bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Origin and hydrochemical evolution of confined groundwater in Shanghai, China
Authors: Zhan Guanghui , Li Jingzhu , Wang Hanmei , Wen Xiaohua , Gu Hua 
Published: March 2023

Confined groundwater is an indispensable resource for the urban security of Shanghai, China, where multi-layer aquifer structures and human activities create a complex groundwater environment. An understanding of the hydrochemical characteristics and evolutionary mechanisms of groundwater is necessary for its protection and effective utilization and will be explored in this study. A total of 87 groundwater samples were collected from five confined aquifers. Hydrochemistry analysis methods such as Durov diagram, Gibbs model and Saturation index were used to determine the origin and hydrochemical evolution of the confined groundwater. The results show that the samples have two different origins, marine–continental and continental, which have different hydrochemical characteristics. Cl− content of 7.5 meq L−1 was used as a demarcation index for the two origins. The groundwater with a marine–continental-origin is dominated by ancient seawater from which Na+ and Cl− are derived, whereas Ca2+, Mg2+, and HCO3− are derived mainly from carbonate dissolution. Groundwater with a continental-origin is dominated by the effects of water–rock interaction, where major ions are derived mainly from silicate weathering and carbonate dissolution. In both types of groundwater, SO42− is mainly derived from insoluble sulfides that are present in low quantities, whereas SO42− in the few samples with high insoluble sulfide content is derived from human activities. Cation exchange is another controlling factor regarding the hydrochemical composition of groundwater, and water from the two origins have different reaction modes as follows: reverse cation exchange is dominant in marine–continental groundwater, whereas positive cation exchange is more common in continental groundwater. Over the past century, saline water has been flowing into the groundwater funnel region due to human activities, which has resulted in changes in the hydrochemical composition. The recent influx of fresh groundwater and artificial recharge has caused groundwater salinization and mineral re-dissolution.
Biomarkers predicting clinical outcomes in nasopharyngeal cancer patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Qian Xiaoyan , Chen Haizhu , Tao Yunxia 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundOptimal biomarkers to select patients who will benefit most from immunotherapy remain lacking in nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association between various biomarkers and clinical outcomes in NPC patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).MethodsSystematic searches of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were performed up to October 2022. Studies evaluating the association between biomarkers and intended outcomes of ICIs were included. The pooled odds ratio (OR) and hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated, respectively, for the objective response rate (ORR) and progression-free survival (PFS) under fixed or random-effect models.ResultsA total of 15 studies involving 1,407 patients were included. The pooled analysis indicated that NPC patients with lower plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA level at baseline (OR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.46-3.14, P &lt; 0.001), decreased EBV DNA load during immunotherapy (OR = 4.57, 95% CI: 2.24-9.34, P = 0.002) and higher programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression (OR = 2.35, 95% CI: 1.36-4.09, P = 0.002) had superior ORR than the counterparts. No significant differences of ORR were observed between positive PD-L1 expression and negative PD-L1 expression (OR = 1.50, 95% CI: 0.92-2.45, P = 0.104), as well as higher tumor mutation burden (TMB) and lower TMB (OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 0.41-6.44, P = 0.494). Patients with lower plasma EBV DNA level at baseline obtained a significant benefit on PFS than those with higher plasma EBV DNA level (HR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.42-0.63, P &lt; 0.001). There were no differences in PFS between decreased EBV DNA load and increased EBV DNA load during immunotherapy (HR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.22-1.17, P = 0.109), higher PD-L1 expression and lower PD-L1 expression (HR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.42-1.01, P = 0.054), positive PD-L1 expression and negative PD-L1 expression (HR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.64-1.26, P = 0.531), lower TMB and higher TMB (HR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.51-1.38, P = 0.684).ConclusionLower baseline plasma EBV DNA level, decreased plasma EBV DNA during immunotherapy, and higher PD-L1 expression are reliable biomarkers predicting better response to ICIs treatment. Lower baseline plasma EBV DNA level was also associated with longer PFS. It is warranted to further explore and better illuminate the utility of these biomarkers in future clinical trials and real-world practice.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42022324434.
