bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact of intrawound vancomycin powder on prevention of surgical site infection after posterior spinal surgery
Authors: Ushirozako Hiroki , Hasegawa Tomohiko , Yamato Yu , Yoshida Go , Yasuda Tatsuya , Banno Tomohiro , Arima Hideyuki , Oe Shin , Mihara Yuki , Yamada Tomohiro , Ide Koichiro , Watanabe Yuh , Nakai Keichi , Imada Takaaki , Matsuyama Yukihiro 
Published: January 2021

OBJECTIVE
Surgical site infection (SSI) after posterior spinal surgery is one of the severe complications that may occur despite administration of prophylactic antibiotics and the use of intraoperative aseptic precautions. The use of intrawound vancomycin powder for SSI prevention is still controversial, with a lack of high-quality and large-scale studies. The purpose of this retrospective study using a propensity score–matched analysis was to clarify whether intrawound vancomycin powder prevents SSI occurrence after spinal surgery.

METHODS
The authors analyzed 1261 adult patients who underwent posterior spinal surgery between 2010 and 2018 (mean age 62.3 years; 506 men, 755 women; follow-up period at least 1 year). Baseline and surgical data were assessed. After a preliminary analysis, a propensity score model was established with adjustments for age, sex, type of disease, and previously reported risk factors for SSI. The SSI rates were compared between patients with intrawound vancomycin powder treatment (vancomycin group) and those without (control group).

RESULTS
In a preliminary analysis of 1261 unmatched patients (623 patients in the vancomycin group and 638 patients in the control group), there were significant differences between the groups in age (p = 0.041), body mass index (p = 0.013), American Society of Anesthesiologists classification (p < 0.001), malnutrition (p = 0.001), revision status (p < 0.001), use of steroids (p = 0.019), use of anticoagulation (p = 0.033), length of surgery (p = 0.003), estimated blood loss (p < 0.001), and use of instrumentation (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in SSI rates between the vancomycin and control groups (21 SSIs [3.4%] vs 33 SSIs [5.2%]; OR 0.640, 95% CI 0.368–1.111; p = 0.114). Using a one-to-one propensity score–matched analysis, 444 pairs of patients from the vancomycin and control groups were selected. There was no significant difference in the baseline and surgical data, except for height (p = 0.046), between both groups. The C-statistic for the propensity score model was 0.702. In the score-matched analysis, 12 (2.7%) and 24 (5.4%) patients in the vancomycin and control groups, respectively, developed SSIs (OR 0.486, 95% CI 0.243–0.972; p = 0.041). There were no systemic complications related to the use of vancomycin.

CONCLUSIONS
The current study showed that intrawound vancomycin powder was useful in reducing the risk of SSI after posterior spinal surgery by half, without adverse events. Intrawound vancomycin powder use is a safe and effective procedure for SSI prevention.
Life Course Air Pollution Exposure and Cognitive Decline: Modelled Historical Air Pollution Data and the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936
Authors: Russ Tom C. , Cherrie Mark P.C. , Dibben Chris , Tomlinson Sam , Reis Stefan , Dragosits Ulrike , Vieno Massimo , Beck Rachel , Carnell Ed , Shortt Niamh K. , Muniz-Terrera Graciela , Redmond Paul , Taylor Adele M. , Clemens Tom , van Tongeren Martie , Agius Raymond M. , Starr John M. , Deary Ian J. , Pearce Jamie R. 
Published: January 2021

