bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prediction and Treatment of Water Leakage Risk Caused by the Dynamic Evolution of Ground Fissures in Gully Terrain
Authors: Feng Dong , Hou Enke , Xie Xiaoshen , Che Xiaoyang , Hou Pengfei , Long Tianwen 
Published: January 2022

Groundwater leakage in the loess gully terrain is one of the main hazards of coal seam mining at shallow burial depth. The burial depth of the 5−2 coal seam is less than 50 m from the ground in the gully of the study site. The fissures that expand upward after mining can easily penetrate the ground to form a water-conducting channels. During rainy periods, there is a potential risk of groundwater leakage. In order to reveal the characteristics of plane development and the dynamic evolution of gully ground fissures, the typical U-shaped gully in the northern Shaanxi coal mine was studied using the field measurement methods of “On-site measurement” and UAV aerial photography. Based on the experimental platform of ground fissure leakage developed and designed by the team, an indoor test model corresponding to the actual situation was established. In addition, the mathematical models of actual flood inrush, fissure width, and flood flow in the channel were established. The actual mine water flow and the mine drainage capacity were compared and analyzed, thus proposing criteria for classifying gully mining ground fissure collapsed water hazards. These criteria can provide theoretical references for predicting fissure leakage hazard zones in the ground gully of shallow buried coal seams. According to the development height of the water-conducting fissure zone (WCFZ), the treatment methods of ground fissures in gullies under different security conditions were designed, which was applied in the field with good results. The results showed that the treatment methods in this paper could effectively prevent the leakage of groundwater in the gullies along the ground fissures.
Construction of Genetic Linkage Maps From a Hybrid Family of Large Yellow Croaker (Larimichthys crocea)
Authors: Yu Xinxiu , Joshi Rajesh , Gjøen Hans Magnus , Lv Zhenming , Kent Matthew 
Published: January 2022

Consensus and sex-specific genetic linkage maps for large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) were constructed using samples from an F1 family produced by crossing a Daiqu female and a Mindong male. A total of 20,147 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) by restriction site associated DNA sequencing were assigned to 24 linkage groups (LGs). The total length of the consensus map was 1757.4 centimorgan (cM) with an average marker interval of 0.09 cM. The total length of female and male linkage map was 1533.1 cM and 1279.2 cM, respectively. The average female-to-male map length ratio was 1.2 ± 0.23. Collapsed markers in the genetic maps were re-ordered according to their relative positions in the ASM435267v1 genome assembly to produce integrated genetic linkage maps with 9885 SNPs distributed across the 24 LGs. The recombination pattern of most LGs showed sigmoidal patterns of recombination, with higher recombination in the middle and suppressed recombination at both ends, which corresponds with the presence of sub-telocentric and acrocentric chromosomes in the species. The average recombination rate in the integrated female and male maps was respectively 3.55 cM/Mb and 3.05 cM/Mb. In most LGs, higher recombination rates were found in the integrated female map, compared to the male map, except in LG12, LG16, LG21, LG22, and LG24. Recombination rate profiles within each LG differed between the male and the female, with distinct regions indicating potential recombination hotspots. Separate quantitative trait loci (QTL) and association analyses for growth related traits in 6 months fish were performed, however, no significant QTL was detected. The study indicates that there may be genetic differences between the two strains, which may have implications for the application of DNA-information in the further breeding schemes.
Effect of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Therapies in Rodent Models of Sepsis: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Ge Lite , Zhao Jing , Deng Huiyin , Chen Chunli , Hu Zhiping , Zeng Liuwang 
Published: January 2022

