bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Efficacy and safety of artemether-lumefantrine for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in mainland Tanzania, 2018
Authors: Ngasala Billy , Chiduo Mercy G. , Bushukatale Samwel , Mmbando Bruno P. , Makene Twilumba , Kamugisha Erasmus , Ahmed Maimuna , Mandara Celine I. , Francis Filbert , Mahende Muhidin K. , Kavishe Reginald A. , Muro Florida , Ishengoma Deus S. , Mandike Renata , Molteni Fabrizio , Chacky Frank , Kitojo Chonge , Greer George , Bishanga Dunstan , Njau Ritha , Warsame Marian , Kabula Bilali , Nyinondi Ssanyu S. , Reaves Erik , Mohamed Ally 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Background: Use of artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria. Artemether-lumefantrine (AL) is the most widely adopted first-line ACT for uncomplicated malaria in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), including mainland Tanzania, where it was introduced in December 2006. The WHO recommends regular assessment to monitor the efficacy of the first-line treatment specifically considering that artemisinin partial resistance was reported in Greater Mekong sub-region and has been confirmed in East Africa (Rwanda and Uganda). The main aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of AL for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in mainland Tanzania.
Methods: A single-arm prospective antimalarial drug efficacy trial was conducted in Kibaha, Mlimba, Mkuzi, and Ujiji (in Pwani, Morogoro, Tanga, and Kigoma regions, respectively) in 2018. The sample size of 88 patients per site was determined based on WHO 2009 standard protocol. Participants were febrile patients (documented axillary temperature ≥37.5 °C and/or history of fever during the past 24 hours) aged 6 months to 10 years.Patients received a 6-dose AL regimen by weight twice a day for 3 days. Clinical and parasitological parameters were monitored during 28 days of follow-up to evaluate the drug effi­cacy and safety.
Results: A total of 653 children were screened for uncomplicated malaria and 349 (53.7%) were enrolled between April and August 2018. Of the enrolled children, 345 (98.9%) completed the 28 days of follow-up or attained the treatment outcomes. There were no early treatment failures, but recurrent infections were higher in Mkuzi (35.2%) and Ujiji (23%). By Kaplan–Meier analysis analysis of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) uncorrected adequate clinical and parasitological response (ACPR) ranged from 63.4% in Mkuzi to 85.9% in Mlimba, while PCR-corrected ACPR on day 28 varied from 97.6% in Ujiji to 100% in Mlimba. The drug was well tolerated; the commonly reported adverse events were cough, runny nose, and abdominal pain. No serious adverse event was reported.
Conclusion: This study showed that AL had adequate efficacy and safety for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria. The high number of recurrent infections were mainly due to new infections, indicating the necessity of utilizing alternative ACTs such as artesunate amodiaquine, which provide a significantly longer post-treatment prophylactic effect.
Study of Short-term and Long-term Outcomes between Esophagogastrostomy and Double-Tract Reconstruction after Proximal Gastrectomy.
Authors: Hasegawa Tsuyoshi , Kubo Naoshi , Sakurai Katsunobu , Nishimura Junya , Iseki Yasuhito , Nishii Takafumi , Shimizu Sadatoshi , Inoue Toru , Nishiguchi Yukio , Maeda Kiyoshi 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Background.
As the opportunities for proximal gastrectomy (PG) for early gastric cancer in the upper third stomach have been increasing, the safety and feasibility of PG has been a great concern in recent years. This study aimed to compare to the short-term and long-term outcomes between patients who underwent esophagogastrostomy (EG) and those who underwent the double-tract reconstruction (DTR) after PG.
Methods.
We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 34 patients who underwent EG and 39 who underwent DTR at our hospital between 2011 and 2022. We compared the procedure data and postoperative complications including anastomotic complications within 1 year after surgery as short-term outcomes, and the rates of change in nutritional status, skeletal muscle mass, and 3-year survival as long-term outcomes.
Results.
