bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Machine Learning-Derived Multimodal Neuroimaging of Presurgical Target Area to Predict Individual's Seizure Outcomes After Epilepsy Surgery
Authors: Tang Yongxiang , Li Weikai , Tao Lue , Li Jian , Long Tingting , Li Yulai , Chen Dengming , Hu Shuo 
Published: January 2022

Objectives: Half of the patients who have tailored resection of the suspected epileptogenic zone for drug-resistant epilepsy have recurrent postoperative seizures. Although neuroimaging has become an indispensable part of delineating the epileptogenic zone, no validated method uses neuroimaging of presurgical target area to predict an individual’s post-surgery seizure outcome. We aimed to develop and validate a machine learning-powered approach incorporating multimodal neuroimaging of a presurgical target area to predict an individual’s post-surgery seizure outcome in patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy.Materials and Methods: One hundred and forty-one patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy were classified either as having seizure-free (Engel class I) or seizure-recurrence (Engel class II through IV) at least 1 year after surgery. The presurgical magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, computed tomography, and postsurgical magnetic resonance imaging were co-registered for surgical target volume of interest (VOI) segmentation; all VOIs were decomposed into nine fixed views, then were inputted into the deep residual network (DRN) that was pretrained on Tiny-ImageNet dataset to extract and transfer deep features. A multi-kernel support vector machine (MKSVM) was used to integrate multiple views of feature sets and to predict seizure outcomes of the targeted VOIs. Leave-one-out validation was applied to develop a model for verifying the prediction. In the end, performance using this approach was assessed by calculating accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated, and the optimal area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was calculated as a metric for classifying outcomes.Results: Application of DRN–MKSVM model based on presurgical target area neuroimaging demonstrated good performance in predicting seizure outcomes. The AUC ranged from 0.799 to 0.952. Importantly, the classification performance DRN–MKSVM model using data from multiple neuroimaging showed an accuracy of 91.5%, a sensitivity of 96.2%, a specificity of 85.5%, and AUCs of 0.95, which were significantly better than any other single-modal neuroimaging (all p ˂ 0.05).Conclusion: DRN–MKSVM, using multimodal compared with unimodal neuroimaging from the surgical target area, accurately predicted postsurgical outcomes. The preoperative individualized prediction of seizure outcomes in patients who have been judged eligible for epilepsy surgery could be conveniently facilitated. This may aid epileptologists in presurgical evaluation by providing a tool to explore various surgical options, offering complementary information to existing clinical techniques.
Identification and Validation of a Prognostic Risk-Scoring Model Based on Ferroptosis-Associated Cluster in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Wang Jinghua , Zhuo Zewei , Wang Yanjun , Yang Shuo , Chen Jierong , Wang Yulian , Geng Suxia , Li Minming , Du Xin , Lai Peilong , Weng Jianyu 
Published: January 2022

Background: Emerging evidence has proven that ferroptosis plays an important role in the development of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), whereas the exact role of ferroptosis-associated genes in AML patients’ prognosis remained unclear.Materials and Methods: Gene expression profiles and corresponding clinical information of AML cases were obtained from the TCGA (TCGA-LAML), GEO (GSE71014), and TARGET databases (TARGET-AML). Patients in the TCGA cohort were well-grouped into two clusters based on ferroptosis-related genes, and differentially expressed genes were screened between the two clusters. Univariate Cox and LASSO regression analyses were applied to select prognosis-related genes for the construction of a prognostic risk-scoring model. Survival analysis was analyzed by Kaplan–Meier and receiver operator characteristic curves. Furthermore, we explored the correlation of the prognostic risk-scoring model with immune infiltration and chemotherapy response. Risk gene expression level was detected by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.Results: Eighteen signature genes, including ZSCAN4, ASTN1, CCL23, DLL3, EFNB3, FAM155B, FOXL1, HMX2, HRASLS, LGALS1, LHX6, MXRA5, PCDHB12, PRINS, TMEM56, TWIST1, ZFPM2, and ZNF560, were developed to construct a prognostic risk-scoring model. AML patients could be grouped into high- and low-risk groups, and low-risk patients showed better survival than high-risk patients. Area under the curve values of 1, 3, and 5 years were 0.81, 0.827, and 0.786 in the training set, respectively, indicating a good predictive efficacy. In addition, age and risk score were the independent prognostic factors after univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. A nomogram containing clinical factors and prognostic risk-scoring model was constructed to better estimate individual survival. Further analyses demonstrated that risk score was associated with the immune infiltration and response to chemotherapy. Our experiment data revealed that LGALS1 and TMEM56 showed notably decreased expression in AML samples than that of the normal samples.Conclusion: Our study shows that the prognostic risk-scoring model and key risk gene may provide potential prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic option for AML patients.
Nitrogen Fixation at the Edges of Boron Nitride Nanomaterials: Synergy of Doping
Authors: Choutipalli Venkata Surya Kumar , Esackraj Karthikraja , Subramanian Venkatesan 
Published: January 2022

