bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Examining timing of periorbital interventions in patients with upper division facial paralysis
Authors: Doty Samuel , Goslawski Amanda , Cabrera Claudia I. , Tranchito Eve , Fowler Nicole , Li Shawn , Thuener Jason E. , Teknos Theodoros N. , Rezaee Rod P. , Rabbani Cyrus C. , Tamaki Akina 
Published: August 2024

AbstractBackgroundFacial paralysis is a life‐altering condition that may arise from various etiologies, ranging from trauma to malignancy. Permanent facial paralysis may occur secondary to facial nerve sacrifice or irreversible damage to the nerve. In these particularly devastating cases, protection and maintaining function of the eye is paramount. There are many effective lagophthalmos corrective surgical procedures available for these patients. While placement of eyelid weights and lid tightening surgeries are the cornerstone of eyelid rehabilitation, limited information exists on whether the timing of eyelid interventions in the setting of permanent facial paralysis impact outcomes, including need for revision surgery.MethodsA single‐center retrospective chart review was performed for patients with irreversible facial paralysis treated with an upper eyelid weight between 2013 to 2022. Electronic health records were acquired to obtain facial paralysis etiology, associated clinical characteristics, the type of intervention, and the timing of intervention. Patients were classified as immediate if the eyelid weight operation occurred within 29 days of the initial facial paralysis and delayed if the surgery occurred 30 days or more after initial presentation. Outcomes were assessed in terms of revision procedures and surgical complications.ResultsThere were 70 patients in total, with 35 patients in the immediate category and 35 patients in the delayed category. The most common etiology related to parotid gland pathology, and 58.6% of patients had facial paralysis from cancer‐related surgeries. There were no significant differences in revision rates (p < 0.208) or in the types of procedures (p = 0.077) between the two groups. The complication rates also did not differ significantly between groups; however, there were only complications in the delayed intervention group.ConclusionsThese findings suggest there is no difference in postoperative complications between groups, including the need for revision surgeries when comparing groups with immediate or delayed intervention. Thus, treatment plans should be customized based on patient and provider preferences.
Presence of postlaryngectomy pseudodiverticulum on barium swallow does not affect early dietary progression
Authors: Ananthapadmanabhan Saikrishna , Wong Eugene , Natsis Lydia , Suruliraj Anand , Sritharan Niranjan , Smith Mark , Palme Carsten E. , Riffat Faruque 
Published: August 2024

AbstractBackgroundThe presence of a pseudodiverticulum of the anterior pharyngeal wall, or prominent “pharyngeal bar,” is a well‐known phenomenon that occurs following total laryngectomy, which can be visualized by nasolaryngoscopy or videofluoroscopy. Among the different techniques of pharyngeal reconstruction, there is higher incidence following primary vertical multilayered closure. It has been postulated to cause dysphagia and lack of dietary progression despite a paucity of data. However, the direct impact of pseudodiverticulum is less clear and anecdotally its presence and severity does not necessarily correlate with dysphagia.MethodsA retrospective case series was performed of all consecutive patients who underwent total laryngectomy or laryngopharyngectomy between 2015 and 2022 at two tertiary head and neck institutions. All patients underwent routine videofluoroscopy postoperatively for swallow assessment. The presence of pseudodiverticulum on postoperative contrast swallow study was recorded to investigate the relationship with patient's ability to tolerate oral intake at 3 months discharge from the hospital.ResultsOf 50 laryngectomized patients (mean age 63.8 ± 10.0, 86% male), the main closure techniques were primary vertical (n = 9, 18%), primary T‐closure (n = 14, 28%), and flap reconstruction (n = 27, 54%). Pseudodiverticulum was identified in 19 cases (38%). 43 patients underwent primary surgery and 30 had adjuvant radiotherapy. The presence of pseudodiverticulum was significantly associated with vertical primary closure versus non‐vertical (T‐closure or flap reconstruction) techniques (χ2 (df 1) = 7.4, p = 0.007, OR = 5.7, 95% CI 1.3–24.7). Pseudodiverticulum was not associated with an increased inability to tolerate solid intake or full diet compared to patients without pseudodiverticulum. 26.3% of patients with pseudodiverticulum were on full diet compared to 25.8% of patients without. The vertical closure technique showed no difference in ability to maintain solid intake compared with non‐vertical closure; however, no patients were on full diet. Only one patient in the pseudodiverticulum group required surgical management during the study period for retention.ConclusionThe presence of a pseudodiverticulum does not appear to be significantly associated with a need for postoperative dietary modification. The authors postulate that postlaryngectomy dysphagia is multifactorial with sensorimotor aperistalsis of the pharynx and cricopharyngeal stenosis. While a pseudodiverticulum is a common phenomenon, patients did not require modification of diet at higher rates than those without, and they seldom require intervention.
Identification of epigenetic modifiers essential for growth and survival of AML1/ETO‐positive leukemia
Authors: Duque‐Afonso Jesús , Veratti Pia , Rehman Usama‐Ur , Herzog Heike , Mitschke Jan , Greve Gabriele , Eble Julian , Berberich Bettina , Thomas Johanna , Pantic Milena , Waterhouse Miguel , Gentile Gaia , Heidenreich Olaf , Miething Cornelius , Lübbert Michael 
Published: August 2024

