bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Development and validation of a machine learning model to predict prognosis in liver failure patients treated with non-bioartificial liver support system
Authors: Shi Shi , Yang Yanfen , Liu Yuanli , Chen Rong , Jia XiaoXia , Wang Yutong , Deng Chunqing 
Published: March 2024

Background and objectivesThe prognosis of liver failure treated with non-bioartificial liver support systems is poor. Detecting its risk factors and developing relevant prognostic models still represent the top priority to lower its death risk.MethodsAll 215 patients with liver failure treated with non-bioartificial liver support system were retrospectively analyzed. Potential prognostic factors were investigated, and the Nomogram and the Random Survival Forests (RSF) models were constructed, respectively. Notably, we evaluated the performance of models and calculated the risk scores to divide patients into low-risk and high-risk groups.ResultsIn the training set, multifactorial Cox regression analysis showed that etiology, hepatic encephalopathy, total bilirubin, serum alkaline phosphatase, platelets, and MELD score were independent factors of short-term prognosis. The RSF model (AUC: 0.863, 0.792) performed better in prediction than the Nomogram model (AUC: 0.816, 0.756) and MELD (AUC: 0.658, 0.700) in the training and validation groups. On top of that, patients in the low-risk group had a significantly better prognosis than those in the high-risk group.ConclusionWe constructed the RSF model with etiology, hepatic encephalopathy, total bilirubin, serum alkaline phosphatase, platelets, and MELD score, which showed better prognostic power than the Nomogram model and MELD score and could help physicians make optimal treatment decisions.
Interactions between halotolerant nitrogen-fixing bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi under saline stress
Authors: Ji Chao , Ge Yuhan , Zhang Hua , Zhang Yingxiang , Xin Zhiwen , Li Jian , Zheng Jinghe , Liang Zengwen , Cao Hui , Li Kun 
Published: March 2024

Background and aimsSoil salinity negatively affects crop development. Halotolerant nitrogen-fixing bacteria (HNFB) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are essential microorganisms that enhance crop nutrient availability and salt tolerance in saline soils. Studying the impact of HNFB on AMF communities and using HNFB in biofertilizers can help in selecting the optimal HNFB-AMF combinations to improve crop productivity in saline soils.MethodsWe established three experimental groups comprising apple plants treated with low-nitrogen (0 mg N/kg, N0), normal-nitrogen (200 mg N/kg, N1), and high-nitrogen (300 mg N/kg, N2) fertilizer under salt stress without bacteria (CK, with the addition of 1,500 mL sterile water +2 g sterile diatomite), or with bacteria [BIO, with the addition of 1,500 mL sterile water +2 g mixed bacterial preparation (including Bacillus subtilis HG-15 and Bacillus velezensis JC-K3)].ResultsHNFB inoculation significantly increased microbial biomass and the relative abundance of beta-glucosidase-related genes in the rhizosphere soil under identical nitrogen application levels (p &lt; 0.05). High-nitrogen treatment significantly reduced AMF diversity and the relative abundance of beta-glucosidase, acid phosphatase, and urea-related genes. A two-way analysis of variance showed that combined nitrogen application and HNFB treatment could significantly affect soil physicochemical properties and rhizosphere AMF abundance (p &lt; 0.05). Specifically, HNFB application resulted in a significantly higher relative abundance of Glomus-MO-G17-VTX00114 compared to that in the CK group at equal nitrogen levels.ConclusionThe impact of HNFB on the AMF community in apple rhizospheres is influenced by soil nitrogen levels. The study reveals how varying nitrogen levels mediate the relationship between exogenous HNFB, soil properties, and rhizosphere microbes.
Application of photoelectrochemical oxidation of wastewater used in the cooling tower water and its influence on microbial corrosion
Authors: Kokilaramani Seenivasan , Satheeshkumar Alagersamy , Nandini M. S. , Narenkumar Jayaraman , AlSalhi Mohamad S. , Devanesan Sandhanasamy , Natarajan Prabhu Manickam , Rajamohan Rajaram , Rajasekar Aruliah , Malik Tabarak 
Published: March 2024

