bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle fitness, and physical activity in children with long QT syndrome: A prospective controlled study
Authors: Souilla Luc , Avesani Martina , Boisson Aymeric , Requirand Anne , Matecki Stefan , Vincenti Marie , Werner Oscar , De La Villeon Gregoire , Pommier Victor , Pasquie Jean-Luc , Guillaumont Sophie , Amedro Pascal 
Published: January 2023

BackgroundIn children with congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS), the risk of arrhythmic events during exercise commonly makes it difficult to balance exercise restrictions versus promotion of physical activity. Nevertheless, in children with LQTS, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle fitness, and physical activity, have been scarcely explored.Materials and methodsIn this prospective, controlled, cross-sectional study, 20 children with LQTS (12.7 ± 3.7 years old) and 20 healthy controls (11.9 ± 2.4 years old) were enrolled. All participants underwent a cardiopulmonary exercise test, a muscular architecture ultrasound assessment, (cross-sectional area on right rectus femoris and pennation angle), a handgrip muscular strength evaluation, and a standing long broad jump test. The level of physical activity was determined using with a waist-worn tri-axial accelerometer (Actigraph GT3X).ResultsPeak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and ventilatory anaerobic threshold (VAT) were lower in children with LQTS than in healthy controls (33.9 ± 6.2 mL/Kg/min vs. 40.1 ± 6.6 mL/Kg/min, P = 0.010; 23.8 ± 5.1 mL/Kg/min vs. 28.8 ± 5.5 mL/Kg/min, P = 0.007, respectively). Children with LQTS had lower standing long broad jump distance (119.5 ± 33.2 cm vs. 147.3 ± 36.1 cm, P = 0.02) and pennation angle (12.2 ± 2.4° vs. 14.3 ± 2.8°, P = 0.02). No differences in terms of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were observed (36.9 ± 12.9 min/day vs. 41.5 ± 18.7 min/day, P = 0.66), but nearly all children were below the WHO guidelines.ConclusionDespite similar physical activity level, cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle fitness in children with LQTS were lower than in healthy controls. The origin of this limitation seemed to be multifactorial, involving beta-blocker induced chronotropic limitation, physical and muscle deconditioning. Cardiovascular rehabilitation could be of interest in children with LQTS with significant physical limitation.
Identification of novel biomarkers involved in doxorubicin-induced acute and chronic cardiotoxicity, respectively, by integrated bioinformatics
Authors: Qian Hongyan , Qian Yi , Liu Yi , Cao Jiaxin , Wang Yuhang , Yang Aihua , Zhao Wenjing , Lu Yingnan , Liu Huanxin , Zhu Weizhong 
Published: January 2023

BackgroundThe mechanisms of doxorubicin (DOX) cardiotoxicity were complex and controversial, with various contradictions between experimental and clinical data. Understanding the differences in the molecular mechanism between DOX-induced acute and chronic cardiotoxicity may be an ideal entry point to solve this dilemma.MethodsMice were injected intraperitoneally with DOX [(20 mg/kg, once) or (5 mg/kg/week, three times)] to construct acute and chronic cardiotoxicity models, respectively. Survival record and ultrasound monitored the cardiac function. The corresponding left ventricular (LV) myocardium tissues were analyzed by RNA-seq to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome (KEGG), and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) found the key biological processes and signaling pathways. DOX cardiotoxicity datasets from the Gene expression omnibus (GEO) database were combined with RNA-seq to identify the common genes. Cytoscape analyzed the hub genes, which were validated by quantitative real-time PCR. ImmuCo and ImmGen databases analyzed the correlations between hub genes and immunity-relative markers in immune cells. Cibersort analyzed the immune infiltration and correlations between the hub genes and the immune cells. Logistic regression, receiver operator characteristic curve, and artificial neural network analysis evaluated the diagnosis ability of hub genes for clinical data in the GEO dataset.ResultsThe survival curves and ultrasound monitoring demonstrated that cardiotoxicity models were constructed successfully. In the acute model, 788 DEGs were enriched in the activated metabolism and the suppressed immunity-associated signaling pathways. Three hub genes (Alas1, Atp5g1, and Ptgds) were upregulated and were negatively correlated with a colony of immune-activating cells. However, in the chronic model, 281 DEGs showed that G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-related signaling pathways were the critical events. Three hub genes (Hsph1, Abcb1a, and Vegfa) were increased in the chronic model. Furthermore, Hsph1 combined with Vegfa was positively correlated with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)-induced heart failure (HF) and had high accuracy in the diagnosis of DCM-induced HF (AUC = 0.898, P = 0.000).ConclusionAlas1, Atp5g1, and Ptgds were ideal biomarkers in DOX acute cardiotoxicity. However, Hsph1 and Vegfa were potential biomarkers in the myocardium in the chronic model. Our research, first, provided bioinformatics and clinical evidence for the discovery of the differences in mechanism and potential biomarkers of DOX-induced acute and chronic cardiotoxicity to find a therapeutic strategy precisely.
Study on soil freezing characteristic curve during a freezing-thawing process
Authors: Bi Jun , Wu Zhijian , Lu Yu , Wen Haiyan , Zhang Yingmin , Shen Yunxia , Wei Tingting , Wang Guoxu 
Published: January 2023

