bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Interventions for frail older inpatients: A systematic review of frailty measures and reported outcomes in randomised controlled trials
Authors: King Shannon J. , Raine Kate A. , Peel Nancye M. , Hubbard Ruth E. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractObjectiveTo summarise frailty measures and outcomes reported in trials involving frail older inpatients.MethodsDatabases were searched for randomised controlled trials enrolling frail older inpatients.ResultsTwenty‐four articles describing twelve trials were included. Seven trials applied six tools to measure frailty, whilst five trials employed ad hoc measures. Eighty outcomes were examined with survival and functional status reported most commonly. Nine studies trialled multidisciplinary, geriatrician‐led interventions. Statistically significant between‐group differences were detected for at least one outcome in ten trials. All studies represented high risk of bias within at least one domain.ConclusionsHeterogeneity of interventions, measurement of frailty and outcomes reported limit generalisability of findings. Many articles purport to study frail patients, yet do not enrol patients using any frailty measurement tool. Utilising validated instruments to measure frailty and a standard set of health outcomes relevant to older people would assist consistent reporting and evaluation of future studies.
Smartphone‐controlled patch electro‐acupuncture versus conventional pain relief during colonoscopy: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Joan Gan Cheau Yan , Chan Koon Khee , Tan Jih Huei , Tan Chor Lip Henry , Louis Ling Leong Liung , Mohd Azman Zairul Azwan 
Published: April 2021

AbstractBackgroundSmartphone‐controlled patch electro‐acupuncture (SCEA) is a novel device which gives the same analgesic effect as with conventional acupuncture. There are no published articles in the English literature on the use of this device as a primary mode of pain relief during colonoscopy. Primary aims of this study were to investigate the efficacy of SCEA as a substitute for pain relief during colonoscopy.MethodsThirty‐seven patients were randomized to receive SCEA (n = 19) or placebo (n = 18) during colonoscopy. Additional rescue sedation was administered to patients if they had pain or discomfort during the procedure. Visual analogue scale was used to quantify the intensity of pain from the beginning to end of the procedure. Other variables analysed were the amount of sedation used, duration from start to caecal intubation, length of time for completion of colonoscopy and recovery time to home discharge.ResultsPatients who received SCEA had a lower median pain score of 4.6 (interquartile range 5.7) compared to the placebo group of 6.0 (interquartile range 3.2). Statistical analysis comparing the groups revealed a non‐significant P‐value of 0.12, although more than 90% of the patients indicated willingness for SCEA as the primary analgesia if they were to repeat the procedure. Throughout the study, there were no adverse complications that occurred during the use of SCEA.ConclusionsEven though this study did not demonstrate, a significance in pain reduction, SCEA remains a safe modality which, more than 90% of patients favoured as a substitute for pain relief during colonoscopy.
Left ventricular assist device implantation in patients with left ventricular thrombus
Authors: Dogan Günes , Mariani Silvia , Hanke Jasmin S. , Deniz Ezin , Merzah Ali , Li Tong , Haverich Axel , Schmitto Jan D. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractAn intra‐cavitary left ventricular (LV) thrombus is a relative contraindication to LV assist device (LVAD) implantation based on increased thromboembolic risks. Herein, we present our experience with LVAD patients with or without preoperative diagnosis of LV‐thrombus. We retrospectively investigated 563 patients who received LVAD implantation between 2004 and 2018. Diagnosis of LV‐thrombus was verified with computed tomography scan, magnetic resonance imaging, echocardiography, or intraoperative LV inspection. The primary endpoint was 30‐day survival free of stroke and pump thrombosis. Overall, 72 patients (12.8%) had a diagnosis of LV‐thrombus. They were younger (51 years; IQR:41‐59), affected by severely reduced ejection fraction (15%; IQR:10‐20), more often presenting with dilated cardiomyopathy (61.8%) and INTERMACS profile 1 (33.3%). Preoperative atrial fibrillation was frequent in patients without LV‐thrombus (38.9%). Conventional sternotomy was the preferred approach in LV‐thrombus patients (77.8%), based on more HMII implantations in these patients (41.7%). Survival free of strokes and pump thrombosis at 30 days was comparable (P = .5751) between patients with (83.3%) or without LV‐thrombus (80.9%). LVAD implantation in patients with preoperative LV‐thrombus is safe and feasible. When managed through correct diagnostic and intraoperative strategies including accurate inspection of the LV cavity, these patients show similar 30‐day outcomes compared to patients without LV‐thrombus.
Language delay was associated with a smaller head circumference at birth in asymptomatic infants prenatally exposed to the Zika virus
Authors: Andrade Laura Medeiros , Baker Meio Maria Dalva , Gomes Saint Clair , Souza Juliana Paiva , Figueiredo Mirza R. , Costa Roozemeria Pereira , Brasil Patricia , Nielsen‐Saines Karin , Brickley Elizabeth , Moreira Maria Elisabeth Lopes 
Published: April 2021

