bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Corozo (Bactris guineensis) fruit extract has antiviral activity in vitro against SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Jaimes-Gualdrón Tania , Flórez-Álvarez Lizdany , Zapata-Cardona María Isabel , Rojano Benjamín Alberto , Rugeles María Teresa , Zapata-Builes Wildeman 
Published: September 2022

Background: Given the current COVID-19 pandemic, numerous drug development studies are being carried out for the treatment and control of this disease. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antiviral potential of Corozo fruit extract (Bactris guineensis) against SARS-CoV-2.Methods: Corozo extract (CE) was prepared from the pulp of mature Corozo fruits. The total content of phenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins in the extracts was determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu, aluminum chloride, and pH differential methods, respectively. The cytotoxicity on Vero E6 cells was evaluated by MTT assay. Antiviral activity was evaluated by pre-post-treatment using a Colombian isolate of SARS-CoV-2. Viral titer was quantified by plaque assay.Results: Anthocyanin concentration of CE was 144.95 ± 10.3 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside/L. The cytotoxicity of CE on Vero E6 was lower to 20 % at 15.6 g/L. Corozo extract inhibited SARS-CoV-2 at 15.6, 7.8, 3.9 and 1.9 g/L with inhibition percentages of 88.2%, 84%, 59.6% and 56.3%, respectively.Conclusion: This is the first report on the in vitro antiviral effect of Corozo fruit extract against SARS-CoV-2. Since this is a natural product, proven safe for consumption, in the future and with further studies, it could be considered an important functional food that can be useful in preventing strategies to fight against COVID-19.Keywords: Bactris guineensis, Corozo fruit, antiviral activity, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19.
PENGARUH PERBAIKAN BERKESINAMBUNGAN TERHADAP KINERJA KARYAWAN (STUDI KASUS DI PT.RENTANG BUANA NIAGAMAKMUR TASIKMALAYA)
Authors: Sudiarti Sri 
Published: September 2022

The objectives of this research are to know and to analyze about the effect of Continuous Improvement on the performance of employees at PT. Rentang Buana Niagamakmur (PT.RBN) Tasikmalaya. Research method which applied in this research is survey research method, while data collecting technique is done by through questionaire. Sampling technique applies sample is accidental sampling technique and the size sample is 55 respondents. Data analysis techniques used in the study is simple regression technique, analysis of the coefficient of determination and t test. The results showed that the Continuous Improvement including both criteria, including employee performance criteria, as well as Continuous Improvement has a positive influence on employee performance of 76,4% in PT . Rentang Buana Niagamakmur (PT.RBN) Tasikmalaya.
Prevalence and incidence of stroke, white matter hyperintensities, and silent brain infarcts in patients with chronic heart failure: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression
Authors: Tan Sean , Ho Clare Elisabeth Si Min , Teo Yao Neng , Teo Yao Hao , Chan Mark Yan-Yee , Lee Chi-Hang , Evangelista Lauren Kay Mance , Lin Weiqin , Chong Yao-Feng , Yeo Tiong-Cheng , Sharma Vijay Kumar , Wong Raymond C. C. , Tan Benjamin Y. Q. , Yeo Leonard L. L. , Chai Ping , Sia Ching-Hui 
Published: September 2022

IntroductionHeart failure (HF) is associated with ischemic stroke (IS). However, there are limited studies on the prevalence of IS, white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), and silent brain infarcts (SBIs). Furthermore, interaction with ejection fraction (EF) is unclear.MethodsWe searched three databases (viz., PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane) for studies reporting the incidence or prevalence of IS, WMHs, and SBIs in HF. A total of two authors independently selected included studies. We used random-effects models, and heterogeneity was evaluated with I2 statistic. Meta-regression was used for subgroup analysis.ResultsIn total, 41 articles involving 870,002 patients were retrieved from 15,267 records. Among patients with HF, the pooled proportion of IS was 4.06% (95% CI: 2.94–5.59), and that of WMHs and SBIs was higher at 15.67% (95% CI: 4.11–44.63) and 23.45% (95% CI: 14.53–35.58), respectively. Subgroup analysis of HFpEF and HFrEF revealed a pooled prevalence of 2.97% (95% CI: 2.01–4.39) and 3.69% (95% CI: 2.34–5.77), respectively. Subgroup analysis of WMH Fazekas scores 1, 2, and 3 revealed a decreasing trend from 60.57 % (95% CI: 35.13–81.33) to 11.57% (95% CI: 10.40–12.85) to 3.07% (95% CI: 0.95–9.47). The relative risk and hazard ratio of patients with HF developing IS were 2.29 (95% CI: 1.43–3.68) and 1.63 (95% CI: 1.22–2.18), respectively. Meta-regression showed IS prevalence was positively correlated with decreasing anticoagulant usage.ConclusionWe obtained estimates for the prevalence of IS, WMH, and SBI in HF from systematic review of the literature.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=255126, PROSPERO [CRD42021255126].
Correlation between vitamin D and poor sleep status in restless legs syndrome
Authors: Geng Chaofan , Yang Zhenzhen , Kong Xiumei , Xu Pengfei , Zhang Hongju 
Published: September 2022