Silent infarction in sickle cell disease is associated with brain volume loss in excess of infarct volume
Authors: Jones R. Sky , Donahue Manus J. , Davis L. Taylor , Pruthi Sumit , Waddle Spencer L. , Custer Chelsea , Patel Niral J. , DeBaun Michael R. , Kassim Adetola A. , Rodeghier Mark , Jordan Lori C. 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionSickle cell disease (SCD) increases cerebral infarct risk, but reported effects on brain volume have varied. More detailed information using larger cohorts and contemporary methods could motivate the use of longitudinal brain volume assessment in SCD as an automated marker of disease stability or future progression. The purpose of this study was to rigorously evaluate whether children and young adults with SCD have reduced gray matter volume (GMV) and white matter volume (WMV) compared to healthy controls using high-resolution MRI. We tested the hypotheses that (i) elevated CBF, a marker of cerebral hemodynamic compensation in SCD, is associated with global and regional brain atrophy, and (ii) silent cerebral infarct burden is associated with brain atrophy in excess of infarct volume.MethodsHealthy controls (n = 49) and SCD participants without overt stroke (n = 88) aged 7–32 years completed 3 T brain MRI; pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling measured CBF. Multivariable linear regressions assessed associations of independent variables with GMV, WMV, and volumes of cortical/subcortical regions.ResultsReduced hemoglobin was associated with reductions in both GMV (p = 0.032) and WMV (p = 0.005); reduced arterial oxygen content (CaO2) was also associated with reductions in GMV (p = 0.035) and WMV (p = 0.006). Elevated gray matter CBF was associated with reduced WMV (p = 0.018). Infarct burden was associated with reductions in WMV 30-fold greater than the infarct volume itself (p = 0.005). Increased GM CBF correlated with volumetric reductions of the insula and left and right caudate nuclei (p = 0.017, 0.017, 0.036, respectively). Infarct burden was associated with reduced left and right nucleus accumbens, right thalamus, and anterior corpus callosum volumes (p = 0.002, 0.002, 0.009, 0.002, respectively).DiscussionWe demonstrate that anemia and decreased CaO2 are associated with reductions in GMV and WMV in SCD. Increased CBF and infarct burden were also associated with reduced volume in subcortical structures. Global WMV deficits associated with infarct burden far exceed infarct volume itself. Hemodynamic compensation via increased cerebral blood flow in SCD seems inadequate to prevent brain volume loss. Our work highlights that silent cerebral infarcts are just a portion of the brain injury that occurs in SCD; brain volume is another potential biomarker of brain injury in SCD.
Bibliometric and visualised analysis on non-invasive cerebellar stimulation from 1995 to 2021
Authors: He Lin , Guo Qi-Fan , Hu Yu , Tan Hui-Xin , Chen Yi , Wang Chen-Han , Zhou Tian-Yu , Gao Qiang 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundThe non-invasive cerebellar stimulation (NICS) is a neural modulation technique, which shows the therapeutic and diagnostic potentials for rehabilitating brain functions in neurological or psychiatric diseases. There is a rapid growth in the clinical research related to NICS in recent years. Hence, we applied a bibliometric approach to analyze the current status, the hot spots, and the trends of NICS visually and systematically.MethodsWe searched the NICS publications from the Web of Science (Wos) between 1995 and 2021. Both VOSviewer (1.6.18) and Citespace (Version 6.1.2) software were used to generate the co-occurrence or co-cited network maps about the authors, institutions, countries, journals, and keywords.ResultsA total of 710 articles were identified in accordance with our inclusion criteria. The linear regression analysis shows a statistical increase in the number of publications per year on NICS research over time (p &lt; 0.001). The Italy and University College London ranked the first in this field with 182 and 33 publications, respectively. Koch, Giacomo was the most prolific author (36 papers). The journal of Cerebellum, Brain stimulation and Clinical neurophysiology were the most three productive journals to publish NICS-related articles.ConclusionOur findings provide the useful information regarding to the global trends and frontiers in NICS field. Hot topic was focused on the interaction between the transcranial direct current stimulation and functional connectivity in the brain. It could guide the future research and clinical application of NICS.
