bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Results of the inoperable and operable with aortic valve endocarditis
Authors: Huang Jing-bin , Lu Chang-chao , Du Zhen-zong , Yang Jian-rong , Li Jun-jun 
Published: January 2024

ObjectivesTo evaluate the results of the inoperable and operable with aortic valve endocarditis, focus on risk factors, significance, and management of destruction of the aortic annulus in aortic valve endocarditis.MethodsThe retrospective study was completed to investigate patients with aortic valve endocarditis undergoing cardiac surgery between January 2006 and November 2022 at our hospital.Results512 patients were divided into group with destruction of the aortic annulus (n = 80) and without destruction of the aortic annulus (n = 432). There were 32 operative deaths (6.3%, 32/512). By univariate and multivariate analysis, destruction of the aortic annulus is found to be statistically significantly associated with in-hospital mortality (P &lt; 0.001), prolonged mechanical ventilation time (mechanical ventilation time &gt; 96 h, P = 0.018), early aortic paravalvular leak (P &lt; 0.001), and 1-year mortality following cardiac surgery (P &lt; 0.001), respectively.ConclusionsIn our study, destruction of the aortic annulus increases mortality and health care costs. Optimization of pre-, peri-, and postoperative factors can reduce mortality and morbidity in aortic valve endocarditis. Aortic root replacement could be recommended as the best practice choice for aortic valve endocarditis with periannular abscess and destruction of the aortic annulus.
Experimental study of the influence of saturation on the resistivity response of sandstone
Authors: He Xiaolang , Zheng Xinchao , Pu Zhiguo , Qin Wei , Duan Dongwei , Xie Peng , Zhang Qi 
Published: January 2024

Studying the changes in electrical resistivity of sandstones under various frequencies and saturation levels is important for addressing many geological problems through electrical prospecting. In this study, we investigated the effect of different frequencies (500 Hz–200 kHz) and saturation levels (0%–100%) on the resistivity of sandstone in the Ordos region. Our research indicates that when the saturation level is low (&lt;40%), the resistivity of the sandstone decreases rapidly. With the increase of saturation level, pore water gradually becomes another major factor affecting resistivity in addition to induced polarization effect. When the saturation level is high (&gt;80%), the resistivity tends to stabilize. Additionally, the resistivity of sandstone decreases with the increase of saturation. Furthermore, with an increase in frequency, the rate of reduction in resistivity gradually slows down, and the resistivity of sandstone decreases under the influence of saturation. This study provides a valuable reference for the practical application of sandstone resistivity in geological prospecting.
High-dimensional comparison of monocytes and T cells in post-COVID and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Bingham Grace C. , Muehling Lyndsey M. , Li Chaofan , Huang Yong , Ma Shwu-Fan , Abebayehu Daniel , Noth Imre , Sun Jie , Woodfolk Judith A. , Barker Thomas H. , Bonham Catherine A. 
Published: January 2024

IntroductionUp to 30% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients experience persistent sequelae, including pulmonary fibrosis (PF).MethodsWe examined COVID-19 survivors with impaired lung function and imaging worrisome for developing PF and found within six months, symptoms, restriction and PF improved in some (Early-Resolving COVID-PF), but persisted in others (Late-Resolving COVID-PF). To evaluate immune mechanisms associated with recovery versus persistent PF, we performed single-cell RNA-sequencing and multiplex immunostaining on peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with Early- and Late-Resolving COVID-PF and compared them to age-matched controls without respiratory disease.Results and discussionOur analysis showed circulating monocytes were significantly reduced in Late-Resolving COVID-PF patients compared to Early-Resolving COVID-PF and non-diseased controls. Monocyte abundance correlated with pulmonary function forced vital capacity and diffusion capacity. Differential expression analysis revealed MHC-II class molecules were upregulated on the CD8 T cells of Late-Resolving COVID-PF patients but downregulated in monocytes. To determine whether these immune signatures resembled other interstitial lung diseases, we analyzed samples from Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) patients. IPF patients had a similar marked decrease in monocyte HLA-DR protein expression compared to Late-Resolving COVID-PF patients. Our findings indicate decreased circulating monocytes are associated with decreased lung function and uniquely distinguish Late-Resolving COVID-PF from Early-Resolving COVID-PF, IPF, and non-diseased controls.
Inflammation and poverty as individual and combined predictors of 15-year mortality risk in middle aged and older adults in the US
Authors: Mainous Arch G. , Orlando Frank A. , Yin Lu , Sharma Pooja , Wu Velyn , Saguil Aaron 
Published: January 2024

