bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Correlation analysis of the vertebral compression degree and CT Hounsfield units in elderly patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures
Authors: Li Cheng , Hu Wei , Lin Yang , Lai Xingming , Huang Xinyu 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Background
To explore the correlation analysis of the vertebral compression degree and cancellous bone CT Hounsfield units (HUs) in elderly patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures.
Methods
Forty-five elderly patients (32 females and 13 males) with single acute vertebral fragility fractures were retrospectively reviewed, and thoracolumbar MRI was used to assess whether each patient's vertebral compression fracture was fresh and whether the fractured vertebral body was single.All patients were diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia by DXA.The consistency of measurement between two spine surgeons were evaluated. If the cancellous bone CT HU values of the vertebral bodies could not be measured due to moderate or severe compression, the average cancellous bone CT HU values of the upper and lower vertebral bodies were used instead.
Results
There were 18 L1 vertebral fractures, 16 T12,6 L2,3 T11,and 2 T10 fractures. The patients’ average age was 70.89±9.59 years (53 to 94 years), and the average CT HU value was 92.01±34.11HU (36 to 167 HU). The average vertebral compression ratio was 0.54±0.16 (0.26 to 0.83).Measurements showed both good intrarater repeatability and good interrater reproducibility of the vertebral compression ratio (the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.982). The degree of vertebral compression in thoracolumbar osteoporotic fractures was highly positively correlated with the CT HU values of cancellous bone (P༜0.01).
Conclusions
This study provides the quantitative evidence that the degree of thoracolumbar osteoporotic compression fracture is associated with the CT HU units of cancellous bone in elderly patients. Further longitudinal studies with larger cohorts are needed to verify this relationship.
The Cumulative Therapeutic Effect of Acupuncture Treatment in Patients with Migraine without Aura: Evidence from Dynamic Alterations of Intrinsic Brain Activity and Effective Connectivity Analysis
Authors: Chen Yilei , Kang Yingjie , Luo Shilei , Liu Shanshan , Wang Bo , Gong Zhigang , Huang Yanwen , Wang Hui , Tan WenLi , Zhan Songhua 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
We explored the dynamic alterations of intrinsic brain activity and effective connectivity after acupuncture treatment to investigate the underlying neurological mechanism of acupuncture treatment in patients with migraine without aura (MwoA). The fMRI scans were separately obtained at baseline, after the first and after the 12th acupuncture sessions in 40 patients with MwoA. Compared with HCs, patients with MwoA showed mostly decreased dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (dALFF) variability in regions with differences. After acupuncture treatment, the decreased dALFF variability of the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM), the superior lobe of left cerebellum (Cerebelum_Crus1_L), and the right precuneus (PCUN.R) progressively recovered. The RVM revealed gradually increased dynamic effective connectivity (DEC) variability outflow to the right middle frontal gyrus, the left insula, the right precentral gyrus, and the right supramarginal gyrus, and enhanced DEC variability from the right fusiform gyrus inflow to RVM. Furthermore, the increased DEC variability were found from Cerebelum_Crus1_L outflow to the left middle occipital gyrus and the left precentral gyrus, from PCUN.R outflow to the right thalamus. These dALFF variabilities were positive correlated with frequency of migraine attack and negative correlated with disease duration, dynamic GCA coefficients were positive correlated with Migraine-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire score, negative correlated with frequency of migraine attack and visual analog scale score postacupuncture treatment. Our results provide insight into dynamic alterations from the perspective of dynamic local brain activity and effective connectivity for the understanding mechanisms of cumulative therapeutic effect of acupuncture in patients with MwoA.
