bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Combined simultaneous FDG-PET/MRI with T1 and T2 mapping as an imaging biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of suspected cardiac sarcoidosis
Authors: Cheung Edward , Ahmad Sarah , Aitken Matthew , Chan Rosanna , Iwanochko Robert M. , Balter Meyer , Metser Ur , Veit-Haibach Patrick , Billia Filio , Moayedi Yasbanoo , Ross Heather J. , Hanneman Kate 
Published: December 2021

AbstractPurposeTo evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic significance of combined cardiac18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/MRI with T1/T2 mapping in the evaluation of suspected cardiac sarcoidosis.MethodsPatients with suspected cardiac sarcoidosis were prospectively enrolled for cardiac18F-FDG PET/MRI, including late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and T1/T2 mapping with calculation of extracellular volume (ECV). The final diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis was established using modified JMHW guidelines. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were assessed as a composite of cardiovascular death, ventricular tachyarrhythmia, bradyarrhythmia, cardiac transplantation or heart failure. Statistical analysis included Cox proportional hazard models.ResultsForty-two patients (53 ± 13 years, 67% male) were evaluated, 13 (31%) with a final diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis. Among patients with cardiac sarcoidosis, 100% of patients had at least one abnormality on PET/MRI: FDG uptake in 69%, LGE in 100%, elevated T1 and ECV in 100%, and elevated T2 in 46%. FDG uptake co-localized with LGE in 69% of patients with cardiac sarcoidosis compared to 24% of those without,p = 0.014. Diagnostic specificity for cardiac sarcoidosis was highest for FDG uptake (69%), elevated T2 (79%), and FDG uptake co-localizing with LGE (76%). Diagnostic sensitivity was highest for LGE, elevated T1 and ECV (100%). After median follow-up duration of 634 days, 13 patients experienced MACE. All patients who experienced MACE had LGE, elevated T1 and elevated ECV. FDG uptake (HR 14.7,p = 0.002), elevated T2 (HR 9.0,p = 0.002) and native T1 (HR 1.1 per 10 ms increase,p = 0.044) were significant predictors of MACE even after adjusting for left ventricular ejection fraction and immune suppression treatment. The presence of FDG uptake co-localizing with LGE had the highest diagnostic performance overall (AUC 0.73) and was the best predictor of MACE based on model goodness of fit (HR 14.9,p = 0.001).ConclusionsCombined cardiac FDG-PET/MRI with T1/T2 mapping provides complementary diagnostic information and predicts MACE in patients with suspected cardiac sarcoidosis.
Fó (佛), Pwuche (仏体), and Hotoke (保止氣)
Authors: Xu Ye 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
The aim of this article is to discuss how the Chinese loanword fó (佛) was incorporated into pre-Old Korean (pre-OK), Old Korean (OK), and Western Old Japanese (WOJ) on the basis of textual research using various primary sources from China, Korea, and Japan. The author proposes that two routes exist to explain the borrowing of the Chinese word fó (佛) into pre-OK, OK, and WOJ: one route from the Six Dynasties to the Korean Three Kingdoms period to Japan's pre-Nara period, and one from the Sui and Tang dynasties to the Unified Silla and Koryŏ periods.
Safety Profile and Factors Associated With Good Outcome for Endovascularly Treated Infectious Intracranial Aneurysms
Authors: Lai Pui Man Rosalind , Caragher Seamus , Patel Nirav J. , Du Rose , Ali Aziz-Sultan Mohammad 
Published: December 2021

BACKGROUND:
Infectious intracranial aneurysms (IIAs), or mycotic aneurysms, are infectious inflammatory lesions that can cause devastating neurological damage or death. Recent systemic reviews have suggested endovascular treatment to be efficacious for IIA management.

OBJECTIVE:
To compare the safety profile of different endovascular methods for treating ruptured and unruptured IIAs and factors associated with good clinical and radiographic outcomes.

METHODS:
We conducted a retrospective single study of endovascularly treated ruptured and unruptured IIAs between 2003 and 2019. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to study patient presentation, endovascular treatments used, and clinical and radiographic outcomes.

