bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
UBE decompression combined with percutaneous pedicle screw internal fixation for thoracolumbar burst fracture with secondary spinal stenosis: a technical note
Authors: Bai Guangchao , Qiu Xiaowen , Wei Guojun , Jing Xiaowei , Hu Qingfeng 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Objective:The purpose of this study was to present the surgical technique of UBE decompression combined with percutaneous pedicle screws for the treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures with secondary spinal stenosis.
Background: Thoracolumbar burst fracture is a common traumatic disease in spinal surgery, the incidence of Atype fracture is the highest in the AO classification of thoracolumbar burst fracture, accounting for about 70% of the fracture, which is most common in the A1 and A3 fractures [1], and the fracture of the A3 fracture often occurs in the fracture block to the intra-vertebral canal displacement, resulting in secondary stenosis. The traditional approach is posterior open surgery pedicle screws combined with direct visualization for decompression, which requires extensive stripping of paravertebral muscles and resection of more bone, and is more traumatic [2], which is not in line with the current development concept of minimally invasive spine. The UBE technique in spinal endoscopy is currently a hot spot in the development of minimally invasive spine [3], and we attempted to utilize UBE decompression combined with percutaneous pedicle screws to treat thoracolumbar burst fracture with spinal stenosis, which provides a new option for the surgical treatment of thoracolumbar burst fracture with spinal stenosis.
Methods: We included five patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures with secondary spinal stenosis admitted to our hospital between January 2023 and January 2024, who were treated with sub-UBE decompression combined with percutaneous pedicle screw internal fixation by our team. The degree of correction of spinal deformity was assessed using the sagittal Cobb angle and the percentage of height of the anterior margin of the vertebral body, the rate of canal encroachment was used to assess the decompression of the spinal canal, and the recovery of the patients' ability to live was assessed using the VAS and JOA scales.
Results：the results showed that the average operative length of the patients was 154.2mins, and the average intraoperative bleeding was 90ml; the sagittal Cobb angle averaged 22.23° preoperatively, and 6.10° at 3 days postoperatively; the anterior vertebral body height ratio averaged 36.77% preoperatively, and 91.16% at 3 days postoperatively; and the residual spinal canal volume averaged 52.01% preoperatively, and 91.58% at 3 days postoperatively; VAS score averaged 7 preoperatively and 2 at 3 days postoperatively; JOA score averaged 8.4 preoperatively and 22.4 at 3 days postoperatively.
Conclusions：UBE decompression combined with percutaneous pedicle screws is effective in the treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures with secondary spinal stenosis and is a safe, minimally invasive surgical option for this patient population.
Factors Associated with Prevalence of Malaria among Children-under-5-Years Following Mass Net Campaign and Indoor Residual Spraying in Amolatar District, Northern Uganda: Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Orech Sam , Opollo Marc Sam , Auma Irene , Ocen Francis , Akello Anne Ruth 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Background: Globally, 3.3 billion people are at risks of contracting malaria, and the disease still endemic in 91 countries. Despite the scale up of interventions geared towards controls and eliminations of malaria, the number of malaria cases that progress to severe causing malaria-related deaths remains high. WHO identified mass LLINs distribution and IRS as effective measures for malaria preventions and control. In 2021, malaria caused an estimated 247 million clinical episodes and 619,000 deaths mostly vulnerable children in sub-Saharan Africa.
Objective: To determine the prevalence of malaria and associated factors among children under 5 years following mass net (LLINs) campaign and indoor residual spraying in Amolatar district, Northern Uganda.
Methods: A community-based, cross-sectional research design used. Quantitative survey for data collection employed. We collected blood sample from children under 5 years to detect the prevalence of malaria using plasmodium falciparum malaria rapid diagnostic test (PF.mRDT). Bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis at 95% CI, p-value of 0.05 for significant variables were performed to identify the factors associated with the prevalence of malaria among children under 5 years.
Results: Overall, 44.1% (105/238) of children tested positive of malaria. The mean age the caretakers were 24 years, SD 9.4. More than half of caretakers had attained primary level of education 50% (119/238). Children living with married caretakers had 3.2 increased odds of testing positive for malaria (AOR 3.2, 95%CI: 1.395-7.378, P<0.006). Having 2 children in the HH had a significant association of testing positive for malaria (AOR 0.4, 95%CI: 0.219-0.869, P<0.018]). However living in the HH ≥6Km from water body (AOR 0.3, 95%CI: 0.024-3.532, P<0.334) wasn’t significantly associated of testing positive for malaria.
Conclusion: Children who lived with the married caretakers, having 2 children in the HH, and not sleeping under the LLINs had significant association of testing positive for malaria. While living in a HH ≥6Km from stagnated water bodies had reduced odds of testing malaria positive. We recommend strengthening awareness campaigns on the importance of consistent use of LLINs while targeting caretakers especially married households (HHs), where LLINs usage is low and community engagement strategies that focus on behavioral change to increase LLINs adherence.
Application Value of Central Venous-arterial Carbon Dioxide Partial Pressure Difference in Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction in Patients with Acute Aortic Dissection
Authors: Wang Lei , Wang Zhen Hong , Zhu Duan QI , Xie Xin Yi , Wang Xiao Liang , Chen Xin 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Objective
This study aims to investigate the clinical application value of the central venous-arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure difference (Pv-aCO2) in postoperative cognitive dysfunction(POCD) in patients with acute aortic dissection.