AbstractAimOur aim was to analyse 12‐month outcomes of children who were prenatally exposed to the Zika virus and asymptomatic at birth.MethodsThis was an observational, exploratory study of infants exposed to the Zika virus during gestation and born between March 2016 and April 2017 without congenital Zika syndrome. They were followed until the age of 22 months. The outcome measure was neurodevelopment at 12 months of life, which was evaluated with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third edition (Bayley‐III). The scores were adjusted for maternal education and prematurity.ResultsA total of 96 infants were included in the study and 35.4% scored below the normal range in at least one Bayley‐III domain. The majority (91.2%) of the infants with delayed scores presented with language delay, which was not associated with the gestational age at exposure. Receptive language was more affected by exposure than expressive language (27.0% vs 19.8%). There was a direct, and significant, association between the head circumference Z‐score at birth and language delay.ConclusionLanguage delay was associated with a smaller head circumference at birth in infants prenatally exposed to the Zika virus and born asymptomatic. This may indicate future learning difficulties.
Optimization of sampling designs for pedigrees and association studies
Authors: David Olivier , Le Rouzic Arnaud , Dillmann Christine 
Published: April 2021

AbstractIn many studies, related individuals are phenotyped in order to infer how their genotype contributes to their phenotype, through the estimation of parameters such as breeding values or locus effects. When it is not possible to phenotype all the individuals, it is important to properly sample the population to improve the precision of the statistical analysis. This article studies how to optimize such sampling designs for pedigrees and association studies. Two sampling methods are developed, stratified sampling andDoptimality. It is found that it is important to take account of mutation when sampling pedigrees with many generations: as the size of mutation effects increases, optimized designs sample more individuals in late generations. Optimized designs for association studies tend to improve the joint estimation of breeding values and locus effects, all the more as sample size is low and the genetic architecture of the trait is simple. When the trait is determined by few loci, they are reminiscent of classical experimental designs for regression models and tend to select homozygous individuals. When the trait is determined by many loci, locus effects may be difficult to estimate, even if an optimized design is used.
Development and validation of a new short form of the self‐management ability questionnaire for patients with chronic periodontitis
Authors: Li Mengying , He Songlin , Wang Jinhua 
Published: April 2021

AbstractObjectivesTo establish and validate a short form of the self‐management ability questionnaire (SMAQ) for chronic periodontitis patients.MethodsA total of 480 chronic periodontitis patients were recruited and divided randomly in into two groups: development group and validation group. The item reduction process of the SMAQ was based on item response theory (IRT) and classical test theory (CTT). The resulting short form of the SMAQ was then validated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), convergent validity, internal consistency and test‐retest reliability.ResultsThe item reduction process produced a 12‐item short‐form SMAQ (SMAQ‐12). EFA results on the twelve items extracted three factors consistent with the original SMAQ and CFA results demonstrated acceptable goodness‐of‐fit indices of this three‐factor structure. Moreover, the SMAQ‐12 scores had high correlations with the original measure (rs ≥0.904), good internal consistency and test‐retest reliability.ConclusionsThe SMAQ‐12 is an easy‐to‐use, reliable and valid measure for assessing self‐management ability in patients with chronic periodontitis.
“Homes with Value”: Mortgage Finance and the Reconfiguration of Home Value in Urban Mexico
Authors: Hartman Georgia 
Published: April 2021

AbstractMexico is in the midst of a major urban transformation. State‐subsidized mortgage credit has facilitated the emergence of an affordable housing market and transformed the urban periphery into vast tracts of tiny concrete “social interest” housing developments. Easily available credit has allowed millions of Mexican workers to pursue the cultural and moral imperative to possess “patrimonio” by becoming homeowners. Patrimonio can be understood as a kind of inalienable possession tied to gendered notions of the family, inheritance, and economic security. Yet ballooning mortgage debts associated with these homes inverts the promise of patrimonio, turning the home into a source of economic instability and insecurity. I argue that this paradoxical situation derives from the convergence of different logics for understanding a home’s value—as patrimonio, as social good, and as financialized commodity. The mortgage contract reconfigures the patrimonial desires of homeowners into a vehicle for marco‐economic growth and a source of private profits. Drawing on twenty‐two months of ethnographic field research in Mexico City and Cancún, I highlight frictions in the meanings of home as a cultural imperative, social good, and financial commodity that arise in the context of its mobilization as marketized commodity in contemporary urban Mexico.
Against Teleological Essentialism
Authors: Neufeld Eleonore 
Published: April 2021

