bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Liver abscess after drug-eluting bead chemoembolization in patients with metastatic hepatic tumors
Authors: Ye Tianhe , Zhu Peng , Liu Zhiping , Ren Qianqian , Zheng Chuansheng , Xia Xiangwen 
Published: November 2021

Objective:
To investigate the incidence and risk factors for liver abscess formation after treatment with drug-eluting bead chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) in patients with metastatic hepatic tumors (MHT).

Methods:
The current study is a retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 137 patients with metastatic hepatic tumors who received DEB-TACE treatment in our institute (Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology) between June 2015 and September 2020. Patients were evaluated for the presence or absence of post-DEB-TACE liver abscess. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify risk factors for liver abscess formation.

Results:
The incidence of liver abscess formation after the DEB-TACE procedure was 8.76% per patient and 5.53% per procedure. Univariate analysis showed that larger maximum tumor diameter (p = 0.004), Grade 1 artery occlusion (p &lt; 0.001) and systemic chemotherapy within 3 months before the DEB-TACE procedure (p &lt; 0.001) were all associated with liver abscess formation. However, only systemic chemotherapy within 3 months before the DEB-TACE procedure (OR 5.49; 95% CI 0.34–13.54; p &lt; 0.001) was identified by multivariate analysis to be an independent risk factor.

Conclusions:
Tumor size, Grade 1 artery occlusion and recent systemic chemotherapy may all be associated with increased risk of liver abscess formation following DEB-TACE treatment in patients with metastatic hepatic tumors.

Advances in knowledge:
Identification of risk factors for liver abscess formation following DEB-TACE in patients with MHT. These findings suggest the need for caution and consideration of the aforementioned risk factors on the part of interventional radiologists when designing DEB-TACE strategies and performing post-procedure patient management.
Acute soft tissue injury to the temporomandibular joint and posttraumatic assessment after mandibular condyle fractures: a longitudinal prospective MRI study
Authors: Akkemik Özlem , Kugel Harald , Fischbach Roman 
Published: November 2021

Objective:Evaluation of acute soft tissue injury of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) with type I–VI fractures immediately after trauma and investigation of the longitudinal evolution including response to conservative treatment using MRI.Methods:The joints of 24 patients with 33 condylar fractures (15 unilateral, nine bilateral) were imaged on a 1 Tesla MR system within the first 24 h post-trauma. 12 of these patients with 16 condylar fractures (eight unilateral, four bilateral) were clinically re-evaluated using MRI after 3 months of closed treatment. The position, morphology, and signal intensities of the disc, capsule, retrodiscal tissue, and osseous structures were documented.Results:In the acute phase, disc displacements (DDs) were diagnosed in 8 out of 33 joints with fracture, including posterior DDs in two joints and tears of the inferior retrodiscal lamina in 11 joints. The follow-up MRI in 12 patients revealed new DD in four joints on the fractured side (FS) including a posterior DD and an increased degree of displacement, and new DDs in two joints in the non-fractured side (NFS).Conclusion:Preexisting and traumatic DD and soft tissue injuries are frequent findings in patients with condylar fracture. Independent of the degree of trauma, condylar fractures may determine the subsequent development of DD on both FS and NFS. Early MR imaging may help initiate well-directed specific measures for better outcomes in the acutely injured TMJ.
The applicability of ultrasound in the diagnosis of inflammatory and obstructive diseases of the major salivary glands: a scoping review
Authors: Resende Eustáquio A. , Gomes Nathália R. , Abreu Lucas G. , Castro Mauricio A. A. , Aguiar Maria C. F. 
Published: November 2021

