bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Relationship Between Circulating Tumor Cells in Peripheral Blood and Clinical Characteristics of Pediatric Neuroblastoma and Prognostic Evaluation
Authors: Tuo Junhua , Zhao Zhi , Ma Xiaoning , Liu Zhengsheng , Yang Baogang , Zhang Meng , He Xuan 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Objective
This study aims to evaluate the relationship between the detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood and the clinical characteristics and prognostic value of advanced (III-IV) pediatric neuroblastoma (NB).
Methods
This retrospective analysis included 144 children with advanced NB who received comprehensive treatment at our hospital from September 2020 to October 2022. Detailed clinical data of the patients were collected, and CTCs in samples were detected using a negative enrichment method based on immunomagnetic beads adsorption combined with immunofluorescence technology. The prognostic evaluation criteria and cut-off values for CTCs were determined using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve method. Furthermore, univariate and Cox multivariate regression analyses were used to identify independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of children with NB.
Results
According to the optimal cut-off values obtained from the X-tile software, the patients were divided into high and low expression groups. The number of children with Progress (P < 0.001), Maximum tumor diameter ≥ 10cm (P = 0.004), low differentiation (P = 0.034), and stage IV (P = 0.007) in the high expression group was significantly higher than in the low expression group. The CTCs in children with Progress were higher than those in children with Mitigation (P < 0.001); children with Maximum tumor diameter < 10cm had lower CTCs than those with ≥ 10cm (P < 0.001); stage IV children had higher CTCs than stage III children (P = 0.036). The AUC for Maximum tumor diameter, Degree of differentiation, and Tumor stage were 0.703, 0.669, 0.574, and 0.598, respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that CTCs (P < 0.001, OR = 2.958), Efficacy (P = 0.005, OR = 1.814), and Maximum tumor diameter (P < 0.001, OR = 2.586) were independent prognostic factors affecting OS in children with NB. Time-dependent ROC curve analysis showed that the model's AUC for predicting 1-year and 2-year survival was 0.747 and 0.802, respectively.
Conclusion
CTCs detection can significantly assess the clinical characteristics and prognosis of advanced pediatric NB, and CTCs, Efficacy, and Maximum tumor diameter are independent prognostic factors.
Investigating student-teachers' continuous intention to use mobile learning management system: The technology acceptance model and expectation confirmatory model
Authors: Buabeng-Andoh Charles 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

This study investigated student-teachers’ continuous intention to use mobile learning management system. The sample size of the participants was two hundred and sixty-one. The participants responded to online survey questionnaires consisting of items from the combination of both Technology Acceptance and the Expectation Confirmatory Models. To perform the data analysis, the structural equation modeling was adopted as the key method. The inquiry revealed that the combined model had a robust predictive power to elucidate student-teachers’ continuous intention to operate technology. In addition, the Expectation Confirmatory Model constructs were important in elucidation student-teachers' intention to continue to use technology as compared to the Technology Acceptance Model constructs. On the whole, satisfaction had the greatest impact on the continuous intention to use technology. This research adds to the current body of knowledge by creating an integrated model using Technology Acceptance Model and Expectation Confirmatory Model to predict the continuous intention to use mobile learning management system among student-teachers in school. In addition, this study adds to research on determinants influencing student-teachers' continuous use of technology in schools in the emerging economies context.
