bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Reference equations for evaluation of spirometry function tests in South Asia, and among South Asians living in other countries
Authors: Leong Wei Yee , Gupta Ananya , Hasan Mehedi , Mahmood Sara , Siddiqui Samreen , Ahmed Sajjad , Goon Ian Y. , Loh Marie , Mina Theresia H. , Lam Benjamin , Yew Yik Weng , Ngeow Joanne , Lee Jimmy , Lee Eng Sing , Riboli Elio , Elliott Paul , Tan Geak Poh , Chotirmall Sanjay H. , Wickremasinghe Ananda R. , Kooner Jaspal S. , Khawaja Khadija I. , Katulanda Prasad , Mridha Malay K. , Jha Sujeet , Ranjit Mohan Anjana , Pradeepa Guha , Kasturiratne Anuradhani , Chambers John C. 
Published: July 2022

BackgroundThere are few data to support accurate interpretation of spirometry data in South Asia, a major global region with a high reported burden of chronic respiratory disease.MethodWe measured lung function in 7453 healthy men and women aged ≥18 years, from Bangladesh, North India, South India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, as part of the South Asia Biobank study. First, we assessed the accuracy of existing equations for predicting normal forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and FEV1/FVC ratio. Then, we used our data to derive (n=5589) and internally validate (n=1864) new prediction equations among South Asians, with further external validation among 339 healthy South Asians living in Singapore.ResultsThe Global Lung Initiative (GLI) and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey consistently overestimated expiratory volumes (best fit GLI-African American, mean±sdz-score: FEV1−0.94±1.05, FVC −0.91±1.10; n=7453). Age, height and weight were strong predictors of lung function in our participants (p<0.001), and sex-specific reference equations using these three variables were highly accurate in both internal validation (z-scores: FEV10.03±0.99, FVC 0.04±0.97, FEV1/FVC −0.03±0.99) and external validation (z-scores: FEV10.31±0.99, FVC 0.24±0.97, FEV1/FVC 0.16±0.91). Further adjustment for study regions improves the model fit, with highest accuracy for estimation of region-specific lung function in South Asia.ConclusionWe present improved equations for predicting lung function in South Asians. These offer the opportunity to enhance diagnosis and management of acute and chronic lung diseases in this major global population.
Adrenal function recovery after durable oral corticosteroid sparing with benralizumab in the PONENTE study
Authors: Menzies-Gow Andrew , Gurnell Mark , Heaney Liam G. , Corren Jonathan , Bel Elisabeth H. , Maspero Jorge , Harrison Timothy , Jackson David J. , Price David , Lugogo Njira , Kreindler James , Burden Annie , de Giorgio-Miller Alex , Faison Sarai , Padilla Kelly , Martin Ubaldo J. , Garcia Gil Esther ,   the PONENTE Study Group
Published: July 2022

BackgroundOral corticosteroid (OCS) dependence among patients with severe eosinophilic asthma can cause adverse outcomes, including adrenal insufficiency. PONENTE's OCS reduction phase showed that, following benralizumab initiation, 91.5% of patients eliminated corticosteroids or achieved a final dosage ≤5 mg·day−1(median (range) 0.0 (0.0–40.0) mg).MethodsThe maintenance phase assessed the durability of corticosteroid reduction and further adrenal function recovery. For ∼6 months, patients continued benralizumab 30 mg every 8 weeks without corticosteroids or with the final dosage achieved during the reduction phase. Investigators could prescribe corticosteroids for asthma exacerbations or increase daily dosages for asthma control deteriorations. Outcomes included changes in daily OCS dosage, Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ)-6 and St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), as well as adrenal status, asthma exacerbations and adverse events.Results598 patients entered PONENTE; 563 (94.1%) completed the reduction phase and entered the maintenance phase. From the end of reduction to the end of maintenance, the median (range) OCS dosage was unchanged (0.0 (0.0–40.0) mg), 3.2% (n=18/563) of patients experienced daily dosage increases, the mean ACQ-6 score decreased from 1.26 to 1.18 and 84.5% (n=476/563) of patients were exacerbation free. The mean SGRQ improvement (–19.65 points) from baseline to the end of maintenance indicated substantial quality-of-life improvements. Of patients entering the maintenance phase with adrenal insufficiency, 32.4% (n=104/321) demonstrated an improvement in adrenal function. Adverse events were consistent with previous reports.ConclusionsMost patients successfully maintained maximal OCS reduction while achieving improved asthma control with few exacerbations and maintaining or recovering adrenal function.
Major cardiovascular events in patients with severe COPD with and without asthma: a nationwide cohort study
Authors: Bonnesen Barbara , Sivapalan Pradeesh , Kristensen Anna Kjær , Lassen Mats Christian Højbjerg , Skaarup Kristoffer Grundtvig , Rastoder Ema , Sørensen Rikke , Eklöf Josefin , Biering-Sørensen Tor , Jensen Jens-Ulrik Stæhr 
Published: July 2022

