bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hard-to-heal ulcers treated with hypochlorous acid oxidising solution and standard of care: a 32-week follow-up
Authors: Ricci Elia , Pittarello Monica 
Published: October 2021

Objective: Immediately following a two-year prospective case series in which the wounds of 60 patients with hard-to-heal ulcers were treated with a hypochlorous acid oxidising solution (AOS) in addition to standard of care (SoC) for 70 days (T0–T70), a subset of 31 patients (51.7%) whose wounds had not fully healed by T70 opted to continue with treatment for a further 22 weeks (days T70–T224, a total treatment time of 32 weeks (224 days). The objective was to provide long-term evidence on the clinical performance and safety of AOS when used in association with the usual SoC in patients with stalled, hard-to-heal ulcers of various aetiologies. Method: As per the main study, wounds were formally assessed by the study lead at 28 days (±14 days, depending on patient attendance). Parameters assessed at fortnightly visits included area, depth and duration of ulcer; pain; wound bed preparation (WBP) score; and infection status. Wounds were managed in accordance with the SoC protocol. Results: By T224, 35.5% (n=11) of wounds healed completely and 83.9% showed some types of improvement. All wounds were free of infection and colonisation, the WBP score improved (100% A1–A2 at T196), and pain scores fell. Use of AOS in combination with several types of dressing (SoC) for such a long period confirmed a good safety profile. Conclusion: This follow-up evaluation, coupled with the primary study, suggests that AOS might represent a valuable therapeutic addition for the management of hard-to-heal ulcers for long periods of treatment. Declaration of interest: ER worked as a consultant for APR Applied Pharma Research S.A. The authors have no other conflicts of interest.
Quality of life improvement in patients with hard-to-heal leg wounds treated with Prontosan wound irrigation solution and wound gel
Authors: Oropallo Alisha , Snyder Robert J , Karpf Angela , Valencia Diana , Curtin Christopher R , Cetnarowski Wes 
Published: October 2021

Objective: This study evaluated the impact of four weeks of treatment with Prontosan Wound Irrigation Solution and Prontosan Wound Gel (B. Braun Medical Inc., US) on adults with hard-to-heal leg wounds. Overall change (weeks 1–5) in the Global Quality of Life scale (GQOL), changes in body, psyche and everyday life (EDL) quality of life (QoL) subscores, and changes in wound appearance and size after treatment were assessed. Method: In this prospective, open-label, single-arm, five-centre study, non-hospitalised patients with no more than two wounds below the knee were recruited into the study; wounds were ≥5cm2 and ≤50cm2 and present for ≥4 weeks. The investigator or a designee applied the wound solution and gel to the wounds at clinic visits, and patients/caregivers applied the wound solution and gel at home. Wound-QoL questionnaires were completed at the initial screening and at each week of treatment. Wound size and photographs were obtained at pre- and post-treatment during clinic visits. Results: A total of 43 patients were enrolled in the study. Mean GQOL scores decreased by 1.11 (46.1%). Body, psyche and EDL decreased by 1.17 (60.0%), 1.26 (41.8%) and 1.00 (42.2%), respectively. Wounds also showed improvement in odour, appearance and size. Adverse events were mild in intensity and transient in nature. Conclusion: This study demonstrated marked improvement in the QoL of patients with hard-to-heal leg wounds below the knee during four weeks of treatment with the wound solution and gel. Wounds also showed improvement in odour, appearance and size, and the treatment solution and gel were well tolerated. Declaration of interest: B. Braun Medical Inc. funded the research and preparation of this article. AK, DV, CRC and WC are employees of B. Braun Medical Inc. AO and RS declare no conflict of interest.
Highly coherent and multi-octave mid-infrared supercontinuum generations in a reverse-strip AlGaAs waveguide with three zero-dispersion wavelengths
Authors: Cheng Yujun , Lai Jintao , Yuan Jinhui , Mei Chao , Zhou Xian , Wu Qiang , Liu Bin , Yan Binbin , Wang Kuiru , Yu Chongxiu , Sang Xinzhu 
Published: October 2021

