bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Phenome-Wide Association Study of Uterine Fibroids Reveals a Marked Burden of Comorbidities
Authors: Edwards Digna Velez , Jasper Elizabeth , Mautz Brian , Hellwege Jacklyn , Piekos Jacqueline , Jones Sarah , Zhang Yanfei , Torstenson Eric , Pendergrass Sarah , Edwards Todd L 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
The burden of comorbidities in those with uterine fibroids compared to those without fibroids is understudied. We performed a phenome-wide association study to systematically assess the association between fibroids and other conditions. Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Synthetic Derivative and Geisinger Health System Database, two electronic health record databases, were used for discovery and validation. Non-Hispanic Black and White females were included. Fibroid cases were identified through a previously validated algorithm. Race-stratified and cross-ancestry analyses, adjusting for age and body mass index, were performed before significant, validated results were meta-analyzed. There were 52,200 and 26,918 (9,022 and 10,232 fibroid cases) females included in discovery and validation analyses. In cross-ancestry meta-analysis, 389 conditions were associated with fibroid risk with evidence of enrichment of circulatory, dermatologic, genitourinary, musculoskeletal, and sense organ conditions. The strongest associations within and across racial groups included conditions previously associated with fibroids. Numerous novel diagnoses, including cancers in female genital organs, were tied to fibroid status. Overall, individuals with fibroids had a marked increase in comorbidities compared to those without fibroids. This novel approach to evaluate the health context of fibroids highlights the potential to understand fibroid etiology through studying common biology of comorbid diagnoses and through disease networks.
Integration and Evaluation of Implementation Strategies to Improve Guideline-Concordant Bladder Cancer Surveillance
Authors: Zubkoff Lisa , Ismail A. Aziz Ould , Jensen Laura , Haggstrom David A , Kale Soham , Issa Muta M , Tosoian Jeffrey J , Siddiqui Mohummad Minhaj , Bloomquist Kennedi , Kimball Elisabeth R , Zickmund Susan , Schroeck Florian R 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Background Despite guideline recommendations, our prior work revealed that more than half of low-risk bladder cancer patients within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) undergo too many surveillance procedures and about a third of high-risk patients do not undergo enough procedures. Thus, we developed and integrated implementation strategies to improve risk-aligned bladder cancer surveillance for the VA system.Methods In prior work we conducted an Implementation Mapping process to develop nine implementation strategies: change record systems, educational meetings, champions, tailoring, preparing patients to be active participants, external facilitation, remind clinicians, audit & feedback, and a blueprint. In this work, we integrated these strategies as improvement approaches across four VA sites. The primary outcomes were qualitatively measured implementation outcomes, including appropriateness, acceptability, feasibility, and sustainability. Exploratory outcomes were quantitatively measured and included clinicians’ recommendations for guideline-concordant bladder cancer surveillance intervals.Results Changing record systems via a template in the electronic health record (EHR) was most impactful. Educational meetings and champions were critical for the integration of the strategies. The ability to tailor strategies contributed to clinician buy-in. Preparing patients to be active participants was helpful for clinicians and patients but time-consuming. Facilitation was key to launching the strategies. Some sites used and valued clinician reminders in the form of cheat sheets and posters, but this varied across sites. For low-risk patients, clinicians recommended guideline-concordant surveillance about 65% of the time at baseline, and this improved to 70% during evaluation. Across all risk groups, recommendations for guideline-concordant surveillance intervals were already present in more than 85% of baseline encounters and did not change. All sites sustained use of the changed EHR system, while sustainability of the other strategies was variable.Conclusions In general, strategies were successfully integrated and found to be appropriate, acceptable, and feasible. Future work should assess the impact of the improvement approaches on clinical care processes, particularly on reducing overuse of surveillance procedures among low-risk patients, as our study was not designed or powered to formally assess this outcome.Trial Registration The implementation strategies were not considered a healthcare intervention on human participants by the governing funding agency and IRB. Rather, they were seen as quality improvement interventions. Thus, this study did not meet criteria for a clinical trial and was not registered as such.
AntiDiarrhea and Central Nerval System Activity of Methanolic Extract of Holarrhenna antidysenterica (L.)
