bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Extensive Frontal Focused Ultrasound-Mediated Blood-Brain Barrier Opening for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease: An Open-Label Prospective Study
Authors: Chang Kyung Won , Kang Sungwoo , Jeon Seun , Ye Byoung Seok , Chang Jin Woo 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Background: Focused ultrasound (FUS)-mediated blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening is safe and potentially beneficial in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) for the removal of amyloid plaques and behavioral improvement. We aimed to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and potential benefits of repeated extensive BBB opening.
Methods: In this open-label prospective study, six patients with AD were enrolled at the Severance Hospital in Korea from July 2022 to July 2023. FUS-mediated BBB opening was performed three times at 2-month intervals targeting the bilateral frontal lobe regions (Average 43.1 cm3). We performed 18F-florbetaben (FBB) positron emission tomography within 4 weeks before the first procedure and within 2 weeks after the third procedure. We calculated the FBB standardized uptake value ratios (SUVRs).
Results: All patients completed the study without any acute treatment-related adverse events. Global FBB-SUVR decreased in four patients (amyloid-decrease group) and increased in two patients (amyloid-increase group) after BBB opening, compared with baseline. Compared with the amyloid-decrease group, the amyloid-increase group demonstrated a higher clinical dementia rating sum of boxes but a lower global FBB-SUVR at baseline. The amyloid-increase group demonstrated higher pretrial variability in the mini-mental status examination than the amyloid-decrease group.
Conclusions: Repeated and extensive BBB opening in the frontal lobe is safe and feasible for patients with AD. However, meticulous exclusion is required for patients with cognitive fluctuations and less prominent amyloid accumulation, which could be attributed to concomitant Lewy body pathology.
Research on Evaluation of Wuhan Air Pollution Emission Level Based on Entropy weight Method
Authors: Wang Na , Zhang Yaxin 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Along with the increasing development of society and economy, it is becoming more and more important to keep the balance for environment and development. In this context, air pollution control has become a key factor affecting economic and social development. Taking Wuhan’s air pollution situation as a sample and using the entropy method, this paper constructs an evaluation model of air pollution emission level, and evaluates the air pollution emission level of Wuhan. We can find that the total emissions of air pollution for Wuhan shows a gradual upward trend over time, which not only brings about economic growth, but also brings about the increasing emission of air pollution. And the air pollution in Wuhan mainly comes from industrial pollution. Meanwhile, among the weights of air pollution emission indicators, sulfur dioxide emission indicators and industrial sulfur dioxide emission indicators account for a large weight. It can be seen that although the overall pollutant emission level of Wuhan shows a downward trend, while paying attention to economic growth, we need to pay more attention to emission reduction and fossil energy consumption. Therefore, the government can reduce air pollution by focusing on detecting major polluting industries, promoting industrial technological progress and innovation, and strengthening the effective implementation of emission trading system.
Climate change diverts atmospheric rivers toward densely populated Asia
Authors: Liang Ju , Collins Matthew , Pan Zhihua , Wang Jing , Pan Xuebiao , Huang Binxiang , Long Buju , He Qijin , Dong Wanlin 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
The recent and unprecedented flood events in the populated regions of Asia have raised concerns about how atmospheric rivers (ARs), an important agent of extreme precipitation over the region, will change under global warming. An ensemble of high-resolution general circulation models projects that ARs and their associated precipitation penetrate Asia further in the next three decades. ARs are thermodynamically enhanced at mid-latitudes and dynamically inhibited at low latitudes, which induce more frequent ARs and their associated extreme precipitation across the subtropics and midlatitudes of South Asia and East Asia. In these regions, the population exposure to AR-associated extreme precipitation is projected to increase significantly and be amplified by the increased population density, particularly in the urban areas of northern China, northern India and Bangladesh (by 24–59%). Hence, promoting preparedness for adapting to changes in AR-related hydrological environments is crucial for these regions in the next few decades.
