bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Allostatic Load in Perimenopausal Women With Migraine
Authors: Alebna Pamela , Maleki Nasim 
Published: April 2021

Objective: There is very limited data on women with migraine disease as they age and transition to menopause. Despite evidence for the increased burden of the disease during this transition, there is no data on the association between migraine and allostatic load as a marker of cumulative biological risk. We aimed to determine whether women with migraine suffer from higher levels of allostatic load during perimenopausal transition.Methods: A total of 2,105 perimenopausal women from the first wave of the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) were included in this study. Allostatic Load (AL) score was estimated for each participant from the measurements of: systolic and diastolic blood pressure, C-reactive protein level, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, total cholesterol level, waist-to-hip ratio, fasting serum glucose, triglycerides, and dehydroepiandrosterone levels.Results: Of the 2,105 participants included in the study, there were 369 migraineurs and 1,730 controls. Migraineurs had 63% higher odds of increased load score (odds ratio 1.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.17–2.29). Compared to controls, migraineurs were more likely to experience sleep problems in the univariate analysis, however despite the high burden of sleep problems, there were no significant associations between allostatic load and sleep disturbances in perimenopausal women with migraine after controlling for other factors.Conclusion: This is the first study to systematically and quantitatively examine allostatic load in migraine patients. The findings establish that migraineurs are more likely to experience higher allostatic load than their non-migraine counterparts during perimenopausal transition. The findings encourage new lines of investigation for lowering the burden of the disease through interventions that modify the levels of allostatic load biomarkers examined in this study.
Quantitative Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Detects Retinal Perfusion Changes in Carotid Artery Stenosis
Authors: Pierro Luisa , Arrigo Alessandro , De Crescenzo Michele , Aragona Emanuela , Chiesa Roberto , Castellano Renata , Catenaccio Barbara , Bandello Francesco 
Published: April 2021

BackgroundCarotid artery stenosis (CAS) is a multifaceted disease characterized by possible ocular involvement. Treatment with carotid endarterectomy helps to restore cerebral perfusion, which may prevent ocular and cerebral complications. The main aim was to assess retinal and choroidal vascular perfusion changes before and after endarterectomy in patients affected by CAS.MethodsThe design of the study was prospective and observational, including patients affected by CAS and healthy controls. The follow-up was 3 months. We performed quantitative optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography (OCTA) analyses of retinal perfusion changes, before and after endarterectomy. The main outcome measures were the quantitative changes of choroidal thickness (CT), retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), and ganglion cell layer (GCL); vessel density (VD); and vessel tortuosity (VT) OCTA metrics were also measured.ResultsSixty eyes of 30 patients affected by CAS and 30 eyes of 30 controls were included. We separately considered the ipsilateral eyes to CAS, the contralateral eyes to CAS, and the healthy eyes. Visual symptoms were absent in all the patients. RNFL and GCL resulted similar between patients and controls (p &gt; 0.05). CT was significantly thinner in ipsilateral eyes than controls (p &lt; 0.01), and it resulted unchanged after surgery (p &gt; 0.05). VD resulted significantly altered only in some plexa of the ipsilateral eyes (p &lt; 0.01), whereas VT disclosed decreased values of the entire retinal vascular network, both in ipsilateral and contralateral eyes (p &lt; 0.05). Endarterectomy was followed by statistically significant improvement of retinal perfusion (p &lt; 0.05).ConclusionOptical coherence tomography angiography can noninvasively detect postendarterectomy retinal perfusion improvements in CAS patients with baseline diabetes and hypertension as a systemic risk factor.
Predict Colon Cancer by Pairing Plasma miRNAs: Establishment of a Normalizer-Free, Cross-Platform Model
Authors: Qin Da , Guo Qingdong , Wei Rui , Liu Si , Zhu Shengtao , Zhang Shutian , Min Li 
Published: April 2021

