bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Use of Hedges ~to Omoimasu to Soften Speech and Its Implications for Japanese Politeness Teaching
Authors: Winingsih Irma , Santoso Budi , Wahyuningsih Tri Mulyani 
Published: February 2022

In Japanese society, the main concept in communicating is to consider the other person's feelings by not speaking directly, too frankly or to the point. One of the grammatical features this concept is Verb ~omoimasu which means in English ~I think (I think…, I think….). In the result of the essays by the students who take the Japanese Popular Writing course. In his essay students should use these verbs which also function as hedges to express opinions or ideas but ignore them because they may not understand that the use of these functional verbs is to maintain language politeness, especially in communicating in Japanese. Seeing this phenomenon, the writers tried to find out by identifying student essays that do not use these hedges, and the possible causes. Then by adopting the concept of communicating in Japanese that considers the feelings of the other person, the writers have found out how the implications of using these hedges have on the values of politeness in language that have effect on the politeness of behavior of students who take Japanese Popular Article Writing lectures. With research that adopts the concept of communicating in Japanese society, the writers can create a language politeness learning model that is expected to influence behavioral aspects.
Predictive Value of Immune Cells in the Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Pilot Study
Authors: Fagninou Adnette , Nekoua Magloire Pandoua , Fiogbe Salomon Ezéchiel M. , Moutaïrou Kabirou , Yessoufou Akadiri 
Published: February 2022

AimsImmunological and biochemical parameters are gaining more and more importance in the prognosis of diabetes and its complications. Here, we assessed the predictive power of immune cells correlated with biochemical parameters in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).Materials and MethodsImmune cells and serum biochemical parameters were determined in women with GDM and pregnant controls. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analyses were conducted to assess the optimal cutoff and value of ratios of immune cells to biochemical parameters for predicting GDM.ResultsBlood glucose, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides were significantly increased whereas HDL-cholesterol decreased in women with GDM compared to pregnant controls. Glycated hemoglobin, creatinine, transaminase activities did not significantly differ between both groups. Total leukocyte, lymphocyte and platelet numbers were significantly high in women with GDM. Correlation tests showed that ratios of lymphocyte/HDL-C, monocyte/HDL-C and granulocyte/HDL-C were significantly higher in women with GDM than in pregnant controls (p = 0.001; p = 0.009 and p = 0.004 respectively). Women with a lymphocyte/HDL-C ratio greater than 3.66 had a 4-fold increased risk of developing GDM than those with lower ratios (odds ratio 4.00; 95% CI: 1.094 – 14.630; p=0.041).ConclusionOur study showed that ratios of lymphocyte, monocyte and granulocyte to HDL-C might represent valuable biomarkers for GDM and in particular, lymphocyte/HDL-C ratio exhibited a strong predictive power for GDM risk.
A Bibliometric Analysis Based on Web of Science: Current Perspectives and Potential Trends of SMAD7 in Oncology
Authors: Huang Xueying , Yang Zhiying , Zhang Jinning , Wang Ruojiao , Fan Jiahui , Zhang Heng , Xu Rong , Li Xia , Yu Siying , Long Linna , Huang He 
Published: February 2022

Background: The number of publications on SMAD7 in the field of oncology is increasing rapidly with an upward tendency. In most cases, the mechanisms of carcinogenesis usually relate to disorders of signaling activity. Considering the crucial role of SMAD7 in the crosstalk of multiple signaling pathways, it is necessary to clarify and define the dominant research topics, core authors, and their cumulative research contributions, as well as the cooperative relationships among documents or researchers.Methods: Altogether, 3477 documents were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection with the following criteria: TS= (SMAD7 OR SMAD7-protein OR Small-Mothers-Against-Decapentaplegic-7) refined by WEB OF SCIENCE CATEGORY (ONCOLOGY) AND [excluding] PUBLICATION YEARS (2021) AND DOCUMENT TYPES (ARTICLE OR REVIEW) AND LANGUAGES (ENGLISH) AND WEB OF SCIENCE INDEX (Web of Science Core Collection, SCI), and the timespan of 2011–2020. Bibliometric visualization analysis was conducted with CiteSpace and VOSviewer.Results: The number of documents grew each year. A total of 2703 articles and 774 reviews were identified from 86 countries/regions, 3524 organizations, 928 journals, and 19,745 authors. China was the most prolific country, with 1881 documents. Contributions from China, the United States, and Germany were the most substantial. The most influential author was Lan Huiyao at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, with 24 publications and 2348 total citations. The bibliometric analysis showed that multilateral cooperation among diverse institutions or investigators was beneficial to high-quality outputs. The keyword “PPAR-gamma” exhibited the strongest burst in recent years, suggesting a potent research focus in the future.Conclusion: Research on SMAD7 in oncology is continuously developing. Bibliometrics is an interesting tool to present the characteristics of publication years, main authors, and productive organizations in a visualized way. It is worth mentioning that a prospective focus might be the specific mechanism of the interaction of PPAR-gamma with SMAD7 in oncology. In all, bibliometric analysis provides an overview and identifies potential research trends for further studies in this academic field.
Therapeutic Effects of Kefir Peptides on Hemophilia-Induced Osteoporosis in Mice With Deficient Coagulation Factor VIII
Authors: Yen Chih-Ching , Liu Yao-Wen , Chang Gary Ro-Lin , Lan Ying-Wei , Kao Yung-Tsung , Cheng Shin-Nan , Chen Wei , Chen Chuan-Mu 
Published: February 2022

