bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Brucellar arthritis and sacroiliitis: an eight-year retrospective comparative analysis of demographic, clinical and paracilinical features
Authors: Sayad Babak , Bozorgomid Arezoo , Mohammadi Arman , Ahmadi Forouzan , Arghand Leila , Shadmani Fatemeh Khosravi , Morovati Sanaz 
Published: November 2022

Abstract

Background
Brucellosis is a common global zoonotic disease with a wide range of complex and non-specific clinical manifestations that may lead to misdiagnosis and delayed treatment. Osteoarticular involvement is the most common complaint in brucellosis.
Methods
This retrospective descriptive study was performed on patients presenting to a teaching hospital in Kermanshah, Iran with a diagnosis of brucellosis during 2011–2019. The demographic and clinical characteristics, complications, laboratory findings and treatment were recorded during the study period. Then, the difference in the collected data was investigated between brucellosis patients with and without arthritis or sacroiliitis.
Results
Of 425 patients, 130 (30.58%) had osteoarticular involvement. Sacroiliitis (13.6%) followed by spondylitis (12.9%) and peripheral arthritis (9.6%) was the most common type of complication. 15% of patients with Sacroillitis had spondylitis, concomitantly. There were no significant demographic differences between patients with and without brucellar arthritis or sacroiliitis. The patients with brucellar arthritis had a significantly higher frequency of arthralgia. Arthralgia, neck pain, back pain, positive Faber test, radiculopathy and vertebral tenderness were significantly more frequent in patients with Sacroiliitis; while fever and headache were significantly more common in patients without sacroiliitis. The median wright and 2ME titers were higher in brucellosis patients with arthritis or sacroiliitis versus patients without arthritis or sacroiliitis, but the difference was not significant. Synovial fluid was analyzed in 20 cases. The mean white cell count, glucose and protein level were 3461 ± 2.70, 58.54 ± 31.43 mg/dLit and 8.6 ± 11.85 g/dLit, respectively. Neutrophil cells were predominant in 80% of samples. patients with arthritis had a higher median platelet count and patients with sacroiliitis had higher median levels of AST and ALP significantly.
Conclusions
Arthritis and sacroiliitis had a frequency of 9.64% and 13.6%, respectively. Any complaints of low back pain and radiculopathy as well as the presence of spondylitis in patients should raise suspicion of sacroiliitis. High levels of ALP and a high platelet count may be associated with brucellar sacroiliitis and arthritis, respectively. The use of paraclinical methods such as MRI and bone scan seems necessary for diagnosis of sacroiliitis.
Thalamus morphology in healthy and disease patients: MRI retrospective study
Authors: Khasawneh Ramada R. , Abu-El-Rub Ejlal 
Published: November 2022

Abstract
Background: The thalamus, are large, gray masses that act as an evolved sensory and motor gateway to the cortex. The thalamus has been implicated in the pathophysiology of several illnesses. In this study we measure and compare the size of thalamus and interthalamic adhesion using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) between normal, Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis Arab patients. Moreover, we assess the gender differences and right-left differences of the thalamus and interthalamic adhesion in all three groups
Materials and methods: This prospective study was used T1-weighted brain magnetic resonance images (MRI) to measure the anteroposterior, transvers and vertical length of the thalamic and interthalamic adhesion. The MRI scan were obtained from 150 (75 males and 75 females) healthy participants, 100 (52 males and 48 females) Alzheimer’s patients, and a 100 (56 males and 44 females) multiple sclerosis patients.
Results: The thalamus and interthalamic adhesion size were significantly reduce in both Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis patients comparing to healthy controls. There was no correlation between gender or right-left sides and the dimensions of the thalamus and interthalamic adhesion within the same disease group.
Conclusion: The study showed a correlation between some neurodegenerative disorder and the thalamus and interthalamic adhesion size. The gender and the right-left sides not effecting the thalamus and interthalamic adhesion size within the same neurodegenerative disorder group.
A CNN deep learning model to improve SNP-based hypertension risk prediction accuracy
Authors: Lajevardi S. Ali , Kargari Mehrdad , Daneshpour Maryam S , Akbarzadeh Mahdi 
Published: November 2022

