bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Benchmarking Feature Selection Methods in Radiomics
Authors: Demircioğlu Aydin 
Published: January 2022

Objectives
A critical problem in radiomic studies is the high dimensionality of the datasets, which stems from small sample sizes and many generic features extracted from the volume of interest. Therefore, feature selection methods are used, which aim to remove redundant as well as irrelevant features. Because there are many feature selection algorithms, it is key to understand their performance in the context of radiomics.

Materials and Methods
A total of 29 feature selection algorithms and 10 classifiers were evaluated on 10 publicly available radiomic datasets. Feature selection methods were compared for training times, for the stability of the selected features, and for ranking, which measures the pairwise similarity of the methods. In addition, the predictive performance of the algorithms was measured by utilizing the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the best-performing classifier.

Results
Feature selections differed largely in training times as well as stability and similarity. No single method was able to outperform another one consistently in predictive performance.

Conclusion
Our results indicated that simpler methods are more stable than complex ones and do not perform worse in terms of area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Analysis of variance, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, and minimum redundancy, maximum relevance ensemble appear to be good choices for radiomic studies in terms of predictive performance, as they outperformed most other feature selection methods.
Pituitary Metastasis of Renal Cell Carcinoma Characterized by 18F–Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen–1007 PET/CT
Authors: Tariq Arsalan , Raman Vignesh , Alexander Hamish , Roberts Matthew J. , Thomas Paul 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the most common oncological diagnoses worldwide. Accurate staging and restaging imaging continue to be a priority in clinical practice as 20% to 30% of patients present with advanced metastatic disease at diagnosis, and 20% to 30% develop recurrence after surgical resection. We present a case of a 71-year-old man presenting with an isolated pituitary RCC metastasis accurately defined on 18F–prostate-specific membrane antigen–1007 masquerading as a macroadenoma on conventional imaging (CT and MRI). This demonstrates the potential utility of 18F–prostate-specific membrane antigen–1007 in characterizing RCC brain metastasis.
To Explore Ideas From the Altered Metabolites: The Metabolomics of Pathological Scar
Authors: Yang Jinxiu , Chen Minliang , He Leren 
Published: January 2022

Background:
Pathological scars are dermal fibroproliferative disorders due to rapid inflammatory response after dermal injury. The altered metabolites could reflect pathophysiological changes directly. However, it has not cleared how the metabolites change scars.

Objective:
To explore new ideas of pathological scars from the altered metabolites by using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry and identifying the key genes.

Methods:
Keloid (KS, n = 10), hypertrophic scar (HS, n = 10), and normal skin (NS, n = 10) were collected. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry was used to identify and characterize metabolites. Differential metabolites were analyzed by orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis and Student t test. The key pathways were analyzed via Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, and the related enzymes were verified by real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction, both in tissues and their dermal fibroblasts.

Results:
Two hundred fourteen metabolites were detected in total, mostly were fatty acids and amino acids. In the KS and NS groups, 65 different metabolites were screened (P < 0.05), and the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) metabolism and butyric acid in keloid should be concerned. The messenger Ribonucleic Acid expression of fatty acid desaturase 1 and fatty acid desaturase 2, which are the key enzyme of PUFA metabolism, were lower in KS and keloid-derived fibroblasts, P < 0.05. In HS group, 17 metabolites were significantly different and branched chain amino acids degradation was the key pathway. Moreover, branched chain keto acid dehydrogenase E1 subunit alpha was lower expressed in HS and their fibroblasts compared with NS, P < 0.05.

Conclusions:
Polyunsaturated fatty acids and butyric acid may be associated with the generation of keloids. The pathogenesis of hypertrophic scars may be involved in branched chain amino acids degradation, which is worth paying attention to.
A Skill Trainer for Balloon/Stent Exchange in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention—Concept and Evaluation
Authors: Petri Nils , Weber Christian , Maniuc Octavian , Oder Daniel , Lengenfelder Björn , Voelker Wolfram 
Published: January 2022

Background
To prevent complications, uncontrolled movement of the guidewire during a coronary intervention should be avoided. Unintentional withdrawal of the wire can result in the inability to recross a lesion with the risk of myocardial infarction. On the other hand, unintended forward pushing can lead to a coronary perforation. Thus, interventionalists in training should practice keeping the coronary guidewire in a stable position to prevent complications. For this purpose, a skill trainer has been developed, which provides the possibility of unlimited practice outside of the cath lab.
The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness and the validity of this skills trainer.

