bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Liver-to-portal vein ratio for evaluating liver function in Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging: what we should know?
Authors: Wang Chao , Yuan Xiaodong , Wu Ning , Sun Weirong , Tian Yuan 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
Background
To investigate the clinical value of liver-to-portal ratio (LPR) on adequate hepatobiliary phase (HBP) defined by 2016 Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology (ESGAR) consensus statement to assess liver function.
Methods
Between March 2020 and February 2022, a total of 115 subjects with liver disease were referred by physicians for Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were prospectively enrolled in the study. Eighty of the 115 subjects were cirrhotic, then all subjects were divided into 4 subgroups according to Child-Pugh (C-P) classification (non-cirrhosis: 35, C-P A: 30, C-P B: 35, C-P C: 15). Two radiologists used 4-point scale to determine the adequate HBP for all subjects, and the LPR on adequate HBP was calculated by other two radiologists. Spearman rank correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between C-P classification and LPR on adequate HBP. The differences in delay time and LPR on adequate HBP among four subgroups were analyzed by One-way ANOVA and Dunnett’s multiple comparisons. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and κ-statistics were used to test the consistency of measurements and HBP adequacy between radiologists, respectively.
Results
The correlation between the delay time of adequate HBP and liver function was positive (r = 0.802, P < 0.01), while the LPR decreased with severity of cirrhosis (r = -0.562, P < 0.01). the difference in delay time and LPR were significant among four subgroups (P < 0.01), however, the LPR on adequate HBP between C-P B subgroup and C-P C subgroup wasn’t statistically significant (P > 0.05). ICC = 0.93 (95%Cl: 0.92–0.94) and κ-value (0.87) demonstrated that the measurements and interpretation of HBP were good between radiologists.
Conclusions
Prolonged delay time benefits patients with cirrhosis to obtain adequate HBP, and the LPR decreases with the severity of cirrhosis, however the downward trend of LPR is attenuated with more severe liver impairment. The efficacy of LPR on adequate HBP to assess moderate-to-severe cirrhosis decreased.
Effect of UV-C treatments followed by storage on the storability characteristics of sesame (Sesamum indicum) seeds
Authors: Hassan. Amro 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
In this study, UV-C doses 0, 2.5, 5.0 and 10 kJ.m− 2 were applied to investigate the changes in the storability characteristics during the storage of sesame seeds. The fungal growth, aflatoxin content, water activity, colour parameters (L*, a*, b* values, and ΔE) and free fatty acid content were evaluated. The fungal growth, water activity, and L* values were found less in the UV-C treated sesame than in control samples in both fresh and stored samples. However, these doses increased (p < 0.05) a* and b* values and the free fatty acid of the sesame seeds. The Partial Least Squares regression analysis stated that the application of 5.0 kJ.m− 2 followed by 6 months of storage reflects the most valid treatment doses for UV-C treatments of sesame seeds. Consequently, potentially afford effective and rapid quarantine security as an alternative to chemical fumigation protocol to extend the shelf life and enhance the storability characteristics of sesame seeds.
