syedzayyan/paper_mill_benchmark huggingface dataset:
Characteristics of clinical trials in rare vs. common diseases: A register-based Latvian study.

Conducting clinical studies in small populations may be very challenging; therefore quality of clinical evidence may differ between rare and non-rare disease therapies.Objective this register-based study aims to evaluate the characteristics of clinical trials in rare diseases conducted in latvia and compare them with clinical trials in more common conditions.Methods the eu clinical trials register (clinicaltrialsregister.eu) was used to identify interventional clinical trials related to rare diseases (n = 51) and to compose a control group of clinical trials in non-rare diseases (n = 102) for further comparison of the trial characteristics.Results we found no significant difference in the use of overall survival as a primary endpoint in clinical trials between rare and non-rare diseases (9.8% vs.13.7%, respectively).However, clinical trials in rare diseases were less likely to be randomized controlled trials (62.7% vs.83.3%).Rare and non-rare disease clinical trials varied in masking, with rare disease trials less likely to be double blind (45.1% vs.63.7%).Active comparators were less frequently used in rare disease trials (36.4% vs.58.8% of controlled trials).Clinical trials in rare diseases enrolled fewer participants than those in non-rare diseases: in latvia (mean 18.3 vs.40.2 subjects, respectively), in the european economic area (mean 181.0 vs.626.9 subjects), and in the whole clinical trial (mean 335.8 vs.1406.3 subjects).Although, we found no significant difference in trial duration between the groups (mean 38.3 vs.36.4 months).Conclusions the current study confirms that clinical trials in rare diseases vary from those in non-rare conditions, with notable differences in enrollment, randomization, masking, and the use of active comparators.However, we found no significant difference in trial duration and the use of overall survival as a primary endpoint.

Journal: PloS one (2018)
Publication types: Journal Article;Meta-Analysis
DNA-based qualitative and quantitative identification of bovine whey powder in goat dairy products.

As one of the main ingredients in some milk powders, whey powder is sometimes added to pure goat milk products, which can cause health risks, economic fraud, and unfair competition of food industries.This study is the first to explore qualitative and quantitative methods to identify adulteration of bovine whey powder in goat dairy products based on dna.We extracted dna from whey powder using a modified dna extraction method; this exhibited good quality and integrity, with purity of 1.53 to 1.75 and concentration of 122 to 179 ng/μl.Conventional pcr and real-time pcr were compared for qualitative detection of bovine whey powder; real-time pcr demonstrated sensitivity of 0.01 ng/μl, which was higher than the 0.05 ng/μl detected by the conventional pcr method.Furthermore, real-time pcr was conducted for dna quantitative detection, with good linearity (r2= 0.9858) obtained for bovine whey powder contents from 0.1% to 30%.Relative error decreased with increase of the mixing proportion of whey powder; the coefficient of variation above 0.1% of the mixing ratio was close to or less than 5%; and the relative standard deviation of repeatability results was less than 5%.Considering the economic costs of testing, conventional pcr could be performed first, and samples with obvious intentional adulteration detected can be further accurately quantified by real-time pcr.Overall, this research provides a realistic and effective method for qualitative and quantitative identification of bovine whey powder in goat dairy products, thus laying a good foundation for verification of goat dairy product label claims and industrial control.

Journal: Journal of dairy science (2022)
Publication types: Journal Article
Lipidomic adaptations of the Metarhizium robertsii strain in response to the presence of butyltin compounds.

