bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Improved stent sharpness evaluation with super-resolution deep learning reconstruction in coronary CT angiography
Authors: Ryu Jae-Kyun , Kim Ki Hwan , Otgonbaatar Chuluunbaatar , Kim Da Som , Shim Hackjoon , Seo Jung Wook 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Objectives
This study aimed to assess the impact of super-resolution deep learning reconstruction (SR-DLR) on coronary CT angiography (CCTA) image quality and blooming artifacts from coronary artery stents in comparison to conventional methods, including hybrid iterative reconstruction (HIR) and deep learning-based reconstruction (DLR).

Methods
A retrospective analysis included 66 CCTA patients from July to November 2022. Major coronary arteries were evaluated for image noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Stent sharpness was quantified using 10%-90% edge rise slope (ERS) and 10%-90% edge rise distance (ERD). Qualitative analysis employed a 5-point scoring system to assess overall image quality, image noise, vessel wall, and stent structure.

Results
SR-DLR demonstrated significantly lower image noise compared to HIR and DLR. SNR and CNR were notably higher in SR-DLR. Stent ERS was significantly improved in SR-DLR, with mean ERD values of 0.70 ± 0.20 mm for SR-DLR, 1.13 ± 0.28 mm for HIR, and 0.85 ± 0.26 mm for DLR. Qualitatively, SR-DLR scored higher in all categories.

Conclusions
SR-DLR produces images with lower image noise, leading to improved overall image quality, compared with HIR and DLR. SR-DLR is a valuable image reconstruction algorithm for enhancing the spatial resolution and sharpness of coronary artery stents without being constrained by hardware limitations.

Advances in knowledge
The overall image quality was significantly higher in SR-DLR, resulting in sharper coronary artery stents compared to HIR and DLR.
Synthetic MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging for differentiating nasopharyngeal lymphoma from nasopharyngeal carcinoma: combination with morphological features
Authors: Zhang Heng , Hu Lin , Qin Fanghui , Chang Jun , Zhong Yanqi , Dou Weiqiang , Hu Shudong , Wang Peng 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Objectives
To investigate the feasibility of synthetic MRI (syMRI), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and their combination with morphological features for differentiating nasopharyngeal lymphoma (NPL) from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods
Sixty-nine patients with nasopharyngeal tumours (NPL, n = 22; NPC, n = 47) who underwent syMRI and DWI were retrospectively enrolled between October 2020 and May 2022. syMRI and DWI quantitative parameters (T1, T2, PD, ADC) and morphological features were obtained. Diagnostic performance was assessed by independent sample t-test, chi-square test, logistic regression analysis, receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), and DeLong test.

Results
NPL has significantly lower T2, PD, and ADC values compared to NPC (all P &lt; .05), whereas no significant difference was found in T1 value between these two entities (P &gt; .05). The morphological features of tumour type, skull-base involvement, Waldeyer ring involvement, and lymph nodes involvement region were significantly different between NPL and NPC (all P &lt; .05). The syMRI (T2 + PD) model has better diagnostic efficacy, with AUC, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 0.875, 77.27%, 89.36%, and 85.51%. Compared with syMRI model, syMRI + Morph (PD + Waldeyer ring involvement + lymph nodes involvement region), syMRI + DWI (T2 + PD + ADC), and syMRI + DWI + Morph (PD + ADC + skull-base involvement + Waldeyer ring involvement) models can further improve the diagnostic efficiency (all P &lt; .05). Furthermore, syMRI + DWI + Morph model has excellent diagnostic performance, with AUC, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 0.986, 95.47%, 97.87%, and 97.10%, respectively.

Conclusion
syMRI and DWI quantitative parameters were helpful in discriminating NPL from NPC. syMRI + DWI + Morph model has the excellent diagnostic efficiency in differentiating these two entities.

Advances in knowledge
syMRI + DWI + morphological feature method can differentiate NPL from NPC with excellent diagnostic performance.
Impact of disease, musculoskeletal symptoms and disease control in the CorEvitas Psoriasis Registry
Authors: Grant Carly , Perez-Chada Lourdes M , Harrison Ryan W , McLean Robert R , Dube Blessing , Crabtree Margaux M , Gottlieb Alice B , Merola Joseph F 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Background
Early identification, diagnosis and symptom control of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in patients with psoriasis remain unmet medical needs.

