bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Characteristics and treatment of elemental mercury intoxication: A case series
Authors: Johnson‐Arbor Kelly , Tefera Eshetu , Farrell John 
Published: June 2021

AbstractBackground and aimsElemental mercury toxicity is a rare condition which can be difficult to diagnose due to its nonspecific signs and symptoms. The purpose of this investigation is to describe the presenting characteristics and treatment of adult and pediatric patients with elemental mercury poisoning.MethodsA retrospective review was performed in six patients with elemental mercury exposure or intoxication who were treated in an outpatient medical toxicology clinic. Clinical signs and symptoms, laboratory assessments, and public health responses were reviewed.ResultsHeadache, anorexia, rash, and personality changes were commonly reported symptoms in pediatric patients; the adult patients were asymptomatic or reported signs and symptoms included myalgias, tremors, and hypertension. Delays in diagnosis were common. Symptomatic patients had 24‐hour urine mercury concentrations greater than 20 mcg/L. Treatment, including removal from the exposure source as well as chelation with dimercaptosuccinic acid, resulted in resolution of signs and symptoms within 6 months of diagnosis.ConclusionThe evaluation and treatment of patients with suspected elemental mercury poisoning frequently require a multidisciplinary approach including medical toxicologists and public health officials. A heightened awareness of the clinical presentations of this condition, as well as early identification and removal of patients from the source of exposure and consideration of chelation therapy, can result in accelerated patient recovery.
How to ask: Surveying nursing directors of nursing homes
Authors: Williams Jessica A.R. , Vriniotis Mary G. , Gundersen Daniel A. , Boden Leslie I. , Collins Jamie E. , Katz Jeffrey N. , Wagner Gregory R. , Sorensen Glorian 
Published: June 2021

AbstractBackground and AimsNursing home research may involve eliciting information from managers, yet response rates for Directors of Nursing have not been recently studied. As a part of a more extensive study, we surveyed all nursing homes in three states in 2018 and 2019, updating how to survey these leaders effectively. We focus on response rates as a measure of non‐response error and comparison of nursing home's characteristics to their population values as a measure of representation error.MethodsWe surveyed Directors of Nursing or their designees in nursing homes serving adult residents with at least 30 beds in California, Massachusetts, and Ohio (N = 2389). We collected contact information for respondents and then emailed survey invitations and links, followed by three email reminders and a paper version. Nursing home associations in two of the states contacted their members on our behalf. We compared the response rates across waves and states. We also compared the characteristics of nursing homes based on whether the response was via email or paper. In a multivariable logit regression, we used characteristics of the survey and the nursing homes to predict whether their DON responded to the survey using adjustments for multiple comparisons.ResultsThe response rate was higher for the first wave than for the second (30% vs 20.5%). The highest response rate was in Massachusetts (31.8%), followed by Ohio (25.8%) and California (19.5%). Nursing home characteristics did not vary by response mode. Additionally, we did not find any statistically significant predictors of whether a nursing home responded.ConclusionA single‐mode survey may provide a reasonably representative sample at the cost of sample size. With that said, however, switching modes can increase sample size without potentially biasing the sample.
Effects of mixed physical barrier on residual saltwater removal and groundwater discharge in coastal aquifers
Authors: Gao Mingpeng , Zheng Tianyuan , Chang Qinpeng , Zheng Xilai , Walther Marc 
Published: June 2021

