bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy in pacemaker patients
Authors: Aaseth Eirik , Christiansen Jon R. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractAimsTransthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR‐CM) is characterized by increased wall thickness, diastolic dysfunction and progressive heart failure symptoms. The disease may infiltrate the conduction system leading to conduction disturbances requiring an implantation of permanent cardiac pacemaker (PM), but the extent is unknown. Here, we report the prevalence of ATTR‐CM in patients ≥65 years with PM.Methods and resultsIn this prospective, cross‐sectional single‐centre study patients were recruited from our out‐patient pacemaker clinic. Eligibility criteria were age above 65 years, permanent cardiac pacemaker and competent to give informed consent. Patients underwent echocardiography at the pacemaker visit and were referred to 99mTc‐DPD‐scintigraphy (DPD) and blood samples if septum thickness was ≥12 mm, defined as left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Fifty eight of the 128 patients had LVH on echocardiography. Eleven patients had a DPD‐scintigraphy based diagnosis of ATTR‐CM, which represent 19% of patients with LVH and 9% of the total cohort. Patients diagnosed with ATTR‐CM had higher concentrations of cardiac biomarkers (P < 0.001), higher E/E′ (P = 0.001), and lower global longitudinal strain (P = 0.003) on echocardiography and more heart failure symptoms (P = 0.001).ConclusionsThe prevalence of ATTR‐CM in elderly patients with PM and LVH on echocardiography was 19%.
Association between low selenoprotein P concentrations and anaemia in hospitalized heart failure patients
Authors: Jujić Amra , Molvin John , Holm Isholth Hannes , Dieden Anna , Korduner Johan , Zaghi Amir , Nezami Zainu , Bergmann Andreas , Schomburg Lutz , Magnusson Martin 
Published: January 2024

AbstractAimsHeart failure (HF) patients with anaemia tend to have a worse outcome, with increased hospitalization rates, decreased exercise tolerance, and higher mortality compared to those without anaemia. Limited research exists on the association between selenium deficiency and anaemia specifically in HF patients, despite previous findings of a correlation in different populations. The BIOSTAT‐CHF study demonstrated that higher selenium levels in HF patients were associated to a lower risk of anaemia and iron deficiency. This study investigates the relationship between selenoprotein P (SELENOP) concentrations, a major contributor and functional biomarker of selenium transport, and anaemia, Hb levels, and iron status in hospitalized HF patients.Methods and resultsSELENOP was analysed in 320 hospitalized HF subjects, with complete data available for 310 subjects. The relationships between continuous SELENOP concentrations and 1) Hb concentrations, 2) anaemia (Hb < 115 g/L (women), <130 g/L (men)), and 3) iron status (as measured by transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) which increases in iron deficiency) were evaluated using multivariable logistic and linear regression models. Additionally, SELENOP concentrations in the lowest quartile were related to anaemia, haemoglobin, and iron state in multivariable logistic and linear models. The mean age of the study population was 75.0 ± 11.6 years, and 30% were women. Anaemia was present in 133 subjects (42.9%). SELENOP concentrations were positively correlated with haemoglobin concentrations (0.238; P < 0.001) and negatively with TfR1 concentrations (−0.238, P < 0.001). In multivariable regression models, higher SELENOP concentrations were associated with higher Hb concentrations (B = 3.23; P = 0.002) and lower TfR1 concentrations (B = −0.20; P < 0.001). Furthermore, SELENOP deficiency was associated with lower Hb concentrations (B = −7.64: P = 0.001), higher TfR1 concentrations (B = 0.31; P = 0.003), and higher odds of anaemia in HF patients (odds ratio 2.17; 95% confidence interval 1.23–3.82; P = 0.008).ConclusionsIn hospitalized heart failure patients, lower concentrations of SELENOP were associated with higher prevalence of anaemia.