Osteoporosis is a clinically prevalent comorbidity in patients with hemophilia. A preventive effect of kefir peptides (KPs) on postmenopausal osteoporosis has been proved. The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of KPs for the treatment of osteoporosis in coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) gene knockout mice (F8KO), a model of hemophilia A. In this study, male F8KO mice at 20 weeks of age were orally administered different doses of KPs for 8 weeks. The therapeutic effects of KPs were shown in the femoral trabeculae and the 4thlumbar vertebrae, which increased the trabecular bone mineral density (BMD), bone volume (Tb.BV/TV), and trabecular number (Tb.N) and decreased the trabecular separation (Tb.Sp), and they were also observed in the femoral cortical bones, in which the mechanical properties were enhanced in a dose-dependent manner. Characterization of receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL), osteoprotegerin (OPG), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) demonstrated that the serum RANKL/OPG ratio and IL-6 levels were significantly decreased in the F8KO mice after the KP treatment. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining of mature osteoclasts indicated that the therapeutic effect of KPs in F8KO mice was associated with the functions of KPs to inhibit RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis by reducing serum RANKL/OPG ratio and IL-6 secretion. The present study is the first to address the potentials of KPs for the treatment of hemophilia-induced osteoporosis in mice and it also provides useful information for the application of KPs as a complementary therapy for the treatment of osteoporosis in hemophilic patients.
Single-Cell Transcriptome Reveals the Metabolic and Clinical Features of a Highly Malignant Cell Subpopulation in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Fang Yangyang , Pei Shunjie , Huang Kaizhao , Xu Feng , Xiang Guangxin , Lan Linhua , Zheng Xiaoqun 
Published: February 2022

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a malignant tumor with a high mortality rate. PDAC exhibits significant heterogeneity as well as alterations in metabolic pathways that are associated with its malignant progression. In this study, we explored the metabolic and clinical features of a highly malignant subgroup of PDAC based on single-cell transcriptome technology.Methods: A highly malignant cell subpopulation was identified at single-cell resolution based on the expression of malignant genes. The metabolic landscape of different cell types was analyzed based on metabolic pathway gene sets. In vitro experiments to verify the biological functions of the marker genes were performed. PDAC patient subgroups with highly malignant cell subpopulations were distinguished according to five glycolytic marker genes. Five glycolytic highly malignant-related gene signatures were used to construct the glycolytic highly malignant-related genes signature (GHS) scores.Results: This study identified a highly malignant tumor cell subpopulation from the single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. The analysis of the metabolic pathway revealed that highly malignant cells had an abnormally active metabolism, and enhanced glycolysis was a major metabolic feature. Five glycolytic marker genes that accounted for the highly malignant cell subpopulations were identified, namely, EN O 1, LDHA, PKM, PGK1, and PGM1. An in vitro cell experiment showed that proliferation rates of PANC-1 and CFPAC-1 cell lines decreased after knockdown of these five genes. Patients with metabolic profiles of highly malignant cell subpopulations exhibit clinical features of higher mortality, higher mutational burden, and immune deserts. The GHS score evaluated using the five marker genes was an independent prognostic factor for patients with PDAC.Conclusion: We revealed a subpopulation of highly malignant cells in PDAC with enhanced glycolysis as the main metabolic feature. We obtained five glycolytic marker gene signatures, which could be used to identify PDAC patient subgroups with highly malignant cell subpopulations, and proposed a GHS prognostic score.
The Influence Mechanism of Pore Structure of Tectonically Deformed Coal on the Adsorption and Desorption Hysteresis
Authors: Ren Jiangang , Weng Hongbo , Li Bing , Chen Feng , Liu Jianbao , Song Zhimin 
Published: February 2022