Methods
Ten novices and 10 participants with experience in diagnostic catheterization underwent training on the skills trainer consisting of 25 procedures. To assess the efficacy of the training module, the mean score of the first 3 procedures was compared with the final 3 procedures in the novice and the advanced group. To determine the construct validity of the simulator, a group of experts (E; performed >1000 percutaneous coronary interventions) also underwent evaluation on the skills trainer. For each procedure, the change in position of the guidewire as well as the time was determined and combined into a skills score with a maximum of 15 points.

Results
The novice and the advanced group improved significantly throughout the training on the simulator (N: 7.1 ± 2.6 to 12.2 ± 2.0, P = 0.007; A: 8.3 ± 2.0 to 13.2 ± 1.0, P = 0.005, Wilcoxon).
The experts scored significantly higher than novices or the advanced participants during their first 3 procedures (E: 12.9 ± 1.0; N: 7.1 ± 2.6, P = 0.001; A: 8.3 ± 2.0, P = 0.001; Mann-Whitney U).

Conclusions
This low-cost task trainer is a valid and effective tool to train adequate balloon/stent exchange while keeping the guidewire in a stable position. Whether the skills acquired on the task trainer can be transferred to procedures performed on patients needs further investigation.
Operative trauma volume is not related to risk-adjusted mortality rates among Pennsylvania trauma centers
Authors: Hornor Melissa A. , Xiong Aria , Imran Jonathan B. , Jacovides Christina L. , Hatchimonji Justin , Scantling Dane , Kaufman Elinore , Cannon Jeremy W. , Holena Daniel N. 
Published: January 2022

BACKGROUND
Higher center-level operative volume is associated with lower mortality after complex elective surgeries, but this relationship has not been robustly demonstrated for operative trauma. We hypothesized that trauma centers in Pennsylvania with higher operative trauma volumes would have lower risk-adjusted mortality rates than lower volume institutions.

METHODS
We queried the Pennsylvania Trauma Outcomes Study database (2017–2019) for injured patients 18 years or older at Level I and II trauma centers who underwent an International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), procedure code–defined operative procedure within 6 hours of admission. The primary exposure was tertile of center-level operative volume. The primary outcome of interest was inpatient mortality. We entered factors associated with mortality in univariate analysis (age, injury severity, mechanism, physiology) into multivariable logistic regression models with tertiles of volume accounting for center-level clustering. We conducted secondary analyses varying the form of the association between the volume and mortality to including dichotomous and fractional polynomial models.

RESULTS
We identified 3,650 patients at 29 centers meeting the inclusion criteria. Overall mortality was 15.9% (center-level range, 6.7–34.2%). Operative procedure types were cardiopulmonary (7.3%), vascular (20.1%), abdominopelvic (24.3%), and multiple (48.3%). The mean annual operative volume over the 3 years of data was 10 to 21 operations for low-volume centers, 22 to 47 for medium-volume centers, and 47 to 158 for high-volume centers. After controlling for patient demographics, physiology, and injury characteristics, there was no significant difference in mortality between highest and lowest tertile centers (odds ratio, 0.92; confidence interval, 0.57–1.49). Secondary analyses similarly demonstrated no relationship between center operative volume and mortality in key procedure subgroups.

CONCLUSION
In a mature trauma system, we found no association between center-level operative volume and mortality for patients who required early operative intervention for trauma. Efforts to standardize the care of seriously injured patients in Pennsylvania may ensure that even lower-volume centers are prepared to generate satisfactory outcomes.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
Prognostic and Epidemiological; Level III.
An ERP study on the influence of mental abacus calculation on subthreshold arithmetic priming in children
Authors: Wang Cong-Cong , Sun Yan-Chao , Zhang Yu , Xin Yan-Wei , Gao Wei-Xing , Jia Li-Ping , Liu Xiao-Qin 
Published: January 2022

Objective
The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of mental abacus calculation training (MACT) on subliminal cognitive processes.

