bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Timing of intravenous dexamethasone and analgesia after brachial plexus block: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Grass Ariel , Chan Vincent , Short Anthony James , Busser Michael J , Chin Ki-Jinn , Chowdhury Jayanta , Huszti Ella , Li Qixuan , Perlas Anahi 
Published: December 2024

BackgroundThe addition of intravenous dexamethasone can significantly prolong analgesia and reduce opioid-related side effects after brachial plexus blockade, but the most effective administration time is yet unknown. The objective of this study is to determine if the timing of administration of dexamethasone affects the duration of analgesia after supraclavicular brachial plexus block.MethodsThis is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial performed at a single-center, tertiary academic health sciences center. Patients were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups to receive dexamethasone 8 mg intravenously (or normal saline infusions) at 1-hour preblock, at the time of the block, and 1 or 2 hours postblock.Results197 patients were randomized and received the intervention (in one of four treatment groups) between January 2018 and November 2023. 39 patients were excluded due to loss to follow-up and unavailability of primary outcome data. The remaining 158 patients have complete data sets and were analyzed. The time to first reported pain was not significantly different between groups (p=0.904). Secondary outcomes including pain scores and opioid consumption, recovery scores and block recovery time did not vary significantly among groups up to 48 hours. Adverse effects such as postoperative neurological symptoms and nausea were similar across groups up to 3 months postoperatively.Conclusions and relevanceOur results suggest that perioperative administration of 8 mg of intravenous dexamethasone (from 1 hour prior and up to 2 hours postblock) provides similar duration of analgesia to administration at the time of brachial plexus block.Trial registration numberNCT03394820.
Corticosteroid therapy for treating acute exacerbation of interstitial lung diseases: a systematic review
Authors: Srivali Narat , De Giacomi Federica , Moua Teng , Ryu Jay H 
Published: December 2024

IntroductionAcute exacerbation of interstitial lung disease (AE-ILD) often results in death and poses significant challenges in clinical management. While corticosteroids are frequently employed, the optimal regimen and their clinical efficacy remain uncertain. To address this knowledge gap, we undertook a systematic review to evaluate the impact of steroid therapy on clinical outcomes in patients experiencing AE-ILD.MethodFollowing Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, we systematically searched multiple databases, identifying 12 454 articles. After removing duplicates and screening titles and abstracts, 447 articles were selected for full-text review. Ultimately, nine studies met inclusion criteria, comparing high-dose corticosteroids with low-dose or non-steroidal interventions in treating AE-ILD. Key outcomes included in-hospital and long-term mortality, as well as AE recurrence.ResultsAnalysis of nine studies (total n=18 509) revealed differential treatment effects based on the ILD subtype. In non-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) ILD, high-dose corticosteroid therapy (>1.0 mg/kg prednisolone) demonstrated improved survival (adjusted HR 0.221, 95% CI 0.102 to 0.480, p<0.001) and reduced 90-day mortality. Early tapering of high-dose corticosteroids (>10% reduction within 2 weeks) reduced in-hospital mortality (adjusted HR 0.37, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.99). Higher cumulative doses in the first 30 days (5185±2414 mg/month vs 3133±1990 mg/month) were associated with lower recurrence rates (adjusted HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.90, p=0.02). In IPF patients, however, high-dose therapy showed inconsistent benefits, with some studies reporting increased mortality risk (OR 1.075, 95% CI 1.044 to 1.107, p<0.001).ConclusionThis review emphasises the potential benefits of individualised treatment approaches for AE-ILD but highlights the need for caution in making definitive recommendations. Although high-dose corticosteroids may show promise, particularly in non-IPF cases, the current evidence is inconsistent, and the lack of robust supporting literature makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions. Further research through randomised controlled trials is necessary to refine and optimise therapeutic strategies for AE-ILD.
Regular black holes from Kiselev anisotropic fluid
Authors: Santos L. C. N. 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
In this paper, we investigate a generalization of Kiselev black holes by introducing a varying equation-of-state parameter for the anisotropic fluid surrounding the black hole. We extend this model by allowing w in the expression

$$p_t(r)/\rho (r) = (3w + 1)/2$$

p
t

(
r
)

