bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Associations between race and survival in pediatric patients with diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma
Authors: Khullar Karishma , Plascak Jesse J. , Drachtman Richard , Cole Peter D. , Parikh Rahul R. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe purpose of this study was to examine the factors associated with disparities in overall survival (OS) by race in pediatric diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients.MethodsWe evaluated clinical features and survival among patients ≤21 years of age diagnosed with stage I–IV DLBCL from 2004 to 2014 from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) using a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model.ResultsAmong 1386 pediatric patients with DLBCL, 1023 patients met eligibility criteria. In unadjusted analysis, Black patients had a significantly higher overall death rate than White patients (HRBlack vs. White 1.51; 95% CI: 1.02–2.23, p = 0.041). The survival disparity did not remain significant in adjusted analysis, though controlling for covariates had little effect on the magnitude of the disparity (HR 1.46; 95% CI 0.93–2.31, p = 0.103). In adjusted models, presence of B symptoms, receipt of chemotherapy, stage of disease, and Other insurance were significantly associated with OS. Specifically, patients with B symptoms and those with Other insurance were more likely to die than those without B symptoms or private insurance, respectively (HR 1.75; 95% CI 1.22–2.50, p = 0.002) and (HR 2.56; 95% CI, 1.39–4.73, p = 0.0027), patients who did not receive chemotherapy were three times more likely to die than those who received chemotherapy (HR 3.10; CI 1.80–5.35, p < 0.001), and patients who presented with earlier stage disease were less likely to die from their disease than those with stage IV disease (stages I–III HR 0.34, CI 0.18–0.64, p < 0.001; HR 0.50, CI 0.30–0.82, p = 0.006, HR 0.72, CI 0.43–1.13, p = 0.152, respectively).ConclusionsOur results suggest that racial disparities in survival may be mediated by clinical and treatment parameters.
A recombinant influenza virus with a CTLA4‐specific scFv inhibits tumor growth in a mouse model
Authors: Lei Guang‐Lin , Wang Li‐Peng , Dong Suo‐Hua , Sun Fang , Cheng Jin‐Xia , Yang Xiao‐Lan , Zhang Shao‐Geng , Wang Xi‐Liang , Wang Xin‐Xin , Yang Peng‐Hui 
Published: January 2021

AbstractOncolytic viruses (OV) have shown excellent safety and efficacy in preclinical and clinical studies. Influenza A virus (IAV) is considered a promising oncolytic virus. In this report, we generated a recombinant influenza virus expressing an immune checkpoint blockade agent targeting CTLA4. Using reverse genetics, a recombinant influenza virus, termed rFlu‐CTLA4, encoding the heavy chain of a CTLA4 antibody on the PB1 segment and the light chain of the CTLA4 antibody on the PA segment was produced. RFlu‐CTLA4 could replicate to high titers, and antibodies were produced in the allantoic fluid of infected eggs. Furthermore, the selective cytotoxicity of the virus was higher in various hepatocellular carcinoma cancer cell lines than in the normal cell line L02 in vitro, as indicated by MTS assays. More importantly, in a subcutaneous H22 mouse hepatocarcinoma model, intratumoral injections of rFlu‐CTLA4 inhibited the growth of treated tumors and increased the overall survival of mice compared with injections of the PR8 virus. Taken together, these results warrant further exploration of this novel recombinant influenza virus for its potential use as a single or combination agent for cancer immunotherapy.
Expanding percutaneous treatment of mitral valve diseases: Transcatheter closure of mitral valve leaflet perforation
Authors: Carretero Bellón Juan M. , Morr Igor C. , Merchan Erika F. , Prada Fredy H. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractMitral valve perforation is a rare cause of mitral regurgitation. We present a case of a 16‐year‐old patient with mitral valve regurgitation after redo‐cardiac surgery for recurrent subaortic stenosis. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a mitral regurgitation with an eccentric jet causing a significant regurgitation documented by the presence of a convergence flow over the hole. This finding was corroborating by transesophageal echocardiography locating the perforation from the region of A2 scallop. Three‐dimensional transesophageal echocardiography confirmed these findings and played a key role guiding the procedure. Typical approach is usually a cardiac surgical procedure based on repair the perforation, but the mitral orifice was successfully closed percutaneously using an Amplatzer Duct Occluder II (ADO II; Abbott Vascular, IL).
Pediatric gastropleural fistula, a complication of sleeve gastrectomy: Case report and brief review
Authors: Albassam Dana , Alzaid Mohammed , Alotaibi Nawaf , Alsadoon Hammad , Alqazlan Felwa , Alotaibi Wadha 
Published: January 2021

