bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identifying predictors of ventral hernia recurrence: systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Parker S G , . Mallett S , Quinn L , Wood C P J , Boulton R W , Jamshaid S , . Erotocritou M , . Gowda S , . Collier W , Plumb A A O , Windsor A C J , Archer L , Halligan S 
Published: April 2021

Abstract

Background
Ventra hernias are increasing in prevalence and many recur despite attempted repair. To date, much of the literature is underpowered and divergent. As a result there is limited high quality evidence to inform surgeons succinctly which perioperative variables influence postoperative recurrence. This systematic review aimed to identify predictors of ventral hernia recurrence.

Methods
PubMed was searched for studies reporting prognostic data of ventral hernia recurrence between 1 January 1995 and 1 January 2018. Extracted data described hernia type (primary/incisional), definitions of recurrence, methods used to detect recurrence, duration of follow-up, and co-morbidity. Data were extracted for all potential predictors, estimates and thresholds described. Random-effects meta-analysis was used. Bias was assessed with a modified PROBAST (Prediction model Risk Of Bias ASsessment Tool).

Results
Screening of 18 214 abstracts yielded 274 individual studies for inclusion. Hernia recurrence was defined in 66 studies (24.1 per cent), using 41 different unstandardized definitions. Three patient variables (female sex, age 65 years or less, and BMI greater than 25, 30, 35 or 40 kg/m2), five patient co-morbidities (smoking, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ASA grade III–IV, steroid use), two hernia-related variables (incisional/primary, recurrent/primary), six intraoperative variables (biological mesh, bridged repair, open versus laparoscopic surgery, suture versus mesh repair, onlay/retrorectus, intraperitoneal/retrorectus), and six postoperative variables (any complication, surgical-site occurrence, wound infection, seroma, haematoma, wound dehiscence) were identified as significant prognostic factors for hernia recurrence.

Conclusion
This study summarized the current evidence base for predicting ventral hernia recurrence. Results should inform best practice and future research.
Effect of oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy on chemosensitivity in patients with peritoneal metastasis from colorectal cancer treated with cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy: proof-of-concept study
Authors: Prabhu A , Brandl A , Wakama S , Sako S , Ishibashi H , Mizumoto A , Takao N , Ichinose M , Motoi S , Liu Y , Yonemura Y 
Published: April 2021

AbstractBackgroundChemosensitivity testing, including collagen gel droplet-embedded culture drug sensitivity test, has proven to be a useful tool in therapeutic decision-making. This retrospective analysis investigated chemosensitivity testing of peritoneal metastases collected during cytoreductive surgery (CRS), and its impact on survival in patients with colorectal cancer.MethodsAll patients with peritoneal metastasis from colorectal cancer who underwent CRS with or without hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) between November 2008 and October 2014 were included. The growth inhibition rate was expressed as the ratio between the image density after treatment (T) and that before treatment (control, C). Tumours with a reduction in T/C ratio of less than 20 per cent were defined as resistant and those with a reduction of 20 per cent or more as sensitive. Groups were compared for overall (OS) and disease-free (DFS) survival.ResultsOf 84 eligible patients, 81 received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT), including 56 patients with an oxaliplatin-based regimen. Mean(s.d.) follow-up was 23·4(22·9) months. The median overall survival of all patients was 19·0 (i.q.r. 5·7–36·1) months, with a progression-free survival time of 10·1 (4·5–17·0) months. Patients who received oxaliplatin-based NACT had significantly altered chemosensitivity to oxaliplatin; only 20 of 51 such patients showed chemosensitivity to oxaliplatin compared with 16 of 24 who did not undergo oxaliplatin-based NACT (P = 0·046). However, patients who showed chemoresistance to oxaliplatin had similar OS to those with chemosensitivity (18·8 versus 18·1 months; P = 0·835). The choice of HIPEC agents in patients who received oxaliplatin-based NACT did not significantly influence survival (oxaliplatin versus mitomycin C: median OS 20·6 (10·9–24·8) versus 19·0 (10·5–34·6) months, P = 0·811; DFS 6·6 (2·8–25·7) versus 9·3 (4·1–13·9) months, P = 0·191).ConclusionPatients who had oxaliplatin-based NACT showed a higher rate of chemoresistance to oxaliplatin at the time of CRS and HIPEC. The impact of chemosensitivity testing on OS remains unclear and needs further investigation.
Associations Between 20-Year Lipid Variability Throughout Young Adulthood and Midlife Cognitive Function and Brain Integrity
Authors: Zeki Al Hazzouri Adina , Caunca Michelle R , Jawadekar Neal , Grasset Leslie , Elfassy Tali , Odden Michelle C , Wu Chenkai , Elbejjani Martine , Launer Lenore , Yaffe Kristine 
Published: April 2021