Abstract

Hypertension is a modifiable factor for cardiovascular diseases such as ischemic heart disease, one of the leading causes of death worldwide, known as the silent killer. Therefore, especially at a young age, method development to detect the risk of hypertension is essential. Most models for predicting disease risk are primarily based on lifestyle factors. Recently, considering the risk of genetic factors, including disease-related SNPs, has improved the accuracy of individual disease prediction. SNP is a small genetic change in DNA and is the most common genetic variation in humans. Four approaches are used to predict hypertension with genomic markers analysis: a statistical, meta-analysis, machine learning, and clinical modeling. The most critical issue in these models is the high number of input SNPs and their relationship. In the present study, a deep learning method with the CNN approach uses multiple SNPs and hypertension labels in a longitudinal cohort study for comparison; PRS was calculated using plink and gcta64 software. First, the genomic data is converted into an image and entered into the CNN model, whose layers include the convolution layer, pooled layer, fully connected layer, and output layer. Data contains three sections: genomic data, age, and longitudinal data of hypertension based on the study of cardiac-metabolic genetics in Tehran. AUC was used to compare the performance of the model. The CNN model with an AUC value of 0.877 shows better performance than the PRS and the latest models presented in the literature.
Effect of the decreased frequency of going out on the association between anxiety and sleep disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mediation analysis
Authors: Sugawara Yumi , Yabe Yutaka , Hagiwara Yoshihiro , Tsuji Ichiro 
Published: November 2022

Abstract
Purpose
The objective of the present study was to examine the relationship between anxiety and sleep disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic and to evaluate whether sleep disorder is mediated by the decreased frequency of going out.
Methods
The data of a total of 1,976 residents aged 18 years and over who had responded to a self-reported questionnaires at a health survey in 2020 were analyzed. The subjects were divided into four groups based on their response to the questionnaire on anxiety about the COVID-19 pandemic. Sleep disorder was measured using the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). A cross-sectional analysis was performed to examine the association between anxiety about the COVID-19 pandemic and AIS scores. Mediation analysis was used to calculate the association between anxiety and AIS scores during the COVID-19 pandemic, with decreased frequency of going out as a potential mediating variable.
Results
In the cross-sectional study, the level of anxiety about the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly associated with the AIS score (p < 0.001). On mediation analysis, the direct effect of the relationship showed that anxiety positively influenced AIS scores (β = 0.283, p < 0.01). The indirect effect of the relationship showed that the decreased frequency of going out positively mediated the relationship between anxiety and AIS scores (β = 0.342, p < 0.05). The decreased frequency of going out accounted for almost 10% of the AIS score.
Conclusion
The present study found that anxiety about the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly associated with sleep disorder, with the decreased frequency of going out mediating this association.
Serum interleukin-6 level predicts the prognosis for patients with alcohol-related acute-on-chronic liver failure
Authors: Murakami Serami , Imamura Michio , Uchida Takuro , Suehiro Yosuke , Namba Maiko , Fujii Yasutoshi , Uchikawa Shinsuke , Teraoka Yuji , Fujino Hatsue , Ono Atsushi , Nakahara Takashi , Murakami Eisuke , Okamoto Wataru , Yamauchi Masami , Kawaoka Tomokazu , Miki Daiki , Hayes C. Nelson , Tsuge Masataka , Aikata Hiroshi , Ohira Masahiro , Ohdan Hideki , Oka Shiro 
Published: November 2022