AbstractIn two recent papers, Rose and Nichols present evidence in favor of the view that humans represent category essences in terms of a telos, such as honey‐making, and not in terms of scientific essences, such as bee DNA. Here, I challenge their interpretation of the evidence and show that it is directly predicted by the main theory they seek to undermine. I argue that their results can be explained as instances of diagnostic reasoning about scientific essences.
Limits to the exaggeration and diversification of a male sexual trait in the false blister beetle Oedemera sexualis
Authors: Satomi Daisuke , Ogasa Wataru , Takashima Hiroshi , Fujimoto Syota , Koshio Chiharu , Kudo Shin‐ichi , Takami Yasuoki , Tatsuta Haruki 
Published: April 2021

AbstractDifferentiation in sexual traits among populations is one of the major predictions of theories of sexual selection and sexual conflict. A balance between maximizing reproductive benefits and minimizing survival costs could explain variation in sexual traits within and between populations. The false blister beetle Oedemera sexualis (Coleoptera: Oedemeridae) has exaggerated sexual traits, that is, sexually dimorphic hindlegs. In this study, we characterized scaling relationships in populations of O. sexualis to evaluate the determinants of sexual trait variation in the species. We quantified sexual dimorphism in body size and hindleg sizes in three representative populations based on distance measurements and an elliptical Fourier analysis. We found significant variation in the degree of sexual dimorphism for body and hindleg sizes among populations. In particular, differentiation in the male hind femur shape, especially the femur width, was conspicuous. Scaling relationships between male hind femur width and body size were best described by logistic models, showing that increases in male hind femur width were constrained for large individuals in all three populations. The degree of constrained growth of the hind femur width differed among populations in accordance with the population means, while the basal growth rates did not. Populations with smaller mean values for sexual traits showed more limited sexual trait exaggeration, contrary to the predictions based on resource competition among body parts. The latitudinal cline in femur widths suggests that environmental constraints on exaggeration might be responsible for sexual trait diversification in O. sexualis.
Risk factors of SARS‐CoV‐2 seroprevalence among hospital employees in Italy: a single‐centre study
Authors: Daperno Marco , Guiotto Cristina , Casonato Ines , Pagana Guido , Micalizzi Sergio , Azzolina Maria C. R. , Norbiato Claudio , Cosseddu Domenico , Rocca Rodolfo ,   the COVID‐Serology in HCP Group
Published: April 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe SARS‐CoV‐2 outbreak early in 2020 overwhelmed the Italian national health system, and hospitals were considered places at high risk of spreading the infection. We explored specific antibody seroprevalence of all employees at a single hospital in the epicentre of the outbreak, to identify areas of risk in nosocomial setting and to evaluate the usefulness of antibody testing.AimsAim of this study was to explore SARS‐CoV‐2 seroprevalence in a single hospital workers cohort.MethodsAll hospital workers were invited to fill in a questionnaire and undergo a blood test for SARS‐CoV‐2 IgG, using two commercial tests (DiaSorin and Abbott). Seropositivity was determined overall and according to demographic and occupations characteristics, for both tests singly and combined.ResultsThe study enrolled 1562 hospital workers (95% of the eligible population). Overall, 153 (9.8%) participants were positive for SARS‐CoV‐2 IgG on DiaSorin test, and 150 (9.6%) were positive on Abbott test; both tests were positive in 123 (7.9%) cases and at least one was positive in 180 (11.5%) cases. Factors associated with SARS‐CoV‐2 seropositivity included: being a smoker, working in emergency or medicine departments, being a healthcare practitioner, self‐reporting a relative with COVID‐19 or symptoms suggestive of COVID‐19, and having undergone a nasopharyngeal swab test. The tests were accurate in discriminating infected cases, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.867 using manufacturer‐suggested cut‐offs and 0.929 using optimised cut‐offs. For discriminating symptomatic subjects, this value was 0.915 using optimised cut‐offs.ConclusionsSeroprevalence for SARS‐CoV‐2 in this population of hospital workers was overall about 10%, with an excess prevalence in roles and departments associated with contacts with COVID‐19 patients.
Predicting the dissolution rate of borosilicate glasses using QSPR analysis based on molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Du Jincheng , Lu Xiaonan , Gin Stéphane , Delaye Jean‐Marc , Deng Lu , Taron Melanie , Bisbrouck Nicolas , Bauchy Mathieu , Vienna John D. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractQuantitative Structure Property Relationship (QSPR) analysis based on molecular dynamics (MD) simulations is a promising approach for establishing the composition‐property relationships of glasses and other materials with complex structures. A series of 20 borosilicate, aluminosilicate, and boroaluminosilicate glasses have been modeled using MD simulations with recently developed effective potentials. Short‐ and medium‐range structures of these glasses were analyzed and, based on the structural information, QSPR analysis of the initial dissolution rates (r0) of these glasses that were measured at 90°C and pH 9 by using various structural descriptors such as percentage of bridging oxygen species, network connectivity, and average ring size. The structural descriptor, Fnet, which contains both energetic information such as single bond strength and structural information such as cation coordination number and Qn distribution, was also used. It was found that while the overall network connectivity, average ring size and Fnet provide reasonable correlations with r0 of studied glasses, Fnet gives the best correlation among the descriptors. For glasses that show incongruent dissolution, it was found that modification of glass compositions to account for preferential release of modifier cations is necessary to achieve best correlations. The findings were discussed with results of recent studies on evaluating the compositional dependence of glass dissolution behavior using the topological‐constraints‐based models.
Systematic review of factors associated with hope in family carers of persons living with chronic illness
Authors: Duggleby Wendy , Lee HeunJung , Nekolaichuk Cheryl , Fitzpatrick‐Lewis Donna 
Published: April 2021

