bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Case Report: A Case Report of Stereotactic Ventricular Arrhythmia Radioablation (STAR) on Large Cardiac Target Volume by Highly Personalized Inter- and Intra-fractional Image Guidance
Authors: Narducci Maria Lucia , Cellini Francesco , Placidi Lorenzo , Boldrini Luca , Perna Francesco , Bencardino Gianluigi , Pinnacchio Gaetano , Bertolini Roberta , Cannelli Giorgio , Frascino Vincenzo , Tagliaferri Luca , Chiesa Silvia , Mattiucci Gian Carlo , Balducci Mario , Gambacorta Maria Antonietta , Rossi Marco , Indovina Luca , Pelargonio Gemma , Valentini Vincenzo , Crea Filippo 
Published: November 2020

Introduction: Although catheter ablation is the current gold standard treatment for refractory ventricular arrhythmias, sometimes its efficacy is not optimal and it's associated with high risks of procedural complication and death. Stereotactic arrhythmia radioablation (STAR) is increasingly being adopted for such clinical presentation, considering its efficacy and safety.Case Presentation: We do report our experience managing a case of high volume of left ventricle for refractory ventricular tachycardia in advanced heart failure patient, by delivering a single fraction of STAR through an highly personalization of dose delivery applying repeated inter- and continuous intra-fraction image guidance.Conclusion: According to the literature reports, we recommend considering increasing as much as possible the personalization features and safety technical procedure as long as that is not significantly affecting the STAR duration. Moreover, the duration in itself shouldn't be the main parameter, but balanced into the frame of possibly obtainable outcome improvement. At best of our knowledge, this is the first report applying such specific technology onto this clinical setting. Future studies will clarify these issues.
Ideal Cardiovascular Health Metrics and Incidence of Ischemic Stroke Among Hypertensive Patients: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Ying Yuchen , Lin Shaoyi , Kong Fanqian , Li Yuying , Xu Shujun , Liang Xiaofeng , Wang Changyi , Han Liyuan 
Published: November 2020

Background: This study aimed to assess the relationship between ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics and incident ischemic stroke (IS) in hypertensive patients, especially those with hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy).Methods: A prospective cohort study enrolled 5,488 hypertensive patients in Nanshan District of Shenzhen City in southern China from September 2011 to December 2017. CVH metrics were defined according to the American Heart Association. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the associations between the number of ideal CVH metrics and the incidence of IS by calculating multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CI.Results: During an average follow-up of 5.7 years, 340 IS patients were identified. Compared with those having 0 ideal CVH metrics, the HRs (95% CIs) for IS among those with 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5–6 ideal CVH metrics were 0.62 (0.31–1.25), 0.37 (0.19–0.74), 0.37 (0.18–0.74), 0.34 (0.16–0.71), and 0.28 (0.12–0.63), respectively (P &lt; 0.001). An ideal healthy diet score and ideal fasting blood glucose level were independently associated with IS among participants, with HRs (95% CIs) of 0.53 (0.33–0.86) and 0.32 (0.17–0.66), respectively. Additionally, compared with those with normal total homocysteine (tHcy) levels (&lt;15 μmol/L), the HR (95% CI) for IS among participants with HHcy and who had 5–6 ideal CVH metrics was 0.50 (0.27–0.92).Conclusion: An increased number of ideal CVH metrics was inversely associated with the incidence of IS in hypertensive patients. The participants with HHcy who had 5–6 ideal CVH metrics exhibited a lower IS risk than those with normal tHcy levels.
Promising Shadow Masking Technique for the Deposition of High-Efficiency Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells Using Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition
Authors: Alaoui Kawtar Belrhiti , Laalioui Saida , Ikken Badr , Outzourhit Abdelkader 
Published: November 2020

