bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Risk Factors of Silicosis Progression: A Retrospective Cohort Study in China
Authors: Quan Hua , Wu Wenhong , Yang Guanghong , Wu Yunlin , Yang Wenlan , Min Chunyan , Shi Jinyun , Qin Lianhua , Huang Jin , Wang Jie , Huang Xiaochen , Mao Ling , Feng Yonghong 
Published: April 2022

BackgroundSilicosis poses a threat to workers’ health due to the irreversible lung lesions.DesignA retrospective cohort study.MethodsA total of 259 patients [80 worked with artificial stone (AS), 179 with non-artificial stone (non-AS)] with confirmed silicosis were included in this study. Forty-one of AS and 91 of non-AS had approximately 2 years’ follow-up records [lung function tests and high-resolution computer tomography (HRCT)]. Compared with the first records, increased, densified, or newly emerging lesions in lung HRCT images were judged as progression of the disease. Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine the risk factors. Kaplan–Meier survival curve and log-rank test were used to compare prognostic factors for cumulative risk of progression.ResultsIn 132 patients with median follow-up of 24.0 months (IQR, 13.8, 24.9), 66 patients showed progression, in them, 36 (87.8%) were from AS group and 30 (32.9%) from non-AS group. Working experience of AS processing (hazard ratio, 5.671; 95% CI, 3.048–10.550) and complicated silicosis in CT images (hazard ratio, 2.373; 95% CI, 1.379–4.082) were the main risk factors associated with progression. Forced vital capacity decreased after 1-year (241.5 vs. 55.2 mL) and 2-year (328.1 vs. 68.8 mL) follow-up in the two groups (AS vs. non-AS). History of anti-tuberculosis medication, chest oppression and pain, ground-glass opacity, pleural abnormalities, and restrictive pulmonary dysfunction were more frequently found on HRCT images in the AS group than non-AS group. Lung functions (DLCO, %) were lower in the current/former smokers than the non-smokers (P &lt; 0.05) in AS patients.ConclusionPrevention and protection rules are needed to be enforced in the occupation involving AS processing; smoking may be associated with declined lung function in AS patients.
Full-Length Genome of an Ogataea polymorpha Strain CBS4732 ura3Δ Reveals Large Duplicated Segments in Subtelomeric Regions
Authors: Chang Jia , Bei Jinlong , Shao Qi , Wang Hemu , Fan Huan , Yau Tung On , Bu Wenjun , Ruan Jishou , Wei Dongsheng , Gao Shan 
Published: April 2022

BackgroundCurrently, methylotrophic yeasts (e.g., Pichia pastoris, Ogataea polymorpha, and Candida boindii) are subjects of intense genomics studies in basic research and industrial applications. In the genus Ogataea, most research is focused on three basic O. polymorpha strains-CBS4732, NCYC495, and DL-1. However, the relationship between CBS4732, NCYC495, and DL-1 remains unclear, as the genomic differences between them have not be exactly determined without their high-quality complete genomes. As a nutritionally deficient mutant derived from CBS4732, the O. polymorpha strain CBS4732 ura3Δ (named HU-11) is being used for high-yield production of several important proteins or peptides. HU-11 has the same reference genome as CBS4732 (noted as HU-11/CBS4732), because the only genomic difference between them is a 5-bp insertion.ResultsIn the present study, we have assembled the full-length genome of O. polymorpha HU-11/CBS4732 using high-depth PacBio and Illumina data. Long terminal repeat retrotransposons (LTR-rts), rDNA, 5′ and 3′ telomeric, subtelomeric, low complexity and other repeat regions were exactly determined to improve the genome quality. In brief, the main findings include complete rDNAs, complete LTR-rts, three large duplicated segments in subtelomeric regions and three structural variations between the HU-11/CBS4732 and NCYC495 genomes. These findings are very important for the assembly of full-length genomes of yeast and the correction of assembly errors in the published genomes of Ogataea spp. HU-11/CBS4732 is so phylogenetically close to NCYC495 that the syntenic regions cover nearly 100% of their genomes. Moreover, HU-11/CBS4732 and NCYC495 share a nucleotide identity of 99.5% through their whole genomes. CBS4732 and NCYC495 can be regarded as the same strain in basic research and industrial applications.ConclusionThe present study preliminarily revealed the relationship between CBS4732, NCYC495, and DL-1. Our findings provide new opportunities for in-depth understanding of genome evolution in methylotrophic yeasts and lay the foundations for the industrial applications of O. polymorpha CBS4732, NCYC495, DL-1, and their derivative strains. The full-length genome of O. polymorpha HU-11/CBS4732 should be included into the NCBI RefSeq database for future studies of Ogataea spp.
Dynamic and Static Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuation Is a Potential Biomarker for Predicting Prognosis of Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy Patients: A Preliminary Resting-State fMRI Study
Authors: Fan Ningjian , Zhao Bing , Liu LiYun , Yang WeiZhen , Chen Xian , Lu ZhanBin 
Published: April 2022