Abstract

Background
Little is known about long-term lipid variability in young adulthood in relation to cognitive function and brain integrity in midlife.

Method
We studied 3 328 adults from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults. We defined low- and high-density lipoprotein (LDL and HDL) variability as the intraindividual standard deviation of lipid measurements over 20 years of young adulthood (1985–2005). Cognitive tests were administered in 2010. Brain scans were performed in 2010 on 714 participants. To facilitate comparison, cognitive tests and brain metrics were z-scored.

Results
Mean age at baseline was 25.4 years. Higher 20-year LDL variability was associated with worse verbal memory in midlife (β = −0.25, 95% CI: −0.42, −0.08), adjusted for important covariates. Higher 20-year HDL variability was associated with worse processing speed in midlife (β = −0.80, 95% CI: −1.18, −0.41) and brain integrity, for example, smaller total brain volume (β = −0.58, 95% CI: −0.82, −0.34) and worse total brain fractional anisotropy (β = −1.13, 95% CI: −1.87, −0.39).

Conclusions
Higher long-term lipid variability in adulthood was associated with worse cognition and brain integrity in midlife, in a relatively young cohort.
Bidirectional and Dynamic Relationships Between Social Isolation and Physical Functioning Among Older Adults: A Cross-Lagged Panel Model of US National Survey Data
Authors: del Pozo Cruz Borja , Perales Francisco , Alfonso-Rosa Rosa M , del Pozo-Cruz Jesus 
Published: April 2021

Abstract

Background
Previous studies examining unidirectional relationships between social isolation and physical functioning among older adults may be biased due to reverse causality. This study leveraged data from a US national sample of older adults and a novel estimation method to identify bidirectional associations between these 2 phenomena and their associated temporal dynamics.

Methods
The analyses were based on 9 waves of panel data from a sample of adults aged 65 and older from the US National Health and Aging Trends Study (n = 12 427 individuals) and a cross-lagged panel model. Social isolation was measured using the Social Isolation Index (SII) and physical functioning through the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB).

Results
One SD increase in the SPPB was associated with a −0.013 SD decrease (95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.023 to −0.004) in the SII a year later, whereas 1 SD increase in the SII was associated with a larger −0.058 SD decrease (95% CI: −0.069 to −0.046) in the SPPB a year later. The SII→SPPB effect lasted for approximately 5 years, whereas the SPPB→SII lasted for approximately 3 years.

