bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
NMR Metabolomics Risk Factors for Coronary Heart Disease in Postmenopausal Women Under Moderate Intensity Statins
Authors: Li Chuang , CHEN Jingxun , Wei Siyue , Zhang Mei , Chu Yushun , Meng Fanpeng , Wang Jianyu , Tang Jie , Luo Jian , Yang Yu , Niu Xiulong , Cai Wei 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Background The role of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics in the prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD) in postmenopausal women is unclear.Method 300 postmenopausal women, who were under moderate intensity statins, were enrolled in this study, of which, and 242 were assigned into CHD Group and the other 58 in non-CAHD Group. To seek the risk factors of CHD and the relationship among Gensini, PCSK9 and NMR results, Multivariate Logistic regression and Spearman correlation analysis were conducted, in all patients as well as the patients with CHD, diabetes mellitus (DM) and metabolic syndrome (MS). Results As the result of this study showed, Age was the main risk factor of CHD. Other risk factors including the particle of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-6, LDL- triglyceride (TG) and LDL-free cholesterol (FC), while, ethanol and glycerol were the protective factors. In the Spearman correlation analyses section, lipoprotein contents of very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)-2 ~ VLDL-5, intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL), LDL-1 and LDL-2 were proved to be positively related to Gensini, while the lipoprotein contents of apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), ApoA2 and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-1 ~ HDL-4 were negatively correlated with Gensini. Conclusion In postmenopausal women, age was the main risk factor of CHD, besides, the NMR measured particle of LDL-6, LDL-TG and LDL-FC were also proved to be risk factors of CHD, while, ethanol and glycerol were the protective factors. The clinical significance of the NMR and the correlation among PCSK9, Gensini and NMR metabolomics need further studied.
Leveraging Physical Intelligence for the Self-design of High Performance Engineering Structures
Authors: Paixao Jessé , Sadoulet-Reboul Emeline , Foltête Emmanuel , Chevallier Gaël , Cogan Scott 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
The design of complex engineering structures largely relies on computational intelligence in the form of science-based predictive models to support design decisions. This approach requires modeling and manufacturing uncertainties to be accounted for explicitly and leads to an inescapable trade-off of performance for robustness. To remedy this situation, a novel self-design paradigm is proposed that closes the loop between the design and manufacturing processes by leveraging physical intelligence in the form of real-time experimental observations. This allows the real-time product behavior to participate in its own design. The main benefit of the proposed paradigm is that both manufacturing variability and difficult-to-model physics are accounted for implicitly via in situ measurements thus circumventing the performance-robustness trade-off and guaranteeing enhanced performance with respect to standardized designs. This paradigm shift leads to tailored design realizations which could benefit a wide range of high performance engineering applications. The proposed paradigm is applied to the design of a simply-supported plate with a beam-like tuned mass damper (TMD) introduced to reduce vibrations based on an equal peaks performance criteria. The experimental setup includes a low-cost 3D printer driven by a simple decision algorithm and equipped with an online vibration testing system. The performances of a small population of self-designed plates are compared to their standardized counterparts in order to highlight the advantages and limitations of the new self-design manufacturing paradigm.
Health Risk Assessment and Statistical Analysis of Natural Radioactivity in the Uranium Exploration Area of Zabili, Chad
Authors: Penabei Samafou , Daniel Bongue , Hazou Eyakifama , Alexandre Ngwa Ebongue , Ajani Mistura Bolaji , Maleka Peane , Joel Guembou Shouop Cebastien , Halawlaw Yacoub Idriss , Godfroy Kwato Njock Moïse 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
The activity concentrations of natural radionuclides 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in nineteen soil samples from Zabili uranium exploration area were measured using a low-background digital gamma-ray spectrometer equipped with broad energy germanium detector. The activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th, and 40K range from 16.5 to 1110.9 Bq.kg− 1, 19.45 to 76.97 Bq.kg− 1, and 3.28 to 839.5Bq.kg− 1, with their mean values of 478.0, 58.9, and 562.5, respectively. In addition, radiological hazard parameters from the activity concentrations obtained were assessed by estimating radium equivalent activity, external and internal hazard index, indoor and outdoor absorbed gamma dose rate and the corresponding annual effective dose, effective dose rate to different body organs and tissues, and excess lifetime cancer risk. Derived radiological hazard indices have been revised in accordance with relevant national and international legislation and guidelines. The radiological hazard parameter values were found to be above the relevant limit values for soils. In order to investigate the distribution of radionuclides and associated health hazard parameters in the study area, a statistical study was performed.