In this work, a detailed description of the various steps involved in the fabrication of high-efficiency hydrogenated amorphous-silicon cells using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, and a novel shadow masking technique is presented. The influence of the different masking methods on the cell parameters was experimentally investigated. Particularly, the short-circuit current density (Jsc), the fill factor, the open circuit voltage (Voc), and the resistive losses indicated by the shunt (Rsh) and series (Rs) resistances were measured in order to assess the performance of the cells as a function of the masks used during the cell fabrication process. The results indicate that the use of a masking technique where the p-i-n structure was first deposited over the whole surface of a 20 cm2 × 20 cm2 substrate, followed by the deposition, deposits the back contact through a metal mask, and by the ultrasonic soldering of indium to access the front contact is a good alternative to laser scribing in the laboratory scale. Indeed, a record efficiency of 8.8%, with a short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 15.6 mA/cm2, an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.8 V, and a fill factor of 66.07% and low resistive losses were obtained by this technique. Furthermore, a spectroscopic ellipsometry investigation of the uniformity of the film properties (thickness, band gap, and refractive index) on large-area substrates, which is crucial to mini-module fabrication on a single substrate and for heterojunction development, was performed using the optimal cell deposition recipes. It was found that the relative variations of the band gap, thickness, and refractive index n are less than 1% suggesting that the samples are uniform over the 20 cm2 × 20 cm2 substrate area used in this work.
Diagnosis of Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis Using Transvaginal Ultrasonography
Authors: Yin Shaoli , Lin Qi , Xu Fanhua , Xu Jinfeng , Zhang Yujuan 
Published: November 2020

Objective: To evaluate the performance of transvaginal ultrasonography (TVS) in diagnosis of deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE).Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 198 patients with pathological diagnosis of DIE in our hospital from January 2017 to December 2019 and assessed the performances of pre-operative TVS diagnosis of DIE with regarding to sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP), positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV), using the pathological diagnosis as the ground truth. We also characterized the ultrasonographic features of the DIE lesions.Results: Among all the 198 cases, 170 cases were uterosacral ligament (USL) involvement, SE: 96.47% and SP: 85.71%; 79 cases were intestinal involvement, SE: 94.94% and SP: 94.96%; 57 cases were vaginal rectal septum (VRS) involvement, SE: 73.68% and SP: 94.33%; 20 cases were vaginal involvement, SE: 50% and SP: 97.21%; three cases were bladder involvement, SE: 66.7% and SP: 100%; nine cases were ureter involvement, SE: 55.56% and SP: 100%; and 10 cases were broad ligament involvement, SE: 10% and SP: 100%.Conclusion: TVS showed high accuracy in diagnosing DIE.
Salivary Gland Ultrasonography in Sjögren's Syndrome: A European Multicenter Reliability Exercise for the HarmonicSS Project
Authors: Zabotti Alen , Zandonella Callegher Sara , Tullio Annarita , Vukicevic Arso , Hocevar Alojzija , Milic Vera , Cafaro Giacomo , Carotti Marina , Delli Konstantina , De Lucia Orazio , Ernst Diana , Ferro Francesco , Gattamelata Angelica , Germanò Giuseppe , Giovannini Ivan , Hammenfors Daniel , Jonsson Malin V. , Jousse-Joulin Sandrine , Macchioni Pierluigi , Parisi Simone , Perricone Carlo , Stradner Martin Helmut , Filipovic Nenad , Tzioufas Athanasios G. , Valent Francesca , De Vita Salvatore 
Published: November 2020

Objectives: Salivary gland ultrasonography (SGUS) is increasingly applied for the management of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). This study aims to: (i) compare the reliability between two SGUS scores; (ii) test the reliability among sonographers with different levels of experience.Methods: In the reliability exercise, two four-grade semi-quantitative SGUS scoring systems, namely De Vita et al. and OMERACT, were tested. The sonographers involved in work-package 7 of the HarmonicSS project from nine countries in Europe were invited to participate. Different levels of sonographers were identified on the basis of their SGUS experience and of the knowledge of the tested scores. A dedicated atlas was used as support for SGUS scoring.Results: Twenty sonographers participated in the two rounds of the reliability exercise. The intra-rater reliability for both scores was almost perfect, with a Light's kappa of 0.86 for the De Vita et al. score and 0.87 for the OMERACT score. The inter-rater reliability for the De Vita et al. and the OMERACT score was substantial with Light's Kappa of 0.75 and 0.77, respectively. Furthermore, no significant difference was noticed among sonographers with different levels of experience.Conclusion: The two tested SGUS scores are reliable for the evaluation of major salivary glands in pSS, and even less-expert sonographers could be reliable if adequately instructed.
The Novel CarbaLux Test for Carbapenemases and Carbapenem Deactivating AmpC Beta-Lactamases
Authors: Pfaendler Hans Rudolf , Schmidt Hans-Ulrich , Freidank Heike 
Published: November 2020