Comparison of the Clinical and Laboratory Findings and Outcomes of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients who Were Vaccinated with Coronavac or Unvaccinated: An Analytical, Cross Sectional Study
Authors: Şimşek-Yavuz Serap , Tunçer Gülşah , Aydın Özlem Altuntaş , Aydın Mehtap , Pehlivanoğlu Filiz , Tok Yeşim , Meşe Sevim , Gündüz Alper , Güçlü Ceyda Geyiktepe , Özdoğan İklima , Aydın Börçe Hemiş , Soğuksu Pınar , Benli Aysun , Başaran Seniha , Midilli Kenan , Eraksoy Haluk 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
PurposeCOVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be highly effective; however, vaccine breakthrough infections resulting from hospitalization may still occur in a small percentage of vaccinated individuals. We investigated whether the clinical and microbiological features and outcomes were different between hospitalized COVID-19 vaccinated and unvaccinated COVID-19 patients.MethodsThis multicentre, prospective, cross-sectional study was performed between April and June 2021. All hospitalized COVID-19 patients who previously had at least one dose of Coronavac were included in the study, along with some unvaccinated patients. All epidemiologic, clinical and laboratory data of the patients were recorded and compared between the vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.ResultsThere were 69 fully Coronavac vaccinated and 175 unvaccinated patients. All breakthrough infections occurred in the first 3 months of vaccination. Fully vaccinated patients were older and had more comorbidities than unvaccinated patients (p<0.05). There were minor differences between the groups in the symptoms, physical and laboratory findings, anti-spike IgG positivity rate, mean anti-SARS-CoV-2 S antibody level, and severity of COVID-19. The mortality rate of fully vaccinated patients was higher than the mortality rate in unvaccinated patients; however, vaccination was not an independent risk factor for mortality.ConclusionsHospitalized patients with breakthrough COVID-19 after Coronavac vaccination were usually older with comorbidities. The severity and clinical outcomes of these cases were similar to those of unvaccinated patients. Our findings suggest that the immune response elicited by Coronovac could be insufficient to prevent COVID-19-related severe disease and death within 3 months of vaccination among elderly people with comorbidities.
Enhancing the Optical Properties of Chitosan, Carboxymethyl Cellulose, Sodium Alginate Modified with Nano Metal Oxide and Graphene Oxide
Authors: Omar Amina , Badry Rania , Hegazy Maroof A. , Yahia Ibrahim S. , Elhaes Hanan , Zahran Heba Y. , IBRAHIM Medhat , Refaat Ahmed 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
The solution casting method was utilized to synthesize nanocomposite films of chitosan (Cs)/CuO, Cs/graphene oxide (GO), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)/TiO2, CMC/GO, sodium alginate (Na Alg)/TiO2, and Na-Alg/GO owing to their various applications. The influence of CuO, TiO2 and GO concentration on the optical properties of Cs, CMC and Na-Alg films was studied by UV-Vis Spectroscopy. The absorbance of Cs, CMC and Na-Alg increased with increasing the filler content, thus reflecting the dependence of Cs, CMC, and Na-Alg properties on the nanofiller content, and confirming the interactions between individual polymers and CuO, TiO2 and GO nanoparticles. The obtained absorbance values were then used to calculate the absorption coefficient and, hence, the optical band gap values. The characteristic absorption bands of CuO and TiO2 underwent a redshift by increasing the filler content. The results showed that the optical band gap of Cs, CMC, and Na-Alg decreased with filler content, and they possessed 1, 2 and 2 band gaps respectively. The obtained results recommended that Cs, CMC, and Na-Alg nanocomposites can be used in optoelectronic devices.
