bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fizinių pratimų ir funkcinės elektrostimuliacijos poveikis kojos funkcijai po juosmeninės stuburo srities dermoidinės cistos pašalinimo. Atvejo analizė
Authors: Simanynaitė Augustė , Juodžbalienė Vilma , Krasuckienė Simona 
Published: August 2021

Tyrimo pagrindimas. Dermoidinės cistos pasitaiko retai, dažniausiai jos diagnozuojamos vaikams. Nepaisant gerybinio šių cistų pobūdžio, neurochirurginė pašalinimo operacija, galinti sukelti neurologinį deficitą, dažnai yra neišvengiama. Veiksmingas pooperacinių liekamųjų reiškinių pašalinimas arba lengvinimas bei gyvenimo kokybės gerinimas yra labai aktualūs klausimai, todėl tyrėme, ar inovatyvios technologijos, pavyzdžiui, kineziterapija derinama su funkcine elektrostimuliacija ,,Bioness L300“ padeda pasiekti reikšmingų rezultatų.
Tyrimo tikslas. Nustatyti fizinių pratimų ir funkcinės elektrostimuliacijos poveikį kojos funkcijoms po juosmeninės stuburo srities dermoidinės cistos pašalinimo.
Metodai. Tyrime dalyvavo viena tiriamoji po juosmeninės stuburo srities dermoidinės cistos pašalinimo. Buvo vertinami neurologiniai simptomai (miotomos, dermatomos, refleksai), skausmo intensyvumas, dinaminė pusiausvyra, kojų apimtys, eisenos kokybė, subjektyvi pėdos ir čiurnos funkcinė būklė, atliktas paveiktos kojos manualinis raumenų testavimas ir goniometrija.
Rezultatai. Tyrimo rezultatų kaita parodė, kad labiausiai pagerėjo pėdos ir čiurnos funkcija, padidėjo paveiktos kojos sąnarių judesių amplitudės, raumenų jėga bei apimtis. Vėlyvuoju laikotarpiu išnyko skausmas, labiausiai pagerėjo dinaminė pusiausvyra, eisenos kokybė, paveiktos kojos jutimai ir funkcija. Achilo ir girnelės sausgyslių refleksai dešinėje pusėje išliko pakitę viso reabilitacijos laikotarpio metu.
Išvados. Fiziniai pratimai ir funkcinė elektrostimuliacija yra veiksmingi, gerina kojos funkciją po dermoidinės cistos pašalinimo juosmeninėje stuburo srityje.
Raktažodžiai: dermoidinė cista, kineziterapija, funkcinė elektrostimuliacija, eisena.
Self-Radiopaque Markers Guiding Physician-Modified Fenestration (S-Fenestration) in Aortic Arch Endovascular Repair
Authors: Li Xin , Shu Chang , Li Quanming , He Hao , Li Ming , Wang Lunchang , Li Jiehua , Liu Dingxiao , Du Mingyuan 
Published: August 2021

Backgrounds and Objectives: Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has currently become the “first-line choice” for descending aortic pathologies. For pathologies located at the aortic arch, TEVAR with physician-modified fenestration (PMF) has been gained popularity as an alternative choice. However, stent fenestration is an experience-dependent technique and comes with possible adverse events such as misalignment. This study aims to introduce the self-radiopaque PMF (SF), which uses the radiopaque marker as a guiding indicator.Methods: This is a single-center retrospective study of 125 patients who underwent the SF-TEVAR in Second Xiangya Hospital from December 2015 to December 2020. Data include basic clinical information and technique records of SF-TEVAR with follow-up results.Results: According to the SF-TEVAR protocol, we have performed the procedures on 125 patients and obtained an instant success rate of 98.4%. A total of 140 aortic stent-grafts and 44 bridging stents have been implanted in this study. The operation time is 64.6 ± 19.3 min, X-ray exposure time (from first digital subtraction angiography (DSA) to last DSA) is 25.6 ± 14.3 min, and contrast volume is 82.2 ± 22.6 ml. The success rate of PMF alignment is 98.4%. One bailout stent-graft was implanted into the left subclavian artery (LSA) by the chimney technique (0.8%). One fenestration was successfully and immediately corrected after misalignment (0.8%). Large simultaneous fenestration was performed in six patients (4.8%) for the left common carotid artery (LCCA) and LSA and in two patients (1.6%) for IA, LCCA, and LSA. One hundred twenty-two out of 125 patients' LSAs have been kept patent by the technique during the follow-up. The bridging stent group consists of 44 patients who received LSA stents, while the non-bridging stent group includes the other 81 patients. Type I endoleak has occurred in seven patients (5.6%) 1 week after the procedure. During follow-up (23 ± 18 months), survival rate is 95.7% and branch artery patent rate is 97.4%.Conclusions: The SF-TEVAR technique, which utilizes the radiopaque marker in stent-graft as an indication for PMF in TEVAR, seems a likely safe, effective, and efficient procedure that brings acceptable survival rate and branch artery patency rate. SF-TEVAR serves as a progressive alternative method to keep the branch artery patent in aortic arch endovascular reconstruction.
The Potential of a Smartphone as an Urban Weather Station—An Exploratory Analysis
Authors: Cabrera Aly Noyola , Droste Arjan , Heusinkveld Bert G. , Steeneveld Gert-Jan 
Published: August 2021