BackgroundChronic systemic inflammation and poverty are both linked to an increased mortality risk. The goal of this study was to determine if there is a synergistic effect of the presence of inflammation and poverty on the 15-year risk of all-cause, heart disease and cancer mortality among US adults.MethodsWe analyzed the nationally representative National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999 to 2002 with linked records to the National Death Index through the date December 31, 2019. Among adults aged 40 and older, 15-year mortality risk associated with inflammation, C-reactive protein (CRP), and poverty was assessed in Cox regressions. All-cause, heart disease and cancer mortality were the outcomes.ResultsIndividuals with elevated CRP at 1.0 mg/dL and poverty were at greater risk of 15-year adjusted, all-cause mortality (HR = 2.45; 95% CI 1.64, 3.67) than individuals with low CRP and were above poverty. For individuals with just one at risk characteristic, low inflammation/poverty (HR = 1.58; 95% CI 1.30, 1.93), inflammation/above poverty (HR = 1.59; 95% CI 1.31, 1.93) the mortality risk was essentially the same and substantially lower than the risk for adults with both. Individuals with both elevated inflammation and living in poverty experience a 15-year heart disease mortality risk elevated by 127% and 15-year cancer mortality elevated by 196%.DiscussionThis study extends the past research showing an increased mortality risk for poverty and systemic inflammation to indicate that there is a potential synergistic effect for increased mortality risk when an adult has both increased inflammation and is living in poverty.
Measuring anxiety disorder in bipolar disorder using EVestG: broad impact of medication groups
Authors: Lithgow Brian J. , Moussavi Zahra 
Published: January 2024

ObjectivesAnxiety disorder is present in approximately half of all bipolar disorder (BD) patients. There are neurologic bases for the comorbidity of balance (vestibular) disorders and anxiety. Our objective is to use electrovestibulography (EVestG), which is predominantly a measure of vestibular neural activity to not only quantitatively detect and measure comorbid anxiety disorder but also to quantitatively measure the impacts of anti-depressant, anti-psychotic, and mood stabilizer medication groups on anxiety measures in BD patients.MethodsIn a population of 50 (24 with anxiety disorder) depressive phase BD patients, EVestG signals were measured. Participants were labeled depression-wise as anxious or non-anxious using standard questionnaires. Analyses were conducted on the whole dataset as well as on matched (age/gender/MADRS) and “modeled medication-free” subsets. Modulations of the low-frequency EVestG firing pattern data were measured.FindingsFor BD, the main anxious minus non-anxious difference was the presence of an increase in spectral power proximal to 8–9 Hz, which was best attenuated by mood stabilizers.NoveltyThis is the first study to use an oto-acoustic physiological measure to quantify anxiety disorder in BD wherein it appears to manifest as a peak proximal to 8–9 Hz which we hypothesize as likely linked to hippocampal theta.
Differentinating between non-transfusion dependant β-thalassemia and iron deficinecy anemia in children using ROC and logistic regression analysis: two novel discrimination indices designed for pediatric patients
Authors: Turudic Daniel , Vucak Jerko , Kocheva Svetlana , Milosevic Danko , Bilic Ernest 
Published: January 2024