Craniofacial and upper airway morphological characteristics associated with the presence and severity of obstructive sleep apnea in Chinese children
Authors: Xu Qiuping , Wang Xiaoya , Li Na , Wang Ying , Xu Xin , Guo Jing 
Published: March 2023

ObjectivesTo identify craniofacial and upper airway morphological characteristics associated with the presence and severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children.MethodsThis study consisted of 82 OSA children and 77 controls (age 5–10 years). All subjects underwent cephalograms and were divided into a 5–7 age group and an 8–10 age group. Cephalometric variables were compared between OSA children and controls, and hierarchical regression analysis was performed to examine the relationship between cephalometric variables and OSA severity [expressed by the obstructive apnea–hypopnea index (OAHI)] in different age groups.ResultsIncreased A/N ratio, narrowed posterior airway space, decreased SNA and SNB angles, and shortened ramus height were observed among OSA children in different age groups. In the 5–7 age group, the A/N ratio and a lower gonial angle explained 40.0% and 14.7% of the variance in the OAHI, respectively. In the 8–10 age group, the BMI z-score and A/N ratio explained 25.2% and 6.6% of the variance in the OAHI, followed by a lower gonial angle and the hyoid-retrognathion distance (19.1% in total).ConclusionsAdenoid hypertrophy was a major factor associated with OSA in preschool children, whereas obesity replaced adenoid hypertrophy as the main contributor to OSA in late childhood. Several craniofacial skeletal variables such as the SNB angle, ramus height, lower gonial angle, and hyoid position are also associated with the presence and/or severity of OSA, which could be used to help recognize children at a higher risk for OSA.
Trajectories of distress from pregnancy to 15-months post-partum during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Khoury Jennifer E. , Jambon Marc , Giles Lauren , Atkinson Leslie , Gonzalez Andrea 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has particularly burdened pregnant and postpartum women. It remains unclear how distress levels of pregnant and postpartum people have changed (or persisted) as the pandemic continues on and which factors may contribute to these trajectories of distress.MethodsThis longitudinal study included 304 pregnant people, who were followed during pregnancy, 6-weeks, 6-months and 15-months postpartum. At each time point, a latent “distress” factor was estimated using self-reported depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and stress. Reported negative impact of COVID-19 and social support were assessed during pregnancy as risk and protective factors related to distress. Second-order latent growth curve modeling with a piecewise growth function was used to estimate initial levels and changes in distress over time.ResultsMean distress was relatively stable from the pregnancy to 6-weeks postpartum and then declined from 6-weeks to 15-months postpartum. Higher education, greater social support, and lower negative impact of COVID-19 were associated with a lower distress during pregnancy. Unexpectedly, negative impact of COVID-19 was associated with a faster decrease in distress and more social support was associated with a greater increase in distress from pregnancy to 6-weeks postpartum. However, these effects became non-significant after controlling for distress during pregnancy.ConclusionFindings indicate high but declining levels of distress from pregnancy to the postpartum period. Changes in distress are related to social support and the negative impact of the pandemic in pregnancy. Findings highlight the continued impact of COVID-19 on perinatal mental health and the need for support to limit the burden of this pandemic on pregnant people and families.
Self perceived health and stress in the pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Liebana-Presa Cristina , Martínez-Fernández María Cristina , García-Fernández Rubén , Martín-Vázquez Cristian , Fernández-Martínez Elena , Hidalgo-Lopezosa Pedro 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has had numerous maternal and neonatal consequences, especially at the mental level. Pregnant women experience a rise in anxiety symptoms and prenatal stress.AimsThe aim was to describe self-perceived health status, general stress and prenatal stress and to analyze relations and associations with sociodemographic factors.MethodsA quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted using non-probabilistic circumstantial sampling. The sample was recruited during the first trimester of pregnancy during the control obstetrical visit. The Google Forms platform was used. A total of 297 women participated in the study. The Prenatal Distress Questionnaire (PDQ), the Perceived Stress Score (PSS) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) were used.ResultsPrimiparas presented higher levels of worry about childbirth and the baby (10.93 ± 4.73) than multiparous women (9.88 ± 3.96). Somatic symptoms were present in 6% of the women. Anxiety-insomnia was scored positively by 18% of the women. In the Spearman correlation analysis, statistically significant values were found between almost all study variables. A positive correlation was observed between self-perceived health and prenatal and general stress levels.DiscussionDuring the first trimester of gestation, prenatal concerns increase when levels of anxiety, insomnia and depression also increase. There is a clear relationship between prenatal worries, anxiety, insomnia and depression with stress. Health education that focuses on mental health of pregnant women would help reduce worries during pregnancy and would improve the pregnant women perception of her health and well-being.