Prognostic impact of pretreatment T790M mutation on outcomes for patients with resected, EGFR-mutated, non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Matsumoto Yoshiya , Kawaguchi Tomoya , Watanabe Masaru , Isa Shun-ichi , Ando Masahiko , Tamiya Akihiro , Kubo Akihito , Kitagawa Chiyoe , Yoshimoto Naoki , Koh Yasuhiro 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
Background: Many previous studies have demonstrated that minor-frequency pretreatment T790M mutation (preT790M) could be detected by ultrasensitive methods in a considerable number of treatment-naïve, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases. However, the impact of preT790M in resected cases on prognosis remains unclear.Methods: We previously reported that preT790M could be detected in 298 (79.9%) of 373 surgically resected, EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients. Therefore, we investigated the impact of preT790M on recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in this cohort by multivariate analysis. All patients were enrolled from July 2012 to December 2013, with follow-up until November 30, 2017.Results: The median follow-up time was 48.6 months. Using a cutoff value of the median preT790M allele frequency, the high-preT790M group (n=151) had significantly shorter RFS (hazard ratio [HR]=1.51, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-2.25, P=0.045) and a tendency for a shorter OS (HR=1.87, 95% CI: 0.99–3.55, P=0.055) than the low-preT790M group (n=222). On multivariate analysis, higher preT790M was independently associated with shorter RFS (high vs low, HR=1.56, 95% CI: 1.03-2.36, P=0.035), irrespective of advanced stage, older age, and male sex, and was also associated with shorter OS (high vs low, HR=2.16, 95% CI: 1.11-4.20, P=0.024) irrespective of advanced stage, older age, EGFR mutation subtype, and history of adjuvant chemotherapy.Conclusions: Minor-frequency, especially high-abundance of, preT790M was an independent factor associated with a poor prognosis in patients with surgically resected, EGFR-mutated NSCLC.
Ascophyllum nodosum algae-based biostimulant mitigates heat stress in soybean
Authors: Repke Rodrigo Alberto , Silva Dayane Mércia Ribeiro , Santos Jania Claudia Camilo dos , Silva Marcelo de Almeida 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
Heat stress is one of the environmental factors that most limit soybean productivity (Glycine max (L.) Merrill). The use of biostimulants based on Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) seaweed extract can mitigate the effects of heat stress. Therefore, the effects on the morphological, physiological, biochemical and productive variables of soybean grown at high temperature and under exogenous application of biostimulant based on seaweed was investigated in this research. The results showed that the application of 1 L ha-1 of the biostimulant increased the tolerance of soybean plants to heat stress, as it increased the rate of CO2 assimilation, stomatal conductance, the rate of transpiration and carboxylation efficiency, in addition to reducing leaf temperature, but did not influence the efficiency of water use and relative chlorophyll content (SPAD index). In addition, the application of the biostimulant increased the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase; and maintained the activity of peroxidase and reductase nitrate, as well as the proline concentration. Furthermore, the foliar application of the biostimulant improved the biometric and production characteristics, resulting in greater productivity. Based on these beneficial properties, the biostimulant based on algae extract at a dose of 1 L ha-1 proved to be effective in alleviating the adverse effects of heat stress in soybeans.
External application of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells in hyaluronic acid gel repairs foot wound of type I and type II diabetic rats through paracrine action mode
Authors: Chen Jingan , Liu Yi , Zhang Jingwen , Liang Haowei , Li Ting , Yan Li , Zhou Li , Shan Letian , Wang Hui 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
Background: Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a main complication of diabetes mellitus with high rate of amputation and low rate of therapeutic success. External application of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) provides a new therapeutic option to treat DFU and avoids the drawbacks of injective MSCs therapy. In this study, human umbilical cord-derived MSCs-hyaluronic acid gel (hucMSCs-HA gel) was developed for evaluating the external efficacy of MSCs on DFU, and its paracrine mode of action was explored by using hucMSCs-conditional medium (MSC-CM). Methods: In vivo, type I and type II diabetic rat models were established and received hucMSCs-HA gel external treatment, and histopathological staining (HE and Masson) and immunohistochemical analysis were conducted. In vitro, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and human skin fibroblasts (HSFs) were exposed to high glucose and received MSC-CM treatment, and the assays of cell viability, wound healing, transwell migration, tube formation, cell senescence, reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA) detection, qRT-PCR, and Western blot were conducted. The in vivo data indicated that hucMSCs-HA gel accelerated DFU healing in both type I and type II diabetic rats by improving re-epithelialization, collagen deposition, and angiogenesis, in which hucMSCs played a major role in the gel. Results: The in vitro data demonstrated that MSC-CM not only improved cell viability, wound healing, migration, tube formation, and cell senescence of HUVECs, but also promoted cell viability, accelerated wound healing, and reduced ROS and MDA production of HSFs, suggesting a paracrine mode of action of hucMSCs in treatment of DFU. Moreover, MSC-CM significantly restored the abnormal expressions of pro-inflammatory and antiangiogenic genes (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, ET-1 and p16) and proliferative protein (PCNA) of HUVECs, and also restored the pro-fibrotic and antioxidant genes (COL1A1, COL3A1, COL4A1, SOD1 and SOD2) and proteins (PCNA and COL1) of HSFs. Conclusions: These results suggested that hucMSCs-HA gel facilitated DFU healing of type I and type II diabetic rats mainly through paracrine actions on HUVECs and HSFs. This study provided new insights into MSCs therapy and a promising therapeutic strategy for the clinical treatment of DFU.