Authors: Kundu Milton Kumar , Mallick Samir , Rahman Md. Ahsanur , Islam Md Rabiul , Reza Md Shahin 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Diarrhea is a public health problem in developing countries. There are various useful plants plays important role to show antidiarrheal activity. In this study we are paying attention on the methanolic extract of Holarrhenna antidysenterica for its antidiarrheal effects on different anti-diarrheal animal models. At the same time we also observed whether it has any effects on the central nervous system. The antidiarrheal activity of methanol extract of seed of Holarrhena antidysenterica (L.) at dose 1200, 1400 and 1600 mg/kg was assessed on experimental animal and all these three doses decreased the total number of fecal dropping in castor oil induced diarrhoea. There were no significant results found in the inhibition of fluid accumulation in the intestine at 1400 and 1600 mg/kg dose. There was delayed the gastrointestinal transit time observed in mice for 1600 mg/kg dose of extract. The plant extract was also assessed on the central nervous system using a number of neuropharmacological experimental models in mice. The Extract at 1600 mg/kg showed significant decreased standing activity in the open field test. In hole board test, the number of movement and defecation significantly increased for the extract 1600 mg/kg but no activity for head dipping for both of these doses had seen. There was also increased the movement in hole cross test for the Extract 1600 mg/kg body weight.
Intestinal and peritoneal lesions in pigs with wounded umbilical outpouchings transported to the abattoir
Authors: Jørgensen Benjamin Meyer , Jensen Tina Birk , Becker Cecilie Brandt , Flyger Christoffer Kirkelund , Christensen Maja Vive , Birch Andreas , Jensen Henrik Elvang 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Background
Umbilical outpouchings (UOs) in pigs are of welfare and production concern in Danish pig herds. One of the challenges is the transportation of these animals due to the size of the UOs and ulcerations on them. With certain precautions and an approval from a veterinarian, pigs with UOs may be transported, however, UOs are associated with several intra-abdominal lesions, e.g. peritonitis and incarceration, which may worsen during the process of transportation. The prevalence and characterization of intra-abdominal lesions associated with UOs following transportation has not been investigated. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate lesions associated with the intestines and peritoneum in slaughter pigs with wounded UOs following transportation to an abattoir.
Results
A cross-sectional study involving three conventional Danish pig herds was conducted comprising 96 slaughter pig with wounded UOs transported to an abattoir. Following slaughter the UOs with accompanying intestines were examined pathologically. Three distinct morphological categories were present; hernia, enterocystoma and herniating enterocystoma. Intra-abdominal lesions were present in 72% of the animals, representing 65% (44/68) of the hernias, 77% (10/13) of the enterocystomas,, and 100% (15/15) of the herniating enterocystomas. Several different lesions were found like bleedings, acute/chronic peritonitis and hypertrophy of the intestinal muscular layers.
Conclusions
The prevalence of intra-abdominal lesions in pigs transported with a wounded UO was found to be high independent of the underlying condition, and it is clear that these pigs possess a vulnerable group of animals, especially during physical stressful situations like transportation. More information is needed regarding the prevalence of intra-abdominal lesions in UO pigs without wounds on the UO. The results provide valuable knowledge, that can be used when examining and evaluating UO pigs before transportation.
Plasma miR-3192-5p is a Potential biomarker associated with spinal tuberculosis patients
Authors: Dai Jie , Li Jiong , Xiang Gang , Gao Qile , Wang Yunjia , Xiao Lige , Yang Guanteng , Zhang Hongqi 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Background.
Spinal tuberculosis (STB) accounts for approximately 50% of all bone and joint tuberculosis cases, and the understanding of the molecular mechanism of spinal tuberculosis remains limited. Accurate biomarkers are needed to diagnose spinal tuberculosis, which will help manage the incidence of spinal tuberculosis. The gold standard for the diagnosis of spinal tuberculosis requires biopsies of the lesions, which often cause the lesions to spread or delay the timing of anti-tuberculosis therapy. Therefore, there is a pressing need to develop noninvasive diagnostic tools. As a candidate diagnostic marker of spinal tuberculosis, circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have the characteristics of easy detection, good stability, and strong tissue specificity.
Methods.
The gene expression database was utilized to compare the expression of miRNAs between patients diagnosed with spinal tuberculosis and undiagnosed patients, and the interaction between miRNAs and target genes was analysed to explain their expression and function. A protein‒protein interaction (PPI) network was further constructed. In bioinformatics analysis, RT‒qPCR was used to verify the expression of miRNAs in the BMSC cell line. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed by using plasma miRNAs from 12 patients with spinal tuberculosis and 12 healthy controls, and its clinical diagnostic value was evaluated.
Results.
We identified six novel miRNAs as potential candidate diagnostic biomarkers for patients with spinal tuberculosis. In addition, the predicted target genes provide insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying spinal tuberculosis.
Conclusion.
There was a stable and significant difference in the expression of miR-3192-5p between STB and healthy controls. Our findings may provide reliable candidate biomarkers for the precise diagnosis and individualized treatment of STB and the development of further clinical applications in STB.
