bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Monocyte distribution width as a promising biomarker for differential diagnosis of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Lin Sheng , Yang Xinyao , Yang Xin , Tang Minjie , Yao Xiaobao , Ye Yuchen , Huang Qunfang , Huang Jinlan , Li Jiejuan , Yi Qiang , Wu Wennan , Li Shiqi , Lei Yaru , Yang Bin , Liu Can , Ou Qishui , Xun Zhen 
Published: July 2024

ObjectiveWe aimed to investigate the association and diagnostic value of monocyte distribution width (MDW) for chronic hepatitis B (CHB), liver cirrhosis (LC), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).MethodsMDW levels were measured in 483 individuals (103 CHB, 77 LC, 153 HCC, and 150 controls). MDW was detected using UniCel Dx900 for specific cell volume parameters and the distribution of cell volumes.ResultsOur findings revealed a dynamic upward change in MDW levels across different stages of chronic liver disease, from CHB to LC and HCC. In CHB, MDW levels were highest among HBeAg-positive CHB patients and exhibited a negative correlation with HBV markers while positively correlating with ALT levels. In LC, MDW showed a positive association with the pathological progression of LC, demonstrating consistency with CP scores. MDW proved to be equally effective as traditional detection for diagnosing LC. In HCC, MDW was positively correlated with HCC occurrence and development, with higher levels observed in the high MDW group, which also exhibited elevated AFP levels, MELD scores, and 90-day mortality rates. MDW surpassed predictive models in its effectiveness for diagnosing HCC, as well as CHB and LC, with respective areas under the curve of 0.882, 0.978, and 0.973. Furthermore, MDW emerged as an independent predictor of HCC.ConclusionMDW holds significant diagnostic efficacy in identifying CHB, LC, and HCC. These findings suggest that MDW could serve as a promising biomarker for predicting the severity of liver diseases and aid in rational clinical treatment strategies.
Nanopore-based targeted next-generation sequencing of tissue samples for tuberculosis diagnosis
Authors: Gao Weiwei , Yang Chen , Wang Tianzhen , Guo Yicheng , Zeng Yi 
Published: July 2024

ObjectiveDiagnosing tuberculosis (TB) can be particularly challenging in the absence of sputum for pulmonary tuberculosis cases and extrapulmonary TB (EPTB). This study evaluated the utility of nanopore-based targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) for diagnosing TB in tissue samples, and compared its efficacy with other established diagnostic methods.MethodsA total of 110 tissue samples from clinical cases were examined. The sensitivity and specificity of tNGS were benchmarked against a range of existing diagnostic approaches including hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining in conjunction with acid-fast bacilli (AFB) detection, HE staining combined with PCR, HE staining paired with immunohistochemistry (IHC) using anti-MPT64, and the Xpert Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)/rifampicin (RIF) assay.ResultsThe sensitivity and specificity of tNGS were 88.2 and 94.1%, respectively. The respective sensitivities for HE staining combined with AFB, HE staining combined with PCR, HE staining combined with IHC using anti-MPT64, and Xpert MTB/RIF were 30.1, 49.5, 47.3, and 59.1%. The specificities for these methods were 82.4, 88.2, 94.1, and 94.1%, respectively. Analysis of drug resistance based on tNGS results indicated that 10 of 93 TB patients (10.75%) had potential drug resistance.ConclusionTargeted next-generation sequencing achieved higher accuracy than other established diagnostic methods, and can play a crucial role in the rapid and accurate diagnosis of TB, including drug-resistant TB.
Online awareness is associated with superior performance on assessments of functional cognition
Authors: Marks Timothy S. , Giles Gordon Muir , Edwards Dorothy Farrar 
Published: July 2024

