bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Selenium alleviates ER calcium depletion-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress dependent apoptosis via PERK/ATF4/CHOP pathway in chicken myocardium after mercuric chloride exposure
Authors: Gao Pei-Chao , Wang An-Qi , Chen Xue-Wei , Cui Han , Li Yue , Fan Rui-Feng 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a highly toxic heavy metal with definite cardiotoxic properties. Selenium (Se) is a heart-healthy trace element and has been demonstrated to attenuate heavy metal induced organ toxicity. This study was designed to explore the antagonistic effect of Se on the cardiotoxicity of mercuric chloride (HgCl2) in chicken. Histopathological observations demonstrated that Se attenuated HgCl2-induced myocardial injury, which was further confirmed by the results of serum CK and LDH levels assay and myocardial tissues oxidative stress indexes assessment. The results showed that Se prevented HgCl2-induced cytoplasmic Ca2+ overload and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ depletion mediated by Ca2+-regulatory dysfunction of the ER. Importantly, ER Ca2+ depletion led to unfolded protein response (UPR) and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), resulting in apoptosis of cardiomyocytes via the PERK/ATF4/CHOP pathway. Subsequently, the heat shock proteins expression activated by HgCl2 through these stress responses, which was reversed by Se. Moreover, Se supplementation partially eliminated the effects of HgCl2 on the expression of several ER-settled selenoproteins, including selenoprotein K (SELENOK), SELENOM, SELENON and SELENOS. In conclusion, these results suggested that Se alleviated ER Ca2+ depletion and oxidative stress induced ERS dependent apoptosis via PERK/ATF4/CHOP pathway in chicken myocardium after HgCl2 exposure.
Pathogen Clearance-based Correlates of Immunoprotection Reveal Insightful Features of Vaccine Immunity
Authors: Zhang Jing-Ren , Tian Xianbin , Wang Juanjuan , Chen Haoze , Ding Ming , Jin Qian 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
Vaccination has significantly reduced the incidence of invasive infections caused by several bacterial pathogens, including Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Neisseria meningitidis. However, no vaccines are available for many other invasive pathogens. A major hurdle in vaccine development is the lack of functional markers to quantify vaccine immunity in eliminating pathogens in the process of infection. Based on our recent discovery of the liver as the major organ of vaccine-induced clearance of blood-borne virulent bacteria, we here describe a new vaccine evaluation system that quantitatively characterize important properties of effective vaccines in shuffling virulent bacteria from the blood circulation to the liver resident macrophage Kupffer cells (KCs) and sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) in animal models. This system consists of three related correlates or assays: pathogen clearance from the bloodstream, pathogen trapping in the liver, and pathogen capture by KCs/LSECs. The readouts of these correlates were consistently associated with the serotype-specific immunoprotection levels of the 13-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine (PCV13) against lethal infections of S. pneumoniae, a major invasive pathogen of community-acquired infections in humans. Furthermore, these assays were able to identify a set of functional differences between two licensed PCV13 brands. Finally, the reliability and sensitivity of these correlates in reflecting vaccine efficacy were verified with whole cell vaccines of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli, two major pathogens in hospital-acquired invasive infections. This system may be used as cost effective readouts to evaluate the immunoprotective potential of vaccine candidates in the preclinical phase by filling the current technical gap in vaccine evaluation between the conventional in vitro approaches (e.g., antibody production and pathogen neutralization/opsonophagocytosis) and survival of immunized animals.
Comparison of results after 9 years of stress urinary incontinence treatment with transobturator tape and single incision sling.
Authors: Sonia De Miguel Manso , Elena García García , María Cuaresma González , Marta Ibañez Nieto , Julio Gobernado Tejedor , Marta Perez Febles 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS
Surgical treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is performed using a tension-free suburethral band, and the most recent is the single-incision sling (SIS) developed to reduce surgical time and minimize the complications associated with retropubic and transobturator bands.
The objective of this study is to compare the SIS bands with the transobturator (TO) bands, in terms of efficacy (objective and subjective continence) and long-term post-surgical complications
METHODS
Prospective observational study, with a 9-year follow-up (2012-20121) at the University Clinical Hospital of Valladolid (Spain), in women who underwent surgery for SUI using suburethral bands, TO or SIS.
