bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Study on high-CO2 tolerant Dunaliella salina and its mechanism via transcriptomic analysis
Authors: Huang Bo , Qu Gaopin , He Yulong , Zhang Jinli , Fan Jianhua , Tang Tao 
Published: December 2022

Microalgae has been regarded as a promising method for reducing CO2 emission. High CO2 concentration generally inhibits algal growth, and previous studies have mostly focused on breeding freshwater algae with high CO2 tolerance. In this study, one marine algal strain Dunaliella salina (D. salina) was grown under 0.03%-30 % CO2 and 3% NaCl conditions, and was evaluated to determine its potential for CO2 assimilation. The results showed that D. salina could tolerate 30% CO2, and its maximum biomass concentration could reach 1.13 g·L−1 after 8 days incubation, which was 1.85 times higher than that of incubation in air (0.03%). The phenomenon of high-CO2 tolerance in D. salina culture was discussed basing on transcriptome analysis. The results showed that D. salina was subjected to oxidative stress under 30% CO2 conditions, and the majority genes involving in antioxidant system, such as SOD, CAT, and APX genes were up-regulated to scavenge ROS. In addition, most of the key enzyme genes related to photosynthesis, carbon fixation and metabolism were up-regulated, which are consistent with the higher physiological and biochemical values for D. salina incubation under 30% CO2.
Comparative biofilm-forming ability between Clostridioides difficile strains isolated in Latin America and the epidemic NAP1/027 strain
Authors: Morais Maria Luana Gaudencio dos Santos , Santos Mayara Gilde Castro , Costa Cecília Leite , Martins Conceição Silva , Leitão Renata Ferreira de Carvalho , de Melo Pacífico Dvison , Quesada-Gómez Carlos , Castelo Branco Débora , Ferreira Eliane de Oliveira , Brito Gerly Anne de Castro 
Published: December 2022

IntroductionOne of the challenges in treating Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is that the bacterium forms biofilms, a critical virulence mechanism known to promote antibiotic resistance and, as a result, consequently, a higher recurrence of the disease. The goal of this study was to compare the ability of three MLST Clade 2 strains to form a biofilm in vitro: ICC-45 (ribotype SLO231/UK[CE]821), a ST41 toxinotype IXb isolated in Brazil; and two epidemic NAP1/027/ST01 strains: NAP1/027/ST01 (LIBA5756), isolated during a 2010 outbreak in Costa Rica and the reference epidemic strain NAP1/027/ST01 (R20291); and ATCC700057, a non-toxigenic strain.MethodsThe ability of strains to form biofilm was evaluated using crystal violet staining. In addition, samples were stained with the Film Tracer biofilm matrix (Invitrogen®) and the biofilm matrix thickness was measured using confocal microscopy. The matrix architecture was determined using Scanning electron microscop. Confocal microscopy was used to detect the presence of toxin A (tcdA) using an anti-Clostridioides difficile TcdA antibody. The expression of virulence genes (tcdA, tcdB, tcdC, cdtB, spo0A, slpA, cwp66 and cwp84) was examined, as well as the effect of antibiotics metronidazole (MTZ) and vancomycin (VAN) on biofilm growth.ResultsAll of the strains tested formed a moderate biofilm with 1.1 &lt;DO570nm&gt;3.5. After 72h, biofilm biomass of the NAP1/027/ST01 epidemic strains (LIBA5756 and R20291) was significantly higher than ICC-45 and ATCC 700057 biofilms, as confirmed by electron and confocal microscopy. At 120h, the LIBA5756 biofilm biomass decreased compared to other strains. The toxigenic strains R20291 or LIBA 5756 had higher expression of genes tcdA, tcdB, tcdC, cdtA, slpA and spo0A than ICC-45, but there were no significant differences in the expression levels of cdtB, cwp66 and cwp84. In epidemic strains, VAN and MTZ inhibited biofilm formation; however, in the ICC-45 strain, MIC concentrations of VAN and MIC and 4MIC of MTZ did not inhibit biofilm formation.ConclusionThe three MLST Clade 2 isolated from different rybotipes, two of which were isolated from Latin America, are competent biofilm-forming bacteria, indicating their ability to induce C. difficile infection recurrence, making treatment difficult.
Clinical research advances of isavuconazole in the treatment of invasive fungal diseases
Authors: Zhang Tingting , Shen Yuyan , Feng Sizhou 
Published: December 2022

