bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of bone mineral density and body compositions interrelation in young and middle-aged male patients with Crohn’s disease by quantitative computed tomography
Authors: Zhang Xueli , Peng Kun , Li Gang , Wan Lidi , Xu Tingting , Cui Zhijun , Xiao Fuxia , Li Li , Liu Zhanju , Zhang Lin , Tang Guangyu 
Published: September 2022

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of bone mineral density (BMD) and body compositions, and the impact of body compositions on BMD in young and middle-aged male patients with Crohn’s disease (CD).MethodsPatients with CD (n = 198) and normal controls (n = 123) underwent quantitative computed tomography (QCT) examination of lumbar vertebrae 1–3 (L1–3). The BMD and bone geometric parameters were measured and outputted by QCT post-process software. Meanwhile, body composition parameters, including subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), lean mass (LM), and muscles mass around lumbar vertebrae were also acquired by QCT. Blood indicators [interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP), Ca, and P] were collected from clinical medical records. Independent t-test was used to compare these variables between the CD group and the normal control group.ResultsThere was no significant difference in age, height, and weight between the CD group and the control group (p &gt; 0.05), indicating that the sample size was relatively balanced. Mean BMD in the CD group were lower than those in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant (p &gt; 0.05). The bone geometric parameters of the CD group, including cortical area/density (Ct. Ar, Ct. BMD) and trabecular area/density (Tb. Ar and Tb. BMD), were significantly lower than those of the control group (p &lt; 0.05), so were the body composition parameters including total adipose tissue (TAT), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), lean mass (LM), and muscles mass (p &lt; 0.05). In addition, the level of plasma IL-6, IL-8, CRP, and TNF-α of the CD group were higher than those of the control group (p &lt; 0.05). On the contrary, the body mass index (BMI) and serum Ca and P levels of the CD group were lower than those of the control group (p &lt; 0.05). Through multiple linear regression analysis, Tb. BMD, VAT, Ct. Ar, LM, Ca, and IL-8 entered the regression model and revealed a significant contribution to BMD.ConclusionsPatients with CD could suffer from reduction in BMD. However, the parameters of bone geometric parameters are more sensitive and accurate than BMD changes. Among them, Tb. BMD, VAT, Ct. Ar, and LM have significant effects on BMD reduction.
Washed microbiota transplantation improves patients with high blood glucose in South China
Authors: Wu Lei , Li Man-Qing , Xie Ya-Ting , Zhang Qing , Lu Xin-Jian , Liu Tao , Lin Wen-Ying , Xu Jia-Ting , Wu Qing-Ping , He Xing-Xiang 
Published: September 2022

Background and AimsAlthough fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from healthy donors has been shown to have hypoglycemic effects in animal models of diabetes, its clinical impact in patients with abnormal blood glucose metabolism is unclear, especially in southern Chinese populations. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and efficacy of washed microbiota transplantation (WMT) in the treatment of abnormal blood glucose metabolism in a population in southern China.MethodsThe clinical data of patients with different indications who received 1-3 treatments of WMT were retrospectively collected. The changes of blood glucose, blood lipids, blood pressure, liver function and blood routine before and after WMT were compared, such as fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), systolic blood pressure (SBP), white blood cells (WBC), lymphocytes (LY) and platelets (PLT), etc.ResultsA total of 195 patients were included in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, including 20 patients with high blood glucose and 175 patients with normal blood glucose. WMT has a significant effect in reducing short term blood glucose level (FBG) in patients with high blood glucose (p &lt; 0.05). The fasting blood glucose (FBG) of 72.22% of patients with high blood glucose decreased to normal in a short term (about 1 month) (p &lt; 0.001); In the medium term (about 2 months), there was a significant hypolipidemic (TG) (p = 0.043) effect, long term (about 6 months) significant blood pressure lowering (SBP, p = 0.048) effect. Overall, WMT significantly reduced the risk of high risk classes of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) in the short term (p = 0.029) and medium term (p = 0.050).ConclusionWMT can significantly improve blood glucose in patients with high blood glucose, and there is no long-term elevated risk of blood glucose and ASCVD. FBG levels were significantly reduced in both the short and medium term in patients with high blood glucose treated with WMT. Therefore, the regulation of gut microbiota by WMT may provide a new clinical approach for the treatment of abnormal blood glucose metabolism.
Efficient Wastewater Treatment via Aeration Through a Novel Nanobubble System in Sequence Batch Reactors
Authors: Ahmadi Mehrdad , Doroodmand Mohammad Mahdi , Nabi Bidhendi Gholamreza , Torabian Ali , Mehrdadi Nasser 
Published: September 2022