Objectives: The purpose of the present scoping review was to determine the contribution of ultrasound images in the diagnosis of inflammatory and obstructive diseases of the major salivary glands (MSGs). Methods: A search of studies of ultrasonographic assessments of human samples was performed in several electronic databases and grey literature up to July 2021. The extracted data were the examined MSG; the diagnostic value of ultrasound (sensibility, specificity, positive- and negative predictive value, accuracy); features of lesions, including number, echogenicity, echotexture, form, margins, size, posterior acoustic aspect, and location; and related clinical information, such as swelling, palpation, sensible to pain, salivation, lymph nodes, recurrence, duration, and causes. Results: After verifying the eligibility criteria, 90 articles focused on detecting inflammatory, and obstructive diseases of the MSG were gathered, with variable study designs and size samples. A wide variety of pathologies were assessed, including sialolitiasis (n = 45), acute sialadenitis (n = 30), chronic sialadenitis (n = 25), granulamatous diseases (n = 15), Kuttner’s tumor (n = 11), juvenile recurrent parotitis (n = 9), abscess (n = 7), post-radiotherapy sialadenitis (n = 6), sialadenosis (n = 9), abscess (n = 7), IgG4-related disease sialadenitis (n = 5), HIV-sialadenitis (n = 4), obstructive sialadenitis (n = 3), iodinated contrast-induced sialadenitis (n = 2), and pneumoparotitis (n = 1). Most studies were case reports or series of cases. Few studies exhibited data about the accuracy of ultrasound in detecting MSG diseases. Conclusions: The present scoping review concluded that ultrasound aspects of different MSG pathologies are similar but contribute to their differential diagnosis and can be considered as a valuable initial method for assessing the MSG of adults and children.
Health technology assessment capacity at national level in sub-Saharan Africa: an initial survey of stakeholders
Authors: Hollingworth Samantha A. , Ruiz Francis , Gad Mohamed , Chalkidou Kalipso 
Published: November 2021

Background: Health technology assessment (HTA) is an effective tool for supporting priority setting (PS) in health. Stakeholder groups need to understand HTA appropriate to their role and to interpret and critique the evidence produced. We aimed to rapidly assess current health system priorities and policy areas of demand for HTA in Sub-Saharan Africa, and identify key gaps in data and skills to inform targeted capacity building. Methods: We revised an existing survey, delivered it to 357 participants, then analysed responses and explored key themes. Results: There were 51 respondents (14%, 30 full completions) across 14 countries. HTA was considered an important and valuable PS tool with a key role in the design of health benefits packages, clinical guideline development, and service improvement. Medicines were identified as a technology type that would especially benefit from the application of HTA. Using HTA to address safety issues (e.g. low-quality medicines) and value for money concerns was particularly highlighted. The perceived availability and accessibility of suitable local data to support HTA varied widely but was mostly considered inadequate and limited. Respondents also noted a need for training support in research methodology and data gathering. Conclusions: While important in raising awareness of HTA as a tool for PS, this study had a low response rate, and that respondents were self-selected. A more refined survey will be developed to support engagement strategies and capacity building.
A Machine Learning Approach to Predictive Modelling of Student Performance
Authors: Ng Hu , bin Mohd Azha Azmin Alias , Yap Timothy Tzen Vun , Goh Vik Tor 
Published: November 2021

Background - Many factors affect student performance such as the individual’s background, habits, absenteeism and social activities. Using these factors, corrective actions can be determined to improve their performance. This study looks into the effects of these factors in predicting student performance from a data mining approach. This study presents a data mining approach in identify significant factors and predict student performance, based on two datasets collected from two secondary schools in Portugal. Methods – In this study, two datasets collected from two secondary schools in Portugal. First, the data used in the study is augmented to increase the sample size by merging the two datasets. Following that, data pre-processing is performed and the features are normalized with linear scaling to avoid bias on heavy weighted attributes. The selected features are then assigned into four groups comprising of student background, lifestyle, history of grades and all features. Next, Boruta feature selection is performed to remove irrelevant features. Finally, the classification models of Support Vector Machine (SVM), Naïve Bayes (NB), and Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) origins are designed and their performances evaluated. Results - The models were trained and evaluated on an integrated dataset comprising 1044 student records with 33 features, after feature selection. The classification was performed with SVM, NB and MLP with 60-40 and 50-50 train-test splits and 10-fold cross validation. GridSearchCV was applied to perform hyperparameter tuning. The performance metrics were accuracy, precision, recall and F1-Score. SVM obtained the highest accuracy with scores of 77%, 80%, 91% and 90% on background, lifestyle, history of grades and all features respectively in 50-50 train-test splits for binary classification (pass or fail). SVM also obtained highest accuracy for five class classification (grade A, B, C, D and F) with 39%, 38%, 73% and 71% for the four categories respectively.
Case Report: Isolated, unilateral oculomotor palsy with anti-GQ1b antibody following COVID-19 vaccination
Authors: Kubota Takafumi , Hasegawa Takafumi , Ikeda Kensuke , Aoki Masashi 
Published: November 2021

