bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Midterm Outcome After Septal Myectomy and Medical Therapy in Mildly Symptomatic Patients With Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Sun Jiejun , Liang Lin , Li Peijin , Jiang Tengyong , Yu Xianpeng , Ren Changwei , Dong Ran , He Jiqiang 
Published: March 2022

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was mainly to determine the midterm outcome of septal myectomy (SM) and medical therapy (MT) in mildly symptomatic patients (NYHA class II) with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM).MethodsThe study cohort consisted of 184 mildly symptomatic patients with HOCM evaluated in Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University between March 2001 and December 2017, including 82 patients in the SM group and 102 patients in the MT group. Overall survival and HCM-related survival were mainly observed.ResultsThe average follow-up time was 5.0 years. Compared to patients accepting MT, patients treated with SM were associated with comparable overall survival (96.5% and 93.1% vs. 92.9% and 83.0% at 5 and 10 years, respectively; P = 0.197) and HCM-related survival (98.7% and 98.7% vs. 94.2% and 86.1% at 5 and 10 years, respectively; P = 0.063). However, compared to MT, SM was superior at improvement of NYHA class (1.3 ± 0.6 vs. 2.1 ± 0.5, P &lt; 0.001) and mean reduction of resting left ventricular outflow (LVOT) gradient (78.5 ± 18.6% vs. 28.3 ± 18.4%, P &lt; 0.001). Multivariate analysis suggested that resting LVOT gradient in the last clinical examination was an independent predictor of all-cause mortality (HR = 1.017, 95%CI: 1.000–1.034, P = 0.045) and HCM-related mortality (HR = 1.024, 95%CI: 1.005–1.043, P = 0.012) in the entire cohort.ConclusionCompared with MT, SM had comparable overall survival and HCM-related survival in mildly symptomatic HOCM patients, but SM had advantages on improving clinical symptoms and reducing resting LVOT gradient. Resting LVOT gradient in the last clinical examination was an independent predictor of all-cause mortality and HCM-related mortality.
Impact of Insulin Resistance on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors and an Anthropometry-Based Predictive Nomogram for Insulin Resistance Among Adolescents in China
Authors: Du Runyu , Li Ling , Li Ping , Wang Yanjun 
Published: March 2022

ObjectiveWe aimed to investigate the impact of insulin resistance (IR), as determined by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), on cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRFs), and develop an anthropometry-based predictive nomogram for IR among adolescents in China.DesignData were acquired from a cross-sectional study with a stratified cluster sampling method, conducted among adolescents in Northeast China.ParticipantsA total of 882 adolescents (aged 12–16 years, 468 boys) were included.MeasurementsAll participants underwent anthropometric and biochemical examinations. The thresholds of IR included the 90th percentile of the HOMA-IR for adolescents with a normal body mass index (BMI) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level within each sex group (Cutoff A), and the 75th percentile for all participants of the same sex (Cutoff B).ResultsThe HOMA-IR was associated with CMRFs. IR, as defined by both cutoffs A and B, was significantly associated with most CMRFs, except decreased HDL-C levels. Excellent concordance (κ = 0.825) was found between these two criteria in diagnosing IR. However, IR using cutoff A, was more closely associated with cardiometabolic risk. The incidence of IR, as defined by cutoff A, was 18.93% and increased from 10.99% to 43.87% based on the different BMI categories. Further, an anthropometry-based predictive model for IR, incorporating sex, age, waist-to-hip ratio, weight and BMI, was developed and presented as a nomogram.ConclusionsIR among adolescents is strongly related to cardiometabolic risk. We developed an anthropometry-based predictive nomogram for IR among adolescents, which may facilitate health counselling and self-risk assessments.
Electro-Osmotic Flow of Water–Methanol Mixtures Through Nafion Membranes Revisited: Composition and Temperature Dependence
Authors: Corti Horacio R. , Trevani Liliana 
Published: March 2022

