bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Vestibular Schwannoma Surgery in the Ninth Decade of Life: a case series
Authors: LEFEVRE Etienne , ALCIATO Lauranne , CAUDRON Yohan , JACQUENS Alice , NGUYEN Yann , STERKERS Olivier , KALAMARIDES Michel 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Background and Purpose
Large symptomatic Vestibular Schwannoma (VS) often requires surgical resection, regardless the patient’s age. The aim of this study was to assess the surgical outcomes of patients in their ninth decade of life.
Methods
This monocenter retrospective observational study included patients aged 80 years or older who underwent VS surgery between 2009 and 2020. We retrospectively analyzed their immediate post-surgical and long-term outcomes and complications
Results
Thirteen octogenarians who underwent VS surgery were included, with average age of 83.2 ± 1.97 years old (median 83.5, range 80–86 years). One patient had a Koos-Grade II tumor, and 12 patients had a grade IV. All patients had a preoperative ASA score ≤ 3 and underwent surgery in the supine position. Twelve patients underwent a pre-planned partial resection (PR) and one had a gross-total resection (GTR). Good facial function (House-Brackmann grade ≤ 2) was achieved in 10 patients (77%). We reported three Clavien-Dindo grade ≤ 3 treatment-related complications and no life-threatening complication. Two patients experienced tumor recurrence after PR.
Conclusion
In this series of patients who underwent VS surgery in their ninth decade of life, surgical outcomes were acceptable. Therefore, age alone should not serve as a contraindication for surgery. Preplanned PR is a reasonable attitude in elderly patients.
In the effort to alleviate the pain and suffering of cancer patients: a grounded theory study
Authors: Mangolianshahrbabaki Parvin , Farokhzadian Jamileh , Ahmadi Fazlollah , Khabazzadeh Fatemeh 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Background and Aim: Pain is a prevalent symptom experienced by cancer patients, significantly impacting their quality of life, emotional well-being, cognitive function, and daily interactions. The effective pain management can alleviate its negative impact and enhance patients’ overall quality of life. This study seeks to explore oncology nurses’ experiences with pain management in cancer patients.
Method: This qualitative study employed a grounded theory to develop a comprehensive theoretical framework based on the experiences of nurses working in oncology departments of hospitals in Iran. The participants consisted of 19 nurses, 2 doctors (an oncologist and a pain specialist), 3 patients, and 2 companions. Purposeful and theoretical sampling methods were used to ensure maximum variations. Data collection involved in-depth, individual, and semi-structured interviews, continuing until data saturation was achieved. The analytical framework proposed by Corbin and Strauss (2015) resulted in the development of a coherent theory.
Findings: The core theory derived from the data revolves around “In an effort to relieve the pain and suffering of patients.” The data revealed the nurses’ experiences with the pain management process, the strategies employed for pain relief, and the factors influencing this process. Persistent pain, the patient’s internal struggles, reliance on medicinal pain relief, contradictory effects of complementary medicine, cultural differences, different characteristics, absence of standardized pain management protocols, and limitations in the healthcare environment and resources underscored the urgency of addressing patients’ suffering. In response to this concern, nurses utilized various strategies, including developing a comprehensive roadmap, using pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions, alleviating anxiety during pain, providing patient acceptance, and establishing effective communication. Additionally, they employed organizational strategies at both the individual and departmental levels to effectively manage and alleviate pain, thereby improving patients’ mental and emotional well-being. The outcomes of these strategies varied, resulting in both pain relief and stability in some cases, while they proved ineffective in others, leading to ongoing pain.
Conclusion: This study has highlighted numerous factors that impact the pain management process in patients. These factors can either facilitate or impede effective pain management. The insights gained from the experiences of nurses in this study provide valuable knowledge for doctors and nurses to enhance effective pain management.
