bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Active Surveillance of Adverse Events After COVID-19 and Other Vaccinations: a Feasibility Study as Part of the CoVaKo Project
Authors: Lippert Nikoletta , Warkentin Lisette , Kühlein Thomas , Steininger Philipp , Überla Klaus , Hueber Susann , Sebastiao Maria 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
Background: The Corona-Vakzin-Konsortium project (CoVaKo) analyses the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines in a real-world setting and breakthrough infections in Bavaria, Germany. A subproject of CoVaKo aims to identify adverse events of the COVID-19 vaccine and to compare these to adverse events of other vaccines in an online survey. A prior feasibility study was conducted to test study materials for comprehensibility, visual design and motivation to participate and secondly, to test practical implementation and realization in primary care practices and vaccination centres.Methods: A mixed-methods design was used. Three focus groups with general population participants were performed to evaluate the study materials and survey. Second, a test-roll-out was conducted in vaccination centres and primary care practices, which involved implementation and quantitative evaluation of the online survey. Third, interviews were conducted with participating general practitioners and heads of vaccination centres four weeks after the test-roll-out.Results: Parts of the study information and registration form proved incomprehensible in the recruitment material and/or online survey. For example, headings were misleading since the COVID-19 vaccination was overemphasized in the title as compared to other vaccinations. Participants requested more information on the procedure and completion time. In 31 days, 2199 participants who received either a COVID-19 vaccination (99 %) or at least one of the control vaccinations (1 %) registered for the study. Participants (strongly) agreed that the registration process was easy to understand, that all relevant information was provided, the completion time was reasonable and technical framework manageable. Physicians and heads of the vaccination centres perceived the study as easy to integrate into their workflow and most of them were willing to participate in the main study.Conclusions: Our study indicated that capturing adverse events after vaccinations with an online survey is feasible. Testing of materials and surveys provided valuable improvements. Participation of health professionals is important to ensure practicality of the procedures. Flexible adaptation of the study organization to changing structures and requirements is necessary for a successful implementation, especially due to dynamic changes in COVID-19 vaccination strategies.Trial registration: The trial was retrospectively registered at “Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien” (DRKS-ID: DRKS00025881) on Oct 14, 2021.
An Extremely Rare Case of Primary Anterior Mediastinal Tumor
Authors: Shen Cheng , Ma Lin 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
Background: There were very few reports of atypical carcinoid in anterior mediastinum. Atypical carcinoids originating in the mediastinum belong to a neuroendocrine tumor (NET), which is also a very rare clinically aggressive mediastinal tumor. Case presentation: We herein reported a rare case of NET of mediastinal origin and a review of several cases concerning the clinical and pathological features of this disease, which is often misdiagnosed as atypical carcinoid tumor in mediastinum. The tumor was removed by mid-sternal thoracotomy with superior vena cava formation, left common carotid artery resection and artificial blood vessel replacement, left upper lobe wedge resection, left phrenic nerve resection, left vagus nerve resection and partial pericardectomy.Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the sixth atypical carcinoid occurring in mediastinum with proof via histology and IHC. Our findings suggest the difficulty of making a diagnosis before surgery and more cases will need to be reported in order to facilitate the preoperative diagnosis of such a rare tumor.
MRI-guided PET Reconstruction with Adaptive Prior Strength: Study on Image Quality at Different Levels of Statistics
Authors: Cabello Jorge , Anazodo Udunna 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
BackgroundThe combination of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-anatomical information with positron emission tomography (PET) image reconstruction has been shown to improve PET image quality in terms of spatial resolution and image noise, especially in brain PET imaging. There are different approaches to combine MRI and PET available, being the use of a Bayesian framework the most extended. Generally, the strength of the prior is controlled by a hyperparameter that needs to be tuned depending on the acquired statistics/counts and the desired image quality in the resulting PET image. However, comparisons between methods is scant, and it is not clear how sensitive they are to the different levels of statistics that can be measured in a PET scan. MethodsIn this work we employed maximum a posteriori (MAP) reconstruction with MRI information to guide the PET reconstruction, and evaluated the performance of several prior models and optimization methods with a fixed and adaptive hyperparameter. Different simulated scenarios, and measured data using different radiotracers at different levels of statistics were employed for the evaluation. Comparisons in image quality and quanti cation between methods were performed in different brain cortical and sub-cortical regions. ResultsSimulated data showed that an adaptive hyperparameter consistently outperformed a fixed hyperparameter for every image reconstruction algorithm implemented. The best performance was achieved with a model combining the Bowsher prior weighted by similarity coefficients based on joint entropy between PET and MRI. One-step-late (OSL) and preconditioned gradient ascent (PGA) optimization methods performed similarly at any level of statistics and number of iterations, so long as the hyperparameter was adaptive. ConclusionsResults with simulated and measured data agreed that MAP reconstruction outperformed OSEM reconstruction, especially at low level of statistics, without any need of tuning. High resolution and low noise images were obtained using MAP reconstruction for 5{30 minutes scan times, showing negligible image quality difference for different radiotracers.
