bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sacubitril/valsartan improves cardiac function in Chinese patients with heart failure: a real‐world study
Authors: Chen Wenwen , Liu Yanlin , Li Yuanmin , Dang Heqin 
Published: June 2021

AbstractAimsSacubitril/valsartan significantly reduced heart failure (HF) hospitalization and cardiovascular mortality in a randomized controlled trial. However, little is known about real‐world efficacy and safety of sacubitril/valsartan in Chinese patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). We aimed to evaluate whether sacubitril/valsartan could improve cardiac function in Chinese patients with HFrEF in a tertiary hospital in China.Methods and resultsPatients with HFrEF receiving sacubitril/valsartan in our hospital between January 2018 and January 2020 were recruited in the present study. We retrospectively collected and analysed all clinical parameters at baseline and during follow‐up. A total of 100 consecutive patients (73% male) with HFrEF were recruited in the present study. During a median follow‐up period of 365 days [interquartile range (IQR), 346–378], a pronounced improvement of cardiac function was achieved. New York Heart Association classification was significantly improved (P < 0.001), and median N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptides level significantly decreased from 3003 pg/mL (IQR, 1513–5404) to 2039 pg/mL (IQR, 921–3955) (P = 0.010). Mean left ventricular ejection fraction increased from 31 ± 6% to 38 ± 10% (P < 0.001) and median left ventricular end‐diastolic diameter reduced from 63 mm (IQR, 59–67) to 60 mm (IQR, 55–68) (P = 0.001). Mean pulmonary arterial systolic pressure decreased significantly from 49 ± 13 mmHg to 44 ± 12 mmHg (P < 0.001) and median right ventricular end‐diastolic diameter reduced from 23 mm (IQR, 21–26) to 22 mm (IQR, 20–25) (P = 0.030). After treatment with sacubitril/valsartan, mean estimated glomerular filtration rate significantly decreased (from 88.8 ± 22.4 mL/min to 71.8 ± 27.3 mL/min, P < 0.001). Median serum creatinine and median blood urea nitrogen levels significantly increased [from 0.9 mg/dL (IQR, 0.8–1.0) to 1.1 mg/dL (IQR, 0.9–1.3), P < 0.001, and from 6.8 mmol/L (IQR, 5.5–8.9) to 8.0 mmol/L (IQR, 6.6–10.3), P = 0.002, respectively]. The proportion of patients with chronic kidney disease Stage 3/4 increased significantly from 8% to 39% (P < 0.001).ConclusionsIn Chinese patients with HFrEF, sacubitril/valsartan treatment was associated with a pronounced improvement of cardiac function, but might be prone to a decrease in blood pressure and deterioration in renal function.
Persistent moderate to severe pain and long‐term cognitive decline
Authors: Rong Wei , Zhang Cheng , Zheng Fanfan , Xiao Songhua , Yang Zhenchun , Xie Wuxiang 
Published: June 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe longitudinal association between persistent moderate to severe pain and subsequent long‐term cognitive decline remains inconclusive.MethodsStudy population came from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, an ongoing prospective and nationally representative cohort of community‐dwelling adults aged ≥50 years in England. At waves 1 (2002/2003) and 2 (2004/2005) of the study, pain severity was measured based on pain intensity scores ranged from 0 to 10. We defined moderate to severe pain as pain intensity scores ≥5 points. Persistent moderate to severe pain was defined as participants reported moderate to severe pain at both waves 1 and 2. Standardized global cognitive Z scores derived from verbal memory, temporal orientation and semantic fluency were used as the primary outcome.ResultsA total of 6,869 individuals (3,896 women; mean age: 63.9 ± 9.5 years) who have accepted twice measurements of pain at waves 1 and 2 (baseline), and at least one reassessment of cognitive function at waves 3 (2006/2007) to 8 (2016/2017), were included in this study. Each 5‐point increase in the sum of pain intensity scores was associated with a faster rate of –0.009 (95% CI: –0.013 to –0.006, p < .001) in global cognitive Z scores. Compared with no pain group, persistent moderate to severe pain group was associated with a significantly faster decline rate of –0.031 SD/year (95% CI: –0.043 to –0.018), in global cognitive Z scores. The relationships of persistent moderate to severe pain with verbal memory, temporal orientation and semantic fluency were similar.ConclusionCognitive function should be monitored in individuals with persistent moderate to severe pain.SignificancePersistent moderate to severe pain in adults age 50 and older was associated with accelerated cognitive decline over a median follow‐up of 12 years. More severe pain was associated with faster cognitive decline in a dose‐response pattern, and the relationship was demonstrated throughout multiple cognitive domains. While the overall effect was subtle, clinicians should be aware that older adults with persistent pain are at risk of faster cognitive decline.
Thin, soft, garment‐integrated triboelectric nanogenerators for energy harvesting and human machine interfaces
Authors: Liu Yiming , Yiu Chunki , Jia Huiling , Wong Tszhung , Yao Kuanming , Huang Ya , Zhou Jingkun , Huang Xingcan , Zhao Ling , Li Dengfeng , Wu Mengge , Gao Zhan , He Jiahui , Song Enming , Yu Xinge 
Published: June 2021