18F-PSMA-1007 PET/MR for Early Detection of Biochemical Recurrence of Prostate Cancer in Very Low (≤ 0.5 ng/mL) Prostate-Specific Antigen Levels
Authors: Lin Ko-Han , Wei Tzu-Chun , Shen Shu-Huei , Huang William Ji-Shien , Peng Nan-Jing , Wang Yuh-Feng 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Purpose
To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/MR (PSMA-PET) in detecting biochemical recurrence (BCR) of prostate cancer (PCa) at very low (≤ 0.5 ng/mL) prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels.
Methods
We recruited 157 PCa patients with BCR post-radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy between May 2021 and January 2023. Among them, 52 patients with PSA ≤ 0.5 ng/mL underwent PSMA-PET imaging. The imaging protocol included multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) and PET data analysis, with lesion classification based on PSMA-RADS version 1.0.
Results
The PSMA-PET imaging demonstrated a 63.5% detection rate for recurrent PCa in patients with low PSA levels. PSMA-PET detected 34 local recurrent lesions, 12 metastatic lymph nodes, and 4 skeletal metastases. Follow-up imaging reclassified initially equivocal lesions, increasing the detection rate to 73.1%. Outcomes from PSMA-PET imaging significantly influenced personalized treatment strategies, impacting clinical decisions for 17% of the participants in our investigation.
Conclusion
PSMA-PET significantly enhances the detection of recurrent PCa at low PSA levels, providing precise localization and aiding in personalized treatment strategies. Further research is essential to optimize its clinical application and validate long-term efficacy.
Latent Class Analysis: A Data Discovery Approach for Exploring dietary intake patterns among Sudanese children aged 0 to 2
Authors: Khamis Gamal Saad Mohamed , Mohammed Zakariya M. S. , Salih Mohyaldein , Gumma Elzain A. E. , Satty Ali , Adam Ahmed M. A. , Hassaballa Abaker A. , Mahmoud Ashraf F. A. , Hamed Omer M. A. , Abdalla Faroug A. 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Objective
To employ Latent Class Analysis (LCA) to investigate dietary intake patterns among Sudanese children aged 0 to 2 years and to examine the association of these patterns with sociodemographic factors.
Methods
This study leveraged the Sudan Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2014 data to uncover dietary intake patterns among 7,362 children using latent class analysis (LCA). We investigated class memberships concerning demographic and socioeconomic factors. The model's adequacy was determined using several fit indices, including BIC, AIC, entropy, CAIC, and SABIC, providing a holistic evaluation of the model's accuracy in capturing dietary behaviors.
Results
Three latent classes were identified: Class 1 (55%) with an average nutrition composition, Class 2 (28%) with limited nutrition composition, and Class 3 (17%) with good nutrition composition. Significant associations were found between latent class membership and sociodemographic factors, particularly mother's education level and household wealth. The three-class solution provided the best balance between model fit and class distinction.
Conclusions
The LCA revealed distinct dietary intake patterns and underscored the influence of sociodemographic factors on child nutrition. The findings suggest that targeted nutritional interventions should be developed according to the specific needs of different latent classes. The study also highlights the utility of LCA as a robust statistical and machine learning tool in public health research, capable of informing tailored interventions and policies for improving child nutrition.
Implications:
The study emphasizes the importance of maternal education and socio-economic status in shaping dietary behaviors of children in Sudan. It implies the need for policies that address educational disparities, food security, and economic development as part of comprehensive nutritional interventions.
Advanced Fault Detection in Hydraulic Actuator Cylinders of Heavy Machinery Using Neural Networks
Authors: Wrat Gyan , Ranjan Prabhat , Mishra Santosh Kr. , Jose Joseph T. , Das Jayanta 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

This work presents for detecting internal leakage faults in hydraulic actuator cylinders using signal analysis and a supervised artificial neural network classifier. An artificial leakage is introduced and a signal-based fault detection method is employed to process and transform the signals for internal leakage detection. The analysis focuses on extracting features from the pressure signal, particularly the peaks, which include information as location, height, and width. Once the neural network is trained, it is utilized to classify the fault level into three categories: healthy system, system with low fault, and system with high fault. The proposed technique utilizes pressure signals and extracts features from the peak signals to reduce dimensionality. This method offers advantages such as reduced computational cost through feature extraction and dimensionality reduction, and it is capable of detecting multiple leakage classes. This effective technique based on artificial neural networks for detecting internal leakage faults in hydraulic cylinders.
