bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Experimental Study on the Influence of Particle Diameter, Mass Concentration, and Impeller Material on the Wear Performance of Solid–Liquid Two-Phase Centrifugal Pump Blade
Authors: Wang Yanping , Li Weiqin , He Tielin , Liu Hao , Han Chuanfeng , Zhu Zucao 
Published: June 2022

A centrifugal pump is an important solid–liquid mixture conveying machinery, which is widely used in mineral mining, water conservancy engineering, and other fields. Solid particles will wear the impeller of the centrifugal pump in the process of transportation, resulting in lower service life of the impeller, especially in the transportation of a high concentration of solid particles. Many scholars use numerical simulation to study the wear of centrifugal pumps, but few efforts have been made in the wear experiment. In this study, the effect of three factors, namely, diameter of solid particles, mass concentration of particles, and material of impellers on the wear of a solid–liquid two-phase centrifugal pump was studied by the wear experiment. The solid particles are SiO2 with irregular shapes, and the diameter ranges are 0.125–0.212 mm, 0.212–0.425 mm, and 0.425–0.710 mm. The mass concentration of solid particles is 15%, 20%, and 30%. The material of impellers is carbon structural steel (Q235), gray cast iron (HT200), and low-alloy high-strength steel (16 Mn). The amount of wear is determined by measuring the thickness of the impeller material before and after wear experiments. The wear morphology of the impeller was observed by using a digital microscope. The results showed that the wear mainly concentrated on the middle and trailing edges of the blade. Impellers of different materials suffer different wear forms, among which the impeller made of HT200 has the best erosion resistance. The increase of solid mass concentration will aggravate the wear of the impeller. The change of particle diameters also has a great influence on impeller wear.
Gastric Microplastics in Clarias gariepinus of the Upper Vaal River, South Africa
Authors: Dahms Heinrich T. J. , Tweddle Gavin P. , Greenfield Richard 
Published: June 2022

Microplastics are defined as plastics smaller than 5 mm down to 0.05 mm. These plastics enter the environment and undergo certain physical changes, most notably density changes and a relative increase of surface size. Microplastics can then release or absorb toxicants from the surrounding environment. These plastics may then enter the food chain from producers to top predators. In this study, microplastics were investigated in four study sites in the upper Vaal River, South Africa. The goal of the study was to determine the levels of plastics in water, sediment and a top predator, the benthic fish Clarias gariepinus. In this study, a 10% KOH digestion of water and fish, and density separation of sediment with NaCl (1.2 g cm3) was used to extract microplastics for identification. Microplastics were detected in water (3, 300 particles m−³), fish (7.47 particles per fish) and sediment (46.7 particles kg−1). Microplastic intake was not attributed to the microplastic shape or size of the fish that ingested it. This highlights the need to understand how niche-specific microplastic concentrations are, which will not only aid in quantifying microplastics accurately in the environment but to better understand how they may influence various ecosystems.
The Immune Cell Infiltration Patterns and Characterization Score in Bladder Cancer to Identify Prognosis
Authors: Zhang Yongsheng , Wang Yunlong , Wang Jichuang , Zhang Kaixiang 
Published: June 2022

Background: Bladder cancer (BLCA) is among the most frequent types of cancer. Patients with BLCA have a significant recurrence rate and a poor post-surgery survival rate. Recent research has found a link between tumor immune cell infiltration (ICI) and the prognosis of BLCA patients. However, the ICI’s picture of BLCA remains unclear.Methods: Common gene expression data were obtained by combining the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) expression databases. Two computational algorithms were proposed to unravel the ICI landscape of BLCA patients. The R package “limma” was applied to find differentially expressed genes (DEGs). ICI patterns were defined by the unsupervised clustering method. Principal-component analysis (PCA) was used to calculate the ICI score. In addition, the combined ICI score and tumor burden mutation (TMB) were utilized to assess BLCA patients’ prognosis. The predictive value of ICI scores was verified by different clinical characteristics.Results: A total of 569 common gene expression data were retrieved from TCGA and GEO cohorts. CD8+ T cells were found to have a substantial positive connection with activated memory CD4+ T cells and immune score. On the contrary, CD8+ T cells were found to have a substantial negative connection with macrophages M0. Thirty-eight DEGs were selected. Two ICI patterns were defined by the unsupervised clustering method. Patients of BLCA were separated into two groups. The high ICI score group exhibited a better outcome than the low ICI score one (p &lt; 0.001). Finally, the group with a high tumor mutation burden (TMB) as well as a high ICI score had the best outcome. (p &lt; 0.001).Conclusions: Combining TMB and ICI scores resulted in a more accurate survival prediction, suggesting that ICI scores could be used as a prognostic marker for BLCA patients.
Efficacy of Atezolizumab for Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Based on Clinical and Molecular Features: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Liu Wenjie , Huo Gengwei , Chen Peng 
Published: June 2022

