bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Framework of Blockchain Technology in Intelligent Water Management
Authors: Xia Wenjun , Chen Xiaohong , Song Chao
Published: June 2022

At present, water resource information management in China is mainly a centralized model, and there exist some problems such as high cost, low efficiency, and data storage insecurity. Blockchain technology provides a good solution which can create an efficient trust mechanism among the links in the process of water resource utilization. It guarantees the security of the data, avoiding the sudden collapse of the central institutions caused by some normal operations of the entire system. Based on a decentralization blockchain, we propose a decentralized water resource information management system for the whole process of “supply-use-consumption-discharge,” which improves the traditional water data storage. Specifically, the monitoring and business data are encrypted by the blockchain and are transmitted using a peer-to-peer network. Moreover, the centralized management mode is changed and part of the management work is dispersed to each node. Thus, decisions and measures can be made and implemented quickly after discovering problems to improve the efficiency of information transmission and management. In addition, two typical blockchain-based application scenarios for water resource management are designed. A blockchain-based approach makes issuing and monitoring water abstraction permits more convenient and obtaining license information more secure and verifiable. A reliable mechanism for tracing water quality ensures the accuracy and reliability of water quality information, enables the detection of locations with inadequate water quality, and clarifies people’s responsibility, thus guaranteeing the water safety of the residents.
How Well Does the ERA5 Reanalysis Capture the Extreme Climate Events Over China? Part I: Extreme Precipitation
Authors: Lei Xiangyong , Xu Wanling , Chen Shiting , Yu Tingting , Hu Zengyun , Zhang Meng , Jiang Lizhi , Bao Ruijuan , Guan Xiaojun , Ma Miaomiao , Wei Jianhui , Feng Aixia , Gao Lu
Published: June 2022

ERA5 is the fifth-generation atmospheric reanalysis of the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, with high spatiotemporal resolution and global coverage. However, the reliability of ERA5 for simulating extreme precipitation events is still unclear over China. In this study, 12 extreme precipitation indices and a comprehensive quantitative distance between indices of simulation and observation were used to evaluate ERA5 precipitation from three fundamental aspects: intensity, frequency, and duration. The geomorphological regionalization method was used to divide the subregions of China. The results showed that the ability of ERA5 to simulate annual total precipitation was better than that of daily precipitation. For the intensity indices, ERA5 performs well for simulating the PRCPTOT (annual total wet days precipitation) over China. ERA5 performs better on RX5day (max 5-days precipitation amount) and R95p (very wet days), especially in eastern China, than on RX1day (max 1-day precipitation amount) and R99p (extremely wet days). For the frequency indices, the ability of the ERA5 simulation increased as the amount of precipitation increased, except for northwestern China. However, the ability of ERA5 to simulate R50 mm (number of extreme heavy precipitation days) decreased. For the duration indices, ERA5 was better at simulating drought events than wet events in eastern China. Our results highlight the need for ERA5 to enhance the simulation of trend changes in extreme precipitation events.
Prior Vaccination Exceeds Prior Infection in Eliciting Innate and Humoral Immune Responses in Omicron Infected Outpatients
Authors: Lee Hye Kyung , Knabl Ludwig , Walter Mary , Knabl Ludwig , Dai Yuhai , Füßl Magdalena , Caf Yasemin , Jeller Claudia , Knabl Philipp , Obermoser Martina , Baurecht Christof , Kaiser Norbert , Zabernigg August , Wurdinger Gernot M. , Furth Priscilla A. , Hennighausen Lothar
Published: June 2022

Antibody response following Omicron infection is reported to be less robust than that to other variants. Here we investigated how prior vaccination and/or prior infection modulates that response. Disease severity, antibody responses and immune transcriptomes were characterized in four groups of Omicron-infected outpatients (n=83): unvaccinated/no prior infection, vaccinated/no prior infection, unvaccinated/prior infection and vaccinated/prior infection. The percentage of patients with asymptomatic or mild disease was highest in the vaccinated/no prior infection group (87%) and lowest in the unvaccinated/no prior infection group (47%). Significant anti-Omicron spike antibody levels and neutralizing activity were detected in the vaccinated group immediately after infection but were not present in the unvaccinated/no prior infection group. Within two weeks, antibody levels against Omicron, increased. Omicron neutralizing activity in the vaccinated group exceeded that of the prior infection group. No increase in neutralizing activity in the unvaccinated/no prior infection group was seen. The unvaccinated/prior infection group showed an intermediate response. We then investigated the early transcriptomic response following Omicron infection in these outpatient populations and compared it to that found in unvaccinated hospitalized patients with Alpha infection. Omicron infected patients showed a gradient of transcriptional response dependent upon whether or not they were previously vaccinated or infected. Vaccinated patients showed a significantly blunted interferon response as compared to both unvaccinated Omicron infected outpatients and unvaccinated Alpha infected hospitalized patients typified by the response of specific gene classes such as OAS and IFIT that control anti-viral responses and IFI27, a predictor of disease outcome.
Characteristics of Small-Scale Coastal Fisheries in China and Suggested Improvements in Management Strategies: A Case Study From Shengsi County in Zhejiang Province
Authors: Xiong Minsi , Wu Zuli , Tang Yi , Su Shu , Shen Huihui
Published: June 2022

