bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Heterogeneity of Tick Abundance and Infection with Zoonotic Pathogenic Bacteria in a Belgian Peri-Urban Forest
Authors: Rousseau Raphael , Mori Marcella , Kabamba Benoît , Vanwambeke Sophie O. 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Background
Forests are the primary habitats for Ixodes ricinus and harbor high tick populations, vectors of various pathogens. As such, they are often considered as a homogenous land cover harboring abundant tick populations. However, little is known about the heterogeneity in tick density within a peri-urban forest, where human exposure is high. The study aims to assess the micro-environmental factors that favor tick abundance and their infection with three pathogens, in a peri-urban forest.
Methods
Ticks were sampled 17 times in 2016 in seven locations of a peri-urban forest during the period of tick activity. Three zoonotic pathogens were screened, Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Coxiella burnetii, and Francisella tularensis. The influences of micro-environmental factors on tick abundance and infected tick abundance were tested with multiple negative binomial generalized linear models.
Results
787 nymphs and 81 adult ticks were collected., resulting in densities of 6.61 nymphs and 0.68 adults per 10 km². These densities were variable between the sites, ranging from 2.12 to 14.59 nymphs per 10m² and 0.24 to 1.29 adults per 10m². The prevalence of B. burgdorferi s.l. was estimated at 3.37%. Coxiella burnetii was detected three times (1.36%) and F. tularensis was not detected. Tick abundances were highest in deciduous forests, located in sandy and loamy-sand soils covered by dense vegetation not easily accessible to forest visitors. The temperature during the sampling also positively affected tick abundance. No variables were significant for the models for infected ticks.
Conclusions
Tick abundance was in the upper range of other estimated tick densities in Belgian forests. Borrelia infection prevalence was lower but the genospecies composition was similar to previous studies in Belgium. The assumption that forests are a homogenously suitable tick habitat is questioned and we underline the necessity to account for micro-environmental conditions and human exposure.
Geospatial Modeling of Socio-Economic and Environmental Determinants of Typhoid Fever in Kano State, Nigeria
Authors: Abdulkarim Ishaq A. , Salisu Hassana Sulaiman , Ahmed Mohammed , Mohammed Murtala Uba 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Typhoid is a significant health problem, particularly in developing countries like Nigeria where access to sanitation is still a challenge. This study modeled the socio-economic and environmental determinants of typhoid fever in Kano State, the most populated state located in the northwestern part of Nigeria. Data was collected from the State Hospital Management Board after submitting the requirement for ethical approval. Landsat 8 image was downloaded from an open-source website USGS earth explorer and Kano state administrative boundaries from GRID3 websites. Land use/land cover maps and Kano priority data were collected from the Department of Geography, Bayero University Kano. The study used 6 variables: literacy rate, population density, housing density, urbanization, NDVI, and LST to model typhoid fever. Based on the study’s findings the Kano Municipal, Gaya, Gezewa and Bebeji recorded the highest prevalence per 10,000 persons of above 300. That there is a significant association between 5 of the 6 factors (with exception of land surface temperature (LST)). Out of the 5 factors, 4 showed positive significance (literacy rate, Population Density, Household density, and Percentage Urban) while the mean NDVI is the only one that showed a negative significance. The coefficient of determination (R square) is < 0.5 (0.374488) which showed the variable poorly described the prevalence rate. The model was also found to be biased because the Jarque-Bera Statistic is statistically significant which means the study is missing one or more key explanatory variables. It was recommended that the government should invest more in Data acquisition to help improve the quality of research in the study area.
