bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pregabalin and Persistent Postoperative Pain Following Posterior Spinal Fusion in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Helenius Linda , Yrjälä Tommi , Oksanen Hanna , Pajulo Olli , Löyttyniemi Eliisa , Taittonen Markku , Helenius Ilkka 
Published: August 2021

Background:
Surgical correction of spinal deformity requires major surgical intervention with extensive manipulation of the spine and neural elements. Persistent postoperative pain affects patient quality of life and can also cause financial burden for patient families and for society. We aimed to investigate the effect of perioperative pregabalin on the incidence of persistent pain following instrumented spinal fusion.

Methods:
We conducted a randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled single-center clinical trial. Adolescents and children 10 to 21 years old with a spinal deformity who were scheduled for pedicle screw instrumentation and fusion were randomized into either the pregabalin or placebo group. Patients received 2 mg/kg of pregabalin or a placebo twice daily preoperatively and for 5 days postoperatively. The duration of follow-up was 2 years. The primary outcomes were cumulative opioid consumption during the first 48 hours postoperatively and the incidence of persistent postoperative pain over the course of the 2-year follow-up.

Results:
Sixty-four of 77 eligible patients were enrolled in the study, with all patients completing the 2-year follow-up. Thirty-three patients were randomized into the pregabalin group and 31 into the placebo group. There was no significant difference in cumulative 48-hour opioid consumption between the study groups. The Scoliosis Research Society 24-Item Questionnaire pain domain score improved significantly, from a mean value of 3.8 in both groups to 4.3 in the pregabalin and 4.0 in the placebo group at 2 years postoperatively, with no differences between the study groups at any time point (p = 0.317). The Scoliosis Research Society total scores of the study groups were similar (p = 0.678). Back pain, as measured with use of a visual analogue scale, improved significantly (p = 0.001) with no significant differences at any time point (preoperatively and 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years postoperatively).

Conclusions:
Perioperative pregabalin does not reduce postoperative opioid consumption or the incidence of persistent postoperative pain following instrumented posterior spinal fusion for spinal deformities in an adolescent population.

Level of Evidence:
Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
MOON’s Strategy for Obtaining Over Eighty Percent Follow-up at 10 Years Following ACL Reconstruction
Authors: Marx Robert G. , Wolfe Isabel A. , Turner Brooke E. , Huston Laura J. , Taber Caroline E. , Spindler Kurt P. ,   and the MOON Group
Published: August 2021

Abstract:
The Multicenter Orthopaedic Outcomes Network (MOON) study of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction has achieved >80% follow-up for study subjects who were enrolled from 2002 to 2005; patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were reported at 2, 6, and 10 years through a carefully designed protocol that included surgeon involvement to encourage subjects to complete and return questionnaires. The process included emails and telephone calls from the central coordinating center, from research coordinators at each local institution, and lastly, from the subjects’ surgeons for those who were less inclined to complete the follow-up. In order to quantify the effect of site and surgeon involvement, the enrollment year of 2005 was monitored for the 10-year follow-up (n = 516 subjects). In contact efforts made by the coordinating center, 73.8% (381) of study subjects were reached by the central site coordinator, contact information was verified, and questionnaires were subsequently sent, completed, and returned. An additional 54 subjects (10.5% of the overall study population) returned the questionnaire after local study site involvement, indicating the importance of individual surgeon and local site involvement to improve follow-up rates in multicenter studies in orthopaedic surgery. Follow-up rates were higher when a specific individual (the surgeon or the research coordinator) was given the task of final follow-up.