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to explore the clinical value of the static amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (sALFF) and dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (dALFF) in the identification of brain functional alterations in degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) patients.MethodsVoxel-wise sALFF and dALFF of 47 DCM patients and 44 healthy controls were calculated using resting-state fMRI data, and an intergroup comparison was performed. The mean of sALFF or dALFF data were extracted within the resultant clusters and the correlation analysis of these data with the clinical measures was performed. Furthermore, whole-brain-wise and region-wise multivariate pattern analyses (MVPAs) were performed to classify DCM patients and healthy controls. sALFF and dALFF were used to predict the prognosis of DCM patients.ResultsThe findings showed that (1) DCM patients exhibited higher sALFF within the left thalamus and putamen compared with that of the healthy controls. DCM patients also exhibited lower dALFF within bilateral postcentral gyrus compared with the healthy controls; (2) No significant correlations were observed between brain alterations and clinical measures through univariate correlation analysis; (3) sALFF (91%) and dALFF (95%) exhibited high accuracy in classifying the DCM patients and healthy controls; (4) Region-wise MVPA further revealed brain regions in which functional patterns were associated with prognosis in DCM patients. These regions were mainly located at the frontal lobe and temporal lobe.ConclusionIn summary, sALFF and dALFF can be used to accurately reveal brain functional alterations in DCM patients. Furthermore, the multivariate approach is a more sensitive method in exploring neuropathology and establishing a prognostic biomarker for DCM compared with the conventional univariate method.
Magnitude and Determinants of Under-Nutrition Among Late Adolescent Girls in East Africa: Evidence From Demographic and Health Surveys (2010–2016)
Authors: Raru Temam Beshir , Ayana Galana Mamo , Kure Mohammed Abdurke , Merga Bedasa Taye , Yuya Mohammed , Rob Kedir Teji 
Published: April 2022

BackgroundAdolescent girls are vulnerable to undernutrition owing to their increased nutrition demand for growth and development, including sexual development and maturation. Despite its public health importance, undernutrition among late adolescent girls has received little attention in health and nutrition policies. Although undernutrition in adolescent girls has been investigated, most of the previous study reports were based on small sample sizes and limited geographic settings. Therefore, we aimed to estimate the prevalence and determinants of undernutrition among late adolescent girls in East Africa.MethodsSecondary data analysis was conducted among 10 East African countries using the most recent Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) reports. A total of 21,779 adolescent girls aged 15–19 years were included in this study. Descriptive statistics were conducted to describe the study population. The binary logistic regression model was fitted to identify the determinants of undernutrition among late adolescent girls. Variables with a p-value of &lt;0.05 in the multivariate analysis were identified as statistically significant determinants of undernutrition.ResultsThe overall magnitude of undernutrition among late adolescent girls in East Africa was 16.50% (95% CI: 16.00–17.00), whereas the overall magnitude of obesity among late adolescent girls in East Africa was 2.41% (95% CI: 2.21–2.62). In the final model of the multivariate analysis, adolescent girls aged 18–19 years [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.51–0.60], having secondary education (AOR = 0.79; 95% CI: 0.68–0.93), being from a rich wealth index family (AOR = 0.63; 95% CI: 0.56–0.69), and being from a medium wealth index family (AOR = 0.80; 95% CI: 0.72–0.89) were negatively and statistically associated with undernutrition. Likewise, having more than seven household members (AOR = 1.36; 95% CI: 1.10–1.67), walking more than 30 min to a water source (AOR = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.01–1.20), and living in Ethiopia (AOR = 1.75; 95% CI: 1.51–2.03) were positive determinants of undernutrition among late adolescent girls.ConclusionIn this study, undernutrition in late adolescent girls remains a considerable public health problem in East Africa. Age group, educational status, marital status, family wealth index, family size, time taken to reach a water source, media exposure, and country of resident were significant determinants of undernutrition. Therefore, devising strategies that improve the socioeconomic status of households and/or adolescents would help to reduce the risks of undernutrition in late adolescents.
Effects of Endoscopic Submucosal Excavation With Non-Submucosal Injection on Stromal Tumors in Stomach
Authors: Huang Liang , Jia Yi-Xin , Lyu Bin , Meng Li-Na , Jin Hai-Feng 
Published: April 2022