AbstractPhysical barriers are widely used to control seawater intrusion (SWI). Amongst different kinds of physical barriers, mixed physical barriers (MPBs) are shown to be an effective approach to prevent SWI. However, the system may hinder the discharge of fresh groundwater and the removal of residual saltwater trapped in the inland aquifers of MPBs. Herein, using the validated numerical model, for the first time, we investigated the dynamics of residual saltwater and groundwater discharge after the installation of MPBs. For examining the applicability of MPB and its response to structural variations and hydraulic gradient, the comparison with traditional physical barriers and sensitivity analysis was also carried out. The MPB increased the mixing area of freshwater and saltwater at the beginning of the removal process, resulting in the reduction of the saltwater wedge length (RL) by 74.6% and the removal of total salt mass (RM) by 62.6% within the 4% of the total removal time. Meanwhile, the groundwater discharge (Q') rose rapidly after a sharp decline from 100% to 40% in the first stage. As the residual saltwater wedge was retreated, the mixing intensity and removal efficiency decreased substantially in the second stage. Similarly, Q' raised with a declining rate at this stage. The removal efficiency was positively correlated with wall depth and hydraulic gradient and there were optimal distance of the middle spacing and height of lower dam to reach the highest efficiency. The groundwater discharge reduced monotonously with the increase of dam height and wall depth as well as the decrease of barrier spacing and hydraulic gradient. Under certain conditions, the efficiency of MPB in removing residual saltwater could be 40%–100% and 0%–56% higher than that of traditional subsurface dam and cutoff wall, respectively. The laboratory scale conclusions provide valuable physical insight for the real field applications regarding dynamic mechanism and regularity. These findings will always help decision makers choose proper engineering measures and protect groundwater resources in coastal areas.
A deep learning framework for glaucoma detection based on robust optic disc segmentation and transfer learning
Authors: Natarajan Deepa , Sankaralingam Esakkirajan , Balraj Keerthiveena , Karuppusamy Selvakumar 
Published: June 2021

AbstractGlaucoma is a common ocular disorder, inflicting blindness in millions of people, early detection of which can reduce adverse outcomes. This paper presents a two‐stage deep learning framework UNet‐SNet, for glaucoma detection. Initially, each fundus image is segmented into GMM super pixels and the Region of Interest (RoI) is separated by Cuckoo Search Optimization (CSO). In the first stage, a regularized UNet is trained with RoIs for OD segmentation. In the second stage, a SqueezeNet is fine‐tuned with deep features of the ODs to discriminate fundus images into glaucomotousor Normal. The UNet is trained and tested with the RIGA and RIM‐ONEv2 datasets, achieving 97.84% and 99.85% accuracies respectively. The classifier is trained with the ODs segmented from the RIM‐ONEv2 dataset and tested with ACRIMA, Drishti‐GS1 and RIM‐ONEv1 datasets accomplishing 99.86%, 97.05% and 100% accuracies respectively. Performance evaluations and complexity analyses with state‐of‐the‐art systems demonstrate the superiority of the proposed model.
Management of the competition horse – know the client, know the sport, know the rules
Authors: Elliott Christopher 
Published: June 2021

Background: Managing the demands of actively competing sport horses can be challenging for veterinarians. Finding the right balance between short‐term athletic goals and long‐term health and wellbeing of the horse can at times be difficult. Understanding your client's goals, aspirations and the athletic expectations of their equine partner is essential for successful management of the sport horse. This, coupled with knowledge of the chosen equestrian sport and familiarity with the rules and regulations, will greatly improve any veterinarian's ability to manage actively competing sport horses.Aim of the article: This article aims to assist veterinarians treating sport horses by highlighting some of the important equestrian rules and regulations. It also discusses some approaches to creating a successful veterinary‐client relationship.
Nanodiamond‐chitosan functionalized hernia mesh for biocompatibility and antimicrobial activity
Authors: Saha Tanushree , Houshyar Shadi , Sarker Satya Ranjan , Pyreddy Suneela , Dekiwadia Chaitali , Nasa Zeyad , Padhye Rajiv , Wang Xin 
Published: June 2021

AbstractPolypropylene (PP) mesh is most commonly used for the treatment of hernia and pelvic floor construction. However, some of the patients have a few complications after surgery due to the rejection or infection of the implanted meshes. The poor biocompatibility of PP mesh, low wettability results in poor cell attachment/proliferation and restricts the loading of antibacterial agent, leading to a slow healing process and high risk of infection after surgery. Here in this study, a new technique has been employed to develop a novel antimicrobial and biocompatible PP mesh modified with bioactive chitosan and functionalized nanodiamond (FND) for infection inhibition and acceleration of the healing process. An oxygen plasma treatment PP mesh was used then chitosan was strongly attached to the surface of the PP fibers. Subsequently, FND as an antibacterial agent was loaded into the chitosan modified PP fiber to provide desired antibacterial functions. The meshes were characterised with XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDX, water contact angle, confocal, and optical microscopy. The modified PP mesh with chitosan and FND showed a significant increase in its hydrophilicity and L929 fibroblast cell attachment. Furthermore, the modified mesh exhibited great antibacterial efficiency against Escherichia coli. Therefore, the newly developed technique to modify PP mesh could be a promising technique to generate a biocompatible PP mesh to accelerate the healing process and reduce the risk of infection after surgery.
Proximity with limited humanity: How hosting a tent city impacted college students' perceptions of individuals experiencing homelessness
Authors: Tausen Brittany M. , Charleson Mary , Fingerhut Lea 
Published: June 2021

