7 days. Women undergoing ETSCS, who did not receive corticosteroids were included as controls. We assessed the association between the time interval and neonatal outcomes in a multivariate regression model that controlled for potential confounders. Primary outcomes were the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)/transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN) and neonatal hypoglycemia.ResultsThe study cohort comprised 1,165 neonates. Of those, 159 (13.6%) were delivered within 2 days of maternal corticosteroids administration, 131 (11.2%) were delivered within 2–7 days after maternal corticosteroids administration, and 137 (11.8%) delivered more than 7 days after maternal corticosteroids administration. The remaining 738 (63.3%) were not exposed to corticosteroids. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that delivery within any time of antenatal corticosteroids administration was not associated with decreased risks of RDS/TTN. The risk of neonatal hypoglycemia was highest in the delivery of &lt;2 days group (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.684, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.647–4.374 for control group; aOR: 2.827, 95% CI: 1.250–6.392 for delivery 2–7 days group; aOR:2.975, 95% CI: 1.265–6.996 for delivery &gt;7 days group).ConclusionsCorticosteroids treatment for diabetic mothers undergoing ETSCS was not associated with beneficial neonatal respiratory outcomes. In addition, delivery, &lt;2 days after antenatal corticosteroids administration was associated with an increased risk of neonatal hypoglycemia.
Agathisflavone as a Single Therapy or in Association With Mesenchymal Stem Cells Improves Tissue Repair in a Spinal Cord Injury Model in Rats
Authors: do Nascimento Ravena P. , de Jesus Lívia B. , Oliveira-Junior Markley S. , Almeida Aurea M. , Moreira Eduardo L. T. , Paredes Bruno D. , David Jorge M. , Souza Bruno S. F. , de Fátima D. Costa Maria , Butt Arthur M. , Silva Victor Diogenes A. , Costa Silvia L. 
Published: April 2022

Agathisflavone is a flavonoid with anti-neuroinflammatory and myelinogenic properties, being also capable to induce neurogenesis. This study evaluated the therapeutic effects of agathisflavone—both as a pharmacological therapy administeredin vivoand as anin vitropre-treatment aiming to enhance rat mesenchymal stem cells (r)MSCs properties–in a rat model of acute spinal cord injury (SCI). Adult male Wistar rats (n= 6/group) underwent acute SCI with an F-2 Fogarty catheter and after 4 h were treated daily with agathisflavone (10 mg/kg ip, for 7 days), or administered with a single i.v. dose of 1 × 106rMSCs either unstimulated cells (control) or pretreated with agathisflavone (1 µM, every 2 days, for 21 daysin vitro). Control rats (n= 6/group) were treated with a single dose methylprednisolone (MP, 60 mg/kg ip). BBB scale was used to evaluate the motor functions of the animals; after 7 days of treatment, the SCI area was analyzed after H&amp;E staining, and RT-qPCR was performed to analyze the expression of neurotrophins and arginase. Treatment with agathisflavone alone or with of 21-day agathisflavone–treated rMSCs was able to protect the injured spinal cord tissue, being associated with increased expression of NGF, GDNF and arginase, and reduced macrophage infiltrate. In addition, treatment of animals with agathisflavone alone was able to protect injured spinal cord tissue and to increase expression of neurotrophins, modulating the inflammatory response. These results support a pro-regenerative effect of agathisflavone that holds developmental potential for clinical applications in the future.
Adrenergic Modulation of Erythropoiesis After Trauma
Authors: Munley Jennifer A. , Kelly Lauren S. , Mohr Alicia M. 
Published: April 2022

Severe traumatic injury results in a cascade of systemic changes which negatively affect normal erythropoiesis. Immediately after injury, acute blood loss leads to anemia, however, patients can remain anemic for as long as 6 months after injury. Research on the underlying mechanisms of such alterations of erythropoiesis after trauma has focused on the prolonged hypercatecholaminemia seen after trauma. Supraphysiologic elevation of catecholamines leads to an inhibitive effect on erythropoiesis. There is evidence to show that alleviation of the neuroendocrine stress response following trauma reduces these inhibitory effects. Both beta blockade and alpha-2 adrenergic receptor stimulation have demonstrated increased growth of hematopoietic progenitor cells as well as increased pro-erythropoietic cytokines after trauma. This review will describe prior research on the neuroendocrine stress response after trauma and its consequences on erythropoiesis, which offer insight into underlying mechanisms of prolonged anemia postinjury. We will then discuss the beneficial effects of adrenergic modulation to improve erythropoiesis following injury and propose future directions for the field.
Reanalyzing the Maia and McClelland (2004) Empirical Data: How Do Participants Really Behave in the Iowa Gambling Task?
Authors: Chiu Yao-Chu , Huang Jong-Tsun , Lee We-Kang , Lin Ching-Jen , Lin Ching-Hung 
Published: April 2022