RESULTS:
Thirty-eight patients with ruptured (n = 20) and unruptured (n = 18) IIAs treated with endovascular methods were included. One patient required retreatment after aneurysm recanalization, and 2 patients demonstrated new infarcts after embolization. There was no postprocedural radiographic hemorrhage or infarct and no difference in clinical and radiographic outcomes comparing treatment modality. Hypertension was associated with ruptured IIA status and worse clinical outcome at 6 mo (odds ratio: 0.03 [95% confidence interval: 0.002-0.52]).

CONCLUSION:
In this study, the largest single-center series to date, we showed that endovascular intervention is a safe and effective strategy for both ruptured and unruptured IIAs. Hypertension was associated with ruptured status and worse clinical outcome. Procedures are generally well-tolerated and safe, with good outcomes for patients.
The microRNA miR-202 prevents precocious spermatogonial differentiation and meiotic initiation during mouse spermatogenesis
Authors: Chen Jian , Gao Chenxu , Lin Xiwen , Ning Yan , He Wei , Zheng Chunwei , Zhang Daoqin , Yan Lin , Jiang Binjie , Zhao Yuting , Hossen Md Alim , Han Chunsheng 
Published: December 2021

ABSTRACTSpermatogonial differentiation and meiotic initiation during spermatogenesis are tightly regulated by a number of genes, including those encoding enzymes for miRNA biogenesis. However, whether and how single miRNAs regulate these processes remain unclear. Here, we report that miR-202, a member of the let-7 family, prevents precocious spermatogonial differentiation and meiotic initiation in spermatogenesis by regulating the timely expression of many genes, including those for key regulators such as STRA8 and DMRT6. In miR-202 knockout (KO) mice, the undifferentiated spermatogonial pool is reduced, accompanied by age-dependent decline of fertility. In KO mice, SYCP3, STRA8 and DMRT6 are expressed earlier than in wild-type littermates, and Dmrt6 mRNA is a direct target of miR-202-5p. Moreover, the precocious spermatogonial differentiation and meiotic initiation were also observed in KO spermatogonial stem cells when cultured and induced in vitro, and could be partially rescued by the knockdown of Dmrt6. Therefore, we have not only shown that miR-202 is a regulator of meiotic initiation but also identified a previously unknown module in the underlying regulatory network.
Structured reporting in radiologic education – Potential of different PI-RADS versions in prostate MRI controlled by in-bore MR-guided biopsies
Authors: Garmer Marietta , Karpienski Julia , Groenemeyer Dietrich HW , Wagener Birgit , Kamper Lars , Haage Patrick 
Published: December 2021

Objectives:
To evaluate the efficiency of structured reporting in radiologic education – based on the example of different PI-RADS score versions for multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) of the prostate.

Methods:
MpMRI of 688 prostate lesions in 180 patients were retrospectively reviewed by an experienced radiologist and by a student using PI-RADS V1 and V2. Data sets were reviewed for changes according to PI-RADS V2.1. The results were correlated with results obtained by MR-guided biopsy. Diagnostic potency was evaluated by ROC analysis. Sensitivity, specificity and correct-graded samples were evaluated for different cutpoints. The agreement between radiologist and student was determined for the aggregation of the PI-RADS score in three categories. The student’s time needed for evaluation was measured.

Results:
The area under curve of the ROC analysis was 0.782/0.788 (V1/V2) for the student and 0.841/0.833 (V1/V2) for the radiologist. The agreement between student and radiologist showed a Cohen‘s weighted κ coefficient of 0.495 for V1 and 0.518 for V2. Median student’s time needed for score assessment was 4:34 min for PI-RADSv1 and 2:00 min for PI-RADSv2 (p &lt; 0.001). Re-evaluation for V2.1 changed the category in 1.4% of all ratings.

Conclusion:
The capacity of prostate cancer detection using PI-RADS V1 and V2 is dependent on the reader‘s experience. The results from the two observers indicate that structured reporting using PI-RADS and, controlled by histopathology, can be a valuable and quantifiable tool in students‘ or residents’ education. Herein, V2 was superior to V1 in terms of inter-observer agreement and time efficacy.