In this paper, a reverse-strip AlGaAs waveguide with three zero-dispersion wavelengths (ZDWs) is designed. The corresponding three ZDWs are located at 3.74, 6.56, and 8.89 µm. The nonlinearity coefficient of the proposed reverse-strip AlGaAs waveguide is calculated as

2.09

W

−
1

m

−
1

at wavelength 4.9 µm. The effects of pump pulse parameters, waveguide length, and noise coefficient on the nonlinear dynamics of supercontinuum (SC) generation are investigated. When the hyperbolic secant pump pulse with a wavelength of 4.9 µm, peak power of 900 W, and duration of 100 fs is launched into the proposed waveguide and propagated after a 3 mm length, highly coherent and multi-octave mid-infrared (MIR) SC spanning from 2.2 to 14.5 µm (more than 2.7 octaves, at

−

40

d
B

level) is generated. Finally, a possible fabrication process of the reverse-strip AlGaAs waveguide is introduced. Our research results have important applications in MIR photonics, MIR spectroscopy, optical precision measurement, and more.
Sensitivity tailoring of an all-fiber bend sensor based on a dual-core fiber unbalanced Michelson interferometer
Authors: Budnicki Dawid , Parola Itxaso , Szostkiewicz Łukasz , Markiewicz Krzysztof , Wilczyński Krzysztof , Kuklińska Małgorzata , Mergo Paweł , Napierała Marek , Nasiłowski Tomasz 
Published: October 2021

In this work, a compact all-fiber bend sensor based on a dual-core microstructured optical fiber has been manufactured and characterized. The sensor relies on the unbalanced Michelson interferometric technique realized by attaching a piece of silica fiber to one of the fiber cores acting as the unbalancing element. Three probes with different lengths of the unbalancing element have been experimentally tested for sensitivity tailoring analysis. Additionally, a theoretical model has been developed for comparison and verification of the results. Good linear behavior of the spectral shift with bend has been measured and it has been proven that the sensitivity of the sensor depends on the length of the unbalancing element and the orientation of the cores. Higher sensitivities are achieved for shorter lengths of the unbalancing element and orientation of the core axis parallel to the bend direction. The highest sensitivity reported is 9.97 pm/µm for the case of 34 µm of unbalancing element and orientation of 0 degrees.
Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on health facility delivery in Ethiopia; results from PMA Ethiopia’s longitudinal panel
Authors: Zimmerman Linnea A. , Desta Selamawit , Karp Celia , Yihdego Mahari , Seme Assefa , Shiferaw Solomon , Ahmed Saifuddin 
Published: October 2021

Objectives
To examine the effect of COVID-19 on health facility delivery in Ethiopia.

Design
We used longitudinal data with a pre-post exposure to the pandemic to assess change in facility delivery patterns nationally and by urban and rural strata. We conducted design-based multivariable multinomial logistic regression comparing home, lower-level facility, and hospital delivery with date of birth as a spline term, with a knot indicating births before and on/after April 8, 2020.

Setting
Six regions in Ethiopia, covering 91% of the population.

Participants
Women were eligible to participate if they were currently pregnant or less than six weeks postpartum and were recontacted at six weeks, six months, and one year postpartum. 2,889 women were eligible and 2,855 enrolled. Data used in this paper come from the six-week interview, with a follow-up rate of 88.9% (2,537 women).

Results
In urban areas, women who delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic had a 77% reduced relative risk of delivering in a hospital relative to women who delivered prior to the pandemic (aRRR: 0.23, 95% CI: 0.07–0.71). There were no significant differences between the pre- and COVID-19 periods within rural strata where the majority of women deliver at home (55.6%). Overall, the effect was non-significant at a national level. Among women who delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic, 20.0% of urban women said COVID-19 affected where they delivered relative to 8.7% of rural women (p-value = 0.01).