Prevalence of Demodex Folliculorum and Demodex Brevis in Patients with Blepharitis and Chalazion
Authors: AKKUCUK Serife , Kaya Ozlem Makbule , Aslan Lokman , Ozdemir Talat , Uslu Ugur 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Purpose: Demodex folliculorum and Demodex brevis are common ectoparasites on skin that also can lead to blepharitis and chalazion. The aim of our study is to determine the prevalence of Demodex spp. in eyelashes of patients diagnosed with chronic blepharitis and chalazion. Methods: This study included 330 patients diagnosed with chronic blepharitis, 70 patients diagnosed with chalazion and 130 volunteers without any ocular problems. Patient eyelashes were examined under a light microscope at magnifications of × 40, × 100 and × 400. Demodex spp. were determined. Results: Parasite prevalence was significantly higher in blepharitis (75.5%) and chalazion groups (70%) compared to the control group (16.2%) (p <0.001). The prevalence of D. folliculorum in the blepharitis group and D. brevis in the chalazion group was found to be significantly higher compared to other groups (p <0.05). The average number of mites per eyelash was found to be significantly higher in patients with Demodex positive blepharitis (p = 0.001) and in chalazion patients (p = 0.047) than in the control group. It has been determined that mite positivity increases with age in blepharitis and control groups (p <0.05). In the group with blepharitis, it was found that mite positivity was significant in the presence of symptoms (p = 0.0001) and Demodex positivity decreased as the education level of individuals increased (p = 0.039). Conclusion: The results of the study show that Demodex acari infestations should be considered in chronic blepharitis and chalazion.
In-silico analysis of BCL2 gene using multiple bioinformatics tools to identify the most lethal mutations that are crucial for its structural and functional integrity
Authors: Ghani Usman , Ali Yasir , Gul Karim , sohail Aamir , Ullah Rahmat , Anjum Tayyaba , jalil Fazal 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
BCL2 was the first ever known gene for anti-apoptotic activity, that encodes for essential proteins of the external mitochondrial membrane. Regarding tumorigenesis, deregulated BCL2 expression and related proteins have been recognized as characteristic of several human cancers and there is concrete evidence that the deregulated expression of BCL2 like proteins plays a vital role in tumor development, persistence and therapeutic resistance. Therefore, it is important to identify the polymorphisms of BCL2 that are both structurally and functionally important for research to find their possible malfunctions and therapeutics. For this reason, in our research, we have used a variety of bioinformatics tools to recognize the most destructive nsSNPs that may be important for the structure and function of BCL2. In silico tools, PROVEAN, SIFT, SNP&GO, PhD SNP, and PolyPhen2 included a variety of other tools such as I Mutant, MutPred, and ConSurf, to study their conservation profiles to validate their stability, structural, and functional impacts. Post-transcriptional alteration sites were also predicted followed by application of 3-D mapping with I-TASSER and Phyre2 tools. Furthermore, the gene interactions were mapped via STRING and GeneMANIA. We also found that nsSNPs Q118R (rs759928495), G193R (rs1197820694), R129C (rs777784952), and Ll81V (rs752310933) are the most destructive nsSNPs in BCL2 genes that can have a vital part in BCL2 protein defects and possibly cause different cancers. Gene-gene interactions showed relation of BCL2 with other genes depicting its importance in several pathways and co-expressions. This research is the first of its kind and offers future prospects for the development of dedicated medicines as well. In the animal models, the effects of BCL2 can also be tested in diseases. Such should be the study of BCL2 proteins from cancer patients. The effects of BCL2 can also be tested on animal models.
Assessing Uncertainties in Estimating Surface Energy Fluxes from Remote Sensing over Natural Grasslands in Brazil
Authors: Käfer Pâmela Suélen , Rocha Nájila Souza da , Veeck Gustavo Pujol , Diaz Lucas Ribeiro , Costa Savannah Tâmara Lemos da , Kaiser Eduardo André , Robérti Débora Regina , Rolim Silvia Beatriz Alves 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Evapotranspiration (ET) is one of the main fluxes in the global water cycle. As the Pampa biome carries a rich biodiversity, accurate information on the ET dynamics is essential to support its proper monitoring and establish conservation strategies. In this context, we assessed an operational methodology based on the S-SEBI model to estimate energy fluxes over the natural grasslands of the Brazilian Pampa between 2014-2019. The S-SEBI is a remote sensing-based ET model that requires a minimum of meteorological inputs, being fully applicable for regions lacking in situ observations. Therefore, we investigated the model performance considering radiation data from both ERA5 reanalysis and Eddy Covariance measurements. Furthermore, comparisons from satellite-based estimates with in situ data were performed with and without energy balance closure (EBC). Results showed that the RMSE is impacted in 0.32 mm/day when reanalysis data are used, indicating that the meteorological inputs have low sensitivity on daily ET estimates from the S-SEBI model. In contrast, the instantaneous energy balance components are more affected. The strong climate seasonality of the Brazilian Pampa impacts the evaporative fraction, which is more evident in late summer and autumn and may compromise the performance of the model. The effects in the daily ET are lower when in situ data without EBC are considered as ground truth. However, they are less correlated with the remote sensing-based estimates. These insights are useful to monitor water and energy fluxes from local to regional scale and provide the opportunity to capture ET trends over the biome.
