bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Randomized controlled trial on the efficacy of topical urea-based cream in preventing capecitabine-associated hand-foot syndrome
Authors: Wongkraisri Concord , Chusuwanrak Kriengkrai , Laocharoenkeat Apirom , Chularojanamontri Leena , Nimmannit Akarin , Ithimakin Suthinee 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
Hand-foot syndrome (HFS) is a common adverse event of capecitabine causing treatment modifications. Topical urea cream can reduce sorafenib-induced hand-foot skin reaction. However, its benefit in preventing capecitabine-associated HFS was not seen early in the course and had been unknown with long-term use. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of urea cream for HFS prophylaxis throughout capecitabine treatment.
Methods
Patients with cancer who received capecitabine were randomized (1:1) to receive usual care alone or in combination with urea-based cream. The incidence and degree of HFS were assessed at each capecitabine cycle. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with any grade HFS. The secondary endpoints included the proportion of patients with severe (≥ grade 3) HFS, modifications in capecitabine because of HFS, and HFS onset.
Results
After a median of six capecitabine cycles, any grade HFS was reported by 68 of 109 patients (62.4%) who received usual care and by 60 of 107 patients (56%) who used urea cream (p = 0.36). The patients who received usual care and urea cream had similar proportions of grade 3 HFS occurrence [52 (47.7%) vs. 44 (41.1%), respectively, p = 0.34] and needed capecitabine modification because of HFS [20 patients (18.3%) vs. 17 patients (15.9%), respectively, p = 0.89], as well as similar HFS onset.
Conclusions
Urea-based cream did not prevent capecitabine-associated HFS, reduce capecitabine modification, and delay HFS onset. However, it had a tendency to lessen HFS severity, especially in the later cycles of capecitabine.
Clinical trial registration number
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05348278
Synergistic enhancement of chemical composition, fermentation characteristics, and microbial community dynamics in triticale silage by inoculation with Streptococcus bovis and Lactobacillus plantarum
Authors: Niu Yujie , Guo Yaya , Huang Rongzheng , Niu Junli , Wang Yan , Zhang Peng , Lu Qicheng , Zhang Wenju 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
Whole-plant triticale is rich in starch, which can be partially degraded into soluble sugars required by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) during ensiling and is an important energy source for ruminant animals. However, few studies have reported the utilization of starch by LAB in triticale silages. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Streptococcus bovis and Lactobacillus plantarum on the chemical composition, fermentation characteristics, bacterial communities, and metabolic pathways of whole-plant triticale silage. Fresh triticale harvested at the milk stage was ensiled in sterile distilled water (CON), Streptococcus bovis (ST), Lactobacillus plantarum (LP), or a combination of S. bovis and L. plantarum (LS) for 3, 7, 15, or 30 days.
Results
During ensiling, the pH and water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content in the inoculant groups were significantly lower than those in the CON group (P < 0.05), especially in the LS group (P < 0.05). After 7 days of ensiling, the ST and LS groups had lower (P < 0.05) starch content and higher (P < 0.05) concentrations of lactic acid (LA) and acetic acid (AA). Inoculation with S. bovis and L. plantarum, either alone or in combination, increased the abundance of LAB such as Lactobacillus and Pediococcus while reducing the abundance of Weissella, Rosenbergiella, Pantoea, Enterobacter, and Klebsiella. Metabolic function prediction analysis indicated that inoculation with S. bovis enhanced starch and sucrose metabolism during the early stages of ensiling. Streptococcus positively correlated with LA (P < 0.05) and AA but negatively correlated with starch content, pH, Propionic acid (PA), and LA/AA (P < 0.05).
Conclusions
S. bovis inoculation increased starch hydrolysis and carbohydrate metabolism during the early ensiling stages. Both S. bovis and L. plantarum synergistically improved the fermentation characteristics and microbial communities of triticale silage. Therefore, S. bovis can be used as an additive or for fast start-up to improve silage fermentation quality.
