bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Functional and Radiological Outcomes after Locking Plate Fixation of AO Type 33C Distal Femur Fractures
Authors:   Department of Orthopaedics, GSVM Medical College, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India., Prakash Ayush , Kumar Sanjay ,   Department of Orthopaedics, GSVM Medical College, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India., Nath Rohit ,   Department of Orthopaedics, GSVM Medical College, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India., Ali Sanavvar ,   Department of Orthopaedics, GSVM Medical College, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Published: February 2025

Introduction: Treatment of supracondylar and intercondylar fractures of the distal femur has historically been difficult. These fractures are often unstable and comminuted and tend to occur in the elderly or in patients with multiple injuries.

Objective: The purpose of the study is to assess the functional and radiological outcome of locking plate fixation in AO type 33C distal femur fractures.

Materials and Methods: A total of 49 patients with distal femoral fractures were operated by open reduction with internal fixation with a distal femur-locking compression plate (LCP) through the standard swashbuckler approach. The functional and radiological outcomes were assessed using the Neers scoring system.

Results: Out of 49 patients, Muller type C2 was the most common fracture with 36 out of 49 (73.5%). Union was found in 47 patients with two patients presenting with non-union. The average union time of the fracture was 12–20 weeks with the mean time of union being 16.2 weeks. All patients were successfully given a walking aid in the 20th week. The average knee score was 79.71 using the Neers scoring system.

Conclusion: Fractures of the distal femur are more common in high-velocity injuries and occur in middle-aged males and old age women. Most fractures were comminuted. LCP appears to be technically an ideal implant for comminuted distal femoral fractures with proper physiotherapy producing excellent results. Knee stiffness was the most common complication.

Keywords: Distal femur fracture, distal femur locking compression plate, intercondylar femur fracture.
PAROTIDECTOMY AND SUBMANDIBULECTOMY IN THE MATERIAL OF THE OTOLARYNGOLOGY CLINIC OF THE MILITARY INSTITUTE OF AVIATION MEDICINE IN THE YEARS 2014-2022. RESULTS OF RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS
Authors:   Department of Otolaryngology, Military Institute of Aviation Medicine, Warsaw, Poland, Witkowska Agnieszka , Wojdas Andrzej ,   Department of Otolaryngology, Military Institute of Aviation Medicine, Warsaw, Poland
Published: February 2025

Introduction: Tumors of the salivary glands constitute 3-6% of head and neck tumors. The majority of these are benign lesions, although recently there has been an observed increase in the incidence of tumors in this region of the body. The aim of the study is to analyze patients operated on for submandibular and parotid gland tumors and to compare the concordance between preoperative fine-needle aspiration biopsy and postoperative histopathological examination.

Methods: The medical records of all patients who underwent parotidectomy or submandibulectomy were retrospectively analyzed. The data obtained included age, sex, date of surgery, results of preoperative fine-needle aspiration biopsy, and postoperative histopathological examination.

Results: The medical histories of 146 patients were analyzed—77 women and 69 men with an average age of 53.7 years. In the histopathological examination results, 137 tumors were benign, and 9 cases were malignant. The most frequently diagnosed benign tumors of the parotid gland were pleomorphic adenoma and Warthin's tumor. The most prevalent malignant tumors were mucoepidermoid carcinoma, acinic cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. Tumor recurrences were observed in three patients. The concordance between the results of preoperative fine-needle aspiration biopsy and histopathological examination was 83.5%. The sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing tumors were 66.7% and 93.4%, respectively.

Conclusions: Performing cytological and imaging studies is essential for properly planning the scope of the surgery. The results obtained in this study mostly reflect data from other centers.
The Doxa of Dignity: Dying Well with Susan Sontag and Maria Gerhardt
Authors: Skiveren Tobias
Published: February 2025

Abstract: This essay questions the hegemony of "dignity" in contemporary bioethical debates about good deaths. It does so by exploring how cultural ideals organize the affective setting of death in David Rieff's memoir, Swimming in a Sea of Death (2008), and Maria Gerhardt's novel, Transfer Window [ Transfervindue ] (2019/2017). In depicting the emotional turmoil of terminal cancer, these pathographies reveal that the very ideals adopted to ensure a sense of dignity (autonomy and family involvement) may sometimes make an impending death even more unbearable. Recognizing lack of affective stability as death's ultimate problem, I utilize the utopian imaginaries of Gerhardt's fiction to suggest "anesthetic deaths" as an alternative bioethical ideal that channels intellectual resources from the Nordic welfare regimes into discussions otherwise marked by liberalism and conservatism.
"The Shock Which the Sound Produced": Bodies, Trauma, and the Audible World in Charles Brocken Brown's Wieland
Authors: Schlauraff Kristie A.
Published: February 2025

Abstract: Charles Brockden Brown's Wieland (1798), considered the first American novel, represents the emergent nation's social, political, and architectural landscape as fundamentally shaped by sound. Yet, while voice has garnered much critical attention in regards to American identity, the significance of sound more broadly has been overlooked. This article argues that Brown presents sound as an opportunistic infection that alters physiological function as it circulates between speakers and listeners. In fact, Wieland 's soundscape embodies the very qualities scholars like Cathy Caruth associate with traumatic experience: it resists boundaries of place and time; defies linguistic expression; and subjects bodies to shocking, repetitive events that haunt them. Ultimately, I argue that Brown's representation of the audible world generates new understandings of how trauma moves between and within bodies.
American Hydropathy in the Age of Exhilaration, 1844–1869
Authors: Zhang Jane Y.
Published: February 2025