AbstractAberrant gene expression patterns in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with balanced chromosomal translocations are often associated with dysregulation of epigenetic modifiers. The AML1/ETO (RUNX1/MTG8) fusion protein, caused by the translocation (8;21)(q22;q22), leads to the epigenetic repression of its target genes. We aimed in this work to identify critical epigenetic modifiers, on which AML1/ETO‐positive AML cells depend on for proliferation and survival using shRNA library screens and global transcriptomics approaches. Using shRNA library screens, we identified 41 commonly depleted genes in two AML1/ETO‐positive cell lines Kasumi‐1 and SKNO‐1. We validated, genetically and pharmacologically, DNMT1 and ATR using several AML1/ETO‐positive and negative cell lines. We also demonstrated in vivo differentiation of myeloblasts after treatment with the DNMT1 inhibitor decitabine in a patient with an AML1/ETO‐positive AML. Bioinformatic analysis of global transcriptomics after AML1/ETO induction in 9/14/18‐U937 cells identified 973 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Three genes (PARP2, PRKCD, and SMARCA4) were both downregulated after AML1/ETO induction, and identified in shRNA screens. In conclusion, using unbiased shRNA library screens and global transcriptomics, we have identified several driver epigenetic regulators for proliferation in AML1/ETO‐positive AML. DNMT1 and ATR were validated and are susceptible to pharmacological inhibition by small molecules showing promising preclinical and clinical efficacy.
Stemness and hybrid epithelial‐mesenchymal profiles guide peritoneal dissemination of malignant mesothelioma and pseudomyxoma peritonei
Authors: Lazzari Nayana , Rigotto Giulia , Montini Barbara , Del Bianco Paola , Moretto Elena , Palladino Federica , Cappellesso Rocco , Tonello Marco , Cenzi Carola , Scapinello Antonio , Piano Maria Assunta , Rossi Carlo Riccardo , Dalerba Piero , Pilati Pierluigi , Sommariva Antonio , Calabrò Maria Luisa 
Published: August 2024

AbstractIntrabdominal dissemination of malignant mesothelioma (MM) and pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is poorly characterized with respect to the stemness window which malignant cells activate during their reshaping on the epithelial‐mesenchymal (E/M) axis. To gain insights into stemness properties and their prognostic significance in these rarer forms of peritoneal metastases (PM), primary tumor cultures from 55 patients selected for cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy were analyzed for cancer stem cells (CSC) by aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) and spheroid formation assays, and for expression of a set of plasticity‐related genes to measure E/M transition (EMT) score. Intratumor heterogeneity was also analyzed. Samples from PM of colorectal cancer were included for comparison. Molecular data were confirmed using principal component and cluster analyses. Associations with survival were evaluated using Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression models. The activity of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), a stemness modifier, was tested in five cultures. Significantly increased amounts of ALDH1bright‐cells identified high‐grade PMP, and discriminated solid masses from ascitic/mucin‐embedded tumor cells in both forms of PM. Epithelial/early hybrid EMT scores and an early hybrid expression pattern correlated with pluripotency factors were significantly associated with early peritoneal progression (p = .0343 and p = .0339, respectively, log‐rank test) in multivariable models. ASA impaired spheroid formation and increased cisplatin sensitivity in all five cultures. These data suggest that CSC subpopulations and hybrid E/M states may guide peritoneal spread of MM and PMP. Stemness could be exploited as targetable vulnerability to increase chemosensitivity and improve patient outcomes. Additional research is needed to confirm these preliminary data.
Green banks versus non‐green banks: A financial stability comparative analysis in terms of CAMEL ratios
Authors: Malandrakis Ioannis , Drakos Konstantinos 
Published: August 2024