/
ρ

(
r
)

=

(
3
w
+
1
)

/
2

to vary as a function of the radial coordinate, and derive new solutions to the Einstein field equations for this configuration. In particular, we study solutions that describe regular black holes. By choosing specific forms of w(r), we obtain regular black hole solutions, and show that the matter surrounding the black hole can satisfy the weak and strong energy conditions under certain values of parameters analyzed. Due to the generality of this treatment, other categories of black holes can be obtained with particular choices of the equation-of-state parameter. Our analysis confirms that the curvature invariants associated with the regular black holes remain finite at the origin, indicating the absence of singularities. We also explore the physical properties of the matter associated with these solutions. Due to its versatility, we suggest the possibility of using this approach as a tool to construct new physical solutions associated with regular black holes or other geometries of interest.
IMPROVING FRACTALS FINANCIAL CREDIT RISK EVALUATION BASED ON DEEP LEARNING TECHNIQUES AND BLOCKCHAIN-BASED ENCRYPTION
Authors: KOUKI FADOUA , MENGASH HANAN ABDULLAH , ALRUWAIS NUHA , MILED ACHRAF BEN , ALJABRI JAWHARA , SALAMA AHMED S. 
Published: December 2024

Predicting a client’s affluence is essential in financial services. This task is the unity of the most important danger factors in groups and additional economic institutions. Typically, credit risk evaluation relies on black box models. However, these models often need to clarify the hidden information within the data. Moreover, few clear models focus on being easy to understand and accessible. This paper proposes a fractal credit risk assessment model that uses deep techniques like self-attention generative adversarial networks (SA-GAN) and deep multi-layer perceptron (DMLP). We use blockchain technology with the Brakerski–Gentry–Vaikuntanathan (BGV) encryption method to bolster safekeeping. Additionally, the scheme is designed for the Edge-of-things network, enabling communication through a LoRaWAN server. The proposed solution was tested on the German retail credit dataset. We assessed its performance using accuracy, F1 score, precision, and recall as metrics. Notably, our hybrid deep model, which combines SA-GAN with DMLP, achieved an impressive accuracy of 97.8% — outperforming existing methods in works.
Megachile vera Nurse, 1901 (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Megachilidae): a new record of leaf cutter bee from Kerala, India
Authors: Prakash Anju  Sara , C. Bijoy  
Published: December 2024

A new leaf-cutter bee from family Megachilidae, Megachile (Eutricharaea) vera Nurse, 1901 is reported for the first time from Kerala, with its current geographical distribution in India.
Chromatin State Maps of Blood Pressure-Relevant Renal Segments Reveal Potential Regulatory Role for SNPs
Authors: Ray Atrayee , Yang Chun , Stelloh Cary , Tutaj Monika , Liu Pengyuan , Liu Yong , Qiu Qiongzi , Auer Paul L. , Lin Chien-Wei , Widlansky Michael E. , Geurts Aron M. , Cowley Allen W. , Liang Mingyu , Kwitek Anne E. , Greene Andrew S. , Rao Sridhar 
Published: December 2024

BACKGROUND:
Hypertension or elevated blood pressure (BP) is a worldwide clinical challenge and the leading primary risk factor for kidney dysfunctions, heart failure, and cerebrovascular disease. The kidney is a central regulator of BP by maintaining sodium-water balance. Multiple genome-wide association studies revealed that BP is a heritable quantitative trait, modulated by several genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. The SNPs identified in genome-wide association studies predominantly (>95%) reside within noncoding genomic regions, making it difficult to understand how they regulate BP. Given the central role of the kidney in regulating BP, we hypothesized that chromatin-accessible regions in renal tissue would be enriched for BP-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms.

METHODS:
We manually dissected 2 important kidney segments that maintain the sodium-water balance: proximal tubules and medullary thick ascending limbs from the human and rat kidneys. To delineate their chromatin and transcriptomic profiles, we performed the assay for transposase-accessible chromatin and RNA sequencing, respectively.