BackgroundCooling towers are specialized heat exchanger devices in which air and water interact closely to cool the water's temperature. However, the cooling water contains organic nutrients that can cause microbial corrosion (MC) on the metal surfaces of the tower. This research explores the combined wastewater treatment approach using electrochemical-oxidation (EO), photo-oxidation (PO), and photoelectrochemical oxidation (PEO) to contain pollutants and prevent MC.MethodsThe study employed electro-oxidation, a process involving direct current (DC) power supply, to degrade wastewater. MC studies were conducted using weight loss assessments, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and x-ray diffraction (XRD).ResultsAfter wastewater is subjected to electro-oxidation for 4 h, a notable decrease in pollutants was observed, with degradation efficiencies of 71, 75, and 96%, respectively. In the wastewater treated by PEO, microbial growth is restricted as the chemical oxygen demand decreases.DiscussionA metagenomics study revealed that bacteria present in the cooling tower water consists of 12% of Nitrospira genus and 22% of Fusobacterium genus. Conclusively, PEO serves as an effective method for treating wastewater, inhibiting microbial growth, degrading pollutants, and protecting metal from biocorrosion.
An insight into the role of the N-terminal domain of Salmonella CobB in oligomerization and Zn2+ mediated inhibition of the deacetylase activity
Authors: Beura Shibangini , Pritam Pulak , Dhal Ajit Kumar , Jana Arindam , Dash Aiswarya , Mohanty Pritisundar , Panda Alok Kumar , Modak Rahul 
Published: March 2024

Prokaryotic deacetylases are classified into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-dependent sirtuins and Zn2+-dependent deacetylases. NAD+ is a coenzyme for redox reactions, thus serving as an essential component for energy metabolism. The NAD+-dependent deacetylase domain is quite conserved and well characterized across bacterial species like CobB in Escherichia coli and Salmonella, Rv1151c in Mycobacterium, and SirtN in Bacillus subtilis. E. coli CobB is the only bacterial deacetylase with a known crystal structure (PDB ID: 1S5P), which has 91% sequence similarity with Salmonella CobB (SeCobB). Salmonella encodes two CobB isoforms, SeCobBS and SeCobBL, with a difference of 37 amino acids in its N-terminal domain (NTD). The hydrophobic nature of NTD leads to the stable oligomerization of SeCobBL. The homology modeling-based predicted structure of SeCobB showed the presence of a zinc-binding motif of unknown function. Tryptophan fluorescence quenching induced by ZnCl2 showed that Zn2+ has a weak interaction with SeCobBS but higher binding affinity toward SeCobBL, which clearly demonstrated the crucial role of NTD in Zn2+ binding. In the presence of Zn2+, both isoforms had significantly reduced thermal stability, and a greater effect was observed on SeCobBL. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) studies reflected a ninefold increase in the scattering intensity of SeCobBL upon ZnCl2 addition in contrast to an ∼onefold change in the case of SeCobBS, indicating that the Zn2+ interaction leads to the formation of large particles of SeCobBL. An in vitro lysine deacetylase assay showed that SeCobB deacetylated mammalian histones, which can be inhibited in the presence of 0.25–1.00 mM ZnCl2. Taken together, our data conclusively showed that Zn2+ strongly binds to SeCobBL through the NTD that drastically alters its stability, oligomeric status, and enzymatic activity in vitro.
A clinical-radiomics combined model based on carotid atherosclerotic plaque for prediction of ischemic stroke
Authors: Han Na , Hu Wanjun , Ma Yurong , Zheng Yu , Yue Songhong , Ma Laiyang , Li Jie , Zhang Jing 
Published: March 2024