AbstractThe applications of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) in wearable electronics for energy harvesting and motion sensing have raised extensive attentions, since TENGs enable to convert body motions induced mechanical energy into electrical signals. The development of thin, soft, and garment‐integrated TENGs would be an important solution for the power management in wearable electronics as well as self‐powered sensors. Here, we report materials, device designs, processing routes for garment‐integrated TENGs (G‐TENGs) and demonstrations of the G‐TENGs in wearable energy harvesting and human‐machine interfaces. The G‐TENGs adopt a simple layout with two soft silicone layers and one graphene‐coated fabric layer, exhibiting great flexibility, air‐permeability, and robust durability. Furthermore, the G‐TENGs present outstanding electrical characteristics with open‐circuit voltage and short‐current outputs as great as 213.75 V and 3.11 μA, under a constant frequency and stress of 3 Hz and 5.6 kPa, respectively. The excellent mechanical properties of the G‐TENGs allow them tolerating toward over 1000 cycles of bending, stretching and twisting, and maintaining unchanged electrical outputs after these deformations. The stable electrical outputs and the excellent mechanical performance of the G‐TENGs provide a high potential in self‐powered sensors, energy harvesting, human‐machine interfaces and many others.image
Sex- and Developmental Stage–Related Differences in the Hepatic Transcriptome of Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica) Exposed to 17β-Trenbolone
Authors: Mittal Krittika , Henry Paula F.P. , Cornman Robert S. , Maddox Catherine , Basu Niladri , Karouna-Renier Natalie K. 
Published: June 2021

Abstract
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals can cause transcriptomic changes that may disrupt biological processes associated with reproductive function including metabolism, transport, and cell growth. We investigated effects from in ovo and dietary exposure to 17β-trenbolone (at 0, 1, and 10 ppm) on the Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) hepatic transcriptome. Our objectives were to identify differentially expressed hepatic genes, assess perturbations of biological pathways, and examine sex- and developmental stage–related differences. The number of significantly differentially expressed genes was higher in embryos than in adults. Male embryos exhibited greater differential gene expression than female embryos, whereas in adults, males and females exhibited similar numbers of differentially expressed genes (&gt;2-fold). Vitellogenin and apovitellenin-1 were up-regulated in male adults exposed to 10 ppm 17β-trenbolone, and these birds also exhibited indications of immunomodulation. Functional grouping of differentially expressed genes identified processes including metabolism and transport of biomolecules, enzyme activity, and extracellular matrix interactions. Pathway enrichment analyses identified as perturbed peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor pathway, cardiac muscle contraction, gluconeogenesis, growth factor signaling, focal adhesion, and bile acid biosynthesis. One of the primary uses of 17β-trenbolone is that of a growth promoter, and these results identify effects on mechanistic pathways related to steroidogenesis, cell proliferation, differentiation, growth, and metabolism of lipids and proteins. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:2559–2570. © 2021 SETAC. This article has been contributed to by US Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.
Abstract
Investigations of toxicity from endocrine-disruptive chemicals must consider variations in responses between developmental stages and sexes. Stark differences were observed in the numbers of significantly differentially expressed genes (red dots) between Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) males and females and adults and embryos exposed to 17β-trenbolone.
Dietary association of iron deficiency anemia and related pregnancy outcomes
Authors: Zulfiqar Hina , Shah Imran Ullah , Sheas Muhammad Naveed , Ahmed Zahoor , Ejaz Umaira , Ullah Irfan , Saleem Saad , Imran Muhammad , Hameed Muhammad , Akbar Banaras 
Published: June 2021

AbstractIron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a common public health occurrence of pregnancy which is particularly prevalent in developing countries like Pakistan. During this critical period, the deficiency of iron is very common as the iron requirements are greatly enhanced. IDA during pregnancy is associated with intrauterine growth retardation, premature birth, low birthweight, increased labor time, higher risk of infection, elevated maternal and prenatal mortality, muscle dysfunction, and low physical capacity. The present study was aimed to check the prevalence, effect of diet on IDA and its association with the pregnancy outcome, that is, birthweight. Five different public sector hospitals of Rawalpindi and Islamabad were analyzed. A sample size of 500 pregnant females of third trimester was observed which were then followed after delivery from September 2020 to January 2021. A well‐designed questionnaire was developed where different demographic factors, dietary recalls, biomarkers, and other determinants were obtained. The data from the questionnaires were later coded for the purpose of analysis in the statistical package (SPSS) using chi‐square test. Our study indicated that IDA is a moderate public health problem among pregnant women in twin cities and more than half of study subjects have depleted iron stores. Approximately 63% of the subjects were having iron deficiency and 24.8% were facing severe iron deficiency anemia. Only 12% of the subjects were considered as normal. The high prevalence of anemia in our subjects was probably due to low iron intake and poor dietary habits. The results of the study may not be generalizable due to time constraints and other factors. Maternal anemia still remains a major public health concern that requires more attention especially in developing and underdeveloping countries.
Visual experience modulates whole‐brain connectivity dynamics: A resting‐statefMRIstudy using the model of radiologists
Authors: Wang Yue , Jin Chenwang , Yin Zhongliang , Wang Hongmei , Ji Ming , Dong Minghao , Liang Jimin 
Published: June 2021