Development of Artificial Sebum-containing Leeming and Notman Agar Medium to Enhance the Growth of Malassezia
Authors: Suzuki Kazuhiro , Inoue Mizuna , Takayama Kodai , Nagahama Tohru , Cho Otomi , Kurakado Sanae , Sugita Takashi 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Modified Leeming and Notman agar medium (mLNA) has been widely utilized to grow lipophilic fungi belonging to the genus Malassezia. We developed a new artificial sebum-containing mLNA to obtain higher yields of Malassezia spp. The olive oil in mLNA was replaced with artificial sebum composed of triglyceride (triolein), diglyceride (glyceryl distearate), fatty acids (palmitic acid, myristic acid, pentadecanoic acid, and oleic acid), and squalene, and the Tween 60 was replaced with glyceryl stearate. Nine human-associated Malassezia species grew well on the artificial sebum-containing mLNA, and the yield of the most predominant fungus on human skin, Malassezia restricta, in artificial sebum-containing mLNA was double that in standard mLNA.
A content analysis for Children’s Chinese Reader and its implications
Authors: Cai Qiao-Yu , Chao Feng-Mei 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Chinese learning materials for children has yet to be explored. This study revises the assessment form in Chinese Learning Materials Design Prerequisites, developed by Wang in 2008, to evaluate Chinese learning materials for Children, with a focus on a book series entitled Children’s Chinese Reader published by the Overseas Community Affairs Council in Taipei, Taiwan. The purpose of this study is two-fold. The first attempt is to find out the potential merits and the drawbacks that need addressing urgently. The second attempt is to see the potentiality of using the same materials on different groups of children leaners such as children learning Chinese as a second language, instead of the target learners that the book series has set on. The finding from the initial evaluation indicated a low score of 91 in individually evaluated categories except one, which is being systematic. Categories in being specific, being practical, being scientific, and being intriguing all received a low score. The current surmise is that the then Children’s Chinese Reader is a synchronic product of its time that now calls for advancement in latest theoretical research and contemporary teaching principles if materials for children’s learning can play an appropriate role in modern-day teaching.
Evaluation of the association between coronary artery aneurysm and concomitant infection in patients with Kawasaki disease
Authors: Liu Jie , Qin SuYuan , Su DanYan , Ye BingBing , Wang BaoFeng , Pang Yusheng 
Published: March 2022

Abstract

Purpose: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, which has overlapping clinical features with Kawasaki disease (KD), has generated considerable interest in the relationship between KD and infectious diseases during the ongoing global outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019. However, few studies have focused on the relationship between KD and concomitant infection, and reports on the relationship between infections and recovery from coronary artery aneurysms (CAA) are even rarer.Methods: Patients were classified into case and control groups according to the results of their pathogen examinations, and the baseline characteristics of the two groups were compared. The Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used to compare the medium-term recovery time of CAA between patients with and without infections, and multivariable analyses were performed to evaluate potential risk factors associated with CAA without recovery between 1 and 2 years of follow-up.Results: A total of 353 pediatric patients with KD were included, of whom 83 (23.5%) had confirmed co-infection. There were no significant differences in patients’ response to treatment and coronary artery outcome when compared between patients with and without infections. Among the 90 patients diagnosed with CAA, 20 (22.2%) had confirmed co-infection, and no significant differences were observed in coronary artery changes from baseline at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 3 months in patients with CAA with and without infections. The estimated median time (6 months, 95%CI:1.920–10.080) was higher in the CAA co-infected group than in the CAA non-infected group (3 months, 95%CI:2.366–3.634), with no significant difference. Multivariate analysis revealed that a high Z-score of the coronary artery internal diameter at 1 month after onset was significantly associated with CAA without recovery. The Z score of the left main coronary artery was ≥3.215 with an 89% sensitivity and 77% specificity in predicting CAA without recovery within 1 year of onset. The Z score of the right coronary artery was ≥3.845 with a 64% sensitivity and 98% specificity in predicting CAA without recovery within 1 year of onset and with an 83% sensitivity and 88% specificity within 2 years of onset.Conclusions: Concomitant infection with KD diagnosis did not affect the patients’ response to IVIG treatment and coronary artery outcome when compared with patients without infections; however, the time to coronary artery normalization was not notably prolonged in CAA patients with infections, but a larger maximum Z score at 1 month after onset was a risk factor significantly associated with coronary artery dilatation without recovery within 2 years of onset.
