bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comorbid pathology in children with rare eye diseases
Authors: Kuzmin N. D. , Ustinova N. V. , Pozdeeva N. A. , Rascheskov A. Yu. , Zimnurov I. Sh. , Akhmetshina D. I. , Valitova A. D. , Galiev I. I. 
Published: July 2023

Introduction. It is often very difficult to single out the leading type of a disorder in children, especially with impaired or underdeveloped vision. There is a risk to overlook other types of health restrictions in boarding schools for blind and tender-eyed children. The need to solve the problem of comprehensive support for persons with disabilities is conditioned by the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.Purpose. To analyze the comorbidity of congenital visual impairment and rare eye diseases with multiorgan pathology in school-age children.Material and methods. 101 children of a boarding school for children with disabilities (blind and visual impairment) were examined during January–May 2020. Analysis of medical documentation was conducted. Examination by an ophthalmologist: biomicroscopy of the eyeball using a slit lamp; refraction was studied by autorefractometry and visual acuity. All studies were conducted with the informed consent of parents. For statistical processing, the following applications were used: for database creation – spreadsheet editor “Microsoft Excel” and for processing – software package “Statistica” (ver. 6.1). The condition for determining statistically significant differences was taken a value p < 0.05.Results. The study revealed the high prevalence of the comorbid pathology in children with visual impairments: diseases of the cardiovascular system (12.87%), mental disorders (34.65%) and neurological pathology (57.43%). Special ophthalmological examination showed the significant proportion (88%) of the other ophthalmological pathology detected for the first time in children with rare eye diseases.Conclusions. The comprehensive approach to in-depth diagnosis of combined visual pathology, comorbid disorders of the cardiovascular system, neurological and mental health is necessary for children with RED.
The effect of contact correction on the state of accommodation in patients with keratoconus
Authors: Averich V. V. , Abugova T. D. , Aslamazova A. E. 
Published: July 2023

Introduction. Keratoconus (KC) is a disease belonging to the group of primary keratectasias, characterized by pronounced irregularity of corneal topography and accompanied by irregular astigmatism, myopic refraction and higher order aberrations. It is established that accommodation in cases of ametropia is strongly influenced by the wave front of eye, but the influence of aberrations on ciliary muscle work in KC remains unstudied. The aim was to study the correlation of accommodation in KC with the ectasia-induced aberrations before and after optical correction with scleral rigid contact lenses (SRCL).Materials and methods. Thirty people (60 eyes) with newly diagnosed bilateral KC, were included in the study: 26 eyes – stage I, 29 eyes – stage II, 5 eyes – stage III. Mean age of the patients was 26,2 ± 4,3 years. The clinical recruitment period was from January to September 2022. All patients were additionally evaluated for keratometric and aberration parameters of the cornea using a Scheimpflug camera besides a standard ophthalmological examination. Objective evaluation of accommodation was performed on the Righton Speedy-I device with determination of qualitative and quantitative indices. All investigations were performed before and after one month of wearing individual SRCL.Results. According to the data of objective accomodography a state of spasmodic accommodation asthenopia was observed in 71% of cases before started wearing pressure lenses. There was a tendency to improvement of ciliary muscle function and a “stepped” course of the accommodative curve while wearing SRCL a month later. High values of corneal aberrations decreased by 4.5 times in the course of SRCL. Correlation analysis revealed a significant trend between the state of accommodation and the corneal wavefront.Conclusion. Objective examination of the accommodation state in KC proves the signs presence of accommodative asthenopia mediated by irregular astigmatism. The revealed correlations between the indices of induced KC aberrations and accommodation state confirm the fact of ectasia negative influence on ciliary muscle work. It was proved that optical correction with SRCL in KC reduces corneal aberrations and significantly improves the state of accommodation.
Human planting strategies and its relation to climate change during ∼4,800–3,900 BP in the mid-lower Hulu River Valley, northwest China
Authors: Wei Wenyu , Ma Minmin , Chen Guoke , Dong Jiajia , Wu Zekun , Li Haiming , Li Xiaobin 
Published: July 2023