Abstract: Hydropathy, a popular medical sect in mid-nineteenth-century America, utilized cold water to prevent and treat various ailments. At a time when cold exposure was linked to sickness, how do we account for the widespread appeal of the cold water regimen? By examining the literary production surrounding hydropathy, including medical handbooks, diagnosis records, and patient memoirs, this essay argues that fundamental to the clinical encounter with cold water was the experience of exhilaration—a vital sensation tasked with mediating the tension between the growing enthusiasm for stimulating substances and the mounting anxiety over their depleting effects on the body. Through this lens, the study of hydropathy uncovers the intersecting histories of naturopathic medicine and sensationalist art forms.
I Rise, I Fall: From Genji to Chiori Miyagawa
Authors: Odom Glenn
Published: February 2025

Abstract: What is an "I"? Japan has a long history of experiments in philosophy, narrative form, and theatrical production that address questions of the uniqueness of the "I" and its connection with other "I"s. Who is the "I" that emerges from the intersection of the authorial "I" and these philosophies of I-ness? Can one writer inhabit the "we" implied by some of the experimental forms? Would the writing thus produced serve an academic purpose? Or, perhaps, should I reconsider the nature of academic purpose in light of the possible authorial voices opened up by Japanese experimentation with the I?
Airy Nothing: Epistemology in A Midsummer Night's Dream
Authors: Strier Richard
Published: February 2025

Abstract: This essay explores the epistemological implications of A Midsummer Night's Dream . It distinguishes among metaphors—some are mere "figures of speech," others have descriptive (and prescriptive) power, while others seem to be literalized in the action. The claim that lovers are epistemologically advantaged with regard to the love object is seen as both explored and mocked. The role of the fairies and the "love potion" is examined. Both are to be recognized as fictions. Theseus's speech about lovers, madmen, and poets is taken seriously, and the epilogue is taken as manifesting genuine anxiety that the play might be "reprehended."
Christening the Constantive: Infelicity in Shakespeare's Sonnets
Authors: Lamb Julian
Published: February 2025

Abstract: When the speaker in Shakespeare's sonnets swears that his dark lady is fair, against what is self-evidently true, what sort of speech act is he performing? Though this is an act of swearing, and thus what J. L. Austin would call a "performative," his swearing also describes, or "constates" something about the dark lady, albeit falsely. In this article, I identify a form of speech act that both performs and constates, and which has performative force only because its description is dubious, or untrue.
Geopolitics of Artificial Intelligence: Development & Regulation in the Age of AI Race
Authors: Kuruc Miro
Published: February 2025

Abstract: AI, like any other emerging and disruptive technology, holds the potential to transform society both positively and negatively. Using a game theory framework, this paper examines the geopolitical implications of AI development and its weaponization, arguing that the strategic pressures driving AI development create a self-reinforcing cycle that undermines any comprehensive regulations of AI. Looking at similarities to the nuclear arms race, unrestrained AI development highlights the risks and the urgency of addressing them. The paper concludes that comprehensive global regulation may most likely emerge only after significant adverse impacts of the AI will be witnessed, highlighting the critical need for international cooperation to address weaponization of AI before it escalates further.
Mapping Artificial Intelligence Governance for Public Health Applications
Authors: Edelstein Max , Haroz Emily E.
Published: February 2025

Abstract: This paper builds on research and insights from the NEXUS-funded Johns Hopkins Artificial Intelligence for HOPE convening to analyze the current governance structure of AI in public health across US federal, international, and nongovernmental frameworks. This structural analysis offers clear guidance to policymakers, researchers, and professionals in the AI-health field, promoting the ethical and effective use of AI tools in public health. Focusing on US regulatory frameworks, the paper identifies existing structures and highlights areas where increased regulatory organization or clarity could enhance the adoption and oversight of AI-driven public health solutions.
The Waterwheels of Lizzafusina: Technological Innovation, Patenting, and Practical Necessity in Sixteenth-Century Venice
Authors: Gentilcore David
Published: February 2025

abstract: This article explores the reliance of watermen ( acquaroli ) in early modern Venice on increasingly sophisticated waterwheels, designed, produced, and patented by competing inventors during the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, to load fresh water supplies that supplemented the rainwater on which the city otherwise depended for its freshwater needs. Using a range of archival and printed sources, this article examines the tools that delivered water to the watermen's barges and the state-sponsored competition this spurred among inventors. More broadly, the article investigates how Venice's patent process compared to those elsewhere in sixteenth-century Europe, with specific attention to the status of petitioners, contemporary notions of expertise, knowledge flows, and the role of the state.
Precision positioning measurement sensor based on the integration of confocal techniques and three-degree-of-freedom geometric measurement
Authors: Zhang Tao , Zhang Weijian , Qin Yufu , Zhou Liangquan , Wang Yang , Wang Yuhang
Published: February 2025

