bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Non-random distribution of Plasmodium Species infections and associated clinical features in children in the lake Victoria region, Kenya, 2012–2018
Authors: Omondi Protus , Musyoka Brian , Okai Takatsugu , Kongere James , Kagaya Wataru , Chan Chim W. , Ngara Mtakai , Kanoi Bernard N. , Kido Yasutoshi , Gitaka Jesse , Kaneko Akira 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Background
While Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) stands out as the most lethal malaria parasite species in humans, the impact of other species should not be dismissed. Moreover, there is a notable lack of understanding of mixed-species infections and their clinical implications.

Methods
We conducted eight school-based cross-sectional malariometric surveys in the Lake Victoria region of western Kenya between January–February 2012 and September–October 2018. In each survey, a minimum of 100 children aged 3 to 15 years were randomly chosen from a school in Ungoye village on the mainland and as well as from each school selected in every catchment area on Mfangano island. Plasmodium infection was determined by microscopy and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The multiple-kind lottery (MKL) model calculated the expected distribution of Plasmodium infections in the population and compared it to observed values using a chi-squared test (χ2).

Results
The Plasmodium prevalence was 25.9% (2521/9724) by microscopy and 51.1% (4969/9724) by PCR. Among all infections detected by PCR, Pf, P. malariae (Pm), and P. ovale (Po) mono-infections were 58.6%, 3.1%, and 1.8%, respectively. Pf/Pm, Pf/Po, Pm/Po, and Pf/Pm/Po co-infections were 23.5%, 4.3%, 0.1%, and 8.6%, respectively. MKL modelling revealed non-random distributions, with frequencies of Pf/Pm and Pf/Pm/Po co-infections being significantly higher than expected (χ2 = 3385.60, p < 0.001). Pf co-infections with Pm and Po were associated with a decreased risk of fever (aOR 0.64, 95% CI 0.46–0.83; p = 0.01) and increased risks of splenomegaly (aOR 12.79, 95% CI 9.69–16.9; p < 0.001) and anaemia (aOR 2.57, 95% CI 2.09–3.15; p < 0.001), compared to single-species infections.

Conclusion
This study sheds light on the potential interaction between Pf and Pm and/or Po. Given the clinical significance of mixed-species infections, improved diagnostics, and case management of Pm and Po are urgently needed.
Relative contribution of comorbid diseases to health-related quality of life in patients with Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Keränen Maija-Helena , Kytövuori Laura , Huhtakangas Juha , Kärppä Mikko , Majamaa Kari 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Background
Multimorbidity is common in elderly people, and one of the major consequences of multimorbidity is low health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of comorbid diseases in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and to analyze their relative importance in HRQoL. The aim was also to examine agreement between the generic 15D questionnaire and the PD-specific Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-8) to further validate 15D in the evaluation of HRQoL in patients with PD.

Methods
Patients with PD (N = 551) filled a questionnaire on comorbid diseases, and the 15D questionnaire yielding a 15-dimensional health profile and a score representing the overall HRQoL. Self-organizing map was used for an unsupervised pattern recognition of the health profiles. Relative importance analysis was used to evaluate the contribution of 16 comorbid diseases to the 15D score. The agreement between 15D and PDQ-8 questionnaires was studied in a subset of 81 patients that were examined clinically.

Results
533 patients (96.7%) reported comorbid diseases. The most affected dimensions in the 15D questionnaire were secretion, usual activities, discomfort and symptoms, and sexual activity. Self-organizing map identified three patterns of health profiles that included patients with high, low or transition HRQoL. The transition subgroup was similar to low HRQoL subgroup in non-motor dimensions. Sixteen comorbid diseases explained 33.7% of the variance in the 15D score. Memory deficit, depression, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation had the highest relative importance. The intraclass correlation coefficient between the generic 15D and the PD-specific PDQ-8 was 0.642 suggesting moderate reliability.