Resilience of hospital staff facing COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons from Israel
Authors: Trotzky Daniel , Aizik Uri , Mosery Jonathan , Carady Natali , Tavori Guy , Cohen Aya , Pachys Gal , Avraham Miri , Levtzion-Korach Osnat , Tal Orna 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has placed additional burden on already strained healthcare systems worldwide, intensifying the responsibility and burden of healthcare workers. Although most hospital staff continued working during this stressful and challenging unprecedented pandemic, differences in the characteristics and attributes were noted between sectors and hospital departments. Israeli healthcare workers are trained and experienced in coping with national emergencies, but the pandemic has exposed variations in staff reactions. Understanding the intrinsic differences between sectors and departments is a key factor in staff and hospital preparedness for unexpected events, better resource utilization for timely interventions to mitigate risk and improve staff wellbeing.ObjectiveTo identify and compare the level of resilience, secondary traumatization and burnout among hospital workers, between different sectors and hospital departments, during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsCross-sectional research to assess the resiliency, secondary traumatization and burnout of healthcare workers at a large general public hospital in central Israel. The sample consisted of 655 participants across various hospital units exposed to COVID-19 patients.ResultsEmergency department physicians had higher rates of resilience and lower rates of burnout and secondary traumatization than staff in other hospital departments. In contrast, staff from internal medicine departments demonstrated the highest levels of burnout (4.29). Overall, physicians demonstrated higher levels of resilience (7.26) and lower levels of burnout compared to other workers.ConclusionIdentifying resilience characteristics across hospital staff, sectors and departments can guide hospital management in education, preparation and training of healthcare workers for future large-scale health emergencies such as pandemics, natural disasters, and war.
Acne and risk of mental disorders: A two-sample Mendelian randomization study based on large genome-wide association data
Authors: Liu Lin , Xue Yuzhou , Chen Yangmei , Chen Tingqiao , Zhong Judan , Shao Xinyi , Chen Jin 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundDespite a growing body of evidence that acne impacts mental disorders, the actual causality has not been established for the possible presence of recall bias and confounders in observational studies.MethodsWe performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to evaluate the effect of acne on the risk of six common mental disorders, i.e., depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We acquired genetic instruments for assessing acne from the largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) of acne (N = 615,396) and collected summary statistics from the largest available GWAS for depression (N = 500,199), anxiety (N = 17,310), schizophrenia (N = 130,644), OCD (N = 9,725), bipolar disorder (N = 413,466), and PTSD (N = 174,659). Next, we performed the two-sample MR analysis using four methods: inverse-variance weighted method, MR-Egger, weighted median, and MR pleiotropy residual sum and outliers. Sensitivity analysis was also performed for heterogeneity and pleiotropy tests.ResultsThere was no evidence of a causal impact of acne on the risk of depression [odds ratio (OR): 1.002, p = 0.874], anxiety (OR: 0.961, p = 0.49), OCD (OR: 0.979, p = 0.741), bipolar disorder (OR: 0.972, p = 0.261), and PTSD (OR: 1.054, p = 0.069). Moreover, a mild protective effect of acne against schizophrenia was observed (OR: 0.944; p = 0.033).ConclusionThe increased prevalence of mental disorders observed in patients with acne in clinical practice was caused by modifiable factors, and was not a direct outcome of acne. Therefore, strategies targeting the elimination of potential factors and minimization of the occurrence of adverse mental events in acne should be implemented.
The Mortality Attributable to Candidemia in C. auris Is Higher than That in Other Candida Species: Myth or Reality?