PurposeInvasive fungal diseases (IFD) are a major global public health concern. The incidence of IFD has increased the demand for antifungal agents. Isavuconazole (ISA) is a new triazole antifungal agent that has shown promising efficacy in the prophylaxis and treatment of invasive fungal diseases. The aim of this review is to summarize the recent real-world experiences of using ISA for the treatment and prevention of IFD.MethodsWe performed a comprehensive literature search of the MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases for clinical applications of ISA in the real world. Tables and reference lists are presented for this systematic review.ResultsIFD poses a major threat to public health and causes high mortality rates. ISA may provide a good treatment. For example, the efficacy of ISA in the treatment of invasive aspergillosis (IA) is comparable to that of voriconazole, and its efficacy in the treatment of invasive mucormycosis (IM) is similar to that of liposomal amphotericin B (L-AmB); therefore, ISA is recommended as the first-line treatment for IA and IM. ISA can also achieve good efficacy in the treatment of invasive candidiasis (IC) and can be used as an alternative to de-escalation therapy after first-line drug therapy. In addition, most studies have shown the efficacy and safety of ISA for the prophylaxis of IFD.ConclusionTaken together, ISA are expected to become a new choice for the treatment and prevention of IFD because of their good tolerability, high bioavailability, and few drug interactions.
Clinical efficacy of sacubitril-valsartan combined with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction after reperfusion: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhang Dong , Wu Hui , Liu Di , Li Yunzhao , Zhou Gang , Yang QingZhuo , Liu YanFang 
Published: December 2022

BackgroundSeveral studies have investigated the combined use of sacubitril- valsartan after reperfusion in acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, the sample sizes of these studies were small and their results were somewhat heterogeneous. To determine the effect of sacubitril-valsartan on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion.MethodsSearch PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science and The Cochrane Library, CNKI database, VIP database and Wanfang digital journal full-text database for eligible articles from their date of inception up to April, 2022. All data were meta-analyzed using Review Manager 5.3 and STATA 16.0 software.ResultsA total of 23 studies including 2,326 patients with acute STEMI were included. These results of this meta-analysis indicated that left ventricular ejection fractions (LVEF) value within 6 months after surgery (OR, 4.29; 95% confidence interval, 3.78–4.80; P &lt; 0.00001), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) value within 6 months after surgery (OR, −3.11; 95% CI, −3.87 to −2.35; P &lt; 0.00001) and left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) value 6 months after operation (OR, −6.22; 95% CI, −7.10 to −5.35; P &lt; 0.00001) are better than without sacubitril and valsartan.ConclusionTo sum up the above, the results of this study suggest that sacubitril- valsartan can reduce the reperfusion injury of ischemic myocardium by improving cardiac function within a follow-up period of 6 months.
A comparative study of antihypertensive drugs prediction models for the elderly based on machine learning algorithms
Authors: Wang Tiantian , Yan Yongjie , Xiang Shoushu , Tan Juntao , Yang Chen , Zhao Wenlong 
Published: December 2022

BackgroundGlobally, blood pressure management strategies were ineffective, and a low percentage of patients receiving hypertension treatment had their blood pressure controlled. In this study, we aimed to build a medication prediction model by correlating patient attributes with medications to help physicians quickly and rationally match appropriate medications.MethodsWe collected clinical data from elderly hypertensive patients during hospitalization and combined statistical methods and machine learning (ML) algorithms to filter out typical indicators. We constructed five ML models to evaluate all datasets using 5-fold cross-validation. Include random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM), artificial neural network (ANN), and naive Bayes (NB) models. And the performance of the models was evaluated using the micro-F1 score.ResultsOur experiments showed that by statistical methods and ML algorithms for feature selection, we finally selected Age, SBP, DBP, Lymph, RBC, HCT, MCHC, PLT, AST, TBIL, Cr, UA, Urea, K, Na, Ga, TP, GLU, TC, TG, γ-GT, Gender, HTN CAD, and RI as feature metrics of the models. LightGBM had the best prediction performance with the micro-F1 of 78.45%, which was higher than the other four models.ConclusionLightGBM model has good results in predicting antihypertensive medication regimens, and the model can be beneficial in improving the personalization of hypertension treatment.
Multiple facets of self-rated digital competencies of pre-service teachers: A pilot study on the nomological network, empirical structure, and gender differences
Authors: Hahn Sonja , Pfeifer Anne , Kunina-Habenicht Olga 
Published: December 2022