Neurological complications following vaccinations are extremely rare, but cannot be eliminated. Here, we report the first case of unilateral oculomotor nerve palsy (ONP) with anti-GQ1b antibody after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 (BNT162b2) mRNA vaccine. A 65-year-old man developed diplopia and ptosis in the right eye 17 days after vaccination, without preceding infection. Neurological examination revealed mild blepharoptosis, limitation of adduction, and vertical gaze on the right side. Increased levels of anti-GQ1b ganglioside antibody in the serum and albuminocytologic dissociation in the cerebrospinal fluid were detected. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging showed swelling and enhancement of the right oculomotor nerve. The patient was diagnosed with right ONP accompanied with anti-GQ1b antibody, and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy for 5 days was administered. The limitation of adduction and vertical gaze improved, and ptosis markedly resolved after IVIG treatment. Given the temporal sequence of disease progression, laboratory findings, and a favorable response to IVIG, a causal relationship cannot be ruled out between the occurrence of ONP and COVID-19 immunization. Since immunomodulatory treatments significantly hasten the recovery and minimize the residual symptoms in anti-GQ1b antibody syndrome, clinicians should be aware of this clinical condition following COVID-19 vaccination.
AUTOMATED CONTROL SYSTEM FOR STONE CRUSHING PLANT
Authors: Myasnikov Vladimir I. , Morokhin Dmitry V. , Ivanov Artem V. , Ivanov Roman A. 
Published: November 2021

The issues of automation of production processes are currently not losing their relevance. Many existing devices and systems operate in manual or semi-automatic mode, which leads to known problems. The methods of connecting system elements and the choice of protocols for transmitting signals between them are quite well-established, however, due to the emergence of new devices and communication channels with improved characteristics, the issues of choosing methods and algorithms for the operation of such systems require modification. As a criterion for the quality of the constructed system, an assessment of the reliability of the system is used, provided that the specified time constraints on the performance of the main tasks are met. The elements of novelty of the presented solution are the use of domestically produced equipment at all stages of the system operation, as well as some solutions for the choice of communication channels and signal transmission protocols. Note that the main elements of novelty relate to the software implementation of the system, the description of which is beyond the scope of this article and is planned to be published in a separate work.
Purpose. The aim of the work is to develop the structure of an automated control system for a stone crushing plant.
Methodology. The work uses the methods of systems analysis, the theory of signal transmission and the theory of algorithms.
Results. The use of the presented solution made it possible to implement a simpler and more efficient hardware and software model of the control system, which will reduce the number of failures of various subsystems of the stone crushing plant. In addition, some new features have been introduced, such as the ability to remotely control and receiving data to accounting software.
Practical implications. The obtained results are advisable to be applied by production entities carrying out activities, one of the elements of which is the use of crushing plants and complexes.
High rate of human enteroviruses among clinically suspected meningitis cases at selected Hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Authors: Wami Ashenafi Alemu , Hundie Gadissa Bedada , Ambachew Rozina , Gebreyohannes Berhe Zenebe , Abrha Alem , Abebe Workeabeba , Abeje Dessalegen , Geteneh Alene , Mihret Adane , Mulu Andargachew 
Published: November 2021

Background
Because of limited infrastructure and skilled human capital, the etiology of meningitis is rarely identified in developing countries like Ethiopia. This results in unnecessary antibiotics use, economic crisis, hospitalization, and related nosocomial infections. Thus, we aimed to assess the epidemiology of human enteroviruses (HEVs) among clinically suspected meningitis cases in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Method
A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to August 2020 at selected Hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was conducted on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collected from 146 clinically suspected meningitis and bacterial culture-negative patients. SPSS v 21.0 was used for data analysis and bivariate correlation was done for the association between variables of interest.