Small-scale fisheries (SSFs) in China have made incalculable contributions to the supply of aquatic products, employment, and social stability. Despite their importance, aspects such as the complexity, dynamicity, and vulnerability of SSFs are yet to receive sufficient attention either from the Chinese government or from society. Here we help to address the lack of recognition of SSFs by examining their characteristics and possible management solutions. We selected Shengsi County, a community with traditional fishing activities, in Zhejiang Province as a case study to review and examine the SSFs’ characteristics and policies. We aimed to explore the improvement strategies for Chinese SSF management by using data from the open-access government databases, a series of questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews, and a collection of national and local SSF-related legislative and policy documents. Here we summarized the physical characteristics of the small-scale fishing vessels and the socioeconomic aspects of SSFs in Shengsi County. Our findings indicate that unprecedented new institutional arrangements for SSFs have been developed in recent years at the national level, and some relevant policies of SSFs also exist at the local level. However, there are still gaps: The concept of SSFs and the goal of their management have not been developed either at the national or local levels; monitoring systems have not yet been established for collecting SSF-related data; fishers engaged in SSFs are still not well organized; cooperation and coordination between different government departments with management authority over SSFs are insufficient; the local government’s response to the central government’s initiatives was slow. Our findings show that the Chinese government could improve SSF management by adopting on an ongoing basis the following suggestions: (1) better define SSFs and set management goals according to their characteristics; (2) develop a monitoring system for SSFs’ data and information collection and promote multidisciplinary research on SSFs; (3) establish SSFs’ cooperatives as soon as possible; and (4) develop coordination and cooperation mechanisms among government departments. This research can provide a reference for the Chinese government to understand SSFs better and contribute to the implementation and improvement of SSFs’ differentiated management in China.
Molecular Characterization and Expression Analysis of Glutaredoxin 5 in Black Tiger Shrimp (Penaeus monodon) and Correlation Analysis Between the SNPs of PmGrx5 and Ammonia-N Stress Tolerance Trait
Authors: Fan Rui , Jiang Shigui , Li Yundong , Yang Qibin , Jiang Song , Huang Jianhua , Yang Lishi , Chen Xu , Zhou Falin
Published: June 2022

Glutaredoxins (Grxs) are glutathione-dependent oxidoreductases that belong to the thioredoxin (Trx) superfamily and are an essential part of the redox system in living organisms. However, there is a serious lack of sequence information and functional validation associated with Grxs in crustaceans. In this study, a new Grx gene (PmGrx5) was identified and characterized in black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon). The full-length cDNA of PmGrx5 is 787 bp and consists of 114 bp 5′-UTR, 232 bp 3′-UTR, and 441 bp ORF, encoding a hypothetical protein of 146 amino acids. The putative PmGrx5 protein is 16.27 kDa with a theoretical isoelectric point of 5.90. Sequence alignment showed that PmGrx5 had the highest amino acid sequence homology with Grx5 from Penaeus vannamei at 98.63% and clustered with Grx5 from other crustaceans. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that PmGrx5 was expressed in all tissues examined, with a higher expression in the testis, stomach, lymphoid organ, and gill. PmGrx5 was continuously expressed during development, with the highest expression in zoea I. Ammonia-N stress and bacterial infection both differentially upregulated PmGrx5 expression in the hepatopancreas and gill. In addition, when PmGrx5 was inhibited, the expression of some other antioxidant enzymes was upregulated at the beginning of ammonia-N stress, but as the stress time increased, the expression of antioxidant enzymes was inhibited, the expression of apoptotic genes was increased, and the GSH content was significantly reduced. Inhibition of PmGrx5 led to a greater risk of oxidative damage in shrimp. In addition, the relationship between SNPs in exons of the PmGrx5 gene and tolerance to ammonia-N stress was identified and analysed. A total of nine SNPs were successfully identified, eight of which were significantly associated with ammonia and nitrogen stress tolerance trait in shrimp (P < 0.05). The present study shows that PmGrx5 is involved in redox regulation and plays an important role in shrimp resistance to marine environmental stresses. Meanwhile, this study will provide a basis for molecular marker breeding in shrimp.
Mechanisms of Interannual Variability of Ocean Bottom Pressure in the Southern Indian Ocean
Authors: Niu Yuting , Cheng Xuhua , Qin Jianhuang , Ou Niansen , Yang Chengcheng , Huang Duotian
Published: June 2022