IntroductionSelf-efficacy is an important predictor of teaching behavior. Within several research traditions (TPACK framework, school achievement tests), different ICT self-efficacy scales have been developed. The empirical structure of existing questionnaires has frequently been researched and discussed within the TPACK framework. However, for teacher ICT self-efficacy, non-instructional aspects as well as alternative instruments have rarely been investigated and compared to standard TPACK self-report scales.MethodsIn this study, we administer two sets of non-subject-specific ICT scales to a group of pre-service teachers (N = 165). We investigate the empirical structure using structural equation modeling.ResultsFor both scales, the results show that instructional ICT self-efficacy forms a separate factor. For the remaining items, item difficulty and content drive further divisions. Further, more specific item formulations resulted in a higher range of scale means. Additionally, we find gender differences only on some non-instructional scales.DiscussionResults confirm that the distinction between instructional vs. non-instructional ICT self-efficacy is important when developing or using questionnaires for pre-service teachers. Results also indicate that the usage of more specific task-related items is a promising alternative to general TPACK items.
Utilization of screening and treatment for osteoporosis among stroke survivors
Authors: Hsu Chin-Hao , Sung Sheng-Feng , Yang Hsin-Yi , Huang Wan-Ting , Hsieh Cheng-Yang 
Published: December 2022

BackgroundStroke survivors are prone to osteoporosis and fractures. However, bone mineral density (BMD) testing and osteoporosis treatment were underutilized in patients with recent stroke. We aimed to examine whether stroke has an impact on the utilization of BMD testing and osteoporosis treatment as well as the determinants of their utilization in stroke patients using nationwide population-based data in Taiwan.MethodsWe identified patients aged 55 years and older who were hospitalized for hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke as the stroke cohort, and age- and sex-matched patients hospitalized for reasons other than stroke, fracture, or fall as the non-stroke cohort. We used the Fine-Gray sub-distribution hazard competing risk regression model to determine the predictors for BMD testing and osteoporosis treatment.ResultsA total of 32997 stroke patients and 32997 age- and sex-matched controls comprised the stroke and non-stroke cohorts, respectively. BMD testing and osteoporosis treatment were performed in 1.0% and 5.2% of the stroke patients, respectively, within one year after hospitalization while these measures were performed in 0.8% and 4.7% of the controls. Stroke patients were more likely to receive BMD testing (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11–1.58) and osteoporosis treatment (adjusted HR 1.19; 95% CI 1.11–1.29). Female sex, osteoporosis, prior BMD testing, and low-trauma fractures after stroke increased the likelihood of using BMD testing and osteoporosis treatment whereas greater stroke severity reduced the likelihood of receiving both measures.ConclusionsBoth BMD testing and osteoporosis treatment were underutilized among stroke survivors even though they had a higher chance of receiving both measures than non-stroke patients.
Association of ACE2 gene functional variants with gestational diabetes mellitus risk in a southern Chinese population
Authors: Huang Gongchen , Liang Qiulian , Wang Yukun , Qin Linyuan , Yang Haili , Lin Lin , Yu Xiangyuan 
Published: December 2022

ObjectiveTo explore the relationship between angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) genetic variants and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in a southern Chinese population.MethodsPotential functional variants (rs2106809, rs6632677, and rs2074192) of ACE2 were selected and genotyped in 566 GDM patients and 710 normal pregnaõncies in Guilin, China. The odds ratio (OR) and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to evaluate the association between genetic variant and GDM risk, and then the false positive report probability, multifactor dimensional reduction (MDR), and bioinformatics tools were used to confirm the significant association in the study.ResultsAfter adjusting for age and prepregnancy body mass index, logistic regression analysis showed that ACE2 rs6632677 was significantly associated with a decreased risk of GDM (CC vs. GG: adjusted OR = 0.09, 95% CI: 0.01 – 0.71, P = .023; GC/CC vs. GG: adjusted OR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.46 – 0.99, P = .048; and CC vs. GG/GC: adjusted OR = 0.09, 95% CI = 0.01 – 0.72, P = .024), whereas rs2074192 was associated with increased GDM risk (TT vs. CC/CT: adjusted OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.08 – 1.75, P = .009). Furthermore, we found that rs6632677 interacted with SBP (Pinteraction = .043) and FPG (Pinteraction = .021) and rs2074192 interacted with HDL-c (Pinteraction = .029) and LDL-c (Pinteraction = .035) to influence the GDM risk of the individual. In the MDR analysis, the rs6632677 was the best one-locus model, and the three-loci model was the best interaction model to predict GDM risk. In addition, functional analysis confirmed that rs2074192 may regulate the splicing process of ACE2 gene.ConclusionACE2 gene variants are significantly associated with the risk of GDM via gene–gene and gene–environment combinations. The rs2074192 C &gt; T affects the splicing of the ACE2 gene, which may be a potential mechanism leading to the changed susceptibility of an individual female during pregnancy to GDM.
Is the visceral adiposity index a potential indicator for the risk of kidney stones?
Authors: Hou Bingbing , Shen Xudong , He Qiushi , Chen Yang , Xu Yuexian , Chen Mingwei , Xi Junhua , Hao Zongyao 
Published: December 2022

