bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Gait and balance impairments in patients with subcortical vascular cognitive impairment
Authors: Elhassanien Mahmoud Ebrahim Mostafa , El-Heneedy Yasser Abo Elfotoh , Ramadan Kareem Mohammed , Kotait Mona Ahmed , Elkholy Amr , Elhamrawy Mohammed Youssef , Bahnasy Wafik Said 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Background
Subcortical vascular cognitive impairment (SVCI) is a subtype of vascular cognitive impairment associated with extensive cerebral small vessel diseases (CSVDs) imaging biomarkers. The objectives of this work were to study the existence and patterns of gait and balance impairments in patients with SVCI due to CSVDs.

Methods
The study was conducted on 28 newly diagnosed SVCI patients and 22 healthy control subjects (HCS) submitted to the advanced activity of daily living scale (AADLs), Berg balance test (BBT), Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA), computerized dynamic posturography (CDP), vision-based 3-D skeletal data gait analysis, and brain MRI volumetric assessment.

Results
SVCI patients showed a significant decrease in AADLs as well as total cerebral white matter volume, total cerebral cortical volume, and mean cortical thickness which were proportional to the degree of cognitive impairment as measured by the MoCA score. Regarding CDP analysis, patients with SVCI revealed prolongation of cancelation time and spectral power for mid- and high frequencies in dynamic positions. In respect to gait analysis, there were significant decreases in mean stride length and mean cadence as well as increases in mean step width and left to right step length difference in the SVCI group compared to HCS while doing a single task. These variables get highly significant during the dual-task performance with a p value < 0.001 for each one.

Conclusion
Patients with SVCI suffer from gait and balance impairments that are proportional to the severity of their cognitive decline and greatly impair their ADLs.
The microbiota of healthy dogs demonstrates individualized responses to synbiotic supplementation in a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Tanprasertsuk Jirayu , Jha Aashish R. , Shmalberg Justin , Jones Roshonda B. , Perry LeeAnn M. , Maughan Heather , Honaker Ryan W. 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Background
Probiotics have been demonstrated to ameliorate clinical signs of gastrointestinal diseases in dogs in various studies. However, the effect of probiotics in a healthy population, as well as factors contributing individualized responses, remain largely unknown. This trial examined gut microbiota (GM) and health outcomes in household dogs after synbiotic (SN) supplementation containing probiotics and inulin (a prebiotic). Healthy dogs were randomized to receive SN (50 mg/d inulin and 20 billion total CFU/d of L. reuteri, P. acidilactici, E. faecium, L. acidophilus, B. animalis, L. fermentum, L. rhamnosus) or placebo (PL) for 4 weeks. Owners completed a health survey and collected stool samples for GM profiling (shotgun metagenomic sequencing) at baseline and week 4 in both groups, and at week 6 in the SN group.

Results
A significant shift (p < 0.001) in β-diversity was observed in the SN (n = 24), but not PL group (n = 19), at week 4 relative to baseline. Forty-five bacterial species, 43 (96%) of which were Lactobacillales, showed an increase in the relative abundances (≥2 fold change, adjusted p < 0.05) in the SN group at week 4. E. coli also decreased at week 4 in the SN group (2.8-fold, adjusted p < 0.01). The altered taxa largely returned to baseline at week 6. The degree of changes in β-diversity was associated with GM at baseline. Specifically, dogs with higher Proteobacteria and lower Lactobacillales responded more robustly to supplementation in terms of the change in β-diversity. Dogs fed SN tended to have lower diarrhea incidence (0% vs 16%, p = 0.08).