AbstractAimsTo identify factors associated with hope in family carers of persons living with chronic illness.DesignA systematic review of quantitative and mixed method studies on hope in carers of persons living with chronic illness.Data SourcesFive electronic databases (Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Web of Science, ProQuest Dissertations and PsycINFO) were searched from inception to 13 July 2020.Review MethodsInclusion criteria were the following: (a) study population of adult (18 years of age and older) carers of persons living with chronic illness, (b) hope was measured as a variable, (c) reported factors associated with hope, (d) employed either quantitative or mixed methods design, (e) written in English and (f) was published in peer reviewed journals. All included studies were evaluated for quality using the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool.ResultsTwenty‐six studies were included in the systematic review. Quality of life, physical and mental health, life satisfaction and the hope of care recipients were found to be positively associated with hope. Carer's coping increased (self‐efficacy and caregiver preparedness) as hope increased with a decrease in maladaptive coping strategies. Anxiety, depression, distress, grief and guilt were negatively associated with carers’ hope. Carers’ hope did not appear to be associated with carer or care–recipient demographic variables.ConclusionCarers’ hope appears to be associated with the carers’ over all positive health. The factors associated with carers’ hope provide potential areas to focus intervention development such as strategies that increase self‐efficacy. More research is needed to clarify if factors such as stage of disease and resilience are associated with hope. Research on carers’ hope assessment and intervention development should also focus on factors associated with hope.ImpactThe findings underscore the need to assess and work with carers of persons living with chronic illness to enhance their hope.
Development of a portable electronic nose for in‐situ detection of submerged fermentation of Tremella aurantialba
Authors: Dai Chunxia , Huang Xingyi , Sun Jun , Tian Xiaoyu , Aheto Joshua H. , Niu Shuai 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe aim of this study was to develop a portable electronic nose (e‐nose) system for the rapid and convenient detection of saponin in submerged fermentation of Tremella aurantialba (T. aurantialba) in situ. The system was built using hardware and software systems. The hardware system consisted of a gas path module and a circuit module, and the software framework provided a friendly human–computer interface and multivariate computational tools. Subsequently, the e‐nose system was used to detect off‐gas in fermentation tanks every 12 hr in situ. Saponin content was simultaneously determined by the traditional measurement method. On the basis of odor data from the e‐nose, partial least squares regression (PLSR) was used to establish a quantitative model for the prediction of saponin content. For the PLSR model, the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) was 0.2247 and the correlation coefficients of prediction (Rp) were 96.76% in the prediction set. These results showed that the feasibility of the device designed to detect the fermentation degree of the process and proved to be a valuable tool for real‐time and in‐situ detection of the fermentation process of T. aurantialba.
Current use of botulinum neurotoxin in esthetic practice—Clinical guide and review
Authors: Friedman Or , Singolda Roei , Mehrabi Joseph N. , Artzi Ofir , Boggio Ricardo Frotta , Bento Adriano Mesquita 
Published: April 2021

AbstractBackgroundBotulinum neurotoxin is one of the most versatile and widely used medical products in the world.AimsThe review's focus is the plastic and dermatologic uses of botulinum neurotoxin currently supported by published data.MethodsRelevant clinical articles regarding botulinum neurotoxin use in plastic surgery, dermatology, and general esthetic literature were searched and reviewed.ResultsThe search yielded 258 studies. Two hundred articles were excluded following title and abstract review. Twenty‐one studies were excluded following full‐text screening. A total of 37 studies remained and were discussed in this review.ConclusionsBotulinum neurotoxin is widely used for numerous off‐label indications from head to toe. Some uses are well documented, and their safety has been demonstrated in controlled trials, yet most remain poorly researched.