Conclusions
The most marked differences in HRQoL were in the dimensions of secretion, usual activities, and sexual activity. Pattern detection of 15D health dimensions enabled the detection of a subgroup with disproportionately poor HRQoL in non-motor dimensions. The comorbid diseases affecting most to HRQoL were memory deficit and depression. The generic 15D questionnaire can be used in the evaluation of HRQoL in PD patients.
Can items derived from international literature be used in national quality of life instruments? A qualitative study conceptualising the EQ-HWB in China
Authors: Zhang Guangjie , Yang Zhihao , Luo Nan , Wang Pei , Busschbach Jan 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Introduction
The EQ Health and Wellbeing (EQ-HWB) is a new questionnaire for measuring quality of life (QoL) from a broad perspective. The items of the EQ-HWB were derived based on a ‘qualitative review’ of literature, which reported primarily on Western studies. It can be argued that the QoL is a cultural-related concept and therefore people from China have a different understanding of the QoL. This study aimed to explore whether Chinese citizens could understand the EQ-HWB’s candidate items and what they thought of those items. In doing so, we wanted to examine the face validity of the candidate items and explore if further cultural adaptation is necessary.

Methods
This research was part of the E-QALY project, in which 36 candidate items were selected for the EQ-HWB from a 97-item pool. In China, three interviewers investigated the face validity of these EQ-HWB candidate items in semi-structured qualitative face-to-face interviews. Respondents were invited to report ‘problems’ with regard to the interpretation of the items and these problems were grouped into themes. We explored to what extent those themes related to specific cultural aspects in China. We also classified the rates of reported problems for each item into three groups: 1) less than 20%, 2) from 20–50%, and 3) over 50%.

Results
For 17 items the rate of reported problems was less than 20%, 15 items fell into the second group (with 20 − 50%) and for 4 items the rate of problems reported was more than 50%. The thematic analysis revealed eight themes: ambiguous problems in the interpretation of 16 items; difficult to understand (11); contained a complex negative expression (10); examples used seemed inappropriate (7); misleading connotation in Chinese (2); long and complex (2); complex response options (1); and use of non-colloquial language (1).

Discussion
Our research shows that EQ-HWB candidate items require careful examination to make them more comprehensible. Most of the reported problem themes were generic problems related to the items, and only a few face validity issues appeared to relate to specific cultural aspects in China, even though most of the items were based on Western studies. Our findings are reassuring for the instrument’s international application, especially in China.
Exploring Ayurveda: principles and their application in modern medicine
Authors: Verma Sunil Kumar , Pandey Minakshi , Sharma Avinash , Singh Devendra 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Background
The integration of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH) with modern medicine aims to provide a more personalized and effective approach to healthcare. Ayurveda is a traditional medicine system in India that emphasizes the balance between mind, body, and spirit. It is based on the belief that every individual is unique and requires personalized treatment. The fundamental principles of Ayurveda revolve around maintaining equilibrium among three doshas: Vata (air and space), Pitta (fire and water), and Kapha (earth and water). Imbalances in these doshas are believed to cause diseases.

Main body of the abstract
The integration of Ayurveda with modern medicine seeks to utilize the best of both systems, focusing on using natural remedies and treatments that have been used for centuries in Ayurveda. The integration involves combining the strengths of both systems, including the use of Ayurvedic principles in modern medicine and the incorporation of modern medicine into Ayurvedic practices. Several studies have explored the efficacy of Ayurvedic treatments for various diseases, and the integration of Ayurvedic principles into modern medicine can provide a more comprehensive approach to patient care.

