bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Diagnosis Accuracy of Lung Ultrasound for ARF in Critically Ill Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Yuan Xueyan , Liu Ling , Chang Wei , Wu Zongsheng , Huang Lili , Chao Yali , Lu Xinxing , Xie Jianfeng , Yang Yi , Qiu Haibo 
Published: August 2021

Background: Acute respiratory failure (ARF) is a commonly distressing condition in critically ill patients. Its early recognition and treatment may improve clinical outcomes. Mounting evidence suggests that lung ultrasound (LUS) could be an alternative to chest X-ray (CXR) or computed tomography (CT) for the diagnosis of ARF in critically ill patients. This meta-analysis aimed to determine whether LUS can be an alternative tool used to investigate the cause of ARF or thoracic pathologies associated with the diagnosis of ARF in critically ill patients.Method: A systematic literature search of the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases was conducted from inception to March 2020. Two researchers independently screened studies investigating the accuracy of LUS with CXR or CT for adult critically ill patients with ARF. Data with baseline, true positives, false positives, false negatives, and true negatives were extracted. The study quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool. The pooled sensitivity and specificity were obtained using a bivariate model.Results: Eleven studies, including 1,232 patients, were included in the meta-analysis. Most studies were of low quality. LUS had a pooled sensitivity of 92% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 85–96) and a pooled specificity of 98% (95% CI: 94–99). The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 98% (95% CI: 97–99). The sensitivity and specificity of LUS to identify different pathological types of ARF were investigated. For consolidation (1,040 patients), LUS had a sensitivity of 89% and a specificity of 97%. For pleural effusion (279 patients), LUS had a pooled sensitivity of 95% and a specificity of 99%. For acute interstitial syndrome (174 patients), LUS had a pooled sensitivity of 95% and a specificity of 91%.Conclusions: LUS is an adjuvant tool that has a moderate sensitivity and high specificity for the diagnosis of ARF in critically ill patients.Systematic Review Registration: The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020211493).
The Relationship Between Elevated Serum Uric Acid and Risk of Stroke in Adult: An Updated and Dose–Response Meta-Analysis
Authors: Qiao Tianci , Wu Hongyun , Peng Wei 
Published: August 2021

Background:Uric acid (UA) is proposed as a potential risk factor for stroke in adult, yet the results from published studies are not generally accordant.Method:We included prospective studies that explored the relationship between serum UA (SUA) and strokes. In this study, strokes include ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke, which consists of intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage. The effect-size estimates were expressed as hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were performed to assess the robustness of the pooled estimation and potential sources of heterogeneity between studies.Results:We meta-analyzed 19 prospective cohort articles, which involve 37,386 males and 31,163 females. Overall analyses results showed a significant association between a 1 mg/dl increase in high levels of SUA and the risk of total stroke (HR = 1.13; 95% CI: 1.09–1.18;P&lt; 0.001), ischemic stroke (HR = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.10–1.21;P&lt; 0.001), and hemorrhagic stroke (HR = 1.07; 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.15;P= 0.046). No significant difference was found between ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. In the subgroup analyses, the association of high SUA levels and the risk of total stroke was statistically significant in females (HR = 1.19; 95% CI: 1.12–1.26;P&lt; 0.001) and males (HR = 1.11; 95% CI: 1.05–1.17;P&lt; 0.001). Coincidentally, the association was also statistically significant for ischemic stroke, both in females (HR = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.17–1.36;P&lt; 0.001) and in males (HR = 1.12; 95% CI: 1.06–1.19;P&lt; 0.001). However, for hemorrhagic stroke, it was only statistically significant in females (HR = 1.19; 95% CI: 1.04–1.35;P= 0.01). Our dose–response research indicated the J-shaped trend between the ascending SUA levels and the higher risk of suffering from a stroke.Conclusions:Our findings indicate that elevated SUA is a significant risk factor for adult stroke, both for ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke, and especially in females.
Passive Properties of the Wrist and Fingers Following Chronic Hemiparetic Stroke: Interlimb Comparisons in Persons With and Without a Clinical Treatment History That Includes Botulinum Neurotoxin
Authors: Binder-Markey Benjamin I. , Murray Wendy M. , Dewald Julius P. A. 
Published: August 2021

