bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinical impact of digital and conventional PET control databases for semi-quantitative analysis of brain 18F-FDG digital PET scans&nbsp;
Authors: Mairal Elise , Doyen Matthieu , Rivasseau-Jonveaux Thérèse , Malaplate Catherine , Guedj Eric , Verger Antoine 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Purpose: Digital PET cameras markedly improve sensitivity and spatial resolution of brain 18F-FDG PET images compared to conventional cameras. Our study aimed to assess whether specific control databases are required to improve the diagnostic performance of these recent advances.Methods: We retrospectively selected two groups of subjects, twenty-seven Alzheimer's Disease (AD) patients and twenty-two healthy control (HC) subjects. All subjects underwent a brain 18F-FDG PET on a digital camera (Vereos, Philips®). These two group (AD and HC) are compared, using a Semi-Quantitative Analysis (SQA), to two age and sex matched controls acquired with a digital PET/CT (Vereos, Philips®) or a conventional PET/CT (Biograph 6, Siemens®) camera, at group and individual levels. Moreover, individual visual interpretation of SPM T-maps was provided for the positive diagnosis of AD by 3 experienced raters.Results: At group level, SQA using digital controls detected more marked hypometabolic areas in AD (+ 116 cm3 at p<0.001 uncorrected for the voxel, corrected for the cluster) than SQA using conventional controls. At the individual level, the accuracy of SQA for discriminating AD using digital controls was higher than SQA using conventional controls (86 % vs. 80 %, p<0.01, at p<0.005 uncorrected for the voxel, corrected for the cluster), with higher sensitivity (89 % vs. 78 %) and similar specificity (82 % vs. 82 %). These results were confirmed by visual analysis (accuracies of 84 % and 82 % for digital and conventional controls respectively, p=0.01).Conclusion: There is an urgent need to establish specific digital PET control databases for SQA of brain 18F-FDG PET images as such databases improve the accuracy of AD diagnosis.
Spatial-Temporal Calculation Simulation of Ecological Footprint of Resource and Environmental Pollution in Green Communication
Authors: Chen Roulin , Zhang Duanmin , li bo 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
As a quantitative evaluation method, the ecological footprint analysis method (EFA) is a frontier topic in the field of sustainable development. Human production activities will inevitably produce certain consumption, including the occupation of natural resources, resource consumption and waste production, which will have a certain impact on the ecological environment. This paper proposes to use the ecological footprint to inversely analyze the ecological environment and resource consumption, quantitatively convert the material consumption produced by human activities into the area of biological production land, and compare it with the supply area of the study area. The ecological footprint analysis method is used to reflect the changes in the indicators of regional sustainable development, and the regional sustainable development indicator system and analysis framework based on the ecosystem are constructed. The experimental result shows that the proposed model can effectively divide the resource space, and at the same time can measure the degree of resource transfer, which has important guidance for revealing the internal relationship between regional ecological footprint characteristics and regional development and evolution. significance.
Two novel anticancer compounds with minimum cardiotoxic property
Authors: Afsharirad Tayebeh , Tahmasvand Raheleh , Amini Mohsen , Daraei Bahram , Salimi Mona 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Background: Although two novel synthesized compounds with tri-aryl structures; 3-(4-chlorophenyl)-5-(4-fluorophenyl)-4-phenyl-4,5-dihydro-1,2,4-oxadiazole (A) and 3,5-bis-(4-chlorophenyl)-4-phenyl-4,5-dihydro-1,2,4-oxadiazole (B) have been previously demonstrated to possess remarkable anti-breast cancer activity, their cardiotoxicity remains a major concern due to their mechanism of action. To address this concern, we assessed the ability of these compounds to cause toxicity towards H9c2 cardiomyocytes as an in vitro model of cardiotoxicity. Methods: Cytotoxic activity of both compounds was explored in vitro on H9c2 cells using MTT assay. Annexin V/PI method, intracellular ROS determination and mitochondrial membrane potential assay were applied to elucidate the mechanism of action of the cell death. Results: MTT assay revealed a concentration- and time-dependent cardiotoxicity. Findings of apoptosis by double staining with annexin V and propidium iodide divulged no cell death including apoptosis and necrosis at the concentration that were effective to inhibit cancer cells proliferation (10 µM) at 24 and 48 hours. Furthermore, flow cytometric measurement of membrane potential and ROS determination using DCFH-DA verified the safe concentration of the compounds against H9c2 cells with no cardiotoxic effect. However, the higher concentration of the compounds could induce cell death through ROS-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction. Conclusions: Altogether, the results represented two novel chemical molecules possessing anti-breast cancer activity with minimum cardiac side effect.
