bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Development and Validation of a Cancer-Specific Early Death Prediction Model for Patients with Gastric Cancer with Liver Metastasis: Based on Machine Learning
Authors: Zhu Yulan , Chen Xiaolong , Ye Peiling , Li Ka , LIAO Min , LUO Yu , LI ZhiYu , LIU Yuwei 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Background Gastric cancer with liver metastasis (GCLM) patients typically have a grim prognosis and are at high risk of early mortality. This study aimed to predict cancer-specific early mortality and risk factors for GCLM patients through machine learning (ML) methods. Methods The data of patients with GCLM were obtained from the SEER database. LASSO regression, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to identify significant independent risk factors for cancer-specific early death (CSED). Models such as logistic regression (LR), decision tree (DT), K-nearest neighbors (KNN), light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM), random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) were used to predict the CSED and extract important features. Tenfold cross-validation, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, accuracy, balance accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity, F1-score, precision‒recall (PR) curve analysis, calibration curve analysis and decision curve analysis (DCA) were utilized to assess the performance of the models. The DALEX package was used to compute feature importance. Results The study recruited a total of 3661 patients. A total of 1648 (45%) patients experienced CSED. Among the 7 ML models, the XGBoost model achieved the best performance. The top 6 most influential factors were chemotherapy, months from diagnosis to therapy, age, grade, N stage, and surgery in the XGBoost model, with chemotherapy being the most significant. Conclusion The XGBoost model might be applied to predict the CSED of GCLM patients, and chemotherapy was the most important feature in the XGBoost model. These results could offer crucial reference data to assist clinicians in making informed decisions beforehand.
Incidence and predictors of virological failure among HIV infected children and adolescents receiving second line antiretroviral therapy in Uganda, a retrospective study
Authors: Musiime-Mwase Fiona , Nakanjako Damalie , Kanywa Jacqueline Balungi , Nasuuna Esther , Naitala Ronald , Oceng Ronald , Sewankambo Nelson , Elyanu Peter 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Background
In Uganda, 20% (19,073/94,579) of children and adolescents (0–19 years) living with HIV (CALHIV) were receiving second line antiretroviral therapy (ART) by the end of March 2020. Data on incidence and predictors of virological failure among these CALHIV on second line ART is limited. Lack of this information and limited access to HIV drug resistance testing prevents early identification of CALHIV at risk of virological failure on second line ART. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and predictors of virological failure among CALHIV on second line ART in Uganda.
Methodology:
This was a retrospective cohort study of all CALHIV aged 0–19 years who were switched to second line ART regimen between June 2010 and June 2019 at the Baylor Uganda Centre of Excellence clinic. Data was analysed using STATA 14. Cumulative incidence curves were used to assess incidence of virological failure. Factors associated with virological failure were identified using sub-distributional hazard regression analysis for competing risks considering death, transfer out and loss to follow-up as competing risks.
Results;
Of 1104 CALHIV, 53% were male. At switch to Protease Inhibitor based second line ART, majority (47.7%) were aged 5–9 years,56.2% had no/mild immune suppression for age while 77% had viral load copies < 100,000 copies/ml. The incidence of virological failure on second line ART regimen among CALHIV was 3.9 per 100 person-years (PY) with a 10-year cumulative incidence rate of 32%. Factors significantly associated with virological failure were age 10–19 years (HR 3.2, 95% 1.6–6.2, p < 0.01) and HIV viral load count > 100,000 copies/ml (HR 2.2, 95% CI 1.5–3.1), p < 0.01)
Conclusion
Treatment outcomes for children and adolescents on second line ART are favourable with one third of them developing virological failure at 10 years of follow up. Adolescent age group and high HIV viral load at the start of second line ART were significantly associated with virological failure on second line ART. There is need to determine optimal strategies to improve ART treatment outcomes among adolescents with high viral load counts at second line ART switch.