Methods
Twenty children with intensive MACT (MACT group) and 20 children without MACT (non-MACT group) were selected. The two groups of children were matched in age, sex, handedness and academic grade. The participants were tested with subthreshold arithmetic priming task while their neural activities were recorded with a 32-channel electroencephalogram system.

Results
We found that MACT changed the subliminal cognitive mechanism of computational processing, speeding up the computation. MACT affected the computational processing mode. Specifically, in the identification stage, both groups of children adopted the visual space processing mode, while in the computing stage, the MACT group adopted a visual space processing mode, but the non-MACT group adopted a semantic processing mode. Moreover, MACT improved children’s executive functions.

Conclusion
These results yielded insights into the effect of early abacus training on children’s cognitive processing, providing a theoretical basis for the development and promotion of abacus training.
CaPTrends: A global database of Carnivoran Population Trends
Authors: Johnson Thomas F. , Cruz Paula , Isaac Nick J. B. , Paviolo Agustin , González-Suárez Manuela 
Published: January 2022

AbstractMotivationPopulation trend information is an ‘Essential Biodiversity Variable’ for monitoring change in biodiversity over time. Here, we present a global dataset of 1122 population trends describing changes in abundance over time in large mammals from the Order Carnivora – some of the world’s most charismatic and functionally important fauna.Main types of variables includedKey data fields for each record: species, coordinates, trend timeframe, methods of data collection and analysis, and population timeseries or summarised trend value. Population trend values are reported using quantitative metrics in 75% of records that collectively represent more than 6500 population estimates. The remaining records qualitatively describe population change (e.g. increase).Spatial location and grainRecords represent locations across the globe (latitude: -51.0 to 80.0; longitude: -166.0 to 166.0) with more trends found within the northern temperate zone.Time period and grainRecords span from 1726 to 2017, with 92% of trends starting after 1950.Major taxa and level of measurementWe conducted a semi-systematic search for population trend data in 87 species from four families in the order Carnivora: Canidae, Felidae, Hyaenidae and Ursidae. We compiled data for 50 of the 87 species.Software format.csv
Dogma and belief: the primary lesion in age-related hearing loss is old news
Authors: McAlpine David , Hernandez-Perez Heivet , Seeto Mark , Edwards Brent 
Published: January 2022

AbstractPresbycusis, or age-related hearing loss, is the most common sensory deficit globally, and the biggest modifiable risk factor for a later dementia diagnosis. Despite its ubiquity, however, the primary pathology contributing to presbycusis is reportedly contentious, particularly the relative role of damage to the sensory outer hair cells compared to the stria vascularis, an important inner ear structure that maintains the ionic concentration of inner ear fluids that surround it. To determine what might be the “dogma” of the field regarding the primary pathology in presbycusis, we conducted an online Google survey (https://forms.gle/GPreoePmRxBBkchc7) asking relevant respondents in the field their opinions on the matter. In Question (Q1), respondents were asked to rate ‘in your opinion’ from ‘least likely’ to ‘most likely’ (on a scale 1 to 4 [being ‘most likely’]) ‘what is the primary pathology contributing to presbycusis?’ in terms of ‘damage to’: i) the inner hair cells, ii) outer hair cells (OHCs), iii) spiral ganglion, iv) stria vascularis. The term ‘dogma’ suggests that the proportion of people in the field who believe that the main cause of presbycusis is damage to the stria vascularis is at least 50%. The results of our survey estimated this proportion to be 19/101 = 0.188 (95% CI [0.124 0.275]) and a two-sided test of the null hypothesis that this proportion is at least 0.5 was rejected (p < 10−10). When it came to opining what ‘other professionals in the field consider to be the primary pathology contributing to presbycusis’ (Q2), the tendency to rank ‘damage to OHCs’ as being the primary pathology was 45%. Stria vascularis was least likely to be ranked 4 (11%) by professionals in the field opining about the beliefs of others. Even when ‘noise damage was excluded’ as a factor (Q3), the ‘most likely’ contributing factor to presbycusis was stated to be damage to the OHCs (42%). Our data suggest the dogma of the field is that damage to outer hair cells is the primary pathology in presbycusis.
Re-use of labware reduces CO2 equivalent footprint and running costs in laboratories
Authors: Farley Martin , Nicolet Benoit P. 
Published: January 2022