Conclusions
This study confirmed the existence of statistically significant bidirectional associations between social isolation and physical functioning among older adults in the United States, net of reverse causation. Because the effect of social isolation dominates, the findings indicate that public health strategies to promote successful aging should prioritize interventions that enrich older adults’ social networks. Furthermore, the effect time horizons yielded by the model point to the optimal timing for the re-delivery of interventions.
Comparative constitutional adaptation: Democracy and distrust in the High Court of Australia
Authors: Dixon Rosalind , Loughland Amelia 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
The ideas developed by Ely in Democracy and Distrust have had an important influence on at least one member of the High Court of Australia—Justice Stephen Gageler, first as counsel and now as a justice of the Court. This influence has not involved the straightforward “borrowing” of those ideas. Rather, it has involved a more standard-like application of US-style tiered scrutiny in contexts such as the protection of the “channels of political change” and giving narrower ambit to the judicial protection of “discrete and insular minorities.” This, the article suggests, reflects a distinctive form of comparative constitutional adaptation—a process involving, first, the attempt to develop a contextual understanding of Ely’s thought; second, a quite “thick” or “deep” form of comparison between the original and new context; and third, a context-sensitive adaptation of the theory to that new setting. This comparative adaptation has some similarity to the process of “recontextualization” identified in Gunther Frankenberg’s account of an “IKEA” style of global constitutional transfer. But it is distinctive in its direct engagement with foreign constitutional ideas at their source and its attention to the importance of constitutional context, difference, and generality or commonality. Similar forms of comparative constitutional adaptation can be found elsewhere, including in the engagement by Australian Chief Justice, Susan Kiefel, in the development of proportionality doctrines. But attention to Ely’s influence on Justice Gageler’s thought provides a useful window not only into Australian constitutional practice, but also into this distinctive and normatively attractive form of comparative engagement.
Energy management strategy for super capacitor energy storage system based on phase shifted full bridge converter
Authors: Lin Baode 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
In order to improve the efficiency and extend the service life of supercapacitors, this paper proposes a supercapacitor energy management method based on phase-shifted full-bridge converter. The method uses the supercapacitor state of charge (SOC) as a reference and combines the DC bus voltage fluctuation to quickly control the energy bidirectional flow. The simulation is carried out in Matlab/Simulink. The simulation results show that the proposed method combines SOC estimation and energy conversion, which can realize the optimal management of super capacitor and has fast dynamic response capability.
An evergreen mind and a heart for the colors of fall
Authors: Aubry Sylvain , Christ Bastien , Kräutler Bernhard , Martinoia Enrico , Thomas Howard , Zipfel Cyril 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
With the finest biochemical and molecular approaches, convincing explorative strategies, and long-term vision, Stefan Hörtensteiner succeeded in elucidating the biochemical pathway responsible for chlorophyll degradation. After having contributed to the identification of key chlorophyll degradation products in the course of the past 25 years, he gradually identified and characterized most of the crucial players in the PAO/phyllobilin degradation pathway of chlorophyll. He was one of the brightest plant biochemists of his generation, and his work opened doors to a better understanding of plant senescence, tetrapyrrole homeostasis, and their complex regulation. He sadly passed away on 5 December 2020, aged 57.
Telerehabilitation During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Outpatient Rehabilitation Settings: A Descriptive Study
Authors: Werneke Mark W , Deutscher Daniel , Grigsby David , Tucker Carole A , Mioduski Jerome E , Hayes Deanna 
Published: April 2021

Abstract

Objective
COVID-19 has widely affected delivery of health care. In response, telerehabilitation (TR) has emerged as alternative care model. Aims were: (1) to describe baseline patient characteristics and available unadjusted outcomes for episodes of care administered during COVID-19 using TR versus traditional in-person care, and (2) to describe TR frequency levels by condition and telecommunication modes.

Methods
A descriptive retrospective observational design was used to report patient variables and outcomes including physical function, number of visits, and patient satisfaction, by TR frequency (few, most, or all visits) and telecommunication modes. Standardized differences were used to compare baseline characteristics between episodes with and without TR.

Results
Sample consisted of 222,680 patients (59% female; mean [SD] age = 55 [18] years). Overall TR rate was 6% decreasing from 10% to 5% between second and third quarters of 2020. Outcome measures were available for 90% to 100% of episodes. Thirty-seven percent of clinicians administered care via TR. Patients treated using TR compared with in-person care were more likely to be younger and live in large metropolitan areas. From those with TR, 55%, 20%, and 25% had TR during few, most, or all visits, respectively. TR care was administered equally across orthopedic body parts, with lower use for nonorthopedic conditions such as stroke, edema, and vestibular dysfunction. TR was primarily administered using synchronous (video or audio) modes. The rate of patients reported being very satisfied with their treatment results was 3% higher for no TR compared with TR.