Normalization of Large Scale Transcriptome Data Using Heuristic Methods
Authors: Yosef Arthur , Shnaider Eli , Schneider Moti , Gurevich Michael 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
In this study we introduce an artificial intelligent method for addressing the batch effect of a transcriptome data. The method has several clear advantages in comparison to the alternative methods presently in use. Batch effect refers to the discrepancy in gene expression data series, measured under different conditions. While the data from the same batch (measurements performed under the same conditions) are compatible, combining various batches into one data set is problematic because of incompatible measurements. Therefore, it is necessary to perform correction of the combined data (normalization), before performing biological analysis. There are numerous methods attempting to correct data set for batch effect. These methods rely on various assumptions regarding the distribution of the measurements. Forcing the data elements into pre-supposed distribution can severely distort biological signals, thus leading to incorrect results and conclusions. As the discrepancy between the assumptions regarding the data distribution and the actual distribution is wider, the biases introduced by such “correction methods” are greater. We introduce a heuristic method to reduce batch effect. The method does not rely on any assumptions regarding the distribution and the behavior of data elements. Hence, it does not introduce any new biases in the process of correcting the batch effect. It strictly maintains the integrity of measurements within the original batches.
Modulatory effects of the mTOR-autophagy pathway on amyloid beta 42 ( Aβ42)-induced lipid changes in human iPSC-derived astrocytes
Authors: Asiamah Ernest Amponsah , Feng Baofeng , Guo Ruiyun , Liu Xin , Du Xiaofeng , Zhang Jinyu , He Jingjing , Ma Jun , Cui Huixian 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Background: Dysregulated lipid metabolism, aetiology of which is unknown, causes astrocyte dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study assessed the potential of amyloid-beta 42 (Aβ42) to alter lipid metabolism-related variables in non-AD iPSC-derived APOE ε3/ε3 astrocytes (n=3), and the effects of exogenous activation and inhibition of mTOR-autophagy pathway on the lipid variables in Aβ-treated astrocytes. Methods and results: 24h and 48h Aβ treatments of astrocytes increased cellular GFAP and complement 3 protein and the culture medium concentrations of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. Lipid droplet (LD) sizes and number, and unesterified cholesterol levels were increased but fatty acid uptake was reduced. Cellular ApoE level was higher and lower after 24h and 48h Aβ treatments, respectively. 24h and 48h Aβ treatments increased cellular LC3B-II/LC3B-I ratio and p62. The modulatory effect of the mTOR-autophagy pathway on Aβ-induced lipids was tested. Relative to the 48h Aβ-treated astrocytes, treating the 24h Aβ-treated astrocytes with fresh medium for 24h increased the LC3BII/LC3BI ratio and p62, reduced LD number without altering the size, reduced ApoE, and increased fatty acid uptake and cholesterol. Autophagy activation further increased p62, reduced LC3B-II/LC3B-I ratio, decreased LD number, increased LD size and cholesterol, and reduced ApoE and fatty acid uptake. Autophagy inhibition further increased LC3B-II/LC3B-I ratio without altering p62, increased LD number, cholesterol and ApoE, reduced fatty acid uptake, but not LD size. Conclusion: Aβ42 alters inflammatory-state, lipid-related variables, and autophagy concurrently in astrocytes. The withdrawal of Aβ medium activates autophagy that could modulate the effects of exogenous mTOR-autophagy pathway activation and inhibition on lipids in Aβ-treated astrocytes.
