bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The impact of different left ventricular geometric patterns on right ventricular deformation and function in the elderly with hypertension: A two-dimensional speckle tracking and three-dimensional echocardiographic study
Authors: Xue Jiping , Kang Xiaoyan , Qin Qin , Miao Junwang , Li Shuai , Kang Chunsong 
Published: October 2022

ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the impact of different left ventricular geometric patterns on right ventricular deformation and function in the elderly with essential hypertension via two-dimensional speckle tracking and three-dimensional echocardiography.MethodsA total of 248 elderly people with essential hypertension were divided into four groups based on the left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and relative wall thickness (RWT): the normal geometric, concentric remodeling, eccentric hypertrophy, and concentric hypertrophy groups. Moreover, 71 participants were recruited as the control group. These participants were examined by two-dimensional speckle tracking and three-dimensional echocardiography to obtain the right ventricular strain parameters, three-dimensional volume, and function parameters.ResultsThe right ventricular strain parameters decreased gradually from the normal geometric group to the concentric hypertrophy group (P &lt; 0.05), and the strain parameters in the concentric remodeling, eccentric hypertrophy, and concentric hypertrophy groups were lower than those in the control and normal geometric groups (P &lt; 0.05). The right ventricular three-dimensional echocardiographic parameters only changed in the eccentric hypertrophy group (P &lt; 0.05) and the concentric hypertrophy group (P &lt; 0.05) in the form of an increase in volume and a decrease in function. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain was independently associated with the systolic blood pressure (SBP), LVMI, and RWT (P &lt; 0.05) and was primarily affected by the LVMI (normalized β = 0.637, P &lt; 0.05).ConclusionThe systolic function of the right ventricular myocardium declined in the elderly with essential hypertension due to impaired myocardial mechanics. The right ventricular strain parameters could indicate mechanical damage in the concentric remodeling group earlier than the right ventricular three-dimensional volume and function parameters. The right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain was primarily subject to the LVMI.
Mid-term subclinical myocardial injury detection in patients who recovered from COVID-19 according to pulmonary lesion severity
Authors: Chamtouri Ikram , Kaddoussi Rania , Abroug Hela , Abdelaaly Mabrouk , Lassoued Taha , Fahem Nesrine , Cheikh'Hmad Saoussen , Ben Abdallah Asma , Jomaa Walid , Ben Hamda Khaldoun , Maatouk Faouzi 
Published: October 2022

BackgroundSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV 2) may cause damage to the cardiovascular system during the acute phase of the infection. However, recent studies reported mid- to long-term subtle cardiac injuries after recovering from acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to determine the relationship between the severity of chest computed tomography (CT) lesions and the persistence of subtle myocardial injuries at mid-term follow-up of patients who recovered from COVID-19 infection.MethodsAll patients with COVID-19 were enrolled prospectively in this study. Sensitive troponin T (hsTnT) and chest CT scans were performed on all patients during the acute phase of COVID-19 infection. At the mid-term follow-up, conventional transthoracic echocardiograph and global longitudinal strain (GLS) of the left and right ventricles (LV and RV) were determined and compared between patients with chest CT scan lesions of &lt; 50% (Group 1) and those with severe chest CT scan lesions of greater or equal to 50% (Group 2).ResultsThe mean age was 55 ± 14 years. Both LV GLS and RV GLS values were significantly decreased in group 2 (p = 0.013 and p = 0.011, respectively). LV GLS value of more than −18 was noted in 43% of all the patients, and an RV GLS value of more than −20 was observed in 48% of them. The group with severe chest CT scan lesions included more patients with reduced LV GLS and reduced RV GLS than the group with mild chest CT scan lesions [(G1:29 vs. G2:57%, p = 0.002) and (G1:36 vs. G2:60 %, p = 0.009), respectively].ConclusionPatients with severe chest CT scan lesions are more likely to develop subclinical myocardial damage. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) could be recommended in patients recovering from COVID-19 to detect subtle LV and RV lesions.
Mechanism of N-0385 blocking SARS-CoV-2 to treat COVID-19 based on molecular docking and molecular dynamics
Authors: Cao Jun-Feng , Yang Xingyu , Xiong Li , Wu Mei , Chen Shengyan , Xiong Chenyang , He Peiyong , Zong Yonghua , Zhang Lixin , Fu Hongjiao , Qi Yue , Ying Xiran , Liu Dengxin , Hu Xiaosong , Zhang Xiao 
Published: October 2022

