bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Regional differences for the impacts of ecosystem services on farmers’ wellbeing: a case study of the Loess Plateau, China
Authors: Chen Wenting , Liu Di , Zhang Jie 
Published: May 2024

Introduction: Different land use patterns affect access to ecosystem services as well as differences in farmers’ well-being. Methods: The Loess Plateau, which has a fragile ecological environment, was chosen as the study region. On the one hand, information on the importance and accessibility of ESs, as well as the subjective and objective well-being of farmers, was obtained through semistructured interviews and questionnaires. On the other hand, regional differences for the impact of ESs on the well-being of farmers were explored based on a structural equation model.Results: The results indicated that the impact of ESs on farmers’ well-being was crucial for all three village types, but the extent of the impact varied, and the key ESs varied across villages. For hilly villages and gully villages, crops and firewood were the two common ES types that were important. However, water conservation was the key ES type for farmers in hilly villages, and pest control was the key ES type for farmers in gully villages. Fruits, water conservation and recreation were the key ES types in the river villages.Discussion: A focus on the regional differences for the impacts of ESs on farmers’ well-being is meaningful for policy practice. We can contribute to farmers’ well-being by optimising land use allocation and land ecological control to improve their ES access in different regions, which is effective in differentiating and enhancing the sustainability of different regions.
Exploration of new models for primary dysmenorrhea treatment: low-power visible-light-activated photodynamic therapy and oral contraceptives
Authors: Wang Yue , Chen Jie , Zhang Zhiyuan , Ding Xuesong , Gan Jingwen , Guo Yingying , Liang Wanqi , Wang Yanfang , Deng Yan , Sun Aijun 
Published: May 2024

BackgroundPrimary dysmenorrhea (PD) is one of the most common reasons that affect the life quality of women during childbearing age. This research aims to explore the efficacy and curative effect characteristics of oral contraceptives and low-power visible-light-activated photodynamic therapy (PDT). Besides investigating the possible mechanism of PDT, we expected to find a treatment model with better efficacy and fewer side effects.MethodIt was a multicenter, randomized, parallel-controlled study. Eligible participants were randomly assigned to three groups: placebo group, oral contraceptive (Marvelon) group, and the PDT group. They were treated continuously for three menstrual cycles and followed up for two cycles after treatment. The scores of the visual analog scale (VAS) and the concentration of pain-related small molecules in blood before and after treatment were recorded in each group, which can evaluate the therapeutic characteristics of different treatments.ResultBoth Marvelon and PDT were effective. The effect of Marvelon appears quickly which can significantly relieve symptoms at the beginning, while PDT shows a relatively slow role. There was no significant difference in the final efficacy two cycles after treatment. The therapeutic effect was achieved by reducing the concentrations of prostaglandin 2 (PGE2) and endothelin (ET) in the blood.ConclusionMarvelon and PDT are effective methods for the treatment of PD. The long-term efficacy of the two is similar, while the therapeutic characteristics and the side effects are different. Patients can choose the suitable way according to their individual needs.
Deep learning-based classification of the capillary ultrastructure in human skeletal muscles
Authors: Bigler Marius Reto , Baum Oliver 
Published: May 2024