Human Recombinant Lysosomal β-Hexosaminidase A produced in P.pastoris efficiently reduced GM2 ganglioside accumulation in Tay- Sachs Disease
Authors: Inci Orhan Kerim , Leal Andrés Felipe , Ateş Nurselin , Súarez Diego A. , Espejo-Mojica Angela Johana , Alméciga-Diaz Carlos Javier , Seyrantepe Volkan 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Tay-Sachs disease is a progressive lysosomal storage disorder caused by genetic mutations in the HEXA gene encoding α-subunit of β-Hexosaminidase A, which leads to GM2 ganglioside accumulation, particularly in the central nervous system. Lysosomal GM2 ganglioside accumulation causes neuropathology and leads to premature cell death in Tay-Sachs patients, and there is no effective treatment yet. Previously, we produced the human recombinant lysosomal β-Hexosaminidase (rhHex-A) in the yeast Pichia pastoris, demonstrating the capacity to be internalized in different cell lines, and the reduction of stored GM2 gangliosides in patients´ fibroblasts and neural iPSCs. In this study, we use mouse fibroblasts and neuroglia from a novel murine model of Tay-Sachs disease and human Tay-Sachs patients’ neuroglia cells to demonstrate whether rhHex-A could reduce the GM2 accumulation. We treated the cells with rhHex-A to a final concentration of 100 nM, and the efficacy was evaluated using qRT-PCR and Immunocytochemical analysis after 24–72 h of incubation. Altogether, our results suggest that rhHex-A-produced in the yeast Pichia pastoris is a promising therapeutic to mitigate GM2 accumulation in Tay-Sachs cells.
Nonlinear Granger Causality and ERA-5 based Approach in Assessing the Impact of ENSO and Climate Variability on Extreme Events in India
Authors: Singh Jahnavi , Kumar Manish , Tiwari Akash , Thakur Swati 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Over the past few decades, there has been a significant emphasis among hydro-climatologists on understanding the intricate teleconnections that exist between the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and various hydro-meteorological phenomena, such as droughts and floods. Large-scale climatic circulation patterns like ENSO have a profound impact on both global and regional hydrometeorological events. India is also experiencing frequent droughts as a significant climatic calamity; thus, knowing these teleconnections at the physiographical division level would be highly beneficial in improved drought management and planning. In the present study, the long-term trend of meteorological drought was evaluated by two drought indices, viz., the Standardised Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) and the Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI), at time scales of 3, 6, 9, and 12 months using the Modified Mann-Kendall (MMK) Test and Innovative Trend Analysis (ITA) for the period 1901–2021. Furthermore, this study used the Non-linear Granger Causality Test (NGCT) due to its ability to identify complex and nonlinear relationships among variables to investigate the teleconnection between the drought indices and four climate indices (Southern Oscillation Index, Northern Oscillation Index, NINO 3, and NINO 3.4) from 1951 to 2021. ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) ReAnalysis v.5 (ERA-5) data was used to explore the major climatic cause of the drought. According to the MMK test, the north Deccan and western coast regions show the most significant positive trend in SPEI 12 and SPEI 3 (0.071 and 0.078, respectively), as well as SPI 12 (0.072 and 0.098). In contrast, only the Himalayan region shows the most significant negative trend of -0.205 for SPEI 12 and SPI 12, respectively. Additionally, results from the MMK test and ITA indicate an increasing risk of drought in the Great Indian Desert, eastern and western coasts, and northern and southern Deccan regions. However, a decreasing trend was observed in the Himalayan and Northern Plain regions. The study emphasises that the effect of ENSO on evapotranspiration-based drought (i.e., computed using SPEI) is more significant than precipitation-based drought (i.e., computed using SPI). According to ERA-5 reanalysis data, changes in convective precipitation and rainfall rate, low cloud cover, insufficient vertical moisture divergence, and decreased snowfall rate all contributed to drought in a few locations in India.