Metarhizium robertsii, a butyltin-resistant filamentous fungus, can rapid and complete biodegradation of di- (dbt) and tributyltin (tbt) under conditions of intensive aeration and ascorbic acid supplementation.In this paper, lipidomic investigations were performed to find the membrane adaptations necessary for effective butyltins degradation.Hplc-ms/ms analysis showed that the phospholipid profile was greatly modified during m.Robertsii batch cultivation (p o2≥ 20%), contributing to increased membrane fluidity and facilitated mass transfer, which could enhance butyltins biodegradation.Intensified biosynthesis of phospholipids, sphingolipids and ergosterol by the mycelia exposed to butyltins was noted.Dioc6(3) fluorescence intensity for tbt-treated mycelium increased 9-fold pointing to membrane hyperpolarization.Fluorescent studies showed improved membrane rigidity and integrity in response to butyltins presence.Vitamin c supplementation restored membrane composition and dynamic properties, followed by supposed acceleration of transport of monobutyltin and its biodegradation thus protecting the m.Robertsii cells against oxidative and nitrosative stress.

Journal: Biochimica et biophysica acta. Biomembranes (2019)
Publication types: Journal Article;Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Advances of Fibroblast Growth Factor/Receptor Signaling Pathway in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and its Pharmacotherapeutic Targets.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc) is a type of primary liver cancer with poor prognosis, and its incidence and mortality rate are increasing worldwide.It is refractory to conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy owing to its high tumor heterogeneity.Accumulated genetic alterations and aberrant cell signaling pathway have been characterized in hcc.The fibroblast growth factor (fgf) family and their receptors (fgfrs) are involved in diverse biological activities, including embryonic development, proliferation, differentiation, survival, angiogenesis, and migration, etc.Data mining results of the cancer genome atlas demonstrate high levels of fgf and/or fgfr expression in hcc tumors compared with normal tissues.Moreover, substantial evidence indicates that the fgf/fgfr signaling axis plays an important role in various mechanisms that contribute to hcc development.At present, several inhibitors targeting fgf/fgfr, such as multikinase inhibitors, specific fgfr4 inhibitors, and fgf ligand traps, exhibit antitumor activity in preclinical or early development phases in hcc.In this review, we summarize the research progress regarding the molecular implications of fgf/fgfr-mediated signaling and the development of fgfr-targeted therapeutics in hepatocarcinogenesis.

Journal: Frontiers in pharmacology (2021)
Publication types: Journal Article;Review
The Protective Effects of Iron Free Lactoferrin on Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Intestinal Inflammatory Injury via Modulating the NF-κB/PPAR Signaling Pathway.

Research evidence shows that effective nutritional intervention could prevent or reduce intestinal inflammatory injury in newborn infants.Iron free lactoferrin (apo-lf), one of the main types of lactoferrin (lf), is a bioactive protein in milk that plays a vital role in maintaining intestinal health.The potential mechanism by which apo-lf modulates intestinal inflammation is, however, still unclear.In the study we first explored key genes and pathways in vitro by transcriptome date analysis and then validated them in vivo to reveal the underlying molecular mechanism.The results showed that apo-lf pretreatment effectively inhibited lipopolysaccharide (lps)-induced primary intestinal epithelial cells (iecs) inflammation in the co-culture system (primary iecs and immune cells), which was specifically manifested as the reduction of the concentration of tnf-α, il-6 and il-1β and increased the concentration of ifn-γ.In addition, transcriptome data analysis revealed that the key pathway for apo-lf to exert anti-inflammatory effects was the nf-κb/ppar signaling pathway.Further validation was performed using western blotting in colonic tissues of young mice and it was found that the major proteins of nf-κb signaling pathway (nf-κb, tnf-α and il-1β) were inhibited by apo-lf and the target proteins of ppar signaling pathway (ppar-γ and pfkfb3) were activated by apo-lf.Taken together, this suggests that apo-lf has a protective effect against lps-induced intestinal inflammatory injury via modulating the nf-κb/ppar signaling pathway, which provides new insights for further anti-inflammatory study of apo-lf.

Journal: Foods (Basel, Switzerland) (2022)
Publication types: Journal Article
Bone mineral density and body composition in normal weight, overweight and obese children.