Myocardial Infarction as An Independent Predictor of Intramyocardial Hemorrhage in Acute Reperfused Myocardial Ischemic Rats
Authors: Xia Rui , Zhu Tong , Zhang Yu , He Bo , Chen Yushu , Wang Lei , Zhou Yang , Liao Jichun , Zheng Jie , Li Yongmei , Lv Fajin , Gao Fabao 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
Background: In the previous studies, hemorrhage occurred only with the largest infarctions and studies confirmed a moderate correlation between the extent of necrosis and hemorrhage, but the extent of infarction size of these studies was limited. This study was to find the correlations between intramyocardial hemorrhage (IMH), myocardial infarction (MI), and myocardial edema (ME) from days 2 to 7 in a 7.0T MR scanner.Methods: The different degrees of myocardial ischemia were induced by occluding different sections of the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery (1–3 mm under the left auricle). T2*-mapping, T2-mapping and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) sequences were performed on a 7.0T MR system at day 2 and 7. T2*- and T2-maps were calculated using a custom-made software. All areas were expressed as a percentage of the whole myocardial tissue of the left ventricle. The rats were divided into two groups based on the T2* results; MI with IMH was referred to as the +IMH group, while MI without IMH was referred to as the –IMH group.Results: The final experimental sample consisted of 25 rats in the +IMH group and 10 rats in the –IMH group. For the +IMH group. On day 2, There was a significant positive correlation between IMH size and MI size (r = 0.677, P<0.01), and a positive correlation between IMH size and ME size (r = 0.552, P<0.01). On day 7, There was a significant positive correlation between IMH size and MI size (r = 0.711, P<0.01), while no correlation was found between IMH size and ME size (r = 0.429, P = 0.097). Conclusions: Infarction size prior to reperfusion is a critical factor in determining whether a MI is hemorrhagic or non-hemorrhagic in rats.
Association of red cell distribution width with mortality in cardiac arrest patients: a retrospective analysis based on the MIMIC-IV database
Authors: zhong lei , Jin Yi-yang , Ji Xiao-Wei , Wang Hai-Li , Xie Bo , Yang Xiang-Hong 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
Background

There is a scarcity of studies that covers the relationship between the red cell distribution width (RDW) and the prognosis of cardiac arrest (CA) patients. Moreover, the prognostic value of the changes in RDW during intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalization for CA patients is not investigated. This study focuses on the correlation between RDW measures at ICU admission and RDW changes during ICU hospitalization and the prognosis of CA patients.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study is used to collect clinical characteristics of CA patients (>18years) that are on their first admission to ICU with RDW data measured from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-IV database. The primary outcomes are 30- and 90-day all-cause mortality. A multivariate Cox regression model is applied to test whether the RDW represents an independent risk factor that affects the all-cause mortality of these patients. Meanwhile, the dose-response relationship between the RDW and the mortality is described by the restricted cubic spine (RCS).

