bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Factors driving CT utilisation in tertiary hospitals: a decomposition analysis using linked administrative data in Western Australia
Authors: Ha Ninh Thi , Maxwell Susannah , Bulsara Max K , Doust Jenny , Mcrobbie Donald , O’Leary Peter , Slavotinek John , Moorin Rachael 
Published: November 2021

ObjectivesWhile CT scanning plays a significant role in healthcare, its increasing use has raised concerns about inappropriate use. This study investigated factors driving the changing use of CT among people admitted to tertiary hospitals in Western Australia (WA).Design and settingA repeated cross-sectional study of CT use in WA in 2003–2005 and 2013–2015 using linked administrative heath data at the individual patient level.ParticipantsA total of 2 375 787 tertiary hospital admissions of people aged 18 years or older.Main outcome measureRate of CT scanning per 1000 hospital admissions.MethodsA multivariable decomposition model was used to quantify the contribution of changes in patient characteristics and changes in the probability of having a CT over the study period.ResultsThe rate of CT scanning increased by 112 CT scans per 1000 admissions over the study period. Changes in the distribution of the observed patient characteristics were accounted for 62.7% of the growth in CT use. However, among unplanned admissions, changes in the distribution of patient characteristics only explained 17% of the growth in CT use, the remainder being explained by changes in the probability of having a CT scan. While the relative probability of having a CT scan generally increased over time across most observed characteristics, it reduced in young adults (−2.8%), people living in the rural/remote areas (−0.8%) and people transferred from secondary hospitals (−0.8%).ConclusionsOur study highlights potential improvements in practice towards reducing medical radiation exposure in certain high risk population. Since changes in the relative probability of having a CT scan (representing changes in scope) rather than changes in the distribution of the patient characteristics (representing changes in need) explained a major proportion of the growth in CT use, this warrants more in-depth investigations in clinical practices to better inform health policies promoting appropriate use of diagnostic imaging tests.
Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a predictor of mortality in intensive care unit patients: a retrospective analysis of the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III Database
Authors: Wu Xie , Luo Qipeng , Su Zhanhao , Li Yinan , Wang Hongbai , Liu Qiao , Yuan Su , Yan Fuxia 
Published: November 2021

ObjectivesIdentifying high-risk patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) is important given the high mortality rate. However, existing scoring systems lack easily accessible, low-cost and effective inflammatory markers. We aimed to identify inflammatory markers in routine blood tests to predict mortality in ICU patients and evaluate their predictive power.DesignRetrospective case–control study.SettingSingle secondary care centre.ParticipantsWe analysed data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III database. A total of 21 822 ICU patients were enrolled and divided into survival and death groups based on in-hospital mortality.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe predictive values of potential inflammatory markers were evaluated and compared using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. After identifying the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as having the best predictive ability, patients were redivided into low (≤1), medium (1–6) and high (>6) NLR groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association between the NLR and mortality. The area under the curve (AUC), net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) were used to assess whether incorporating the NLR could improve the predictive power of existing scoring systems.ResultsThe NLR had the best predictive ability (AUC: 0.609; p<0.001). In-hospital mortality rates were significantly higher in the low (OR (OR): 2.09; 95% CI 1.64 to 2.66) and high (OR 1.64; 95% CI 1.50 to 1.80) NLR groups than in the medium NLR group. Adding the NLR to the Simplified Acute Physiology Score II improved the AUC from 0.789 to 0.798, with an NRI and IDI of 16.64% and 0.27%, respectively.ConclusionsThe NLR predicted mortality in ICU patients well. Both low and high NLRs were associated with elevated mortality rates, including the NLR may improve the predictive power of the Simplified Acute Physiology Score II.
Neoadjuvant therapy or upfront surgery in advanced endometrial cancer: a systematic review protocol
Authors: McCarthy Amy , Balfour Katharine , El Sayed Iman , Edmondson Richard , Wan Yee-Loi Louise 
Published: November 2021

IntroductionThere is no consensus on the optimal treatment strategy for people with advanced endometrial cancer. Neoadjuvant therapies such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy have been employed to try to reduce the morbidity of surgery, improve its feasibility and/or improve functional performance in people considered unfit for primary surgery. The objective of this review is to assess whether neoadjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy improves health outcomes in people with advanced endometrial cancer when compared with upfront surgery.Methods and analysisThis review will consider both randomised and non-randomised studies that compare health outcomes associated with the neoadjuvant therapy and upfront surgery in advanced endometrial cancer. Potential studies for inclusion will be collated from electronic searches of OVID Medline, Embase, international trial registries and conference abstract lists. Data collection and extraction will be performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines. The methodological quality of the studies will be assessed using the Risk of Bias 2 and Risk of Bias in Non-randomised Studies of Interventions tools. If appropriate, we will perform a meta-analysis and provide summary statistics for each outcome.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval was not required for this study. Once complete, we will publish our findings in peer-reviewed publications, via conference presentations and to update relevant practice guidelines.
Sensor technology to monitor health, well-being and movement among healthcare personnel at workplace: a systematic scoping review protocol
Authors: Välimäki Maritta , Hipp Kirsi , Chen Jiarui , Huang Xiaoting , Guo Jia , Wong Man Sing 
Published: November 2021