There is a possibility that excess body fat affects bone mass gain and may compromise skeletal health in obese children.The purpose of the study was to identify the relationship between bone mineral density (bmd) and body composition in normal weight, overweight and obese children.Methods this was a cross-sectional study of 6- to 11-year-old children who attended the hospital's outpatient clinic.They were apparently healthy and had no history of prematurity, low birth weight, or chronic diseases.Body mass index (bmi) was used to identify subjects as normal weight, overweight or obese.Bmd and body composition were assessed by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry.The bmd values (total and lumbar spine) were compared between normal weight, overweight and obese children.Correlation coefficients were calculated, and multivariate models were performed.Results forty-nine children were included: 16 with normal weight, 15 that were overweight and 18 with obesity; the mean age was 8.4 ± 1.7 years.All the participants had a normal bmd (> - 2 sd).Bmd was higher in obese children and had a positive correlation with total and trunk lean mass in the three study groups (p < 0.001).In obese children, an inverse correlation of lumbar spine bmd (z score) with total and trunk fat mass (p < 0.05) was identified.In the multivariate models (with the whole group), the total lean mass was the only significant variable that explained bmd variability.Conclusions bmd in obese children was higher than that in normal weight children, which is explained by their greater lean mass and not by excess body fat.In obese children, a higher fat mass was related to a lower lumbar spine bmd.Lean mass had a direct correlation with bmd in the three study groups and was the most important predictor of bmd, reflecting the importance of strengthening the muscular system through performing physical activity and practicing a healthy lifestyle.

Journal: BMC pediatrics (2022)
Publication types: Journal Article;Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Mesoionic Carbene Complexes of Uranium(IV) and Thorium(IV).

We report the synthesis and characterization of uranium(iv) and thorium(iv) mesoionic carbene complexes [an{n(si me3)2}2(ch2si me2nsi me3){mic}] (an = u,4uand th,4th; mic = {cn(me)c(me)n(me)ch}), which represent rare examples of actinide mesoionic carbene linkages and the first example of a thorium mesoionic carbene complex.Complexes4uand4thwere prepared via a c-h activation intramolecular cyclometallation reaction of actinide halides, with concomitant formal 1,4-proton migration of an n-heterocyclic olefin (nho).Quantum chemical calculations suggest that the an-carbene bond comprises only a σ-component, in contrast to the uranium(iii) analogue [u{n(si me3)2}3(mic)] (1) where computational studies suggested that the 5f3uranium(iii) ion engages in a weak one-electron π-backbond to the mic.This highlights the varying nature of actinide-mic bonding as a function of actinide oxidation state.In solution,4thexists in equilibrium with the th(iv) metallacycle [th{n(si me3)2}2(ch2si me2nsi me3)] (6th) and free nho (3).The thermodynamic parameters of this equilibrium were probed using variable-temperature nmr spectroscopy yielding an entropically favored but enthalpically endothermic process with an overall reaction free energy of δg298.15k= 0.89 kcal mol-1.Energy decomposition analysis (eda-nocv) of the actinide-carbon bonds in4uand4threveals that the former is enthalpically stronger and more covalent than the latter, which accounts for the respective stabilities of these two complexes.

Journal: Organometallics (2022)
Publication types: Journal Article
A Letter to President Biden and Secretary Designate of HHS Xavier Becerra: Remove Barriers to Federal Funding of Human Embryo and Fetal Tissue Research.

Human fetal tissue (hft) has been used in biomedical research for nearly a century and has led to extraordinarily valuable discoveries that have benefitted humankind.Politicization of the use of hft over recent years has led to the creation of numerous obstacles to scientific progress in this field.In july 2019, the imposition of redundant ethics policies was supplemented with the creation of the human fetal tissue ethics advisory board, which withheld funding of 13 out of 14 nih grants that were favorably peer reviewed in the summer of 2020.We believe that these new sets of restrictions are harmful to the goals of scientific progress and call upon the new administration of our government to allow peer review, not politics, to determine scientific merit and to reinstitute the previously existing ethics policies that were more than adequate to assure the appropriateness of human fetal tissue research.