For the fields of optical imaging and focal plane measurement and adjustment in optical processing, this paper proposes a compact three-degree-of-freedom measurement sensor suitable for high-precision positioning of small measurement surfaces. The advantage of the measurement sensor is that it effectively combines multi-degree-of-freedom geometric measurement with confocal measurement, achieving multi-degree-of-freedom measurement by the correspondence between the position of the measured surface and the position of the laser spot on the camera and achieving high-precision, large-range Z-axis axial measurement by confocal technology and triangular light measurement. In addition, compared with traditional multi-degree-of-freedom methods, the measurement points of the sensor are small, and no special target is required. The measurement optical path design was maximized for reuse, and the structure was compact and widely applicable. Simultaneously, the theoretical principles of three-degree-of-freedom simultaneous measurement are described in detail. The experimental validation shows that the sensor achieves angular resolutions better than 0.02° over a range of ±2.5° for pitch and yaw. For the Z-axis, a resolution of 20 nm is achieved for a 4 μm range and a resolution of 500 nm over a 1 mm range. In multi-DOF coupled measurements, angle and displacement errors remain within 5%.
Dispersion engineering for broadband visible microcombs via mode hybridization and inverse design
Authors: Zhao Zhenlin , Dong Ruiji , Hu Ya , Li Ming , Lu Juanjuan , Feng Ziyao , Sun Xiankai , Zou Chang-Ling , Lu Qijing
Published: February 2025

We propose a reliable and simple approach for dispersion engineering in lithium niobate microring resonators (MRRs). With strong coupling-induced mode hybridization and inverse design method, we overcome the large normal dispersion and achieve broadband frequency comb coverage near 525 nm. We adopt a neural network method in the inverse design, which outperforms the traditional forward design based on manual trial-and-error and intuitive judgment. Our numerical results demonstrate the possibility of generating a visible Kerr soliton microcomb with a bandwidth of 214.4 nm in a single MRR, which holds significant potential for applications in bioimaging and on-chip atomic clocks.
Identifying patterns differing between high-dimensional datasets with generalized contrastive PCA
Authors: de Oliveira Eliezyer Fermino , Garg Pranjal , Hjerling-Leffler Jens , Batista-Brito Renata , Sjulson Lucas
Published: February 2025

High-dimensional data have become ubiquitous in the biological sciences, and it is often desirable to compare two datasets collected under different experimental conditions to extract low-dimensional patterns enriched in one condition. However, traditional dimensionality reduction techniques cannot accomplish this because they operate on only one dataset. Contrastive principal component analysis (cPCA) has been proposed to address this problem, but it has seen little adoption because it requires tuning a hyperparameter resulting in multiple solutions, with no way of knowing which is correct. Moreover, cPCA uses foreground and background conditions that are treated differently, making it ill-suited to compare two experimental conditions symmetrically. Here we describe the development of generalized contrastive PCA (gcPCA), a flexible hyperparameter-free approach that solves these problems. We first provide analyses explaining why cPCA requires a hyperparameter and how gcPCA avoids this requirement. We then describe an open-source gcPCA toolbox containing Python and MATLAB implementations of several variants of gcPCA tailored for different scenarios. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of gcPCA in analyzing diverse high-dimensional biological data, revealing unsupervised detection of hippocampal replay in neurophysiological recordings and heterogeneity of type II diabetes in single-cell RNA sequencing data. As a fast, robust, and easy-to-use comparison method, gcPCA provides a valuable resource facilitating the analysis of diverse high-dimensional datasets to gain new insights into complex biological phenomena.
Forecasting mental states in schizophrenia using digital phenotyping data
Authors: Jean Thierry , Guay Hottin Rose , Orban Pierre
Published: February 2025

The promise of machine learning successfully exploiting digital phenotyping data to forecast mental states in psychiatric populations could greatly improve clinical practice. Previous research focused on binary classification and continuous regression, disregarding the often ordinal nature of prediction targets derived from clinical rating scales. In addition, mental health ratings typically show important class imbalance or skewness that need to be accounted for when evaluating predictive performance. Besides it remains unclear which machine learning algorithm is best suited for forecast tasks, the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) and long short-term memory (LSTM) algorithms being 2  popular choices in digital phenotyping studies. The CrossCheck dataset includes 6,364 mental state surveys using 4-point ordinal rating scales and 23,551 days of smartphone sensor data contributed by patients with schizophrenia. We trained 120 machine learning models to forecast 10 mental states (e.g., Calm, Depressed, Seeing things) from passive sensor data on 2 predictive tasks (ordinal regression, binary classification) with 2 learning algorithms (XGBoost, LSTM) over 3 forecast horizons (same day, next day, next week). A majority of ordinal regression and binary classification models performed significantly above baseline, with macro-averaged mean absolute error values between 1.19 and 0.77, and balanced accuracy between 58% and 73%, which corresponds to similar levels of performance when these metrics are scaled. Results also showed that metrics that do not account for imbalance (mean absolute error, accuracy) systematically overestimated performance, XGBoost models performed on par with or better than LSTM models, and a significant yet very small decrease in performance was observed as the forecast horizon expanded. In conclusion, when using performance metrics that properly account for class imbalance, ordinal forecast models demonstrated comparable performance to the prevalent binary classification approach without losing valuable clinical information from self-reports, thus providing richer and easier to interpret predictions.
Encounter rates and engagement times limit the transmission of conjugative plasmids
Authors: Rodriguez-Grande Jorge , Ortiz Yelina , Garcia-Lopez Daniel , Garcillán-Barcia M. Pilar , de la Cruz Fernando , Fernandez-Lopez Raul
Published: February 2025

