bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Disparities in Status, Patterns, and Preferences of Internet Medical Services Utilization for Patients During the Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Period in China: Evidence from Provincial Field and National Online Surveys
Authors: Sun Zhenyu , Chen Xi , Qian Dongfu 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Background Disparities in Internet medical services utilization for patients marginalize vulnerable groups from digital health benefits. However, these disparities were not well understood during the post COVID pandemic period in China.Objective This study aimed to identify the disparities which limit Internet medical services utilization for Chinese adult patients, then provide key reference points for digital health-related policies.Methods Data were obtained from the 2023 provincial field survey that included Jiangsu adult outpatients, and the 2024 national online survey that included Chinese adults with outpatient records in the past 3 months. A descriptive and comparative analysis for status, patterns, and preferences of Internet medical services utilization. Binary logistic regression model assessed patient characteristics associated with the status of Internet medical services utilization.Results Of 2,011 patients in the Jiangsu field survey, 39.43% reported using Internet medical services at least once in previous 12 months. The status of Internet medical services utilization was associated with partial patient characteristics significantly. For example, patients aged below 60 years were more likely to access Internet medical services than aged over 60 years (odds ratio [OR] 1.54, 95% CI 1.07–2.21, P = .02). For the patterns, patients were trapped in shallow Internet medical services (e.g., minor disease was the most primary reason with 55.93%). Vulnerable patients such as geriatrics aged over 60 years without medical insurance were less likely to prefer higher-price internet medical services (median score 1 point). Of 1,611 patients in the national online survey, all patients reported accessing Internet medical services in previous 12 months. The status of Internet medical services utilization was partial associated with patient characteristics significantly. For instance, patients in very-unhealth status were more likely to access Internet medical services than in health status (OR 4.19, 95% CI 1.36–12.95, P = .01). For the patterns, patients were trapped in shallow Internet medical services (e.g., minor disease was one domain primary reason with 28.38%). Uninsured patients aged below 60 years were less likely to prefer higher-price Internet medical services (median score 2 point).Conclusions Disparities maintained in status, patterns, and preferences of Internet medical services utilization among Chinese adult patients after the COVID-19 pandemic. More pro-vulnerable patients policies may be warranted for narrowing Internet medical services utilization disparities to ensure digital health equity in China.
Onco-mNGS Facilitates Rapid and Precise Identification of The Etiology of Fever of Unknown Origin: A Single-centre Prospective Study in North China
Authors: LIU Bingbing , Yu Tengfei , Ren Ruotong , wu Na , xing Nanshu , wang Jingya , wu Wenjie , cao Xuefang , Zhang Jingping 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Objectives
Delayed diagnosis of patients with Fever of Unknown Origin has long been a daunting clinical challenge. Onco-mNGS, which can accurately diagnose infectious agents and identify suspected tumor signatures by analyzing host chromosome copy number changes, has been widely used to assist identifying complex etiologies. However, the application of Onco-mNGS to improve FUO etiological screening has never been studied before.
Methods
In this single-centre prospective study, we included 65 patients with classic FUO, who were randomly divided into control group (sample cultivation) and mNGS group (cultivation + Onco-mNGS). We analyzed the infectious agents and symbiotic microbiological, tumor and clinical data of both groups.
Results
Infection-related pathogenic detection efficiency rose from 15.15% (control group) to 48.48% (experimental group). Seven patients with chromosome copy number changes had later been confirmed tumors, indicating a 100% of clinical concordance rate of Onco-mNGS. In addition, the time frame for diagnosing or ruling out infection/tumor with Onco-mNGS had greatly reduced to approximately 2 days, which was 7.34 days earlier than that in the control group.
Conclusions
Onco-mNGS is an ideal rapid diagnostic aid to assist improving the early diagnostic efficiency of FUO-associated diseases.