IntroductionThis cross-sectional study enrolled a group of 271 children with microcytic anemia in order to test the performance of 41 single and 2 composite formulas andindices in distinguishing between β-thalassemia (β-thal) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in the pediatric population.MethodsOptimal pediatric cut-off values from the previously published formulas and indices were generated using ROC analysis. Logistic regression in R using generalized linear models (GLM) generated two new indices.ResultsFormulas and indices with optimal cut-offvalues in children with accuracy ≥90% were (in descending order): Matos &amp; Carvalho index, MDHL(Telmissani) formula, England and Fraser formula, Pornprasert index, Sirachainan index, Telmissani (MCHD) formula, CRUISE index, Hameed index, Sargolzaie formula and Zaghloul II index. The CroThalDD-LM1 index has an accuracy of 93.36% (AUC 0.986, 95% CI 0.975–0.997), while the second CroThalDD-LM2 index utilizes absolute reticulocyte count alongside CBC variables, with an accuracy of 96.77% (AUC 0.985, 95% CI 0.988–0.999).Discussion and conclusionWe recommend using aforementioned formulas and indices with corrected cut-off values and accuracy &gt;90% alongside two new proposed indices. A comparison of both native and these new indices is encouraged. These are the first discrimination indices generated and designed precisely for the pediatric population, which includes preschool children.
Mechanical power and normalized mechanical power in pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome
Authors: Shaikh Farhan A. R. , Ramaswamy Karthik N. , Chirla Dinesh K. , Venkataraman Shekhar T. , Kneyber Martin C. J. 
Published: January 2024

BackgroundMechanical power (MP) refers to the energy transmitted over time to the respiratory system and serves as a unifying determinant of ventilator-induced lung injury. MP normalization is required to account for developmental changes in children. We sought to examine the relationship between mechanical energy (MEBW), MP normalized to body weight (MPBW), and MP normalized to respiratory compliance (MPCRS) concerning the severity and outcomes of pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (pARDS).MethodIn this retrospective study, children aged 1 month to 18 years diagnosed with pARDS who underwent pressure-control ventilation for at least 24 h between January 2017 and September 2020 were enrolled. We calculated MP using Becher's equation. Multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, pediatric organ dysfunction score, and oxygenation index (OI) was performed to determine the independent association of MP and its derivatives 24 h after diagnosing pARDS with 28-day mortality. The association was also studied for 28 ventilator-free days (VFD-28) and the severity of pARDS in terms of OI.ResultsOut of 246 admitted with pARDS, 185 were eligible, with an overall mortality of 43.7%. Non-survivors exhibited higher severity of illness, as evidenced by higher values of MP, MPBW, and MEBW. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that only MEBW but not MP, MPBW, or MPCRS at 24 h was independently associated with mortality [adjusted OR: 1.072 (1.002–1.147), p = 0.044]. However, after adjusting for the type of pARDS, MEBW was not independently associated with mortality [adjusted OR: 1.061 (0.992–1.136), p = 0.085]. After adjusting for malnutrition, only MP at 24 h was found to be independently associated. Only MPCRS at 1–4 and 24 h but not MP, MPBW, or MEBW at 24 h of diagnosing pARDS was significantly correlated with VFD-28.ConclusionsNormalization of MP is better related to outcomes and severity of pARDS than non-normalized MP. Malnutrition can be a significant confounding factor in resource-limited settings.
Biosafety and potency of high-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid with intratympanic dexamethasone delivery for acute hearing loss
Authors: Hwang Yu-Jung , Oh Seung Ha , Lee Jun Ho , Park Moo Kyun , Suh Myung-Whan 
Published: January 2024