The ongoing urbanization requires enhanced understanding of the local meteorological and climatological conditions within the urban environment for multiple applications, concerning energy demand, human health, and spatial planning. Identifying areas with harmful meteorological conditions enables citizens and local authorities to take actions to optimize quality of life for urban dwellers. At the moment cities have (in general) limited networks of meteorological monitoring stations. To overcome this lack of observations, the use of non-traditional data sources is rapidly increasing. However, the use of such data sources without enough prior verification has become a controversial topic in the scientific community. This study aims to verify and assess one of the main non-traditional data sources, i.e. smartphones. The goal is to research the potential of smartphones (using the Samsung Galaxy S4 as an example phone model) to correctly sense air temperature, relative humidity, and solar radiation, and to determine to what extent environmental conditions negatively affect their performance. The smartphone readings were evaluated against observations from reference instrumentation at a weather station and a mobile measurement platform. We test the response time of the smartphone thermometer and hygrometer, and the light sensor’s cosine response. In a lab setting, we find that a smartphone can provide reliable temperature information when it is not exposed to direct solar radiation. The smartphone’s hygrometer performs better at low relative humidity levels while it can over-saturate at higher levels. The light sensor records show substantial correlation with global radiation observations, and short response times. Measurements along an urban transect of 10 km show the smartphone’s ability to react to fast changes of temperature in the field, both in time and space. However, a bias correction (dependent on wind speed and radiation) is required to represent the reference temperature. Finally we show that after such a bias correction, a smartphone record can successfully capture spatial variability over a transect as well.
Safe Limits of Contrast Media for Contrast-Induced Nephropathy: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Nie Zhiqiang , Liu Yong , Wang Chao , Sun Guoli , Chen Guo , Lu Zuxun 
Published: August 2021

Background: The safe level of contrast media volume (CV) is an important modifiable risk factor for contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). The safe limit of CV remains unclear and is limited to single-center studies. Our objective was to determine the association between the ratio of contrast volume-to-glomerular filtration (CV/GFR) and CIN in patients undergoing coronary angiography (CAG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Methods: We assessed the association between CV/GFR and the risk of CIN in 4,254 patients undergoing CAG or PCI from the year 2013 to 2016 and enrolled in the REICIN (REduction of rIsk for Contrast-Induced Nephropathy), a prospective, multicenter, observational cohort study. CV/GFR was calculated at the five primary GFR equation.Results: Sixty-nine (1.7%) patients with a median contrast volume-to-chronic kidney disease epidemiology collaboration (CV/CKD-EPI) ratio of 2.16 (1.30–3.93) have suffered from CIN. The CV/CKD-EPI demonstrated the best performance of model fit, discrimination (area under curve = 0.736), calibration, reclassification, and equation conciseness (1 variable). The CV/CKD-EPI ≥1.78 was the statistical significance associated with CIN [adjusted odds ratio, 4.64 (2.84–7.56); p &lt; 0.001]. Furthermore, similar results were found in the subgroup analyses.Conclusions: The CV/CKD-EPI showed the best performance in patients undergoing CAG or PCI. CV/CKD-EPI ≥1.78 could be a more reliable and convenient predictor of CIN. Intraprocedural preventive measures should include a priori calculation of CV/GFR to limit contrast volume.
Comparison of Success Rate and Complications of Totally Percutaneous Decannulation in Patients With Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation and Endovascular Aneurysm Repair
Authors: Liu Zhenjie , Xu Yongshan , Xu Xin , He Minzhi , Han Pan , Shao Changming , Pan Yifeng , Zhang Libin , Yin Li , Li Zhenhua , Huang Man , Chen Bing 
Published: August 2021