IntroductionThe well-being and health of healthcare personnel is becoming increasingly important in the delivery of high-quality healthcare. The recent developments in technology have provided new opportunities for the objective detection of a wide variety of real-world properties and movement. However, technologies that are used to monitor health, well-being and movement among healthcare personnel have not been fully synthesised. The overall aim of this scoping review is to examine what type of sensor technology is available to monitor the health, well-being and movement of healthcare personnel in healthcare settings. More specifically, we want to explore what types of sensor technology applications, for what purposes and how they have been used to monitor health, well-being and movement among healthcare personnel in different workplace settings.Methods and analysisThis scoping review protocol will follow Arksey and O’Malley’s methodology, complemented by the approach of the Joanna Briggs Institute to scoping reviews and guidance for conducting systematic scoping reviews. Peer-reviewed literature will be identified using a search strategy developed by a librarian, and a wide range of electronic datasets of medical, computer and information systems disciplines will be used. Eligibility of the articles will be determined using a two-stage screening process consisting of (1) a title and abstract scan, and (2) a full-text review. Extracted data will be thematically analysed and validated by an expert of sensor technology and a group of nurses as stakeholders. Descriptive statistics will be calculated when necessary.Ethics and disseminationThe results obtained from the review will inform what technology has been used, how it has been used in healthcare settings and what types of technology might still be needed for future innovations. Findings of the scoping review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.RegistrationThis review was submitted in Open Science Framework on 12 December 2020.
Polarized Z bosons from the decay of a Higgs boson produced in association with two jets at the LHC
Authors: Maina Ezio , Pelliccioli Giovanni 
Published: November 2021

AbstractInvestigating the polarization of weak bosons provides an important probe of the scalar and gauge sector of the Standard Model. This can be done in the Higgs decay to four leptons, whose Standard-Model leading-order amplitude enables to generate polarized observables from unpolarized ones via a fully-differential reweighting method. We study the $$\text {Z} $$
Z
-boson polarization from the decay of a Higgs boson produced in association with two jets, both in the gluon-fusion and in the vector-boson fusion channel. We also address the possibility of extending the results of this work to higher orders in perturbation theory.
Applications of the Schwarzschild–Finsler–Randers model
Authors: Kapsabelis E. , Triantafyllopoulos A. , Basilakos S. , Stavrinos P. C. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractIn this article, we study further applications of the Schwarzschild–Finsler–Randers (SFR) model which was introduced in a previous work Triantafyllopoulos et al. (Eur Phys J C 80(12):1200, 2020). In this model, we investigate curvatures and the generalized Kretschmann invariant which plays a crucial role for singularities. In addition, the derived path equations are used for the gravitational redshift of the SFR-model and these are compared with the GR model. Finally, we get some results for different values of parameters of the generalized photonsphere of the SFR-model and we find small deviations from the classical results of general relativity (GR) which may be ought to the possible Lorentz violation effects.
Influence of Different Beverages on the Color Stability of Nanocomposite Denture Base Materials
Authors: Azmy Emad , Al-kholy Mohamed Reda Zaki , Gad Mohammed M. , Al-Thobity Ahmad M. , Emam Abdel-Naser M. , Helal Mohamed Ahmed 
Published: November 2021

Background. The effect of beverages on nanocomposite denture base materials is neglected. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the influence of different beverages (coffee, tea, cola, and mineral water) on the color stability of nanoparticles-modified denture base materials (DBMs). Materials and Methods. A total of 280 specimens (n = 10/group) were prepared from heat-polymerized acrylic resin modified with different concentrations (3% and 7%) of zirconium dioxide (nano-ZrO2), titanium dioxide (nano-TiO2), and silicon dioxide (nano-SiO2) nanoparticles, while 0% was taken as a control. Color change (∆E) of the specimens was evaluated after simulating 6-month immersion time in four commonly used beverages, coffee, tea, cola, and mineral water, as experimental groups. Color stability was measured using a spectrophotometer, and then values were converted to National Bureau of Standards units (NBS units). The one-way ANOVA test was applied to compare color change (ΔE) results followed by Bonferroni’s post hoc test (α = 0.05). Results. The results showed that the heat-polymerized acrylic resin modified with different types of nanoparticles showed lower color changes after being immersed in beverage solutions compared to the unmodified group (