Objectives
To compare the impact of disease and other characteristics between patients with psoriasis who screened positive for PsA using the Psoriasis Epidemiology Screening Tool (PEST) (screen-positive group) and patients who (i) have PsA (PsA group) or (ii) screened negative for PsA (screen-negative group). Also, to determine the proportion of patients at a patient-acceptable symptom state (PASS) in the screen-positive and PsA groups.

Methods
This was a cross-sectional analysis of the CorEvitas Psoriasis Registry. We included a convenience sample of patients with psoriasis from the screen-positive and PsA groups who completed the Psoriatic Arthritis Impact of Disease-12 (PsAID12), and a comparator screen-negative group who did not complete the PsAID12. We report descriptive summaries of demographics, comorbidities, psoriasis characteristics, patient-reported outcome measures and the proportion of patients at PASS (i.e. PsAID12 ≤ 4).

Results
The screen-positive, PsA and screen-negative groups included 369, 70 and 4724 patients, respectively. The screen-positive and PsA groups had a similar impact of disease, demographics, comorbidities and psoriasis characteristics (d &lt; 0.337). Mean PsAID12 scores were 3.1 (SD 2.3) and 3.7 (SD 2.6) in the screen-positive and PsA groups, respectively. Compared with patients who screened negative for PsA, patients who screened positive exhibited higher rates of selected known predictors of PsA such as older age, longer psoriasis duration, nail disease and inverse psoriasis. The proportion of patients at PASS was 56% and 67% for the PsA and screen-positive groups, respectively.

Conclusions
The similar profiles between screen-positive and PsA groups, in comparison with the screen-negative group, support observations of possible underdiagnosis of PsA and the increased impact of disease, especially musculoskeletal disease, among patients who screen positive for PsA. The high percentage of patients not at an acceptable symptom state in the PsA and screen-positive groups highlights the need to optimize care in PsA.
The OptoReg system: a simple and inexpensive solution for regulating water oxygen
Authors: Ern Rasmus , Jutfelt Fredrik 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
This paper describes an optocoupler-based regulation apparatus for saturation manipulation of oxygen in water (OptoReg). This system enables control of solenoid valves for oxygen and nitrogen gases using a FireSting-O2 meter, an optocoupler box and an electronic switch box. The hardware components connect to a computer through Universal Serial Bus (USB) cables. The control software is free and has a graphical user interface, making it easy to use. With the OptoReg system, any lab with a computer running Microsoft Windows operating system and a 4-channel FireSting-O2 meter can easily and cheaply set up four independently controlled systems for regulating water oxygen levels. Here, we describe how to assemble and run the OptoReg system and present a data set demonstrating the high precision and stability of the OptoReg system during static acclimation experiments and dynamic warming trials.
Implications of five different risk models in primary prevention guidelines
Authors: Sud Maneesh , Sivaswamy Atul , Austin Peter C , Abdel-Qadir Husam , Anderson Todd J , Naimark David M J , Lee Douglas S , Roifman Idan , Thanassoulis George , Tu Karen , Wijeysundera Harindra C , Ko Dennis T 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Background
A lack of consensus exists across guidelines as to which risk model should be used for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Our objective was to determine potential improvements in the number needed to treat (NNT) and number of events prevented (NEP) using different risk models in patients eligible for risk stratification.

Methods and results
A retrospective observational cohort was assembled from primary care patients in Ontario, Canada, between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2014 and followed for up to 5 years. Risk estimation was undertaken in patients 40–75 years of age, without CVD, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease using the Framingham Risk Score (FRS), the Pooled Cohort Equations (PCEs), a recalibrated FRS (R-FRS), the Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation 2 (SCORE2), and the low-risk region recalibrated SCORE2 (LR-SCORE2). The cohort consisted of 47 399 patients (59% women, mean age 54 years). The NNT with statins was lowest for the SCORE2 at 40, followed by the LR-SCORE2 at 41, the R-FRS at 43, the PCEs at 55, and the FRS at 65. Models that selected for individuals with a lower NNT recommended statins to fewer, but higher-risk patients. For instance, the SCORE2 recommended statins to 7.9% of patients (5-year CVD incidence 5.92%). The FRS, however, recommended statins to 34.6% of patients (5-year CVD incidence 4.01%). Accordingly, the NEP was highest for the FRS at 406 and lowest for the SCORE2 at 156.

