bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The association between pain catastrophizing, physical function and pain in a cohort of patients undergoing knee arthroplasty
Authors: Birch Sara , Stilling Maiken , Mechlenburg Inger , Hansen Torben Bæk 
Published: September 2019

Abstract

Background
Pain catastrophizing contributes to acute and long-term pain after knee arthroplasty (KA), but the association between pain catastrophizing and physical function is not clear.
We examined the association between preoperative pain catastrophizing and physical function one year after surgery, as well as differences in physical function, pain and general health in two groups of patients with high and low preoperative pain catastrophizing score.

Methods
We included 615 patients scheduled for KA between March 2011 and December 2013. Patients completed The Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) prior to surgery. The Oxford Knee Score (OKS), Short Form-36 (SF-36) and the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) were completed prior to surgery, and 4 and 12 months after the surgery.

Results
Of the 615 patients, 442 underwent total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and 173 unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). Mean age was 67.3 (SD: 9.7) and 53.2% were females. Patients with PCS > 21 had statistically significantly larger improvement in mean OKS for both TKA and UKA than patients with PCS < 11; 3.2 (95% CI: 1.0, 5.4) and 5.4 (95% CI: 2.2, 8.6), respectively. Furthermore, patients with preoperative PCS > 21 had statistically significantly lower OKS, SF-36 and EQ-5D and higher pain score than patients with PCS < 11 both preoperatively and 4 and 12 months postoperatively.

Conclusions
Patients with high levels of preoperative pain catastrophizing have lower physical function, more pain and poorer general health both before and after KA than patients without elevated pain catastrophizing.
Risk factors of induced abortion among preparatory school student in Guraghe zone, Southern region, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Lentiro Kifle , Gebru Teklemichael , Worku Abdusemed , Asfaw Agizie , Gebremariam Tigist , Tesfaye Addisu 
Published: September 2019

Abstract

Background
Induced abortion is a common undergo in many societies of the world. Every year, around 20 million unsafe abortions are done worldwide. From fragmented studies conducted in Ethiopia, the prevalence of induced abortion and its adverse effects are increasing over time. The aim of this study was to assess factors associated with induced abortion among female preparatory school students in Guraghe zone.

Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted among female students of preparatory schools in April 2017. Systematic random sampling technique was employed to select 404 students from the total of 3960 female preparatory school students in the study area. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaires. Descriptive summary, binary and multivariate analyses were underwent to identify factors associated with induced abortion. The study was ethically approved by institutional review board of Wolkite University.

Results
The response rate of this study was 98.3%. The lifetime prevalence of induced abortion among young preparatory schools students whose age range from 15 to 22 years was 13.6% [95% CI (10.4, 17.1)]. The odds of induced abortion undergo was 2.3 times more likely in rural family residents [AOR = 2.3, 95% CI (1.1, 4.8)] as compared to that of urban family residents. Students without sexual health education were 6.4 times more likely to undergo induced abortion as compared to those who got sexual health education at sc0000hool [AOR = 6.4, 95% CI (3.1, 13.1)]. Furthermore, students who drank alcohol often were 4 times [AOR = 4.0, 95% CI (1.1, 14.2)] more likely to undergo induced abortion and students who consumed alcohol sometimes had 3.3 times [AOR: 3.3, 95%CI (1.4, 8.1)] the risk of induced abortion compared with girls with no history of alcohol consumption.

Conclusion
A high lifetime prevalence of induced abortion among young adolescent was observed. Being rural residence, not having reproductive health education, and alcohol consumption were found to be independent predictors of induced abortion undergo. Therefore, IEC/BCC programs with special emphasis on youth friendly sexual and reproductive health services should be strengthened to reduce induced abortion.
A biological extract of turmeric (Curcuma longa) modulates response of cartilage explants to lipopolysaccharide
Authors: Pearson Wendy , Kott Laima S. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractBackgroundTurmeric is commonly used as a dietary treatment for inflammation, but few studies have evaluated the direct effect of turmeric on cartilage. The purpose of this study was to characterize cartilage explants’ inflammatory responses to lipopolysaccharide in the presence of a simulated biological extract of turmeric.MethodsTurmeric was incubated in simulated gastric and intestinal fluid, followed by inclusion of liver microsomes and NADPH. The resulting extract (TURsim) was used to condition cartilage explants in the presence or absence of lipopolysaccharide. Explants were cultured for 96 h (h); the first 24 h in basal tissue culture media and the remaining 72 h in basal tissue culture media containing TURsim(0, 3, 9 or 15 μg/mL). Lipopolysaccharide (0 or 5 μg/mL) was added for the final 48 H. mediasamples were collected immediately prior to lipopolysaccharide exposure (0 h) and then at 24 and 48 h after, and analyzed for prostaglandin E2(PGE2), glycosaminoglycan (GAG), and nitric oxide (NO). Explants were stained with calcein-AM for an estimate of live cells. Data were analyzed using a 2-way repeated measures (GAG, PGE2, NO) or 1-way ANOVA without repeated measures (viability). Significance accepted atp < 0.05.ResultsTURsimsignificantly reduced PGE2,NO and GAG, and calcein fluorescence was reduced. Conclusions: These data contribute to the growing body of evidence for the utility of turmeric as an intervention for cartilage inflammation.
Investigation of Brassica juncea, Forsythia suspensa, and Inula britannica: phytochemical properties, antiviral effects, and safety
Authors: Bae Won-Young , Kim Hyeong-Yeop , Choi Kyoung-Sook , Chang Kyung Hoon , Hong Young-Ho , Eun Jongsu , Lee Na-Kyoung , Paik Hyun-Dong 
Published: September 2019

