bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
US Accreditation as a World-Class Education Quality Indicator
Authors: Parscale Steve , Reams Lester C. , Andrienko-Genin Tatiana 
Published: August 2022

On the turning point of European and world history, it is extremely important to unveil and effectively utilize the potential of effective high-quality education to make the future better for generations to come. Higher education quality management through accreditation has a long history of development in the United States, and time-proven standards, stimulating accredited institutions to continually improve academic quality.
The concepts, systems, principles and practices of accreditation arouse in the United States out of the need to meet the demands for quality, and evolved over decades, to form a coherent set of standards and frameworks of continuous improvement in all meaningful directions of the educational institutions’ life, striving for teaching excellence and high learning outcomes. At present, accreditation principles and processes, as exemplified by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) programmatic accreditation, are implemented in the US and numerous countries of the world, to ensure high standard and continuous improvement of business education quality, to raise the competitiveness of educational institutions in response to the expectations of public (primarily, students and their families), governments, employers, universities/colleges, academics, and broader communities.
This study establishes the correlation of the quality management system via ACBSP accreditation with the continuous improvement of business education quality. This study also provides statistical evidence that the application of quality management principles at institutions of higher education with accredited business programs did result in the association with enhanced student learning outcomes.
Higher education quality management leads to higher employability of the institution’s graduates. Since the quality of education is crucial for the country’s economic growth and prosperity, the business education institutions and programs in Ukraine and other Central and Eastern European and Eurasian countries may benefit from implementing quality management through ACBSP accreditation for their undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate (doctoral) business programs, to satisfy ever-rising expectations of candidates for top managerial and leadership positions.
The research suggests that 51% of the institutions of higher education with business programs in the United States, and 93% of the institutions of higher education worldwide could benefit from implementing accreditation principles and processes to maintain and enhance their education quality and competitiveness in the world business education market, for the sake of highest recognition of their graduates’ diploma on the global job markets and significant increase of their employability.
Lithium Benzoate Exerts Neuroprotective Effect by Improving Mitochondrial Function, Attenuating Reactive Oxygen Species, and Protecting Cognition and Memory in an Animal Model of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Lu Lu-Ping , Chang Wei-Hua , Huang Jing-Jia , Tan Peng , Tsai Guochuan Emil 
Published: August 2022

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disease affecting many cellular pathways, including protein aggregation, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress (OS), and neuroinflammation. Currently, no effective treatment for AD exists. Objective: We aim to determine the effect of lithium benzoate (LiBen) in protecting neurons from amyloid-β (Aβ) or other neurotoxin insults. Methods: Primary rat cortical neurons co-treated with neurotoxins and LiBen were used to examine its effect in cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) clearance, and mitochondrial functions by MTT, CellRox fluorescence staining, and seahorse assay. Then, Barnes maze and prepulse inhibition test were performed in APP/PS1 mice that received chronic LiBen treatment to assess its effect on cognitive protection. Oral bioavailability of LiBen was also assessed by pharmacokinetic study in rat plasma. Results: In this study, we discovered that LiBen can attenuate cellular ROS level, improve mitochondrial function, increase cell viability against multiple different insults of mitochondrial dysfunction, Aβ accumulation, and neuroinflammation, and promote neurogenesis. We demonstrated that LiBen has advantages over lithium or sodium benzoate alone as LiBen displays superior neuroprotective efficacy and oral bioavailability than the other two agents when being applied either alone or in combination. Furthermore, chronic administration of LiBen showed protection for cognition as well as spatial memory and reduced the senile plaque deposition in brains of AD animal models. Conclusion: LiBen stands as a promising therapeutic agent for improving cognition and delaying the progression of AD.
Triple negative breast cancer and reconstruction: Predictors of recurrence, complications, and mortality
Authors: Sogunro Olutayo , Sayyed Adaah A. , Aminpour Nathan , Towfighi Parhom , Maini Mansi , Masanam Monika , Deldar Romina , Murray Allison , De La Cruz Lucy , Greenwalt Ian , Son Jennifer D. 
Published: August 2022

