bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cyto‐morphological features of parathyroid lesions: Fine‐needle aspiration cytology series from an endocrine tumor referral center
Authors: Steen Sanna , Hysek Martin , Zedenius Jan , Falhammar Henrik , Juhlin Carl Christofer 
Published: December 2021

AbstractBackgroundDescriptions of parathyroid cell cyto‐morphology are limited. Fine‐needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) with immunocytochemistry (ICC) or biochemical PTH measurements may help verify the parathyroid origin in extraordinary cases, although these methods are nowadays largely replaced by imaging techniques.MethodsWe collected all available FNAC reports of parathyroid lesions from our department spanning 20 years, to characterize the clinical use of parathyroid FNAC, and to assess morphological correlates between cytology and subsequent histopathology.ResultsTwenty‐eight cases with assessable cytological smears were found, of which 21 cases were surgically resected and 20 available for histological review (15 adenomas, 2 carcinomas, 2 atypical tumors and a single case with secondary hyperplasia). FNAC was predominantly performed to localize the diseased gland in cases with inconclusive imaging, in cases with a suspicion of intrathyroidal localization or in cases with persistent hypercalcemia following unsuccessful surgery. The diagnosis was verified using either PTH ICC and/or PTH measurements for most cases, and the procedure affected the clinical decision‐making for the majority of patients in this selected cohort. Cytological differences between parathyroid adenomas and carcinomas were found, as only carcinomas showed pleomorphism with irregular nuclei and prominent nucleoli. Morphologically, no correlations to predominant cell types or growth patterns visualized at histological investigations among adenomas were noted, and biopsy artifacts were evident in 40% of cases.ConclusionsParathyroid FNAC could be considered as a complementary analysis for a small group of selected patients, but benefits have to be weighed against the risk of biopsy artifacts in histological preparations.
Road‐map of pre‐clinical treatment for Visceral Leishmaniasis
Authors: Mazire Priyanka , Agarwal Vartika , Roy Amit 
Published: December 2021

AbstractVisceral leishmaniasis (VL) or Kala‐azar, is the most lethal form of leishmaniasis, is still prevalent in many countries where it is endemic. It is a threat to human life caused by protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani. The severity of the disease is further increased as the treated individuals might have a chance of developing Post Kala‐azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL) in the long run. Moreover, several countries have reported high number of HIV‐VL co‐infected patients. Therefore, there is a dire need for the development of efficient diagnostic methods and drugs in order to combat the disease and to control the spread of disease. At present, the treatment for VL entirely relies on therapeutic drugs as no vaccine is available yet. Ever since 1900s a series of drugs have been invented and used for treatment of VL; but the need for one such cost‐effective treatment that would completely cure the disease with minimal side‐effects, low relapse rate with high efficacy and less toxicity remains yet to be fulfilled. Therefore, identifying novel compounds is very crucial to develop potent antileishmanial agents. Thus, this review enlists several instances of drug development, including the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of antileishmanial drugs, different experimental animal models used to investigate the disease progression and to analyze treatment dosage and pharmacological aspect of drugs. Furthermore, the existing gap in drug development and future measures to improve the process are also discussed in this review.
“So hard not to feel blamed!”: Assessment of implementation of Benin’s Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response strategy from 2016–2018
Authors: Boyi Hounsou Christelle , Agossou Mahugnon C.U. , Bello Kéfilath , Delvaux Thérèse , Benova Lenka , Vigan Guézodjè Armelle , Hounkpatin Hashim , Dossou Jean‐Paul 
Published: December 2021