The Effect of Roxadustat on Renal Anemia Patients with Overt Infection Undergoing Long-term Dialysis: A Single-center Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Wang Lulu , Wang Lingyun , Fan Jiangqing , Liu Jing , Liu Hang , Yang Ting , Jiang Chunming 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

The effect of oral roxadustat in dialysis patients with renal anemia and overt infections remains elusive. A retrospective cohort analysis of the effect of roxadustat and recombinant human EPO injection (rHuEPO) on anemia-related parameters, infection indicators and biochemical parameters in patients with overt infection before and after treatment was performed by screening 2816 dialysis patients with renal anemia and overt infection and dividing them into two groups. A total of 167 patients were enrolled (88 in the roxadustat group and 79 in the rHuEPO group) and the mean baseline hemoglobin levels of each group were 90.3 ± 15.2 g/L and 91.9 ± 17.8 g/L respectively. A total of 167 patients completed an average of 10.6 ± 3.3 days of infection treatment. The types of overt infections in patients included pulmonary infections, peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis, catheter-related infections, urinary tract infections, and other types of infection. Compared with rHuEPO, roxadustat significantly increased hemoglobin levels and △Hb values in dialysis patients after infection. Moreover, significant differences in △Hb changes were observed between the roxadustat group and the rHuEPO group. △Hb was clearly greater in the roxadustat group than in the rHuEPO group among PD patients. The △Hb value for peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis significantly differed from that for pulmonary infections, and the △Hb value for other infections tended to be greater than the △Hb value for pulmonary infection. The relationship between the severity of infection and the △Hb value based on the PCT level showed that the more severe the degree of overt infection was, the lower the △Hb value. Thus, compared with rHuEPO, roxadustat alleviated renal anemia in dialysis patients with overt infection.
Woody component of tropical rainforest recovers slower from drought than the upper canopy layer and leaves
Authors: Tian Feng , Dou Yujie , Wigneron Jean-Pierre , Li Xiaojun , Zhang Wenmin , Chen Yaoliang , Feng Luwei , Xie Qi , Fensholt Rasmus 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Tropical rainforests are crucial for Earth's health, but climate change is making severe droughts more frequent. The 2015–2016 El Niño-induced drought caused significant biomass loss, yet the recovery duration of different vegetation components (woody parts, upper canopies, and leaves) remains unknown. This study employed satellite remote sensing data of L-band Vegetation Optical Depth (L-VOD), X-band VOD (X-VOD), and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) from 2010 to 2022, characterized by having different sensitivities to the different vegetation components, to examine the recovery of these components in the tropical evergreen broadleaf forest (EBF) regions during the 2015–2016 El Niño-induced drought. Results showed that the woody component had the slowest recovery, particularly in Africa, which took longer to return to pre-drought conditions than South America. Key factors influencing recovery included drought severity, moisture-related climatic conditions (i.e., VPD, precipitation, and soil moisture), and seasonal variations. Moreover, the woody component of the EBF in South America showed less impact from drought, benefitted from more favorable moisture-related climatic conditions (e.g., more precipitation and lower VPD), and experienced higher seasonal variation in monthly temperature and precipitation, resulting in a faster recovery than that observed in Africa.
Lithium-doped calcium silicate regulates the immune microenvironment and promotes M2 macrophage polarization for enhancing bone regeneration
Authors: Lin Tsung-Li , Lin Yen-Hong , Chen Kun-Hao , Chen Cheng-Yu , Lee Alvin Kai-Xing , Kuo Ting-You , Chen Yi-Wen , Shie Ming-You 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Bone defects present a significant challenge in orthopedics and trauma surgery, necessitating innovative approaches to stimulate effective bone regeneration. This study investigated the potential of lithium-doped calcium silicate (LiCS) cement to enhance bone regeneration and modulate the immune microenvironment to promote tissue repair. We synthesized a LiCS ceramic powder and performed comprehensive analyses of its physicochemical properties, including phase composition, morphology, setting time, and mechanical strength. The results demonstrated that the incorporation of lithium into calcium silicate significantly increased the diametral tensile strength (DTS) and facilitated hydroxyapatite formation compared with undoped calcium silicate. In vitro assays revealed that the LiCS cement enhanced the proliferation, adhesion, and spread of Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJMSCs). Additionally, Li-CS cement exhibited remarkable immunomodulatory properties by reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines and increasing anti-inflammatory cytokines, promoting the polarization of macrophages towards the M2 phenotype. The presence of Li in the cement also significantly improved the osteogenic differentiation of WJMSCs, as evidenced by elevated levels of alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin expression. These findings underscore the dual functional capabilities of the LiCS cement in enhancing osteogenesis and modulating the immune environment, making it a promising material for bone tissue engineering and regeneration.
