bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Preoperative HbA1c > 8% Is Associated With Poor Outcomes in Lumbar Spine Surgery: A Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative Study
Authors: Lim Seokchun , Yeh Hsueh-Han , Macki Mohamed , Mansour Tarek , Schultz Lonni , Telemi Edvin , Haider Sameah , Nerenz David R , Schwalb Jason M , Abdulhak Muwaffak , Park Paul , Aleem Ilyas , Easton Richard , Khalil Jad , Perez-Cruet Miguelangelo , Chang Victor 
Published: July 2021

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Preoperative hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is a useful screening tool since a significant portion of diabetic patients in the United States are undiagnosed and the prevalence of diabetes continues to increase. However, there is a paucity of literature analyzing comprehensive association between HbA1c and postoperative outcome in lumbar spine surgery.

Objective
To assess the prognostic value of preoperative HbA1c > 8% in patients undergoing elective lumbar spine surgery.

MethodS
The Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MSSIC) database was queried to track all elective lumbar spine surgeries between January 2018 and December 2019. Cases were divided into 2 cohorts based on preoperative HbA1c level (≤8% and >8%). Measured outcomes include any complication, surgical site infection (SSI), readmission (RA) within 30 d (30RA) and 90 d (90RA) of index operation, patient satisfaction, and the percentage of patients who achieved minimum clinically important difference (MCID) using Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System.

Results
We captured 4778 patients in this study. Our multivariate analysis demonstrated that patients with HbA1c > 8% were more likely to experience postoperative complication (odds ratio [OR] 1.81, 95% CI 1.20-2.73; P = .005) and be readmitted within 90 d of index surgery (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.08-2.54; P = .021). They also had longer hospital stay (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.03-1.23; P = .009) and were less likely to achieve functional improvement after surgery (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.44-0.92; P = .016).

Conclusion
HbA1c > 8% is a reliable predictor of poor outcome in elective lumbar spine surgery. Clinicians should consider specialty consultation to optimize patients’ glycemic control prior to surgery.
The potential impact of post-COVID symptoms in the healthcare sector
Authors: Tempany M , Leonard A , Prior A R , Boran G , Reilly P , Murray C , O’Brien M , Maguire G , Ennis D , Rakovac A , Reid A 
Published: July 2021

Abstract

Background
The phenomenon of post-COVID syndrome (PCS) is evolving from an abstract array of non-specific symptoms to an identifiable clinical entity of variable severity. Its frequency and persistence have implications for service delivery and workforce planning.

Aims
This study was aimed to assess the prevalence of symptoms consistent with PCS and the subjective degree of recovery in a cohort of healthcare workers, focusing on those who have returned to work.

Methods
A study population of 1176 was surveyed when attending for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody testing. Two sub-groups were identified: those with known (i.e. diagnosed on PCR testing) and assumed (i.e. antibody evidence of previous infection) SARs-CoV-2 infection, at least 12 weeks prior to the study. Each group was asked about their subjective degree of recovery and the nature of their persistent symptoms. Results were analysed via excel and SPSS.

Results
In total, 144 employees showed PCR evidence of previous infection, with 139 of these being infected at least 12 weeks prior to the study. Of these 139, only 19% (n = 26) reported feeling 100% recovered, and 71% reported persistent symptoms. Of those with assumed SARS-CoV-2 infection (n = 78), 32 (41%) were truly asymptomatic since the commencement of the pandemic, while 46 (59%) described symptoms suggestive of possible infection at least 12 weeks prior to the study. Of this latter group, 23% (n = 18) also reported residual symptoms.

