bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Global prevalence and risk factors of Cryptosporidium infection in Equus: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Li Xiao-Man , Geng Hong-Li , Wei Yong-Jie , Yan Wei-Lan , Liu Jing , Wei Xin-Yu , Zhang Miao , Wang Xiang-Yu , Zhang Xiao-Xuan , Liu Gang 
Published: November 2022

IntoductionCryptosporidiosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Cryptosporidium infection with the main symptom of diarrhea. The present study performed a metaanalysis to determine the global prevalence of Cryptosporidium in Equus animals.MethodsData collection was carried out using Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Chinese journal database (VIP), WanFang Data, PubMed, and ScienceDirect databases, with 35 articles published before 2021 being included in this systematic analysis. This study analyzed the research data through subgroup analysis and univariate regression analysis to reveal the factors leading to high prevalence. We applied a random effects model (REM) to the metadata.ResultsThe total prevalence rate of Cryptosporidium in Equus was estimated to be 7.59% from the selected articles. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium in female Equus was 2.60%. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium in Equus under 1-year-old was 11.06%, which was higher than that of Equus over 1-year-old (2.52%). In the experimental method groups, the positive rate detected by microscopy was the highest (10.52%). The highest Cryptosporidium prevalence was found in scale breeding Equus (7.86%). The horses had the lowest Cryptosporidium prevalence (7.32%) among host groups. C. muris was the most frequently detected genotype in the samples (53.55%). In the groups of geographical factors, the prevalence rate of Cryptosporidium in Equus was higher in regions with low altitude (6.88%), rainy (15.63%), humid (22.69%), and tropical climates (16.46%).DiscussionThe search strategy use of five databases might have caused the omission of some researches. This metaanalysis systematically presented the global prevalence and potential risk factors of Cryptosporidium infection in Equus. The farmers should strengthen the management of young and female Equus animals, improve water filtration systems, reduce stocking densities, and harmless treatment of livestock manure.
FGM-based remote intervention for adults with type 1 diabetes: The FRIEND randomized clinical trial
Authors: Lee Jinju , Lee Myeong Hoon , Park Jiyun , Kim Kyung-Soo , Kim Soo-Kyung , Cho Yong-Wook , Han Hyun Wook , Song Young Shin 
Published: November 2022

BackgroundThe use of flash glucose monitoring (FGM) in conjunction with proper education has been reported to improve glycemic control in people with diabetes on insulin therapy. However, there are still few randomized controlled trials on the educational effect, and an ideal educational model has not been established. This study aimed to estimate the efficacy of remote intervention for glycemic control in adults with type 1 diabetes using FGM.MethodsIn this single-center, randomized controlled trial, we enrolled adults with type 1 diabetes (HbA1c ≥7.0%). The participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to either FGM use with remote intervention (intervention group) or FGM use only (control group). Changes in glycemic outcomes such as HbA1c levels and continuous glucose monitoring metrics were evaluated at 12 weeks.ResultsAmong 36 randomized participants (mean age, 44.3 years; mean baseline HbA1c, 8.9%), 34 completed the study. The remote intervention did not significantly reduce HbA1c levels. FGM use significantly improved HbA1c levels by −1.4% and −0.8% in both groups with and without remote intervention, respectively (P=0.003 and P=0.004, respectively). However, the intervention group showed significant increases in time with glucose in the range of 70–180 mg/dL (TIR; from 49.8% to 60.9%, P=0.001) and significant decreases in time with hyperglycemia (P=0.002) and mean glucose (P=0.017), but the control group did not. Moreover, the TIR (P=0.019), time with hyperglycemia &gt;250 mg/dL (P=0.019), and coefficient of variation (P=0.018) were significantly improved in the intervention group compared to the control group. In particular, the CGM metrics improved gradually as the remote intervention was repeated. Furthermore, the intervention group reported higher treatment satisfaction (P=0.016).ConclusionsOngoing, personalized education during FGM use may lead to amelioration of glycemic control in adults with type 1 diabetes, even remotely.Clinical trial registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04936633, identifier NCT04936633.
Association of circulating miRNAS in patients with Alstrőm and Bardet-Biedl syndromes with clinical course parameters
Authors: Zmyslowska Agnieszka , Smyczynska Urszula , Stanczak Marcin , Jeziorny Krzysztof , Szadkowska Agnieszka , Fendler Wojciech , Borowiec Maciej 
Published: November 2022