BackgroundSince 2007, the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) has been a standardized clinical assessment tool for assessing decision behavior in 13 psychiatric/neurological conditions. After the publication of Maia and McClelland's (1) article, there were two responses in 2005 from Bechara et al. and Maia and McClelland, respectively, discussing whether implicit emotion or explicit knowledge influences the development of foresighted decision strategies under uncertain circumstances (e.g., as simulated in the IGT).Methods and ResultsWe reanalyze and verify the data obtained by Maia and McClelland (1) in their study “What participants really know in the Iowa Gambling Task” and find that decision-makers were lured into shortsighted decisions by the prospect of immediate gains and losses.ConclusionAlthough the findings of this reanalysis cannot support any arguments concerning the effect of either implicit emotion or explicit knowledge, we find evidence that, based on the gain–loss frequency in the IGT, participants behave myopically. This is consistent with most IGT-related articles (58 out of 86) in Lee et al.'s (2) cross-cultural review. Alternatively, under uncertain circumstances, there is probably no such thing as foresighted decision strategy irrespective of the proposed mechanisms of implicit emotion or explicit knowledge.
Influence of Renin-Angiotensin System Inhibitors on Postoperative Delirium in Patients With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: A Secondary Analysis of a Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Chen Gong , Zhou Sai , Deng Fang 
Published: April 2022

ObjectiveTo investigate the correlation between preoperative use of ACEIs/ARBs and postoperative delirium (POD) in surgical patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).MethodsThe present study is a secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort study conducted at the University of Washington Medical Center from April 2007 to September 2013. Patients with PAH who underwent non-cardiac, non-obstetric surgery were enrolled in the original research. We further excluded stroke, sepsis, and craniotomy patients from interfering with POD evaluation. The univariate regression analysis and multivariate-adjusted model were used to explore the influence of preoperative ACEIs/ARBs use on the occurrence of POD.ResultsA total of 539 patients were included in this study. The incidence of POD in these patients was 3.0%. Following the adjustment of potential confounders (age, BMI, smoking status, pulmonary arterial systolic pressure, length of surgery, vascular surgery, asthma, obstructive sleep apnea, renal failure, atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, hydrochlorothiazide, alpha-blocker, calcium channel blocker, antiplatelet, steroids, statin, isoflurane), a negative relationship was found between preoperative use of ACEIs/ARBs and occurrence of POD (OR = 0.15, 95%CI: 0.03 to 0.80, P = 0.0266).ConclusionPreoperative use of ACEIs/ARBs in patients with PAH reduces the risk of POD. ACEIs/ARBs may be more recommended for patients with PAH in the future.
Management of Long-Term Sores and Ulcers of Breast Cancer Survivors With Chinese Herbal Medicines: A Case Report
Authors: Zhang Yuanfeng , Zhang Bing , Zhou Weilong , Lu Tao 
Published: April 2022

BackgroundThe treatment of long-term sores and ulcers of breast cancer metastatic recurrence is a serious challenge with successful cases rarely being documented. Herein we reported a successful case using the internal vitality supporting method of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM).Case SummaryA 59-year-old female Chinese patient, 10 years after breast cancer surgery, developed metastatic lesions in the lung. Thereafter she received radiofrequency ablation and adjuvant treatments for 1 year with severe sequelae, a right unhealed sore and ulcer. She became frustrated and depressive. And subsequently sought exclusive treatment under the guidance of a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) physician. The patient's condition was categorized as a Qi (or vitality) deficiency-related sore and ulcer. In the next six months, the patient still follows a traditional Chinese medicine therapeutic regimen based on the internal vitality supporting method of Chinese herbs.ConclusionThe sore and ulcer from the surgical wound were healed. Up to now, the tumor markers have remained stable. TCM personalized survivorship treatment and psychosocial support can help patients improve their quality of life after acute treatment and in the long-term for cancer survivors.
Psychosocial Work Stress and Health Risks – A Cross-Sectional Study of Shift Workers From the Hotel and Catering Industry and the Food Industry
Authors: Hunger Bettina , Seibt Reingard 
Published: April 2022

