bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The D-SPECT SH reconstruction protocol: improved quantification of small left ventricle volumes
Authors: Huang Yan , Zhang Han , Hu Xueping , Qin Shanshan , Hu Fan , Li Yuchen , Cai Haidong , Shi Kuangyu , Yu Fei 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Background
Due to spatial resolution limitations, conventional NaI-SPECT typically overestimates the left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) in patients with small LV volumes. The purpose of this study was to explore the clinical application value of the small heart (SH) reconstruction protocol embedded in the postprocessing procedure of D-SPECT.

Methods
We retrospectively analyzed patients who undergo both D-SPECT and echocardiography (Echo) within one week. Patients with small LV volume were defined as those with a rest end-systolic volume (rESV) ≤ 25 mL and underwent reconstruction using the standard (SD) reconstruction protocol. The SH protocol was deemed successful in correcting the LVEF value if it decreased by 5% or more compared to the SD protocol. The ROC curve was used to calculate the optimal cutoff value of the SH protocol. LVEF, ESV and EDV were computed with SD and SH, respectively. Echo was performed as a reference, and Echo-LVEF, ESV, and EDV were calculated using the Teichholz formula. One-way ANOVA was used to compare these parameters among the three groups.

Results
The final study included 209 patients (73.21% female, age 67.34 ± 7.85 years). Compared with the SD protocol, the SH protocol significantly decreased LVEF (67.43 ± 7.38% vs. 71.30 ± 7.61%, p < 0.001). The optimal cutoff value for using the SH protocol was rESV > 17 mL (AUC = 0.651, sensitivity = 78.43%, specificity = 45.57%, p = 0.001). In the subgroup of rESV > 17 mL, there was no significant difference in LVEF (61.84 ± 4.67% vs. 62.83 ± 2.85%, p = 0.481) between the SH protocol and Echo, and no significant difference was observed in rESV (26.92 ± 3.25 mL vs. 27.94 ± 7.96 mL, p = 0.60) between the SH protocol and Echo.

Conclusion
This pilot study demonstrated that the SH reconstruction protocol was able to effectively correct the overestimation of LVEF in patients with small LV volumes. Particularly, in the rESV > 17 mL subgroup, the time and computing power waste could be reduced while still ensuring the accuracy of the LVEF value and image quality.
On the efficiency and its drivers in the cryptocurrency market: the case of Bitcoin and Ethereum
Authors: Mokni Khaled , El Montasser Ghassen , Ajmi Ahdi Noomen , Bouri Elie 
Published: January 2024

AbstractMost previous studies on the market efficiency of cryptocurrencies consider time evolution but do not provide insights into the potential driving factors. This study addresses this limitation by examining the time-varying efficiency of the two largest cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin and Ethereum, and the factors that drive efficiency. It uses daily data from August 7, 2016, to February 15, 2023, the adjusted market inefficiency magnitude (AMIMs) measure, and quantile regression. The results show evidence of time variation in the levels of market (in)efficiency for Bitcoin and Ethereum. Interestingly, the quantile regressions indicate that global financial stress negatively affects the AMIMs measures across all quantiles. Notably, cryptocurrency liquidity positively and significantly affects AMIMs irrespective of the level of (in) efficiency, whereas the positive effect of money flow is significant when the markets of both cryptocurrencies are efficient. Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic positively and significantly affected cryptocurrency market inefficiencies across most quantiles.
Evaluating participant experiences of Community Panels to scrutinise policy modelling for health inequalities: the SIPHER Consortium
Authors: Stewart Ellen ,   SIPHER Greater Manchester Community Panel,   SIPHER Scotland Community Panel,   SIPHER Sheffield Community Panel, Such Elizabeth 
Published: January 2024

AbstractData-intensive research, including policy modelling, poses some distinctive challenges for efforts to mainstream public involvement into health research. There is a need for learning about how to design and deliver involvement for these types of research which are highly technical, and where researchers are at a distance from the people whose lives data depicts. This article describes our experiences involving members of the public in the SIPHER Consortium, a data-intensive policy modelling programme with researchers and policymakers working together over five years to try to address health inequalities. We focus on evaluating people’s experiences as part of Community Panels for SIPHER. Key issues familiar from general public involvement efforts include practical details, careful facilitation of meetings, and payment for participants. We also describe some of the more particular learning around how to communicate technical research to non-academic audiences, in order to enable public scrutiny of research decisions. We conclude that public involvement in policy modelling can be meaningful and enjoyable, but that it needs to be carefully organised, and properly resourced.
Reflections on the design and application of ‘Surveypura’: a simulation-based pedagogical tool for quantitative research methods in public health and social sciences
Authors: Pradyumna Adithya , Gundi Mukta 
Published: January 2024