Routine blood parameters are helpful for early identification of&nbsp;influenza infection in children
Authors: Zhu Ronghe , Chen Cuie , Wang Qiu , Zhang Xixi , Lu Chaosheng , Sun Yuanyuan 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Background Routine blood parameters, such as the lymphocyte (LYM) count, platelet (PLT) count, lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocytes multiplied by platelets (LYM*PLT) and mean platelet volume-to-platelet ratio (MPV/PLT), are widely used to predict the prognosis of infectious diseases. We aimed to explore the value of these parameters in the early identification of influenza virus infection in children.Methods We conducted a single-center, retrospective, observational study of fever with influenza-like symptoms in pediatric outpatients from different age groups and evaluated the predictive value of various routine blood parameters measured within 48 hours of the onset of fever for influenza virus infection. Results The LYM count, PLT count, LMR and LYM*PLT were lower, and the NLR and MPV/PLT were higher in children with an influenza infection (PCR-confirmed and symptomatic). The LYM count, LMR and LYM*PLT in the influenza infection group were lower in the 1- to 6-year-old subgroup, and the LMR and LYM*PLT in the influenza infection group were lower in the >6-year-old subgroup. In the 1- to 6-year-old subgroup, the cutoff value of the LMR for predicting influenza A virus infection was 3.75, the sensitivity was 81.87%, the specificity was 84.31%, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.886; the cutoff value of the LMR for predicting influenza B virus infection was 3.71, the sensitivity was 73.58%, the specificity was 84.31%, and the AUC was 0.843. In the >6-year-old subgroup, the cutoff value of the LMR for predicting influenza A virus infection was 3.05, the sensitivity was 89.27%, the specificity was 89.61%, and the AUC was 0.949; the cutoff value of the LMR for predicting influenza B virus infection was 2.88, the sensitivity was 83.19%, the specificity was 92.21%, and the AUC was 0.924.Conclusions Routine blood tests are simple, inexpensive and easy to perform, and they are useful for the early identification of influenza virus infection in children. The LMR had the strongest predictive value for influenza virus infection in children older than 1 year, particularly influenza A virus infection.
Can statistical adjustment guided by causal inference improve the accuracy of effect estimation? A simulation and empirical research based on meta-analyses of case-control studies
Authors: Yan Ruohua , Liu Tianyi , Peng Yaguang , Peng Xiaoxia 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Background: Statistical adjustment is often considered to control confounding bias in observational studies, especially case-control studies. However, different adjustment strategies may affect the estimation of odds ratios (ORs), and in turn affect the results of their pooled analyses. Our study is aimed to investigate how to deal with the statistical adjustment in case-control studies to improve the validity of meta-analyses.Methods: Three types of adjustment strategies were evaluated including insufficient adjustment (not all preset confounders were adjusted), full adjustment (all confounders were adjusted under the guidance of causal inference), and improper adjustment (covariates other than confounders were adjusted). We carried out a series of Monte Carlo simulation experiments based on predesigned scenarios, and assessed the accuracy of effect estimations from meta-analyses of case-control studies by combining ORs calculated according to different adjustment strategies. Then we used the data from an empirical review to illustrate the replicability of the simulation results.Results: For all scenarios with different strength of causal relations, combining ORs adjusted for confounders as far as possible would get the most precise effect estimation, regardless of the sampling approaches of case-control studies and the scale of meta-analysis. By contrast, combining ORs that were not sufficiently adjusted for confounders or improperly adjusted for mediators or colliders would easily introduce bias in causal interpretation, especially when the true effect of exposure on outcome was weak or none. The findings of the simulation experiments were further verified by the empirical research.Conclusions: Statistical adjustment guided by causal inference are recommended for effect estimation. Therefore, when conducting meta-analyses of case-control studies, the causal relationship formulated by exposure, outcome, and covariates should be firstly understood through a directed acyclic graph, and then reasonable original ORs could be extracted and combined by suitable methods.