Establishment of a recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) fluorescence assay for the detection of swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV)
Authors: Cong Xiao , Zhu Yujun , Liu Xinchao , Lian Yuexiao , Huang Bihong , Luo Yinzhu , Gu Youfang , Wu Miaoli , Shi Yue 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Background:Swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) causes acute vomiting and diarrhea of piglets, leading to significant financial losses in pig industry. Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) technology is the second method for nucleic acid amplification under constant temperature conditions besides loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). The study established a real-time reverse transcription (RT)-RPA assay for early confirmatory diagnoses to detection SADS-CoV.Results:The detection limit of the real-time RT-RPA was 74 copies/µL of SADS-CoV genomic RNA standard in 95% of cases. The assay was performed in less than 30 min and no cross-reactions were observed with 8 other common viruses that affect swine, namely, CSFV, PRRSV, PRV, SIV, SVA, TGEV, PEDV, or PDCoV. The coefficient of variation (C.V.) values of the two standards dilutions and a positive clinical sample ranged from 0 to 4.5%. A total of 72 clinical fecal samples from swine with diarrheal symptoms were analyzed via the developed RT-RPA and qRT-PCR. There was 98.61% agreement between the RT-RPA and the qRT-PCR results. Conclusions:These results indicate that the developed RT-RPA assay has good specificity, sensitivity, stability, and repeatability. In summary, the established RT-RPA assay could satisfy the demand for infield diagnoses, and is suitable for use in remote areas as it is fast, portable, and cost-effective.
A novel bone graft technique combined with plating for aseptic recalcitrant long bone nonunion
Authors: Jiang Yuxuan , Wang Xiao-long , Huang Wei , Zhu Yang-jun , Zhang Kun , Feng Dong-xu 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
BackgroundFracture nonunion sometimes occurs after treatment, and some patients are still difficult to heal after many times of treatment. In order to more effectively treat nonunion and heal patients with recalcitrant nonunion, a new technique for autogenous iliac crest bone grafting combined with locking compression plate(LCP) vertical fixation is presented.This study retrospectively analyzed the data of patients with recalcitrant long bone nonunion treated in our hospital to investigate the effect of this technique .MethodsFrom July 2010 to September 2020,34 patients with recalcitrant long bone nonunion underwent surgical treatment and completed follow-up at Xi’an Hong Hui Hospital.Follow-up was for at least 12 months after intervention.The injury mechanism,nonunion type,the duration of nonunion,prior treatments and the outcomes following surgery were recorded for all patients.ResultsThis study enrolled 34 patients(24 males and 10 females), with a mean age of 49.8 ± 12.3years. There were 3 patients with ulnar nonunion,1 patients with ulna and radius nonunion,9 patients with humeral shaft nonunion,1 patient with proximal humerus,2 patient with supracondylar humeru nonunion,10 patient with femoral shaft nonunion, 1 patient with supracondylar femoral nonunion,1 patient with tibiofibular nonunion,5 patient with tibia nonunion and 1 patient with clavicular nonunion.All patients received more than one regular treatment.32 patients union after 6.8 ± 2.4 months, and 2 patients had still nonunion with implants intact.ConclusionBone-forming channel technique combined with LCP vertical fixation is an excellent option for the treatment of recalcitrant long bone nonunion.Level of evidenceTherapeutic Level IV.
Increased risk of preterm delivery with high cortisol during pregnancy is modified by fetal sex: a cohort study
Authors: Oaks Brietta M. , Adu-Afarwuah Seth , Ashorn Per , Lartey Anna , Laugero Kevin D. , Okronipa Harriet , Stewart Christine P. , Dewey Kathryn G. 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Background: Previous studies show an association between maternal plasma and salivary cortisol and preterm birth but have been primarily conducted in high-income countries. It is unknown whether salivary cortisol is a risk factor for preterm birth in Ghana. Our objective was to determine whether maternal salivary cortisol during pregnancy was associated with pregnancy duration and preterm delivery in Ghana. Methods: We conducted a cohort study of 783 pregnant women in Ghana. We measured salivary cortisol at baseline (mean 16 wk), 28 wk, and 36 wk gestation. Pregnancy duration was determined primarily by ultrasound. We used adjusted linear regression models to examine the association between cortisol and pregnancy duration and Poisson regression models to determine the risk of preterm delivery among women with high cortisol at baseline or 28 wk gestation. Results: Mean pregnancy duration was 39.4 ± 1.8 wk and 6.6% had a preterm delivery. Mean maternal cortisol increased throughout pregnancy, from 4.9 ± 2.7 nmol/L at baseline (16 wk) to 6.4 ± 3.2 nmol/L at 28 wk and 7.9 ± 3.0 nmol/L at 36 wk gestation. In adjusted analyses, higher cortisol concentrations at baseline (β = -0.39, p = .002) and 28 wk (β = -0.49, p = .001), but not 36 wk (β = -0.23, p = .084) were associated with a shorter pregnancy duration. Women with high cortisol at baseline (>6.3 nmol/L) had an increased relative risk of preterm delivery (RR (95% CI): 1.96 (1.13, 3.40)), but the association between high cortisol at 28 wk and preterm delivery was not significant. There was a significant interaction with fetal sex (p-for-interaction = 0.037): among women carrying male fetuses, high cortisol at baseline increased the risk of preterm delivery threefold (3.18 (1.51, 6.71)) while there was no association (1.17 (0.50, 2.74)) among women carrying female fetuses.Conclusion: Higher maternal cortisol is associated with a shorter pregnancy duration and an increased risk of preterm delivery. Subgroup analysis by fetal sex revealed that this association is evident primarily among women carrying male fetuses. Future studies of cortisol and preterm delivery should include consideration of fetal sex as a potential effect modifier.