RESULTS
271 patients were included, 133 TO and 138 SIS.
The TO group was older and had a higher frequency of hypertension and previous gynecological surgery, including an anti-incontinence technique. SIS patients performed physical activity more frequently and associated a higher percentage of psychiatric pathology.
Surgery time was lower with SIS and TO was significantly associated with POP corrective surgery.
There are no significant differences in immediate (<7 days), intermediate (≥7-30 days) or late (≥1 month) complications.
No significant differences were found in relation to objective or subjective healing using the satisfaction scale, the ICIQ-SF questionnaire, and the PGI-1.
CONCLUSIONS
Although the evidence currently does not place SIS as the gold standard treatment for SUI, in our study we did not observe differences between the two procedures (SIS and TO) during the 9-year follow-up, neither in objective nor subjective cure.
What is the mind map of the hospital's future changes in a developing country like Iran? A qualitative study
Authors: Masoud Ali , Dehnavieh Reza , Yazdi-Feyzabadi Vahid , Poursheikhali Atousa , Noorihekmat Somayeh , kazemi Mohammad , Moghadam Mina Ghasemi 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
Background:
Hospitals have a vital role in the future of health systems but will change. Identifying the potential aspects of change helps managers have a proactive approach in dealing with them, make use of the opportunities, and avoid threats. This study presents a mind map of future changes in Iranian hospitals to develop a base for further related studies or prepare evidence for interventions and future-related decisions.
Methods:
This study is a qualitative-exploratory one, conducted in two phases. In the first phase, in-depth and semi-structured interviews were conducted to identify the future changes of the hospitals over a 15-year time horizon. The interviews were analyzed using the content analysis method and MAXQDA 2018 software and holding two expert panels to develop the mind map using the 2016 Visio software.
Results:
In the first phase, 33 interviews led to 144 change patterns. In the second phase, a mind map of changes was drawn according to experts' opinions with ten categories: structure and role, knowledge management and research, service delivery, health forces, political and legal, economic, demographic and disease, technological, and values and philosophy, and environmental.
Conclusions:
Many changes affecting hospitals rooted in the past continue to the future, but the point is the increasing intensity and speed of changes. Health care systems need a systematic approach to monitoring the environment to be updated, agile and proactive. These monitoring systems are essential in providing evidence for Macro-level decision makers.
Pathogenic REST variant causing Jones syndrome and a review of the literature
Authors: Rahikkala Elisa , Julku Johanna , Koskinen Sari , Keski-Filppula Tommi , Häkli Sanna , Kraatari-Tiri Minna 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
Jones syndrome is a rare dominantly inherited syndrome characterized by gingival fibromatosis and progressive sensorineural hearing loss becoming symptomatic in the second decade of life. Here, we report a father and his two daughters presenting with a typical Jones syndrome phenotype. Exome sequencing identified a repressor element 1-silencing transcription factor (REST) (NM_005612.5) c.2670_2673del p.(Glu891Profs*6) variant segregating with Jones syndrome in the family. We review the clinical data from all previously published patients with Jones syndrome and previously published patients with pathogenic REST variants associated with gingival fibromatosis or sensorineural hearing loss. This study suggests that pathogenic REST variants are the cause of Jones syndrome.
Nicotine exacerbates diabetic nephropathy through upregulation of Grem1 expression
Authors: Chen Jianning , Xiao Haiting , Xue Rui , Kumar Vinod , Aslam Rukhsana , Mehdi Syed Faizan , Luo Huairong , Malhotra Ashwani , Lan Xiqian , Singhal Pravin 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
Background
Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a major complication of diabetes mellitus. The tobacco epidemic exacerbates kidney damage in patients with DN. Clinical reports indicate that smoking is a significant risk factor for chronic kidney disease, including DN; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear.