The Extension of Vegetable Production to High Altitudes Increases the Environmental Cost and Decreases Economic Benefits in Subtropical Regions
Authors: Wang Xiaozhong , Liang Tao , Liao Dunxiu , Tao Weilin , Jiang Rui , Zheng Yang , Lu Jingwei , Zhang Tao , Chen Xinping 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Global warming has driven the expansion of cultivated land to high-altitude areas. Intensive vegetable production, which is generally considered to be a high economic value and high environmental risk system, has expanded greatly in high-altitude mountainous areas of China. However, the environmental cost of vegetable production in these areas is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated pepper production at low (traditional pepper production area) and high (newly expanded area) altitudes in Shizhu, a typical pepper crop area. The output and environmental cost at the two altitudes were identified. We evaluated the influence of resource inputs, climate, and soil properties on pepper production. There were obvious differences in output and environmental cost between the two altitudes. High-altitude pepper production achieved a 16.2% lower yield, and had a higher fertilizer input, resulting in a 22.3% lower net ecosystem economic benefit (NEEB), 23.0% higher nitrogen (N) footprint and 24.0% higher carbon (C) footprint compared to low-altitude farming. There is potential for environmental mitigation with both high- and low-altitude pepper production; Compared to average farmers, high yield farmers groups reduced their N and C footprints by 16.9–24.8% and 18.3–25.2%, respectively, with 30.6–34.1% higher yield. A large increase in yield could also be achieved by increasing the top-dress fertilizer rate and decreasing the plant density. Importantly, high-altitude pepper production was achieved despite less advanced technology and inferior conditions (e.g., a poor road system and uneven fields). It provides a reference for the study on environmental cost of other high-altitude regions or other crop systems at high altitude area.
Flight Maneuver Intelligent Recognition Based on Deep Variational Autoencoder Network
Authors: Hong Zhang , Wei Tian , Li Hui , Yuan Xiong 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
The selection and training of aircraft pilots has high standards, long training cycles, high resource consumption, high risk, and high elimination rate. It is the particularly urgent and important requirement for the current talent training strategy of national and military to increase efficiency and speed up all aspects of pilot training, reduce the training cycle and reduce the elimination rate. To this end, this paper uses deep variational auto-encoder network and adaptive dynamic time warping algorithms as support to explore the establishment of an integrated evaluation system for flight maneuver recognition and quality evaluation, solve the industry difficulty faced by current flight training data mining applications, and achieve accurate recognition and reliable quality evaluation of flight regimes under the background of high mobility. It will fully explore the benefits of existing airborne flight data for military trainee pilots, support the personalized and accurate training of flight talents, and reduce the rate of talent elimination.
Evaluation of Log Odds of Positive Lymph Nodes in Predicting the Survival of Neoadjuvant Therapy Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer After Surgery: A SEER Cohort-Based Study
Authors: Wang Qing , Wang Suyu , Sun Zhiyong , Cao Min , Zhao Xiaojing 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Background

log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS) is a novel lymph node (LN) descriptor, demonstrating promising prognostic value in many tumors. However, there was limited information on LODDS in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, especially those receiving neoadjuvant therapy followed by lung surgery.
Methods

A total of 2,059 NSCLC patients who received neoadjuvant therapy and surgery were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. We used the X-tile software to calculate the cut-off value of LODDS. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve were used to compare the predictive value of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) N staging descriptor and LODDS. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) analyses were conducted to construct the model predicting the prognosis.
Results

LODDS showed better differentiating ability in survival analysis than N staging descriptor (Log-rank test, P<0.0001 vs. P=0.031). The ROC curve demonstrated that the AUC of LODDS was significantly higher than the N staging descriptor in 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year survival analyses (All P<0.05). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the LODDS was an independent risk factor for NSCLC patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery, both before and after IPTW (all P<0.001). A clinicopathological model with LODDS, age, gender, T, and radiotherapy could better predict the prognosis.
Conclusions

Compared with the AJCC N staging descriptor, LODDS exhibits better predictive ability for NSCLC patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery. A multivariate clinicopathological model with LODDS included demonstrates sound performance in predicting the prognosis.
Handheld echocardiographic screening for rheumatic heart disease in rural South Kordofan, Sudan by junior medicals: Supporting task shifting for control of a serious disease
Authors: Elazrag Amna M. , Altahir Anfal M. , Abbas Azza A. , Hasabo Elfatih A. , Ahmed Hayat A. , Ali Hiba A.A , Abdelrazig Ibrahim M.I , Ahmed Mohamed Y. , Almahal Mohamed A. , Siddig Musab M. , Asmally Rofida S. , Alrawa Salma S. , Mohamedelrasheed Salma M. , Ali Sulafa K.M , Elnaiem Walaa 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Background
Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a major and preventable cause of cardiac mortality in Sudan, particularly in Kordofan. It can be detected early with a handheld echocardiography machine.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted in South Kordofan State, Sudan (as part of a medical convoy organized by Khartoum Medical Students Association). A team of shortly trained medical students and newly graduated doctors conducted a handheld echocardiographic screening using a simplified protocol. All suspected cases were recorded and reviewed later by a senior pediatric cardiologist. Demographic and clinical features of screened subjects were studied. Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Services and Solutions (SPSS 25). Descriptive statistics were presented as “number (%)” or “mean ± SD”. RHD prevalence was expressed as cases per 1000, and Chi-Square test/Fisher’s Exact test was used to compare RHD findings between different groups.
