bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of MRI cross-sectional area and functions of core muscles among asymptomatic individuals with and without lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration
Authors: Gwak Gyeong-tae , Hwang Ui-jae , Jung Sung-hoon , Kim Hyun-a , Kim Jun-hee , Kwon Oh-yun 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Background
Previous studies suggested that patients with symptomatic intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) of lumbar spine have reduced cross-sectional area (CSA) and functions of core muscles. However, reduced CSA and functions of core muscles have been observed not only in patients with symptomatic IDD but also in patients with other subgroups of low back pain (LBP). Thus, it is uncertain whether reduced CSA and functions of core muscles lead to IDD and LBP, or pain leads to reduced CSA and functions of core muscles in patients with symptomatic IDD. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the CSA and functions of core muscles between asymptomatic participants with and without IDD in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods
Twenty asymptomatic participants (12 men and 8 women) participated in this study. Ten participants had asymptomatic IDD at L4–5. The others were healthy controls (without IDD at all levels of lumbar spine). The CSA of core muscles was measured using MRI. Maximal isometric trunk flexor strength and side bridge strength were measured by a Smart KEMA strength sensor. Trunk flexor endurance test, side bridge endurance test and plank endurance test were used to measure core endurance. Double legs loading test was used to measure core stability. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the differences between two groups.

Results
There were no significant differences in core muscle functions between the two groups (p > 0.05). Moreover, there was no significant difference in CSA between the two groups (p > 0.05).

Conclusions
There was no significant difference in CSA and core muscle functions between asymptomatic participants with and without IDD. These findings indicate that a degenerative or bulging disc in asymptomatic individuals has little effect on CSA and functions of core muscles, especially in young age. Therefore, the general core endurance test or strength test could not differentiate asymptomatic people with and without IDD of lumbar spine.

Trial registration number
Clinical Research information Service. KCT0004061. Registered 13 June 2019. retrospectively registered.
Why does the adverse effect of inappropriate MRI for LBP vary by geographic location? An exploratory analysis
Authors: Shraim Mujahed , Cifuentes Manuel , Willetts Joanna L. , Marucci-Wellman Helen R. , Pransky Glenn 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Background
Early magnetic resonance imaging (eMRI) for nonspecific low back pain (LBP) not adherent to clinical guidelines is linked with prolonged work disability. Although the prevalence of eMRI for occupational LBP varies substantially among states, it is unknown whether the risk of prolonged disability associated with eMRI varies according to individual and area-level characteristics. The aim was to explore whether the known risk of increased length of disability (LOD) associated with eMRI scanning not adherent to guidelines for occupational LBP varies according to patient and area-level characteristics, and the potential reasons for any observed variations.

Methods
A retrospective cohort of 59,360 LBP cases from 49 states, filed between 2002 and 2008, and examined LOD as the outcome. LBP cases with at least 1 day of work disability were identified by reviewing indemnity service records and medical bills using a comprehensive list of codes from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition (ICD-9) indicating LBP or nonspecific back pain, excluding medically complicated cases.

Results
We found significant between-state variations in the negative impact of eMRI on LOD ranging from 3.4 days in Tennessee to 14.8 days in New Hampshire. Higher negative impact of eMRI on LOD was mainly associated with female gender, state workers’ compensation (WC) policy not limiting initial treating provider choice, higher state orthopedic surgeon density, and lower state MRI facility density.

Conclusion
State WC policies regulating selection of healthcare provider and structural factors affecting quality of medical care modify the impact of eMRI not adherent to guidelines. Targeted healthcare and work disability prevention interventions may improve work disability outcomes in patients with occupational LBP.
Acute suppurative thyroiditis with thyroid abscess in adults: clinical presentation, treatment and outcomes
Authors: Falhammar Henrik , Wallin Göran , Calissendorff Jan 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Background
Abscess in the thyroid gland is a rare but severe infectious disease. The condition can have anatomic or iatrogenic underlying causes. If untreated it could be fatal. Pathogens vary considerably. Treatment is intravenous antibiotics, drainage, and sometimes surgery.

Methods
The electronic medical records of all adult patients with acute thyroiditis 2003–2017 treated at the Karolinska University Hospital (catchment area 2 million) in Sweden were systematically reviewed.

Results
Five patients were found in the catchment area. One patient from another region but known to us was also included. Thus, six patients (aged 28–73 years) were included in the study. Median length of hospital stay was 7.5 days (4–79 days). All were treated with antibiotics (intravenous n = 5, oral n = 1). Total antibiotic treatment duration was 13.5 days (10–41 days). Blood cultures were positive in three (streptococcus pneumonia, streptococci sanguineous, pepto streptococci), deep tissue culture in three (Escherichia coli, Candida, Hemophilic influenza) and no positive culture at all in two. Drainage was used in three patients. All patients recovered without recurrences. Surgery was performed twice in the acute phase in one. There was no recurrence during 7 years (3–12) of follow-up, but one patient died after three years (severe heart failure and pneumonia).