First in-human trial protocol investigating a scaffold-free Bio 3D conduit developed from autologous dermal fibroblasts for peripheral nerve regeneration: a safety and feasibility study
Authors: Nagai-Tanima Momoko , Ikeguchi Ryosuke , Ushimaru Mika , Amino Yoko , Aoi Ishikawa , Akieda Shizuka , Noguchi Takashi , Ito Hiromu , Aoyama Tomoki , Matsuda Shuichi 
Published: March 2022

Abstract

Background
Autologous nerve grafting is considered to be the gold standard treatment for severe and/or wide-ranging damage resulting in neurotmesis. However, the technique has several disadvantages including donor site morbidity and the limited supply of donor nerves. B3CON-01 is a scaffold-free three-dimensional conduit composed entirely of autologous dermal fibroblasts and is designed to overcome these disadvantages. Herein, the authors propose a protocol to evaluate the safety and utility of B3CON-01 in humans with peripheral nerve injury as the first step before randomized clinical trial test.
Methods
Individuals with a severed peripheral nerve cutting or defect, measuring ≤ 20 mm in length and diameter ≤ 2 mm, will be recruited. After participants provide informed consent, autologous dermal fibroblasts will be collected from each via skin biopsy. B3CON-01 is produced using the fibroblasts and transplanted into each subject. To avoid contamination among tissues, the protocol will be performed separately in each subject. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline and post-intervention at each time point. Participants will be assessed at 12 months’ follow-up. The primary outcome measure is the safety of the intervention. The safety endpoint will be the incidence of adverse events and defects. As a secondary assessment, efficacy will be assessed using nerve system and functional analyses.
Conclusion
The protocol of this study will be the first to assess the safety and efficacy of B3CON-01 in humans, and will contribute to not only the development of a treatment for peripheral nerve injury, but also to “made-to-order” personalized therapies in regenerative medicine.
A Study of a Fractional-order Model of Coronavius Disease 2019(COVID-19) after Mass Caccination
Authors: Wang Chunhua , Ma Xiaojuan 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
New coronavirus (COVID-19) broke out at the end of 2019. Today, the epidemic has spread all over the world. The number of confirmed cases is 250 million and the number of deaths has reached about 5000000, which undoubtedly caused serious public health disasters all over the world. In the face of the problem that the virus continues to mutate and the virus spreads faster and survives for a longer time after mutation, as well as the situation of asymptomatic infected persons, the study of the transmission law and epidemic trend of COVID-19 provides theoretical support for how to effectively prevent epidemics, which is of great research value. Most of the previous studies on COVID-19 adopt SIR model and variants of SIR model, and there are few theoretical studies on the impact of asymptomatic infection on the transmission, prevention and control of infectious diseases.Because the time of large-scale vaccination of COVID-19 vaccine in China is about the middle of 2021, so far, no scholars have studied the transmission law and prevention and control of COVID-19 virus after large-scale vaccination. In addition,most researchers use the integer-order models.Generally speaking, integer-order may not capture satisfactory model attributes. Based on this, this paper proposes a SEQIR model with quarantine item, sets up seven fractional order equations, studies and compares the epidemic prevention measures taken by the two places in the face of the re outbreak of the epidemic before mass vaccination (Beijing) and after vaccination (Hunan), calculates the size of the basic regeneration number $R_{0}$ in the two places and reports according to the real data of the two places, different numerical simulations are carried out.Studies have shown that mass vaccination and nucleic acid detection can effectively reduce the transmission of the virus. In addition, in the area where the epidemic situation is concentrated, a large number of nucleic acid tests in time can enable asymptomatic infected persons to be detected in time. After isolating asymptomatic infected people, asymptomatic infected people will infect fewer susceptible people.