Background: Air pollution has been consistently linked with dementia and cognitive decline. However, it is unclear whether risk is accumulated through long-term exposure or whether there are sensitive/critical periods. A key barrier to clarifying this relationship is the dearth of historical air pollution data. Objective: To demonstrate the feasibility of modelling historical air pollution data and using them in epidemiologicalmodels. Methods: Using the EMEP4UK atmospheric chemistry transport model, we modelled historical fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations for the years 1935, 1950, 1970, 1980, and 1990 and combined these with contemporary modelled data from 2001 to estimate life course exposure in 572 participants in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 with lifetime residential history recorded. Linear regression and latent growth models were constructed using cognitive ability (IQ) measured by the Moray House Test at the ages of 11, 70, 76, and 79 years to explore the effects of historical air pollution exposure. Covariates included sex, IQ at age 11 years, social class, and smoking. Results: Higher air pollution modelled for 1935 (when participants would have been in utero) was associated with worse change in IQ from age 11–70 years (β = –0.006, SE = 0.002, p = 0.03) but not cognitive trajectories from age 70–79 years ( p > 0.05). There was no support for other critical/sensitive periods of exposure or an accumulation of risk (all p > 0.05). Conclusion: The life course paradigm is essential in understanding cognitive decline and this is the first study to examine life course air pollution exposure in relation to cognitive health.
The Effects of Intracranial Stenosis on Cerebral Perfusion and Cognitive Performance
Authors: Hilal Saima , Mutsaerts Henri J.M.M , Ferro Doeschka A. , Petr Jan , Kuijf Hugo J. , Biessels Geert Jan , Chen Christopher 
Published: January 2021

Background: Intracranial stenosis (ICS) may contribute to cognitive dysfunction by decreased cerebral blood flow (CBF) which can be measured quantitatively by arterial spin labelling (ASL). Interpretation of CBF measurements with ASL, however, becomes difficult in patients with vascular disease due to prolonged arterial transit time (ATT). Recently, spatial coefficient of variation (sCoV) of ASL signal has been proposed that approximates ATT and utilized as a proxy marker for assessment of hemodynamic status of cerebral circulation. Objective: We investigate the association of ICS with CBF and sCoV parameters and its eventual effects on cognition in a memory clinic population. Methods: We included 381 patients (mean age = 72.3±7.9 years, women = 53.7%) who underwent 3T MRI and detailed neuropsychological assessment. ICS was defined as≥50% stenosis in any intracranial vessel on 3D Time-of-Flight MR Angiography. Gray matter sCoV and CBF were obtained from 2D EPI pseudo-continuous ASL images. Results: ICS was present in 58 (15.2%) patients. Patients with ICS had higher gray matter sCoV and lower CBF. The association with sCoV remained statistically significant after correction for cardiovascular risk factors. Moreover, ICS was associated with worse performance on visuoconstruction, which attenuated with higher sCoV. Mediation analysis showed that there was an indirect effect of ICS on visuoconstruction via sCoV. Conclusion: These findings suggest that compromised CBF as detected by higher sCoV is related to cognitive impairment among individuals diagnosed with ICS. We also showed that sCoV partially mediates the link between ICS and cognition. Therefore, sCoV may provide valuable hemodynamic information in patients with vascular disease.
The Right Temporal Variant of Frontotemporal Dementia Is Not Genetically Sporadic: A Case Series
Authors: Ulugut Erkoyun Hulya , van der Lee Sven J. , Nijmeijer Bas , van Spaendonk Rosalina , Nelissen Anne , Scarioni Marta , Dijkstra Anke , Samancı Bedia , Gürvit Hakan , Yıldırım Zerrin , Tepgeç Fatih , Bilgic Basar , Barkhof Frederik , Rozemuller Annemieke , van der Flier Wiesje M. , Scheltens Philip , Cohn-Hokke Petra , Pijnenburg Yolande 
Published: January 2021

Background: Right temporal variant frontotemporal dementia (rtvFTD) has been generally considered as a right sided variant of semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA), which is a genetically sporadic disorder. Recently, we have shown that rtvFTD has a unique clinical syndrome compared to svPPA and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia. Objective: We challenge the assumption that rtvFTD is a sporadic, non-familial variant of FTD by identifying potential autosomal dominant inheritance and related genes in rtvFTD. Methods: We collected all subjects with a diagnosis of FTD or primary progressive aphasia who had undergone genetic screening ( n = 284) and subsequently who had a genetic variant ( n = 48) with a diagnosis of rtvFTD ( n = 6) in 2 specialized memory clinics. Results: Genetic variants in FTD related genes were found in 33% of genetically screened rtvFTD cases; including MAPT ( n = 4), GRN ( n = 1), and TARDBP ( n = 1) genes, whereas only one svPPA case had a genetic variant in our combined cohorts. Additionally, 4 out of 6 rtvFTD subjects had a strong family history for dementia. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that rtvFTD, unlike svPPA, is not a pure sporadic, but a heterogeneous potential genetic variant of FTD, and screening for genetic causes for FTD should be performed in patients with rtvFTD.
Why Inclusion Matters for Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarker Discovery in Plasma
Authors: Khan Mostafa J. , Desaire Heather , Lopez Oscar L. , Kamboh M. Ilyas , Robinson Renã A.S. 
Published: January 2021

Background: African American/Black adults have a disproportionate incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and are underrepresented in biomarker discovery efforts. Objective: This study aimed to identify potential diagnostic biomarkers for AD using a combination of proteomics and machine learning approaches in a cohort that included African American/Black adults. Methods: We conducted a discovery-based plasma proteomics study on plasma samples ( N = 113) obtained from clinically diagnosed AD and cognitively normal adults that were self-reported African American/Black or non-Hispanic White. Sets of differentially-expressed proteins were then classified using a support vector machine (SVM) to identify biomarker candidates. Results: In total, 740 proteins were identified of which, 25 differentially-expressed proteins in AD came from comparisons within a single racial and ethnic background group. Six proteins were differentially-expressed in AD regardless of racial and ethnic background. Supervised classification by SVM yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.91 and accuracy of 86%for differentiating AD in samples from non-Hispanic White adults when trained with differentially-expressed proteins unique to that group. However, the same model yielded an AUC of 0.49 and accuracy of 47%for differentiating AD in samples from African American/Black adults. Other covariates such as age, APOE4 status, sex, and years of education were found to improve the model mostly in the samples from non-Hispanic White adults for classifying AD. Conclusion: These results demonstrate the importance of study designs in AD biomarker discovery, which must include diverse racial and ethnic groups such as African American/Black adults to develop effective biomarkers.
Pengetahuan Guru Pra Sekolah terhadap Ciri-Ciri Murid Berkeperluan Khas
Authors: Rosli Ruwaida , Alias Aliza 
Published: January 2021

Preschool education is an important phase in the life of a child between the ages of 4-6 years. Children in this phase will get an education that will shape them towards developing a balanced human capital as enshrined in the Malaysian Philosophy of Education. Thus, preschool teachers play an important role in making the government's dream of producing a generation of caliber. Being a teacher must have extensive knowledge not just pedagogical knowledge but knowledge of student behavior in the classroom to ensure that students behave according to their growing age. Therefore, it is important for a preschool teacher to have knowledge and awareness of the characteristics of students with learning difficulties. The purpose of this study is to see the extent of knowledge of preschool teachers on the characteristics of students with special needs. This study was conducted using quantitative methods and related questionnaires were distributed to the respondents involved. The findings of this study found that the knowledge of preschool teachers is at a high level. This shows that teachers today are highly knowledgeable either knowledge gained through experience or from other sources.
Abstrak
Pendidikan prasekolah adalah fasa yang penting dalam kehidupan seseorang kanak-kanak di antara umur 4-6 tahun. Kanak-kanak pada fasa ini akan mendapatkan pendidikan yang akan membentuk mereka ke arah membangunkan modal insan yang seimbang seperti yang termaktub dalam Falsafah Pendidikan Malaysia. Demikian,guru prasekolah memainkan peranan yang penting untuk menjadikan impian kerajaan melahirkan generasi yang berkaliber. Menjadi seorang guru mesti mempunyai pengetahuan yang luas bukan sekadar pengetahuan pedagogi tetapi pengetahuan terhadap tingkah laku murid di dalam kelas bagi memastikan murid-murid bertingkah laku menigkut umur tumbesaran mereka. Oleh itu,adalah penting bagi seseorang guru prasekolah untuk mempunyai pengetahuan dan kesedaran terhadap ciri-ciri murid bermasalah pembelajaran. Tujuan kajian ini dijalankan adalah bagi melihat sejauhmana pengetahuan guru prasekolah terhadap ciri-ciri murid berkeperluan khas. Kajian ini dijalankan dengan menggunakan kaedah kuantitatif dan soal selidik berkaitan diedarkan kepada responden yang terlibat. Dapatan kajian ini mendapati pengetahuan guru prasekolah berada di tahap yang tinggi. Hal ini menunjukkan bahawa guru pada masa kini berpengetahuan tinggi sama ada pengetahuan yang diperoleh melalui pengalaman mahupun dari sumber yang lain.
The Metabolic Reprogramming of Frem2 Mutant Mice Embryos in Cryptophthalmos Development
Authors: Zhang Xiayin , Wang Ruixin , Wang Ting , Zhang Xulin , Dongye Meimei , Wang Dongni , Wang Jinghui , Li Wangting , Wu Xiaohang , Lin Duoru , Lin Haotian 
Published: January 2021

BackgroundCryptophthalmos is characterized by congenital ocular dysplasia with eyelid malformation. The pathogenicity of mutations in genes encoding components of the FRAS1/FREM protein complex is well established, but the underlying pathomechanisms of this disease are still unclear. In the previous study, we generated mice carrying Frem2R725X/R2156W compound heterozygous mutations using CRISPR/Cas9 and showed that these mice recapitulated the human cryptophthalmos phenotype.MethodsIn this study, we tracked changes in the metabolic profile of embryos and expression of metabolism-related genes in Frem2 mutant mice on E13.5 compared with wild-type mice. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was utilized to decipher the differentiated expression of genes associated with metabolism. Untargeted metabolomics and targeted metabolomics analyses were performed to detect and verify the shifts in the composition of the embryonic metabolome.ResultsDifferentially expressed genes participating in amino acid metabolism and energy metabolism were observed by RNA-seq. Transcriptomic analysis suggests that 821 (39.89%) up-regulated genes and 320 (32.99%) down-regulated genes were involved in the metabolic process in the enriched GO terms. A total of 92 significantly different metabolites were identified including creatine, guanosine 5′-monophosphate, cytosine, cytidine 5′-monophosphate, adenine, and L-serine. Interestingly, major shifts related to ATP binding cassette transporters (ABC transporters) and the biosynthesis of amino acids in the composition of the embryonic metabolome were observed by KEGG metabolic analysis, indicating that these pathways could also be involved in the pathogenesis of cryptophthalmos.ConclusionWe demonstrate that Frem2 mutant fetal mice have increased susceptibility to the disruption of eye morphogenesis in association with distinct transcriptomic and metabolomic signatures. Our findings suggest that the metabolomic signature established before birth may play a role in mediating cryptophthalmos in Frem2 mutant mice, which may have important implications for the pathogenesis of cryptophthalmos.
A Mobile Health Behavior Intervention to Reduce Pain and Improve Health in Older Adults With Obesity and Chronic Pain: The MORPH Pilot Trial
Authors: Fanning Jason , Brooks Amber K. , Ip Edward , Nicklas Barbara J. , Rejeski W. Jack , Nesbit Beverly , Ford Sherri 
Published: January 2021

Chronic, multisite pain is a common phenomenon in aging and is associated with a host of negative health outcomes. It is a complex and multifaceted condition that may be exacerbated by weight gain and long periods of inactivity. Unfortunately, older adults suffering from chronic pain have unique barriers limiting access to center-based behavior change interventions. The MORPH study first adapted and iteratively refined an evidence-based group-mediated intervention for delivery in the home via mHealth tools (a smartphone app, teleconferencing software, wearable activity monitor, smart weight scale). This was followed by a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) meant to assess feasibility of the MORPH intervention, and to examine initial effects on physical function, pain, weight, and sedentary behavior. We recruited low-active and obese older adults with multisite pain to partake in a series of N-of-1 refinement studies (N = 5 total) or a 12-week pilot RCT delivered largely in the home (N = 28 assigned to active intervention or wait-list control). The refinement phase identified several key technological (e.g., selection of a new smart weight scale) and user interface (e.g., clarification of in-app phrasing) modifications that were made before initiating the RCT phase. Analyses of covariance, controlling for baseline values, sex, and age indicated effects favoring the intervention across all domains of interest: there was a substantially clinically meaningful difference in short physical performance battery scores (0.63 points, η2 = 0.08), a moderate-to-large difference in PROMIS pain intensity scores (5.52 points, η2 = 0.12), a large difference in body weight (2.90 kg, η2 = 0.207), and a moderate effect on adjusted ActivPAL-assessed sedentary time (64.90 min, η2 = 0.07) with a small effect on steps (297.7 steps, η2 = 0.01). These results suggest a largely-home delivered movement and weight loss program for older adults with pain is feasible and recommendations are provided for future programs of this nature.Clinical Trial Registration:ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: NCT03377634.
Image-Guided Thermal Ablation as an Alternative to Surgery for Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma: Preliminary Results of an Italian Experience
Authors: Mauri Giovanni , Orsi Franco , Carriero Serena , Della Vigna Paolo , De Fiori Elvio , Monzani Dario , Pravettoni Gabriella , Grosso Enrica , Manzoni Marco F. , Ansarin Mohssen , Giugliano Gioacchino 
Published: January 2021