AbstractIt has been reported from various contexts that learning quantitative methods for public health and social research is challenging for students. Based on our observations of these challenges, we designed a simulation-based pedagogical tool called Surveypura to support classroom-based learning of quantitative research methods. The tool includes a large illustration of a fictional village with 155 houses, alongside data for each of the households. The features of the houses, household characteristics, and the village have been carefully designed to give the visual feel of an actual village and better assist the pedagogical process. The tool was used by five facilitators with their masters’ students at our university in courses on social research and epidemiology. Our observations of the sessions and interactions with facilitators and students suggested that the tool supported more engaged learning of quantitative research methods in a non-intimidating manner. We believe that Surveypura can be a useful simulation-based pedagogical tool to teach quantitative research methods in epidemiology and social sciences even in other contexts.
Th22 is the effector cell of thymosin β15-induced hair regeneration in mice
Authors: Tao Nana , Ying Yuyuan , Xu Xie , Sun Qingru , Shu Yaoying , Hu Shiyu , Lou Zhaohuan , Gao Jianli 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Background
Thymosin beta family has a significant role in promoting hair regeneration, but which type of T cells play a key role in this process has not been deeply studied. This research aimed to find out the subtypes of T cell that play key role in hair regeneration mediated by thymosin beta 15 (Tβ15).

Methods
Ready-to-use adenovirus expressing mouse Tmsb15b (thymosin beta 15 overexpression, Tβ15 OX) and lentivirus-Tβ15 short hairpin RNA (Tβ15 sh) were used to evaluate the role of Tβ15 in hair regeneration and development. The effect of Th22 cells on hair regeneration was further studied by optimized Th22-skewing condition medium and IL-22 binding protein (IL-22BP, an endogenous antagonist of IL-22, also known as IL-22RA2) in both ex vivo culture C57BL/6J mouse skin and BALB/c nude mice transplanted with thymus organoid model.

Results
The results show that Tβ15, the homologous of Tβ4, can promote hair regeneration by increasing the proliferation activity of hair follicle cells. In addition, high-level expression of Tβ15 can not only increase the number of Th22 cells around hair follicles but also accelerate the transformation of hair follicles to maturity. Consistent with the expected results, when the IL-22BP inhibitor was used to interfere with Th22, the process of hair regeneration was blocked.

Conclusions
In conclusion, Th22 is the key effector cell of Tβ15 inducing hair regeneration. Both Tβ15 and Th22 may be the potential drug targets for hair regeneration.
Crisis-related stimuli do not increase the emotional attentional blink in a general university student population
Authors: Santacroce Lindsay A. , Tamber-Rosenau Benjamin J. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractCrises such as natural disasters or pandemics negatively impact the mental health of the affected community, increasing rates of depression, anxiety, or stress. It has been proposed that this stems in part from crisis-related stimuli triggering negative reactions that interrupt daily life. Given the frequency and prominence of crisis events, it is crucial to understand when crisis-related stimuli involuntarily capture attention and trigger increased stress and distraction from obligations. The emotional attentional blink (EAB) paradigm—in which emotional distractors hinder report of subsequent targets in streams of rapidly displayed stimuli—allows examination of such attentional capture in a rapidly changing dynamic environment. EABs are typically observed with generally disturbing stimuli, but stimuli related to personal traumas yield similar or greater effects, indicating strong attentional capture by stimuli related to individual trauma history. The current study investigated whether a similar comparable or increased crisis-related EAB exists within a community affected by large-scale crisis. Specifically, effects of conventional emotional distractors and distractors related to recent crises were compared using EABs in university students without a mental health diagnosis. Experiment 1 used images related to Hurricane Harvey, evaluating a crisis 4 years prior to data collection. Experiment 2 used words related to the COVID pandemic, evaluating an ongoing crisis at the time of data collection. In both experiments, the conventional EAB distractors yielded strong EABs, while the crisis-related distractors yielded absent or weak EABs in the same participants. This suggests that crisis-related stimuli do not have special potency for capturing attention in the general university student population. More generally, crises affecting communities do not necessarily yield widespread, strong reactivity to crisis-related stimuli.
Sound localization in noisy contexts: performance, metacognitive evaluations and head movements
Authors: Valzolgher Chiara , Capra Sara , Gessa Elena , Rosi Tommaso , Giovanelli Elena , Pavani Francesco 
Published: January 2024

