bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Improving Between-Group Effect Size for Multi-Site Functional Connectivity Data via Site-Wise De-Meaning
Authors: Reardon Alexandra M. , Li Kaiming , Hu Xiaoping P. 
Published: December 2021

Background: Multi-site functional MRI (fMRI) databases are becoming increasingly prevalent in the study of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. However, multi-site databases are known to introduce site effects that may confound neurobiological and measures such as functional connectivity (FC). Although studies have been conducted to mitigate site effects, these methods often result in reduced effect size in FC comparisons between controls and patients.Methods: We present a site-wise de-meaning (SWD) strategy in multi-site FC analysis and compare its performance with two common site-effect mitigation methods, i.e., generalized linear model (GLM) and Combining Batches (ComBat) Harmonization. For SWD, after FC was calculated and Fisher z-transformed, the site-wise FC mean was removed from each subject before group-level statistical analysis. The above methods were tested on two multi-site psychiatric consortiums [Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) and Bipolar and Schizophrenia Network on Intermediate Phenotypes (B-SNIP)]. Preservation of consistent FC alterations in patients were evaluated for each method through the effect sizes (Hedge’s g) of patients vs. controls.Results: For the B-SNIP dataset, SWD improved the effect size between schizophrenic and control subjects by 4.5–7.9%, while GLM and ComBat decreased the effect size by 22.5–42.6%. For the ABIDE dataset, SWD improved the effect size between autistic and control subjects by 2.9–5.3%, while GLM and ComBat decreased the effect size by up to 11.4%.Conclusion: Compared to the original data and commonly used methods, the SWD method demonstrated superior performance in preserving the effect size in FC features associated with disorders.
Effect of Robot-Assisted Neuroendoscopic Hematoma Evacuation Combined Intracranial Pressure Monitoring for the Treatment of Hypertensive Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Authors: Wu Shiqiang , Wang Heping , Wang Junwen , Hu Feng , Jiang Wei , Lei Ting , Shu Kai 
Published: December 2021

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy of robot-assisted neuroendoscopic hematoma evacuation combined intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring for the treatment of hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (HICH).Patients and Methods: A retrospective analysis of 53 patients with HICH undergoing neuroendoscopic hematoma evacuation in our department from January 2016 to December 2020 was performed. We divided the patients into two groups: the neuroendoscopic group (n = 32) and the robot-assisted neuroendoscopic combined ICP monitoring group (n = 21). Data on clinical characteristics, treatment effects, and outcomes were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed between these two groups.Results: The operation time of the procedure of the neuroendoscopic group was significantly longer than that of the robot-assisted neuroendoscopic combined ICP-monitoring group (mean time 153.8 ± 16.8 vs. 132.8 ± 15.7 min, P &lt; 0.001). The intraoperative blood loss was significantly less in the robot-assisted neuroendoscopic combined ICP-monitoring group than in the neuroendoscopic group (215.4 ± 28.3 vs. 190.1 ± 25.6 ml, P = 0.001). However, the patients undergoing neuroendoscopic had a comparable hematoma clearance rate with those undergoing robot-assisted neuroendoscopic combined ICP monitoring (85.2 ± 4.8 vs. 89.2 ± 5.4%, P = 0.997). The complications rate was greater in the endoscopic group (25%) than in the robot-assisted neuroendoscopic combined ICP-monitoring group (9.5%) but without significant difference (P = 0.159). We also found that the dose of used mannitol was significantly less in the ICP monitoring group (615.2 ± 63.8 vs. 547.8 ± 65.3 ml, P &lt; 0.001) and there was a significant difference in modified Rankin scale (mRS) score at discharge, patients with less mRS score in the robot-assisted neuroendoscopic combined ICP monitoring group than in the neuroendoscopic group (3.0 ± 1.0 vs. 3.8 ± 0.8, p = 0.011). Patients undergoing robot-assisted neuroendoscopic combined ICP monitoring had better 6-month functional outcomes, and there was a significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.004). Besides, multivariable analysis shows younger age, no complication, and robot-assisted neuroendoscopic combined ICP monitoring were predictors of 6-month favorable outcomes for the patients with HICH.Conclusion: Robot-assisted neuroendoscopic hematoma evacuation combined with ICP monitoring appears to be safer and more effective as compared to the neuroendoscopic hematoma evacuation in the treatment of HICH. Robot-assisted neuroendoscopic hematoma evacuation combined with ICP monitoring might improve the clinical effect and treatment outcomes of the patients with HICH.
Prediction of Post-operative Visual Deterioration Using Visual-Evoked Potential Latency in Extended Endoscopic Endonasal Resection of Craniopharyngiomas
Authors: Tao Xiaorong , Yang Xiaocui , Fan Xing , You Hao , Jin Yanwen , Liu Jiajia , Guo Dongze , Li Chuzhong , Qiao Hui 
Published: December 2021