ObjectiveTo determine whether the visceral adiposity index (VAI) was linked to the risk of kidney stones (KS) in the representative U.S. adults.MethodsWe investigated 59842 participants who joined the 2007–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The association between the visceral adiposity index (VAI) and KS was identified by logistic regression analysis. Meanwhile, the subgroup analysis as well as the calculation of dose−response curves were also utilized to identify sensitive groups.ResultsData from 29384 participants were available, including 2781 self-reported ever experiencing KS diseases. Overall, the VAI was 0.74 (0.70, 0.78) in the KS group, while 0.55 (0.52, 0.57) in the control group. After adjusting for confounders, the prevalence of KS increased by 13% for each unit of VAI increment (OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.19). Moreover, a linear relationship was found between the VAI and the prevalence of KS. By subgroup analysis, we found that a positive correlation between VAI and the risk of KS both in male (OR=1.14, 95%CI:1.07, 1.22) and female (OR=1.14, 95%CI:1.05, 1.24), White (OR=1.20, 95%CI:1.11, 1.28) and other race, all aged subgroups, nonhypertensive (OR=1.06, 95%CI:1.08, 1.25) and nondiabetic subgroups (OR=1.14, 95%CI:1.07, 1.21).ConclusionsElevated VAI was strongly associated with KS in representative U.S. adults, which may be a promising indicator for the risk of kidney stones.
A prognostic nomogram for papillary thyroid cancer lymph node metastasis based on immune score
Authors: Lu Yihua , Qian Kai , Fei Mengjia , Guo Kai , Shi Yuan , Wang Zhuoying 
Published: December 2022

BackgroundPapillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common subtype of thyroid cancer and is characterized by an overall good prognosis and early-stage lymph node metastasis. The immune microenvironment is believed to play a crucial role in PTC initiation, progression and metastasis. However, to our knowledge, prognostic tools for thyroid cancer metastasis based on immune scores have not been adequately explored. This study aimed to construct a clinical nomogram to predict lymph node metastasis in patients with PTC.MethodsThe genomic data and clinical-pathological characteristics of 447 PTC subjects were obtained from TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas data). Logistic regression models were performed for univariate and multivariate analyses to identify significant prediction factors. A prognostic nomogram was built based on the multivariate analysis results. The concordance index (C-index) and calibration curve were used to assess the predictive accuracy and discriminative ability of the model.ResultsThe patients were divided into two subgroups based on immune scores. We found that patients with high immune scores had significantly higher lymph node metastasis risks (OR and 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.774[1.130-2.784]) than those with low immune scores. The C-index for lymph node metastasis was 0.722 (95% CI, 0.671‐0.774), which had a favorable performance for clinical prediction. The calibration curve for lymph node metastasis showed significant agreement between the nomogram prediction and actual observation.ConclusionHigh immune scores are significantly correlated with higher lymph node metastasis risk in patients with PTC. Immune score-based prognostic nomograms may help to predict lymph node metastasis and have potential clinical application possibilities.
Monitoring and modelling of butyltin compounds in Finnish inland lake
Authors: Ahkola Heidi , Juntunen Janne , Krogerus Kirsti , Huttula Timo 
Published: December 2022