ObjectiveAtezolizumab is becoming a significant therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but its efficacy needs to be further improved. The aims of this study are to clarify the potency of atezolizumab-based therapy in advanced NSCLC patients with different clinical and molecular features, and to choose a better therapeutic regimen of atezolizumab to achieve more precise treatment in immunotherapy.MethodsRandomized clinical trials (RCTs) in the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase Science Direct, and Google Scholar, together with major oncology conferences that compared atezolizumab with chemotherapy-based treatment for individuals with advanced NSCLC published prior to February 2022, were searched. Studies, bias risk assessment, and data extraction were selected by two independent authors. We extracted the basic features of the included studies, together with the 95% confidence interval (CI) and hazard ratios (HRs), from all patients and subgroups. The combined treatment data were assessed using the inverse variance weighting method.ResultsSeven RCTs including 4,859 patients were included. Our meta-analysis findings indicated that atezolizumab substantially enhanced OS (HR 0.82; 95% CI, 0.77–0.88; p &lt; 0.00001) and PFS (HR 0.72; 95% CI, 0.61–0.85; p &lt; 0.0001) in patients with advanced NSCLC compared with chemotherapy-based treatment. Atezolizumab substantially enhanced OS in patients aged &lt;65 years old and 65–74 years old, those with wild-type EGFR, those without liver metastases, active or previous smokers, white patients and those with TC3 or IC3, TC2/3 or IC2/3, TC1/2/3 or IC1/2/3, and TC0 and IC0, but not in patients aged ≥75 years, never smokers, those with liver metastases, those with EGFR mutant, Asians, Black or African Americans, or those with TC1/2 or IC1/2. Patients with advanced NSCLC who received atezolizumab showed OS improvement regardless of sex (male or female), histological type (non-squamous or squamous NSCLC), performance status (0 or 1), and line of treatment (1st-line therapy or ≥2nd-line therapy). Subgroup analysis revealed that male individuals, those with non-squamous NSCLC, those with PS 1, active or previous smokers, and those with wild-type EGFR, TC3 or IC3, and TC1/2/3 or IC1/2/3 achieved OS benefit from atezolizumab treatment not related to the treatment line and treatment regimen.ConclusionsAge group, smoking history, liver metastasis status, EGFR mutation status, race, and PD-L1 expression can be used to predict the potency of atezolizumab and provide a better treatment regimen for patients with advanced NSCLC to achieve accurate and personalized treatment.
Thermal Fluctuations Yield Sex-Specific Differences of Ingestion Rates of the Littoral Mysid Neomysis integer
Authors: Hennigs Laura M. , Bergunder Konstanze , Sperfeld Erik , Wacker Alexander 
Published: June 2022

Shallow aquatic environments are characterized by strong environmental variability. For ectotherms, temperature is the main driver of metabolic activity, thus also shaping performance. Ingestion rates in mysids are fast responses, influenced by metabolic and behavioral activity. We examined ingestion rates of the mysid Neomysis integer, collected in the Baltic Sea, after one-week exposure to different constant and fluctuating temperature regimes (5, 10, 15, 20°C and 9 ± 5, 14 ± 5°C, respectively). To investigate possible differences between sexes, thermal performance curves (TPCs) were established for female and male mysids based on ingestion rates measured at constant temperatures. TPCs of ingestion rates at constant temperatures differed between sexes, with female mysids showing a higher total ingestion rate as well as a higher thermal optimum compared to male mysids. Females showed reduced ingestion rates when exposed to fluctuating temperatures around their thermal optimum, whereas ingestion of male mysids was not reduced when exposed to fluctuating temperatures. The observed sex-specific differences might be related to potentially higher lipid and energy demands of the females. We suggest future studies should investigate males and females to improve our understanding about impacts of environmental variability on natural populations.
A VOSviewer-Based Bibliometric Analysis of Prescription Refills
Authors: Fu Runchen , Xu Haiping , Lai Yongjie , Sun Xinying , Zhu Zhu , Zang Hengchang , Wu Yibo 
Published: June 2022