Conclusions
Newer models such as the SCORE2 may improve statin allocation to higher-risk groups with a lower NNT but prevent fewer events at the population level.
First-time surgical aortic valve replacement: nationwide trends and outcomes from The Netherlands Heart Registration
Authors: Daeter Edgar J , de Beaufort Hector W L , Roefs Maaike M , van Boven Wim Jan P , van Veghel Dennis , van der Kaaij Niels P ,   Cardiothoracic Surgery Registration Committee of the Netherlands Heart Registration, Bramer S , van Boven W J P , Vonk A B A , Koene B M J A , Bekkers J A , Hoohenkerk G J F , Markou A L P , de Weger A , Segers P , Porta F , Speekenbrink R G H , Stooker W , Li W W L , Daeter E J , van der Kaaij N P , Douglas Y L 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to describe trends and outcomes for patients undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in the Netherlands.

METHODS
The Netherlands Heart Registration database was used to report the number and outcomes of isolated, primary SAVR procedures performed from 2007 to 2018 in adult patients.

RESULTS
A total of 17 142 procedures were included, of which 77.9% were performed using a biological prosthesis and 21.0% with a mechanical prosthesis. Median logistic EuroSCORE I decreased from 4.6 [interquartile range (IQR) 2.4–7.7] to 4.0 (IQR 2.6–6.0). The 120-day mortality decreased from 3.3% in 2007 to 0.7% in 2018. The median duration of follow-up was 76 months (IQR 53–111). Ten-year survival, when adjusted for age, EuroSCORE I and body surface area, was 72.4%, and adjusted 10-year freedom from reinvervention was 98.1%. Additional analysis for patients under the age of 60 showed no difference between patients treated with a biological or mechanical prosthesis in adjusted 10-year survival, 89.7% vs 91.9±%, respectively (P = 0.25), but a significant difference in adjusted 10-year freedom from reintervention, 90.0±% vs 95.9%, respectively (P &lt; 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS
Between 2007 and 2018, age and risk profile of patients undergoing SAVR decreased, especially for patients treated with a biological prosthesis. The 120-day mortality decreased over time. Patients undergoing SAVR nowadays have a risk of 120-day mortality of &lt;1% and 10-year freedom from valve-related reintervention of &gt;95%.
Multicentre experience of antegrade thoracic endovascular aortic repair for the treatment of thoracic aortic diseases
Authors: Gibello Lorenzo , Antonello Michele , Civilini Efrem , Pellenc Quentin , Bellosta Raffaello , Carbonari Luciano , Bonardelli Stefano , Freyrie Antonio , Riambau Vincent , Varetto Gianfranco , Verzini Fabio 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The goal of this multicentre retrospective cohort study was to evaluate technical success and early and late outcomes of thoracic endovascular repair (TEVAR) with grafts deployed upside down through antegrade access, to treat thoracic aortic diseases.

METHODS
Antegrade TEVAR operations performed between January 2010 and December 2021 were collected and analysed. Both elective and urgent procedures were included. Exclusion criteria were endografts deployed in previous or concomitant surgical or endovascular repairs.