Abstract
Aim: Heavy alcohol drinking is the most common etiology of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) in Japan. In some patients, ACLF is associated with a fatal outcome within less than 6 months. We evaluated the prognosis of patients with alcohol-related ACLF in our cohort and explored the prognostic factors.
Methods: Forty-six patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis who fulfilled the Japanese diagnostic criteria for ACLF, including extended and/or probable, were enrolled in this study. Serum concentrations of inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70 and TNFα) were measured. We assessed the prognosis of the patients and identified factors associated with survival.
Results: During the median 33-day observation period, 19 patients died, and 3 patients underwent living donor liver transplantation. Cumulative survival rates of patients treated without liver transplantation were 69, 48, 41 and 36% at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, respectively. Eighteen of the 19 deceased patients died within 6 months after ACLF diagnosis. Serum concentrations of inflammatory cytokines were significantly elevated, and patients who underwent liver transplantation or who died within 6 months after admission had significantly higher serum IL-6 levels than the survival group. Multivariate analysis identified IL-6 >23.3 pg/mL at admission and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score ≥25 on day 4 of admission as significant independent factors for mortality within 6 months.
Conclusion: Serum IL-6 level and Day-4 MELD were prognostic factors for alcohol-related ACLF. Early liver transplantation is a potential treatment option for patients whose prognosis is expected to be poor.
Knowledge, Attitude, And Practice Toward Covid‑19 And Omicron Among the General Public in Gujarat: A Cross‑Sectional Online Survey
Authors: Patel Rishita D 
Published: November 2022

Abstract
The global catastrophe, it is pretty unnecessary to elaborate on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that brought about 2019. 43 million instances in India have been recorded, of which 42.4 million have recovered while more than 521 thousand people have succumbed to the pandemic as of July, 2022. Of late, the second wave of the infection and new variants of the virus have also surfaced across various latitudes and longitudes of the globe. Various control measures have been adopted globally, however, the success and effectiveness of the control measures are affected by people’s knowledge, practices and attitudes (KAP) towards the pandemic. Therefore, this study sought to ascertain the public's level of KAP toward COVID-19 in India. A cross-sectional online survey of Indian public was conducted between 31st January 2022 to 5th march 2022. The survey questionnaire consisted of demographic characteristics, pertaining to knowledge (15 items), attitude (9 items), and practices (9 items), modified from a previously published questionnaire on COVID-19 and Omicron. This study added KAP towards omicron variant. A total of 496 persons completed the survey. The average score of the knowledge towards COVID19 and Omicron of males were 11.33 ± 2.899/15 and females were 10.9 ± 2.595/15 respectively. Attitude scores of males were 3.65 ± 1.01/5 and females were 3.68 ± 1.02/5 respectively towards COVID19 and Omicron. Practice scores of males were 2.5 ± 0.56/3 and females were 2.5 ± 0.48/3 towards COVID19 and Omicron. The overall correct rate of knowledge questions was 73.33%, attitude questions were 6.87% and practice questions were 5.94% among the 496 participants. Maximum respondents demonstrated good level of knowledge (73.34%) and attitude (76.41%) while 66% were found to follow moderate practices towards the pandemic. The good practice skills, a considerable percentage (8.25%) of respondents never wore nose masks, washed hands, and maintained social distance (12.2%) during the outbreak. By the same token, 84.95% of the public were carrying sanitizers during covid and omicron pandemic. Due to the limited sample, we must be cautious when generalizing these findings to whole populations. From this result finding we can definitely say that general public of Gujarat have good KAP towards COVID 19 and omicron, still health education programs can improve KAP of people.
Enhancement of spores´dissemination in the combination of entomopathogenic nematodes and fungus
Authors: Nermuť Jiří , Hopfgartner Myriam , Konopická Jana , Půža Vladimír 
Published: November 2022