Plasmid conjugation is a major route for the dissemination of antibiotic resistances and adaptive genes among bacterial populations. Obtaining precise conjugation rates is thus key to understanding how antibiotic resistances spread. Plasmid conjugation is typically modeled as a density-dependent process, where the formation of new transconjugants depends on the rate of encounters between donor and receptor cells. By analyzing conjugation dynamics at different cell concentrations, here we show that this assumption only holds at very low bacterial densities. At higher cell concentrations, conjugation becomes limited by the engagement time, the interval required between two successful matings. Plasmid conjugation therefore follows a Holling´s Type II functional response, characterized by the encounter rate and the engagement time, which represent, respectively, the density and frequency-dependent limits of plasmid transmission. Our results demonstrate that these parameters are characteristic of the transfer machinery, rather than the entire plasmid genome, and that they are robust to environmental and transcriptional perturbation. Precise parameterization of plasmid conjugation will contribute to better understanding the propagation dynamics of antimicrobial resistances.
Treatment completion of drug-resistant tuberculosis in Ethiopia: A perspective from healthcare users
Authors: Tusho Ahmed Reshid , Mokoboto-Zwane Sheila Theresa
Published: February 2025

Drug-resistant tuberculosis remains a persistent public health threat. Maximizing successful treatment completion is a global health priority and a focus of the End TB strategy. Despite the implementation of programmatic management for drug-resistant tuberculosis in Ethiopia, there is limited understanding of the barriers related to successful treatment completion among Ethiopian patients. A qualitative study that is explorative, descriptive and contextual in nature was conducted to explore and describe the views and lived experiences of previously treated drug-resistant tuberculosis patients to gain an in-depth understanding of barriers to the successful completion of drug-resistant tuberculosis treatment. Six focus group discussion sessions with 42 purposively selected drug-resistant tuberculosis patients with previous treatment history and on retreatment regimens were conducted. The seven prominent themes revealed were: drug-related challenges encompassing adverse events and the lengthy treatment duration; clinical hurdles such as delayed consultation following prolonged illness, diagnostic delays, and suboptimal dosages; psycho-emotional difficulties including emotional trauma and facing stigma from both the community and healthcare professionals; socio-economic constraints; service-related issues such as interruptions in monitoring tests, inadequate follow-up, and accessibility barriers; patient-related factors such as a false sense of recovery and reverting to previously quit habits; and provider-related issues such as lack of responsiveness and ineffective communication. Addressing these factors demands policy-level decisions and programmatic guidance at the national level based on best practices, as well as good programmatic implementation from actors through regional and health facility-level structures.
Characterization of environmental and clinical surveillance inputs to support prospective integrated modeling of the polio endgame
Authors: Badizadegan Kamran , Thompson Kimberly M.
Published: February 2025

National, regional, and global poliovirus surveillance needs continue to expand and evolve. The 1988 global resolution to eradicate polio necessitated the creation and support for a global poliovirus surveillance system able to identify poliovirus transmission anywhere and everywhere. Clinical surveillance of patients that present with acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) became an essential tool, and the need for standardized laboratory methods to detect polioviruses isolated from stool samples of AFP patients led to the development of the Global Poliovirus Laboratory Network (GPLN) in 1990. Relatively recently, the GPLN expanded to include environmental surveillance to obtain additional information about poliovirus transmission in some geographies and to increase confidence about the absence of poliovirus transmission after successful eradication and/or the cessation of use of live-attenuated oral poliovirus vaccines (OPVs). Historical polio eradication strategic plans anticipated that successful global poliovirus eradication would lead to reduced requirements for financial investments for a poliovirus-specific surveillance system, and consequent transition of capacity and resources into integrated national disease surveillance systems. However, given the state of the polio endgame with ongoing transmission in several geographies, current global strategic plans include poliovirus-specific surveillance for the foreseeable future. In addition, the development and expansion of genetic testing technologies create new opportunities for poliovirus surveillance system designs. The expected growth (instead of decline) of poliovirus surveillance needs as of 2024, as well as innovations in laboratory technologies and expansion wastewater sampling, raise questions about the tradeoffs of different options and the future of poliovirus surveillance. This descriptive review of poliovirus surveillance evidence as of late 2024 aims to provide national, regional, and global decision makers with an understanding of prospective tradeoffs and uncertainties and to support prospective assumptions relevant for integrated policy, poliovirus transmission, and economic modeling for 2024–2035.
Nucleus accumbens D2-expressing neurons: Balancing reward and licking disruption through rhythmic optogenetic stimulation
Authors: Requejo-Mendoza Nikte , Arias-Montaño José-Antonio , Gutierrez Ranier
Published: February 2025