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the implementation of the Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) strategy institutionalized in Benin in 2013 to address the alarmingly high maternal and neonatal death rates.MethodsA retrospective, mixed‐methods study was performed. We used all maternal and neonatal death notifications and reviews from 2016 to 2018, reviewed the reports of 63 MPDSR working groups, and held two online group discussions. Descriptive quantitative analysis was performed, and content analysis was applied to qualitative data.ResultsDeaths were under‐notified, with estimated notification rates at 46%–48% for maternal and 16%–21% for neonatal deaths over the 3 years. Review completion rates were low, corresponding to 50%–56% of maternal and 8%–17% of neonatal deaths. Causes of undernotification included very low notification of community‐based and private health facility deaths, and fear of blame. Low review completion rates were due to heavy workload, staffing shortages, fear of blame, and weak leadership. Moreover, reviews were of poor quality and the response was weak.ConclusionMaternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response is operational in Benin. However, this assessment highlights the need to strengthen the notification strategy, continuously build MPDSR committee members’ capacities, engage decision‐makers for an effective response, and create a better blame‐free, accountable, and learning culture.
A method for detecting and classifying the tumor regions in brain MRI images using vector index filtering and ANFIS classification process
Authors: Shanmugam Sasikanth , Surampudi Srinivasa Rao 
Published: December 2021

AbstractIn this paper, the tumor affected images are detected and classified from non‐tumor affected brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) classification process. The proposed work for brain tumor detection consists of a noise reduction module, decomposition module, feature extraction module, classification module, and segmentation module. The noisy brain images are filtered by the proposed Vector Index Filtering algorithm and the filtered images are further decomposed using Fast Wavelet Transform. Later, the index features are computed from each decomposed sub‐band image and these computed index features are classified either as normal or abnormal brain images using the ANFIS classification process. Further, the tumor regions are segmented in classified abnormal brain images using morphological functions. This paper uses the Brain Tumor Image Segmentation Challenge—BRATS 2016 dataset for analyzing the performance of the proposed brain tumor detection and segmentation system in terms of sensitivity (97.9%), specificity (98.6%), accuracy (99.1%), error rate (0.09%), F1‐score (96.8%), and Geometrics mean (98.5%). Comparisons are made between the proposed method's experimental results and other state of the art methods. The proposed methods using machine learning approach, stated in this paper are well suited for detecting tumor regions in brain images.
The beneficial effect of synbiotics consumption on Alzheimer's disease mouse model via reducing local and systemic inflammation
Authors: Deng Shin‐Meng , Chen Chia‐Jung , Lin Hung‐Lung , Cheng Irene H. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractAlzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that impairs multiple memory domains without an effective prevention or treatment approach. Amyloid plaque‐induced neuroinflammation exacerbates neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment in AD. To reduce neuroinflammation, we applied prebiotics or synbiotics to modulate the gut–brain axis in the AD mouse model. AD‐like deficits were reduced in mice treated with synbiotics, suggesting that dietary modulation of the gut–brain axis is a potential approach to delay AD progression.
Frequency and characteristics of medical emergencies in an Australian dental school: A retrospective study
Authors: Zachar Jessica Joanna , Reher Peter 
Published: December 2021

AbstractPurpose/ObjectivesThe frequency of medical emergencies in a dental setting is relatively low. However, most dental treatment occurs outside of a hospital setting; thus the time to respond to a life‐threatening situation is crucial. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and characteristics of medical emergencies that occurred at the Griffith University Dental Clinic over a 6‐year period.MethodsData involving medical emergencies was collected at a dental school between January 2014 and December 2019. Data was obtained from the risk incident reporting system (GSafe), and descriptive statistics were analyzed using IBM SPSS.ResultsThe frequency of medical emergencies in a dental setting over the 6‐year retrospective period based on the number of dental services provided was 0.037% (n = 108). The three most common medical emergencies were syncope (25.0%), hypoglycemia (16.7%), and foreign body ingestion (13.9%). These happened more often during dental extractions (26.9%), followed by local anesthesia (16.7%) and restorative procedures (13.0%). A larger portion of these incidents occurred during dental treatment (62.0%) as opposed to before (12.0%) or after (26.0%). Most medical emergencies happened within the dental student clinic (72.2%) followed by the dental waiting room (19.5%) and dental private clinic (8.3%).ConclusionOverall, the number of medical emergencies at the Griffith University Dental Clinic was low. The most common medical emergencies were syncope, hypoglycemia, and foreign body ingestion. Dental education in preventative strategies and training in basic life support is necessary to ensure dental practitioners can manage the acute deterioration of a patient promptly.
Substantial increase of compound droughts and heatwaves in wheat growing seasons worldwide
Authors: He Yan , Fang Jiayi , Xu Wei , Shi Peijun 
Published: December 2021

AbstractDroughts and heatwaves are the most detrimental climatic threats to global wheat production, their spatiotemporal coexistence (compound drought and heatwave events [CDHEs]) can cause synergistic and amplified impacts on wheat yield, which call for an improved understating of their characteristics and variations that related to wheat growth. Past decade has witnessed a surge in the study of CDHEs in terms of their causative mechanisms, variabilities and impacts; however, changes in CDHEs occurring within crops' growing seasons are barely discussed, especially on global scale. In this study, we proposed a novel approach to identify and summarize CDHEs by taking “crop growing season” as accumulated period, and investigated the spatiotemporal changes of CDHEs occurring within wheat growing seasons over global wheat‐producing areas during 1981–2020, including their spatial extent, frequency and duration. Results show that the spatial extent of CDHEs experienced rapid expansion during wheat growing seasons of 1981–2020, meanwhile, droughts and heatwaves increasingly tended to occur simultaneously. More than 92% of wheat‐producing areas experienced at least one CDHE in each wheat growing season, the frequency of CDHEs increased significantly in 28.2% of wheat‐producing areas, and the total duration of CDHEs increased significantly in 33.2% of wheat‐producing areas. Europe, eastern China, western US and northern Argentina are the hotspot regions with the biggest contradiction between fast‐increasing CDHEs and wheat production, pointing to the urgency of marking spatially targeted adaptation measures for disaster reduction and risk management.
Value of the Controlling Nutritional Status score in predicting the prognosis of patients with lung cancer: A multicenter, retrospective study
Authors: Liu Xiao‐Yue , Zhang Xi , Zhang Qi , Xie Hai‐Lun , Ruan Guo‐Tian , Liu Tong , Song Meng‐Meng , Ge Yi‐Zhong , Xu Hong‐Xia , Song Chun‐Hua , Shi Han‐Ping 
Published: December 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe body's immune‐nutrition status affects prognosis in patients with lung cancer. The Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score is an immune‐nutrition‒related index associated with prognosis in other tumors. We aimed to assess the value of CONUT scores in predicting prognosis in patients with lung cancer.MethodsIn this retrospective, multicenter study, 1339 patients with lung cancer were divided into low and high CONUT score groups. The relationship between CONUT scores and overall survival (OS) was assessed by survival curves and Cox proportional hazards regression modeling. A nomogram, including CONUT scores and other clinical variables, was established.ResultsThere were 659 (49.2%; mean age, 59.91 years) low and 680 (50.8%; mean age, 62.23 years) high CONUT score patients. OS was significantly worse in patients with high than in those with low CONUT scores (P < 0.001), even after stratification by pathological types (non–small‐cell lung cancer and small‐cell lung cancer) and Tumor, Node, Metastasis (TNM) stages. A high CONUT score independently predicted risk in patients with lung cancer (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.26‒1.73; P < 0.001). The CONUT‐based nomogram could predict prognosis well (C‐index, 0.701), with better resolution and accuracy than TNM staging for predicting OS at 1, 2, and 3 years (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.735 vs 0.678, 0.742 vs 0.696, and 0.768 vs 0.743, respectively).ConclusionThe CONUT score can predict prognosis in patients with lung cancer. A CONUT‐based nomogram can improve the accuracy of survival prediction in such patients.
Evaluation of GCF IL‐17, IL‐10, TWEAK, and sclerostin levels after scaling and root planing and adjunctive use of diode laser application in patients with periodontitis
Authors: Gur Ali Tugrul , Guncu Guliz N. , Akman Abdullah C. , Pinar Asli , Karabulut Erdem , Nohutcu Rahime M. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of the diode laser as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP) and also determine the biochemical profile by evaluating the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) levels of interleukin (IL)‐17, IL‐10, tumor necrosis factor‐related weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK), and sclerostin.MethodsA total of 40 systemically healthy, patients with Stage III periodontitis were included in this randomized controlled study. Participants were randomly divided into two groups as SRP + diode laser (L) (0.80W power, 940 nm wavelength and 0.80J/s energy level) and only SRP group. Recording of periodontal parameters and collecting GCF samples were performed at baseline, first and 3rd months. Biomarker levels in GCF were measured with ELISAResultsAt baseline, no significant difference was detected between groups in terms of both clinical and biochemical parameters. All biochemical parameters (except for IL‐10 in control group), presented a statistically significant difference for 3 months study period in both groups. When laser and control groups were compared, significant differences were not observed, except the lower GCF IL‐17 levels (P = 0.025), bleeding on probing (P = 0.028), and clinical attachment level (CAL) (P = 0.0002) values in laser group at third, first, and third months, respectively. Statistically significant correlations were also noted between biochemical parameters and clinical parameters.ConclusionsThe GCF IL‐17, TWEAK, and sclerostin levels may be useful for monitoring response to SRP+L therapy. However, long‐term studies on higher populations are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of adjunctive use of diode laser application to SRP.
Habitat associations at multiple scales identify areas of management priority for American woodcock in Nova Scotia
Authors: Gutowsky Sarah E. , Gutowsky Lee F. G. , Milton G. Randy , Mallory Mark. L. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractIdentifying optimal habitat and predicting species distributions are essential components in developing management priorities for species of concern. In Nova Scotia, Canada, the breeding population of American woodcock (Scolopax minor) has been in decline over the past 50 years, likely in part because of reduced availability of habitat. We aimed to identify regions in Nova Scotia expected to support high numbers of woodcock, and whether monitoring efforts sufficiently capture the distribution of habitat. We generated a species distribution model to identify areas of highest relative predicted abundance and optimal habitat based on 15 years of standardized singing ground survey monitoring conducted along 50 routes and a candidate set of 56 habitat variables representative of composition and configuration at each of 2 ecologically relevant spatial scales (i.e., describing habitat immediately available to displaying males and the broader landscape used by the local breeding population). The species distribution model indicated extensive areas of optimal habitat in the central mainland characterized by moist organic soils, large, irregularly shaped patches of early successional forest, and large patches of open space created by developed, urban areas. We identified additional smaller pockets of habitat throughout the province likely to support relatively high local abundances. Much of the area identified as optimal habitat is not currently surveyed by singing ground survey routes. Expanding survey route coverage into regions identified as potentially optimal habitat could help clarify drivers of population declines. Overall, partnerships with provincial forest managers will be key to ensuring the maintenance of woodcock habitat while balancing the needs of a suite of avian species toward the goal of biodiversity conservation in Nova Scotia.
Astragalus polysaccharide alleviated hepatocyte senescence via autophagy pathway
Authors: Yao Ting , Chen Jin‐Mei , Shen Le‐Er , Yu Yong‐Sheng , Tang Zheng‐Hao , Zang Guo‐Qing , Zhang Yi , Chen Xiao‐Hua 
Published: December 2021

AbstractAging is characterized by inevitable organ function decline over time, with consequent body deterioration and increased susceptibility to death. Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) has been reported to have anti‐oxidative, anti‐apoptotic, and anti‐inflammatory properties. We investigated the potential protective effects of APS on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) induced hepatocyte senescence and identified related mechanisms in L02, Huh7, and LM3 cell lines. Aged female C57BL/6 mice were given APS for 1 week by intraperitoneal injection, and APS provided the strongest protective effect against H2O2‐induced damage at 100 μM. APS reduced the expression of cell senescence markers and alleviated pathological damage in aged mouse liver. APS treatment decreased oxidative stress, apoptosis, NOD‐like receptor protein‐3‐mediated pyroptosis, and maintained mitochondrial homeostasis. Notably, the protective effect of APS was weakened in the presence of chloroquine. APS might enrich autophagy by activating AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) and inhibiting mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). In conclusion, APS reduced reactive oxygen species levels, inhibited apoptosis and pyroptosis, and promoted mitophagy via AMPK/mTOR pathway to alleviate hepatocyte senescence in vitro and in vivo.
Novel Bio‐Based Catechol‐Containing Copolymers by Precision Polymerization of Caffeic Acid‐Derived Styrenes Using Ester Protection
Authors: Tanizaki Shiho , Kubo Tomohiro , Satoh Kotaro 
Published: December 2021

