bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
IP-10 and MIG are sensitive markers of early virological response to HIV-1 integrase inhibitors
Authors: Álvarez Hortensia , Gutiérrez-Valencia Alicia , Mariño Ana , Saborido-Alconchel Abraham , Calderón-Cruz Beatriz , Pérez-González Alexandre , Alonso-Domínguez Jacobo , Martínez-Barros Inés , Gallego-Rodríguez María , Moreno Santiago , Aldamiz Teresa , Montero-Alonso Marta , Bernal Enrique , Galera Carlos , Llibre Josep M. , Poveda Eva 
Published: October 2023

BackgroundInterferon-inducible protein-10 (IP-10) and monokine induced by interferon-gamma (MIG) are chemokines recognized as inflammatory biomarkers during HIV-1 infection. We assessed their early and long-term dynamics after initiation of antiretroviral treatment (ART).MethodsPersons with HIV-1 (PWH) aged&gt;18 years starting their first ART in 2015-2021 in a prospective cohort (n=73) were included. IP-10 and MIG plasma levels were quantified using a multiplexed bead-based assay.ResultsIP-10 and MIG plasma levels showed a significant and consistent reduction following ART (80% integrase inhibitor [INSTI]-based) initiation, starting at day 20 and maintained throughout the study period (48 months), paralleling the HIV-1 RNA decay and CD4+ count recovery (p&lt;0·001). At baseline, PWH≥ 50 years, CDC stage C and CD4+ count&lt;350cells/mm3 had higher levels of IP-10 (p=0·022, p=0·001 and p=0·002, respectively) and MIG (p&lt;0·001, p=0·024 and p=0·069, respectively). All of them matched their counterparts several months following ART initiation. MIG levels showed a greater decrease at day 10 in those treated with INSTI (p=0·038). Low-level HIV-1 viremia did not impact MIG or IP-10 levels.ConclusionPlasma IP-10 and MIG showed an early significant decline following ART initiation, with greater early declines in MIG levels in INSTI-based regimens. These findings suggest a strong impact of HIV-1 viremia on IP-10 and MIG levels.
Case Report: Successful conversion and salvage resection of huge hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombosis and intrahepatic metastasis via sequential hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy, lenvatinib plus PD-1 antibody followed by simultaneous transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, and portal vein embolization
Authors: Luo Xin , Chang Rui-zhi , Kuang Dong , Yuan Mingming , Li Gan-xun , Zhang Bixiang , Wang Yan-jun , Zhang Wan-guang , Ding Ze-yang 
Published: October 2023

BackgroundAdvanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) shows poor prognosis. Combined hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) and lenvatinib and PD-1 antibody therapy show promising effects in treating advanced HCC, and salvage hepatectomy further promotes the overall survival in patients who were successfully converted after combined therapy. However, salvage major hepatectomy is not always amenable due to insufficient future liver remnant volume (FLV).Case presentationWe report the case of a 59-year-old man with a huge HCC as well as multiple intrahepatic foci and portal vein tumor thrombosis at his right hemi-liver. Genomic and pathologic analyses of HCC tissue revealed a TMB-high, TPS, and CPS-high cancer, with mutated DNA damage repair gene FANCC. These results suggested that this patient may benefit from chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Thus, he received combined HAIC, lenvatinib, and PD-1 antibody treatment and showed a quick and durable response. After successful downstaging, this patient was evaluated as not suitable for salvage hepatectomy due to the low FLV. He then received simultaneous transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and portal vein embolization (PVE). The FLV increased to meet the criteria of salvage hepatectomy. Finally, this patient underwent right hemi-hepatectomy without any severe perioperative complications. In addition, no tumor recurrence occurred during the 9-month follow-up period after surgery.ConclusionCombined HAIC, lenvatinib, and PD-1 antibody therapy, followed by simultaneous TACE and PVE, is a safe and effective conversion therapy that promotes tumor necrosis and increase FLV in patients with advanced HCC.
Surveillance, epidemiology, and impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 interventions on the incidence of enterovirus infections in Nanchang, China, 2010–2022
Authors: Zhou Xianfeng , Qian Ke , Zhu Chunlong , Yi Liu , Tu Junling , Yang Shu , Zhang Yanxia , Zhang Yanglin , Xia Wen , Ni Xiansheng , Xu Tielong , He Fenglan , Li Hui 
Published: October 2023