The study of ocean bottom pressure (OBP) helps to understand the changes in the sea level budget and ocean deep circulation. In this study, the characteristics and mechanisms of interannual OBP variability in the Southern Indian Ocean are examined using Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite data from 2003 to 2016. Results show that there are two energetic OBP centers in the Southern Indian Ocean (50°–60°S, 40°–60°E and 45°–60°S, 80°–120°E). The OBP magnitudes at two centers have strong variability on interannual time scales, and their values are larger during austral summer (NDJF) and winter (JJAS). Atmospheric forcing plays an important role in local OBP variability. The high (low) sea level pressure (SLP) over the Southern Indian Ocean benefits positive (negative) OBP anomalies via the convergence (divergence) of Ekman transport driven by local wind. Such SLP anomalies are related to the Southern Annular Mode (SAM), Southern Oscillation (SO) and Indian Ocean dipole (IOD). SAM can influence the OBP changes in both austral summer and winter, while SO and IOD have positive correlations with OBP variability during austral summer and austral winter, respectively. These results are validated by a mass-conservation ocean model, which further confirms the importance of atmospheric forcing on the interannual OBP variations.
Memory T Cell Subpopulations as Early Predictors of Remission to Vedolizumab in Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Gonzalez-Vivo Maria , Lund Tiirikainen Minna K. , Andreu Montserrat , Fernandez-Clotet Agnes , López-García Alicia , Murciano Gonzalo Francisca , Abril Rodriguez Lourdes , de Jesús-Gil Carmen , Ruiz-Romeu Ester , Sans-de San Nicolàs Lídia , Santamaria-Babí Lluis F. , Márquez-Mosquera Lucía
Published: June 2022

Background

Vedolizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting the α4β7 integrin used for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. Few biomarkers related to vedolizumab response have been identified. The aim of this work was to assess whether baseline circulating CD4+ and CD8+ memory T-lymphocyte subpopulations could help to identify patients with response to vedolizumab treatment in ulcerative colitis.

Methods

Prospective pilot study in 15 patients with active ulcerative colitis and previous failure to anti-TNFα starting vedolizumab treatment. Peripheral blood samples were obtained before the first dose of vedolizumab and at week 6 and 14 of treatment. Clinical remission was defined as a Mayo Clinic partial score of ≤2 points without any concomitant dose of steroids. Biochemical remission or endoscopic improvement was defined as fecal calprotectin <250 mcg/g or Mayo endoscopic subscore ≤1.

Results

At week 14, nine patients achieved clinical remission and eight patients achieved biochemical remission or endoscopic improvement. Patients in clinical remission presented higher baseline CD8 α4β7+ memory T cells concentration when compared with patients with no remission. In addition, patients with biochemical remission or endoscopic improvement at week 14 presented higher baseline concentration of CD8 α4β7+ memory T cells. No differences were identified according to flare severity, extent of disease or type of anti-TNFα failure. There were no significant differences regarding changes in T cell subsets during vedolizumab induction.

Conclusion

CD8+ α4β7+ memory T cells before starting vedolizumab therapy could be an early predictor of remission in ulcerative colitis patients and therefore help to select a subset of responders.
An Atopic Dermatitis-Like Mouse Model by Alternate Epicutaneous Application of Dinitrofluorobenzene and an Extract of Dermatophagoides Farinae
Authors: Feng Shujing , Liu Wengying , Deng Sisi , Song Guoxuan , Zhou Jie , Zheng Zhengni , Song Zhiqiang
Published: June 2022

Several studies have tried to establish mice models of atopic dermatitis (AD) through the allergen of Dermatophagoides farinae (Df). However, there are no typical skin lesions after epicutaneous application of an extract of Df (DfE) on BALB/c mice. Dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) is a common hapten that brings about contact dermatitis. Skin dysfunction induced by DNFB may be a way to enhance the effects of DfE on mice skin. Thus, we hypothesized that alternate epicutaneous application of DNFB and DfE could induce AD-like skin lesions on BALB/c mice. To test this hypothesis, we alternately applied the DNFB and DfE to the back skin of BALB/c mice for 8 weeks. Changes in mice skin lesions and the frequency of scratching behavior were recorded. The variation of Th1-related cytokines (interferon-γ [IFN-γ] and interleukin two [IL-2]) and Th2-related cytokines (IL-4 and IL-13) was detected in serum and lesional skin. Eventually, the BALB/c mice developed severe erythema, erosion, scarring, and excoriation on the entire back, showing a high frequency of scratching behavior. In addition, Th2 cells' dominant cytokines appeared in both serum and lesional skin. Those results indicate that alternating epicutaneous exposure to DNFB and DfE can produce AD-like models with typical clinical features and Th2-type immune responses in BALB/c mice. This model could be valuable for studying the pathogenesis of AD and developing novel therapeutic agents for it.
Development and Validation of Machine Learning Models for Real-Time Mortality Prediction in Critically Ill Patients With Sepsis-Associated Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Luo Xiao-Qin , Yan Ping , Duan Shao-Bin , Kang Yi-Xin , Deng Ying-Hao , Liu Qian , Wu Ting , Wu Xi
Published: June 2022

Background

Sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) is common in critically ill patients, which is associated with significantly increased mortality. Existing mortality prediction tools showed insufficient predictive power or failed to reflect patients' dynamic clinical evolution. Therefore, the study aimed to develop and validate machine learning-based models for real-time mortality prediction in critically ill patients with SA-AKI.