Biological and behavioral predictors of compensatory energy intake after exercise
Authors: Höchsmann Christoph , Beckford Safiya E , French Jeffrey A , Boron Julie B , Stevens Jeffrey R , Koehler Karsten 
Published: March 2022

Abstract

Energy intake in the post-exercise state is highly variable and compensatory eating – i.e., (over‑) compensation of the expended energy via increased post-exercise energy intake – occurs in some individuals but not others. We aimed to identify predictors of post-exercise energy intake and compensation. In a randomized crossover design, 57 healthy participants (21.7 [SD=2.5] years; 23.7 [SD=2.3] kg/m2, 75% White, 54% female) completed two laboratory-based test-meals following (1) 45-min exercise and (2) 45-min rest (control). We assessed associations between biological (sex, body composition, appetite hormones) and behavioral (habitual exercise via prospective exercise log, appetitive traits) characteristics at baseline and total energy intake, compensatory energy intake (intake – exercise expenditure), and the difference between post-exercise and post-rest intake. We found a differential impact of biological and behavioral characteristics on total post-exercise energy intake in men and women. In men, only fasting (baseline) concentrations of appetite-regulating hormones (peptide YY [PYY, β=0.88, P<0.001] and adiponectin [β=0.66, P=0.005] predicted total post-exercise energy intake, while in women, only habitual exercise (β=−0.44, P=0.017) predicted total post-exercise energy intake. Predictors of compensatory intake (intake – exercise expenditure) were almost identical to those of total intake. The difference in energy intake between exercise and rest was associated with VO2peak (β=−0.45, P=0.020), fasting PYY (β=0.53, P=0.036), and fasting adiponectin (β=0.57, P=0.021) in men but not women (all P>0.51). Our results show that biological and behavioral characteristics differentially affect total and compensatory post-exercise energy intake in men and women. This may help identify individuals who are more likely to compensate for the energy expended in exercise. Targeted countermeasures to prevent compensatory energy intake after exercise should take the demonstrated sex differences into account.
Identification of Hub Genes Associated with Development of Colon Carcinoma by Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis
Authors: Yuan Lebin , Cheng Fei , Wu Zao , li Xiaodong , Xia Weiyang , Li Zhigang , Mao Shengping , Huang Zeyu , Shen Wei 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Colon cancer (COAD) stem cells are resistant to cancer treatment, so they are easy to lead to tumor progression after routine treatment failure. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism of cancer cells. The purpose of our study is to identify differential gene modules and representative candidate biomarkers for the clinical prognosis of patients, help to predict the prognosis and reveal the mechanism of cancer progression. In our study, based on the tumor Genome Atlas (TCGA) COAD database and gene expression profiles of GSE44076 from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), the differentially co-expressed genes in COAD and normal tissues were explored. Combined with weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and differential gene expression analysis, 451 differential co-expression genes were screened out. As shown by functional annotation analysis using R clusterProfiler software package, these genes are mainly enriched in lipid catabolic process (biological process), cell apical part (cellular component) and phosphate hydrolase activity (molecular function). In addition, in the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, 20 hub genes (ACAA2, FABP1, ACOX1, EHHADH, CPT2, ACADS, CPT1A, MT1G, MT1E, MT1X, MT1H, PPARGC1A, ACSS2, MT2A, MT1F, CRAT, UGT2B17, B3GNT6, and MUC4) were identified using Cytoscape's CytoHubba plug-in. The expression of 20 hub genes was down regulated in colon cancer compared with normal control group. Based on survival analysis, lower expression of CPT1A and B3GNT6 was associated with better overall survival (OS) and lower expression of ACADS and CPT2 was associated with disease-free survival (DFS) in cancer patients. Finally, we verified the protein levels of CPT1A and B3GNT6 through HPA database, which was consistent with the mRNA level in colon cancer samples. Also, TIMER and CIBERSORT database showed that there was a great correlation between CPT1A and B3GNT6 gene expression and immune infiltrating cells in tumor progression. In conclusion, our study shows that two survival related genes are highly correlated with the development of colon cancer. Therefore, CPT1A and B3GNT6 can play an important role in the progression of colon cancer and serve as potential biomarkers for future diagnosis and treatment.