Conclusion
We found that delivery patterns in urban areas changed during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, but there was no evidence of large-scale declines of hospital delivery at the national level. Concerns about COVID-19 transmission in health facilities and ensuring lower-level facilities are equipped to address obstetric emergencies are critical to address. COVID-19 will likely slow progress towards increasing rates of institutional delivery in urban areas in Ethiopia.
Mobile health intervention for promotion of eye health literacy
Authors: Sharma Indra Prasad , Chaudhry Monica , Sharma Dhanapati , Kaiti Raju 
Published: October 2021

Purpose
Improving eye health awareness in the underserved population is a universal eye health priority. The ubiquity of cell phones and internet usage provides new and innovative opportunities for health promotion. This study evaluated the effect of mobile health intervention (text message link) to promote eye health literacy (EHL) of priority ocular morbidities.

Methods
This study was an intervention evaluation and employed a two-armed pre-test post-test approach. Baseline assessment on EHL was performed on 424 university students. Participants were categorised into intervention and control groups, using the 1:1 allocation ratio. The intervention and control group received a text message alone and text message with a link, respectively. EHL was assessed via a self-administered questionnaire. The primary outcome measures were changes in EHL scores between baseline and one month post-intervention. Descriptive analysis was performed to assess the cost-effectiveness of the intervention.

Results
With low attrition and a response rate of 95.6%, 409 responses were eligible for analysis. The mean age of the participants (49.4% males and 50.6% of females) was 19.9±1.68 years. Baseline EHL scores were low, and there was no correlation with a demographic profile (all p<0.05, CI 95%). The demographic characteristics were similar between the two groups (for all, P <0.05, CI 95%) at baseline. The EHL scores improved in both groups between the pre-and post-test assessment; however, improvements were statistically significant only in the control group. The one-month post-intervention EHL scores were also higher in the intervention group compared to the control (p≤0.001, CI 95% for all). The total cost incurred for the intervention used was 11.5 USD.

Conclusion
Text message link demonstrated effectiveness for improving the EHL scores; the low baseline EHL scores substantially improved with intervention. The text message link intervention is a cost-effective method and could be considered in advocating for eye health in developing countries, particularly during global emergencies.
Health system capacity and readiness for delivery of integrated non-communicable disease services in primary health care: A qualitative analysis of the Ethiopian experience
Authors: Tesema Azeb Gebresilassie , Abimbola Seye , Mulugeta Afework , Ajisegiri Whenayon S. , Narasimhan Padmanesan , Joshi Rohina , Peiris David 
Published: October 2021

Background
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) now account for about 71% and 32% of all the deaths globally and in Ethiopia. Primary health care (PHC) is a vital instrument to address the ever-increasing burden of NCDs and is the best strategy for delivering integrated and equitable NCD care. We explored the capacity and readiness of Ethiopia’s PHC system to deliver integrated, people-centred NCD services.

Methods
A qualitative study was conducted in two regions and Federal Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We carried out twenty-two key informant interviews with national and regional policymakers, officials from a partner organisation, woreda/district health office managers and coordinators, and PHC workers. Data were coded and thematically analysed using the World Health Organization (WHO) Operational Framework for PHC.

Results
Although the rising NCD burden is well recognised in Ethiopia, and the country has NCD-specific strategies and some interventions in place, we identified critical gaps in several levers of the WHO Operational Framework. Many compared the under-investment in NCDs contrasted with Ethiopia’s successful PHC models established for maternal and child health and communicable disease programs. Insufficient political commitment and leadership required to integrate NCD services at the PHC level and weaknesses in governance structures, inter-sectoral coordination, and funding for NCDs were identified as significant barriers to strengthening PHC capacity to address NCDs. Among the operational-focussed levers, fragmented information management systems and inadequate equipment and medicines were identified as critical bottlenecks. The PHC workforce was also considered insufficiently skilled and supported to provide NCD services in PHC facilities.

Conclusion
Strengthening NCD prevention and control through PHC in Ethiopia requires greater political commitment and investment at all health system levels. Prior success strategies with other PHC programs could be adapted and applied to NCD policies and practice, giving due consideration for the unique nature of the NCD program.
Combined assessment of tuberculosis case notification rate and infection control at health facilities of Dale districts, Sidama Zone, Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Ali Makka Adam , Balcha Ermias Sissay , Woldesemayat Adugna Abdi , Tirore Lopisso Dessalegn 
Published: October 2021

Background
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) is the deadliest disease that claims millions of deaths globally. Ethiopia is among the countries heavily hit by the disaster. Despite the effective directly observed treatment and TB infection control (TBIC) measures provided by the world health organization (WHO), the rate of new cases increased daily throughout the country. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at highest risk serving without having the necessary facility in place while overcrowding of patients exacerbated TB transmission. The study aimed to assess TBIC implementation and analyze case notification rate (CNR) of smear-positive pulmonary TB in the selected health facilities at Dale district, Sidama Zone, Southern Ethiopia.