Synthesis of ammonia at ambient conditions is very demanding yet challenging to achieve due to the production of ammonia fuel, which is considered to be a future fuel for sustainable energy. In this context, computational studies on the catalytic activity of the edge sites of boron nitride nanomaterials for possible nitrogen reduction into ammonia have been investigated. Geometrical and electronic properties of zigzag and armchair B-open edges of BN sheet (BOE) models have been unraveled to substantiate their catalytic nature. Results reveal that BOE sites exhibit very high potential determining steps (PDS) of 2.0 eV. Doping of carbon (C) at the nitrogen center, which is vicinal to the BOE site reduces the PDS of the N2 reduction reaction (NRR) (to 1.18–1.33 eV) due to the regulation of charge distribution around the active BOE site. Further, the NRR at the C doped at various edge sites of a boron nitride sheet (BNS) has also been studied in detail. Among the 12 new C-doped defective BNS models, 9 model catalysts are useful for nitrogen activation through either chemisorption or physisorption. Among these, ZCN, ACN, and ZCBV models are efficient in catalyzing NRR with lower PDS of 0.86, 0.88, and 0.86 eV, respectively. The effect of carbon doping in tuning the potential requirements of NRR has been analyzed by comparing the relative stability of intermediates on the catalyst with and without carbon doping. Results reveal that C-doping destabilizes the intermediates compared to non-doped systems, thereby reducing the possibility of catalyst poisoning. However, their interactions with catalysts are good enough so that the NRR activity of the catalyst does not decrease due to C-doping.
Relationship Between the Lipid Accumulation Product Index and Arterial Stiffness in the Chinese Population With Hypertension: A Report From the China H-Type Hypertension Registry Study
Authors: Shi Yumeng , Hu Lihua , Li Minghui , Zhou Wei , Wang Tao , Zhu Lingjuan , Bao Huihui , Li Ping , Cheng Xiaoshu 
Published: January 2022

BackgroundLipid accumulation product (LAP) index, as a new index to predict cardiovascular disease (CVD), has attracted the attention of many researchers. The relation of the LAP index with brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) has been evaluated in several previous studies and yielded inconsistent results. This study aimed to investigate the association between the LAP index and arterial stiffness in the Chinese population with hypertension.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis in 4,926 Chinese population with hypertension (aged 64.42 ± 9.44 years). The LAP index was developed from population-based frequency plots of adult waist circumferences and circulating triglyceride concentrations according to men and women. Arterial stiffness was determined by measuring baPWV.ResultsThe multivariate linear regression analyses showed that the LAP index was independently and positively associated with baPWV [beta coefficients (β), 24.10 cm/s; 95% CI: 5.72, 42.49 cm/s]. Consistently, the multivariate logistic regression analyses showed a positive association between the LAP index risk of elevated baPWV (&gt;75th percentile) [odds ratio (OR), 1.19; 95% CI 1.01, 1.41]. A restricted cubic spline showed that a significant linear association existed between the LAP index and baPWV. In different subgroups of diastolic blood pressure (DBP), there is interaction between the LAP index and baPWV (DBP &lt;90, 90–99, ≥100 mm Hg; p-interaction = 0.006).ConclusionLAP is significantly positively associated with baPWV and elevated baPWV in Chinese hypertensive adults and especially among participants with DBP ≤ 99 mm Hg.
Quantification of Bedding Rock Slope Deformation Rate Using Guided Wave Monitoring
Authors: Zheng Changsong , He Wen , Huang Chongjie , Chen Hao , Xiao Changbo 
Published: January 2022

