bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of bearing capacity of PHC pipe piles via the dynamic and static loading test
Authors: Li Caihua , Li Xuepeng 
Published: February 2023

Due to its faster implementation and potential cost savings for estimating the bearing capacity of PHC pipe piles, the High Strain Dynamic Test (HSDT) offers an alternative approach to Static Load Test (SLT). The report presents a bearing capacity study via those methods with a sliding micrometer. And a Pile Driving Analyzer (PDA) imported from the United States is employed, to determine the design parameters of pile foundation engineering and provide the error sources of bearing capacity. Sliding micrometers with cone-shaped rings are embedded in the inner side of the pile piles every 1 m for measuring the strain. The law of stress and strain at various depths during loading is presented in this paper. As a new concept, the “inflection point” is proposed by the relationship between shaft resistance and relative displacement of pile-soil. By comparing the SLT and HSDT, the relationship between toe resistance and settlement of pile is demonstrated. This paper analyses the reliability and precision, and explore the error source so as to provide theoretical evidence for trail-pile testing in future. And the error of bearing capacity between SLT and HSDT with CAPWAP studies shows that the HSDT could provide adequate results for assessing the bearing capacity of PHC pipe piles.
Multisite chronic pain and the risk of autoimmune diseases: A Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Tang Yidan , Liu Weizhi , Kong Weishuang , Zhang Shuangyi , Zhu Tao 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundAccumulating evidence has demonstrated that an association between chronic pain and autoimmune diseases (AIDs). Nevertheless, it is unclear whether these associations refer to a causal relationship. We used a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) method to determine the causal relationship between chronic pain and AIDs.MethodsWe assessed genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics for chronic pain [multisite chronic pain (MCP) and chronic widespread pain (CWP)], and eight common AIDs, namely, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), celiac disease (CeD), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus Erythematosus (SLE), type 1 diabetes (T1D) and psoriasis. Summary statistics data were from publicly available and relatively large-scale GWAS meta-analyses to date. The two-sample MR analyses were first performed to identify the causal effect of chronic pain on AIDs. The two-step MR and multivariable MR were used to determine if mediators (BMI and smoking) causally mediated any connection and to estimate the proportion of the association mediated by these factors combined.ResultsWith the utilization of MR analysis, multisite chronic pain was associated with a higher risk of MS [odds ratio (OR) = 1.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.01-2.49, P = 0.044] and RA (OR = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.06-2.77, P = 0.028). However, multisite chronic pain had no significant effect on ALS (OR = 1.26, 95% CI = 0.92-1.71, P = 0.150), CeD (OR = 0.24, 95% CI = 0.02-3.64, P = 0.303), IBD (OR = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.09-2.27, P = 0.338), SLE (OR = 1.78, 95% CI = 0.82-3.88, P = 0.144), T1D (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 0.65-2.02, P = 0.627) or Psoriasis (OR = 1.59, 95% CI = 0.22-11.26, P = 0.644). We also found positive causal effects of MCP on BMI and causal effects of BMI on MS and RA. Moreover, there were no causal connections between genetically predicted chronic widespread pain and the risk of most types of AIDs disease.ConclusionOur MR analysis implied a causal relationship between MCP and MS/RA, and the effect of MCP on MS and RA may be partially mediated by BMI.