Journal: Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) (2021)
Publication types: Journal Article
Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor of the sciatic nerve presenting with leg pain in the setting of lumbar scoliosis and spinal stenosis.

Study design case report.Objective we present a case of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (mpnst) presenting as neuropathic pain in the setting of lumbar scoliosis and spinal stenosis.Most peripheral nerve sheath tumors are benign, and malignant cases are more commonly associated with neurofibromatosis type 1 or prior radiation exposure.Mpnst is a rare tumor with a poor prognosis.We report a case of mpnst that presented as neuropathic pain following lumbar decompression and fusion surgery.Methods a 60-year-old woman presented for management of lumbar scoliosis, stenosis, and left leg pain.After lumbar decompression and fusion surgery, the patient was readmitted to the hospital after falling 10 weeks post-op.She reported gradual recurrence of leg pain.Left foot drop was noted on exam.Imaging studies showed no spinal changes postoperatively or residual stenosis.Obesity limited electrodiagnostic studies.Hip mri revealed a lobular soft tissue mass in the left sciatic notch.Surgical resection and pathology provided the diagnosis of mpnst.The patient declined wide resection and other interventions after seeking a second opinion.Palliative pain management was implemented.Results the patient expired 15 months after her index spinal surgery.Conclusions mpnst is an extremely rare tumor that can present with symptoms similar to radiculitis.Clinical signs and symptoms of mpnst are vague and nonspecific due to compression of surrounding structures.Surgical wide resection is the first line of treatment for mpnst with chemotherapy and radiotherapy as adjuvant treatments.Mpnst has a poor prognosis with reported 5-year survival ranging from 16 to 54%.This case demonstrates the need to pursue additional workup when diagnostic imaging and objective findings do not satisfactorily explain the clinical presentation.Level of evidence iv.

Journal: Spine deformity (2020)
Publication types: Case Reports;Journal Article;Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Defecation disorder and anal function after surgery for lower rectal cancer in elderly patients.

This study aims to investigate the association of patient age with defecation disorders and anal function after lower rectal cancer surgery.Methods we retrospectively reviewed the data of 141 consecutive patients with lower rectal cancer who underwent sphincter-preserving operation.The patients were classified into five categories by age thresholds at 65, 70, 75, 80, and 85 years, for disaggregate analysis.Anal manometry was used for measuring the maximum resting pressure, high-pressure zone, and maximum squeeze pressure.Anal manometry was performed preoperatively and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postoperatively.The wexner and low anterior resection syndrome scores were assessed at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after rectal surgery or stoma closure for patients with ileostomy.Results the data of 117 patients were reviewed.No significant differences were found between the younger and elderly groups in any characteristics across the six age groups.The preoperative intra-anal pressures of the elderly patients were slightly lower than those of the younger patients; however, there was no significant difference in the course of postoperative intra-anal pressures.Defecation disorder, as measured by the wexner and low anterior resection syndrome scores, improved significantly in elderly patients compared to younger patients.Conclusion there was no significant difference in the course of postoperative intra-anal pressures between the elderly and younger patients.However, defecation disorders in elderly patients significantly improved compared with younger patients.Sphincter-preserving operation can be a viable treatment option for active elderly patients.

Journal: Annals of gastroenterological surgery (2022)
Publication types: Journal Article
Metagenomic insights into the relationship between gut microbiota and residual feed intake of small-sized meat ducks.