PurposePrescription refills are long-term prescriptions for chronic patients in stable status, which varies from country to country. A well-established prescription refill system is beneficial for chronic patients’ medication management and facilitates the efficacy of clinical care. Therefore, we carried out a bibliometric analysis to examine the development of this field.SummaryPublications on prescription refills from 1970 to 2021 were collected in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Search strategy TS = “prescri* refill*” OR “medi* refill*” OR “repeat prescri*” OR “repeat dispens*” OR TI = refill* was used for search. VOSviewer was applied to visualize the bibliometric analysis. A total of 319 publications were found in WoSCC. Study attention on prescription refills has shown a steady rise but is still low in recent years. The United States was the most productive country, which had the highest total citations, average citations per publication, and the highest H-index, and participated in international collaboration most frequently. The University of California system was the most productive institution. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs was the institution with the most citations, most average citation, and highest H-index. Sundell was the most productive author, and Steiner J. F. was the most influential author. “Adherence,” “medication,” and “therapy” were the most prominent keywords.ConclusionPublications on prescription refills have increased rapidly and continue to grow. The United States had the leading position in the area. It is recommended to pay closer attention to the latest hotspots, such as “Opioids,” “Surgery,” “Differentiated care,” and “HIV.”
SLC12A3 Variation and Renal Function in Chinese Patients With Hypertension
Authors: Huang Chin-Chou , Chung Chia-Min , Yang Chih-Yu , Leu Hsin-Bang , Huang Po-Hsun , Lin Liang-Yu , Wu Tao-Cheng , Lin Shing-Jong , Pan Wen-Harn , Chen Jaw-Wen 
Published: June 2022

ObjectiveSLC12A3 (solute carrier family 12 member 3) gene variants are associated with diabetic nephropathy; however, their association with hypertensive nephropathy remains unknown. We aimed to investigate the association between SLC12A3 gene polymorphisms and renal function in patients with hypertension.MethodsParticipants from three non-diabetic hypertensive cohorts, including young-onset hypertension (cohort 1, n = 882), treatment-naïve hypertension (cohort 2, n = 90), and follow-up cohort (cohort 3, n = 166), underwent genotyping for single nucleotide polymorphisms in SLC12A3. Renal events were defined as a &gt;25 and &gt;50% decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).ResultsIn cohort 1, SLC12A3 rs16963397 C/C or C/G (P = 0.005), rs13334864 C/C or C/T (P = 0.020), and rs7187932 A/A or A/G polymorphisms (P = 0.014) had higher eGFRs compared to their counterparts, with similar findings observed in cohort 2. In cohort 3, over a mean follow-up of 5.8 ± 1.7 years, participants with either SLC12A3 rs16963397 C/C or rs13334864 C/C polymorphisms had more &gt;25 and &gt;50% eGFR decline than their counterparts (log-rank test, P = 0.058 and P = 0.038, respectively). Cox regression analysis revealed that SLC12A3 rs16963397 C/C and rs13334864 C/C polymorphisms were significantly associated with an increased risk of &gt;25% [hazard ratio (HR), 3.294; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.158–9.368; P = 0.025] and &gt;50% decline in eGFR (HR, 18.630; 95% CI, 1.529–227.005, P = 0.022) than their counterparts.ConclusionSLC12A3 polymorphisms are associated with renal function in Chinese patients with hypertension.
Severity and Outcomes of Dengue in Hospitalized Jamaican Children in 2018–2019 During an Epidemic Surge in the Americas
Authors: Lue Aileen May , Richards-Dawson Michelle-Ann Elizabeth Hue , Gordon-Strachan Georgiana Marie , Kodilinye Syed Matthew , Dunkley-Thompson Jacqueline Anne Theresa , James-Powell Tracia Dahlia , Pryce Curtis Alphonso , Mears Chadwic De'sean , Anzinger Joshua James , Webster-Kerr Karen , Christie Celia Dana Claire 
Published: June 2022