ObjectivesTo evaluate the rapid phenotypic CarbaLux test for routine diagnostics in the medical laboratory in a proof of concept study.Methodsisolates of Gram-negative bacteria suspicious for carbapenem resistance including Enterobacterales (67), Pseudomonas (10), Acinetobacter (5), and Stenotrophomonas (1) species, collected between 2016 and 2018 from in-patients, were tested for carbapenemase activity using a novel fluorescent carbapenem. When subjected to extracted bacterial carbapenemases its fluorescence disappears. All bacteria to be tested were cultured on Columbia blood agar and few on other commercial media. MALDI TOF MS, molecular assays, automated MIC testing, and in part, agar diffusion tests served to characterize the isolates. For comparison, few selected bacteria were also investigated by prior phenotypic tests for carbapenemase detection.ResultsUnder UV light, the CarbaLux test allowed a rapid detection of 39/39 carbapenemase-producing bacteria, including 15 isolates with OXA carbapenemases (e.g., OXA-23, OXA-24/40-like OXA-48-like or OXA-181). Several isolates had low MICs but still expressed carbapenemases. Among Enterobacter spp., it detected six strains with hyper-produced AmpC beta-lactamases, which deactivated carbapenems but were not detectable by prior rapid phenotypic assays. An unexpected high carbapenemase activity appeared with these enzymes. They were identified as AmpC variants by inhibition with cloxacillin.ConclusionOther than prior rapid phenotypic assessments for carbapenemases, which use secondary effects such as a change of pH, the inactivation of the fluorescent carbapenem substrate can be visualized directly under UV light. The new test works at 100 to 200-fold lower, therapy-like substrate concentrations. It takes advantage of the high substrate affinity to carbapenemases allowing also the detection of less reactive resistance enzymes via a trapping mechanism, even from bacteria, which might appear unsuspicious from initial antibiograms. The novel fluorescence method allows simple and safe handling, reliable readings, and documentation and is suitable for primary testing in the clinical laboratory.
Distinct Brain Functional Impairment Patterns Between Suspected Non-Alzheimer Disease Pathophysiology and Alzheimer’s Disease: A Study Combining Static and Dynamic Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Li Zheyu , Li Kaicheng , Luo Xiao , Zeng Qingze , Zhao Shuai , Zhang Baorong , Zhang Minming , Chen Yanxing ,   for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: November 2020

Background: Suspected non-Alzheimer disease pathophysiology (SNAP) refers to the subjects who feature negative β-amyloid (Aβ) but positive tau or neurodegeneration biomarkers. It accounts for a quarter of the elderly population and is associated with cognitive decline. However, the underlying pathophysiology is still unclear.Methods: We included 111 non-demented subjects, then classified them into three groups using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ 1–42 (A), phosphorylated tau 181 (T), and total tau (N). Specifically, we identified the normal control (NC; subjects with normal biomarkers, A-T-N-), SNAP (subjects with normal amyloid but abnormal tau, A−T+), and predementia Alzheimer’s disease (AD; subjects with abnormal amyloid and tau, A+T+). Then, we used the static amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (sALFF) and dynamic ALFF (dALFF) variance to reflect the intrinsic functional network strength and stability, respectively. Further, we performed a correlation analysis to explore the possible relationship between intrinsic brain activity changes and cognition.Results: SNAP showed decreased sALFF in left superior frontal gyrus (SFG) while increased sALFF in left insula as compared to NC. Regarding the dynamic metric, SNAP showed a similarly decreased dALFF in the left SFG and left paracentral lobule as compared to NC. By contrast, when compared to NC, predementia AD showed decreased sALFF in left inferior parietal gyrus (IPG) and right precuneus, while increased sALFF in the left insula, with more widely distributed decreased dALFF variance across the frontal, parietal and occipital lobe. When directly compared to SNAP, predementia AD showed decreased sALFF in left middle occipital gyrus and IPG, while showing decreased dALFF variance in the left temporal pole. Further correlation analysis showed that increased sALFF in the insula had a negative correlation with the general cognition in the SNAP group. Besides, sALFF and dALFF variance in the right precuneus negatively correlated with attention in the predementia AD group.Conclusion: SNAP and predementia AD show distinct functional impairment patterns. Specifically, SNAP has functional impairments that are confined to the frontal region, which is usually spared in early-stage AD, while predementia AD exhibits widely distributed functional damage involving the frontal, parietal and occipital cortex.
Long Noncoding RNA AFAP1-AS1 Is a Critical Regulator of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Tumorigenicity
Authors: Fang Min , Zhang Minjun , Wang Yiqing , Wei Fangqiang , Wu Jianhui , Mou Xiaozhou , Zhang Yigan , Liang Xiaodong , Tang Jianming 
Published: November 2020