AbstractGastropleural fistula (GPF) is a rare pathological communication between the stomach and pleura. It may complicate sleeve gastrectomy (SG). An endoscopic application of OTSC can be used to manage GPF.
ReGeneraTing Agents (rgta®) technology combined with antibiotics improves outcomes for infections in the upper limb
Authors: Roohi Sharifah Ahmad , Keuylian Zela , Barritault Denis 
Published: January 2021

AbstractA matrix therapy agent marketed as CACIPLIQ20® showed marked improvement in the healing rate of hand infections, including functional recovery. It can be used at both earlier and later stages to promote faster healing and prevent an adverse outcome.
Integrated Reactor‐Combustor Recycling System for Safe Operation by Catalytic Removal of Excess O2
Authors: Lu Mengke , Zeng Tao , Zhou Xinggui , Westermann Thomas , Mleczko Leslaw 
Published: January 2021

AbstractA reactor‐combustor recycling system is proposed for safe operation of a hydrocarbon‐ and O2‐rich reactor by catalytically combusting excess O2 and recycling generated CO2 for dilution. The Pt/Al2O3 catalysts are determined as active and stable, and the Mars van Krevelen mechanism is applied for the combustion kinetics. Modeling and simulation of the system involving reactor, heater, combustor, valve, and cooler are performed, where multitubular, monolith, and microstructured reactors are compared for addressing the strong exothermic combustion. The system is highly promising because 99.9 % O2 can be consumed and explosion risk be eliminated via CO2 dilution. The microstructured combustor exhibits the highest potential by considering heat management, pressure drop, and compactness.
Understanding the improved performance of sulfur‐doped interconnected carbon microspheres for Na‐ion storage
Authors: Yuan Xinran , Chen Siming , Li Jinliang , Xie Junpeng , Yan Genghua , Liu Botian , Li Xibo , Li Rui , Pan Likun , Mai Wenjie 
Published: January 2021

AbstractAs one of the low‐cost energy storage systems, Na‐ion batteries (NIBs) have received tremendous attention. However, the performance of current anode materials still cannot meet the requirements of NIBs. In our work, we obtain sulfur‐doped interconnected carbon microspheres (S‐CSs) via a simple hydrothermal method and subsequent sulfurizing treatment. Our S‐CSs exhibit an ultrahigh reversible capacity of 520 mAh g–1 at 100 mA g–1 after 50 cycles and an excellent rate capability of 257 mAh g–1, even at a high current density of 2 A g–1. The density functional theory calculations demonstrate that sulfur doping in carbon favors the adsorption of Na atom during the sodiation process, which is accountable for the performance enhancement. Furthermore, we also utilize operando Raman spectroscopy to analyze the electrochemical reaction of our S‐CSs, which further highlights the sulfur doping in improving Na‐ion storage performance.
Function‐Oriented and Modular (+/−)‐cis‐Pseudoguaianolide Synthesis: Discovery of New Nrf2 Activators and NF‐κB Inhibitors
Authors: Emmetiere Fabien , Ratnayake Ranjala , Schares Henry A. M. , Jones Katherine F. M. , Bevan–Smith Emily , Luesch Hendrik , Harki Daniel A. , Grenning Alexander J. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractDescribed herein is a function‐oriented synthesis route and biological evaluation of pseudoguaianolide analogues. The 10‐step synthetic route developed retains the topological complexity of the natural product, installs functional handles for late‐stage diversification, and forges the key bioactive Michael acceptors early in the synthesis. The analogues were found to be low‐micromolar Nrf2 activators and micromolar NF‐κB inhibitors and dependent on the local environment of the Michael acceptor moieties.
Photo‐Oxidation‐Controlled Surface Pattern with Responsive Wrinkled Topography and Fluorescence
Authors: Shou Huizhu , Ma Tianjiao , Li Tiantian , Chen Shuai , Ma Xiaodong , Yin Jie , Jiang Xuesong 
Published: January 2021