Conclusions
PCS is prevalent among this group, including those not previously diagnosed with COVID-19. Its’ frequency and duration present challenges to employers with regards to the management of work availability and performance.
Audit of waist measurement methods during statutory diving medical assessments
Authors: Williams N , Moore A , Woods M , Forman S 
Published: July 2021

Abstract

Background
Measurement of waist circumference is used to assess abdominal fat and risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and stroke. It is performed in several clinical settings for health promotion and medical assessment purposes, including statutory medical assessments where results may influence decisions on fitness to work. Under the Diving at Work Regulations 1997, working divers must have an annual assessment of their fitness to dive performed by an approved medical examiner of divers (AMED), appointed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The assessment includes measurement of height, weight and waist circumference, the latter used as an indicator of central adiposity and associated health risks.

Aims
To establish the practice of AMEDs in measuring waist circumference of working divers undergoing medical assessment to determine their fitness to dive.

Methods
Ninety-seven AMEDs were sent a questionnaire and asked to describe their current practice in measuring waist circumference. The response rate was 79%. The audit standard used was the consensus document published by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Results
Of the 77 responses, 76 were completed sufficiently to allow analysis. When the waist was measured, there was consistency in the diver’s level of clothing, stage of breathing and posture for the procedure but variability in the site of measurement. Only 7/76 (9%) respondents carried out waist measurement fully in line with WHO guidance.

Conclusions
The audit has identified that there is a need for guidance for AMEDs on measuring waist circumference in the statutory medical assessment of working divers.
Long-Term Coronavirus Disease 2019 Complications in Inpatients and Outpatients: A One-Year Follow-up Cohort Study
Authors: Lombardo Michele Davide Maria , Foppiani Andrea , Peretti Giuseppe Michele , Mangiavini Laura , Battezzati Alberto , Bertoli Simona , Martinelli Boneschi Filippo , Zuccotti Gian Vincenzo 
Published: July 2021

Abstract

Background
As the coronavirus pandemic spreads, more and more people are infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The short- and medium-term effects of the infection have been described, but the description of the long-term sequelae is lacking in the literature.

Methods
Patients healed from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from February 2020 to May 2020 were considered for inclusion in this study, regardless of the severity of the disease during the acute phase. Eligible patients were consecutively contacted and a semistructured interview was administered between February and March 2021 by trained medical staff.

Results
Three hundred three patients were eligible and accepted to participate in the study and were enrolled. Of those surveyed, most patients (81%) reported at least 1 symptom, and the most prevalent symptoms were fatigue (52%), pain (48%), and sleep disorders (47%). Sensory alterations were present in 28% of surveyed patients, but in most of these cases (74% of those affected by sensory alterations or 20% of the overall sample) symptoms reported were either anosmia or dysgeusia. Higher prevalence was generally observed with increasing age, although the most relevant differences were observed when comparing young versus middle-aged adults.

Conclusions
At 12 months after acute infection, COVID-19 survivors were still suffering from symptoms identified at shorter follow-up, and the most frequent symptoms included fatigue, pain, and sleep disorders. A more severe impairment in the acute phase did not seem to predict more severe complications.
Return of the Lemnaceae: duckweed as a model plant system in the genomics and postgenomics era
Authors: Acosta Kenneth , Appenroth Klaus J , Borisjuk Ljudmilla , Edelman Marvin , Heinig Uwe , Jansen Marcel A K , Oyama Tokitaka , Pasaribu Buntora , Schubert Ingo , Sorrels Shawn , Sree K Sowjanya , Xu Shuqing , Michael Todd P , Lam Eric 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe aquatic Lemnaceae family, commonly called duckweed, comprises some of the smallest and fastest growing angiosperms known on Earth. Their tiny size, rapid growth by clonal propagation, and facile uptake of labeled compounds from the media were attractive features that made them a well-known model for plant biology from 1950 to 1990. Interest in duckweed has steadily regained momentum over the past decade, driven in part by the growing need to identify alternative plants from traditional agricultural crops that can help tackle urgent societal challenges, such as climate change and rapid population expansion. Propelled by rapid advances in genomic technologies, recent studies with duckweed again highlight the potential of these small plants to enable discoveries in diverse fields from ecology to chronobiology. Building on established community resources, duckweed is reemerging as a platform to study plant processes at the systems level and to translate knowledge gained for field deployment to address some of society’s pressing needs. This review details the anatomy, development, physiology, and molecular characteristics of the Lemnaceae to introduce them to the broader plant research community. We highlight recent research enabled by Lemnaceae to demonstrate how these plants can be used for quantitative studies of complex processes and for revealing potentially novel strategies in plant defense and genome maintenance.
Plant PhysioSpace: a robust tool to compare stress response across plant species
Authors: Hadizadeh Esfahani Ali , Maß Janina , Hallab Asis , Schuldt Bernhard M , Nevarez David , Usadel Björn , Ott Mark-Christoph , Buer Benjamin , Schuppert Andreas 
Published: July 2021