Nucleus accumbens (NAc) dopamine D1 receptor-expressing neurons are known to be critical for processing reward and regulating food intake. However, the role of D2-expressing neurons in this nucleus remains less understood. This study employed optogenetic manipulations to investigate the role of NAc D2-expressing neurons in reward processing and sucrose consumption. Optogenetic activation of these neurons decreased sucrose preference (at 20 Hz), disrupted licking patterns (particularly at 8 and 20 Hz), and increased self-stimulation. Conversely, synchronizing stimulation with the animal licking rhythm mitigated licking disruption and even increased sucrose intake, suggesting a rewarding effect. Furthermore, 20 Hz stimulation (but not 8 Hz) induced place preference in a real-time place preference (RTPP) test. In contrast, inhibiting D2 neurons produced a negative hedonic state, although not reaching complete aversion, influencing food choices in specific contexts. For instance, while the RTPP test per se was not sensitive enough to observe place aversion when mice could choose between consuming a high-fat diet (HFD) pellet in a context associated with or without inhibition of D2 neurons, they preferred to consume HFD on the non-inhibited side. This suggests that the palatability of HFD can unmask (but also overshadow) the negative hedonic state associated with D2 neuron inhibition. A negative reinforcement paradigm further confirmed the active avoidance behavior induced by D2 neuron inhibition. In conclusion, NAc D2 neuron inhibition induces a negative hedonic state, while activation has a dual effect—it is rewarding yet disrupts licking behavior—highlighting its complex role in reward and consummatory behavior. Importantly, self-paced stimulation, where the animal controls the timing of the stimulation through its licking behavior, offers a more efficient and natural approach for stimulating NAc activity.
Association between wasting and inadequate breastfeeding practices among infants under six months in SNNPR and Somali regions of Ethiopia: A multilevel cross-sectional study
Authors: Getachew Bethel , Berhane Yemane , Dessie Yadeta , Yallew Walelegn W. , Berhane Hanna Y. , Kim Sunny S.
Published: February 2025

Background

Wasting is a severe threat to children’s survival and development. Attaining optimal breastfeeding practices for infants under six months of age remains a significant challenge in low-income countries. This study assessed the association between wasting and breastfeeding practices among infants under six months of age in the SNNPR and Somali regions of Ethiopia.

Methods

The study used data from a large feasibility study conducted in the SNNPR and Somali regions of Ethiopia, from August-September 2021. This study involved 895 infants under six months of age with their mothers. The Poisson regression model with robust variance estimation was used to produce adjusted prevalence ratios (APRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

The prevalence of wasting was 16.5% (95% CI: 14.2, 19.2) among infants under six months of age. Non-exclusive breastfeeding (APR = 1.50; 95% CI:1.02, 2.21), delayed initiation of breastfeeding (APR = 1.52; CI:1.00, 2.30), being male infants (APR = 1.50; 95% CI:1.09, 2.07), and mothers who attained primary level (APR = 0.62; 95% CI: 0.40, 0.95) or secondary level education (APR = 0.30; 95% CI: 0.09, 0.99) were independently associated with wasting in the multivariable analysis.

Conclusion

This study indicates a high prevalence of wasting among infants under six months of age. Non-exclusive breastfeeding and delayed initiation of breastfeeding were the modifiable factors significantly linked to infant wasting. Strengthening breastfeeding promotion and support may help reduce wasting in infants under six months.
Efficacy and safety of dexamethasone or triamcinolone in combination with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy for diabetic macular edema: A systematic review and meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis
Authors: Zhou Bo , Liu Hua , Xiong Feng
Published: February 2025

Background

The clinical efficacy of anti-vascular endothelial growth factors (anti-VEGFs), corticosteroids, and their combined treatment for diabetic macular edema (DME) has been substantiated by numerous studies. However, it remains uncertain whether the therapeutic benefits of the combined treatment with corticosteroids and anti-VEGFs is superior to those of anti-VEGF monotherapy. Consequently, we conducted a meta-analysis to compare the efficacy and safety of combined treatment with dexamethasone or triamcinolone and anti-VEGF versus anti-VEGF monotherapy in DME treatment.

Methods

An exhaustive search of the literature was performed on February 23, 2024, scanning through the databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library, with the aim of identifying all relevant studies. The combined results for efficacy and safety were analyzed using the standard mean difference (SMD) and relative risk (RR), both of which were presented with 95% confidence interval (CI). The assessment of heterogeneity was conducted via Cochran’s Q test, I2 statistics, and the implementation of a 95% prediction interval (PI). All analyses were performed by R 4.3.1, Stata 12.0, and TSA v0.9.5.10 Beta software.

Results

This meta-analysis incorporated 21 eligible studies. The overall analysis revealed that combined treatment of dexamethasone or triamcinolone with anti-VEGF agents did not demonstrate superiority over anti-VEGF monotherapy in improving best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (Dexamethasone: SMD -0.266, 95% CI -1.001 to 0.468, 95% PI -2.878 to 2.346; Triamcinolone: SMD -0.340, 95% CI -1.230 to 0.550, 95% PI -3.554 to 2.874) and reducing central macular thickness (CMT) (Dexamethasone: SMD -1.255, 95% CI -2.861 to 0.350; Triamcinolone: SMD -0.207, 95% CI -0.895 to 0.481, 95% PI -2.629 to 2.215). However, the combination therapy significantly increased the risk of elevated intraocular pressure (RR 5.783, 95% CI 3.007 to 11.121, 95% PI 0.520 to 56.931) and ocular hypertension (RR 8.885, 95% CI 2.756 to 28.649, 95% PI 1.262 to 39.208). Subgroup analysis suggests that dexamethasone plus anti-VEGF therapy showed a greater reduction in central subfield thickness (SMD -0.440, 95% CI -0.755 to -0.126) compared to anti-VEGF monotherapy among patients with persistent DME.