BackgroundPatients with the rare syndromic forms of monogenic diabetes: Alström syndrome (ALMS) and Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) have multiple metabolic abnormalities, including early-onset obesity, insulin resistance, lipid disorders and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to determine if the expression of circulating miRNAs in patients with ALMS and BBS differs from that in healthy and obese individuals and determine if miRNA levels correlate with metabolic tests, BMI-SDS and patient age.MethodsWe quantified miRNA expression (Qiagen, Germany) in four groups of patients: with ALMS (n=13), with BBS (n=7), patients with obesity (n=19) and controls (n=23). Clinical parameters including lipids profile, serum creatinine, cystatin C, fasting glucose, insulin and C-peptide levels, HbA1c values and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were assessed in patients with ALMS and BBS.ResultsWe observed multiple up- or downregulated miRNAs in both ALMS and BBS patients compared to obese patients and controls, but only 1 miRNA (miR-301a-3p) differed significantly and in the same direction in ALMS and BBS relative to the other groups. Similarly, 1 miRNA (miR-92b-3p) was dysregulated in the opposite directions in ALMS and BBS patients, but diverged from 2 other groups. We found eight miRNAs (miR-30a-5p, miR-92b-3p, miR-99a-5p, miR-122-5p, miR-192-5p, miR-193a-5p, miR-199a-3p and miR-205-5p) that significantly correlated with at least of the analyzed clinical variables representing an association with the course of the diseases.ConclusionsOur results show for the first time that serum miRNAs can be used as available indicators of disease course in patients with ALMS and BBS syndromes.
Criteria for identifying potentially resectable patients with initially oncologically unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma before treatment with lenvatinib plus an anti–PD–1 antibody
Authors: Xu Bin , Zhu Xiao-Dong , Shen Ying-Hao , Zhu Jin-Jin , Liu Jie , Li Mei-Ling , Tang Pei-Wen , Zhou Jian , Fan Jia , Sun Hui-Chuan , Huang Cheng 
Published: November 2022

BackgroundConversion therapy is feasible in patients with oncologically unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, it is challenging to prospectively identify patients who are more likely to achieve successful conversion before initiating systemic therapy, either alone or combined with locoregional therapy.MethodsCriteria for identifying potentially resectable patients with initially oncologically unresectable HCC before treatment with lenvatinib plus an anti-PD-1 antibody were proposed based on real-world evidence. Multivariate Firth logistic regression was used to validate the proposed criteria in a retrospective cohort of consecutive patients with advanced HCC, who received combination therapy with lenvatinib plus an anti-PD-1 antibody between September 2018 and September 2021.ResultsThe proposed criteria were as follows: (1) Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1; (2) Child-Pugh class A; (3) intrahepatic tumors confined to one lobe (left, right, or middle lobe), or present in one lobe alongside a single tumor with diameter ≤5 cm or up to three tumors each with diameter ≤3 cm in the remaining lobes, with R0 resection achievable by hemihepatectomy, alone or combined with locoregional therapy to the remaining lobes during surgery; and (4) no portal vein tumor thrombus involving the contralateral liver lobe or reaching the superior mesenteric vein, no hepatic vein tumor thrombus involving more than two major hepatic vein branches on the tumor side, and no tumor thrombus of the inferior vena cava reaching the atrium. Firth logistic regression confirmed the criteria were an independent predictor of surgery following conversion therapy with lenvatinib plus an anti-PD-1 antibody.ConclusionsThis study proposed and validated criteria for identifying patients with initially oncologically unresectable HCC who are potentially resectable when treated with combination therapy with lenvatinib plus an anti-PD-1 antibody. The proposed criteria could help standardize conversion therapy studies in advanced HCC.
The oxygen minimum zone relative depth is a key driver of dolphin habitats in the northern Humboldt Current System
Authors: Llapapasca Miguel A. , Pardo Mario A. , Grados Daniel , Quiñones Javier 
Published: November 2022