The guided wave technique is applied to slope stability monitoring to overcome the high attenuation characteristics of acoustic emission propagation in rock and soil materials. The shear tests of “guided wave meter” (GWM) with different deformation rates were carried out, and the effects of the material and particle size of the coupling medium and the diameter of the waveguide rod on the flexural guided wave ring down count were studied, and the relationship between the deformation rate of the slope and the flexural guided wave parameters was analyzed. The results show that the flexural guided wave ring down count rate increases with the increase of deformation in the loading process. The GWM filled with quartz sand particles produces more flexural guided wave ring down counts than those filled with gravel particles. From the twelve groups of GWM shear tests, it can be seen that the GWM with the combination of 16 mm waveguide rod and 4–8 mm quartz sand produces the highest cumulative flexural guided wave ring down counts. The combination is used as an optimized GWM. By applying different deformation rates to the optimized GWM, it was found that the flexural guided wave ring down count rate at different deformation rates tended to increase and was distributed in a fan shape. The cumulative flexural guided wave ring down count has an excellent linear correlation with the deformation. The slope of the cumulative ring down count curves and the deformation curves are obtained separately, which shows that the deformation rate has an excellent linear relationship with the slope of the cumulative ring down count curve, and the slope of the cumulative ring down count curve increases with the increase of the deformation rate. It provides theoretical guidance for quantifying the slope deformation rate using the flexural guided waves.
Association Between TNF-α-308, +489, −238 Polymorphism, and COPD Susceptibility: An Updated Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis
Authors: Xia Zhiyu , Wang Yufei , Liu Fu , Shu Hongxin , Huang Peng 
Published: January 2022

The tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) polymorphism may play an important role in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) susceptibility. However, the results are still inconclusive. Eligible studies were searched in Cochrane Library database, EMBASE, Pudmed, Web of science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang database. Finally, a total of 27 case-control studies with 3473 COPD cases and 4935 controls were included in the present analysis. We also performed trial sequential analysis (TSA) to confirm our results. Overall, association between TNF-α-308G/A polymorphism and COPD susceptibility was identified in allelic model (A vs. G, OR = 1.21, 95%CI: 1.01–1.45, p = 0.04) when smoking status was not adjusted. In ethnicity subgroup analysis, we found that the TNF-α -308G/A polymorphism was associated to COPD among Asians (GA vs. GG, OR = 1.35, 95%CI: 1.04–1.77, p = 0.02) when smoking status was not adjusted. However, no significant association was found in Asian smokers or Caucasian smokers. In conclusion, our study suggest that TNF-α-308 GA genotype is related to COPD in the Asian population. In addition, the TNF-α+489G/A, - 238G/A variants do not increase the risk of COPD.Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42021273980.
A Prognostic Model Based on Nine DNA Methylation-Driven Genes Predicts Overall Survival for Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Feng Zhongsheng , Liu Zhanju , Peng Kangsheng , Wu Wei 
Published: January 2022

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most frequently diagnosed malignancy and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death among common tumors in the world. We aimed to establish and validate a risk assessment model to predict overall survival (OS) for the CRC patients.Methods: DNA methylation-driven genes were identified by integrating DNA methylation profile and transcriptome data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) CRC cohort. Then, a risk score model was built based on LASSO, univariable Cox and multivariable Cox regression analysis. After analyzing the clinicopathological factors, a nomogram was constructed and assessed. Another cohort from GEO was used for external validation. Afterward, the molecular and immune characteristics in the two risk score groups were analyzed.Results: In total, 705 methylation-driven genes were identified. Based on the LASSO and Cox regression analyses, nine genes, i.e., LINC01555, GSTM1, HSPA1A, VWDE, MAGEA12, ARHGAP, PTPRD, ABHD12B and TMEM88, were selected for the development of a risk score model. The Kaplan–Meier curve indicated that patients in the low-risk group had considerably better OS (P = 2e-08). The verification performed in subgroups demonstrated the validity of the model. Then, we established an OS-associated nomogram that included the risk score and significant clinicopathological factors. The concordance index of the nomogram was 0.81. A comprehensive molecular and immune characteristics analysis showed that the high-risk group was associated with tumor invasion, infiltration of immune cells executing pro-tumor suppression (such as myeloid-derived suppressor cells, regulatory T cells, immature dendritic cells) and higher expression of common inhibitory checkpoint molecules (ICPs).Conclusion: Our nine-gene associated risk assessment model is a promising signature to distinguish the prognosis for CRC patients. It is expected to serve as a predictive tool with high sensitivity and specificity for individualized prediction of OS in the patients with CRC.
Cholecalciferol vs. Small Doses of Alfacalcidol vs. Placebo in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients on Hemodialysis: A Randomized Parallel Group Study
Authors: Matuszkiewicz-Rowińska Joanna , Kulicki Paweł , Zebrowski Paweł , Klatko Wiesław , Sokalski Antoni , Niemczyk Stanisław , Wypych-Birecka Magdalena , Małyszko Jolanta 
Published: January 2022