DST-Net: Dual Self-Integrated Transformer Network for Semi-Supervised Segmentation of Optic Disc and Optic Cup in Fundus Image
Authors: Wang Jing , Wang Jinke , Yang Zhipeng , Xu Min , Tamura Shinichi 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Current neural network-based optic disc (OD) and optic cup (OC) segmentation tend to prioritize the image's local edge features, thus limiting their capacity to model long-term relationships, with errors in delineating the boundaries. To address this issue, we proposed a semi-supervised Dual Self-Integrated Transformer Network (DST-Net) for joint segmentation of the OD and OC. Firstly, we construct the encoder and decoder of the self-integrated network from the mutually enhanced feature learning modules of Vision Transformer (ViT) and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), which are co-trained with dual views to learn the global and local features of the image adaptively. Secondly, we employed a dual self-integrated teacher-student network with a substantial amount of unlabeled data, which is utilized through semi-supervised learning to facilitate the acquisition of more refined segmentation outcomes. Finally, the Boundary Difference over Union Loss (BDoU-loss) enhances the network's focus on the boundaries. We implemented the comparative experiments on the publicly available dataset RIGA+. The Dice value of OD and OC of the proposed DST-Net reached 95.12(±)0.14 and 85.69(±)0.27, respectively, outperforming other State-Of-The-Art (SOTA) methods and proving its promising prospect in OD and OC segmentation.
Association of exposure to phenols and parabens mixtures with grip strength among adults in the United States: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Xu Yueyang , Gui Siyu , Qin Shaokun , Jin Neng , Cheng Yuanyue , Ye Shuming 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Previous research has indicated potential health hazards of phenols and parabens from environmental exposure to humans. However, studies examining their relationship with grip strength remain limited. Utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), this study included 1,858 adults aged 20 years and older to explore the independent and combined associations of phenols and parabens with grip strength. In single exposure analyses, bisphenol A (BPA) exhibited a negative association with grip strength, while benzophenone-3 (BP3) and butyl paraben (BuP) showed positive associations. Restricted cubic splines (RCS) regression indicated a U-shaped nonlinear relationship between BPA and grip strength across all participants. Weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression models revealed a negative association between combined exposure to various metals in urine and grip strength. Quantile based g-computation (qgcomp) analysis suggested positive weights for urinary mixture of BuP, BPA, and methyl paraben (MeP), whereas 2,5-dichlorophenol (25-DCB), propyl paraben (PrP), and 2,4-dichlorophenol (24-DCB) had negative weights. Subgroup analyses indicated significant differences in results across age and gender subgroups. Given the limitations of cross-sectional studies, prospective and mechanistic investigations are warranted in future research.
Medial Temporal Lobe Subfields Correlate with Alzheimer's Cognitive Domains; Insights from High-Resolution T2 MRI of ADNI Database
Authors: Saberian Parsa , Mozafar Mehrdad , Sadeghi Mohammad , Dizjani Alma , Rajaeitabar Ali , Akherati Ali , Eghdami-Chafi Fatemeh , Sadeghi-Ronizi Mehdi , Shakeri Shayan , Rostami Rezvaneh , Torabi Pouya , Khavandegar Armin , Amiri Fatemeh , Mayeli Mahsa 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Background
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) causes multi-domain cognitive decline. Brain imaging biomarkers and neuropsychiatric testing detect difficulties, although it is unclear how cognitive processes and medial temporal lobe subregions relate. High-resolution T2 MRIs of AD patients' medial temporal lobes were compared to composite scores for memory, language, executive function, and visuospatial ability.
Methods
156 Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) participants provided data. Composite cognitive scores and high-resolution T2 MRI volumetric assessments of medial temporal lobe subregions were obtained. Multiple linear regression was used to account for factors and analyze composite scores and regional volumes.
Results
In AD patients, left cornu ammonis (CA), subiculum (SUB), perirhinal cortices (BA35), and bilateral parahippocampal cortex (PHC) size positively linked with memory performance. Language was strongly connected with hippocampi and cortical volumes in moderate cognitive impairment, and right entorhinal cortex (ERC) volume in AD patients. The bilateral SUB in normal cognitive function and the right SUB in AD positively linked with executive ability. Cognitively normal people with bilateral SUB had better visual-spatial skills.
Conclusion
Across AD stages, medial temporal subregions and cognitive composites had unique structure-function patterns, with left hemisphere effects preceding bilateral participation, underlining their combined value for early disease identification and monitoring.