Conclusion

Our study confirmed that dexamethasone or triamcinolone plus anti-VEGF therapy did not show superior efficacy in improving BCVA and reducing CMT in DME patients compared with anti-VEGF monotherapy. Clinicians should weigh the pros and cons comprehensively when implementing combined therapy.
Racial and ethnic disparities in longitudinal trajectories of cardiovascular risk factors in U.S. middle-aged and older adults
Authors: Dupre Matthew E. , Dhingra Radha , Xu Hanzhang , Lynch Scott M. , Yang Qing , Ford Cassie , Green Michael D. , Xian Ying , Navar Ann Marie , Peterson Eric D.
Published: February 2025

Background

Racial and ethnic disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors are well-documented. However, racial and ethnic differences in the longitudinal changes among multiple CVD risk factors are unknown.

Methods

We used prospective cohort data of U.S. adults aged ≥50 in the 2006–2016 Health and Retirement Study. Group-based multi-trajectory models characterized age-related trajectories of systolic blood pressure ([BP] mmHg), non-HDL cholesterol (mg/dL), diabetes mellitus (DM), and smoking. Racial and ethnic differences in the multi-trajectory profiles were examined using multinomial logistic regression. Karlson-Holm-Breen methods were used to assess factors contributing to these associations.

Results

Among 10,292 participants (median age: 61), approximately 32% had an overall favorable profile of CVD risk factors. Compared with non-Hispanic White adults, non-Hispanic Black adults were more likely to exhibit elevated systolic BP with high risks of DM (relative risk ratio [RRR] = 3.36; 95% CI, 2.69–4.21; P < .001) and with low risks of DM (RRR = 3.23; 95% CI, 2.38–4.38; P < .001). Non-Hispanic Black adults were also more likely to exhibit high rates of smoking with and without other co-occurring risk factors. Hispanic adults were most likely to exhibit high risks of DM with elevated systolic BP (RRR = 1.74; 95% CI, 1.28–2.38; P < .001) and without elevated systolic BP (RRR = 1.90; 95% CI, 1.50–2.40; P < .001). Education, income, and country-of-origin were significantly associated with the excess CVD risks observed among racial and ethnic minority groups.

Conclusions

Significant racial and ethnic disparities were observed in trajectories of CVD risk factors in U.S. adults. Social determinants largely contributed to these associations in non-Hispanic Black adults and Hispanic adults.
Asking an AI for salary negotiation advice is a matter of concern: Controlled experimental perturbation of ChatGPT for protected and non-protected group discrimination on a contextual task with no clear ground truth answers
Authors: Geiger R. Stuart , O’Sullivan Flynn , Wang Elsie , Lo Jonathan
Published: February 2025

We conducted controlled experimental bias audits for four versions of ChatGPT, which we asked to recommend an opening offer in salary negotiations for a new hire. We submitted 98,800 prompts to each version, systematically varying the employee’s gender, university, and major, and tested prompts in voice of each side of the negotiation: the employee versus their employer. Empirically, we find many reasons why ChatGPT as a multi-model platform is not robust and consistent enough to be trusted for such a task. We observed statistically significant salary offers when varying gender for all four models, although with smaller gaps than for other attributes tested. The most substantial gaps were different model versions and between the employee- vs employer-voiced prompts. We also observed substantial gaps when varying university and major, but many of the biases were not consistent across model versions. We also tested for fictional and fraudulent universities and found wildly inconsistent results across different cases and model versions. We also make broader contributions to the AI/ML fairness and trustworthiness literature. Our salary negotiation advice scenario and our experimental design differ from mainstream AI/ML auditing efforts in key ways. Bias audits typically test discrimination for protected classes like gender, which we contrast with testing non-protected classes of university and major. Asking for negotiation advice includes how aggressive one ought to be in a negotiation relative to known empirical salary distributions and scales, which is a deeply contextual and personalized task that has no objective ground truth to validate. These results raise concerns for not only for the specific model versions we tested, but also around the consistency and robustness of the ChatGPT web platform as a multi-model platform in continuous development. Our epistemology does not permit us to definitively certify these models as either generally biased or unbiased on the attributes we test, but our study raises matters of concern for stakeholders to further investigate.
YouTube as an information source in deep margin elevation: Reliability, accuracy and quality analysis
Authors: Ozdemir Zeyneb Merve , Yavuz Sevim Atılan , Gursel Surmelioglu Derya
Published: February 2025