BackgroundThe ability of extrarenal tissues to convert 25(OH)D (calcidiol) into 1,25(OH)2D (calcitriol) and dependence of the conversion on substrate levels provide the rationale for supplementing vitamin D in dialysis patients who usually have severe depletion of both: 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D. The primary aim of the study was to compare effects of small doses of cholecalciferol (12,000 IU/week) with frequently used in Europe, small doses of alfacalcidol (1.5 μg/week) or placebo, given for 12 weeks, on serum 1,25(OH)2D in hemodialysis patients with 25(OH)D deficiency. Secondary outcomes were changes in serum calcium, phosphate, 25(OH)D, parathyroid hormone (PTH), fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) and sclerostin during the treatment.MethodsThis was a prospective, randomized, partly double-blind (cholecalciferol vs. placebo) study. Out of 522 patients dialyzed in 5 centers in the Mazovian Province, 93 gave informed consent and met the inclusion criteria: any vitamin D metabolites and calcimimetics naïve; no history of liver or intestinal disease; serum 25(OH)D &lt;20 ng/ml, iPTH &lt;1,000 –&gt;110 pg/ml, calcium &lt;10.2, and phosphate &lt;6.8 mg/dl. The subjects were stratified by serum iPTH, then randomized into 3 groups according to the treatment.ResultsTo our knowledge, this is the first study comparing head-to-head these drugs in the hemodialysis population. There were no significant differences between the groups at baseline. 81 patients completed the study. Cholecalciferol normalized serum 25(OH)D, with a mean rise from 12.9 ± 6.7 to 31.3 ± 10.1 ng/ml (p &lt; 0.0001). This was accompanied by a marked increase of 1,25(OH)2D from 13.8 ± 9.3 to 25.1 ± 14.2 pmol/l (p &lt; 0.0001). A rise in serum 1,25(OH)2D was also observed in alfacalcidol treated patients, however much smaller (from 13.5 ± 10.1 to 18.5 ± 11.0 pmol/l; p = 0.02). Neither cholecalciferol nor alfacalcidol treatment resulted in significant changes in serum PTH and the remaining parameters.ConclusionsIn most patients, treatment with cholecalciferol in a 12,000 IU/week dose permits safe correction of 25(OH)D deficiency and is more effective than 1.5 μg/week dose of alfacalcidol in rising serum 1,25(OH)2D. This, together with a lack of influence on circulating iPTH the usefulness of such small alfacalcidol doses in hemodialysis patients is debatable.
Highly Engaged Video-Watching Pattern in Asynchronous Online Pharmacology Course in Pre-clinical 4th-Year Medical Students Was Associated With a Good Self-Expectation, Understanding, and Performance
Authors: Wang Jann-Yuan , Yang Chia-Hsien , Liao Wei-Chih , Yang Kai-Chien , Chang I-Wen , Sheu Bor-Ching , Ni Yen-Hsuan 
Published: January 2022