Rhenium N-heterocyclic carbene complexes block growth of aggressive cancers by inhibiting FGFR- and SRC-mediated signalling
Authors: Domenichini Alice , Casari Ilaria , Simpson Peter V , Desai Nima Maheshkumar , Chen Lingfeng , Dustin Christopher , Edmands Jeanne S , Vliet Albert van der , Mohammadi Moosa , Massi Massimiliano , Falasca Marco 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Background: Platinum-based anticancer drugs have been at the frontline of cancer therapy for the last 40 years, and are used in more than half of all treatments for different cancer types. However, they are not universally effective, and patients often suffer severe side effects because of their lack of cellular selectivity. There is therefore a compelling need to investigate the anticancer activity of alternative metal complexes. Here we describe the potential anticancer activity of rhenium-based complexes with preclinical efficacy in different types of solid malignancies.Methods: Kinase profile assay of rhenium complexes. Toxicology studies using zebrafish. Analysis of the growth of pancreatic cancer cell line-derived xenografts generated in zebrafish and in mice upon exposure to rhenium compounds.Results: We describe rhenium complexes which block cancer proliferation in vitro by inhibiting the signalling cascade induced by FGFR and Src. Initially, we tested the toxicity of rhenium complexes in vivo using a zebrafish model and identified one compound that displays anticancer activity with low toxicity even in the high micromolar range. Notably, the rhenium complex has anticancer activity in very aggressive cancers such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and neuroblastoma. We demonstrate the potential efficacy of this complex via a significant reduction in cancer growth in mouse xenografts.Conclusions: Our findings provide a basis for the development of rhenium-based chemotherapy agents with enhanced selectivity and limited side effects compared to standard platinum-based drugs.
Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of tomato ADK gene family during development and stress
Authors: Yang Lu , Cao Haohao , Zhang Xiaoping , Gui Liangxian , Chen Qiang , Qian Gui , Xiao Jiaxin , Li Zhengguo 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Background: Adenylate kinase (ADK) is widely distributed in organisms and plays an important role in cellular energy homeostasis. In plants, ADK has important functions in plant growth and development regulation as well as adaptation to the environment. However, little information is available about the ADK genes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), an important economic crop.Results: To investigate the characteristics and functions of ADK genes in tomato, a total of 11 ADK genes were identified and named according to their chromosomal locations. The ADK family in Arabidopsis tomato, potato and rice was divided into six groups and motif analysis revealed that each SlADK protein contained five to eight conserved motifs. Sequence analysis revealed 4-19 exons in all SlADKs and most members possessed four. Cis-element analysis inferred that several stress response elements were found on the promoters of SlADKs. The 11 SlADKs were randomly distributed on nine of the 12 tomato chromosomes. Three duplication events were observed between tomato chromosome, and a high degree of conservation of synteny was found between tomato and potato. The online TomExpress platform prediction revealed that SlADKs were expressed in various tissues and organs, basically consistent with the data obtained from real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). The qPCR verification was also used to determine the expression level of SlADKs and demonstrated that the genes responded to multiple abiotic stresses, such as drought, salt and cold. Besides, the qPCR results showed that SlADK transcription was responsive to most of the applied hormone treatment: methyl jasmonate, ethylene, salicylic acid, indole 3-acetic acid and abscisic acid. Notably, SlADK2 and 4 exhibited significant changes under multiple stress treatments. Furthermore, correlation networks analysis revealed co-expressed genes between SlADKs and other tomato functional genes.Conclusions: These results provide valuable information for clarifying the evolutionary relationship of the tomato ADK family and in aiding functional characterization of SlADKs in further research.