Implications of Bacteriological Study in Complicated and Uncomplicated Acute Appendicitis
Authors: Cimpean Sorin , Barranquero Alberto Gonzalez , Surdeanu Ion , Cadiere Benjamin , Cadiere Guy-Bernard 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
BackgroundThe bacteriological sample in the presence of intraabdominal free fluid is necessary to adapt the antibiotherapy and to prevent the development of resistance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences between uncomplicated (UAA) and complicated acute appendicitis (CAA) in terms of bacterial culture results and antibiotic resistance, and to evaluate the predictors for complicated appendicitis.Material and methodsWe performed a single-centre, retrospective observational study of all consecutive patients who presented with appendicular peritonitis and underwent emergent surgery in a tertiary referral hospital in Brussels, Belgium, between January 2013 and December 2020. 268 patients were analysed in term of medical history, parameters at admission, bacterial culture, antibiotic resistance and postoperative outcomes.ResultsThe positive microbiological culture rate was significantly higher in CAA group (68.2 % vs. 53.4 %). The most frequently isolated bacteria in UAA and CAA cultures were E. coli (37.9 % and 48.6 %), bacteria from the Streptoccocus anginosus group (9.3 % and 7.8 %), and Bacteroides spp. (5 % and 13.1 %). The most commonly observed resistances were against ampicillin (28.9 % and 21.7 %) and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (16.4 % and 10.5 %) in UAA and CAA, respectively. The predictors for complicated appendicitis were preoperative or intraoperative variables. Neither the culture results, the group of bacterial isolation nor the specific isolated bacteria predicted a complicated appendicitis.Conclusion CAA presented a higher rate of positive cultures with increased identification of Gram negative bacteria. There were not relevant differences in terms of antibiotic resistance.
Conbercept efficacy in treating diabetic retinopathy complicated with diabetic macular oedema
Authors: Hao Yanlei , Tao Yuan , Lei Jiaying , Li Shuting , Yang Mengyao , Wang Hong 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Objective: This study aims to explore the best conbercept treatment scheme by observing the efficacy of different conbercept treatment methods .Methods: This is a retrospective study with 180 patients (180 eyes) diagnosed with severe NPDR complicated with DME. The patients were divided into 3+PRN (94 eyes) and 5+PRN (86 eyes) groups.CRT、BCVA、 the number of MA、HE and DCP-VAD were measured before treatment and at months 3, 6, 9 and 12 after treatment.Results: After treatment, the BCVA of the two groups improved (P < 0.05), CRT and MA decreased (P < 0.05) at months 3, 6, 9 and 12 . DCP-VAD was higher than that before treatment (P < 0.05), HE area decreased at months 9 and 12 after treatment (P < 0.05), and BCVA in the 5+PRN group was significantly better than that in the 3+PRN group at month 12 (P < 0.05). The MA number and CRT in the 5+PRN group were lower than those in the 3+PRN group at months 9 and 12 (P < 0.05).Conclusion: Conbercept plays an important role in NPDR regression.
