bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Postmortem 9.4-T MRI for Fetuses With Congenital Heart Defects Diagnosed in the First Trimester
Authors: Tang Huirong , Zhang Yan , Dai Chenyan , Ru Tong , Li Jie , Chen Jieyu , Zhang Bing , Zhou Kefeng , Lv Pin , Liu Renyuan , Zhou Qing , Zheng Mingming 
Published: January 2022

ObjectiveTo evaluate the feasibility of 9. 4-T postmortem MRI (pm-MRI) for assessment of major congenital heart defects (CHD) cases terminated in the early stage of gestation.MethodsFetuses with CHD detected by the detailed first-trimester ultrasound scan and terminated before 18 gestational weeks were recruited between January 2018 and June 2020. All fetuses were offered 9.4-T pm-MRI examinations and those terminated over 13+6 weeks were offered conventional autopsies simultaneously. Findings of pm-MRI were compared with those of conventional autopsy and prenatal ultrasound.ResultsA total of 19 fetuses with major CHD were analyzed, including 6 cases of the atrioventricular septal defect, 5 cases of Tetralogy of Fallot, 3 cases of hypoplastic left heart syndrome, 1 case of tricuspid atresia, 1 case of transposition of the great arteries, 1 case of severe tricuspid regurgitation, and 2 cases of complex CHD. Pm-MRI had concordant findings in 73.7% (14/19) cases, discordant findings in 15.8% (3/19) cases, and additional findings in 10.5% (2/19) cases when compared with prenatal ultrasound. Pm-MRI findings were concordant with autopsy in all 8 CHD cases terminated over 13+6 weeks.ConclusionIt is feasible to exhibit the structure of fetal heart terminated in the first trimester clearly on 9.4-T pm-MRI with an optimized scanning protocol. High-field pm-MRI could provide medical imaging information of CHD for those terminated in the early stage of gestation, especially for those limited by conventional autopsy.
Gaming Instead of Training? Exergaming Induces High-Intensity Exercise Stimulus and Reduces Cardiovascular Reactivity to Cold Pressor Test
Authors: Ketelhut Sascha , Ketelhut Reinhard G. , Kircher Eva , Röglin Lisa , Hottenrott Kuno , Martin-Niedecken Anna Lisa , Ketelhut Kerstin 
Published: January 2022

IntroductionThe present study assessed if an exercise session in an innovative exergame can modulate hemodynamic reactivity to a cold pressor test (CPT) to a similar extent as a typical moderate endurance training (ET). Furthermore, cardiorespiratory, and affective responses of an exergame session and an ET were compared.MethodsTwenty-seven healthy participants aged 25 ± 4 years (48% female; BMI 23.0 ± 2.1 kg/m2) participated in this cross-sectional study. All participants completed both an ET on a treadmill and training in the ExerCube (ECT). HR and oxygen consumption were recorded during both training sessions. Before and after both exercise sessions, the hemodynamic reactivity to a CPT was determined.ResultsDuring ECT, HR, oxygen consumption, energy expenditure, and the metabolic equivalent of the task were significantly higher than those obtained during ET (p &lt; 0.001). With regard to the CPT, the participants showed significantly lower responses in peripheral systolic (p = 0.004) and diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.009) as well as central systolic (p = 0.002) and diastolic BP (P = 0.01) after ECT compared to ET. The same was true for pulse wave velocity (p = 0.039).ConclusionThe ECT induced a significantly higher exercise stimulus compared to the ET. At the same time, it attenuated hemodynamic stress reactivity. The ECT presents a relevant training stimulus that modulates cardiovascular reactivity to stress, which has been proven as a predictor for the development of hypertension.Trial RegistrationISRCTN registry, ISRCTN43067716, 14 April 2020, Trial number: 38154.
Surgical and Conservative Treatment of Post-infarction Left Ventricular Pseudoaneurysm
Authors: Zhong Zhaoji , Song Wu , Zheng Shanshan , Liu Sheng 
Published: January 2022