Soil freezing characteristic curve (SFCC) defines the relationship between unfrozen water content and subzero temperature. The SFCC is widely applied to estimate the soil properties. The current study explored the effects of initial water content, dry density, soil type and desalination on the SFCC during a freezing-thawing process. It showed that the initial water content, soil type and desalination had great impacts on SFCC, while the dry density had an insignificant effect on SFCC. Hysteresis behavior was observed for all the soil samples. The hysteresis behavior was obvious in the temperature range of -5°C &lt; T &lt; 0, but not obvious in the temperature range of T ≤ -10 °C. A new equation containing freezing/thawing point was proposed to model the SFCC. The new model and four SFCC models were evaluated with measured data in this study. It showed that the new model performed best among these models. The new model accurately mimics the SFCC and is continuous near the freezing/thawing point and 0 °C. It can be easily incorporated into numerical algorithms for coupled heat and mass transfer in cold regions.
Research on direct shear test of rock-like materials with two closed pre-existing cracks of different attitudes
Authors: Yue Ling , Niu Jie , Ma Qingshan , Zhao Chengxi , Cao Minjun , Yu Bangyong 
Published: January 2023

To investigate the failure mode and strength characteristics of rock-like materials containing two non-coplanar closed discontinues, and the influence of crack attitude on the shear failure of rock mass, a series of direct shear tests are carried out on rock-like materials containing two pre-existing cracks of different attitudes, one of them is horizontal crack, and the other is inclined crack. The specimens containing pre-existing cracks of four inclinations (0°, 45°, 135°, and 180°) and three dip angles (30°, 60°, and 90°) are prepared, and the failure form and stress-displacement curve are recorded during the tests. The results show that the attitude of the crack has a significant effect on the failure form and strength characteristics. In positive shear, the shear stress increases slowly and the crack initiation of the crack occurs relatively late, and in negative shear, the shear stress increases rapidly and the crack initiation stage appears earlier. Under the normal stress of 1 MPa, the fracture surface fluctuates along the pre-existing cracks, and the difference in shear strength of each specimen is less than 1.0 MPa. Under the normal stress of 5 MPa, the fracture surface mostly distributes along the horizontal direction, and the difference in shear strength of each specimen is about 2.0 MPa. Under the same level of normal stress, the crack initiation and peak stress vary with the attitude of pre-existing crack, and the variation trend of peak stress is changed when the normal stress increased due to the difference in failure form. It is calculated that the ratio of crack initiation stress to peak stress ranges from 0.61 to 0.80.
Trend and spatial-temporal variation of drought characteristics over equatorial East Africa during the last 120 years
Authors: Omondi Onyango Augustine , Lin Zhaohui 
Published: January 2023