BackgroundMultiple preclinical studies have demonstrated that bone‐marrow derived mesenchymal stromal (stem) cells [MSC(M)] positively influence the severity of sepsis symptoms and mortality in rodent models. However, this remains an inconclusive finding.ObjectiveTo review the effect of naïve MSC(M) in rodent models of sepsis.MethodsThe PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases were searched up to August 31, 2021. Inclusion criteria according to PICOS criteria were as follows: (1) population: rodents; (2) intervention: unmodified MSC(M); (3) comparison: not specified; (4) primary outcome: the effects of MSC(M) cell therapy on the mortality of rodent models of sepsis and endotoxemia; (5) study: experimental studies. Multiple prespecified subgroup and meta-regression analysis were conducted. Following quality assessment, random effects models were used for this meta-analysis.The inverse variance method of the fixed effects model was used to calculate the pooled odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs).Resultstwenty-four animal studies met the inclusion criteria. Our results revealed an overall OR difference between animals treated with naïve MSC(M) and controls for mortality rate was 0.34(95% confidence interval: 0.27-0.44; P &lt; 0.0001). Significant heterogeneity among studies was observed.ConclusionsThe findings of this meta-analysis suggest that naïve MSC(M) therapy decreased mortality in rodent models of sepsis. Additionally, we identified several key knowledge gaps, including the lack of large animal studies and uncertainty regarding the optimal dose of MSC(M) transplantation in sepsis. Before MSC(M) treatment can advance to clinical trials, these knowledge gaps must be addressed.
Overall and Cancer-Specific Survival in Patients With Renal Pelvic Transitional Cell Carcinoma: A Population-Based Study
Authors: Hu Tingting , You Shengjie 
Published: January 2022

Background: Renal pelvic transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is a relatively rare tumor. This study aimed to develop two prognostic nomograms to predict overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in renal pelvic TCC patients.Methods: Clinicopathological and follow-up data of renal pelvic TCC patients diagnosed between 2010 and 2015 were retrieved from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) database. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to screen the independently prognostic factors. These independently prognostic factors were then utilized to build nomograms for predicting 3-, 4-, and 5- years OS and CSS of patients with renal pelvic TCC. The nomograms were assessed by calibration curve, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and decision curve analysis (DCA).Results: A total of 1,979 renal pelvic TCC patients were enrolled. Age, tumor size, histological type, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, surgery, chemotherapy, bone metastasis and liver metastasis were confirmed as independently prognostic factors for both OS and CSS. The areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) of OS nomogram at 3-, 4- and 5-years in the training cohort were 0.797, 0.781, and 0.772, respectively, and the corresponding AUCs in the validation cohort were 0.813, 0.797, and 0.759, respectively. The corresponding AUCs of CSS nomogram were all higher than 0.800. The calibration curves and DCA indicated that both nomograms had favorable performance. Subgroup analyses showed that both nomograms perform in well and poorly differentiated patients.Conclusion: In conclusion, we successfully developed and validated two valuable nomograms to predict the OS and CSS for renal pelvic TCC patients. The nomograms incorporating various clinicopathological indicators can provide accurate prognostic assessment for patients and help clinicians to select appropriate treatment strategies.
Association Between Neutrophil–Lymphocyte Ratio and Frailty: The Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey
Authors: Xu Weihao , Liang Yuanfeng , Lin Zhanyi 
Published: January 2022

Background: Inflammation has been reported to play an important role in frailty syndrome. The neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has recently emerged as an informative marker for systematic inflammation. However, few studies have examined the association between NLR and frailty. This study aims to examine the association between NLR and frailty in community-dwelling older adults.Methods: Community-dwelling older adults aged ≥ 65 years in the 2011 (n = 2,354) and 2014 (n = 2,458) waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) were included. Frailty status was determined using the 38-item frailty index (FI) and categorized into “robust” (FI ≤ 0.1), “pre-frail” (0.1 &lt; FI ≤ 0.21), or “frail” (FI &gt; 0.21). NLR was calculated using a derived formula: NLR = (white blood cell–lymphocyte)/lymphocyte.Results: A total of 3,267 participants were finally included. In cross-sectional analyses, participants with higher NLR levels had increased likelihood of frailty [the 3rd quartile: adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.29; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02–1.63; the 4th quartile: OR = 1.59; 95% CI: 1.23–2.02) compared with those in the 1st quartile group. During the 3-year follow-up, 164 of the 1,206 participants, robust or pre-frail at baseline, developed frailty, and 197 of the 562 participants, robust at baseline, developed pre-frailty or frailty. Among the robust and pre-frail participants in 2011, after multivariate adjustment, those in the 4th quartile group had a higher frailty incidence than those in the 1st quartile group (OR = 2.06; 95% CI: 1.18–3.59). Among the robust participants in 2011, those in the 4th quartile group also had a higher pre-frailty or frailty incidence than those in the 1st quartile group (OR = 1.95; 95% CI: 1.07–3.55).Conclusion: Among community-dwelling older adults, higher NLR levels were found to be associated with increased odds of prevalent and incident frailty.
Impaired Spontaneous Baroreceptor Reflex Sensitivity in Patients With COPD Compared to Healthy Controls: The Role of Lung Hyperinflation
Authors: Mayr Anna Katharina , Wieser Victoria , Funk Georg-Christian , Asadi Sherwin , Sperk Irene , Urban Matthias Helmut , Valipour Arschang 
Published: January 2022