Predictors for reactogenicity and humoral immunity to SARS-CoV-2 following infection and mRNA vaccination: A regularized, mixed-effects modelling approach
Authors: Williams Erin C. , Kizhner Alexander , Stark Valerie S. , Nawab Aria , Muniz Daniel D. , Echeverri Tribin Felipe , Carreño Juan Manuel , Bielak Dominika , Singh Gagandeep , Hoffer Michael E. , Krammer Florian , Pallikkuth Suresh , Pahwa Savita 
Published: February 2023

IntroductionThe influence of pre-existing humoral immunity, inter-individual demographic factors, and vaccine-associated reactogenicity on immunogenicity following COVID vaccination remains poorly understood.MethodsTen-fold cross-validated least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and linear mixed effects models were used to evaluate symptoms experienced by COVID+ participants during natural infection and following SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination along with demographics as predictors for antibody (AB) responses to recombinant spike protein in a longitudinal cohort study.ResultsIn previously infected individuals (n=33), AB were more durable and robust following primary vaccination when compared to natural infection alone. Higher AB were associated with experiencing dyspnea during natural infection, as was the total number of symptoms reported during the COVID-19 disease course. Both local and systemic symptoms following 1st and 2nd dose (n=49 and 48, respectively) of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines were predictive of higher AB after vaccination. Lastly, there was a significant temporal relationship between AB and days since infection or vaccination, suggesting that vaccination in COVID+ individuals is associated with a more robust immune response.DiscussionExperiencing systemic and local symptoms post-vaccine was suggestive of higher AB, which may confer greater protection.
Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus imbalance input on rhizosphere and bulk soil bacterial community of Suaeda salsa in the Yellow River Delta
Authors: Zhang Zehao , Sun Jingkuan , Li Tian , Shao Pengshuai , Ma Jinzhao , Dong Kaikai 
Published: February 2023

IntroductionThe effects of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) addition on soil microbial diversity have been widely studied, however, the response of bacterial community to N and P imbalance input remains unclear.MethodsUsing a high-throughput Illumina Miseq sequencing platform, N and P imbalance addition experiment was conducted to characterize the rhizosphere and bulk soil bacterial community of Suaeda salsa (S. salsa) in the Yellow River Delta.ResultsThe results showed that the rhizosphere soil bacterial community α-diversity was significantly higher than bulk soil. The rhizosphere soil Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria were higher and lower than bulk soil, respectively. N and P imbalance input had small effects on the composition and α -bacterial diversity of the rhizosphere soil, while significantly increasing the bulk soil bacterial diversity and remarkably changing the community composition. Differences in the response of rhizosphere and bulk soil bacterial community to N and P imbalance input were caused by soil organic matter (SOM) content. The N and P imbalance input increased the relative abundance of bulk soil Eutrophic bacteria and decreased the relative abundance of the predicted oligotrophic bacteria (Acidobacteria,Chorolflexi). Rhizosphere and bulk soil bacterial community α-diversity was significantly correlated with SOM, salt, total carbon (TC) and total N (TN) content, with SOM and salt having the greatest effect on bulk soil bacterial community composition.DiscussionThere may be a threshold N-P input ratio between 15:1 and 45:1. This threshold is the optimal ratio for increasing the diversity of bacterial community.
High SARS-CoV-2 infection rates and viral loads in community-dwelling individuals from rural indigenous and mestizo communities from the Andes during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador
Authors: Morales-Jadán Diana , Vallejo-Janeta Alexander Paolo , Bastidas Vanessa , Paredes-Espinosa Maria Belen , Freire-Paspuel Byron , Rivera-Olivero Ismar , Ortiz-Prado Esteban , Henriquez-Trujillo Aquiles Rodrigo , Lozada Tannya ,   The UDLA COVID-19 Team, Garcia-Bereguiain Miguel Angel 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundNeglected indigenous groups and underserved rural populations in Latin America are highly vulnerable to COVID-19 due to poor health infrastructure and limited access to SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis. The Andean region in Ecuador includes a large number of isolated rural mestizo and indigenous communities living under poverty conditions.ObjectiveWe herein present a retrospective analysis of the surveillance SARS-CoV-2 testing in community-dwelling populations from four provinces in the Ecuadorian Andes, carried out during the first weeks after the national lockdown was lifted in June 2020.ResultsA total number of 1,021 people were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-qPCR, resulting in an overall high infection rate of 26.2% (268/1,021, 95% CI: 23.6–29%), which was over 50% in several communities. Interestingly, community-dwelling super spreaders with viral loads over 108 copies/mL represented 7.46% (20/268, 95% CI: 4.8–11.1%) of the SARS-CoV-2 infected population.ConclusionThese results support that COVID-19 community transmission in rural communities from the Andean region was happening at the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador and point out the weakness of the COVID-19 control program. Community-dwelling individuals in neglected rural and indigenous communities should be considered for a successful control and surveillance program in future pandemics in low- and middle-income countries.