Conclusions
These results provide new knowledge about to whom and how TR is being administered during the pandemic in outpatient rehabilitation practices throughout the United States. The database assessed was found to be suitable for conducting studies on associations between TR and diverse outcome measures, controlling for a comprehensive set of patient characteristics, to advance best TR care models, and promote high-quality care.

Impact
This study provided detailed and robust descriptive information using an existing national patient database containing patient health and demographic characteristics, outcome measures, and telerehabilitation (TR) administration data. Findings support the feasibility to conduct future studies on associations between TR care and patient outcomes, adjusting for a wide range of patient characteristics and clinical setting factors that may be associated with the probability of receiving TR. The finding of limited and decreasing use of TR over the study period calls for studies aimed to better understand facilitators and inhibitors of TR use by rehabilitation therapists during everyday practice to promote its use when clinically appropriate.
Species Tree Estimation from Gene Trees by Minimizing Deep Coalescence and Maximizing Quartet Consistency: A Comparative Study and the Presence of Pseudo Species Tree Terraces
Authors: Farah Ishrat Tanzila , Islam Muktadirul , Zinat Kazi Tasnim , Rahman Atif Hasan , Bayzid Shamsuzzoha 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Species tree estimation from multilocus data sets is extremely challenging, especially in the presence of gene tree heterogeneity across the genome due to incomplete lineage sorting (ILS). Summary methods have been developed which estimate gene trees and then combine the gene trees to estimate a species tree by optimizing various optimization scores. In this study, we have extended and adapted the concept of phylogenetic terraces to species tree estimation by “summarizing” a set of gene trees, where multiple species trees with distinct topologies may have exactly the same optimality score (i.e., quartet score, extra lineage score, etc.). We particularly investigated the presence and impacts of equally optimal trees in species tree estimation from multilocus data using summary methods by taking ILS into account. We analyzed two of the most popular ILS-aware optimization criteria: maximize quartet consistency (MQC) and minimize deep coalescence (MDC). Methods based on MQC are provably statistically consistent, whereas MDC is not a consistent criterion for species tree estimation. We present a comprehensive comparative study of these two optimality criteria. Our experiments, on a collection of data sets simulated under ILS, indicate that MDC may result in competitive or identical quartet consistency score as MQC, but could be significantly worse than MQC in terms of tree accuracy—demonstrating the presence and impacts of equally optimal species trees. This is the first known study that provides the conditions for the data sets to have equally optimal trees in the context of phylogenomic inference using summary methods. [Gene tree; incomplete lineage sorting; phylogenomic analysis, species tree; summary method.]
Promotion effects of DEHP on hepatocellular carcinoma models: up-regulation of PD-L1 by activating the JAK2/STAT3 pathway
Authors: Xu Qiang , Huang Song , Xu Zi-Ming , Ji Ke , Zhang Xiang , Xu Wei-Ping , Wei Wei 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), as an endocrine disruptor, is often used as a plasticizer in various polyvinyl chloride plastic products and medical consumables. Epidemiological studies have shown that long-term large intake of DEHP may be a risk factor for liver dysfunction. Long-term exposure to DEHP is associated with liver disease and aggravates the progression of chronic liver injury. However, the effects of DEHP on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are rarely studied. In this study, we sought to determine the effects of DEHP on HCC induced by carbon tetrachloride combined with diethylnitrosamine, and further study its molecular mechanism. It was found that DEHP exposure significantly promotes tumor immune escape and activates signaling pathways involved in related protein expression of tumor immune escape, including PD-L1, JAK2, and STAT3. In addition, the trends observed in the HepG2 cells assay are consistent with vivo conditions. In summary, DEHP may play a tumor-promoting role in HCC mice and IFN-γ stimulated HepG2 cells, which may be related to the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.
Convalescent Plasma Use in the United States was inversely correlated with COVID-19 Mortality: Did Plasma Hesitancy cost lives?
Authors: Casadevall Arturo , Dragotakes Quigly , Johnson Patrick W. , Senefeld Jonathon W. , Klassen Steven A. , Wright R. Scott , Joyner Michael J , Paneth Nigel , Carter Rickey E. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe US Food and Drug Administration authorized Convalescent Plasma (CCP) therapy for hospitalized COVID-19 patients via the Expanded Access Program (EAP) and the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), leading to use in about 500,000 patients during the first year of the pandemic for the US.MethodsWe tracked the number of CCP units dispensed to hospitals by blood banking organizations and correlated that usage with hospital admission and mortality data.ResultsCCP usage per admission peaked in Fall 2020, with more than 40% of inpatients estimated to have received CCP between late September and early November 2020. However, after randomized controlled trials failed to show a reduction in mortality, CCP usage per admission declined steadily to a nadir of less than 10% in March 2021. We found a strong inverse correlation (r = −0.52, P = 0.002) between CCP usage per hospital admission and deaths occurring two weeks after admission, and this finding was robust to examination of deaths taking place one, two or three weeks after admission. Changes in the number of hospital admissions, SARS-CoV-2 variants, and age of patients could not explain these findings. The retreat from CCP usage might have resulted in as many as 29,000 excess deaths from mid-November 2020 to February 2021.ConclusionsA strong inverse correlation between CCP use and mortality per admission in the USA provides population level evidence consistent with the notion that CCP reduces mortality in COVID-19 and suggests that the recent decline in usage could have resulted in excess deaths.
Optimal policy determination in sequential systemic and locoregional therapy of oropharyngeal squamous carcinomas: A patient-physician digital twin dyad with deep Q-learning for treatment selection
Authors: Tardini Elisa , Zhang Xinhua , Canahuate Guadalupe , Wentzel Andrew , Mohamed Abdallah S. R. , Van Dijk Lisanne , Fuller Clifton D. , Marai G. Elisabeta 
Published: April 2021