BackgroundCapillary ultrastructure in human skeletal muscles is dynamic and prone to alterations in response to many stimuli, e.g., systemic pathologies such as diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension. Using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images, several studies have been conducted to quantify the capillary ultrastructure by means of morphometry. Deep learning techniques like convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are utilized to extract data-driven characteristics and to recognize patterns. Hence, the aim of this study was to train a CNN to identify morphometric patterns that differ between capillaries in muscle biopsies of healthy participants and patients with systemic pathologies for the purpose of hypothesis generation.MethodsIn this retrospective study we used 1810 electron micrographs from human skeletal muscle capillaries derived from 70 study participants which were classified as “healthy” controls or “patients“ in dependence of the absence or presence of a documented history of diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension or peripheral arterial disease. Using these micrographs, a pre-trained open-access CNN (ResNet101) was trained to discriminate between micrographs of capillaries of the two groups. The CNN with the highest diagnostic accuracies during training were subsequently compared with manual quantitative analysis of the capillary ultrastructure to distinguish between “healthy” controls and patients.ResultsUsing classification into controls or patients as allocation reference, receiver-operating-characteristics (ROC)-analysis of manually obtained BM thickness showed the best diagnostic accuracy of all morphometric indicators (area under the ROC-curve (AUC): 0.657 ± 0.050). The best performing CNN demonstrated a diagnostic accuracy of 79% (sensitivity 93%, specificity 92%). DeLong-Test of the ROC-curves showed a significant difference (p &lt; 0.001) between the AUC of the best performing CNN and the BM thickness. The underlying morphology responsible for the network prediction focuses mainly on debridement of pericytes.ConclusionThe hypothesis-generating approach using pretrained CNN distinguishes between capillaries depicted on electron micrographs of “healthy” controls and participants with a systemic pathology more accurately than by commonly used morphometric analysis.
Wearable sensor devices can automatically identify the ON-OFF status of patients with Parkinson's disease through an interpretable machine learning model
Authors: Wu Xiaolong , Ma Lin , Wei Penghu , Shan Yongzhi , Chan Piu , Wang Kailiang , Zhao Guoguang 
Published: May 2024

IntroductionAccurately and objectively quantifying the clinical features of Parkinson's disease (PD) is crucial for assisting in diagnosis and guiding the formulation of treatment plans. Therefore, based on the data on multi-site motor features, this study aimed to develop an interpretable machine learning (ML) model for classifying the “OFF” and “ON” status of patients with PD, as well as to explore the motor features that are most associated with changes in clinical symptoms.MethodsWe employed a support vector machine with a recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) algorithm to select promising motion features. Subsequently, 12 ML models were constructed based on these features, and we identified the model with the best classification performance. Then, we used the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) and the Local Interpretable Model agnostic Explanations (LIME) methods to explain the model and rank the importance of those motor features.ResultsA total of 96 patients were finally included in this study. The naive Bayes (NB) model had the highest classification performance (AUC = 0.956; sensitivity = 0.8947, 95% CI 0.6686–0.9870; accuracy = 0.8421, 95% CI 0.6875–0.9398). Based on the NB model, we analyzed the importance of eight motor features toward the classification results using the SHAP algorithm. The Gait: range of motion (RoM) Shank left (L) (degrees) [Mean] might be the most important motor feature for all classification horizons.ConclusionThe symptoms of PD could be objectively quantified. By utilizing suitable motor features to construct ML models, it became possible to intelligently identify whether patients with PD were in the “ON” or “OFF” status. The variations in these motor features were significantly correlated with improvement rates in patients' quality of life. In the future, they might act as objective digital biomarkers to elucidate the changes in symptoms observed in patients with PD and might be used to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with PD.
Behavioral and pharmacological characterization of planarian nociception
Authors: Reho Guillaume , Menger Yannick , Goumon Yannick , Lelièvre Vincent , Cadiou Hervé 
Published: May 2024

IntroductionPain mostly arises because specialized cells called nociceptors detect harmful or potentially harmful stimuli. In lower animals with less convoluted nervous system, these responses are believed to be purely nociceptive. Amongst invertebrate animal models, planarians are becoming popular in a wide range of pharmacological and behavioral studies beyond the field of regeneration. Recent publications led the way on pain studies by focusing on nociceptive behaviors such as the ‘scrunching’ gait displayed under various noxious stimuli, as opposed to the ‘gliding’ gait planarians usually adopt in normal conditions.MethodsIn this study, we adapted commonly used nociceptive tests to further explore nociception in planarians of the species Girardia dorotocephala. By using behavioral analysis in open fields and place preferences, we managed to set up chemical, thermal and mechanical nociceptive tests. We also adapted RNA interference protocols and explored the effects of knocking down TRPA1 ion channels, one of the main effectors of chemically and thermally-induced nociceptive responses in vertebrates.ResultsConsequently, we demonstrated the reliability of the scrunching gait in this planarian species, which they displayed in a dose-dependent manner when exposed to the irritant AITC. We also showed that suppressing the expression of TRPA1 ion channels completely suppressed the scrunching gait, demonstrating the involvement of TRPA1 nociceptors in this nociceptive reaction. Besides, we also explored the effects of two common analgesics that both displayed strong antinociceptive properties. First, morphine reduced the chemically-induced nociceptive scrunching gaits by more than 20% and shifted the EC50 of the dose–response curve by approximately 10 μM. Secondly, the NSAID meloxicam drastically reduced chemically-induced scrunching by up to 60% and reduced heat avoidance in place preference tests.DiscussionThus, we managed to characterize both behavioral and pharmacological aspects of G. dorotocephala’s nociception, further developing the use of planarians as a replacement model in pain studies and more globally the study of invertebrate nociception.
Causal associations between dietary factors and colorectal cancer risk: a Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Zhang Xu , Wu Zhimeng , Wang Xiangrui , Xin Binglong , Hu Ping , Yin Yan , He Shuixiang , Ren Mudan 
Published: May 2024