A retrospective Cohort Research of the Impact of Intraocular Lens (IOL) Loading Methods on the Adhesion Phenomenon during Cataract Surgery
Authors: Yanan Li , Li Zhang , Yiren Wang , Jinhong Miao , Liu Jing , Zheng Liu 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Purpose
This study aims to observe the optic and haptic adhesion phenomenon of different intraocular lens (IOL) and the impact of different methods of IOL loading on the occurrence of adhesion phenomena.
Methods
253 patients (253 eyes) undergoing routine cataract surgery combined with IOL implantation at Peking University Third Hospital from July 2021 to July 2022 were enrolled. As an observative retrospective study, the Trial Registration Number (TRN) is not applicable for our research. Five types of IOLs including Tecnis ZCB00, Tecnis ZXR00, Tecnis ZMT, A1UV, and A1UL22 were selected and loaded using 7 different methods to compare the incidence of different IOL adhesion types and additional device assistance.
Results
The incidence of adhesion and additional device assistance in A1UV and A1UL22 groups were significantly higher than that in other three groups (P < 0.05). Routine loading method group exhibited the highest incidence of haptic adhesions (55%), while balanced salt solution (BSS) group presented the lowest incidence of haptic adhesions (5.9%, P < 0.05). BSS and viscoelastic group showed the highest incidence of double haptic loop adhesions (33%) among all the loading ways groups.
Conclusions
A1UV and its preloaded A1UL22 IOL presented the highest incidence of adhesion, compared with the other three IOLs (Tecnis ZCB00、Tecnis ZXR00、Tecnis ZMT). The application of BSS during IOL loading was effective in reducing the adhesion incidence.
Circulating HIF-1α and VEGF as Potential Biomarkers in Connective Tissue Disease-associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Authors: Shi Xiaofei , Ma Xin , Wang Huanhuan , He Xuegai , Fan Hua , Mao Yimin 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Objective:Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is an independent risk factor for increased mortality in patients with connective tissue disease (CTD); however, early diagnosis remains challenging. We aimed to assess the serum levels of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and explore their clinical significance in patients with CTD-associated PAH.
Methods:Demographic characteristics, laboratory parameters, and hemodynamic measurements were obtained for the patients with CTD-associated PAH (CTD-PAH). Serum levels of HIF-1α and VEGF were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Pearson correlation was utilized to determine the correlation between these biomarkers and clinical parameters. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of HIF-1α and VEGF in identifying CTD-PAH.
Results:Both VEGF and HIF-1α levels were significantly elevated in patients with CTD-PAH and CTD without PAH (CTD-non-PAH) compared with those in the healthy control (HCs) group (P<0.01). Furthermore, HIF-1α levels were higher in patients with CTD-PAH than in individuals with CTD-non-PAH, as were the VEGF levels. In patients with CTD-PAH, HIF-1α and VEGF levels were positively correlated with mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels, and negatively correlated with the 6-Minute Walk Distance (6MWD). The combined HIF-1α and VEGF analysis were used for diagnosing CTD-PAH and yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.933.
Conclusion:Elevated serum levels of HIF-1α and VEGF were observed in patients with the CTD-PAH. Our findings suggest that HIF-1α and VEGF may serve as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of CTD-PAH.
The Unique Fabrics Combination Method for Making Affordable Washable Fabric Mask with Good Filtration Efficiency
Authors: Su Anselm Ting , Kuan Jew Win , Shanat Musdi Hj , Osman Baderin , Mahmud Haalah 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to report a unique method to make reusable washable fabric face mask that has good filtration efficiency and yet affordable using common fabric materials including the polypropylene filter available in the market to support the needs of universal masking. Part 1 study involved multiple combinations of common commercially available fabric materials to find the most filtration efficient combination for the purpose of making the reusable and washable fabric face mask. The filtration efficiency and breathing resistance of all prototypes were tested according to ASTM F2299/F2299M-03 standard using TSI 8130 High Flow Automated Filter Tester, and AFNOR SPEC S76-001:2020 using INSPEC Breathing Resistant Rig respectively in the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Dust Mask Laboratory. The study found a unique combination of non-woven fusible interlinings fabric with melt blown polypropylene filter fabric to produce washable and reusable fabric mask that can sustain up to 50 normal household washing machine washes maintaining the filtration efficiency between 60–95% and breathing resistance below 4 milibar, which are acceptable to function as non-medical mask. Part 2 study involved field testing of the prototype face masks made from Part 1 study among randomly selected 764 school children in comparison arms. The experiment showed no increase in incidences of all-cause and sickness absenteeism using the prototype masks produced as compared to usual face masks at end of two months.