Background and Objectives: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between pulmonary hyperinflation and baroreceptor reflex sensitivity (BRS), a surrogate for cardiovascular risk.Methods: 33 patients with COPD, free from clinical cardiovascular disease, and 12 healthy controls were studied. Participants underwent pulmonary function and non-invasive hemodynamic measurements. BRS was evaluated using the sequence method during resting conditions and mental arithmetic stress testing.Results: Patients with COPD had evidence of airflow obstruction [forced expiratory volume in 1 s predicted (FEV1%) 26.5 (23.3–29.1) vs. 91.5 (82.8–100.8); P &lt; 0.001; geometric means (GM) with 95% confidence interval (CI)] and lung hyperinflation [residual volume/total lung capacity (RV/TLC) 67.7 (64.3–71.3) vs. 41.0 (38.8–44.3); P &lt; 0.001; GM with 95% CI] compared to controls. Spontaneous mean BRS (BRSmean) was significantly lower in COPD, both during rest [5.6 (4.2–6.9) vs. 12.0 (9.1–17.6); P = 0.003; GM with 95% CI] and stress testing [4.4 (3.7–5.3) vs. 9.6 (7.7–12.2); P &lt; 0.001; GM with 95% CI]. Stroke volume (SV) was significantly lower in the patient group [−21.0 ml (−29.4 to −12.6); P &lt; 0.001; difference of the means with 95% CI]. RV/TLC was found to be a predictor of BRS and SV (P &lt; 0.05 for both), independent of resting heart rate.Conclusion: We herewith provide evidence of impaired BRS in patients with COPD. Hyperinflation may influence BRS through alteration of mechanosensitive vagal nerve activity.
Differences in Clinical Characteristics Between Delta Variant and Wild-Type SARS-CoV-2 Infected Patients
Authors: Hu Zhenkui , Huang Xing , Zhang Jianguo , Fu Shixiang , Ding Daoyin , Tao Zhimin 
Published: January 2022

Background: As delta variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) prevailed in the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, its clinical characteristics with the difference from those of wild-type strains have been little studied.Methods: We reported one cohort of 341 wild-type patients with COVID-19 admitted at Wuhan, China in 2020 and the other cohort of 336 delta variant patients with COVID-19 admitted at Yangzhou, China in 2021, with comparisons of their demographic information, medical history, clinical manifestation, and hematological data. Furthermore, within the delta variant cohort, patients with none, partial, and full vaccination were also compared to assess vaccine effectiveness.Findings: For a total of 677 patients with COVID-19 included in this study, their median age was 53.0 years [interquartile range (IQR): 38.0–66.0] and 46.8% were men. No difference was found in age, gender, and percentage of patients with the leading comorbidity between wild-type and delta variant cohorts, but delta variant cohort showed a lessened time interval between disease onset to hospitalization, a reduced portion of patients with smoking history, and a lowered frequency of clinical symptoms. For hematological parameters, most values demonstrated significant differences between wild-type and delta variant cohorts, while full vaccination rather than partial vaccination alleviated the disease condition. This reflected the viremic effect of delta variant when vaccination succeeds or fails to protect.Interpretation: Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 may cause severe disease profiles, but timely diagnosis and full vaccination could protect patients with COVID-19 from worsened disease progression.
The Diagnostic Accuracy of Syndromic Management for Genital Ulcer Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Loh Andre J. W. , Ting Ee Lynn , Wi Teodora E. , Mayaud Philippe , Chow Eric P. F. , Santesso Nancy , Falconer Jane , Ofori-Asenso Richard , Ong Jason J. 
Published: January 2022

