bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of Selenium on Some Reproductive Parameters in Acrylamide- Induced Testis Toxicity in Rats
Authors: YILDIRIM SERKAN , Sengul Emin , Aksu Emrah Hicazi , Cinar İrfan , Gelen Volkan , Tekin Samet , Dag Yusuf 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
In this study, the effects of Selenium (Se) in testis toxicity induced by Acrylamide (ACR) in rats were investigated. In our study, 50 male adult rats were used and the rats were divided into 5 groups; Control, ACR, Se0.5 + ACR, Se1 + ACR, and Se1. Se and ACR treatments were applied to the rats for 10 days. On the 11th day of the experimental study, intracardiac blood samples from the rats were taken under anesthesia and decapitated. Sperm motility and morphology were evaluated. Dihydrotestosterone, FSH, and LH levels in sera were analyzed with commercial ELISA kits. MDA, SOD, GSH, GPx, CAT, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β levels in testicular tissues were analyzed by commercial ELISA kits. Expression analysis of HSD17B1, StAR, CYP17A1, MAPk14, and P-53 as target genes was performed with Real Time-PCR System technology for each cDNA sample synthesized from rat testis RNA. Testicular tissues were evaluated by histopathological, immunohistochemical, and immunofluorescent examinations. Serum dihydrotestosterone and FSH levels significantly decreased in the ACR group compared to the control group, while LH levels increased. A high dose of Se prevented these changes caused by ACR. ACR induced testicular oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, changes in the expression of reproductive enzymes, some changes in sperm motility and morphology, DNA, and tissue damage, and Se administration prevented these changes caused by ACR. As a result of this study, it was determined that Se prevents oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and DNA damage in testicular toxicity induced by ACR in rats.
Comparison of intermittent screening (using ultra-sensitive malaria Rapid Diagnostic test) and treatment (using a newly registered antimalarial Pyronaridine - Artesunate – PYRAMAX®) to standard intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine for the prevention of malaria in pregnant women living in endemic areas. ULTRAPYRAPREG
Authors: Tevuzula Vivi Maketa , Kabalu Japhet , Kabena Melissa , Luzolo Flory , Muhindo-Mavoko Hypolite , Schallig Henk D. F. H. , Kayentao Kassoum , Mens Petra F. , Lutumba Pascal , Tinto Halidou 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Background
Intermittent Preventive Treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) with Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine (SP) is an important malaria control strategy in sub-Saharan Africa. Indeed it overcomes the risk of misdiagnosis due to low peripheral parasitemia during pregnancy by treating women with SP on predetermined schedules. However, over time, the spread of Plasmodium resistant strains has threaten this strategy in many countries. As an alternative, the Intermittent Screening and Treatment for pregnancy (ISTp) aims at a monthly screening of pregnant women, preferably by using very sensitive tests such as ultrasensitive rapid diagnostic tests (us-RDT) and the treatment of positive cases with artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) regardless of the presence of symptoms. Unlike IPTp-SP, ISTp prevents overuse of antimalarials limiting the drug pressure on parasites, an advantage which can be potentiated by using an ACT like Pyronaridine - Artesunate (Pyramax®) that is not yet used in pregnant women in the field.
Methods
This study aims to compare the non-inferiority of ISTp using us-RDTs and Pyramax® versus IPTp-SP on malaria in pregnancy through a randomized clinical trial performed in Kisenso, Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a malaria perennial transmission area.
Discussion
The results will be essential for the National Malaria Control Program to update malaria prevention policy in pregnant women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Trial registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT04783051
Prediction of students’ performance in a national medical exam using machine learning techniques
Authors: Hashemi Hanieh Zehtab , Rahimi Rezvan , Parvasideh Parvane , Bahrevar Zahra 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Predicting student academic performance in educational information systems becomes one of the major concerns in improving the quality of academic institutions. Educational data mining can identify the settings that characterize students’ behavior. This study develops prediction models for students’ performance using neural networks, deep learning, and random forest. Deep learning uses multiple hidden layers to represent the data at a higher level, using linear or non-linear transformations. Random Forest that is, a variety of Decision tree algorithms uses the randomization concept to produce many models based on a random selection of input space. We train the models on a national exam dataset. In the following, we compare results with the neural network as a well-known method. The experimental result shows that Deep learning finds a deep data structure by finding better features and achieves accurate results. Although, Random Forest gains a higher accuracy in predicting students’ performance.