P

< 0.001), so the color stability of heat-polymerized acrylic resin was significantly enhanced by the addition of several nanoparticles; nano-ZrO2 showed the lowest ΔE followed by nano-TiO2 and then nano-SiO2. Regardless of the filler type, 3% concentration showed lower mean ΔE than 7% concentration. Regarding the beverage solutions, the greatest color change was found in the coffee group followed by tea and cola, while water showed the least changes. Conclusion. Modification of heat-polymerized acrylic resin with certain amounts of nano-ZrO2, nano-TiO2, and nano-SiO2 may be useful in improving color stability.
A Double-Layer Multi-Resolution Classification Model for Decoding Spatiotemporal Patterns of Spikes With Small Sample Size
Authors: She Xiwei , Berger Theodore W. , Song Dong 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
We build a double-layer, multiple temporal-resolution classification model for decoding single-trial spatiotemporal patterns of spikes. The model takes spiking activities as input signals and binary behavioral or cognitive variables as output signals and represents the input-output mapping with a double-layer ensemble classifier. In the first layer, to solve the underdetermined problem caused by the small sample size and the very high dimensionality of input signals, B-spline functional expansion and L1-regularized logistic classifiers are used to reduce dimensionality and yield sparse model estimations. A wide range of temporal resolutions of neural features is included by using a large number of classifiers with different numbers of B-spline knots. Each classifier serves as a base learner to classify spatiotemporal patterns into the probability of the output label with a single temporal resolution. A bootstrap aggregating strategy is used to reduce the estimation variances of these classifiers. In the second layer, another L1-regularized logistic classifier takes outputs of first-layer classifiers as inputs to generate the final output predictions. This classifier serves as a meta-learner that fuses multiple temporal resolutions to classify spatiotemporal patterns of spikes into binary output labels. We test this decoding model with both synthetic and experimental data recorded from rats and human subjects performing memory-dependent behavioral tasks. Results show that this method can effectively avoid overfitting and yield accurate prediction of output labels with small sample size. The double-layer, multi-resolution classifier consistently outperforms the best single-layer, single-resolution classifier by extracting and utilizing multi-resolution spatiotemporal features of spike patterns in the classification.
Residential buildings with brain-computer interface functionality: An elevator case study
Authors: Chatziparasidis Iraklis , Sfampa Ioanna K 
Published: November 2021

Brain–computer interfaces (BCI) are systems that use signals recorded from the brain to enable communication and control applications. One of the most important applications of BCI technology is that enables people who are severely paralyzed by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, brainstem stroke, or other disorders to communicate, operate computer programs, or even control numerous devices. Moreover, elevators are probably the best option for disabled persons to expand their access and mobility within a house or a building. In this study, a prototype application is presented, together with an experimental setup of a BCI system that attempts to control an elevator. Practical application Many researchers are dealing with BCI systems that give the possibility to disabled people to control a variety of devices from wheelchairs to different home appliances, using the signals of their brain and forming a smart home services framework. This work comes to support this effort by presenting a case study, as a proof of concept, for an elevator BCI system that could be part of a complete “smart” home BCI system. The presented experimental setup proves that elevators with BCI functionalities are practically feasible and in an affordable cost, and that they could be a significant element within a “smart” residential building.
Prostate Cancer in Lebanon: Incidence, Temporal Trends, and Comparison to Countries From Different Regions in the World
Authors: Lakkis Najla A. , Osman Mona H. 
Published: November 2021

Background Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy in men globally. This study aims at investigating the incidence rates and trends of prostate cancer in Lebanon, and to compare them to those of countries from different regions in the world. Methods Data on prostate cancer were obtained from the Lebanese national cancer registry for the years 2005 to 2016. The calculated age-standardized incidence and age-specific rates were expressed as per 100 000 population. Results In Lebanon, prostate cancer is ranked as the most common cancer in men. The age-standardized incidence rate of prostate cancer has increased from 29.1 per 100 000 in 2005 to 37.3 per 100 000 in 2016; the highest rate was in 2012, surpassing the global average incidence rate for that year. The age-specific incidence rate of prostate cancer has increased exponentially starting at the age of 50 years to reach its peak in men aged 75 years or more. Two trends were identified in the age-standardized incidence rate of prostate cancer; an average significant increase of 7.28% per year for the period 2005–2009 ( P-value < .05), followed by a non-significant decrease of around .99% for the period between 2009 and 2016 ( P-value > .05). The age-standardized incidence rate in Lebanon was higher than most countries in the Middle East and North Africa region and Asia, but lower than the rates reported in Australia, America, and different European countries. Conclusion Prostate cancer is the leading cancer among men in Lebanon. Screening practices, changes in population age structure, and prevalence of genetic and risky lifestyle factors may explain the increased incidence rates of prostate cancer. Given the controversy of screening recommendations and the slow growing nature of prostate cancer, increasing public awareness on ways of prevention, and implementing the latest screening recommendation of the United States Preventive Services Task Force are the suggested way forward.
Upper thigh loop prosthetic arterio-venous grafts (AVG) for dialysis access: An Indian perspective
Authors: Natarajan Sekar , Jagan Sebastian Jithin 
Published: November 2021