Highly mobile odontocetes need habitats with environmental conditions with the potential of aggregating enough and high-quality prey, to maximize foraging success. Until now, the characterization of those habitats was in terms of physical and biological indicators of high production, capable of attracting and sustaining prey. Nevertheless, there has been no approach to quantifying the effects of a biophysical characteristic of the ocean with proven effects on the vertical distribution of prey for cetaceans: The oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) depth. In the northern branch of the Humboldt Current System off Peru (~6-18° S), a shallow OMZ (30-50 m) affects the distribution of the Peruvian anchovy (Engraulis ringens), main prey for several marine predators, including dolphins. We hypothesized these predators would aggregate in productive areas, but with preference for places where the relative OMZ depth can constrain prey vertically, making it more accessible and maximizing foraging success. We fitted Bayesian habitat models for three dominant odontocete species in this region, with multiple combinations of environmental covariates, smoothing techniques, and temporal and spatial random effects. Cetacean data came from 23 dedicated surveys spanning 2001-2019. Habitat predictors included the spatial anomalies of sea surface temperature, surface chlorophyl-a, pycnocline depth and OMZ depth. Dusky (Lagenorhynchus obscurus) and common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) preferred productive, cold areas with a very shallow OMZ, regardless of the season, while bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) aggregated in both cold and warm waters, also with shallow OMZ. The former two species of higher metabolic demands would maximize energy intake by selecting areas with highly aggregated prey, while the latter, of more moderate metabolic needs and more diverse prey, would exploit less restricted habitats.
Coastline extraction based on multi-scale segmentation and multi-level inheritance classification
Authors: Hui Sheng , Mengliang Guo , Yuliang Gan , Mingming Xu , Shanwei Liu , Yasir Muhammad , Jianyong Cui , Jianhua Wan 
Published: November 2022

Detailed management of the coastline is critical to the development of coastal states. However, the current classification of the coastline is relatively weak. This study proposed an automatic method to detect coastlines with category attributes based on multi-scale segmentation and multi-level inheritance classification. Fully integrating the advantages of multi-scale segmentation and multi-level classification, it solved the problems that traditional methods could not solve, such as extracting coastlines with categorical attributes, cultivation ponds that are easily affected by tidal flats, and complex coastal terrain. The Chinese GF-2 satellite images are used to extract various types of coastlines in Jiaozhou Bay and its surrounding areas such as the harbor-wharf coastline, silt coastline, pond coastline, rocky coastline, and sandy coastline. Compared with the human interpretation, it is found that the coastline extracted by our proposed method is different by 10.104 km in the harbor-wharf coastline, 0.099 km in the silt coastline, 2.677 km in the pond coastline, 8.831 km in the rocky coastline, and 0.218 km in the sandy coastline. Furthermore, compared to the object-based region growing integrating edge detection (OBRGIE) method, it is increased by 13.52%, 2.16%, 14.48%, 52.57%, and 22.97%, respectively. The results show that our proposed method is algorithmically more reasonable, accurate, and powerful. It can provide data support for refined coastline management.
Predicting the risk of nodular thyroid disease in coal miners based on different machine learning models
Authors: Zhao Feng , Zhang Hongzhen , Cheng Danqing , Wang Wenping , Li Yongtian , Wang Yisong , Lu Dekun , Dong Chunhui , Ren Dingfei , Yang Lixin 
Published: November 2022