Conclusions
SN supplement had a short-term impact on the gut microbiota in healthy household dogs as characterized by shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Findings warrant further investigation with longer duration and populations at risk of gastrointestinal diseases. The magnitude of response to the supplement was associated with microbial profile at baseline. To our knowledge, this is the first study documenting such association and may provide a basis for personalized nutrition in companion dogs.
Prismatic mesh generation based on anisotropic volume harmonic field
Authors: Zhu Yiming , Wang Shengfa , Zheng Xiaopeng , Lei Na , Luo Zhongxuan , Chen Bo 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIn this paper, we present an effective prismatic mesh generation method for viscous flow simulations. To address the prismatic mesh collisions in recessed cavities or slit areas, we exploit 3D tensors controlled anisotropic volume harmonic field to generate prismatic meshes. Specially, a well-fitting tetrahedral mesh is first constructed to serve as the discrete computation domain of volume harmonic fields. Then, 3D tensors are exploited to control the volume harmonic field that better fits the shape geometry. From the topological perspective, the generation of the prismatic mesh can be treated as a topology-preserved morphing of the viscous wall. Therefore, iso-surfaces in the volume harmonic field should be homeomorphic to the viscous wall while fitting its shapes. Finally, a full prismatic mesh can be induced by estimating the forward directions and visible regions in the volume harmonic field. Moreover, to be compatible with different simulation situations, the thickness of prismatic meshes should be variable. Our approach provides local adjustable thickness of prismatic meshes, which can be achieved by controlling local 3D tensors. The proposed anisotropic volume harmonic field based prismatic meshes are efficient and robust, and a full prismatic mesh can be guaranteed without low quality collisions. Various experiments have shown that our proposed prismatic meshes have obvious advantages in terms of efficiency and effectiveness.
Efficacy and safety of lurasidone in adolescents and young adults with schizophrenia: A pooled post hoc analysis of double-blind, placebo-controlled 6-week studies
Authors: Costamagna Isabella , Calisti Fabrizio , Cattaneo Agnese , Hsu Jay , Tocco Michael , Pikalov Andrei , Goldman Robert 
Published: May 2021

Abstract

Background
The aim of this pooled analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of lurasidone in the treatment of an acute exacerbation of schizophrenia in adolescents and young adults.

Methods
The six pooled studies in this analysis used similar study designs and outcome measures. Patients (aged 13–25 years) were randomized to 6 weeks of double-blind, placebo-controlled treatment with lurasidone in fixed doses of 40, 80, 120, or 160 mg. The primary efficacy endpoint was Week 6 change in the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score; secondary efficacy endpoints included Week 6 change in the Clinical Global Impression–Severity scale.

Results
The safety population consisted of 537 patients (mean age: 18.1 years); 82.6% of patients completed the studies. Treatment with lurasidone was significantly better than placebo at all doses (p < 0.001) for change in the PANSS total score at Week 6. Placebo-adjusted PANSS scores ranged from −9.4 to −16.1 (effect sizes: 0.53–0.90), with effect sizes increasing at higher doses. For lurasidone (combined doses), three adverse events occurred with a frequency of ≥5% (nausea: 13.5%; somnolence: 12.1%; akathisia: 10.1%). At last observation carried forward (LOCF)-endpoint weight gain of ≥7% was similar for lurasidone versus placebo (3.6 vs. 4.7%). Minimal median changes were observed at endpoint in cholesterol, −2.0 mg/dL; triglycerides, 0.0 mg/dL; and glucose, 0.0 mg/dL.

Conclusions
In adolescents and young adults with schizophrenia, treatment with lurasidone in doses of 40–160 mg/d was a safe, well-tolerated, and effective treatment. Short-term treatment with lurasidone was associated with minimal effects on weight and metabolic parameters.
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of No Adjuvant Therapy Versus Partial Breast Irradiation Alone Versus Combined Treatment for Treatment of Low-Risk DCIS: A Microsimulation
Authors: Ward Matthew C. , Vicini Frank , Al-Hilli Zahraa , Chadha Manjeet , Abraham Abel , Recht Abram , Hayman James , Thaker Nikhil , Khan Atif J. , Keisch Martin , Shah Chirag 
Published: May 2021