Cost-Reduction Strategy to Culture Patient Derived Bladder Tumor Organoids
Authors: Sisakht Mahsa Mollapour , Gholizadeh Fatemeh , Hekmatirad Shirin , Mahmoudi Tokameh , Montazeri Saeed , Sharifi Laleh , Daemi Hamed , Romal Shahla , Yazdi Mohammad Hosein , Faramarzi Mohammad Ali , Shahverdi Ahmad Reza , Hamidieh Amir Ali 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Organoids as an aggregation of stem cells can recapitulate the function of organs in miniature form and have developed great potential for clinical translation, drug screening and personalized medicine over the last decade. Most organoids are currently cultured in basement membrane matrices (BMMs), which is hampered by xenogeneic origin, batch-to-batch variability, cost and complexity. In addition, organoid culture relies on biochemical signals provided by various growth factors in the composition of the medium. We have developed a method for culturing organoids from bladder tumors in a sodium alginate hydrogel scaffold in addition to fibroblast conditioned medium (FCM)-enriched culture medium that is inexpensive and easily amenable to clinical applications. Tumor organoids in Alginate and FCM based medium grow in comparable to those cultured in BMMs and standard medium. The organoids express specific bladder organoid markers containing CK14, CK20, LGR5, Uroplakin III, FOX1A, GATA3, CK5 and CK44 and the proliferation potential showed by confocal microscopy. The results indicate that alginate is very promising for early passage human bladder organoid culture with increase the scalability potential. Furthermore, using FCM based medium as an alternative solution can be consider, especially for low-resource situation and to develop cost effective tumor organoids.
Exploration and application of the entropy weight method coupled with grey correlation analysis in the evaluation of river water ecological health - a case study of the Pujiang River
Authors: Luo BenFu , Yan YuJing , Xiang Yu , Wang ShiJie , He HaiXing , Liu YuHang , Deng Shuai , Zhou Xiang 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Healthy riverwater ecosystems have gradually become the target and direction of riverwater ecological protection. However, commonly used methods for assessing river ecosystem health may not fully or accurately reveal the true state of river health, leading to some level of challenge in restoring river ecosystems. Taking the Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, China Pujiang River as a case study, this research evaluates and compares the aquatic ecological health of the river section based on investigations of plankton, attached algae, benthic animals, fish, water quality, and environmental environment. By coupling the biological index method, comprehensive health assessment method, entropy weight method, and grey correlation analysis method, the study assesses the aquatic ecological health of this river section. The biological index method is significantly influenced by the evaluation objects and methods, providing an intuitive reflection of the environmental health status of specific biological populations; however, it may encounter contradictions with significantly different results between parallel indices, making it challenging to reflect the complexity and dynamics of the entire ecosystem comprehensively. The comprehensive health assessment method offers a more thorough evaluation. Still, it may be influenced by a single indicator's weight, resulting in varying outcomes due to the selection of different aquatic biotic indicators and lacking key assessment indicators like plankton. Given the chaotic and vague issues arising from the biological index method and comprehensive health index method, this study combines the entropy weight method with the grey relational analysis approach to assess the health status of river ecosystems. The entropy weight method quantitatively determines the weight of evaluation indicators. At the same time, the grey correlation analysis measures the degree of correlation between different factors, providing more accurate and instructive evaluation results. Applying the entropy weight method coupled with the grey correlation analysis in the Pujiang River case accurately evaluated the aquatic ecological health, indicating a state of good to excellent health and highlighting the key focus areas in water quality and environmental environment. This approach demonstrated good effectiveness and significant cost-efficiency. Determining indicator weights using the entropy weight method coupled with grey correlation analysis is more objective and informative, presenting a promising innovative method for evaluating river ecosystem health.