Method
In the present study, we used a diabetic mouse model to investigate the molecular mechanisms for nicotine-exacerbated DN. Twelve-week-old female mice were injected with streptozotocin (STZ) to establish a hyperglycemic diabetic model. After four months, the control and hyperglycemic diabetic mice were further divided into four groups (control, Nicotine, diabetic, Nicotine + diabetic) by intraperitoneal injection of Nicotine or PBS. After another two months, urine and blood were collected for kidney injury assay, and renal tissues were harvested for further molecular assays using RNA-seq analysis, real-time PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry. In in vitro studies, we used siRNA to suppress Grem1 expression in human podocytes and then treated them with Nicotine and high glucose to compare podocyte injury.
Result
Nicotine administration alone did not cause apparent kidney injury, but it significantly increased hyperglycemia-induced albuminuria, BUN, and the expression of KIM-1 and NGAL. Results from RNA-seq analysis, real-time PCR, and western blot analysis revealed that, compared to hyperglycemia or Nicotine alone, the combination of nicotine treatment and hyperglycemia significantly increased the expression of Grem1 and activated the TGF-β pathway. In vitro experiments, suppression of Grem1 expression attenuated nicotine-exacerbated podocyte injury.
Conclusion
Grem1 plays a vital role in the nicotine-exacerbated DN. Grem1 may be a potential therapeutic target for chronic smokers with DN.
Systematic benchmarking of statistical methods to assess differential expression of
circular RNAs
Authors: Buratin Alessia , Bortoluzzi Stefania , Gaffo Enrico 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are covalently closed transcripts involved in critical regulatory axes, cancer pathways, and disease mechanisms. CircRNA expression measured with RNA-seq has particular characteristics that might hamper the performance of standard biostatistical methods for differential expression assessment (DEMs).
We compared 38 DEM pipelines configured to fit circRNA expression data’s statistical properties, including bulk RNA-seq, single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq), and metagenomics DEMs. The DEMs performed poorly on data sets of typical size. Widely used DEMs, such as DESeq2, edgeR, and Limma-Voom, gave scarce results, unreliable predictions, or even contravened the expected behaviour with some parameter configurations. Limma-Voom achieved the most consistent performance throughout different benchmark data sets and, as well as SAMseq, reasonably balanced false discovery and recall rates. Interestingly, a few scRNA-seq DEMs obtained results comparable to the best performing bulk RNA-seq tools. Almost all DEMs' performance improved when increasing the number of replicates.
CircRNA expression studies require careful design, choice of DEM, and DEM configuration. This analysis can guide scientists in selecting the appropriate tools to investigate circRNA differential expression with RNA-seq experiments.
Haploid induction and plant production in bottle gourd by pollination with gamma irradiated pollen
Authors: Zhang Man , Zhao Qing , Qi Han , Yang Xingping 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
Bottle gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standley] has been used exclusively as rootstocks for Cucurbit crops. Haploid technique increases the selection efficiency for developing resistant bottle gourd varieties. This work focused on haploid induction in bottle gourd through in situ parthenogenesis by pollination with gamma-irradiated pollen. Pollination were carried out for six genotypes of bottle gourd with 50, 75, 100, 125 and 150 Gray (Gy) doses of gamma rays. Production of in vitro haploid plants was influenced by irradiation dose, genotype and embyo stage. Seeds at 17 to 21 days after pollination was found to be optimum for embryo rescue. Pollination with irradiated pollen at 100 to 125 Gy was effective for haploid induction. The ploidy level of the 11 parthenogenetic plantlets was confirmed by flow cytometry and 36.3% haploid and 9% triploid plantlets were obtained. This work provides valuable germplasm resources for bottle gourd genetic analysis and breeding programs.
Analysis of the Accuracy of the Ishii Test in Diagnosing Severe Sarcopenia among Multi- ethnic Middle-aged to Older Adults: Results From the West China Health and Aging Trend Study
Authors: Luo Shuyue , Chen Xiaoyan , Hou Lisha , Yue Jirong , Liu Xiaolei , Xia Xin , Cao Li , Dong Birong 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to establish the diagnostic utility of the Ishii test, which gauges the odds of severe sarcopenia based on the results of an equation based upon age, grip strength, and calf circumference among middle-aged and older adults in Western China.
METHODS: This study incorporated adults ≥ 50 years of age from the West China Health and Aging Trend (WCHAT) study. Severe sarcopenia was defined as per the AWGS2019 recommendations, with the odds of severe sarcopenia being estimated with the Ishii test score chart. The diagnostic utility of the Ishii test in this patient cohort was assessed by analyzing its sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and the area under the ROC curve (AUC).