Testing of the Czech questionnaire for identifying children at risk of obstructive sleep apnea
Authors: Vrankova Zuzana Marincak , Kratochvil Tomas , Villa Maria Pia , Linhartova Petra Borilova 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

This study aimed to create a Czech questionnaire for pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (POSA) risk screening, a first of its kind in the Czech Republic, where options for child polysomnography are limited. Compiling items from established English questionnaires and supplementing them with additional items, we designed the first version of the Czech questionnaire and tested it in a pilot study with parents of 30 children. After pilot feedback, a revised version with dichotomous and 5-item Likert scale questions was tested on another 70 children's parents. All children (7–12 years old) underwent a home sleep apnea test to record their apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). The second (40-item) version showed high reliability (93%), with 17 items identified as the most significant. Findings from the final 17-item SEN CZ questionnaire correlated positively with AHI (p < 0.001), demonstrating 84% sensitivity, 86% specificity, and 93% reliability. Three factors, namely breathing problems, inattention, and hyperactivity (characterized by multiple items), were identified to form a higher-order factor of POSA risk, which was further supported by the correlations of their total scores with AHI (p < 0.001). The resulting SEN CZ questionnaire can serve as a tool for POSA risk screening in the Czech Republic without the need to involve medical professionals.
Optimization of Z-shaped assembled mortise and tenon joint box culvert connection form
Authors: Yang Yuntao , Zhang Hong , Liu Longqi , Zhu Baolei , Song Bingjie 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

In order to effectively improve the longitudinal connection stability of prefabricated box culverts for highways, this paper proposes a new type of Z-shaped assembled mortise-tenon splicing box culvert for highway reinforced concrete structures. Using the finite element simulation software to simulate, the maximum deformation and stress concentration position of the side wall obviously appear at the end and armpit of the joint, that is, the connection part of the two culvert joints. Under the same filling condition, the most different mechanical properties between the integral box culvert and the assembled box culvert are located at the joint of the prefabricated culvert. According to the stress and deformation characteristics of culvert body, different joint height and joint length box culvert forms are designed and simulated and compared. It is concluded that the 1.8 m joint height and 0.5 m joint length have the most significant improvement on the mechanical properties of the splice culvert. Finally, a Z-shaped assembled mortise-tenon splicing box culvert with a reasonable structural form and a mortise-tenon structure of 1.25 m length was selected.
Role of tropical cyclones and salinity stratification in the expansion of a coastal marine heatwave
Authors: Rao Devanarayana R.M. , Dzwonkowski Brian , Fournier Severine , Lockridge Grant 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Marine heatwaves (MHWs) during peak hurricane season can impact storm intensification, posing a significant threat to coasts and ecosystems. However, understanding of salinity stratification in the evolution of MHWs in river-dominated, hurricane-prone coastal regions is limited. Here, the event sequence leading to a large-scale coastal MHW in the Gulf of Mexico during the 2019 hurricane season was investigated. Both atmospheric and oceanic events coupled to drive the shelf-wide evolution of this full water-column MHW with surface heat fluxes, vertical mixing, and advection all contributing. In particular, several tropical cyclone events modified the vertical structuring of the MHW, and none intensified over the study region. During the decay phase, low salinity from freshwater discharge resulted in temperature inversions, leaving the bottom layer MHW preserved for an extended period. This study highlights the importance of salinity dynamics on MHWs and nearshore environmental conditions in intensity forecasting of landfalling storms.
Can We Monitor Seedling Stands Using Landsat Time Series?
Authors: Parvez RANA , MUINONEN Eero , TOLVANEN M. , CHOWDHURY Anwarul , VASTARANTA Mikko , Tokola Timo 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Monitoring the status of seedling stands is crucial for determining whether seedlings have achieved the required density and height and assessing the need for weeding. We studied the potential of Landsat Time Series (LTS) data for monitoring young seedling stands in Liperi, eastern Finland. We assessed the ability of Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to estimate stand-level attributes like stem density, height, and identify the need for weeding of both broadleaved and coniferous trees. According to the results, the variation within a stand is typically very high, and thus it is difficult to give a single prediction for an entire stand. In our study, the indices could not capture the structural variation in seedling stands, although some trends could be found between NDVI and the number of coniferous trees (R2 = 0.22), height of the deciduous trees (R2 = 0.26) and height difference between coniferous and deciduous trees (R2 = 0.25). Our study also shows that the prediction of the need for weeding or tending using a binary decision-making process achieved an accuracy of 81% and a Cohen's kappa value of 0.55. Our study demonstrates that the LTS data can be used with a reasonable accuracy to monitor seedling stands characteristics.