Background and AimEndoscopic submucosal excavation (ESE) is commonly used to treat gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), especially for tumor sizes within 2 cm; compared with the conventical ESE, the efficacy and safety of the no-submucosal injection (NSI) ESE remains unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical efficacy and safety of NSI-ESE for gastric stromal tumors.MethodsESE was performed in 102 patients at our hospital between January 2018 and January 2020, and the clinical features, surgical outcomes, complications, cost of performance, pathological diagnosis, and risk classification were evaluated.ResultsAll tumors were completely resected by endoscopic resection (ER), with a complete resection rate of 100%. It was achieved by ESE/EFTR (endoscopic full-thickness resection) in 49 cases with submucosal injection, and by ESE/EFTR in 53 cases with NSI-ESE. The mean surgical time in cases with submucosal injection was 25.86 ± 4.45 min, compared to the cases without submucosal injection (17.23 ± 3.47 min), and the difference was significant (p &lt; 0.001); the exposure time of tumor, the time of complete excavation of tumor, procedure cost, and hospital stay in the NSI-ESE group were all lower than those cases with submucosal injection (p &lt; 0.05). In the risk classification, 95 (93.1%) cases had a very low risk, 4 (4.0%) cases had a low risk, and 2 (2.0%) cases had a high risk. No recurrence or metastasis was observed during the follow-up period of 18 ± 6 months (range: 13–25 months).ConclusionsNSI-ESE is a feasible, effective, and safe treatment for gastric GISTs; compared to the conventional ESE, NSI-ESE has the following advantages: it decreases procedure time, it lowers the risk of perforation, and it is cost-effective.
Development and Validation of Ferroptosis- and Immune-Related lncRNAs Signatures for Breast Infiltrating Duct and Lobular Carcinoma
Authors: Wei Tao , Zhu Ning , Jiang Weihua , Xing Xiao-Liang 
Published: April 2022

BackgroundHeterogeneity of breast cancer (BRCA) is significantly correlated with its prognosis. Target therapy for ferroptosis and immunity is a new cancer treatment option discovered in recent years. In the present study, we aimed to identify ferroptosis- and immune-related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) to accurately predict the prognosis and diagnosis of patients with breast infiltrating duct and lobular carcinoma by integrated analyses.MethodsThe corresponding data for the patients with breast infiltrating duct and lobular carcinoma by integrated analyses were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Analyses of univariate and multivariate Cox regressions were used to identify the suitable candidate biomarkers.ResultsWe found that seven ferroptosis- and immune-related differentially expressed lncRNAs (FI-DELs) (AC007686.3, AC078883.1, ADAMTS9-AS1, AL035661.1, CBR3-AS1, FTX, and TMEM105) were correlated with the overall survival of patients with breast infiltrating duct and lobular carcinoma. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic (AUCs) value of the prognosis model were all over 0.6 in training, validation, and entire groups. The sensitivity and specificity of the diagnosis model was 87.84% and 97.06%, respectively.ConclusionsThrough a series of bioinformatics analyses, we found that the seven FI-DELs could serve as prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers for patients with breast infiltrating duct and lobular carcinoma. However, whether these seven biomarkers could be really applied to the clinic requires further investigations.
Outcomes of Hypofractionated Stereotactic Radiotherapy for Small and Moderate-Sized Brain Metastases: A Single-Institution Analysis
Authors: Yan Michael , Zalay Osbert , Kennedy Thomas , Owen Timothy E. , Purzner James , Taslimi Shervin , Purzner Teresa , Alkins Ryan , Moideen Nikitha , Fung Andrea S. , Moraes Fabio Y. 
Published: April 2022

BackgroundStereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is the standard treatment for limited intracranial metastases. With the advent of frameless treatment delivery, fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT) has become more commonly implemented given superior control and toxicity rates for larger lesions. We reviewed our institutional experience of FSRT to brain metastases without size restriction.MethodsWe performed a retrospective review of our institutional database of patients treated with FSRT for brain metastases. Clinical and dosimetric details were abstracted. All patients were treated in 3 or 5 fractions using LINAC-based FSRT, did not receive prior cranial radiotherapy, and had at least 6 months of MRI follow-up. Overall survival was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Local failure and radionecrosis cumulative incidence rates were estimated using a competing risks model with death as the competing risk. Univariable and multivariable analyses using Fine and Gray’s proportional subdistribution hazards regression model were performed to determine covariates predictive of local failure and radionecrosis.ResultsWe identified 60 patients and 133 brain metastases treated at our institution from 2016 to 2020. The most common histologies were lung (53%) and melanoma (25%). Most lesions were &gt;1 cm in diameter (84.2%) and did not have previous surgical resection (88%). The median duration of imaging follow-up was 9.8 months. The median survival for the whole cohort was 20.5 months. The local failure at 12 months was 17.8% for all lesions, 22.1% for lesions &gt;1 cm, and 13.7% for lesions ≤1 cm (p = 0.36). The risk of radionecrosis at 12 months was 7.1% for all lesions, 13.2% for lesions &gt;1 cm, and 3.2% for lesions ≤1 cm (p = 0.15).ConclusionsFSRT is safe and effective in the treatment of brain metastases of any size with excellent local control and toxicity outcomes. Prospective evaluation against single-fraction SRS is warranted for all lesion sizes.
Prevalence of Visual Impairment in Preschool Children in Southern China
Authors: Wang Hongxi , Qiu Kunliang , Yin Shengjie , Du Yali , Chen Binyao , Jiang Jiao , Deng Dandan , Zhang Mingzhi 
Published: April 2022

PurposeThe goal of this study is to assess the prevalence and distribution of visual impairment in preschool children in southern China.MethodsPreschool children aged 36–83 months were enrolled in a vision screening program in Shantou City. Visual acuity test and non-cycloplegic refraction were conducted. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) guidelines, visual impairment was defined as uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) in either eye &lt;20/50, 20/40, and 20/32 in children aged 36–47, 48–59, and 60–83 months, respectively, as well as an interocular difference (IOD) of ≥ two lines of UCVA.ResultsThe UCVA test was successfully performed on 7,880 children (94.6% of the enrolled population). A total of 938 (11.9%; 95% CI 11.2–12.6) children were found to have reduced UCVA in the worse eye, and 393 (5%; 95% CI 4.5–5.5) of the children had an IOD of two or more lines. Combining the reduced UCVA with the IOD criteria identified 1,032 (13.1%; 95% CI 12.4–13.8) children with visual impairment. UCVA in preschool children improves with age naturally and boys have slightly better age-adjusted UCVA than girls. Causes of reduced visual acuity included uncorrected refractive error, amblyopia, congenital cataract, and others. The cylindrical diopter in the right eye of children with reduced vison was higher than that of children with normal vision (1.19 ± 1.05 vs. 0.52 ± 0.49, P &lt; 0.001). A total of 146 (1.9%, 95% CI 1.6–2.2) of the preschool children wore spectacles. The proportion of wearing spectacles increased with age (χ2 = 35.714, P &lt; 0.001), but with IOD increasing by.1 logMAR, the odds of wearing spectacles decreased by 44.8%.ConclusionThis study provided data on the prevalence of visual impairment in preschool children in China by large-scale school-based vision screening. Further studies should be conducted to verify the benefit from vision screening.
The Effects of Non-pharmaceutical Interventions on COVID-19 Mortality: A Generalized Synthetic Control Approach Across 169 Countries
Authors: Mader Sebastian , Rüttenauer Tobias 
Published: April 2022