BackgroundPlasma miRNAs are emerging biomarkers for colon cancer (CC) diagnosis. However, the lack of robust internal references largely limits their clinical application. Here we propose a ratio-based, normalizer-free algorithm to quantitate plasma miRNA for CC diagnosis.MethodsA miRNA-pair matrix was established by pairing differentially expressed miRNAs in the training group from GSE106817. LASSO regression was performed to select variables. To maximize the performance, four algorithms (LASSO regression, random forest, logistic regression, and SVM) were tested for each biomarker combination. Data from GSE106817 and GSE112264 were used for internal and external verification. RT-qPCR data acquired from another cohort were also used for external validation.ResultsAfter validation through four algorithms, we obtained a 4-miRNA pair model (miR-1246 miR-451a; miR-1246 miR-4514; miR-654-5p miR-575; miR-4299 miR-575) that showed good performance in differentiating CC from normal controls with a maximum AUC of 1.00 in internal verification and 0.93 in external verification. Tissue validation showed a maximum AUC of 0.81. Further external validation using RT-qPCR data exhibited good classifier ability with an AUC of 0.88.ConclusionWe established a cross-platform prediction model robust against sample-specific disturbance, which is not only well-performed in predicting CC but also promising in the diagnosis of other diseases.
Nivolumab and Hypofractionated Radiotherapy in Patients With Advanced Lung Cancer: ABSCOPAL-1 Clinical Trial
Authors: Ye Hua , Pang Haowen , Shi Xiangxiang , Ren Peirong , Huang Shangke , Yu Hong , Wu Jingbo , Lin Sheng 
Published: April 2021

BackgroundMore clinical practice need to be performed to verify the toxicity of the hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) combined with PD-1 blockade in lung cancer. This phase I study aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of nivolumab combined with HFRT in patients with progressive advanced lung cancer following multiline treatment.MethodsWe enrolled 31 patients with advanced lung cancer pathologically confirmed to have progressive disease and treated with first-line or a higher therapy. Selected lesions were treated using HFRT, and nivolumab was administered within 7 days subsequently. Nivolumab was administered once a month following partial remission. Peripheral blood was collected before and after 1 month of treatment to evaluate relevant cytokines between nivolumab responders and non-responders.ResultsOverall, 23 patients who completed the treatment were evaluated. Of them, 9 and 14 patients underwent hypofractionated brachytherapy with 30 Gy in a single fraction via percutaneous interstitial implantation of (192)Ir and 40–50 Gy in 5 fractions via stereotactic body radiation therapy, respectively. The median follow-up period was 11 months. At the 1-year follow-up, no patient developed grade ≥ 3 pneumonitis. The overall objective response and complete remission rates were 39.13% and 13.04%, respectively. The 1-year overall survival and median progression-free survival were 60.9% and 6 months, respectively. The plasma levels of interleukin IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17A were significantly reduced after treatment in nivolumab responders.ConclusionsHFRT could increase the responsivity to nivolumab and reduce its administration frequency. This combination treatment is well tolerated with acceptable toxicity and thus merits further trials to validate benefits.Clinical Trial Registrationhttp://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx, identifier ChiCTR-1900027768.
What Psychological Factors Make Individuals Believe They Are Infected by Coronavirus 2019?
Authors: Daniali Hojjat , Flaten Magne Arve 
Published: April 2021

Background: We previously showed, by means of an online-based survey, that the belief of being infected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) acted as a nocebo and predicted higher perception of symptoms similar to COVID-19 symptoms. However, there is little known about the psychological mechanisms that give rise to beliefs such as certainty of being infected by COVID-19, and this was investigated in the present study.Objective: Using the same data from the previous online survey with the same research team, we further investigated whether certainty of being infected by COVID-19 is associated with age, sex, health anxiety, and/or personality traits.Methods: Respondents (N = 375) filled out an online survey with 57 questions about symptoms similar to COVID-19, certainty of being infected by COVID-19, anxiety, stress, health anxiety, and personality dimensions (based on the five-factor model of personality).Results: Higher levels of conscientiousness and health anxiety were independently associated with certainty of being infected by COVID-19. The model predicted 29% of the variance in certainty of being infected by COVID-19.Conclusion: Being conscientious and worried about health issues were associated with the belief of being infected by COVID-19. Such finding may have implications for health care personnel who provide COVID-19 testing or consulting services to general population, as individuals high in these traits may over-report COVID-like symptoms. Theoretically, these findings point to psychological factors that may increase nocebo and possibly placebo effects. Clinically, the findings suggest that individuals high in conscientiousness and health anxiety may be more likely to over-report their bodily experiences.
Mental Health During the First Weeks of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States
Authors: Killgore William D. S. , Cloonan Sara A. , Taylor Emily C. , Dailey Natalie S. 
Published: April 2021