Accumulation of the delivered dose based on cone-beam CT and deformable image registration for non-small cell lung cancer treated with hypofractionated radiotherapy
Authors: Wang Bin , Wang DaQuan , Lin MaoSheng , Lu ShiPei , Zhang Jun , Chen Li , Li QiWen , Cheng ZhangKai , Liu FangJie , Guo JinYu , Liu Hui , Qiu Bo 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Background: This study aimed to quantify the dosimetric differences between the planned and delivered dose to tumor and normal organs in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LANSCLC) treated with hypofractionated radiotherapy (HRT), and to explore the necessity and identify optimal candidates for adaptive radiotherapy (ART).Methods: Twenty-seven patients with stage III NSCLC were enrolled. Planned radiation dose was 51Gy in 17 fractions with cone-beam CT (CBCT) acquired at each fraction. Virtual CT was generated by deformable image registration (DIR) of the planning CT to CBCT for dose calculation and accumulation. Dosimetric parameters were compared between original and accumulated plans using Wilcoxon signed rank test. Correlations between dosimetric differences and clinical variables were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U test or Chi-square test.Results: Patients had varied gross tumor volume (GTV) reduction by HRT (median reduction rate 11.1% , range -2.9%-44.0%). The V51 of planning target volume for GTV (PTV-GTV) was similar between original and accumulated plans (mean, 88.2% vs. 87.6%, p=0.452). Only 11.1% of patients had above 5% relative decrease in V51 of PTV-GTV in accumulated plans. Compared to the original plan, limited increase (median relative increase <5%) was observed in doses of total lung (mean dose, V20 and V30), esophagus (mean dose, maximum dose) and heart (mean dose, V30 and V40) in accumulated plans. Less than 30% of patients had above 5% relative increase of lung or heart doses. Patients with quick tumor regression or baseline obstructive pneumonitis showed more notable increase in doses to normal structures. Patients with baseline obstructive atelectasis showed notable decrease (10.3%) in dose coverage of PTV-GTV.Conclusions: LANSCLC patients treated with HRT had sufficient tumor dose coverage and acceptable normal tissue dose deviation. ART should be applied in patients with quick tumor regression and baseline obstructive pneumonitis/atelectasis to spare more normal structures.
Low-dosage Ozonation in Gas-phase Biofilter Promotes Community Diversity and Robustness.
Authors: Yeung Marvin , Saingam Prakit , Xu Yang , Xi Jinying 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
BackgroundThe ozonation of biofilters is known to alleviate clogging and pressure drop issues while maintaining removal performances in biofiltration systems treating gaseous volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The effects of ozone on the biofilter microbiome in terms of biodiversity, community structure, metabolic abilities, and dominant taxa correlated with performance remain largely unknown.MethodsThis study investigated two biofilters treating high-concentration toluene operating in parallel, with one acting as control and the other exposed to low-dosage (200 mg/m3) ozonation. The microbial community diversity, metabolic rates of different carbon sources, functional predictions, and microbial co-occurrence networks of both communities were examined.ResultsConsistently higher biodiversity of over 30% was observed in the microbiome after ozonation, with increased overall metabolic abilities for amino acids and carboxylic acids. The relative abundance of species with reported stress-tolerant and biofilm-forming abilities significantly increased, with a consortium of changes in predicted biological pathways, including shifts in degradation pathways of intermediate compounds, while the correlation of top ASVs and genus with performance indicators showed diversifications in microbiota responsible for toluene degradation. A co-occurrence network of the community showed a decrease in average path distance and average betweenness with ozonation.ConclusionMajor degrading species highly correlated with performance shifted after ozonation. Increases in microbial biodiversity, coupled with improvements in metabolizing performances of multiple carbon sources including organic acids could explain the consistent performance commonly seen in the ozonation of biofilters despite the decrease in biomass, while avoiding acid buildup in long term operation. The increased presence of stress-tolerant microbes in the microbiome coupled with the decentralization of the co-occurrence network suggested that ozonation could not only ameliorate clogging issues but also provide a microbiome more robust to loading shock seen in full-scale biofilters.