The response of agricultural societies to global climate events during the Neolithic (e.g., 4.2 ka event) is a scientific issue of general interest. In the mid-lower Hulu River Valley of northwest China, millet cultivation became the primary subsistence during the late Neolithic. Local paleoclimate studies have detected a notable decline in temperature and precipitation around 4,400 BP (Before Present), while the Qijia culture (4,200–3,600 BP) sites far outnumber those of the Lower Changshan culture (4,800–4,400 BP) in the area. Why the intensity of millet farming groups increased when climate was relatively cold and dry, however, has not been well understood. To explore the issue, we performed archaeobotanical analysis, grain size measurement, stable isotope analysis and radiocarbon dating in the excavated sites of the Zhongtianxingfucheng (ZTXFC) and Wangjiayangwan (WJYW), which were dated to between ∼4,800–4,400 BP and ∼4,200–3,900 BP, respectively. Our results demonstrate the overall declines in the proportion, grain sizes and carbon isotope values of millets from the WJYW site compared to ZTXFC. The nitrogen isotopes of millets from the two sites are similar [foxtail millet: 6.8‰ ± 1.9‰ (ZTXFC), 7.5‰ ± 1.5‰ (WJYW); broomcorn millet: 7.3‰ ± 2.0‰ (ZTXFC), 7.5‰ ± 1.2‰ (WJYW)]. These results suggest that the degree of field management during ∼4,200–3,900 BP was lower than ∼4,800–4,400 BP in the mid-lower Hulu River Valley. Instead of improving cultivation management or altering cropping patterns, Qijia millet farmers might have adopted a strategy of expanding cultivated lands to promote the social development under a relatively cold-dry climate.
Genetically predicted ankylosing spondylitis is causally associated with psoriasis
Authors: Tian Di , Zhou Yuan , Chen Yuting , Wu Ye , Wang Heng , Jie Chunchun , Yang Yan , Liu Yaoyao , Wang Haoyu , Zhou Dian 
Published: July 2023

BackgroundPrevious observational studies have reported the striking association between ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriasis, but the causal relationship between the two diseases remains unclear.MethodsTwo-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis with methods of inverse-variance weighted, MR-Egger regression, weighted median, and weighted mode was conducted to evaluate the bidirectional causal associations between AS and psoriasis. Effective single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were selected as instrumental variables (IVs). Sensitivity analyses were also applied to verify whether heterogeneity and pleiotropy can bias the results.ResultWe found positive causal effects of genetically increased AS risk on psoriasis (IVW: OR = 1.009, 95% CI = 1.005–1.012, p = 8.07E-07). Comparable outcomes were acquired by MR-Egger regression, weighted median, and weighted mode approaches. Nevertheless, we did not find significant causal effects of psoriasis on AS (IVW: OR = 1.183, 95% CI = 0.137–10.199, p = 0.879). The sensitivity analyses showed that the horizontal pleiotropy was unlikely to skew the causality. The leave-one-out analysis demonstrated that no single SNP can drive the MR estimates. No evidence of heterogeneity was found between the selected IVs.ConclusionOur findings provide evidence that AS has positive causal effects on the risk of psoriasis in the European population.
A new method for oral cancer biomarkers detection with a non-invasive cyto-salivary sampling and rapid-highly sensitive ELISA immunoassay: a pilot study in humans
Authors: Rebaudi Federico , De Rosa Alfredo , Greppi Marco , Pistilli Roberto , Pucci Resi , Govoni Flavio Andrea , Iacoviello Paolo , Broccolo Francesco , Tomasello Giuseppe , Pesce Silvia , Laganà Francesco , Bianchi Bernardo , Di Gaudio Francesca , Rebaudi Alberto , Marcenaro Emanuela 
Published: July 2023

