bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Serum Protein Electrophoresis May Be Used as a Screening Tool for Antibody Deficiency in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Piza Cristina Frias Sartorelli de Toledo , Aranda Carolina Sanchez , Solé Dirceu , Jolles Stephen , Condino-Neto Antonio 
Published: August 2021

BackgroundPatients with antibody deficiency may experience exceptionally long diagnostic delays, increasing the risk of life-threatening infections, end-organ damage, mortality, and health costs.ObjectiveThis study aimed to analyze serum protein electrophoresis and verify the correlation between calculated globulin (CG, total protein minus albumin levels) or electrophoretically determined serum gamma globulin fraction (Gamma) with IgG levels in children and adolescents under 18 years old (yo).MethodsWe analyzed serum protein electrophoresis (GC or Gamma) and IgG levels from 1215 children and adolescents under 18 yo, classified into 5 age groups. We verified the correlation between CG or Gamma with serum IgG levels.ResultsSerum IgG levels varied according to age groups (from 4.3 ± 2.3 g/l in children under 6 months old to 11.4 ± 3.2 g/l in adolescents in the 10-&lt;18 yo group). CG sensitivity and specificity to detect IgG below the reference range for all patients were 93.1% and 81.8%, respectively, and varied according to age group. Gamma sensitivity and specificity for all patients were 100% and 87.8%, respectively, and varied according to age group as well. We found serum IgG levels below the age reference level in 29 patients (2.4% of the cases) using CG or Gamma levels.ConclusionBoth CG and Gamma levels may be of utility as a screening tool for earlier diagnosis of antibody deficiency in children and adolescents under 18 yo.
Reduced Levels of miR-342-5p in Plasma Are Associated With Worse Cognitive Evolution in Patients With Mild Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Dakterzada Farida , David Benítez Iván , Targa Adriano , Lladó Albert , Torres Gerard , Romero Leila , de Gonzalo-Calvo David , Moncusí-Moix Anna , Tort-Merino Adria , Huerto Raquel , Sánchez-de-la-Torre Manuel , Barbé Ferran , Piñol-Ripoll Gerard 
Published: August 2021

BackgroundProgressive cognitive decline is the most relevant clinical symptom of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the rate of cognitive decline is highly variable between patients. Synaptic deficits are the neuropathological event most correlated with cognitive impairment in AD. Considering the important role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating synaptic plasticity, our objective was to identify the plasma miRNAs associated with the rate of cognitive decline in patients with mild AD.MethodsWe analyzed 754 plasma miRNAs from 19 women diagnosed with mild AD using TaqMan low-density array cards. The patients were grouped based on the rate of decline in the MMSE score after 2 years [&lt;4 points (N = 11) and ≥4 points (N = 8)]. The differentially expressed miRNAs between the two groups were validated in an independent cohort of men and women (N = 53) with mild AD using RT-qPCR.ResultsIn the discovery cohort, 17 miRNAs were differentially expressed according to the fold change between patients with faster declines in cognition and those with slower declines. miR-342-5p demonstrated differential expression between the groups and a good correlation with the rate of cognitive decline in the validation cohort (r = −0.28; p = 0.026). This miRNA had a lower expression level in patients who suffered from more severe decline than in those who were cognitively more stable after 2 years (p = 0.049).ConclusionLower levels of miR-342-5p in plasma were associated with faster cognitive decline in patients with mild AD after 2 years of follow-up.
Costs Related to Frontotemporal Dementia in Latin America: A Scoping Review of Economic Health Studies
Authors: Alva-Dìaz Carlos , Malaga Marco , Rodriguez-Calienes Aaron , Morán-Mariños Cristian , Velásquez-Rimachi Victor , Custodio Nilton 
Published: August 2021