Effect of the Variability of Wind Forcing on ENSO Simulation in an OGCM: Case of Canonical and Protracted Event
Authors: Arora Anika 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
This study is an attempt to understand the onset and evolution of canonical El Niño (~ 18–24 months; CE) and protracted El Niño (> greater than 3 years; PE) compared to the normal state (NS) in an ocean model. Indo-Pacific warm pool indicates higher values of SST before the onset of strong canonical El Niño compared to the normal state and protracted El Niño. The ocean model used in the study shows systematic SST bias in the Indo-Pacific Ocean with higher (cooler) values of temperature in western (eastern) Pacific during NS, CE, and PE exhibiting La Niña like conditions. The ocean model exhibits deeper thermocline depth in the western equatorial Pacific Ocean (PO) during PE and CE compared to NS indicating higher values of heat content (warm water volume). Despite the presence of higher warm water volume in the western PO before the onset of El Niño, the difference in the variability of surface wind forcing during the preceding months determines the type of El Niño. The interplay of surface wind forcing among the NS, PE, and CE states without altering the ocean state can modify the subsurface propagation in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. A change in longitudinal extent of upwelling Kelvin waves towards eastern PO along with the change in surface wind forcing decides the fate of El Niño in the eastern Pacific.
Determinants of adherence to iron-folic acid supplementation among postnatal mothers in Addis Ababa referral hospitals, Ethiopia
Authors: Taye Tigist Alemu , Sinaga Mesele , Taye Abonesh 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Abstract: In Ethiopia, adherence to iron-folic acid supplementation is extremely low. There were only 5% who took more than 90 tablets during their pregnancy. However, only limited data is available on the determinant factors of non-adherence. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify determinants of adherence to iron-folic acid supplementation among postnatal mothers in three referral hospitals of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Methods: An institutional based unmatched case-control study was conducted on 240 women who have been at postnatal care. Data were collected using interviewer administered questionnaire. Data were entered and analyzed using EpiData and SPSS version 20.0, respectively. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were employed to identify the determinants at p-value < 0.25 and < 0.05, respectively.Results: The major determinant factors of adherence to iron-folic acid supplementation were, mothers age group 29-33 [AOR=1.66, 95% CI: 2.010-0.0492], ANC initiation time [AOR=4.21, 95% CI: 2.3-10.6], counseling on IFAS [AOR=3.89, 95% CI: 1.8-8.4], time taken to travel to health facility [AOR=3.17,95% CI:1.35-7.4], gravidity [AOR=2.08,95% CI:1.06-4.09], morning sickness [AOR 0.33, 95% CI: 0.15-0.69] and planned pregnancy [AOR=4.2, 95% CI: 1.6-10.9].Conclusion: This study highlighted age of participants, planned pregnancy, antenatal care initiation time, morning sickness, gravidity, counseling and distance to health facility are the key factors that have independently associate with adherence. Counseling should be given for clients on the correct dosage and duration of supplementation to prevent anemia and neural tube defects.