BackgroundThe long noncoding RNA actin filament associated protein 1 antisense RNA1 (AFAP1-AS1) is a critical player in various cancers. However, the clinical value and functional mechanisms of AFAP1-AS1 during the tumorigenicity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remain unclear. Here, we investigated the clinical application and potential molecular mechanisms of AFAP1-AS1 in NPC tumorigenesis and progression.MethodsThe expression level of AFAP1-AS1 was determined by qRT-PCR in 10 paired fresh human NPC tissues and adjacent normal tissues. RNAscope was performed on 100 paired paraffin-embedded NPC and adjacent nontumor specimens. The biological functions of AFAP1-AS1 were assessed by in vitro and in vivo functional experiments. RNA-protein pull-down assays were performed to detect and identify the AFAP1-AS1-interacting protein KAT2B. Protein-RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays were conducted to examine the interaction of AFAP1-AS1 and KAT2B. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and luciferase analyses were utilized to identify the binding site of transcription intermediary factor 1 alpha (TIF1α) and H3K14ac on the RBM3 promoter.ResultsAFAP1-AS1 is upregulated in NPC and is a poor prognostic indicator for survival in NPC patients. AFAP1-AS1 was required for NPC proliferation in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo. Mechanistic investigations suggested that AFAP1-AS1 binds to KAT2B and promotes acetyltransferase activation at two residues (E570/D610). KAT2B further promotes H3K14 acetylation and protein binding to the bromo domain of TIF1α. Consequently, TIF1α acts as a nuclear transcriptional coactivator of RBM3 transcription, leading to YAP mRNA stabilization and enhanced NPC tumorigenicity.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that AFAP1-AS1 functions as an oncogenic biomarker and promotes NPC tumorigenicity through enhanced KAT2B acetyltransferase activation and YAP mRNA stabilization.
Factors Influencing Vitamin D Levels in Neonatal Umbilical Cord Blood: A Two-Center Study From Tibet and Shenyang
Authors: Yu Mingli , Liu Xiuxiu , Li Jiujun 
Published: November 2020

Objective: To investigate the factors influencing the levels of vitamin D (vitD) in the umbilical cord blood of neonates born in Naqu, Tibet (4,500 m above sea level), and Shenyang, Liaoning Province (500 m above sea level).Methods: This prospective study was conducted from June 2017 to October 2018 in Naqu (the plateau group) and Shenyang, (the non-plateau group). Healthy mothers that gave birth to healthy neonates of &gt;2,000g after 38 weeks' gestation were enrolled in the study, as were their neonates. After separation of serum from the umbilical cord and mothers for routine biochemical tests, discarded samples were remained for analyses of vitD, calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and parathyroid hormone (PTH). Questionnaires were developed covering the demographic characteristics and possible risk factors for neonatal vitD deficiency of mothers. Statistical analysis was performed to identify associations between the calcium, phosphorus, ALP, PTH, maternal factors and neonatal vitD levels.Results: In total, 295 neonates and 225 mothers were enrolled in the study. VitD deficiency was common in neonates and mothers. The risk of vitD deficiency was higher in the plateau group than in the non-plateau group. The mean levels of 25-hydroxy vitD (25(OH)D) in mothers and neonates from the plateau group were 8.49 ± 4.12 ng/mL and 10.17 ± 5.07 ng/mL, respectively. Such levels were significantly lower than those in the non-plateau group (19.77 ± 9.57 ng/mL and 23.93 ± 11.01 ng/mL, respectively). The vitD levels of neonates and mothers were highest in the summer and lowest in the winter. Cord blood vitD was positively correlated with the vitD levels in mothers' serum (r = 0.75, P &lt; 0.05). Increased PTH levels in mothers and decreased cord blood calcium levels were risk factors for neonatal vitD deficiency. A lack of vitD supplementation during pregnancy was associated with an 8.91-fold higher probability of neonatal vitD deficiency (OR = 8.91, 95% CI = 1.521–9.429, P &lt; 0.001).Conclusions: The levels of neonatal and maternal vitD in the plateau group were generally lower than those in the non-plateau group. VitD supplementation during pregnancy could effectively reduce the risk of vitD deficiency in neonates.
Low-Dose Corticosteroid Treatment in Children With Mycoplasma pneumoniae Pneumonia: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Zhang Liya , Wang Lijun , Xu Shanshan , Li Huajun , Chu Caiting , Liu Quanhua , Zhou Jia , Zhang Wen , Huang Lisu 
Published: November 2020