Introduction: Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a complex syndrome characterized by changes in behavior, language, executive control, and motor symptoms. Its annual economic burden per patient in developed countries has been classified as considerable, amounting to US$119,654 per patient, almost double the patient costs reported for Alzheimer's disease. However, there is little information regarding cost-of-illness (COI) for FTD in Latin-America (LA).Aim: To describe the costs related to FTD in LA.Methods: We included COI studies on FTD conducted in LA published in English, Spanish, or Portuguese from inception to September 2020. We carried out a systematic search in Pubmed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, Scielo, Cochrane, and gray literature. For quality assessment, we used a COI assessment tool available in the literature. All costs were reported in USD for 1 year and adjusted for inflation.Results: We included three studies from Argentina, Brazil, and Peru. Direct costs (DCs) included medication (from US$959.20 to US$ 4,279.20), health care costs (from US$ 2,275.80 to US$7,856.16), and caregiver costs (from US$9,634.00 to US$28,730.28). Indirect costs (ICs) amounted to US$43,076.88.Conclusions: In LA countries, the reporting of costs related to FTD continues to be oriented toward DCs. They remain lower than in developed countries, possibly due to the limited health budget allocated. Only one Brazilian report analyzed ICs, representing the highest percentage of the total costs. Therefore, studies on the COI of this disease in LA are essential, focusing on both out-of-pocket spending and the potential economic loss to patients' homes and families.
From Immunogenic Cell Death to Immunogenic Modulation: Select Chemotherapy Regimens Induce a Spectrum of Immune-Enhancing Activities in the Tumor Microenvironment
Authors: Fabian Kellsye P. , Wolfson Benjamin , Hodge James W. 
Published: August 2021

Cancer treatment has rapidly entered the age of immunotherapy, and it is becoming clear that the effective therapy of established tumors necessitates rational multi-combination immunotherapy strategies. But even in the advent of immunotherapy, the clinical role of standard-of-care chemotherapy regimens still remains significant and may be complementary to emerging immunotherapeutic approaches. Depending on dose, schedule, and agent, chemotherapy can induce immunogenic cell death, resulting in the release of tumor antigens to stimulate an immune response, or immunogenic modulation, sensitizing surviving tumor cells to immune cell killing. While these have been previously defined as distinct processes, in this review we examine the published mechanisms supporting both immunogenic cell death and immunogenic modulation and propose they be reclassified as similar effects termed “immunogenic cell stress.”Treatment-induced immunogenic cell stress is an important result of cytotoxic chemotherapy and future research should consider immunogenic cell stress as a whole rather than just immunogenic cell death or immunogenic modulation. Cancer treatment strategies should be designed specifically to take advantage of these effects in combination immunotherapy, and novel chemotherapy regimens should be designed and investigated to potentially induce all aspects of immunogenic cell stress.
Development and Validation of a Prediction Model for Elevated Arterial Stiffness in Chinese Patients With Diabetes Using Machine Learning
Authors: Li Qingqing , Xie Wenhui , Li Liping , Wang Lijing , You Qinyi , Chen Lu , Li Jing , Ke Yilang , Fang Jun , Liu Libin , Hong Huashan 
Published: August 2021

BackgroundArterial stiffness assessed by pulse wave velocity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The incidence of cardiovascular events remains high in diabetics. However, a clinical prediction model for elevated arterial stiffness using machine learning to identify subjects consequently at higher risk remains to be developed.MethodsLeast absolute shrinkage and selection operator and support vector machine-recursive feature elimination were used for feature selection. Four machine learning algorithms were used to construct a prediction model, and their performance was compared based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve metric in a discovery dataset (n = 760). The model with the best performance was selected and validated in an independent dataset (n = 912) from the Dryad Digital Repository (https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.m484p). To apply our model to clinical practice, we built a free and user-friendly web online tool.ResultsThe predictive model includes the predictors: age, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and body mass index. In the discovery cohort, the gradient boosting-based model outperformed other methods in the elevated arterial stiffness prediction. In the validation cohort, the gradient boosting model showed a good discrimination capacity. A cutoff value of 0.46 for the elevated arterial stiffness risk score in the gradient boosting model resulted in a good specificity (0.813 in the discovery data and 0.761 in the validation data) and sensitivity (0.875 and 0.738, respectively) trade-off points.ConclusionThe gradient boosting-based prediction system presents a good classification in elevated arterial stiffness prediction. The web online tool makes our gradient boosting-based model easily accessible for further clinical studies and utilization.
Dietary Habits of Older Adults in Serbia: Findings From the National Health Survey
Authors: Stosovic Dragana , Vasiljevic Nadja , Jovanovic Verica , Cirkovic Andja , Paunovic Katarina , Davidovic Dragana 
Published: August 2021