Purpose2019 Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has caused millions of confirmed cases and deaths worldwide. TMPRSS2-mediated hydrolysis and maturation of spike protein is essential for SARS-CoV-2 infection in vivo. The latest research found that a TMPRSS2 inhibitor called N-0385 could effectively prevent the infection of the SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. However, it is not clear about the mechanism of N-0385 treatment COVID-19. Therefore, this study used computer simulations to investigate the mechanism of N-0385 treatment COVID-19 by impeding SARS-CoV-2 infection.MethodsThe GeneCards database was used to search disease gene targets, core targets were analyzed by PPI, GO and KEGG. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics were used to validate and analyze the binding stability of small molecule N-0385 to target proteins. The supercomputer platform was used to simulate and analyze the number of hydrogen bonds, binding free energy, stability of protein targets at the residue level, radius of gyration and solvent accessible surface area.ResultsThere were 4,600 COVID-19 gene targets from GeneCards database. PPI, GO and KEGG analysis indicated that signaling pathways of immune response and inflammation played crucial roles in COVID-19. Molecular docking showed that N-0385 could block SARS-CoV-2 infection and treat COVID-19 by acting on ACE2, TMPRSS2 and NLRP3. Molecular dynamics was used to demonstrate that the small molecule N-0385 could form very stable bindings with TMPRSS2 and TLR7.ConclusionThe mechanism of N-0385 treatment COVID-19 was investigated by molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation. We speculated that N-0385 may not only inhibit SARS-CoV-2 invasion directly by acting on TMPRSS2, ACE2 and DPP4, but also inhibit the immune recognition process and inflammatory response by regulating TLR7, NLRP3 and IL-10 to prevent SARS-CoV-2 invasion. Therefore, these results suggested that N-0385 may act through multiple targets to reduce SARS-CoV-2 infection and damage caused by inflammatory responses.
Case report: Simultaneous occurrence of primary pulmonary lymphoma and opportunistic infections in a patient with chronic myeloid leukemia
Authors: Bi Yazhen , Feng Saran , Shang Jinyu , Liu Qian , Wang Yan 
Published: October 2022

BackgroundThe occurrence of primary pulmonary lymphoma (PPL) as a secondary malignancy in patients diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is extremely rare. As the clinical manifestations are atypical, most patients with PPL tend to be misdiagnosed with pneumonia. When the radiographic features of PPL and pulmonary infection overlap, clinicians can be confused about the diagnosis. Here, we report the first case of coexistence of PPL and opportunistic infections in a patient with CML in chronic phase (CML-CP).Case presentationA 55-year-old woman presented with three weeks of hemorrhage of the oral mucosa at the Department of Hematology. After undergoing various examinations, she was diagnosed with CML-CP and was started on imatinib (400 mg/daily). Due to sudden respiratory distress, the patient was admitted to the respiratory intensive care unit 11 months later. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed ground-glass opacities, patchy shadows, and multiple nodules in both lungs and enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes. The combination of biapenem and voriconazole antibiotic treatments was effective. The patient’s respiratory distress was relieved, but there was intermittent coughing. In the following time, the patient developed a fever, and the imaging findings indicated progression of the disease in both lungs. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) identified pathogens of multiple opportunistic infections. The coexistence of lymphomatoid granulomatosis (LYG) was not confirmed in this patient until a second CT-guided biopsy was performed. Ultimately, the patient underwent chemotherapy in time and is currently alive today.ConclusionsWhen the patient’s recurrent respiratory symptoms and imaging findings do not coincide, secondary tumors should be considered in addition to infection as a diagnosis. In these cases, multiple pathological tissue biopsies should be performed.
Brain metastasis from gastric adenocarcinoma: A large comprehensive population-based cohort study on risk factors and prognosis
Authors: Huang Lei , Wang Lei , Shi Yan , Zhao Yajie , Xu Chenying , Zhang Jun , Hu Weiguo 
Published: October 2022