RESULTS
Fourteen patients were enrolled; 13 were males (94%) with a mean age of 71 years (interquartile range 62; 78). Five patients underwent urgent procedures (2 ruptured aortas and 3 symptomatic patients). Indications for treatment were 8 (57%) aneurysms/pseudoaneurysms, 3 (21%) dissections and 3 (21%) penetrating aortic ulcers. Technical success was achieved in all procedures. Early mortality occurred in 4 (28%) cases, all urgent procedures. Median follow-up was 13 months (interquartile range 1; 44). Late deaths occurred in 2 (20%) patients, both operated on in elective settings. The first died at 19 months of aortic-related reintervention; the second died at 34 months of a non-aortic-related cause. Two patients (14%) underwent aortic-related reinterventions for late type I endoleak. The survival rate of those having the elective procedures was 100%, 84% and 67% at 12, 24 and 36 months, respectively. Freedom from reintervention was 92%, 56% and 56% at 12, 24 and 36 months, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS
Antegrade TEVAR can seldom be considered an alternative when traditional retrograde approach is not feasible. Despite good technical success and few access-site complications, this study demonstrates high rates of late type I endoleak and aortic-related reinterventions.
Identification of three mechanistic pathways for iron-deficient heart failure
Authors: Packer Milton , Anker Stefan D , Butler Javed , Cleland John G F , Kalra Paul R , Mentz Robert J , Ponikowski Piotr 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Current understanding of iron-deficient heart failure is based on blood tests that are thought to reflect systemic iron stores, but the available evidence suggests greater complexity. The entry and egress of circulating iron is controlled by erythroblasts, which (in severe iron deficiency) will sacrifice erythropoiesis to supply iron to other organs, e.g. the heart. Marked hypoferraemia (typically with anaemia) can drive the depletion of cardiomyocyte iron, impairing contractile performance and explaining why a transferrin saturation &lt; ≈15%–16% predicts the ability of intravenous iron to reduce the risk of major heart failure events in long-term trials (Type 1 iron-deficient heart failure). However, heart failure may be accompanied by intracellular iron depletion within skeletal muscle and cardiomyocytes, which is disproportionate to the findings of systemic iron biomarkers. Inflammation- and deconditioning-mediated skeletal muscle dysfunction—a primary cause of dyspnoea and exercise intolerance in patients with heart failure—is accompanied by intracellular skeletal myocyte iron depletion, which can be exacerbated by even mild hypoferraemia, explaining why symptoms and functional capacity improve following intravenous iron, regardless of baseline haemoglobin or changes in haemoglobin (Type 2 iron-deficient heart failure). Additionally, patients with advanced heart failure show myocardial iron depletion due to both diminished entry into and enhanced egress of iron from the myocardium; the changes in iron proteins in the cardiomyocytes of these patients are opposite to those expected from systemic iron deficiency. Nevertheless, iron supplementation can prevent ventricular remodelling and cardiomyopathy produced by experimental injury in the absence of systemic iron deficiency (Type 3 iron-deficient heart failure). These observations, taken collectively, support the possibility of three different mechanistic pathways for the development of iron-deficient heart failure: one that is driven through systemic iron depletion and impaired erythropoiesis and two that are characterized by disproportionate depletion of intracellular iron in skeletal and cardiac muscle. These mechanisms are not mutually exclusive, and all pathways may be operative at the same time or may occur sequentially in the same patients.
Sex chromosome turnover in hybridizing stickleback lineages
Authors: Yi Xueling , Wang Dandan , Reid Kerry , Feng Xueyun , Löytynoja Ari , Merilä Juha 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Recent discoveries of sex chromosome diversity across the tree of life have challenged the canonical model of conserved sex chromosome evolution and evoked new theories on labile sex chromosomes that maintain less differentiation and undergo frequent turnover. However, theories of labile sex chromosome evolution lack direct empirical support due to the paucity of case studies demonstrating ongoing sex chromosome turnover in nature. Two divergent lineages (viz. WL & EL) of nine-spined sticklebacks (Pungitius pungitius) with different sex chromosomes (linkage group [LG] 12 in the EL, unknown in the WL) hybridize in a natural secondary contact zone in the Baltic Sea, providing an opportunity to study ongoing turnover between coexisting sex chromosomes. In this study, we first identify an 80 kbp genomic region on LG3 as the sex-determining region (SDR) using whole-genome resequencing data of family crosses of a WL population. We then verify this region as the SDR in most other WL populations and demonstrate a potentially ongoing sex chromosome turnover in admixed marine populations where the evolutionarily younger and homomorphic LG3 sex chromosome replaces the older and heteromorphic LG12 sex chromosome. The results provide a rare glimpse of sex chromosome turnover in the wild and indicate the possible existence of additional yet undiscovered sex chromosome diversity in Pungitius sticklebacks.