IntroductionOral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) accounts for approximately 90% of oral malignancies and has a 5-year mortality rate close to 50%. A consistent part (70%) of all oral cancers is diagnosed at an advanced stage since available screening techniques are ineffective. Therefore, it would be urgent to improve them. The diagnostic gold standard is tissue biopsy with histological and immunohistochemical assessment. This method presents some limitations. Biopsy is invasive and the histopathological evaluation is semi-quantitative, and the absolute abundance of the target cannot be reliably determined. In addition, tissue is highly processed and may lead to loss of information of the natural state. The search for classical and new clinical biomarkers on fragments of tissue/cells collected with a cytobrush is a highly hopeful technique for early detection and diagnosis of OSCC, because of its non-invasive sampling and easy collection method.MethodsHere we analyzed cytobrush biopsies samples collected from the oral cavity of 15 patients with already diagnosed OSCC by applying an innovative high-sensitivity ELISA technique, in order to verify if this approach may provide useful information for detection, diagnosis, and prognosis of OSCC. To this end, we selected six biomarkers, already used in clinical practice for the diagnosis of OSCC (EGFR, Ki67, p53) or selected based on recent scientific and clinical data which indicate their presence or over-expression in cells undergoing transformation and their role as possible molecular targets in immunecheckpoints blockade therapies (PD-L1, HLA-E, B7-H6).ResultsThe selected tumor biomarkers were highly expressed in the tumor core, while were virtually negative in healthy tissue collected from the same patients. These differences were highly statistically significant and consistent with those obtained using the gold standard test clearly indicating that the proposed approach, i.e. analysis of biomarkers by a custom ELISA technique, is strongly reliable.DiscussionThese preliminary data suggest that this non-invasive rapid phenotyping technique could be useful as a screening tool for phenotyping oral lesions and support clinical practice by precise indications on the characteristics of the lesion, also with a view to the application of new anti-tumor treatments, such as immunotherapy, aimed at OSCC patients.
Efficacy and safety of innate and adaptive immunotherapy combined with standard of care in high-grade gliomas: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Guo Baofeng , Zhang Shengnan , Xu Libo , Sun Jicheng , Chan Wai-Lun , Zheng Pengfei , Zhang Jinnan , Zhang Ling 
Published: July 2023

BackgroundMalignant glioma is the most common intracranial malignant tumor with the highest mortality. In the era of immunotherapy, it is important to determine what type of immunotherapy provides the best chance of survival.MethodHere, the efficacy and safety of immunotherapy in high-grade glioma (HGG) were evaluated by systematic review and meta-analysis. The differences between various types of immunotherapy were explored. Retrieved hits were screened for inclusion in 2,317 articles. We extracted the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) hazard ratios (HRs) as two key outcomes for examining the efficacy of immunotherapy. We also analyzed data on the reported corresponding adverse events to assess the safety of immunotherapy. This study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42019112356).ResultsWe included a total of 1,271 patients, of which 524 received a combination of immunotherapy and standard of care (SOC), while 747 received SOC alone. We found that immunotherapy extended the OS (HR = 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.56−0.99; Z = −2.00, P = 0.0458 &lt; 0.05) and PFS (HR = 0.67; 95% CI, 0.45−0.99; Z = −1.99, P = 0.0466 &lt; 0.05), although certain adverse events occurred (proportion = 0.0773, 95% CI, 0.0589-0.1014). Our data have demonstrated the efficacy of the dendritic cell (DC) vaccine in prolonging the OS (HR = 0.38; 95% CI, 0.21−0.68; Z = −3.23; P = 0.0012 &lt; 0.05) of glioma patients. Oncolytic viral therapy (VT) only extended patient survival in a subgroup analysis (HR = 0.60; 95% CI, 0.45−0.80; Z = −3.53; P = 0.0004 &lt; 0.05). By contrast, immunopotentiation (IP) did not prolong OS (HR = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.50−0.96; Z = −2.23; P = 0.0256).ConclusionThus, DC vaccination significantly prolonged the OS of HGG patients, however, the efficacy of VT and IP should be explored in further studies. All the therapeutic schemes evaluated were associated with certain side effects.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=112356.
Synchronous spawning of nursery-raised elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) outplanted to reefs in the Florida Keys (United States)
Authors: Williams Dana E. , Bright Allan J. , Williamson Olivia M. , Moura Amelia , Ladd Mark C. 
Published: July 2023