Background: Total percutaneous closure for the site of femoral arterial puncture using Perclose ProGlide (PP) has become prevalent post-percutaneous endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) and veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO).Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of total percutaneous closure of the femoral artery access site post-EVAR compared with VA-ECMO.Methods: This was a retrospective observational study conducted over 4 years, including 88 patients who underwent EVAR (64 patients) and VA-ECMO (24 patients). Perclose ProGlide devices were used in the femoral artery puncture sites closed percutaneously. In this study, technical success was defined as successful arterial closure of the common femoral artery (CFA) without additional surgical or endovascular procedures to prevent vessel leaking. Access site complications, including overt bleeding requiring transfusion or surgical intervention, minor bleeding, tinea cruris, pseudoaneurysm, and lymphocele, were recorded 24 h and 30 days after arterial closure.Results: Each group's technical success rates were 95.8% (VA-ECMO) and 92.2% EVAR, respectively. There were no differences in the periprocedural complications of major bleeding, pseudoaneurysm, minor bleeding, acute limb ischemia, and groin infection. Furthermore, we did not observe any complications such as arterial thrombosis, dissection, stenosis, arteriovenous fistula, hematoma, groin infection, or lymphocele at the access site by following-up an ultrasound examination. There was no significant difference in the technical success rate of percutaneous closure by the PP device in the EVAR and VA-ECMO oxygenation groups. Also, no periprocedural or 30-day complications were observed at the access site of the EVAR and VA-ECMO patients.
Cholesterol Is a Dose-Dependent Positive Allosteric Modulator of CCR3 Ligand Affinity and G Protein Coupling
Authors: van Aalst Evan , Wylie Benjamin J. 
Published: August 2021

Cholesterol as an allosteric modulator of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) function is well documented. This quintessential mammalian lipid facilitates receptor–ligand interactions and multimerization states. Functionally, this introduces a complicated mechanism for the homeostatic modulation of GPCR signaling. Chemokine receptors are Class A GPCRs responsible for immune cell trafficking through the binding of endogenous peptide ligands. CCR3 is a CC motif chemokine receptor expressed by eosinophils and basophils. It traffics these cells by transducing the signal stimulated by the CC motif chemokine primary messengers 11, 24, and 26. These behaviors are close to the human immunoresponse. Thus, CCR3 is implicated in cancer metastasis and inflammatory conditions. However, there is a paucity of experimental evidence linking the functional states of CCR3 to the molecular mechanisms of cholesterol–receptor cooperativity. In this vein, we present a means to combine codon harmonization and a maltose-binding protein fusion tag to produce CCR3 from E. coli. This technique yields ∼2.6 mg of functional GPCR per liter of minimal media. We leveraged this protein production capability to investigate the effects of cholesterol on CCR3 function in vitro. We found that affinity for the endogenous ligand CCL11 increases in a dose-dependent manner with cholesterol concentration in both styrene:maleic acid lipid particles (SMALPs) and proteoliposomes. This heightened receptor activation directly translates to increased signal transduction as measured by the GTPase activity of the bound G-protein α inhibitory subunit 3 (Gαi3). This work represents a critical step forward in understanding the role of cholesterol-GPCR allostery in regulation of signal transduction.
Pathogenic Variants in ABHD16A Cause a Novel Psychomotor Developmental Disorder With Spastic Paraplegia
Authors: Yahia Ashraf , Elsayed Liena E. O. , Valter Remi , Hamed Ahlam A. A. , Mohammed Inaam N. , Elseed Maha A. , Salih Mustafa A. , Esteves Typhaine , Auger Nicolas , Abubaker Rayan , Koko Mahmoud , Abozar Fatima , Malik Hiba , Adil Rawaa , Emad Sara , Musallam Mhammed Alhassan , Idris Razaz , Eltazi Isra Z. M. , Babai Arwa , Ahmed Elhami A. A. , Abd Allah Amal S. I. , Mairey Mathilde , Ahmed Ahmed K. M. A. , Elbashir Mustafa I. , Brice Alexis , Ibrahim Muntaser E. , Ahmed Ammar E. , Lamari Foudil , Stevanin Giovanni 
Published: August 2021

Introduction: Hereditary spastic paraplegia is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous neurological entity that includes more than 80 disorders which share lower limb spasticity as a common feature. Abnormalities in multiple cellular processes are implicated in their pathogenesis, including lipid metabolism; but still 40% of the patients are undiagnosed. Our goal was to identify the disease-causing variants in Sudanese families excluded for known genetic causes and describe a novel clinico-genetic entity.Methods: We studied four patients from two unrelated consanguineous Sudanese families who manifested a neurological phenotype characterized by spasticity, psychomotor developmental delay and/or regression, and intellectual impairment. We applied next-generation sequencing, bioinformatics analysis, and Sanger sequencing to identify the genetic culprit. We then explored the consequences of the identified variants in patients-derived fibroblasts using targeted-lipidomics strategies.Results and Discussion: Two homozygous variants in ABHD16A segregated with the disease in the two studied families. ABHD16A encodes the main brain phosphatidylserine hydrolase. In vitro, we confirmed that ABHD16A loss of function reduces the levels of certain long-chain lysophosphatidylserine species while increases the levels of multiple phosphatidylserine species in patient's fibroblasts.Conclusion:ABHD16A loss of function is implicated in the pathogenesis of a novel form of complex hereditary spastic paraplegia.
Charcoal Hemoperfusion for Methotrexate Toxicity: A Safe and Effective Life-Rescue Alternative When Glucarpidase Is Not Available
Authors: Rosales Alejandra , Madrid Alvaro , Muñoz Marina , Dapena Jose Luis , Ariceta Gema 
Published: August 2021

Background: High dose methotrexate (HDMTX) is used for the treatment of pediatric hemato-oncological diseases. HDMTX can induce acute kidney injury in cases of delayed elimination. The use of leucovorin remains the most effective rescue action. Further treatment options are of difficult access in the rare cases where leucovorin fails to prevent renal failure from occurring. Glucarpidase is an effective treatment in cases of methotrexate (MTX) delayed elimination, but cost is high and availability is limited. Charcoal hemoperfusion (CHP) is a very efficient procedure to remove protein-bound drugs, promoting fast MTX elimination, but is rarely considered as a treatment option.Methods: We present three pediatric cases with prolonged exposure to MTX after HDMTX and delayed elimination in which hemoperfusion was performed as rescue treatment for methotrexate intoxication.Results: Charcoal hemoperfusion was performed with positive results and no complications as bridging until glucarpidase was available in two cases and in one case where two doses of glucarpidase led to insufficient reduction of MTX levels.Conclusions: CHP can be considered as a rescue treatment option in MTX intoxication, since it is an effective and safe extracorporeal method for removing MTX, in cases where rescue with leucovorin is insufficient and glucarpidase is not available or while waiting for delivery.
Safety and Accuracy of Suction Rectal Biopsy in Preterm Infants
Authors: Zhang Yanan , Chen Yongwei , Yang Shen , Gu Yichao , Hua Kaiyun , Zhao Yong , Huang Jinshi 
Published: August 2021

Purpose: Most pediatric surgeons give little attention to the diagnosis of Hirschsprung disease (HD) in preterm infants. We aimed to explore the safety and accuracy of suction rectal biopsy (SRB) for diagnosing HD in preterm infants.Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of 45 preterm patients who underwent SRB from 2015 to 2019 in our hospital. We collected the clinical characteristics and pathology results of the patients and information on follow-up. The sensitivity and specificity of SRB for HD diagnosis were calculated.Results: The median gestational age of the patients was 35 weeks (range: 28.9–36.9 weeks), the median gestational age at biopsy was 38.6 weeks (range: 33.4–60.0 weeks), and the median weight was 2,790 g (range: 1,580–4,100 g). Fifteen patients (33.3%) were positive for HD, which was confirmed after pull-through surgery. Ganglion cells were present in 30 patients. The diagnosis of HD was excluded in 29 patients after discharge follow-up. The sensitivity of SRB ranged from 93.7 to 100%, and the specificity was 100%. No complications occurred after SRB among the patients whose biopsy age was &lt;37 weeks (10 patients) or biopsy weight was &lt;2,000 g (five patients).Conclusion: SRB is accurate and safe for diagnosing HD in late preterm infants.
Prevalence, Risk Factors, Harm Perception, and Attitudes Toward E-cigarette Use Among University Students in Qatar: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Kurdi Rana , Al-Jayyousi Ghadir Fakhri , Yaseen Manar , Ali Aatefeh , Mosleh Neama , Abdul Rahim Hanan F. 
Published: August 2021