AbstractVisual expertise refers to proficiency in visual recognition. It is attributed to accumulated visual experience in a specific domain and manifests in widespread neural activities that extend well beyond the visual cortex to multiple high‐level brain areas. An extensive body of studies has centered on the neural mechanisms underlying a distinctive domain of visual expertise, while few studies elucidated how visual experience modulates resting‐state whole‐brain connectivity dynamics. The current study bridged this gap by modeling the subtle alterations in interregional spontaneous connectivity patterns with a group of superior radiological interns. Functional connectivity analysis was based on functional brain segmentation, which was derived from a data‐driven clustering approach to discriminate subtle changes in connectivity dynamics. Our results showed there was radiographic visual experience accompanied with integration within brain circuits supporting visual processing and decision making, integration across brain circuits supporting high‐order functions, and segregation between high‐order and low‐order brain functions. Also, most of these alterations were significantly correlated with individual nodule identification performance. Our results implied that visual expertise is a controlled, interactive process that develops from reciprocal interactions between the visual system and multiple top‐down factors, including semantic knowledge, top‐down attentional control, and task relevance, which may enhance participants' local brain functional integration to promote their acquisition of specific visual information and modulate the activity of some regions for lower‐order visual feature processing to filter out nonrelevant visual details. The current findings may provide new ideas for understanding the central mechanism underlying the formation of visual expertise.
Single‐port transoral robotic surgery hypopharyngectomy
Authors: Mendelsohn Abie H. , Lawson Georges 
Published: June 2021

AbstractTransoral robotic surgery (TORS) is an established treatment for many subsites of Head and Neck cancer. With the improved flexibility and access of the single‐port (SP) robotic system, tumors within the distal upper aerodigestive tract can now be reached and successfully treated with all the published advantages of transoral endoscopic surgery. Here in we offer the first published surgical technique for SP TORS for resectable hypopharyngeal carcinoma. The video presented demonstrates many important aspects utilizing the enhanced robotic system, including adjustments of the semi‐flexible endoscope and use of the third transoral surgical instrumentation. As previously reported, TORS hypopharyngectomy should be considered for resectable tumors to improve upon the deleterious effects of open surgical resection or chemoradiation therapy.
Beyond bias to Western participants, authors, and editors in developmental science
Authors: Moriguchi Yusuke 
Published: June 2021

AbstractIn this commentary, I argue that study participants, authors, and editorial members in developmental science are biased toward Western populations. First, I analysed the study participants and first authors of articles in Infant and Child Development between 2006 and 2010 and between 2016 and 2020. The results suggested that most study participants and first authors were from the Western population. However, since 2010, the number of study participants and first authors from non‐Western populations has gradually increased. Second, I analysed editorial members from journals in developmental science. The results indicated that most editorial members were Western researchers. Given these analyses, I discuss what we can do to increase diversity in developmental science.
Stochastic analysis of the relationship between atmospheric variables and coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in a hot, arid climate
Authors: Yassin Mohamed F. , Aldashti Hassan A. 
Published: June 2021