Here, we provide the first reports of spawning activity by Acropora palmata colonies outplanted to reefs in Florida, USA. In 2020, we observed light spawning from A. palmata colonies five years after they had been outplanted on two Florida reefs. In 2021 and 2022, we observed outplanted A. palmata colonies spawning synchronously with other nearby (&lt;3 m) outplants and wild colonies more than 100 m away. During the 2022 spawning event, some colonies spawned in as few as four years after they had been outplanted. Among all spawning seasons, gametes collected from the outplanted colonies yielded high fertilization rates and viable larvae. These observations are promising for A. palmata restoration as they indicate fragments of A. palmata can spawn four years after outplanting and that efforts to restore A. palmata may be close to achieving the first step towards self-sustaining populations that can produce viable larvae, resulting in an increase in the population’s genotypic diversity upon successful recruitment to the reef.
Numerical simulation of the effect of geometric parameters on silicone airway stent migration
Authors: Farahani Maryam Mazraehei , Bakhtiyari Arman , Beshkoofe Saed , Kajbafzadeh Abdolmohammad , Kiani Arda , Eskandari Amir Hossein , Baniassadi Majid , Baghani Mostafa 
Published: July 2023

Recently, endotracheal stenting has become critical in treating respiratory diseases. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in recent years, many patients had stenosis because of long-term intubation, and silicone stents can be used to treat tracheal stenosis in these patients. Standard airway stents are silicone tubes that provide immediate relief but are prone to migration. In this work, we design different silicone stents and analyze them in the trachea to evaluate silicone airway stents’ performance to overcome undesired migration. A finite-element model of the trachea was employed to evaluate anti-migration forces in each stent. The geometry of the trachea is brought from a computerized tomography scan of the chest of a 68-year-old healthy man. The results are shown based on the least migration of stents based on anti-migration forces. Also, the conditions of stent placement have been considered based on two different assumed friction factors, and the importance of choosing the type of silicone for stent construction has been analyzed. The results show that increasing the diameter of the stent reduces the displacement and migration of it in the trachea. Furthermore, the 23 mm stent with a 45° angle revealed the best implementation against compression under the impact of respiratory pressure differences.
Validation of metagenomic next-generation sequencing of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for diagnosis of suspected pulmonary infections in patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases receiving immunosuppressant therapy
Authors: Wen Sichun , Peng Siqi , Hu Xuejiao , Jiang Nan , Li Bohou , Chen Boxi , Deng Shuting , Yuan Ye , Wu Qiong , Tao Yiming , Ma Jianchao , Li Sijia , Lin Ting , Wen Feng , Li Zhuo , Huang Renwei , Feng Zhonglin , He Chaosheng , Wang Wenjian , Liang Xinling , Shi Wei , Xu Lixia , Liu Shuangxin 
Published: July 2023

BackgroundThe accuracy and sensitivity of conventional microbiological tests (CMTs) are insufficient to identify opportunistic pathogens in patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs). The study aimed to assess the usefulness of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) vs. CMTs for the diagnosis of pulmonary infections in patients with SARDs receiving immunosuppressant therapy.MethodsThe medical records of 40 patients with pulmonary infections and SARDs treated with immunosuppressants or corticosteroids were reviewed retrospectively. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples were collected from all patients and examined by mNGS and CMTs. Diagnostic values of the CMTs and mNGS were compared with the clinical composite diagnosis as the reference standard.ResultsOf the 40 patients included for analysis, 37 (92.5%) were diagnosed with pulmonary infections and 3 (7.5%) with non-infectious diseases, of which two were considered primary diseases and one an asthma attack. In total, 15 pathogens (7 bacteria, 5 fungi, and 3 viruses) were detected by CMTs as compared to 58 (36 bacteria, 12 fungi, and 10 viruses) by mNGS. Diagnostic accuracy of mNGS was superior to that of the CMTs for the detection of co-infections with bacteria and fungi (95 vs. 53%, respectively, p &lt; 0.01), and for the detection of single infections with fungi (97.5 vs. 55%, respectively, p &lt; 0.01). Of the 31 patients diagnosed with co-infections, 4 (12.9%) were positive for two pathogens and 27 (87.1%) for three or more. The detection rate of co-infection was significantly higher for mNGS than CMTs (95 vs. 16%, respectively, p &lt; 0.01).ConclusionThe accuracy of mNGS was superior to that of the CMTs for the diagnosis of pulmonary infections in patients with SARDs treated with immunosuppressants. The rapid diagnosis by mNGS can ensure timely adjustment of treatment regimens to improve diagnosis and outcomes.
Prevalence of geriatric syndromes in frail patients and mortality risks
Authors: Tkacheva O. N. , Sharashkina N. V. , Eruslanova K. A. , Lysenkov S. N. , Reshetova A. A. , Matchekhina L. V. , Ilyushchenko A. K. , Runikhina N. K. 
Published: July 2023