Background: By March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 crisis as a worldwide pandemic and many local governments instituted stay-at-home orders and closed non-essential businesses. Within the United States, tens of millions of workers lost their jobs and financial security during the first few weeks of the national response, in an attempt to slow the global pandemic. Because of the enormity of the pandemic and its potential impact on mental health, the objective of the present study was to document the prevalence of mental health problems and their association with pandemic-related job loss during the third week of the nationwide shutdown.Methods: Mental health was assessed via online questionnaires among a representative sample of 1,013 U.S. adults on April 9–10, 2020. Rates of clinically significant mental health outcomes were compared between participants who lost their job as a result of COVID-19 restrictions (17.4%) vs. those who did not (82.6%). Bivariate multiple logistic regression identified factors that were predictive of, and protective against, mental health problems.Results: The prevalence of clinically significant symptoms was significantly higher than prior population estimates, ranging from 27 to 32% for depression, 30 to 46% for anxiety disorders, 15 to 18% for acute/post-traumatic stress, 25% for insomnia, and 18% for suicidal ideation. Prevalence estimates were 1.5–1.7 times higher for those who reported job loss due to COVID-19 restrictions than those who did not. Mental health problems were predicted by worry over financial instability, insomnia, social isolation, and alcohol consumption, while getting outside more often, perceived social support, and older age were protective against these problems.Conclusions: During the first 3 weeks of lockdowns/stay-at-home restrictions, mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, insomnia, and acute stress reactions were notably elevated relative to prior population estimates. Job loss related to the nationwide shutdown was particularly associated with poorer mental health. These findings provide a baseline of mental health functioning during the first weeks of the national emergency and lockdown orders in response to COVID-19.
Pick the Freshmen Up for a “Healthy Study Start” Evaluation of a Health Promoting Onboarding Program for First Year Students at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, Austria
Authors: Limarutti Andrea , Maier Marco Johannes , Mir Eva , Gebhard Doris 
Published: April 2021

Introduction: Universities are an essential setting for creating health promoting environments. Evidence shows that university life can pose various threats to the students' health. Especially first year students are vulnerable to mental health issues. To support well-being and prevent psychological distress from the first day of studying, onboarding programs are needed to promote the students' health and their self- and social competencies. The study demonstrates a tailored multi-component onboarding intervention program named “Healthy Study Start.” An evaluation of the effectiveness is presented focusing on outcomes regarding the students' sense of coherence (S-SoC), social support, sympathy, the work-related collective and the participative safety (a sub-scale of the team climate) among freshmen at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences (CUAS, Austria).Methods: For the analyses, a quantitative controlled study design was used and results were measured three times. The intervention group (n = 72) was composed of freshmen selected from the bachelor study programs Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Biomedical Science and Radiologic Technology. Freshmen from the bachelor study program Healthcare and Nursing formed the control group (n = 81). As the requirements for analyses of variance were not fulfilled, the data had to be analyzed using e.g., Mann-Whitney U-tests.Results: Significant changes (all p &lt; 0.016) between the two groups were found between T0/T1, and between T0/T2. Furthermore, changes within the intervention group (all p &lt; 0.016) emerged in nearly all outcomes between T0/T1, while within the control group no changes were identified. However, the intervention group had statistically significantly higher values in the majority of outcomes at T1 and T2 compared to the control group.Conclusion: The onboarding program “Healthy Study Start” shows how an initiative at the beginning of their studies can support students in entering a new phase of their lives. The results indicate a positive effect on the students' self- and social competencies. However, students' health promotion is not only an investment for a health conscious university or an enhanced employability. Especially in health-related fields of study, students are future multipliers and play an essential role in implementing health promotion concepts for clients, patients and employees.
Educación virtual en época de Covid-19: perspectiva de los educandos a nivel superior
Authors: Chávez Reinoso Jorge Patricio , Chávez Guevara Jorge Ernesto , Flores Andino Víctor Manuel , Guayanlema Chávez Ivonne Gabriela 
Published: April 2021