BackgroundRestless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is closely related to poorer sleep quality. Vitamin D can regulate sleep regulation, cell proliferation, and differentiation. To measure whether vitamin D has predictive value for poor sleep quality in RLS was our aim in this study.MethodsTo analyze the serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in 95 RLS patients. We used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to measure sleep quality. Subjects had been divided into a normal and poor-sleeper groups according to the PSQI score. Using correlation and regression analysis to explore underlying etiologies that affect sleep disorder in RLS patients.ResultsPatients in the poor-sleeper group had significantly lower vitamin D levels in comparison to the normal group. The serum vitamin D levels were negative correlate with PSQI scores after adjusting for confounding factors. In addition, regression analysis showed that vitamin D could act as a predictor for sleep disorders in RLS patients (odds ratio [OR] = 0.008, p = 0.004). The area under the curve (AUC), cut-off value, sensitivity, and specificity of serum vitamin D was 0.967 (95% CI 0.935–0.998), 16.84 ng/ml, 87.5%, and 93.7% by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.ConclusionOur study confirmed the relationship between poorer sleep quality and vitamin D in RLS. However, the causal relationship between vitamin D deficiency and RLS is currently inconclusive. The effect of vitamin D supplementation is needed to confirm as the therapeutic strategies for sleep disorders in RLS patients in future work.
Non-invasive prenatal testing for the detection of trisomy 13, 18, and 21 and sex chromosome aneuploidies in 68,763 cases
Authors: Zhang Yanchun , Xu Hongyan , Zhang Wen , Liu Kaibo 
Published: September 2022

Objectives: Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) has been widely used in recent years. According to clinical experience from all hospitals providing prenatal screening services in Beijing, we explored the feasibility of using NIPT for the analysis of common foetal aneuploidies among pregnancies.Methods: In total, 68,763 maternal blood samples were collected from January 2020 to December 2020 at the Beijing prenatal diagnosis agency. Cases with positive screening results by NIPT detection were validated using prenatal diagnosis.Results: In total, 920 cases had a high-risk NIPT result, and 755 cases were shown to be truly positive by a chromosome karyotyping analysis; the prenatal diagnosis rate was 82.07% (755/920). Of the920 cases, there were 164 cases of T21, 70 cases of T18, 38 cases of T13, 360 cases of SCAs and 288 cases of other chromosomal abnormalities. The positive rates of T21, T18, T13, and SCAs were 0.24% (164/68,763), 0.10% (70/68,763), 0.06% (38/68,763) and 0.52% (360/68,763), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity were 98.17% and 99.92% for T21, 96.15% and 99.93% for T18, and 100% and 99.95% for T13, respectively. The PPVs of T21,T18,T13 and SCAs were65.24% (107/164), 35.71% (25/70), 18.42% (7/38) and 31.39% (113/360), respectively. For all indications, there were more higher T21/18/13 in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group (comprising only cases of voluntary request), with a positive rate of 0.46% vs. 0.27% (p &lt; 0.001), sensitivity of 99.16% vs. 91.30% (p = 0.02) and PPV of 56.73%vs.32.81% (p = 0.001), but there was no significant difference in specificity between the groups (p = 0.71). The detection indication with the highest PPV (100%) by NIPT was ultrasound structural abnormalities and ultrasound soft marker abnormalities for T21 and ultrasound structural abnormalities and NT thickening for T18 and T13. The PPVs of different clinical indications of T21 (p = 0.002), T13 (p = 0.04) and SACs (p = 0.02) were statistically significant.Conclusion: The high specificity, efficiency and safety (non-invasiveness) of NIPT can effectively improve the detection rate of common chromosomal aneuploidy, thereby reducing the occurrence of birth defects. We should encourage pregnant women with NIPT-high-risk results to undergo a prenatal diagnosis to determine whether the foetus has chromosomal abnormalities. More importantly, the screening efficiency of NIPT in the low-risk group was significantly lower than that in the high-risk group. Therefore, the use of NIPT in low-risk groups should be fully promoted, and socioeconomic benefits should be considered.
Case Report: Hereditary transthyretin (ATTRv) amyloidosis: The p.G103R mutation of the transthyretin gene in a Han Chinese family is associated with vitreous hemorrhage
Authors: Shen Junhui , Yu Hao , Lin Jijian , Zhang Li , Pan Xiaohong , Chen Zhiqing 
Published: September 2022