Biomechanical performance of post-and-cores of polyetheretherketone and its composites
Authors: Wang Biyao , Huang Minghao , Zhang Kaige , Xu Yan , Zhang Xinwen , Shi Liye , Yan Xu 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background: Polyetherketoneketone (PEEK) and its fiber-reinforced composites have been indicated as ideal post-and-cores materials due to its mechanical properties. However, the laboratory evidences of post-and-cores restored with fiber-reinforced PEEK are lacking.
Material and Methods: A total of 120 extracted mandibular premolars were treated endodontically and divided into six groups restored with different post-and-core materials (N=20): (1) prefabricated quartz fiber-reinforced composite (QFRC), (2) polymer-infiltrated ceramic (PIC), (3) cobalt chromium (CoCr), (4) PEEK, (5) 30% glass fiber-reinforced PEEK (GFR-PEEK), and (6) 30% carbon fiber-reinforced PEEK (CFR-PEEK). Each group was then divided into two subgroups (n=10): static loading test and fatigue loading test. The static failure load (SFL) was analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with least-significant difference (LSD) multiple comparison tests. The fatigue failure load (FFL) and cycles for failure (CFF) were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis (P<0.05). Stress distribution was analyzed by finite element analysis (FEA).
Results: The SFL of Groups PEEK and QFRC did not differ from each other, and both were lower than those of Groups CoCr, GFR-PEEK, and CFR-PEEK. In the fatigue loading test, Group CoCr exhibited the best survival; however, with the progression of fatigue, the survival probabilities of Groups PEEK and its composites were close to that of Group CoCr. In all groups apart from Group CoCr, the rate of repairable failure modes was higher than that of irreparable ones. Groups PEEK, GFR-PEEK, and CFR-PEEK exhibited lower maximum peak principal stress and better stress distribution than Group CoCr.
Conclusions: Customized post-and-cores manufactured with PEEK and its fiber-reinforced composites showed superior biomechanical performance, making them potential alternatives for the restoration of massive tooth defects.
Clinical relevance: This study provides a theoretical basis for clinicians to select post-and-core materials for different root canal morphology residual roots and helps to reduce the occurrence of complications such as root fracture and post core debonding.
ML-RID: Mutual Learning Enhanced Visible-Infrared Person Re-identification
Authors: Li Chengcheng , Chen Ruiying , Lei Yiming , Li Ju 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

In computer vision, Person Re-Identification (ReID) is essential for surveillance, matching images of individuals across different cameras and lighting conditions. Despite progress in visible light scenarios using CNNs, methods struggle in low-light, prompting the need for Visible-Infrared (VI) ReID. The challenge lies in bridging the semantic gap between visible and infrared modalities due to their distinct imaging properties. Existing methods are limited, focusing on complex feature extractors without fully utilizing intermediate representations to reduce cross-modality discrepancies. Infrared images lack color information, and differences in reflectivity between modalities hinder the extraction of robust features for identification. To alleviate these problems, We introduce ML-RID, leveraging Mutual Learning (ML) to enhance the performance of the VI-ReID task. Specifically , we propose an Adaptive Feature Fusion Module (AFFM) that dynamically fuses visible and infrared features, compensating for semantic deficiencies and enhancing feature representation. Then, a Feature Projection Module (FPM) aligns predictions across modalities, while the Jensen-Shannon Divergence is utilized to ensure the prediction consistency and reliability, encouraging learning from each modality’s strengths. A penal term is proposed to maintain auxiliary modality diversity, aiding in knowledge transfer as a “teacher”. Experiments on two datasets show ML-RID outperforms current models, with visualizations verifying its effectiveness, marking a step forward in cross-modality Re-ID.