The objective of this research was to assess the accuracy, quality, content, and demographics of videos on YouTube concerning deep margin elevation (DME). Initially, 100 videos for each of the three keywords were analyzed. The content categories of these videos were diverse, encompassing educational materials, teaching techniques, advertisements, and other types of content. The evaluation of the videos was carried out based on the Global Quality Scale (GQS), the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark, and the modified-DISCERN questionnaire (m-DISCERN). Non-distributed data were analyzed using the Kruskal Wallis test and the Spearman correlation coefficient. The JAMA score was 1 for four videos, 2–3 for 38, and 4 for 14 videos; the GQS score was 1–2 for 18 videos, 3 for 11 videos, and 4–5 for 27 videos; and the m-DISCERN score was < 3 for 39 videos, 3 for four videos, and > 3 for 13 (for a total of 56 videos). Statistically significant differences were observed only for the JAMA scores when comparing the video source groups (p = 0.001). There were significant positive correlations between the GQS and m-DISCERN and m-DISCERN and JAMA scores (p < 0.001 and p = 0.049, respectively). The findings indicated that YouTube videos related to DME generally exhibited high-quality content but only moderate accuracy and poor reliability.
Association between red blood cell distribution width-to-albumin ratio at admission and all-cause mortality in patients with acute pancreatitis based on the MIMIC-III database
Authors: Wu Qingsong , Liao Lianyi , Deng Qingjun
Published: February 2025

Objective

The association between red blood cell distribution width-to-albumin (RDW/ALB) ratio (RAR) and all-cause mortality in patients with acute pancreatitis has not been fully delineated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of RAR at admission on 28-day all-cause mortality in patients with acute pancreatitis.

Design

This investigation was conducted as a retrospective analysis utilizing data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC)-III database.

Participants

Patients with acute pancreatitis were selected from the MIMIC-III database according to predefined eligibility criteria.

Outcome

The outcome was the all-cause mortality rates within 28 days.

Results

Upon screening and excluding ineligible participants, a total of 931 patients with acute pancreatitis who met the inclusion criteria were analyzed. The overall mortality at 28 days was 11.71%. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated that RAR had a moderate predictive value for all-cause mortality at 28 days, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.669 (95%CI, 0.617–0.720; p<0.05), and the cutoff value was 4.39. Divide the patients into a high RAR group and a low RAR group based on the cutoff value. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated a statistically significant increase in 28-day mortality among patients in the high RAR group compared to those in the low RAR group. Multivariate analysis indicated that potassium levels, total bilirubin, blood urea nitrogen, lactate, partial thromboplastin time, neutrophil and RAR were independently associated with the 28-day mortality. Multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed that an elevated RAR was independently associated with increased mortality at 28 day (HR, 2.72; 95% CI, 1.64–4.52; p < 0.001).

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that RAR at admission functioned as a significant prognostic indicator for mortality in patients with acute pancreatitis.
Concert theatre, a new genre of contemporary Iranian musical
Authors: Mohtadi Niloofar
Published: February 2025

Iran has various genres of musicals. Some, like ta’ziyeh, date back to medieval times; others are more recent, including konsert namayesh (‘concert theatre’), which has been dominant on Tehran’s stages in the past decade. This article examines the features of concert theatre, focusing on its development, structure and patterns. I also discuss how this musical style is a product of Iran’s current social climate and provide a contextualized analysis of the musical Sii (30) as a case study. Drawing on available reviews and press coverage of Sii, I observe how concert theatre shows reflect the tastes of audiences, create innovations in Iranian performing arts and utilize historical material and nostalgia about collective memories for box office success.
Oligometastatic Hepatocellular Carcinoma to the Perirectal Pelvis, a Rare Site of Distant Spread
Authors: Lupu Gabriel V. , Barritt A. Sidney , Iuga Alina C. , Moon Andrew M. , Sanoff Hanna K. , Yanagihara Ted K. , Gangarosa Lisa M.
Published: February 2025

Prevention, recognition, and staging of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) rely primarily on abdominal imaging. Treatment of HCC varies widely based on tumor stage, lymph node involvement, and metastatic disease along with the patient's functional status. We present an unusual case of isolated extrahepatic HCC metastasis involving a solitary lesion in the pelvis, with no other evidence of viable intrahepatic or extrahepatic disease. The detection of this metastasis was aided by regular surveillance magnetic resonance imaging, alpha-fetoprotein monitoring, and pathological diagnosis. Our case highlights the importance of thoroughly evaluating interval changes on surveillance imaging in HCC.
Celos patológicos, conducta suicida y ansiedad social: avances en psicología clínica
Authors: Toro Ronald , Moreno Méndez Jaime Humberto
Published: February 2025