Objectives: Adults aged 65 years and older comprise one fifth of the Serbian population. Many of them have multiple, often diet-related comorbidities. We aimed to investigate their dietary habits by comparing them with younger adults' and to determine the relation of the differing ones to demographic, socioeconomic and health factors.Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of 2013 Serbian National Health Survey data on 14,082 adults. Binary logistic regression was used to determine dietary habits associated with older age (≥65 years) compared to younger age (18–64 years) and to assess their independent predictors in older adults.Results: Older adults more often reported everyday breakfast (OR = 2.085, 95%CI = 1.622–2.680) and brown/wholegrain bread consumption (OR = 1.681, 95% CI = 1.537–1.839), while using margarine (OR = 0.578, 95%CI = 0.397–0.839), discretionary salt (sometimes: OR = 0.648, 95%CI = 0.596–0.705, almost always: OR = 0.522, 95%CI = 0.445–0.614) and consuming fish (two or more times a week: OR = 0.465, 95%CI = 0.383–0.566) less frequently than younger adults. This was mainly positively related to urban environment, affluence, higher education and poor health.Conclusion: Using nationally representative data, we found that older adults reported healthier dietary habits compared to younger adults, which requires timely public health action.
Do Advanced Therapies Have a Future in the Low- and Middle-Income Countries - The Case of Bulgaria, Romania, and Poland
Authors: Kamusheva Maria , Turcu-Stiolica Adina , Gierczyński Jakub , Subtirelu Mihaela-Simona , Czech Marcin , Petrova Guenka 
Published: August 2021

Introduction: The significant therapeutic potential of the advanced therapies (ATs) has predetermined the increased interests in their development mainly in the context of rare diseases most of which are genetically determined. However, there are still many challenges in front of the health insurance funds related to the cost-effectiveness and budget impact issues of these therapies. Our aim was to review and analyze the potential of low- and middle-income countries for health technology assessment (HTA) of advanced therapies focusing on Bulgaria, Romania and Poland as reference countries. A literature review of the existing good practices related to HTA of advanced therapies across the world and comparison with the national reality were performed. A list of challenges and issues from the point of view of the payer institution of all analyzed countries was performed. Pilot recommendations on how to overcome the barriers were created based on the existing practices and the potential of the national system.Discussion: 15 out of 80 articles identified in PubMed were found as applicable to the study scope as most of them were published in the period 2019–2021. Undoubtedly, the main challenges correspond to the high treatment costs, the uncertainty in clinical effectiveness, and poor HTA methodological approaches applicable for ATs worldwide. The issues identified for low and middle-income countries are similar having as well the lack of enough qualified health economists for the purposes of assessment and appraisal of HTA dossiers of the advanced therapies, lack of adequate existing separate financial programs for those therapies, and not preparedness of the health system and the society as a whole for such therapies.Conclusions: Despite the difficulties and challenges, the advanced therapies can be defined as a futuristic therapy for which great discoveries are yet to come. Therefore, each country should consider the implementation of reliable and nationally oriented programs for HTA and adequate financial coverage of these therapies.
Single-Incision vs. Conventional Laparoscopic Surgery for Colorectal Cancer: An Update of a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Yuan Ye , Jian Jianing , Jing Hailiang , Yan Ran , You Fengming , Fu Xi , Du Linke , Li Wenyuan 
Published: August 2021