BACKGROUND: Only 42% of all breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy elect for breast reconstruction. OBJECTIVE: We evaluate factors impacting complications, recurrence, and mortality in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients undergoing reconstruction. METHODS: Reconstructive TNBC patients at a single institution from 2010 to 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Patient demographics, cancer characteristics, reconstruction choice, and complications were collected. Statistical significance was defined at p < 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 131 patients were identified. Average age was 47.8 years, 50.4% were Caucasian and 36.4% were African American. Most patients had invasive ductal carcinoma (90.8%), and most underwent nipple-sparing (41.2%) or skin-sparing (38.9%) mastectomies. Twenty-one patients (16.0%) experienced postoperative complications. Patients with complications tended to be older (52.1 versus 46.9 years, p = 0.052). At mean follow-up of 52.1 months, 14.5% experienced cancer recurrence and 5.3% died. Deceased patients were significantly younger at diagnosis (42.2 versus 48.5 years, p = 0.008) and had a lower BMI compared to surviving patients (21.2 versus 26.9 kg/m2; p = 0.014). Patients younger than age 45 years had higher Ki-67 than those older than 45 years (80.0% versus 60.0%, p = 0.013). Outcomes in autologous- versus implant-based reconstruction were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: In TNBC post-mastectomy reconstruction patients, age and BMI were predictors of mortality while race, smoking history, reconstruction choice, or type of implant-based reconstruction had no significant effect on these outcomes. SYNOPSIS: The purpose of this study is to evaluate factors that impact complications, recurrence, and mortality in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients undergoing reconstruction. We identified BMI, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and age as predictors of complications, recurrence, and mortality in TNBC.
Comprehensive analysis of GINS subunits prognostic value and ceRNA network in sarcoma
Authors: Zhou Chuqiao , Chen Zhuoyuan , Xiao Bo , Xiang Cheng , Li Aoyu , Zhao Ziyue , Li Hui 
Published: August 2022

Background: The GINS complex, composed of GINS1/2/3/4 subunits, is an essential structure of Cdc45-MCM-GINS (CMG) helicase and plays a vital role in establishing the DNA replication fork and chromosome replication. Meanwhile, GINS genes have been associated with the poor prognosis of various malignancies. However, the abnormal expression of GINS genes and their diagnostic and prognostic value in sarcomas (SARC) remain unclear.Methods: Oncomine, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), Kaplan-Meier Plotter, Cancer cell line encyclopedia (CCLE), The University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer Data Analysis Portal (UALCAN), R studio, and Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) were used to analyze the expression profiles, prognostic value, biological function, ceRNA, and immune infiltration associated with GINS genes in sarcomas.Results: We found that GINS1/2/3/4 genes exhibited significantly upregulated transcription levels in SARC samples compared to non-tumor tissues and exhibited high expression levels in sarcoma cell lines. In addition, SARC patients with increased expression levels of GINS1/2/3/4 showed poorer survival rates. Immune infiltration analysis showed that GINS subunits were closely associated with the infiltration of immune cells in sarcomas.Conclusion: Our research identified GINS subunits as potential diagnostic and prognostic biological targets in SARC and elucidated their underlying effects in the genesis and progression of SARC. These results may provide new opportunities and research directions for targeted sarcoma therapy.
Impact of Iron oxide nanoparticles on sustainable production of biogas through anaerobic co-digestion of chicken waste and wastewater
Authors: Al Bkoor Alrawashdeh Khalideh , Al-Zboon Kamel K. , Rabadi Said Al , Gul Eid , AL-Samrraie La’aly A. , Ali Rabia , Al-Tabbal Jalal A. 
Published: August 2022