Significance of Tissue Oxygen Metabolism Measurement Using NIRS in Acute Pancreatitis
Authors: Chiba Nobutaka , Yagi Tsukasa , Mizuochi Minori , Sato Jun , Saito Takeshi , Sakurai Atsushi , Kinoshita Kosaku 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Inflammation in acute pancreatitis (AP), as in sepsis, causes impaired tissue oxygen metabolism and microcirculatory disturbances. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)-derived variables during the vascular occlusion test (VOT) were used to assess. The participants were patients with AP and sepsis, and healthy volunteers. Within 24 hours and at 7 days after admission, changes in each NIRS-derived variable were measured. Fifteen healthy volunteers, 13 patients with AP, and 12 patients with sepsis were included in the study. The TOI baseline and ∆TOI, a parameter of tissue oxygen metabolism, decreased stepwise and the TOI interval, a measure of peripheral vasodilatory capacity, was protracted stepwise among the healthy volunteer, AP, and sepsis groups. In a subgroup analysis, at admission, there were no significant differences in the NIRS-derived variables between patients with AP complicated by infection or not, but after 7 days, there was a significant difference. In addition, the blood lactate concentration was significantly correlated with the ∆TOI and TOI interval. Conclusively, although there was mild impairment of tissue oxygen metabolism and tissue perfusion in AP compared to sepsis, changes similar to those in sepsis were observed in AP complicated by infection. Therefore, NIRS measurements may be a tool for identifying infectious complications during AP.
Optimization of Chrome Particle Removal via Membrane System Using Evolutionary Algorithm
Authors: Nourozi Jamshid , Seif Soheil 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Recently, genetic algorithms have gained attention for improving wastewater treatment processes. This study investigated the impact of reverse osmosis membrane technology on removing chrome particles from wastewater. A new method to compute water and chrome permeation coefficients was introduced. The study employed a quasi-experimental design, utilizing laboratory data. A chrome solution was passed through a reverse osmosis membrane pilot. Feed chromium concentration and driving pressure were independent variables, while permeate chromium concentration and flux rate were dependent variables. The Elitist Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (E-NSGA) optimized the removal process. Equations were developed for computing flux rate, chromium concentration, and treatment cost rate. Points representing optimal solutions were obtained, and a 16.3-bar pressure proved optimal. Results were compared to experimental data, with minor discrepancies due to errors in laboratory experimentation and computation of permeation coefficients. E-NSGA demonstrated effectiveness for optimizing membrane systems. Overall, this research contributes to advancing wastewater treatment processes.
Blind Image Deblurring: When Patch-wise Minimal Pixels Prior Meets Fractional-Order Method
Authors: Wu Tingting , Wan Shaojie , Feng Chenchen , Zhang Hao , Zeng Tieyong 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Blind image deblurring is a challenging issue in image processing. In blind image deblurring, the typical approach involves iteratively estimating both the blur kernel and latent image until convergence to the blur kernel of the observed image is achieved. Recently, several approaches have been attempted to develop a sophisticated regularization to obtain the clean image. However, existing methods often struggle to effectively handle ringing artifacts and local blur. To overcome these limitations, we introduce a fractional-order variational model. This model alleviates the ringing artifacts through the selection of an optimal derivative. Subsequently, to refine the latent image further, we leverage the local prior, namely Patch-wise Minimal Pixels (PMP) prior. Since the PMP prior of clean image blocks is much sparser than that of blurred ones, it is capable of discriminating between clean and blurred image blocks. We illustrate the effective integration of the fractional-order operations and the PMP prior within our proposed approach. Moreover, the convergence of our algorithm has been proven as the values of the objective function monotonically decrease. Extensive experiments on different datasets demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method compared with other methods in terms of reconstruction quality for blind deblurring.