AbstractWrinkles and photo‐oxidation reactions are widely found in soft materials, which are intimately associated with the failure of materials and structures. It is expected that the photo‐oxidation process could also have a positive effect on the material and its surface. Here, we report the photo‐oxidation of 2‐(4‐dietheylaminophenyl)‐4,5‐bis(4‐methoxyphenyl) imidazole (DEA‐TAI) into a wrinkled bilayer system to control surface wrinkle and fluorescent patterns, in which a supramolecular polymer network composed of carboxylic acid‐containing copolymer (PS‐BA‐AA; PS=poly(styrene), BA=butyl acrylate; AA=acrylic acid) and DEA‐TAI were used as the skin layer. Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation can induce photo‐oxidation of the imidazole ring of DEA‐TAI to weaken the intermolecular hydrogen bonding between PS‐BA‐AA and DEA‐TAI, resulting in the release of stress in the bilayer system. The wrinkled morphology and fluorescence of the surface can be simultaneously regulated by photo‐oxidation of DEA‐TAI under UV light, and the resulting wrinkles are extremely sensitive to the pH value, which can be quickly and reversibly erased by NH3 gas. Smart surfaces with specific hierarchical wrinkles and fluorescence can be achieved by selective irradiation with photomasks, which may find potential applications in smart displays and multi‐code information storage.
Pyrolysis of predried dyeing sludge: Weight loss characteristics, surface morphology, functional groups and kinetic analysis
Authors: Wang Bo , Xu Xiang , Cao Xiu , Liu Yinhe 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe weight loss characteristics, surface morphology, functional group, and kinetic parameters of predried dyeing sludge (PDS) pyrolysis was studied for the first time in this paper. The contents of both volatile matter and organic matter in PDS char both decreased with the increase of pyrolysis temperature. The PDS pyrolysis process can be divided into four stages: S1 (30°C‐180°C)—water evaporation, S2 (180°C‐500°C)—decomposition of organic compounds such as aliphatic compounds and biomass fibres, S3 (500°C‐900°C)—decomposition of the former stage residues, and S4 (900°C‐1350°C)—decomposition of carbonaceous material remaining in the char and vaporization of partial ash. With the increase of pyrolysis temperature, the number density of small spherical particles on the PDS particle surface increased. The decomposition of aliphatic hydrocarbon was basically completed at 700°C. The average activation energy of PDS in S2‐S4 stages were 172.93, 445.65, and 301.76 kJ/mol, respectively. The pyrolysis reaction of PDS samples could be described by nth‐order reaction mechanism function.
Molten Salt Derived Graphene‐Like Carbon Nanosheets Wrapped SiOx/Carbon Submicrospheres with Enhanced Lithium Storage†
Authors: Zhang Qianliang , Han Suping , Tian Fang , Feng Zhenyu , Xi Baojuan , Xiong Shenglin , Qian Yitai 
Published: January 2021

Main observation and conclusionThere is no doubt that SiOx and carbon composite is one of the promising anode materials for lithium‐ion batteries owing to its high capacity and rational cycling stability. Herein, we report a sol‐gel synthesis followed by molten salt carbonization route to fabricate graphene‐like carbon nanosheet wrapped SiOx/C submicrospheres (SiOx/C@2D‐C). The in‐situ generated carbon nanosheets under molten salt condition can further improve the electroconductivity, restrain the volumetric expansion and guarantee the structural integrity of the electrode. As a result, the as‐obtained SiOx/C@2D‐C delivers a discharge capacity of 559 mAh·g−1 at 0.5 A·g−1 after 200 cycles and 548 mAh·g–1 at 1.0 A·g−1 even after 1000 cycles. The full cell assembled with SiOx/C@2D‐C as anode and commercial LiFePO4 as cathode can achieve an energy density of 200 Wh·kg−1 and maintain a capacity of 66.7% after 100 cycles with a working potential of 2.8 V. The approach is simple and cost effective, which is promising for mass production of SiOx‐based materials for high energy LIBs.
Prognostic value of absolute quantification of mutated KRAS in circulating tumour DNA in lung adenocarcinoma patients prior to therapy
Authors: Wahl Sissel Gyrid Freim , Dai Hong Yan , Emdal Elisabeth F , Ottestad Anine L , Dale Vibeke G , Richardsen Elin , Halvorsen Tarje O , Grønberg Bjørn Henning 
Published: January 2021

AbstractDroplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) is a highly sensitive and accurate method for quantification of nucleic acid sequences. We used absolute quantification of mutated v‐Ki‐ras2 Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homology gene (KRAS) by ddPCR to investigate the prognostic role of mutated KRAS in patients with KRAS‐mutated lung adenocarcinomas. Pre‐treatment plasma samples from 60 patients with stages I–IV KRAS‐mutated lung adenocarcinomas were analysed for KRAS mutations. The associations between survival, detectable KRAS mutations in plasma, and the plasma concentration of mutated KRAS were assessed. Overall, 23 of 60 (38%) patients had detectable KRAS mutation in plasma. The percentage of patients with detectable mutation was 8% in stage I, 30% in stage II, 71% in stage III, and 73% in stage IV. Estimated overall median progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 26.2 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 12.5–39.9] and 50.8 months (95% CI 0–107.3), respectively. Patients with detectable mutations in plasma had significantly worse median PFS compared to patients with undetectable mutation (13.1 versus 70.1 months) and shorter median OS (20.7 versus not reached). High circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) concentrations of mutated KRAS were significantly associated with shorter PFS [hazard ratio (HR) 1.008, 95% CI 1.004–1.012] and OS (HR 1.007, 95% CI 1.003–1.011). All associations remained statistically significant in multivariable analyses. In conclusion, ddPCR is an accurate and easily feasible technique for quantification of KRAS mutations in ctDNA. The presence of detectable KRAS mutation in plasma at baseline was associated with worse PFS and OS. High concentration of mutated KRAS in ctDNA was an independent negative prognostic factor for both PFS and OS.
Clinical significance of coronavirus disease 2019 in hospitalized patients with myocardial injury
Authors: Briscoe Michael , Sykes Robert , Krystofiak Thomas , Peck Oliver , Mangion Kenneth , Berry Colin 
Published: January 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe clinical significance of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) as an associate of myocardial injury is controversial.HypothesisType 2 MI/Myocardial Injury are associated with worse outcomes if complicated by COVID‐19.MethodsThis longitudinal cohort study involved consecutive patients admitted to a large urban hospital. Myocardial injury was determined using laboratory records as ≥1 hs‐TnI result >99th percentile (male: >34 ng/L; female: >16 ng/L). Endotypes were defined according to the Fourth Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction (MI) and COVID‐19 determined using PCR. Outcomes of patients with myocardial injury with and without COVID‐19 were assessed.ResultsOf 346 hospitalized patients with elevated hs‐TnI, 35 (10.1%) had laboratory‐confirmed COVID‐19 (median age [IQR]; 65 [59–74]; 64.8% male vs. COVID‐19 negative: 74 [63–83] years; 43.7% male). Cardiac endotypes by COVID‐19 status (yes vs. no) were: Type 1 MI (0 [0%] vs. 115 [100%]; p < .0005), Type 2 MI (13 [16.5%] vs. 66 [83.5%]; p = .045), and non‐ischemic myocardial injury (cardiac: 4 [5.8%] vs. 65 [94.2%]; p = .191, non‐cardiac:19 [22.9%] vs. 64 [77.%]; p < .0005). COVID‐19 patients had less comorbidity (median [IQR] Charlson Comorbidity Index: 3.0 [3.0] vs. 5.0 [4.0]; p = .001), similar hs‐TnI concentrations (median [IQR] initial: 46 [113] vs. 62 [138]; p = .199, peak: 122 [474] vs. 79 [220] ng/L; p = .564), longer admission (days) (median [IQR]: 14[19] vs. 6[12]; p = .001) and higher in‐hospital mortality (63.9% vs. 11.3%; OR = 13.2; 95%CI: 5.90, 29.7).ConclusionsCardiac sequelae of COVID‐19 typically manifest as Non‐cardiac myocardial injury/Type 2MI in younger patients with less co‐morbidity. Paradoxically, the admission duration and in‐hospital mortality are increased.
An incremental reinforcement learning scheduling strategy for data‐intensive scientific workflows in the cloud
Authors: Nascimento André , Silva Vítor , Paes Aline , de Oliveira Daniel 
Published: January 2021