Advances in knowledge:
Structured reporting can be a valuable and quantifiable tool in radiologic education. Structured reporting using PI-RADS can be used by a student with good performance. PI-RADS V2 is superior to V1 in terms of inter-observer agreement and time efficacy.
Susceptibility pattern of Mycobacterium tuberculosis over a period of five years at Indus Hospital and Health Network, Karachi, Pakistan
Authors: Khursheed Nazia , Asif Sunil , Bano Safia , Ali Maria Mushtaq , Adnan Fareeha 
Published: December 2021

Objective: To determine the susceptibility pattern and frequency of isolation of multidrug, pre-extensively drug and extensively drug resistant TB in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan.
Method: A cross-sectional study was designed. Samples received in the lab were processed for growth and sensitivity testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Isolation of MTB was done on Mycobacteria growth indicator tube (MGIT) followed by identification using MPT64. Samples were than evaluated for drug sensitivity against first and second-line antimycobacterial drugs. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 24.0.
Results: Of the 20014 samples received, 23.1% were identified as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Drug sensitivity testing was performed on 95.9% isolates. Fifty-two percent samples were from males and 48% female patients. The study found statistically non-significant relationship between gender and likelihood of disease with drug-resistant (DR)-MTB organisms. The rate of isolation of MDR-TB was highest (43%) among ages 25-55 years and previously treated patients compared to newly diagnosed patients (62% vs 36%). Among MTB positive samples, 91.5% were pulmonary while 8.5% were extrapulmonary samples. Extrapulmonary samples were more likely to be sensitive to antimycobacterial drugs. The highest resistance was observed against Isoniazid (pulmonary=58%; extrapulmonary=12.7%), Rifampicin (pulmonary=58.7%; extrapulmonary=8.2%), and Levofloxacin (pulmonary=29.2%; extrapulmonary=20%).
Conclusion: A considerable number of drug resistant tuberculosis cases were identified in the present study. It is essential to develop further strategies to reduce the spread of this disease.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.ICON-2022.5778
How to cite this:Khursheed N, Asif S, Bano S, Ali MM, Adnan F. Susceptibility pattern of Mycobacterium tuberculosis over a period of five years at Indus Hospital and Health Network, Karachi, Pakistan. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(2):399-404. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.ICON-2022.5778
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Sustainable insulating foams based on recycled polyurethanes from construction and demolition wastes
Authors: Elorza Edurne , Aranberri Ibon , Zhou Xiangming , Kastiukas Gediminas , Alduncin Juan Antonio 
Published: December 2021

Background: Polyurethane (PU) foams contained in construction and demolition wastes (CDW) represent a great environmental impact, since they usually end in landfill or incineration processes. The goal of this work is to develop a way to formulate PU foams, maintaining (or ever improving) their performance, by the re-use of those industrial wastes. This procedure will allow minimize both the volume of disposal to be treated by other ways and the amount of pristine raw material needed to produce new PU foams. Methods: In this work, new rigid and soft polyurethane (PU) foams have been formulated with addition of recycled PU foams coming from demolition of buildings. Density, Fourier transform infrared analysis, compression properties and thermal conductivity were measured to characterize the resulting foams. Results: The work showed that addition of filler coming from recycled PU foams should be limited to low percentages, in order to allow good foam evolution from the reactants. Thermal conductivity values of modified rigid foams are worse than those of pristine foam, which is undesirable for thermal insulation purposes; however, in the case of soft foams, this parameter improved to some extent with low levels of recycled PU foam addition. Conclusions: The studied procedure could contribute to reduce the thermal conductivity of pristine soft PU foam, which would be of interest for applications where thermal insulation matters.
Examining the effects of upper extremity function and arm sling type on balance, gait and fall risk in patients with hemiparesis
Authors: Lee Seung-Hyuk , Lee Joon-Hee 
Published: December 2021