In this study we measured the total concentration of BTCs using grab water sampling, dissolved concentration with passive samplers, and particle-bound fraction with sedimentation traps in a Finnish inland lake. The sampling was conducted from May to September over two study years. In grab water samples the average concentration of MBT at sampling sites varied between 4.8 and 13 ng L−1, DBT 0.9–2.4 ng L−1, and TBT 0.4–0.8 ng L−1 during the first study year and 0.6–1.1 ng L−1, DBT 0.5–2.2 ng L−1 and TBT &lt; LOD-0.7 ng L−1 during the second year. The average BTC concentrations determined with passive samplers varied between 0.08 and 0.53 ng L−1 for MBT, 0.10–0.14 ng L−1 for DBT and 0.05–0.07 ng L−1 for TBT during the first study year and 0.03–0.05 ng L−1 for MBT, 0.02–0.05 ng L−1 for DBT and TBT 0.007–0.013 ng L−1 during the second year. The average BTC concentrations measured in sedimented particles collected with sedimentation traps were between 1.5 and 9.0 ng L−1 for MBT, 0.61–22 ng L−1 for DBT and 0.05–1.8 ng L−1 for TBT during the first study year and 3.0–12 ng L−1 for MBT, 1.7–9.8 ng L−1 for DBT and TBT 0.4–1.2 ng L−1 during the second year. The differences between sampling techniques and the detected BTCs were obvious, e.g., tributyltin (TBT) was detected only in 4%–24% of the grab samples, 50% of the sedimentation traps, and 93% of passive samplers. The BTC concentrations measured with grab and passive sampling suggested hydrological differences between the study years. This was confirmed with flow velocity measurements. However, the annual difference was not observed in BTC concentrations measured in settled particles which suggest that only the dissolved BTC fraction varied. The extreme value analysis suggested that grab sampling and sedimentation trap sampling results contain more extreme peak values than passive sampling. However, all high concentrations are not automatically extreme values but indicates that BTCs are present in surface water in trace concentrations despite not being detected with all sampling techniques.
SARS-CoV-2 infection dynamics in the tourism season 2020 in North Frisia, Germany
Authors: Greiner Timo , Aigner Annette , Tinnemann Peter 
Published: December 2022

BackgroundInternational tourist activities including air travel, holiday on cruise ships, and Après-ski parties played a prominent role in the early spread of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. However, the effects of national tourism on infection dynamics are unclear.MethodsData were analyzed from the health authorities in North Frisia, the northernmost district in Germany with prominent tourist hotspots such asSylt, Amrum, andFöhr. Data were available for the time period April 2020–November 2020.ResultsDuring the tourist season (May–October 2020), PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 case numbers were low with 0 to 10 cases per day. Case numbers rose in September and peaked end of October (2nd wave). Among the confirmed cases, 13 persons were returning travelers and none were national tourists. Overall, only a small proportion of cases were related to individuals with presumed tourist contact.ConclusionIn summer 2020, the arrival of a large number of tourists apparently did not increase local case numbers, and tourism-related outbreaks were not reported. Thus, tourism presumably did not contribute substantially to SARS-CoV-2 infection dynamics in North Frisia. However, incidences were low countrywide and protective measures were in place.
The cuproptosis related genes signature predicts the prognosis and correlates with the immune status of clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Sun Peng , Xu Hua , Zhu Ke , Li Min , Han Rui , Shen Jiran , Xia Xingyuan , Chen Xiaojuan , Fei Guanghe , Zhou Sijing , Wang Ran 
Published: December 2022

Background: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) has a high incidence and poor prognosis. Cuproptosis, an independent pattern of cell death associated with copper, plays an important role in cancer proliferation and metastasis. The role of cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) in CCRCC is unclear.Methods: Transcriptome and clinical information for CCRCC were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. After dividing the training and testing cohort, a 4-CRGs risk signature (FDX1, DLD, DLAT, CDKN2A) was identified in the training cohort using Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and Cox regression analysis. The effect of the 4-CRGs risk signature on prognosis was assessed using Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and verified using the testing cohort. For different risk groups, the immune statue was assessed using the CIBERSORT algorithm, the ssGSEA method and immune checkpoint expression data. Finally, a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network was constructed using miRTarbase and starBase databases to identify molecules that may have a regulatory relationship with CRCCC.Results: There were significant changes in the overall survival (OS), immune microenvironment, immune function, and checkpoint gene expression among the different risk groups. A ceRNA network consisting of one mRNA, two miRNAs, and 12 lncRNAs was constructed.Conclusion: The 4-CRGs risk signature provides a new method to predict the prognosis of patients with CCRCC and the effect of immunotherapy. We propose a new cuproptosis-associated ceRNA network that can help to further explore the molecular mechanisms of CCRCC.