Seasonal and diurnal soil respiration dynamics under different land management practices in the sub-tropical highland agroecology of Ethiopia
Authors: Fekadu Genetu , Adgo Enyew , Meshesha Derege Tsegaye , Tsunekawa Atsushi , Haregeweyn Nigussie , Peng Fei , Tsubo Mitsuru , Masunaga Tsugiyuki , Tassew Asaminew , Mulualem Temesgen , Demissie Simeneh 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
The temporal dynamics of soil respiration change in response to different land management practices is not well documented. This study investigated the effects of soil bunds on the monthly and diurnal dynamics of soil respiration rates in the highlands of the Upper Blue Nile basin in Ethiopia. Six plots (with and without soil bunds, three replicates) were used for measurement of seasonal soil respiration, and eighteen plots were used for measurement of diurnal soil respiration. We collected seasonal variation data on a monthly basis from September 2020 to August 2021. Diurnal soil respiration data were collected four times daily (5 a.m., 11 a.m., 5 p.m., and 11 p.m.) for two weeks from 16–29 September 2021. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed that seasonal soil respiration rates differed significantly (p < 0.05) between plots with and without soil bunds in all seasons. In plots with soil bunds, seasonal soil respiration rates were lowest in February (1.89 ± 0.3 µmol CO2 m− 2 s− 1, mean ± SE) and highest in October (14.54 ± 0.5 µmol CO2 m− 2 s− 1). Diurnal soil respiration rate was significantly (p < 0.05) higher at 11 a.m. than at other times, and was lowest at 5 a.m. Both soil temperature and moisture significantly affected seasonal variation in soil respiration. Diurnal variation in soil respiration was significantly affected by soil temperature but not by soil moisture. Further study is required to explore how differences in soil microorganisms between different land management practices affect soil respiration rates.
Characterization of a sex-determining locus and development of early molecular assays in Telfairia occidentalis, a dioecious cucurbit
Authors: Metry Adrian , Adeyemo Oyenike Arike , Grünig Sandra , Parisod Christian 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Although there exist over 7’000 crop species, only a few are commercially valuable and grown on a large scale in monocultures worldwide. However, underutilised crops (also called orphan crops) have great potential for food security and Telfairia occidentalis (Cucurbitaceae) is one such orphan crop grown in West Africa for its nutritious leaves and oil and protein-rich seeds. In this dioecious crop, farmers like to eliminate male plants and mostly keep females to increase their yield but face the challenge of determining sex with limited morphological differences between females and males before flowering. This study used double digested restriction site-associated DNA sequencing data (ddRADseq) to examine the genetic diversity within and among landraces of T. occidentalis, identify common sex-determining loci, and establish reliable assays to characterize the sex of immature plants in the vegetative state. Two molecular assays for distinguishing males from females of T. occidentalis were thereupon developed based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to genotype sex-specific sequence variation either through restriction by Mfe1 or the direct use of sex-specific primers. Both assays require standard laboratory conditions to reach a certainty of 94.3% for females and 95.7% for males from studied samples. With the inclusion of additional landraces, medium to large scale farms growing T. occidentalis as a crop can readily benefit from an early determination of the sex of plants.