Evolution and taxonomic meaning of seed fatty acid profiles of Campomanesia (Myrtaceae)
Authors: Kilsztajn Yacov , Pereira Leonardo Regnier Lima , Kubo Marcelo Tomé , Salatino Antonio , Salatino Maria Luiza Faria 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

The present work aimed to determine the fatty acid (FA) composition of seed oils of Campomanesia (Myrtaceae), a genus with approximately 45 species restricted to South America. The work aimed also to evaluate the systematic bearing of FA profiles, as well as their degree of congruence with phylogeny. Seeds of Psidium guajava and seven species of Campomanesia were collected from at least two individuals from distinct populations. The seed oils were extracted and the methyl esters of the FA were analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Nucleotide sequences from GenBank of the same species, regarding the internal transcribed spacer of ribosomal DNA (ITS), were used for phylogenetic analysis. Seed FA profiles were distinct, comparing Campomanesia and Psidium guajava; linoleic acid predominates in the seed oil of the latter species, while saturated and mono-unsaturated FA predominate in the seed oil of Campomanesia. A high similarity of FA profiles was noted, when comparing specimens of the same species. With few exceptions, cluster and principal component analyses based on FA profiles were congruent with phylogeny based on ITS sequences. Distribution of seed FA supports the non-monophyletic status of the “C. xanthocarpa complex”. Reconstruction of ancestral character states revealed distinct evolutionary trajectories of FA profiles toward differentiation of Campomanesia clades, all of them leading to decreased proportions of unsaturated FA.
The correlation between preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy
Authors: Gao Peiwen , Zhang Yujun , Sun Jiaoxiao , Deng Chaoyi , Zhang Wensheng 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Objective:
The effect of psychological factors on postoperative pain are often ignored in patients underwent surgery. Hence, this study aimed to explore the correlation between preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain of patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC).
Methods:
Patients underwent LC in West Chian Hospital from September 2022 and July 2023 were included. During the preoperative interview, the preoperative anxiety was evaluated by State Anxiety Inventory (S-AI); postoperative pain was evaluated by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) 1 h, 4–6 h and 24 h after surgery; postoperative recovery was assessed by Activity of Daily Living [1] scale at 4-6h and 24h after surgery; postoperative chronic pain was evaluated 3 months after surgery.
Results:
A total of 260 patients were included in this study, including 211 patients in the low-anxiety group and 49 patients in the high-anxiety group. VAS score in high-anxiety group was significantly higher than low-anxiety group at 1 h, 4–6 h and 24 h after surgery (P < 0.05), and S-AI score was positively correlated with the VAS score at each time point. Meanwhile, the incidence of chronic pain in high-anxiety group (24.5%) was higher than that in low-anxiety group (20.4%). A higher S-AI score was associated with a lower ADL score at 4–6 h and 24 h after surgery, while patients in the two groups consumed comparable doses of analgesics.
Conclusion:
Patients with high preoperative anxiety tended to have a high risk of severe acute pain and a high incidence of chronic pain after LC.
Tract-Based Spatial Statistics and Mediation Analysis of Apathy in Cerebral Small Vessel Disease
Authors: Li Jinbiao , Wang Meng , Zeng Huixing , Li Hao , Chen Yixin , Yu Lei , Lan Linfang , Liao Mengshi , Yi Ming , Cui Liqian , Fan Yuhua 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Background: Studies reported a relationship between white matter alterations and apathy in patients with Cerebral Small Vessel Disease (CSVD), the reported lesions are heterogeneously distributed. To identify microstructural alterations associated with apathy in CSVD patients using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS).
Methods:Forty-eight CSVD patients underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and completed clinical assessments of symptoms, which were divided into apathy and non-apathy groups. We used TBSS to assess the integrity of the white matter tracts and mediation analysis was performed to test the relationship between emotional disorders, neuroimaging features, and the disruption of white matter tracts.