ObjectiveIn 2019, dengue was among the “top-ten threats to global health,” with 3.1 million cases reported from the Americas, the highest ever. Simultaneously, Jamaica reported its largest dengue outbreak in 40 years, following Chikungunya and Zika virus epidemics, in 2014 and 2016–2017, respectively. We describe dengue in children admitted to five hospitals in Jamaica during August 2018 through September 2019.MethodsHospitalized children and adolescents aged 0 to 15 years with dengue were managed using PAHO/WHO criteria. Data were extracted from questionnaires, entered into a dataset on Microsoft Excel version 2016, exported to SPSS version 20 and analyzed. Groups were compared using Student's t-test for normally distributed parametric data. Chi-square analysis, or Fisher's exact test was used for categorical variables. A p-value &lt; 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsThere were 339 children, 245 (72.3%) aged 1–10 years, males:females 1:1. Classification was “dengue without warning signs” 53 (15.3%), “dengue with warning signs” 218 (64.3%) and “severe dengue” 68 (20%). Co-morbidities were reported in 88 (26%). Hemoglobin SC disease was associated with severe dengue with hemorrhage (p = 0.005). Organ-system involvement occurred in 334 (98.5%) including gastrointestinal 317 (93.5%), hematologic 311 (91.7%) and musculoskeletal 180 (53.1%). Thirty-nine (11.5%) had 5–7 organ-systems involved. Metabolomics emphasized increased hepatic transaminases 245 (72.3%), lactate dehydrogenase 164 (48.4%) and creatine phosphokinase 84 (24.8%) approaching the high thousands (121,560 u/L), both were markers for severe disease (p &lt; 0.002). Thirteen (3.8%) received intensive care. Dengue was laboratory-confirmed in 220 (78.9%): NS1 antigen-positive (218); RT-PCR-positive (23), with an overlap of NS1 antigen and RT-PCR positive (21); DENV-3 serotype (20). Seventeen (5%) died, 16 (94.1%) had severe dengue and 11 (64.7%) succumbed within 24 to 48 h of admission despite resuscitation and transfusion of blood products.ConclusionSevere dengue with increased attributable mortality occurred in hospitalized children after Jamaica's maiden Zika epidemic.
A Pilot Study of Using Smartphone Application vs. Routine Follow-Up for Patient Care in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer During the COVID-19 Pandemic Era
Authors: Prasongsook Naiyarat , Seetalarom Kasan , Saichaemchan Siriwimon , Udomdamrongkul Kittipong 
Published: June 2022

IntroductionCancer care monitoring should be adapted regarding COVID-19 pandemic preparedness plans. Lung Cancer Care application was a mobile application program to monitor adverse events and report outcomes. This study is aimed to invent a new mobile application evaluating patient-reported outcome (PRO) for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to evaluate the validity of a mobile application, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic era.MethodsThe validity of the application was tested, and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung (FACT-L) questionnaires were contained in the mobile application-based PRO. Patients were randomly assigned to use mobile application-based PRO vs. routine follow-up. The primary end point was to compare the quality of life (QoL) scores between two groups. A secondary end point was overall survival (OS) and the outcomes of progressive disease (PD) between the two groups.ResultsIn total, 33 patients with advanced NSCLC were enrolled. Patients in the mobile application group had higher FACT-L scores at 3 months than patients with a routine follow-up arm (106 ± 5.97 vs. 99.96 ± 5.74, p-value = 0.07). The median follow-up time was 5.43 months; patients with mobile application had an insignificant increase in median OS when compared with patients using routine follow-up (4.53 vs. 2.93 months, p-value = 0.85). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive (NPV) value of this application for predicting disease progression were 50, 83.3, 66.7, and 70%, respectively.ConclusionSelf-reported symptoms by Lung Cancer Care application improved QoL and were similar in monitoring outcomes to face-to-face follow-up. This tool is applicable for patients with cancer to make monitoring as safe as possible for physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic era.
Aspirin for Primary Stroke Prevention; Evidence for a Differential Effect in Men and Women
Authors: Gdovinova Zuzana , Kremer Christine , Lorenzano Svetlana , Dawson Jesse , Lal Avtar , Caso Valeria 
Published: June 2022

Background:The use of aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular events in men and women remains controversial. Our study aimed to investigate the role of aspirin in primary stroke prevention in men and women and the effect of aspirin on risk of ischemic stroke in patients with covert cerebral small vessel disease (ccSVD).MethodsWe performed systematic searches of the PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases, covering the period from the inception of each database to May 2021. The incidence of any ischemic stroke (IS) or hemorrhagic stroke (HS) was the main outcome. The incidence of stroke overall, both ischemic (IS) and hemorrhagic (HS), was the main outcome.ResultsFrom 531 abstracts, 11 randomized control trials which assessed primary prevention of cardiovascular events in men and women were included. Only one study assessed the risk of aspirin in people with ccSVD. In women, there was significant decrease in the risk of stroke (OR 0.85 [95% CI 0.73, 0.99], p = 0.03) and IS (OR 0.76 [0.63, 0.93], p = 0.008) with aspirin compared to placebo while no increase in the risk of HS was found (OR 1.78 [0.61, 5.19], p = 0.29). In men, aspirin did not affect the risk of stroke (OR 1.13 [0.97, 1.31], p = 0.12) and IS (OR 0.94 [0.67, 1.32], p = 0.72) but increased the risk of HS with borderline statistical significance (OR 1.99 [0.99, 4.03], p = 0.05) compared to placebo. Aspirin significantly increased major bleedings in both sexes (p &lt; 0.05). We found no evidence to support the use of aspirin in patients with ccSVD.ConclusionOur meta-analysis suggests aspirin is effective in primary prevention of stroke and IS in women with no clear increased risk of HS. However, it was associated with an overall increased risk of bleeding. Aspirin is not recommended in ccSVD.
40 Hz Blue LED Relieves the Gamma Oscillations Changes Caused by Traumatic Brain Injury in Rat
Authors: Yang Xiaoyu , Li Xuepei , Yuan Yikai , Sun Tong , Yang Jingguo , Deng Bo , Yu Hang , Gao Anliang , Guan Junwen 
Published: June 2022