The aerobic wastewater treatments depend on the aeration. Hence, the size of the bubbles used in the aeration system may play a crucial role in this regard. This study attempted to investigate the effects of aeration bubble size on wastewater treatment efficiency of a “sequence batch reactor” (SBR) system at a laboratory scale using a novel designed fine/nanobubble forming instrumentation system. Based on the presence of microorganisms in the stationary phase, chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency on the 15th day (80.0 and 95.0%) was majorly better than on the 10th and 15th days in fine and nanobubble aeration systems. Moreover, with increasing sludge age, the “sludge volumetric index” (SVI) increased up to 170.0 ml g−1 on the 15th day. In addition, sludge rate and F/M ratio were much higher and expressively less in the nanobubble system rather than in the fine-bubbles system in which sludge was majorly denser. Therefore, the sludge was more easily deposited and the percentage of dry sludge was higher compared with the fine-bubble system. Thus, oxygen and specific oxygen uptake rate consumption were significantly reduced. The efficiency of the phosphorus removal was estimated to be between 54.0–60.0% for nanobubble aeration, compared to the general systems such as the SBR (10–20%) under similar conditions. In addition, the efficiency of the nitrogen removal in the nanobubble aeration system with different densities of 40.0, 50.0, and 60.0 ml g−1 was found as 99.0%, relatively higher compared to fine bubble with 96.0% nitrogen efficiency. In conclusion, a nanobubble aeration system could give considerably promoted efficiencies in all terms of the tested treatment effective parameters.
Aquatic macroinvertebrate trophic guilds, functional feeding groups, and water quality of an andean urban river
Authors: Carrasco-Badajoz Carlos , Rayme-Chalco Carolina , Arana-Maestre Jerry , Álvarez-Tolentino Daniel , Ayala-Sulca Yuri , Sanchez-Peña Marco 
Published: September 2022

In the Anthropocene, man has imposed his activities above the natural processes of ecosystems. Rivers have undergone major changes associated with urban centers, so monitoring them is important to determine their status and suitability to provide environmental services. Studies applying the community ecology approach, such as energy flow in aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages, may be appropriate to determine their status and functioning. This study characterized an Andean river that runs across the city of Ayacucho (Peru). Water physicochemical parameters and biotic quality indices were used and compared with the abundance of trophic guild components and functional feeding groups to demonstrate that the latter are at least equally suitable to estimate water quality. The river section studied ranged from 2640 to 2900 m a.s.l. and was monitored in the wet and dry seasons. Six monitoring stations were established according to the extent of the influence of the urban center. Water physicochemical variables and macroinvertebrate abundances were determined. A Surber net was used for multihabitat sampling; macroinvertebrates were identified to genus level (in most cases) and counted to estimate relative abundances. Trophic guilds (detritivore, predator, herbivore) were formed using the genus data from identification according to the information available in Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru. Functional feeding groups were set based on the classification of families. The sensitivity of trophic metrics was assessed by relating them to environmental variables and the Andean Biotic Index (ABI), the Biological Monitoring Working Party adapted for Colombia (BMWP/Col.), and the Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera (EPT) indices. Environmental variables and biotic indices increased significantly in the most impacted stations, where the abundance of most taxa decreased. The components of trophic guilds and functional groups varied, and those feeding on fine particles increased in sites with a higher urban impact. The metrics based on trophic characteristics were highly correlated with the BMWP/Col and ABI indices. Therefore, these indices can be used to estimate river water quality and provide information on its functioning.
Research on formulation optimization and hydration mechanism of phosphogypsum-based filling cementitious materials
Authors: Yang Xiao , Jia Yongxiang , Yang Chen , He Xiaoke , Jia Yanchang , Xu Leige 
Published: September 2022