Models of Fish Swarm Passing through Tubes
Authors: Gu Shuang , Quan Quan 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Movement of biological swarm exists widely in nature, and cooperative mechanism can improve the adaptability of the swarm to the environment. However, most current research studies free swarm movement and ignore analysis subject to environmental constraints like existence of tubes. In this paper, an experimental environment is set up such that Petitella georgiae swimming through a tube is studied. Based on the observation of position, speed, and direction of each fish, it is found out that each fish is affected by the distribution of fish swarm in its field of view. When a fish swarm swims through the tube, the ratio of speeds in middle region and edge region has a linear positive correlation with the cosine of angles the tube forms, and the average speed is larger within a specific angle range. When fish swarm passes through tubes, the area with a larger speed also corresponds to a larger density.
Flow accumulation-based violence detection model using transformers
Authors: Munusamy Hemalatha , R Shrish , K Aravindh , T Samuel Tennyson 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Violence detection in surveillance videos is one of the most challenging tasks in the field of video analysis. This work aims to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of the violence detection model by leveraging optical flow accumulation alongside traditional RGB frames as input to a transformer-based model. A novel frame extraction method is also proposed which accumulates motion information in a video. The flow-accumulated frames and the original frames of the video are combined in the Flow Fusion Attention Block. The proposed approach serves as a solution to increase the classification accuracy of transformer models in violent detection. The model achieves high accuracy by combining the RGB and flow-accumulated frames through the flow fusion attention block. The proposed approach is evaluated using different datasets and the performance is better than the other state-of-the-art approaches for violence detection.
Variable and interactive effects of Sex, APOE ε4 and TREM2 on the deposition of tau in entorhinal and neocortical regions.
Authors: Giorgio Joseph , Jonson Caroline , Wang Yilin , Yokoyama Jennifer , Wang Jingshen , Jagust William 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

The canonical AD pathological cascade posits that the accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) is the initiating event, accelerating the accumulation of tau in the entorhinal cortex (EC), which subsequently spreads into the neocortex. Here in a sample of over 1300 participants with multimodal imaging and genetic information we queried how genetic variation affects these stages of the AD cascade. We observed that females and APOE-ε4 homozygotes are more susceptible to the effects of Aβ on the primary accumulation of tau, with greater EC tau for a given level of Aβ. Furthermore, we observed for individuals who have rare risk variants in Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells 2 (TREM2) and/or APOE-ε4 homozygotes there was a greater spread of primary tau from the EC into the neocortex. These findings offer insights into the function of sex, APOE and microglia in AD progression, and have implications for determining personalised treatment with drugs targeting Aβ and tau.
Non-linear association between the plasma atherogenic index and type 2 diabetes mellitus: findings from a multicentre prospective cohort study based on the 4C study
Authors: Zhang Yue-Yang , Chen Bing-Xue , Wan Qin 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background Currently, the plasma atherogenic index (AIP) is mainly used to predict atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases, but there is still insufficient evidence to indicate its association with type 2 diabetes. Therefore, we aim to investigate the potential association between AIP and type 2 diabetes through a prospective cohort study.Methods The 4C study, a multicenter prospective cohort investigation, targets the Chinese population and initially enrolled 10,008 participants. Baseline data encompassing lifestyle, metabolic status, and various other factors were collected in 2011. A 10-year follow-up survey was subsequently conducted, ultimately including 9,092 participants. AIP, defined as the logarithmic transformation of the triglycerides to high-density lipoprotein ratio, was divided into quartiles. Type 2 diabetes was diagnosed following the 2013 American Diabetes Association guidelines. To explore the potential association between AIP and the risk of type 2 diabetes, Cox regression, restricted cubic spline, and subgroup analysis were employed.Results Over a 10-year follow-up period, 693 new cases of type 2 diabetes were identified. In a fully adjusted model accounting for age, sex, DBP, SBP, LDL-C, TC, Cr, FBG, HbA1c, smoking, alcohol consumption, and education level, AIP demonstrated a positive association with type 2 diabetes (HR: 4.40; 95% CI: 3.21, 6.04). Compared to the Q1 group, the risk of type 2 diabetes increased progressively across the Q2, Q3, and Q4 groups, with a significant trend (p-value < 0.05). Restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis revealed an inverse L-shaped association between AIP and the risk of type 2 diabetes, with a turning point at 0.45. Furthermore, similar patterns were observed in the subgroup analyses, with no significant interaction between AIP and subgroup variables.Conclusions Among the Chinese population, elevated AIP levels are positively correlated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, indicating that AIP could potentially serve as a biomarker for assessing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Determination of both the expression and serum levels of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1) genes in SARS-CoV-2
Authors: gülhan pınar yıldız , Eröz Recep , Öztürk Cihadiye Elif , Yekenkurul Dilek 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Aim: We aimed to evaluate the effects of both the expression and serum levels of Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) genes that can lead to fibrosis SARS-CoV-2, which has different degrees of cellular damage as mild, moderate, severe, and critical illness.