Conclusion
Thyroid abscess in adults is extremely rare nowadays in the developed world. With prompt antibiotic therapy, drainage and in some cases thyroidectomy the prognosis seems favourable.
Applying intraoral scanner to residual ridge in edentulous regions: in vitro evaluation of inter-operator validity to confirm trueness
Authors: Tasaka Akinori , Uekubo Yuuki , Mitsui Tomoharu , Kasahara Takao , Takanashi Takuya , Homma Shinya , Matsunaga Satoru , Abe Shinichi , Yoshinari Masao , Yajima Yasutomo , Sakurai Kaoru , Yamashita Shuichiro 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Background
The purpose of this study was to investigate the trueness of intraoral scanning of residual ridge in edentulous regions during in vitro evaluation of inter-operator validity.

Methods
Both edentulous maxillary and partially edentulous mandibular models were selected as a simulation model. As reference data, scanning of two models was performed using a dental laboratory scanner (D900, 3Shape A/S). Five dentists used an intraoral scanner (TRIOS 2, 3Shape A/S) five times to capture intraoral scanner data, and the “zig-zag” scanning technique was used. They did not have experience with using intraoral scanners in clinical treatment. The intraoral scanner data was overlapped with the reference data (Dental System, 3Shape A/S). Regarding differences that occurred between the reference and intraoral scanner data, the vertical maximum distance of the difference and the integral value obtained by integrating the total distance were analyzed.

Results
In terms of the maximum distances of the difference on the maxillary model, the means of five operators were as follows: premolar region, 0.30 mm; molar region, 0.18 mm; and midline region, 0.18 mm. The integral values were as follows: premolar region, 4.17 mm; molar region, 6.82 mm; and midline region, 4.70 mm. Significant inter-operator differences were observed with regard to the integral values of the distance in the premolar and midline regions and with regard to the maximum distance in the premolar region, respectively. The maximum distances of the difference in the free end saddles on mandibular model were as follows: right side, 0.05 mm; and left side, 0.08 mm. The areas were as follows: right side, 0.78 mm; and left side, 1.60 mm. No significant inter-operator differences were observed in either region.

Conclusions
The present study demonstrated satisfactory trueness of intraoral scanning of the residual ridge in edentulous regions during in vitro evaluation of inter-operator validity.
Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) flesh supplementation attenuates biochemical and morphological changes in the liver and kidney of high fat diet-induced obese rats
Authors: Muhamad Adyab Noratirah Shazlin , Rahmat Asmah , Abdul Kadir Noor Atiqah Aizan , Jaafar Hawa , Shukri Radhiah , Ramli Nurul Shazini 
Published: December 2019

AbstractBackgroundMangosteen is a native fruit from Southeast Asia. It is rich in phenolic compounds such as xanthones, anthocyanins and phenolic acids. Mangosteen pericarp extract showed inhibitory activity towards pancreatic lipase and may have potential use for obesity treatment. However, there is limited study on the beneficial effects of mangosteen flesh against obesity. This study aimed to investigate the effects ofGarcinia mangostanaflesh (GMF) on biochemical and morphological changes in the liver and kidney of high-fat diet-induced obese rats.MethodsForty healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were randomised into five groups (n = 8) with four groups were fed with high-fat diet (HFD) for 10 weeks and a control group was fed with rat chow diet. Supplementation with GMF in obese rats was continued for 7 weeks starting from week 10th after the initiation of HFD at different doses (200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg). The positive and negative control rats were given distilled water via oral gavage. Plasma lipid profile, antioxidant enzymes and pro-inflammatory markers were determined using commercial kits. Liver and kidney structure were defined by histology.ResultsThe rats fed with HFD for 10 weeks increased plasma LDL-cholesterol, reduced plasma glutathione peroxidase level and had significantly higher body weight compared to normal control rats (p < 0.05). Obese rats also showed elevated level of TNF-α and IL-6 after 17 weeks of HFD. Supplementation with GMF for 7 weeks in obese rats reduced their body weight, improved lipid profile, increased total antioxidant capacity and glutathione peroxidase level and lowered plasma pro-inflammatory markers (TNF-α and IL-6) (p < 0.05). In addition, GMF supplementation attenuated the abnormalities of the liver and kidney tissue caused by high fat diet.ConclusionTaken together, the findings suggest that supplementation ofGarcinia mangostanaflesh may help in reducing body weight and has the potential to ameliorate the biochemical changes of the high fat diet-induced obesity in rats. Further studies on pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic are required before the results are translated to human.
Identifying undetected dementia in UK primary care patients: a retrospective case-control study comparing machine-learning and standard epidemiological approaches
Authors: Ford Elizabeth , Rooney Philip , Oliver Seb , Hoile Richard , Hurley Peter , Banerjee Sube , van Marwijk Harm , Cassell Jackie 
Published: December 2019