PurposePsychosocial work stress, and shift and night work are considered risk indicators for impaired health. Using the effort-reward (ER) model, it was possible to examine which relationships exist for shift workers between clusters (CL) of different levels of psychosocial work stress and overcommitment (OC) and cardiovascular or psychological health indicators, and which predictive value is evident in individual health indicators to explain the clusters.MethodsThe data were collected as part of an occupational health prevention program. The analysis sample consisted of 199 shift workers from alternating shift systems with and without night work (43%) (average age: 40 ± 12 years, men: 47%). Psychosocial work stress was recorded using the ER imbalance (ERI) questionnaire. To determine the clusters, ERI and OC were entered into a cluster analysis. Blood pressure, body mass index, waist-hip ratio, PROCAM score (risk of a heart attack within the next 10 years), sporting activity, and smoking were included as cardiovascular indicators, psychological wellbeing (GHQ-12) and inability to recovery (IR) (FABA) as psychological health indicators. Shift system, sex, and age were entered into the statistical analyses as control variables. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to identify health-related predictors to explain the ER-OC clusters.ResultsThree different ER-OC clusters emerged: low-stress: 36%, normal: 44%, risk: 20%. While normal psychosocial work stress is present in the low-stress and the normal CL, in the risk CL 28% of the shift workers show a health-endangering ERI and 48% show an excessive OC. No significant cluster-specific differences were determined for the cardiovascular health indicators. Rather, the known sex and age effects were confirmed and the shift system had no significant effect. Significantly more shift workers in the risk CL had impaired psychological health (18 vs. 1/6%) and an IR (52 vs. 0/12%) than in the low-stress and normal CL. IR turned out to be the strongest predictor of the explanation for the ER-OC clusters (49%).ConclusionIR could be assigned an independent diagnostic value for the assessment of psychosocial work stresses and discussed as a new component of occupational health screening concepts for shift workers. Independently of this, the health indicators signal an urgent need for occupational health prevention and care.
Factors Influencing Adolescents' Dietary Behaviors in the School and Home Environment in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Authors: Trübswasser Ursula , Talsma Elise F. , Ekubay Selamawit , Poelman Maartje P. , Holdsworth Michelle , Feskens Edith J. M. , Baye Kaleab 
Published: April 2022

BackgroundMalnutrition affects many adolescents in Ethiopia. Over one-third of adolescent girls and two-thirds of boys are thin. Overweight and obesity in Ethiopia is mostly a concern in urban populations of higher wealth quintiles. Urbanization and globalization of diets is shifting food environments. The objective of this study was to assess whether food environments in and around schools in urban Ethiopia influence dietary diversity, quality, BMI status or perceptions of adolescents.MethodsTwelve high schools were selected in Addis Ababa (private/government). From each school, 20 pupils aged 15–19 years were randomly selected (n = 217) and interviewed about assets in their households, their diets (categorized into 10 food groups of the Minimum Dietary Diversity, the Global Dietary Recommendations scores and four categories of the NOVA classification based on level of processing) and their use of pocket money. In addition, food environment audits were conducted within the school compound and a 0.5 km radius around each school and types of food outlets.ResultsOn average there were 436 food outlets and 246 food or drink advertisements around each school. The majority of the advertisements (89.9%) were of ultra-processed foods, mostly sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). Most were positioned on food outlets (89.1%). SSBs or sweets were visibly on display in 26.3% of the outlets and fresh fruits and vegetables in 17.9% of outlets. Dietary diversity of adolescents was poor with an average of 3.6 food groups out of 10 consumed in the last 24 h. Ultra-processed foods and beverages were consumed by 23.5% of adolescents. The majority of adolescents spent their pocket money on SSBs, sweets or fried foods. Our analysis found that higher assets in adolescents' households were associated with higher dietary diversity and consumption of healthy food groups. We found no association between the food environment and dietary indicators or the BMI-z-score.ConclusionWhile the school food environments investigated were not conducive with promoting healthy dietary behaviors, we cannot conclude that these environmental factors directly influence adolescents' diets. The pervasive advertising and availability of unhealthy foods and beverages requires policy action for healthy school food environments.
Mind the Gap - Part 3: Doppler Velocity Measurements From Space
Authors: Kollias Pavlos , Battaglia Alessandro , Lamer Katia , Treserras Bernat Puigdomenech , Braun Scott A. 
Published: April 2022

Convective motions and hydrometeor microphysical properties are highly sought-after parameters for evaluating atmospheric numerical models. With most of Earth’s surface covered by water, space-borne Doppler radars are ideal for acquiring such measurements at a global scale. While these systems have proven to be useful tools for retrieving cloud microphysical and dynamical properties from the ground, their adequacy and specific requirements for spaceborne operation still need to be evaluated. Comprehensive forward simulations enable us to assess the advantages and drawbacks of six different Doppler radar architectures currently planned or under consideration by space agencies for the study of cloud dynamics. Radar performance is examined against the state-of-the-art numerical model simulations of well-characterized shallow and deep, continental, and oceanic convective cases. Mean Doppler velocity (MDV) measurements collected at multiple frequencies (13, 35, and 94 GHz) provide complementary information in deep convective cloud systems. The high penetration capability of the 13 GHz radar enables to obtain a complete, albeit horizontally under-sampled, view of deep convective storms. The smaller instantaneous field of view (IFOV) of the 35 GHz radar captures more precise information about the location and size of convective updrafts above 5–8 km height of most systems which were determined in the portion of storms where the mass flux peak is typically located. Finally, the lower mean Doppler velocity uncertainty of displaced phase center antenna (DPCA) radars makes them an ideal system for studying microphysics in shallow convection and frontal systems, as well as ice and mixed-phase clouds. It is demonstrated that a 94 GHz DCPA system can achieve retrieval errors as low as 0.05–0.15 mm for raindrop volume-weighted mean diameter and 25% for rime fraction (for a −10 dBZ echo).