Although operation time of DTR group was significantly longer than that of EG group, there were not significantly differences in postoperative complications between 2 groups. Regarding the endoscopic findings, the incidence of anastomotic stenosis and reflux esophagitis was significantly higher in the EG group than in the DTR group (26.5% vs 0%; p < 0.001, 15.2% vs 0%; p = 0.020). In long-term outcomes, there were no significant differences in body weight, BMI, laboratory data, and skeletal muscle mass index between 2 groups for 3 years. The 3-year overall survival rates of 2 groups were similar.
Conclusion.
DTR after PG could prevent the occurrence of anastomotic complications in comparison to EG. The long-term outcomes were similar between these 2 types of reconstruction.
The Impact of an Integrated Early Palliative Care Telehealth Intervention on the Quality of Life of Heart Failure Patients: A Randomized Controlled Feasibility Study
Authors: Mirshahi Arvin , Bakitas Marie , Khoshavi Meysam , khanipour-kencha Ali , Riahi Seyed Mohammad , Wells Rachel , Odom J. Nicholas , Ghiyasvandian Shahrzad , Zakerimoghadam Masoumeh 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Background: While palliative care for patients with heart failure has gained global attention, in Iran most palliative care interventions have focused only on cancer patients. The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a telehealth palliative care intervention to improve the quality of life in patients with heart failure in Iran.
Methods: This single-site, pilot randomized clinical trial of a telehealth palliative care intervention versus usual care was conducted on patients with New York Heart Association class II/III heart failure recruited from a heart failure clinic in Iran. Under the supervision of a nurse interventionist, intervention participants received 6 weekly educational webinars and concurrent WhatsApp® group activities, with 6 weeks of follow-up. Feasibility was assessed by measuring recruitment, attrition, and questionnaire completion rates; acceptability was assessed via telephone interviews asking about satisfaction and attitudes. Secondary outcomes measured at baseline and 6 weeks included quality of life (PKCCQ and FACIT-Pal-14), anxiety and depression (HADS), and emergency department visits.
Results: We recruited and randomized 50 patients (mean age 47.5 years, 60% men). Among those approached for consent, 65% of patients agreed to participate and total study attrition was 10%. Also 68% of patients successfully completed at least 4 out of the 6 webinar sessions. Acceptability: 78% of patient participants expressed willingness to participate in the present study again or recommend other patients to participate. There was preliminary evidence for improvements in quality of life but not for anxiety, depression, and emergency department visits.
Conclusion: This nurse-led, early telehealth-palliative care intervention demonstrated evidence of acceptability and feasibility.
Trial registration: The study was registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) at 14 November, 2021, and can be found on the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials Platform.
IRCT registration number: IRCT20100725004443N29
Possible Cumulative Effect of Spice-Consumption on Mortality Rate and the Number of Genomic Variants of SARS-CoV-2: The USA vs. Higher Spice-Intake Countries
Authors: Yusvana Rama 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
The COVID-19 mortality rate of the USA was significantly higher than in countries that traditionally consume spicier diet. This study delves into the intriguing relationship between dietary spice consumption and SARS-CoV-2 virus genomic variants, aiming to shed light on potential factors contributing to differing mortality rates across countries with different amount of habitual spice consumption (and its possible cumulative effect) since years before the pandemic began. To achieve this, randomly-selected SRA (Sequence Reads Archive) of DNA sequences were downloaded from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database. A total 100 samples of DNA sequences from infected individuals of both low and high spice-intake countries were analyzed for the number of genomic variants (sequence reads) and the major type of mutations between the two groups, using bioinformatics platform ‘Galaxy’. Data shows that the approximate spice consumption in the USA has been at all-time lower than the other spice-intake countries. In addition, the latter countries have a lower-mortality rate than the USA. Infected individuals from the US also have fifteen times (15x) higher number of variants in the ‘Spike’ protein region of the virus than individuals from higher-spice group. Most of the mutations in the US were of missense-type. In contrast, frameshift-type mutation predominates in the higher spice-intake individuals resulting in apparent lower-mortality rate. It is possible that after long-term consumption of immune-supporting spices as part of regular dietary nutrition, the higher spice-intake nations could be more resilient to the viral infection compared to the people who consumed American diet.