AbstractLocalizing sounds in noisy environments can be challenging. Here, we reproduce real-life soundscapes to investigate the effects of environmental noise on sound localization experience. We evaluated participants' performance and metacognitive assessments, including measures of sound localization effort and confidence, while also tracking their spontaneous head movements. Normal-hearing participants (N = 30) were engaged in a speech-localization task conducted in three common soundscapes that progressively increased in complexity: nature, traffic, and a cocktail party setting. To control visual information and measure behaviors, we used visual virtual reality technology. The results revealed that the complexity of the soundscape had an impact on both performance errors and metacognitive evaluations. Participants reported increased effort and reduced confidence for sound localization in more complex noise environments. On the contrary, the level of soundscape complexity did not influence the use of spontaneous exploratory head-related behaviors. We also observed that, irrespective of the noisy condition, participants who implemented a higher number of head rotations and explored a wider extent of space by rotating their heads made lower localization errors. Interestingly, we found preliminary evidence that an increase in spontaneous head movements, specifically the extent of head rotation, leads to a decrease in perceived effort and an increase in confidence at the single-trial level. These findings expand previous observations regarding sound localization in noisy environments by broadening the perspective to also include metacognitive evaluations, exploratory behaviors and their interactions.
Analysis of wind pressure characteristics of typical agricultural greenhouse buildings on tropical islands
Authors: Huang Bin , Liu Jinke , Li Zhengnong , Wang Wenxiang , Wang Xiangjun , Liu Xijie , Xiao Tianyin 
Published: January 2024

AbstractExisting studies about wind pressure on agricultural greenhouse buildings concentrate on the mean wind pressure while ignoring the systematic research on fluctuating wind pressure characteristics and the influence of roof shape on the wind pressure characteristics, which are closely associated with the wind-induced damage mechanism. In this study, two typical agricultural greenhouse buildings on tropical islands are selected as prototypes to conduct pressure measurement experiments in the wind tunnel. Based on the wind pressure time series for the two greenhouses, the mean and fluctuating wind pressure distribution pattern and the localized high-pressure generation mechanism are analyzed. Then, the shape coefficient of the two greenhouses is compared in depth to the standards from four countries. Besides, wind pressure non-Gaussian determination criteria for agricultural greenhouse buildings considering the roof shape and wind directions are proposed. Lastly, the differences in wind pressure spectra on the roofs and walls of the two greenhouses are summarized. The results indicate the roof shape has a significant influence on the wind pressure characteristics. Compared with the pitched roof, the vaulted roof will increase the suction effect on the windward front zone and the middle area, mitigate the suction impact on the leeward roof, and weaken the wind pressure non-Gaussian characteristics. The experimental shape coefficient of the pitched-roof greenhouse is basically consistent with the standard from the U.S., while that of the vaulted-roof greenhouse has some deviation from the existing standards. The results provide a theoretical basis for the wind-resistant design of agricultural greenhouse buildings on tropical islands.
Second ejaculation produces good quality sperm and blastocyst and decreases the rate of unexpected ICSI cycle: a propensity score-matched analysis
Authors: Zhang Xiaohui , Wang Shikai , Huang Yueyue , Mao Xianbao , Li Zhengda , Wei Pingpin , Chen Liangshi , Li Dawen , Xue Lintao 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Background
Second ejaculation can influence sperm quality which may define the first-line treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a second ejaculation in decreasing the unexpected intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) rate by a propensity score-matched (PSM) analysis.

Methods
Patients who were projected to undergo IVF were included between January 2016 and November 2021 in this monocentric, retrospective analysis. 2782 patients included in the study, 143 and 2639 patients were non-randomized in the unexpected ICSI and IVF groups, respectively. One hundred fourteen patients with unexpected ICSI produced two semen samples on the day of ovum pick-up. After 1:4 PSM, we matched 61 patients in the second ejaculation IVF group to 238 patients in the conventional IVF group. Outcomes of sperm quality, fertilization rate, embryo quality, and pregnancy were compared.

Results
Second ejaculation significantly improved sperm concentration, progressive motility before and after sperm swim-up, total progressive motility sperm count after swim-up, and decreased sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF). Sixty-one of 114 (53.5%) unexpected ICSI couples had enough total progressive motility sperm for IVF with the second ejaculation. There were no differences in basic clinical characteristics between couples in second ejaculation IVF and matched-conventional IVF group. For the two groups, no differences were observed in IVF outcomes. However, a significant increase in good-quality blastocyst rate was observed for second-ejaculation IVF couples. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analysis also confirmed that the second ejaculation was an independent risk factor for the good quality blastocyst rate.

Conclusion
Second ejaculation could be an economical and secure alternative to get good quality sperm, and blastocyst and decrease the rate of unexpected ICSI. Multicenter studies should be conducted to confirm the potential advantages of using second ejaculation IVF in effectively reducing the rate of ICSI.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement in patients with a pre-existing prosthetic mitral valve: a single center experience with two cases
Authors: Kushimo Oyewole A. , Yadav Mitendra S. , Pandey Purneshwar , Singh Santosh , Kumar Viveka 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Background
The performance of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients with pre-existing prosthetic mitral valves is technically challenging due to the potential interference between both prosthetic devices. At present, there are no clear recommendations for this patient subset due to their exclusion from clinical trials. We report our experience of two cases with pre-existing prosthetic mechanical mitral valves who underwent TAVR.