ObjectivesTo accurately predict the risk of ischemic stroke, we established a radiomics model of carotid atherosclerotic plaque-based high-resolution vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging (HR-VWMRI) and combined it with clinical indicators.Materials and methodsIn total, 127 patients were finally enrolled and randomly divided into training and test cohorts. HR-VWMRI three-dimensional T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) and contrast-enhanced T1WI (T1CE) were collected. A traditional model was built by recording and calculating radiographic features of the carotid plaques and patients’ clinical indicators. After extracting radiomics features from T1WI and T1CE images, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm was used to select the optimal features and construct the radiomics_T1WI model and the radiomics_T1CE model. The traditional and radiomics features were used to build combined models. The performance of all the models predicting ischemic stroke was evaluated in the training and test cohorts, respectively.ResultsBody mass index (BMI) and intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH) were independently related to ischemic stroke and were used to build the traditional model, which achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.79 versus 0.78 in the training and test cohorts, respectively. The AUC value of the radiomics_T1WI model is the lowest in the training and test cohorts, but the prediction performance is significantly improved when the model combines IPH and BMI. The AUC value of the combined_T1WI model was 0.78 and 0.81 in the training and test cohorts, respectively. In addition, in the training and test cohorts, the radiomics_T1CE model based on HR-VWMRI combined clinical characteristics, which is the combined_T1CE model, had the highest AUC value of 0.84 and 0.82, respectively.ConclusionCompared with other models, the radiomics_T1CE model based on HR-VWMRI combined clinical characteristics, which is a combined_T1CE model, can accurately predict the risk of ischemic stroke.
Risk factors and outcomes after interruption of sedation in subarachnoid hemorrhage (ROUTINE-SAH)—a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Schmidbauer Moritz L. , Läufer Sebastian , Maskos Andreas , Dimitriadis Konstantinos 
Published: March 2024

IntroductionAneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) often necessitates prolonged sedation to manage elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) and to prevent secondary brain injury. Optimal timing and biomarkers for predicting adverse events (AEs) during interruption of sedation (IS) after prolonged sedation are not well established. To guide sedation management in aSAH, we aimed to explore the frequency, risk factors, and outcomes of IS in aSAH.MethodsIn a retrospective cohort study, a total of 148 patients with aSAH from January 2015 to April 2020 were screened. In total, 30 patients accounting for 42 IS were included in the analysis. Adverse events (AEs) during IS were used as core outcome measures and were categorized into neurological and non-neurological AEs. Baseline characteristics, clinical parameters before IS, AEs, and functional outcomes were collected using health records. Statistical analysis used generalized linear mixed-effects models with regularization to identify candidate predictors with subsequent bootstrapping to test model stability. As an exploratory analysis, multivariate linear and logistic regression was used to analyze the association between IS and intensive care unit length of stay, duration of mechanical ventilation, and functional outcomes.ResultsThe mean age was 56.9 (SD 14.8) years, and a majority of the patients presented with poor-grade SAH (16/30, 53.3%). Neurological and non-neurological AEs occurred in 60.0% (18/30) of the patients. Timing, number of IS attempts, ICP burden, craniectomy status, level of consciousness, heart rate, cerebral perfusion pressure, oxygen saturation, fraction of inspired oxygen, and temperature were selected as candidate predictors. Through bootstrapping, elapsed time since disease onset (OR 0.85, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.75–0.97), ICP burden (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.02–1.52), craniectomy (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.48–0.69), and oxygen saturation (OR, 0.80 0.72–0.89) were revealed as relevant biomarkers for neurological AEs, while none of the pre-selected predictors was robustly associated with non-neurological AEs.ConclusionIn aSAH, complications during the definite withdrawal of sedation are frequent but can potentially be predicted using clinical parameters available at the bedside. Prospective multicenter studies are essential to validate these results and further investigate the impact of IS complications.
Military environmental exposures and risk of breast cancer in active-duty personnel and veterans: a scoping review
Authors: Jester Dylan J. , Assefa Mehret T. , Grewal Daya K. , Ibrahim-Biangoro Abou M. , Jennings Jennifer S. , Adamson Maheen M. 
Published: March 2024