Utilizing Support Vector Machine Algorithm and Feature Reduction for Accurate Breast Cancer Detection An Exploration of Normalization and Hyperparameter Tuning Techniques
Authors: CHARY VALABOJU SHIVA KUMAR 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
In this work, we will evaluate the impact of independent component analysis (ICA) on a breast cancer decision support system's feature reduction capabilities. The Wisconsin Diagnostic Breast Cancer (WDBC) dataset will be utilised to construct a one-dimensional feature vector (IC). We will study the performance of k-NN, ANN, RBFNN, and SVM classifiers in spotting mistakes using the original 30 features. Additionally, we will compare the IC-recommended classification with the original feature set using multiple validation and division approaches. The classifiers will be tested based on specificity, sensitivity, accuracy, F-score, Youden's index, discriminant power, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. This effort attempts to boost the medical decision support system's efficiency while minimising computational complexity.
Prognostic impact of ultra-restrictive RBC transfusion in extensive burn patients: a retrospective multicenter cohort study running headline: ultra-restrictive transfusion in burns
Authors: Wang Yiran , Zhu Zhikang , Duan Deqing , Xu Wanting , Chen Zexin , Shen Tao , Wang Xingang , Xu Qinglian , Zhang Hongyan , Han Chunmao 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Background
In recent years, due to the shortage of blood products, some extensive burn patients were forced to adopt an “ultra-restrictive” transfusion strategy, in which the hemoglobin levels of RBC transfusion thresholds were < 7g/dl or even < 6 g/dL. This study investigated the prognostic impacts of ultra-restrictive RBC transfusion in extensive burn patients.
Material and methods
This retrospective multicenter cohort study recruited extensive burns (total body surface area ≥ 50%) from three hospitals in Eastern China between 1 January 2016 and 30 June 2022. Patients were divided into an ultra-restrictive transfusion group and a restrictive transfusion group depending on whether they received timely RBC transfusion at a hemoglobin level < 7 g/dL. 1:1 ratio propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to balance selection bias. Modified Poisson regression and linear regression were conducted for sensitive analysis. Subsequently, according to whether they received timely RBC transfusion at a hemoglobin level < 6 g/dl, patients in the ultra-restrictive transfusion group were divided into < 6 g/dl group and ≥ 6 g/dl group to further compare the prognostic outcomes.
Results
271 eligible patients with extensive burns were included, of whom 107 patients were in the ultra-restrictive transfusion group and 164 patients were in the restrictive transfusion group. The ultra-restrictive transfusion group had a significantly lower RBC transfusion volume than the restrictive transfusion group (11.5 [5.5, 21.5] vs 17.3 [9.0, 32.5] units, p = 0.004). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of in-hospital mortality, risk of infection, hospital length of stay, and wound healing time after PSM or multivariate adjustment (p > 0.05). Among the ultra-restrictive transfusion group, patients with RBC transfusion threshold < 6 g/dl had a significantly higher hospital mortality than ≥ 6 g/dl (53.1% vs 21.3%, p = 0.001).
Conclusion
For extensive burn patients, no significant adverse effects of ultra-restrictive RBC transfusion were found in this study. When the blood supply is tight, it is acceptable to adopt an RBC transfusion threshold of < 7 g/dL but not < 6g/dL.
Ship pollution promotion – the strong economic incentives of scrubbers
Authors: Hermansson Anna Lunde , Hassellöv Ida-Maja , Grönholm Tiia , Jalkanen Jukka-Pekka , Fridell Erik , Parsmo Rasmus , Hassellöv Jesper , Ytreberg Erik 
Published: November 2023

Abstract

In response to stricter regulations on ship air emissions, many shipowners have installed exhaust gas cleaning systems, known as scrubbers, allowing for use of cheap residual heavy fuel oil. Scrubbers produce large volumes of acidic and polluted water that is discharged to the sea. Due to environmental concerns, the ban of scrubbers has been discussed within the International Maritime Organization. Real-world simulations of global scrubber-vessel activity, applying actual fuel costs and expenses related to scrubber operations show that 51% of the global scrubber-fitted fleet reached economic break-even by the end of 2022, with a surplus of 4.7 billion €2019. Within five years after installation, more than 95% of the ships with most common scrubber systems reach break-even. However, the marine ecotoxicity damage cost, from scrubber water discharge in the Baltic Sea Area 2014–2022, amounts to > 680 million€2019, showing that private economic interests come at the expense of marine environmental damage.