BackgroundPost-infarction left ventricular (LV) pseudoaneurysm is a rare mechanical complication of myocardial infarction that carries a substantial risk of sudden rupture. The purpose of this study was to compare the surgical results of post-infarction LV pseudoaneurysm with those of conservative treatment.MethodsFrom 2016 to 2021, 22 patients were hospitalized for LV pseudoaneurysm, including 17 cases (77.3%) caused by myocardial infarction. Of the 17 patients, 10 (58.8%) underwent surgical repair, while seven (41.2%) were treated medically. The clinical course, echocardiograph data, and surgical outcomes were analyzed. Survival rates of the surgical and conservative groups were compared.ResultsThere were no perioperative deaths. Intra-aortic balloon pumping support was required in two (20%) patients. No follow-up mortality was observed in the surgical group and at the last follow-up, all the patients were classified as New York Heart Association class I–II. In the conservative group, there was one (14.3%) hospital death and two (28.6%) additional deaths during follow-up. A significant difference was found in survival between the two groups (P = 0.024).ConclusionsSurgical repair of post-infarction LV pseudoaneurysm can be performed with good results, while conservative treatment carries a significant risk of sudden death. Surgical repair is indicated for every patient diagnosed, even those with a small pseudoaneurysm without symptoms.
Stability Satisfied Design and Construction of Excavated Soil Dumps in a Soft Soil Region in China
Authors: Wang Jin-Nan , Xu Hui , Zhan Liang-Tong , Li Sheng-Zhi , Wang Lu-Nan 
Published: January 2022

Dumping is the main disposal method of the excavated soil from underground engineering in China; however, due to a lack of construction experiences and technical standards, landslide disasters often occurred during rapid dumping of excavated soil in soft soil regions. In this paper, geotechnical tests were conducted on the excavated soil from a foundation engineering site in Hangzhou, where the excavated soil would be used to construct a piled mountain. On this basis, a numerical study was carried out to investigate the effects of the design parameters (heap height, slope gradient) and construction parameters (layer thickness, heap speed) on the dump stability and failure mode. The results show that the safety factor of the excavated soil dump decreases with increasing heap height, slope gradient, layer thickness, and heap speed. The potential slide surfaces are toe circle, and compared to layer thickness and heap speed, the heap height and slope gradient have more remarkable influence on the depth and area of potential slide mass. The heap height limit increases with a decrease in slope gradient, and the heap speed limit decreases with an increase in layer thickness. Under the premise of ensuring the slope stability, the optimal design and construction parameters were obtained, i.e., heap height 28 m, slope gradient 1:2.75, layer thickness 1.0 m, and heap speed 0.50 m/day. Compared to the original design scheme, the storage capacity increases by 20.01%, and the construction duration decreases by 30.25% in the optimal design.
Gender-, Age- and Region-Specific Characterization of Vertebral Bone Microstructure Through Automated Segmentation and 3D Texture Analysis of Routine Abdominal CT
Authors: Dieckmeyer Michael , Sollmann Nico , El Husseini Malek , Sekuboyina Anjany , Löffler Maximilian T. , Zimmer Claus , Kirschke Jan S. , Subburaj Karupppasamy , Baum Thomas 
Published: January 2022