RESULTS: In total, 4,177 individuals ≥ 50 years of age were included in this study including 2,688 females (63.9%) and 1,509 males (36.1%). These included 568 (13.6%) participants affected by severe sarcopenia, of whom 237 were male (15.7%) and 331 were female (12.4%). Optimal Ishii test cut-off values established based on Youden’s index were ≥ 114 for males and ≥ 120 for females when using the AWGS2019 reference standard. The sensitivity/specificity/PPV/NPV of the Ishii test when screening for severe sarcopenia were 89.45%/77.15%/0.42/0.98 in males and 90.03%/ 77.05%/0.36/0.98 in females. The AUC values for the Ishii test in males and females were 0.899 (95% CI, 0.883-0.916) and 0.905 (95% CI, 0.892-0.917), respectively.
CONCLUSION: These data indicate that the Ishii test offers value as a candidate diagnostic test that can be used to screen for severe sarcopenia, with recommended diagnostic cut-off values of ≥ 114 for males and ≥ 120 for females.
Chewing gum manages and prevents postoperative ileus in patients after robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy
Authors: Ding Si-Wei , Peng Yue-Qiang , Jiang Yu , Xu Qiao , Liu Jia-Yu , Zheng Yong-Bo 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
To compare the feasibility and effectiveness of gum chewing to promote gastrointestinal (GI) recovery and prevent postoperative ileus (POI) in patients who underwent robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RALPN), all subjects who met the enrollment criteria were randomly divided into the CG group (n = 23) and the control group (n = 29). No intervention other than chewing gum had been set between the two groups. We took the time of first bowel sound, exhaust, defecation, liquid diet, and solid diet as the study endpoints, and performed statistical analysis between the two groups. Baseline and postoperative data of patients were also recorded and analyzed. The time of first flatus, the first defecation, hospital stay, first liquid diet, and first solid diet in the chewing gum group were significantly shorter than those in the control group (all P < 0.05). CG can be an effective approach to promote bowel function recovery and prevent POI after robot-assisted partial nephrectomy.
Women's Empowerment and Homebirth in Sierra Leone. A Secondary Analysis of the 2019 Sierra Leone Demographic Health Survey
Authors: James Peter Bai , Yendewa George A , Bah Abdulai Jawo , Osborne Augustus , Kpagoi Satta Sylvia , Margao Emmanuel Kamanda , Kangbai Jia B , Wardle Jon 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
Background
A nationwide assessment of the link between women's empowerment and homebirth has not been examined in Sierra Leone. Our study examined the association between women's empowerment and homebirth using the 2019 Sierra Leone Demographic Health Survey (2019 SLDHS) data.
Method
We used the individual file (IR) of the 2019 SLDHS dataset for our analysis. A total of 7377 women aged 15–49 years who gave birth in the five years preceding the survey were included in our study. Our outcome variable was "home birth of their last child among women in the five years preceding the 2019 SLDHS. Women's empowerment parameters include women's knowledge level, economic participation, decision-making ability, and attitude towards wife beating. We used the complex sample command on SPSS version 28 to conduct descriptive and multivariate logistic regression analyses.
Results
Three in every 20 women had home childbirth (n = 1177,15.3%). Women with low [AOR = 2.04.;95%CI: 1.43–2.92] and medium [AOR = 1.44;95%CI: 1.05–1.97] levels of knowledge compared to those with high levels of knowledge had higher odds of giving birth at home. Women who were in favour of wife beating were more likely to have had homebirth compared to those who were against wife beating [AOR = 1.38;95%CI:1.09–1.74]. In addition, women with no [AOR = 2.71;95%CI:1.34–5.46) and less than four [AOR = 2.08;95%CI:1.51–2.88] antenatal care visits and who considered the distance to a health facility as a major problem [AOR = 1.95;95%CI:1.49–2.56] were more likely to have had a home birth. However, no significant association between a women's decision-making power and home birth was observed [AOR = 1.11;95%CI:0.86–1.41].