Background: The current study aimed to investigate the predictive value of visual-evoked potential (VEP) latency for post-operative visual deterioration in patients undergoing craniopharyngioma resection via extended endoscopic endonasal approach (EEEA).Methods: Data from 90 patients who underwent craniopharyngioma resection via EEEA with intraoperative VEP monitoring were retrospectively reviewed. P100 latency was compared between patients with and without post-operative visual deterioration, and the threshold value of P100 latency for predicting post-operative visual deterioration was calculated by the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. In addition, other potential prognostic factors regarding post-operative visual outcomes were also analyzed by multivariate analysis.Results: Patients with post-operative visual deterioration showed a significantly longer VEP latency than those without (p &lt; 0.001). An extension over 8.61% in VEP latency was identified as a predictor of post-operative visual deterioration (p &lt; 0.001). By contrast, longer preoperative visual impairment duration and larger tumor volume were not significant predictors for post-operative visual deterioration.Conclusions: The current study revealed that intraoperative VEP monitoring in EEEA is effective for predicting post-operative visual deterioration, and an extension over 8.61% in VEP latency can be used as a critical cut-off value to predict post-operative visual deterioration.
hZIP1 Inhibits Progression of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma by Suppressing NF-kB/HIF-1α Pathway
Authors: Zhan Bo , Dong Xiao , Yuan Yulin , Gong Zheng , Li Bohan 
Published: December 2021

PurposeAccumulating literature has suggested that hZIP1 and HIF-1α play vital roles in the tumor process of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). However, the functional roles of hZIP1 and HIF-1α in ccRCC remain largely unknown.MethodsHIF-1α protein level was evaluated by a western blot in ccRCC tissues and cell lines. ccRCC cell lines were transfected with HIF-1α-siRNA to downregulate the expression level of HIF-1α. Then the proliferative, migratory and invasive abilities of ccRCC cells in vitro were detected by real-time cell analysis (RTCA) assay, wound healing assay and transwell assay, respectively. The role of HIF-1α in vivo was explored by tumor implantation in nude mice. Then the effect on glycolysis‐related proteins was performed by western blot after hZIP1 knockdown (overexpression) or HIF-1α knockdown. The effect on NF‐kB pathway was detected after hZIP1 overexpression.ResultsHIF-1α was markedly downregulated in ccRCC tissues compared with normal areas. But HIF-1α presented almost no expression in HK-2 and ACHN cells. Immunofluorescence indicated HIF-1α and PDK1 expression in both the cytoplasm and nucleus in ccRCC cells. Downregulation of HIF-1α suppressed ccRCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and resulted in smaller implanted tumors in nude mice. Furthermore, hZIP1 knockdown elevated HIF-1α protein levels and PDK1 protein levels in ccRCC cells. Interestingly, a sharp downregulated expression of HIF-1α was observed after hZIP1 overexpression in OSRC-2 and 786-O cells, which resulted from a downtrend of NF-kB1 moving into the cell nucleus.ConclusionOur work has vital implications that hZIP1 suppresses ccRCC progression by inhibiting NF-kB/HIF-1α pathway.
Transarterial Chemoembolization Combined With Endoscopic Therapy Is Beneficial for Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma With Esophagogastric Varices
Authors: Tao Ziwen , Ruan Yuying , Peng Zhi , Zhang Kai , Gao Yanjing 
Published: December 2021