PurposeTo identify long-term reproducible texture features (TFs) of spinal computed tomography (CT), and characterize variations with regard to gender, age and vertebral level using our automated quantification framework.MethodsWe performed texture analysis (TA) on baseline and follow-up CT (follow-up duration: 30–90 days) of 21 subjects (8 females, 13 males, age at baseline 61.2 ± 9.2 years) to determine long-term reproducibility. TFs with a long-term reproducibility error Δrel&lt;5% were further analyzed for an association with age and vertebral level in a cohort of 376 patients (129 females, 247 males, age 62.5 ± 9.2 years). Automated analysis comprised labeling and segmentation of vertebrae into subregions using a convolutional neural network, calculation of volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) with asynchronous calibration and TF extraction. Varianceglobal measures the spread of the gray-level distribution in an image while Entropy reflects the uniformity of gray-levels. Short-run emphasis (SRE), Long-run emphasis (LRE), Run-length non-uniformity (RLN) and Run percentage (RP) contain information on consecutive voxels of a particular grey-level, or grey-level range, in a particular direction. Long runs (LRE) represent coarse texture while short runs (SRE) represent fine texture. RLN reflects similarities in the length of runs while RP reflects distribution and homogeneity of runs with a specific direction.ResultsSix of the 24 extracted TFs had Δrel&lt;5% (Varianceglobal, Entropy, SRE, LRE, RLN, RP), and were analyzed further in 4716 thoracolumbar vertebrae. Five TFs (Varianceglobal,SRE,LRE, RLN,RP) showed a significant difference between genders (p&lt;0.001), potentially being caused by a finer and more directional vertebral trabecular microstructure in females compared to males. Varianceglobal and Entropy showed a significant increase from the thoracic to the lumbar spine (p&lt;0.001), indicating a higher degree and earlier initiation of trabecular microstructure deterioration at lower spinal levels. The four higher-order TFs showed significant variations between spine regions without a clear directional gradient (p ≤ 0.001-0.012). No TF showed a clear age dependence. vBMD differed significantly between genders, age groups and spine regions (p ≤ 0.001–0.002).ConclusionLong-term reproducible CT-based TFs of the thoracolumbar spine were established and characterized in a predominantly older adult study population. The gender-, age- and vertebral-level-specific values may serve as foundation for osteoporosis diagnostics and facilitate future studies investigating vertebral microstructure.
Intravenous Immunoglobulin Therapy for Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients With Different Inflammatory Phenotypes: A Multicenter, Retrospective Study
Authors: Chen Yan , Xie Jianfeng , Wu Wenjuan , Li Shusheng , Hu Yu , Hu Ming , Li Jinxiu , Yang Yi , Huang Tingrong , Zheng Kun , Wang Yishan , Kang Hanyujie , Huang Yingzi , Jiang Li , Zhang Wei , Zhong Ming , Sang Ling , Zheng Xia , Pan Chun , Zheng Ruiqiang , Li Xuyan , Tong Zhaohui , Qiu Haibo , Weng Li , Du Bin 
Published: January 2022

BackgroundThe benefits of intravenous immunoglobulin administration are controversial for critically ill COVID-19 patients.MethodsWe analyzed retrospectively the effects of immunoglobulin administration for critically ill COVID-19 patients. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) with propensity score was used to account for baseline confounders. Cluster analysis was used to perform phenotype analysis.ResultsBetween January 1 and February 29, 2020, 754 patients with complete data from 19 hospitals were enrolled. Death at 28 days occurred for 408 (54.1%) patients. There were 392 (52.0%) patients who received intravenous immunoglobulin, at 11 (interquartile range (IQR) 8, 16) days after illness onset; 30% of these patients received intravenous immunoglobulin prior to intensive care unit (ICU) admission. By unadjusted analysis, no difference was observed for 28-day mortality between the immunoglobulin and non-immunoglobulin groups. Similar results were found by propensity score matching (n = 506) and by IPTW analysis (n = 731). Also, IPTW analysis did not reveal any significant difference between hyperinflammation and hypoinflammation phenotypes.ConclusionNo significant association was observed for use of intravenous immunoglobulin and decreased mortality of severe COVID-19 patients. Phenotype analysis did not show any survival benefit for patients who received immunoglobulin therapy.
The Correlation Between the Types of Initial Bacterial Infection and Clinical Prognosis in Patients With Septic AKI
Authors: Li Tian , Liu Jing yuan , Liu Jing feng , Duan Meili , Li Ang 
Published: January 2022

