bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Risk factors for bloodstream infection in COVID-19 patients in intensive care units: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Wang Jun , Jiang Ting 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Background: Risk factors for bloodstream infection in patients with COVID-19 in the intensive care unit (icu) remain unclear. The purpose of this systematic review was to study the risk factors for BSI in patients admitted to ICUs for COVID-19.
Methods: A systematic search was performed on PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science up to July 2024. Data were reported as combined odds ratio (OR) for categorical variables and weighted mean difference (WMD) for continuous variables.
Results: 6914 studies were retrieved, of which 55 were included in the meta-analysis. Men (OR=1.28, 95% CI: 1.10-1.50, P=0.006), high SAPS II score (WMD=6.43, 95% CI: 0.23-12.63, P=0.042), diabetes (OR=1.34, 95% CI: 1.04-1.73, P=0.022), tracheal intubation (OR=8.68, 95% CI: 4.68-16.08, P<0.001), mechanical ventilation (OR=22.00, 95% CI: 3.77-128.328, P<0.001), ECMO (OR=2.70, 95% CI: 1.17-6.26, P=0.020), central venous cannulation (OR=9.33, 95% CI: 3.06-28.43, P<0.001), prolonged ICU stay (WMD=10.37, 95% CI: 9.29-11.44, P<0.001), methylprednisolone use (OR=2.24, 95% CI: 1.24-4.04, P=0.008), and the combination of methylprednisolone and Tocilizumab (OR=4.54, 95% CI: 1.09-18.88, P=0.037) were risk factors for ICU-BSI in COVID-19 patients.
Conclusion:We identified 10 risk factors for ICU-BSI in COVID-19 patients. In future studies, these factors can be combined to establish a more comprehensive and accurate prediction model for ICU-BSI in COVID-19 patients. Targeted measures can be taken earlier to control BSI.
Establishment and Validation of a Machine Learning Model Predicting Post-Radical Prostatectomy Gleason grading group upgrading Author’s information
Authors: Wu Jinfeng , Yuan Runqiang , Lu Yangbai , Tan Jian , Chen Zhenjie , Li Xianzhe , Leng Qu , Zhong Rui , Zhang Yongxin , Huang Hongxing 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Background
Based on the 2014 International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) grading system, the study assesses the disparities in gleason grading group between preoperative needle biopsy pathology and post-radical prostatectomy (post-RP) specimens for prostate cancer (PCa). It investigates the risk factors for post-RP gleason grading group upgrading (GGU) and develops and validates a machine learning (ML) model for predicting post-RP GGU in PCa patients.
Methods
A retrospective analysis is conducted on demographic and clinicopathological variables of PCa patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database from 2010 to 2018. Five different ML algorithms, including logistic regression (LR), gradient boosting machine (GBM), neural network (NNET), random forest (RF), and XGBoost (XGB), are utilized. The patients with localized PCa who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) at Zhongshan People's Hospital from January 2018 to December 2023 were selected as the external validation group. Model performance is evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUC), calibration curve, decision curve analysis (DCA), sensitivity (recall), and specificity. A web-based predictor is developed based on the best-performing model.
Results
This study included a total of 65,574 PCa patients from the SEER database and 98 patients from the external validation group. Among them, there were 11,931 in the training group, 5,112 in the internal validation group, and 24 in the external validation group who experienced post-RP GGU. Risk factors such as patient age, race, preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, needle biopsy ISUP grading group, total number of biopsy cores, number of positive cores, and percentage of positive cores were significantly associated with GGU (P < 0.05). Five ML algorithms demonstrated relatively stable consistency, with their AUC values exceeding 0.7. A web-based predictor was developed using the XGB model, which showed the best predictive performance.
Conclusion
The study introduced a ML model and an online predictor designed to assess the risk of post-RP GGU in PCa patients, aiding physicians in customizing clinical decisions and treatment strategies.
Firm Age, Proximity to the Past R&amp;D, and Innovation
Authors: Yamaguchi Shotaro , Nitta Ryuji , Hara Yasushi , Shimizu Hiroshi 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Previous studies have found that firm age has a negative effect on R&D and innovation. While firm rigidity has been thought to explain this negative effect of age, it has not been measured empirically. Using the USPTO patent database, this study empirically unpacks the black box of firm age effects on innovation. Using cosine similarity, we directly measure a potential mediating variable, the extent of reconfiguration of firms' R&D portfolios (which we call firms' own R&D proximity). We empirically demonstrate the mediating role of rigidity in the firm age effects on innovation. We also confirm the trade-off between R&D quality and quantity. Specifically, we find that higher R&D proximity (i.e., firms that reconfigure their portfolios less) is associated with lower invention quality while producing more inventions. The empirical results provide a managerial implication that if firms continue to conduct R&D in the same area, their R&D quality will decline. It implies that as firms age, changing the area of R&D becomes an important managerial issue, and if they can make this change, they are likely to produce higher quality results in R&D.