PurposeTo report the results of our preliminary experience in treating patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) with image-guided thermal ablation, in particular estimating the feasibility, safety and short-term efficacyMaterials and MethodsFrom 2018 patients with cytologically proven PTMC &lt; 10 mm were discussed in a multidisciplinary team and evaluated for feasibility of image-guided thermal ablation. In case of technical feasibility, the three possible alternatives (i.e., image-guided thermal ablation, surgery, and active surveillance) were discussed with patients. Patients who agreed to be treated with image guided thermal ablation underwent radiofrequency (RFA) or laser ablation under local anesthesia and conscious sedation. Treatment feasibility, technical success, technique efficacy, change in thyroid function tests, side effects, minor and major complications, patients satisfaction and pain/discomfort perception during and after treatment, and disease recurrence during follow-up were recorded.ResultsA total of 13 patients were evaluated, and 11/13 (84.6%) patients (9 female, 2 male, mean age 49.3 ± 8.7 years) resulted suitable for image-guided thermal ablation. All 11 patients agreed to be treated with image-guided thermal ablation. In addition, 3/11 (27.3%) were treated with laser ablation and 8/11 (72.7%) with RFA. All procedures were completed as preoperatively planned (technical success 100%). Technique efficacy was achieved in all 11/11 (100%) cases. Ablated volume significantly reduced from 0.87 ± 0.67 ml at first follow-up to 0.17 ± 0.36 at last follow-up (p = 0.003). No change in thyroid function tests occurred. No minor or major complications occurred. All patients graded 10 the satisfaction for the treatment, and mean pain after the procedure was reported as 1.4 ± 1.7, and mean pain after the procedure as 1.2 ± 1.1 At a median follow-up of 10.2 months (range 1.5–12 months), no local recurrence or distant metastases were found.ConclusionsImage guided thermal ablations appear to be feasible and safe in the treatment of PTMC. These techniques hold the potential to offer patients a minimally invasive curative alternative to surgical resection or active surveillance. These techniques appear to be largely preferred by patients.
Association Between Circulating Linoleic Acid and Risk of Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Ye Ding , Huang Huijun , Wu David J. H. , Zhang Wanting , Zhou Feixiang , Qian Yu , Zheng Jusheng , Mao Yingying 
Published: January 2021

BackgroundObservational studies have shown an inverse association between circulating linoleic acid (LA) and risk of ischemic stroke (IS).ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to explore whether genetic variants predicting levels of circulating LA are associated with IS and its subtypes using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.MethodsLA-related single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were selected from a genome-wide association study of 8,631 participants, and summary statistics of IS and IS subtypes were obtained from the MEGASTROKE consortium. MR analysis was performed using the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method complemented with other approaches, including weighted-median, weighted-mode, MR Pleiotropy RESidual Sum and Outlier test and MR-Egger regression, to test for the robustness of the association. Moreover, we conducted bidirectional MR analysis to assess the impact of IS-associated SNPs on circulating LA levels. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated.ResultsWe found that genetically predicted circulating LA levels were inversely associated with the risk of IS by the IVW method (OR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.97–0.99, and P = 0.003). Subgroup analyses showed a statistically significant association between LA and risk of large artery stroke (LAS; OR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92–0.98, and P = 0.004), but not for other IS subtypes. The results were stable in sensitivity analyses, and no evidence of reverse association between LA and risk of IS, or LAS was observed.ConclusionOur study supports a potential inverse association of genetically predicted circulating LA levels with risk of IS, particularly LAS.