Low Lumbar Multifidus Muscle Status and Bone Mineral Density are Important Risk Factors for Adjacent Segment Disease After Lumbar Fusion—A Case–Control Study
Authors: Gong Zhaoyang , Li Dachuan , Zou Fei , Liu siyang , Wang Hongli , Ma xiaosheng 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Background
The quantity and quality of the paraspinal muscles are important factors that lead to spinal diseases. However, the role of paraspinal muscles in the pathogenesis of adjacent segment disease (ASD) after lumbar fusion surgery is rarely studied. The purpose of the research is to investigate the relationship between paraspinal muscles and ASD.
Methods
33 patients with ASD were included, and 33 controls without ASD were matched according to the basic demographic information. Cross-sectional images of the paraspinal muscles at each intervertebral disc level (L1-S1) before the first operation were analyzed, and the cross-sectional area (CSA) and degree of fat infiltration (FI) of the multifidus (MF) muscle and the erector spinae (ES) muscle were compared.
Results
There was no significant difference in demographic characteristics (P > 0.05) except for the bone mineral density (BMD) (P < 0.05) between the two groups. There were significant differences in the CSA and FI of the lower lumbar multifidus (P < 0.05). The CSA of the MF muscle at L3-L4, FI of the MF muscle at L4-L5 and L5-S1, and BMD were independent risk factors for ASD. Among patients who received two-segment fusion for the first time, significant difference was observed in the degree of FI of the MF muscle in the lower lumbar segment (P < 0.05).
Conclusions
The CSA, FI and BMD of the lower lumbar MF muscle are closely related to the occurrence of ASD. The CSA of the MF muscle at L3-L4, the degree of FI of the MF muscle at L4-L5 and L5-S1, and BMD were independent risk factors for ASD. The number of fusion segments in the first operation has a certain impact on the abovementioned conclusions.
The Tissue-Resident Marker CD103 on Peripheral Blood T Cells Predicts Responses to Anti-PD-1 Therapy in Gastric Cancer
Authors: Nose Yohei , Saito Takuro , Yamamoto Kei , Yamashita Kotaro , Tanaka Koji , Yamamoto Kazuyoshi , Makino Tomoki , Takahashi Tsuyoshi , Kawashima Atsunari , Haruna Miya , Hirata Michinari , Ueyama Azumi , Iwahori Kota , Kurokawa Yukinori , Eguchi Hidetoshi , Doki Yuichiro , Wada Hisashi 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Background
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer treatment. Since clinical benefits are limited to a subset of patients, we aimed to identify peripheral blood biomarkers that predict the efficacy of the anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) antibody (nivolumab) in patients with gastric cancer.
Methods
We collected peripheral blood samples from gastric cancer patients (n = 29) before and after treatment with nivolumab and investigated the relationship between the frequency of the surface or intracellular markers among nivolumab-binding PD-1+CD8+ T cells and treatment responses using multicolor flow cytometry. The tumors, lymph nodes, and peripheral blood of gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy following nivolumab treatment were collected, and nivolumab-binding PD-1+CD8+ T cells in these tissue samples were characterized.
Results
Patients with a high frequency of CD103 among PD-1+CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood 2 weeks after the start of treatment had significantly better progression-free survival than the low group (P = 0.032). This CD103+PD-1+CD8+ T cell population mainly consisted of central memory T cells, showing the high expression of Ki-67 and few cytotoxic granules. Whereas, effector memory T cells were more frequently observed among CD103+PD-1+CD8+ T cells in tumors, which implied a change in the differentiated status of central memory T cells in lymph nodes and peripheral blood to effector memory T cells in tumors during the treatment with ICIs.
Conclusions
A high frequency of CD103 among PD-1+CD8+ T cells 2 weeks after nivolumab treatment in patients with advanced gastric cancer may be a useful biomarker for predicting the efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy.