bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Responses of intertidal invertebrates to rising sea surface temperatures in the southeastern Indian Ocean
Authors: Wells Fred E. , Keesing John K. , Gagnon Marthe Monique , Bessey Cindy , Spilsbury Francis , Irvine Tennille R. 
Published: February 2023

IntroductionThe west coast of Western Australia (WA) is a global hotspot for increasing sea surface temperatures and marine heatwaves.MethodsWe used visual survey transects to compare mollusc and echinoderm populations on three coastal intertidal platform reefs on the Perth shoreline with two intertidal platforms at the west end of Rottnest Island (32°S) which are under the influence of the southward flowing Leeuwin Current.ResultsIn 1983, temperate species dominated Perth coastal molluscan diversity, but the tropical mussel Brachidontes sculptus dominated density. Species richness on coastal platforms remained constant in 2007 and 2021, but total densities were lower in 2007 as B. sculptus declined; partial recovery occurred on coastal platforms in 2021. Tropical species were a significant component of mollusc diversity and density at Rottnest Island in 1982 and 2007. Total mollusc density declined by 98% at the island sites of Radar Reef and 86% at Cape Vlamingh and total echinoderm density by 52% and 88% respectively from 2007 to 2021; species diversity also declined sharply.DiscussionTropical species have moved southward in WA subtidal environments, but tropical, temperate and WA endemic species all suffered losses of biodiversity and catastrophic declines in density of 90% or more on the two Rottnest Island intertidal platforms. Data presented here provide a sound basis for exploring the possible causes of the catastrophic mortality at the west end of Rottnest Island and monitoring for recovery.
Prevalence and associated factors of basilar artery dolichosis in patients with acute cerebral infarction
Authors: Cao Shugang , Zhai Mingfeng , He Jun , Cui Ping , Ge Tingting , Wang Jian , Xu Wen’an , Wang Rongfeng , Xia Mingwu 
Published: February 2023

IntroductionLittle attention has been given to the factors associated with basilar artery (BA) dolichosis. This study aims to elucidate the prevalence and associated factors of BA dolichosis in patients with acute cerebral infarction (ACI).MethodsWe collected the clinical and laboratory data of 719 patients with ACI admitted to our department. Magnetic resonance angiography was used to evaluate the geometric parameters of the BA and intracranial vertebral arteries (VAs). A BA curve length &gt; 29.5 mm or bending length (BL) &gt; 10 mm was identified as BA dolichosis. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were performed to determine the factors associated with BA dolichosis.ResultsAmong 719 patients with ACI, 238 (33.1%) demonstrated BA dolichosis, including 226 (31.4%) with simple BA dolichosis and 12 (1.7%) with basilar artery dolichoectasia (BADE). Pearson correlation analyses showed that BA curve length was positively correlated with BL (r = 0.605). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that current smoking (OR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.02–2.21, p = 0.039), diabetes mellitus (OR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.14–2.41, p = 0.008), BA diameter (OR = 3.04, 95% CI: 2.23–4.13, p &lt; 0.001), BA bending (OR = 4.24, 95% CI: 2.91–6.17, p &lt; 0.001) and BL (OR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.36–1.55, p &lt; 0.001) were significantly associated with BA dolichosis.ConclusionThis study suggests that BA dolichosis was common in patients with ACI, and the morphological parameters of the vertebrobasilar artery and acquired risk factors (including smoking and diabetes) were risk factors for BA dolichosis.