AbstractPurposeCurrently, selection of patients for sequential vs. concurrent chemotherapy/radiation regimens lacks evidentiary support, and it is based on locally-optimal decisions for each step. We aim to optimize the multi-step treatment of head and neck cancer patients and to predict multiple patient survival and toxicity outcomes, and we develop, apply, and evaluate a first application of deep-Q-learning (DQL) and simulation to this problem.Patients and methodsThe treatment decision DQL digital twin and the patient’s digital twin were created, trained and evaluated on a dataset of 536 oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPC) patients with the goal of, respectively, determining the optimal treatment decisions with respect to survival and toxicity metrics, and predicting the outcomes of the optimal treatment on the patient. The models were trained on a subset of 402 patients (split randomly) and evaluated on a separate set of 134 patients. Training and evaluation of the digital twin dyad was completed in August 2020. The dataset includes 3-step sequential treatment decisions and complete relevant history of the patients cohort treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center between 2005 and 2013, with radiomics analysis performed for the segmented primary tumor volumes.ResultsOn the validation set, 87.09% mean and 90.85% median accuracy in treatment outcome prediction, matching the clinicians’ outcomes and improving (predicted) survival rate by +3.73% (95% CI: [-0.75%, +8.96%]), and dysphagia rate by +0.75% (CI: [-4.48%, +6.72%]) when following DQL treatment decisions.ConclusionGiven the prediction accuracy and predicted improvement on medically relevant outcomes yielded by this approach, this digital twin dyad of the patient-physician dynamic treatment problem has the potential of aiding physicians in determining the optimal course of treatment and in assessing its outcomes.