In vivo regulation of infected and bystander monocyte phenotype by the Mycobacterium marinum ESX-1 type VII secretion system
Authors: Munke Kristina , Wulff Line , Lienard Julia , Carlsson Fredric , Agace William 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Pathogenic mycobacteria require the conserved ESX-1 type VII secretion system to cause disease. Using a murine Mycobacterium marinum infection model we recently demonstrated an antagonistic interplay between neutrophils and monocytes, where monocytes play a host-protective role by restricting ESX-1-dependent intragranuloma accumulation of neutrophils. Here, we demonstrate that the protective function of monocytes is maintained in RAG-deficient mice, indicating that their ability to restrict neutrophil-dependent inflammation is independent of adaptive immunity. Further, we performed single cell RNA sequencing of infected and bystander Ly6C+MHCII+ monocytes, isolated from the infected tissue, to explore how M. marinum and ESX-1 alter the monocyte phenotype in vivo. Our findings indicate that M. marinum intrinsically impacts on the transcription profile of infected monocytes in an ESX-1-independent fashion. Infection alters cytokine expression, induces glycolytic metabolism, hypoxia-mediated signaling, nitric oxide synthesis, tissue remodeling, and suppresses responsiveness to IFNg. In contrast to infected cells, the phenotype of bystander monocytes is extrinsically regulated in an ESX-1-dependent manner, including a reduced responsiveness to IFNg. These findings suggest that mycobacterial infection has pleiotropic effects on monocyte phenotype, with potential implications in bacterial growth restriction and granuloma formation.
Primary pulmonary meningioma: A case report and literature review
Authors: Cheng Jun , Guo Chunfen 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Introduction
Primary pulmonary meningioma is a rare disease. There have been only a little over 50 cases of primary pulmonary meningioma (PPM) reported in previous literature. The pathogenesis of PPM is still unclear. We report a case of PPM cured by thoracoscopic right middle lobe wedge resection and systematically review previously reported cases in previous literature.
Case report
A 57-year-old male patient was found to have a nodule in the right middle lobe of about 1.8cm in diameter on a chest-enhanced CT scan performed more than 7 years ago. A re-examination in 2023 found the subpleural nodule in the right middle lobe had grown larger than before. Considering surgical treatment, the patient underwent a thoracoscopic right middle lobe wedge resection after a thorough examination. The final pathological diagnosis was primary pulmonary meningioma. Regular follow-up CT scans showed no recurrence.
Conclusion
Primary pulmonary meningioma is a rare tumor that is difficult to diagnose definitively clinically and radiologically. However, most cases are benign with a good prognosis, and the surgical resection method of choice is usually wedge resection. A small proportion of malignant cases, due to the invasiveness of the tumor, require lobectomy and adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The incidence and geographical distribution of primary pulmonary meningioma show certain patterns, with the disease possibly being more prevalent in Asia and more common in females.
Optimize using black soldier fly larvae reared on chicken manure as an alternative feed in the insect farming industry
Authors: Abdelmaksoud Eman M. , El-Sayed Walaa , Rashwan Rania S. , Hegazy Safaa A. , Abdelsalam Samar A. 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

In April 2022, the State Information Service (SIS) released statistics indicating that Egypt produced over 1.4 billion birds overall, including 320 million chickens. The high price of chicken feed presents Egypt with a significant challenge. As many research suggested the use of chicken manure (CM) as a substitute feed, Egypt may transform it to a reasonably priced and readily available for chicken feed by using black soldier fly larvae (BSFL). BSFL fed on pure CM don’t gain significant weight and often died, this research aims to investigate the effects of adding different ratios of bread waste (BW) to CM to increase BSF larval development. The best results were obtained when BW was added to CM at a 1:1 ratio. Four bacterial isolates were isolated from BSF eggs, while one bacterial isolate, Morganella morganii, was isolated from the larval gut. On adding the bacterial isolates to different substrates, M. morganii showed the highest effect on larval weight and conversion rate, which may highlight its potential as a beneficial bacterial isolate for BSF cultivation. Further research is needed to explore these mechanisms, assess the potential of these bacterial isolates, and optimize the use of bacterial supplementation in insect farming systems.