BackgroundAcute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication of sepsis and is an independent risk factor for mortality. It is unclear whether different bacteria play different roles in the occurrence and development of sepsis-associated AKI (S-AKI). We observed the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients that have types of bacterial infection, and different infections sites before the occurrence of AKI, respectively.MethodsData of patients who were diagnosed with sepsis and later developed AKI from 2008 to 2019 were retrieved from the MIMIC-IV 1.0 database. Patients were first divided into the two groups according to the bacterial culture results obtained prior to AKI occurrence: bacterial cultured positive (N = 1,785) and bacterial cultured negative (N = 8,777). Patients with bacteria culture positive were divided into culture bacteria Gram-positive (CGP, N = 1248) and Gram-negative (CGN, N = 537) groups.ResultsOverall, 1,785 patients were included in the present analysis. The patients in CGN group were older (70 vs. 66, p &lt; 0.001), had lower body mass index (BMI) (27.0 vs. 28.4, p &lt; 0.001), higher acute physiology III (APS III) score (63.0 vs. 58, p = 0.001), shorter time from positive microbial culture to diagnosis of AKI (2.94 vs. 3.16 days, p = 0.013) and longer intensive care unit (ICU) stay time (5.94 vs. 4.77 days, p &lt; 0.001) compared with those in the CGP group (n = 1,248). In the culture gram-negative bacteria in patients with positive blood cultures (CGNb) group, the rate of vasopressors using (73.1 vs. 56.4%, P = 0.007), the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (10 vs. 9, p = 0.005), and the level of lactate (3.7 vs. 2.5, p = 0.001) were higher than those in the culture gram-positive bacteria in patients with positive blood cultures (CGPb) group. The time from positive microbial culture to the diagnosis of AKI was shorter (2.23 vs. 3 days, p = 0.001) in the CGNb group. However, there was no significant difference in the continuous renal replacement treatment (CRRT) application or short-term mortality rates between CGN and CGP groups.ConclusionThe Gram types of bacteria cultured prior to S-AKI occurrence was not related to AKI stage, CRRT application, and short-term mortality. Compared with the Gram-positive bacterial infections, Gram-negative bacterial infections take a shorter time to develop into AKI, and had a higher disease severity score.
Computed Tomography Predictors of Mortality or Disease Progression in Systemic Sclerosis–Interstitial Lung Disease: A Systematic Review
Authors: Landini Nicholas , Orlandi Martina , Bruni Cosimo , Carlesi Edoardo , Nardi Cosimo , Calistri Linda , Morana Giovanni , Tomassetti Sara , Colagrande Stefano , Matucci-Cerinic Marco 
Published: January 2022

ObjectiveAlthough interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in systemic sclerosis (SSc), its prognostication remains challenging. Given that CT represents the gold standard imaging technique in ILD assessment, a systematic review on chest CT findings as predictors of mortality or ILD progression in SSc-ILD was performed.Materials and MethodsThree databases (Medline, Embase, and Web of Science) were searched to identify all studies analyzing CT mortality or ILD progression predictors in SSc-ILD, from inception to December 2020. ILD progression was defined by worsening of forced vital capacity and/or CT ILD findings. Manuscripts not written in English, with not available full-text, not focusing on SSc-ILD or with SSc-ILD not extrapolated, otherwise with overlap syndromes, pediatric patients, &lt;10 cases or predictors other than CT features were excluded.ResultsOut of 3,513 citations, 15 full-texts (2,332 patients with SSc-ILD) met the inclusion criteria. ILD extent and extensive ILD, ILD densitometric analysis parameters, fibrotic extent and reticulation extent resulted as independent mortality predictors. Extensive ILD is also an independent predictor of death, need for supplemental oxygen or lung transplantation. Honeycombing extent is an independent risk factor for respiratory mortality. Independent predictors of ILD progression were not identified.ConclusionsILD extent and extensive ILD independently predict mortality in SSc-ILD on CT, as well as ILD densitometric analysis, fibrotic extent and reticulation extent. Extensive ILD is also a predictor of death, need for supplemental oxygen, or lung transplantation. Honeycombing extent predicts respiratory mortality. CT predictors of ILD progression need to be further investigated.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, PROSPERO, identifier: CRD420202005001.
Cytotoxin-Associated Gene A-Negative Helicobacter pylori Promotes Gastric Mucosal CX3CR1+CD4+ Effector Memory T Cell Recruitment in Mice
Authors: Sun Heqiang , He Taojun , Wu Yanan , Yuan Hanmei , Ning Jie , Zhang Zhenhua , Deng Xinli , Li Bin , Wu Chao 
Published: January 2022