Objectives: Genital Ulcer Disease (GUD) carries a significant disease burden globally. With limited access to diagnostics, the 2001 World Health Organization (WHO) sexually transmitted illnesses (STI) guidelines proposed a syndromic management algorithm that required a clinical decision to determine the management of GUD. We assessed the diagnostic accuracy of this algorithm.Methods: We conducted a systematic review (Prospero: CRD42020153294) using eight databases for publications between 1995 and January 2021 that reported primary data on the diagnostic accuracy of clinical diagnosis to identify aetiological agents of GUD. Titles and abstracts were independently assessed for eligibility, and data were extracted from full texts for sensitivity/specificity. A hierarchical logistic regression model was used to derive pooled sensitivity and specificity. We used GRADE to evaluate the certainty of evidence.Results: Of 24,857 articles, 151 full texts were examined and 29 included in the analysis. The majority were from middle-income countries [(14/29 (48%) lower middle, 10/29 (34%) upper middle)]. We pooled studies where molecular testing was using to confirm the aetiology of GUD: 9 studies (12 estimates) for herpes, 4 studies (7 estimates) for syphilis, and 7 studies (10 estimates) for chancroid. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of GUD for the detection of herpes was 43.5% [95% confidence interval (CI): 26.2–62.4], and 88.0% (95% CI: 67.0–96.3), respectively (high certainty evidence); and for syphilis were 52.8% (95% CI: 23.0–80.7), and 72.1% (95% CI: 28.0–94.5) (moderate certainty evidence); and for chancroid were 71.9% (95% CI: 45.9–88.5) and 53.1% (95% CI: 36.6–68.9) (moderate certainty evidence), respectively.Conclusion: Algorithms requiring a clinical diagnosis to determine and treat the aetiology of GUD have poor sensitivities for syphilis and herpes simplex virus, resulting in significant numbers of missed cases. There is an urgent need to improve access to affordable and efficient diagnostics (e.g., point-of-care tests) to be incorporated into GUD algorithms to better guide appropriate management.Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42020153294.
Factors Contributing to the Severity and Laterality of Pisa Syndrome in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Huh Young Eun , Seo Dae-Won , Kim Kunhyun , Chung Won-Ho , Kim Seonwoo , Cho Jin Whan 
Published: January 2022

Objective: Pisa syndrome (PS) is a disabling postural deformity in Parkinson’s disease (PD). We aimed to elucidate clinical factors determining the severity and laterality of PS in PD.Methods: In 54 PD patients with PS, we measured the clinical factors that are previously known to contribute to the occurrence of PS as follows: asymmetry of motor symptoms for the evaluation of asymmetric basal ganglia dysfunction, the degree and direction of subjective visual vertical (SVV) tilt for the misperception of body verticality, the canal paresis for unilateral peripheral vestibulopathy, and the tonic electromyographic (EMG) hyperactivity of paraspinal muscles for dystonia. Multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the clinical factors associated with the degree of truncal tilt, for the quantification of the severity of PS, and PS tilting to the less affected side, respectively.Results: The multivariable linear regression analyses revealed that the larger degree of SVV tilt (β = 0.29, SE = 0.10, p = 0.005), right-sided SVV tilt (β = 2.32, SE = 0.82, p = 0.007), and higher Hoehn and Yahr (HY) stage (β = 4.01, SE = 1.29, p = 0.003) significantly increased the severity of PS. In the multivariable logistic regression analyses, greater asymmetry of motor symptoms [odds ratio (OR) = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.34–3.49] was significantly associated with PS tilting to the less affected side, while right-sided SVV tilt (OR = 0.02, 95% CI = 0.001–0.21), unilateral canal paresis (OR = 0.06, 95% CI = 0.003–0.79), and higher HY stage (OR = 0.04, 95% CI = 0.002–0.46) were associated with PS tilting to the more affected side.Conclusion: Misperception of verticality, asymmetric basal ganglia dysfunction, unilateral peripheral vestibulopathy, and motor disability are the clinical factors associated with the severity and laterality of PS in patients with PD.
High Precision Bone Cutting by Er: YAG Lasers Might Minimize the Invasiveness of Navigated Brain Biopsies
Authors: Ha Thanh Tu , Thieringer Florian M. , Bammerlin Martin , Cordier Dominik 
Published: January 2022