Results
HEVs were detected in 39 (26.7%) of the 146 clinically suspected meningitis cases. Most of the HEVs cases 28 (71.9%) were detected in younger-aged infants less than 1 year. The most commonly observed clinical manifestations were vomiting (75.5%) followed by fever (56.8%) and impaired consciousness or irritability (50.7%). The mean length of hospital stay for patients with enteroviral meningitis was 9 days. Many patients with HEVs were recovered with sequelae (46.2%), and HEVs has contributed for one out of the nine meningeal deaths (11.1%).

Conclusions
HEVs were found to be the commonest cause of morbidity and mortality in all age groups. Many of the patients were mistreated with antibiotics and hospitalized. The detection of HEVs in 26.7% of clinically suspected meningitis cases indicated the need for molecular tests in investigating the etiology of meningitis. Therefore, we suggest the introduction of molecular tests as a routine practice in referral hospitals and the need to further characterize circulating HEVs strains.
How is and how should healthcare for people with multiple sclerosis in Germany be designed?–The rationale and protocol for the mixed-methods study Multiple Sclerosis–Patient-Oriented Care in Lower Saxony (MS-PoV)
Authors: Krüger Kathrin , Fricke Lara Marleen , Dilger Elise-Marie , Thiele Annett , Schaubert Kristina , Hoekstra Dyon , Heidenreich Fedor , Brütt Anna Levke , Stahmeyer Jona T. , Stahmann Alexander , Röper Anna-Lena , Kubiak Klaus-Peter , Hemmerling Melissa , Grau Anja , Eichstädt Kerstin , Behrens Sabine , Krauth Christian 
Published: November 2021

BackgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common autoimmune inflammatory disease of the central nervous system in Europe, often causing severe physical, cognitive and emotional impairments. Currently, it is unclear whether the healthcare provisions of people with MS (PwMS) are in line with the recommendations for treatment based on guidelines or patients’ needs. The main objectives of the study are as follows: (a) to investigate how well PwMS are treated; and (b) to develop a needs-oriented, patient-centred care model.MethodsThis mixed-methods study focuses on adult PwMS living in Lower Saxony, a federal state in Germany. The qualitative study comprises focus groups with PwMS, physicians and people involved in the healthcare process as well as a future workshop. The quantitative study comprises a cross-sectional online survey and addresses the patient-relevant outcomes and needs, as previously determined by literature searches and focus groups. It will be administered to all PwMS who are insured by the statutory health insurance company involved in the project (n~7,000). The survey data will be linked to the longitudinal secondary data from the statutory health insurance company and data from the German MS registry where available. The linked and single data sources will be statistically analysed.DiscussionBy comprehensively comparing the current healthcare provisions with the needs and requirements of PwMS, the strengths and weaknesses of the overall healthcare process and provision of assistive devices can be identified. The barriers and facilitators of the health service providers and their impact on daily life will be explored (qualitative analyses). Reliable recommendations for improvements will be given based on a study population drawn from the largest statutory health insurance company in Lower Saxony (quantitative analyses). However, the inherent advantages and limitations of the qualitative and quantitative research approaches need to be considered.Trial registrationThe study is registered at German Clinical Trials RegisterDRKS00021741.
RANGE EXTENDER ICE MULTI-PARAMETRIC MULTI-OBJECTIVE OPTIMIZATION
Authors: Adámek Mikuláš , Toman Rastislav 
Published: November 2021