Results
The disease frequency was found to be 50 per 1000. Out of 452 screened subjects (age 10-25 years), 23 were found to have RHD with a male to female ratio of 1:1.5. Echocardiographic quality was acceptable in 93% of studies. The disease was mild in 70% and moderate or involving 2 valves in 30% of patients. Patients were contacted, advised to start penicillin prophylaxis and referred to cardiologists. Risk factors for the disease included father's occupation and village of residence.
Conclusion
Shortly trained junior medicals can assist in RHD echocardiographic surveillance in remote areas. South Kordofan state is highly endemic for RHD and a control program needs to be implemented. Handheld echocardiography is of value for early detection and management.
Effect of variety and cutting interval on yield and proximate composition of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) under irrigation in Central Gondar zone, Ethiopia
Authors: Tiruneh Alemu Tarekegn , Amsalu Dessalegn Gelaye , Adane Kifetew Kesete 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Background

Understanding the relationship between dry matter yield production and forage quality throughout the growing season will help to optimize the cutting intervals between harvests in different Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) varieties. An experiment was conducted to assess the effects of harvest frequency on forage yield and quality of 2 improved cultivars (ILRI-6984 and var. DzF-552) of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in Western Dembia district over 20 months during 2017 and 2018. Four harvest frequencies (every 30, 40, 50 and 60 days) were compared in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 4 replications. The experiment was laid down in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) in factorial arrangement with four replications. To assess their production potential plant height (cm), number of branches per plant, fresh biomass yield (t ha−1) and dry matter yield (t ha−1) of the forge and its nutrient content were recorded. The data collected was subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) by using the general linear model (GLM) procedure in Statistical Analysis System (SAS) (2003) version 9.1.
Results

The results revealed that highest forage dry matter yield was recorded for variety ILRI-6984 harvested every 40 days (26.8 t DM ha−1) and for var. DzF-552 when harvested every 60 days (24.1 t DM ha−1) (P<0.001). While crude protein concentration tended to decline as age at harvest increased, there was little consistency in the pattern. Crude protein yields were also inconsistent across treatments but ILRI-6984 harvested every 40 days produced the highest yields (6.5 t ha−1) (P<0.001).
Conclusion

These preliminary findings need to be confirmed under field conditions on a large scale along with longer-term studies to examine the longevity of the stands at these harvest frequencies. Irregular harvesting based on stage of maturity should be compared with fixed inter-harvest intervals.
Evidences of Microplastic in Air and Street Dust: A Case Study of Varanasi City, India
Authors: Pandey Dipika , Banerjee Tirthankar , Badola Neha , Chauhan Jaspal Singh 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in our environment. Its presence in air, water and soil makes it a serious threat to living organisms. The present study aimed to assess the availability of MPs in air and street dust of a metropolitan city Varanasi, India. Suspended dust samples and street dust samples were collected from various sampling sites. The assessment of MPs was conducted by for physical identification binocular microscopy, fluorescence microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), while elemental analysis done by Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX). and finally, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used for functional group analysis. the presence of MPs in both suspended dust and street dust samples of all selected sampling sites was confirmed by results. MPs of different color with the shape of Fragments, Films, Spherules and Fibers were observed in the study. However, most of the MPs were less than 1mm in size. The MPs identified in our study were majorly polypropylene, polystyrene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyester, and polyvinyl chloride. EDX analysis showed presence of trace elements like aluminum, cadmium, magnesium, sodium, and silicon apart from carbon and oxygen, which indicates the presence of additives or adsorption capacity of MPs. Confirmation of MPs in the air of a locality of Varanasi explains the need of deep research in this concerned field to protect our future from negative impacts of breathing MPs.