Effect of technological voids on hydro-mechanical behavior of compacted bentonite
Authors: Tan Yunzhi , Hu shixiang , Li Hui , Ming Huajun , Wu Jun 
Published: November 2023

Abstract

In the high-level radioactive waste geological disposal, the gaps between the waste canisters, buffer layer, and surrounding rock, will affect the hydro-mechanical behavior of bentonite blocks. In this paper, the gaps between the buffer layers were simulated by setting different technological void widths. The interaction between technological void width and the swelling pressure and hydraulic conductivity of compacted bentonite was investigated. Meanwhile, the effect of different boundary conditions on the hydration process of compacted bentonite simulated through stepwise pre-set technological void (SV) and completely pre-set technological void (CV) was studied. The results showed that, compared with specimens without technological voids, the swelling pressure of compacted bentonite blocks with 33% voids remained unchanged, while the hydraulic conductivity increased by 10%. Comparing the SV with CV specimens, the swelling pressure was similar, but the hydraulic conductivity of the latter increased by 6%. Microstructural test results indicated differences in overall homogeneity between compacted bentonite blocks with 33% technological voids and those without voids after complete hydration, and distinct differences were also observed between the void and block areas in specimens with voids. The SV method reduced the cumulative pore volume in the void area, resulting in a more uniform hydration process.
Single-cell RNA sequencing unveils tumor heterogeneity and immune microenvironment of acral melanoma
Authors: Wang Panpan , Ma Yangyang , Li Yong , Zhao Yige , Tang Chenyu , Wang Shiwen , Jin Sha , Wang Jiaqi , Zhu Mengyan , Xie Bo , Wang Ping 
Published: November 2023

Abstract

Background Acral melanom (AM) is a subtype of melanoma with high prevalence in East Asians. AM is characterized by greater aggressiveness and lower survival rates. However, there are still fewer studies on immune mechanisms of AM especially subnodal melanoma (SM) versus non-subnodal melanoma (NSM). In order to explore tumor heterogeneity and immune microenvironment in different subtypes of AM, we applied single-cell RNA sequencing to 24,789 single cells isolated from the SM and plantar melanoma (PM) patients. Methods The Cell Ranger software pipeline (version 5.0.0) provided by 10×Genomics was used to demultiplex cellular barcodes. Differentially expressed genes (CNVs) was used to differentiate malignant melanocytes. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using the FindMarkers function(test.use = presto) in Seurat. RcisTarget package was identified transcription factor (TF). Gene set variation analysis (GSVA) package was used to assign pathway activity estimates to individual cells. The CellChat package was conducted to analyze the cell-cell interaction. We determined the developmental pseudotime with the Monocle2 package. Finally, we verified gene expression by immunofluorescence. Results Aspects of tumor heterogeneity, melanocytes from PM and SM had significant differences in gene expression, CNV and pathways in which tumor-associated such as NF-kb and Wnt were involved. Regarding the immune microenvironment, PM contained more fibroblasts and T/NK cells. The EPHA3-EFNA1 axis was expressed only in cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) and melanocytes of PM, and the TIGIT-NECTIN2 axis was expressed in both AM subtypes of T/NK cells and melanocytes. Conclusions Altogether, our study helps to elucidate the tumor heterogeneity in AM subpopulations and provides potential therapeutic targets for clinical research.