BackgroundPrevious epidemiological studies have found a link between colorectal cancer (CRC) and human dietary habits. However, the inherent limitations and inevitable confounding factors of the observational studies may lead to the inaccurate and doubtful results. The causality of dietary factors to CRC remains elusive.MethodsWe conducted two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses utilizing the data sets from the IEU Open GWAS project. The exposure datasets included alcoholic drinks per week, processed meat intake, beef intake, poultry intake, oily fish intake, non-oily fish intake, lamb/mutton intake, pork intake, cheese intake, bread intake, tea intake, coffee intake, cooked vegetable intake, cereal intake, fresh fruit intake, salad/raw vegetable intake, and dried fruit intake. In our MR analyses, the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was employed as the primary analytical approach. The weighted median, MR-Egger, weighted mode, and simple mode were also applied to quality control. Heterogeneity and pleiotropic analyses were implemented to replenish the accuracy of the results.ResultsMR consequences revealed that alcoholic drinks per week [odds ratio (OR): 1.565, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.068–2.293, p = 0.022], non-oily fish intake (OR: 0.286; 95% CI: 0.095–0.860; p = 0.026), fresh fruit intake (OR: 0.513; 95% CI: 0.273–0.964; p = 0.038), cereal intake (OR: 0.435; 95% CI: 0.253–0.476; p = 0.003) and dried fruit intake (OR: 0.522; 95% CI: 0.311–0.875; p = 0.014) was causally correlated with the risk of CRC. No other significant relationships were obtained. The sensitivity analyses proposed the absence of heterogeneity or pleiotropy, demonstrating the reliability of the MR results.ConclusionThis study indicated that alcoholic drinks were associated with an increased risk of CRC, while non-oily fish intake, fresh fruit intake, cereal intake, and dried fruit were associated with a decreased risk of CRC. This study also indicated that other dietary factors included in this research were not associated with CRC. The current study is the first to establish the link between comprehensive diet-related factors and CRC at the genetic level, offering novel clues for interpreting the genetic etiology of CRC and replenishing new perspectives for the clinical practice of gastrointestinal disease prevention.
Association between dietary supplement use and mortality in cancer survivors with different body mass index and frailty status: a cohort study
Authors: Zhang Mengqi , Wang Jia , Li Xiaoxuan , Zhang Lihua , Zhang Yixuan , Wen Zengjin , Zhang Jiaqi , Fan Yuchen , Qiu Zhenkang 
Published: May 2024