Background: Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use is becoming more popular worldwide, especially among youth. Studies report that university students have inadequate knowledge as well as misconceptions about the health risks of e-cigarettes, which may lead to their use even in populations where smoking prevalence is relatively low. At this age, the influence of peers is also significant. Understanding attitudes of university students toward the use of e-cigarettes is important for effective tobacco prevention interventions. In this study, we assess the prevalence of e-cigarette use among students in Qatar's largest national university, as well as their knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of harm in relation to e-cigarettes.Methodology: We conducted a cross-sectional study among Qatar University students using a self-administered online questionnaire. Descriptive univariate analyses were conducted as well as bivariate analyses to check the association of e-cigarette use with variables of interest. A binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess determinants of e-cigarette use among students.Results: One hundred ninety-nine students completed the questionnaire. The prevalence of e-cigarette use among students was 14%, with no significant difference by gender (16.2% in males and 12.8% in females). In bivariate analyses, significantly fewer e-cigarette users believed that e-cigarettes cause disease compared to non-users. 67.9% of e-cigarette users compared to 37.6% of non-users believed that e-cigarettes were less harmful than traditional cigarettes, and 78.6% of users compared to 40.4% of non-users believed that their use could be helpful in preventing smoking traditional cigarettes. Bivariate associations between e-cigarette use and knowledge items were significant (p &lt; 0.05) as well as having a smoker among siblings or friends. In the multivariate analysis, only having a friend who was a smoker remained significant after controlling for other variables (OR = 7.3, p &lt; 0.001).Conclusion: Our study found that university students have knowledge gaps and misconceptions with regard to the harms associated with e-cigarettes use, especially among users. A comprehensive smoking prevention policy, educational interventions, and quit support are needed to enhance awareness among university students about the health effects associated with e-cigarettes use. Such interventions should also take into account the influence of peers on smoking practices.
Challenges and Barriers Toward Medical Research Among Medical and Dental Students at King Khalid University, Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alsaleem Safar Abadi , Alkhairi Muhammed Alhussain Y. , Alzahrani Mohammed Atiah A. , Alwadai Mohammed Ibrahim , Alqahtani Saad Saleh A. , Alaseri Yahya Faye Y. , Alqarni Mohammed Awadh M. , Assiri Safiah Ahmad , Alsaleem Mohammed Abadi , Mahmood Syed Esam 
Published: August 2021

Background:Medical research is a systematic method to obtain new knowledge, reduce diagnosis problems, discover the latest or best treatment for a disease, and also used for disease prevention.Objective:The study aims to assess the challenges and barriers to conduct medical research among medical and dentistry students and determine the reasons that hinder the conduct of the study.Methods:In this cross-sectional study, the research population consisted of medical and dental students affiliated with King Khalid University in Saudi Arabia in 2020. The study followed a descriptive approach based on quantitative analysis. The Statistical Package of the Social Sciences (SPSS) program (V. 16.0, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used for data analysis.Results:A total of 327 students participated in this study, and the response rate was 100%. Among them, 61.5% were females. In this study majority (63.3%) had a moderate attitude toward conducting medical research and the average was 56.17. The majority (53.8%) had a reasonable behavior toward conducting medical research, and the average was 29.06. Lack of time, skills, funding, facilities, and limited access to medical journals and related databases were the significant barriers found. Most of the students had positive attitudes, except that they are not awarded on their research, do not attend the sessions, and do not speak their thoughts. A significant relationship between demographic characteristics (age, level, and Grade Percentage Average), attitudes &amp; perceived barriers toward research was found (&lt;0.05).Conclusion:The majority of the students demonstrated a positive attitude toward and moderate behavior of research. However, most are not awarded on their research, do not attend the sessions, and do not speak their thoughts. Intensive training and adequate support in research activities of medical and dental students at the undergraduate level may help reduce these challenges and barriers toward research.