Catalytic Asymmetric Ring Opening Reactions of Vinylcyclopropanes
Authors: Adhikari Amit Singh , Majumdar Nilanjana 
Published: January 2024

AbstractVinylcyclopropanes (VCPs) are important building blocks with multifaceted reactivity. Catalytic asymmetric ring opening of vinylcyclopropanes is a highly efficient process to access valuable chiral molecules with diverse functionalities that can be further functionalized for a series of synthetic purposes. VCPs are very well‐known substrates for cycloaddition reactions and this chemistry has been widely explored. On the contrary, despite of enormous synthetic potential, development of new innovative strategies for the catalytic, asymmetric ring opening of VCPs is somewhat underdeveloped. Recently, several significant examples have emerged in the literature for various asymmetric ring opening of both activated and unactivated vinylcyclopropanes that involve transition metal catalysis. These developments are relevant additions to the vinylcyclopropane chemistry. In this review, we aim to summarize all the catalytic asymmetric ring opening transformations reported till date and provide a comprehensive analysis of these research outcomes.
Comparative analysis of compression ignition engines performance and emission characteristics devouring edible and nonedible oil biodiesel
Authors: Kale Bhojraj N. , Patle S. D. , Kalambe S. R. , Khawale Vijay R. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe globe is in search for an upgraded and compatible alternative of diesel to triumph over pollution and its limited availability issues. Researchers are using biodiesel from various edible and non‐edible oil sources to reduce environmental footprint of diesel. This article compares the performance and emission characteristics of diesel engines fueled by edible and non‐edible oil biodiesel. In this work, five biodiesels (methyl esters of microalgae, jatropha, karanja, soybean, and sunflower) are tested and transesterification is used to produce methyl esters to optimize their physiochemical properties. It is observed that all the properties lie in tolerance limits. To examine the compatibility of the proposed methyl esters two performance characteristics, brake thermal efficiency and brake specific fuel consumption are examined. Further, the emission characteristics such as nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and carbon dioxides are investigated. To validate results the blend characteristics are compared to diesel. The relative analysis revels that the brake thermal efficiency is declined by 8.87% as compared to diesel whereas the brake specific fuel consumption is increased by 4.28%. The carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon levels are decreased by 7.32% and 20.56% whereas nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide levels are increased by 7.47% and 4.80%, respectively. The analysis infers that microalgae biodiesel gives adequately better characteristics.
Trend‐focused dynamic degradation prediction based on echo state networks in automotive fuel cells
Authors: Yue Meiling , Zhang Xin , Teng Teng , Meng Jianwen 
Published: January 2024

AbstractFuel cell technology is a promising alternative to traditional internal combustion engines in various applications, especially in transportation applications. However, the high cost and limited lifetime of fuel cells have hindered their widespread commercialization. Accurately predicting fuel cell lifetime is crucial for reducing the cost of ownership, ensuring safety, and promoting the adoption of this technology. The objective of the present work is to develop a tool that is able to estimate the lifespan of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell and to predict its behavior to anticipate failures. Therefore, this paper contributes to proposing a multi‐input time‐series prediction network based on an echo state network, which takes the future current into consideration. A degradation trend extraction method is proposed in this paper and the remaining useful life of the fuel cell is predicted. Results have shown that the proposed methods in both short‐term and long‐term prediction have achieved satisfying prediction accuracy.
Nutritional properties of raw and cooked Azolla caroliniana Willd., an aquatic wild edible plant
Authors: Winstead Daniel , Di Gioia Francesco , Jauregui Marjorie , Jacobson Michael 
Published: January 2024

AbstractAzolla caroliniana Willd. is an understudied wild edible plant native to the Eastern United States. Other species of Azolla have been used across the world for several thousand years as a livestock feed and as “green manure.” The use of Azolla for human consumption is thought to be limited by its high total polyphenolic content (TPC). However, the TPC and nutritional content of A. caroliniana has not been thoroughly studied. We measured TPC and other nutrients before and after cooking methods designed to lower TPC. We found that TPC was 4.26 g gallic acid equivalent (GAE) kg−1 DW in raw A. caroliniana. All cooking methods significantly lowered TPC. Protein content was 19% DW, and the apparent protein digestibility was 78.45%. Our yield was 173 g FW m−2 day−1 and 5.53 g DW m−2 day−1. Azolla caroliniana is a high‐yielding plant with great potential for cultivation and domestication.