El presente artículo tiene como objetivo conocer la perspectiva y comportamiento del alumnado acerca de la modalidad virtual en tiempo de pandemia por efecto de la suspensión de clases presenciales, producida por el Covid-19. El estudio fue descriptivo, transversal, de campo, documental y bibliográfico; con enfoque cuantitativo y cualitativo. Los resultados obtenidos indican que el 60% de los estudiantes estaban preparados desde el punto de vista educativo para enfrentar esta crisis, en cuanto a equipos tecnológicos se utilizaron en mayor porcentaje los computadores portátiles y de escritorio, la calidad del uso del internet estuvo entre bueno y regular, entre las actividades académicas realizadas resaltaron las clases virtuales, los trabajos grupales y el sistema teams fue el más usado para el dictado de clases. Se concluye que mediante la educación virtual no se lograron buenos resultados en cuanto al proceso de formación educativa, el nivel de enseñanza de los docentes y el aprendizaje de los estudiantes disminuyó comparando las etapas antes y durante la pandemia.
La mediación educativa como estrategia para la justicia cognitiva de comunidades y territorios de latinoamérica
Authors: Navarrete Ávila Marco Antonio 
Published: April 2021

El objetivo de este artículo es generar un espacio de cuestionamiento crítico sobre las prácticas educativas y el rol de educadores, terapeutas, y comunidades como mediadores de aprendizajes significativos de comunidades con Diversidad Funcional Intelectual. Como estrategia metodológica se planteó una triangulación de resultados de investigación frente a nuevos referentes bibliográficos, y mediante una socialización vía digital. La inclusión de adultos con diversidad funcional en Chile y Latinoamérica es confusa y presenta incrustado un modelo obsoleto (énfasis en rehabilitación). Los mediadores del presente deben considerar la Teoría de Aprendizaje Mediado como estrategia socioeducativa para considerar la desarrollo del infinito potencial del ser humano. La investigación, y otros procesos asociados a la construcción de conocimientos sociales, requiere a su vez una actualización en sus estrategias y métodos, desde lo cual se sugiere un abordaje mediante la perspectiva de las Epistemologías del Sur.
Living Organ Donor Perspectives and Sources of Hesitancy about COVID-19 Vaccines
Authors: Harhay Meera N. , Klassen Ann C. , Zaidi Hasan , Mittelman Michael , Bertha Rebecca , Mannon Roslyn B. , Lentine Krista L. 
Published: April 2021

Abstract

Key Points

Compared with other sources of information, donors who prefer medical and public health information sources are more likely to accept a vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).Donors who rely on medical and public health information are likely to accept a COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of their flu vaccine historyDonors not accepting of a COVID-19 vaccine are likely to question the long-term safety and benefits of vaccination for healthy people

Background
Living organ donation declined substantially in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic due to concerns about donor and transplant candidate safety. COVID-19 vaccines might increase confidence in the safety of living organ donation during the pandemic. We assessed informational preferences and perspectives about COVID-19 vaccines among US living organ donors and prospective donors.

Methods
We conducted a national survey study of organ donors and prospective donors on social media platforms between December 28, 2020 and February 23, 2021. Survey items included multiple choice, visual analogue scale, and open-ended responses. Using multivariable logistic regression, we examined associations between information preferences, history of COVID-19 infection, influenza vaccination history, and COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, and performed a thematic analysis of open-ended responses.