Method: Totally 45 individuals (male:21(46.67%); female:24(53.33%)) with COVID-19 infection were included in this study. Four groups were constituted as mild (n=16)], moderate(n=10), severe(n=10), and critical(n=9) according to the severity of the disease. Blood samples were drawn from the patients, and hemograms, EGF and TGFβ1 gene expression, and serum levels were evaluated.
Results: The mean age of individuals was 57.311±18.383 (min:28, max:94). Significant differences were found among the groups for PLT (χ 2=9.955; p=0.019), CRP (χ 2=7.693; p=0.053), Ferritin (χ 2=22.196; p<0.001), D-dimer (χ 2=21.982; p=0.000), LDH (χ 2=21.807; p<0.001) and all these parameters (exclude PLT in severe groups) was increased depending on the severity of the disease. Additionally, significant differences were detected for EGF (χ 2=29.528; p<0.001), TGFB1 (χ 2=28.981; p<0.001) expression (that increased depending on the disease severity), and EGF(χ 2=7.84; p=0.049), TGFB1 (χ 2=17.451; p=0.001) serum concentration levels (that decreased depending on the disease severity).
Conclusion: This study found statistically significant differences for both EGF 2-ΔΔCt. TGFβ1 2-ΔΔCt and EGF, TGFβ1 serum concentration values among all patient groups. As disease severity increased, EGF 2-ΔΔCt. TGFβ1 2-ΔΔCt levels increased, while EGF and TGFβ1 serum concentration levels decreased. Perhaps this study will be useful in managing COVID-19 infection severity and pulmonary fibrosis cases secondary to COVID-19.
SAM2-Adapter: Evaluating &amp; Adapting Segment Anything 2 in Downstream Tasks: Camouflage, Shadow, Medical Image Segmentation, and More
Authors: Chen Tianrun , Lu Ankang , Zhu Lanyun , Ding Chaotao , Yu Chunan , Ji Deyi , Li Zejian , Sun Lingyun , Mao Papa , Zang Ying 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

The advent of large models, also known as foundation models, has significantly transformed the AI research landscape, with models like Segment Anything (SAM) achieving notable success in diverse image segmentation scenarios. Despite its advancements, SAM encountered limitations in handling some complex low-level segmentation tasks like camouflaged object and medical imaging. In response, in 2023, we introduced SAM-Adapter, which demonstrated improved performance on these challenging tasks. Now, with the release of Segment Anything 2 (SAM2)—a successor with enhanced architecture and a larger training corpus—we reassess these challenges. This paper introduces SAM2-Adapter, the first adapter designed to overcome the persistent limitations observed in SAM2 and achieve new state-of-the-art (SOTA) results in specific downstream tasks including medical image segmentation, camouflaged (concealed) object detection, and shadow detection. SAM2-Adapter builds on the SAM-Adapter's strengths, offering enhanced generalizability and composability for diverse applications. We present extensive experimental results demonstrating SAM2-Adapter's effectiveness. We show the potential and encourage the research community to leverage the SAM2 model with our SAM2-Adapter for achieving superior segmentation outcomes. Code, pre-trained models, and data processing protocols are available at http://tianrun-chen.github.io/SAM-Adaptor/