Background: Neural impairments that follow hemiparetic stroke may negatively affect passive muscle properties, further limiting recovery. However, factors such as hypertonia, spasticity, and botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), a common clinical intervention, confound our understanding of muscle properties in chronic stroke.Objective: To determine if muscle passive biomechanical properties are different following prolonged, stroke-induced, altered muscle activation and disuse.Methods: Torques about the metacarpophalangeal and wrist joints were measured in different joint postures in both limbs of participants with hemiparetic stroke. First, we evaluated 27 participants with no history of BoNT; hand impairments ranged from mild to severe. Subsequently, seven participants with a history of BoNT injections were evaluated. To mitigate muscle hypertonia, torques were quantified after an extensive stretching protocol and under conditions that encouraged participants to sleep. EMGs were monitored throughout data collection.Results: Among participants who never received BoNT, no significant differences in passive torques between limbs were observed. Among participants who previously received BoNT injections, passive flexion torques about their paretic wrist and finger joints were larger than their non-paretic limb (average interlimb differences = +42.0 ± 7.6SEM Ncm, +26.9 ± 3.9SEM Ncm, respectively), and the range of motion for passive finger extension was significantly smaller (average interlimb difference = −36.3° ± 4.5°SEM; degrees).Conclusion: Our results suggest that neural impairments that follow chronic, hemiparetic stroke do not lead to passive mechanical changes within the wrist and finger muscles. Rather, consistent with animal studies, the data points to potential adverse effects of BoNT on passive muscle properties post-stroke, which warrant further consideration.
The Correlation Between Potential “Anti- Cancer” Trace Elements and the Risk of Breast Cancer: A Case-Control Study in a Chinese Population
Authors: Xue Heng , Qiao Rui , Yan Lailai , Yang Siyu , Liang Yongming , Liu Yaqiong , Xie Qing , Cui Ligang , Cao Bing 
Published: August 2021

BackgroundsBreast cancer is a heterogeneous disease without clear pathogenesis and effective primary prevention. The “anti-cancer” effects of several trace elements have received increasing attention in recent years. The main purpose of current study is to explore the differences of three potential “anti-cancer” trace elements selenium (Se), molybdenum (Mo), and strontium (Sr) between patients with malignant breast tumors and healthy controls.MethodsWe conducted a case–control study in 45 patients with malignant breast tumors as cases and 95 healthy volunteers as controls from Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China. The serum concentrations of trace elements were evaluated by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).ResultsThe cases may have a lower Se levels when compared with controls (cases: 106.22 ng/ml, SD: 20.95 ng/ml; controls: 117.02 ng/ml, IQR: 22.79 ng/ml, p = 0.014). High levels of Se were a protective factor from breast cancer after adjusting the potential confounders of age, BMI, smoking, drinking, and menopause status (OR = 0.395, 95% CI, 0.178, 0.877, p = 0.023). The levels of Sr were lower in cases with high histologic grade when compared to low histologic grade (low histologic grade: 49.83 ng/ml, IQR: 41.35–62.60 ng/ml; high histologic grade: 40.19 ng/ml, IQR: 39.24–47.16 ng/ml, p &lt; 0.05).ConclusionsOur findings herein supported that Se has protective effects to avoid malignant breast tumors and Sr has protective effects to avoid poorly differentiated malignant breast tumors. Exploring “anti-cancer” related trace elements and their associations with breast cancer will assist for the early prevention and intervention for the disease.
FOXM1 Promotes Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma via Activation of the Linc-ROR/LMO4/AKT/PI3K Axis
Authors: Ma Xiao , Zhang Hong , Li Qian , Schiferle Erik , Qin Yao , Xiao Suifang , Li Tiancheng 
Published: August 2021