Abstract

Background
General antiviral agents such as oseltamivir are associated with certain adverse effects and the emergence of resistance. This study investigated the phytochemical properties, antiviral activities, and safety of three herbs used in traditional Korean medicine.

Methods
Extracts of three medicinal herbs (Brassica juncea, Forsythia suspensa, and Inula britannica) were prepared using ethanol or water. The total phenolic, flavonoid, and saponin content, condensed tannin content, and reducing sugar content of the herb extracts were determined via phytochemical screening. Tandem mass analysis was performed using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)-electrospray ionization (ESI)-Q/Orbitrap instrument. Virus titrations were determined via tissue culture infective dose (TCID50) and cytotoxicity assays. Hemolysis and hepatotoxicity were measured to determine safety.

Results
Among the three medicinal herbs, F. suspensa showed the highest concentration of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and saponins. The number of phytochemical compounds detected via tandem mass analysis of B. juncea, F. suspensa, and I. britannica was 5 (including sinigrin, m/z [M-H] = 358.02), 14 (including forsythoside A, m/z [M-H] = 623.19), and 18 (including chlorogenic acid, m/z [M-H] = 353.20), respectively. The antiviral effects of the B. juncea extracts (ethanol and water) and I. britannica extract (ethanol) were further investigated. The ethanol extract of B. juncea showed a 3 Log TCID50/25 μL virus titration reduction and the water extract showed a selectivity index of 13.668 against infected influenza H1N1 virus A/NWS/33. The B. juncea extracts did not show hemolysis activities and hepatotoxicity (< 20%). The ethanol extract of I. britannica showed the most effective virus titration decrease, whereas its hemolytic and hepatotoxicity values were the most significantly different compared to the control. Despite the high concentration of phytochemicals detected in F. suspensa, the extract showed approximately 1 Log TCID50/25 μL at the highest concentration.

Conclusion
B. juncea may show antiviral effects against H1N1 in a host. In addition, B. juncea may also show decreased disadvantages compared to other antiviral agents.
Needs, motivations, and identification with teaching: a comparative study of temporary part-time and tenure-track health science faculty in Iceland
Authors: Snook Abigail Grover , Schram Asta B. , Sveinsson Thorarinn , Jones Brett D. 
Published: September 2019

Abstract

Background
About 70% of teachers who instruct healthcare students are considered sessional (adjunct/temporary part-time) faculty and receive limited instruction in pedagogy. Sessional faculty may feel isolated and struggle with their teacher identity, and are often assumed to vary in their commitment, motivation, and ability to teach. However, research on teaching identity, motivations, and needs of sessional faculty is lacking. The aim of this study was to compare similarities and differences between sessional and tenure-track faculty across a health science school to guide faculty development for sessional faculty.

Methods
We developed an online needs assessment survey, based on informal interviews and literature reviews. Seventy-eight tenure-track faculty and 160 sessional faculty completed the survey (37, 25% response rate, respectively). We used validated scales to assess intrinsic motivation, identified regulated motivation, and identification with teaching, as well as developed scales (perceived connectedness, motivated by appreciation to try new teaching method) and single items. All scales demonstrated good internal consistency. We compared sessional and tenure-track faculty using t-tests/chi-square values.

Results
We found similarities between sessional and tenure-track faculty in intrinsic motivation, identified regulated motivation, and identification with teaching. However, sessional faculty perceived less department connectedness and were more motivated to improve instruction if shown appreciation for trying new teaching methods. Sessional faculty agreed more that they desired pedagogy instruction before starting to teach and that teachers should invest energy in improving their teaching. Admitting to less participation in activities to enhance teaching in the last year, sessional faculty were more interested in digital formats of faculty development.