Dynamics of myelin deficits in the 5xFAD mouse model for Alzheimer's disease and the protective role of BDNF
Authors: Zota Ioanna , Chanoumidou Konstantina , Charalampopoulos Ioannis , Gravanis Achille 
Published: January 2024

AbstractRecent findings highlight myelin breakdown as a decisive early event in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) acting as aggravating factor of its progression. However, it is still unclear whether myelin loss is attributed to increased oligodendrocyte vulnerability, reduced repairing capacity or toxic stimuli. In the present study, we sought to clarify the starting point of myelin disruption accompanied with Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cell (OPC) elimination in the brain of the 5xFAD mouse model of AD at 6 months of age in Dentate Gyrus of the hippocampus in relation to neurotrophin system. Prominent inflammation presence was detected since the age of 6 months playing a key role in myelin disturbance and AD progression. Expression analysis of neurotrophin receptors in OPCs was performed to identify new targets that could increase myelination in health and disease. OPCs in both control and 5xFAD mice express TrkB, TrkC and p75 receptors but not TrkA. Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) that binds to TrkB receptor is well‐known about its pro‐myelination effect, promoting oligodendrocytes proliferation and differentiation, so we focused our investigation on its effects in OPCs under neurodegenerative conditions. Our in vitro results showed that BDNF rescues OPCs from death and promotes their proliferation and differentiation in presence of the toxic Amyloid‐β 1‐42. Collectively, our results indicate that BDNF possess an additional neuroprotective role through its actions on oligodendrocytic component and its use could be proposed as a drug‐based myelin‐enhancing strategy, complementary to amyloid and tau centered therapies in AD.
Impacts of Norway's extended free choice reform on waiting times and hospital visits
Authors: Ge Ge , Iversen Tor , Kaarbøe Oddvar , Snilsberg Øyvind 
Published: January 2024

AbstractNorway's extended free choice (EFC) reform extends the patient's choice of publicly funded hospitals for treatment to authorized private institutions (EFC providers). We study the effects of the reform on waiting times, number of visits, and patients' Charlson Comorbidity Index scores in public hospitals. We use a difference‐in‐differences model to compare changes over time for public hospitals with and without EFC providers in the catchment area. Focusing on five prevalent somatic services, we find that the EFC reform did not exert pressure on public hospitals to stimulate shorter waiting times and more visits. Moreover, we do not find that the sum of public and private visits increased. When we compare patient comorbidity between public hospitals and EFC providers, we find that for non‐invasive diagnostic services, patient comorbidity is lower in EFC providers. For surgical services, we detect no difference in patient comorbidities between public and EFC providers.
Microvascular surgery using surgical loupes versus operating microscope—A single head and neck reconstructive surgeon's experience
Authors: Grewal Jeewanjot S. , Williams Amy M. , Alamoudi Uthman , Shama Mohamed , Ghanem Tamer A. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractBackground: This prospective randomized study evaluates surgical outcomes of head and neck free tissue transfer surgery performed by a single head and neck reconstructive surgeon comparing the use of surgical loupes and the operating microscope.Methods: Cases using surgical loupes were performed under ×3.5 magnification, whereas cases using the microscope were done using the standard operating microscope. Patient demographics, comorbidities, operative details, surgical outcomes, and flap failure were assessed.Results: Eighty‐five free tissue transfer surgeries were included. Of these, 51.8% (n = 44) free tissue transfers were performed using loupe magnification and 48.2% (n = 41) were performed using the operating microscope. Total cases requiring intraoperative microvascular anastomosis revision was 12 (15.4%)—of these, 41.7% (n = 5) were originally performed with surgical loupes and 58.3% (n = 7) were with microscope (p = 0.24).Conclusion: The current study provides novel, prospective data regarding a single head and neck reconstructive surgeon's experience at a single academic institution. From this, surgical loupes or the operating microscope can be used to perform head and neck microvascular reconstruction with no significant difference in rates of free tissue transfer failure or perioperative complications or outcomes.