Development and Validation of the Peptic Ulcer Scale under the System of Quality of Life Instruments for Chronic Diseases based on Classical Test Theory and Generalizability Theory
Authors: wan chonghua , Chen Ying , Gao Li , Zhang Qingqing , Quan Peng , Sun Xiaoyuan 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Background: Quality of life (QOL) for patients with Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is of interest worldwide and disease-specific instruments are needed for clinical research and practice. This paper focus on the development and validation of the PUD scale under the system of Quality of Life Instruments for Chronic Diseases (QLICD-PU) by the modular approach and both classical test theory and Generalizability Theory. Methods: The QLICD-PU is developed based on programmatic decision-making procedures, including multiple nominal and focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and quantitative statistical procedures. Based on the data of 153 PUD inpatients, correlation analysis, factor analysis, t-test, and Generalizability Theory analysis (including generalizability study and decision study, ie. G-study and D-study) were used to assess the validity, reliability, and responsiveness of the scale.Results: When the popular scale health survey short form (SF-36) was used as the standard, correlation and factor analysis confirmed good construct validity and criterion-related validity of QLICD-PU. Except for the social domain (0.62), the internal consistency α of all domains is higher than 0.70. The overall score and the test-retest reliability coefficients (Pearson r and intra-class correlation ICC) in all domains are higher than 0.80 (0.77 in the social domain). After treatments, the overall score and scores of all domains have statistically significant changes (P <0.01), except for social impact and sexual function scores. The SRM (Standardized response mean) of domain-level scores ranges from 0.34 to 1.03. The G coefficient and reliability index (Ф coefficient) further confirm the reliability of the scale through more accurate variance components and decision-making information about changes in the number of items.Conclusions: The QLICD-PU can be used as a useful measurement to assess the quality of life of PUD patients with good psychometric characteristics and multiple advantages.
Migratory birds as disseminators of ticks and the tick-borne pathogens Borrelia bacteria and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus – a seasonal study at Ottenby Bird Observatory in South-eastern Sweden
Authors: Wilhelmsson Peter , Jaenson Thomas G. T. , Olsen Björn , Waldenström Jonas , Lindgren Per-Eric 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Background:Birds can act as reservoirs of tick-borne pathogens and can also disperse pathogen-containing ticks to both nearby and remote localities. The aims of this study were to estimate tick infestation patterns on migratory birds and the prevalence of different Borrelia species and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in ticks removed from birds in south-eastern Sweden.Methods:Ticks were collected from resident and migratory birds captured at the Ottenby Bird Observatory, Öland, Sweden, from March to November 2009. Ticks were molecularly identified to species, and morphologically to developmental stage, and the presence of Borrelia bacteria and TBEV was determined by quantitative real-time PCR.Results:A total of 1,339 ticks in the genera Haemaphysalis, Hyalomma and Ixodes was recorded of which I. ricinus was the most abundant species. Important tick hosts were the European robin (Erithacus rubecula), Blackbird (Turdus merula), Tree pipit (Anthus trivialis), Eurasian wren (Troglodytes troglodytes), Common redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus), Willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus), and Common whitethroat (Sylvia communis). Borrelia bacteria were detected in 25 % (285/1,124) of the detached ticks available for analysis. Seven Borrelia species (B. afzelii, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. garinii, B. lusitaniae, B. turdi, B. valaisiana and B. miyamotoi) were identified. B. turdi was recorded for the first time in ticks in Sweden. The number of Borrelia cells per tick ranged from 2.0 × 100 to 7.0 × 105. B. miyamotoi-containing ticks contained a significantly higher median number of Borrelia cells than B. burgdorferi sensu lato-containing ticks. B. garinii and B. miyamotoi were the most prevalent Borrelia species in tick larvae. Larvae of I. ricinus with B. garinii were removed from seven bird species, particularly S. communis and A. trivialis, which may suggest that the larvae had contracted the Borrelia bacteria from or via these birds. Also, a high percentage of tick larvae containing B. miyamotoi was removed from E. rubecula. All ticks were negative for TBEV.Conclusions:The results corroborate the view that the contributions of birds to human disease are substantial, particularly as blood hosts for ticks and for their short-, medium- and long-distance dispersal. Moreover, several ground-foraging bird species appear to be important for the maintenance and dispersal of Borrelia species. The absence of TBEV in the ticks conforms to other similar studies.