Visualizing Molecular Alterations and Peripheral Detections in Asymptomatic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Using b-isox-based Detection
Authors: Wang I-Fan , Ting Chen-Hung , Chang Hsiang-Yu , Liou Gunn-Guang , Yang Chih-Chao , Kuo Yih-Chih , Tsai Li-Kai 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Proteinopathies cause severe diseases, particularly neurodegenerative ones. Early detection is crucial for effective therapy but is especially challenging in sporadic cases. In this study, we demonstrate that proteinopathy-associated proteins can be accurately isolated from plasma using b-isox in onset-stage ALS, even in sporadic cases. Specific b-isox precipitates were found in 98.5% of ALS patients but were absent in healthy controls, correlating negatively with ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R) scores. Proteomic analysis of these precipitates revealed that sporadic cases had fewer proteins, but with greater changes in their levels compared to familial cases and the newly identified biomarker CA1 forms fibers in vitro and parallels TDP-43 progression, highlighting its significance in TDP-43 proteinopathies. Significantly, the b-isox-based ELISA effectively detects early-stage ALS with an AUC of 0.96 (95% confidence interval 0.922–1.00) for C9orf72 poly(GR) amyloid oligomers, even in asymptomatic stages of non-C9orf72 inherited patients, potentially revolutionizing proteinopathy treatment and understanding.
Data-driven framework for the techno-economic assessment of sustainable aviation fuel from pyrolysis.
Authors: Okolie Jude , Moradi Keon , Rogachuk Brooke , Narra Bala Nagaraju , Ogbaga Chukwuma C. , Okoye Patrick , Adeleke Adekunle 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

The aviation sector plays a crucial role in quickly moving people and goods around the world. It also greatly helps in the economic growth and social integration of countries. As the industry continues to experience rapid growth, there is a tendency for an increase in emissions associated with the industry. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) presents a way to reduce the environmental effects of the aviation industry by providing a clean-burning, renewable substitute for conventional jet fuel. SAF can be produced from diverse processes and feedstocks. Fast pyrolysis (FP) is a promising thermochemical process for SAF production due to its advantages including low-cost feedstocks, faster reaction times, and simpler technology, making it more cost-effective and scalable compared to other thermochemical processes. However, the preliminary estimation of the economic viability of FP for SAF production is complex and tedious requiring detailed process models and several assumptions. Moreover, the relationship between the feedstock properties and the minimum selling price of fuel (MSP) is often challenging to estimate. To address these challenges, the present study developed a data-driven framework for preliminary estimation of the MSP of SAF from FP. The target output feature is MSP. To enhance model accuracy and predictions, synthetic data was created using Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) and Variational Autoencoders (VAE), and hyperparameter optimization was conducted using Grid Search. Five surrogate models were evaluated: linear regression, gradient boost regression (GBR), random forest (RF), extreme boost regression (XGBoost), and Elastic net. GBR and RF showed the most promise based on metrics like R², RMSE, and MAE for both original and synthetic datasets. Specifically, GBR achieved a Train R² of 0.9999 and a Test R² of 0.9277, while RF had Train and Test R² scores of 0.9789 and 0.9255, respectively. The use of data from the VAE notably enhanced model accuracy. Additionally, a publicly available GUI has been developed for researchers to estimate the MSP of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) based on biomass properties, plant capacity, and location.