Background: The clinical value of corticosteroid treatment in Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) has been controversial. Our study aimed to identify the effects of low-dose corticosteroids on the recovery of children with MPP.Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, pediatric inpatients with MPP were included from the Shanghai Children's Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia cohort study between August 2014 and July 2019. The multivariable logistic regression and propensity-score matching were used to investigate the effects of low-dose corticosteroid treatment on fever duration after admission, total fever duration, length of hospital stay, C-reactive protein recovery time, and imaging recovery time with the stratification of severe pneumonia, refractory pneumonia, inflammatory biomarkers, pulmonary images, and timing of corticosteroids.Results: There were 548 patients in the corticosteroid group and 337 in the no-corticosteroid group. The corticosteroid group showed severe clinical parameters such as more severe and refractory cases, higher laboratory values, and more abnormal imaging manifestations. The corticosteroid group also showed longer fever duration after admission [odds ratio (OR) = 1.9 (95% CI, 1.2–3.1), P = 0.008], longer total fever duration [OR = 1.6 (95% CI, 1.1–2.3), P = 0.011], longer hospital stay [OR = 2.8 (95% CI, 1.9–4.0), P &lt; 0.001], and longer C-reactive protein (CRP) recovery time [OR = 2.1 (95% CI, 1.1–3.9), P = 0.021] in the regression model after the adjustment for severity. Although low-dose corticosteroids were associated with shortened imaging recovery time in patients with high level laboratory values, pulmonary imaging could be completely recovered in both groups. The trend of these results was consistent even after stratifications and a propensity scores matching analysis.Conclusions: Low-dose corticosteroids may not be beneficial in children inpatients with MPP, and further studies on proper treatment modality are needed in the MRMP era.
COVID-19 Related Knowledge and Mental Health: Case of Croatia
Authors: Galić Marko , Mustapić Luka , Šimunić Ana , Sić Leon , Cipolletta Sabrina 
Published: November 2020

Background and Aims: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to radical and unexpected changes in everyday life, and it is plausible that people’s psychophysical health has been affected. This study examined the relationship between COVID-19 related knowledge and mental health in a Croatian sample of participants.MethodsAn online survey was conducted from March 18 until March 23, 2020, and a total of 1244 participant responses were collected (85.5% were women and 58.4% completed secondary education). Measures included eight questions regarding biological features of the virus, symptoms, and prevention, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Optimism-Pessimism Scale. According to the answers given on the questions on COVID-19 related knowledge, participants were divided in two groups: (1) informed and (2) uninformed on each question. They were then compared in the expressed levels of anxiety, depression, pessimism, and optimism. Full vs. partial mediation models with optimism/pessimism as a mediator in the relationship between anxiety/depression and the accuracy of responses for questions about handwashing and ways of transmission were estimated.ResultsParticipants who responded correctly on the question about handwashing had higher levels of anxiety, depression, and pessimism than those participants whose answer was incorrect, while participants who answered correctly on the question about the percentage of patients who develop serious breathing problems had higher levels of depression than those who answered incorrectly. Lower levels of anxiety and pessimism were observed in the participants who answered correctly about ways of transmission. Higher levels of pessimism were found in participants who scored incorrectly on questions about the efficiency of antibiotics, most common symptoms, and the possibility of being infected by asymptomatic carriers. Higher levels of knowledge about handwashing were predicted by higher levels of anxiety and pessimism. Higher levels of knowledge about ways of transmission were predicted by lower levels of anxiety and lower levels of pessimism. The examined relationships between anxiety/depression and knowledge were mediated by pessimism.ConclusionThe findings of this study suggest that knowledge about COVID-19 may be useful to reduce anxiety and depression, but it must be directed to the promotion of health behaviors and to the recognition of fake news.