The electro-osmotic drag coefficient of water and methanol mixtures through Nafion 117 membranes was measured as a function of the composition at several temperatures between 25 and 60°C using a two-compartment capillary cell with Ag/AgCl electrodes. The electro-osmotic water drag in HCl aqueous solutions is higher than that reported in measurements where the membrane is in contact with pure water; hence, all the reported results were performed at the same acid concentration. It was found that the drag coefficient for pure methanol is about 40% higher than that for water at all the temperatures studied as a consequence of the expanded nanostructure of Nafion in methanol. The drag coefficients of the water–methanol mixtures exhibit a high non-linearity, which can be explained by considering the Nafion sorption in the binary solvent. The electro-osmotic flow in pure methanol is similar to that of 5 M methanol aqueous solutions, which opens the opportunity to use pure methanol in DMFCs. The methanol crossover due to permeability can be minimized. Controversial results with previous studies are also addressed.
Effect of Dimethyl Formamide (DMF) on Vanadium Reloading Over V-Ti SCR Catalyst
Authors: Song Hao , Guo Jiangmin , Liu Shaojun , Zhang Yu , Wu Weihong , Zheng Chenghang , Gao Xiang 
Published: March 2022

Active components reloading is critical process for the catalyst regeneration, which is limited by the low adsorption capacity and unwilling distribution of desired components to the catalyst surface. Herein we demonstrated that with dimethyl formamide(DMF) modification and sequentially reloading of vanadium, the traditional V-Ti SCR catalyst, which uses vanadium as the active components and titanium as the carrier, showed the significantly improved DeNOx performance, owing to the increased adsorption capacity and desired distribution of vanadium. When the DMF concentration was 6%, the adsorption capacity of the promoted catalyst was 3.58 and 6.57 mg/g under vanadyl ion concentrations of 1.5 and 3 g/L, respectively, 135 and 147% higher than that of the original catalyst. Adsorption kinetics demonstrated that the pseudo-second-order kinetic model better describes the process by which vanadyl ions adsorb onto the catalyst. In addition, the adsorption equilibrium indicated that Langmuir model was a closer fit for the vanadyl ion adsorption to the promoted catalyst. After DMF modification, the vanadyl ions were first adsorbed onto the functional groups on the catalyst surface, substantially increasing the vanadium loading on the catalyst surface while limiting the increase in vanadium content within the interior of catalyst, which was conducive to enhancing the DeNOx activity and reducing the increase in the SO2/SO3 conversion. When the vanadium adsorption capacity was 3.5 mg/g, the increase in the DeNOx activity of the promoted catalyst was 68.1% higher than that of the original catalyst, whereas the increase in SO2/SO3 conversion was 28.9% lower than that of the original catalyst. Thus, in the regeneration of SCR catalysts vanadium initial concentration and loading could be reduced.
Methodological Comparison of the Production Approach 2013 and 2019 for Quantifying the Carbon Stock in Harvested Wood Products in China
Authors: Yu Zhihan , Zhang Han , Tu Qingshi , Yang Hongqiang 
Published: March 2022

Harvested wood products (HWP) play an important role in global climate change mitigation. The Production Approach, an internationally accepted HWP carbon accounting approach by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has been revised several times to enhance the accuracy of the accounting results. This study compared the methodological differences in the Production Approach elaborated in the 2013 Revised Supplementary Methods and Good Practice Guidance Arising from the Kyoto Protocol (PA2013) and 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (PA2019). We used PA2019 to calculate the HWP carbon stock in China under different wood utilization scenarios. In terms of recycling and reusing of recovered paper, we found that PA2019 has a more accurate representation of the increasing proportion of paper and paperboard materials produced using recovered paper in the world. In 2019, the HWP carbon stock in China was 815.94 Mt (1 Mt = 106 t) using PA2019. In detail, the carbon stock of sawnwood, wood-based panels, and paper and paperboard were 208.52 Mt, 559.73 Mt, and 47.69 Mt, respectively. Scenario simulation results show that half-life was an important factor that affecting HWP carbon stock. China can improve HWP carbon stock by increasing the recovered paper utilization rate for paper products or increasing the utilization rate of HWP with long half-life in construction (structural material). The additional carbon stock obtained by changing the utilization structure of wood and improve the half-life of HWP will not be large until decades later but nonetheless important.
Using a Gene Network of Pyroptosis to Quantify the Responses to Immunotherapy and Prognosis for Neuroblastoma Patients
Authors: Luo Bingying , Wang Limin , Gao Weijing , Su Yudong , Lu Yao , Zheng Jian , Yin Jie , Zhao Qiang , Li Jie , Da Yurong , Li Long 
Published: March 2022