AbstractThis study examines green and non‐green‐banks from a financial stability point of view and specifically whether there are any discernible performance differences between the two groups. Using the supervisory ratios namely CAMEL variables, and employing panel data techniques (random effects model) and a global panel data set of 165 banks from 38 countries for the period 1999 to 2021, we adopt the Differences‐In‐Differences approach to examine whether green (“treatment” group) and non‐green (“control” group) banks exhibit differential behaviour, using the outbreak of the financial crisis (2008) as the time of intervention. Our results mainly show that green banks differ (and specifically perform better than their non‐green counterparts) only in terms of Total Capital, Tier 1 Capital, and NPLs/Reserve for Loan Losses ratios during and after the financial crisis. As for the rest of the CAMEL factors, it seems that both groups exhibit the same behaviour, especially in the post‐crisis period. Thus, green banks are not stronger in total than their non‐green counterparts in terms of financial stability. We also find that the financial crisis had either a positive or a negative effect on most of the CAMEL factors of both bank types, except for the Leverage Ratio (a capital adequacy proxy) and Operational Expenses/Operational Income ratios (a management quality proxy), which proved crisis‐insensitive.
The effect of olive pomace biochar on some characteristics of Vertisols
Authors: İlay Remzi , Bodur Seda Özer , Eren S. Tuğçe , Kavdır Yasemin , Ekinci Hüseyin 
Published: August 2024

AbstractThe aim of this study was to investigate the effect of olive pomace biochar (OB) application on the mechanical, physical and chemical properties of Vertisols. For this study, soil samples classified as Vertisol in Çanakkale, where internal drainage and surface ponding are major problems, were used. The OB was produced at 450°C and then mixed with 0% (control), 3%, 6% and 9% of the soil by weight. Various soil parameters, including the Atterberg limits (liquid limit [LL], plastic limit [PL], plasticity index [PI], shrinkage limit [SL]), saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat), field capacity (FC), total carbon (TC) and total nitrogen (TN), were determined. The values of all the soil parameters increased, except for the PI. Moreover, the Ksat value increased by 127% and 136% with 6% and 9% OB application, respectively, compared to that of the control. Additionally, the FC, TN and TC levels in the soils increased in response to biochar application. In conclusion, OB application has a positive effect on the specific properties of Vertisol and can improve its physical properties.
Trend analysis of water quality in the irrigation districts of southern Alberta, Canada
Authors: Villeneuve Janelle , Kohn Jacqueline , Seitz Vermeer Nicole , Kobryn Madison 
Published: August 2024

AbstractIrrigation is essential for high agricultural production and crop diversity in semi‐arid regions such as southern Alberta, Canada. Nearly 75% of Canada's irrigation takes place in Alberta's irrigation districts, making the management and maintenance of irrigation water quality highly important in this region. In this study, temporal water quality trend analysis was conducted on southern Alberta irrigation water from 2006 to 2023. The trends of 19 water quality parameters, including nutrients, salinity, physical characteristics, Escherichia coli, and pesticides, were evaluated at 74 sites. Of the total number of parameter‐by‐site tests (902) conducted, 36.5% had statistically significant decreasing trends, 1.3% had statistically significant increasing trends, and 62.2% had no trend. This indicates stability and improvement in water quality during the study period at the resolution of individual sites. Regional trend analysis revealed trends in 11 out of the 19 parameters tested: 9 decreased, 2 increased, and 8 exhibited no trend, which also indicated stable and improving water quality. Continued monitoring is important for areas and parameters showing increasing trends to guide mitigation action. This information can be used to focus water and land management decisions and direct resources to priority areas and parameters to ensure excellent quality irrigation water for all users.
Irisin alleviates the pyroptosis of β cells in T2DM by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome through regulating miR‐19b‐3p/SOCS3/STAT3 axis mediated autophagy
Authors: Yang Jingjing , Tan Anjun , Li Tianrong , Chen Hewen 
Published: August 2024