Abstract
Generalization of transcriptomics results can be achieved by comparison across experiments. This generalization is based on integration of interrelated transcriptomics studies into a compendium. Such a focus on the bigger picture enables both characterizations of the fate of an organism and distinction between generic and specific responses. Numerous methods for analyzing transcriptomics datasets exist. Yet, most of these methods focus on gene-wise dimension reduction to obtain marker genes and gene sets for, for example, pathway analysis. Relying only on isolated biological modules might result in missing important confounders and relevant contexts. We developed a method called Plant PhysioSpace, which enables researchers to compute experimental conditions across species and platforms without a priori reducing the reference information to specific gene sets. Plant PhysioSpace extracts physiologically relevant signatures from a reference dataset (i.e. a collection of public datasets) by integrating and transforming heterogeneous reference gene expression data into a set of physiology-specific patterns. New experimental data can be mapped to these patterns, resulting in similarity scores between the acquired data and the extracted compendium. Because of its robustness against platform bias and noise, Plant PhysioSpace can function as an inter-species or cross-platform similarity measure. We have demonstrated its success in translating stress responses between different species and platforms, including single-cell technologies. We have also implemented two R packages, one software and one data package, and a Shiny web application to facilitate access to our method and precomputed models.
Conducting General Social Surveys as Self-Administered Mixed-Mode Surveys
Authors: Wolf Christof , Christmann Pablo , Gummer Tobias , Schnaudt Christian , Verhoeven Sascha 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThis article discusses the current challenges of conducting a General Social Survey (GSS) in face-to-face mode and evaluates the alternative of fielding these surveys in self-administered mixed-mode (web, mail) instead. Based on data from Germany, it first illustrates the stark decline of participation in face-to-face surveys since 2002 and reports a strong increase in the cost of conducting these surveys over the same period. It then discusses the possibility of implementing GSS-type surveys in a self-administered design and reports results from a mode experiment implemented in the German part of the European Values Study (EVS) 2017/18. The results of the experiment indicate that self-administered mixed-mode surveys are a viable alternative for cross-sectional general population surveys in Germany; they shorten the fieldwork period and lead to higher response rates, while being more cost-efficient than face-to-face surveys. Despite the finding that the sample composition deviates from the general population in both modes, the face-to-face mode represents the population slightly better.
Changing Votes, Changing Identities?
Authors: Agadjanian Alexander , Lacy Dean 
Published: July 2021

AbstractAlthough racial identity is usually assumed to be unchanging, recent research shows otherwise. The role of politics in racial identity change has received little attention. Using panel data with waves around two recent presidential elections, this article reveals survey evidence of racial fluidity and its strong relationship with vote switching patterns. Across several models and robust to various controls, switching from a non-Republican vote in 2012 to a 2016 Republican vote (i.e., non-Romney to Trump) significantly predicts nonwhite to white race change. Among nonwhites who did not vote Republican in 2012, switching to a Republican vote in 2016 increases the probability of adopting a white racial identity from a 0.03 baseline to 0.49, a 1,533 percent increase. Individuals originally identifying as Mixed and Hispanic drive this identity-voting link. A parallel dynamic on the Democratic side—new Democratic voters moving from white to nonwhite identities—does not occur. The systematic relationship between Trump switching and white identity adoption is unlikely to be spurious or due to measurement error, does not appear for the 2008–2012 election period, and makes theoretical sense in light of 2016 campaign rhetoric and trends in political-social identity alignment.
First pilot study of extracellular volume MRI measurement in peripheral muscle of systemic sclerosis patients suggests diffuse fibrosis
Authors: Dumitru Raluca B , Goodall Alex F , Broadbent David A , Del Galdo Francesco , Tan Ai Lyn , Biglands John D , Buch Maya H 
Published: July 2021