Impact of microwave vacuum drying on quality of Liang (Gnetum gnemon var. tenerum) leaves powder
Authors: Anisong Nata , Siripongvutikorn Sunisa , Wichienchot Santad , Puttarak Panupong 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Microwave vacuum drying is gaining popularity to maintain more active compounds compared with conventional drying. Liang (Gnetum gnemon var. tenerum) is a native plant with high consumer preference in Thailand. However, scientific information on the tenerum variety is not well documented. This study analyzed the effect of microwave vacuum drying on the quality of Liang leaves powder. Results showed that microwave vacuum drying at 50–60°C 3600 W for 12 min (G1) preserved better green color and maintained moisture content (%) and water activity (aw). G1 gave less moisture content and aw as 5.83 ± 0.07 and 0.42 ± 0.00, respectively compared to G2 which used lower temperature and longer drying time at 40–50°C, 2400 W for 15 min. Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus were not detected in either sample but pathogenic bacteria such as Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, and Coliforms were reported. The nutritional value of 100 g of powdered Liang leaves provided energy of 348–360 Kcal. G1 contained 25.5 g of protein with high and complete essential amino acids plus branched-chain amino acids and more carotenoids as β-carotenes (3,920 µg/100 g), with total dietary soluble and insoluble fiber 40.7 g/100 g. Consumers generally preferred the commercial green tea matcha drink rather than the Liang leaves drink, which had a strong unfamiliar smell and odor. Nevertheless, Liang leaves exhibited high potential as an ingredient to promote health benefits.
Joint optimization of UAV communication connectivity and obstacle avoidance in urban environments using a double-map approach
Authors: ZHONG Weizhi , Wang Xin , LIU Xiang , LIN Zhipeng , Ali Farman 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Cellular-connected unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which have the potential to extend cellular services from the ground into the airspace, represent a promising technological advancement. However, the presence of communication coverage black holes among base stations (BS) and various obstacles within the aerial domain pose significant challenges to ensuring the safe operation of UAVs. This paper introduces a novel trajectory planning scheme, namely the double-map assisted UAV(DMAU) approach, which leverages deep reinforcement learning (DRL) to address these challenges. The mission execution time, wireless connectivity, and obstacle avoidance are comprehensively modeled and analyzed in this approach, leading to the derivation of a novel joint optimization function. By utilizing an advanced technique known as dueling double deep Q network (D3QN), the objective function is optimized, while employing a mechanism of prioritized experience replay (PER) strengthens the training of effective samples. Furthermore, the connectivity and obstacle information collected by the UAV during flight are utilized to generate a map of radio and environmental data for simulating the flying process, thereby significantly reducing operational costs. The numerical results demonstrate that the proposed method effectively circumvents obstacles and areas with weak connections during flight, while also considering mission completion time.
Active Surveillance of Cytomegalovirus Infection, Pneumocystis Pneumonia, and Pulmonary Aspergillosis in Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19
Authors: Kim Jeong Soo , Lee Dong Yeop , Lee Se JU , Baek Ji Hyeon , Lee Jin-Soo , Kim Ah Jin , Cha Hyung geun , Kang Dong Yoon , Im Jae Hyoung 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

Diagnosing opportunistic infections is important in critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); however, incidence and risk determination are challenging because biopsy is difficult. Therefore, this study comprehensively analyzed the risk factors using active surveillance data. Active surveillance included weekly serum cytomegalovirus, sputum Pneumocystis jirovecii, and galactomannan test testing. The incidence and risk of Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) and COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) were determined from clinical features. Among 210 patients who underwent active surveillance, serum cytomegalovirus, sputum pneumocystis, and galactomannan antigens were detected at least once in 29.0%, 7.6%, and 59.0% of patients, respectively, with first detection at medians of weeks 3 (interquartile range [IQR] 1–4), 0 (0–0.25), and 0 (0–1), respectively. PCP and CAPA occurred in 1.4% and 14.3% of patients, respectively, with diagnoses at medians of weeks 0 (0–0.5), and 2 (1–3) weeks. Treatment for CMV was started at a median of 4 (3–5) weeks. High-dose steroids were risk factors for cytomegalovirus viremia and CAPA. Cytomegalovirus viremia tended to develop and be diagnosed later than CAPA. Compared to CAPA, the incidence of Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PJP) was low in critically ill patients with COVID-19.