A nomogram for predicting node-positive disease in muscle-invasive bladder cancer
Authors: Wu Jie , Shang Bingqing , Xie Ruiyang , Guan Youyan , Bi Xingang , Shou Jianzhong , Shi Hongzhe 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
Background: Non-metastatic muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) with lymph node (LN) metastasis is an aggressive disease with a poor prognosis. This study aimed to investigate risk factors for node-positive disease (pN+) and develop a nomogram to predict the likelihood of LN metastases in MIBC patients using a large population-based cancer database. Methods: Data of all patients with non-metastatic MIBC from 2004 to 2015 were retrieved from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and analyzed retrospectively. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent risk factors of pN+ to develop nomogram. Predictive nomogram was carried out with R software to identify the LN involvement. The performance of the nomogram model was evaluated by calibration slope and receiving operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: A total of 12,269 non-metastatic MIBC patients in the SEER database were included. Larger tumor size, overlapping lesion, young age, female, poorly differentiated histological grade, and advanced T stage, are independent risk factors for pN+. We integrated the above variables into the models. The area under the curve (AUC) of ROC curve was 0.704. We separated non-metastatic MIBC patients into three groups according to the risk classification system of the likelihood of LN metastases, in which intermediate or high risk for LN metastases might not be good candidates for bladder preservation. Conclusions: We performed the first accurate nomogram with clinical and oncological variables for LN involvement of non-metastatic MIBC patients, which might help clinicians in patient risk stratification and outcome estimation.
Enablers and Barriers to Adequate Complementary Feeding (CF) Practices in Pakistan; Secondary Analysis of Formative Research on National CF Assessment (NCFA)
Authors: Shuja Saba , Khan Wisal , Mahmood Hana , Kiani Hira , Sheraz Syed Yahya , Ategbo Eric Alain 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
Background
Malnutrition among children continues to be one of the major public health problems globally with majority of cases residing in Asia. Within this region, Pakistan is among the countries with the highest burden of child malnutrition as 28.9% children are underweight, 40.2% are stunted and 17.7% suffer from wasting. Among the key contributors towards malnutrition in early years of life, inappropriate breastfeeding and complementary feeding (CF) practices are most appropriate There is a need to explore the factors responsible for poor feeding practices to address the gaps for designing evidence-based interventions focusing on social, cultural, and economic aspects of CF practices.We, therefore, aimed to understand how the cultural and social context in Pakistan influences the CF practices and the key social, cultural and economic drivers of change that need to be considered when shaping future policies and development interventions.
Methods
We conducted secondary analysis on the qualitative data collected through formative research as a part of the National CF Assessment (NCFA) conducted in 2018 across Pakistan by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Pakistani Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination (MoNHSR&C). In-depth interviews and focus group discussions conducted with mothers and fathers of children aged 6 to 23 months were included in the analysis. Framework analysis approach was applied to analyze the data.
Results
Financial barriers included limited finances and unemployment of the father, cultural barriers included restricted female mobility, heavy workload on mothers and dietary misconceptions whereas large family size, inaccess to food, inadequate knowledge and poor perception on CF, use of shelf foods, preference of child to certain foods, and harsh environmental conditions were reported as social barriers. Financial enablers included sound economic conditions of the household whereas joint family system, multiple sources of income, kitchen gardening, home based poultry, counseling by lady health workers and health care providers were among the social enablers.