BackgroundChronic low-grade inflammation as in asthma may lead to a higher risk of cardiovascular events. We evaluated whether patients with COPD and asthma have a higher risk of acute cardiovascular events than patients with COPD without asthma.MethodsNationwide multicentre retrospective cohort study of Danish outpatients with a specialist diagnosis of COPD with or without asthma. Patients with both COPD and asthma were propensity-score matched 1:2 to patients with COPD without asthma. The primary end-point was severe major adverse cardiac events (MACE), defined as mortal cardiovascular events and events requiring revascularisation or hospitalisation.ResultsA total of 52 386 Danish patients with COPD were included; 34.7% had pre-existing cardiovascular disease, and 20.1% had asthma in addition to their COPD. Patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease were then propensity-score matched: 3690 patients with COPD and asthmaversus7236 patients with COPD without asthma, and similarly, for patients without pre-existing cardiovascular disease (6775 matched with 13 205). The risk of MACE was higher among patients with asthma and COPDversusCOPD without asthma: hazard ratio (HR) 1.25 (95% CI 1.13–1.39, p<0.0001) for patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease and HR 1.22 (95% CI 1.06–1.41, p=0.005) for patients without pre-existing cardiovascular disease.ConclusionAmong patients with COPD, asthma as a comorbid condition is associated with substantially increased risk of cardiovascular events. The signal was an increased risk of 20–25%. Based on our study and other smaller studies, asthma can be considered a risk factor for cardiovascular events among COPD patients.
Simulation and Experimental Study on Improving Electrochemical Machining Stability of Highly Convex Structures on Casing Surfaces Using Backwater Pressure
Authors: Ge Zhenghui , Chen Wangwang , Zhu Yongwei 
Published: July 2022

AbstractCasing parts are regarded as key components of aero-engines. Most casing parts are attached to convex structures of different shapes, whose heights range from hundreds of microns to tens of millimeters. Using profiling blocky electrodes for electrochemical machining (ECM) of casing parts is a commonly adopted method, especially when highly convex structures. However, with an increase in the convex structure height, the flow fields of the machining areas become more complex, and short circuits may occur at any time. In this study, a method to improve the flow field characteristics within a machining area by adjusting the backwater pressure is proposed and validated through simulation and experiment analyses. The simulation results demonstrated that the back-pressure method can significantly improve the uniformity of the flow field around the convex structure compared with the extraction and open outlet modes. Subsequently, the back-pressure value was optimized at 0.5 MPa according to the simulation results. The experimental results showed that using the optimized back-pressure parameters, the cathode feed-rate increased from 0.6 to 0.7 mm/min, and a 16.1 mm tall convex structure was successfully machined. This indicates that the back-pressure method is suitable and effective for electrochemical machining of highly convex structures with blocky electrodes. In this study, we propose a method to improve the electrochemical machining stability of a convex structure on a casing surface using backwater pressure, which has achieved remarkable results.
Simulation Analysis and Verification of Temperature and Stress of Wheel-Mounted Brake Disc of a High-Speed Train
Authors: Qu Junsheng , Wang Wenjing , Dong Ziyu , Shan Wei 
Published: July 2022