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to analyze the mechanism by which irisin affects β‐cell pyroptosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The in vivo T2DM model was established by raised with high‐fat diet and intraperitoneally injection of streptozocin. Min6 cells were divided into four groups: negative control (NC), high glucose (HG), HG + irisin, and HG + irisin+3‐MA. The cell viability was determined by CCK‐8 assay. Dual‐luciferase gene reporter assay was conducted to confirm the binding between miR‐19b‐3p and SOCS3. The expression level of FNDC5 and GSDMD was visualized using the immunofluorescence assay. The protein level of FNDC5, Beclin1, LC3II/I, NLRP3, cleaved‐caspase‐1, GSDMD‐N, STAT3, p‐STAT3, and SOCS3 was determined by Western blotting. The secretion of irisin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and insulin was checked by ELISA. In vivo results showed that pathological changes in islet tissues with declined number of β cells, elevated FBG value, decreased FIN and HOMA‐β value, elevated autophagy‐associated proteins expressions, and activated NLRP3 signaling in T2DM mice, which were dramatically reversed by FNDC5 overexpression. Furthermore, the declined level of miR‐19b‐3p and p‐STAT3, as well as the upregulation of SOCS3, was greatly rescued by FNDC5 overexpression. The in vitro data confirmed the binding site between SOCS3 and miR‐19b‐3p. SOCS3 was downregulated and p‐STAT3 was upregulated in miR‐19b‐3p mimic‐treated Min6 cells. In HG‐stimulated Min6 cells, the elevated cell viability, increased production of insulin, decreased release of LDH, and inactivated NLRP3 signaling induced by irisin were abolished by miR‐19b‐3p inhibitor and STAT3 inhibitor. The increased level of autophagy‐related proteins and activated SOCS3/STAT3 axis induced by irisin in HG‐stimulated Min6 cells were abolished by miR‐19b‐3p inhibitor. The inhibitory effect of irisin against NLRP3 signaling in HG‐stimulated Min6 cells was abrogated by 3‐MA. In conclusion, irisin alleviated the pyroptosis of β cells in T2DM by inhibiting NLRP3 signaling through miR‐19b‐3p/SOCS3/STAT3 axis mediated autophagy.
An accurate paradigm for denoising degraded ultrasound images based on artificial intelligence systems
Authors: Al‐Tahhan F. E. , Fares M. E. 
Published: August 2024

AbstractUltrasound images are susceptible to various forms of quality degradation that negatively impact diagnosis. Common degradations include speckle noise, Gaussian noise, salt and pepper noise, and blurring. This research proposes an accurate ultrasound image denoising strategy based on firstly detecting the noise type, then, suitable denoising methods can be applied for each corruption. The technique depends on convolutional neural networks to categorize the type of noise affecting an input ultrasound image. Pre‐trained convolutional neural network models including GoogleNet, VGG‐19, AlexNet and AlexNet‐support vector machine (SVM) are developed and trained to perform this classification. A dataset of 782 numerically generated ultrasound images across different diseases and noise types is utilized for model training and evaluation. Results show AlexNet‐SVM achieves the highest accuracy of 99.2% in classifying noise types. The results indicate that, the present technique is considered one of the top‐performing models is then applied to real ultrasound images with different noise corruptions to demonstrate efficacy of the proposed detect‐then‐denoise system.Research Highlights
Proposes an accurate ultrasound image denoising strategy based on detecting noise type first.
Uses pre‐trained convolutional neural networks to categorize noise type in input images.
Evaluates GoogleNet, VGG‐19, AlexNet, and AlexNet‐support vector machine (SVM) models on a dataset of 782 synthetic ultrasound images.
AlexNet‐SVM achieves highest accuracy of 99.2% in classifying noise types.
Demonstrates efficacy of the proposed detect‐then‐denoise system on real ultrasound images.
High Spatial‐Resolution and Acquisition‐Efficiency Cardiac MR T1 Mapping Based on Radial bSSFP and a Low‐Rank Tensor Constraint
Authors: Gao Juan , Gong Yiwen , Emu Yixin , Chen Zhuo , Chen Haiyang , Yang Fan , Ding Zekang , Hua Sha , Jin Wei , Hu Chenxi 
Published: August 2024