RESULTS:

The chromatin accessibility maps revealed the shared and unique
cis
-regulatory elements that modulate the chromatin accessibility in proximal tubule and medullary thick ascending limbs of humans and rats. We developed a visualization tool to compare the cross-species epigenomic maps to identify potential regulatory targets for hypertension pathogenesis. We also identified a significant enrichment of BP-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (1064 for human proximal tubule and 1172 for human medullary thick ascending limbs) within accessible chromatin regions of both segments, including rs1173771 and rs1421811 at the
NPR3
locus and rs1800470 at the
TGFb1
locus.

CONCLUSIONS:
Collectively, this study lays a foundation for interrogating how intergenic single nucleotide polymorphisms may regulate polygenic traits such as BP.
Associated Factors of Long-Term Functional Outcome and Recovery Pattern After Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A Prospective Population-Based Study in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Authors: Sakamoto Yuki , Bosookhuu Oyungerel , Ouyang Menglu , Banzrai Chimeglkham , Dambasuren Bolormaa , Wang Xia , Turbat Sarantsetseg , Myadagsuren Mandakhnar , Boldbayar Punsaldulam , Baatar Khandsuren , Erdenedalai Tuguldur , Munkhtur Uuriintuya , Yadamsuren Erdenechimeg , Chen Xiaoying , Anderson Craig S. 
Published: December 2024

BACKGROUND:
Long-term patterns of functional outcome after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) have not been well elucidated in population-based studies from low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to define long-term functional outcomes, associated prognostic factors, and recovery patterns for patients with acute ICH.

METHODS:
We conducted a prospective population-based stroke incidence study in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, with prospective follow-up. Multiple overlapping strategies were used to prospectively ascertain all strokes over 2 years. Patients were followed up at 28, 90, and 365 days. Associated factors of unfavorable outcome (defined as modified Rankin Scale scores, 3–6) and death at 365 days were identified using separate binary logistic regressions. Recovery pattern in terms of the proportions of patients with favorable outcomes (defined as modified Rankin Scale scores, 0–2) as the outcome was analyzed over time at 28, 90, and 365 days using generalized estimating equations with baseline covariates.

RESULTS:
A total of 1172 first-ever ICH cases were registered. Among these patients, 625 (56.4% of available modified Rankin Scale) cases had died and 853 (77.0%) had an unfavorable outcome at 365 days. The proportion of favorable outcomes increased from 12.1% at day 28 to 17.4% at day 90 and then to 23.0% at 1 year. Multivariable analysis revealed that older age, low socioeconomic status, absence of hypertension, hospital admission, neurosurgical intervention, and ICH severity, side, and intraventricular extension were independently associated with death/unfavorable outcome 365 days post-ICH. Most of these factors were also associated with the recovery pattern.

CONCLUSIONS:
The prognosis from ICH in low- and middle-income countries is dismal, with 56% of patients dead and 77% having an unfavorable functional outcome at 365 days, although there was a pattern of continuous recovery over this time period. These findings stress the importance of developing effective primary prevention and continuous active care for survivors to reduce the burden of ICH in low- and middle-income countries.
Impaired Sphenoparietal Venous Drainage Is Associated With Increased Risk of Vasospasm in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Lyman Kyle A. , Adusumilli Gautam , Kamdar Hera A. , Yang Joanna , Rordorf Guy A. , Rubin Daniel B. , Regenhardt Robert W. , Stapleton Christopher J. , Patel Aman B. , Locascio Joseph J. , Kimberly William Taylor , Edlow Brian L. , Heit Jeremy J. , Chung David Y. 
Published: December 2024

Background
Adequate venous drainage of brain parenchyma is essential to maintain cerebral perfusion and clearance of cerebrospinal fluid. The cortical vein opacification score (COVES) is a radiographic metric calculated from a computed tomography angiogram that provides a measure of venous drainage using 3 cortical veins in each hemisphere. Emerging evidence indicates that longitudinal declines in COVES correlates with poor outcomes in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), but the clinical factors associated with a low COVES, and the relationship between COVES and other outcomes remains poorly understood.