BackgroundOnline video-based learning is more common in higher education. Investigating students' viewing behaviors while watching online video lectures is essential for instructors to understand their learning status so that the course content, structure, and media selection can be improved continuously. The current study identified the engagement level of the learners based on their online video-watching behaviors, and tested the correlation between the engagement level and learning outcome.MethodsThe action logs of watching online video lectures in 2020 Spring Pharmacology of the 4th-year medical students of the 6-year course and their feedbacks by questionnaires after each exam during the semester were provided anonymously. The data were analyzed and visualized for an efficient way to comprehend and interpret. To define the student's engagement level in his or her video-based learning journey, three viewing criteria, “Completion,” “Pausing,” and “Repeated watching” were identified. We evaluated the association between the engagement level and the students' learning outcomes, including their learning satisfaction, knowledge acquisition progresses based on assessment results, and the grades measured by the instructors.ResultsThe graphs and the charts demonstrate whether the students allocated enough time to finish the video lectures (completion), paused for a while, then resumed the video (pausing), or replayed the specific sections of video content (repeated watching). The engagement level with video lectures, evaluated by pre-defined thresholds for “Completion,” “Pausing,” and “Repeated watching” had a positive correlation with the learning outcomes.ConclusionsWe suggested that an engagement dashboard containing real-time visualized information on students' online video-watching behaviors can be developed to help instructors to monitor students' learning progress and improve teaching in a timely fashion. It can also help each student to re-feel the stimulation of peers, prompt self-monitoring, improve their learning attitudes and disciplines for better learning outcomes. This innovative way of assessing student's engagement during online video-based learning can also be used for quality assurance purposes.
ANCA-Associated Vasculitis With Anti-GBM Disease and Two Types of Tumors: A Case Report
Authors: Li Xiuxiu , Huang Meichun , Liu Jun 
Published: January 2022

IntroductionAnti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA)-associated-vasculitis and anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) disease are types of autoimmune diseases that are characterized by the presence of circulating autoantibodies. Most patients with these diseases experience sudden onset, rapid progress, and poor prognosis. The purpose of the present article is to report a case of ANCA-associated vasculitis with anti-GBM disease and two types of tumors.Case ReportA 63-year-old Chinese woman who underwent resection for rectal cancer 6 years before and for lung adenocarcinoma 4 years before, presented with fever and nasal obstruction, for the past 2 months and chondritis of an ear for the past 1 month. The patient failed to respond to an anti-infection treatment at local and higher-level hospitals with the first episode of “recurrent sinusitis and fever.” Later, systemic symptoms such as fatigue, numbness of the limbs, and auricular chondritis gradually aggravated, followed by an increase in inconspicuous hematuria, proteinuria, and serum creatinine level. After admission, the GBM antibody, C-ANCA, and PR3 were positive. The renal puncture was diagnosed as anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody disease. After treatment, her serum creatinine decreased to 104 umol/l.DiscussionIn the present report, we introduced the case of a rare double-positive disease in a patient with two types of tumors. Importantly, we noted that colon cancer and lung cancer, PR3, and anti-GBM disease may be related to their pathogenesis and manifestations. Further research is warranted to confirm these hypotheses.
Relationships Among Cognitive Function, Frailty, and Health Outcome in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Authors: Xue Huiping , Huang Chunxia , Zhu Qin , Zhou Shuixin , Ji Yunlan , Ding Xiaohui , Zhang Dandan , Gu Dongmei 
Published: January 2022

BackgroundFrailty and cognitive impairment are significant problems faced by older adults, which have a significant impact on their activities of daily living, social activities, and quality of life.DesignCross-sectional study.MethodsA total of 252 older adults in two communities in Yangzhou were randomly selected. The cognitive function of the elderly was assessed using the Memory and Executive Screening (MES). The frailty phenotype was used to evaluate the frail situation of older adults. The activity of daily living (ADL), functional activities questionnaire (FAQ), and European quality of 5-dimensions (EQ-5D) were used to evaluate health outcomes in the elderly. SEM was used to explore the direct and indirect relationship among cognitive function, frailty and health outcomes.ResultsThere was a significant direct correlation between cognitive function and frailty; the direct effect was −0.521. The influence path of cognitive function on health outcomes included direct and indirect effects; the total effect was −0.759. The effect of frailty on health outcomes included direct and indirect effects; the total effect was 0.440.ConclusionAccording to SEM, cognitive function interacts with frailty and may reduce the quality of life, the ADL, and social activities among older adults directly and indirectly, so future assessments of older adults should consider both cognitive function and frailty, so as to further improve the health outcome of the elderly. When formulating relevant intervention measures in the future, we need to consider that it cannot only improve the cognitive function, but also improve the frail situation, so as to jointly improve the health outcomes of older adults.