Phosphogypsum is a solid waste produced in the production of wet-process phosphoric acid. The main component is calcium sulfate dihydrate, and its constant calcium activity is very low. It is a very difficult waste to handle. The slag produced in the ironmaking processes of the Jiuquan Iron and Steel Company has high activity and can be mixed with phosphogypsum to prepare backfilling cementitious materials for the backfilling of goaf (see Introduction below) to prevent its subsidence and cracking and subsequent subsidence of the land surface above the goaf. In this paper, an orthogonal test of material strength under different ratios and finenesses was carried out, and the optimal formula of phosphogypsum-based cementitious material was obtained. On this basis, SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) and XRD (X-ray Diffraction) were used to observe the internal structure of phosphogypsum-based cementitious materials. The results show that: when the content of quicklime is 5.5%–6.0%, the content of phosphogypsum is 30%–33%, the content of NaOH is 1.5%–2.0%, the content of Glauber’s salt is 2.5%–3%, the average particle size is 15.88 μm, and grinding aids and an early strengthening agent were added, and in the case of the strengthening agent, the 3-days and 7-days strengths of the filling reached the highest values of 1.58 MPa (mean flexural strength) and 4.1 MPa, respectively. The formation of calcium silicate hydrates gel (C-S-H) and ettringite (AFt) gradually increased with age, and the structure became denser. The ettringite plays the role of interspersed support in the filling body, thereby improving the overall strength. This research provides a theoretical basis and practical reference for the treatment of goaf.
Molecular Characteristics of T Cell-Mediated Tumor Killing in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Hong Wei-feng , Liu Mou-yuan , Liang Li , Zhang Yang , Li Zong-juan , Han Keqi , Du Shi-suo , Chen Yan-jie , Ma Li-heng 
Published: September 2022

BackgroundAlthough checkpoint blockade is a promising approach for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), subsets of patients expected to show a response have not been established. As T cell-mediated tumor killing (TTK) is the fundamental principle of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy, we established subtypes based on genes related to the sensitivity to TKK and evaluated their prognostic value for HCC immunotherapies.MethodsGenes regulating the sensitivity of tumor cells to T cell-mediated killing (referred to as GSTTKs) showing differential expression in HCC and correlations with prognosis were identified by high-throughput screening assays. Unsupervised clustering was applied to classify patients with HCC into subtypes based on the GSTTKs. The tumor microenvironment, metabolic properties, and genetic variation were compared among the subgroups. A scoring algorithm based on the prognostic GSTTKs, referred to as the TCscore, was developed, and its clinical and predictive value for the response to immunotherapy were evaluated.ResultsIn total, 18 out of 641 GSTTKs simultaneously showed differential expression in HCC and were correlated with prognosis. Based on the 18 GSTTKs, patients were clustered into two subgroups, which reflected distinct TTK patterns in HCC. Tumor-infiltrating immune cells, immune-related gene expression, glycolipid metabolism, somatic mutations, and signaling pathways differed between the two subgroups. The TCscore effectively distinguished between populations with different responses to chemotherapeutics or immunotherapy and overall survival.ConclusionsTTK patterns played a nonnegligible role in formation of TME diversity and metabolic complexity. Evaluating the TTK patterns of individual tumor will contribute to enhancing our cognition of TME characterization, reflects differences in the functionality of T cells in HCC and guiding more effective therapy strategies.
Cilia-related gene signature in the nasal mucosa correlates with disease severity and outcomes in critical respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis
Authors: Koch Clarissa M. , Prigge Andrew D. , Setar Leah , Anekalla Kishore R. , Do-Umehara Hahn Chi , Abdala-Valencia Hiam , Politanska Yuliya , Shukla Avani , Chavez Jairo , Hahn Grant R. , Coates Bria M. 
Published: September 2022

BackgroundRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can cause life-threatening respiratory failure in infants. We sought to characterize the local host response to RSV infection in the nasal mucosa of infants with critical bronchiolitis and to identify early admission gene signatures associated with clinical outcomes.MethodsNasal scrape biopsies were obtained from 33 infants admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) with critical RSV bronchiolitis requiring non-invasive respiratory support (NIS) or invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed. Gene expression in participants who required shortened NIS (&lt;/= 3 days), prolonged NIS (&gt; 3 days), and IMV was compared.FindingsIncreased expression of ciliated cell genes and estimated ciliated cell abundance, but not immune cell abundance, positively correlated with duration of hospitalization in infants with critical bronchiolitis. A ciliated cell signature characterized infants who required NIS for &gt; 3 days while a basal cell signature was present in infants who required NIS for &lt;/= 3 days, despite both groups requiring an equal degree of respiratory support at the time of sampling. Infants who required invasive mechanical ventilation had increased expression of genes involved in neutrophil activation and cell death.InterpretationIncreased expression of cilia-related genes in clinically indistinguishable infants with critical RSV may differentiate between infants who will require prolonged hospitalization and infants who will recover quickly. Validation of these findings in a larger cohort is needed to determine whether a cilia-related gene signature can predict duration of illness in infants with critical bronchiolitis. The ability to identify which infants with critical RSV bronchiolitis may require prolonged hospitalization using non-invasive nasal samples would provide invaluable prognostic information to parents and medical providers.
Validation of the X-ray microtomography in the assessment of duodenal morphometry and surface area in celiac disease
Authors: Virta Johannes , Hannula Markus , Lindfors Katri , Tamminen Ilmari , Taavela Juha , Huhtala Heini , Kaukinen Katri , Saavalainen Päivi , Hyttinen Jari , Kurppa Kalle 
Published: September 2022

BackgroundDuodenal histology remains the diagnostic reference standard in celiac disease. However, traditional methods have suboptimal sensitivity and reproducibility for early mucosal changes and research purposes. We validated a recently introduced micro-CT imaging method for an accurate digital evaluation of duodenal histomorphometry and mucosal surface areas.MethodsEndoscopic biopsies from 58 individuals were utilized for the micro-CT imaging, selecting histological changes ranging from normal to severely damaged mucosa. The imaging protocol was optimized for practicability and resolution. The Bland–Altman method was applied to test intra- and interobserver variations in the blinded measurements.ResultsThe 3D micro-CT reconstructions enabled easy and precise digital cutting with optimal orientation and computer-assisted measurement of the surface area. Intraobserver analysis of morphological measurements showed a mean difference of 0.011 with limits of agreement (LA) from -0.397 to 0.375 and a standard deviation (SD) of 0.197. The corresponding figures for interobserver analysis were 0.080, from -0.719 to 0.537 and 0.320, respectively. The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for the intraobserver and interobserver variations were 0.981 and 0.954, respectively. Intraobserver surface area analysis yielded a mean difference of 0.010, LA from -0.764 to 0.785 and an SD of 0.395, and an interobserver analysis mean difference of 0.028, LA from -0.642 to 0.698 and SD of 0.342. The respective ICCs for the intra- and interobserver variations were 0.963 and 0.972.ConclusionsMicro-CT showed excellent accuracy and reproducibility in the evaluation of mucosal morphometry and surface areas. The improved sensitivity for histological changes is a powerful tool for the diagnosis of celiac disease and for clinical and pharmacological studies.
Impact of vaccination on hospitalization and mortality from COVID-19 in patients with primary and secondary immunodeficiency: The United Kingdom experience
Authors: Shields Adrian M. , Tadros Susan , Al-Hakim Adam , Nell Jeremy M. , Lin Me Me Nay , Chan Michele , Goddard Sarah , Dempster John , Dziadzio Magdalena , Patel Smita Y. , Elkalifa Shuayb , Huissoon Aarnoud , Duncan Christopher J. A. , Herwadkar Archana , Khan Sujoy , Bethune Claire , Elcombe Suzanne , Thaventhiran James , Klenerman Paul , Lowe David M. , Savic Sinisa , Burns Siobhan O. , Richter Alex G. 
Published: September 2022