Methods
We performed a single‐center retrospective analysis of 54 patients with aSAH to characterize the relationship between the COVES score and radiographic vasospasm.

Results

We found that patients with high‐grade aSAH (Hunt and Hess 4–5) had worse cortical venous drainage (mean total COVES±SEM, 10.2±0.2, n = 21) compared with patients with lower grade aSAH (Hunt and Hess 2–3, n = 33, 9.5±0.3,
P
<0.05, 2‐tailed
t
‐test) and that venous drainage improves at longitudinal follow‐up after discharge (mean increase in total COVES: 1.3±0.3,
P
<0.01). Logistic regression revealed that patients whose admission computed tomography angiogram showed impairment in sphenoparietal drainage were at the highest risk for radiographic vasospasm (odds ratio, 0.34 [95% CI, 0.13–0.84]).

Conclusion
These results suggest a potential mechanistic link between impaired venous drainage and radiographic vasospasm and provide the basis for further study of COVES as a prognostic tool in patients with aSAH. We found that patients with more severe presentations of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage had impairment in cortical venous drainage. Impairments in venous drainage were associated with a higher likelihood of radiographic vasospasm.
Z tajników warsztatu filologiczno‑biblijnego Profesor Ireny Kwileckiej
Authors: Koziara Stanisław 
Published: December 2024

On Some Secrets of Professor Irena Kwilecka’s Craft of Philological and Biblical Research
This article is a synthetic attempt to recall the research profile and selected scholarly achievements of Professor Irena Kwilecka, who died two years ago. She was an outstanding Slavist from Poznań, the author of many works devoted mainly to Old Polish translations of the Bible. The article focuses on those aspects of Irena Kwilecka’s research craft which reveal a number of innovative approaches and proposals, including a revision of certain positions taken with regard to this part of Polish religious writing. The study refers to numerous publications of the Poznań-based researcher and makes use of unique data originating from private correspondence onscholarly issues, which the author of the article exchanged with Professor Kwilecka for a number of years.

Z tajników warsztatu filologiczno-biblijnego Profesor Ireny Kwileckiej
Artykuł przynosi syntetyczną próbę przypomnienia sylwetki badawczej oraz wybranych osiągnięć naukowych zmarłej przed dwoma laty Profesor Ireny Kwileckiej, wybitnej poznańskiej slawistki, autorki wielu prac poświęconych głównie staropolskim przekładom Biblii. Autor artykułu skupił uwagę na tych aspektach warsztatu badawczego Ireny Kwileckiej, w których ujawnia się szereg nowatorskich ujęć i propozycji opisu, w tym także rewizji niektórych stanowisk zajmowanych względem tej części polskiego piśmiennictwa religijnego. W tym celu odwołano się w opracowaniu zarówno do licznych publikacji poznańskiej badaczki, jak też wykorzystano unikatowe dane pochodzące z prywatnej korespondencji, jaką na tematy naukowe autor artykułu przez wiele lat prowadził z Profesor Ireną Kwilecką.
Demand for Increased Financial Support to Families of Privately Insured Pediatric Hearing Aid Users
Authors: Iqbal Iman S. , Ostrowski Tyler , Mouzakes Jason , Levi Jessica R. 
Published: December 2024

Purpose: The ability to hear is germane in fostering communiation skills in children and plays a crucial role in their overall wellbeing. Unfortunately, hearing impairment is one of the most common developmental discrepancies in children. Objective: To describe and evaluate the current legislation surrounding pediatric hearing aid reimbursement and the implications of these policies. Evidence Review: A review of the scientific literature in addition to several state legislature sites was used to write this article. Major Findings: Private insurance reimbursement for pediatric hearing aids is variable between vendors and states. Only half of United States have passed legislation requiring insurers to cover hearing aids for their subscribers. Due to the lack of reimbursement for these expensive yet medically necessary devices, families across the country experience financial distress associated with the lack of coverage for hearing aids. In many cases, this leaves children without the ability to hear to their fullest potential. Conclusion: It is time we as otolaryngologists advocate for a national solution to this issue and promote a national policy to require private insurers to cover the costs of hearing aids for their subscribers.
From feeling depressed to getting diagnosed: Determinants of a diagnosis of depression after experiencing symptoms
Authors: Stacherl Barbara , Entringer Theresa M 
Published: December 2024