Methods

The multi-center retrospective study included patients from two distinct databases. A total of 12,132 SA-AKI patients from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) were randomly allocated to the training, validation, and internal test sets. An additional 3,741 patients from the eICU Collaborative Research Database (eICU-CRD) served as an external test set. For every 12 h during the ICU stays, the state-of-the-art eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithm was used to predict the risk of in-hospital death in the following 48, 72, and 120 h and in the first 28 days after ICU admission. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) were calculated to evaluate the models' performance.

Results

The XGBoost models, based on routine clinical variables updated every 12 h, showed better performance in mortality prediction than the SOFA score and SAPS-II. The AUCs of the XGBoost models for mortality over different time periods ranged from 0.848 to 0.804 in the internal test set and from 0.818 to 0.748 in the external test set. The shapley additive explanation method provided interpretability for the XGBoost models, which improved the understanding of the association between the predictor variables and future mortality.

Conclusions

The interpretable machine learning XGBoost models showed promising performance in real-time mortality prediction in critically ill patients with SA-AKI, which are useful tools for early identification of high-risk patients and timely clinical interventions.
Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation Combined With Auricular Acupressure Reduces Postoperative Delirium Among Elderly Patients Following Major Abdominal Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Fan Qianqian , Lei Chong , Wang Yonghui , Yu Nannan , Wang Lini , Fu Jingwen , Dong Hailong , Lu Zhihong , Xiong Lize
Published: June 2022

Background

Postoperative delirium is common in elderly patients following major surgery. This study aimed to assess the effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation combined with auricular acupressure on the incidence of postoperative delirium among older patients undergoing major abdominal surgery.

Methods

In this single-center, randomized controlled clinical trial, 210 patients aged 65 years or older undergoing major abdominal surgery were randomized to receive either intervention treatment (transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation started at 30 min before anesthesia until the end of the surgery, followed by intermittent auricular acupressure in the first three postoperative days; n = 105) or standard care (n = 105). The primary outcome was the incidence of delirium at the first seven postoperative days or until hospitalization depended on which came first. Secondary outcomes included delirium severity, opioid consumption, postoperative pain score, sleep quality, length of postoperative hospital stay, and postoperative 30-day complications. Enrollment was from April 2019 to March 2020, with follow-up ending in April 2020.

Results

All of the 210 randomized patients [median age, 69.5 years, 142 (67.6%) male] completed the trial. The incidence of postoperative delirium was significantly reduced in patients received intervention treatment (19/105 (18.1%) vs. 8/105 (7.6%), difference, –10.5% [95% CI, –1.5% to –19.4%]; hazard ratio, 0.41 [95% CI, 0.18 to 0.95]; P= 0.023). Patients in the control group had a higher postoperative Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale (4 vs. 3; difference, –1; 95% CI, –1 to 0; P = 0.014) and a greater increase in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score from baseline to postoperative day three (2.5 vs. 2.0; difference, –1; 95% CI, –2 to –1; P < 0.001) than patients in the intervention group. No significant difference was observed as of other secondary outcomes.

Conclusion

In elderly patients undergoing major abdominal surgery, transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation combined with auricular acupressure reduced the incidence of postoperative in-hospital delirium compared with standard care. A multicenter, randomized clinical trial with a larger sample size is necessary to verify these findings.

Clinical Trial Registration

[https://clinicaltrials.gov], identifier [NCT03726073].
Three-Dimensional Multi-Task Deep Learning Model to Detect Glaucomatous Optic Neuropathy and Myopic Features From Optical Coherence Tomography Scans: A Retrospective Multi-Centre Study
Authors: Ran An Ran , Wang Xi , Chan Poemen P. , Chan Noel C. , Yip Wilson , Young Alvin L. , Wong Mandy O. M. , Yung Hon-Wah , Chang Robert T. , Mannil Suria S. , Tham Yih Chung , Cheng Ching-Yu , Chen Hao , Li Fei , Zhang Xiulan , Heng Pheng-Ann , Tham Clement C. , Cheung Carol Y.
Published: June 2022

Purpose

We aim to develop a multi-task three-dimensional (3D) deep learning (DL) model to detect glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON) and myopic features (MF) simultaneously from spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) volumetric scans.

Methods

Each volumetric scan was labelled as GON according to the criteria of retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thinning, with a structural defect that correlated in position with the visual field defect (i.e., reference standard). MF were graded by the SDOCT en face images, defined as presence of peripapillary atrophy (PPA), optic disc tilting, or fundus tessellation. The multi-task DL model was developed by ResNet with output of Yes/No GON and Yes/No MF. SDOCT scans were collected in a tertiary eye hospital (Hong Kong SAR, China) for training (80%), tuning (10%), and internal validation (10%). External testing was performed on five independent datasets from eye centres in Hong Kong, the United States, and Singapore, respectively. For GON detection, we compared the model to the average RNFL thickness measurement generated from the SDOCT device. To investigate whether MF can affect the model’s performance on GON detection, we conducted subgroup analyses in groups stratified by Yes/No MF. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were reported.