BackgroundIndividuals with primary and secondary immunodeficiency (PID/SID) were shown to be at risk of poor outcomes during the early stages of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 vaccines demonstrate reduced immunogenicity in these patients.ObjectivesTo understand whether the risk of severe COVID-19 in individuals with PID or SID has changed following the deployment of vaccination and therapeutics in the context of the emergence of novel viral variants of concern.MethodsThe outcomes of two cohorts of patients with PID and SID were compared: the first, infected between March and July 2020, prior to vaccination and treatments, the second after these intervention became available between January 2021 and April 2022.Results22.7% of immunodeficient patients have been infected at least once with SARS-CoV-2 since the start of the pandemic, compared to over 70% of the general population. Immunodeficient patients were typically infected later in the pandemic when the B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variant was dominant. This delay was associated with receipt of more vaccine doses and higher pre-infection seroprevalence. Compared to March-July 2020, hospitalization rates (53.3% vs 17.9%, p&lt;0.0001) and mortality (Infection fatality rate 20.0% vs 3.4%, p=0.0003) have significantly reduced for patients with PID but remain elevated compared to the general population. The presence of a serological response to vaccination was associated with a reduced duration of viral detection by PCR in the nasopharynx. Early outpatient treatment with antivirals or monoclonal antibodies reduced hospitalization during the Omicron wave.ConclusionsMost individuals with immunodeficiency in the United Kingdom remain SARS-CoV-2 infection naïve. Vaccination, widespread availability of outpatient treatments and, possibly, the emergence of the B.1.1.529 variant have led to significant improvements in morbidity and mortality followings SARS-CoV-2 infection since the start of the pandemic. However, individuals with PID and SID remain at significantly increased risk of poor outcomes compared to the general population; mitigation, vaccination and treatment strategies must be optimized to minimize the ongoing burden of the pandemic in these vulnerable cohorts.
A novel cuproptosis-related subtypes and gene signature associates with immunophenotype and predicts prognosis accurately in neuroblastoma
Authors: Tian Xiao-Mao , Xiang Bin , Yu Yi-Hang , Li Qi , Zhang Zhao-Xia , Zhanghuang Chenghao , Jin Li-Ming , Wang Jin-Kui , Mi Tao , Chen Mei-Lin , Liu Feng , Wei Guang-Hui 
Published: September 2022

BackgroundNeuroblastoma (NB) is the most frequent solid tumor in pediatrics, which accounts for roughly 15% of cancer-related mortality in children. NB exhibited genetic, morphologic, and clinical heterogeneity, which limited the efficacy of available therapeutic approaches. Recently, a new term ‘cuproptosis’ has been used to denote a unique biological process triggered by the action of copper. In this instance, selectively inducing copper death is likely to successfully overcome the limitations of conventional anticancer drugs. However, there is still a gap regarding the role of cuproptosis in cancer, especially in pediatric neuroblastoma.MethodsWe characterized the specific expression of cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) in NB samples based on publicly available mRNA expression profile data. Consensus clustering and Lasso-Cox regression analysis were applied for CRGs in three independent cohorts. ESTIMATE and Xcell algorithm was utilized to visualize TME score and immune cell subpopulations’ relative abundances. Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) score was used to predict tumor response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. To decipher the underlying mechanism, GSVA was applied to explore enriched pathways associated with cuproptosis signature and Connectivity map (CMap) analysis for drug exploration. Finally, qPCR verified the expression levels of risk-genes in NB cell lines. In addition, PDHA1 was screened and further validated by immunofluorescence in human clinical samples and loss-of-function assays.ResultsWe initially classified NB patients according to CRGs and identified two cuproptosis-related subtypes that were associated with prognosis and immunophenotype. After this, a cuproptosis-related prognostic model was constructed and validated by LASSO regression in three independent cohorts. This model can accurately predict prognosis, immune infiltration, and immunotherapy responses. These genes also showed differential expression in various characteristic groups of all three datasets and NB cell lines. Loss-of-function experiments indicated that PDHA1 silencing significantly suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion, in turn, promoted cell cycle arrest at the S phase and apoptosis of NB cells.ConclusionsTaken together, this study may shed light on new research areas for NB patients from the cuproptosis perspective.