Abstract
The rapid outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has affected millions of people all over the world and killed hundreds of thousands. Atmospheric conditions can play a fundamental role in the transmission of a virus. The relationship between several atmospheric variables and the transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are therefore investigated in this study, in which the State of Kuwait, which has a hot, arid climate, is considered during free movement (without restriction), partial lockdown (partial restrictions), and full lockdown (full restriction). The relationship between the infection rate, growth rate, and doubling time for SARS-CoV-2 and atmospheric variables are also investigated in this study. Daily data describing the number of COVID-19 cases and atmospheric variables, such as temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, visibility, and solar radiation, were collected for the period February 24 to May 30, 2020. Stochastic models were employed to analyze how atmospheric variables can affect the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The normal and lognormal probability and cumulative density functions (PDF and CDF) were applied to analyze the relationship between atmospheric variables and COVID-19 cases. The Spearman's rank correlation test and multiple regression model were used to investigate the correlation of the studied variables with the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and to confirm the findings obtained from the stochastic models. The results indicate that relative humidity had a significant negative correlation with the number of COVID-19 cases, whereas positive correlations were observed for cases of infection and temperature, wind speed, and visibility. The infection rate for SARS-CoV-2 is directly proportional to the air temperature, wind speed, and visibility, whereas inversely related to the humidity. The lowest growth rate and longest doubling time of the COVID-19 infection occurred during the full lockdown period. The results in this study may help the World Health Organization (WHO) make specific recommendations about the outbreak of COVID-19 for decision-makers around the world. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:500–516. © 2021 SETAC
KEY POINTS
We investigated the association between atmospheric variables and the transmission of the COVID-19 virus during the free movement (without restriction), partial lockdown (partial restrictions), and full lockdown (full restriction) periods. Relative humidity had a significant negative association with the number of COVID-19 infected cases. The COVID-19 infected cases were positively associated with the increase in temperature, wind speed, and visibility. The lowest growth rate and highest doubling time of the COVID-19 infection occurred in the full lockdown period.
A novel anti‐inflammatory treatment for bradykinin‐induced sore throat or pharyngitis
Authors: Leyva‐Grado Victor , Pugach Pavel , Sadeghi‐Latefi Nazlie 
Published: June 2021

AbstractBackgroundOften thought of as a minor health concern, sore throat or pharyngitis is an important public health issue. It is one of the most common symptoms of upper respiratory diseases including COVID‐19 and is a leading cause of physician visits and antibiotic prescriptions. However, few over‐the‐counter medications are proven to heal sore throat inflammation.MethodsAdenocarcinomic human alveolar basal epithelial cells (A549 cells) and three dimensional organotypic human respiratory tissues were used to study inflammation and various treatment effects on respiratory epithelia. The cells and tissues were studied both in the presence and absence of bradykinin, one of the first inflammatory mediators of pharyngitis. Inflammation was measured by analyzing the levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), interleukin 8 (IL‐8), and leukotriene B4 (LTB4), transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release. Tissue morphology was analyzed by immunohistochemistry.ResultsIn studying pharyngitis using organotypic human respiratory tissue stimulated with bradykinin, we saw an increase in PGE2 and interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) in response to bradykinin. Acetyl salicylic acid (ASA), a nonspecific COX inhibitor, was able to mitigate a bradykinin‐induced increase in PGE2 in our studies. However, ASA was inflammatory above its therapeutic window, increasing the levels of PGE2 and IL‐8 above those seen with bradykinin stimulation alone. We describe a novel, scientifically validated treatment for sore throat, that contains a low dose of ASA and other anti‐inflammatory ingredients.ConclusionThis study elucidates the complex mechanisms involved in healing pharyngitis, an inflammatory condition of the upper respiratory epithelia. An ASA‐based formula (Biovanta) mitigated bradykinin‐induced inflammation more strongly than ASA alone in organotypic human respiratory tissues. Surprisingly, we found that many of the most common over the counter sore throat therapies exacerbate inflammation and IL‐8 in organotypic human respiratory tissues, suggesting these common treatments may increase the likelihood of further respiratory complications.
Efficacy and tolerability of a modified pediatric‐inspired intensive regimen for acute lymphoblastic leukemia in older adults
Authors: Patel Anand Ashwin , Heng Joseph , Dworkin Emily , Monick Sarah , Derman Benjamin A. , DuVall Adam S. , Gurbuxani Sandeep , Kosuri Satyajit , Liu Hongtao , Thirman Michael , Godley Lucy A. , Odenike Olatoyosi , Larson Richard A. , Stock Wendy 
Published: June 2021

AbstractAlthough acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is most common in pediatric and adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients, 20% of cases are diagnosed in patients ≥ 55 years old. Use of intensive pediatric regimens in AYA populations has demonstrated excellent tolerability and significant improvements in event‐free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS). The backbone of pediatric regimens includes asparaginase and corticosteroids, both of which are associated with more toxicity in older patients and those with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m which leads to poor tolerance of these regimens. We tested the safety and efficacy of a dose‐modified The Cancer and Leukemia Group B 10403 regimen using reduced doses of pegylated (PEG)‐asparaginase (ASP) and corticosteroids (RD‐10403) in 30 patients with Philadelphia‐chromosome negative ALL who were ≥50‐year‐old and younger adults with significant metabolic or hepatic co‐morbidities. The complete remission rate on day 28 was 77%, 3‐year EFS was 54%, and estimated 3‐year OS was 55%. Grade 3+ toxicity was noted in 40% of patients during induction, and induction‐related mortality was 3%. Additional prospective evaluation of RD‐10403 is merited to determine efficacy and safety of this regimen and to serve as a framework for chemoimmunotherapy combination therapy.