Pore is the main adsorption and desorption space of coalbed methane (CBM). Pore size configuration and connectivity affect the adsorption/desorption hysteresis effect. Using tectonically deformed coal (TDC) and original structure coal of medium- and high-rank coal as the research objects, through the N2/CO2 adsorption experiment to analyze the pore size distribution and connectivity of different scales. We investigate the control mechanism of heterogeneous evolution in the key pore scales against adsorption/desorption hysteresis characteristics during coal metamorphism and deformation by combining the CH4 isothermal adsorption/desorption experiment under 30°C equilibrium moisture. The findings indicate that the super micropores (&lt;2 nm) are mainly combination ink bottle-shaped pores and have worse connectivity as the degree of metamorphism and deformation increases. The super micropores occupy the vast majority of pore volume and specific surface area; its pore size distribution curve change presents an “M” bimodal type and is mainly concentrated in two pore segments of 0.45–0.70 nm and 0.70–0.90 nm. The effect of ductile deformation exerts a significantly greater effect on super micropores than brittle deformation. The exhibited adsorption–desorption characteristics are the result of the combined effect of the unique pore structure of the TDCs and different moisture contents. The presence of a large number of super micropores is the most important factor influencing the degree of gas desorption hysteresis. The “ink-bottle effect” is the primary cause of gas desorption hysteresis. For CBM development, some novel methods to increase desorption and diffusion rate at the super micropores scale should be considered.
Pressure Calibration of Large-Volume Press: A Case Study of Hinged 6-8 Type Large-Volume High-Pressure Apparatus
Authors: Ren Dongsheng , Li Heping 
Published: February 2022

In this study, methods for the pressure calibration of 6–8 static high-pressure apparatus were investigated. The relationship between the pressure of DS 6 × 1,400 t pressing oil and the chamber pressure was calibrated using water, ZnTe, ZnS, and GaAs at room temperature. Also, the relationship between the pressure of the DS 6 × 1,400 t pressing oil and the chamber pressure was calibrated by the phase transition experiments using KCl, LiCl, KCl + LiCl, and quartz-coesite at high temperatures. We found a linear relationship between the chamber pressure and the oil pressure at room temperature. However, when the temperature and pressure increased to certain values, the chamber pressure and the oil pressure deviated from the linear relationship.
IL-15 Participates in the Pathogenesis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome by Affecting the Activity of Granulosa Cells
Authors: Liu Yan , Li Zhi , Wang Yang , Cai Qingqing , Liu Haiou , Xu Congjian , Zhang Feifei 
Published: February 2022

BackgroundLow-grade chronic inflammation may contribute to the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Interleukin-15 (IL-15) is a proinflammatory cytokine involved in the development of chronic inflammation leading to obesity-associated metabolic syndrome. However, the concentration of IL-15 in follicular fluid of patients with PCOS has yet been evaluated.ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to evaluate the expression level of IL-15 in both patients with PCOS and PCOS mice model and investigate the functional effect of IL-15 on ovarian granulosa cells.MethodsThe level of IL-15 in follicular fluid (FF) was measured using cytokine array and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in two cohorts from 23 PCOS patients and 18 normo-ovulatory controls. PCOS mice model was induced by subcutaneously implanted with letrozole pellet for 21 days. The expression level of IL-15 in serum, ovarian, and subcutaneous adipose tissue in PCOS mice model was measured by ELISA, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and immunofluorescence. The effect of IL-15 on the proliferation and apoptosis of the KGN cells and mouse ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) were detected by CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Transcript expression of 17α-hydroxylase17,20-lyase (CYP17A1), cytochrome P450 family 19 subfamily A member 1(CYP19A1), FSH receptor (FSHR), steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), and proinflammatory cytokine were quantified using RT-PCR. The protein level and phosphorylation level of p38 MAPK and JNK are detected by Western blot. Concentration of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and progesterone (P)were measured by ELISA.ResultsIL-15 expression in follicular fluid of patients with PCOS was significantly elevated compared with the control group, and similar results were observed in the ovarian and subcutaneous adipose tissue of PCOS mice models. Furthermore, the elevated FF IL-15 levels have a positive correlation with the serum testosterone levels. FSHR co-localized with IL-15 indicating that IL-15 production originate from ovarian granulose cells. IL-15 treatment inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis of KGN cells and mouse GCs. Moreover, IL-15 upregulated the transcription levels of CYP17A1, IL-1b and Ifng KGN cells. Similar results were observed in mouse GCs except concentration of DHEAS was higher in IL-15 treatment. IL-15 promoted p38 MAPK and JNK phosphorylation in KGN cells, treating KGN cells with p38 MAPK inhibitor SP600125 and JNK inhibitor SB203580 could reverse the effect of IL-15 on the proliferation and function of KGN cells.ConclusionThe results indicate that IL-15 is involved in the pathogenesis of PCOS potentially by affecting survival, the inflammation state and steroidogenesis of granulosa cells. The practical significance of this association between IL-15 and the pathogenesis of PCOS needs further investigation.
Pubertal Timing and Growth Dynamics in Children With Severe Primary IGF-1 Deficiency: Results From the European Increlex® Growth Forum Database Registry
Authors: Bang Peter , Polak Michel , Perrot Valérie , Sert Caroline , Shaikh Haris , Woelfle Joachim 
Published: February 2022