Enhancing tensile properties and suppressing porosity in laser beam welding aluminum alloys via novel oscillation technology
Authors: Tang Jinglong , Su Jie , Sun Jiaqi , Hu Minglie , Luo Zhen 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Al-Mg alloys are highly susceptible to porosity and elemental evaporation during laser beam welding, resulting in softening of the joints and jeopardizing engineering applications. Oscillating laser bean welding (OLBW) can significantly improve the mechanical properties of the joint by stirring the molten pool to refine the weld grain and suppress porosity. A novel “W” shaped oscillating trajectory was used to couple the laser beam welding in this article, and the OLBW process was systematically investigated to derive the corresponding process window. Meanwhile, based on the optimized process, the effect of oscillation frequency on weld porosity, weld grain morphology and tensile properties were investigated by this paper. The results indicated that the increase in oscillation frequency contributed to the elimination of porosity in the weld, which was less than 0.1% at oscillation frequencies between 2 Hz and 8 Hz. Increasing the oscillation frequency, the tensile strength and elongation increased accordingly, and when the oscillation frequency was 8 Hz, the tensile strength of the weld was 176 MPa, which can reach 85.8% of the base metal. This study further elucidates the mechanism of inhibition of porosity and enhancement of tensile properties by OLBW, with a view to providing guidance for subsequent OLBW of aluminum alloys.
In–situ strain control in epitaxial silicon carbide compound semiconductor
Authors: Myronov Maksym , Jazizadeh Behzad 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Residual strain in an epilayer grown on a foreign wafer induces epiwafer’s bow, that is often considered undesirable. Wafer bow however, can be advantageous because both the direction and magnitude of strain are vital for the fabrication of various Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS), such as resonators. Here strain control is reported for highly mismatched heteroepitaxy of cubic silicon carbide (3C–SiC) compound semiconductor on silicon (Si), a prized functional material, dependent solely on carbon to silicon ratio (C/Si) during growth. While Si–rich condition enhances growth and generates positive curvature i.e. tensile strain, C–rich condition suppresses growth and produces negative curvature i.e. compressive strain. An optimum region emerges with virtually no strain and superior crystallinity. Our findings are significant for the knowledge of heteroepitaxy of 3C–SiC and may be broadened to heteroepitaxy of other compound semiconductors.
A Multi-modal Computational Fluid Dynamics Model of Left Atrial Fibrillation Haemodynamics Validated with 4D flow MRI
Authors: Parker Louis , Bollache Emilie , Soulez Shannon , Bouazizi Khaoula , Badenco Nicolas , Giese Daniel , Gandjbakhch Estelle , Redheuil Alban , Laredo Mikael , Kachenoura Nadjia 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is characterized by rapid and irregular contraction of the left atrium (LA). Impacting LA haemodynamics, this increases the risk of thrombi development and stroke. The precise haemodynamic conditions that precede stroke in these patients are not well defined, in part due to a lack of resolution in current 4D flow MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). In this study we combine a high-resolution CT (computed tomography) reconstruction with motion data and inlet flow rates from 4D flow MRI to create a novel multimodal computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of the LA. Using the 4D flow MRI data we validate the dominant flow structures. Comparing this model with one which assumes rigid walls, a common simplification for such models, shows this assumption has a strong impact on time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS) and oscillatory shear index (OSI) in the left atrial appendage (LAA), underestimating these by 61% and 41%, respectively. The dynamic model also yields a more accurate mitral valve outflow when compared with 4D flow MRI measurements. We then applied the model to a cohort of five AF patients prior to catheter ablation, showing in the LAA the low TAWSS and high OSI associated with thrombi growth. We also present a correlation between both LA/LAA volume and pro-thrombotic conditions. Taken together this work demonstrates the importance of LA motion in CFD models that seek to accurately represent LAA haemodynamics, particularly OSI. With further analysis in larger cohorts, LAA OSI may have predictive benefit for stroke in AF patients.