Esta obra presenta hallazgos recientes sobre la personalidad, la conducta suicida, la ansiedad social y los celos patológicos, variables de gran relevancia en el ámbito de la psicología clínica. A partir de más de 10 estudios realizados mediante estrategias correlacionales y comparativas, se destacan de forma innovadora el papel de los sistemas de inhibición y activación conductual, así como las cogniciones disfuncionales. Estos factores son analizados como patrones transdiagnósticos que explican el desarrollo y mantenimiento de estas problemáticas, fundamentados en la teoría de la sensibilidad al refuerzo y los modelos cognitivos psicopatológicos. Las investigaciones realizadas aportan evidencia significativa para los ejes temáticos de prevención e intervención en psicología clínica, de la salud y de las adicciones, vinculados al grupo de investigación Enlace, así como a la línea de Métodos Aplicados a las Ciencias del Comportamiento, del grupo GAEM de la Facultad de Psicología de la Universidad Católica de Colombia. En este contexto, cada capítulo constituye un recurso valioso para la formación de psicólogos en el ámbito clínico. Por último, el libro invita al lector a enfrentar los desafíos asociados al estudio de las variables transdiagnósticas, con el propósito de desarrollar modelos explicativos más robustos sobre las alteraciones del comportamiento humano. Asimismo, promueve el perfeccionamiento de los procesos de intervención, ya sea a través de psicoterapia o desde una perspectiva más amplia que abarque modelos de prevención universal, selectiva e indicada, así como la promoción de la salud mental en el contexto nacional actual
Diferencias en desesperanza e ideación suicida en personal asistencial según el sexo
Authors: Borja-Espitia Diana Camila , Cardona Gallego Erika Natalia , Acevedo Bachiller Fabián Rodolfo , Velásquez Clavijo Ivonne Tatiana , Álvarez Caicedo Liseth Vanessa , Toro Ronald
Published: February 2025

Los trabajadores de la salud frecuentemente se encuentran expuestos a sobrecarga laboral, lo cual los lleva a experimentar altos niveles de estrés, fatiga extrema y pérdida de interés, así como vulnerabilidad a desarrollar sentimientos de desesperanza e ideación suicida. El objetivo de esta investigación consistió en identificar las diferencias que existen entre desesperanza e ideación suicida en personal asistencial según el sexo. En el estudio, se asumió un enfoque cuantitativo de alcance comparativo. La muestra estuvo constituida por 45 mujeres (M = 29.4; DS = 11.2) y 45 hombres (M = 28.3; DS = 10.2) de una clínica de Bogotá (Colombia). Los datos fueron recolectados a través de un aplicativo virtual con la versión del instrumento Inventario de Desesperanza e Ideación Suicida (IDIS). El análisis de la información se realizó con el Jeffrey’s Amazing Statistics Program (JASP) versión 0.16.1. A partir de la prueba no paramétrica U de Mann-Whitney, se encontró una distribución anormal de los datos. Se logró obtener como resultado una diferencia significativa con tamaño del efecto pequeño frente a las variables de sexo e ideación suicida, en las que se determinó que las mujeres presentan mayor ideación suicida; asimismo, se encontró una relevancia clínicamente significativa en cuanto a la desesperanza.
Diferencia en ideación suicida positiva y negativa entre profesionales y bachilleres colombianos
Authors: Rojas Mancera Angie Katherin , Andrade Leyton Edgar Andrés , Cano Parra Jefersson Santiago , Cortés Reina Kevin Sneyder , Ruiz Caballero Sofía , Toro Ronald
Published: February 2025

Se realizó un estudio de enfoque empírico cuantitativo de estrategia comparativa, cuyo objetivo fue establecer diferencias significativas en el nivel de ideación suicida positiva y negativa entre bachilleres y profesionales colombianos. La muestra fue de 150 participantes (31 % masculinos y 69 % femeninos, edad mínima de 18 años y máxima de 60 años), correspondientes a 75 bachilleres académicos y 75 profesionales, a quienes se les aplicó el Inventario de Ideación Suicida Positiva y Negativa (PANSI, por sus siglas en inglés). En los resultados, no se evidenciaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre los grupos de bachilleres y profesionales, y así se concluye que los niveles de ideación suicida positiva y negativa no están directamente afectados por el nivel de formación, lo cual permite la apertura de nuevas investigaciones dirigidas a una nueva población del ciclo vital.
Diferencias entre desesperanza e ideación suicida en población adulta según diagnóstico de SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Cuevas-Quintero Linda Marolyn , Ramírez-Niño Laura Daniela , Mahecha-Peña Alejandra , Gómez-Parra María Alejandra , Toro Ronald
Published: February 2025

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo principal establecer las diferencias entre ideación suicida y desesperanza en población adulta según diagnóstico de SARS-CoV-2 en Bogotá (Colombia) con una muestra de 117 participantes mayores de 18 años (M = 26, DS = 8.77). El tipo de estudio fue correlacional, el cual tuvo como finalidad conocer la asociación entre las variables desesperanza e ideación suicida en las condiciones de diagnóstico de SARS-CoV-2. Se usó una estrategia comparativa en población con diagnóstico y sin diagnóstico de SARS-CoV-2, la cual fue medida mediante el resultado obtenido en las pruebas de covid-19, reacción en cadena de la polimerasa (PCR, por sus siglas en inglés) y antígenos, más Inventario de Desesperanza e Ideación Suicida (IDIS, por sus siglas en inglés). Dada la distribución anormal de los datos, se utilizó la prueba no paramétrica U de Mann-Whitney para muestras no relacionadas. En los resultados, no se obtuvieron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre los grupos según diagnóstico en la respuesta de desesperanza e ideación suicida. Se concluyó que la ausencia de diferencias en riesgo suicida no representa una asociación directa de diagnóstico de enfermedad pandémica y cogniciones suicidas, lo que apoya la comprensión del fenómeno suicida a nivel multifactorial.