Abstract

Objectives
Peripheral muscle involvement in SSc may comprise myositis or a non-inflammatory myopathy. There is little understanding of the nature of SSc myopathy. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the presence of diffuse fibrosis in the peripheral muscle of patients with SSc by determining extracellular volume (ECV) MRI measurement.

Methods
SSc patients, with either suspected myopathy or no muscle involvement, and healthy controls (HCs) had native T1 and ECV MRI quantification of the thigh and creatine-kinase (CK) measured. Suspected myopathy was defined as current / history of minimally raised CK (&gt;320; &lt;600 IU/l) ± presence of clinical signs/symptoms (including proximal lower-limb muscle weakness and/or myalgia) ± a Manual Muscle Testing (MMT) 8 score of &lt;5 in the thighs.

Results
Twelve SSc patients and 10 HCs were recruited. Of the 12 patients, 9 had limited cutaneous SSc, 4 had interstitial lung disease, and 7 had suspected myopathy. The higher skeletal muscle ECV was recorded for SSc patients compared with HCs [mean (s.d.) 23 (11)%, vs 11 (4)%, P = 0.04]. Peripheral muscle ECV was associated with CK (rho = 0.554, P = 0.061) and was higher in SSc patients with myopathy than in those with no myopathy [mean (s.d.) 28 (10) vs 15 (5), P = 0.023]. It was determined that an ECV of 22% best identified myopathy (with a sensitivity of 71% and a specificity of 80%).

Conclusion
This hypothesis-generating study showed higher ECV in SSc patients compared with HCs, as well as association of ECV with suspected myopathy, suggesting the presence of diffuse fibrosis in the peripheral muscle of SSc patients. Further studies are needed to understand the nature of SSc myopathy.
MEASUREMENT OF RADIATION DOSE TO THE EYE LENS IN NON-ENHANCED CT SCANS OF THE BRAIN
Authors: Alwasiah Reem , Jawhari Abdulkarim , Orri Rafal Al , Khafaji Mawya , Al Bahiti Sarah 
Published: July 2021

Abstract
Radiation can have undesirable effects on the eye, including a gradual loss of vision. Unnecessary radiation can reach the eye lens during non-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scans of the brain. The International Commission on Radiological Protection states the threshold for acute and chronic eye lens exposure is 500 mGy and the equivalent dose limit for the eye lens for public exposure is 15 mSv per year. Therefore, we measured the direct radiation dose to the eye lens during head CT scans using NanoDots in 216 adults. The mean absorbed dose to both eyes was 33.62 mGy (standard deviation ±12.442). The averages for the other variables were: tube current-time product: 260 mAs; dose-length product: 708 mGy cm and CT dose index: 35.5 mGy. Our findings encourage further study of radiation exposure and modifications in CT imaging protocols.
Neural Responses of Pet Dogs Witnessing Their Caregiver’s Positive Interactions with a Conspecific: An fMRI Study
Authors: Karl Sabrina , Sladky Ronald , Lamm Claus , Huber Ludwig 
Published: July 2021