BackgroundPhotobiomodulation (PBM) using low-level light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can be rapidly applied to various neurological disorders safely and non-invasively.Materials and MethodsForty-eight rats were involved in this study. The traumatic brain injury (TBI) model of rat was set up by a controlled cortical impact (CCI) injury. An 8-channel cortex electrode EEG was fixed to two hemispheres, and gamma oscillations were extracted according to each electrode. A 40 hz blue LED stimulation was set at four points of the frontal and parietal regions for 60 s each, six times per day for 1 week. Modified Neurologic Severity Scores (mNSS) were used to evaluate the level of neurological function.ResultsIn the right-side TBI model, the gamma oscillation decreased in electrodes Fp2, T4, C4, and O2; but significantly increased after 1 week of 40 hz Blue LED intervention. In the left-side TBI model, the gamma oscillation decreased in electrodes Fp1, T3, C3, and O1; and similarly increased after 1 week of 40 hz Blue LED intervention. Both left and right side TBI rats performed significantly better in mNSS after 40 hz Blue LED intervention.ConclusionTBI causes the decrease of gamma oscillations on the injured side of the brain of rats. The 40 hz Blue LED therapy could relieve the gamma oscillation changes caused by TBI and improve the prognosis of TBI.
Effects of a Single Dose of a Creatine-Based Multi-Ingredient Pre-workout Supplement Compared to Creatine Alone on Performance Fatigability After Resistance Exercise: A Double-Blind Crossover Design Study
Authors: Negro Massimo , Cerullo Giuseppe , Perna Simone , Beretta-Piccoli Matteo , Rondanelli Mariangela , Liguori Giorgio , Cena Hellas , Phillips Stuart M. , Cescon Corrado , D’Antona Giuseppe 
Published: June 2022

BackgroundThis study aims to investigate the acute effects of a single oral administration of a creatine-based multi-ingredient pre-workout supplement (MIPS) on performance fatigability and maximal force production after a resistance exercise protocol (REP).MethodsEighteen adult males (age: 23 ± 1 years; body mass: 76.4 ± 1.5 kg; height: 1.77 ± 0.01 m) were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, crossover design study. Subjects received a single dose of a MIPS (3 g of creatine, 2 g of arginine, 1 g of glutamine, 1 g of taurine, and 800 mg of β-alanine) or creatine citrate (CC) (3 g of creatine) or a placebo (PLA) in three successive trials 1 week apart. In a randomized order, participants consumed either MIPS, CC, or PLA and performed a REP 2 h later. Before ingestion and immediately after REP, subjects performed isometric contractions of the dominant biceps brachii: two maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs), followed by a 20% MVC for 90 s and a 60% MVC until exhaustion. Surface electromyographic indices of performance fatigability, conduction velocity (CV), and fractal dimension (FD) were obtained from the surface electromyographic signal (sEMG). Time to perform the task (TtT), basal blood lactate (BL), and BL after REP were also measured.ResultsFollowing REP, statistically significant (P &lt; 0.05) pre–post mean for ΔTtT between MIPS (−7.06 s) and PLA (+0.222 s), ΔCV slopes (20% MVC) between MIPS (0.0082%) and PLA (−0.0519%) and for ΔCV slopes (60% MVC) between MIPS (0.199%) and PLA (−0.154%) were found. A pairwise comparison analysis showed no statistically significant differences in other variables between groups and condition vs. condition.ConclusionAfter REP, a creatine-enriched MIPS resulted in greater improvement of sEMG descriptors of performance fatigability and TtT compared with PLA. Conversely, no statistically significant differences in outcomes measured were observed between CC and PLA or MIPS and CC.