BackgroundIntact awareness facilitates an individual’s adoption of strategies to support community living skills. However, most studies have not examined awareness during ongoing complex task performance. Objective: To examine whether community-dwelling adult’s Accuracy and Strategy use on the Weekly Calendar Planning Activity 17-item version (WCPA-17), Total Cues on the Performance Assessment of Self-care Skills Checkbook Balancing and Shopping Task (PCST), and scores on the self-report Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study – Activities of Daily Living Scale (ADCS-ADL) differ between groups who do and do not demonstrate awareness of performance difficulties on the WCPA-17.MethodsUsing data collected as part of a larger study we performed a cross-sectional analysis of 274 community-dwelling adults aged 55 to 93 years. Two methods classified participants into groups aware or unaware of their performance. Independent sample t-tests examined group differences on four dependent variables: Accuracy and Strategy use on the WCPA-17, PCST Total Cues, and score on the ADCS-ADL.ResultsUsing one classification method, aware individuals showed superior Accuracy (p &lt; 0.001), used more Strategies (p = 0.002), needed fewer PCST Total Cues (p &lt; 0.001), and reported greater independence on the ADCS-ADL (p &lt; 0.004), similar trends were observed with the other method in Accuracy (p &lt; 0.001) and PCST Total Cues (p &lt; 0.001) but Strategy use and ADCS-ADL differences failed to reach significance after Bonferroni correction.ConclusionGroups categorized as aware performed better on all measures. Intact awareness is critical to performance on complex everyday activities and can be evaluated with functional cognition assessments.
Insights into brain tumor diagnosis: exploring in situ hybridization techniques
Authors: Namiot E. D. , Zembatov G. M. , Tregub P. P. 
Published: July 2024

ObjectivesDiagnosing brain tumors is critical due to their complex nature. This review explores the potential of in situ hybridization for diagnosing brain neoplasms, examining their attributes and applications in neurology and oncology.MethodsThe review surveys literature and cross-references findings with the OMIM database, examining 513 records. It pinpoints mutations suitable for in situ hybridization and identifies common chromosomal and gene anomalies in brain tumors. Emphasis is placed on mutations’ clinical implications, including prognosis and drug sensitivity.ResultsAmplifications in EGFR, MDM2, and MDM4, along with Y chromosome loss, chromosome 7 polysomy, and deletions of PTEN, CDKN2/p16, TP53, and DMBT1, correlate with poor prognosis in glioma patients. Protective genetic changes in glioma include increased expression of ADGRB3/1, IL12B, DYRKA1, VEGFC, LRRC4, and BMP4. Elevated MMP24 expression worsens prognosis in glioma, oligodendroglioma, and meningioma patients. Meningioma exhibits common chromosomal anomalies like loss of chromosomes 1, 9, 17, and 22, with specific genes implicated in their development. Main occurrences in medulloblastoma include the formation of isochromosome 17q and SHH signaling pathway disruption. Increased expression of BARHL1 is associated with prolonged survival. Adenomas mutations were reviewed with a focus on adenoma-carcinoma transition and different subtypes, with MMP9 identified as the main metalloprotease implicated in tumor progression.DiscussionMolecular-genetic diagnostics for common brain tumors involve diverse genetic anomalies. In situ hybridization shows promise for diagnosing and prognosticating tumors. Detecting tumor-specific alterations is vital for prognosis and treatment. However, many mutations require other methods, hindering in situ hybridization from becoming the primary diagnostic method.
KATP channels in cerebral hemodynamics: a systematic review of preclinical and clinical studies
Authors: Daoud Hassan Ali Suleiman , Kokoti Lili , Al-Karagholi Mohammad Al-Mahdi 
Published: July 2024

Cumulative evidence suggests that ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels act as a key regulator of cerebral blood flow (CBF). This implication seems to be complicated, since KATP channels are expressed in several vascular-related structures such as smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells and pericytes. In this systematic review, we searched PubMed and EMBASE for preclinical and clinical studies addressing the involvement of KATP channels in CBF regulation. A total of 216 studies were screened by title and abstract. Of these, 45 preclinical and 6 clinical studies were included. Preclinical data showed that KATP channel openers (KCOs) caused dilation of several cerebral arteries including pial arteries, the middle cerebral artery and basilar artery, and KATP channel inhibitor (KCI) glibenclamide, reversed the dilation. Glibenclamide affected neither the baseline CBF nor the baseline vascular tone. Endothelium removal from cerebral arterioles resulted in an impaired response to KCO/KCI. Clinical studies showed that KCOs dilated cerebral arteries and increased CBF, however, glibenclamide failed to attenuate these vascular changes. Endothelial KATP channels played a major role in CBF regulation. More studies investigating the role of KATP channels in CBF-related structures are needed to further elucidate their actual role in cerebral hemodynamics in humans.Systematic review registration: Prospero: CRD42023339278 (preclinical data) and CRD42022339152 (clinical data).
The association between the size of adipocyte-derived extracellular vesicles and fasting serum triglyceride-glucose index as proxy measures of adipose tissue insulin resistance in a rat model of early-stage obesity
Authors: Delgadillo-Velázquez Jaime , Alday Efrain , Aguirre-García María Magdalena , Canett-Romero Rafael , Astiazaran-Garcia Humberto 
Published: July 2024