Reconstruction of Typhoon Frequency and Social Impact in Honshu Island, Japan since AD1600
Authors: Pan Wei , Yuga Kobayashi , YAN Wanglin 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
In this research regarding typhoons in Honshu, documentary records in AD1600-1883, early instrumental records in AD1884-1939, and meteorological records since AD1939 are used to determine typhoons through such exclusive terms as "Ame-Kaze" (heavy rain and wind), "Arashi" (storm or typhoon), "Fu-Su Damage" (the flood disaster or typhoon), and "Dai-Fu" (typhoon) and such expressions of "wind, rain and tide". A typhoon is determined by the criteria that the latitude distance is less than 2.4 and the movement speed is 24.8 km/h - 41.7 km/h. The typhoon frequency series for Honshu Island during AD1600-2020 was formed by linking data about typhoons in documentary records with data about "significant" typhoons in instrumental records. The frequency sequence suggests that the typhoon frequency in Honshu hits the highest record in the past 20 years since the 17 th century. On the inter-decadal scale, global/hemispheric warming has coincided with the increasingly frequent typhoons in this century, but in the long term, the former shows a phased positive correlation with the typhoon frequency, with rapid warming in the Northern Hemisphere occurring at the same pace as frequent typhoon activity, a phenomenon that has only been more clearly demonstrated since the turn of the century. The El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon, to some extent, has an antiphase relationship with the typhoon frequency in Honshu on the inter-decadal scale. As ENSO intensifies, the typhoon frequency in Honshu decreases. However, La Nina is not related to the increasingly frequent typhoons in this region. From the 1820s to the 1840s, Honshu saw a marked increase in typhoon frequency, which led to frequent "flood disasters or typhoons", exacerbating social unrest in Japan at that time. In the "Tenpō Reform" (AD1841-1843), the last reform chance for Tokugawa Shogunate, the Shogun chose AD1841 with rare typhoons to launch political reform. However, it ultimately failed as typhoons came back to Honshu in AD1843. This failure accelerated the downfall and breakdown of the Shogunate.
Nutritional status and depressive symptoms in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing transcatheter arterial chemoembolization: association with inflammation
Authors: Duan Hongyan , Zhang Jie , Wang Peng , Guo Jiayan , Zhang Jianfeng , Jiang Jianwei 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate whether there are relationships among nutritional status, depressive symptoms and inflammation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE).Methods: One hundred thirty patients with HCC undergoing TACE were recruited for this study. Nutritional status and depressive symptoms were assessed after TACE by using questionnaires derived from the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) and Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale depression subscale (HADS-D), respectively. Systemic inflammation was evaluated using the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR).Results: A total of 89.2% of the patients were malnourished, and 58.5% of the patients presented with depressive symptoms. Poor nutritional status was significantly correlated with depressive symptoms (r=0.651, p<0.001), whereas no significant correlations were found between nutritional status and NLR (r=0.085, p=0.066), PLR (r=0.162, p=0.066), or SII (r=0.130, p=0.140). Depression was significantly correlated with PLR (r=0.294, p=0.001) and SII (r=0.197, p=0.024), but there was no correlation between depressive symptoms and NLR (p >0.05). A multiple linear regression model showed that the PG-SGA score (β=0.469 (95% CI: 0.351-0.586), p<0.01) was independently associated with depression symptoms, but there was no significant association between PLR and depression (β=0.003 (95% CI: -0.002-0.007)), p=0.230). There was no significant interaction effect of PG-SGA × PLR on depression (β=0.000 (95% CI: -0.001-0.001), p=0.596). A similar multiple linear regression model indicated no independent effect of a SII or PG-SGA × SII interaction on depression (β=0.000 (95% CI: -0.001-0.001), p=0.926, β = 0.000 (95% CI: 0.000-0.000), p=0.513), but PG-SGA was associated with depression (β=0.472 (95% CI: 0.353-0.591), p＜0.001).Conclusion: Depression was significantly correlated with nutrition, PLR and SII, although the potential mechanism underlying the correlation between nutritional status and depression is not clearly related to inflammation.