Kataegis in clinical and molecular subgroups of primary breast cancer
Authors: Staaf Johan , Veerla Srinivas 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

Background
Kataegis is a hypermutation phenomenon characterized by localized clusters of single base pair substitution (SBS) reported in multiple cancer types. Despite a high frequency in breast cancer, large scale analyses of kataegis patterns and associations with clinicopathological and molecular variables in established breast cancer subgroups are lacking.

Methods
WGS profiled primary breast cancers (n=791) with associated clinical and molecular data layers like RNA-sequencing data were analyzed. Kataegis frequency, recurrence, and associations with genomic contexts and functional elements, transcriptional patterns, driver alterations, homologous recombination deficiency (HRD), and prognosis were investigated in tumor subgroups defined by ER, PR, and HER2/ERBB2 status.

Results
Kataegis frequency was highest in the HER2-positive(p) subgroups, including both ER-negative(n)/positive(p) tumors (ERnHER2p/ERpHER2p). In TNBC, kataegis was neither associated with PAM50 nor TNBC mRNA subtypes, nor with distant relapse in chemotherapy treated patients. In ERpHER2n tumors, kataegis was associated with aggressive characteristics including PR-negativity, molecular Luminal B subtype, higher mutational burden, higher grade, and expression of proliferation-associated genes. Recurrent kataegis loci frequently targeted regions commonly amplified in ER-positive tumors, while few recurrent loci were observed in TNBC. SBSs in kataegis loci appeared enriched in regions of open chromatin. Kataegis status was not associated with HRD in any subgroup, or with distinct transcriptional patterns in unsupervised or supervised analysis.

Conclusions
Kataegis is a common hypermutation phenomenon in established breast cancer subgroups, particularly in HER2p subgroups, coinciding with an aggressive tumor phenotype in ERpHER2n disease. In TNBC, the molecular implications and associations of kataegis are less clear, including its prognostic value.
Machine learning-based model used for predicting Portal vein thrombosis risk for patients with cirrhosis
Authors: Meng Peipei , Zhou Yang , Liu Xiaoli , Wu Tong , Yu Hao , Ji Xiaomin , Hou Yixin 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

We aimed to assess the risk of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis (HBC) using artificial neural networks (ANN). PVT can exacerbate portal hypertension and lead to complications, increasing the risk of mortality. Unfortunately, accurate prediction models for PVT in hepatitis B cirrhosis patients are currently insufficient. To address this gap, we conducted a study at Beijing Ditan Hospital, affiliated with Capital Medical University, involving 986 hospitalized patients. The patients were randomly divided into a training set (685 cases) and a validation set (301 cases) using a 3:1 ratio. Through univariate analysis, we determined independent factors that influence the occurrence of PVT, which were then utilized to develop an ANN model. The performance of the ANN model was assessed using various indicators, such as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and concordance index (C-index). In the training group, PVT developed within three years in 19.0% of patients, and within five years in 23.7% of patients. Similarly, in the validation group, PVT developed within three years in 16.7% of patients, and within five years in 24.0% of patients. The ANN model incorporated nine independent risk factors, including age, presence of ascites, manifestation of hepatic encephalopathy (HE), occurrence of gastrointestinal varices with bleeding, Child-Pugh classification, alanine transaminase (ALT) levels, albumin (ALB) levels, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet count (PLT). Importantly, the AUC of the ANN model was significantly higher at 0.9718 compared to existing models such as MELD and CTP (all p<0.001). Our ANN model effectively classified patients into high ,medium, and low risk groups for PVT development over a span of 3 and 5 years. These findings were further validated in an independent cohort.