Conclusion
Our comparison suggested that sessional faculty value being a teacher as part of their self, similar to tenured faculty, but desired more appreciation for efforts to improve and perceived less connectedness to their university department than tenured faculty. They also preferred digital formats for pedagogy to improve accessibility, prior to and throughout their teaching career to support their development as teachers. Using this information as a guide, we provide suggestions for faculty development for sessional faculty. Supporting sessional faculty in the health sciences should improve the quality of teaching and positively affect student learning.
Influence of response shift and disposition on patient-reported outcomes may lead to suboptimal medical decisions: a medical ethics perspective
Authors: Hartog Iris D. , Willems Dick L. , van den Hout Wilbert B. , Scherer-Rath Michael , Oreel Tom H. , Henriques José P. S. , Nieuwkerk Pythia T. , van Laarhoven Hanneke W. M. , Sprangers Mirjam A. G. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractBackgroundPatient-reported outcomes (PROs) are frequently used for medical decision making, at the levels of both individual patient care and healthcare policy. Evidence increasingly shows that PROs may be influenced by patients’ response shifts (changes in interpretation) and dispositions (stable characteristics).Main textWe identify how response shifts and dispositions may influence medical decisions on both the levels of individual patient care and health policy. We provide examples of these influences and analyse the consequences from the perspectives of ethical principles and theories of just distribution.ConclusionIf influences of response shift and disposition on PROs and consequently medical decision making are not considered, patients may not receive optimal treatment and health insurance packages may include treatments that are not the most effective or cost-effective. We call on healthcare practitioners, researchers, policy makers, health insurers, and other stakeholders to critically reflect on why and how such patient reports are used.
Genetic voltage indicators
Authors: Bando Yuki , Grimm Christiane , Cornejo Victor H , Yuste Rafael 
Published: September 2019

AbstractAs a “holy grail” of neuroscience, optical imaging of membrane potential could enable high resolution measurements of spiking and synaptic activity in neuronal populations. This has been partly achieved using organic voltage-sensitive dyes in vitro, or in invertebrate preparations yet unspecific staining has prevented single-cell resolution measurements from mammalian preparations in vivo. The development of genetically encoded voltage indicators (GEVIs) and chemogenetic sensors has enabled targeting voltage indicators to plasma membranes and selective neuronal populations. Here, we review recent advances in the design and use of genetic voltage indicators and discuss advantages and disadvantages of three classes of them. Although genetic voltage indicators could revolutionize neuroscience, there are still significant challenges, particularly two-photon performance. To overcome them may require cross-disciplinary collaborations, team effort, and sustained support by large-scale research initiatives.
Adaptational changes in physiological and transcriptional responses of Bifidobacterium longum involved in acid stress resistance after successive batch cultures
Authors: Wei Yanxia , Gao Jing , Liu Dianbin , Li Yang , Liu Wenli 
Published: September 2019

Abstract
Bifidobacterium inhabiting the human and animal intestinal tract is known for its health-promoting effect. Tolerance to acid stress is crucial for bifidobacteria to survive and then exert their beneficial effects in the gut. A long-term adaptation in successive batch cultures was used as evolutionary engineering strategy to improve acid stress tolerance in an industrial probiotic strain, B. longum JDM301. Its derivative, JDM301AR showed higher resistance to several stress conditions, including acid stress than the parental strain, JDM301. To better understand bifidobacterial acid stress response, the changes of fatty acid (FA) in cell membrane of these two strains were determined. A shift in the production of FA in cell membrane, characterized by increased C14:0 was found, when JDM301AR was exposed to low-pH environment. It was implied that the increased production of C14:0 is associated with the acquisition of acid-tolerant phenotype for JDM301AR. High-throughput RNA-sequencing was performed to analyze the changes of gene expression profile after acid-exposure. The transcriptional profiles of JDM301AR and JDM301 under normal condition and acid stress were compared to reveal the different acid response between them. A total of 5 genes involved in FA metabolism were upregulated and no downregulated genes were found in response to acid stress in JDM301AR. The up-regulated BLJ_0565 and BLJ_1105 may play important roles in the modification of membrane FA composition of JDM301AR after acid exposure. Overall, these results suggested that successive batch cultures induced the acid stress tolerance of B. longum involved in transcriptional and physiological responses, including modification of cell wall and cell membrane, metabolism of amino acid and neutralization of internal pH by strengthening NH3 production and transport.
Increasing trends of malaria in a border area of the Greater Mekong Subregion
Authors: Geng Jinting , Malla Pallavi , Zhang Jiaqi , Xu Shiling , Li Cuiying , Zhao Yan , Wang Qinghui , Kyaw Myat Phone , Cao Yaming , Yang Zhaoqing , Cui Liwang 
Published: September 2019

Abstract

Background
Intensive malaria transmission along international borders is a significant impediment to malaria elimination in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) of Southeast Asia. Passive case detection (PCD) was used to study the dynamics and trends of malaria transmission at the China–Myanmar border to provide epidemiologic information for improved malaria control.