BackgroundPyroptosis, as an inflammatory form of cell death, is involved in many physiological and pathological processes. Neuroblastoma is the most common extra-cranial solid tumor in children. In this study, the relationship between pyroptosis and tumor microenvironment in neuroblastoma was systematically studied.MethodsWe integrated four datasets of neuroblastomas. Through robust clustering of the mRNA expression profiles of 24 pyroptosis-related genes, a total of three pyroptosis patterns were identified. We then constructed a novel scoring method named as pyroscore to quantify the level of pyroptosis in neuroblastoma. Multi-omics data and single-cell RNA sequencing were used to accurately and comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness of pyroscore. Clinical data sets were used to evaluate the use of pyroscore to predict the responsiveness of immune checkpoint treatment.ResultsHigh pyroscore was associated with good prognosis, immune activation, and increased response to checkpoint blockade immunotherapy. Multivariate Cox analysis revealed that the pyroscore was an independent prognostic biomarker and could increase the accuracy of clinical prediction models. Etoposide, a drug picked up by our analysis, could increase the sensitivity of neuroblastoma cells to pyroptosis. External verification using four cohorts of patients who had received immunotherapy showed that high pyroscore was significantly associated with immunotherapy treatment benefit.ConclusionsTaken together, this study revealed that pyroptosis-related gene network could quantify the response of neuroblastoma to immune checkpoint blockade therapy and prognosis, and it may be helpful for clinical practitioners to choose treatment strategies for neuroblastoma patients.
Utility of Plasma Microbial Cell-Free DNA Decay Kinetics After Aortic Valve Replacement for Bartonella Endocarditis: Case Report
Authors: Solanky Dipesh , Ahmed Asim A. , Fierer Joshua , Golts Eugene , Jones Meghan , Mehta Sanjay R. 
Published: March 2022

BackgroundDetection and sequencing of circulating microbial cell-free DNA (mcfDNA) in plasma is an increasingly popular tool for diagnosing many infectious diseases, but could also be used to monitor the progress of infection. However, the decay of this microbial cell-free DNA in blood following treatment has not been previously characterized.Case PresentationA 53 year-old male was diagnosed withBartonella quintanabioprosthetic aortic valve endocarditis by sequencing of the mcfDNA in the blood (Karius, Redwood City, CA). We then monitored the kinetics of decay of mcfDNA after parenteral antibiotics and valve resection in this individual. We measured plasma mcfDNA (Karius) in serial samples obtained in the operating room to calculate mcfDNA half-life after valve resection. After four weeks of parenteral antibiotics,BartonellamcfDNA signal decreased by 78%. The signal subsequently rose during operative manipulation of the infected valve but dropped 81-fold over four hours following valve resection. The half-life of mcfDNA between the time shortly following resection of the infected valve and 24 to 48 hours post-operatively was between 35 and 115 minutes. The trend in mcfDNA signal was characterized by rapid and then slower phases of decay within 24 hours, and little change between 24 and 48 hours.ConclusionsThis study is one of the first to characterize decay kinetics of mcfDNA and highlights the potential of monitoring mcfDNA in addressing major challenges in infective endocarditis management, including monitoring the response to therapy, and as an early screen for recurrence.
The Infrared Electrochromic Properties Based on Acid Doped-Polyaniline Films
Authors: Li Bingzhen , Chen Yuhua , Liu Xinwei , Li Fangyuan , Wang Jijun , Li Yan , Li Ning 
Published: March 2022