Comparative analysis of diversity and environmental niches of soil bacterial, archaeal, fungal and protist communities reveal niche divergences along environmental gradients in the Alps
Authors: Malard Lucie A , Mod Heidi K , Guex Nicolas , Broennimann Olivier , Yashiro Erika , Lara Enrique , Mitchell Edward A. D. , Niculita-Hirzel Helene , Guisan Antoine 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Although widely used in ecology, comparative analyses of diversity and niche properties are still lacking for microorganisms, especially concerning niche variations. In this study, we identified important topoclimatic, edaphic, spatial and biotic drivers of the alpha and beta diversity of bacterial, archaeal, fungal and protist communities. Then, we calculated the niche breadth and position of each taxon along environmental gradients within all taxonomic groups, to determine how these vary within and between groups. Quantifying the niches of microbial taxa is necessary to then forecast how taxa and the communities they compose might respond to environmental changes. We found that edaphic properties were the most important drivers of both community diversity and composition for all microbial groups. Protists presented the largest niche breadths, followed by bacteria and archaea, with fungi displaying the smallest. Niche breadth generally decreased towards environmental extremes, especially along edaphic gradients, suggesting increased specialisation of microbial taxa in highly selective environments. Overall, we showed that microorganisms have well defined niches, as do macro-organisms, likely driving part of the observed spatial patterns of community variations. Assessing niche variation more widely in microbial ecology should open new perspectives, especially to tackle global change effects on microbes.
Assessment of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies post-Coronavac vaccination in the Amazon region of Brazil.
Authors: Bichara Carlos David Araújo , Queiroz Maria Alice Freitas , Amoras Ednelza da Silva Graça , Vaz Gergiane Lopes , Vallinoto Izaura Maria Vieira Cayres , Bichara Cléa Nazaré Carneiro , Amaral Isabella Pinheiro Costa , Ishak Ricardo , Vallinoto Antonio Carlos Rosário 
Published: August 2021

Abstract

Background. The race to develop a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) has raised questions regarding the safety of immunizers, efficacy regarding the production of neutralizing antibodies, and the longevity of the immune response, especially when related to variables such as sex and age.Objective. The present study evaluated the frequency of seropositivity for anti-SARS-CoV-2 (S1 and S2) total antibodies and anti-SARS-CoV-2 (receptor binding domain - RBD - S1) neutralizing antibodies in individuals vaccinated with the immunizing agent Coronavac (Sinovac).Method. This was a cross-sectional study involving 358 individuals divided into two groups. Group 1 consisted of 205 volunteers who were tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 total antibodies (S1 and S2); group 2 consisted of 153 individuals tested for the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies (RBD-S1).Results. Seropositivity was greater than 70% in both groups, though approximately 20% of individuals showed no antibody production. The frequency of anti-SARS-CoV-2 total antibodies (S1 and S2) displayed a significantly different distribution between the sexes but not according to age. The frequency of anti-SARS-CoV-2 (RBD-S1) neutralizing antibodies was 93% in the age group from 21 to 40 years, which was significantly lower with advancing age, to 76% (41 to 60 years), 72% (61 to 80 years) and 47% (>80 years).Conclusion. Our results reveal a high prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 total antibodies (S1 and S2) and anti-SARS-CoV-2 (RBD - S1) neutralizing antibodies in individuals who received both doses of the Coronavac vaccine, suggesting a lower efficiency of the humoral immune response among those older than 60 years of age, which might be associated with senescence of the immune system.
Decomposition Dynamics of Cooking-oil-soaked Paper in Media With a Low Inorganic Nitrogen Content
Authors: Ciesielczuk Tomasz , Rosik-Dulewska Czesława 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Many paper-related products are in daily use all over the world. Although paper is one of the most recycled materials in the European Union, no end-of-waste criteria have been defined. Typical paper and cardboard should be recycled, but paper materials with impurities, such as water, cooking oil, sand, or plastic, are much more problematic. In particular, paper polluted with cooking oil or butter (e.g., pizza boxes) is difficult waste. Composting could be a solution, but in many municipal solid waste collection systems, this waste type is collected with the mixed waste stream. Paper and cardboard contain potentially much CH4 and, in landfills, are a source of CO2 and CH4. Incineration of these materials also causes CO2 emission. The aim of this study was to investigate the degradation of cooking-oil-polluted paper in media with a low inorganic nitrogen content. Office paper usually used for printouts was used as pre-test material. Two types of paper usually used in the kitchen were used: pizza box cardboard and parchment paper highly polluted with cooking oil. Two types of low inorganic nitrogen media were tested: mature municipal waste compost (MSWC) and leaf mold. The decrease in mass of both paper sample types was correlated with process time. All tested samples—raw cellulose materials and paper with cooking oil added—were partly or completely decomposed after 6 weeks of bioprocessing without an additional dose of inorganic nitrogen.
Unmet Need for Family Planning Among Married Women in Zambia: Lessons from the 2018 Demographic and Health Survey
Authors: Namukoko Harriet , Likwa Rosemary Ndonyo , Hamoonga Twaambo E. , Phiri Million 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Introduction: Unmet need for family planning among married women is still high in Africa. In the year 2018, one in every five married women in Zambia had an unmet need for family planning. Unmet need for family planning can increase the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions, both of which have the potential to increase the proportion of women of child bearing age who are at high risk of birth complications. Studies have shown that factors explaining unmet need for family planning vary significantly from country to country, depending on access and availability of family planning services for women. We conducted this study to understand the determinants of unmet need for family planning in Zambia. Knowledge of factors associated with unmet need for family planning can help governments and stakeholders to identify health strategies to reduce unwanted fertility and prevent maternal and child mortality.Methods: The study used datasets from the Zambia Demographic and Health Survey which was a representative cross-sectional survey conducted in 2018. Zambia conducted a Demographic and Health to capture health indicators which are used to measure progress of implementation of health sector interventions. We did analysis on a sample of 7, 597 married women aged 15-49 years. Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyse determinants of unmet need for family planning. Stata version 14.2 was used to analyse weighted data and survey commands were applied to account for the complex sample design. Results: Study findings have revealed that half of the married women were still not using contraception by 2018. Unmet need for family planning among married women is still a public health issue in Zambia. In multivariate regression analysis; age, parity, household wealth and exposure to media-based family planning messages were found to be significantly associated with unmet need for family planning among married women.Conclusion: There is need to enhance family planning policy and programming in the country in order to achieve desired health outcomes. Mass media campaigns and community-based outreach activities with special focus on the young women can achieve significant results in reducing unmet need for family planning. Further, there should be some deliberate interventions to conduct family planning talks during in health facilities targeting women who visit maternal and children care clinics.
Optimizing the Fermentation Conditions and Determining the Disease Control and Growth Promotion Function of Bacillus Amyloliquefaciens 3-5
Authors: Ma Ting , Yang Chengde , Cai Fengfeng , Cui Lingxiao , Li Zhezhe , Wang Yidan 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Bacillus spp. are helping to develop towards sustainable agriculture and have become a research hotspot in the field of plant pathology because they have great development potential such as control fungal plant diseases. Bacillus Amyloliquefaciens 3-5 was used as antagonistic bacteria in this experiment. The optimal medium for solid-state fermentation of B. amyloliquefaciens 3-5 contained bran (35%), rice hull powder (40%), corn gluten (20%), bean flour (15%), corn starch (1.5%), beef extract (2.5%) and MgSO4 (1.5%), and the optimal fermentation conditions included an inoculum of 6%, a solids content of 36 g/L, a feed-to-water ratio of 1:1, a fermentation temperature of 32 ℃, an initial pH of 7.0 and fermentation time of 44 h. When the dosage of the B. amyloliquefaciens 3-5 agent was 10%, the thick stems, root length and plant height of cucumber were significantly higher than those of the control (P＜0.05), and the growth rates were 77.45 %, 35.77 %, and 53.33 %, respectively in pot experiments. Compared with the control, and the preventive effect and therapeutic effect on cucumber Fusarium wilt were 72.09 % and 48.83 % by the application of B. amyloliquefaciens 3-5 agent，which showed that cucumber Fusarium wilt was successfully controlled by a newly isolated strain of B. Amyloliquefaciens 3-5. These results suggested that the prevention and control effect of B. amyloliquefaciens 3-5 agent on cucumber Fusarium wilt could not be underestimated.