AimsAlthough brain metastasis from gastric adenocarcinoma (GaC) is rare, it may significantly affect survival and quality of life. The aim of this large, comprehensive, population-based cohort investigation was to investigate factors that were associated with brain metastasis from GaC and to explore the prognostic factors and time-dependent cumulative mortalities among cases with GaC and brain involvement.MethodsPopulation-based information on cases with GaC diagnosed from 2010 to 2016 was obtained from a large-scale database. Factors that were associated with brain metastasis were investigated utilizing multivariable logistic regression. Time-dependent tumor-specific mortalities of cases with GaC and brain involvement were then computed utilizing the cumulative incidence functions (CIFs), and mortalities were compared between subgroups utilizing Gray’s test. Factors that were associated with death were further evaluated utilizing multivariable Fine–Gray subdistribution hazard regression.ResultsTogether, 28,736 eligible cases were included, which comprised 231 (1%) cases with brain metastasis and 10,801 (38%) with metastasis to other sites, encompassing a follow-up of 39,168 person-years. Brain metastasis occurred more often among younger patients (within overall cancers), in cases with stomach cardia tumors, within cases with signet-ring cell carcinoma (within overall cancers), and within cases with positive lymph nodes (within overall tumors); it was less often detected among black people. Brain involvement was associated with more lung and bone metastases. The median survival time of cases having brain metastasis was only 3 months; the 6- and 12-month tumor-specific cumulative mortalities were 57% and 71%, respectively. Among cases with GaC and brain metastasis, those with gastric cardia cancers (when receiving radiotherapy), those undergoing resection, and those receiving chemotherapy had lower mortality risks, while younger patients (when receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy) and people with positive lymph nodes (when receiving radiotherapy) had higher death hazards.ConclusionAmong patients with GaC, brain metastasis was correlated with several clinical and pathological variables, including ethnicity, age, cancer histology, location, lymph node involvement, and metastases to other sites. Cases having brain metastasis had poor survival that was correlated with age, cancer location, lymph node metastasis, and management. These findings offer vital clues for individualized patient care and future mechanistic explorations.
Thorax radiotherapy using 18F-positron emission tomography/computed tomography-guided precision radiotherapy is a prognostic factor for survival in patients with extracranial oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer:A two-center propensity score-matched analysis
Authors: Liu Cheng-Sen , Song Ying-Qiu , Wang Run-Ze , Wang Zheng , He Rong , Xu Ke , Wang Chen-Yu , Wu Yu , Wang Ye , Zhang Xiao-fang , Li Guang , Wang Tian-Lu 
Published: October 2022

BackgroundThis retrospective study compared positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) and CT in the treatment of extracranial oligometastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and explored the impact of thorax radiotherapy (TRT) on patient survival.MethodsWe reviewed the medical records of Chinese patients with stage IV extracranial oligometastatic NSCLC who underwent PET/CT or CT at two centers. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to control differences in patient characteristics between the maintenance chemotherapy alone and TRT plus maintenance chemotherapy groups.ResultsWe analyzed 192 eligible patients. The median survival time was better in patients who received PET/CT than in those who only received CT (n = 192, 16 months vs. 6 months, p&lt;0.001). Subgroup analysis showed the median survival time was significantly longer in the TRT plus maintenance group than in the chemotherapy alone group in patients who underwent PET/CT examinations (n = 94, 25 months vs. 11 months, p&lt;0.001). However, there was no statistical difference in survival between both groups in patients who underwent CT examinations (n = 98, 8 months vs. 5 months, p = 0.180). A multifactorial analysis revealed a more favorable prognosis in patients who underwent PET/CT evaluation (HR: 0.343, 95% CI: 0.250-0.471, p &lt;0.001) and TRT (HR: 0.624, 95% CI: 0.464-0.840, p = 0.002), than in those who did not. PSM was consistent with these results.ConclusionsPET/CT-guided TRT is associated with improved clinical outcomes in patients with stage IV extracranial oligometastatic NSCLC.
Efficacy of indocyanine green fluorescence imaging-guided lymphadenectomy in radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Dong Bo , Zhang Anyuan , Zhang Yuqiang , Ye Wei , Liao Lan , Li Zonglin 
Published: October 2022