IntroductionObesity is a complex disease that predisposes individuals to cardiometabolic alterations. It leads to adipose tissue (AT) dysfunction, which triggers insulin resistance (IR). This suggests that people with obesity develop local IR first and systemic IR later. AT secretes extracellular vesicles, which may be physiopathologically associated with the development of IR. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of a high-fat diet on different parameters of adiposity in a rat model of early-stage obesity and to determine if these parameters are associated with markers of systemic IR. In addition, we sought to explore the relationship between fasting blood measures of IR (Triglycerides/High Density Lipoprotein-cholesterol [TAG/HDL-c] and Triglycerides-Glucose Index [TyG Index]) with the size of adipocyte-derived extracellular vesicles (adEV).MethodsWe used a model of diet-induced obesity for ten weeks in Wistar rats exposed to a high-fat diet. Final weight gain was analyzed by Dual X-ray absorptiometry. Visceral obesity was measured as epididymal AT weight. IR was evaluated with fasting TyG Index &amp; TAG/HDL-c, and adEV were isolated from mature adipocytes on ceiling culture.ResultsIn the high-fat diet group, glucose and triglyceride blood concentrations were higher in comparison to the control group (Log2FC, 0.5 and 1.5 times higher, respectively). The values for TyG Index and adEV size were different between the control animals and the high-fat diet group. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that adEV size can be significantly associated with the TyG Index value, when controlling for epididymal AT weight.ConclusionOur results show that lipid and glucose metabolism, as well as the size and zeta potential of adEV are already altered in early-stage obesity and that adEV size can be significantly associated with liver and systemic IR, estimated by TyG Index.
Association of the Healthy Dietary Index 2020 and its components with chronic respiratory disease among U.S. adults
Authors: Zhiyi Liu , Shuhan Zhou , Libing Zhang , Jiaqi Li , Xin Ding , Lingxi Qin , Yuan-Mei Shi , Hong Zhang , Jiaqi Nie , Hui Li , Sanyou Fang 
Published: July 2024

BackgroundChronic respiratory disease is an important public health problem in the United States and globally. Diet, an important part of a healthy lifestyle, is also relevant to chronic respiratory health. We aimed to explore the relationship between overall dietary quality and the risk of chronic respiratory disease (CRD), include chronic bronchitis (CB), emphysema and asthma.MethodA total of 4,499 United States adults were extracted from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in 2017–2018. Diet quality was assessed using 2 day, 24 h dietary recall data and quantified as the Healthy Diet Index (HEI)-2020 score. Binary logistic regression models, restricted cubic splines (RCS) and generalized additive modeling (GAM), the weighted quartile sum (WQS) and qgcom models were used to assess the relationship between HEI-2020 scores and risk of CB, emphysema and asthma.ResultsHigh HEI-2020 scores are associated with low risk of chronic respiratory disease (CB: 0.98, 0.97–0.99; emphysema: 0.98, 0.97–0.99; asthma: 0.98, 0.97–0.99) and consistent results across different dietary variable categorization (Tertile: CB: 0.58, 0.42–0.81; asthma: 0.51, 0.35–0.74; Quartile: CB: 0.57, 0.34–0.97; asthma: 0.56, 0.36–0.86) and different weighting models. Negative dose-response relationship between dietary quality and risk of chronic respiratory disease also shown in RCS and GAM models. The WQS and qgcom models also showed a healthy mixing effect of dietary components on respiratory disease, with high-quality proteins, vegetables, and fruits making the heaviest contributions.ConclusionHigher HEI-2020 scores were associated with lower risk of CB, emphysema, and asthma. Following Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025 could support enhanced respiratory health.
Well-being in parents of children with cancer: illness perceptions’ mediating role for hope and social support
Authors: Schwartz-Attias Irit , Krulik Tamar , Ronen Tammie 
Published: July 2024