Results

A total of 8,151 SDOCT volumetric scans from 3,609 eyes were collected. For detecting GON, in the internal validation, the proposed 3D model had significantly higher AUROC (0.949 vs. 0.913, p < 0.001) than average RNFL thickness in discriminating GON from normal. In the external testing, the two approaches had comparable performance. In the subgroup analysis, the multi-task DL model performed significantly better in the group of “no MF” (0.883 vs. 0.965, p-value < 0.001) in one external testing dataset, but no significant difference in internal validation and other external testing datasets. The multi-task DL model’s performance to detect MF was also generalizable in all datasets, with the AUROC values ranging from 0.855 to 0.896.

Conclusion

The proposed multi-task 3D DL model demonstrated high generalizability in all the datasets and the presence of MF did not affect the accuracy of GON detection generally.
Immunotherapy for Pemphigus: Present and Future
Authors: Yuan Huijie , Pan Meng , Chen Hongxiang , Mao Xuming
Published: June 2022

Pemphigus is a chronic and severe autoimmune bullous disease caused by autoantibodies targeting adhesion molecules between keratinocytes. It requires 2–3 years on average to manage the disease. To date, although Rituximab combined with short-term systemic glucocorticoids was accepted as first-line therapy, systemic glucocorticoids remain the primary therapeutic option for pemphigus patients, successfully decreasing morbidity and mortality from pemphigus. However, novel therapeutic strategies are desirable due to the low efficacy in some subset of patients and the long-term severe adverse effects of traditional therapies. Recently, immunotherapy has proved to be encouraging for disease control or cure. Based on the current understanding of the immune mechanisms of pemphigus, we review the immune targets and corresponding agents applied in practice or under clinical trials. The goals of the novel treatments are to improve the quality of life of pemphigus patients by improving efficacy and safety, minimizing side effects, achieving fast disease control, or curing the disease.
From COVID-19 Pandemic to Patient Safety: A New “Spring” for Telemedicine or a Boomerang Effect?
Authors: De Micco Francesco , Fineschi Vittorio , Banfi Giuseppe , Frati Paola , Oliva Antonio , Travaini Guido Vittorio , Picozzi Mario , Curcio Giuseppe , Pecchia Leandro , Petitti Tommasangelo , Alloni Rossana , Rosati Enrico , De Benedictis Anna , Tambone Vittoradolfo
Published: June 2022

During the Covid-19 health emergency, telemedicine was an essential asset through which health systems strengthened their response during the critical phase of the pandemic. According to the post-pandemic economic reform plans of many countries, telemedicine will not be limited to a tool for responding to an emergency condition but it will become a structural resource that will contribute to the reorganization of Healthcare Systems and enable the transfer of part of health care from the hospital to the home-based care. However, scientific evidences have shown that health care delivered through telemedicine can be burdened by numerous ethical and legal issues. Although there is an emerging discussion on patient safety issues related to the use of telemedicine, there is a lack of reseraches specifically designed to investigate patient safety. On the contrary, it would be necessary to determine standards and specific application rules in order to ensure safety. This paper examines the telemedicine-risk profiles and proposes a position statement for clinical risk management to support continuous improvement in the safety of health care delivered through telemedicine.
Next-Generation Sequencing Technology Combined With Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction as a Powerful Detection and Semiquantitative Method for Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 in Adult Encephalitis: A Case Report
Authors: Chen Weibi , Wu Yingfeng , Zhang Yan
Published: June 2022

Background

Traditional testing for specific microbes or categories of central nervous system (CNS) infectious diseases is often limited in sensitivity and timeliness. However, failure to initiate a timely etiological diagnosis and corresponding treatment in patients with neurologic infections contribute to poor outcomes.

Case Summary

A 58 year-old male presented acutely with fever, abnormal mental behavior, seizures and decreased consciousness. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed an abnormal FLAIR/T2 signal mainly in the left thalamus, temporal lobe, insular lobe, and bilateral hippocampus. To identify the pathogen, the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample of the patient was used for metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) analysis and multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR). The results showed 188 herpes simplex virus (HSV-1)-specific sequences. After acyclovir and foscarnet sodium treatment, the ratio of HSV-1/internal reference reads decreased from 813/493 to 695/1961, which coincided with clinical remission.

Conclusion

This study indicates that mNGS combined with mPCR may be an effective method for etiological diagnostic and dynamic clinical surveillance for HSV-1 encephalitis.
A New Predictive Model for the Prognosis of MDA5+ DM-ILD
Authors: Niu Qian , Zhao Li-qin , Ma Wan-li , Xiong Liang , Wang Xiao-rong , He Xin-liang , Yu Fan
Published: June 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyze clinical information and combine significant parameters to generate a predictive model and achieve a better prognosis prediction of dermatomyositis-associated interstitial lung disease with positive melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 antibody (MDA5+ DM-ILD) and stratify patients according to prognostic risk factors appropriately.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 63 patients MDA5+ DM-ILD who were treated in our hospital from January 2018 to January 2021. Our study incorporated most clinical characteristics in clinical practice to explore the associations and predictive functions of clinical characteristics and prognosis. Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, chi-squared test, Pearson correlation analysis, Cox regression analysis, R, receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC curves), and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were performed to identify independent predictors for the prognosis of MDA5+DM-ILD.