Background/aims Previous studies have reported conflicting results on the effects of arm slings on the balance and gait of patients with hemiparesis. These previous studies did not consider the ability to control the upper extremity on the affected side as a factor that could affect the patient's balance or gait when an arm sling was applied. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of upper extremity function in the affected side and arm position according to the sling type on balance, gait and fall. Methods A total of 31 stroke patients participated in the study and were assigned to two groups according to upper extremity function (low-score group and high-score group). Under three conditions (no sling, forearm sling and shoulder sling), a fall risk test, postural stability test and limits of stability test were performed and speed, stride duration, step length and total time were measured. Results When the high-score group wore forearm slings, the static and dynamic balance ability decreased and the fall risk increased. When the low-score group wore forearm slings and shoulder slings, the static and dynamic balance ability increased and the fall risk decreased. The high-score group had a shorter gait time when wearing shoulder slings. When the low-score group wore forearm slings, the speed and step length increased and the total time decreased, enhancing the overall gait ability. Conclusions For stroke patients with better upper extremity control ability, shoulder slings are more appropriate. For patients with poor upper extremity control ability, forearm slings are more appropriate. Using the appropriate sling according to the upper extremity function can improve balance and gait ability and fall risk can be reduced.
Considerations for hand hygiene to reduce hospital acquired infections in practice
Authors: Parkes Gina 
Published: December 2021

As veterinary nurses, our role as set out in the professional conduct guidance by the RCVS states that when providing care, veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses should ‘ensure a hygienic and safe environment’.This means that we should actively contribute to the careful consideration of day-to-day practices within the clinic that safeguard patients to ensure that when they enter they clinics, they are not exposed to increased risk from infection. Understanding the need for good hand hygiene in clinic, along with the appropriate considerations, means that we are able to implement good practice.
Soil Particle Modeling and Parameter Calibration for Use with Discrete Element Method
Authors: Yang Yukun , Wen Baoqin , Ding Longpeng , Li Liqiao , Chen Xinghua , Li Jingbin 
Published: December 2021

HighlightsSoil particle shapes were statistically analyzed, and four representative particles were obtained.A particle model was established using three-dimensional non-contact surface topography.This study used a response surface design method to calibrate significant soil parameters.The simulation parameters were verified by rotary tiller experiment.Abstract. The discrete element method (DEM) has broad prospects for application in soil-tool simulations. To ensure the reliability of simulations, appropriate simulation parameters and particle modeling are essential. Therefore, in this article, a method combining simulation and actual tests is proposed to calibrate the critical soil parameters. First, the effect of soil particle shape on particle contact was considered. Soil particle shapes were statistically analyzed using an improved GrabCut algorithm and k-means algorithm. Four representative soil particles were obtained. Second, a soil particle model was established by microscope and three-dimensional non-contact surface topography. Finally, taking the angle of repose as the response value, the three parameters with significant effects on the angle of repose, i.e., soil shear modulus, Hertz-Mindlin with Johnson-Kendall-Roberts contact model (JKR), and soil-soil restitution coefficient, were obtained via a Plackett-Burman experiment. The optimal value intervals of the significant parameters were determined by the steepest climbing test. A polynomial regression model between the angle of repose and the three significant parameters was established with a Box-Behnken experiment using three factors and three levels. The interactions between the three significant parameters were not significant, as revealed by response surface analysis. The optimal values of the significant parameters were obtained by taking the actual angle of repose as the target and resulted in a soil shear module of 9.8 MPa, JKR of 0.063, and soil-soil restitution coefficient of 0.478. To verify the reliability of the calibrated parameters, the soil angles of repose from the simulation and from actual tests were compared and analyzed. For a simulated angle of repose of 38.5°, the actual angle of repose was 38.6°, and the relative error was 0.26%. DEM was also used to simulate a rotary tiller with the calibrated parameters. The maximum error of the simulated soil throwing angle was less than 10% when compared with the actual throwing angle. The experimental results showed that the calibrated parameters were accurate and can provide a reference for the selection of soil discrete element parameters. Keywords: Angle of repose, Numerical simulation, Parameter calibration, Shape survey, Soil.
Improved Canopy Characterization with Laser Scanning Sensor for Greenhouse Spray Applications
Authors: Nair Uchit , Ling Peter P. , Zhu Heping 
Published: December 2021