BackgroundThe effects of military environmental exposures (MEE) such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), tactile herbicides, airborne hazards and open burn pits (AHOBP), and depleted uranium on health are salient concerns for service members and Veterans. However, little work has been done to investigate the relationship between MEE and risk of breast cancer.Data sources and methodsWe conducted a scoping review on MEE, military deployment/service, and risk of breast cancer among active-duty service members and Veterans. PRISMA was used. PubMed, Embase, and citations of included articles were searched, resulting in 4,364 articles to screen: 28 articles were included.ResultsMost papers on military deployment and military service found a lower/equivalent risk of breast cancer when comparing rates to those without deployment or civilians. Exposure to VOCs due to military occupation or contaminated groundwater was associated with a slightly higher risk of breast cancer. Exposure to Agent Orange was not associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Evidence regarding EDCs was limited. No paper directly measured exposure to AHOBP or depleted uranium, but deployments with known exposures to AHOBP or depleted uranium were associated with an equivalent/lower risk of breast cancer.ConclusionsWomen are the fastest growing population within the military, and breast cancer poses a unique risk to women Veterans who were affected by MEE during their service. Unfortunately, the literature on MEE and breast cancer is mixed and limited, in part due to the Healthy Soldier Paradox and poor classification of exposure(s).
Impact of treatment adherence and inhalation technique on asthma outcomes of pediatric patients: a longitudinal study
Authors: Lizano-Barrantes Catalina , Garin Olatz , Mayoral Karina , Dima Alexandra L. , Pont Angels , Caballero-Rabasco María Araceli , Praena-Crespo Manuel , Valdesoiro-Navarrete Laura , Guerra María Teresa , Bercedo-Sanz Alberto , Ferrer Montse 
Published: March 2024

Introduction: We aimed to evaluate the longitudinal relationships, both at between- and within-person levels, that adherence to inhaled corticosteroid-based maintenance treatment and inhalation technique present with symptom control, exacerbations, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children and adolescents with asthma.Methods: Participants (6–14 years old) from the ARCA (Asthma Research in Children and Adolescents) cohort—a prospective, multicenter, observational study (NCT04480242)—were followed for a period from 6 months to 5 years via computer-assisted telephone interviews and a smartphone application. The Medication Intake Survey–Asthma (MIS-A) was administered to assess the implementation stage of adherence, and the Inhalation Technique Questionnaire (InTeQ) was used to assess the five key steps when using an inhaler. Symptom control was measured with the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ), and HRQL was measured with the EQ-5D and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System–Pediatric Asthma Impact Scale (PROMIS-PAIS). Multilevel longitudinal mixed models were constructed separately with symptom control, exacerbation occurrence, EQ-5D, and PROMIS-PAIS as the dependent variables.Results: Of the 360 participants enrolled, 303 (1,203 interviews) were included in the symptom control and exacerbation analyses, 265 (732) in the EQ-5D, and 215 (617) in the PROMIS-PAIS. Around 60% of participants were male subjects, and most of them underwent maintenance treatment with inhaled corticosteroids plus long-acting β-agonists in a fixed dose (73.3%). Within-person variability was 83.6% for asthma control, 98.6% for exacerbations, 36.4% for EQ-5D, and 49.1% for PROMIS-PAIS. At the within-person level, patients with higher adherence had better symptom control (p = 0.002) and HRQoL over time (p = 0.016). Patients with a better inhalation technique reported worse HRQoL simultaneously (p = 0.012), but they showed better HRQoL in future assessments (p = 0.012). The frequency of reliever use was associated with symptom control (p &lt; 0.001), exacerbation occurrence (p &lt; 0.001), and HRQoL (p = 0.042); and boys were more likely to present better symptom control and HRQoL than girls.Conclusion: Our results confirm longitudinal associations at the within-person level of the two indicators of quality use of inhalers: for adherence to maintenance treatment with symptom control and HRQoL, and for the inhalation technique with HRQoL. Although treatment adherence was shown to be excellent, a third of the participants reported a suboptimal inhalation technique, highlighting the need for actions for improving asthma management of the pediatric population.
The protective effects of ligustrazine on ischemic stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical evidence and possible mechanisms
Authors: Wang Ziming , Wu Zihong , Miao Yifan , Hao Aohan , Chen Hao , Zhao Shuang , Luo Min , Guo Shihan , Liu Yingming , Lu Yun 
Published: March 2024