Seasonal Variations and Environmental Influences on Dry Eye Operations in Japan
Authors: Kabata Yoshiaki , Terauchi Ryo , Nakano Tadashi 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

The surface of the eye is constantly exposed to the external environment and is affected by atmospheric conditions and air pollution, and dry eye is a typical ocular surface disease. This study aimed to determine whether there are seasonal differences in the number of dry eye operations in Japan and to investigate whether meteorological conditions and air pollutants are related. Operations were examined using the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan (NDB) database from fiscal years 2019 to 2021. Temperature, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, volume humidity, wind speed, sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides X (NOX), photochemical oxidants (OX), carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) were considered. The number of dry eye operations was significantly higher in the winter than in the summer. (p = 0.0023) No significant differences were found among the other seasons. Volume humidity and temperature were strongly negatively correlated, and NOX and atmospheric pressure were strongly positively correlated.
Constructing in silico, molecular self-aggregates and micro- hydrated complexes of Oxirene and Thiirene
Authors: Lande Dipali N. , Gejji Shridhar P. , Pathak Rajeev K. 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Oxirene, surmised to exist in the interstellar medium, was synthesized in the laboratory only recently. At the ωB97xD/6-311++G(2d,2p) level of density functional theory, it is demonstrated here that oxirene attains a local minimum on the potential energy surface; further, cooperative intermolecular hydrogen-bonding can lead to molecular self-aggregates and is conducive to ‘micro-hydration’ with at best three water molecules. Thiirene, its thia-analogue, at the same level of theory, displays similar however, somewhat weaker hydrogen bonding in its aggregates and water solvated complexes. Cogent molecular descriptors such as interaction energies for cluster formation, molecular electrostatic potential (MESP), effective atomic charges, infrared spectroscopic response, criticality profiles from the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM), hydrogen-bond energies, reduced density gradient (RDG) maps identifying non-covalent interactions (NCI), all in unison characterize the aggregates. In particular, infrared spectra display frequency down-shifts for the hydrogen bonded C-H and for OH vibrations in solvated complexes. Should these aggregates exist in the interstellar medium, the present in silico endeavor provides adequate grounds for their identification.
Detection of anomalous spatio-temporal patterns of app traffic in response to catastrophic events
Authors: Pedreschi Nicola , Medina Sofia , Lambiotte Renaud , LaRock Timothy , Babul Shazia'Ayn , Sahasrabuddhe Rohit 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

In this work, we uncover patterns of usage mobile phone applications and information spread in response to perturbations caused by unprecedented events. We focus on categorizing patterns of response in both space and time and tracking their relaxation over time. To this end, we use the NetMob2023 Data Challenge dataset, which provides mobile phone applications traffic volume data for several cities in France at a spatial resolution of 100$m^2$ and a time resolution of 15 minutes for a time period ranging from March to May 2019. We analyze the spread of information before, during, and after the catastrophic Notre-Dame fire on April 15th and a bombing that took place in the city centre of Lyon on May 24th using volume of data uploaded and downloaded to different mobile applications as a proxy of information transfer dynamics. We identify different clusters of information transfer dynamics in response to the Notre-Dame fire within the city of Paris as well as in other major French cities. We find a clear pattern of significantly above-baseline usage of the application Twitter (currently known as X) in Paris that radially spreads from the area surrounding the Notre-Dame cathedral to the rest of the city. We detect a similar pattern in the city of Lyon in response to the bombing. Further, we present a null model of radial information spread and develop methods of tracking radial patterns over time. Overall, we illustrate novel analytical methods we devise, showing how they enable a new perspective on mobile phone user response to unplanned catastrophic events, giving insight into how information spreads during a catastrophe in both time and space.
Regulating the amount of graphene oxide for enhanced capacitive energy storage of MOF derived materials
Authors: Qin Yongji , Yang Jingquan , Wang Hao , Lian Meiling , Jia Peipei , Luo Jun , Liu Xijun , Liu Junfeng 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

In pursuit of more efficient and stable electrochemical energy storage materials, composite materials consisting of metal oxides and graphene oxide have garnered significant attention due to their unique structures and exceptional properties. Graphene oxide (GO), a two-dimensional material with an extremely high specific surface area and excellent conductivity, offers new possibilities for enhancing the electrochemical performance of metal oxides. In this work, we synthesized metal-organic framework (MOF) and GO composites with regulated amount of GO and successfully prepared composites of metal oxides supported by nitrogen-doped carbon frameworks and GO through a simple one-step calcination process. Through capacitive-property tests, the optimal amount of GO was figured out. This research will provide new insights and directions for designing and synthesizing metal oxide and graphene oxide composite materials with ideal electrochemical performance.