BackgroundNodular thyroid disease is by far the most common thyroid disease and is closely associated with the development of thyroid cancer. Coal miners with chronic coal dust exposure are at higher risk of developing nodular thyroid disease. There are few studies that use machine learning models to predict the occurrence of nodular thyroid disease in coal miners. The aim of this study was to predict the high risk of nodular thyroid disease in coal miners based on five different Machine learning (ML) models.MethodsThis is a retrospective clinical study in which 1,708 coal miners who were examined at the Huaihe Energy Occupational Disease Control Hospital in Anhui Province in April 2021 were selected and their clinical physical examination data, including general information, laboratory tests and imaging findings, were collected. A synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) was used for sample balancing, and the data set was randomly split into a training and Test dataset in a ratio of 8:2. Lasso regression and correlation heat map were used to screen the predictors of the models, and five ML models, including Extreme Gradient Augmentation (XGBoost), Logistic Classification (LR), Gaussian Parsimonious Bayesian Classification (GNB), Neural Network Classification (MLP), and Complementary Parsimonious Bayesian Classification (CNB) for their predictive efficacy, and the model with the highest AUC was selected as the optimal model for predicting the occurrence of nodular thyroid disease in coal miners.ResultLasso regression analysis showed Age, H-DLC, HCT, MCH, PLT, and GGT as predictor variables for the ML models; in addition, heat maps showed no significant correlation between the six variables. In the prediction of nodular thyroid disease, the AUC results of the five ML models, XGBoost (0.892), LR (0.577), GNB (0.603), MLP (0.601), and CNB (0.543), with the XGBoost model having the largest AUC, the model can be applied in clinical practice.ConclusionIn this research, all five ML models were found to predict the risk of nodular thyroid disease in coal miners, with the XGBoost model having the best overall predictive performance. The model can assist clinicians in quickly and accurately predicting the occurrence of nodular thyroid disease in coal miners, and in adopting individualized clinical prevention and treatment strategies.
Pure proton therapy for skull base chordomas and chondrosarcomas: A systematic review of clinical experience
Authors: Nie Menglin , Chen Liying , Zhang Jing , Qiu Xiaoguang 
Published: November 2022

BackgroundSkull base chordoma and chondrosarcoma are exceptionally rare bone tumors with high propensity for local recurrence. Different postoperative radiation modalities are often used to improve the clinical efficacy. Proton therapy (PT) might be among the most promising ones because of the unique ballistic characteristics of high-energy particles. However, previous meta-analysis often included studies with combined radiation techniques. No systematic review to date has directly analyzed the survival and toxicity of pure PT for these two types of malignancies.MethodsBy following the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search of three databases was conducted. Articles were screened and data were extracted according to a prespecified scheme. R 4.2.0 software was used to conduct the meta-analysis. Normal distribution test was used for the incidence rate of each subgroup.ResultsA total of seven studies involving 478 patients were included in this analysis. The quality of included articles ranged from moderate to high quality. All patients were histopathologically diagnosed with chordoma or chondrosarcoma, and the follow-up time of the cohort ranged from 21 to 61.7 months. For PT planning, the median target volume ranged from 15 cc to 40 cc, and the administered median dose varied from 63 to 78.4 GyRBE at 1.8–2.0 GyRBE per fraction. The 1-, 2-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year local control and overall survival rates were 100%, 93%, 87%, 78%, and 68%, and 100%, 99%, 89%, 85%, and 68%, respectively. The late grade 3 or higher toxicities were reported in only two involved articles.ConclusionsUntil now, medical centers worldwide have exerted PT to improve outcomes of skull base chordomas and chondrosarcomas. PT not combined with other radiation modalities showed favorable local control and survival with a low incidence of severe radiation-induced toxicities, which manifests promising clinical benefits. However, high-quality evidence is still limited, requiring future clinical trials and prospective studies in selected patients.
Construction and validation of a prognostic nomogram in metastatic breast cancer patients of childbearing age: A study based on the SEER database and a Chinese cohort
Authors: Ma Xiang , Xing Yapeng , Li Zeying , Qiu Shun , Wu Wenzhao , Bai Jinfeng 
Published: November 2022

IntroductionCancer in patients of childbearing age continues to become increasingly common. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) on overall survival (OS) and cancer-specifific survival (CSS) in patients of childbearing age and to construct prognostic nomograms to predict OS and CSS.MethodsData from MBC patients of childbearing age were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database between 2010 and 2015, and the patients were randomly assigned into the training and validation cohorts. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were used to search for independent prognostic factors impacting OS and CSS, and these data were used to construct nomograms. The concordance index (C-index), area under the curve (AUC), and calibration curves were used to determine the predictive accuracy and discriminative ability of the nomograms. Additional data were obtained from patients at the Yunnan Cancer Hospital to further verify the accuracy of the nomograms.ResultsA total of 1,700 MBC patients of childbearing age were identifified from the SEER database, and an additional 92 eligible patients were enrolled at the Yunnan Cancer Hospital. Multivariate Cox analyses identifified 10 prognostic factors for OS and CSS that were used to construct the nomograms. The calibration curve for the probabilities of OS and CSS showed good agreement between nomogram prediction and clinical observations. The C-index of the nomogram for OS was 0.735 (95% CI = 0.725–0.744); the AUC at 3 years was 0.806 and 0.794 at 5 years.The nomogram predicted that the C-index of the CSS was 0.740 (95% CI = 0.730– 0.750); the AUC at 3 years was 0.811 and 0.789 at 5 years. The same results were observed in the validation cohort. Kaplan– Meier curves comparing the low-,medium-, and high-risk groups showed strong prediction results for the prognostic nomogram.ConclusionWe identifified several independent prognostic factors and constructed nomograms to predict the OS and CSS for MBC patients of childbearing age.These prognostic models should be considered in clinical practice to individualize treatments for this group of patients.
The effects of birth spacing on early childhood development in high-income nations: A systematic review
Authors: Dhamrait Gursimran , Fletcher Tess , Foo Damien , Taylor Catherine L. , Pereira Gavin 
Published: November 2022