Healthcare utilization and associated factors during the first wave of COVID‐19 pandemic in Ghana: A cross‐sectional survey
Authors: Gadeka Dominic D. , Aheto Justice M. K. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractBackground and AimsUnderstanding healthcare utilization during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic is crucial to inform policy and to prepare health systems for future pandemics. We examined self‐reported healthcare utilization and associated factors, including public health preventive practices, perceptions, and coping strategies among the general public in Ghana during the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic.MethodsWe adopted a cross‐sectional study design using a public survey to recruit 643 respondents between May 23, and July 11, 2020 during the first wave of confirmed COVID‐19 cases and after the fifth week of a partial lockdown in Ghana. Descriptive, bivariate, and binary logistic regression analyses were carried out in Stata version 15.ResultsOverall, there was a high level of compliance with COVID‐19 public health preventive measures. In terms of perception, 357 (55.5%) of respondents stated unnecessary worry was created about the disease. In relation to coping strategies, 376 (58.5%) of respondents stayed home for more than 6 h, while 35 (5%) reported drinking alcohol to overcome the fear created by the disease. The results showed that 176 (27.4%) of the respondents utilized healthcare while 44 (9.4%) did not utilized healthcare for fear of contracting the disease at the health facility. Marital status (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.63; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.409, 0.963), religion (aOR = 2.34; 95% CI = 1.10, 4.98), and possession of valid health insurance (aOR = 1.51; 95% CI = 1.020, 2.235) were associated with healthcare utilization.ConclusionThere was low healthcare utilization coupled with fear of contracting the COVID‐19 disease at the health facilities among the respondents. The findings suggest the need for effective public education that ensures that future pandemics' prevention information and recommendations are easily understandable by the general public. Additionally, investment in health insurance coverage may contribute to healthcare utilization during future pandemics.
Influence of below‐cloud evaporation on stable isotopes of precipitation in the Yellow River source region
Authors: Ye Linlin , Zhu Guofeng , Chen Longhu , Qiu Dongdong , Jiao Yinying , Li Rui , Lu Siyu , Yang Jiangwei 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe study of below‐cloud evaporation effects under clouds in the Yellow River source region is of great significance for regional water resource generation as well as for water resource security in the arid and semi‐arid regions of northern China. In this study, we quantitatively assessed the evapotranspiration effect in the Yellow River source region from March to November based on the improved Stewart model. The study concluded that: (1) below‐cloud evaporation was slightly higher in summer than in other seasons (residual fractions of raindrop evaporation were 80.57% in summer, 81.12% in spring, and 84.2% in autumn, respectively); and (2) sub‐cloud evaporation diminishes with increasing altitude (residual fractions of raindrop evaporation were 83.09% in the western part of the area, 81.82% in the central part of the area, and 81.36% in the eastern part of the area, respectively). (3) The total linear index between study areas f and ∆d is 2.24, where f > 95%, it is 1.19; that is, the evaporation of raindrops increases by 1% and the reduction in the excess of mercury by about 2‰. (4) Local meteorological factors (temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity) and raindrop diameter have a cross‐influence on below‐cloud evaporation, with relative humidity having the most significant effect, with the highest correlation coefficient of 3.03 when relative humidity is less than 70%. The results of the study can provide a parameter basis for hydrological and climatic models in the Yellow River Basin.
From primary myelofibrosis to chronic myeloid leukemia, BCR::ABL1+ B‐Lymphoblastic leukemia, and back to primary myelofibrosis: An illustration of dynamic clonal evolution
Authors: Wang Devin , Kamata Wataru , Ye Fengxi , You M. James 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe simultaneous detection of BCR::ABL1 and JAK2 V617F was rarely reported and their clonal relationship and dynamic clonal shift were not characterized. Here, we described a unique case with the initial presentation as JAK2 V617F+ primary myelofibrosis, followed by the emergence of BCR::ABL1+ chronic myeloid leukemia. The patient then developed BCR::ABL1+ B‐lymphoblastic leukemia. Treatment for B‐lymphoblastic leukemia prompted a regression to the state of primary myelofibrosis. In light of these observations, we proposed a clonal evolution model for this case.