Results

In all the 63 patients with MDA5+DM-ILD, 44 improved but 19 did not. Poor prognosis was found more frequently in patients who were older, clinically amyopathic variant of dermatomyositis (CADM), and/or with short duration, short interval of DM and ILD, long length of stay, fever, dyspnea, non-arthralgia, pulmonary infection, pleural effusion (PE), high total computed tomography scores (TCTs), ground-glass opacity (GGO), consolidation score, reticular score and fibrosis score, decreased forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1s (FEV1), albumin, A/G, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), high titer of anti-MDA5, proteinuria, high levels of monocyte, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), ferritin (FER), neuron specific enolase (NSE) and glucocorticoid, antibiotic, antiviral, and non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV). The multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that duration, fever, PE, TCTs and aspartate transaminase (AST) were independent predictors of poor prognosis in patients with MDA5+DM-ILD. The nomogram model quantified the risk of 400-day death as: duration ≤ 4 months (5 points), fever (88 points), PE (21 points), TCTs ≥10 points (22 points), and AST ≥200 U/L (100 points) with high predictive accuracy and convenience. The ROC curves possessed good discriminative ability for combination of fever, PE, TCTs, and AST, as reflected by the area under curve (AUC) being.954, 95% CI 0.902–1.000, and sensitivity and specificity being 84.2 and 94.6%, respectively.

Conclusion

We demonstrated that duration, fever, PE, TCTs, and AST could be integrated together to be independent predictors of poor prognosis in MDA5+ DM-ILD with highly predictive accuracy.
Overlap of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Functional Dyspepsia and Yield of Esophagogastroduodenoscopy in Patients Clinically Fulfilling the Rome IV Criteria for Functional Dyspepsia
Authors: Quach Duc Trong , Ha Quoc Van , Nguyen Chuyen Thi-Ngoc , Le Quang Dinh , Nguyen Doan Thi-Nha , Vu Nhu Thi-Hanh , Dang Ngoc Le-Bich , Le Nhan Quang
Published: June 2022

Aim

To assess (1) the overlap rate of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and functional dyspepsia (FD) and (2) the yield of esophagogastroduodenoscopy in patients clinically presenting with FD.

Materials and Methods

Outpatients aged ≥18 years with typical reflux symptoms ≥2 times a week or clinically fulfilling the Rome IV criteria for FD were recruited and underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy. GERD was classified into non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) and erosive reflux disease (ERD), and FD was classified into epigastric pain syndrome and postprandial distress syndrome. The endoscopic findings that could explain patients’ symptoms were considered clinically significant endoscopic findings. After esophagogastroduodenoscopy, patients were categorized into three groups: GERD-only, FD-only, and GERD-FD overlap.

Results

There were 439 patients with a mean age of 42.3 ± 11.6 years. Ninety-one (20.7%) patients had clinically significant endoscopic findings: 73 (16.6%) reflux esophagitis, 6 (1.4%) Barrett’s esophagus and 14 (3.2%) gastroduodenal ulcers. After excluding gastroduodenal ulcers, the numbers of patients with GERD-only, FD-only, and GERD-FD overlap were 69 (16.2%), 138 (32.5%), and 218 (51.3%), respectively. Postprandial distress syndrome was more prevalent in GERD-FD overlap than in FD-only (72.9 vs. 44.2%, p < 0.001). The rates of gastroduodenal ulcers in patients clinically fulfilling the criteria for FD with and without reflux symptoms were 0.6 and 4.7%, respectively (p = 0.027).

Conclusion

The GERD-FD overlap was more common than each disorder alone, of which postprandial distress syndrome was significantly prominent. Organic dyspepsia was uncommon in patients clinically fulfilling the Rome IV criteria for FD.
Urethane Improves the Response of Auditory Neurons to Tone
Authors: Huang Bowan , Yan Linqing , Li Yan , Liu Wenhui , Liu Manhua , Xiao Zhongju , Huang Jinping
Published: June 2022

Urethane has little effect on nervous system and is often used in neuroscience studies. However, the effect of urethane in neurons is not thoroughly clear. In this study, we investigated changes in neuron responses to tones in inferior colliculus during urethane anesthesia. As urethane was metabolized, the best and characteristic frequencies did not obviously change, but the minimal threshold (MT) remained relatively stable or was elevated. The frequency tuning bandwidth at 60 dB SPL (BW60dBSPL) remained unchanged or decreased, and the average evoked spike of effective frequencies at 60 dB SPL (ES60dBSPL) gradually decreased. Although the average evoked spike of effective frequencies at a tone intensity of 20 dB SPL above MT (ES20dBSPLaboveMT) decreased, the frequency tuning bandwidth at a tone intensity of 20 dB SPL above MT (BW20dBSPLaboveMT) did not change. In addition, the changes in MT, ES60dBSPL, BW60dBSPL, and ES20dBSPLaboveMT increased with the MT in pre-anesthesia awake state (MTpre−anesthesiaawake). In some neurons, the MT was lower, BW60dBSPL was broader, and ES60dBSPL and ES20dBSPLaboveMT were higher in urethane anesthesia state than in pre-anesthesia awake state. During anesthesia, the inhibitory effect of urethane reduced the ES20dBSPLaboveMT, but did not change the MT, characteristic frequency, or BW20dBSPLaboveMT. In the recording session with the strongest neuron response, the first spike latency did not decrease, and the spontaneous spike did not increase. Therefore, we conclude that urethane can reduce/not change the MT, increase the evoked spike, or broaden/not change the frequency tuning range, and eventually improve the response of auditory neurons to tone with or without “pushing down” the tonal receptive field in thresholding model. The improved effect increases with the MTpre−anesthesiaawake of neurons. The changes induced by the inhibitory and improved effects of urethane abide by similar regularities, but the change directions are contrary. The improvement mechanism may be likely due to the increase in the ratio of excitatory/inhibitory postsynaptic inputs to neurons.
UPR Responsive Genes Manf and Xbp1 in Stroke
Authors: Lõhelaid Helike , Anttila Jenni E. , Liew Hock-Kean , Tseng Kuan-Yin , Teppo Jaakko , Stratoulias Vassilis , Airavaara Mikko
Published: June 2022