IntroductionParents of children with cancer may experience enormous physical and emotional pressures. During such times, perception of the situation can be important in mediating the link between one’s basic resources (mainly cognitive and social) and the well-being one attains as an emotional and cognitive response. This study aimed to explore the role of illness impact perceptions in mediating the link between hope, social support and subjective well-being in parents of children with cancer.MethodsThe cross-sectional study included 108 parents of children aged 7–18 diagnosed with cancer at least 6 months prior to the study. The parents completed one questionnaire comprising five instruments: perceived impact of illness, hope, social support, positive and negative affect (the emotional component of well-being) and life satisfaction (the cognitive component of well-being). Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlations were conducted for all study variables. SEM analysis was performed to examine the study’s theoretical model.ResultsThe current sample included 108 parents of children with cancer recruited from two pediatric hematology-oncology wards in two different hospitals in central Israel. Most participants were mothers (70.4%), and the mean age was 44.46. The main results indicated that hope and social support correlated negatively with perceptions of the illness’ impact. Illness impact perceptions mediated the relations between hope, social support and positive emotions, which means that when the parents perceived their child’s illness as less impactful on the family, they experienced higher levels of emotional well-being.ConclusionA parent with social support resources and higher levels of hope experiences higher levels of positive perceptions regarding their child’s illness. Higher levels of positive perceptions allow the parent to express more positive than negative emotions, thus maintaining a more optimal level of subjective emotional well-being. The findings offer implications for healthcare teams to enhance sensitivity to parents’ needs and to help parents attain more resources, positive perceptions, and well-being.
Curative care expenditure of outpatient anxiety disorder in Liaoning Province, 2015-2020-based on “System of Health Accounts 2011”
Authors: Shi Xiaoxia , Zhao Yue , Wan Quan , Chai Peipei , Ma Yuedan 
Published: July 2024

IntroductionAnxiety disorders are the most common mental disorder, experienced by more than a quarter of the population. This study examines total outpatient curative care expenditures (CCE) for anxiety disorders and changes in their composition based on the System of Health Accounts 2011 (SHA 2011).MethodsThis study used multi-stage stratified random from a total of 9,318,513 outpatient sample data by 920 healthcare organizations, a total of 109,703 cases of anxiety disorders from 53 sample organizations (5.76%) from 2015 to 2020. Univariate analysis, multifactor analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to explore the influential factors affecting outpatient CCE for anxiety disorders.ResultsAnxiety disorder outpatient CCE from 2015 to 2020 continued to increase from CNY 99.39million in 2015 to CNY 233.84 million in 2020, mainly concentrated in western medicine costs, 15–64 years, general hospital, generalized anxiety disorder and public financing. The results of univariate analysis showed statistically significant differences in all subgroups, and the results of multivariate analysis and SEM showed that the choice to purchase western drugs, purchase prepared Chinese drugs, choice to have a checkup, urban employees’ basic medical insurance, and 0–14 years old were associated with high anxiety disorder outpatient CCE.ConclusionInitiatives to improve the essential drug system, reduce the out-of-pocket (OOP) ratio, and strengthen primary health care to effectively reduce the medical burden on patients.
Keeping young researchers out of harm’s way: conducting youth participatory action research with young people experiencing homelessness
Authors: Ratliff G. Allen , Cosgrove Darren , Yang Jessica O. , Sarabia Richard , Harvey Taylor L. , Jeffcoat Nathan , Lightfoot Marguerita , Adams Sherilyn , Lund Ilsa , Auerswald Colette L. 
Published: July 2024