Methods
PCD was conducted in one hospital and 12 clinics near the Laiza town in northeast Myanmar from 2011 to 2016. Clinical malaria was diagnosed by microscopy and demographic information was captured using a structured questionnaire at the time of the patient’s presentation for care.

Results
Over the study period, 6175 (19.7%) malaria cases were confirmed by microscopy from 31,326 suspected cases. The four human malaria parasite species were all identified, with Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum accounting for 5607 (90.8%) and 481 (7.8%) of the confirmed cases, respectively. In contrast to the steady decline of malaria in the general GMS, the study site had an upward trend of malaria incidence with vivax malaria outbreaks in 2013 and 2016. Adult males, children under the age of 15, and those with occupations such as farming, being a soldier or student, had significantly higher risks of clinical malaria compared to having fevers from other aetiologies. A self-reported history of clinical malaria was also associated with a higher risk of confirmed malaria.

Conclusions
The China–Myanmar border area has experienced an overall upward trend of malaria incidence in recent years with P. vivax becoming the predominant species. Evidence-based control strategies need to focus on high-risk populations.
Real-time algorithm for Poissonian noise reduction in low-dose fluoroscopy: performance evaluation
Authors: Sarno A. , Andreozzi E. , De Caro D. , Di Meo G. , Strollo A. G. M. , Cesarelli M. , Bifulco P. 
Published: September 2019

Abstract

Background
Quantum noise intrinsically limits the quality of fluoroscopic images. The lower is the X-ray dose the higher is the noise. Fluoroscopy video processing can enhance image quality and allows further patient’s dose lowering. This study aims to assess the performances achieved by a Noise Variance Conditioned Average (NVCA) spatio-temporal filter for real-time denoising of fluoroscopic sequences. The filter is specifically designed for quantum noise suppression and edge preservation. It is an average filter that excludes neighborhood pixel values exceeding noise statistic limits, by means of a threshold which depends on the local noise standard deviation, to preserve the image spatial resolution. The performances were evaluated in terms of contrast-to-noise-ratio (CNR) increment, image blurring (full width of the half maximum of the line spread function) and computational time. The NVCA filter performances were compared to those achieved by simple moving average filters and the state-of-the-art video denoising block matching-4D (VBM4D) algorithm. The influence of the NVCA filter size and threshold on the final image quality was evaluated too.

Results
For NVCA filter mask size of 5 × 5 × 5 pixels (the third dimension represents the temporal extent of the filter) and a threshold level equal to 2 times the local noise standard deviation, the NVCA filter achieved a 10% increase of the CNR with respect to the unfiltered sequence, while the VBM4D achieved a 14% increase. In the case of NVCA, the edge blurring did not depend on the speed of the moving objects; on the other hand, the spatial resolution worsened of about 2.2 times by doubling the objects speed with VBM4D. The NVCA mask size and the local noise-threshold level are critical for final image quality. The computational time of the NVCA filter was found to be just few percentages of that required for the VBM4D filter.

Conclusions
The NVCA filter obtained a better image quality compared to simple moving average filters, and a lower but comparable quality when compared with the VBM4D filter. The NVCA filter showed to preserve edge sharpness, in particular in the case of moving objects (performing even better than VBM4D). The simplicity of the NVCA filter and its low computational burden make this filter suitable for real-time video processing and its hardware implementation is ready to be included in future fluoroscopy devices, offering further lowering of patient’s X-ray dose.
Atherogenic index of plasma is a novel and strong predictor associated with fatty liver: a cross-sectional study in the Chinese Han population
Authors: Xie Fangfei , Zhou Hong , Wang Yun 
Published: September 2019

Abstract

Background
Atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) has been reported to be an important predictor for coronary artery disease and obesity. However, few studies has yet systematically evaluated the association between AIP and Fatty Liver (FL) and its advantage in FL prediction compared with BMI, waist, SBP, DBP, BG, ALT and AST.

Methods
A total of 7838 participants aged from 19 to 93 years were included in this study. Height, weight, waist, SBP, DBP, BG, ALT and AST were measured. Difference analyses, odds ratio calculation, logistic and predictive analyses were used to evaluate the association and discrimination ability between AIP, BMI, waist, SBP, DBP, BG, ALT, AST and FL.

Results
Compared with non-FL, AIP in FL people showed a significant increase. Subjects in the higher quartiles of AIP had a significantly increased risk of fatty liver compared with those in the lowest quartile (P < 0.01) after adjustment of gender and age. ORs were grown faster in female and youth group. AIP contributed most in the logistic eq. (B = 2.64, P < 0.01) and showed high ability in risk prediction for FL (AUC = 0.810, P < 0.01).

Conclusions
AIP might be a novel and strong predictor associated with FL in Chinese Han population. Higher AIP level was positively and strongly associated with FL.