IntroductionPathogen spectrum of Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) has substantially changed in the past decade in China. Growing evidence has indicated that anti-COVID-19 nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) can support control of various infectious diseases, including intestinal diseases.MethodsIn this study, HFMD cases were enrolled from sentinel hospitals of Nanchang, Jiangxi province, and enteroviruses were genotyped using specific real time RT-PCR. We systematically characterized the epidemiology of HFMD based on the continuous molecular surveillance and estimated the impact of COVID-19 intervention on HFMD incidence using seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models.ResultsA total of 10247 HFMD cases were included during 2010-2022, of which 6121 enterovirus (EV)-positive cases (59.7%) were identified by real-time RT-PCR. Over 80% cases were associated with EV-A71 and coxsackievirus A16 (CVA16) during 2010-2012, while the type distribution significantly changed as CVA6 emerged to be dominant, accounting for 22.6%-59.6% during 2013-2022. It was observed that the prevalence patterns of EV-A71 and CVA16 were similar and both of them peaked in the second quarter and then leveled off. However, CVA6 was generally prevalent around the fourth quarter, demonstrating a staggered prevalence during 2010-2019. During the COVID-19 epidemic, the seasonal HFMD epidemic peak was restrained, and the ARIMA analysis indicated that the COVID-19 intervention had mitigated EV transmission during the first COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020. In addition, bivariate Spearman’s cross-correlation coefficients were estimated for the major types CVA6, CVA16 and EV-A71. Our analyses indicated the possible existence of correlations among CVA6, CVA16 and EV-A71 prevalence in the epidemiological level.DiscussionTaken together, the type distribution of HFMD has substantially changed over the last decade and CVA6 and CVA16 are currently the most predominant types co-circulating in Nanchang. The anti-COVID-19 NPIs significantly reduced the incidence of EV infections.
Altered local and remote functional connectivity in mild Alzheimer’s disease patients with sleep disturbances
Authors: Wang Lei , Zhu Rui , Zhou Xiao , Zhang Zhiyong , Peng Dantao 
Published: October 2023

ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate local and remote functional connectivity in mild Alzheimer’s disease patients with sleep disturbances (ADSD) and those without sleep disturbances (ADNSD).MethodsThirty eight mild AD patients with sleep disturbances and 21 mild AD patients without sleep disturbances participated in this study. All subjects underwent neuropsychological assessments and 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance scanning. Static and dynamic regional homogeneity (ReHo) were used to represent the local functional connectivity. Seed-based whole-brain functional connectivity was used to represent the remote functional connectivity. The seed was chosen based on the results of ReHo.ResultsCompared to ADNSD, ADSD showed decreased static ReHo in the left posterior central gyrus and the right cuneus and increased dynamic ReHo in the left posterior central gyrus. As for the remote functional connectivity, comparing ADSD to ADNSD, it was found that there was a decreased functional connection between the left posterior central gyrus and the left cuneus as well as the left calcarine.ConclusionThe current study demonstrated that, compared with ADNSD, ADSD is impaired in both local and remote functional connectivity, manifested as reduced functional connectivity involving the primary sensory network and the primary visual network. The abnormality of the above functional connectivity is one of the reasons why sleep disorders promote cognitive impairment in AD. Moreover, sleep disorders change the temporal sequence of AD pathological damage to brain functional networks, but more evidence is needed to support this conclusion.
Factors affecting progression of non-Alzheimer dementia: a retrospective analysis with long-term follow-up
Authors: Ghouri Reza , Öksüz Nevra , Taşdelen Bahar , Özge Aynur 
Published: October 2023

BackgroundNon-Alzheimer’s dementias, including vascular dementia (VaD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Lewy body dementia (LBD), and Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD), possess unique characteristics and prognostic factors that remain poorly understood. This study aims to investigate the temporal course of these subtypes and identify the impact of functional, neuropsychiatric, and comorbid medical conditions on prognosis. Additionally, the relationship between hippocampal atrophy, white matter intensities, and disease progression will be examined, along with the identification of key covariates influencing slow or fast progression in non-Alzheimer’s dementias.MethodsA total of 196 patients with non-Alzheimer’s dementias who underwent at least three comprehensive evaluations were included, with proportions of VaD, FTD, LBD, and PDD being 50, 19.39, 19.90, and 10.71%, respectively. Patient demographics, comorbidities, neuropsychiatric and neuroimaging parameters, and global evaluation were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. The study followed patients for a mean duration of 62.57 ± 33.45 months (ranging from 11 to 198 months).ResultsThe results from three different visits for each non-AD dementia case demonstrated significant differences in various measures across visits, including functional capacity (BDLAS), cognition (MMSE), and other neuropsychological tests. Notably, certain genotypes and hippocampal atrophy grades were more prevalent in specific subtypes. The results indicate that Fazekas grading and hippocampal atrophy were significant predictors of disease progression, while epilepsy, extrapyramidal symptoms, thyroid dysfunction, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, stroke, hyperlipidemia, sleep disorders, smoking, and family history of dementia were not significant predictors. BDLAS and EDLAS scores at the first and second visits showed significant associations with disease progression, while scores at the third visit did not. Group-based trajectory analysis revealed that non-AD cases separated into two reliable subgroups with slow/fast prognosis, showing high reliability (Entropy = 0.790, 51.8 vs. 48.2%).ConclusionThis study provides valuable insights into the temporal course and prognostic factors of non-Alzheimer’s dementias. The findings underscore the importance of considering functional, neuropsychological, and comorbid medical conditions in understanding disease progression. The significant associations between hippocampal atrophy, white matter intensities, and prognosis highlight potential avenues for further research and therapeutic interventions.
Age and sex affect the association of systolic blood pressure with clinical outcomes in thrombolysed stroke patient: a secondary analysis of the INTRECIS study
Authors: Liu Bai-Jun , Li Jing , Chen Hui-Sheng 
Published: October 2023