Methods
Seven health care facilities have been visited in the study area and smear-positive pulmonary TB notification rate was determined retrospectively during the years 2012 to 2014. Data on smear positive test results and demographic characteristics were collected from the TB unit registries. A structured questionnaire, facility survey, and observation checklists were used to assess the presence of TBIC plans at the health care facilities.

Results
The overall case notification rate of smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis was 5.3% among all 7696 TB suspected patients. The odds of being diagnosed with smear-positive TB were 24% more in males than in females (adj OR = 1.24, 95% CI: (1.22, 1.55). Moreover, in the study area, only 28% of the facilities have been practiced TB infection control and 71% of the facilities assigned a focal person for the TBIC plan. The implementation of environmental control measures in the facilities was ranged between 16–83%. N95 particulate respirators were found only in 14% of the facilities.

Conclusion
TB CNR in Dale district was low. Moreover, implementations of TBIC in Dale district health facilities were poor when the survey was done. Hence, urgent measures should be taken to reverse the burden of TB.
Short-term outcomes of cochlear implantation for single-sided deafness compared to bone conduction devices and contralateral routing of sound hearing aids—Results of a Randomised controlled trial (CINGLE-trial)
Authors: Peters Jeroen P. M. , van Heteren Jan A. A. , Wendrich Anne W. , van Zanten Gijsbert A. , Grolman Wilko , Stokroos Robert J. , Smit Adriana L. 
Published: October 2021

Single-sided deafness (SSD) leads to difficulties with speech perception in noise, sound localisation, and sometimes tinnitus. Current treatments (Contralateral Routing of Sound hearing aids (CROS) and Bone Conduction Devices (BCD)) do not sufficiently overcome these problems. Cochlear implants (CIs) may help. Our aim was to evaluate these treatments in a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT). Adult SSD patients were randomised using a web-based randomisation tool into one of three groups: CI; trial period of ‘first BCD, then CROS’; trial period of ‘first CROS, then BCD’. After these trial periods, patients opted for BCD, CROS, or No treatment. The primary outcome was speech perception in noise (directed from the front (S0N0)). Secondary outcomes were speech perception in noise with speech directed to the poor ear and noise to the better ear (SpeNbe) and vice versa (SbeNpe), sound localisation, tinnitus burden, and disease-specific quality of life (QoL). We described results at baseline (unaided situation) and 3 and 6 months after device activation. 120 patients were randomised. Seven patients did not receive the allocated intervention. The number of patients per group after allocation was: CI (n = 28), BCD (n = 25), CROS (n = 34), and No treatment (n = 26). In S0N0, the CI group performed significantly better when compared to baseline, and when compared to the other groups. In SpeNbe, there was an advantage for all treatment groups compared to baseline. However, in SbeNpe, BCD and CROS groups performed worse compared to baseline, whereas the CI group improved. Only in the CI group sound localisation improved and tinnitus burden decreased. In general, all treatment groups improved on disease-specific QoL compared to baseline. This RCT demonstrates that cochlear implantation for SSD leads to improved speech perception in noise, sound localisation, tinnitus burden, and QoL after 3 and 6 months of follow-up. For most outcome measures, CI outperformed BCD and CROS.
Trial registration: Netherlands Trial Register (www.trialregister.nl): NTR4580, CINGLE-trial.
Development of algorithms for identifying patients with Crohn’s disease in the Japanese health insurance claims database
Authors: Morikubo Hiromu , Kobayashi Taku , Fukuda Tomohiro , Nagahama Takayoshi , Hisamatsu Tadakazu , Hibi Toshifumi 
Published: October 2021

Background
Real-world big data studies using health insurance claims databases require extraction algorithms to accurately identify target population and outcome. However, no algorithm for Crohn’s disease (CD) has yet been validated. In this study we aim to develop an algorithm for identifying CD using the claims data of the insurance system.

