bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Potentially functional genetic variants of VAV2 and PSMA4 in the immune‐activation pathway and non‐small cell lung cancer survival
Authors: Bai Yushun , Zheng Ji , Cheng Lei , Liu Qi , Zhao Genming , Li Jingrao , Gu Yanzi , Xu Wanghong , Wang Mengyun , Wei Qingyi , Zhang Ruoxin 
Published: August 2022

AbstractBackgroundLung cancer has the highest mortality among cancers, represented by a low 5‐year survival rate. The function of the immune system has a profound influence on the development and progression of lung cancer. Thus genetic variants of the immune‐related genes may serve as potential predictors of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) survival.MethodsIn the present study, we conducted a two‐stage survival analysis in 1,531 NSCLC patients and assessed the associations between genetic variants in the immune‐activation gene set and the overall survival (OS) of NSCLC patients. The validated variants were further subjected to functional annotation and in vitro experiments.ResultsWe identified 25 SNPs spanning six loci associated with NSCLC OS after multiple‐testing corrections in all datasets, in which two variants, PSMA4 rs12901682 A > C and VAV2 rs12002767 C > T, were shown to potentially affect lung cancer OS by cis‐regulating the expression of the corresponding genes [(HR (95% CI) = 0.76 (0.65–0.89) and 1.36 (1.12–1.65), p = 4.29 × 10−4 and 0.002, respectively].ConclusionOur findings provide new insights into the role of genetic variants in the immune‐activation pathway genes in lung cancer progression.
Single-cell phenotypic profiling to identify a set of immune cell protein biomarkers for relapsed and refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma: A single-center study
Authors: Shi Yuan , Ding Weidong , Gu Weiying , Shen Yangling , Li Haiqian , Zheng Zhuojun , Zheng Xiao , Liu Yan , Ling Yun 
Published: August 2022

AbstractDiffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common invasive type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Cell-of-origin (COO) classification is related to patients’ prognoses. Primary drug resistance in treatment for DLBCL has been observed. The specific serum biomarkers in these patients who suffer from relapsed and refractory (R/R)-DLBCL remains unclear. In the current study, using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and mass cytometry (CyTOF), we determined and verified immune cell biomarkers at the mRNA and protein levels in single-cell resolution from 18 diagnostic PBMC specimens collected from patients with R/R DLBCL. As controls, 5 PBMC specimens from healthy volunteers were obtained. We identified a panel of 35 surface marker genes for the features of R/R DLBCL unique cell cluster by scRNA-seq of 8 R/R DLBCL patient samples and validated its efficiency in an external cohort consisting of 10 R/R DLBCL patients by CyTOF. The cell clustering and dimension reduction were compared among R/R DLBCL samples in CyTOF Space with COO as well as the C-MYC expression designation. Immune cells from each patient occupied unique regions in the 32-dimensional phenotypic space with no apparent clustering of samples into discrete subtypes. Significant heterogeneity observed in subgroups was mainly attributed to individual differences among samples and not to expression differences in a single, homogeneous immune cell subpopulation. The marker panel showed reliability in labeling R/R DLBCL without any influence from COO stratification and C-MYC expression designation. Furthermore, we compared all the markers between R/R DLBCL and normal samples. A total of 12 biomarkers were significantly overexpressed in R/R DLBCL relative to the normal samples. Therefore, we further optimized the diagnostic biomarker panel of R/R DLBCL comprising CD82, CD55, CD36, CD63, CD59, IKZF1, CD69, CD163, CD14, CD226, CD84, and CD31. In summary, we developed a novel set of biomarkers for the diagnoses of patients with R/R DLBCL. Detections procedures at single-cell resolution provide precise biomarkers, which may substantially overcome intertumoral and intratumoral heterogeneity among primary samples. The findings confirmed that each case was unique and may comprise multiple, genetically distinct subclones.
Inhibition of MEK signaling prevents SARS‐CoV2‐induced lung damage and improves the survival of infected mice
Authors: Xie Jingwu , Klemsz Michael J. , Kacena Melissa A. , Sandusky George , Zhang Xiaoli , Kaplan Mark H. 
Published: August 2022

AbstractCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is the illness caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). Over 500 million confirmed cases of COVID‐19 have been recorded, with six million deaths. Thus, reducing the COVID‐19‐related medical burden is an unmet need. Despite a vaccine that is successful in preventing COVID‐19‐caused death, effective medication to relieve COVID‐19‐associated symptoms and alleviate disease progression is still in high demand. In particular, one in three COVID‐19 patients have signs of long COVID syndrome and are termed, long haulers. At present, there are no effective ways to treat long haulers. In this study, we determine the effectiveness of inhibiting mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MEK) signaling in preventing SARS‐CoV‐2‐induced lung damage in mice. We showed that phosphorylation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase, a marker for MEK activation, is high in SARS‐CoV‐2‐infected lung tissues of mice and humans. We also showed that selumetinib, a specific inhibitor of the upstream MEK kinases, reduces cell proliferation, reduces lung damage following SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, and prolongs the survival of the infected mice. Selumetinib has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat cancer. Further analysis indicates that amphiregulin, an essential upstream molecule, was upregulated following SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. Our data suggest that MEK signaling activation represents a target for therapeutic intervention strategies against SARS‐CoV‐2‐induced lung damage and that selumetinib may be repurposed to treat COVID‐19.
Inter‐Rater Reliability of Thyroid Ultrasound Risk Criteria: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Staibano Phillip , Ham Jennifer , Chen Jennifer , Zhang Han , Gupta Michael K. 
Published: August 2022

ObjectiveThe most commonly employed diagnostic criteria for identifying thyroid nodules include Thyroid Imaging and Reporting Data System (TI‐RADS) and American Thyroid Association (ATA) guidelines. The purpose of this systematic review and meta‐analysis is to determine the inter‐rater reliability of thyroid ultrasound criteria.MethodsWe performed a library search of MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), and Web of Science for full‐text articles published from January 2005 to June 2022. We included full‐text primary research articles that used TI‐RADS and/or ATA guidelines to evaluate thyroid nodules in adults. These included studies must have calculated inter‐rater reliability using any validated metric. The Quality Appraisal for Reliability Studies (QAREL) was used to assess study quality. We planned for a random‐effects meta‐analysis, in addition to covariate and publication bias analyses. This study was performed in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for a Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis guidelines and registered prior to conduction (International prospective register of systematic reviews—PROSPERO: CRD42021275072).ResultsOf the 951 articles identified via the database search, 35 met eligibility criteria. All studies were observational. The most commonly utilized criteria were ACR Thyroid Imaging and Reporting Data System (TI‐RADS) and/or ATA criteria, while the majority of studies employed Κ statistics. For ACR TI‐RADS, the pooled Κ was 0.51 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.42, 0.57; n = 7) while for ATA, the pooled Κ was 0.52 (95% CI: 0.37, 0.67; n = 3). Due to the small number of studies, covariate or publication bias analyses were not performed.ConclusionUltrasound criteria demonstrate moderate inter‐rater reliability, but these findings are impacted by poor study quality and a lack of standardization. Laryngoscope, 133:485–493, 2023
Operationalizing an integrative socio‐ecological framework in support of global monitoring of land degradation
Authors: Pricope Narcisa G. , Daldegan Gabriel A. , Zvoleff Alex , Mwenda Kevin M. , Noon Monica , Lopez‐Carr David 
Published: August 2022

AbstractDespite sustained global efforts to avoid, reduce, and reverse land degradation, estimates of land degradation nationally and regionally vary considerably. Land degradation reduces agricultural productivity, impacts the provision of vital ecosystem services, and disproportionately affects vulnerable populations. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, through Sustainable Development Goal 15.3, sets out to achieve land degradation neutrality (LDN) by improving the livelihoods of those most affected and building resilience in areas affected by or at risk from degradation. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) leads the charge in creating a spatially explicit framework for monitoring and reporting on LDN goals that countries can integrate into their land planning policies. However, it remains difficult to operationalize the integration of biophysical indicators of land degradation with climatic and socio‐economic indicators to assess the impact of land degradation on vulnerable populations. We present an integrative framework that demonstrates how freely available global geospatial data sets can be leveraged through an open‐source platform (Trends.Earth) to simplify and operationalize monitoring and reporting on progress towards achieving LDN. Then, we summarize a suite of data sets and approaches that can be used to understand and quantify the socio‐ecological interactions between drought, land degradation and population exposed to desertification, land degradation and drought. We discuss how improvements in Earth observation data sets and algorithms will allow UNCCD land‐based progress sub‐indicators (changes in primary productivity, land cover, soil organic carbon, drought, and population exposure) to be computed at enhanced spatial resolutions.
Chemical Cascading Between Polymersomal Nanoreactor Populations
Authors: Altay Yigit , Llopis‐Lorente Antoni , Abdelmohsen Loai K. E. A. , van Hest Jan C.M. 
Published: August 2022