Result：TBSS showed decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) and increased mean diffusivity (MD) in the apathy group in specific structural regions, including anterior thalamic radiation, corticospinal tract, cingulate gyrus, hippocampus, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, inferior/superior longitudinal fasciculus, and uncinate fasciculus. The mediation analyses reported FA and MD values significantly mediated the intervention effect on apathy and neuroimaging markers (white matter hyperintensities WHM and cerebral microbleeds CMB). In addition, mediation analyses indicated that depression partially but significantly mediated the intervention effect on apathy and MD values.
Limitations: Full follow-up data for apathy are not available in CSVD to perform the longitudinal analysis. Moreover, clinical information regarding the presence or absence of apathy prior to CSVD was unavailable for the present analysis.
Conclusions: TBSS revealed that apathy in CSVD is associated with disruption of white matter tracts in wider brain regions, and white matter damage underlies the relationship between neuroimaging markers of CSVD (WHM and CMB) and apathy. Depression may be a precursor to apathy due to the loss of special white matter tracts.
Improving the precision of estimating carbon sequestration potential in four tree and shrub agroforestry species through the comparison of general and specific allometric equations in Côte d’Ivoire
Authors: Joncas Mathilde , Atangana Alain R. , Wolf Valentin , Kouassi Guillaume , Kouamé Christophe , Khasa Damase 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Agroforestry is an alternative to unsustainable agricultural practices, aiding in the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. However, accurately assessing the carbon sequestration potential of agroforestry tree species remains challenging due to reliance on destructive, time-consuming, and resource-intensive methods that hinder forest cover restoration in Côte d'Ivoire. Commonly used pantropical allometric equations lack specificity and precision, complicating carbon sequestration estimates. To address this, our study focused on four agroforestry species in Côte d'Ivoire: Theobroma cacao, Hevea brasiliensis, Coffea canephora, and Anacardium occidentale. We compared aboveground biomass estimates obtained using general and specific allometric equations for these species, collecting dendrometric measurements from 655 T. cacao, 69 H. brasiliensis, 90 C. canephora, and 73 A. occidentale individuals. No concordance was found between generic and specific allometric equations using a linear regression model. The general equation significantly underestimated aboveground biomass by 20.06 kg, 1.10 kg, 7.28 kg, and 11.50 kg per tree for T. cacao, H. brasiliensis, C. canephora, and A. occidentale, respectively. The differences indicated a carbon sequestration potential 17.2–18.7% higher when using specific equations in cocoa-based agroforestry systems. This study underscores the urgency of developing customized allometric equations for more precise carbon sequestration assessments, enhancing the accuracy of agroforestry's contribution to climate change mitigation.
Comparative analysis of oncological outcomes between trimodal therapy and radical cystectomy in muscle-invasive bladder cancer utilizing propensity score matching
Authors: Kobayashi Keita , Fujii Nakanori , Shimizu Kosuke , Hitaka Yukihiro , Oka Shintaro , Nakamura Kimihiko , Hiroyoshi Toshiya , Isoyama Naohito , Hirata Hiroshi , Shiraishi Koji 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Purpose: To compare the outcomes of trimodal therapy (TMT) and radical cystectomy (RC) in the treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).
Methods: Patients treated with either TMT or RC for MIBC at our institution between January 1998 and December 2022 were included. Propensity score matching was used to compare cancer-specific survival and overall survival rates.
Results: A total of 93 patients who underwent TMT and 84 who underwent RC for MIBC were analyzed. In the TMT cohort, the pathological complete response rate was 65%; the 5-year recurrence-free survival rate, including intravesical recurrence, was 41.1%; and the 5-year bladder intact event-free survival rate was 55.8%. Using propensity score matching, 66 patients from each treatment group were selected for a comparative analysis of oncological outcomes. The 5-year distant metastasis-free, cancer-specific, and overall survival rates were 64.3% and 51.8% (P=0.096), 83.3% and 69.2% (P=0.104), and 77.8% and 64.2% (P=0.274) for TMT and RC, respectively. Subgroup analyses revealed that TMT for primary tumors significantly improved cancer-specific survival rates compared with RC. The two treatment types had similar adverse events related to hematologic toxicity during perioperative chemotherapy.