Background and purposeBlood pressure is associated with outcomes in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients receiving intravenous alteplase. The study aimed to explore the effect of sex and age on their association.MethodsBased on a prospective cohort, we retrospectively enrolled consecutive AIS patients who received intravenous alteplase and had complete blood pressure data, including baseline systolic blood pressure (SBP 01), SBP at 1 h (SBP 02), and SBP at 24 h (SBP 03) after alteplase. Maximum SBP (SBP max), minimum SBP (SBP min), and mean SBP (SBP mean) were calculated. Poor outcome was defined as having a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 2–6 at 90 days. We explored the effect of age and sex on the association of different SBP indicators with the 3-month outcomes.ResultsA total of 1,593 eligible patients were included in the present study. All SBP indicators were found to be higher in patients with poor vs. good outcomes. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that all SBP indicators except baseline SBP were associated with poor outcomes with good prediction powers (AUC, 0.762–0.766). More SBP indicators (SBP 02, SBP 03, SBP min, and SBP mean) were associated with poor outcomes in women vs. men, while all SBP indicators after alteplase were associated with poor outcomes in patients aged ≥ 60 years, but none was seen in patients aged &lt; 60 years. Furthermore, all SBP indicators after alteplase were associated with poor outcomes in women aged ≥ 60 years, while only SBP 03 in men aged &lt; 60 years.ConclusionAmong Chinese stroke patients treated with intravenous alteplase, SBP after alteplase was associated with clinical outcomes, which were affected by age and sex.
Mental health disorders, functioning and health-related quality of life among extensively hospitalized patients due to severe self-harm – results from the Extreme Challenges project
Authors: Langjord Tuva , Pedersen Geir , Bovim Tone , Christensen Tore Buer , Eikenæs Ingeborg Ulltveit-Moe , Hove Oddbjørn , Kildahl Arvid Nikolai , Mork Erlend , Norheim Astrid Berge , Ramleth Ruth Kari , Ringen Petter Andreas , Romm Kristin Lie , Siqveland Johan , Schønning Thea , Stänicke Line , Torgersen Terje , Pettersen Mona , Tveit Tone , Urnes Øyvind , Walby Fredrik , Kvarstein Elfrida Hartveit 
Published: October 2023

BackgroundSevere self-harm leading to extensive hospitalization generates extreme challenges for patients, families, and health services. Controversies regarding diagnoses and health care often follow. Most evidence-based treatments targeting self-harm are designed for borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, current knowledge about mental health status among individuals with severe self-harm is limited.ObjectivesTo investigate psychopathology among patients extensively hospitalized due to severe or frequent self-harming behaviors.MethodA cross sectional study (period 2019–2021) targeting psychiatric inpatients (&gt;18 years) with frequent (&gt;5) or long (&gt;4 weeks) admissions last year due to self-harm. The target sample (N = 42, from 12 hospitals across all Norwegian health regions) was compared to individuals admitted to outpatient personality disorder (PD) treatment within specialist mental health services in the same period (N = 389). Clinicians performed interviews on self-harm and psychopathology, supplemented by self-report.ResultsThe target sample were young adults, mainly female, with considerable hospitalization and self-harming behaviors, both significantly more extensive than the comparison group. The majority in both groups reported self-harm onset &lt;18 years. The target sample reported increasing severity of self-harm acts and suicidal intention over time. Both samples had high levels of childhood trauma, impaired personality functioning, and a majority fulfilled criteria for PD. In the target sample, comorbid depression, PTSD, anxiety disorders, and substance use occurred more frequently and in 50%, psychosis/dissociative disorder/autism spectrum disorder/ADHD was reported (outpatient comparison sample: 9%). 35% in the target sample screened over cut-off for possible intellectual disability. The target sample reported poor psychosocial functioning and health-related quality of life – greater impairment than the outpatient comparison sample.ConclusionThe study reveals that severe self-harm inpatients have complex psychopathology and highlights the importance of individualized and thorough assessment among patients with severe and/or repetitive self-harm.
Lean back or lean in? Exploring social loafing in human–robot teams
Authors: Cymek Dietlind Helene , Truckenbrodt Anna , Onnasch Linda 
Published: October 2023