Results

A total of 1138 adult CA patients are included in this study. Compared to the survivor group, non-survivors show higher level of RDW. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve indicates that the cumulative survival rate of CA patients at 30 and 90 days decreases gradually as the RDW on ICU admission increases (log-rank test, χ 1 2 =46.460,χ 2 2 =47.210, both p-values<0.001), and rising RDW during ICU hospitalization (ΔRDW>=0.4%) is associated with decreased the 30 and 90 days cumulative survival rates (χ 1 2 =23.700,χ 2 2 =25.390, both p-values<0.001). The multivariate Cox regression analysis shows that increasing RDW at ICU admission (≥13.89%) and rising RDW during ICU hospitalization (ΔRDW>=0.4%) are independent risk factors for death at 30- and 90-day on CA patients. RCS illustrates that there is a non-linear relationship between the RDW on ICU admission and the increased risk of mortality of CA patients at 30 (χ 1 2 =11.990, p-value=0.007) and 90 days (χ 2 2 =12.340, p-value=0.006).

Conclusions

Elevated RDW levels on ICU admission and rising RDW during ICU hospitalization are powerful predictors of all-cause mortality for CA patients at 30 and 90 days, and they can be used as potential clinical biomarkers to predict the bad prognosis of these patients.
Environmental Paraben Exposure and Risk of Thyroid Cancer and Benign Nodules: A Pilot Study
Authors: Wu Nan-Xin , Zhu Sui , liu Chao-Qun , Yan Yan-Hong , Wang Jie , Hong Ao-Bo , Wang Long-Qiang , Zeng Qiang , Sun Jia-Chen , Chen Da , Yang Pan 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
Parabens are widely used as preservatives, which have been found to affect thyroid function in toxicological studies. However, population studies on whether they are associated with thyroid tumor remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the relationship between environmental paraben exposure and thyroid cancer and benign nodules. The detectable percentages of methyl paraben, ethyl paraben, and propyl paraben in the urinary samples of 425 study subjects were 99.06%, 95.29% and 92.00%, respectively. In the single pollutant model, we found statistically significant difference between certain parabens and thyroid cancer/ benign nodules. Further, we found the mixture effect of parabens on increased risk of thyroid cancer (OR = 0.24, 95% CI: 0.18, 0.31) and benign nodule (OR =1.33, 95% CI: 0.86, 1.80). The significant gender-associated effects were found in associations with certain parabens and thyroid cancer and benign nodules (Both P for interactions < 0.05). Overall, our results showed that individual exposure of paraben mixtures may be associated with the risk of thyroid cancer and benign nodules, and there were gender differences.
Microencapsulated Multi-functionalized Graphene Oxide Equipped With Chloroquine for Efficient and Sustained Sirna Delivery
Authors: Imani Rana , Prakash Satya , Vali Hojatollah , Presley John F. , Faghihi Shahab 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
A multi-functionalized graphene oxide (GO)-based carrier with conjugation of aminated-polyethylenglycole (PEG-diamine), octaarginine (R8) and folic acid (FA), which also contains chloroquine (CQ), a lysosomotropic agent, is introduced. The cellular uptake mechanisms and intracellular targeting of FA functionalized nanocarriers are examined. The localized releases of CQ and siRNA intracellular delivery are evaluated. Microencapsulation of the nanocarrier complexed with genes in layer-by-layer coating of alginate micro-beads is also investigated. The covalently co-conjugated FA with PEG and R8 provides a stable formulation with increased cellular uptake compared to FA-free carrier. The CQ-equipped nanocarrier shows a 95% release of CQ at lysosomal pH. The localized release of the drug inside the lysosomes is verified which accelerates the cargo discharge into cytoplasm.
Topology optimization for 3D microstructures of viscoelastic composite materials
Authors: Yang Jianglin , Zhang Shiyang , Li Jian 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
Materials with high stiffness and good vibration damping properties are of great
industrial interest. In this paper, a topology optimization algorithm based on the
BESO method is applied to design viscoelastic composite material by adjusting its 3D
microstructures. The viscoelastic composite material is assumed to be composed of a
non-viscoelastic material with high stiffness and a viscoelastic material with good
vibration damping. The 3D microstructures of the composite are uniformly
represented by corresponding periodic unit cells (PUCs). The effective properties of
the 3D PUC are extracted by the homogenization theory. The optimized properties of
the composites and the optimal microscopic layout of the two materials phases under
the conditions of maximum stiffness and maximum damping are given by several
numerical examples.