As The effect of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) on the anaerobic co-digestion (AD) of olive mill wastewater and chicken manure was investigated. In mesophilic conditions, biogas yield, methane (CH4) content, the removal efficiency of TS, VS., acidification and hydrolysis percentage, and contaminant removal efficiency were investigated. Supplementing AD with IONPs at a concentration of 20 mg/g VS. &gt; IONPs and INOPs &gt;30 mg/g VS. causes an inhibitor impact on biogas, methane generation, and hydrolysis. Furthermore, implantation with 20–30 mg of IONPs/kg VS. has induced an equivalent favorable impact, with hydrolysis percentages reaching roughly 7.2%–15.1% compared to the control test, in addition to a 1.3%–4.2% enhancement in methane generation yield. The maximum acidification concentration after five days of the incubation of 1,084, 9,463, and 760 g/L was attained with IONPs dosages of 25, 30, and 20 mg/g VS., respectively, compared to 713 g/L obtained with the control test. The results have illustrated that supplementing AD with a specific concentration of IONPs (20–30 mg/g VS.) has a significant effect and enhances the inhibitor removal efficiency, most possibly due to the small surface area of IONP particles. The resultant increase in the active surface area enhances the enzyme diffusion within the substrate. This study provides new data specifying the enhancement of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) and identifies the impact of IONP doses at various concentrations on the AD of olive mill wastewater and chicken waste.
Laboratory investigation and evaluation of the hydraulic fracturing of marine shale considering multiple geological and engineering factors
Authors: Wang Lei , Zhou Jun , Guo Yintong , Song Xuehang , Guo Wuhao 
Published: August 2022

Hydraulic fracturing is widely implemented in the exploration of marine shale gas. Affected by various geological and engineering factors, gas production after stimulation is not always satisfactory. To reveal the influential effect of multiple factors, laboratory hydraulic fracturing experiments are performed on Longmaxi marine shales by considering key parameters (deviatoric stress, confining pressure, pumping rate, fracturing fluid type, and bedding angle). The variation of breakdown pressures and the characteristics of hydraulic fractures are recorded and analyzed. The results show that the breakdown pressure increases with increasing deviatoric stress, confining pressure, pumping rate, and viscosity of the fracturing fluid. As the bedding angle varies from 0° to 90°, the breakdown pressure declines first and increases again. Furthermore, parameter sensitivity analysis indicates that geological factors (confining pressure, bedding angle, and deviatoric stress) would largely determine the breakdown pressure, while engineering factors (pumping rate, fracturing fluid type) could only affect it to a lesser extent. Computed tomography measurements show that natural fractures, originating from tectonic shear failure, could possess greater width than tension-dominated hydraulic and bedding fractures. Statistical analysis shows that the length of the hydraulic fractures alone is only approximately 150 mm. However, the fully activated natural and/or bedding fractures could help substantially increase the total fracture length to 600 mm. Low deviatoric stress, low confining pressure, low viscous slick-water, and high bedding angle are conducive to activating natural and bedding fractures and forming a complex fracture network. The aforementioned findings are valuable for the optimal design of field hydraulic fracturing.
Fine-scale differences in eukaryotic communities inside and outside salmon aquaculture cages revealed by eDNA metabarcoding
Authors: Turon Marta , Nygaard Magnus , Guri Gledis , Wangensteen Owen S. , Præbel Kim 
Published: August 2022

Aquaculture impacts on marine benthic ecosystems are widely recognized and monitored. However, little is known about the community changes occurring in the water masses surrounding aquaculture sites. In the present study, we studied the eukaryotic communities inside and outside salmonid aquaculture cages through time to assess the community changes in the neighbouring waters of the farm. Water samples were taken biweekly over five months during the production phase from inside the cages and from nearby points located North and South of the salmon farm. Eukaryotic communities were analyzed by eDNA metabarcoding of the partial COI Leray-XT fragment. The results showed that eukaryotic communities inside the cages were significantly different from those in the outside environment, with communities inside the cages having higher diversity values and more indicator species associated with them. This is likely explained by the appearance of fouling species that colonize the artificial structures, but also by other species that are attracted to the cages by other means. Moreover, these effects were highly localized inside the cages, as the communities identified outside the cages, both North and South, had very similar eukaryotic composition at each point in time. Overall, the eukaryotic communities, both inside and outside the cages, showed similar temporal fluctuations through the summer months, with diversity peaks occurring at the end of July, beginning of September, and in the beginning of November, with the latter showing the highest Shannon diversity and richness values. Hence, our study suggests that seasonality, together with salmonid aquaculture, are the main drivers of eukaryotic community structure in surface waters surrounding the farm.
RUNX regulated immune-associated genes predicts prognosis in breast cancer
Authors: Fu Jingyue , Sun Handong , Xu Feng , Chen Rui , Wang Xinyang , Ding Qiang , Xia Tiansong 
Published: August 2022