AbstractHarnessing interactions of functional nano‐compartments to generate larger particle assemblies allows studying diverse biological behaviors based on their population states and can lead to the development of smart materials. Herein, thiol‐functionalized polymersome nanoreactors are utilized as responsive organelle‐like nano‐compartments—with inherent capacity to associate into larger aggregates in response to change in the redox state of their environment—to study the kinetics of cascade reactions and explore functions of their collective under different population states. Two nanoreactor populations, glucose oxidase‐ and horseradish peroxidase‐loaded polymersomes, are prepared, and the results of their cascading upon addition of glucose are investigated. The kinetics of resorufin production in associated polymersomes and non‐associated polymersome populations are compared, observing a decreased rate upon association. For the associated populations, faster chemical cascading is found when the two types of nanoreactors are associated in a concerted step, as compared to sequential association. The addition of competing agents such as catalase impacts the communication between non‐associated polymersomes, whereas such an effect is less pronounced for the associated ones. Altogether, the results showcase the impact of collective associations on enzymatic cascading between organelle‐like nanoreactors.
Automorphism invariant measures and weakly generic automorphisms
Authors: Sági Gábor 
Published: August 2022

AbstractLet be a countable ℵ0‐homogeneous structure. The primary motivation of this work is to study different amenability properties of (subgroups of) the automorphism group of ; the secondary motivation is to study the existence of weakly generic automorphisms of . Among others, we present sufficient conditions implying the existence of automorphism invariant probability measures on certain subsets of A and of ; we also present sufficient conditions implying that the theory of is amenable. More concretely, we show that if the set of locally finite automorphisms of is dense (in particular, if has weakly generic tuples of automorphisms of arbitrary finite length), then there exists a finitely additive probability measure μ on the subsets of definable with parameters such that μ is invariant under . Moreover, if is saturated and the set of its locally finite automorphisms is dense (in particular, if is saturated and has weak generics), then the theory of is amenable.
Yeast β‐Glucan Improves Insulin Sensitivity and Hepatic Lipid Metabolism in Mice Humanized with Obese Type 2 Diabetic Gut Microbiota
Authors: Mitchelson Kathleen A. J. , Tran Tam T. T. , Dillon Eugene T. , Vlckova Klara , Harrison Sabine M. , Ntemiri Alexandra , Cunningham Katie , Gibson Irene , Finucane Francis M. , O'Connor Eibhlís M. , Roche Helen M. , O'Toole Paul W. 
Published: August 2022

ScopeGut microbiota alterations are associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Yeast β‐glucans are potential modulators of the innate immune‐metabolic response, by impacting glucose, lipid, and cholesterol homeostasis. The study examines whether yeast β‐glucan interacts differentially with either an obese healthy or obese diabetic gut microbiome, to impact metabolic health through hepatic effects under high‐fat dietary challenge.Methods and resultsMale C57BL/6J mice are pre‐inoculated with gut microbiota from obese healthy (OBH) or obese type 2 diabetic (OBD) subjects, in conjunction with a high‐fat diet (HFD) with/without yeast β‐glucan. OBD microbiome colonization adversely impacts metabolic health compared to OBH microbiome engraftment. OBD mice are more insulin resistant and display hepatic lipotoxicity compared to weight matched OBH mice. Yeast β‐glucan supplementation resolves this adverse metabolic phenotype, coincident with increasing the abundance of health‐related bacterial taxa. Hepatic proteomics demonstrates that OBD microbiome transplantation increases HFD‐induced hepatic mitochondrial dysfunction, disrupts oxidative phosphorylation, and reduces protein synthesis, which are partly reverted by yeast β‐glucan supplementation.ConclusionsHepatic metabolism is adversely affected by OBD microbiome colonization with high‐fat feeding, but partially resolved by yeast β‐glucan. More targeted dietary interventions that encompass the interactions between diet, gut microbiota, and host metabolism may have greater treatment efficacy.
Voxel‐based finite elements with hourglass control in fast Fourier transform‐based computational homogenization
Authors: Schneider Matti 
Published: August 2022