Authors: Alvarez-Moreno Carlos A. , Morales-López Soraya , Rodriguez Gerson J. , Rodriguez Jose Y. , Robert Estelle , Picot Carine , Ceballos-Garzon Andrés , Parra-Giraldo Claudia M. , Le Pape Patrice 
Published: March 2023

Candida auris has become a major health threat due to its transmissibility, multidrug resistance and severe outcomes. In a case-control design, 74 hospitalised patients with candidemia were enrolled. In total, 22 cases (29.7%) and 52 controls (C. albicans, 21.6%; C. parapsilosis, 21.6%; C. tropicalis, 21.6%; C. glabrata, 1.4%) were included and analysed in this study. Risk factors, clinical and microbiological characteristics and outcomes of patients with C. auris and non-auris Candida species (NACS) candidemia were compared. Previous fluconazole exposure was significantly higher in C. auris candidemia patients (OR 3.3; 1.15–9.5). Most C. auris isolates were resistant to fluconazole (86.3%) and amphotericin B (59%) whilst NACS isolates were generally susceptible. No isolates resistant to echinocandins were detected. The average time to start antifungal therapy was 3.6 days. Sixty-three (85.1%) patients received adequate antifungal therapy, without significant differences between the two groups. The crude mortality at 30 and 90 days of candidemia was up to 37.8% and 40.5%, respectively. However, there was no difference in mortality both at 30 and 90 days between the group with candidemia by C. auris (31.8%) and by NACS (42.3%) (OR 0.6; 95% IC 0.24–1.97) and 36.4% and 42.3% (0.77; 0.27–2.1), respectively. In this study, mortality due to candidemia between C. auris and NACS was similar. Appropriate antifungal therapy in both groups may have contributed to finding no differences in outcomes.
Evidence of Homeostatic Regulation in Mycobacterium avium Subspecies paratuberculosis as an Adaptive Response to Copper Stress
Authors: Tejeda Carlos , Steuer Pamela , Villegas Marcela , Ulloa Fernando , Hernández-Agudelo José M. , Salgado Miguel 
Published: March 2023

Background: Bacteria are capable of responding to various stressors, something which has been essential for their adaptation, evolution, and colonization of a wide range of environments. Of the many stressors affecting bacteria, we can highlight heavy metals, and amongst these, copper stands out for its great antibacterial capacity. Using Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) as a model, the action of proteins involved in copper homeostasis has been put forward as an explanation for the tolerance or adaptive response of this mycobacteria to the toxic action of copper. Therefore, the aim of this study was to confirm the presence and evaluate the expression of genes involved in copper homeostasis at the transcriptional level after challenging Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculoisis (MAP) with copper ions. Methodology: Buffer inoculated with MAP was treated with two stressors, the presence of copper homeostasis genes was confirmed by bioinformatics and genomic analysis, and the response of these genes to the stressors was evaluated by gene expression analysis, using qPCR and the comparative ΔΔCt method. Results: Through bioinformatics and genomic analysis, we found that copper homeostasis genes were present in the MAP genome and were overexpressed when treated with copper ions, which was not the case with H2O2 treatment. Conclusion: These results suggest that genes in MAP that code for proteins involved in copper homeostasis trigger an adaptive response to copper ions.
La Convenzione UNESCO del 1972 nel XXI secolo e la trasformazione Digitale Tecnologica Antropologica, una riflessione
Authors: Salonia Paolo 
Published: March 2023

The changes in the world scenario undergone since the 1970s, due to the rapid technological development and progressive impacts of social, cultural and climate change, require a re-reading of the processes derived from the 1972 UNESCO Convention. The evolution of technologies applied to Cultural Heritage has significantly improved, in terms of accuracy and reliability, but has not always been generated an awareness of the value meaning of the asset. The contribution addresses the issue with an analysis of the general anthropological transformations to verify what role the Cultural Heritage values will continue to play in technologically globalized world of the 21st century. This paper intends to introduce a series of urgent reflections in order to stimulate and increase the necessary interdisciplinary and intercultural debate between the various stakeholders on the theme of safeguarding. of Cultural Heritage as a driving force for civil progress.