ImportanceGovernments have introduced non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) in response to the pandemic outbreak of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). While NPIs aim at preventing fatalities related to COVID-19, the previous literature on their efficacy has focused on infections and on data of the first half of 2020. Still, findings of early NPI studies may be subject to underreporting and missing timeliness of reporting of cases. Moreover, the low variation in treatment timing during the first wave makes identification of robust treatment effects difficult.ObjectiveWe enhance the literature on the effectiveness of NPIs with respect to the period, the number of countries, and the analytical approach.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsTo circumvent problems of reporting and treatment variation, we analyse data on daily confirmed COVID-19-related deaths per capita from Our World in Data, and on 10 different NPIs from the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT) for 169 countries from 1st July 2020 to 1st September 2021. To identify the causal effects of introducing NPIs on COVID-19-related fatalities, we apply the generalized synthetic control (GSC) method to each NPI, while controlling for the remaining NPIs, weather conditions, vaccinations, and NPI-residualized COVID-19 cases. This mitigates the influence of selection into treatment and allows to model flexible post-treatment trajectories.ResultsWe do not find substantial and consistent COVID-19-related fatality-reducing effects of any NPI under investigation. We see a tentative change in the trend of COVID-19-related deaths around 30 days after strict stay-at-home rules and to a slighter extent after workplace closings have been implemented. As a proof of concept, our model is able to identify a fatality-reducing effect of COVID-19 vaccinations. Furthermore, our results are robust with respect to various crucial sensitivity checks.ConclusionOur results demonstrate that many implemented NPIs may not have exerted a significant COVID-19-related fatality-reducing effect. However, NPIs might have contributed to mitigate COVID-19-related fatalities by preventing exponential growth in deaths. Moreover, vaccinations were effective in reducing COVID-19-related deaths.
The Development of Healthcare Jobs in the COVID-Pandemic—A New Economic Market
Authors: Bachmann Marta , Enodien Bassey , Frey Daniel M. , Taha-Mehlitz Stephanie , Taha Anas 
Published: April 2022

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic commenced in China and has caused the death of numerous people globally. Despite the adverse effects, the outbreak has created room for job opportunities in healthcare, particularly the pharmaceutical domain. The main goal of this study is to examine how the current pandemic has triggered job creation in the healthcare domain and created a new economic market.MethodsThe study used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic and Meta-analyses for Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR) to structure the manuscript and the subheadings to use. The source used to gather data is the PubMed database.ResultsThe study exclusively included fourteen articles, five of which focused on the pharmaceutical sector, three focused on vaccine sales, three on vaccination centers, and three on testing centers.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic has created job opportunities in the healthcare sector. Most jobs are in the pharmaceutical sector, vaccination, and testing centers. However, more comprehensive research on the topic is necessary to gather conclusive outcomes on whether these jobs will be relevant after the pandemic.
Spinous Process Combined With a Titanium Mesh Cage as a Bone Graft in the Stability Reconstruction of Lumbar or Lumbosacral Spinal Tuberculosis
Authors: Zhang Hongqi , Xiao Lige , Tang Mingxing , Yang Guanteng 
Published: April 2022

BackgroundAutogenous bone grafts, such as iliac bone or rib struts, have been used in the anterior reconstruction of spinal tuberculosis (STB) and have their own benefits and limitations. Here, we introduced a new method, the spinous process (SP), combined with a titanium mesh cage (TMC) as a bone graft in the stability reconstruction of lumbar or lumbosacral STBs. By retrospectively comparing patients who received SP+TMC to traditional TMC bone grafts or allogeneic bone grafts in terms of safety, efficacy and cost-effectiveness, we aimed to evaluate whether SP+TMC could be a possible alternative method.MethodsFrom 2010 to 2018, 69 patients who underwent one-stage posterior debridement with grafts and internal fixation within a single lumbar or lumbosacral segment were included in this study. Twelve patients who received SP combined with a TMC (SP+TMC, group A), 30 patients who received a TMC only (group B), and 27 patients who received allografts (group C) were included. Measurements including operative time, blood loss, length of hospital stay, visual analog scale (VAS) score, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), American Spinal Injury Association Impairment (ASIA) grade, final follow-up (FFU) duration and postoperative complications were recorded. Radiological measurements, including the number of segments fixated, the number of pedicle screws used, the Cobb angle, pelvic parameters, and the bony fusion time, were reviewed. All outcomes were analyzed using SPSS 25.ResultsWe found that the SP+TMC group had fewer fixation segments, fewer pedicle screws implanted, a shorter operative time, reduced blood loss, and a considerably lower hospital cost than allografts. In addition, the TMC group had a comparable clinical outcome with the TMC group regarding lower economic cost.ConclusionOur study demonstrates that compared to a TMC or allograft, the use of SP combined with a TMC as a bone graft is an effective and reliable approach for the surgical management of one-level lumbar or lumbosacral spinal tuberculosis, leading to effective restoration of spinal stability. Furthermore, this approach is a cost-effective structural bone grafting method, especially for patients in developing countries.