Short conclusion
Ayurveda is a traditional medical system deeply rooted in Indian culture that offers a holistic approach to healthcare. Its principles emphasize personalized treatment based on an individual's constitution. Integrating Ayurveda with modern medicine can enhance patient care by providing a more comprehensive approach towards health management. However, challenges exist regarding the standardization of Ayurvedic practices due to variations in formulations and the need for more scientific evidence for some treatments. Further studies are needed for validation purposes.
IQAGPT: computed tomography image quality assessment with vision-language and ChatGPT models
Authors: Chen Zhihao , Hu Bin , Niu Chuang , Chen Tao , Li Yuxin , Shan Hongming , Wang Ge 
Published: August 2024

AbstractLarge language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, have demonstrated impressive capabilities in various tasks and attracted increasing interest as a natural language interface across many domains. Recently, large vision-language models (VLMs) that learn rich vision–language correlation from image–text pairs, like BLIP-2 and GPT-4, have been intensively investigated. However, despite these developments, the application of LLMs and VLMs in image quality assessment (IQA), particularly in medical imaging, remains unexplored. This is valuable for objective performance evaluation and potential supplement or even replacement of radiologists’ opinions. To this end, this study introduces IQAGPT, an innovative computed tomography (CT) IQA system that integrates image-quality captioning VLM with ChatGPT to generate quality scores and textual reports. First, a CT-IQA dataset comprising 1,000 CT slices with diverse quality levels is professionally annotated and compiled for training and evaluation. To better leverage the capabilities of LLMs, the annotated quality scores are converted into semantically rich text descriptions using a prompt template. Second, the image-quality captioning VLM is fine-tuned on the CT-IQA dataset to generate quality descriptions. The captioning model fuses image and text features through cross-modal attention. Third, based on the quality descriptions, users verbally request ChatGPT to rate image-quality scores or produce radiological quality reports. Results demonstrate the feasibility of assessing image quality using LLMs. The proposed IQAGPT outperformed GPT-4 and CLIP-IQA, as well as multitask classification and regression models that solely rely on images.
Introduction to heirloom vegetables in Kyoto prefecture (Kyo-yasai), Japan
Authors: Mimura Yutaka 
Published: August 2024

AbstractThe group of vegetables known collectively as Kyo-yasai is a key part of food culture in Kyoto, once Japan’s capital city for over 1000 years. A favorable climate and other cultural influences enabled Kyo-yasai culture to flourish. This study reviews the history, work to preserve, and marketing of Kyo-yasai. It also summarizes the scientific research conducted in the past few decades concerning breeding, functionality, nutrition, and taxonomy to provide an overview of Kyo-yasai today. The first record of heirloom vegetables in Japan was in the third century. After Kyoto became the capital in 794, a variety of vegetables were gradually introduced, and these have been developed and selected as Kyo-yasai for many centuries now. However, F1 vegetable cultivars became the national norm after World War II, and Kyo-yasai faced the risk of extinction. Consequently, farmers, researchers, municipalities, and other groups decided to preserve Kyo-yasai. In 1974, the Kyoto prefectural government began preserving Kyo-yasai seeds. At the time it also defined 37 heirloom vegetables as ‘traditional Kyo-yasai.’ Additionally, agricultural cooperatives, wholesale markets, restaurants, and municipalities started to promote sales of Kyo-yasai. Furthermore, a breeding program was set up by Kyoto prefectural institutes looking at ways of improving cultivation suitability. Functional and taxonomical research by Kyoto Prefectural University and other organizations has revealed not only that Kyo-yasai has higher functionality overall compared than common F1 cultivars, but also the genomic uniqueness of Kyo-yasai. These efforts collectively improved our understanding of Kyo-yasai and promoted their production. The preservation of these heirloom vegetables has a clear benefit in that it would contribute to the diversity of species and food cultures.
Fermented foods of Southeast Asia other than soybean- or seafood-based ones
Authors: Surya Reggie 
Published: August 2024