ANGPLT3 Impacts Proteinuria and Hyperlipidemia in Primary Nephrotic Syndrome
Authors: Zhong Fu , Liu Shurao , Li Yue , Wang Jingzhi , Cui Weijing , Suo Yanhong , Gao Xia 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
Background: It is unclear why primary nephrotic syndrome (PNS) patients often have dyslipidemia. Recent studies have shown that angiopoietin-like protein 3 (ANGPTL3) is an important regulator of lipid metabolism. In this study, we explored how ANGPTL3 impacts dyslipidemia in PNS development. Methods: We measured the serum levels of ANGPTL3 in PNS patients. Furthermore, the degree of proteinuria and lipid metabolism were examined in angptl3-overexpressing transgenic (angptl3-tg) mice at different weeks of age. Moreover, this study used the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system to create angptl3-knockout (angptl3-/-) mice to observe lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nephrotic mice. Results: There was a significant correlation between the serum level of ANGPTL3 and the levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein in PNS patients. With increasing age, angptl3-tg mice exhibited increasingly severe hypertriglyceridemia and proteinuria. The pathological features included rich lipid droplet deposition in hepatocytes and diffuse podocyte effacement in angptl3-tg mice. Compared to wild-type mice, angptl3-/- mice showed significantly lower degrees of lipid dysfunction and proteinuria after stimulation with LPS. The effects of ANGPTL3 on nephrotic dyslipidemia were confirmed in cultured hepatocytes with angptl3 knockdown or overexpression. Finally, significant alterations in lipoprotein lipase (LPL) were observed in liver tissues from Angptl3-/- and wild-type mice stimulated with LPS. Conclusion: ANGPTL3 could be involved in the development of dyslipidemia, as well as proteinuria, in PNS pathogenesis. Inhibiting LPL expression may be why ANGPTL3 induces hyperlipidemia in PNS.
A Spatial Distribution of Organic Carbon Status in Koppal and Yadgir Taluks of Karnataka, India Using GIS and Geostatistics
Authors: Hegde Rajendra , B Mahendra Kumar M , V Niranjana K , V Seema K , A Dhanorkar B 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
Spatial variability of soil organic carbon status is necessary for enhancing crop and soil productivity. In this study, soil samples were collected from Koppal and Yadgir taluk in Northern dry zone and Northeastern dry zone of Karnataka at 320 m grid interval at 0-15 cm depth and assessed for organic carbon and map was prepared under GIS using Arc GIS 10.4 Geo-wizard Kriging method. The results of the study indicated that, soil organic carbon content was medium in 37 per cent and high in 26 per cent of the total area (1,38,298 ha) in Koppal taluk. Whereas in Yadgir taluk, soil organic carbon status was medium in 38 per cent and high in 31 per cent of the total area (1,71,060 ha). The descriptive statistics were positively skewed with positive kurtosis value. The spatial variability study showed a moderate spatial dependence with spherical model. Therefore, the study showed that, most of the soils were medium in fertility status. There is a need of integrated management for sustainable crop production.
Prevalence of Soil-transmitted Helminth Infections Among School-age Children in Ethiopia: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Azage Muluken , Motbainor Achenef , Gedamu Genet , Enbiale Wendemagegne 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
Background: In Ethiopia, soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STHs) infections remain the leading cause of morbidity among school-age children despite the progress in the implementation of control measures. Study findings regarding prevalence of STH among school-age children have been inconsistent and pooled prevalence of STH infections did not account double or triple infections of STH. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis estimates the pooled prevalence of STH by accounting double or triple infections among school-age children in Ethiopia.Methods: Databases and search engines such as PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched. Based on the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was employed to determine the prevalence of STH infections among school-age children. Published articles in the period between 1980 and 2020 were included in the analysis. Three authors independently extracted all data using a data extraction format sheet. STATA Version 16 statistical software was used for analysis. The Cochran’s Q-test was used to evaluate the heterogeneity of the studies and a random-effects model was done to determine pooled prevalence estimate.Results: The overall pooled estimate of STHs was 33% (95% CI:26-39%). The prevalence did not show statistically differ between before, 32.0% (95% CI:25-39%) and after, 33% (95% CI:26-39%) National NTDs control and elimination programme. The pooled prevalence of ascariasis before and after the implementation of NTDs programme was found to be 18% (12.0%, 24%) and 18% (9.0%, 27.0%), respectively with a total pooled estimate of 18.0% (13.0%, 23.0%). The prevalence of trichuris trichuria was also found to be 8.0% (4.0%, 12.0%) before the programme and 15.0% (4%, 26%) after the programme with a total pooled estimate of 10.0% (5.0%, 14.0%). The prevalence of hookworm was 14.0% (9.0%, 19.0%) before the programme and 9.0% (3.0%, 14.0%) after the programme with a total pooled estimate of 12% (8.0%, 17.0%). Conclusion: The overall polled prevalence of STHs in Ethiopia was found at moderate level based on the WHO classification. The recommended control strategies for STHs infections in school-age children at this level of prevalence such as providing preventive chemotherapy or treat all school-age children (enrolled and non-enrolled) once a year, improving sanitation and water supply and providing health education should be strengthen to mee the target of the national and WHO plan.