Stroke is a devastating medical condition with no treatment to hasten recovery. Its abrupt nature results in cataclysmic changes in the affected tissues. Resident cells fail to cope with the cellular stress resulting in massive cell death, which cannot be endogenously repaired. A potential strategy to improve stroke outcomes is to boost endogenous pro-survival pathways. The unfolded protein response (UPR), an evolutionarily conserved stress response, provides a promising opportunity to ameliorate the survival of stressed cells. Recent studies from us and others have pointed toward mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) being a UPR responsive gene with an active role in maintaining proteostasis. Its pro-survival effects have been demonstrated in several disease models such as diabetes, neurodegeneration, and stroke. MANF has an ER-signal peptide and an ER-retention signal; it is secreted by ER calcium depletion and exits cells upon cell death. Although its functions remain elusive, conducted experiments suggest that the endogenous MANF in the ER lumen and exogenously administered MANF protein have different mechanisms of action. Here, we will revisit recent and older bodies of literature aiming to delineate the expression profile of MANF. We will focus on its neuroprotective roles in regulating neurogenesis and inflammation upon post-stroke administration. At the same time, we will investigate commonalities and differences with another UPR responsive gene, X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1), which has recently been associated with MANF’s function. This will be the first systematic comparison of these two UPR responsive genes aiming at revealing previously uncovered associations between them. Overall, understanding the mode of action of these UPR responsive genes could provide novel approaches to promote cell survival.
Evolution of Cortical Functional Networks in Healthy Infants
Authors: Hu Derek K. , Goetz Parker W. , To Phuc D. , Garner Cristal , Magers Amber L. , Skora Clare , Tran Nhi , Yuen Tammy , Hussain Shaun A. , Shrey Daniel W. , Lopour Beth A.
Published: June 2022

During normal childhood development, functional brain networks evolve over time in parallel with changes in neuronal oscillations. Previous studies have demonstrated differences in network topology with age, particularly in neonates and in cohorts spanning from birth to early adulthood. Here, we evaluate the developmental changes in EEG functional connectivity with a specific focus on the first 2 years of life. Functional connectivity networks (FCNs) were calculated from the EEGs of 240 healthy infants aged 0–2 years during wakefulness and sleep using a cross-correlation-based measure and the weighted phase lag index. Topological features were assessed via network strength, global clustering coefficient, characteristic path length, and small world measures. We found that cross-correlation FCNs maintained a consistent small-world structure, and the connection strengths increased after the first 3 months of infancy. The strongest connections in these networks were consistently located in the frontal and occipital regions across age groups. In the delta and theta bands, weighted phase lag index networks decreased in strength after the first 3 months in both wakefulness and sleep, and a similar result was found in the alpha and beta bands during wakefulness. However, in the alpha band during sleep, FCNs exhibited a significant increase in strength with age, particularly in the 21–24 months age group. During this period, a majority of the strongest connections in the networks were located in frontocentral regions, and a qualitatively similar distribution was seen in the beta band during sleep for subjects older than 3 months. Graph theory analysis suggested a small world structure for weighted phase lag index networks, but to a lesser degree than those calculated using cross-correlation. In general, graph theory metrics showed little change over time, with no significant differences between age groups for the clustering coefficient (wakefulness and sleep), characteristics path length (sleep), and small world measure (sleep). These results suggest that infant FCNs evolve during the first 2 years with more significant changes to network strength than features of the network structure. This study quantifies normal brain networks during infant development and can serve as a baseline for future investigations in health and neurological disease.
Admission Serum Calcium Level and Short-Term Mortality After Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Secondary Analysis Based on a Norwegian Retrospective Cohort
Authors: Lu Yuzhao , Ma Xin , Tazmini Kiarash , Yang Ming , Zhou Xiaobing , Wang Yang
Published: June 2022

Background

Disturbed serum calcium levels are related to the risk of stroke. However, previous studies exploring the correlation between serum calcium and the clinical outcome of ischemic stroke (IS) have shown inconsistent results.

Object

The study aimed to investigate the relationship between admission serum calcium and 30-day mortality in patients with IS.