PURPOSE: Adjuvant therapy in patients with ductal carcinoma in situ who undergo partial mastectomy remains controversial, particularly for low-risk patients (60 years or older, estrogen-positive, tumor extent < 2.5 cm, grade 1 or 2, and margins ≥ 3 mm). We performed a cost-effectiveness analysis comparing three strategies: no adjuvant treatment after surgery, a five-fraction course of accelerated partial breast irradiation using intensity-modulated radiation therapy (accelerated partial breast irradiation [APBI]–alone), or APBI plus an aromatase inhibitor for 5 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Outcomes including local recurrence, distant metastases, and survival as well as toxicity data were modeled by a patient-level Markov microsimulation model, which were validated against trial data. Costs of treatment and possible adverse events were included from the societal perspective over a lifetime horizon, adjusted to 2019 US dollars and extracted from Medicare reimbursement data. Quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were calculated based on utilities extracted from the literature. RESULTS: No adjuvant therapy was the least costly approach ($5,744), followed by APBI-alone ($11,070); combined therapy was costliest ($16,052). Adjuvant therapy resulted in slightly higher QALYs (no adjuvant, 11.320; APBI-alone, 11.343; and combination, 11.381). In the base case, no treatment was the cost-effective strategy, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $239,109/QALY for APBI-alone and $171,718/QALY for combined therapy. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for combined therapy compared with APBI-alone was $131,949. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses found that no therapy was cost effective (defined as $100,000/QALY of lower) in 63% of trials, APBI-alone in 19%, and the combination in 18%. CONCLUSION: No adjuvant therapy represents the most cost-effective approach for postmenopausal women 60 years or older who receive partial mastectomy for low-risk ductal carcinoma in situ.
Quantum simulation of a discrete-time quantum stochastic walk
Authors: Schuhmacher Peter K. , Govia Luke C. G. , Taketani Bruno G. , Wilhelm Frank K. 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Quantum walks have been shown to have a wide range of applications, from artificial intelligence, to photosynthesis, and quantum transport. Quantum stochastic walks (QSWs) generalize this concept to additional non-unitary evolution. In this paper, we propose a trajectory-based quantum simulation protocol to effectively implement a family of discrete-time QSWs in a quantum device. After deriving the protocol for a 2-vertex graph with a single edge, we show how our protocol generalizes to a graph with arbitrary topology and connectivity. The straightforward generalization leads to simple scaling of the protocol to complex graphs. Finally, we show how to simulate a restricted class of continuous-time QSWs by a discrete-time QSW, and how this is amenable to our simulation protocol for discrete-time QSWs.
An overview of generalized entropic forms(a)
Authors: Ilić V. M. , Korbel J. , Gupta S. , Scarfone A. M. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe aim of this focus article is to present a comprehensive classification of the main entropic forms introduced in the last fifty years in the framework of statistical physics and information theory. Most of them can be grouped into three families, characterized by two-deformation parameters, introduced respectively by Sharma, Taneja, and Mittal (entropies of degree)), by Sharma and Mittal (entropies of order), and by Hanel and Thurner (entropies of class). Many entropic forms examined will be characterized systematically by means of important concepts such as their axiomatic foundationsà laShannon-Khinchin and the consequent composability rule for statistically independent systems. Other critical aspects related to the Lesche stability of information measures and their consistency with the Shore-Johnson axioms will be briefly discussed on a general ground.
Activity-induced isotropic-polar transition in active liquid crystals
Authors: Giordano M. G. , Bonelli F. , Carenza L. N. , Gonnella G. , Negro G. 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Active fluids are intrinsically out-of-equilibrium systems due to the internal energy injection of the active constituents. We show here that a transition from a motion-less isotropic state towards a flowing polar one can be possibly driven by the sole active injection through the action of polar-hydrodynamic interactions in absence of an ad hoc free energy which favors the development of an ordered phase. In particular, we propose an analytical argument and we perform lattice Boltzmann simulations where the appearance of large temporal fluctuations in the polar fraction of the system is observed at the transition point. We show that elastic absorption plays a relevant role in energy transfer dynamics, contrary to the case of the usual active gel theory where this term can be factually neglected.
Risk of miscarriage in women with chronic diseases in Norway: A registry linkage study
Authors: Magnus Maria C. , Morken Nils-Halvdan , Wensaas Knut-Arne , Wilcox Allen J. , Håberg Siri E. 
Published: May 2021