BackgroundThe efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with endoscopic therapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma with esophagogastric varices remains unclear.MethodsThe study has been registered on ClinicalTrials.gov with the number NCT05017922 (https://register.clinicaltrials.gov). Eligible patients were divided into combined group (received TACE plus endoscopic therapy) and control group (only received TACE). The occurrence of death and bleeding episodes during the follow-up was recorded. Kaplan–Meier analysis was used to compare outcomes between the two groups. Cox proportional hazard model was used to determine independent predictors for the survival.ResultsEighty-nine patients were included, 42 in the combined group, others in the control group. During the follow-up, 51 patients died, the 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year survival rates were 64.9%, 45.5%, and 34.5%. The cumulative survival was significantly higher in the combined group than in the control group (p = 0.027); the 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year survival rates were 75.5%, 55.9%, 43.8% and 55.0%, 35.9%, 26.6%, respectively. Forty-four patients experienced bleeding, the bleeding rate was significantly higher in the control group than in the combined group (77.4% vs. 56.8%, p = 0.016). Multivariate analysis showed that treatment, hemoglobin, portal vein tumor thrombosis, and aspartate aminotransferase were independent predictors for overall survival; the first three factors were also independent predictors for bleeding-free survival. Patients who received primary prophylaxis had longer overall survival (p = 0.042) and bleeding-free survival (p = 0.029) than those who received secondary prophylaxis.ConclusionsTACE combined with endoscopic therapy significantly improved survival and reduced bleeding rates in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma with esophagogastric varices patients. Portal vein tumor thrombosis was a strong negative prognostic factor for both overall survival and bleeding-free survival. Primary prophylaxis improved survival benefits compared with secondary prophylaxis.
Inadequate Vaccine Responses in Children With Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Santoro Jonathan D. , Saucier Laura E. , Tanna Runi , Wiegand Sarah E. , Pagarkar Dania , Tempchin Adam F. , Khoshnood Mellad , Ahsan Nusrat , Van Haren Keith 
Published: December 2021

Objective: Immunizations against Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Varicella Zoster virus (VZV), are recommended for patients with pediatric onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) and may be required prior to initiation of some disease modifying therapies. However, the efficacy of routine vaccine administration in POMS has never been studied. We sought to assess the humoral mediated vaccine response to HBV and VZV in children with POMS.Methods: A multi-center retrospective chart-based review of 62 patients with POMS was performed. Clinical data and antibody titers against HBV and VZV were collected prior to initiation of disease modifying therapy or steroids and compared to institutional control data, using t-test and chi squared analysis.Results: There were low rates of immunity against both HBV and VZV (33 and 25% respectively) among individuals with POMS. Fifteen individuals (24%) were non-immune to both. Compared to institutional control data, individuals with POMS were significantly less likely to be immune to and HBV (p = 0.003, 95% CI: 0.22–0.75) and VZV (p &lt; 0.001, 95% CI: 0.09–0.39).Interpretation: Individuals with POMS have low rates of antibody-mediated immunity against HBV and VZV, despite receiving the appropriate vaccinations. This suggests an association between POMS and systemic immune dysregulation although further study is needed.
Safety and Efficacy Analysis of Selinexor-Based Treatment in Multiple Myeloma, a Meta-Analysis Based on Prospective Clinical Trials
Authors: Tao Yali , Zhou Hui , Niu Ting 
Published: December 2021