Objective: This study evaluated the potential of high-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid (HHA) as an intratympanic (IT) drug delivery vehicle for dexamethasone (D) in treating acute hearing loss. We compared the efficacy, safety, and residence time of HHA to the standard-of-care IT drug delivery method.Methods: Endoscopic examinations were used to track tympanic membrane (TM) healing post-IT injection. Micro-computed tomography (CT) was used to gauge drug/vehicle persistence in the bulla air space. Histological analyses covered the middle ear, TM, and hair cell counts. Auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were used to measure hearing thresholds, while high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was employed to quantify cochlear perilymph dexamethasone concentrations.Results: The HHA + D group had a notably prolonged drug/vehicle residence time in the bulla (41 ± 27 days) compared to the saline + D group (1.1 ± 0.3 days). Complete TM healing occurred without adverse effects. Histology revealed no significant intergroup differences or adverse outcomes. Hearing recovery trends favored the HHA + D group, with 85.0% of ears showing clinically meaningful improvement. D concentrations in cochlear perilymph were roughly double in the HHA group.Conclusion: HHA is a promising vehicle for IT drug delivery in treating acute hearing loss. It ensures extended residence time, augmented drug concentrations in targeted tissues, and safety. These results highlight the potential for HHA + D to excel beyond existing standard-of-care treatments for acute hearing loss.
Efficacy and safety of aniseed powder for treating gastrointestinal symptoms of COVID-19: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Mosaffa-Jahromi Maryam , Molavi Vardanjani Hossein , Fuzimoto Andrea , Hunter Jennifer , Lankarani Kamran Bagheri , Pasalar Mehdi 
Published: January 2024

Background: Gastrointestinal symptoms are prevalent amongst patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 and may be associated with an increased risk of disease severity. This trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of aniseed (Pimpinella anisum L.) powder as an add-on therapy to standard care for treating gastrointestinal symptoms experienced by adults with an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection.Methods: The study was a randomized parallel-group double-blinded placebo-controlled add-on therapy trial. Adults with an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection who did not require hospitalization and reported at least one gastrointestinal symptom in the preceding 48 h were assigned to either the aniseed or placebo group in a 1:4 ratio. All 225 participants (45 in the aniseed group and 180 in the placebo group) were instructed to use 25 g of powdered aniseed or placebo twice daily for 2 weeks. The primary outcomes were the proportion of patients who experienced an improvement of at least one point in the symptom score after adjusting for age group, gender, and time. Backwards stepwise logistic regression was applied to calculate the risk ratios. The clinical symptoms and adverse events were assessed at the beginning, 1 week later, and at the end of the trial (week two).Results: Participants in the aniseed group were significantly more likely to report symptom improvement for abdominal pain [adjusted risk ratio (RR):0.55; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.46–0.72], anorexia (RR:0.62; 95% CI: 0.47–0.82), and diarrhea (RR:0.19; 95% CI: 0.12–0.30), but not nausea/vomiting (RR:0.87; 95% CI: 0.71–1.08) or bloating (RR:0.87; 95% CI: 0.72–1.05). Two participants in the aniseed group and three participants in the placebo group reported mild to moderate adverse events.Conclusion: This study showed that 2 weeks of aniseed powder containing trans-anethole (87%–94%) may help improve abdominal pain, anorexia, and diarrhea in COVID-19 patients. The findings align with the known biological, multitargeted activity of P. anisum and trans-anethole, which includes inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 along with other anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, and anti-dysbiosis properties. Multicenter trials with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up are warranted to confirm these findings.Clinical Trial Registration: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT20120506009651N3).
Effect of dry dynamic apnea on aerobic power in elite rugby athletes: a warm-up method
Authors: Wendi Wang , Dongzhe Wu , Hao Wang , Yongjin Shi , Xiaolin Gao 
Published: January 2024