Abstract
We have limited knowledge on how dogs perceive humans and their actions. Various researchers investigated how they process human facial expressions, but their brain responses to complex social scenarios remain unclear. While undergoing fMRI, we exposed pet dogs to videos showing positive social and neutral nonsocial interactions between their caregivers and another conspecific. Our main interest was how the dogs responded to their caregivers (compared to a stranger) engaging in a pleasant interaction with another dog that could be seen as social rival. We hypothesized that the dogs would show activation increases in limbic areas such as the amygdala, hypothalamus, and insula and likely show higher attention and arousal during the positive caregiver–dog interaction. When contrasting the social with the nonsocial interaction, we found increased activations in the left amygdala and the insular cortex. Crucially, the dogs’ hypothalamus showed strongest activation when the caregiver engaged in a positive social interaction. These findings indicate that dogs are sensitive to social affective human–dog interactions and likely show higher valence attribution and arousal in a situation possibly perceived as a potential threat to their caregiver bonds. Our study provides a first window into the neural correlates of social and emotional processing in dogs.
Phylogeography of the endemic red-tailed cicadas of New Zealand (Hemiptera: Cicadidae:Rhodopsalta), and molecular, morphological and bioacoustical confirmation of the existence of Hudson’sRhodopsalta microdora
Authors: Bator John , Marshall David C , Hill Kathy B R , Cooley John R , Leston Adam , Simon Chris 
Published: July 2021

AbstractWhy do some genera radiate, whereas others do not? The genetic structure of present-day populations can provide clues for developing hypotheses. In New Zealand, three Cicadidae genera are depauperate [Amphipsalta (three species), Notopsalta (one species) and Rhodopsalta (three species)], whereas two have speciated extensively [Kikihia (~30 species/subspecies) and Maoricicada (~20 species/subspecies). Here, we examine the evolution of Rhodopsalta, the last New Zealand genus to be studied phylogenetically and phylogeographically. We use Bayesian and maximum-likelihood analyses of mitochondrial cox1 and nuclear EF1α gene sequences. Concatenated and single-gene phylogenies for 70 specimens (58 localities) support its monophyly and three described species: Rhodopsalta cruentata, Rhodopsalta leptomera and Rhodopsalta microdora, the last taxon previously regarded as uncertain. We provide distribution maps, biological notes and the first descriptions of diagnostic songs. We show that both R. cruentata and R. microdora exhibit northern and southern genetic subclades. Subclades of the dry-adapted R. microdora clade show geographical structure, whereas those of the mesic R. cruentata and sand-dune specialist R. leptomera have few discernible patterns. Genetic, bioacoustical and detailed distributional evidence for R. microdora add to the known biodiversity of New Zealand. We designate a lectotype for Tettigonia cruentataFabricius, 1775, the type species of Rhodopsalta.
Navigating the diagnostic challenges of bipolar disorder in youth
Authors: Aguirre Larry 
Published: July 2021

ABSTRACT
Bipolar disorder in youth is difficult to diagnose and treat, but early detection is important to mitigate risks and improve patient outcomes. This article evaluates the unique challenges of diagnosing and treating bipolar disorder in children and adolescents. Bipolar disorder is associated with a significant personal and societal health burden and frequently is misdiagnosed and incorrectly treated. More research is needed to understand the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder and which treatment options are best throughout the lifespan.
Ocular mucous membrane pemphigoid: novel treatment strategies
Authors: Jabbour Samir , Phylactou Maria , Ahmad Sajjad 
Published: July 2021

Purpose of review
To describe current treatments of ocular mucous membrane pemphigoid (OMMP), including conventional systemic immunosuppression (CIST) and novel biologic agents.

Recent findings
CIST remains the main stay therapy for the management of OMMP. The choice of agents is tailored to disease severity – mild disease is treated with dapsone, whereas moderately severe cases are often treated with mycophenolate mofetil or sulfa-based drugs and severe cases are treated with cyclophosphamide. In recalcitrant disease newer biologics such as Rituximab, intravenous immunoglobins and tumour necrosis alpha antagonists have proven to be effective in disease control. Control of inflammation with topical therapy and halting conjunctival fibrosis remain as areas of unmet clinical needs.

Summary
OMMP is largely treated with CIST. The recent introduction of new biologic agents could shape the way the disease is treated in the near future.