Introduction: The objective of this study is to systematically evaluate the effect of ligustrazine on animal models of ischemic stroke and investigate its mechanism of action.Materials and Methods: The intervention of ligustrazine in ischemic diseases research on stroke model animals was searched in the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database (Wanfang), VIP Database (VIP), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases. The quality of the included literature was evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. The evaluation included measures such as neurological deficit score (NDS), percentage of cerebral infarction volume, brain water content, inflammation-related factors, oxidative stress-related indicators, apoptosis indicators (caspase-3), and blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability (Claudin-5).Results: A total of 32 studies were included in the analysis. The results indicated that ligustrazine significantly improved the neurological function scores of ischemic stroke animals compared to the control group (SMD = −1.84, 95% CI −2.14 to −1.55, P &lt; 0.00001). It also reduced the percentage of cerebral infarction (SMD = −2.97, 95% CI −3.58 to −2.36, P &lt; 0.00001) and brain water content (SMD = −2.37, 95% CI −3.63 to −1.12, P = 0.0002). In addition, ligustrazine can significantly improve various inflammatory factors such as TNF-α (SMD = −7.53, 95% CI −11.34 to −3.72, P = 0.0001), IL-1β (SMD = −2.65, 95% CI −3.87 to −1.44, P &lt; 0.0001), and IL-6 (SMD = −5.55, 95% CI −9.32 to −1.78, P = 0.004). It also positively affects oxidative stress-related indicators including SOD (SMD = 4.60, 95% CI 2.10 to 7.10, P = 0.0003), NOS (SMD = −1.52, 95% CI −2.98 to −0.06, P = 0.04), MDA (SMD = −5.31, 95% CI −8.48 to −2.14, P = 0.001), and NO (SMD = −5.33, 95% CI −8.82 to −1.84, P = 0.003). Furthermore, it shows positive effects on the apoptosis indicator caspase-3 (SMD = −5.21, 95% CI −7.47 to −2.94, P &lt; 0.00001) and the expression level of the sex-related protein Claudin-5, which influences BBB permeability (SMD = 7.38, 95% CI 3.95 to 10.82, P &lt; 0.0001).Conclusion: Ligustrazine has been shown to have a protective effect in animal models of cerebral ischemic injury. Its mechanism of action is believed to be associated with the reduction of inflammation and oxidative stress, the inhibition of apoptosis, and the repair of BBB permeability. However, further high-quality animal experiments are required to validate these findings.
The dynamics of experiencing Gestalt and Aha in cubist art: pupil responses and art evaluations show a complex interplay of task, stimuli content, and time course
Authors: Spee Blanca T. M. , Arato Jozsef , Mikuni Jan , Tran Ulrich S. , Pelowski Matthew , Leder Helmut 
Published: March 2024

IntroductionGestalt perception refers to the cognitive ability to perceive various elements as a unified whole. In our study, we delve deeper into the phenomenon of Gestalt recognition in visual cubist art, a transformative process culminating in what is often described as an Aha moment. This Aha moment signifies a sudden understanding of what is seen, merging seemingly disparate elements into a coherent meaningful picture. The onset of this Aha moment can vary, either appearing almost instantaneously, which is in line with theories of hedonic fluency, or manifesting after a period of time, supporting the concept of delayed but more in-depth meaningful insight.MethodsWe employed pupillometry to measure cognitive and affective shifts during art interaction, analyzing both maximum pupil dilation and average dilation across the trial. The study consisted of two parts: in the first, 84 participants identified faces in cubist paintings under various conditions, with Aha moments and pupil dilation measured. In part 2, the same 84 participants assessed the artworks through ratings in a no-task free-viewing condition.ResultsResults of part 1 indicate a distinctive pattern of pupil dilation, with maximum dilation occurring at both trial onset and end. Longer response times were observed for high-fluent, face-present stimuli, aligning with a delayed but accurate Aha-moment through recognition. Additionally, the time of maximum pupil dilation, rather than average dilation, exhibited significant associations, being later for high-fluent, face-present stimuli and correct detections. In part 2, average, not the time of maximum pupil dilation emerged as the significant factor. Face-stimuli and highly accessible art evoked stronger dilations, also reflecting high clearness and negative valence ratings.DiscussionThe study underscores a complex relationship between the timing of recognition and the Aha moment, suggesting nuanced differences in emotional and cognitive responses during art viewing. Pupil dilation measures offer insight into these processes especially for moments of recognition, though their application in evaluating emotional responses through artwork ratings warrants further exploration.