Conclusion
Considering CF practices in Pakistan are inadequate therefore strategies are to be put on removing barriers to adequate CF. This can only be achieved if efforts are indicated from the policy level down to the community.
Prescription Practices and Rational drug use in a tertiary care teaching hospital using the World Health Organization core drug use indicators: A prospective pilot study.
Authors: Chenchula Santenna , G Rupesh , R Padmavathi , G Sunilkumar 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
Introduction: Rational drug prescribing is an important aspect of drug prescribing which helps in safe and efficacious and cost-effective drug treatment to patients. WHO Prescription indicators are intended to evaluate the services provided to the population concerning rational use of medicines.To study the prescription practices and rational drug use in the department of Internal medicine, using the WHO prescribing indicators in a tertiary care teaching institute of national importance,Methods and Material: The present OPD based prescription audit pilot study was carried out in the department of internal medicine, in an institute of national importance, Central India.A total of 50 prescriptions were digitally photographed and analysed for prescription practices and rational drug use, using standard WHO core prescribing indicators. A total of 301 drugs with multiple and diverse diagnoses. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 22 version.Results: The average number of drugs per prescription was 3.48%. It was found that only 13.79% of prescriptions have generic names, whereas 27.58% of patient encounters had at least one drug from the NLEM, 6.8% of prescriptions have antibiotics and 0.7% prescriptions were injections. The number of prescriptions with FDC was 27.55%. Conclusion: Many prescriptions were not met the WHO core drug indicators criteria in EML, FDC and also in prescribing with the generic name. Hence, we will suggest regular prescription audit practices and conducting CMEs and training workshops for clinicians for rational use of medicines in all healthcare settings to succeed in the rational use of medicine.
Visceral adipose index as a predictor of new-onset diabetes and cardiovascular events in a geriatric community
Authors: Liaw Fang yih , Pei Dee , Chen Yen Lin , Kao Tung Wei , Chen Fang Yu , Huang Li Ying 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
BackgroundAbdominal obesity presents a higher risk of developing diabetes and future cardiovascular events. The Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI) can be an indicator of adipose distribution and function. This study aimed to evaluate VAI as a predictor of new-onset T2DM and cardiovascular events in the geriatric population.MethodCommunity-dwelling elderly adults ages 60–80 received regular health examinations in a privately owned chain of clinics in Taiwan between 1999 and 2008. VAI was calculated with anthropometric measures and biochemical investigations. Longitudinal analyses were performed to examine whether VAI could predict T2DM and cardiovascular events. The relationships between VAI and predicted T2DM and cardiovascular events among elderly adults were analyzed in sexes separately in quartile-based analyses.ResultThe study population consisted of 39,590 geriatric patients recruited and the mean age was 65.38 ± 5.09 years. Participants with T2DM had significantly higher VAI (P-values < 0.05). Different subgroups based on sex and VAI quartiles were divided. The median length of follow-up was 8.5 years. The highest VAI level was associated with a significantly higher risk of T2DM compared with the lowest VAI in males (multivariate-adjusted HR 1.77; 95% CI 1.25–2.5; P = 0.001) and females (multivariate-adjusted HR 1.56; 95% CI 1.12–2.15; P = 0.008). The highest VAI quartile was associated with a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular events only in the unadjusted models in males (unadjusted HR 1.65; 95% CI 1.3–2.09; P < 0.001) and females (unadjusted HR 1.69; 95% CI 1.3–2.09, P < 0.001). No association was noted between the VAI quartile and the risk of cardiovascular events after multivariate adjustments.ConclusionWe evaluate the association between VAI and new-onset T2DM and cardiovascular events in the Taiwanese geriatric population. Older adults with higher VAI had a higher incidence of new-onset T2DM after adjusting for covariates. Higher VAI was also associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular events; however, there was no significant difference between the sexes after adjusting for covariates. The risk of VAT accumulation increases with age and affects health. Treatments aimed at depleting VAT should be considered to reduce the risk of diseases.Trial registrationRretrospectively registered