BackgroundIncreased risk of miscarriage has been reported for women with specific chronic health conditions. A broader investigation of chronic diseases and miscarriage risk may uncover patterns across categories of illness. The objective of this study was to study the risk of miscarriage according to various preexisting chronic diseases.Methods and findingsWe conducted a registry-based study. Registered pregnancies (n= 593,009) in Norway between 2010 and 2016 were identified through 3 national health registries (birth register, general practitioner data, and patient registries). Six broad categories of illness were identified, comprising 25 chronic diseases defined by diagnostic codes used in general practitioner and patient registries. We required that the diseases were diagnosed before the pregnancy of interest. Miscarriage risk according to underlying chronic diseases was estimated as odds ratios (ORs) using generalized estimating equations adjusting for woman’s age. The mean age of women at the start of pregnancy was 29.7 years (SD 5.6 years). We observed an increased risk of miscarriage among women with cardiometabolic diseases (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.20 to 1.31;p-value <0.001). Within this category, risks were elevated for all conditions: atherosclerosis (2.22; 1.42 to 3.49;p-value <0.001), hypertensive disorders (1.19; 1.13 to 1.26;p-value <0.001), and type 2 diabetes (1.38; 1.26 to 1.51;p-value <0.001). Among other categories of disease, risks were elevated for hypoparathyroidism (2.58; 1.35 to 4.92;p-value 0.004), Cushing syndrome (1.97; 1.06 to 3.65;p-value 0.03), Crohn’s disease (OR 1.31; 95% CI: 1.18 to 1.45;p-value 0.001), and endometriosis (1.22; 1.15 to 1.29;p-value <0.001). Findings were largely unchanged after mutual adjustment. Limitations of this study include our inability to adjust for measures of socioeconomic position or lifestyle characteristics, in addition to the rareness of some of the conditions providing limited power.ConclusionsIn this registry study, we found that, although risk of miscarriage was largely unaffected by maternal chronic diseases, risk of miscarriage was associated with conditions related to cardiometabolic health. This finding is consistent with emerging evidence linking cardiovascular risk factors to pregnancy complications.
Patient, hospital and country-level risk factors of all-cause mortality among patients with chronic heart failure: Prospective international cohort study
Authors: Pongiglione Benedetta , Torbica Aleksandra , Gale Chris P. , Tavazzi Luigi , Vardas Panos , Maggioni Aldo P. 
Published: May 2021

Background
Although many studies have described patient-level risk factors for outcomes in heart failure (HF), health care structural determinants remain largely unexplored. This research reports patient-, hospital- and country-level characteristics associated with 1-year all-cause mortality among patients with chronic HF, and investigates geographic and hospital variation in mortality.

Methods and findings
We included 9,277 patients with chronic HF enrolled between May 2011 and November 2017 in the prospective cohort study European Society of Cardiology Heart Failure Long Term registry across 142 hospitals, located in 22 countries. Mean age of the selected outpatients was 65 years (sd 13.2) and 28% were female. The all-cause 1-year mortality rate per 100 person-years was 7.1 (95% confidence interval (CI) 6.6–7.7), and varied between countries (median 6.8, IQR 5.6–11.2) and hospitals (median 7.8, IQR 5.2–12.4). Mortality was associated with age (incidence rate ratio 1.03, 95% CI 1.02–1.04), diabetes mellitus (1.37, 1.15–1.63), peripheral artery disease (1.56, 1.27–1.92), New York Heart Association class III/IV (1.91, 1.60–2.30), treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor antagonists (0.71, 0.57–0.87) and HF clinic (0.64, 0.46–0.89). No other hospital-level characteristics, and no country-level healthcare characteristics were associated with 1-year mortality, with case-mix standardised variance between countries being very low (1.83e-06) and higher for hospitals (0.372).

Conclusions
All-cause mortality at 1 year among outpatients with chronic HF varies between countries and hospitals, and is associated with patient characteristics and the availability of hospital HF clinics. After full adjustment for clinical, hospital and country variables, between-country variance was negligible while between-hospital variance was evident.
Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin as a biomarker for short-term outcomes among trauma patients: A single-center observational study
Authors: Minami Sakura , Doi Tomoki , Abe Takeru , Takeuchi Ichiro 
Published: May 2021

Background
Urinary biomarkers for organ dysfunction could predict the outcomes of severe trauma patients. However, the use of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) as a biomarker of trauma is not well studied.

Objectives
To evaluate the association between the short-term prognosis of trauma patients and NGAL levels.

Methods
We conducted a single center study and compared predictive performances between NGAL levels and the trauma severity.