ObjectiveThis study aimed to systematically review the literature on the associations between birth spacing and developmental outcomes in early childhood (3–10 years of age). Studies examining the associations between interpregnancy intervals and child development outcomes during and beyond the perinatal period have not been systematically reviewed.MethodsWe searched Ovid/MEDLINE, Global Health, PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL Plus, Educational Source, Research Starters, ERIC, Scopus, PubMed, Social Science Research Network database, and ProQuest's Social Sciences Databases for relevant articles published between 1 January 1989 and 25 June 2021. Studies published in English, conducted in populations residing in high-income countries with any measure of birth spacing, and child development outcomes among children aged &lt;10 years were included. Two authors independently assessed the eligibility of studies and extracted data on the study design, setting and population, birth spacing, outcomes, and results.ResultsThe search yielded 1,556 records, of which seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Five of these seven studies used birth intervals as the exposure measure. Definitions of exposure differed between the studies. Three studies reported an association between short birth spacing and poorer child development outcomes, and two studies reported an association between long birth spacing and poorer child development outcomes.ConclusionCurrently, limited evidence suggests that the adverse effects of sub-optimal birth spacing are observable beyond infancy.
Acute severe hepatitis outbreak in children: A perfect storm. What do we know, and what questions remain?
Authors: Matthews Philippa C. , Campbell Cori , Săndulescu Oana , Matičič Mojca , Ruta Simona Maria , Rivero-Juárez Antonio , van Welzen Berend Joost , Tan Boun Kim , Garcia Federico , Gherlan George Sebastian , Çınar Güle , Hasanoğlu İmran , Gmizić Ivana , Nicolini Laura Ambra , Santos Lurdes , Sargsyants Narina , Velikov Petar , Habibović Selma , Fourati Slim , Židovec-Lepej Snježana , Herder Vanessa , Dudman Susanne , Miron Victor Daniel , Irving William , Şahin Gülşen Özkaya ,   and ESCMID Study Group for Viral Hepatitis (ESGVH)
Published: November 2022

During the first half of 2022, the World Health Organization reported an outbreak of acute severe hepatitis of unknown aetiology (AS-Hep-UA) in children, following initial alerts from the United Kingdom (UK) where a cluster of cases was first observed in previously well children aged &lt;6 years. Sporadic cases were then reported across Europe and worldwide, although in most countries incidence did not increase above the expected baseline. There were no consistent epidemiological links between cases, and microbiological investigations ruled out known infectious causes of hepatitis. In this review, we explore the evidence for the role of viral infection, superimposed on a specific host genetic background, as a trigger for liver pathology. This hypothesis is based on a high prevalence of Human Adenovirus (HAdV) 41F in affected children, together with metagenomic evidence of adeno-associated virus (Adeno-associated viruses)-2, which is a putative trigger for an immune-mediated liver injury. Roles for superantigen-mediated pathology have also been explored, with a focus on the potential contribution of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Affected children also had a high frequency of the MHC allele HLA-DRB1*04:01, supporting an immunological predisposition, and may have been vulnerable to viral coinfections due to disruption in normal patterns of exposure and immunity as a result of population lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss areas of ongoing uncertainty, and highlight the need for ongoing scrutiny to inform clinical and public health interventions for this outbreak and for others that may evolve in future.