Background: Although the advantages of single-incision laparoscopic surgery have been reported in several meta-analyses, the low quality of studies included in the meta-analyses limits the reliability of such a conclusion. In recent years, the number of randomized controlled trials on the efficacy of SILS in colorectal cancer has been on the rise. This update systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs aims to compare efficacy and safety of SILS and CLS in the patients with colorectal cancer.Methods: Relevant data was searched on the CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, Sinomed, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases from inception until February 5th, 2021. All RCTs comparing SILS and CLS were included. The main outcomes were 30 days of mortality, postoperative complications, intraoperative complications, whereas secondary outcomes were the number of lymph nodes removed, duration of hospital stay, intraoperative blood loss, abdominal incision length, reoperation, readmission, conversion to laparotomy, operation time and anastomotic leakage.Results: A total of 10 RCTs were included, involving 1,133 participants. The quality of the included studies was generally high. No significant difference was found between SILS and CLS in the 30 days mortality rate. The results showed that SILS group had a lower rate of postoperative complications (RR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.49–0.92), higher rate of intraoperative complications (RR = 2.26, 95%CI: 1.00–5.10), shorter length of abdominal incision (MD = −2.01, 95% CI:−2.42–1.61) (cm), longer operation time (MD = 11.90, 95% CI: 5.37–18.43) (minutes), shorter hospital stay (MD = −1.12, 95% CI: −1.89–0.34) (days) compared with CLS group. However, intraoperative blood loss (MD = −8.23, 95% CI: −16.75–0.29) (mL), number of lymph nodes removed (MD = −0.17, 95% CI: −0.79–0.45), conversion to laparotomy (RR=1.31, 95% CI: 0.48–3.60), reoperation (RR = 1.00, 95% CI: 0.30–3.33) and readmission (RR =1.15, 95% CI: 0.12–10.83) and anastomotic leakage were not significantly different between the two groups.Conclusion: These results indicate that SILS did not has a comprehensive and obvious advantage over the CLS. Surgeons and patients should carefully weigh the pros and cons of the two surgical procedures. Further RCTs are needed to prove long-term outcomes of SILS in colorectal cancer.
Neuroinflammation and Its Association with Cognition, Neuronal Markers and Peripheral Inflammation after Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer
Authors: Schroyen Gwen , Blommaert Jeroen , van Weehaeghe Donatienne , Sleurs Charlotte , Vandenbulcke Mathieu , Dedoncker Nina , Hatse Sigrid , Goris An , Koole Michel , Smeets Ann , van Laere Koen , Sunaert Stefan , Deprez Sabine 
Published: August 2021

To uncover mechanisms underlying chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment in breast cancer, we studied new biomarkers of neuroinflammation and neuronal survival. This cohort study included 74 women (47 ± 10 years) from 22 October 2017 until 20 August 2020. Nineteen chemotherapy-treated and 18 chemotherapy-naïve patients with breast cancer were assessed one month after the completion of surgery and/or chemotherapy, and 37 healthy controls were included. Assessments included neuropsychological testing, questionnaires, blood sampling for 17 inflammatory and two neuronal survival markers (neurofilament light-chain (NfL), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and PET-MR neuroimaging. To investigate neuroinflammation, translocator protein (TSPO) [18F]DPA714-PET-MR was acquired for 15 participants per group, and evaluated by volume of distribution normalized to the cerebellum. Chemotherapy-treated patients showed higher TSPO expression, indicative for neuroinflammation, in the occipital and parietal lobe when compared to healthy controls or chemotherapy-naïve patients. After partial-volume correction, differences with healthy controls persisted (pFWE < 0.05). Additionally, compared to healthy- or chemotherapy-naïve controls, cognitive impairment (17–22%) and altered levels in blood markers (F ≥ 3.7, p ≤ 0.031) were found in chemotherapy-treated patients. NfL, an axonal damage marker, was particularly sensitive in differentiating groups (F = 105, p = 4.2 × 10 −21), with levels 20-fold higher in chemotherapy-treated patients. Lastly, in chemotherapy-treated patients alone, higher local TSPO expression was associated with worse cognitive performance, higher blood levels of BDNF/NfL, and decreased fiber cross-section in the corpus callosum (pFWE < 0.05). These findings suggest that increased neuroinflammation is associated with chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment in breast cancer. Additionally, NfL could be a useful biomarker to assess neurotoxic effects of anticancer chemotherapies.
A Revised Inductance Distribution Analysis of Medium-Large Caliber Electromagnetic Launchers including a Large Bus Structure
Authors: Tosun Nail , Keysan Ozan 
Published: August 2021