Results
Among 342 respondents from 47 US states and the District of Columbia, 35% were between 51 and 70 years old, 90% were non-Hispanic White, 87% were women, 82% were living donors (94% kidney), and 18% were in evaluation to donate (75% kidney). The majority planned to, or had, received a COVID-19 vaccination (77%), whereas 11% did not plan to receive a vaccine, and 12% were unsure. Adjusting for demographics and donor characteristics, respondents who receive yearly influenza vaccinations had higher COVID-19 vaccine acceptance than those who do not (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 5.06; 95% CI, 2.68 to 9.53). Compared with respondents who prioritized medical information sources (e.g., personal physicians and transplant providers), those who prioritized news and social media had lower COVID-19 vaccine acceptance (aOR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.15 to 0.73). Low perceived personal benefit from vaccination and uncertainty about long-term safety were common themes among those declining COVID-19 vaccines.

Conclusions
Donor information-source preferences were strongly associated with the likelihood of accepting a COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccine guidance for organ donors who are unsure about COVID-19 vaccines could incorporate messaging about safety and benefits of vaccination for healthy people.
Evolution of Vascular Access Use among Incident Patients during the First Year on Hemodialysis: A National Cohort Study
Authors: Hussein Wael F. , Ahmed Gasim , Browne Leonard D. , Plant William D. , Stack Austin G. 
Published: April 2021

Abstract

Background
Although the arteriovenous fistula (AVF) confers superior benefits over central venous catheters (CVCs), utilization rates remain low among prevalent patients on hemodialysis (HD). The goal of this study was to determine the evolution of vascular access type in the first year of dialysis and identify factors associated with conversion from CVC to a functioning AVF.

Methods
We studiedadult patients (n=610) who began HD between the January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2016 and were treated for at least 90 days, using data from the National Kidney Disease Clinical Patient Management System in the Irish health system. Prevalence of vascular access type was determined at days 90 and 360 after dialysis initiation and at 30-day intervals. Multivariable logistic regression explored factors associated with CVC at day 90, and Cox regression evaluated predictors of conversion from CVC to AVF on day 360.

Results
CVC use was present in 77% of incident patients at day 90, with significant variation across HD centers (from 63% to 91%, P<0.001), which persisted after case-mix adjustment. From day 90 to day 360, AVF use increased modestly from 23% to 41%. Conversion from CVC to AVF increased over time, but the likelihood was lower for older patients (for age >77 years versus referent, adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.43; 95% CI, 0.19 to 0.96), for patients with a lower BMI (per unit decrease in BMI, HR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.93 to 0.98), and varied significantly across HD centers (from an HR of 0.25 [95% CI, 0.08 to 0.74] to 2.09 [95% CI, 1.04 to 4.18]).

Conclusion
CVCs are the predominant type of vascular access observed during the first year of dialysis, with low conversion rates from CVC to AVF. There is substantial center variation in the Irish health system that is not explained by patient-related factors alone.
Stability of backscattering coefficient evaluation with clinical ultrasound scanner in homogeneous medium when sound field characteristics differ from reference signal
Authors: Oguri Takuma , Omura Masaaki , Saito Wakana , Yoshida Kenji , Yamaguchi Tadashi 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
We investigated the differences between the transmission (Tx)/reception (Rx) sound fields for target and reference signals using a reference phantom method (RPM) to assess the stability of backscattering coefficient (BSC) evaluation. A clinical ultrasound scanner and two types of phased linear array transducer with low and high frequencies were used to evaluate the BSCs for two types of homogenous phantom with different attenuation coefficients and BSCs. Different Tx/Rx sound fields were reproduced using different combinations of Tx focus depths and aperture sizes. Target signals with Tx conditions that were both the same as and different from those for the reference signals were used to produce signals with different Tx/Rx sound fields. The differences in the Tx/Rx sound fields affected the depth dependence of the evaluated BSC. It was concluded that this can be a factor creating variation in the BSC for homogenous targets.