Centennial drought characteristics in Equatorial East Africa (EEA) is investigated using the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) derived from the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) dataset. The spatial pattern of drought distribution, as well as drought duration, intensity and frequency, are analyzed for SPEI at a 3-month timescale for March-April-May (MAM) season. Rotated Empirical Orthogonal Function (REOF), Mann-Kendall method (MK), and wavelet analyses are used to study drought’s spatial pattern, trend, and periodicity. The result of the principal component analysis returned six homogenous drought sub-regions. A low drought frequency characterizes EEA (&lt;20%). The drought in the MAM season lasts between 2.2 and 2.8 months. Overall, the result showed a weak long-term drying trend for most parts of EEA that were significant in some sub-regions and insignificant in others. An increase in drought areal extent after the 1980s could be ascribed to the increase in potential evapotranspiration (PET) and is consistent with the negative trend in SPEI value over the six sub-regions. The apparent increase is mainly attributed to the increase in moderate and severe droughts area rather than extreme drought areas. The spectral analysis further reveals that inter-annual drought variability with periodicities less than 8 years dominates in all sub-regions of Equatorial East Africa, which is associated with the critical role of El-Niño in driving the drought variations in EEA.
Geochemistry of Precambrian dyke swarms in the Singhbhum craton, India: Implications for recycled crustal components in the mantle source
Authors: Manu Prasanth M. P. , Pang Kwan-Nang , Hari K. R. , Sahoo Bibhuti Bhusan , Ravindran Arathy , Iizuka Yoshiyuki 
Published: January 2023

The Singhbhum craton, eastern India records multiple stages of emplacement of Precambrian dyke swarms with contrasting petrogenetic models proposed for their formation. In this study, we document elemental and Sr-Nd isotopic data for three major dyke swarms in the southern part of the craton, including the ca. 2.7 Ga Ghatgaon dyke swarm, the Early Proterozoic Keonjhar dyke swarm and the ca. 1.76 Ga Pipilia dyke swarm. Dyke compositions are dominated by basalt and basaltic andesite with minor andesite, showing trace element signatures typical of continental crustal rocks. Age-corrected Nd isotopic data for Ghatgaon (εNdt = −4.8 to + 4.6), Keonjhar (εNdt = −11.9 to + 3.8), and Pipilia (a single sample with εNdt = −8.8) dyke swarms display substantial variations. The lack of magma compositions that could indicate the presence of elevated mantle potential temperature among the rocks suggests melting regime was likely similar to the ambient mantle. The Dy/Yb and Dy/Dy* systematics of the rocks indicates melting occurred between spinel-stable depths and the spinel-garnet transition zone. The dominantly mafic compositions of the rocks and ubiquitous continental crustal trace element signature are best explained by peridotite source with recycled crustal components, probably in the form of pyroxenites. Our new Nd isotopic data, which argue against any simple secular evolution trend invoked in previous studies, indicate that crustal recycling was likely an episodic phenomenon rather than a discrete, single-stage process since the Archean. Geochemical modelling indicates that a sublithospheric mantle source with (10% or less) recycled crustal components satisfactorily explains the trace element variations of the dyke swarms.
A preliminary analysis of the mining-induced rock movement characteristics in the Xinli deposit of the Sanshandao gold mine
Authors: Liu Jia , Ma Fengshan , Guo Jie , Li Guang , Song Yewei , Li Fangrui 
Published: January 2023