Clinical outcomes of concomitant use of proton pump inhibitors and regorafenib in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: a multicenter study
Authors: Yekedüz Emre , Özbay Mehmet Fatih , Çağlayan Dilek , Yıldırım Atila , Erol Cihan , Yıldırım Hasan Çağrı , Tunç Sezai , Özyurt Neslihan , Özdemir Feyyaz , Şendur Mehmet Ali Nahit , Işıkdoğan Abdurrahman , Kılıçkap Saadettin , Ürün Yüksel , Yalçın Şuayib , Artaç Mehmet , Coşkun Hasan Şenol , Utkan Güngör 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
AimTo compare survival outcomes, response rates, and adverse events (AEs) in proton pump inhibitor (PPI) user and non-user patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treated with regorafenib.MethodsWe included 272 patients with mCRC treated with regorafenib in this study. Patients were divided into two categories according to their status of PPI use. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). The secondary endpoints were time to treatment failure (TTF), response rates, and safety. To exclude immortal time bias in survival analyses, we compared PPI non-user patients and all patients.ResultsThere were 141 and 131 patients in the PPI non-user and user groups. Baseline characteristics were similar in each group. Pantoprazole was the most used PPI. At the median 35.2 (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 32.6-37.9) months follow-up, the median OS was similar in PPI non-user and all patients (6.9 months (95% CI: 5.3-8.5) and 7.7 months (95% CI:6.6-8.8), p = 0.913). TTF was also similar in PPI non-user and all patients (3.3 months (95% CI:2.7-3.9) and 3.5 months (95% CI:3.0-4.0), p = 0.661). In multivariable analysis, no statistically significant difference was observed between PPI user and non-user groups in OS and TTF (Hazard Ratio (HR):0.99, 95% CI:0.77-1.28, p =0.963 for OS; HR:0.93, 0.77-1.20, p=0.598 for TTF). The objective response rates (ORR) were similar in the PPI non-user and user groups (19.8% and 16.8%, p=0.455). The rates of any grade AEs were also similar in each group.ConclusionThis study showed that PPI was not associated with worse survival outcomes and safety profile in patients with mCRC treated with regorafenib.
MiRNA-21 promotes the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into cardiomyocyte-like cells by regulating Ajuba/Isl1 axis pathway
Authors: Yang Wengang , Zhao Lei , Xue Song , Liu Jidong , Shan Jianggui , Wang Chenxi 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Purpose: To study the mechanism of miRNA-21 targeting Ajuba/ Isl1 axis to affect bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) differentiation into cardiomyocyte-like cells. Methods: BMSCs were cultured, 5-aza was used to induce BMSCs differentiation into cardiomyocyte-like cells,and DAPI was used to label bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. miRNA-21 overexpression (miR-21-OE) and knockdown (miR-21-KD) plasmids were constructed to infect BMSCs. ajuba-OE and ajuba-KD were also constructed to infect BMSCs. The miRNA-21 targeting Ajuba directly was examined by luciferase reporter assays. The expression of miRNA-21 was detected by RT-qPCR, the expression of Ajuba, Isl1 and cTnI was detected both by RT-qPCR and Western Blot (WB). The differentiation ability of BMSCs in all groups was examined by immunofluorescence staining of cTnI.Results: bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were successfully isolating and culturing, also, successful induction and culture of BMSCs.Identification of characteristic antigens of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) was done well,DAPI labeled bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells was good.The expression of miRNA-20 or ajuba in BMSCs was efficiently regulated by miR-21-OE, miR-21-KD, ajuba overexpression (ajuba-OE) or Ajuba lowxpression (ajuba-KD) lentivirus infection, respectively. Luciferase reporter assays showed miR-21 could bind with the 3’UTR of Ajuba. MiRNA-21 overexpression increased the expression of Isl1 both at mRNA and protein levels in BMSCs, miRNA-21 knockdown decreased the expression of Isl1. Next, we found Ajuba overexpression decreased the expression of Isl1, Ajuba knockdown increased the expression of Isl1. Finally, we verified that Ajuba negatively regulated the differentiation of BMSCs into cardiomyocyte-like cells.Conclusion: miRNA-21 could regulate differentiation of BMSC to cardiomyocyte-like cells through Ajuba/Isl1 axis pathway in BMSCs, which providing the novel target for treating many ischemic heart diseases.
Quantitative analysis of the renal pelvic and bladder urinary proteome
Authors: Pan Yilin , Wong Christine Yim‐Ping , Ma Haiying , Tse Ryan Tsz-Hei , Cheng Carol Ka-Lo , Tan Miaomiao , Chiu Peter Ka-Fung , Teoh Jeremy Yuen‐Chun , Wang Xin , Ng Chi‐Fai , Zhang Liang 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Urine proteome is a valuable reservoir of biomarkers for disease diagnosis and monitoring. Following its formation as the plasma filtrate in the kidney, urine is progressively modified by the active reabsorption and secretion of the cells lining the urinary tract. However, little is known about how the urine proteome changes as it passes along the urinary tract. To investigate this, we compared the proteome composition of renal pelvis urine (RPU) and individually self-voided bladder urine (BU) collected from 7 one-side urinary tract obstruction male patients. While no exclusive proteins were observed for either type of urine sample, BU had more proteins that were overrepresented at a higher frequency than RPU. Furthermore, the label-free quantitative analysis indicated that the BU proteome has a higher diversity in dominant proteins in conjunction with more upregulated proteins. Functional annotation revealed the BU-RPU differential proteins are enriched in exosomes and extracellular proteins, indicating active urothelial-urinary interactions. These differential proteins can facilitate biomarker discovery for diseases affecting the urinary tract.