Background: Receiving a formal diagnosis for a depressive disorder is a prerequisite for getting treatment, yet the illness inherently complicates care-seeking. Thus, understanding the process from depression symptoms to diagnosis is crucial. Aims: This study aims to disentangle (1) risk factors for depression symptoms from (2) facilitators and barriers to receiving a diagnosis after experiencing depression symptoms. Method: We used data from the German Socio-Economic Panel. Within a sample of 40,238 individuals, we investigated factors predicting depression symptoms, assessed with the SF-12 Mental Component Summary score. Additionally, within a subsample of 3,444 individuals with depression symptoms, we analyzed factors associated with receiving a first-ever diagnosis in the subsequent year. These factors included health status, demographics, socioeconomic characteristics, personality traits, and health infrastructure. Results: Depression symptoms were associated with chronic physical conditions, female gender, middle age, living alone, fewer close friends, being unemployed or not working, lower income, lower agreeableness, conscientiousness, or extraversion, and higher neuroticism. Additionally, poorer overall mental and physical health, female gender, older age, unemployment, and neuroticism were positively associated with receiving a formal diagnosis. Access to general practitioners and psychotherapists was not associated with receiving a formal diagnosis. Conclusions: Our results replicated previous research on risk factors for depression symptoms. Moreover, some risk factors for experiencing symptoms (female gender, middle age, unemployment, and higher neuroticism) subsequently also facilitated receiving a formal depression diagnosis. Thus, this study underscores the importance of considering the chronological sequence in the process from depression symptoms to diagnosis.
Pilot cluster randomised controlled trial of Stepping Stones and Creating Futures Plus to reduce emotional dysregulation among young men in rural areas and urban informal settlements in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa
Authors: Nyoni Princess , Tomita Andrew , Mkhwanazi Smanga , Gibbs Andrew 
Published: December 2024

Aim: Emotional dysregulation (ED) – the difficulty to control emotional responses to stressors – is a potential driver of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration among young men in HIV endemic resource-limited settings. This two-armed pilot cluster randomised controlled trial investigated the effectiveness of Stepping Stones and Creating Futures Plus (SSCF+), a participatory gender transformative and livelihood strengthening intervention, on the emotional dysregulation (ED) among young men in South Africa (SA). Methods: A total of 163 young men ages 18 to 30 years were recruited in 30 clusters (friendship groups) in urban informal settlements and rural areas in KwaZulu-Natal, SA. Clusters were randomly allocated (1:1) to either the experimental SSCF+ or control arm, stratified urban/rural and participants were followed-up at 5 months. Intention-to-treat analysis based on generalised estimating equations (GEE) were fitted to quantify the impact of SSCF+ on the men’s ED using the culturally tested short version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale with 16 items (DERS-16). Results: At 5 months SSCF+ did not significantly reduce ED in the overall sample. However, SSCF+ had a significant impact on ED among the men at risk of depression at baseline (adjusted odds ratio = 0.12, 95% CI [0.03, 0.46], p = .002). Conclusion: SSCF+, a gender transformative and livelihoods strengthening intervention designed to address poverty and other socio-economic challenges, reduced ED among youth with depression challenges in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.
NCTQ Rankings in a Tenuous, Post-COVID Teacher Preparatory Landscape: Help or Harm?
Authors: Paul Dierdre Glenn 
Published: December 2024

This was the first time in my recollection that the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) (in its 2023 report entitled “Teacher Prep Review: Strengthening Elementary Reading Instruction”) tried to explicitly tie literacy-specific teacher preparatory programs’ lack of adherence to their debatable standard with the programs doing an actual disservice to Black and Brown schoolchildren nationally. As an educator devoting much of my scholarly work and research to the education and schooling of children of African descent, that was the proverbial “bridge too far.” So, I set out to get answers to the following questions: • What does NCTQ do, and why should we take heed? • How were program quality determinations ascertained? • Could NCTQ rankings potentially impact our teacher education programs?