Commensurate with economic globalization, the demand for mineral resources is increasing. With increased mining activity, problems related to ground subsidence and rock movement are becoming increasingly prominent, even affecting mining production activities. However, the physical mechanisms behind the ground subsidence phenomenon have been poorly studied, especially for metal mines with a steep dip. This paper applies the Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technique and the numerical simulation method to deduce the characteristics of rock movement in the Xinli deposit of the steeply inclined Sanshandao gold mine. The InSAR results indicate that more subsidence has occurred in the southern part of the Xinli Village coastline area than in the northern part. This is also supported by the numerical simulation results obtained by the fast Lagrangian analysis of continua in three dimensions (FLAC3D). Notably, the range of ground subsidence obtained by numerical simulation shows an obvious asymmetry. The monitoring data of the No. 55 prospecting profile offer a plausible explanation for this, as the surrounding rock of the fault’s hanging wall has a wider range of rock movements. Furthermore, the sublevels of the No. 55 prospecting profile at different depths show different rock movement characteristics, and a logistic function can be well applied to the right part of the settlement curve; the parameter “a” in the function formula is very close to the maximum subsidence value for each sublevel. We defined the ratio “r” to measure the difference between the maximum subsidence value and the corresponding parameter “a” and found this value to be positively correlated with the fractal dimension value of deeper sublevels (−320 m, −400 m, −480 m, and −600 m) and negatively correlated with the fractal dimension value of lower sublevels (−200 m and −240 m).
Respiratory Diseases' Burden in children and adolescents of marginalized population: A retrospective study in slum area of Karachi, Pakistan
Authors: Sharif Hina , Jan Shah Sumaya , Sharif Sana , Seemi Tooba , Naeem Hira , Rehman Junaid 
Published: January 2023

BackgroundWorldwide, the burden of respiratory disease has dramatically increased, endangering public health. To our knowledge, there have been no reported cases of respiratory illness among children and adolescents living in the slums of Karachi, Pakistan. This study aimed to assess the burden of respiratory disease in marginalized slum populations and the factors causing such an increase in disease burden.MethodsThis study was conducted in 35 slums of Karachi, Pakistan, to determine the prevalence of respiratory disease in children and adolescents. Data on pneumonia, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, tuberculosis, and asthma from August 2019 to July 2022 were analyzed and inferences were drawn.ResultsAmong the studied diseases, pneumonia was more prevalent among females (39,864, 44.9%), followed by males (19,006, 21.4%). Most of the children (59,988, 67.6%) were aged 1–5 years. In addition, of those diagnosed with pneumonia, 50,348 (56.8%) were from the same age group. Furthermore, bronchiolitis was found among 10,830 (12.2%) children aged 5–9 years. The majority (46,906, 52.9%) of the studied population belonged to the Pathan ethnicity, followed by Sindhi (21,522, 24.2%), and most of them (84,330, 95.1%) were of a lower socioeconomic status.ConclusionsThis study found that pneumonia is the most common respiratory disease followed by bronchiolitis in children and adolescents in a marginalized slum population of Karachi, Pakistan. Both pneumonia and bronchiolitis have seasonal variations in their occurrence.
Soil fertility and drought interact to determine large variations in wood production for a hyperdominant Amazonian tree species
Authors: Durgante Flavia Machado , Higuchi Niro , Ohashi Shinta , Householder John Ethan , Lima Adriano José Nogueira , Ishizuka Moriyoshi , Wittmann Florian , dos Santos Joaquim , Carneiro Vilany Matilla Colares , Xu Xiaomei , do Nascimento Claudete Catanhede , Schöngart Jochen , Piedade Maria Teresa Fernandez , Schmitt Adalberto Rodrigo Kossmann , Alves Yanka Laryssa Almeida , Lehman Jennifer , Gimenez Bruno Oliva , Baggio Priscilla Maia , de Ourique Lucas Kosvoski , Trumbore Susan 
Published: January 2023

IntroductionThe productivity of the Amazon Rainforest is related to climate and soil fertility. However, the degrees to which these interactions influence multiannual to decadal variations in tree diameter growth are still poorly explored.MethodsTo fill this gap, we used radiocarbon measurements to evaluate the variation in tree growth rates over the past decades in an important hyperdominant species, Eschweilera coriacea (Lecythidaceae), from six sites in the Brazilian Amazon that span a range of soil properties and climate.ResultsUsing linear mixed-effects models, we show that temporal variations in mean annual diameter increment evaluated over a specific time period reflect interactions between soil fertility and the drought index (SPEI-Standardized Precipitation and Evapotranspiration Index).DiscussionOur results indicate that the growth response of trees to drought is strongly dependent on soil conditions, a facet of forest productivity that is still underexplored, and which has great potential for improving predictions of future tropical tree growth in the face of projected climate change.
Trends in contraceptive method mix among adolescents and youth aged 15–24 in low- and middle-income countries
Authors: Bertrand Jane T. , Ross John A. , Sauter Sydney R. 
Published: January 2023