Hereditary transthyretin (ATTRv) amyloidosis is a rare disease caused by transthyretin gene (TTR) mutation. We identified that the p.G103R mutation of the TTR gene in a Han Chinese family was associated with vitreous hemorrhage. The proband was a 48-year-old woman who had progressive visual impairment in both eyes for 12 years. A Glass wool–like posterior vitreous cortex attached to the posterior retinal surface of both eyes was found using ocular coherence tomography. Visual acuity improved after the first vitrectomy. Two years later, the patient underwent two more vitrectomies because of vitreous opacity recrudescence. Four years later, she presented with vitreous hemorrhage in the right eye. The vitreous fluids acquired during the vitrectomy showed increased vascular endothelial growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, interleukin-6, interleukin-10, vascular cell adhesion molecule, and interleukin-8. Mutation sequencing revealed a heterozygous mutation in nucleotide c.307G &gt; C (p.G103R) in exon 3 of the TTR gene in the proband (IV-13), her daughter (IV-9), and her fourth sister (III-11). To our knowledge, this is the first case of ATTRv amyloidosis caused by a p.G103R mutation of the TTR gene associated with vitreous hemorrhage in China.
Construction of a neural network diagnostic model and investigation of immune infiltration characteristics for Crohn’s disease
Authors: Yang Yufei , Xu Lijun , Qiao Yuqi , Wang Tianrong , Zheng Qing 
Published: September 2022

Objective: Crohn’s disease (CD), a chronic recurrent illness, is a type of inflammatory bowel disease whose incidence and prevalence rates are gradually increasing. However, there is no universally accepted criterion for CD diagnosis. The aim of this study was to create a diagnostic prediction model for CD and identify immune cell infiltration features in CD.Methods: In this study, gene expression microarray datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Then, we identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between 178 CD and 38 control cases. Enrichment analysis of DEGs was also performed to explore the biological role of DEGs. Moreover, the “randomForest” package was applied to select core genes that were used to create a neural network model. Finally, in the training cohort, we used CIBERSORT to evaluate the immune landscape between the CD and normal groups.Results: The results of enrichment analysis revealed that these DEGs may be involved in biological processes associated with immunity and inflammatory responses. Moreover, the top 3 hub genes in the protein-protein interaction network were IL-1β, CCL2, and CXCR2. The diagnostic model allowed significant discrimination with an area under the ROC curve of 0.984 [95% confidence interval: 0.971–0.993]. A validation cohort (GSE36807) was utilized to ensure the reliability and applicability of the model. In addition, the immune infiltration analysis indicated nine different immune cell types were significantly different between the CD and healthy control groups.Conclusion: In summary, this study offers a novel insight into the diagnosis of CD and provides potential biomarkers for the precise treatment of CD.
Healthcare resource utilization in Hepatitis C-infected patients completing eight versus twelve weeks of treatment: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Valdez Katia E. , Javanbakht Marjan , Keith Kori , Archer Roxanne , Deng John Z. , Marx Steven E. , Kuznetsova Arina , Dylla Douglas E. , Klausner Jeffrey D. 
Published: September 2022