Decoupled peak property learning for efficient and interpretable ECD spectra prediction
Authors: Li Hao , Long Da , Yuan Li , Wang Yu , Tian Yonghong , Wang Xinchang , Mo Fanyang 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra contain key information about molecular chirality by discriminating the absolute configurations of chiral molecules, which is crucial in asymmetric organic synthesis and the drug industry. However, existing predictive approaches lack the consideration of ECD spectra due to the data scarcity, and the interpretability to achieve trust-worthy prediction. Here, we establish a large-scale dataset for Chiral Molecular ECD spectra~(CMCDS) and propose the ECDFormer for accurate and interpretable ECD spectra prediction. ECDFormer decomposes ECD spectra into peak entities, employs the QFormer architecture to learn peak properties, and renders peaks into spectra. Compared to spectra sequence prediction methods, our decoupled peak prediction approach significantly enhances both accuracy and efficiency, improving the peak symbol accuracy from 37.3\% to 72.7\% and dramatically decreasing the time cost from 2-10 CPU hours to 1.5 seconds. More significantly, ECDFormer demonstrated its ability to capture molecular orbital information directly from spectral data using the explainable peak-decoupling approach, showcasing its potential to uncover hidden correlations between molecular substructures and spectral features. Furthermore, ECDFormer proved to be equally proficient at predicting various types of spectra of complex natural products, highlighting its substantial generalization capabilities.
Human Organoids for Rapid Validation of Gene Variants Linked to Cochlear Malformations
Authors: Zafeer Mohammad Faraz , Ramzan Memoona , Duman Duygu , Mutlu Ahmet , Seyhan Serhat , Kalcioglu Tayyar , Fitoz Suat , DeRosa Brooke A. , Guo Shengru , Dykxhoorn Derek M. , Tekin Mustafa 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Developmental anomalies of the hearing organ, the cochlea, are diagnosed in approximately one-fourth of individuals with congenital deafness. Most patients with cochlear malformations remain etiologically undiagnosed due to insufficient knowledge about underlying genes or the inability to make conclusive interpretations of identified genetic variants. We used exome sequencing for genetic evaluation of hearing loss associated with cochlear malformations in three probands from unrelated families. We subsequently generated monoclonal induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines, bearing patient-specific knockins and knockouts using CRISPR/Cas9 to assess pathogenicity of candidate variants. We detected FGF3 (p.Arg165Gly) and GREB1L (p.Cys186Arg), variants of uncertain significance in two recognized genes for deafness, and PBXIP1(p.Trp574*) in a candidate gene. Upon differentiation of iPSCs towards inner ear organoids, we observed significant developmental aberrations in knockout lines compared to their isogenic controls. Patient-specific single nucleotide variants (SNVs) showed similar abnormalities as the knockout lines, functionally supporting their causality in the observed phenotype. Therefore, we present human inner ear organoids as a tool to rapidly validate the pathogenicity of DNA variants associated with cochlear malformations.