Molecular subtypes based on cell death genes predict prognosis and immunotherapy effect in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Gan Kai , Li Zhitao , Bao Sheng , Xu Yuting , Jin Li , Ma Meidiao , Deng Lin , Peng Yingzheng , Li Na , Miao Yinglei , Zeng Zhong , Huang Hanfei 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Background
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the leading cause of cancer-related death in many regions of the world. Cell death plays an important role in the development of tumor, and there is no comprehensive analysis of the role of cell death genes in HCC. This study aims to identify different HCC molecular subtypes based on cell death genes, and compare the prognosis and immunotherapy effect of different subtypes.
Methods
Cell death genes associated with HCC prognosis were screened by univariate COX analysis from the cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) and Gene Expression Database (GEO), respectively. Based on the expression of cell death genes, NMF consensus clustering was used to subtype HCC. The differences of tumor microenvironment score, cytolytic immune response, inflammation score, tumor mutation load, immune checkpoint expression level and TIDE score among diffrent subtypes were analyzed using R software.
Results
HCC was divided into two subtypes based on the expression values of eight cell death genes associated with prognosis of HCC in three data sets. The prognosis and immunotherapy response of C1 subtype were better. There were differences in tumor microenvironment score, cytolytic immune response, inflammation score, immune checkpoint expression level and TIDE score between the two HCC subtypes.
Conclusions
we classified different subtypes of HCC based on cell death genes, determined the relationship between different HCC subtypes and prognosis, studied the tumor microenvironment of different HCC subtypes and predicted their response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) therapy, providing molecular basis for immunotargeted therapy.
Effect of Discharge Accumulation on Wire Breakage in WEDM Process
Authors: Wang Jun , Sánchez José. A. , Izquierdo Borja , Ayesta Izaro 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
In recent years, WEDM has been adopted in precision machining as an important alternative machining method because of its greater flexibility and lower wear cost compared with traditional machining. Whereas wire breakage during WEDM is an unignorable problem that influences the machining quality and efficiency. Therefore, it has been a research topic of considerable interest. This work focuses on exploring the reason for the wire breakage. Firstly, by observing the wire after discharges and using the finite element method, a complete thermal model considering both latent heat and flushing efficiency was built. With this model the simulation of the crater on the wire was finished. Then based on the result gotten from the simulation and experiment, the inverse fitting was chosen to find the precise heat partition ratio to the wire. After that, a wire breakage experiment was done and through locating the position of discharges before wire breakage, the influence of consecutive discharges on the wire was simulated with the gotten model. Finally, the findings of this work allow for a more in-depth understanding of the effect of discharge accumulation on wire breakage.
The law of blast stress wave propagation and fracture development in soft and hard composite rock
Authors: Ding Xiaohua , Yang Yuqing , Zhou Wei , An Wen , Li Jinyu , Ebelia Manda 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
The process of blasting stress wave propagation and crack propagation is directly affected by the physical properties of the rock mass and internal joints in the rock. In soft and hard rock layers, the blasting process is more complicated due to the blasting stress wave needs to penetrate two kinds of rocks with different physical properties and the interface between soft and hard rock. This study analyzed the modal transformation of stress waves at the interface of composite stratified rock and the process was reproduced by finite element analysis. Further, development law of cracks was also been studied. The research results show that: In the single blasting-hole model, a triangular crack area caused by reflected stress waves appears at the rock interface of rock medium I near the blast hole. In the rock medium II, the tensile crack generated by the interface wave appeared on the side away from the blast hole. And the development of the tensile crack is related to the incident mode of the blast stress wave and the incident angle. In the deep hole blasting model, the incidence of the detonation wave front from hard rock to soft rock promote to the fragmentation of the hard rock.