AbstractThe region of Southeast Asia encompasses a group of countries that include Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Singapore, Myanmar, Brunei, and the Philippines. Such a region is the home of diverse ethnic people and culture, including richness in terms of indigenous fermented foods. Among the fermented foods in Southeast Asia, only those made from soybeans and fish (or seafoods) have been the most reviewed and described in international scientific media. In addition, the knowledge about fermented foods in Southeast Asia seems to be scattered and rarely available in international peer-reviewed scientific journals. Therefore, it appears primordial to create a comprehensive review on fermented foods from Southeast Asia as a gastronomic heritage and introduce them toward an international academic audience. This review aims to explore the diversity of fermented foods from Southeast Asian nations and discuss their characteristics in several aspects, including biochemical, microbiological, ethnic, and cultural aspects. The fermented foods discussed in this review are divided into seven categories, including: (1) fermented starch products, (2) fermented alcoholic beverages and vinegar, (3) fermented vegetable and fruit products, (4) fermented non-soybean legumes, (5) fermented dairy products, (6) fermented meat products, and (7) other fermented foods from Southeast Asia. These fermented foods have been very little reviewed and discussed compared to the soybean- and seafood-based fermented products from Southeast Asia. It is expected that this review would provide a thorough explanation regarding fermented foods from Southeast Asia, become a reliable reference for scientific studies, and ultimately promote future research in ethnic food fermentation.
Multi-frequency smartphone positioning performance evaluation: insights into A-GNSS PPP-B2b services and beyond
Authors: Wang Jiale , Shi Chuang , Zheng Fu , Yang Cheng , Liu Xu , Liu Shuo , Xia Ming , Jing Guifei , Li Tuan , Chen Wu , Li Qingcheng , Hu Yong , Tian Yuan , Shan Yunfeng 
Published: August 2024

AbstractIn August 2023, Xiaomi unveiled the Redmi K60 Ultra, the first multi-frequency smartphone integrated with BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System Precise Point Positioning (PPP-B2b) services and employing PPP technology as the primary positioning method. The positioning enhancement service is provided by the Assisted Global Navigation Satellite System (A-GNSS) location platform developed by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology. The signaling interaction between the server and the users strictly adheres to the Third Generation of Mobile Communications Technology Partnership Project Long-Term Evolution Positioning Protocol and the Open Mobile Alliance Secure User Plane Location framework. To comprehensively evaluate the Redmi K60 Ultra’s capabilities, this study designed six distinct experimental scenarios and conducted comprehensive research on multi-frequency and multi-GNSS observation noise, Time to First Fix (TTFF), as well as the performance of both GNSS-based and network-based positioning. Experimental results indicate that the GNSS chipset within the Redmi K60 Ultra has achieved a leading position in the consumer market concerning supported satellite constellations, frequencies, and observation accuracy, and is comparable to some low-cost GNSS receivers. A-GNSS positioning can reduce the TTFF from 30 to under 5 s, representing an improvement of over 85% in the cold start speed compared to a standalone GNSS mode. The positioning results show that the A-GNSS PPP-B2b service can achieve positioning performance with RMS errors of less than 1.5 m, 2.5 m, and 4 m in open-sky, realistic, and challenging urban environments. Compared to GNSS-based positioning, cellular network-based Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA) positioning achieves an accuracy ranging from tens to hundreds of meters in various experimental scenarios and currently functions primarily as coarse location determination. Additionally, this study explores the potential of the Three-Dimensional Mapping-Aided (3DMA) GNSS algorithm in detecting Non-Line-of-Sight signals and enhancing positioning performance. The results indicate that 3DMA PPP, as compared to conventional PPP, can significantly accelerate PPP convergence and improve positioning accuracy by over 30%. Consequently, 3D city models can be utilized as future assistance data for the A-GNSS location platform.
Exploring potential therapeutic strategy for hepatocellular carcinoma and COVID-19 using bioinformatics analysis
Authors: Tang Jiayan , Yang Zaiyong , Qin Huotang , Huang Yu , Li Minqing , Deng Qing , Li Ling , Li Xiaolong 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Background
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) constitutes an important contributor to fatalities. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) frequently presents with complications such as respiratory distress, systemic inflammatory responses, and damage to various organs. Several studies have investigated the relationship between COVID-19 and mortality in patients with liver cancer, but there are few research on the relationship between them. This study is to explore the correlation between the two diseases and drugs treating them.