Background: Selinexor (SEL) is an orally bioavailable, highly-selective, and slowly-reversible small molecule that inhibits Exportin 1. Preclinical studies showed that SEL had synergistic antimyeloma activity with glucocorticoids, proteasome inhibitors (PIs) and immunomodulators. The combination of selinexor and dexamethasone (DEX) has been approved in the United States for patients with penta-refractory multiple myeloma in July 2019. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of selinexor based treatment in Multiple myeloma.Methods: We systematically searched the Medline (PubMed), Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials Library databases and ClinicalTrials.gov. Outcome measures of efficacy included overall response rate (ORR), clinical benefit rate (CBR), stringent complete response rate (sCR), complete response rate (CR), very good partial response (VGPR), partial response rate (PR), minimal response (MR), rate of stable disease (SDR), rate of progressive disease (PDR) and median progression-free survival (mPFS). Safety was evaluated by the incidences of all grade adverse events and Grade≥3 adverse events. The subgroup analysis was conducted to analyze the difference in different combination treatment regimens (SEL + DEX + PIs vs SEL + DEX).Results: We included six studies with 477 patients. The pooled ORR, CBR, sCR, CR, VGPR, PR, MR, SDR, and PDR were 43% (18–67%), 55% (32–78%), 5% (−2–13%), 7% (4–11%), 14% (5–24%), 23% (15–31%), 11% (8–14%), 26% (14–38%) and 14% (4–23%), respectively. SEL + DEX + PIs treatment had higher ORR (54 vs 24%, p = 0.01), CBR (66 vs 37%, p = 0.01), sCR (10 vs 2%, p = 0.0008), and VGPR (23 vs 5%, p &lt; 0.00001) compared to SEL + DEX treatment, and lower PDR (4 vs 23%, p &lt; 0.00001) and SDR (17 vs 37%, p = 0.0006). The pooled incidences of any grade and grade≥3 were 45 and 30% in hematological AEs, and in non-hematological AEs were 40 and 30%, respectively. The most common all grade (68%) and grade≥3 (54%) hematological AE were both thrombocytopenia. Fatigue was the most common all grade (62%) and grade≥3 (16%) non-hematological AE. Compared to SEL + DEX treatment, SEL + DEX + PIs treatment had lower incidences of hyponatremia (39 vs 12%, p &lt; 0.00001), nausea (72 vs 52%, p &lt; 0.00001), vomiting (41 vs 23%, p &lt; 0.0001), and weight loss (42 vs 17%, p = 0.03) in all grade AEs. Meanwhile, SEL + DEX + PIs treatment had lower incidences of anemia (36 vs 16%, p = 0.02), fatigue (20 vs 13%, p = 0.04), hyponatremia (22 vs 5%, p &lt; 0.0001) than SEL + DEX treatment in grade≥3 AEs.Conclusion: Our meta-analysis revealed that selinexor-based regimens could offer reasonable efficacy and tolerable adverse events in patients with multiple myeloma. SEL + DEX + PIs treatments had higher efficacy and lower toxicities than SEL + DEX.
The Importance of Patient Expectations: A Mixed-Methods Study of U.S. Psychiatrists
Authors: Rosenfield Maayan N. , Bernstein Michael H. 
Published: December 2021

Objective: To examine how psychiatrists think about and modulate non-specific factors (e.g., hope, expectations) in clinical practice.Methods: U.S. psychiatrists were recruited for two studies assessing attitudes and behaviors related to non-specific factors. Study 1 entailed remote qualitative focus groups (k = 7) with n = 26 participants (36.0% female). Study 2 was a quantitative survey with n = 346 respondents (34.0% female) designed to assess the generalizability of focus group findings.Results: Four themes were identified in Study 1 that were used to inform the survey (Study 2): (1) Expectations (2) Hope, (3) Placebo Effect, and (4) Aesthetic Features. Nearly all surveyed psychiatrists (92.2%) considered patient expectations at least “most of the time” when interacting with a patient. Focus groups revealed that psychiatrists often attempt to balance optimism and realism to improve outcomes. A majority of survey respondents believed office design and physician attire could at least somewhat influence expectations (72.5 and 77.3%, respectively) and even outcomes (51.5 and 58.7%, respectively). Focus group psychiatrists described how physical features may be used as therapeutic tools.Conclusions: Psychiatrists are highly mindful of patient expectations. Although there is variability in the perceived importance of expectations, hope, the placebo effect, and aesthetic features, many utilize these factors in clinical practice.
The Burden of Anemia in Pregnancy Among Women Attending the Antenatal Clinics in Mkuranga District, Tanzania
Authors: Ngimbudzi Evelyine B. , Massawe Siriel N. , Sunguya Bruno F. 
Published: December 2021