AbstractEntomopathogenic nematodes and entomopathogenic fungi are soil organisms that cause epizootics in insect pests and are therefore important agents in pest management and biocontrol. Many studies focus on the effectiveness of either entomopathogenic nematodes or fungi for controlling pests, though it has been shown that a combination of the two entomopathogens may enhance their efficacy against host insects and the nematodes can disseminate fungal spores on their cuticle. We focused on evaluating the effects of foraging behaviour ofSteinernema feltiae,Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, andSteinernema carpocapsaeon the dissemination ofCordyceps fumosoroseaspores. Additionally, we investigated how the nematode’s 2nd stage cuticle as well as various adhesives impact spore transmission. Fungal dispersal via nematodes was studied through two different experimental designs: soil-filled glass tubes and soil columns. The latter experiment also used liquid alginate and sunflower seed oil as adhesives to explore ways to enhance spore dispersal. Results illustrated that entomopathogenic nematodes improve the transmission ofC. fumosoroseaspores; particularly in case of conidia. The nematodesS. feltiaeandS. carpocapsaewere found to spread spores most effectively, depending however on the experimental soil conditions. Research revealed that the nematode’s 2nd stage cuticle is an important factor for spore dispersal; without it, transmission rates drop significantly. Sunflower seed oil was determined to be the most successful adhesive medium and increased spore distribution for all tested nematode strains. These findings indicate the potential use of adhesives in pest management to enhance nematode dissemination of EPF spores. Additional research regarding adhesives, as well as the mechanisms of spore adhesion to the nematode cuticle may be of importance in the future.
Pan-cancer analysis reveals that nischarin may not be the universal tumor suppressor
Authors: Ostojić Marija , Đurić Ana , Živić Kristina , Grahovac Jelena 
Published: November 2022

Abstract

Background: Scaffolding protein nischarin (NISCH) was reported to be a tumor suppressor that plays a critical role in breast cancer initiation and progression through regulation of the cytoskeleton dynamics. NISCH expression was reported to be a positive prognostic marker in breast, ovarian and lung cancers. Our group has found that in melanoma, NISCH had positive prognostic value in female patients, but negative in males. These findings opened up a question whether NISCH has tumor type-specific and sex-dependent roles in cancer progression.
Results: In this study, we systematically examined in the public databases the prognostic value of NISCH in solid tumors, regulation of its expression and associated signaling pathways with the special emphasis on the possible differences between male and female cancer patients. We found that NISCH expression was decreased in tumor compared to the respective healthy tissues, and that this was most commonly due to the deletions of the NISCH gene and promoter methylation. We also report that, unlike in healthy tissues where it was located in the cytoplasm and at the membrane, NISCH could be observed in the nuclei in tumor tissues. Surprisingly, we found that in many cancer types – colon, liver, skin, ovarian, prostate, and kidney – high NISCH expression was a negative prognostic marker. Gene set enrichment analysis showed that, while there were common pathways associated with NISCH expression in all the examined cancer types, in tumors in which high NISCHexpression was a negative prognostic marker Wnt-Notch-Hedgehog signaling gene networks were enriched.
Conclusions: Our study questions the current tumor suppressor status of nischarin and lays a ground for functional studies in a context-dependent manner in cancer.
M²BRTPC: A Novel Modified Multimodal Biometric Recognition for Toddlers and Pre-School Children Approach
Authors: Bahzad Mahmoud 
Published: November 2022

Abstract
A biometric system based on the characteristics of adults recently achieved an outstanding result. Over the last few decades, many applications have been developed for adults, such as fingerprint, face, iris, and hand-vein. Infant identification suffers from many problems and does not enroll all possible ages. Identifying children using one or any biometric features is the first step in ensuring that they are recognized before the law and that their rights are guaranteed. From another perspective, this prevents baby swaps in hospitals, Identifying Missing Children and Civil ID Programs. This paper introduces an approach for Multimodal Biometric Recognition for Toddlers and Pre-School Children. The focus is on finding a conclusion regarding how to identify a child of different ages using as few biometric features as possible, for instance, fingerprints, faces, iris, etc. The proposed approach uses a dataset containing iris and fingerprint modalities of more than 100 children (aged 18 months to 4 years) and creates a new database. There are two phases in the proposed approach: Enrollment and Testing. During the enrollment phase, there are four steps, after which the extracting features are stored in the new database. There are five stages in the testing module; after creating the template, it compares it with the created database and finds the matching child. A Fingerprint Extraction Tool is also proposed for extracting features from fingerprint images. According to the experimental results, the proposed approach enhances performance by 14.75 to 18.75%.
KELM: Knowledge-Enhanced Learning Methodology for Cardinality Estimation
Authors: Yan Yu , Wang Hongzhi , Geng Jian , Ma Jian , Wang Yuzhuo 
Published: November 2022