HighlightsAn algorithm was developed to process laser sensor data to make more accurate measurements of canopy dimensions.The algorithm isolated individual canopies, removed distortion, and estimated the occluded portions of the dataset.The algorithm reduced measured error by 46% in terms of root mean square error (RMSE).The RMSE was higher for sensor heights below and above a calculated optimal sensor height.Abstract. Laser-guided intelligent spray technology for greenhouse applications requires sensors that can accurately measure plant dimensions. This study proposed a new method to overcome current limitations by introducing a processing algorithm that manipulates the noisy dataset and determines the optimal sensor height to produce better measurements of the canopy width. The processing algorithm involves a combination of registration, clustering, and mirroring. Registration aligns multiple scans of the same scene to improve resolution. Clustering isolates individual plant canopies from the dataset to enable further processing. Mirroring is used to resolve the problems of distortion and occlusion and predict missing information in the dataset. The performance of the processing algorithm was evaluated by calculating the root mean square error (RMSE) in the canopy width measurements. Its results were compared with the measurements reported in earlier research, where there was limited processing of the laser sensor data. The processing algorithm reduced RMSE values by 46% compared to the earlier research, and the largest improvements were seen for objects placed beyond 1.5 m from the sensor. The sensor height was observed to be inversely proportional to the RMSE values. The average RMSE of the processing algorithm was 25 mm, compared to 47 mm in the earlier research when the laser sensor was at a height of 1 m. Another experimental setup was used to test the limits of the relationship between sensor height and algorithm performance while using objects that were more representative of plant canopy shapes. The accuracy of the processing algorithm decreased when the sensor height was either above or below the optimal sensor height, which was derived from calculations made in earlier research. The processing algorithm has potential to improve spray efficiencies. Keywords: Automation, Clustering, LiDAR, Point cloud data processing, Variable-rate spray.
Comparison of Machine Learning Methods for Leaf Nitrogen Estimation in Corn Using Multispectral UAV Images
Authors: Barzin Razieh , Kamangir Hamid , Bora Ganesh C. 
Published: December 2021

HighlightsLeaf nitrogen percentage in corn was estimated using various vegetation indices derived from UAVs.Eight machine learning methods were compared to find the most accurate model for nitrogen estimation.The most influential vegetation indices were determined for estimation of leaf nitrogen.Abstract. Nitrogen (N) is the most critical component of healthy plants. It has a significant impact on photosynthesis and plant reproduction. Physicochemical characteristics of plants such as leaf N content can be estimated spatially and temporally because of the latest developments in multispectral sensing technology and machine learning (ML) methods. The objective of this study was to use spectral data for leaf N estimation in corn to compare different ML models and find the best-fitted model. Moreover, the performance of vegetation indices (VIs) and spectral wavelengths were compared individually and collectively to determine if combinations of VIs substantially improved the results as compared to the original spectral data. This study was conducted at a Mississippi State University corn field that was divided into 16 plots with four different N treatments (0, 90, 180, and 270 kg ha-1). The bare soil pixels were removed from the multispectral images, and 26 VIs were calculated based on five spectral bands: blue, green, red, red-edge, and near-infrared (NIR). The 26 VIs and five spectral bands obtained from a red-edge multispectral sensor mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) were analyzed to develop ML models for leaf %N estimation of corn. The input variables used in these models had the most impact on chlorophyll and N content and high correlation with leaf N content. Eight ML algorithms (random forest, gradient boosting, support vector machine, multi-layer perceptron, ridge regression, lasso regression, and elastic net) were applied to three different categories of variables. The results show that gradient boosting and random forest were the best-fitted models to estimate leaf %N, with about an 80% coefficient of determination for the different categories of variables. Moreover, adding VIs to the spectral bands improved the results. The combination of SCCCI, NDRE, and red-edge had the largest coefficient of determination (R2) in comparison to the other categories of variables used to predict leaf %N content in corn. Keywords: Corn, Gradient boosting, Machine learning, Multispectral imagery, Nitrogen estimation, Random forest, UAV, Vegetation index.