BackgroundIndocyanine green (ICG) imaging-guided lymphadenectomy has been introduced in gastric cancer (GC) surgery and its clinical value remains controversial. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of ICG fluorescence imaging-guided lymphadenectomy in radical gastrectomy for GC.MethodsStudies comparing lymphadenectomy in radical gastrectomy between use and non-use of ICG fluorescence imaging up to July 2022 were systematically searched from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Cochrane Library. A pooled analysis was performed for the available data regarding the baseline features, the number of retrieved lymph nodes (LNs), the number of metastatic LNs and surgical outcomes as well as oncological outcomes. RevMan 5.3 software was used to perform the statistical analysis. Quality evaluation and publication bias were also conducted.Results17 studies with a total of 2274 patients (1186 in the ICG group and 1088 in the control group) undergoing radical gastrectomy and lymphadenectomy were included. In the pooled analysis, the baseline features were basically comparable. However, the number of retrieved LNs in the ICG group was significantly more than that in the control group (MD = 7.41, 95% CI = 5.44 to 9.37, P &lt; 0.00001). No significant difference was found between the ICG and control groups in terms of metastatic LNs (MD = -0.05, 95% CI = -0.25 to 0.16, P = 0.65). In addition, the use of ICG could reduce intraoperative blood loss (MD = -17.96, 95% CI = -27.89 to -8.04, P = 0.0004) without increasing operative time (P = 0.14) and overall complications (P = 0.10). In terms of oncological outcomes, the use of ICG could reduce the overall recurrence rate (OR = 0.50; 95% CI 0.28-0.89; P = 0.02) but could not increase the 2-year overall survival rate (OR = 1.25; 95% CI 0.72-2.18; P = 0.43).ConclusionsICG imaging-guided lymphadenectomy is valuable for complete LNs dissection in radical gastrectomy for GC. However, more high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm this benefit.
Leflunomide-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension in a young man with nephrotic syndrome: A case report
Authors: Luo Xiaoqin , Li Jiang , Chen Sisi , Luo Jun 
Published: October 2022

Drug-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) has been widely reported but PAH caused by leflunomide is very rare. Here we report the case of a young man with nephrotic syndrome treated with leflunomide for 5 years before being admitted to our hospital for dyspnea. After discontinuing leflunomide treatment for 4 months, both the dyspnea and pulmonary artery systolic pressure improved. Right heart catheterization showed in a significant decrease in pulmonary vascular resistance and pulmonary artery pressure 4 months later. Because persistent PAH can lead to right heart failure and even death, identifying and excluding the risk factors is critical; discontinuing leflunomide until a definite cause is identified is highly recommended.
Effect of replacing inorganic minerals with small peptide chelated minerals on production performance, some biochemical parameters and antioxidant status in broiler chickens
Authors: Kong Jing , Qiu Ting , Yan Xia , Wang Lili , Chen Zhiyong , Xiao Gengsheng , Feng Xin , Zhang Huihua 
Published: October 2022

Due to the low bio-availability of inorganic trace minerals, its application in poultry production has been causing many problems such as environment pollution and waste of resources. The current study was designed to evaluate if replacing inorganic trace minerals (ITM) with small peptide chelate trace minerals (SPM) affects production performance, some biochemical parameters and antioxidant status, tibia mineral deposition, and fecal mineral content in 817 white-feathered broilers. A total of 432 broilers (21-day-old) were randomly divided into four groups with six replicates of 18 chicks each. The four groups included inorganic trace minerals group (addition of 1,000 mg/kg ITM; common practice by commercial poultry farms), three organic trace minerals groups with supplementation of 150, 300, and 500 mg/kg SPM, respectively. The experiment lasted for 30 days. The results showed that there was no significant difference in growth performance and slaughter performance among the four groups (p &gt; 0.05). Total cholesterol in the SPM group was significantly lower than those in the ITM groups (p &lt; 0.01). Compared with the ITM group, the serum urea nitrogen in 150 and 300 mg/kg SPM groups decreased significantly (p &lt; 0.01). Among all SPM treatments, 300 mg/kg SPM groups had the highest serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity (p &lt; 0.01). The activity of copper and zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD) of liver in ITM group was the lowest among the four groups (p &lt; 0.01). The catalase (CAT) activity of liver in the 150 mg/kg SPM group was significantly higher than the ITM group and 300 mg/kg SPM group (p &lt; 0.05). Compared to the ITM group, the iron content of the tibia was significantly increased in 300 mg/kg SPM group (p &lt; 0.05) and 500 mg/kg SPM group (p &lt; 0.01). Compared to the ITM group, dietary supplementation with SPM significantly reduced fecal content of zinc and manganese (p &lt; 0.01). The 150 mg/kg SPM and 300 mg/kg SPM group had significantly reduced content of iron (p &lt; 0.05). This study demonstrated that replacing inorganic minerals with low doses of SPM (300 and 500 mg/kg) did not negatively affect growth and slaughter performance, as well as the antioxidant status of broiler chickens. In addition, SPM can also promote mineral content in the tibia and reduce mineral content in the feces.
A national-level analysis of life expectancy associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in India
Authors: Muniyandi Malaisamy , Singh Pravin Kumar , Aanandh Yamini , Karikalan Nagarajan , Padmapriyadarsini Chandrasekaran 
Published: October 2022