BackgroundThe objective of this study was to examine differences in healthcare utilization among patients receiving eight vs. 12-weeks of treatment for infection with the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV).MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study among 282 treatment-naïve, HCV-infected patients. Those eligible were uninfected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, non-cirrhotic, and treated between 2016 and 2019 as part of an extensive, urban, university-affiliated healthcare system. Electronic medical data were abstracted starting from HCV treatment initiation and up to one year post-initiation or achievement of post-treatment sustained virologic response, whichever occurred first. The primary outcome of interest was healthcare utilization, defined by the number and type of healthcare encounters. Differences in healthcare utilization between those receiving eight vs. 12-weeks of treatment were examined using Student’s t-test, Fisher’s exact test, Pearson’s chi-square test, and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test.ResultsA total of 282 eligible patients were analyzed. At baseline, the average age was 59 years (standard deviation=12), and the majority were male (55%) and white/Caucasian (58%). There were no baseline demographic or clinical differences between those completing 8 (n=59) or 12 (n=223) weeks of treatment. While no overall difference in healthcare encounters was observed between those receiving the 8-weeks (median encounters 6; IQR 4-11) and 12-weeks of treatment (median encounters 8; IQR 5-12; P value=0.07), a notable difference was seen in the number of laboratory visits between the groups (median 1 vs. 2; P value=0.04).ConclusionsOur findings indicate modest reductions in healthcare utilization among those receiving shorter treatment regimens for HCV infection, specifically regarding laboratory testing. These findings suggest that shorter treatment regimens may improve treatment expansion in settings that are otherwise too resource-constrained to deliver HCV care successfully.
A novel genomic instability-derived lncRNA signature to predict prognosis and immune characteristics of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Yang Huijie , Zhang Weiwen , Ding Jin , Hu Jingyi , Sun Yi , Peng Weijun , Chu Yi , Xie Lingxiang , Mei Zubing , Shao Zhuo , Xiao Yang 
Published: September 2022

BackgroundPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive malignant tumor of the digestive system. Its grim prognosis is mainly attributed to the lack of means for early diagnosis and poor response to treatments. Genomic instability is shown to be an important cancer feature and prognostic factor, and its pattern and extent may be associated with poor treatment outcomes in PDAC. Recently, it has been reported that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a key role in maintaining genomic instability. However, the identification and clinical significance of genomic instability-related lncRNAs in PDAC have not been fully elucidated.MethodsGenomic instability-derived lncRNA signature (GILncSig) was constructed based on the results of multiple regression analysis combined with genomic instability-associated lncRNAs and its predictive power was verified by the Kaplan-Meier method. And real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used for simple validation in human cancers and their adjacent non-cancerous tissues. In addition, the correlation between GILncSig and tumor microenvironment (TME) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was investigated by Pearson correlation analysis.ResultsThe computational framework identified 206 lncRNAs associated with genomic instability in PDAC and was subsequently used to construct a genome instability-derived five lncRNA-based gene signature. Afterwards, we successfully validated its prognostic capacity in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort. In addition, via careful examination of the transcriptome expression profile of PDAC patients, we discovered that GILncSig is associated with EMT and an adaptive immunity deficient immune profile within TME.ConclusionsOur study established a genomic instability-associated lncRNAs-derived model (GILncSig) for prognosis prediction in patients with PDAC, and revealed the potential functional regulatory role of GILncSig.
Identification of a prognostic index system and tumor immune infiltration characterization for lung adenocarcinoma based on mRNA molecular of pyroptosis
Authors: Li Huawei , Chang Xiaoyan , Wang Haiyan , Peng Bo , Wang Jun , Zhang Pengfei , Zhang Linyou 
Published: September 2022

Background and purposePyroptosis is a form of programmed cell death, which plays an important role in tumorigenesis, progression, and regulation of the tumor microenvironment. It can affect lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) progression. This study aimed to construct a pyroptosis-related mRNA prognostic index (PRMPI) for LUAD and clarify the tumor microenvironment infiltration characterization of LUAD.Materials and methodsWe performed a univariate Cox regression analysis for pyroptosis-related mRNAs in the TCGA cohort. Then, we used LASSO Cox regression to establish a PRMPI. The quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to quantify the relative expression of pyroptosis-related mRNAs. The CPTAC cohort was used to confirm the stability and wide applicability of the PRMPI. The single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) was performed to assess the tumor microenvironment infiltration characterization.ResultsA total of 36 pyroptosis-related mRNAs were identified. The PRMPI was established based on five pyroptosis-related mRNAs. The expression patterns of these mRNAs were verified in LUAD samples from our medical center by qRT-PCR. High-PRMPI patients had worse overall survival than low-PRMPI patients. The result was validated in the CPTAC cohort. The comprehensive analysis indicated that the high-PRMPI patients exhibited lower immune activity, more aggressive immunophenotype, lower expression of immune checkpoint molecule, higher TP53 mutation rate, and higher tumor stemness than low-PRMPI patients. Low-PRMPI patients may be more sensitive to immunotherapy, while high-PRMPI patients may benefit more from chemotherapy and targeted therapy.ConclusionsThe PRMPI may be a promising biomarker to predict the prognosis, tumor microenvironment infiltration characterization, and the response to adjuvant therapy in LUAD.
Building and implementing a contactless clinical trial protocol for patients with COVID-19: A Korean perspective
Authors: Bae Ye Seul , Sung Sumi , Lee Jungeun , Lee Hyeonji , Chie Eui Kyu 
Published: September 2022