Results
A total of 104 patients were included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups based on ISS score of 16. There was no significant difference in patient characteristics based on trauma severity. However, the lactate level was significantly higher in the more severe group. There was a significant association between urinary NGAL levels and trauma severity indicators, such as intensive care unit stay (ICU) (p = 0.005) and emergency care unit (ECU) stay (p = 0.049). In addition, receiver operating curve analysis showed that as a predictor, NGAL could be used for detecting severity with moderate precision, especially for short-term outcomes (specificity 70.6 for ICU and 69.0 for ECU stay).

Conclusion
In this study, we revealed that the level of NGAL could predict the degree of invasiveness in trauma patients with moderate precision and estimate the duration of treatment during the acute phase. It is necessary to examine the validity of the findings of this study using a prospective, cohort, and multi-center collaborative study design.
Effects of Pilates Exercise on Bone Mineral Density in Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: de Oliveira Raphael Gonçalves , Anami Gustavo Eiji Ueno , Coelho Edilaine Aparecida , de Oliveira Laís Campos 
Published: May 2021

Background and Purpose:
Despite the popularity of Pilates exercises among postmenopausal women, few studies have devoted attention to verifying the effects of the technique on bone mineral density (BMD), and, to date, no systematic review and meta-analysis have been conducted on this topic. Our objective was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials examining the effect of Pilates on BMD.

Methods:
Randomized controlled trials were considered eligible, with follow-up of 6 months and more, which verified the effects of Pilates exercise on the BMD of postmenopausal women. The calculations of the meta-analysis were performed through the weighted mean difference between the Pilates exercise and control groups, through the absolute change between pre- and postintervention in the areal bone mineral density.

Results:
Three randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. Only 1 study presented satisfactory methodological quality. Pilates exercises did not offer significant effects to improve areal bone mineral density of the lumbar spine (0.019 g/cm2 [95% confidence interval (CI), −0.018 to 0.057], P = .32), total hip (0.012 g/cm2 [95% CI, −0.002 to 0.027], P = .10), or femoral neck (0.000 g/cm2 [95% CI, −0.021 to 0.022], P = .97).

Conclusions:
Pilates exercises had no significant effects on BMD in postmenopausal women. However, the few studies included in the meta-analysis and the low methodological quality of the majority of the studies do not allow safe extrapolation of the results at this time. More robust randomized controlled trials with high methodological quality are needed so that the results of this meta-analysis can be confirmed.
Effects of Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Training Volume and Pleasure Responses in the Back Squat Exercise Following a Bench Press
Authors: Rodrigues Guilherme Moraes , Machado Sérgio , Faria Vieira Lucas Antunes , Ramalho de Oliveira Bruno Ribeiro , Jesus Abreu Marco Antonio , Marquez Gonzalo , Maranhão Neto Geraldo Albuquerque , Lattari Eduardo 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Rodrigues, GM, Machado, S, Faria Vieira, LA, Ramalho de Oliveira, BR, Jesus Abreu, MA, Marquez, G, Maranhão Neto, GA, and Lattari, E. Effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation on training volume and pleasure responses in the back squat exercise following a bench press. J Strength Cond Res 36(11): 3048–3055, 2022—This study aimed to investigate the effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) on volume-load and pleasure responses in a back squat following a bench press. Twelve male subjects advanced in resistance training (RT) (age, 25.5 ± 4.4 years) completed 2 experimental trials in a counterbalanced crossover design: a-tDCS and sham conditions. The stimulus was applied over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for 20 minutes using a 2-mA current intensity in a-tDCS condition and 1 minute of active stimulus in the sham condition. Immediately after stimulation, subjects performed the bench press followed by the back squat. The exercise protocol consisted of 3 sets of maximum repetitions at an intensity of 80% of 1 repetition maximum. The volume-load, perceived pleasure, and arousal responses were measured during the RT protocol. The results indicated that volume-load was higher in the a-tDCS condition than in the sham condition for both exercises (p = 0.02), with large effect for the back squat (p = 0.045; d = 0.96). The higher volume-load was obtained by increasing the number of repetitions across all sets for the bench press (p ≤ 0.0001) and only in the first set for the back squat (p = 0.01). The circumplex model analysis showed a higher pleasure in the bench press and a tendency toward a higher pleasure in the a-tDCS condition. Anodal tDCS may be used as an ergogenic resource for increasing the back squat volume after performing the bench press in resistance-trained male subjects.