Background/AimPrevious literature has implicated the sustained expression of FOXM1 in numerous human cancers, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The current study aimed to elucidate the function and regulatory mechanism of FOXM1 in HNSCC.MethodsWestern blot and RT-qPCR methods were performed to evaluate the expression of Linc-ROR, FOXM1, and LMO4 in HNSCC tissue samples and cells. The binding between FOXM1 and Linc-ROR was analyzed using a ChIP assay. Various cellular processes including proliferation and invasion abilities were assessed following alteration of FOXM1, Linc-ROR and LMO4 expression in HNSCC cells. Xenograft mouse models were established to validate the in vitro findings.ResultsLinc-ROR and FOXM1 were highly expressed in HNSCC tissues and cells. FOXM1 operated as a potential transcription factor to bind to the promoter region of Linc-ROR. Linc-ROR and FOXM1 exhibited high expression levels in both the clinical tissue samples as well as the HNSCC cells, which could facilitate the proliferation and invasion of HNSCC cells. Linc-ROR upregulated the expression of LMO4 and promoted activation of the AKT/PI3K signaling pathway, thus stimulating the proliferation and invasion of HNSCC cells. Silencing of Linc-ROR brought about a contrasting effect relative to that seen when FOXM1 was overexpressed in HNSCC in vivo.ConclusionsOverall, FOXM1 promoted the expression of Linc-ROR and induced the activation of the LMO4-dependent AKT/PI3K signaling pathway, thus facilitating the occurrence and development of HNSCC.
Toward Routine Minimally Invasive Ventricular Septal Defect Closure Via Right Lateral Minithoracotomy
Authors: Aydin Selim , Temur Bahar , Basgoze Serdar , Guzelmeric Fusun , Guvenc Osman , Erek Ersin 
Published: August 2021

Background: Improving the surgical results and recent advancement of transcatheter techniques for closure of ventricular septal defect (VSD) increased the demand for minimally invasive approaches. In this study, we analyzed the results of the patients who underwent VSD closure with right lateral minithoracotomy (RLMT).Methods: Between September 2014 and February 2021, 24 patients underwent minimally invasive VSD closure with RLMT. The median age of the patients was 16 months (range, 4-84 months). Fifteen patients (62.5%) were female. The median weight of the patients was 9.75 kg (range, 4.6-30 kg). The types of VSD were perimembranous in 19 patients, subaortic in three patients, inlet in one patient, and subpulmonic in one patient. Five patients had low-lying pulmonary stenosis in addition to VSD.Results: No perioperative death or major complication occurred during follow-up. All defects were repaired through RLMT. The median cardiopulmonary bypass time was 81 min (range, 44-163 min), and the aortic cross-clamp time was 65 min (range, 33-131 min). The median hospital stay was 6 days (range, 5-21 days). One patient had minimal (2 mm) residual left-to-right shunt. All families were satisfied with the cosmetic results during the follow-up.Conclusions: The RLMT method is a safe and effective alternative to standard median sternotomy for VSD closure and can be performed with favorable cosmetic and clinical results.
Reliability of Capillary Complete Blood Count in Children With Acute Gastroenteritis
Authors: Wielińska-Wiśniewska Hanna , Nowak Jan K. , Da̧browski Michał , Szydłowska Paula , Szczepanik Mariusz , Cichocka Katarzyna , Krzyżanowska-Jankowska Patrycja , Walkowiak Jarosław 
Published: August 2021

Background: To assess the reliability of complete blood count (CBC) in the capillary blood of children with acute gastroenteritis (AGE), with a focus on leukocytes.Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study. Complete blood count was compared between the capillary and venous blood in children admitted to a pediatric gastroenterology department with primary diagnosis of AGE (ICD-10 A09, A08.0, A08.2). Capillary blood was obtained in the emergency room and venous blood was sampled in the ward shortly thereafter during peripheral intravenous line placement.Results: One hundred and forty children were included. The mean (±SD) age and weight of patients were 3.0 ± 2.9 years and 16 ± 9 kg; 26% had leukocytosis. The mean difference between obtaining results of capillary and venous blood tests was 2 ± 1 h. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for the identification of leukocytosis using the capillary blood was 0.98 (95% CI 0.96–1.0). The sensitivity and specificity were 86 and 98%, respectively (accuracy 95%). The positive and negative predictive values were 94 and 95%, respectively. The intraclass correlation coefficient revealed high concordance between capillary and venous CBC measurements (leukocyte count 0.94, hemoglobin 0.88, erythrocyte count 0.77, hematocrit 0.79, platelet count 0.90). Matched pairs comparisons revealed marginally higher erythrocytes (difference of medians: 0.2 T/L), hemoglobin (0.3 g/dL), hematocrit (1.0%), and platelets (9 G/L) in the capillary blood.Conclusion: Capillary CBC is useful in detecting leukocytosis in children with AGE.
Modulatory Effect of 4-(methylthio)butyl Isothiocyanate Isolated From Eruca Sativa Thell. on DMBA Induced Overexpression of Hypoxia and Glycolytic Pathway in Sprague-Dawley Female Rats
Authors: Singh Davinder , Thakur Sharad , Singh Drishtant , Buttar Harpal Singh , Singh Balbir , Arora Saroj 
Published: August 2021