BackgroundMethod mix – the percent distribution of contraceptive use by method among contraceptive users – reflects both client choice of method and method availability. In a country where clients have access to a wide range of methods at an affordable price, method mix is a strong proxy for method choice. In contrast, where access is limited by numerous factors – method availability, cost, or provider attitudes – method mix may not capture method choice well. Given that method mix can be measured reliably from population-based surveys, it is useful in exploring method choice. While the method mix for all women of reproductive age (15–49 years) has been described previously, the method mix for adolescents and young women aged 15–24 remains unexplored despite this population's high risk for unintended pregnancy.ObjectivesThis study investigates the contraceptive method mix for women aged 15–24 in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with national survey data and describes how the method mix differs by age group, geographic region, and marital status for women.MethodsUsing data from the Demographic and Health (DHS) Surveys, the contraceptive method mix among women aged 15–24 across 64 LMICs is analyzed by age, marital status, and region, with measures of skew and average deviation. Three case studies are presented in which the trend over time in the method mix is examined.ResultsThere are large variations in method mixes across regions, which reflect their differences in various supply and demand constraints. However, there is consistently high usage of short-acting methods among both age groups, 15–19 and 20–24, compared to the full population of all women of reproductive age. Male condoms overwhelmingly predominate as the method used by women 15–24 in all regions.ConclusionThe marked differences found by marital status, region, and age show the need for programs to be tailored to local circumstances. Additionally, the large unmet need for contraception signals the ongoing urgency for strengthened programmatic efforts, and for a wider offering of methods to enlarge the choices available to young women. Unmarried women in particular deserve attention, as well as young married women who wish to postpone a pregnancy.
Fecal microbiota transplantation and short-chain fatty acids reduce sepsis mortality by remodeling antibiotic-induced gut microbiota disturbances
Authors: Lou Xiran , Xue Jinfang , Shao Ruifei , Yang Yan , Ning Deyuan , Mo Chunyan , Wang Fuping , Chen Guobing 
Published: January 2023

ObjectiveSepsis is the leading cause of death in critically ill patients. The gastrointestinal tract has long been thought to play an important role in the pathophysiology of sepsis. Antibiotic therapy can reduce a patient’s commensal bacterial population and raise their risk of developing subsequent illnesses, where gut microbiota dysbiosis may be a key factor.MethodsIn this study, we analyzed the 16S rRNA of fecal samples from both healthy people and patients with sepsis to determine if alterations in gut bacteria are associated with sepsis. Then, we developed a mouse model of sepsis using cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) in order to examine the effects of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) on survival rate, systemic inflammatory response, gut microbiota, and mucosal barrier function.ResultsSepsis patients’ gut microbiota composition significantly differed from that of healthy people. At the phylum level, the amount of Proteobacteria in the intestinal flora of sepsis patients was much larger than that of the control group, whereas the number of Firmicutes was significantly lower. Mice with gut microbiota disorders (ANC group) were found to have an elevated risk of death, inflammation, and organ failure as compared to CLP mice. However, all of these could be reversed by FMT and SCFAs. FMT and SCFAs could regulate the abundance of bacteria such as Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Escherichia Shigella, and Lactobacillus, restoring them to levels comparable to those of healthy mice. In addition, they increased the expression of the Occludin protein in the colon of mice with sepsis, downregulated the expression of the NLRP3 and GSDMD-N proteins, and reduced the release of the inflammatory factors IL-1β and IL-18 to inhibit cell pyroptosis, ultimately playing a protective role in sepsis.DisccusionFMT and SCFAs provide a microbe-related survival benefit in a mouse model of sepsis, suggesting that they may be a viable treatment for sepsis.