Folate receptor α deficiency – Myelin‐sensitive MRI as a reliable biomarker to monitor the efficacy and long‐term outcome of a new therapeutic approach
Authors: Dreha‐Kulaczewski Steffi , Sahoo Prativa , Preusse Matthias , Gkalimani Irini , Dechent Peter , Helms Gunther , Hofer Sabine , Steinfeld Robert , Gärtner Jutta 
Published: January 2024

AbstractCerebral folate transport deficiency, caused by a genetic defect in folate receptor α, is a devastating neurometabolic disorder that, if untreated, leads to epileptic encephalopathy, psychomotor decline and hypomyelination. Currently, there are limited data on effective dosage and duration of treatment, though early diagnosis and therapy with folinic acid appears critical. The aim of this long‐term study was to identify new therapeutic approaches and novel biomarkers for assessing efficacy, focusing on myelin‐sensitive MRI. Clinical, biochemical, structural and quantitative MRI parameters of seven patients with genetically confirmed folate receptor α deficiency were acquired over 13 years. Multimodal MRI approaches comprised MR‐spectroscopy (MRS), magnetization transfer (MTI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) sequences. Patients started oral treatment immediately following diagnosis or in an interval of up to 2.5 years. Escalation to intravenous and intrathecal administration was performed in the absence of effects. Five patients improved, one with a presymptomatic start of therapy remained symptom‐free, and one with inconsistent treatment deteriorated. While CSF 5‐methyltetrahydrofolate and MRS parameters normalized immediately after therapy initiation, myelin‐sensitive MTI and DTI measures correlated with gradual clinical improvement and ongoing myelination under therapy. Early initiation of treatment at sufficient doses, considering early intrathecal applications, is critical for favorable outcome. The majority of patients showed clinical improvements that correlated best with MTI parameters, allowing individualized monitoring of myelination recovery. Presymptomatic therapy seems to ensure normal development and warrants newborn screening. Furthermore, the quantitative parameters of myelin‐sensitive MRI for therapy assessments can now be used for hypomyelination disorders in general.
A Convolutional Neural Network Model for Distinguishing Hemangioblastomas From Other Cerebellar‐and‐Brainstem Tumors Using Contrast‐Enhanced MRI
Authors: Sheng Yaru , Zhao Botao , Cheng Haixia , Yu Yang , Wang Weiwei , Yang Yang , Ding Yueyue , Qiu Longhua , Qin Zhiyong , Yao Zhenwei , Zhang Xiaoyong , Ren Yan 
Published: January 2024

BackgroundHemangioblastoma (HB) is a highly vascularized tumor most commonly occurring in the posterior cranial fossa, requiring accurate preoperative diagnosis to avoid accidental intraoperative hemorrhage and even death.PurposeTo accurately distinguish HBs from other cerebellar‐and‐brainstem tumors using a convolutional neural network model based on a contrast‐enhanced brain MRI dataset.Study TypeRetrospective.PopulationFour hundred five patients (182 = HBs; 223 = other cerebellar‐and brainstem tumors): 305 cases for model training, and 100 for evaluation.Field Strength/Sequence3 T/contrast‐enhanced T1‐weighted imaging (T1WI + C).AssessmentA CNN‐based 2D classification network was trained by using sliced data along the z‐axis. To improve the performance of the network, we introduced demographic information, various data‐augmentation methods and an auxiliary task to segment tumor region. Then, this method was compared with the evaluations performed by experienced and intermediate‐level neuroradiologists, and the heatmap of deep feature, which indicates the contribution of each pixel to model prediction, was visualized by Grad‐CAM for analyzing the misclassified cases.Statistical TestsThe Pearson chi‐square test and an independent t‐test were used to test for distribution difference in age and sex. And the independent t‐test was exploited to evaluate the performance between experts and our proposed method. P value <0.05 was considered significant.ResultsThe trained network showed a higher accuracy for identifying HBs (accuracy = 0.902 ± 0.031, F1 = 0.891 ± 0.035, AUC = 0.926 ± 0.040) than experienced (accuracy = 0.887 ± 0.013, F1 = 0.868 ± 0.011, AUC = 0.881 ± 0.008) and intermediate‐level (accuracy = 0.827 ± 0.037, F1 = 0.768 ± 0.068, AUC = 0.810 ± 0.047) neuroradiologists. The recall values were 0.910 ± 0.050, 0.659 ± 0.084, and 0.828 ± 0.019 for the trained network, intermediate and experienced neuroradiologists, respectively. Additional ablation experiments verified the utility of the introduced demographic information, data augmentation, and the auxiliary‐segmentation task.Data ConclusionOur proposed method can successfully distinguish HBs from other cerebellar‐and‐brainstem tumors and showed diagnostic efficiency comparable to that of experienced neuroradiologists.Evidence Level3Technical EfficacyStage 2