Objective: While long-term dynamic breath-holding training has been extensively studied to enhance cardiopulmonary function in athletes, limited research has explored the impact of a single breath-holding session on subsequent athletic capacity. In addition, Dry Dynamic Apnea (DA) has a more immediate physiological response than wet and static breath-holding. This study aims to assess the immediate effects of a single session of DA on the aerobic power and hematological parameters of elite athletes.Methods: Seventeen elite male rugby athletes (average age 23.5 ± 1.8) participated in this study. Two warm-up protocols were employed prior to incremental exercise: a standard warm-up (10 min of no-load pedaling) and a DA warm-up (10 min of no-load pedaling accompanied by six maximum capacity breath holds, with 30 s between each breath hold). Fingertip blood indicators were measured before and after warm-up. The incremental exercise test assessed aerobic parameters with self-regulation applied throughout the study.Results: Compared to the baseline warm-up, the DA warm-up resulted in a significant increase in VO2peak from 3.14 to 3.38 L/min (7.64% change, p &lt; 0.05). HRmax increased from 170 to 183 bpm (7.34% change, p &lt; 0.05), and HRpeak increased from 169 to 182 bpm (7.52% change, p &lt; 0.05). Hematocrit and hemoglobin showed differential changes between the two warm-up methods (PHematocrit = 0.674; Phemoglobin = 0.707).Conclusion: This study investigates how DA influences physiological factors such as spleen contraction, oxygen uptake, and sympathetic nerve activation compared to traditional warm-up methods. Immediate improvements in aerobic power suggest reduced vagus nerve stimulation, heightened sympathetic activity, and alterations in respiratory metabolism induced by the voluntarily hypoxia-triggered warm-up. Further research is warranted to comprehensively understand these physiological responses and optimize warm-up strategies for elite athletic performance.
Melanoma skin cancer detection using mask-RCNN with modified GRU model
Authors: Monica K. M. , Shreeharsha J. , Falkowski-Gilski Przemysław , Falkowska-Gilska Bozena , Awasthy Mohan , Phadke Rekha 
Published: January 2024

Introduction: Melanoma Skin Cancer (MSC) is a type of cancer in the human body; therefore, early disease diagnosis is essential for reducing the mortality rate. However, dermoscopic image analysis poses challenges due to factors such as color illumination, light reflections, and the varying sizes and shapes of lesions. To overcome these challenges, an automated framework is proposed in this manuscript.Methods: Initially, dermoscopic images are acquired from two online benchmark datasets: International Skin Imaging Collaboration (ISIC) 2020 and Human against Machine (HAM) 10000. Subsequently, a normalization technique is employed on the dermoscopic images to decrease noise impact, outliers, and variations in the pixels. Furthermore, cancerous regions in the pre-processed images are segmented utilizing the mask-faster Region based Convolutional Neural Network (RCNN) model. The mask-RCNN model offers precise pixellevel segmentation by accurately delineating object boundaries. From the partitioned cancerous regions, discriminative feature vectors are extracted by applying three pre-trained CNN models, namely ResNeXt101, Xception, and InceptionV3. These feature vectors are passed into the modified Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) model for MSC classification. In the modified GRU model, a swish-Rectified Linear Unit (ReLU) activation function is incorporated that efficiently stabilizes the learning process with better convergence rate during training.Results and discussion: The empirical investigation demonstrate that the modified GRU model attained an accuracy of 99.95% and 99.98% on the ISIC 2020 and HAM 10000 datasets, where the obtained results surpass the conventional detection models.
Clinical effects and biological mechanisms of exercise on lumbar disc herniation
Authors: Wang Ziwen , Liu Xindai , Gao Ke , Tuo Haowen , Zhang Xinxin , Liu Weiguo 
Published: January 2024

Lumbar Disc Herniation (LDH) is a syndrome in which lumbar disc degeneration, rupture of the annulus fibrosus, and herniation of the nucleus pulposus irritate and compress the nerve roots and cauda equina, resulting in the main manifestations of lumbar pain and/or lower extremity pain. There is evidence in various clinical areas that exercise is effective in treating LDH, and exercise intervention for more than 2 weeks reduces disease activity in LDH. However, the mechanism of exercise’s action in reducing disease activity in LDH is unclear. In this article, we first summarize and highlight the effectiveness of exercise in treating LDH and provide guideline recommendations regarding exercise type, intensity, frequency, and duration. Then, we integrate the existing evidence and propose biological mechanisms for the potential effects of exercise on neuromechanical compression, inflammatory chemical stimuli, and autoimmune responses from the perspective of LDH pathogenesis as an entry point. However, a large body of evidence was obtained from non-LDH populations. Future research needs to investigate further the proposed biological mechanisms of exercise in reducing disease activity in LDH populations. This knowledge will contribute to the basic science and strengthen the scientific basis for prescribing exercise therapy for the routine clinical treatment of LDH.