Effects of SGLT2 inhibitors on acute myocardial infarction: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Hu Chunmei , Ou Shulin , Zheng Xi , Tan Xianhua 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Background: Current treatment guidelines and expert consensus are controversial regarding the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) during acute progression of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) .Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the impact of SGLT2i on AMI , and safety outcomes in patients.
Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China Science and Technology Journal Database, Wan fang Database and China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database were searched for clinical trials from database establishment to December 31，2023 with no language restrictions. The risk of bias was evaluated by Collaboration Handbook. Review Manager (version 5.3) were used for meta-analysis.
Results: A total of nine articles including 16083 patients were included. In patients with AMI, SGLT2i reduced the risk of the cardiovascular-death (RR 0.64, 95% CI 0.53–0.78, P<0.0001, I2=32% for the heterogeneity), hospitalization rate for heart failure (RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.53–0.90, P=0.006), arrhythmia (RR 0.53, 95% CI 0.33–0.86, P=0.009).
No significant differences were observed between the two groups with regard to all-cause deaths(RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.51–1.01, P=0.06), recurrence rate of myocardial infarction(RR 0.94, 95% CI 0.80–1.10, P=0.43), unplanned revascularization rate(RR 1.10, 95% CI 0.74–1.65, P=0.63)，and with similar risks of adverse events(RR 0.61, 95% CI 0.32–1.16, P=0.13)( such as acute kidney injury was lower than that of control group, genital infection was higher than that of control group).
Conclusions: This meta-analysis of patients with AMI showed that SGLT2i significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular death , hospitalization and arrhythmia for AMI, but not recurrence rate of myocardial infarction, unplanned revascularization rate and all-cause death. Therefore, given that SGLT2i may reduce the risk of hospitalization and cardiovascular death for AMI, they should be considered the fundamental treatment for all patients with AMI.
Comorbidity Patterns and Healthcare Resource Utilization in COPD Patients: A Retrospective Analysis Using Association Rules
Authors: Cheng Zhuozhuo , Zhang Rui , Xu Haofeng , Huang Junting , Liang Zijing , Yan Ping 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Background
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) frequently present with multiple concurrent chronic diseases, which has a profound impact on their quality of life. At present, there is a paucity of research investigating the interrelationships between COPD and comorbidities. Furthermore, there is a dearth of systematic and comprehensive studies in this area.
Methods
The data were extracted from the discharge summaries of patients whose primary diagnosis was COPD (ICD-10: J44). The 15 most frequent comorbidities in patients’ other diagnoses were identified, and the association rule mining (ARM) method with the apriori algorithm was then employed to derive comorbidity combinations associated with length of stay (LOS) and antimicrobial drug costs.
Results
The study encompassed data from 2,159 patients. The five most prevalent comorbidities were other respiratory diseases (41.69%), hypertension (31.91%), liver diseases (25.34%), heart diseases (20.84%), and arrhythmia (15.05%). Some comorbidity combinations identified by ARM were found to be significantly associated with longer LOS of at least seven days. Conversely, some were associated with higher antimicrobial drug costs. The combination of diabetes, heart disease, other respiratory disease, and hypertension demonstrated the strongest association with longer LOS (adjusted OR (aOR): The odds ratio was 3.03 (95% CI: 1.03–8.88). The combination of diabetes, other respiratory diseases and hypertension was associated with higher antimicrobial drug costs, amounting to a minimum of 400 RMB (aOR: 2.63, 95% CI: 1.31–5.31).
Conclusion
Other respiratory diseases and hypertension were among the most frequently reported comorbidities in patients with COPD in Guangzhou, China. It is possible that specific groups of comorbidities may contribute to a greater burden of healthcare resource utilization. Further investigation is required to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these associations and to identify potential measures to optimize the healthcare resource utilization.