Effect of MPP2 and its methylation levels on prognosis of colorectal cancer patients
Authors: Yang Zhizhao , Liu Zhendong , Deng Dongfeng , Fu Zhihao , Chen Jiaxing , Cui Yongqiang , Zhao Zhilei , Zhang Xiao 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Colorectal cancer is one of the common malignant tumors with poor prognosis, which is partly due to the lack of an effective biomarker. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of membrane palmitoylated protein (MPP2) on the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients. We obtained transcriptome data and DNA methylation data of 380 colorectal cancer patients from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Then we used a series of bioinformatics analysis methods to reveal the relationship between MPP2 expression, DNA methylation, prognosis, immune checkpoint and clinical characteristics of patients. Finally, in vitro experiment and the meta-analysis of thousands of patients further confirmed the impact of MPP2 on the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients and cell migration and proliferation. The expression level of MPP2 is negatively regulated by MPP2 methylation, which leads to its low expression in colorectal cancer. High expression of MPP2 is an independent prognostic risk factor, which may be a biomarker for colorectal cancer. Moreover, the expression of MPP2 shows a close relationship with immune checkpoint or immune cells infiltration, especially CD4 + T cells. In addition, meta-analysis involving 1584 patients from four different data further confirmed that MPP2 was a risk factor for colorectal cancer. Finally, knockdown of MPP2 could significantly inhibit the proliferation of SW480 cells via mTOR signaling pathway. This study was the first to suggest that MPP2 may become a promising biomarker, and has an important role in immune checkpoint or immune cell infiltration in colorectal cancer.
Graphene oxide functionalized with phosphoramide as an effective and reliable electrode for supercapacitors with high-performance
Authors: Gholivand khodayar , Barzegari Azam , Poursalehi Fatemeh , Hodaie Elyar 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Chlorine-doped graphene oxide (Cl-GO) was synthesized and then functionalized with phosphoramide bis (5-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl) phenylphosphonotrithioate (L). To functionalize Cl-GO with L (L-GO), the mixture of L in chloroform and triethylamine was introduced gradually to dispersed Cl-GO and refluxed. GO, Cl-GO, and L-GO were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) characterization techniques. The cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge/discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to identify the electrochemical characteristics of Cl-GO and L-GO in a 3.0 M KOH solution. The specific capacitance of L-GO (206.8 Fg -1) is more than that of Cl-GO (166.3 Fg -1) at a current density of 1 A g -1, according to the galvanostatic charge/discharge analysis. The L-GO with 1.5 mg cm−2 mass loading presents an elevated capacitance of 225.1 mF cm -2 at 50 mA cm -2, retaining 72.6% of its capacitance from 1 to 50 mA cm -2. The incorporation of massive L ligand into Cl-GO prevents graphene sheet aggregation and enhances electrolyte–electrode accessibility. Besides, incorporating ligand L into the graphene oxide structure increases the surface area that is accessible to ions and electron mobility ensuring impressive capacitive performance. Compared to Cl-GO, the L-GO electrode exhibits lower Rct amounts and less resistance to ion diffusion which effectively shows decreased internal resistance because of high electrical conductivity originating from π-donor groups of phosphoramide in L-GO, signifying a superior capacitive process.
Recent change in ENSO’s impacts on the summertime circumglobal teleconnection and mid-latitude extremes
Authors: Qiao Shaobo , Tang Shankai , Wang Bin , Liu Fei , Zhu Xian , Feng Taichen , Feng Guolin , Dong Wenjie 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

The boreal summer circumglobal teleconnection (CGT) provides valuable predictability sources for mid-latitude Northern Hemisphere climate anomalies and extreme events. Here, we show that the CGT’s circulation structure has displaced westward by a half-wavelength since the late 1970s, more severely impacting heatwaves and droughts over East Europe, East Asia and southwestern America. We present convergent empirical and modelling evidence to reveal the essential role of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in shaping this change. Before the late 1970s, ENSO indirectly promoted CGT by modulating the Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR). Recently, the ENSO–ISMR linkage was weakened, but the westward-displaced ENSO forcing was able to directly trigger a Rossby wave response at the exit of the East Asian westerly jet due to the easterly vertical shear of the zonal basic flow over the tropical western North Pacific, thus shifting the previous CGT’s North Pacific and downstream centers westward along the subtropical jet waveguide. Moreover, the state-of-the-art models with prescribed anthropogenic forcing cannot simulate such changes, indicating their origin from natural variability. The knowledge gained from this work highlights the importance of studying the impacts of changing ENSO to improve seasonal prediction of mid-latitude extreme events.