IntroductionTo effectively manage patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) while minimizing contact between medical staff, clinical trial protocol that facilitates contactless patient management was designed to predict deterioration of disease condition and monitor mental health status.MethodsThrough consultation with infectious disease specialists and psychiatrists, this study identified main clinical indicators related to respiratory and non-respiratory outcomes, and mental health. Telehealth devices that could collect relevant data indicators were explored. The following three modes were identified: wearable devices, video calls, and online questionnaires. Clinical trial protocol was implemented to patients confirmed with COVID-19 infection and admitted to Seongnam residential treatment centers between September 1, 2021 and December 30, 2021. Data were collected from wearable devices, video calls, online questionnaires, and from electronic health records. Participant satisfaction was assessed through an online survey at the time of discharge.ResultsIn total, 120 asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients participated in this trial. Seven types of physiological and life log data were collected from 87 patients using wearable devices, video and audio recordings, and online mental health-related questionnaire. Most participants were satisfied with the overall trial process, but perceived difficulties in using telehealth devices.ConclusionThis trial collected simultaneously generated multimodal patient data using various telehealth devices in a contactless setting for COVID-19 patients. Data collected in this study will be used to build a remote patient management system based on the prediction algorithms.
Performance evaluation of the FAST™ System and the FAST-PBC Prep™ cartridges for speeded-up positive blood culture testing
Authors: Verroken Alexia , Hajji Chaima , Bressant Florian , Couvreur Jonathan , Anantharajah Ahalieyah , Rodriguez-Villalobos Hector 
Published: September 2022

ObjectivesAs time to appropriate antimicrobial therapy is major to reduce sepsis mortality, there is great interest in the development of tools for direct identification (ID) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of positive blood cultures (PBC). Very recently, the FAST™ System (Qvella) has been developed to isolate and concentrate microorganisms directly from PBCs, resulting in the recovery of a Liquid Colony™ (LC) within 30 min. The LC can be used as equivalent of an overnight subcultured colony for downstream testing. We aimed to evaluate the performances of the FAST™ System and FAST-PBC Prep™ cartridges by testing the resulting LC for direct ID, AST and rapid resistance detection.Materials and methodsProspectively, FAST™ System testing was carried out on each patient’s first PBC with a monomicrobial Gram-stain result. In the second arm of the study, FAST™ System testing was carried out on blood cultures spiked with multidrug-resistant bacteria. Downstream testing using the LC included MALDI-TOF MS ID with the Bruker Biotyper® smart system, rapid resistance detection testing including the Abbott Diagnostics Clearview™ PBP2a SA Culture Colony Test (PBP2a) and the Bio-Rad βLACTA™ Test (βLT). AST was performed using the Becton Dickinson Phoenix™ System or by Bio-Rad disk diffusion using filter paper disk following EUCAST 2020 breakpoint criteria.ResultsFAST™ System testing was completed on 198 prospective PBCs and 80 spiked blood cultures. After exclusion of polymicrobial blood cultures, performance evaluation compared with standard of care results was carried out on 266 PBCs. Concordant, erroneous and no ID results included 238/266 (89.5%), 1/266 (0.4%), 27/266 (10.2%) PBCs, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity for PBP2a were 100% (10/10) and 75% (15/20), respectively. Sensitivity and specificity for βLT were 95.8% (23/24) and 100% (42/42), respectively. Categorical agreement for all 160 tested strains was 98% (2299/2346) with 1.2% (8/657) very major errors and 0.7% (10/1347) major errors.ConclusionFAST™ System testing is a reliable approach for direct downstream testing of PBCs including MALDI-TOF MS ID, BD Phoenix™ and Bio-Rad disk diffusion AST as well as rapid resistance testing assays. Next steps include optimal integration of the FAST™ System in the PBC workflow with a view toward clinical studies.