SummaryMost scientific experiments can be modeled as workflows. These workflows are usually computing‐ and data‐intensive, demanding the use of high‐performance computing environments such as clusters, grids, and clouds. This latter offers the advantage of the elasticity, which allows for changing the number of virtual machines (VMs) on demand. Workflows are typically managed using scientific workflow management systems (SWfMS). Many existing SWfMSs offer support for cloud‐based execution. Each SWfMS has its scheduler that follows a well‐defined cost function. However, such cost functions should consider the characteristics of a dynamic environment, such as live migrations or performance fluctuations, which are far from trivial to model. This article proposes a novel scheduling strategy, named ReASSIgN, based on reinforcement learning (RL). By relying on an RL technique, one may assume that there is an optimal (or suboptimal) solution for the scheduling problem, and aims at learning the best scheduling based on previous executions in the absence of a mathematical model of the environment. For this, an extension of a well‐known workflow simulator WorkflowSim is proposed to implement an RL strategy for scheduling workflows. Once the scheduling plan is generated via simulation, the workflow is executed in the cloud using SciCumulus SWfMS. We conducted a throughout evaluation of the proposed scheduling strategy using a real astronomy workflow named Montage.
Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of using human menstrual blood‐derived mesenchymal stromal cells in treating severe and critically ill COVID‐19 patients: An exploratory clinical trial
Authors: Xu Xiaowei , Jiang Wanli , Chen Lijun , Xu Zhenyu , Zhang Qiang , Zhu Mengfei , Ye Peng , Li Hang , Yu Liang , Zhou Xiaoyang , Zhou Chenliang , Chen Xiaobei , Zheng Xiaoqin , Xu Kaijin , Cai Hongliu , Zheng Shufa , Jiang Wubian , Wu Xiaojun , Li Dong , Chen Lu , Luo Qingqing , Wang Yingyan , Qu Jingjing , Li Yifei , Zheng Wendi , Jiang Yingan , Tang Lingling , Xiang Charlie , Li Lanjuan 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) was identified in December 2019 and has subsequently spread worldwide. Currently, there is no effective method to cure COVID‐19. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) may be able to effectively treat COVID‐19, especially for severe and critical patients. Menstrual blood‐derived MSCs have recently received much attention due to their superior proliferation ability and their lack of ethical problems. Forty‐four patients were enrolled from January to April 2020 in a multicenter, open‐label, nonrandomized, parallel‐controlled exploratory trial. Twenty‐six patients received allogeneic, menstrual blood‐derived MSC therapy, and concomitant medications (experimental group), and 18 patients received only concomitant medications (control group). The experimental group was treated with three infusions totaling 9 × 107 MSCs, one infusion every other day. Primary and secondary endpoints related to safety and efficacy were assessed at various time points during the 1‐month period following MSC infusion. Safety was measured using the frequency of treatment‐related adverse events (AEs). Patients in the MSC group showed significantly lower mortality (7.69% died in the experimental group vs 33.33% in the control group; P = .048). There was a significant improvement in dyspnea while undergoing MSC infusion on days 1, 3, and 5. Additionally, SpO2 was significantly improved following MSC infusion, and chest imaging results were improved in the experimental group in the first month after MSC infusion. The incidence of most AEs did not differ between the groups. MSC‐based therapy may serve as a promising alternative method for treating severe and critical COVID‐19.
Extensive daily movement rates measured in territorial arctic foxes
Authors: Poulin Marie‐Pier , Clermont Jeanne , Berteaux Dominique 
Published: January 2021

AbstractAn animal's movement rate is a central metric of movement ecology as it correlates with its energy acquisition and expenditure. Obtaining accurate estimates of movement rate is challenging, especially in small highly mobile species where GPS battery size limits fix frequency, and geolocation technology limits positions’ precision. In this study, we used high GPS fix frequencies to evaluate movement rates in eight territorial arctic foxes on Bylot Island (Nunavut, Canada) in July–August 2018. We also assessed the effects of fix interval and location error on estimated movement rates. We obtained 96 fox‐days of data with a fix interval of 4 min and 12 fox‐days with an interval of 30 s. We subsampled the latter dataset to simulate six longer fix intervals ranging from 1 to 60 min and estimated daily distances traveled by adding linear distances between successive locations. When estimated with a fix interval of 4 min, daily distances traveled by arctic foxes averaged 51.9 ± 11.7 km and reached 76.5 km. GPS location error averaged 11 m. Daily distances estimated at fix intervals longer than 4 min were greatly underestimated as fix intervals increased, because of linear estimation of tortuous movements. Conversely, daily distances estimated at fix intervals as small as 30 s were likely overestimated due to location error. To our knowledge, no other territorial terrestrial carnivore was shown to routinely travel daily distances as large as those observed here for arctic foxes. Our results generate new hypotheses and research directions regarding the foraging ecology of highly mobile predators. Furthermore, our empirical assessment of the effects of fix interval and location error on estimated movement rates can guide the design and interpretation of future studies on the movement ecology of small opportunistic foragers.
Saliency prediction based on object recognition and gaze analysis
Authors: Ishikawa Tomoki , Yakoh Takahiro 
Published: January 2021

AbstractPredicting the human visual attention in an image is called saliency prediction and is an active research area in the field of neuroscience and computer vision. Early works on saliency prediction was performed by using low‐level features. In recent years, convolutional neural networks have been adapted for saliency prediction and achieved the state‐of‐the‐art performance. However, the eye‐gaze depends on the personality of each viewer and conventional methods did not take into account such individual properties of the viewer. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel saliency prediction method considering the influence of eye‐gaze. Assuming that personality can be expressed as the degree of attention to an object, our proposed method considers the personality by learning which objects are likely to be perceived by each viewer and weighting the universal saliency map with the generated mask based on the object detection results. The experimental results show that the proposed universal saliency map achieves higher accuracy than conventional methods on the public dataset, and the proposed weighted saliency map can reflect the variation of the eye‐gaze influences among viewers.