AbstractThe current manuscript assessed the impact of a community intervention—hosting a government‐sanctioned homeless encampment—on perceptions of individuals experiencing homelessness. College students' perceptions of individuals experiencing homelessness were collected before and after a tent city resided on campus. Perceptions were assessed utilizing a measure of dehumanization that probed the presumed importance of physiological and psychological needs. Data about contact with individuals experiencing homelessness were also collected. Hosting a tent city did not improve community‐wide perceptions of individuals experiencing homelessness. For a subset of participants who explicitly mentioned interactions with tent city members, awareness of the importance of physiological needs increased. Assessments of intergroup contact during hosting did not moderate changes in perceptions, though contact prior to hosting did have a modest impact. Specifically, students who had the fewest prior interactions were more likely to show improved perceptions of middle‐level need (e.g., love and belonging) importance. There was no evidence to suggest any enhancements in perceptions of high‐level needs (e.g., feeling independent and respected). Contact that organically occurs when a community hosts a tent city has limited potential to enhance markers of humanness. Implications for the contact hypothesis and recommendations for future hosting sites are discussed.
Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease and sarcopenia additively increase mortality: a Korean nationwide survey
Authors: Moon Joon Ho , Koo Bo Kyung , Kim Won 
Published: June 2021

AbstractBackgroundSarcopenia is an independent risk factor not only for advanced‐stage non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) but also for mortality. We investigated the association of sarcopenia and/or NAFLD with mortality among the Korean general population.MethodsIndividuals aged 35–75 years without any history of cancer, ischaemic heart disease, ischaemic stroke, or secondary causes of chronic liver disease were selected from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from 2008 to 2015. Their mortality data until December 2018 were retrieved from the National Death Registry. NAFLD and sarcopenia were defined by hepatic steatosis index and appendicular skeletal muscle mass divided by body mass index (BMI), respectively.ResultsA total of 28 060 subjects were analysed [mean age, 50.6 (standard error, 0.1) years, 48.2 (0.3) % men]; the median follow‐up duration was of 6.8 (interquartile range, 4.8, 8.4) years. NAFLD predicted mortality after adjustment for age, sex, BMI, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, and smoking (HR 1.32, 95% CI 1.03–1.70), but this prediction lost its statistical significance after additional adjustment for diabetes mellitus. In contrast, NAFLD with advanced fibrosis independently increased the risk of mortality after adjustment for all covariates (HR 1.68, 95% CI 1.02–2.79). Stratified analysis revealed that NAFLD and sarcopenia additively increased the risk of mortality as an ordinal scale (HR 1.46, 95% CI 1.18–1.81, P for trend = 0.001). The coexistence of NAFLD and sarcopenia increased the risk of mortality by almost twice as much, even after adjustment for advanced fibrosis (HR 2.18, 95% CI 1.38–3.44).ConclusionsConcurrent NAFLD and sarcopenia conferred a two‐fold higher risk of mortality. The observation that NAFLD and sarcopenia additively increase mortality suggests that risk stratification would be helpful in predicting mortality among those with metabolic derangement.
Solventless transacetalization of solketal over Amberlyst catalysts into valuable bio‐based chemicals
Authors: Noor Armylisas Abu H , Hoong Seng S , Tuan Noor Maznee Tuan I , Yeong Shoot K , Mohammat Mohd F 
Published: June 2021