Background: Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in women. RUNX family has been involved in the regulation of different carcinogenic processes and signaling pathways with cancer, which is closely related to immunity and prognosis of various tumors, and also plays an important role in the development and prognosis of breast cancer.Methods: We discovered the expression of RUNX family through GEPIA Dataset and then evaluated the relationship between RUNX family and immune-related genes and the prognosis of breast cancer through analyzing TCGA database. A prognostic model was established and verified via cox proportional hazards regression model using R packages. We evaluated the accuracy of the prognostic model by Kaplan-Meier curves and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Additionally, we obtained the relationship between the RUNX family and immune infiltration by TIMER database. Finally, the dual luciferase reporter assay was used to verify the regulation of RUNX3 on potential target genes ULBP2 and TRDV1, and the effects of ULBP2 and TRDV1 on the growth of breast cancer cells were explored by CCK-8, colony formation and wound healing assays.Results: We screened out RUNX family-regulated immune-related genes associated with the prognosis of breast cancer. These predictors included PSME2, ULBP2, IL-18, TSLP, NPR3, TRDV1. Then a prognosis-related risk score model was built using the independent risk factors to provide a clinically appropriate method predicting the overall survival (OS) probability of the patients with breast cancer. In addition, a further research was made on the functions of high risk immune gene ULBP2 and low risk immune gene TRDV1 which regulated by RUNX3, the results showed that down-regulation of ULBP2 suppressed breast cancer cell proliferation and TRDV1 had the opposite functions. The prognostic model we constructed could promote the development of prognostic, and was associated with lower immune infiltration.Conclusion: The expression of RUNX family was closely related to the prognosis of breast cancer. At the same time, RUNX family could modulate the functions of immune-related genes, and affect the development and prognosis of breast cancer. These immune-related genes regulated by RUNX family could be promising prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in breast cancer.
Sintilimab combined with apatinib plus capecitabine in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A prospective, open-label, single-arm, phase II clinical study
Authors: Li Dailong , Xu Lu , Ji Jinxing , Bao Dan , Hu Juan , Qian Ying , Zhou Yinjie , Chen Zhuo , Li Daojun , Li Xiaopeng , Zhang Xiaoling , Wang Hao , Yi Changjun , Shi Menglu , Pang Yaqi , Liu Siqi , Xu Xinhua 
Published: August 2022

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of sintilimab combined with apatinib plus capecitabine in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to provide a more effective first-line treatment for patients with advanced HCC.MethodsThis open-label, prospective, phase II study included patients with unresectable HCC who did not receive systematic treatment. The patients were treated with sintilimab (200 mg, intravenous drip, once every 3 weeks) combined with apatinib (250 mg, oral administration, once a day) plus capecitabine (1000 mg/m2, twice a day; after 2 weeks of oral administration, the drug was stopped for 1 week; course of treatment, 3 weeks). The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR). The secondary endpoints included disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), duration of response (DoR), overall survival (OS), and safety.ResultsForty-seven patients (1 lost to follow-up) were enrolled in the study. As of March 1, 2022, the ORR and DCR were 50.0% (95% CI: 34.9–65.1%) and 91.3% (95% CI: 79.2–97.6%), respectively, after blind, independent imaging evaluation. The median follow-up time was 18.7 months (95% CI: 17.2–20.2 months). The median PFS was 9.0 months (95% CI: 7.1–10.9 months). The median DoR was 10.8 months (95% CI: 4.8–16.8 months). The median OS was not reached, and the 1-year OS rate was 71.7% (95% CI: 56.5–84.0%). Only 28.3% (13/46) of patients had grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events.ConclusionSintilimab combined with apatinib plus capecitabine has good safety and anti-tumor activity as a first-line treatment for unresectable HCC. This is worthy of further multi-center, prospective, randomized, large-sample clinical studies.Clinical Trial Registrationhttps://ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT04411706.
Comprehensive characterization of tumor microenvironment and m6A RNA methylation regulators and its effects on PD-L1 and immune infiltrates in cervical cancer
Authors: Ji Huihui , Zhang Jian-an , Liu Hejing , Li Kehan , Wang Zhi-wei , Zhu Xueqiong 
Published: August 2022