In recent years, the infrared electrochromic devices based on acid doped polyaniline films have achieved much progress, which has not been summarized before. This is important to accelerate the development of this field. In this paper, we will briefly review some representing work about the infrared electrochromic properties of acid doped polyaniline films, which were reported in the last 5 years.
Quantitative Measurement of Throat and Larynx After Endotracheal Intubation for Palatoplasty
Authors: Lee Pei-Rong , Kuo Chung Feng Jeffrey , Liu Shao-Cheng 
Published: March 2022

IntroductionQuantitative morphometric measurements of living human upper airway remain challenging. This study aimed to introduce a special laser projection device that can facilitate computer-assisted, digitalized analysis and provide important information on airway mucosa change, before and after endotracheal intubation for palatoplasty.Materials and MethodsThe laryngeal images were captured before and after surgery. Image processing techniques were used to quantize the post-operative laryngeal variation, with its distinct color space and texture features. Meanwhile, the maximum length of the vocal fold, vocal width at the midpoint, maximum cross-sectional area of the glottic space, maximum cross-sectional area of the oropharyngeal inlet (CSAOI) and the depth of the retropalatal space were determined and calculated. These parameters were analyzed and compared before and after surgery.ResultsA total of 39 subjects were enrolled in this study. The color space and texture analysis all show trends toward higher measures in post-operative images than in pre-operative images, especially in the interarytenoid region. Furthermore, the glottic area showed a significant decrease of 31.2%, while the vocal width showed a significant increase after intubation. The post-operative retropalatal depth and CSAOI were significantly deeper and larger than the baseline, reaching their peak in the 4th week after the surgery, and then slightly reduced in the 12th week.ConclusionFor the first time we present a series of changes in upper airway after surgery, by using a laser module with quantitative measurement. Our equipment and processing can measure subtle mucosal changes that would allow a clinician to diagnose post-operative airway inflammation in a simpler and less invasive way. Here additional information collected by different imaging modalities would help to solve multiple current unmet needs in post-operative airway inflammation.
Cerebral Microbleed Automatic Detection System Based on the “Deep Learning”
Authors: Fan Pingping , Shan Wei , Yang Huajun , Zheng Yu , Wu Zhenzhou , Chan Shang Wei , Wang Qun , Gao Peiyi , Liu Yaou , He Kunlun , Sui Binbin 
Published: March 2022

ObjectiveTo validate the reliability and efficiency of clinical diagnosis in practice based on a well-established system for the automatic segmentation of cerebral microbleeds (CMBs).MethodThis is a retrospective study based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Susceptibility Weighted Imaging (MRI-SWI) datasets from 1,615 patients (median age, 56 years; 1,115 males, 500 females) obtained between September 2018 and September 2019. All patients had been diagnosed with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) with clear cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) on MRI-SWI. The patients were divided into training and validation cohorts of 1,285 and 330 patients, respectively, and another 30 patients were used for internal testing. The model training and validation data were labeled layer by layer and rechecked by two neuroradiologists with 15 years of work experience. Afterward, a three-dimensional convolutional neural network (CNN) was applied to the MRI data from the training and validation cohorts to construct a deep learning system (DLS) that was tested with the 72 patients, independent of the aforementioned MRI cohort. The DLS tool was used as a segmentation program for these 72 patients. These results were evaluated and revised by five neuroradiologists and subjected to an output analysis divided into the missed label, incorrect label, and correct label. The interneuroradiologists DLS agreement rate, which was assessed using the interrater agreement kappas test, was used for the quality analysis.ResultsIn the detection and segmentation of the CMBs, the DLS achieved a Dice coefficient of 0.72. In the evaluation of the independent clinical data, the neuroradiologists reported that more than 90% of the lesions were directly detected and less than 10% of lesions were incorrectly labeled or the label was missed by our DLS. The kappa value for interneuroradiologist DLS agreement reached 0.79 on average.ConclusionBased on the results, the automatic detection and segmentation of CMBs are feasible. The proposed well-trained DLS system might represent a trusted tool for the segmentation and detection of CMB lesions.
Case Report: Late-Onset Mitochondrial Disease Uncovered by Metformin Use in a Patient With Acute Verbal Auditory Agnosia
Authors: Lin Wei-Hao , Yang I-Hsiao , Cheng Hui-En , Lin Hsiu-Fen 
Published: March 2022