AbstractBACKGROUNDIn addition to being a greener synthetic approach, the production of value‐added chemicals from bio‐based glycerol is highly appealing owing to its nontoxicity, renewability and availability. The current work reports solventless transacetalization of solketal with benzaldehyde in the presence of heterogeneous Amberlyst® catalysts (A15 dry, A15 wet, A36 and A46).RESULTSEffects of several reaction parameters on the transacetalization of solketal also were investigated and optimized to attain maximum conversion and yield. This reaction, however, is accompanied by concurrent hydrolysis of solketal to form the side product glycerol. Of all solid acid catalysts investigated, A15 dry (10 wt%) gave the highest conversion (88%) under optimized reaction conditions of 60 °C, 5:1 (solketal/benzaldehyde) and 30 min duration. The A15 dry is reusable and recyclable with only 8% reduction in conversion after five consecutive cycles. The approach was extended to other aldehydes including furfural and phenylacetaldehyde to produce, respectively, a highly value‐added fuel additive intermediate and hyacinth fragrance.CONCLUSIONThe transacetalization of solketal with less reactive aldehyde into cyclic glycerol acetal was achieved in an efficient, feasible and green manner. A15 was the most reactive catalyst of all Amberlyst® catalysts investigated. This approach also provided effective utilization of waste of biodiesel production – glycerol – for transformation into value‐added products. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Pre and postnatal diagnosis of a third branchial cleft cyst by sonography and magnetic resonance imaging with three‐dimensional virtual reconstruction
Authors: Castro Pedro Teixeira , Werner Heron , Fazecas Tatiana , Matos Ana Paula , Maia Fernando , de Mello Paulo Pires , Araujo Júnior Edward 
Published: June 2021

AbstractBranchial cleft cysts (BCCs) are common causes of cervical tumors in children and adulthood; however, prenatal diagnosis of BCC is rare. In neonates, these cysts can suddenly increase in size, causing airway obstruction and becoming a life‐threatening condition. In this case report, we describe the prenatal diagnosis of a third BCC at the 25th week of pregnancy using ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, and three‐dimensional virtual models, as well as the perinatal outcomes of this rare condition.
Obesity and cholangiocarcinoma: A review of epidemiological and molecular associations
Authors: Osataphan Soravis , Mahankasuwan Treerat , Saengboonmee Charupong 
Published: June 2021

AbstractCholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a malignancy of bile duct epithelium, and its incidence is increasing globally. Numerous factors are reported associated with an increased risk of CCA and vary among populations across different areas. Obesity is a major, worldwide public health problem that leads to several complications and is associated with increased cancer risk. Although several epidemiological studies have shown that obesity is likely associated with the increased risk of CCA, this association might be limited to Western countries. Multiple hormones, cytokines, and metabolite perturbations in obese states have been shown to enhance tumorigenicity and metastasis potentials. Understanding the biological linkage of obesity to CCA might lead to novel prevention and therapeutic approaches to CCA treatment. This review summarizes the current evidence and highlights the knowledge gaps regarding the relationship between obesity and CCA from epidemiological and molecular perspectives.
Machine Learning‐Based Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging Radiomic Model for Discrimination of Pathological Subtypes of Craniopharyngioma
Authors: Huang Zhou‐San , Xiao Xiang , Li Xiao‐Dan , Mo Hai‐Zhu , He Wen‐Le , Deng Yao‐Hong , Lu Li‐Jun , Wu Yuan‐Kui , Liu Hao 
Published: June 2021