4-(methylthio)butyl isothiocyanate (4-MTBITC) is a hydrolytic product from the plantEruca sativaThell. In the present study, we explored the anti-cancer effect of 4-MTBITC against 7,12-dimethylbenz [a] anthracene (DMBA) induced breast cancer. Hypoxic conditions were developed using a single dose of 60 mg/kg DMBA. Hepatic and renal parameters were increased along with antioxidants in cancer-bearing rats which were lowered with the treatment of 4-MTBITC. Further, it inhibited the up-regulation of glycolytic enzymes caused by DMBA. The hypoxia pathway was evaluated using RT-PCR and it was found that the 40 mg/kg doses of 4-MTBITC statistically lowered the expression of HIF-1α. Akt/mTOR signaling pathway was one of the major pathways involved in 4-MTBITC-induced cell growth arrest by western blotting. Amino acid profiling serum-free plasma revealed the downregulation of specific amino acids required for vital components of fast-growing cancer cells. 4-MTBITC reduced the levels of serine, arginine, alanine, asparagines, and glutamic acid. Histological examination also showed neoplastic growth following DMBA doses. 4-MTBITC treated rats showed less infiltration and normal physiology. Our findings for the first time demonstrated the potential therapeutic significance of 4-MTBITC on modulation of glycolytic enzymes and hypoxia pathway in female rats.
Assessment of Alertness and Cognitive Performance of Closed Circuit Rebreather Divers With the Critical Flicker Fusion Frequency Test in Arctic Diving Conditions
Authors: Piispanen Wilhelm W. , Lundell Richard V. , Tuominen Laura J. , Räisänen-Sokolowski Anne K. 
Published: August 2021

Introduction: Cold water imposes many risks to the diver. These risks include decompression illness, physical and cognitive impairment, and hypothermia. Cognitive impairment can be estimated using a critical flicker fusion frequency (CFFF) test, but this method has only been used in a few studies conducted in an open water environment. We studied the effect of the cold and a helium-containing mixed breathing gas on the cognition of closed circuit rebreather (CCR) divers.Materials and Methods: Twenty-three divers performed an identical dive with controlled trimix gas with a CCR device in an ice-covered quarry. They assessed their thermal comfort at four time points during the dive. In addition, their skin temperature was measured at 5-min intervals throughout the dive. The divers performed the CFFF test before the dive, at target depth, and after the dive.Results: A statistically significant increase of 111.7% in CFFF values was recorded during the dive compared to the pre-dive values (p &lt; 0.0001). The values returned to the baseline after surfacing. There was a significant drop in the divers’ skin temperature of 0.48°C every 10 min during the dive (p &lt; 0.001). The divers’ subjectively assessed thermal comfort also decreased during the dive (p = 0.01).Conclusion: Our findings showed that neither extreme cold water nor helium-containing mixed breathing gas had any influence on the general CFFF profile described in the previous studies from warmer water and where divers used other breathing gases. We hypothesize that cold-water diving and helium-containing breathing gases do not in these diving conditions cause clinically relevant cerebral impairment. Therefore, we conclude that CCR diving in these conditions is safe from the perspective of alertness and cognitive performance.
Plant Availability of Magnesium in Typical Tea Plantation Soils
Authors: Zhang Qunfeng , Tang Dandan , Yang Xiangde , Geng Saipan , He Ying , Chen Yupei , Yi Xiaoyun , Ni Kang , Liu Meiya , Ruan Jianyun 
Published: August 2021