The strength of gut microbiota transfer along social networks and genealogical lineages in the house mouse
Authors: Bendová Barbora , Bímová Barbora Vošlajerová , Čížková Dagmar , Daniszová Kristina , Ďureje Ľudovít , Hiadlovská Zuzana , Macholán Miloš , Piálek Jaroslav , Schmiedová Lucie , Kreisinger Jakub 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
The gut microbiota of vertebrates is acquired from the environment and other individuals, including parents and unrelated conspecifics. In the laboratory mouse, a key animal model, inter-individual interactions are severely limited and its gut microbiota is abnormal. Surprisingly, our understanding of how inter-individual transmission impacts house mouse gut microbiota is solely derived from laboratory experiments. We investigated the effects of inter-individual transmission on gut microbiota in two subspecies of house mice (Mus musculus musculus and M. m. domesticus) raised in a semi-natural environment without social or mating restrictions. We assessed the correlation between microbiota composition (16S rRNA profiles), social contact intensity (microtransponder-based social networks), and mouse relatedness (microsatellite-based pedigrees). Inter-individual transmission had a greater impact on the lower gut (colon and cecum) than on the small intestine (ileum). In the lower gut, relatedness and social contact independently influenced microbiota similarity. Despite female-biased parental care, both parents exerted a similar influence on their offspring’s microbiota, diminishing with the offspring’s age in adulthood. Inter-individual transmission was more pronounced in M. m. domesticus, a subspecies, with a social and reproductive network divided into more closed modules. This suggests that the transmission magnitude depends on the social and genetic structure of the studied population.
Metagenome-enabled models improve genomic predictive ability and identification of herbivory-limiting genes in sweetpotato
Authors: Cham Alhagie K , Adams Alison K , Wadl Phillip A , Ojeda-Zacarías Ma del Carmen , Rutter William B , Jackson D Michael , Shoemaker D Dewayne , Yencho G Craig , Olukolu Bode A 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Plant–insect interactions are often influenced by host- or insect-associated metagenomic community members. The relative abundance of insects and the microbes that modulate their interactions were obtained from sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) leaf-associated metagenomes using quantitative reduced representation sequencing and strain/species-level profiling with the Qmatey software. Positive correlations were found between whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) and its endosymbionts (Candidatus Hamiltonella defensa, Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum, and Rickettsia spp.) and negative correlations with nitrogen-fixing bacteria that implicate nitric oxide in sweetpotato–whitefly interaction. Genome-wide associations using 252 975 dosage-based markers, and metagenomes as a covariate to reduce false positive rates, implicated ethylene and cell wall modification in sweetpotato–whitefly interaction. The predictive abilities (PA) for whitefly and Ocypus olens abundance were high in both populations (68%–69% and 33.3%–35.8%, respectively) and 69.9% for Frankliniella occidentalis. The metagBLUP (gBLUP) prediction model, which fits the background metagenome-based Cao dissimilarity matrix instead of the marker-based relationship matrix (G-matrix), revealed moderate PA (35.3%–49.1%) except for O. olens (3%–10.1%). A significant gain in PA after modeling the metagenome as a covariate (gGBLUP, ≤11%) confirms quantification accuracy and that the metagenome modulates phenotypic expression and might account for the missing heritability problem. Significant gains in PA were also revealed after fitting allele dosage (≤17.4%) and dominance effects (≤4.6%). Pseudo-diploidized genotype data underperformed for dominance models. Including segregation-distorted loci (SDL) increased PA by 6%–17.1%, suggesting that traits associated with fitness cost might benefit from the inclusion of SDL. Our findings confirm the holobiont theory of host–metagenome co-evolution and underscore its potential for breeding within the context of G × G × E interactions.
Error analysis for local discontinuous Galerkin semidiscretization of Richards’ equation
Authors: Congreve Scott , Dolejší Vít , Sakić Sunčica 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
This paper concerns an error analysis of the space semidiscrete scheme for the Richards’ equation modeling flows in variably saturated porous media. This nonlinear parabolic partial differential equation can degenerate; namely, we consider the case where the time derivative term can vanish, i.e., the fast-diffusion type of degeneracy. We discretize the Richards’ equation by the local discontinuous Galerkin method, which provides high order accuracy and preserves stability. Due to the nonlinearity of the problem, special techniques for numerical analysis of the scheme are required. In particular, we combine two partial error bounds using continuous mathematical induction and derive a priori error estimates with respect to the spatial discretization parameter and the Hölder coefficient of the nonlinear temporal derivative. Finally, the theoretical results are supported by numerical experiments, including cases beyond the assumptions of the theoretical results.