AbstractIn this study, ester‐protected vinyl catechols (VCs) derived from caffeic acid are synthesized to design novel functional copolymers. The protected VCs are polymerized or copolymerized with a series of common vinyl monomers via reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization using cumyl dithiobenzoate as the RAFT agent. The RAFT polymerizations of these protected VCs have been successfully proceeded to afford well‐defined polymers with relatively narrow molecular weight distributions. The deprotection of catechol ester proceeded quantitatively and selectively by primary amine with the formation of amide under a mild condition. In particular, the random/statistical and block copolymerization led to catechol‐containing copolymers with well‐defined structures.
Processing of Poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) Microfibers via Melt Electrowriting
Authors: Böhm Christoph , Tandon Biranche , Hrynevich Andrei , Teßmar Jörg , Dalton Paul D. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractPolymers sensitive to thermal degradation include poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) (PLGA), which is not yet processed via melt electrowriting (MEW). After an initial period of instability where mean fiber diameters increase from 20.56 to 27.37 µm in 3.5 h, processing stabilizes through to 24 h. The jet speed, determined using critical translation speed measurements, also reduces slightly in this 3.5 h period from 500 to 433 mm min−1 but generally remains constant. Acetyl triethyl citrate (ATEC) as an additive decreases the glass transition temperature of PLGA from 49 to 4 °C, and the printed ATEC/PLGA fibers exhibits elastomeric behavior upon handling. Fiber bundles tested in cyclic mechanical testing display increased elasticity with increasing ATEC concentration. The processing temperature of PLGA also reduces from 165 to 143 °C with increase in ATEC concentration. This initial window of unstable direct writing seen with neat PLGA can also be impacted through the addition of 10‐wt% ATEC, producing fiber diameters of 14.13 ± 1.69 µm for the first 3.5 h of heating. The investigation shows that the initial changes to the PLGA direct‐writing outcomes seen in the first 3.5 h are temporary and that longer times result in a more stable MEW process.
Zwitterionic Ammonium Sulfonate Polymers: Synthesis and Properties in Fluids
Authors: Brown Marcel U. , Seong Hong‐Gyu , Margossian Khatcher O. , Bishop Lauren , Russell Thomas P. , Muthukumar Murugappan , Emrick Todd 
Published: December 2021

AbstractPolymer zwitterions continue to emerge as useful materials for numerous applications, ranging from hydrophilic and antifouling coatings to electronic materials interfaces. While several polymer zwitterion compositions are now well established, interest in this field of soft materials science has grown rapidly in recent years due to the introduction of new structures that diversify their chemistry and architecture. Nonetheless, at present, the variation of the chemical composition of the anionic and cationic components of zwitterionic structures remains relatively limited to a few primary examples. In this article, the versatility of 4‐vinylbenzyl sultone as a precursor to ammonium sulfonate zwitterionic monomers, which are then used in controlled free radical polymerization chemistry to afford “inverted sulfobetaine” polymer zwitterions, is highlighted. An evaluation of the solubility, interfacial activity, and solution configuration of the resultant polymers reveals the dependence of properties on the selection of tertiary amines used for nucleophilic ring‐opening of the sultone precursor, as well as useful properties comparisons across different zwitterionic compositions.