Conclusion: TMT exhibited oncological outcomes comparable to those of RC in the treatment of MIBC, indicating that TMT provides favorable outcomes, particularly in cases of primary MIBC.
Validating YOLOv8 and SAM Foundation Models for Robust Point-of-Care Ultrasound Aorta Segmentation
Authors: Pandey Sumit , Lu Chia-Wei , Tan Cher-Ming , Tsui Po-Hsiang , Dam Erik B. , Chen Kuan-Fu 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

This paper investigates six deep-learning models for segmenting the short axis of the abdominal aorta in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) images. A total of 724 images from 175 adult patients were collected from various perspectives in a remote area. The dataset was split into three sets: 510 images (146 patients) for training, 74 images (from 17 patients) for validation, and 140 images (18 patients) for testing. The six deep learning models utilized in this research were UNet, Attention UNet, Res-UNet, Res-Attention UNet, YOLO (You Look Only Once), and a combination of YOLO with the Segment Anything model (SAM). The models were trained on the training dataset and during training hyperparameters were selected based on the models' performance on validation set. Res-Attention UNet achieved the highest Dice Similarity Score (DSC) on the training Dataset, (0.907) and the validation dataset (0.858). However, YOLO stood out as the top model with a DSC of 0.857 on the testing dataset, showing a reliable and effective segmentation performance. Furthermore, the models were additionally evaluated on an independent dataset of 375 images from 375 patients with mean DSC were YOLO + SAM: ​0.763, YOLO: 0.759, UNet: ​0.666, ResUNet: 0.618, Attention UNet: ​0.687, and Res Att. UNet:​0.693.​ When trained with 50% of the data, YOLO models significantly outperform UNet models, with the addition of SAM to YOLO (YOLO + SAM) only marginally affecting performance. The paper also introduces a user-friendly web-based Aorta segmentation tool, aiming to enhance reader’s experience by performing hands-on experiments on YOLOv8 model.
Infection Prevention Practices and Associated Factors among Healthcare Workers (HCWs) in Hospitals of Harar, Town, Ethiopia.
Authors: Endalew Salie mulat , Melake Bealemlay Abebe , Tolera Sina Temesgen , Temesgen Liku Muche , Alamerew Tamagnu Sintie , Mehari Molla Getie 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Introduction:
Infection prevention encompasses all policies, procedures, and activities designed to prevent or minimize the risk of infectious diseases being transmitted at healthcare facilities. To the best of the investigators' knowledge, no study has been done on infection prevention practices and related factors among healthcare professionals in the study region of Harar town, Eastern Ethiopia. As a result, this research will help close these gaps and define the extent of the issues.
Method
Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted from June 7- July 7, 2023, among 268 healthcare workers hospitals of Harar town. The stratified random sampling method was used. To collect data self-administered questionnaires were used. The presence of associations between variables with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was examined by performing bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regressions. Variables with a P value less than 0.05 were considered significant.
Result
268 Healthcare workers participated with a 95.03% response rate. from the total (57. 2%) of respondents had good knowledge about infection prevention practices. Knowledge (AOR = 2.6 (95% CI: 1.3–9.9), attitude (AOR = 1.97 (95% CI: 1.8–6.9)), having IPC guidelines (AOR = 1.99 (95% CI: 1.2–10.2), and training (AOR = 2.0 (95% CI: 1.21–8.6) were significantly associated with infection prevention practices.
Conclusion
According to this study, more than half of health care workers had good infection prevention practices. Variables such as knowledge, attitude, having IPC guidelines, and training was significant associated with infection prevention practices. Hospitals need to continuously train HCWs to improve their knowledge and practice regarding infection prevention activities.