BackgroundPuberty is delayed in untreated children and adolescents with severe primary IGF-1 deficiency (SPIGFD); to date, it has not been reported whether recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-1 mecasermin (rhIGF-1) treatment affects this. Pubertal growth outcomes were extracted from the European Increlex® Growth Forum Database (Eu-IGFD) Registry (NCT00903110).MethodsThe Eu-IGFD Registry includes children and adolescents aged 2 to 18 years with growth failure associated with SPIGFD who are treated with rhIGF-1. Reported outcomes include: age at last registration of Tanner stage 1 and first registration of Tanner stage 2-5 (T2-T5; based on breast development for girls and genital development for boys, respectively); maximum height velocity during each Tanner stage; and pubertal peak height velocity (PPHV). Data cut-off was 13 May 2019.ResultsThis analysis included 213 patients (132 boys and 81 girls). Mean (SD) age at last registration of T1 and first registration of T5 was 13.0 (2.0) and 16.3 (1.6) years, respectively, in boys and 11.6 (1.8) and 14.7 (1.5) years, respectively, in girls. Among patients reaching the end of puberty (25 boys and 11 girls), mean (SD) height SDS increased from -3.7 (1.4) at baseline in the Eu-IGFD Registry to -2.6 (1.4) at T5 in boys and from -3.1 (1.1) to -2.3 (1.5) in girls. Maximum height velocity was observed during T2 in girls and T3 in boys. Median (range) PPHV was 8.0 (0.3–13.0) cm/year in boys and 6.8 (1.3–9.6) cm/year in girls and occurred most frequently during T2. Overall, the adverse events seen in this analysis were in line with the known safety profile of rhIGF-1.ConclusionChildren and adolescents treated with rhIGF-1 for SPIGFD with growth failure experienced an increase in height SDS in prepubertal years compared with baseline. Despite 1.5 years delay in pubertal start and a delayed and slightly lower PPHV, height SDS gain during puberty was maintained.
Evidence From a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Classical Impaired Glucose Tolerance Should Be Divided Into Subgroups of Isolated Impaired Glucose Tolerance and Impaired Glucose Tolerance Combined With Impaired Fasting Glucose, According to the Risk of Progression to Diabetes
Authors: Liu Yupu , Li Juan , Wu Yuchao , Zhang Han , Lv Qingguo , Zhang Yuwei , Zheng Xiaofeng , Tong Nanwei 
Published: February 2022