BackgroundFrom a demographic perspective, the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on life expectancy is not clear. Hence, there is a need to study the number of years of life lost concerning the existing average life expectancy due to COVID-19 in India.ObjectiveThis study aimed to estimate the impact of life expectancy due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India.MethodologyWe considered day-wise age-specific mortality due to COVID-19 which was extracted from the COVID-19 data repository from March 11, 2020, to June 30, 2021, in India. All-cause mortality was collected from the United Nations population estimates. An abridged life table technique was utilized for calculating life expectancies based on all-cause mortality and mortality due to COVID-19. MortPak software was used to calculate the life expectancy with and without the COVID-19 pandemic. Life expectancy at birth in different age groups was estimated with respect to with and without COVID-19.ResultsA total of 399,459 deaths due to COVID-19 were distributed age wise, and their corresponding life expectancy was calculated. The general mortality was compared with COVID-19 mortality for the various age groups, and it was observed that mortality due to COVID-19 was significantly higher among the elderly age group [i.e., 45 to 60 years (36%) and &gt; 60 years (51%)] when compared with &lt; 25 years (1%) and 26–44 years (11%) (trend Chi-square 7.59; p = 0.001). The life expectancy without and with COVID-19 was 69.28 years and 69.16 years, respectively.ConclusionOverall, it was estimated that COVID-19 has an impact on life expectancy by 0.12 years during the study period. Even though mortality due to COVID-19 was high, factors such as lockdown, vaccination, and accidents also had an influence on mortality. Thus, there is a need to assess the impact of COVID-19 on life expectancy in future.
No sex-specific effects of balance training on dynamic balance performance in healthy children
Authors: Muehlbauer Thomas , Schedler Simon 
Published: October 2022

BackgroundCross-sectional studies in children reported better balance performance for girls than for boys. Thus, balance trainability might be different between female and male children. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of balance training (BT) on dynamic balance performance in girls compared to boys.MethodsSeventeen girls (age: 11.1 ± 0.7 years) and 22 boys (age: 11.1 ± 0.8 years) were assigned to either a BT-group or an active control (CON) group. BT was conducted over eight weeks (two sessions/week) while the CON-groups received their regular physical education lessons during the same period. Before and after treatment, dynamic balance performance was assessed by using the Lower Quarter Y-Balance (YBT-LQ) test. A series of three-way analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) were undertaken to test for within-between effects of Test [×2 (pretest vs. posttest)], Group [×2 (BT-group vs. CON-group)] and Sex [×2 (boys vs. girls)].ResultsThe three-way ANCOVA yielded a significant main effect of Test (p = 0.002–0.043, ηp2 = 0.122–0.262) and of Group (all p &lt; 0.001, ηp2 = 0.330–0.651) but not of sex for all YBT-LQ reach directions and the composite score. Further, there were significant Test × Group interactions (all p &lt; 0.001, ηp2 = 0.330–0.651) in favor of both BT-groups but neither Test × Sex nor Test × Group × Sex interactions were detected.ConclusionsWe conclude that BT is an effective treatment to improve dynamic balance performance in healthy children regardless of their sex. Consequently, girls and boys can be provided with the same BT regime to enhance their postural control.