Abstract
Recent years, the database community has attempted to develop learned cardinality estimator for improving the estimation accuracy. Although some researches show that the applying deep learning to cardinality estimation is a significant and promising direction, there still exists many problems in implementing these techniques to real applications (long preparation time, unstable performance and poor model transition). We comprehensively analyze the characteristics of statistical estimators which have the potential ability to enhance the learned estimators for solving these problems. After carefully design, we propose a knowledge-enhanced learning methodology for cardinality estimation, called KELM. To our knowledge, KELM is the first work to regard the statistical estimators as knowledge for enhancing the learned estimators. Specifically, we propose a knowledge enhanced preparation phase which could accelerate the model pretraining by reducing queries execution. For online phase, we design stable model inference algorithm and a two-stage transition method for efficiently adapting to dynamic workloads. Experimental results in four open source datasets demonstrate that KELM outperforms existing works in model preparation, model inference and model transition. Our work brings a new development direction for the application of learned estimators in real database environments.
The association between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and ascites in cirrhosis: a retrospective cross-sectional study
Authors: Wijaya Wynne , Ratnasari Neneng , Triwikatmani Catharina , Indrarti Fahmi 
Published: November 2022

Abstract

Background: Systemic inflammation and immune system dysfunction play important roles in the pathophysiology of cirrhosis. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a marker associated with systemic inflammation and immune dysregulation in cirrhotic patients. NLR is inexpensive and may predict decompensation and mortality in these patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between NLR and the presence of ascites as a complication in cirrhosis.
Methods: A retrospective observational cross-sectional study was conducted in 61 adult cirrhotic patients without documented malignancy, systemic infection, and autoimmune diseases at our hospital between January 2015 to December 2018. NLR, presence of ascites, and all other variables were collected from the first day of presentation.
Results: There were 31 patients with ascites and 30 without ascites. The mean NLRs were 2.72±1.20 and 3.53±1.51 in patients with and without ascites (p=0,022). ROC curve analysis demonstrated a NLR cut-off value of 2.70 (AUC 0.660, p=0.032). Cirrhotic patients with NLR <2.70 is 4.354 times more likely to have the presence of ascites (95% CI: 1,471-12,885, p=0.006).
Conclusion: Lower neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is associated with the presence of ascites in cirrhosis. Patients with NLR of <2.70 are four times more likely to have the presence of ascites. This finding supports the evidence of neutropenia in decompensated cirrhosis. Further studies are required to elucidate the prognostic utility of NLR in cirrhosis.
Linking drought indices in the Atlantic sector of the High Arctic (Svalbard) to atmospheric circulation
Authors: Migała Krzysztof , Łupikasza Ewa , Osuch Marzena , Owczarek Magdalena Opała – , Owczarek Piotr 
Published: November 2022

Abstract

Based on the long-term climatological data from Ny Alesund, Svalbard Airport – Longyearbyen and Hornsund Polish Polar Station, we undertook an analysis of drought indices on West Spitsbergen Island, Svalbard for the period 1979–2019. The features and causes of spatio-temporal variability of atmospheric drought on Svalbard were identified, as expressed by the Standardised Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). It was possible to indicate several-years long periods with the SPEI indicating a domination of drought or wet conditions. Long-term variability of annual and half-year (May-October) values of SPEI showed a prevalence of droughts in the 80-ties and in the first decade of the 21st century while wet seasons were frequent in the 90-ties and in the second decade of the 21st century. Seasonal SPEIs were characteristic of great inter-annual variability. In MAM and JJA droughts were more frequent after 2000; in the same period in SON and DJF, the frequency of wet seasons increased. The most remarkable changes in the scale of the entire research period were estimated for autumn where negative values of SPEI occur more often in the first part of the period and positive values dominate in the last 20 years. The long-term course of the variables in subsequent seasons between 1979–2019 indicates strong relationships between the SPEI drought index and anomalies of precipitable water and somewhat weaker relationships with anomalies of sea level pressure.