Assessing the Influence of Forest Fires on the Well-being of Watersheds through SAR Technology
Authors: Rai Komal , Singh Gulab 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Watersheds are interconnected systems in charge of gathering, storing, and transferring water. Forests constitute a key part of these systems. A healthy forest functions like a natural sponge, soaking up rain and snowmelt and then slowly releasing it to control the flow and prevent floods. Additionally, by filtering pollutants and sediments before they enter streams and rivers, trees contribute to the maintenance of water quality. Thus, there is a close relationship between the health of watersheds and the sustainability of forest ecosystems. Understanding forest fires' effects on watershed health is crucial since they continue to pose a serious danger to our ecosystems and water supplies. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology provides a thorough and effective way to examine the damage left behind by these fires, supplying vital information to direct efficient conservation and restoration activities. We can improve our comprehension of forest fire dynamics and their effects on watersheds by additional study and implementation of SAR technology, ultimately resulting in more sustainable management practices and the preservation of our precious water supplies for future generations. This chapter will be focusing on the effects of forest fires on the health of the watershed ecosystem and methods that could be used to mitigate the same.
Duck swarm algorithm: theory, numerical optimization, and applications
Authors: Zhang Mengjian , Wen Guihua 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
A swarm intelligence-based optimization algorithm, named Duck Swarm Algorithm (DSA), is proposed in this study. This algorithm is inspired by the searching for food sources and foraging behaviors of the duck swarm. The performance of the DSA is verified by using eighteen benchmark functions, where its statistical (best, mean, standard deviation, and average running-time) results are compared with seven well-known algorithms like Particle swarm optimization (PSO), Firefly algorithm (FA), Chicken swarm optimization (CSO), Grey wolf optimizer (GWO), Sine cosine algorithm (SCA), and Marine-predators algorithm (MPA), and Archimedes optimization algorithm (AOA). Moreover, the Wilcoxon rank-sum test, Friedman test, and convergence curves of the comparison results are used to prove the superiority of the DSA against other algorithms. The results demonstrate that DSA is a high-performance optimization method in terms of convergence speed and exploration-exploitation balance for solving high-dimension optimization functions. Also, DSA is applied for the optimal design of six engineering constraint problems and the node optimization deployment task of the Wireless Sensor Network (WSN). Overall, the comparison results revealed that the DSA is a promising and very competitive algorithm for solving different optimization problems.
Identifying and characterising digital behaviour change interventions to improve fruit and vegetable intake in low-socioeconomic status primary school children: A Systematic Review
Authors: Froome Hannah , Cheung Kei Long , Martin Wendy , Norris Emma 
Published: November 2023

Abstract

Background: Digital behaviour change interventions aiming to increase dietary intakes; specifically fruit and vegetable intake, in low-socioeconomic children are being developed and tested. However there is currently no synthesis of the characteristics or reported effectiveness of these interventions. This systematic review aims to: (1) identify existing digital interventions targeting fruit and vegetable intake in low-socioeconomic status children, (2) identify and synthesise characteristics or reported effectiveness of these interventions using the Behaviour Change Intervention Ontology.
Method: CINAHL, ERIC, PubMed, Cochrane Library, ACM Digital Library and Scopus were searched from December 2021 – February 2022. Inclusion criteria for studies were: 1) children of low-SES families, aged between 5-11 years old; 2) Digital intervention to improve fruit and vegetable intake; 3) Comparison groups could be digital or non-digital; 4) Outcome measures were fruit and vegetable intake and antecedents to diet behaviours; 5) Randomised controlled trials (cluster and parallel designs). Characteristics of identified studies were coded using the Behaviour Change Techniques Taxonomy and Modes of Delivery, Setting and Source ontologies of the Behaviour Change Intervention Ontology.
Results: Five studies met all inclusion criteria, with majority reporting significant effects of interventions on improving fruit and vegetable intake. Most common Behaviour Change Techniques found were Goal Setting (k=4), Problem Solving (k=3), Instruction on how to perform a Behaviour (k=3), and Prompts and Cues (k=3). Characteristics relating to intervention source were unclear.
Conclusions: Digital interventions had positive outcomes; specifically in fruit and vegetable intake in children. Characteristics in digital interventions which have direct effects on child fruit and vegetable intake in low-socioeconomic families should be further investigated. This could tailor an intervention to target a specific population group. Furthermore, a need for clearer reporting on intervention characteristics is needed.