Advantages of three-dimensional echocardiography over TAPSE/sPAP for the assessment of right ventricular–arterial coupling in precapillary pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Lv Guangjie , Li Ai-li , Zhai Ya-nan , Li Lei , Deng Mei , Lei Jie-ping , Tao Xin-cao , Gao Qian , Xie Wan-Mu , Zhai Zhen-guo 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Background:
As a well-adopted surrogate of Right ventricular-arterial coupling (RVAC), the tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion/systolic pulmonary artery pressure ratio (TAPSE/sPAP)has limitations, especially when pulmonary artery pressure cannot be accurately estimated by tricuspid regurgitation or when the TAPSE is reduced after cardiac surgery, such as pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA). Therefore, this study aimed to explore whether three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) coupling parameters could compensate for the deficiency of TAPSE/sPAP in assessing RVAC in precapillary pulmonary hypertension (PH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) patients.
Methods:
Fifty-nine patients with precapillary PH were retrospectively recruited. The "gold standard" of RVAC was derived from right heart catheterization (RHC) and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). 3DE coupling parameters included right ventricular end-systolic maximum elasticity (3DE Ees), pulmonary artery effective elasticity (3DE Ea) and storke volume/end-systolic volume (3DE SV/ESV) for RVAC. The relationships between echocardiographic RVAC parameters and RHC-CMR coupling standard were analyzed by Pearson’s test and Bland‒Altman test. Multivariate ordinal regression analysis was used to identify echocardiographic parameters associated with prognostic risk stratification. 24 CTEPH patients were enrolled to explore the changes of echocardiographic RVAC parameters before and after PEA.
Results:
The 3DE coupling parameters showed a strong correlation and good agreement with the RHC-CMR coupling standard. The TAPSE and sPAP were moderately related to the RHC-CMR coupling standard, but their consistency was poor, with a significant bias of 0.44 (95% CI: 0.374, 0.511). TAPSE/sPAP was only associated with pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) in CTEPH patients before PEA (r=-0.605, -0.758, P < 0.001), but 3DE SV/ESV remained moderately correlated with PVR and mPAP before and after PEA (r =-0.614, -0.655, P < 0.001). The TAPSE/sPAP was the strongest predictor of prognostic risk after multivariate regression analysis.
Conclusion: 3DE-derived coupling parameters can noninvasively evaluate the RVAC of precapillary PH. 3DE SV/ESV is superior to TAPSE/sPAP in evaluating postoperative condition of CTEPH patients. However, TAPSE/sPAP has advantages in predicting the prognosis of patients with precapillary PH.
Performance Evaluation of Aerial Drone to Ground Communication Links using Adaptive Modulation and Coding Techniques
Authors: GADHIRAJU SAI SHRUTHI , SARKAR MAHASWETA , NAGARAJ SANTOSH 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being used to develop wireless technologies for ground communications. These technologies are continuously advancing and are expected to improve further in the near future. Conventional communication systems need sophisticated and costly infrastructure, along with time-consuming installation processes. In contrast, a UAV-assisted wireless communication system ensures a cost-effective wireless connection to devices without the requirement for cumbersome infrastructure installation. Wireless communication systems integrated with low-altitude UAVs offer faster deployment, increased mobility, easy re-configuration, and are expected to provide higher quality communication channels with shorter range line-of-sight (LOS) connectivity compared to High Altitude Platforms (HAPs) like hot air balloons or terrestrial systems. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of the UAV-to-Ground system is impeded by unforeseeable obstacles, which impact the integrity of the communication connection between drones and ground users. This letter explores the application of adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) in Aerial-to-Ground (A2G) networks. Our objective is to assess the network capacity and downlink data rates, as well as achieve optimal performance. This study also covers a comprehensive assessment of path loss, Signal-to-Noise ratio, delay, and throughput performance on terrestrial users linked to airborne drones in various environments. In addition, we conducted research on the link parameters that control the switching of modulation and coding rates on the downlink of the A2G channel.
Assessing the Cost-Effectiveness of Solar-Powered Irrigation in the Middle East
Authors: Khalaf Kamil , Salam Ahmed Abdel , Attiya Bashar 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
The reduction of fossil fuel consumption is widely supported across various sectors. The agriculture sector presents a significant opportunity for sustainable solutions, electricity consumption is substantial for water pumping and irrigation. Solar power emerges as a promising alternative, particularly in the Middle East, renowned for its abundant solar resources. This study conducts a financial assessment integrating solar power into agricultural irrigation within the region. The proposed solar water system utilizes monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic modules to power a centrifugal pump, transferring water from 10-meter-deep wells to a 40 m3 surface tank. This system, with an initial investment cost of $25,058, was analyzed for economic feasibility in four locations: Bahtim (Egypt), Suwyban (United Arab Emirates), Ash Shibaniyah (Qatar), and Wadi Al Dawaserm (Saudi Arabia). Among these locations, the United Arab Emirate stands out for its substantial exposure to solar radiation, averaging 175 kWh/m2/day. The study emphasizes the importance of site-specific analysis over solely relying on a nation's economic status. Simulations conducted using the PVSYST program revealed that while the system performs less effectively in the Gulf regions due to the extreme temperatures, it achieves a high performance of 67.9% in Egypt. The system proves to be quite profitable in Egypt, with a payback period of 7.8 years and a net present value of $7175.37. The successful implementation of this solution fosters collaboration between stakeholders, decision-makers, and Egyptian authorities, collectively contributing to environmental protection by transitioning agriculture away from fossil fuel reliance.