BackgroundHelicobacter pylori can cause many kinds of gastric disorders, ranging from gastritis to gastric cancer. Cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA)+H. pylori is more likely to cause gastric histopathologic damage than CagA–H. pylori. However, the underlying mechanism needs to be further investigated.Materials and methodsMice were intragastrically administered equal amounts of CagA+ or CagA–H. pylori. Four weeks later, 24 chemokines in stomachs were measured using a mouse chemokine array, and the phenotypes of the recruited gastric CD4+ T cells were analyzed. The migration pathway was evaluated. Finally, the correlation between each pair among the recruited CD4+ T cell sub-population, H. pylori colonization level, and histopathologic damage score were determined by Pearson correlation analysis.ResultsThe concentration of chemokines, CCL3 and CX3CL1, were significantly elevated in CagA–H. pylori-infected gastric mucosa than in CagA+H. pylori-infected gastric mucosa. Among them, CX3CL1 secreted by gastric epithelial cells, which was elicited more effectively by CagA–H. pylori than by the CagA+ strain, dramatically promoted mucosal CD4+ T cell migration. The expression of CX3CR1, the only known receptor of CX3CL1, was upregulated on the surface of gastric CD4+ T cells in CagA–H. pylori-infected stomach. In addition, most of the CX3CR1-positive gastric CD4+ T cells were CD44+CD69–CCR7– effector memory T cells (Tem). Pearson correlation analysis showed that the recruited CX3CR1+CD4+ Tem cell population was negatively correlated with H. pylori colonization level and histopathologic damage score.ConclusionCagA–H. pylori promotes gastric mucosal CX3CR1+CD4+ Tem recruitment in mice.
Over-Expression and Prognostic Significance of FATP5, as a New Biomarker, in Colorectal Carcinoma
Authors: Geng Qi-Shun , Yang Mei-Jia , Li Li-Feng , Shen Zhi-Bo , Wang Long-Hao , Zheng Yuan-Yuan , Xue Wen-Hua , Zhao Jie 
Published: January 2022

Background: Fatty acid transporters (FATPs) family play an important role in the uptake and metabolism regulation of long-chain fatty acids, which influence the occurrence and developing of multiple tumors. Fatty acid transporter 5(FATP5), a member of FATPs family, participates in fatty acid transport and lipid metabolism and is related to tumor development, whose mechanism in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear.Methods: In this study, we comprehensively utilized a range of relevant bioinformatic tools along with multiple databases to analyze the expression of FATPs family and investigate the biological function and prognostic value of FATP5 in CRC. Besides, cell proliferation and cell cycle distribution analysis, western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC) further validated the conclusion of bioinformatics analysis.Results: FATP5 is the only member of FATPs family which was overexpressed in CRC. In the survival analysis based on the GSE39582 databases, the low expression of FATP5 predicts poor prognosis in CRC. Similar results were also observed in GSE17536, GSE28814 and TCGA colon cohorts. The potential function of DNA methylation regulated the abnormal expression of FATP5 in CRC. In addition, enrichment analysis indicated that FATP5 also participates in the regulation of cell cycle. Furthermore, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) showed a strong negative correlation between FATP5 and cell growth, implying that it may participate in regulating cancer cell proliferation by the regulation of cell cycle G2/M transition. At last, we identified that FATP5 was overexpressed in colorectal carcinoma tissues through immunohistochemistry staining, and played an important role in cell cycle by cell proliferation and cell cycle distribution analysis.Conclusion: This study suggested that FATP5 was overexpression in colorectal carcinoma and predicted favorable prognosis, indicating it as a novel appealing prognostic marker for CRC.
Characterization of Aspergillus nidulans Biofilm Formation and Structure and Their Inhibition by Pea Defensin Psd2
Authors: Corrêa-Almeida Caroline , Borba-Santos Luana P. , Rollin-Pinheiro Rodrigo , Barreto-Bergter Eliana , Rozental Sonia , Kurtenbach Eleonora 
Published: January 2022

Approximately four million people contract fungal infections every year in Brazil, primarily caused by Aspergillus spp. The ability of these fungi to form biofilms in tissues and medical devices complicates treatment and contributes to high rates of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Psd2 is a pea defensin of 5.4 kDa that possesses good antifungal activity against planktonic cells of representative pathogenic fungi. Its function depends on interactions with membrane and cell wall lipid components such as glucosylceramide and ergosterol. In the present study, we characterized Aspergillus nidulans biofilm formation and determined the effect of Psd2 on A. nidulans biofilms. After 4 hours, A. nidulans conidia adhered to polystyrene surfaces and formed a robust extracellular matrix-producing biofilm at 24 h, increasing thickness until 48 h Psd2 inhibited A. nidulans biofilm formation in a dose-dependent manner. Most notably, at 10 μM Psd2 inhibited 50% of biofilm viability and biomass and 40% of extracellular matrix production. Psd2 significantly decreased the colonized surface area by the biofilm and changed its level of organization, causing a shortening of length and diameter of hyphae and inhibition of conidiophore formation. This activity against A. nidulans biofilm suggests a potential use of Psd2 as a prototype to design new antifungal agents to prevent biofilm formation by A. nidulans and related species.