BackgroundCardiac T1 mapping is valuable for evaluating myocardial fibrosis, yet its resolution and acquisition efficiency are limited, potentially obscuring visualization of small pathologies.PurposeTo develop a technique for high‐resolution cardiac T1 mapping with a less‐than‐100‐millisecond acquisition window based on radial MOdified Look‐Locker Inversion recovery (MOLLI) and a calibrationless space‐contrast‐coil locally low‐rank tensor (SCC‐LLRT) constrained reconstruction.Study TypeProspective.Subjects/PhantomSixteen healthy subjects (age 25 ± 3 years, 44% females) and 12 patients with suspected cardiomyopathy (age 57 ± 15 years, 42% females), NiCl2‐agar phantom.Field Strength/Sequence3‐T, standard MOLLI, radial MOLLI, inversion‐recovery spin‐echo, late gadolinium enhancement.AssessmentSCC‐LLRT was compared to a conventional locally low‐rank (LLR) method through simulations using Normalized Root‐Mean‐Square Error (NRMSE) and Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM). Radial MOLLI was compared to standard MOLLI across phantom, healthy subjects, and patients. Three independent readers subjectively evaluated the quality of T1 maps using a 5‐point scale (5 = best).Statistical TestsPaired t‐test, Wilcoxon signed‐rank test, intraclass correlation coefficient analysis, linear regression, Bland–Altman analysis. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsIn simulations, SCC‐LLRT demonstrated a significant improvement in NRMSE and SSIM compared to LLR. In phantom, both radial MOLLI and standard MOLLI provided consistent T1 estimates across different heart rates. In healthy subjects, radial MOLLI exhibited a significantly lower mean T1 (1115 ± 39 msec vs. 1155 ± 36 msec), similar T1 SD (74 ± 14 msec vs. 67 ± 23 msec, P = 0.20), and similar T1 reproducibility (28 ± 18 msec vs. 22 ± 15 msec, P = 0.34) compared to standard MOLLI. In patients, the proposed method significantly improved the sharpness of myocardial boundaries (4.50 ± 0.65 vs. 3.25 ± 0.43), the conspicuity of papillary muscles and fine structures (4.33 ± 0.74 vs. 3.33 ± 0.47), and artifacts (4.75 ± 0.43 vs. 3.83 ± 0.55). The reconstruction time for a single slice was 5.2 hours.Data ConclusionThe proposed method enables high‐resolution cardiac T1 mapping with a short acquisition window and improved image quality.Evidence Level1Technical EfficacyStage 1
Ferumoxytol‐Enhanced 5D Multiphase Steady‐State Imaging Using Rotating Cartesian K‐Space With Low‐Rank Reconstruction for Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Zhao Zixuan , Lee Hsu‐Lei , Ruan Dan , Ming Zhengyang , Han Fei , Bedayat Arash , Christodoulou Anthony G. , Finn J. Paul , Nguyen Kim‐Lien 
Published: August 2024

BackgroundThe rotating Cartesian k‐space multiphase steady‐state imaging with contrast (ROCK‐MUSIC) pulse sequence enables acquisition of whole‐heart, cardiac phase‐resolved images in pediatric congenital heart disease (CHD) without reliance on the ventilator gating signal. Multidimensional reconstruction with low rank tensor (LRT) has shown promise for resolving complex cardiorespiratory motion.PurposeTo enhance ROCK‐MUSIC by resolving cardiorespiratory phases using LRT reconstruction and to enable semi‐automatic hyperparameter tuning by developing an image quality scoring model.Study TypeRetrospective.PopulationThirty patients (45% female, age 2 days to 6.7 years) with CHD.Field Strength/Sequence3‐T, four‐dimensional (4D) spoiled gradient recalled echo sequence.AssessmentEigenvector‐based iTerative Self‐consistent Parallel Imaging Reconstruction (ESPIRiT) served as the reference comparison for LRT reconstruction. A 4‐point Likert scale was used for cardiac and vascular image quality scoring based on cardiac chamber definition, lumen signal uniformity, vascular margin clarity, and motion artifact. Ejection fraction and ventricular volumes were assessed in 16 patients. Signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR), contrast‐to‐noise ratio (CNR), and edge sharpness were computed.Statistical TestsIntraclass correlation coefficients, Wilcoxon signed‐rank test, Bland–Altman. A P‐value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsRelative to ESPIRiT, LRT images received significantly higher cardiac (2.81 ± 0.57 vs. 3.19 ± 0.54) and vascular (2.81 ± 0.60 vs. 3.36 ± 0.53) image quality scores. Image quality scoring with semi‐automated hyperparameter tuning showed strong correlations (R2 = 0.748) among image quality, SNR, and septal sharpness. Comparison of ejection fraction and volumetry derived from ESPIRiT, and LRT showed no significant systematic difference (P = 0.32).Data ConclusionIntegration of low‐rank reconstruction with ROCK‐MUSIC acquisition may be feasible, and semi‐automatic hyperparameter tuning could be effective for generating cardiorespiratory resolved images.Level of Evidence2Technical EfficacyStage 1