Coupled Surcharge-Vacuum Preloading Consolidation with PVDs Including Time-Variable Discharge Capacity Under Varying Permeability in Smear Zone
Authors: Kharsyiemiong Khrawboklang , Sawant Vishwas A , Mittal Satyendra 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) accelerate the consolidation process by providing extra drainage channels to the soil system to dissipate pore-water pressure. Coupled surcharge-vacuum preloading is a reliable and successful approach for enhancing the engineering properties of compressible soft soils. Most analytical solutions for surcharge-vacuum consolidation with PVDs need to meet realistic conditions during the consolidation process, such as multi-stage time-dependent surcharge preloading, nonlinear permeability distribution in the smear zone, and time-varying discharge capacity of the drain. This study presents a simple solution, including the conditions mentioned above achieved through the numerical method using the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method (RK4) and evaluating the average excess pore pressure, average degree of consolidation, and settlement for different possibilities of the variation of the discharge capacity during the consolidation process. Comparisons are made between the instantaneous and time-dependent surcharge preloading. The faster rate of construction of surcharge preloading expedited the consolidation process and potentially reduced the influence of well resistance. Compared to the existing research and measured data from observation in the field, the proposed solution showed a good agreement. A parametric study is conducted for various values of decay constant of discharge capacity, smear zone size, spacings between PVDs, smear zone permeability ratio, initial drain permeability ratio, vacuum loss along the drain depth, and different distributions of permeability in the smear zone. For a given decay constant of discharge capacity, during the consolidation process, the results showed that the consolidation in the soil system is faster in the case of small smear zone size, small spacings between PVDs, low smear zone permeability ratio, and higher initial drain permeability ratio.
The birds of the archaeological sites of the Acropolis area (Athens, Greece)
Authors: Tsounis Lambros , Tsounis Gregory 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

The primary objective of the present study is to highlight the avifauna present in the archaeological sites surrounding the Acropolis, while emphasizing the importance of these areas as vital wildlife habitats in the historical centre of Athens, the largest city in Greece. This objective extends to raising awareness and prompting immediate action by government agencies to initiate sustainable management practices for the archaeological sites. The present research centred on recording the avifauna of the archaeological sites of the Acropolis for the first time. During the period of 2000–2023, 145 bird species in total were recorded in the study area. Of these, 53 species (36.5%) are passage migrants (PM), 11 species (7.5%) are summer visitors (SV), 27 species (18.6%) live permanently in the area (R), 35 species (24.1%) are winter visitors (WV), and 18 species (12.4%) are occasional visitors (OV). Given these findings, the study area appears to be an important stopover for birds during their migration, as well as an important place for a large number of birds to find shelter within the centre of Athens. These characteristics set the archaeological sites of the Acropolis apart from world cultural heritage monuments and world natural heritage monuments.
On-Orbit Mission Overview of the Low Power Hall Thruster Propulsion System aboard Venμs Satellite
Authors: Katz-Franco Daniel , Lev Dan , Shoor Boaz , Davidson Amoz , Zimmerman Raul , Appel Leonid , Rinski Vladislav , Berkman Sapir , Baron Dror , Herscovitz Jacob 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Venµs is a satellite launched in 2017, for super-spectral Earth imaging and Electric Propulsion System (EPS) demonstration. In this paper we overview EPS design and operation throughout all five mission phases, from open/closed-loop orbit control, through orbit descent (720→410 km), orbit maintenance under high drag environment, to orbit raising (410→560 km). The EPS consisted of two throttleable Hall thrusters, PPU, Propellant Management Assembly (PMA), and a 9 liter propellant tank carrying 16 kg of Xenon. Both thrusters operated in the 300–550 W power range, generated a combined total impulse of 158.1 kN-sec and consumed all propellant. Two methods are described to compute the remaining propellant mass – “Bookkeeping” and “PTV” methods. The advantages and disadvantages of each method are discussed in light of the Venµs mission. Thruster performance was measured on-orbit using the “Orbit Determination” method and compared to laboratory experiments conducted on the ground with identical thrusters. The measured performance on-orbit was found to be on average lower by up to 5% than the performance measured on the ground. Lastly, we present several repeating events in which the propulsion system suffered from sudden beam-outs or ignition difficulties. We present the methods used to construct a solution and implement it.