Platelet ADP receptor (P2RY1) polymorphism and the risk of inadequate platelet response to aspirin: Study in patients with ischemic stroke
Authors: Christopher Rita , Sundaravadivel Pandarisamy , Chandra Sadanandavalli Retnaswami , Ramakrishnan Subasree 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
An estimated 5–60% of patients experience inadequate antiplatelet effects after taking aspirin. We investigated the gene variants that might determine the outcome of the aspirin response in stroke patients. A total of 293 ischemic stroke patients who were taking 150 mg of aspirin for more than 7 days, were enrolled and only 230 patients with serum salicylate levels > 30 µg/mL were included. Variants in COX1 (rs1236913 C > T), COX2 (rs20417 G > C), GpIIb/IIIa (rs5981 T > C), P2RY1 (rs701265 A > G & rs1371097 C > T), PEAR1 (rs2768759 C > A), ITGB3 (rs2317676 A > G) and UGT1A6 (rs1105879 A > G & rs2070959 A > C) were genotyped. Platelet aggregation tests were carried out by light transmittance aggregometry using adenosine-di-phosphate and arachidonic acid as agonists. The ‘T’ allele of P2RY1 (rs1371097 C > T) polymorphism was significantly associated with inadequate platelet response as measured by platelet aggregometry (OR, 95%, 1.71, 1.122–2.61; p = 0.0131). Presence of a single copy of the ‘T’ allele in P2RY1 (rs1371097 C > T) increased the risk of inadequate response by 3.46 times (adjusted OR (95%), 3.46 (0.043); p = 0.043).
Ce6-modified Fe Ions-doped Carbon Dots as Multifunctional Nanoplatform for Ferroptosis and Photodynamic Synergistic Therapy of Melanoma
Authors: Li Haiqiu , Dou Yichen , Yang Hang , Xing Hanlin , Zhu Cheng , Wang Tao , Xuan Zhaopeng , Yang Mingxi 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Background
Despite the higher sensitivity of melanoma towards ferroptosis and photodynamic therapy (PDT), the lack of efficient ferroptosis inducers and the poor solubility of photosensitizers restrict their synergistic strategies. With unique advantages, carbon dots (CDs) are expected to serve as innovative building blocks for combination therapy of cancers.
Results
Herein, an ferroptosis/PDT integrated nanoplatform for melanoma therapy is constructed based on chlorin e6-modified Fe ions-doped carbon dots (Fe-CDs@Ce6). As an novel type of iron-carbon hybrid nanoparticles, the as-prepared Fe-CDs can selectively activate ferroptosis, prevent angiogenesis and inhibit the migration of mouse skin melanoma cells (B16), but have no toxicity to normal cells. The nano-conjugated structures facilitate not only the aqueous dispersibility of Ce6, but also the self-accumulation ability of Fe-CDs@Ce6 within melanoma area without requiring extra targets. Moreover, the therapeutic effects of Fe-CDs@Ce6 are synergistically enhanced due to the increased GSH depletion by PDT and the elevated singlet oxygen (1O2) production efficiency by Fe-CDs. When combined with laser irradiation, the tumor growth can be significantly suppressed by Fe-CDs@Ce6 through cyclic administration. The T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) capability of Fe-CDs@Ce6 also reveals their potentials for cancer diagnosis and navigation therapy.
Conclusions
Our findings indicate the multifunctionality of Fe-CDs@Ce6 in effectively combining ferroptosis/PDT therapy, tumor targeting and MRI imaging, which enables Fe-CDs@Ce6 to become promising biocompatible nanoplatform for the treatment of melanoma.