Latent myofascial trigger points injection therapy for adult cough variant asthma: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Liu Qianqian , Zhang Wenwen , Tian Tian , Liu Yu , Bai He , Hu Qiya , Qi Feng 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundCough variant asthma (CVA) is a chronic inflammatory airway disease characterized by airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR), of which cough is the only symptom. The cough is a result of the contraction of the vocal cords, diaphragm, sternocleidomastoid muscle, and other respiratory related muscles caused by the AHR. Long-term chronic coughing can lead to repetitive contraction and chronic strain of the muscles involved in the head and neck, ultimately contributing to the formation of latent myofascial trigger points (MTrPs). In turn, latent MTrPs can also irritate or compress the nerves around them, triggering cough. The date indicated that latent MTrPs can induce autonomic phenomena and are effective in allergic rhinitis. But their roles in asthma are unclear. In this article, the efficacy and safety of latent MTrPs injection therapy in CVA were investigated.MethodsThis randomized controlled trial was conducted with 110 patients. Patients were assigned to the intervention or control group in a 1:1.5 ratio. Intervention group (n = 44): single injection therapy with latent MTrPs. Control group (n = 66): budesonide-formoterol plus montelukast for 8 weeks. During the 36-week follow up period, the recurrence rate at week 36, cough visual analog scale (VAS), ACT (asthma control test)-scores, ACQ5 (asthma control questionnaire)-scores, AQLQ (asthma quality of life questionnaire)-scores, proportion of using rescue medication, and adverse events were evaluated.ResultsThe recurrence rate at week 36 was lower in the intervention group than in the control group (36 weeks, 5.0 vs. 34.55%, p = 0.001). There were significant differences between groups in change from baseline to 36 weeks in VAS [36 weeks, 1.70 (1.49) vs. 3.18 (2.04), p &lt; 0.001]; ACT-score [36 weeks, 21.38 (2.65) vs. 18.53 (3.00), p &lt; 0.001]; ACQ5-score [36 weeks, 0.85 (0.55) vs. 1.52 (0.62), p &lt; 0.001]; AQLQ-score [36w, 174.40 (18.22) vs. 151.69 (24.04), p &lt; 0.001]; proportion of using rescue medication (36 weeks, 5.0 vs. 29.1%, p = 0.003). Fewer adverse events occurred in the two groups.ConclusionLatent myofascial trigger points injection therapy provided long-acting, practical, short treatment duration and safety methods for CVA.Clinical Trials Registrationhttp://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx, Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Center, ChiCTR2100044079.
Comparison of the diversity and structure of the rhizosphere microbial community between the straight and twisted trunk types of Pinus yunnanensis
Authors: Li Peiling , Zong Dan , Gan Peihua , Li Hailin , Wu Zhiyang , Li Fahong , Zhao Changlin , Li Laigeng , He Chengzhong 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundPinus yunnanensis is a major silvicultural species in Southwest China. Currently, large areas of twisted-trunk Pinus yunnanensis stands severely restrict its productivity. Different categories of rhizosphere microbes evolve alongside plants and environments and play an important role in the growth and ecological fitness of their host plant. However, the diversity and structure of the rhizosphere microbial communities between P. yunnanensis with two different trunk types—straight and twisted—remain unclear.MethodsWe collected the rhizosphere soil of 5 trees with the straight and 5 trees with the twisted trunk type in each of three sites in Yunnan province. We assessed and compared the diversity and structure of the rhizosphere microbial communities between P. yunnanensis with two different trunk types by Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA genes and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions.ResultsThe available phosphorus in soil differed significantly between P. yunnanensis with straight and twisted trunks. Available potassium had a significant effect on fungi. Chloroflexi dominated the rhizosphere soils of the straight trunk type, while Proteobacteria was predominant in the rhizosphere soils of the twisted trunk type. Trunk types significantly explained 6.79% of the variance in bacterial communities.ConclusionThis study revealed the composition and diversity of bacterial and fungal groups in the rhizosphere soil of P. yunnanensis with straight and twisted trunk types, providing proper microbial information for different plant phenotypes.