Case presentation
The first case was a 57 year old man with severe aortic stenosis and type 2 diabetes mellitus who had a mitral valve replacement 32 years ago. Operative mortality risk assessed by the Society for Thoracic Surgery (STS) Score was 1.7%, but he was considered high risk in view of previous cardiac surgery. Pre-procedure CT evaluation revealed favorable aortic root and femoral access anatomy with the mechanical mitral valve located 6.3 mm below the aortic annular plane. He underwent TAVR with a Medtronic Evolut R 29 mm self-expanding transcatheter heart valve via the femoral approach.
The second case was a 66 year old lady who presented with severe aortic stenosis, atrial fibrillation and a history of mitral valve replacement 17 years ago for rheumatic mitral stenosis. Her STS score was 3.5%. Pre-procedure CT showed favorable aortic root and femoral access parameters with a mitral-aortic distance of 3.6 mm. TAVR was performed with a balloon expandable Myval 21.5 mm transcatheter heart valve via a transfemoral access. Both procedures were done successfully.

Conclusion
This report highlights the feasibility of TAVR in post-mitral valve replacement patients provided careful pre-procedural evaluation, and planning is done.
The detailed profile of congenital heart diseases in 254 children with Down syndrome in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alkhushi Naif 
Published: January 2024

AbstractBackgroundDown syndrome is the most common chromosomal abnormality in humans. It is associated with several congenital anomalies, including a spectrum of congenital heart diseases. Understanding the true prevalence and distribution of congenital heart diseases is essential for health resource planning, outcomes, and family counseling.This study aimed to assess the prevalence and distribution of congenital heart disease in children with Down syndrome. It is a retrospective cohort review that included all patients treated at King Abdulaziz University Hospital. Frequencies were estimated using the SPSS software and comparisons were made using Student’sttest.ResultsThe ages of the 254 subjects ranged from less than 1 year to 53 years. Of these, 44.5% were female and 40.6% were Saudi nationals. Congenital heart disease was present in 66.5% with a significant difference between Saudi nationals 44.6%) and non-Saudi nationals 71.5% (P = 0.01). The atrioventricular septal defect was the most common pathology, representing 33.1% of all congenital heart diseases followed by perimembranous ventricular septal defect 18.9%, and right ventricular pathology 10.2%.ConclusionThe prevalence of congenital heart diseases in Saudi children with Down Syndrome is similar to that reported worldwide. Septal defects and right-sided pathologies are the dominant forms of congenital heart diseases, with atrioventricular septal defect and perimembranous ventricular septal defect representing the most common pathologies.
Exploring the potential of iPhone applications in podiatry: a comprehensive review
Authors: Tedeschi Roberto 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Background
The integration of smartphones, particularly iPhones, into clinical podiatry practice has gained momentum, yet a comprehensive analysis of their potential and outcomes remains scarce.

Results
We conducted a review to assess iPhones’ utility in podiatry. Encompassing diagnostic imaging, measurement tools, telemedicine applications, and patient engagement, this review included studies meeting established criteria for evidence quality. Among the eight eligible studies, iPhones exhibited reliability in measuring angles, assessing foot and ankle morphology, and capturing ulcer images. Telemedicine apps enabled remote consultations and heightened patient accessibility. Interactive applications and self-monitoring tools enriched patient engagement.

Conclusion
iPhones hold significant promise in clinical podiatry, offering portability, imaging, measurement, and telemedicine capabilities. Future research should focus on standardization, accuracy validation, security, and long-term impact. iPhones have the potential to reshape podiatric practice and enhance patient care.
Stay in your lane: Density fluctuations in multi-lane traffic
Authors: Worsfold J. , Rogers T. 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
When a new vehicle joins a lane, those behind may have to temporarily slow to accommodate them. Changing lane can be forced due to lane drops or junctions, but may also take place spontaneously at discretion of drivers, and recent studies have found that traffic jams and traffic oscillations can form even without such bottlenecks. Understanding how lane changing behaviour affects traffic flow is important for learning how to design roads and control traffic more effectively. Here, we present a stochastic model of spontaneous lane changing which exhibits a reduction in the overall flow of traffic. By examining the average flow rate both analytically and through simulations we find a definitive slow down of vehicles due to random switching between lanes. This results in the fundamental diagram depending on the rate of lane switching. By extending the model to three-lane traffic we find a larger impact on the flow of the middle lane compared to the side lanes.