Biopsies of brain tissue are sampled and examined to establish a diagnosis and to plan further treatment, e.g. for brain tumors. The neurosurgical procedure of sampling brain tissue for histologic examination is still a relatively invasive procedure that carries several disadvantages. The “proof of concept”-objective of this study is to answer the question if laser technology might be a potential tool to make brain biopsies less invasive, faster and safer. Laser technology might carry the opportunity to miniaturize the necessary burr hole and also to angulate the burr hole much more tangential in relation to the bone surface in order to take biopsies from brain regions that are usually only difficult and hazardous to access. We examined if it is possible to miniaturize the hole in the skull bone to such a high extent that potentially the laser-created canal itself may guide the biopsy needle with sufficient accuracy. The 2-dimensional, i.e. radial tolerance of the tip of biopsy needles inserted in these canals was measured under defined lateral loads which mimic mechanical forces applied by a surgeon. The canals through the skull bones were planned in angles of 90° (perpendicular) and 45° relative to the bone surface. We created a total of 33 holes with an Er : YAG laser in human skull bones. We could demonstrate that the achievable radial tolerance concerning the guidance of a biopsy needle by a laser created bone canal is within the range of the actual accuracy of a usual navigated device if the canal is at least 4 mm in length. Lateral mechanical loads applied to the biopsy needle had only minor impact on the measurable radial tolerance. Furthermore, in contrast to mechanical drilling systems, laser technology enables the creation of bone canals in pointed angles to the skull bone surface. The latter opens the perspective to sample biopsies in brain areas that are usually not or only hazardous to access.
Patterns-of-Care Analysis for Radiotherapy of Elderly Head-and-Neck Cancer Patients: A Trinational Survey in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
Authors: Haehl Erik , Rühle Alexander , Spohn Simon , Sprave Tanja , Gkika Eleni , Zamboglou Constantinos , Grosu Anca-Ligia , Nicolay Nils H. 
Published: January 2022

ObjectivesThe number of elderly head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients is increasing, and clinical trials defining the standard of care either excluded or underrepresented elderly patients. This leaves physicians with a challenging and highly individual treatment decision largely lacking clinical evidence.MethodsA tri-national patterns-of-care survey was sent to all members of the German (DEGRO), Austrian (ÖGRO), and Swiss (SRO/SSRO) national societies of radiation oncology. The online questionnaire consisted of 27 questions on the treatment of elderly HNSCC patients, including 6 case-based questions. Frequency distributions and subgroup comparisons were calculated using SPSS statistics software.ResultsA total of 132 answers were collected, including 46(35%) form universities, 52(39%) from non-university-hospitals and 34(26%) from private practices. 83(63%) treat 1-5 and 42(32%) &gt;5 elderly HNSCC patients per month. Target volumes are defined analog current guidelines by 65(50%) of responders and altered based on age/comorbidities or tumor stage by 36(28%) and 28(22%), respectively. Chemotherapy is routinely administered by 108(84%) if indicated, with weekly 40mg/m2 of cisplatin being the favored regimen by 68(53%) in the definitive situation and 60(47%) in the adjuvant setting. Hypofractionation and hyperfractionation/acceleration are used by 26(20%) and 11(9%), respectively. Only 7(5%) clinicians routinely recommend inpatient treatment for elderly HNSCC patients. In a typical definitive patient case, 73(63%) responders recommended chemoradiation with bilateral elective node irradiation analog current guidelines. In an adjuvant example case recommendations regarding elective volume and chemotherapy were heterogeneous. Differences between responders’ institutions concern the frequency of PET-CT in staging, preventive port-catheter and PEG implantation, the choice of chemotherapy regimens and the use of alternative fractionations.ConclusionTreatment of elderly HNSCC-patients in the German-speaking countries mainly follows guidelines established for younger patients. Algorithms for patient stratification and treatment de-escalation for “unfit” elderly patients are needed.