Introduction the objective of this study was to determine the regulatory effects of gut microbiota on the feed efficiency (fe) of small-sized meat ducks by evaluating correlations between gut microbiota and residual feed intake (rfi).Methods a total of 500 21-day-old healthy male ducks with similar initial body weights (645 ± 15.0 g) were raised contemporaneously in the same experimental facility until slaughter at 56 days of age.In total, nine low-rfi (lr) and nine high-rfi (hr) birds were selected for further gut microbiota composition and functional analyses based on the production performance, and the rfi was calculated from 22 to 56 days of age.Results growth performance results indicated a significantly lower rfi, feed conversion ratio, feed intake, and average daily feed intake in the lr ducks (p< 0.05).Taxonomy results of gut microbiota showed the identification of 19 kinds of phyla and more than 250 kinds of genera in all samples.No significant discrepancies in cecal bacterial α-diversity were discovered between the lr and hr groups, which indicated that the microbial modulatory effects on rfi may be attributed to the bacterial composition, rather than the species diversity.Differential analysis of bacterial communities between the lr and hr groups showed a significant increment of firmicutesand a significant decline of bacteroidetesin the lr group (p< 0.05).Specifically, genera of erysipelatoclostridium, parasutterella, fournierella, and lactococcussignificantly proliferated, while bacteroidessignificantly decreased in the lr group (p< 0.05).Furthermore, correlation analysis showed that the rfi was significantly correlated with carbohydrate metabolism-related bacteria including bacteroides, alistipes, bifidobacterium, ruminiclostridium_9, sellimonas, oscillibacter, escherichia-shigella, lactococcus, and streptococcus.Conclusion in conclusion, the communities related to carbohydrate metabolism had positive regulatory effects on the fe of small-sized meat ducks, promoting it by improving the relative abundance and utilization of these communities.The present study provides valuable insight into the dynamics of gut microbiota underlying the variations in the fe of small-sized meat ducks.

Journal: Frontiers in microbiology (2022)
Publication types: Journal Article
Hippocampal HECT E3 ligase inhibition facilitates consolidation, retrieval, and reconsolidation, and inhibits extinction of contextual fear memory.

Ubiquitination is involved in synaptic plasticity and memory, but the involvement of hect e3 ligases in these processes has not yet been established.Here, we bilaterally infused heclin, a specific inhibitor of some of these ligases, into the dorsal hippocampus of male wistar rats that were trained in a contextual fear conditioning.Heclin improved short-term memory, consolidation, retrieval, and reconsolidation when administered immediately post training, prior to testing, or after memory reactivation, respectively.In addition, it impaired memory extinction when administered prior to a long reactivation session.Heclin infusion was also tested for locomotor activity and anxiety-like behavior in a circular arena, but no effect was seen.Taken together, these results indicate that hect e3 ligases are involved in the modulation of fear memory.

Journal: Neurobiology of learning and memory (2020)
Publication types: Journal Article;Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Lung ultrasound compared to chest X-ray for the diagnosis of CAP in children.

Community-acquired pneumonia (cap) represents one of the most common infectious diseases among children.Diagnosis of cap is mainly clinical.Chest x-ray (cxr) remains the gold standard for the diagnosis in severe or controversial conditions.Recently, some authors have focused on the application of ultrasound in lung diseases but the role of lung ultrasound (lus) in the diagnosis of cap is still debated.We aimed to study the concordance between lus and cxr in evaluating specific signs of cap.As a secondary aim, we sought to determine the sensitivity and specificity of lus in cap diagnosis compared with cxr.Finally, we evaluated the role of lus during the follow up.Methods we enrolled 68 children (<16 years old) hospitalized from october 2018 to september 2019 with a clinical and radiological diagnosis of cap (cases: n = 41), or with no respiratory diseases (controls: n = 27), in whom a cxr was performed for clinical indications.All the children underwent lus during hospitalization.The average time needed to perform lus was 5-10 min for each child, and 19/41 cases were re-evaluated by lus and cxr 30 days after discharge.Results lung ultrasound confirmed cap diagnosis in 40/41 patients.Concordance between the two techniques was k = 0.88 for the right lung and k = 0.70 for the left lung.Lung ultrasound showed a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 96% compared with cxr.At the follow up, sensitivity increased to 100% while specificity was 94%.Conclusions our study showed a potential benefit of lus compared with cxr in the diagnosis and the follow up of cap.

Journal: Pediatrics international : official journal of the Japan Pediatric Society (2021)
Publication types: Journal Article