BackgroundThe association between Body Mass Index (BMI), frailty index (FI), and dietary supplement in cancer survivors has been a subject of growing interest. This study investigates the relationship of BMI and FI with mortality in American cancer survivors and explores the impact of dietary supplement usage on different BMI and FI groups.MethodsThree thousand nine hundred and thirty-two cancer patients from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database were included in the analyses. BMI, FI, and supplement usage were obtained through the NHANES structured survey and the 49-item FI tool. Weighted logistic and Cox proportional hazards models, Kaplan–Meier survival analyses, and propensity score matching (PSM) were used to elucidate the relationships between BMI, FI, dietary supplement, and mortality outcomes.ResultsThe study found significant associations between higher BMI and increased frailty (Odds ratio [OR] = 1.04, 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.02–1.06). BMI &lt; 25 kg/m2 and FI &gt; 0.2 are associated with an increased mortality rate. Dietary supplement use can reduce all-cause and cancer mortality in cancer patients with BMI &lt; 25 kg/m2 (Hazard ratio [HR] = 0.63, 95% CI, 0.47–0.84; HR = 0.48, 95% CI, 0.29–0.80) or FI ≤ 0.2 (HR = 0.77, 95% CI, 0.60–0.99; HR = 0.59, 95% CI, 0.39–0.89). In cancer patients with BMI &lt; 25 kg/m2 and FI ≤ 0.2, dietary supplement users had lower all-cause and cancer mortality (HR = 0.49, 95% CI, 0.30–0.79; HR = 0.25, 95% CI, 0.10–0.60).ConclusionThe study revealed a negative correlation between BMI and the FI among the cancer patient cohort as well as their complex impact on mortality and highlighted the role of dietary supplement in cancer prognosis, indicating benefits for non-frail patients with BMI &lt; 25 kg/m2.
Radiofrequency ablation with or without transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma meeting Milan criteria: a focus on tumor progression and recurrence patterns
Authors: Xie Yong , Lyu Tianshi , Guan Haitao , Cao Shoujin , Song Li , Tong Xiaoqiang , Zou Yinghua , Wang Jian 
Published: May 2024

Background/objectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate tumor progression and recurrence patterns of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with or without transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that meets Milan criteria.MethodsThis retrospective study included consecutive HCC patients meeting Milan criteria who underwent percutaneous RFA with or without TACE as initial treatment at a tertiary academic center between December 2017 and 2022. Technical success rate, local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), progression-free survival (PFS) and recurrence patterns were recorded.ResultsA total of 135 HCC patients (109 male [80.7%]) with a mean age of 62 years and 147 target lesions were retrospectively enrolled. The technical success rate was 99.3%. The median LRFS was 60 months, and the cumulative 1-, 3-, and 5-year LRFS were 88.9%, 70.1%, and 30.0%, respectively. Additionally, the median PFS was 23 months, with cumulative 1-, 3-, and 5-year PFS of 74%, 30%, and 0%, respectively. Multivariate analysis confirmed that age &gt; 60, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (&gt; 10), and albumin were associated with PFS (2.34, p = 0.004; 1.96, p = 0.021; 0.94, p = 0.007, respectively). Six recurrence patterns were identified: local tumor progression (LTP) alone (n = 15, 25.0%), intrahepatic distant recurrence (IDR) alone (n = 34, 56.7%), extrahepatic recurrence (ER) alone (n = 2, 3.3%), IDR + ER (n = 2, 3.3%), LTP + IDR (n = 5, 8.8%), and LTP + IDR + ER (n = 2, 3.3%). IDR occurred most frequently as a sign of good local treatment.ConclusionsRFA in combination with TACE does not appear to provide an advantage over RFA alone in improving tumor progression in patients with HCC meeting the Milan criteria. However, further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings and to determine the optimal treatment approach for this patient population.
Effect of physical activity education on shoulder girdle pain and muscle strength in participants with fibromyalgia: a pilot experimental study
Authors: Couëpel Bastien , Daneau Catherine , Tremblay Mathieu , Javelot Thomas , Abboud Jacques , Pagé Isabelle , Descarreaux Martin 
Published: May 2024