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<p>An important application for large-scale pulse power supplies (PPS) is electromagnetic launchers (EMLs). These de- vices utilized stored several MJs of electrochemical energy into linear mechanical energy. Because of extreme physical conditions, simulations are crucial in electromagnetic launcher (EML) research. As the operation risk rises, more en- ergy into the system adds weight to the model’s accuracy. In this paper, the electromagnetic impact of the bus structure is discovered in a recently developed EMFY-3 electromagnetic launcher, is presented. An H-shaped bus structure is used for the current injection. However, experiments showed that the H-shaped bus changes inductance calculations. A careful examination is made to reveal the physical reasoning behind the bus impact. We hypothesize that the rail portion surrounded with bus geometry has less inductance than the rest due to the eddy current created by rail current transients, which should be calculated carefully through numerical calculations, i.e., 3-D Finite Element Method (FEM). Two dif- ferent simulation models were constructed to test the hypothesis. Moreover, rail currents, breech, and muzzle voltages are measured to investigate electromagnetic calculations. Results showed a good agreement with experiments where the bus structure was modeled explicitly. That aspect showed that the bus structure should be well-examined when multiple PPS are connected. </p>
A Blended Grammar Learning System Featuring Unsupervised Pattern Discovery
Authors: Yan Hengbin , Li Yinghui 
Published: August 2021

Recent developments in cognitive and psycholinguistic research postulate that language learning is essentially the learning of grammatical construc-tions. An important type of grammatical construction with wide-ranging pedagogical implications is grammar patterns as laid out in Pattern Gram-mar. While grammar patterns have seen increasing adoption in language pedagogy, existing applications typically follow a paper-based, teacher-centered approach to instruction, which is known to be less effective in grammar learning than blended, learner-centered approaches.
In this paper, we propose a blended learning model that integrates web-based technology with classroom-based instruction to facilitate efficient, personalized grammar learning. We present the design and implementation of a blended grammar learning system that provides customizable learning materials for individual learners by discovering important grammar patterns from corpora in an unsupervised manner. Preliminary evaluation shows that the proposed system achieves an accuracy in pattern discovery comparable to systems that rely on manually precompiled pattern lists and hard-coded rules. With a flexible architecture and an easy-to-use interface, the system can play a key role in the creation of a blended learning environment that can be integrated into a wide range of language learning curricula.
EXPOSIÇÃO BIOLÓGICA TÁTIL EM MUSEUS DE CIÊNCIAS: UM RELATO DE EXPERIÊNCIA
Authors: Brita Depieri Natália , Gonzalez Ribeiro Nathália Cristina , Luís Schmidt da Silva André , De Mello Gonçales Sant’Ana Débora 
Published: August 2021

Devido às suas particularidades, os museus frequentemente limitam o acesso de pessoas com deficiência, em especial, aquelas com deficiência visual, visto que muitas peças não podem ser manuseadas. Os museus de ciência buscam facilitar o acesso ao conhecimento científico, como, no caso deste trabalho, o Museu Dinâmico Interdisciplinar da Universidade Estadual de Maringá (MUDI-UEM). Este trabalho apresenta um relato sobre a exposição tátil "O Mundo na Ponta dos Dedos", elaborada no MUDI por seus coordenadores e mediadores com o objetivo de facilitar o acesso ao conhecimento científico, em especial, aos deficientes visuais. Tal exposição é formada por peças originais e modelos didáticos sobre a área da biologia que podem ser manipulados sem oferecer riscos físicos ao visitante. A exposição leva ao público a oportunidade de conhecer estruturas biológicas através do tato, desde células e microrganismos até ossos de diversos animais. Tendo sido exibida temporariamente no MUDI diversas vezes e participado de eventos itinerantes, tendo sido muito bem recebida pelo público.