AbstractBackgroundIdentifying dementia early in time, using real world data, is a public health challenge. As only two-thirds of people with dementia now ultimately receive a formal diagnosis in United Kingdom health systems and many receive it late in the disease process, there is ample room for improvement. The policy of the UK government and National Health Service (NHS) is to increase rates of timely dementia diagnosis. We used data from general practice (GP) patient records to create a machine-learning model to identify patients who have or who are developing dementia, but are currently undetected as having the condition by the GP.MethodsWe used electronic patient records from Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD). Using a case-control design, we selected patients aged >65y with a diagnosis of dementia (cases) and matched them 1:1 by sex and age to patients with no evidence of dementia (controls). We developed a list of 70 clinical entities related to the onset of dementia and recorded in the 5 years before diagnosis. After creating binary features, we trialled machine learning classifiers to discriminate between cases and controls (logistic regression, naïve Bayes, support vector machines, random forest and neural networks). We examined the most important features contributing to discrimination.ResultsThe final analysis included data on 93,120 patients, with a median age of 82.6 years; 64.8% were female. The naïve Bayes model performed least well. The logistic regression, support vector machine, neural network and random forest performed very similarly with an AUROC of 0.74. The top features retained in the logistic regression model were disorientation and wandering, behaviour change, schizophrenia, self-neglect, and difficulty managing.ConclusionsOur model could aid GPs or health service planners with the early detection of dementia. Future work could improve the model by exploring the longitudinal nature of patient data and modelling decline in function over time.
Association between degree of exposure to the Hospital Value Based Purchasing Program and 30-day mortality: experience from the first four years of Medicare’s pay-for-performance program
Authors: Banerjee Souvik , McCormick Danny , Paasche-Orlow Michael K. , Lin Meng-Yun , Hanchate Amresh D. 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Background
The Hospital Value Based Purchasing Program (HVBP) in the United States, announced in 2010 and implemented since 2013 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), introduced payment penalties and bonuses based on hospital performance on patient 30-day mortality and other indicators. Evidence on the impact of this program is limited and reliant on the choice of program-exempt hospitals as controls. As program-exempt hospitals may have systematic differences with program-participating hospitals, in this study we used an alternative approach wherein program-participating hospitals are stratified by their financial exposure to penalty, and examined changes in hospital performance on 30-day mortality between hospitals with high vs. low financial exposure to penalty.

Methods
Our study examined all hospitals reimbursed through the Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) – which include most community and tertiary acute care hospitals – from 2009 to 2016. A hospital’s financial exposure to HVBP penalties was measured by the share of its annual aggregate inpatient days provided to Medicare patients (“Medicare bed share”). The main outcome measures were annual hospital-level 30-day risk-adjusted mortality rates for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure (HF) and pneumonia patients. Using difference-in-differences models we estimated the change in the outcomes in high vs. low Medicare bed share hospitals following HVBP.

Results
In the study cohort of 1902 US hospitals, average Medicare bed share was 61 and 41% in high (n = 540) and low (n = 1362) Medicare bed share hospitals, respectively. High Medicare bed share hospitals were more likely to have smaller bed size and less likely to be teaching hospitals, but ownership type was similar among both Medicare bed share groups.. Among low Medicare bed share (control) hospitals, baseline (pre-HVBP) 30-day mortality was 16.0% (AMI), 10.9% (HF) and 11.4% (pneumonia). In both high and low Medicare bed share hospitals 30-day mortality experienced a secular decrease for AMI, increase for HF and pneumonia; differences in the pre-post change between the two hospital groups were small (< 0.12%) and not significant across all three conditions.

Conclusions
HVBP was not associated with a meaningful change in 30-day mortality across hospitals with differential exposure to the program penalty.
Association between smoking cessation and post-hospitalization healthcare costs: a matched cohort analysis
Authors: Nolan Margaret B. , Borah Bijan J. , Moriarty James P. , Warner David O. 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Background
The potential economic benefit in terms of reduced healthcare costs when patients quit smoking after hospital discharge has not been directly measured. The aim of this study was to compare the costs for hospital admission and six-month follow-up for a cohort of patients who self-reported abstinence from cigarettes at 6 months after hospital discharge and a matched group of patients who reported continued smoking.