Effect of galvanic vestibular stimulation applied at the onset of stance on muscular activity and gait cycle duration in healthy individuals
Authors: Abbariki Faezeh , Mikhail Youstina , Hamadjida Adjia , Charron Jonathan , Mac-Thiong Jean-Marc , Barthélemy Dorothy 
Published: February 2023

Locomotion requires the complex involvement of the spinal and supraspinal systems. So far, the role of vestibular input in gait has been assessed mainly with respect to gait stability. The noninvasive technique of galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) has been reported to decrease gait variability and increase gait speed, but the extent of its effect on spatiotemporal gait parameters is not fully known.Objective: Characterize vestibular responses during gait and determine the influence of GVS on cycle duration in healthy young participants.Methods: Fifteen right-handed individuals participated in the study. Electromyography (EMG) recordings of the bilateral soleus (SOL) and tibialis anterior muscles (TA) were performed. First, to determine stimulation intensity, an accelerometer placed on the vertex recorded the amplitude of the head tilts evoked by the GVS (1–4 mA, 200 ms) to establish a motor threshold (T). Second, while participants walked on a treadmill, GVS was applied at the onset of the stance phase during the treadmill gait with an intensity of 1 and 1.5 T with the cathode behind the right (RCathode) or left ear (LCathode). EMG traces were rectified, averaged (n = 30 stimuli), and analyzed. Latency, duration, and amplitude of vestibular responses as well as the mean duration of the gait cycles were measured.Results: GVS mainly induced long-latency responses in the right SOL, right TA and left TA. Only short-latency responses were triggered in the left SOL. Responses in the right SOL, left SOL and left TA were polarity dependent, being facilitatory with RCathode and inhibitory with LCathode, whereas responses in the right TA remained facilitatory regardless of the polarity. With the RCathode configuration, the stimulated cycle was prolonged compared with the control cycle at both 1 and 1.5 T, due to prolonged left SOL and TA EMG bursts, but no change was observed in right SOL and TA. With LCathode, GVS did not modify the cycle duration.Conclusion: During gait, a brief, low-intensity GVS pulse delivered at the right stance onset induced mainly long-latency polarity-dependent responses. Furthermore, a RCathode configuration increased the duration of the stimulated gait cycle by prolonging EMG activity on the anodic side. A similar approach could be explored to influence gait symmetry in individuals with neurological impairment.
Risk factor identification and prediction models for prolonged length of stay in hospital after acute ischemic stroke using artificial neural networks
Authors: Yang Cheng-Chang , Bamodu Oluwaseun Adebayo , Chan Lung , Chen Jia-Hung , Hong Chien-Tai , Huang Yi-Ting , Chung Chen-Chih 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundAccurate estimation of prolonged length of hospital stay after acute ischemic stroke provides crucial information on medical expenditure and subsequent disposition. This study used artificial neural networks to identify risk factors and build prediction models for a prolonged length of stay based on parameters at the time of hospitalization.MethodsWe retrieved the medical records of patients who received acute ischemic stroke diagnoses and were treated at a stroke center between January 2016 and June 2020, and a retrospective analysis of these data was performed. Prolonged length of stay was defined as a hospital stay longer than the median number of days. We applied artificial neural networks to derive prediction models using parameters associated with the length of stay that was collected at admission, and a sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the effect of each predictor. We applied 5-fold cross-validation and used the validation set to evaluate the classification performance of the artificial neural network models.ResultsOverall, 2,240 patients were enrolled in this study. The median length of hospital stay was 9 days. A total of 1,101 patients (49.2%) had a prolonged hospital stay. A prolonged length of stay is associated with worse neurological outcomes at discharge. Univariate analysis identified 14 baseline parameters associated with prolonged length of stay, and with these parameters as input, the artificial neural network model achieved training and validation areas under the curve of 0.808 and 0.788, respectively. The mean accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of prediction models were 74.5, 74.9, 74.2, 75.2, and 73.9%, respectively. The key factors associated with prolonged length of stay were National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores at admission, atrial fibrillation, receiving thrombolytic therapy, history of hypertension, diabetes, and previous stroke.ConclusionThe artificial neural network model achieved adequate discriminative power for predicting prolonged length of stay after acute ischemic stroke and identified crucial factors associated with a prolonged hospital stay. The proposed model can assist in clinically assessing the risk of prolonged hospitalization, informing decision-making, and developing individualized medical care plans for patients with acute ischemic stroke.