BackgroundIn patients with fibromyalgia, exercise and education are recommended to decrease pain level and improve pain management. The latest scientific evidence recommends to focus interventions on the upper limb. The aim of this pilot study was to compare the immediate effect of physical activity education vs. a control group on pain and muscle capacity in fibromyalgia patients.MethodFifty-six participants with fibromyalgia were randomized into an experimental group and a control group. The intervention consisted in watching a five-minute video that provided information about fibromyalgia, pain, kinesiophobia and physical activity. The control group watched a neutral five-minute video about beavers in Quebec. Following the video, participants performed a muscular fatigue task consisting of a repeated unilateral shoulder abduction task. At baseline and following the muscular fatigue task, maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) in shoulder abduction was assessed as well as pain level and pressure pain threshold (PPT) in the upper limb. Electromyographic activity was also assessed for upper trapezius and middle deltoid muscles. Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare the MVC, PPT, and pain level before and after the muscular fatigue task between groups.ResultsThe experimental group showed a significantly lower increase in pain than the control group in the middle deltoid muscle (p = 0.002) when assessed by verbal pain rating scale. No significant interaction or main effect of Group and Time were observed for the pain level at the upper trapezius and elbow extensor muscles nor for any of the PPT measures. According to electromyographic data, the median frequency values indicate that neither group experienced muscle fatigue during the repeated contraction task.ConclusionsThe preliminary results suggest that a short physical activity education video positively influenced middle deltoid pain following repeated abduction in participants with fibromyalgia. Electromyographic analysis showed no evidence of objective muscle fatigue, suggesting that there might be a partial disconnection between the perception of muscle fatigue and the physiological biomarkers associated with muscle fatigue.
A case report of pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum: an extraordinary finding of subsystemic right ventricle
Authors: Luo Gang , Liu Ai , Sun Hongxiao , Wang Kuiliang , Pan Silin 
Published: May 2024

BackgroundMassive tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is the most common feature of pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (PA/IVS), and mild or absent TR is observed in severe right ventricular (RV) dysplasia or RV-to-coronary fistulous connections, resulting in non-biventricular (BV) outcomes postnatally.Case summaryWe report a case of fetal severe pulmonary stenosis with IVS diagnosed at 26 weeks of gestation. The severity of RV hypoplasia did not worsen or reach indications for intrauterine intervention, while the jet velocity of TR decreased significantly during pregnancy. The fetus was definitely diagnosed with PA/IVS with mild RV dysplasia after birth. Unusually, the fetus did not experience severe TR and myocardial sinusoids, the TR jet velocity was maintained at 2.0 m/s, and the coronary artery was almost normal. The incapable RV cannot pump blood into pulmonary circulation after RV decompression from valvular perforation and balloon dilation. It may be an extraordinary finding of subsystemic RV.ConclusionPA/IVS is a heterogeneous disease with various degrees of RV dysplasia. Mild or no baseline TR is a reliable indicator with non-BV outcomes for fetal PA/IVS, even with acceptable dysplasia RV structures.
Point-of-care ultrasound in early diagnosis and monitoring of deep abscess in newborns: a case report of two cases
Authors: Du Bang , Xu Fengdan , Deng Biying , Zhong Baimao , Li Ning , He Xiaoguang 
Published: May 2024

ObjectiveThis study sought to analyze the value of point of care ultrasound (POCUS) in early diagnosis and monitoring of deep abscess in newborns.MethodsRetrospective analysis of the clinical data of two newborns admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of our hospital and diagnosed with deep abscess of the newborn. Combined with literature analysis, the value of POCUS in early diagnosis and monitoring of deep abscess of the newborn was evaluated.ResultsThe two newborns reported in this article were all admitted to NICU due to” “fever”. POCUS was used to assist in early diagnosis of “liver abscess” and “lung abscess”. Subsequently, POCUS was used to monitor lesion changes and adjust treatment plans. All patients were cured and discharged with a good prognosis.ConclusionsDeep abscesses in newborns are very rare and often life-threatening, but apart from fever, they often have no specific clinical manifestations and are easily misdiagnosed or missed. POCUS, as a bedside auxiliary examination tool, has high accuracy, radiation free, non-invasive, and convenient, and has high diagnostic and monitoring value in early diagnosis and monitoring of deep abscess in newborns.
Existence of a ground-state solution for a quasilinear Schrödinger system
Authors: Zhang Xue , Zhang Jing 
Published: May 2024

In this paper, we consider the following quasilinear Schrödinger system.−Δu+u+k2Δ|u|2u=2αα+β|u|α−2u|v|β,x∈RN,−Δv+v+k2Δ|v|2v=2βα+β|u|α|v|β−2v,x∈RN,where k &lt; 0 is a real constant, α &gt; 1, β &gt; 1, and α + β &lt; 2*. We take advantage of the critical point theorem developed by Jeanjean (Proc. R. Soc. Edinburgh Sect A., 1999, 129: 787–809) and combine it with Pohožaev identity to obtain the existence of a ground-state solution, which is the non-trivial solution with the least possible energy.