BackgroundThe American Diabetes Association (ADA) 2003 diagnostic criteria divide impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) into isolated impaired glucose tolerance with normal fasting glucose (I-IGT, IGT+NFG) and impaired glucose tolerance combined with impaired fasting glucose (IGT+IFG), while the World Health Organization (WHO) 1999 criteria do not. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate whether IGT should be divided into I-IGT (IGT+NFG) or IGT+IFG according to their risk of progression to type 2 diabetes.MethodsThe MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched to identify prospective cohort studies published in English prior to April 18, 2020. Review Manager 5.3 was used to calculate the pooled risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) as summary statistics for each included study.ResultsSixteen eligible studies (n = 147,006) were included in the analysis. The subsequent incidence of type 2 diabetes was lower in the I-IGT (IGT+NFG) group than in the IGT+IFG group (0.45 [95% CI 0.37, 0.55] according to WHO 1999 criteria and 0.59 [95% CI 0.54, 0.66] according to ADA 2003 criteria). It was higher in the I-IFG, I-IGT (IGT+NFG), and IGT+IFG groups than in the normoglycemic group (95% CI of 5.53 [3.78, 8.08], 5.21 [3.70, 7.34], and 11.87 [7.33, 19.20] according to the WHO 1999 criteria and 95% CI of 2.66 [2.00, 3.54], 3.34 [2.81, 3.97], and 6.10 [4.72, 7.88] according to the ADA 2003 criteria). In general, the incidence of diabetes in the IGT+IFG group was the highest in the prediabetic population.ConclusionsThe present meta-analysis suggested that the established WHO diagnostic criteria for IGT should be revised to separately identify individuals with IGT+NFG or IGT+IFG.
Experimental Analysis of Heat Storage and Release of Binary Methanol Aqueous Solution Pulsating Heat Pipe Phase Change Accumulator
Authors: Lu Xiaohui , Luo Xiaoxue , Cao Shibo , Zou Changzhen 
Published: February 2022

To improve the problems of energy shortage and low utilization rate, this paper designed a set of pulsating heat pipe (PHP) devices coupled with phase change energy storage material. Further, the binary methanol-water solution is proposed as a novel experimental filling medium to enhance the heat transfer performance of the device. The fluid flow model of the PHP was analyzed via experiment and simulation. Besides, the heat storage and release performances of the PHP at different flow rates, different heating temperatures, different filling mediums, and different filling ratios are investigated. The results show that when the filling medium (binary methanol-water solution) possesses the filling ratio of 0.6 (methanol and water are each 0.3), the heat source inlet flow is 0.60 m3/h, the heat source heating temperature is 120°C, and the PHP is at the best heat storage performance. During the exothermic process, the lower the initial temperature of cooling water, the higher the heat recovery rate. Thus, it can be concluded that the selection of an appropriate filling medium and the optimal parameters to enhance heat transfer can have a broader application prospect in the field of waste heat recovery.
Wuling Mountains Function as a Corridor for Woody Plant Species Exchange Between Northern and Southern Central China
Authors: Wang Congrong , Zhou Tianyang , Qin Yuanzhi , Zhou Gang , Fei Yanan , Xu Yaozhan , Tang Zhiyao , Jiang Mingxi , Qiao Xiujuan 
Published: February 2022

AimWuling Mountains range from the northeast to southwest in Central China, a region with high habitat complexity and diversity that supports substantial plant species diversity. Connecting the northern subtropics to the mid-subtropics, Wuling Mountains also link the floras of Eastern and South-Western China. Despite a long-standing interest in how important role Wuling Mountains play in species exchange, patterns of plant species diversity in Wuling and their underlying drivers are still not well characterized. Here, the spatial distribution of woody plant species in this region is described and the role the Wuling Mountains play in structuring biodiversity in surrounding areas is explored.LocationWuling Mountains and adjacent regions, China.MethodsDetailed distribution data for woody plant species in China were collected and mapped onto a raster grid of the Wuling Mountains and adjacent regions (a total of 820,000 km2) to analyze spatial patterns in species diversity, including α-diversity (species richness) and β-diversity (βsor). Unweighted pair-group method using arithmetic averages (UPGMA) clustering was used to divide the study region based on species composition. Canonical redundancy analysis was used to illustrate spatial patterns and species-environment relationships.ResultsMountainous areas in the study region have high species richness as compared to other areas. Species exchanges occurred at a greater rate latitudinally vs. longitudinally, especially in Wuling Mountains. This suggests that Wuling Mountains may be an important ecological corridor for woody species, linking Northern and Southern Chinese floras. The study region was divided into six bioregions based on species composition: the Wuling Mountains Region, Nanling-Xuefengshan Mountains Region, Qinling-Dabashan Mountains Region, Sichuan Basin Region, Yangtze Plain Region and Yungui Plateau Region.Main ConclusionsThe Wuling Mountains Region acts as an ecological corridor for woody species, linking Northern and Southern China, and fostering biodiversity exchange and conservation in Central China.