Introduction: Thanks to technological advances, robots are now being used for a wide range of tasks in the workplace. They are often introduced as team partners to assist workers. This teaming is typically associated with positive effects on work performance and outcomes. However, little is known about whether typical performance-reducing effects that occur in human teams also occur in human–robot teams. For example, it is not clear whether social loafing, defined as reduced individual effort on a task performed in a team compared to a task performed alone, can also occur in human–robot teams.Methods: We investigated this question in an experimental study in which participants worked on an industrial defect inspection task that required them to search for manufacturing defects on circuit boards. One group of participants worked on the task alone, while the other group worked with a robot team partner, receiving boards that had already been inspected by the robot. The robot was quite reliable and marked defects on the boards before handing them over to the human. However, it missed 5 defects. The dependent behavioural measures of interest were effort, operationalised as inspection time and area inspected on the board, and defect detection performance. In addition, subjects rated their subjective effort, performance, and perceived responsibility for the task.Results: Participants in both groups inspected almost the entire board surface, took their time searching, and rated their subjective effort as high. However, participants working in a team with the robot found on average 3.3 defects. People working alone found significantly more defects on these 5 occasions–an average of 4.2.Discussion: This suggests that participants may have searched the boards less attentively when working with a robot team partner. The participants in our study seemed to have maintained the motor effort to search the boards, but it appears that the search was carried out with less mental effort and less attention to the information being sampled. Changes in mental effort are much harder to measure, but need to be minimised to ensure good performance.
The Role of the German Police in Maintaining Internal Security from the Defeat of Germany in World War I until the Fall of the Weimer Republic from the Perspective of German Researchers – An Analytical Study
Authors: Al Haj Ali Abdul Majeed Ibrahim 
Published: October 2023

This study examines the burden that Germany’s defeat in World War I had on the German police in two respects: first the police were directly affected by the Treaty of Versailles and second, the police suffered – indirectly – from the pressure of increased resistance to the peace treaty and they had to constantly suppress internal disturbances. Although this study did not describe in detail the very long and complex process of reorganizing the police force, it does show that the police force did not have enough time to build a tightly integrated police force, due to repeated reorganizations within short time frames. The German police apparatus failed not only as a guardian of internal order, but also failed to protect its interests as an institution. The most important studies of German researchers dealt with the construction of the German police force and the problems it faced in different aspects and periods of time, and did not address this subject in an integrated manner for the period between 1918 and 1933, and the opinions of German researchers varied in explaining many of the attitudes and events suffered by the German police in that period. The study relies on a historical analytical approach based on the investigating information from its primary sources, and analysing its content and classifying in relation to the subject matter of the study.
Secure RIS-Assisted Hybrid Beamforming Design with Low-Resolution Phase Shifters
Authors: Pala Sonia , Taghizadeh Omid , Katwe Mayur , Singh Keshav , Li Chih-Peng , Schmeink Anke 
Published: October 2023

<p>The low-resolution reality of the hardware elements associated with massive mmWave antenna or reflector arrays is associated with the performance degradation of the wireless link when it is not properly controlled. In particular, the unintended angular radiations of the transmission or reflection arrays (e.g., transmission in non-intended directions) would invalidate the usual assumptions of information secrecy, even with perfect channel state information (CSI) knowledge at the transmitter, in the presence of low-resolution hardware. In this paper, we study a hybrid beamforming design for reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)- assisted multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) downlink (DL) communication, from the prospect of information secrecy maximization, wherein the array element phase rotations belong to the known discrete space. To solve the NP-hardness and non-convexity of the formulated problem, we propose an iterative procedure by re-structuring the obtained discrete-domain problem into a tractable form which solves the problem numerically and guarantees the convergence to a stationary point. Further, we confirm the accuracy of the proposed optimization algorithm by an exhaustive search method based on graphical simulations. The minimal performance disparity that exists between the proposed algorithm and the considered digital beamforming (DBF) scheme as the upper bound validates the hybrid beamforming design. Moreover, the proposed work highlights the superiority of discrete-aware design over various existing baseline schemes, demonstrating the significant gains attainable by adopting discrete space design from the outset. Additionally, the proposed solution discusses the improvement in secrecy system performance by deploying RIS with an increased number of reflecting elements and thereby restricting the effect of eavesdroppers on secure communication. </p>