Understanding the role of N6-adenosine methylation (m6A) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) is important since it can contribute to tumor development. However, the research investigating the association between m6A and TME and cervical cancer is still in its early stages. The aim of this study was to discover the possible relationship between m6A RNA methylation regulators, TME, PD-L1 expression levels, and immune infiltration in cervical cancer. We gathered RNA-seq transcriptome data and clinical information from cervical cancer patients using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases. To begin, researchers assessed the differences in m6A regulatory factor expression levels between cervical cancer and normal tissues. Clustering analysis was adapted to assess PD-L1 expression, immunological score, immune cell infiltration, TME, and probable pathways in cervical cancer samples. The majority of m6A regulators were found to be considerably overexpressed in cervical cancer tissues. Using consensus clustering of 21 m6A regulators, we identified two subtypes (clusters 1/2) of cervical cancer, and we found that WHO stage and grade were associated with the subtypes. PD-L1 expression increased dramatically in cervical cancer tissues and was significantly linked to ALKBH5, FTO, METTL3, RBM15B, YTHDF1, YTHDF3, and ZC3H13 expression levels. Plasma cells and regulatory T cells (Tregs) were considerably elevated in cluster 2. Cluster 1 is involved in numerous signature pathways, including basal transcription factors, cell cycle, RNA degradation, and the spliceosome. The prognostic signature-based riskscore (METTL16, YTHDF1, and ZC3H13) was found to be an independent prognostic indicator of cervical cancer. The tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) was linked to m6A methylation regulators, and changes in their copy number will affect the quantity of tumor-infiltrating immune cells dynamically. Overall, our research discovered a powerful predictive signature based on m6A RNA methylation regulators. This signature correctly predicted the prognosis of cervical cancer patients. The m6A methylation regulator could be a critical mediator of PD-L1 expression and immune cell infiltration, and it could have a significant impact on the TIME of cervical cancer.
Sintilimab induced ICIAM in the treatment of advanced HCC: A case report and analysis of research progress
Authors: Ji Hongxiang , Wen Zhijian , Liu Bin , Chen Hongbiao , Lin Qian , Chen Zhan 
Published: August 2022

Immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated adverse reactions (irAEs) are a clinical treatment issue that requires additional attention when ICIs have significant survival benefits in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Among them, ICIs-associated myocarditis (ICIAM) is a kind of severe irAE with a high mortality rate (17%–50%). Despite its low incidence (PD1/PD-L1 related: 0.41%–0.8%), ICIAM can significantly disturb the decision making of therapeutic schemes and even the survival outcomes of patients. ICIAM induced by sintilimab has not been reported in any complete clinical studies yet and understanding the clinical characteristics involved may inform better practices for the management. Here, we reported a 78 y/o patient with advanced HCC, who experienced ICIAM induced by sintilimab within a short course from treatment onset and found that adequate baseline examination before the implementation of the therapeutic scheme, regular monitoring of myocardial enzymonram and cardiac imaging were measures for the early detection, while glucocorticoid pulse therapy is still the best choice with timely and sufficient application. Simultaneously, the combination of other immunosuppressants may lead to better results. New-predictive markers and examination methods are still required to facilitate the early detection.