Modeling of axisymmetric ultrasonic waves reflected from circumferential cracks in a pipe based on a rigorous analytical theory and implementation on distributed devices
Authors: Huan Huiting , Liu Lixian , Liu Jianpeng , Huang Liping , Peng Cuiling , Wang Hao , Mandelis Andreas 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

Inspection of defects in pipelines can be materialized by measuring ultrasonic guided waves the properties of which are conventionally analyzed with complicated finite-element methods (FEM). They require complete geometric discretization and result in large memory consumption in a single analysis, thus are clumsy and inapplicable on distributional devices. This work developed a comprehensive analytical modality to perform rapid assessment of reflection for guided waves in a pipe and used low-cost microprocessors. The mechanism of crack reflection was modeled with the reciprocity theorem and novel rigid-ring dynamic approximation. The analytical approach successfully estimated the coefficient dependence of crack depth with an accuracy comparable to that from FEM. The reflection coefficient dependence of the crack-depth was estimated correctly with up to 0.037 error. The developed algorithm was further implemented on an embedded device for calculation estimation. It shows the complete analytical theory sufficiently reduces computational complexity by orders of magnitude while retaining good accuracy for in-situ pipeline management.
Life cycle assessment of artisanal small-scale kaolin mining and its associated health implications among miners
Authors: Memon Muhammad Burhan , Yang Zheng , Tao Ming , Wu Xingyu 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is regarded as a means to enhance and uplift living standards in rural areas, often serving as the primary livelihood for local communities, however, the environmental burden associated with ASM cannot be ignored. Compared to other minerals, studies emphasizing the environmental and health impacts of kaolin mining and its beneficiation are limited. This research employed the life cycle assessment (LCA) tool to evaluate the environmental consequences and health problems associated with artisanal and small-scale kaolin mining (ASSKM) based on ReCipe 2016 Midpoint (H) and IPCC GWP 20a methods. Foreground data was collected from the mining site and the background data was accessed using the Ecoinvent v3 database. Standardized results showed a higher contribution of marine ecotoxicity, followed by human carcinogenic toxicity, freshwater ecotoxicity, and human non-carcinogenic toxicity. Contribution analysis revealed that electricity, diesel, and steel consumption contributed heavily among the above impact categories. Based on the sensitivity analysis results, the key measures to tackle environmental impacts involve improving kaolin beneficiation and mining operations. Among the health issues, musculoskeletal problems were recognized as the most affected problem encountered by miners followed by skin irritation and respiration problems however hearing loss and eye irritation showed lower scores. This study seeks the attention of stakeholders, environmentalists, policymakers, and licensing authorities, urging them to develop policies that promote environmentally sustainable practices in ASM within the region.
Percutaneous Lumbar Pedicle Screw Placement Using the Ideal Skin Entry Point and Novel C-Arm Fluoroscopy Technology: A Technical Note
Authors: Yang Baojia , He Jianrong , Zhang Ming , Zhou Zhou , Li Zhengliang 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to introduce an optimal skin entry point, determined via novel two-dimensional fluoroscopy-guided technology, with an intention to decrease screw placement and fluoroscopy times during the learning curve of percutaneous pedicle screw placement.
Methods:The radiologic background and principles of the novel C-arm fluoroscopy technology, as well as the methodology for determining the appropriate skin entry point using a self-designed body surface locator are described, as well as an evaluation study of the technique in patients. In the study, a total of 120 percutaneous lumbar pedicle screws were placed from L-3 to S-1 in adult patients. Postoperative fine-cut CT scans were acquired to evaluate the pedicle screw placement. The K-wire placement time and fluoroscopy count were recorded by the operating room staff.
Results: The presented technique has become the standard for percutaneous screw placement in the prone position in our department. Out of 120 guidewires and screws inserted in the evaluation study, there were no instances of new or worsening neurological symptoms or deficits, resulting in an overall clinical accuracy of 100%. The average implantation time for each guide wire was 3.64 minutes, and the average number of fluoroscopies per spinal level was 8.13.
Conclusions:The findings of this study suggest that selecting the optimal skin entry point can enhance the performance of this technique. Specifically, it can ensure more accurate and safe percutaneous lumbar pedicle screw placement, reduce the procedure and fluoroscopy times, and is feasible based on our clinical experience.