Effect of botulinum toxin type A on non-motor symptoms and quality of life in Meige syndrome
Authors: Zheng Heqing , Wu Lanxiang , Tian Sheng , Liu Mingxu , Zhan Qingqing , Yu Xinping , Xie Yonggang , Zhong Xianhui , Wu Wei 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundIt has been shown in previous studies that botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) can effectively relieve the motor symptoms of Meige syndrome. However, its effect on non-motor symptoms (NMS) and quality of life (QoL) has not been comprehensively studied. This study aimed to explore the effects of BTX-A on NMS and QoL and to clarify the relationship between changes in motor symptoms, NMS, and QoL after BTX-A.MethodsSeventy-five patients were recruited for the study. All patients were assessed by a series of clinical assessments before, one, and 3 months after BTX-A treatment. Dystonic symptoms, psychiatric disturbances, sleep disorders, and QoL were evaluated.ResultsAfter 1 and 3 months of BTX-A treatment, the scores of motor symptoms, anxiety, and depression were significantly decreased (P &lt; 0.05). Except for general health, the scores of the other 36-item short-form health survey QoL subitems were significantly improved after BTX-A (P &lt; 0.05). After 1 month of treatment, the changes in anxiety and depression were not correlated with changes in motor symptoms (P &gt; 0.05). Still, they were negatively correlated with changes in physical functioning, role-physical and mental component summary QoL (P &lt; 0.05).ConclusionsBTX-A effectively improved motor symptoms, anxiety, depression, and QoL. Anxiety and depression improvement did not correlate with motor symptom changes after BTX-A, and QoL improvements were strongly associated with psychiatric disturbances.
Natural course and risk factors of moyamoya disease with unruptured intracranial aneurysm
Authors: Yang Ri-Miao , Hao Fang-Bin , Zhao Bo , Zhang Qian , Yu Dan , Zou Zheng-Xing , Gao Gan , Guo Qing-Bao , Shen Xu-Xuan , Fu He-Guan , Liu Si-Meng , Wang Min-Jie , Li Jing-Jie , Han Cong 
Published: February 2023

Background and objectiveThe natural course and risk factors of moyamoya disease (MMD) associated with unruptured intracranial aneurysms involving stenosed parental arteries are scarcely studied. This study aimed to elucidate the natural course of MMD and its associated risk factors in patients with MMD with unruptured aneurysms.MethodsBetween September 2006 and October 2021, patients with MMD with intracranial aneurysms at our center were examined. The natural course, clinical features, radiological features, and follow-up outcomes after revascularization were analyzed.ResultsThis study included 42 patients with MMD with intracranial aneurysms (42 aneurysms). The age distribution of MMD cases ranged from 6 to 69 years, with four children (9.5%) and 38 adults (90.5%). A total of 17 male and 25 female subjects were included (male-to-female ratio: 1:1.47). The first symptom was cerebral ischemia in 28 cases, and cerebral hemorrhage occurred in 14 cases. There were 35 trunk aneurysms and seven peripheral aneurysms. There were 34 small aneurysms (&lt;5 mm) and eight medium aneurysms (5–15 mm). During the average clinical follow-up period of 37.90 ± 32.53 months, there was no rupture or bleeding from aneurysms. Twenty-seven of these patients underwent a cerebral angiography review, in which it was found that one aneurysm had enlarged, 16 had remained unchanged, and 10 had shrunk or disappeared. A correlation exists between the reduction or disappearance of aneurysms and the progression of the Suzuki stages of MMD (P = 0.015). Nineteen patients underwent EDAS on the aneurysm side, and nine aneurysms disappeared, while eight patients did not undergo EDAS on the aneurysm side and one aneurysm disappeared.ConclusionThe risk of rupture and hemorrhage of unruptured intracranial aneurysms is low when the parent artery already has stenotic lesions, thus, direct intervention may not be necessary for such aneurysms. The progression of the Suzuki stage of moyamoya disease may play a role in the shrinkage or disappearance of the aneurysms, thereby decreasing the risk of rupture and hemorrhage. Encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis (EDAS) surgery may also help promote atrophy or even the disappearance of the aneurysm, thus reducing the risk of further rupture and bleeding.