Ultrasonography Sliding Sign as a Predictor for Intraabdominal Adhesions in Repeated Cesarean Deliveries: Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Yavuz Onur , Atlihan Ufuk , Ata Can , Avsar Huseyin Aytug 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Background: Our objective was to evaluate the ultrasonography sliding sign with enhanced reliability using an interobserver approach, with the aim of predicting standardized intra-abdominal adhesions before cesarean section.
Methods: Between January 2022 and January 2024, this retrospective cohort study included 350 individuals who underwent cesarean section. Data from 198 participants who met the inclusion criteria were analyzed. Analyzes were made with SPSS 26.0. The Mann-Whitney Uitest was employed to assess variables that were not normallyidistributed. Chi-squareitest and Fisheriprecision test were employed in the categoricalidata analysis. These were presented as counts and percentages (%). An inter-rater reliability analysis was performed for ultrasonography sliding sign finding. For this purpose, the Cohen’s Kappa was calculated. Receiver operatingicharacteristic analysis was used to determine the area under theicurve, which indicates the average sensitivity of ultrasonography sliding sign finding. There was a 95% confidenceiinterval for the results. A p-value of less than 0.05 was deemedistatistically significant. To assess slidingxsigns, all pregnant participants received transabdominalxultrasonography. The study achieved triple blinding: both sonographers were blinded to surgical findings, the surgeon remained blinded to ultrasound findings, and the data analyst was blinded to both sonographic and surgical findings. According to the Nair's modified scoringisystem, the cases were classified as Group 1 (Adhesions present [Grade ≥ 1]; n=107, 54%) and Group 2 (No adhesions [Grade 0]; n=91, 46%).
Results: The diagnostic value of transabdominal ultrasonography sliding sign for detecting the presence of intra-abdominaliadhesion (according to the Modified Nair’s Scoring system) yielded a 84.6% specificity and 58.9% sensitivity. A Nair's score ≥2 was identified as the cut-off point, with the sliding sign finding being statistically significant, resulting in a 70% specificity and 54% sensitivity.
Conclusion: This research validates the use of a sliding sign during transabdominal ultrasonography in pre-cesarean evaluation in patients with previous cesarean section. It has been shown that applying the adhesion scoring system categorically as well as using it numerically makes a difference by analyzing the cut-off point of Nair's score as 2. From this perspective, the reliability of the sliding sign finding in transabdominal ultrasound will be better demonstrated.
Impact of biochar on the degradation rates of three pesticides in vegetables and its effects on soil bacterial communities under greenhouse conditions
Authors: Sun Caixia , Liu Yuhong , Bei Ke , Zheng Weiran , Wang Qinfei , Wang Qiang 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

A 28-day pesticide degradation experiment was conducted for broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica Planch) and pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L.) with three pesticides (chlorantraniliprole (CAP), haloxyfop-etotyl (HPM), and indoxacarb (IXB)) to explore the effects of biochar on pesticide environmental fate and rhizosphere soil diversity. Rice straw biochar (RB) was applied to soil at a 25.00 t·ha−1 dosage under greenhouse conditions, and its effects on the degradation of three pesticides in vegetables and in soil were investigated individually. Overall, RB application effectively facilitated CAP and HPM degradation in broccoli by 13.51-39.42% and in broccoli soil by 23.8-74.1%, respectively. RB application slowed the degradation of CAP, HPM and IXB in pakchoi by 0.00-57.17% and slowed the degradation of CAP in pakchoi by 37.32-43.40%. The results showed that the effect of RB application on pesticide degradation in crops and soil was related to biochar properties, pesticide solubility, plant growth status, and soil characteristics. Rhizosphere soil microorganisms were also investigated, and the results showed that biochar application may be valuable for altering bacterial richness and diversity. The effect of biochar application on pesticide residues in crops and soil was influenced by the growth status of crops at first, and the second influencing factor was pesticide characteristics. Our results suggested that biochar application in soil could reduce pesticide non-point source pollution, especially for highly soluble pesticides, and could affect soil microorganisms.