Introduction: Hemodialysis forms the most common replacement therapy for majority of Indians suffering from chronic kidney disease (CKD). Multiple access failure and central vein stenosis has become commonplace in Indian dialysis access patients and there is a burgeoning need for more advanced hemodialysis (HD) access options. Upper thigh arterio-venous grafts (AVG) are seldom inserted due to fear of infection and limb ischemia. Materials and methods: This is a single institutional, retrospective, descriptive case study of consecutive patients who underwent upper thigh prosthetic AVG over a period of 7 years. All these patients had exhausted options of upper limb access and or had central vein stenosis. AVG from the proximal superficial femoral artery (SFA) to the proximal great saphenous vein (GSV) in a loop configuration using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) was carried out in the upper thigh. Results: A total of 24 patients had undergone upper thigh loop AVG. Their age varied from 24 to 77 years. The median follow-up period was 3 years. Five of these grafts developed infection (21%) which led to primary failure. A primary patency of 71% (17/24 patients) was achieved at 1 year. Thrombosis developed at a mean of 16.7 months after the primary procedure. Adjunctive procedures such as thrombectomy, segmental replacement of graft, patch angioplasty, balloon angioplasty, and stenting were required in 75% of patients to achieve a secondary patency of 86% at 1 year. Three grafts were explanted without limb loss. Conclusion: Upper thigh loop AVG forms a reliable alternate dialysis access option for patients with failed upper limb access sites or central vein occlusion. Adjunctive procedures are key to maintaining patency in these grafts. Good secondary patency is achievable, and the infection rates are similar to arm AVG. Close follow-up and timely intervention are key to long term dialysis through these grafts.
Surgical outcome and prognostic factors in spinal cord ependymoma: a single-center, long-term follow-up study
Authors: Gembruch Oliver , Chihi Mehdi , Haarmann Merle , Parlak Ahmet , Oppong Marvin Darkwah , Rauschenbach Laurèl , Michel Anna , Jabbarli Ramazan , Ahmadipour Yahya , Sure Ulrich , Dammann Philipp , Özkan Neriman 
Published: November 2021

Objective: Spinal cord ependymomas account for 3–6% of all central nervous system tumors and around 60% of all intramedullary tumors. The aim of this study was to analyze the neurological outcome after surgery and to determine prognostic factors for functional outcome. Patients and Methods: Patients treated surgically due to a spinal cord ependymoma between 1990 and 2018 were retrospectively included. Demographics, neurological symptoms, radiological parameters, histopathology, and neurological outcome (using McCormick Score [MCS]) were analyzed. Possible prognostic factors for neurological outcome were evaluated. Results: In total, 148 patients were included (76 males, 51.4%). The mean age was 46.7 ± 15.3 years. The median follow-up period was 6.8 ± 5.4 years. The prevalence was mostly in the lumbar spine (45.9%), followed by the thoracic spine (28.4%) and cervical spine (25.7%). Gross-total resection was achieved in 129 patients (87.2%). The recurrence rate was 8.1% and depended on the extent of tumor resection ( p = 0.001). Postoperative temporary neurological deterioration was observed in 63.2% of patients with ependymomas of the cervical spine, 50.0% of patients with ependymomas of the thoracic spine, and 7.4% of patients with ependymomas of the lumbosacral region. MCS 1–2 was detected in nearly two-thirds of patients with cervical and thoracic spinal cord ependymoma 36 months after surgery. Neurological recovery was superior in thoracic spine ependymomas compared with cervical spine ependymomas. Poor preoperative functional condition (MCS >2), cervical and thoracic spine location, and tumor extension >2 vertebrae were independent predictors of poor neurological outcome. Conclusion: Neurological deterioration was seen in the majority of cervical and thoracic spine ependymomas. Postoperative improvement was less in thoracic cervical spine ependymomas compared with thoracic spine ependymomas. Poor preoperative status and especially tumor extension >2 vertebrae are predictors of poor neurological outcome (MCS >2).