Background and Aims: Magnesium (Mg) fertilizer has been proved to play an important role in improving the yield and quality of tea. However, plant availability of Mg, including its use, efficiency, and quality improvement effects, were highly affected by plant species, soil characteristics (nutritional status, etc.), and Mg status (chemical-available, etc.).Methods: Tea plants were pot-cultivated in 12 typical tea plantation soils amended with and without Mg fertilizer. Exchangeable Mg (Ex-Mg) concentration in soils was quantitatively extracted using four extraction solutions (Mehlich-3, BaCl2, CaCl2, and NH4OAC). Plant availability of Mg was evaluated by Mg uptake and its use efficiency, as well as its association with quality components in tea plants.Results: Ex-Mg in soils was extracted most efficiently by Mehlich-3, while Mg concentrations in tea plant tissue were higher correlated with Ex-Mg extracted by CaCl2 than other extraction solutions. Mg fertilizer use efficiency in tea plant varied from 6.08 to 29.56 %, and the effect of Mg application on tea quality improvement and the use efficiency of Mg fertilizer both negatively correlated with total Mg concentration (r = −0.94 and −0.63, respectively) and nitrogen (N) level (r = −0.61 and −0.51, respectively) in soils prior to tea plant cultivation.Conclusions: CaCl2 could be recommended for plant-available Mg extraction in tea plantation soil, and Mg fertilizer use efficiency could be affected and predicted by total N and Mg status in soils prior to tea plant cultivation, providing a potential theoretical for the guidance of Mg fertilization for tea yield and quality improvement in tea plantation management.
Eye Movement Abnormalities in Major Depressive Disorder
Authors: Takahashi Junichi , Hirano Yoji , Miura Kenichiro , Morita Kentaro , Fujimoto Michiko , Yamamori Hidenaga , Yasuda Yuka , Kudo Noriko , Shishido Emiko , Okazaki Kosuke , Shiino Tomoko , Nakao Tomohiro , Kasai Kiyoto , Hashimoto Ryota , Onitsuka Toshiaki 
Published: August 2021

Background: Despite their high lifetime prevalence, major depressive disorder (MDD) is often difficult to diagnose, and there is a need for useful biomarkers for the diagnosis of MDD. Eye movements are considered a non-invasive potential biomarker for the diagnosis of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. However, eye movement deficits in MDD remain unclear. Thus, we evaluated detailed eye movement measurements to validate its usefulness as a biomarker in MDD.Methods: Eye movements were recorded from 37 patients with MDD and 400 healthy controls (HCs) using the same system at five University hospitals. We administered free-viewing, fixation stability, and smooth pursuit tests, and obtained 35 eye movement measurements. We performed analyses of covariance with group as an independent variable and age as a covariate. In 4 out of 35 measurements with significant group-by-age interactions, we evaluated aging effects. Discriminant analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were conducted.Results: In the free-viewing test, scanpath length was significantly shorter in MDD (p = 4.2 × 10−3). In the smooth pursuit test, duration of saccades was significantly shorter and peak saccade velocity was significantly lower in MDD (p = 3.7 × 10−3, p = 3.9 × 10−3, respectively). In the fixation stability test, there were no significant group differences. There were significant group differences in the older cohort, but not in the younger cohort, for the number of fixations, duration of fixation, number of saccades, and fixation density in the free-viewing test. A discriminant analysis using scanpath length in the free-viewing test and peak saccade velocity in the smooth pursuit showed MDD could be distinguished from HCs with 72.1% accuracy. In the ROC analysis, the area under the curve was 0.76 (standard error = 0.05, p = 1.2 × 10−7, 95% confidence interval = 0.67–0.85).Conclusion: These results suggest that detailed eye movement tests can assist in differentiating MDD from HCs, especially in older subjects.
Needed: More Reliable Bioeffects Studies at “High Band” 5G Frequencies
Authors: Foster Kenneth R , Vijayalaxmi  
Published: August 2021

One major source of controversy related to possible health effects of radiofrequency radiation (RFR) is the large number of reported statistically significant effects of exposure, over the entire RF part of the spectrum and over a wide range of exposure levels, even as health agencies do not find clear evidence for health hazards of exposure at levels within current IEEE and ICNIRP exposure limits. This Perspective considers 31 studies related to genetic damage produced by exposure to RFR at frequencies above 6 GHz, including at millimeter-wave (mm-wave) frequencies. Collectively, the papers report many statistically significant effects related to genetic damage, many at exposure levels below current exposure limits. However, application of five risk of bias (RoB) criteria and other considerations suggest that the studies in many cases are vulnerable to false discovery (nonreplicable results). The authors call for improvements in study design, analysis and reporting in future bioeffects research to provide more reliable information for health agencies and regulatory decision makers. This Perspective is a companion to another Perspective by Mattsson et al. elsewhere in this volume (Mattsson et al., 2021)1.