Carotid Ultrasonography as a Strategy to Optimize the Management of Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes: A Cohort Study
Authors: Boswell Laura , Serés-Noriega Tonet , Mesa Alex , Perea Verónica , Pané Adriana , Viñals Clara , Blanco Jesús , Giménez Marga , Vinagre Irene , Esmatjes Enric , Conget Ignacio , Amor Antonio J. 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
Background: Although cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of mortality in type 1 diabetes (T1D), the use of cardioprotective drugs is scarce. We aimed to evaluate the impact of carotid ultrasonography (US) on the improvement in cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) in T1D.Methods: T1D patients without CVD meeting criteria for lipid treatment according to guidelines (age ≥40 years, nephropathy and/or ≥10 years of diabetes duration with ≥1 additional CVRFs) were included. The carotid-US group (US-G) underwent a standardized US protocol and CVRF assessment; recommendations were made according to subclinical atherosclerosis status. The control group (CG) followed usual clinical practice. Changes in CVRFs, specially statin use and LDL-cholesterol levels, at one year were analysed.Results: A total of 318 patients were included (51.3% female, mean age of 49.1 years and 25.5 years of diabetes duration): 211 in the US-G and 107 in the CG. Participants in the US-G had a higher baseline LDL-cholesterol than controls (114 vs. 102 mg/dL; p<0.001). Lipid-lowering treatment was modified in 38.9% in the US-G and 6.5% in the CG (p<0.001). At 1 year, the US-G was more frequently on statins, had lower LDL-cholesterol and 27% had stopped smoking (p<0.001 for all). Changes were more pronounced in those with plaques (p<0.001). In multivariate analyses adjusted for age, sex and other CVRFs, belonging to the US-G was independently associated with the intensification of lipid-lowering treatment (OR 10.47 [4.06-27.01]).Conclusions: Carotid-US is independently associated with an intensification of lipid-lowering therapy in a high-risk T1D population.
Effect of Annealing Temperature on Structural and, Morphological Properties of Zno Thins Films
Authors: Debbab Moustafa , Ghellai Nassera , Belaoui Meymoun , Yaddadene Chafiaa , Berouaken Malika , Gabouze Noureddine 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
In this work, thins films of zinc oxide were deposited on n-type silicon substrates by chemical electrodeposition. The effect of annealing temperature from 200 ° C to 600 ° C, with a step of 100 ° C, on the structural and morphological properties of ZnO layers has been studied. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and contact angle measurements were used to characterize the morphology and structure of ZnO without and with annealing. The XRD patterns of unannealed ZnO thins films indicate the presence of three intense peaks along (100), (002) and (101) planes, while for the annealed ZnO layers the XRD patterns show also the three major peaks but the intensity of these peaks is increased except for a temperature of 600 ° C where is decreased. The comparison of the XRD patterns of the ZnO layers without and with annealing, reveal a shift in the 2θ diffraction angle, the calculation of the crystallinity confirms the obtained results. The contact angle measurements indicate that the ZnO layers without and with annealing at 200 °C are hydrophobic, the surface of the ZnO layer becomes hydrophilic at annealing temperatures exceeding 300 ° C. Finally, SEM images show the change in structure from a sand rose shape to a granular structure, confirming the XRD and contact angle results.