Learning curve analysis of single-port thoracoscopic combined subsegmental resections
Authors: Huang Yizhou , Chen Maohui , Zhang Shuliang , Zeng Taidui , Huang Guanglei , Zheng Bin , Chen Chun 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundCombined subsegmental surgery (CSS) is considered to be a safe and effective resection modality for early-stage lung cancer. However, there is a lack of a clear definition of the technical difficulty classification of this surgical case, as well as a lack of reported analyzes of the learning curve of this technically demanding surgical approach.MethodsWe performed a retrospective study of single-port thoracoscopic CSS performed by the same surgeon between April 2016 and September 2019. The combined subsegmental resections were divided into simple and complex groups according to the difference in the number of arteries or bronchi which need to be dissected. The operative time, bleeding and complications were analyzed in both groups. Learning curves were obtained using the cumulative sum (CUSUM) method and divided into different phases to assess changes in the surgical characteristics of the entire case cohort at each phase.ResultsThe study included 149 cases, including 79 in the simple group and 70 in the complex group. The median operative time in the two groups was 179 min (IQR, 159-209) and 235 min (IQR, 219-247) p &lt; 0.001, respectively. And the median postoperative drainage was 435 mL (IQR, 279-573) and 476 mL (IQR, 330-750), respectively, with significant differences in postoperative extubation time and postoperative length of stay. According to the CUSUM analysis, the learning curve for the simple group was divided by the inflection point into 3 phases: Phase I, learning phase (1st to 13th operation); Phase II, consolidation phase (14th to 27th operation), and Phase III, experience phase (28th to 79th operation), with differences in operative time, intraoperative bleeding, and length of hospital stay in each phase. The curve inflection points of the learning curve for the complex group were located in the 17th and 44th cases, with significant differences in operative time and postoperative drainage between the stages.ConclusionThe technical difficulties of the simple group of single-port thoracoscopic CSS could be overcome after 27 cases, while the technical ability of the complex group of CSS to ensure feasible perioperative outcomes was achieved after 44 operations.
TOMM34 serves as a candidate therapeutic target associated with immune cell infiltration in colon cancer
Authors: Li Zhigui , Yang Hongzhao , Liu Jianbo , Li Li , Wang Xiaodong 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundColon cancer represents one of the most pervasive digestive malignancies worldwide. Translocase of the outer mitochondrial membrane 34 (TOMM34) is considered an oncogene and is implicated in tumor proliferation. However, the correlation between TOMM34 and immune cell infiltration in colon cancer has not been investigated.Materials and methodsBased on multiple open online databases, we performed integrated bioinformatics analysis of TOMM34 to evaluate the prognostic value of TOMM34 and its correlation with immune cell infiltration.ResultsTOMM34 gene and protein expression levels were elevated in tumor tissues compared with normal tissues. Survival analysis revealed that upregulation of TOMM34 was significantly associated with poorer survival time in colon cancer. High TOMM34 expression was dramatically related to low levels of B cells, CD8+ T cells, neutrophils, dendritic cells, PD-1, PD-L1 and CTLA-4.ConclusionsOur results confirmed that high expression of TOMM34 in tumor tissue correlates with immune cell infiltration and worse prognosis in colon cancer patients. TOMM34 may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker for colon cancer diagnosis and prognosis prediction.