Alteration of gut microbiota after heat acclimation may reduce organ damage by regulating immune factors during heat stress
Authors: Liu Shanshou , Wen Dongqing , Feng Chongyang , Yu Chaoping , Gu Zhao , Wang Liping , Zhang Zhixiang , Li Wenpeng , Wu Shuwen , Liu Yitian , Duan Chujun , Zhuang Ran , Xue Lihao 
Published: February 2023

IntroductionHeat-related illnesses can lead to morbidity, which are anticipated to increase frequency with predictions of increased global surface temperatures and extreme weather events. Although heat acclimation training (HAT) could prevent heat-related diseases, the mechanisms underlying HAT-promoting beneficial changes in organ function, immunity, and gut microbes remain unclear.MethodsIn the current study, we recruited 32 healthy young soldiers and randomly divided them into 4 teams to conduct HATs for 10 days: the equipment-assisted training team at high temperature (HE); the equipment-assisted training team under normal hot weather (NE); the high-intensity interval training team at high temperature (HIIT), and the control team without training. A standard heat tolerance test (HTT) was conducted before (HTT-1st) and after (HTT-2nd) the training to judge whether the participants met the heat acclimation (HA) criteria.ResultsWe found that the participants in both HE and NE teams had significantly higher acclimation rates (HA/total population) than whom in the HIIT team. The effects of HAT on the participants of the HE team outperformed that of the NE team. In the HA group, the differences of physiological indicators and plasma organ damage biomarkers (ALT, ALP, creatinine, LDH, α-HBDH and cholinesterase) before and after HTT-2nd were significantly reduced to those during HTT-1st, but the differences of immune factors (IL-10, IL-6, CXCL2, CCL4, CCL5, and CCL11) elevated. The composition, metabolism, and pathogenicity of gut microbes changed significantly, with a decreased proportion of potentially pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia-Shigella and Lactococcus) and increased probiotics (Dorea, Blautia, and Lactobacillus) in the HA group. Training for a longer time in a high temperature and humidity showed beneficial effects for intestinal probiotics.ConclusionThese findings revealed that pathogenic gut bacteria decrease while probiotics increase following HA, with elevated immune factors and reduced organ damage during heat stress, thereby improving the body’s heat adaption.
Patterns of structure-function association in normal aging and in Alzheimer's disease: Screening for mild cognitive impairment and dementia with ML regression and classification models
Authors: Statsenko Yauhen , Meribout Sarah , Habuza Tetiana , Almansoori Taleb M. , Gorkom Klaus Neidl-Van , Gelovani Juri G. , Ljubisavljevic Milos 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundThe combined analysis of imaging and functional modalities is supposed to improve diagnostics of neurodegenerative diseases with advanced data science techniques.ObjectiveTo get an insight into normal and accelerated brain aging by developing the machine learning models that predict individual performance in neuropsychological and cognitive tests from brain MRI. With these models we endeavor to look for patterns of brain structure-function association (SFA) indicative of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's dementia.Materials and methodsWe explored the age-related variability of cognitive and neuropsychological test scores in normal and accelerated aging and constructed regression models predicting functional performance in cognitive tests from brain radiomics data. The models were trained on the three study cohorts from ADNI dataset—cognitively normal individuals, patients with MCI or dementia—separately. We also looked for significant correlations between cortical parcellation volumes and test scores in the cohorts to investigate neuroanatomical differences in relation to cognitive status. Finally, we worked out an approach for the classification of the examinees according to the pattern of structure-function associations into the cohorts of the cognitively normal elderly and patients with MCI or dementia.ResultsIn the healthy population, the global cognitive functioning slightly changes with age. It also remains stable across the disease course in the majority of cases. In healthy adults and patients with MCI or dementia, the trendlines of performance in digit symbol substitution test and trail making test converge at the approximated point of 100 years of age. According to the SFA pattern, we distinguish three cohorts: the cognitively normal elderly, patients with MCI, and dementia. The highest accuracy is achieved with the model trained to predict the mini-mental state examination score from voxel-based morphometry data. The application of the majority voting technique to models predicting results in cognitive tests improved the classification performance up to 91.95% true positive rate for healthy participants, 86.21%—for MCI and 80.18%—for dementia cases.ConclusionThe machine learning model, when trained on the cases of this of that group, describes a disease-specific SFA pattern. The pattern serves as a “stamp” of the disease reflected by the model.