IntroductionVerbal auditory agnosia is rarely caused by mitochondrial encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) syndrome. Lactate acidosis, which is the adverse effect of metformin, has proposed links to mitochondrial dysfunction and may trigger clinical features of mitochondrial diseases.Case PresentationA 43-year-old right-handed man presented to our emergency department with acute onset fever and headache accompanied by impaired hearing comprehension. He could communicate well through handwritten notes but could not understand what others were saying. He had been diagnosed as having diabetes mellitus 2 months prior to this event. Vildagliptin 100 mg/day and metformin 1,700 mg/day were prescribed for glucose control. Laboratory tests revealed elevated lactate levels in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of the patient. Brain MRI disclosed bilateral temporal lesions. Acute encephalitis with temporal involved was initially diagnosed and acyclovir was given empirically. However, follow-up MRI after acyclovir treatment revealed a progression of prior lesions. Further mitochondrial genome analysis revealed a mitochondrial DNA point mutation at position 3,243 (m.3243A &gt; G) with 25% heteroplasmy, which is compatible with MELAS. His clinical symptoms and serum lactate levels were improved after discontinuing the metformin use.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first report of a patient having late-onset MELAS syndrome that manifested as acute verbal auditory agnosia, which was identified after the patient began using metformin. Metformin is known to inhibit mitochondrial function and could trigger clinical features of MELAS syndrome. We encourage clinicians to maintain a high level of awareness that diabetes mellitus can be caused by mitochondrial disease and to exercise caution in the prescription of metformin.
Bone Morphogenetic Protein-8B Levels at Birth and in the First Year of Life: Relation to Metabolic-Endocrine Variables and Brown Adipose Tissue Activity
Authors: Garcia-Beltran Cristina , Villarroya Joan , Plou Cristina , Gavaldà-Navarro Aleix , Casano Paula , Cereijo Rubén , de Zegher Francis , López-Bermejo Abel , Ibáñez Lourdes , Villarroya Francesc 
Published: March 2022

ObjectiveBone morphogenetic protein-8B (BMP8B) is an adipokine produced by brown adipose tissue (BAT) contributing to thermoregulation and metabolic homeostasis in rodent models. In humans, BAT activity is particularly relevant in newborns and young infants. We assessed BMP8B levels and their relationship with BAT activity and endocrine-metabolic parameters in young infants to ascertain its potentiality as biomarker in early life.Materials and MethodsBMP8B concentrations were assessed longitudinally by ELISA in a cohort of 27 girls and 23 boys at birth, and at age 4 and 12 months, together with adiposity parameters (DXA), and circulating endocrine-metabolic variables. BAT activity was measured by infrared thermography. BMP8B gene expression (qRT-PCR) was determined in BAT, white fat, and liver samples from neonatal necropsies, and in placenta and cord blood.ResultsBMP8B levels were high at birth, particularly in boys (P = 0.04 vs. girls), declined progressively, and remained well above those in healthy adults and pregnant women at age 1 year (P &lt; 0.05 and P &lt; 0.001, respectively). Neonatal BMP8B transcript levels were higher in BAT than in white fat, liver and cord blood. Circulating BMP8B levels during the first year of life marginally correlated with bone mineral density and gains in lean mass.ConclusionBMP8B levels are high at birth and decline progressively over the first year of life remaining above adult levels. Although changes in BMP8B concentrations overall reflect those in BAT activity during development, BMP8B levels are unlikely to be useful to predict individual variations in endocrine-metabolic status and BAT activity in healthy young infants.