Methods
The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database provides gene datasets of COVID-19 patients and HCC patients. Through differential gene analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis, we determined 223 genes represented in HCC and COVID-19. We then used functional annotation, protein–protein interaction network construction, predictive model development and verification, prognostic value analysis, and miRNA–gene network construction. Besides, we created a drug–hub–gene network by predicting possible medications that interact with hub genes using the Drug–Gene Interaction Database (DGIdb). Ultimately, we applied immunohistochemistry to ascertain the hub genes expression.

Results
This study revealed that eight core genes (RRM2, TPX2, DTL, CDT1, TYMS, CDCA5, CDC25C, and HJURP) co-existed in both HCC and COVID-19 and were differentially expressed in both HCC and normal tissues.CDC25C, RRM2, CDCA5, and HJURP had diagnostic value (AUC > 0.8) and prognostic value (adjusted P-value < 0.05). Genome enrichment analysis indicated that eight genes may function in liver cancer through engagement in the cell cycle, DNA replication, etc. In liver cancer samples, these genes were significantly and adversely associated with plasma cells while RRM2 was positively associated with neutrophil and NK cell activation and with dendritic cell resting. Using the miRNAnet database and DGIdb, 9 transcription factors, 7 miRNAs, and 51 drugs or molecular compounds were predicted to interact with the hub genes. Finally, RRM2 expression showed significant variation in clinical specimens, and analysis of the association of RRM2 with immunomodulators indicated that RRM2 was closely connected to MICB and CD276.

Conclusions
Our study revealed several metabolic genes related to HCC and COVID-19. Moreover, potential drugs related to central genes were predicted. These findings may provide new ideas for treating COVID-19 and HCC.
Assessment of liver fibrosis by transient elastography and procollagen III amino terminal propeptide in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with methotrexate
Authors: Ghaleb Rasha M. , Mohamed Doaa M. , Zaki Zaki M. , Ameen Nadia F. El , Hamed Ahmed 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Background
Methotrexate (MTX) is well known as the first-line therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Its prolonged usage necessitates frequent assessing for adverse impacts, most importantly hepatotoxicity. Since there are no set standards for verifying liver damage in RA patients; transient elastography (TE) is emerged as a non-intrusive technique for identifying and evaluating liver fibrosis, alongside with serum procollagen III amino terminus propeptide (PIIINP). The objective of this study is to investigate liver fibrosis in 60 patients with RA patients on MTX therapy and 30 healthy individuals by TE and PIIINP, in addition, to recognize the prognostic indicators for liver fibrosis.

Results
This study compared 60 adult RA patients who had been on MTX for at least 1 year to 30 matched age and sex heathy individuals. Liver fibrosis was measured using TE and PIIINP. A cutoff point of 7.1 kPa was declared abnormal, suggesting substantial liver fibrosis, while PIIINP > 170 ng/ml indicating elevated PIIINP levels. Based on TE results, liver fibrosis was reported in 20 patients (33.3%) with 14 patients (23.3%) who had significant liver fibrosis, 4 patients (6.7%) had advanced liver fibrosis, and 2 patients (3.3%) had liver cirrhosis. Meanwhile, five of the controls had mild liver fibrosis with highly statistically significant difference between patients and controls. The patient group had significantly higher level of PIIINP when compared to the healthy group with a specificity and sensitivity for detecting liver fibrosis of 85% and 82.5%, respectively.

Conclusions
MTX usage in RA patients was correlated with an overall increase in liver fibrosis. Cumulative dosage of MTX, the presence of fatty liver and elevated serum PIIINP levels are all significant predictors of liver stiffness in RA. TE is organ specific and could be helpful in assessing true liver status rather than PIIINP level which is not organ specific. TE is superior to serum PIIINP and is recommended as a routine investigation for RA patients on MTX therapy particularly those with fatty liver.