Fast and Accurate Bayesian Polygenic Risk Modeling with Variational Inference
Authors: Zabad Shadi , Gravel Simon , Li Yue 
Published: May 2022

Abstract

The recent proliferation of large scale genome-wide association studies (GWASs) has motivated the development of statistical methods for phenotype prediction using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array data. These polygenic risk score (PRS) methods formulate the task of polygenic prediction in terms of a multiple linear regression framework, where the goal is to infer the joint effect sizes of all genetic variants on the trait. Among the subset of PRS methods that operate on GWAS summary statistics, sparse Bayesian methods have shown competitive predictive ability. However, existing Bayesian approaches employ Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms for posterior inference, which are computationally inefficient and do not scale favorably with the number of SNPs included in the analysis. Here, we introduce Variational Inference of Polygenic Risk Scores (VIPRS), a Bayesian summary statistics-based PRS method that utilizes Variational Inference (VI) techniques to efficiently approximate the posterior distribution for the effect sizes. Our experiments with genome-wide simulations and real phenotypes from the UK Biobank (UKB) dataset demonstrated that variational approximations to the posterior are competitively accurate and highly efficient. When compared to state-of-the-art PRS methods, VIPRS consistently achieves the best or second best predictive accuracy in our analyses of 18 simulation configurations as well as 12 real phenotypes measured among the UKB participants of ``White British'' background. This performance advantage was higher among individuals from other ethnic groups, with an increase in R-squared of up to 1.7-fold among participants of Nigerian ancestry for Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Furthermore, given its computational efficiency, we applied VIPRS to a dataset of up to 10 million genetic markers, an order of magnitude greater than the standard HapMap3 subset used to train existing PRS methods. Modeling this expanded set of variants conferred modest improvements in prediction accuracy for a number of highly polygenic traits, such as standing height.
Genetic mapping, transcriptomic sequencing and metabolic profiling indicated a glutathione S-transferase is responsible for the red-spot-petals in Gossypium arboreum
Authors: Zhang Sujun , Chen Jie , Jiang Tao , Cai Xiao , Wang Haitao , Liu Cunjing , Tang Liyuan , Li Xinghe , Zhang Xiangyun , Zhang Jianhong 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
Colored petal spots are correlated with insect pollination efficiency in Gossypium species. However, molecular mechanisms concerning the formation of red spots on Gossypium arboreum flowers remain elusive. In the current study, the Shixiya1-R (SxyR, with red spots) × Shixiya1-W (SxyW, without red spots) segregating population was utilized to determine that the red-spot-petal phenotype was levered by a single dominant locus. This phenotype was expectedly related to the anthocyanin metabolites, wherein the cyanidin and delphinidin derivatives constituted the major partition. Subsequently, this dominant locus was narrowed to a 3.27 Mb range on chromosome 7 by genomic resequencing from the two parents and the two segregated progeny bulks that have spotted petals or not. Furthermore, differential expressed genes generated from the two bulks at either of three sequential flower developmental stages that spanning the spot formation were intersected with the annotated ones that allocated to the 3.27 Mb interval, which returned eight genes. A glutathione S-transferase-coding gene (Gar07G08900) out of the eight was the only one that exhibited simultaneously differential expression among all three developmental stages, and it was therefore considered to be the probable candidate. Finally, functional validation upon this candidate was achieved by the appearance of scattered petal spots with inhibited expression of Gar07G08900. In conclusion, the current report identified a key gene for the red spotted petal in G. arboretum under the scope of multi-omics approaches, such efforts and embedded molecular resources would benefit future applications underlying the flower color trait in cotton.