Conclusion
Despite improvements in maternal health indicators, homebirth by unskilled birth attendants is still a public health concern in Sierra Leone. Women with low knowledge levels, who favour wife beating, had less than four ANC visits and considered distance to a health facility as a major problem had higher odds of giving birth at home. Our findings reflect the need to empower women by improving their knowledge level through girl child and adult education, increasing media exposure, changing societal norms and unequal power relations that favour gender-based violence, and improving roads and transport infrastructure.
Spatial Distribution of First and Second Dose Measles Vaccine Coverage in the Cities of São Paulo From 2015 to 2020
Authors: Pamplona Ysabely Aguiar Pontes , Nascimento Anderson Marcos , Olinda Ricardo Alves , Barbieri Carolina Luisa Alves , Braga Alfésio Luís Ferreira , Martins Lourdes Conceição 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
Background: Measles is a contagious viral disease that seriously affects children. The measles vaccine is widely recommended in Brazil and in the world; however, the disease remains relevant for the health authorities. The aim of the present study was to evaluate first and second dose of measles vaccine coverage (VC) in the cities of São Paulo and its spatial dynamics between 2015 and 2020.
Method: In this mixed-type ecological study, we used secondary, public domain data from 2015 to 2020, extracted from the Digital Information System of the National Immunization Program and the National Live Birth Information System. After calculating the VC, the following four categories were created: very low, low, adequate, and high, and the spatial autocorrelation of VC was analyzed using the Global and Local Moran’s statistics.
Results: A steady decline in adherence to the vaccination was observed, which dynamically worsened until 2020, with a high number of cities fitting the classification of ineffective coverage and being potentially harmful to the effectiveness of the immunization activities of their neighbors.
Conclusion: A direct neighborhood pattern was observed between the units with low vaccination coverage, which implied that the reduction in measles VC was somehow related to and negatively influenced by the geographic location and social culture of these areas.
Impact of the Glutamatergic neurotransmission within the A5 region on the cardiorespiratory response evoked from the midbrain dlPAG
Authors: GONZÁLEZ-GARCÍA MARTA , CARRILLO-FRANCO LAURA , PEINADO-ARAGONÉS CARLOS ANTONIO , DÍAZ-CASARES AMELIA , GAGO BELÉN , LÓPEZ-GONZÁLEZ MANUEL VÍCTOR , DAWID-MILNER MARC STEFAN 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
Stimulation of the dorsolateral periaqueductal grey matter (dlPAG) in rats evokes an active defensive behaviour together with a cardiorespiratory response characterised by tachypnoea, tachycardia and hypertension. The dlPAG neurons involved in these responses are excitatory, presumably glutamatergic, due to the presence of vesicular glutamate transporter VGLUT2 within their axon terminals. Previously, our group described a functional interaction between dlPAG and the pontine A5 region. Accordingly, in the present work, in order to characterize the role of glutamate within this interaction, experiments were carried out in spontaneously breathing anaesthetized rats (sodium pentobarbitone 60 mg/kg i.p., suplemented with 20 mg/kg i.p.). The cardiorespiratory response evoked by electrical stimulation of the dlPAG (1ms pulses, 20-50 mA, given at 100 Hz, during 5s) was analysed before and after the microinjection, within the A5 region, of either kynurenic acid (non-specific glutamate receptor antagonist; 5-10 nmol), DAP-5 (NMDA antagonist; 1 pmol), CNQX (non-NMDA antagonist; 1 pmol) or MCPG (metabotropic antagonist; 0,1 nmol). Kynurenic acid decreased the intensity of both the tachypnoea (p<0,001) and tachycardia (p<0,001) induced by dl-PAG stimulation. Blockade of no-NMDA receptors reduced the increase of respiratory frequency, heart rate and pressor response to dl-PAG stimulation (p<0,01, p<0,001, p<0,05 respectively). Blockade of either NMDA or metabotropic receptors reduced the dlPAG-evoked tachycardia and pressor response (p<0,01; p<0,05 respectively). These results suggest a neuromodulatory role for A5 region via glutamate neurotransmission of the dlPAG-evoked cardiorespiratory response, confirming the role of the ventrolateral pons in the neuronal circuits involved in respiratory and heart rate control.