Outcome of visuospatial dysfunction assessment in patients with Parkinson’s disease using mobile application software
Authors: Shao Xu , Wang Kang , Zhang Yulian , Zhen Xueke , Dong Fen , Tian Hong , Yu Yanbing 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundVisuospatial dysfunction and cognitive impairment are common in Parkinson’s disease (PD), which draw increasing attention in the current literature. But clinicians still lack rapid, effective and unified cognitive battery for visuospatial assessment.ObjectiveA new approach was studied to explore the feasibility of using mobile application software (APP) to evaluate visuospatial dysfunction in patients with PD and compared with traditional assessment tools. We aimed to verify the threshold score of the APP for early diagnosis.Materials and methodsA total of 41 patients with PD underwent assessments using several test modules including Digit Symbol Test (DST), Visual Organization Test (VOT), Facial Recognition Test (FRT), Vocabulary Memory Test (VMT) of this APP, as well as Clock Drawing Test (CDT), Cube Copying Test (CCT) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for comparison. Among the 41 PD patients, 30 individuals were found to have visuospatial dysfunction based on CDT score &lt; 5 and CCT score of&lt;18 while the remaining 11 patients served as control.ResultsThere were statistically significant differences in DST, VOT, and FRT scores (all p ≤ 0.001 for group comparisons). DST, VOT, and FRT-1 were significantly correlated with MMSE, CDT and CCT and the correlations were moderate or fairly strong. For visuospatial dysfunction diagnosis, all the areas under curves (AUC) of DST, VOT, and FRT-1 were statistically significant (p &lt; 0.0001, p = 0.0002, and p = 0.0002, respectively). The estimates and 95% confidence intervals of AUC were 0.8303 (0.6868, 0.9739), 0.8045 (0.6423, 0.9668), and 0.7833 (0.6344, 0.9322), respectively. Their cut-off points for visuospatial dysfunction were 26, 17, and 19, respectively. After dichotomization by the cut-off points, DST had high sensitivity of 96.67% while VOT and FRT-1 had high specificity of 81.82 and 90.91%.ConclusionThis study demonstrated that visuospatial disorders was highly prevalent in PD patients, and the APP used in study could be a practical clinical screening tool for visuospatial ability assessment with high sensitivity and specificity.
The predictors of death within 1 year in acute ischemic stroke patients based on machine learning
Authors: Wang Kai , Gu Longyuan , Liu Wencai , Xu Chan , Yin Chengliang , Liu Haiyan , Rong Liangqun , Li Wenle , Wei Xiu'e 
Published: February 2023

ObjectiveTo explore the predictors of death in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients within 1 year based on machine learning (ML) algorithms.MethodsThis study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients hospitalized and diagnosed with AIS in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University between August 2017 and July 2019. The patients were randomly divided into training and validation sets at a ratio of 7:3, and the clinical characteristic variables of the patients were screened using univariate and multivariate logistics regression. Six ML algorithms, including logistic regression (LR), gradient boosting machine (GBM), extreme gradient boosting (XGB), random forest (RF), decision tree (DT), and naive Bayes classifier (NBC), were applied to develop models to predict death in AIS patients within 1 year. During training, a 10-fold cross-validation approach was used to validate the training set internally, and the models were interpreted using important ranking and the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) principle. The validation set was used to externally validate the models. Ultimately, the highest-performing model was selected to build a web-based calculator.ResultsMultivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that C-reactive protein (CRP), homocysteine (HCY) levels, stroke severity (SS), and the number of stroke lesions (NOS) were independent risk factors for death within 1 year in patients with AIS. The area under the curve value of the XGB model was 0.846, which was the highest among the six ML algorithms. Therefore, we built an ML network calculator (https://mlmedicine-de-stroke-de-stroke-m5pijk.streamlitapp.com/) based on XGB to predict death in AIS patients within 1 year.ConclusionsThe network calculator based on the XGB model developed in this study can help clinicians make more personalized and rational clinical decisions.
Effect of intravenous thrombolysis on core growth rate in patients with acute cerebral infarction
Authors: Wang Xueqi , Zhang Hao , Wang Qi , Li Gang , Shen Hao , Xiao Yaping , Xu Luran , Long Yuming , Chen Chen , Huang Zhengyu , Zhang Yue 
Published: February 2023

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the effects of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) on the core growth rate of acute ischemic stroke.MethodsStroke patients with large vessel occlusion and non-recanalization from IVT treatment were retrospectively included in this study and divided into two groups: IVT and non-IVT. The core growth rate was estimated by the acute core volume on perfusion CT divided by the last known well time from stroke to CT perfusion. The primary endpoint was the core growth rate, the tissue outcome was 24 h-ASPECTS, and the clinical outcome was a 3-month modified Rankin score.ResultsA total of 94 patients were included with 53 in the IVT group and 41 in the non-IVT group. There was no significant difference in age, gender, hypertension, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, acute NIHSS, and last known well time from stroke to CT perfusion acquisition between the two groups. The core growth rate in the IVT group was lower than that in the non-IVT group, which was statistically significant after multivariate adjustment (coefficient: −5.20, 95% CI= [−9.85, −0.56], p = 0.028). There was a significant interaction between the IVT and the collateral index in predicting the core growth rate. The analysis was then stratified according to the collateral index, and the results suggested that IVT reduced the core growth rate more significantly after the worsening of collateral circulation (coefficient: 15.38, 95% CI= [−26.25, −4.40], p = 0.007). The 3-month modified Rankin score and 24 h-ASPECTS were not statistically significant between the two groups.ConclusionIntravenous thrombolysis reduces the core growth rate in patients with AIS, especially those with poor collateral status.