CO 2 Methanation Process over Highly Active and Nanostructured NiO-Al 2 O 3 Catalyst Synthesized by Various Methods
Authors: Tamimi Kianoush , Alavi Seyed Mehdi , Rezaei Mehran , Akbari Ehsan 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

This study is centered on the synthesis of NiO-Al2O3 catalysts using multiple preparation methods, which encompass mechanochemical, impregnation, sol-gel, co-precipitation, and combustion techniques. These various methods were employed to create catalyst samples, subsequently utilized in the carbon dioxide methanation process. Comprehensive characterization of the prepared samples encompassed H2-TPR, XRD, BET, and FESEM analyses. The outcomes of the BET and XRD analyses unveiled that the 20wt.% NiO-Al2O3 catalyst, synthesized via the mechanochemical preparation approach, exhibited exceptional efficiency in relation to CO2 conversion and selectivity of methane. This was especially pronounced at lower temperatures. Notably, this catalyst showcased a specific surface area measuring 240.7 m2/g, coupled with a reduced crystal size of 29.4 nm. The 20wt. % NiO-Al2O3 catalyst demonstrated a carbon dioxide conversion of 68%, coupled with a methane selectivity of 96% under the operational condition of 400 ℃. Notably, this catalyst demonstrated the highest degree of stability when compared to the other catalysts studied. To comprehensively assess the impact of varying nickel loadings, spanning from 5 to 25 wt. %, on both textural attributes and the catalytic efficacy of mechanochemically synthesized NiO-Al2O3, an in-depth investigation was undertaken. The experimental findings from this investigation unveiled that the augmentation of nickel loading up to 20 wt% led to a discernible enhancement in CO2 conversion efficiency. However, beyond this threshold, a decline in CO2 conversion was detected. This can be linked to the phenomenon of particle sintering, which subsequently leads to a decrease in the dispersion of the active catalytic phase. Furthermore, the study delved into the exploration of processing conditions and the temperature of calcination, assessing their influence on the catalytic efficiency of the chosen catalyst.
Wake Characteristics of Multiscale Buildings in a Turbulent Boundary Layer
Authors: Southgate-Ash Cameron , Mishra Abhishek , Grimmond Sue , Robins Alan , Placidi Marco 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Urban forms characterised by multi-scale roughness can drastically modify the wind structure within cities affecting both pedestrian comfort and air quality at street level, however, for simplicity, most urban flow studies focus on cuboid buildings with a single length scale. To study how significant additional length scales are in urban flow modelling, six forms are considered: reference cuboids for two aspect ratio (mean building height to width) cases (standard, 1; tall, 3) with two additional fractal iterations of each. These are used in wind tunnel experiments within a deep turbulent boundary layer. Although the six models have the same mean building width, height, and frontal area, their length scale characteristics differ. These are found to affect the drag force exerted by the buildings in a non-negligible way (up to 5% and 13% for standard and tall buildings, respectively). The added length scales also modify the wake lateral spread and intensity of the turbulence fluctuations, with smaller the length scale the lower (higher) the intensity of the fluctuations in the near (far) wake. Additionally, the strength of the vortex shedding emanating from the buildings is reduced by introducing systematically smaller length scales. This work suggests that the omission of additional length scales can lead to inaccuracies in drag and wake recovery estimations, while the reduction in intensity of vortex shedding found with each fractal iteration could have engineering applications (e.g. reducing vibration).
Enhancing Bevacizumab efficacy in a colorectal tumor mice model using Dextran-Coated Albumin Nanoparticles
Authors: Pangua Cristina , Espuelas Socorro , Simón Jon Ander , Álvarez Samuel , Martínez-Ohárriz Cristina , Collantes María , Peñuelas Iván , Calvo Alfonso , Irache Juan M. 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody (mAb) that prevents the growth of new blood vessels and is currently employed in the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, like other mAb, bevacizumab shows a limited penetration in the tumors, hampering their effectiveness and inducing adverse reactions. The aim of this work was to design and evaluate albumin-based nanoparticles, coated with dextran, as carriers for bevacizumab in order to promote its accumulation in the tumor and, thus, improve its antiangiogenic activity. These nanoparticles (B-NP-DEX50) displayed a mean size of about 250 nm and a payload of about 110 µg/mg. In a CRC mice model, these nanoparticles significantly reduced tumor growth and increased tumor doubling time, tumor necrosis and apoptosis more effectively than free bevacizumab. At the end of study, bevacizumab plasma levels were higher in the free drug group, while tumor levels were higher in the B-NP-DEX50 group (2.5-time higher). In line with this, the biodistribution study revealed that nanoparticles accumulated in the tumor core, potentially improving therapeutic efficacy while reducing systemic exposure. In summary, B-NP-DEX can be an adequate alternative to improve the therapeutic efficiency of biologically active molecules, offering a more specific biodistribution to the site of action.