AbstractDuring the braking process, a large amount of heat energy is generated at the friction surfaces between the brake disc and pads and rapidly dissipates into the disc volume. In this paper, a three-dimensional thermo-mechanical coupling model of high-speed wheel-mounted brake discs containing bolted joints and contact relationships is established. The direct coupling method is used to analyze the temperature and stress of the brake discs during an emergency braking event with an initial speed of 300 km/h. A full-scale bench test is also conducted to monitor the temperatures of the friction ring and bolted joints. The simulation result shows that the surface temperature of the friction ring reaches its peak value of 414 °C after 102 s of braking, which agrees well with the bench test result. The maximum alternating thermal stress occurs in the bolt hole where the maximum circumferential compressive stress is − 658 MPa and the maximum circumferential tensile stress is 134 MPa. During the braking process, the out-of-plane deformation of the middle part of the friction ring is larger than that of the edge, which increases the axial tensile load of the connecting bolt. This work provides support for the design of brake discs and connecting bolts.
Chromatin structure in cancer
Authors: Wang Meng , Sunkel Benjamin D. , Ray William C. , Stanton Benjamin Z. 
Published: July 2022

AbstractIn the past decade, we have seen the emergence of sequence-based methods to understand chromosome organization. With the confluence of in situ approaches to capture information on looping, topological domains, and larger chromatin compartments, understanding chromatin-driven disease is becoming feasible. Excitingly, recent advances in single molecule imaging with capacity to reconstruct “bulk-cell” features of chromosome conformation have revealed cell-to-cell chromatin structural variation. The fundamental question motivating our analysis of the literature is, can altered chromatin structure drive tumorigenesis? As our community learns more about rare disease, including low mutational frequency cancers, understanding “chromatin-driven” pathology will illuminate the regulatory structures of the genome. We describe recent insights into altered genome architecture in human cancer, highlighting multiple pathways toward disruptions of chromatin structure, including structural variation, noncoding mutations, metabolism, and de novo mutations to architectural regulators themselves. Our analysis of the literature reveals that deregulation of genome structure is characteristic in distinct classes of chromatin-driven tumors. As we begin to integrate the findings from single cell imaging studies and chromatin structural sequencing, we will be able to understand the diversity of cells within a common diagnosis, and begin to define structure–function relationships of the misfolded genome.
The genome of the rice planthopper egg parasitoid wasps Anagrus nilaparvatae casts light on the chemo- and mechanosensation in parasitism
Authors: Ma Ying , Guo Zixiao , Wang Liyang , Wang Bingyang , Huang Tingfa , Tang Bingjie , Zhang Guren , Zhou Qiang 
Published: July 2022

AbstractBackgroundMymaridae is an ancient insect group and is a basal lineage of the superfamily Chalcidoidea. Species of Mymaridae have great potential for biological control.Anagrus nilaparvatae, a representative species of Mymaridae, is ideal for controlling rice planthopper due to its high rate of parasitism and ability to find hosts efficiently in paddy ridges and fields.ResultsUsing both PacBio single-molecule real-time and Illumina sequencing, we sequenced and assembled the whole genome ofA. nilaparvatae, a first for the family Mymaridae. The assembly consists of 394 scaffolds, totaling 488.8 Mb. The assembly is of high continuity and completeness, indicated by the N50 value of 25.4 Mb and 98.2% mapping rate of Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs. In total, 16,894 protein-coding genes in the genome were annotated. A phylogenomic tree constructed forA. nilaparvataeand other 12 species of Hymenoptera confirmed that the family Mymaridae is sister to all remaining chalcidoids. The divergence time betweenA. nilaparvataeand the other seven Chalcidoidea species was dated at ~ 126.9 Mya. Chemoreceptor and mechanoreceptor genes are important in explaining parasitic behavior. We identified 17 odorant binding proteins, 11 chemosensory proteins, four Niemann-Pick type C2 proteins, 88 olfactory receptors, 12 gustatory receptors, 22 ionotropic receptors and 13 sensory neuron membrane proteins in the genome ofA. nilaparvatae, which are associated with the chemosensory functions. Strikingly, there is only one pickpocket receptors and nine transient receptor potential genes in the genome that have a mechanosensory function.ConclusionsWe obtained a high-quality genome assembly forA. nilaparvataeusing PacBio single-molecule real-time sequencing, which provides phylogenomic insights for its evolutionary history. The small numbers of chemo- and mechanosensory genes inA. nilaparvataeindicate the species-specific host detection and oviposition behavior ofA. nilaparvataemight be regulated by relatively simple molecular pathways.
Conformational flexibility of a free and TCR-bound pMHC-I protein investigated by long-term molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Tomasiak Lisa , Karch Rudolf , Schreiner Wolfgang 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Background
Major histocompatibility complexes (MHCs) play a crucial role in the cell-mediated adaptive immune response as they present antigenic peptides (p) which are recognized by host T cells through a complex formation of the T cell receptor (TCR) with pMHC. In the present study, we report on changes in conformational flexibility within a pMHC molecule upon TCR binding by looking at molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the free and the TCR-bound pMHC-I protein of the LC13-HLA-B*44:05-pEEYLQAFTY complex.