IntroductionYouth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) is an approach to conducting research with youth populations in order to effectively engage youth in research that impacts their lives. Young people experiencing homelessness (YEH) are vulnerable to power and social environments in ways that call attention to their experiences in research.MethodsThe context for this paper was a qualitative YPAR project to incorporate youth voice into the operations of a larger research study that hired youth as researchers. Participant-researchers provided feedback and consultation with senior staff in order to improve their access to resources, safety, and stability.ResultsThemes that emerged from thematic analysis of reflections, discussions, and meetings showed the need for consistent access to food, the risk of environmental violence targeting youth researchers, the structural and experiential barriers to professional engagement, and the benefits that young researchers experienced as part of their work in the study.DiscussionRecommendations and lessons learned are described, notably to ensure that youth are paid and provided food, to construct effective safety plans during fieldwork, and to provide a flexible, inclusive, trauma-responsive approach to supervision of project tasks.
Beyond sight: Comparing traditional virtual reality and immersive multi-sensory environments in stress reduction of university students
Authors: Baktash Hanieh , Kim Daejin , Shirazi Amin 
Published: July 2024

IntroductionThis study aims to assess the efficacy of traditional virtual reality (VR) and Immersive Multi-sensory Environments (IME) in mitigating anxiety levels among university students. The study can address the following research questions: 1) What disparities exist in anxiety levels before and after exposure to traditional VR and IME? 2) How do anxiety levels compare between participants exposed to IME and those in a VR environment?MethodsThe research adopted a twophase approach involving participants exhibiting moderate to high-stress levels. In the second phase, participants were randomly assigned to either a VR group (solely visual stimulation) or an IME group (comprising visual, auditory, and olfactory stimuli). The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were utilized to assess stress and anxiety levels before and after each experiment.ResultsThe findings suggest that participants’ experiences in both VR and IME environments effectively contributed to reducing anxiety levels and fostering a tranquil atmosphere. Both experimental groups reported a significantly heightened sense of relaxation post-experiments. Although the disparity was not statistically significant, the IME group displayed a more pronounced reduction in stress levels compared to the VR group.DiscussionThe research underscores the significance of considering the built environment and sensory design in addressing mental health challenges among college students. Further exploration and integration of such approaches into educational settings could significantly contribute to establishing more supportive and conducive environments for student success.
Socioeconomic Status and Adherence to Preventive Measures During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Switzerland: A Population Based Digital Cohort Analysis
Authors: Tancredi Stefano , van der Linden Bernadette W. A. , Chiolero Arnaud , Cullati Stéphane , Imboden Medea , Probst-Hensch Nicole , Keidel Dirk , Witzig Melissa , Dratva Julia , Michel Gisela , Harju Erika , Frank Irene , Lorthe Elsa , Baysson Hélène , Stringhini Silvia , Kahlert Christian R. , Bardoczi Julia B. , Haller Moa Lina , Chocano-Bedoya Patricia O. , Rodondi Nicolas , Amati Rebecca , Albanese Emiliano , Corna Laurie , Crivelli Luca , Kaufmann Marco , Frei Anja , von Wyl Viktor 
Published: July 2024

ObjectivesTo assess the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and self-reported adherence to preventive measures in Switzerland during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods4,299 participants from a digital cohort were followed between September 2020 and November 2021. Baseline equivalised disposable income and education were used as SES proxies. Adherence was assessed over time. We investigated the association between SES and adherence using multivariable mixed logistic regression, stratifying by age (below/above 65 years) and two periods (before/after June 2021, to account for changes in vaccine coverage and epidemiological situation).ResultsAdherence was high across all SES strata before June 2021. After, participants with higher equivalised disposable income were less likely to adhere to preventive measures compared to participants in the first (low) quartile [second (Adj.OR, 95% CI) (0.56, 0.37–0.85), third (0.38, 0.23–0.64), fourth (0.60, 0.36–0.98)]. We observed similar results for education.ConclusionNo differences by SES were found during the period with high SARS-CoV-2 incidence rates and stringent measures. Following the broad availability of vaccines, lower incidence, and eased measures, differences by SES started to emerge. Our study highlights the need for contextual interpretation when assessing SES impact on adherence to preventive measures.