Treating Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy with Physical Therapy: A Case Series
Authors: Schmitt Katie , Cachia David , Hashmi Hamza 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Purpose: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) can be seen in 19-85% of the patients treated with neurotoxic chemotherapy. Although pharmacotherapy has been shown to be better than placebo, its efficacy remains modest. Currently there are no clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of CIPN with physical therapy (PT). Case Description: This case series follows 2 patients with a history of multiple myeloma and bone marrow transplant, through 10 and 13 weeks of skilled PT for treatment of CIPN. Patients were treated 1x per week in clinic with manual therapy including soft tissue massage, trigger point release, joint mobilization to the feet, a therapeutic exercise program including an ankle resistance exercise and standing stretches, neuromuscular re-education addressed with balance training, and were given a daily home exercise program.Results: Improved scores on the Neuropathic Pain Diagnostic Questionnaire (5/10 with 41 for interference reduced to 3/10 with 12 for interference and 5/10 with 29 for interference reduced to 1/10 with 4 for interference), reduced fall risk on the 4-Stage Balance Test, and decreased VAS pain ratings (10/10 reduced to 0/10 during the day and 4/10 at night and 8/10 reduced to 0/10 all times). Conclusion: This case series shows positive effect for patients with multiple myeloma treated for CIPN with PT 1x per week in clinic combined with a home program. Future studies should consider combined therapies for treatment as well as more precise outcome measures and functional tests.
Drug-Target Graph based Recurrent Network for Drug Combination Prediction
Authors: Wen Yuqi , Cao Zhiwei , Zhang Yixin , Wu Lianlian , Wang Zhongming , Dai Chong , Wang Jing , Leng Dongjin , Su Jinsong , He Song , Bo Xiaochen 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Compared with monotherapy, drug combination therapy has demonstrated more effective and powerful therapeutic effects in cancer treatment. However, due to the large size of the combinatorial space, experimental identification of synergistic drug combinations is cost- and time-consuming, even with high-throughput screens. With the accumulation of various types of drug informatics data, artificial intelligence techniques have become applicable for the prediction of synergistic drug combinations, thereby reducing the experimental workload and accelerating the discovery of combination therapy. Currently, the emerging graph neural network (GNN) has been applied to drug combination prediction and brings new insight on the discovery of combination therapy. In this study, we proposed Drug-Target Graph based Recurrent Network (DTGRN) to predict synergistic drug combinations in various cancer cell lines. Specifically, we proposed a Graph Recurrent Network-based encoder to learn a low-dimensional representation of features for each node and then predicted the synergy score of novel drug combinations based on these representations via a cell line-specific projection matrix. In DTGRN, gating mechanism and cell-line-level states are employed to ensure each node representation more comprehensively absorbs local and global information and potential association information. In the application of the cell line-specific drug-target heterogeneous graph, DTGRN significantly outperforms the state-of-the-arts and several classical machine learning algorithms. More prominently, the novel drug combinations predicted by DTGRN have been validated by computational analysis and in vitro experiments, confirming the high predictive performance of DTGRN. These drug combinations could be further evaluated as potential combination therapy strategy. In summary, these results indicate that DTGRN can serve as a powerful tool for integrating heterogeneous graph information to predict drug combinations and provide a promising way to discover novel synergistic drug combination for cancer treatment.
How does globalization affect ecological footprint? A Comparative analysis of India and Pakistan
Authors: Zubair Muhammad , Khan Alam , Haq Ihtisham Ul , Tahir Muhammad 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
This paper focuses on the economies of Pakistan and India to figure out the potential influence of globalization on ecological footprints (EF) which is rarely researched. Time series data both for Pakistan and India is sources for the period 1991 to 2018 from internationally reliable sources. The latest cointegration approach of NARDL is utilized for the estimation of models. The results indicated that globalization has a greater impact on India as compared to Pakistan regarding environmental degradation. Social globalization reacts asymmetrically to EF in case of Pakistan. In both economies, negative shocks are dominant as compared to positive shocks. To avoid the drastic impacts of economic globalization on environmental degradation, it is necessary that production techniques should be based on modern technologies. Furthermore, long term economic policies related to globalization should be made by governments of both economies to protect their environment from further degradation.