Results
We performed long-term MD simulations with a total simulation time of 8 µs, employing 10 independent 400 ns replicas for the free and the TCR-bound pMHC system. Upon TCR ligation, we observed a reduced dynamic flexibility in the central residues of the peptide and the MHC α1-helix, altered occurrences of hydrogen bonds between the peptide and the MHC, a reduced conformational entropy of the peptide-binding groove, as well as a decreased solvent accessible surface area.

Conclusions
In summary, our results from 8 µs MD simulations indicate a restricted conformational space of the MHC peptide-binding groove upon TCR ligation and suggest a minimum simulation time of approximately 100 ns for biomolecules of comparable complexity to draw meaningful conclusions. Given the relatively long total simulation time, our results contribute to a more detailed view on conformational flexibility properties of the investigated free and TCR-bound pMHC-I system.
Effectiveness of a behavioral lifestyle intervention on weight management and mobility improvement in older informal caregivers: a secondary data analysis
Authors: Liu Xinran , King Jennifer , Boak Brandi , Danielson Michelle E. , Boudreau Robert M. , Newman Anne B. , Venditti Elizabeth M. , Albert Steven M. 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Background
Older informal caregivers are prone to sedentary behavior and obesity. With great caregiving burdens and frequent physical and mental distress, older informal caregivers may have low adherence and poor results in behavioral intervention for weight management. This study examined whether overweight or obese older informal caregivers could benefit from a behavioral weight management program as much as non-caregivers.

Methods
The Mobility and Vitality Lifestyle Program (MOVE UP) was a pre-post, community-based, 13-month lifestyle intervention study to help older adults improve physical function performance and lose weight. We identified a subset of informal caregivers (n = 29) and non-caregivers (n = 65) from the MOVE UP participants retrospectively. Changes in lower extremity function, weight, depressive symptoms, and self-efficacy from baseline were compared between caregivers and non-caregivers using paired t-tests and ANCOVA.

Results
Older informal caregivers had significantly lower session attendance rates than non-caregivers (67.7% vs 76.8%, P < 0.05), however, both informal caregivers and non-caregivers improved significantly in lower extremity function, weight loss, and self-efficacy in diet (Ps < 0.05). For each outcome, changes from baseline to the 13-month endpoint were the same among informal caregivers and non-caregivers.

Conclusion
This study provides evidence that older informal caregivers can benefit from behavioral weight management interventions despite the challenge caregiving poses for effective self-care. Future behavioral intervention studies for older informal caregivers should adopt self-monitoring tools and extend the on-site delivery to home-based settings for higher adherence and greater flexibility.

Trial registration
Registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02657239).
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) risk factor analysis and prevalence prediction: a machine learning-based approach
Authors: Tran Van , Saad Tazmilur , Tesfaye Mehret , Walelign Sosina , Wordofa Moges , Abera Dessie , Desta Kassu , Tsegaye Aster , Ay Ahmet , Taye Bineyam 
Published: July 2022