BackgroundPreoperative, noninvasive discrimination of the craniopharyngioma subtypes is important because it influences the treatment strategy.PurposeTo develop a radiomic model based on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging for noninvasive discrimination of pathological subtypes of craniopharyngioma.Study TypeRetrospective.PopulationA total of 164 patients from two medical centers were enrolled in this study. Patients from the first medical center were divided into a training cohort (N = 99) and an internal validation cohort (N = 33). Patients from the second medical center were used as the external independent validation cohort (N = 32).Field Strength/SequenceAxial T1‐weighted (T1‐w), T2‐weighted (T2‐w), contrast‐enhanced T1‐weighted (CET1‐w) on 3.0 T or 1.5 T magnetic resonance scanners.AssessmentPathological subtypes (squamous papillary craniopharyngioma and adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma) were confirmed by surgery and hematoxylin and eosin staining. Optimal radiomic feature selection was performed by SelectKBest, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm, and support vector machine (SVM) with a recursive feature elimination algorithm. Models based on each sequence or combinations of sequences were built using a SVM classifier and used to differentiate pathological subtypes of craniopharyngioma in the training cohort, internal validation, and external validation cohorts.Statistical TestsThe area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to assess the diagnostic performance of the radiomic models.ResultsSeven texture features, three from T1‐w, two from T2‐w, and two from CET1‐w, were selected and used to construct the radiomic model. The AUC values of the radiomic model were 0.899, 0.810, and 0.920 in the training cohort, internal and external validation cohorts, respectively. The AUC values of the clinicoradiological model were 0.677, 0.655, and 0.671 in the training cohort, internal and external validation cohorts, respectively.Data ConclusionThe model based on radiomic features from T1‐w, T2‐w, and CET1‐w has a high discriminatory ability for pathological subtypes of craniopharyngioma.Level of Evidence4Technical Efficacy2
Tuberculosis in the Head and Neck: Changing Trends and Age‐Related Patterns
Authors: Gehrke Thomas , Hackenberg Stephan , Tecle Nyat , Hagen Rudolf , Scherzad Agmal 
Published: June 2021

ObjectiveTo evaluate changing trends in patient collectives, age‐related patterns of manifestation, and diagnostic pathways of patients with extrapulmonary head and neck tuberculosis (TB), and to provide strategies to fasten diagnosis in these patients.Study designCase control study.MethodsA 10‐year retrospective analysis of 35 patients diagnosed with extrapulmonary TB in the head and neck at a tertiary university institution from 2009 to 2019, with special focus on the influence of the patient's age on consideration of TB and clinical patterns.ResultsThe vast majority of patients younger than 40 years had their origin in countries with high TB burden (P = .0003), and TB was considered very early as a differential diagnosis (P = .0068), while most patients older than 40 years were domestic citizens initially suspected for a malignancy, who more often had an underlying immunosuppressive condition (0.0472). Most frequent manifestations in both groups were the lymph nodes, larynx, and oropharynx. Surprisingly, no differences in the rates of open TB or history of TB infection in the family anamnesis were found.ConclusionThe two groups of patients found most often are younger patients migrating from regions with high TB burden and elderly domestic patients suffering from immunosuppressive conditions, with the latter often being misdiagnosed as malignancies. TB remains an important but difficult differential diagnosis, due to the initially unspecific symptoms and the great variety in the presentation of manifestations in the head and neck.Level of Evidence4 Laryngoscope, 131:2701–2705, 2021
Impact of increasing carbon dioxide on dinitrogen and carbon fixation rates under oligotrophic conditions and simulated upwelling
Authors: Singh Arvind , Bach Lennart T. , Löscher Carolin R. , Paul Allanah J. , Ojha Narendra , Riebesell Ulf 
Published: June 2021

AbstractDinitrogen (N2) fixation is a major source of bioavailable nitrogen to oligotrophic ocean communities. Yet, we have limited understanding how ongoing climate change could alter N2 fixation. Most of our understanding is based on short‐term laboratory experiments conducted on individual N2‐fixing species whereas community‐level approaches are rare. In this longer‐term in situ mesocosm study, we aimed to improve our understanding on the role of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and simulated deep water upwelling on N2 and carbon (C) fixation rates in a natural oligotrophic plankton community. We deployed nine mesocosms in the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean and enriched seven of these with CO2 to yield a range of treatments (partial pressure of CO2, pCO2 = 352–1025 μatm). We measured rates of N2 and C fixation in both light and dark incubations over the 55‐day study period. High pCO2 negatively impacted light and dark N2 fixation rates in the oligotrophic phase before simulated upwelling, while the effect reversed in the light N2 fixation rates in the bloom decay phase after added nutrients were consumed. Dust deposition and simulated upwelling of nutrient‐rich deep water increased N2 fixation rates and nifH gene abundances of selected clades including the unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacterium clade UCYN‐B. Elevated pCO2 increased C fixation rates in the decay phase. We conclude that elevated pCO2 and pulses of upwelling have pronounced effects on diazotrophy and primary producers, and upwelling and dust deposition modify the pCO2 effect in natural assemblages.