Introduction: The burden of anemia in pregnancy is of global health importance. Tanzania is no exception. Its effects vary from one region to another due to the differing causes. Overall, it is a significant cause of maternal mortality. This study sought to assess the prevalence and factors associated with anemia among pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic (ANC) in the Mkuranga district of the Pwani region of Tanzania.Methodology: This cross sectional study was conducted among 418 pregnant women aged 15–49 years attending the Mkuranga District Hospital and Kilimahewa Health Center. The outcome variable of interest was anemia in pregnancy defined as a hemoglobin concentration of 11 g/dl or less. Data was collected using face-to-face interviews with a standardized pretested questionnaire, and through blood samples collected for hemoglobin testing. Descriptive analysis was used to determine the prevalence of anemia while multiple logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with anemia in pregnancy.Results: Anemia was prevalent among 83.5% of pregnant women attending the two major ANCs in Mkuranga district. Categorically, the hemoglobin of 16.3% of the included women was normal, 51.9% had moderate anemia, 24.4% had mild anemia, and 7.2% had severe anemia. Factors associated with anemia included being in the third trimester (AOR = 2.87, p = 0.026), not consuming vegetables (AOR = 2.62, p = 0.008), meat (AOR = 2.71, p = 0.003), eggs (AOR = 2.98, p = 0.002), and fish (AOR = 2.38, p = 0.005). The finding of unadjusted analysis revealed that women with inadequate minimum dietary diversity were having significantly greater odds of being anemic as compared with those with adequate dietary diversity (OR = 1.94, P = 0.016).Conclusion: More than 80% of pregnant women attending ANC in Mkuranga districts were anemic. Such unprecedented burden of anemia is associated with several factors, which include poor dietary practices such as not consuming iron-rich foods, for example vegetables, meat, eggs, and fish. Women in their third trimester were also more likely to suffer from anemia. This unprecedented burden of anemia in pregnancy can be addressed if efforts to improve feeding practices and early monitoring at the ANCs are sustained.
Teleoperation and Visualization Interfaces for Remote Intervention in Space
Authors: Kazanzides Peter , Vagvolgyi Balazs P. , Pryor Will , Deguet Anton , Leonard Simon , Whitcomb Louis L. 
Published: December 2021

Approaches to robotic manufacturing, assembly, and servicing of in-space assets range from autonomous operation to direct teleoperation, with many forms of semi-autonomous teleoperation in between. Because most approaches require one or more human operators at some level, it is important to explore the control and visualization interfaces available to those operators, taking into account the challenges due to significant telemetry time delay. We consider one motivating application of remote teleoperation, which is ground-based control of a robot on-orbit for satellite servicing. This paper presents a model-based architecture that: 1) improves visualization and situation awareness, 2) enables more effective human/robot interaction and control, and 3) detects task failures based on anomalous sensor feedback. We illustrate elements of the architecture by drawing on 10 years of our research in this area. The paper further reports the results of several multi-user experiments to evaluate the model-based architecture, on ground-based test platforms, for satellite servicing tasks subject to round-trip communication latencies of several seconds. The most significant performance gains were obtained by enhancing the operators’ situation awareness via improved visualization and by enabling them to precisely specify intended motion. In contrast, changes to the control interface, including model-mediated control or an immersive 3D environment, often reduced the reported task load but did not significantly improve task performance. Considering the challenges of fully autonomous intervention, we expect that some form of teleoperation will continue to be necessary for robotic in-situ servicing, assembly, and manufacturing tasks for the foreseeable future. We propose that effective teleoperation can be enabled by modeling the remote environment, providing operators with a fused view of the real environment and virtual model, and incorporating interfaces and control strategies that enable interactive planning, precise operation, and prompt detection of errors.
Analysis of Ionospheric and Geomagnetic Response to the 2020 Patagonian Solar Eclipse
Authors: Meza Amalia , Eylenstein Bernardo , Natali María Paula , Bosch Guillermo , Moirano Juan , Chalar Elfriede 
Published: December 2021

Total solar eclipses are unique opportunities to study how the ionospheric and external geomagnetic field responds to fast changes in the ionizing flux as the moon’s shadow travels through its path over the ionosphere at an average speed of 3,000 km/h. In this contribution, we describe our observing campaign in which we set up GNSS and geomagnetic stations at the city of Valcheta, Río Negro, Argentina (which was located right under the path of totality). We also describe the results obtained from the analysis of the combination of on-site data together with publicly available observations from geodetic and geomagnetic observatories. The large span in latitude of our data allowed us to analyze the different magnitudes of the drop in vertical total electron content (ΔVTEC) with varying occultation percentages. We found an expected reduction in this drop as we move away from totality path but we also detected a new increment in ΔVTEC as we got closer to Earth’s Magnetic Equator. We also compared our observations of the geomagnetic field variations with predictions that were based on the Ashour-Chapman model and we find an overall good agreement, although a ≈20 min delay with the eclipse maximum is evident beyond observing uncertainties. This suggests the presence of processes that delay the response of the lower ionosphere to the loss of the photoionization flux.