AbstractThe power of fast Fourier transform (FFT)‐based methods in computational micromechanics critically depends on a seamless integration of discretization scheme and solution method. In contrast to solution methods, where options are available that are fast, robust and memory‐efficient at the same time, choosing the underlying discretization scheme still requires the user to make compromises. Discretizations with trigonometric polynomials suffer from spurious oscillations in the solution fields and lead to ill‐conditioned systems for complex porous materials, but come with rather accurate effective properties for finitely contrasted materials. The staggered grid discretization, a finite‐volume scheme, is devoid of bulk artifacts in the solution fields and works robustly for porous materials, but does not handle anisotropic materials in a natural way. Fully integrated finite‐element discretizations share the advantages of the staggered grid, but involve a higher memory footprint, require a higher computational effort due to the increased number of integration points and typically overestimate the effective properties. Most widely used is the rotated staggered grid discretization, which may also be viewed as an underintegrated trilinear finite element discretization, which does not impose restrictions on the constitutive law, has fewer artifacts than Fourier‐type discretizations and leads to rather accurate effective properties. However, this discretization comes with two downsides. For a start, checkerboard artifacts are still present. Second, convergence problems occur for complex porous microstructures. The work at hand introduces FFT‐based solution techniques for underintegrated trilinear finite elements with hourglass control. The latter approach permits to suppress local hourglass modes, which stabilizes the convergence behavior of the solvers for porous materials and removes the checkerboards from the local solution field. Moreover, the hourglass‐control parameter can be adjusted to “soften” the material response compared to fully integrated elements, using only a single integration point for nonlinear analyses at the same time. To be effective, the introduced technology requires a displacement‐based implementation. The article exposes an efficient way for doing so, providing minimal interfaces to the most commonly used solution techniques and the appropriate convergence criterion.
Ghanaian nurses' and midwives' perspectives on technology adoption in nursing and midwifery education
Authors: Adjei Charles Ampong , Adjorlolo Samuel , Kyei Josephine , Ohene Lillian Akorfa , Dzansi Gladys , Acheampong Angela Kwartemaa , Asante Isabella Naana Akyaa , Woolley Philomena , Nyante Felix , Aziato Lydia 
Published: August 2022

AbstractAimThe purpose of this study was to explore the perceived benefits and challenges of online distance education and computer‐based testing (CBT) among registered nurses and midwives in a sample of government‐owned health facilities and health training institutions in Ghana.DesignExploratory descriptive qualitative design.MethodsIndividual semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 45 participants (i.e. 25 nurses and 20 midwives). The data were manually processed and analysed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis approach (November 2019‐February 2020).ResultsNurses and midwives prefer online distance education for three reasons: convenience, cost‐effectiveness and learning centre proximity to the workplace. The course schedule’s flexibility allowed participants to work and study simultaneously. Others acknowledged online distance education as a viable option for overcoming the challenges of obtaining study leave. However, the lack of recognition of certificates by some employers, poor Internet connectivity and perceived excessive course load were noted as deterrents. Regarding the CBT, many of the participants said that it was useful. Among the advantages of CBT are: (1) a decrease in examination malpractices, (2) a decrease in examination costs and (3) a rise in students’ interest in information, communication and technology (ICT). This finding emphasizes the necessity of integrating ICT into nursing and midwifery education and examinations, as well as maximizing its benefits.
Impact of high‐fidelity simulation exposure of nursing students with their objective structured clinical examination: A quasi‐experimental study
Authors: Guerrero Jefferson Garcia , Rosales Niela Sacro , Castro Grace Medalyn Tungpalan 
Published: August 2022