Methods
A single-center retrospective study to develop a CD extraction algorithm from insurance claims data was conducted. Patients visiting the Kitasato University Kitasato Institute Hospital between January 2015–February 2019 were enrolled, and data were extracted according to inclusion criteria combining the Tenth Revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) diagnosis codes with or without prescription or surgical codes. Hundred cases that met each inclusion criterion were randomly sampled and positive predictive values (PPVs) were calculated according to the diagnosis in the medical chart. Of all cases, 20% were reviewed in duplicate, and the inter-observer agreement (Kappa) was also calculated.

Results
From the 82,898 enrolled, 255 cases were extracted by diagnosis code alone, 197 by the combination of diagnosis and prescription codes, and 197 by the combination of diagnosis codes and prescription or surgical codes. The PPV for confirmed CD cases was 83% by diagnosis codes alone, but improved to 97% by combining with prescription codes. The inter-observer agreement was 0.9903.

Conclusions
Single ICD-code alone was insufficient to define CD; however, the algorithm that combined diagnosis codes with prescription codes indicated a sufficiently high PPV and will enable outcome-based research on CD using the Japanese claims database.
Prediction of Potential Fishing Zones for Skipjack Tuna During the Northwest Monsoon Using Remotely Sensed Satellite Data
Authors: Zainuddin Mukti , Safruddin Safruddin , Selamat Muhammad Banda , Farhum Aisjah , Hidayat Sarip 
Published: October 2021

One of economically important fish in the Bay of Bone is Skipjack tuna which their distribution and migration are influenced by surrounding environment. This study aims to investigate the relationship between skipjack tuna and their environments, and to predict potential fishing zones (PFZs) for the fish in the Bone Bay-Flores Sea using satellite-based oceanography and catch data. Generalized additive models (GAMs) were used to assess the relationship. A generalized linear model(GLM) constructed from GAMs was used for prediction. Monthly mean sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll-a during the northwest monsoon (December-January) together with catch data were used for the year 2012-2013. We used the GAMs to assess the effect of the environment variables on skipjack tuna CPUE (catch per unit effort). The best GLM was selected to predict skipjack tuna abundance. Results indicated that the highest CPUEs (fish/trip) occurred in areas where SST and chlorophyll-a ranged from 29.5°-31.5°C and 0.15 - 0.25 mg m-3, respectively. The PFZs for skipjack were closely related to the spatial distribution of the optimum oceanographic conditions and these mainly developed in three locations, northern area of Bone Bay in December, in the middle area of the bay (4°-5.5°S and 120.5°-121.5°E) during January and moved to the Flores Sea in February. The movement of skipjack concentration was consistent with the fishery data. This suggests that the dynamics of the optimum oceanographic signatures provided a good indicator for predicting feeding grounds as hotspot areas for skipjack tuna in Bone Bay-Flores Sea during northwest monsoon. Keywords: skipjack tuna, potential fishing zones, satellite based-oceanographic data, Northwest monsoon
Variation of Tidal Range Based On Hijra Calendar And Its Relation With Ethno-Oceanography of The Sama Tribe In Eastern Indonesia
Authors: Salnuddin Salnuddin , Nurjaya I Wayan , Jaya Indra , Natih Nyoman M.N 
Published: October 2021

Based on Ethno–Oceanography of the Sama tribe in Eastern Indonesia, they measured and determined tidal range when Sya’ban taking place. Why do they do so? The questions and objective of this study were intended to respond the scientific fundamental of Ethno-Oceanography of the Sama tribe. In order to achieve the objective of this study, the tidal range value in each Hijra month was compared and analyzed statistically (ANOVA). Tidal Analysis results showed that the tidal range at Sya’ban was higher and the deviation was lower than the other months. Moreover, ANOVA results showed that Sya’ban was significantly different (P<0.05) on Highest High Water Level (HHWL) throughout Hijra month. Keywords: Sama Tribe, Sya’ban, Hijra Calendar