Range Extended Electric Vehicles (REEV) are still one of the suitable concepts for modern sustainable low emission vehicles. REEV is equipped with a small and lightweight unit, comprised usually of an internal combustion engine with an electric generator, and has thus the technical potential to overcome the main limitations of a pure electric vehicle – range anxiety, overall driving range, heating, and air-conditioning demands – using smaller battery: saving money, and raw materials. Even though several REx ICE concepts were designed in past, most of the available studies lack more complex design and optimization approach, not exploiting the advantageous single point operation of these engines. Resulting engine designs are usually rather conservative, not optimized for the best efficiency. This paper presents a multi-parametric and multi-objective optimization approach, that is applied on a REx ICE. Our optimization toolchain combines a parametric GT-Suite ICE simulation model, modeFRONTIER optimization software with various optimization strategies, and a parametric CAD model, that first provides some simulation model inputs, and second also serves for the final designs’ feasibility check.
The chosen ICE concept is a 90 degrees V-twin engine, four-stroke, spark-ignition, naturally aspirated, port injected, OHV engine. The optimization goal is to find the thermodynamic optima for three different design scenarios of our concept – three different engine displacements – addressing the compactness requirement of a REx ICE. The optimization results show great fuel efficiency potential by applying our optimization methodology, following the general trends in increasing ICE efficiency, and power for a naturally aspirated concept.
»Erez Israel from the Air 1937–38«
Authors: Sonder Ines 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
In September 1938, German-Jewish merchant, publisher and patron Salman Schocken, who emigrated to Palestine in 1934, presented an album of 40 aerial photographs of the Land of Israel as a sign of gratitude to the well-wishers on his 60th birthday the previous year. The pictures were taken by Hungarian-Jewish photographer Zoltan Kluger, who had worked in Berlin since the 1920s and became the »chief photographer« of Keren Hayesod and the Jewish National Fund after his immigration at the end of 1933. There is only little information about their collaboration on this extraordinary project and the album of which a copy has been preserved in the Archives of the National Library of Israel. »Erez Israel from the Air 1937–38«, as the album is also known, with Klugerʼs stunning aerial shots, shows a unique view of historical and biblical landscapes, the Judean Desert and the Jordan Valley, but first and foremost they are a visual record of the architectural history of the Yishuv: starting with the settlements of the First Aliya, the founding of Kibbutzim and Moshavim, the urban development of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa, up to the Stockade and Tower settlements since the outbreak of the Arab revolt in 1936. They are presented in the following article. Readers are invited to view the whole album and the photographs at a higher resolution online here: https://rosetta.nli.org.il/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE38046962.
Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma expressing alpha fetoprotein in the endometrium
Authors: Hou Weiwei , Zhou Bin , Hou Gang , Pang Yu , Sang Jing , Li Ning 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Rare small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (SCNEC) cases showed alpha fetoprotein (AFP) expression in the endometrium. In this study, we reported a case of uterine SCNEC expressing AFP. In addition, a literature review was performed to investigate the potential mechanism and the clinicopathological features of SCNEC to provide clinical guidance. A 65-year-old female was referred to our hospital due to vaginal bleeding for 1 month in November 2020. The clinical features were summarized. After total hysterectomy and removal of bilateral appendages, the histological examination and immunohistochemistry examination were performed. Histological findings showed that the cancer cells were arranged in a nest-like pattern distributed in a lamellar manner. The smooth muscles of the uterus were invaded by cancer cells. Cancer cells were relatively consistent in size. Small glandular duct-like and rosettes-like structures were distinguished, together with necrotic tissues. The deep staining showed that the amount of cytoplasm was lower in the nucleus. Partial cancer cells had small nucleolus with an irregular profile. There were some mitotic figures. Immunohistochemistry examination indicated that there was a diffuse expression of CK, Syn, CgA, CD56, CK8/18, P16, AFP, HepPar-1, Glypican-3, and Ki67 (90%). In this case, we reported a SCNEC patient expressing AFP, Glypican-3, and HepPar-1.