AbstractBackgroundAlthough previous epidemiological studies have examined the potential risk factors that increase the likelihood of acquiring Helicobacter pylori infections, most of these analyses have utilized conventional statistical models, including logistic regression, and have not benefited from advanced machine learning techniques.ObjectiveWe examinedH. pylori infection risk factors among school children using machine learning algorithms to identify important risk factors as well as to determine whether machine learning can be used to predictH. pyloriinfection status.MethodsWe applied feature selection and classification algorithms to data from a school-based cross-sectional survey in Ethiopia. The data set included 954 school children with 27 sociodemographic and lifestyle variables. We conducted five runs of tenfold cross-validation on the data. We combined the results of these runs for each combination of feature selection (e.g., Information Gain) and classification (e.g., Support Vector Machines) algorithms.ResultsThe XGBoost classifier had the highest accuracy in predicting H. pylori infection status with an accuracy of 77%—a 13% improvement from the baseline accuracy of guessing the most frequent class (64% of the samples wereH. Pylorinegative.) K-Nearest Neighbors showed the worst performance across all classifiers. A similar performance was observed using the F1-score and area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) classifier evaluation metrics. Among all features, place of residence (with urban residence increasing risk) was the most common risk factor forH. pyloriinfection, regardless of the feature selection method choice. Additionally, our machine learning algorithms identified other important risk factors forH. pyloriinfection, such as; electricity usage in the home, toilet type, and waste disposal location. Using a 75% cutoff for robustness, machine learning identified five of the eight significant features found by traditional multivariate logistic regression. However, when a lower robustness threshold is used, machine learning approaches identified moreH. pyloririsk factors than multivariate logistic regression and suggested risk factors not detected by logistic regression.ConclusionThis study provides evidence that machine learning approaches are positioned to uncoverH. pyloriinfection risk factors and predictH. pyloriinfection status. These approaches identify similar risk factors and predict infection with comparable accuracy to logistic regression, thus they could be used as an alternative method.
Spatiotemporal dynamics of malaria in Banmauk Township, Sagaing region of Northern Myanmar: characteristics, trends, and risk factors
Authors: Aung Pyae Linn , Soe Myat Thu , Oo Thit Lwin , Aung Kyaw Thu , Lin Kyaw Kyaw , Thi Aung , Menezes Lynette , Parker Daniel M. , Cui Liwang , Kyaw Myat Phone 
Published: July 2022

AbstractBackgroundWhile national malaria incidence has been declining in Myanmar, some subregions within the nation continue to have high burdens of malaria morbidity and mortality. This study assessed the malaria situation in one of these regions, Banmauk Township, located near the Myanmar-India border. Our goal was to provide a detailed description of the malaria epidemiology in this township and to provide some evidence-based recommendations to formulate a strategy for reaching the national malaria elimination plan. Banmauk consistently has one of the highest malaria burdens in Myanmar.MethodsWith the implementation of strengthened malaria control and surveillance activities after the endorsement of a national malaria elimination plan in 2015, detailed incidence data were obtained for 2016–2018 for Banmauk Township. The data include patient demographics, parasite species, disease severity, and disease outcome. Data were analyzed to identify characteristics, trends, distribution, and risk factors.ResultsDuring 2016–2018, 2,402 malaria cases were reported, withPlasmodium falciparumaccounting for 83.4% of infections. BothP. falciparumandP. vivaxwere transmitted more frequently during the rainy season (May–October). Despite intensified control, the annual parasite incidence rate (API) in 2017 (11.0) almost doubled that in 2016 (6.5). In total, 2.5% (59/2042) of the cases, of which 54P. falciparumand 5P. vivax, were complicated cases, resulting in 5 deaths. Malaria morbidity was high in children < 15 years and accounted for 33.4% of all cases and about 47% of the complicated cases. Older age groups and males living with poor transportation conditions were more likely to test positive especially in rainy and cold seasons. Despite the clear seasonality of malaria, severe cases were found among young children even more common in the dry season, when malaria incidence was low.ConclusionsDespite the declining trend, the malaria burden remained high in Banmauk Township. Our study also documented severe cases and deaths from both falciparum and vivax malaria.P. falciparumremained the predominant parasite species, demanding increased efforts to achieve the goal of elimination ofP. falciparumby 2025. AsP. falciparumcases decreased, the proportion of cases attributable toP. vivaxincreased. In order to eliminate malaria, it will likely be important to increasingly target this species as well.