Recurrence after percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma: Analysis of the pattern and risk factors
Authors: Chen Rui , Hou Beining , Zhou Yanzhao , Zhang Tuo , Wang Zhengzheng , Chen Xun , Zhang Yingwei , Chen Man 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) frequently relapses after minimally invasive treatment. This study aimed to observe the influencing factors of different recurrence patterns after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for the treatment of recurrence.MethodsThe medical records of HCC patients who underwent RFA between January 2010 and January 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. HCC recurrence is classified into three types: local tumour progression (LTP), intrahepatic distant metastasis, and extrahepatic metastasis. Risk factors, overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS) were assessed for each modality. Among the risk factors are age, gender, liver function tests, blood tests, and tumour size. The OS and DFS curves were measured by the Kaplan-Meier method.Results406 patients who had undergone RFA were included in the study. The median survival for OS and DFS were 120 and 43.6 months. During follow-up, 39, 312, and 55 patients developed LTP, intrahepatic distant metastasis, and extrahepatic metastatic recurrence, respectively. The independent risk factors for each type were as follows: WBC &gt; 5.55*109/L was an independent risk factor for local recurrence. Multiple tumours, extrahepatic metastases, and AFP &gt; 200 ng/ml were used for intrahepatic metastases. Age (P = 0.030), recurrence pattern (P &lt; 0.001) and Child-Pugh class B (P = 0.015) were independent predictors of OS.ConclusionsAccording to our classification, each pattern of recurrence has different risk factors for recurrence, OS, and DFS.
Investigating the impact of COVID-19 on patients with cancer from areas of conflict within the MENA region treated at King Hussein Cancer Center
Authors: Al-Hussaini Maysa , Al-Ani Abdallah , Hammouri Muhammad , Al-Huneidy Leen , Mansour Asem 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundThere is a paucity of evidence regarding the impact of COVID-19 on cancer care among refugees or patients from areas of conflict. Cancer care for these populations remains fragmented due to resource scarcity and limited infrastructure.AimsTo explore the effect of COVID-19 on cancer care among patients from areas of conflict treated at King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC).MethodologyWe performed a retrospective chart review of all patients from areas of conflict, treated at KHCC from 2018 to 2021. Patients’ demographics and clinical characteristics are presented in the form of descriptive statistics. Interrupted Time Series (ITS) analysis was utilized to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the number of admissions throughout the study’s period.ResultsA total of 3317 patients from areas of conflict were included in the study. Among these, 1546 were males (46.6%) while 1771 (53.4%) were female. Libyans (34.6%), Palestinians (24.8%), Iraqis (24.5%), Syrians (15.3%), and Sudanese patients (0.9%) constituted our study sample. ITS analysis demonstrated that the start of the COVID-19 lockdown significantly decreased admissions by 44.0% (p = 0.020), while the end of the COVID-19 restriction significantly improved admissions by 43.0% (p = 0.023). Among those with available SEER stages, more than a quarter of patients had distant metastasis (n = 935, 28.2%) irrespective of age and biological sex. Advanced presentations during 2020 had approximately a 16% and 6% increase compared to 2018 and 2019, respectively. Breast cancer (21.4%), hematolymphoid cancers (18.1%), and cancers of the digestive system (16.5%) were the most common cancers among our cohort.ConclusionRestrictions associated with COVID-19 had a significant effect on the number of admissions of patients from areas of conflict. In the long term, this effect may impact the survival outcomes of affected patients.