ABSTRACTLaboratory-based research is resource intensive in terms of financial costs and its carbon footprint. Research laboratories require immense amounts of energy to power equipment, as well as large volumes of materials, particularly of single-use item consumption. In fact, many laboratories have essentially become reliant on single-use plastics. Understanding the full carbon footprint of consumable usage is increasingly important as many research institutes commit to carbon neutrality. To date, no carbon footprint assessment has been conducted to detail the differences between single-use plastics, and reusable glass in a laboratory setting. Here, we analyse the CO2 equivalent (CO2e) footprint of utilising single-use plastics, and re-use of glass or plastic items within laboratory environments. We focused our assessment on four commonly utilised consumables for mammalian cell and bacterial culture, and found that re-use scenarios resulted in substantial reduction in CO2e footprint up to 11-fold. In addition, we estimated the long-term financial costs of re-use and single-use scenarios, and found that re-use had either similar or much lower running costs even when including technical staff wage. We concluded that research facilities must foster re-use in laboratory consumables, while reserving single-use items for select, defined cases. Our study highlights the need to account for indirect CO2e footprint in designing a carbon-neutral lab.
Effectiveness of mRNA COVID-19 Booster Vaccines against Omicron and Delta Variants among US Veterans
Authors: Young-Xu Yinong , Zwain Gabrielle M. , Izurieta Hector S. , Korves Caroline , Powell Ethan I. , Smith Jeremy , Balajee Abirami S. , Holodniy Mark , Beenhouwer David O. , Rodriguez-Barradas Maria C. , Brown Sheldon T. , Marconi Vincent C. 
Published: January 2022

AbstractBackgroundWe estimated vaccine effectiveness (VE) of mRNA vaccines among US Veterans during periods of Delta and Omicron variant dominance. Patients included in this study were largely 65 years or older (62,834, 55%), male (101,259, 88%), and non-Hispanic white (66,986, 58%).MethodsWe used SARS-CoV-2 laboratory test results to conduct a matched test-negative case-control study to estimate VE of three and two doses of mRNA vaccines against infection (regardless of symptoms), and a matched case-control study to estimate VE against COVID-19-related hospitalization and death. We estimated VE as (1-odds ratio) x 100%. Severity of disease was measured using hospital length of stay (LOS) and admission to an intensive care unit (ICU).ResultsAgainst infection, booster doses had 7-times higher VE - 59% (95% confidence interval [CI], 57 to 61) - than 2-dose VE (7%; 95% CI, 3 to 10) during the Omicron period. For the Delta period, estimated VE against infection was 90% (95% CI, 88 to 92) among boosted vaccinees, 64% higher than VE among 2-dose vaccinees [55% (95% CI, 51 to 58)]. Against hospitalization, booster dose VE was 87% (95% CI, 80 to 91) during Omicron and 95% (95% CI, 91 to 97) during Delta; the 2-dose VE was 44% (95% CI, 26 to 58) during Omicron and 75% (95% CI, 70 to 80) during Delta. Against death, estimated VE with a booster dose was 94% (95% CI, 85 to 98) during Omicron and 96% (95% CI, 88 to 99) during Delta, while the 2-dose VE was 75% (95% CI, 52 to 87) during Omicron and 93% (95% CI, 85 to 97) during Delta. During the Omicron period, average hospital LOS was 4 days shorter [3 days (95%CI, 3 to 4 days)] than during the Delta period.ConclusionsA mRNA vaccine booster is more effective against infection, hospitalization, and death than 2-dose vaccination among an older male population with comorbidities.
Double blind placebo-controlled trial for the prevention of ulcerative colitis relapses by β-fructan prebiotics: efficacy and metabolomic analysis
Authors: Valcheva Rosica , Armstrong Heather , Kovic Ognjen , Bording-Jorgensen Michael , Veniamin Simona , Pérez-Muñoz María Elisa , Haskey Natasha , Silva Melissa , Peerani Farhad , Wong Karen , Kao Dina H. , Van Zanten Sander Veldhuyzen , Kroeker Karen I. , Gibson Deanna L. , Wine Eytan , Gänzle Michael , Walter Jens , Dieleman Levinus A. 
Published: January 2022