AbstractAimThe study aimed to establish the impact of high‐fidelity simulation (HFS) in the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) of nursing students enrolled in four undergraduate courses (medical‐surgical, critical‐care, maternal‐health and paediatric nursing).DesignThis quasi‐experimental research study was performed during the midterm and final OSCEs of nursing students at the institution, and their OSCE performance was assessed.MethodsThe students were divided into two: those who were exposed to HFS in addition to their clinical training and the other group who underwent clinical training without HFS exposure.ResultsThe combined mean midterm and final OSCE results of the group of nursing students with HFS exposure and those without HFS exposure were 92.58 and 82.66, respectively, with a mean between‐group difference of 9.92% (p < .01). Our findings reveal that the HFS exposure in addition to clinical training enhanced the students' OSCE performance.
The risk of postoperative respiratory complications following adenotonsillar surgery in children with or without obstructive sleep apnea: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Keserű Fanni , Sipos Zoltán , Farkas Nelli , Hegyi Péter , Juhász Márk Félix , Jászai Viktória Adrienn , Párniczky Andrea , Benedek Pálma Edina 
Published: August 2022

AbstractObjectivesObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) appears in 2%–5% of children, with first‐line treatment being adenotonsillar (AT) surgery. Our aim was to examine the risk of postoperative respiratory complications (PoRCs) in non‐OSA and the different OSA severity (mild, moderate, severe) groups.Study DesignWe conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis of studies comparing PoRCs following AT surgery in children with and without OSA.MethodsNineteen observational studies were identified with the same search key used in MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL. The connection between PoRCs, the presence and severity of OSA, and additional comorbidities were examined. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CI).ResultsWe found that PoRCs appeared more frequently in moderate (p = 0.048, OR: 1.79, CI [1.004, 3.194]) and severe OSA (p = 0.002, OR: 4.06, CI [1.68, 9.81]) compared to non‐OSA patients. No significant difference was detected in the appearance of major complications (p = 0.200, OR: 2.14, CI [0.67, 6.86]) comparing OSA and non‐OSA populations. No significant difference was observed in comorbidities (p = 0.669, OR: 1.29, CI [0.40, 4.14]) or in the distribution of PoRCs (p = 0.904, OR: 0.94, CI [0.36, 2.45]) between the two groups.ConclusionUniform guidelines and a revision of postoperative monitoring are called for as children with moderate and severe OSA are more likely to develop PoRCs following AT surgery based on our results, but no significant difference was found in mild OSA. Furthermore, the presence of OSA alone is not associated with an increased risk of developing major complications.
Of problems and opportunities—How to treat and how to not treat crystallographic fragment screening data
Authors: Weiss Manfred S. , Wollenhaupt Jan , Correy Galen J. , Fraser James S. , Heine Andreas , Klebe Gerhard , Krojer Tobias , Thunissen Marjolein , Pearce Nicholas M. 
Published: August 2022

AbstractIn their recent commentary in Protein Science, Jaskolski et al. analyzed three randomly picked diffraction data sets from fragment‐screening group depositions from the PDB and, based on that, they claimed that such data are principally problematic. We demonstrate here that if such data are treated properly, none of the proclaimed criticisms persist.
Molecular proof for Lophomonas infection in a patient with history of breast cancer
Authors: Shafahi Ahmad , Sharifpour Ali , Ghadirzadeh Erfan , Taheri Amirmasoud , Fakhar Mahdi , Soleymani Mostafa 
Published: August 2022

AbstractWe report a 52‐year‐old patient with a history of breast cancer (BC) referred to the clinic of Afzalipour Hospital, in Kerman, eastern Iran, with a 1‐week complaint of restless dyspnea. A chest computed tomography scan revealed consolidations in the upper lobes of both lungs. The patient had no history of smoking or underlying diseases that would predispose her to consolidation, including pneumonia. Then, bronchoscopy was performed for the patient, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was sent to the Iranian National Registry Center, where the Lophomonas parasite was detected in the sample and confirmed using a polymerase chain reaction test. Finally, her symptoms improved by receiving oral metronidazole three times a day for 3 weeks.