Methods

A total of 876 IS patients from a Norwegian retrospective cohort were included for secondary analysis. The exposure variable and the primary outcome were albumin-corrected serum calcium (ACSC) at baseline and all-cause mortality within 30 days after the first admission, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the risk of 30-day mortality according to ACSC levels. Moreover, the potential presence of a non-linear relationship was evaluated using two-piecewise linear regression with a smoothing function and threshold level analysis. The stability of the results was evaluated by unadjusted and adjusted models.

Results

The result of multiple regression analysis showed that ACSC at baseline was positively associated with the incidence of 30-day mortality after adjusting for the potential confounders (age, gender, serum glucose, hypertension, atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter, renal insufficiency, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, paralysis, and aphasia) (OR = 2.43, 95% CI 1.43–4.12). When ACSC was translated into a categorical variable, the ORs and 95% CIs in the second to the fourth quartile vs. the first quartile were 1.23 (0.56, 2.69), 1.16 (0.51, 2.65), and 2.13 (1.04, 4.38), respectively (P for trend = 0.03). Moreover, the results of two-piecewise linear regression and curve-fitting revealed a linear relationship between ACSC and 30-day mortality.

Conclusion

ACSC is positively associated with 30-day mortality in IS patients, and the relationship between them is linear.
The Groove Enhancement Machine (GEM): A Multi-Person Adaptive Metronome to Manipulate Sensorimotor Synchronization and Subjective Enjoyment
Authors: Fink Lauren K. , Alexander Prescott C. , Janata Petr
Published: June 2022

Synchronization of movement enhances cooperation and trust between people. However, the degree to which individuals can synchronize with each other depends on their ability to perceive the timing of others’ actions and produce movements accordingly. Here, we introduce an assistive device—a multi-person adaptive metronome—to facilitate synchronization abilities. The adaptive metronome is implemented on Arduino Uno circuit boards, allowing for negligible temporal latency between tapper input and adaptive sonic output. Across five experiments—two single-tapper, and three group (four tapper) experiments, we analyzed the effects of metronome adaptivity (percent correction based on the immediately preceding tap-metronome asynchrony) and auditory feedback on tapping performance and subjective ratings. In all experiments, tapper synchronization with the metronome was significantly enhanced with 25–50% adaptivity, compared to no adaptation. In group experiments with auditory feedback, synchrony remained enhanced even at 70–100% adaptivity; without feedback, synchrony at these high adaptivity levels returned to near baseline. Subjective ratings of being in the groove, in synchrony with the metronome, in synchrony with others, liking the task, and difficulty all reduced to one latent factor, which we termed enjoyment. This same factor structure replicated across all experiments. In predicting enjoyment, we found an interaction between auditory feedback and metronome adaptivity, with increased enjoyment at optimal levels of adaptivity only with auditory feedback and a severe decrease in enjoyment at higher levels of adaptivity, especially without feedback. Exploratory analyses relating person-level variables to tapping performance showed that musical sophistication and trait sadness contributed to the degree to which an individual differed in tapping stability from the group. Nonetheless, individuals and groups benefitted from adaptivity, regardless of their musical sophistication. Further, individuals who tapped less variably than the group (which only occurred ∼25% of the time) were more likely to feel “in the groove.” Overall, this work replicates previous single person adaptive metronome studies and extends them to group contexts, thereby contributing to our understanding of the temporal, auditory, psychological, and personal factors underlying interpersonal synchrony and subjective enjoyment during sensorimotor interaction. Further, it provides an open-source tool for studying such factors in a controlled way.
A Robust Modular Automated Neuroimaging Pipeline for Model Inputs to TheVirtualBrain
Authors: Frazier-Logue Noah , Wang Justin , Wang Zheng , Sodums Devin , Khosla Anisha , Samson Alexandria D. , McIntosh Anthony R. , Shen Kelly
Published: June 2022

TheVirtualBrain, an open-source platform for large-scale network modeling, can be personalized to an individual using a wide range of neuroimaging modalities. With the growing number and scale of neuroimaging data sharing initiatives of both healthy and clinical populations comes an opportunity to create large and heterogeneous sets of dynamic network models to better understand individual differences in network dynamics and their impact on brain health. Here we present TheVirtualBrain-UK Biobank pipeline, a robust, automated and open-source brain image processing solution to address the expanding scope of TheVirtualBrain project. Our pipeline generates connectome-based modeling inputs compatible for use with TheVirtualBrain. We leverage the existing multimodal MRI processing pipeline from the UK Biobank made for use with a variety of brain imaging modalities. We add various features and changes to the original UK Biobank implementation specifically for informing large-scale network models, including user-defined parcellations for the construction of matching whole-brain functional and structural connectomes. Changes also include detailed reports for quality control of all modalities, a streamlined installation process, modular software packaging, updated software versions, and support for various publicly available datasets. The pipeline has been tested on various datasets from both healthy and clinical populations and is robust to the morphological changes observed in aging and dementia. In this paper, we describe these and other pipeline additions and modifications in detail, as well as how this pipeline fits into the TheVirtualBrain ecosystem.