BackgroundUlcerative colitis (UC) is associated with altered intestinal microbiome (‘dysbiosis’), most significantly, reduced strict butyrate-producing anaerobes and increased facultative anaerobes. Inulin-type prebiotics appear to reduce and prevent colitis in preclinical studies and small clinical trials. However, these results need to be validated in randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT) studies.AimsThe aim of this RCT study was to assess the efficacy of β-fructans (oligofructose and inulin) in preventing relapses in UC patients in clinical remission as well as identify potential mechanisms of activity.MethodsAdult UC patients in clinical remission (total Mayo score ≤ 2) were randomized to supplement their diet with 15g/d of either β-fructans (oligofructose and inulin; Synergy1/Prebiotin) or placebo (maltodextrin) for 6 months. Partial Mayo scores, medications, adverse events and intervention compliance were monitored monthly. Fecal specimens were collected throughout the study to measure fecal calprotectin (FCP), along with stool metabolites.ResultsEighty-nine UC patients in clinical remission were randomized to β-fructans (n=43) or placebo (n=46). Of those, 11 participants never started, 2 were withdrawn, and 76 were included in the study population (β-fructans n=35; placebo n=41). Although there was no difference in symptomatic clinical flare (β-fructans n=11 flare; placebo n=10 flare, P=0.60), patients randomized to oligofructose and inulin showed only a 3-fold median FCP increase versus 17-fold in the placebo group (P=0.038). Interestingly, antibiotics and serotonin reuptake inhibitors significantly increased the relative risk (RR) of flare (RR 3.321, 95% Cl 2.005 to 5.344, P < 0.0001). β-Fructan intake significantly increased anti-inflammatory fecal metabolites (arabinose, L-arabitol, 5-oxo-D-proline).ConclusionsAlthough oligofructose and inulin did not prevent symptomatic relapses in UC patients, their oral administration significantly reduced the severity of biochemical relapse compared to placebo which was further associated with increased anti-inflammatory metabolites.
Increased risk of death immediately after discharge from compulsory care for substance abuse
Authors: Ledberg Anders , Reitan Therese 
Published: January 2022

AbstractBackgroundIn Sweden, approximately 1000 persons per year are committed to compulsory care for substance abuse for a maximum duration of six months. People admitted to compulsory care are known to suffer high mortality risks, but whether the risk of dying is further heightened immediately after discharge is not known.MethodsIndividual data from Swedish national registers were used to follow all persons discharged from a six months compulsory care episode in the period 2000–2017 (N = 7, 929). Based on a competing risks framework including re-admissions to compulsory care or imprisonment, hazard rates were estimated in five non-overlapping time windows covering the first year after discharge.ResultsIn total, 494 persons died during follow-up, corresponding to an overall yearly risk of 6.2 percent (95% confidence interval: 5.7, 6.8). The risk was higher for men than for women and increased with age. The risk of dying during the first two weeks after discharge was higher than during the remaining follow-up period – hazard ratios comparing the first two weeks with subsequent time windows were between 2.6 (1.3, 5.0) and 3.7 (2.4, 5.9). This heightened risk in close proximity to discharge was only observed for deaths due to external causes, and only for people below the median age of 36 years.ConclusionsThe risk of dying immediately after discharge from compulsory care is very high, especially for younger clients, and more efforts should be made to prevent these deaths.