The prevalence of older people in Russian population increases rapidly. Therefore, the concept of healthy aging is becoming crucial in Russia and all over the world, and thus disability prevention is one aspect of this issue.AimTo assess a possible association between geriatric syndromes, comorbidities, and mortality rate among frail patients who receive home medical care in Moscow.Materials and methodsThe study included 450 patients with home medical care provided by the State Budgetary Healthcare Institution “Diagnostic Center No. 3 of the Moscow Health Department” from June 2019 to April 2021. Physical health, functional, cognitive, social and emotional statuses were evaluated by comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA). The mortality rate after 1 year was assessed.ResultsThe all-cause case mortality rate in patients during the observation period was 22.4%. There was no difference in age and comorbidities in survivors and deceased patients, but the latter group had more geriatric syndromes. The association between risks of mortality and anemia and some geriatric syndromes, such as malnutrition and hearing impairment, total dependence (Barthel index less than 60) was observed.
Causal Effects between Gut Microbiome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: He Gang , Cao Yu , Ma Honghao , Guo Siran , Xu Wangzi , Wang Dai , Chen Yongquan , Wang Houzhao 
Published: July 2023

BackgroundEvidence from previous studies have implicated an important association between gut microbiota (GM) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), but whether there is a definite causal relationship between GM and ME/CFS has not been elucidated.MethodThis study obtained instrumental variables of 211 GM taxa from the Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS), and mendelian randomization (MR) study was carried out to assess the effect of gut microbiota on ME/CFS risk from UK Biobank GWAS (2076 ME/CFS cases and 460,857 controls). Inverse variance weighted (IVW) was the primary method to analyze causality in this study, and a series of sensitivity analyses was performed to validate the robustness of the results.ResultsThe inverse variance weighted (IVW) method indicated that genus Paraprevotella (OR:1.001, 95%CI:1.000–1.003, value of p &lt; 0.05) and Ruminococca- ceae_UCG_014 (OR 1.003, 95% CI 1.000 to 1.005, value of p &lt; 0.05) were positively associated with ME/CFS risk. Results from the weighted median method supported genus Paraprevotella (OR 1.003, 95% CI 1.000 to 1.005, value of p &lt; 0.05) as a risk factor for ME/CFS.ConclusionThis study reveals a causal relationship between genus paraprevotella, genus Ruminococcaceae_UCG_014 and ME/CFS, and our findings provide novel insights for further elucidating the developmental mechanisms mediated by the gut microbiota of ME/CFS.
Safety and efficacy of brivaracetam in children epilepsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Song Ting , Feng Lingjun , Xia Yulei , Pang Meng , Geng Jianhong , Zhang Xiaojun , Wang Yanqiang 
Published: July 2023

BackgroundEpilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases, affecting people of any age. Although the treatments of epilepsy are more and more diverse, the uncertainty regarding efficacy and adverse events still exists, especially in the control of childhood epilepsy.MethodsWe performed a systematic review and meta- analysis following the Cochrane Handbook and preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Four databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane library were searched. Studies reporting the use of brivaracetam monotherapy or adjuvant therapy in children (aged ≤18 years) were eligible for inclusion. Each stage of the review was conducted by two authors independently. Random-effects models were used to combine effect sizes for the estimation of efficacy and safety.ResultsA total of 1884 articles were retrieved, and finally 9 articles were included, enrolling 503 children with epilepsy. The retention rate of BRV treatment was 78% (95% CI: 0.64–0.91), the responder rate (reduction of seizure frequency ≥ 50%) was 35% (95% CI: 0.24–0.47), the freedom seizure rate (no seizure) was 18% (95% CI: 0.10–0.25), and the incidence rate of any treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAE) was 39% (95% CI: 0.09–0.68). The most common TEAE was somnolence, which had an incidence rate of 9% (95% CI: 0.07–0.12). And the incidence rate of mental or behavioral disorders was 12% (95% CI: 0.06–0.17).ConclusionOur systematic review and meta-analysis showed that BRV seemed to be safe and effective in the treatment of childhood epilepsy.