The targeted SMAC mimetic SW IV-134 augments platinum-based chemotherapy in pre-clinical models of ovarian cancer
Authors: Binder Pratibha S. , Hashim Yassar M. , Cripe James , Buchanan Tommy , Zamorano Abigail , Vangveravong Suwanna , Mutch David G. , Hawkins William G. , Powell Matthew A. , Spitzer Dirk 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Background: Ovarian cancer is initially responsive to frontline chemotherapy. Unfortunately, it often recurs and becomes resistant to available therapies and the survival rate for advanced and recurrent ovarian cancer is unacceptably low. We thus hypothesized that it would be possible to achieve more durable treatment responses by combining cisplatin chemotherapy with SW IV-134, a cancer-targeted peptide mimetic and inducer of cell death. SW IV-134 is a recently developed small molecule conjugate linking a sigma-2 ligand with a peptide analog (mimetic) of the intrinsic death pathway activator SMAC (second-mitochondria activator of caspases). The sigma-2 receptor is overexpressed in ovarian cancer and the sigma-2 ligand portion of the conjugate facilitates cancer selectivity. The effector portion of the conjugate is expected to synergize with cisplatin chemotherapy and the cancer selectivity is expected to reduce putative off-target toxicities. Methods: Ovarian cancer cell lines were treated with cisplatin alone, SW IV-134 alone and a combination of the two drugs. Treatment efficacy was determined using luminescent cell viability assays. Caspase-3/7,-8 and-9 activities were measured as complementary indicators of death pathway activation. Syngeneic mouse models and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of human ovarian cancer were studied for response to SW IV-134 and cisplatin monotherapy as well as combination therapy. Efficacy of the therapy was measured by tumor growth rate and survival as the primary readouts. Potential drug related toxicities were assessed at necropsy. Results: The combination treatment was consistently superior in multiple cell lines when compared to the single agents in vitro. The expected mechanism of tumor cell death, such as caspase activation, was confirmed using luminescent and flow cytometry-based assay systems. Combination therapy proved to be superior in both syngeneic and PDX-based murine models of ovarian cancer. Most notably, combination therapy resulted in a complete resolution of established tumors in all study animals in a patient-derived xenograft model of ovarian cancer. Conclusions: The addition of SW IV-134 in combination with cisplatin chemotherapy represents a promising treatment option that warrants further pre-clinical development and evaluation as a therapy for women with advanced ovarian cancer.
A convergent malignant phenotype in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia involving the splicing factor SRRM1
Authors: Closa Adria , Reixachs-Solé Marina , Fuentes-Fayos Antonio , Hayer Katharina , Melero Juan , Adriaanse Fabienne , Bos Romy , Torres-Diz Manuel , Hunger Stephen , Roberts Kathryn , Mullighan Charles , Stam Ronald , Thomas-Tikhonenko Andrei , Castaño Justo , Luque Raul , Eyras Eduardo 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
A significant proportion of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) patients remains with a dismal prognosis due to yet undetermined mechanisms. We performed a comprehensive multicohort analysis of gene fusions, gene expression, and RNA splicing alterations to uncover molecular signatures potentially linked to the observed poor outcome. We identified 84 fusions with significant allele frequency across patients. We identified an expression signature that predicts high risk independently of the gene fusion background. This signature includes the upregulation of the splicing factor SRRM1, which potentially impacts splicing events associated with poor outcomes through protein-protein interactions with other splicing factors. Experiments in B-ALL cell lines provided further evidence for the role of SRRM1 on cell survival, proliferation, and invasion. Our findings reveal a convergent mechanism of aberrant RNA processing that sustains a malignant phenotype independently of gene fusions and could complement current clinical strategies in B-ALL.