Materials and methods
This was a secondary analysis of a recent population-based clinical trial cohort (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01575145), with cohort membership determined by self-reported 7 day point prevalence abstinence at 6 months after the index hospital discharge. Participants were admitted to Mayo Clinic Hospital, Rochester, MN, between May 5, 2012 and August 10, 2014 for any indication and lived in the areas covered by postal codes included in Olmsted County, MN. Propensity score matching was used to control for differences between groups other than smoking status, and any residual imbalance was adjusted through generalized linear model with gamma distribution for cost and log-link transformation.

Results
Of 600 patients enrolled in the clinical trial, 144 could be contacted and self-reported 7 day point prevalence abstinence at 6 months after hospital discharge. Of these patients, 99 were successfully matched for this analysis. The cost for the index hospitalization was significantly greater in patients who abstained compared to those that did not abstain (mean difference of $3042, higher for abstainers, 95% CI $170 to $5913, P = 0.038). However, there was no difference between mean 6-month follow-up costs, number of inpatient hospitalizations, or number of emergency room visits for abstainers versus non-abstainers.

Conclusion
There was no evidence to support the hypothesis that abstinence at 6 months after hospital discharge is associated with a decrease in health care costs or utilization over the first 6 months after hospital discharge.
LINC01006 promotes cell proliferation and metastasis in pancreatic cancer via miR-2682-5p/HOXB8 axis
Authors: Zhang Luyang , Wang Yunjian , Zhang Ling , You Guohua , Li Congyu , Meng Bo , Zhou Minghe , Zhang Min 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Background
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the deadliest cancers about the digestive system. Recent researches have validated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play vital roles in various cancers, while the function of LINC01006 in PC is rarely clarified.

Aim of the study
Investigation of the specific role of LINC01006 in PC.

Methods
LINC01006 expression was examined by RT-qPCR. CCK-8, EdU, transwell, wound healing, and western blot assays were carried out to explore the function of LINC01006 in PC. The interaction among LINC01006, miR-2682-5p and HOXB8 was verified by luciferase reporter, RIP and ChIP assays.

Results
The expression of LINC01006 was markedly upregulated in PC tissues and cells. Furthermore, LINC01006 knockdown inhibited PC cell proliferation, invasion and migration, and upregulation of LINC01006 led to the opposite results. Besides, miR-2682-5p expression was downregulated and negatively regulated by LINC01006 in PC. Meanwhile, LINC01006 could bind with miR-2682-5p in PC. Moreover, miR-2682-5p negatively regulated HOXB8 expression and there was a binding site between miR-2682-5p and HOXB8 in PC. Additionally, miR-2682-5p overexpression or HOXB8 knockdown rescued the promotive effects of LINC01006 upregulation on PC cell progression. Similarly, miR-2682-5p inhibition or HOXB8 overexpression countervailed the repressive role of LINC01006 downregulation in PC cell progression. In addition, the transcription factor HOXB8 could activate LINC01006 transcription in PC.

Conclusions
LINC01006 promotes cell proliferation and metastasis in pancreatic cancer via miR-2682-5p/HOXB8 axis, which may facilitate the treatment for PC.
Genetic profiling of the Plasmodium falciparum parasite population in uncomplicated malaria from India
Authors: Kumar Amit , Singh Shri Pat , Bhatt Rajendra , Singh Vineeta 
Published: December 2019

Abstract
Background
The genetic complexity and the existence of several polymorphisms in parasites are the major hindrances for the malaria control programmes of the country. The genetic profiling in the parasite populations in India will provide useful baseline data for future studies elucidating the parasite structure and distribution of drug resistance genotypes in different regions.

Methods
The blood samples of symptomatic patients were collected and analysed for drug resistance genes (Pfcrt, Pfmdr-1, dhfr, dhps and k13) and gametocyte genes (Pfs25, Pfg377); in vitro drug sensitivity assay by schizont maturation inhibition (SMI) was also performed in adapted field isolates.

Results
Of the 122 field isolates analysed; 65.5% showed Pfcrt K76T mutant alleles, 61.4% Pfmdr-1 N86Y mutants, 59.5% dhfr mutants, 59.8% dhps mutants was observed, but no polymorphism was seen for k13. The sequence analysis of Pfg377 gene revealed five types of populations in the field isolates. The inhibitory concentrations (IC50) for anti-malarial drugs viz chloroquine (CQ), artesunate (AS), were in the range of 10.11–113.2 nM and 2.26–4.08 nM, respectively, in the field isolates evaluate by in vitro assay. The IC50 values for CQ have shown a remarkable reduction on comparison with the previous available data, whereas a slight increase in the IC50 values for AS was observed in the study.

Conclusions
The increase in mutation rate in drug resistance allelic loci with inhibitory concentration of CQ and AS drugs was observed in the field isolates and high diversity in Pfg377 gametocyte gene indicate towards parasite multifactorial behaviour. The knowledge of the prevalent drug resistance genes is important for intervention measures to be successful and efforts should also be made to prevent transmission of P. falciparum.