Methods
A retrospective analysis was conducted on the general data of 236 patients. Blood gas samples were collected from the arterial and venous lines at various time points during the surgery, including before and after the initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), immediately after CPB initiation, before and after deep hypothermic circulatory arrest, 30 minutes after rewarming, and 5 minutes before weaning from CPB. The partial PV-aCO2 was calculated. Based on the average PV-aCO2 value, patients were divided into an observation group (PV-aCO2 > 6 mmHg, n = 112) and a control group (PV-aCO2 < 6 mmHg, n = 124). The perioperative data and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores were compared between the two groups to assess the incidence and severity of POCD. Additionally, the expression levels of peripheral serum S100β in the two groups were compared 6 hours postoperatively.
Results
The incidence of POCD was higher in the observation group compared to the control group, while MMSE scores and serum S100β levels were lower in the observation group. Additionally, the observation group patients with POCD had lower MMSE scores and serum S100β levels compared to the control group patients. In addition, logistic regression analysis revealed that advanced age, serum S100β levels, female gender, CPB time, unilateral brain perfusion time, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and smoking history were all independent risk factors for postoperative POCD (all P < 0.05).
Conclusion
Pv-aCO2 can effectively reflect the intraoperative cerebral metabolic level in patients with acute aortic dissection and can serve as an intraoperative warning indicator for cognitive dysfunction. Its clinical recommendation for use is warranted.
Association of triglyceride-glucose-related obesity indices with sarcopenia among U.S. adults: A cross-sectional study from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Authors: Zhao Runtao , Wang Fan , Ji Xinqiang 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Background Sarcopenia, identified by a decline in muscle mass and function, poses a significant health challenge, particularly among elderly individuals. Its association with cardiovascular diseases and metabolic disorders necessitates the exploration of early diagnostic markers. The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, a novel indicator of insulin resistance, has shown promise in predicting metabolic diseases, but its relationship with sarcopenia remains unclear.
Methods This cross-sectional study analysed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to evaluate the associations between the TyG index and obesity-related parameters (TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, and TyG-WHtR) with sarcopenia. A total of 7,636 participants were included after applying strict exclusion criteria. Logistic regression models adjusted for potential confounders were used to assess the relationship.
Results This study revealed a significant positive association between TyG-WHtR and sarcopenia, with the highest odds observed in the fourth quartile (OR: 11.2, 95% CI: 5.87--21.50; P < 0.001). Compared with the other indices, the TyG-WHtR also demonstrated superior diagnostic efficacy for sarcopenia, with an AUC of 0.79. No significant associations were found for TyG, TyG-BMI, or TyG-WC after full covariate adjustment.
Conclusions The TyG-WHtR, which integrates lipid and anthropometric measures, has emerged as a potent predictor of sarcopenia, outperforming the TyG index alone. This study underscores the importance of considering metabolic and body composition factors in sarcopenia risk assessment, offering a potential avenue for early intervention strategies.
Study on Denitrification Performance and Mechanism of NH 3 - SCR Catalyst for Modification of Rare Earth Tailings by Ce Combined with Mn
Authors: Sun Xiankang , Li Jiaming , Lu Linbo , Wang Tiantian , Wu Wenfei , Hou Limin 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

CeMn-rare earth tailings catalysts with wide temperature window and high denitrification were prepared by hydrothermal method. The results show that the optimum ratio of Ce/Mn is 1:1, and the NOx conversion can reach 90% at the range of 100–300℃. The introduction of Mn improves the dispersion of CeCO3F on the catalyst surface, exposing more active adsorption sites. In addition, the interaction of MnOx with Ce and Fe in the rare earth tailings promotes redox, which facilitates the oxidation of NO to NO2. Meanwhile Mn also increases the abundance and stability of NO adsorption species and Lewis acid sites, forming important intermediates such as Mn4+-ONO2, NH4NO3 and NH2NO. But the strong oxidizing ability of Mn and the reaction between monodentate nitrate and adsorbed NH3 results in N2 selectivity decrease rapidly. Catalysts follow both E-R and L-H mechanism in the NH3-SCR reaction. Moreover, the excellent redox performance and Lewis acid sites improve the NH3-SCR catalytic activity together.
Accuracy and feasibility of continuous glucose monitoring system in pancreatectomy patients
Authors: Choi Yoo Jin , Jeon Su Min , Yu Sehyeon , Jo Hye-Sung , Kim Dong-Sik , Yu Young-Dong 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Purpose
Pancreatectomy patients often experience challenging fluctuations in blood glucose levels; therefore, they require a reliable monitoring system. This study aimed to determine the accuracy and acceptability of a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system compared with the intermittent capillary glucose test in patients who have undergone pancreatectomy.
Methods
Thirty-one non-diabetic pancreatectomy patients participated. We used the FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System (Abbott Diabetes Care) for continuous interstitial glucose monitoring. Capillary reference glucose levels were checked four times daily. Accuracy was checked using the Clarke Error Grid.
Results
The mean age of the participants was 56.8±12.0 years, of whom 61.3% underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy and 38.7% underwent distal pancreatectomy. The clinical accuracy of continuous glucose monitoring compared with capillary glucose was 43.9% in Zone A (clinically accurate zone) and 99.8% in Zone A + B (low risk of error) of the Clarke Error Grid. No device-related adverse events were reported. Patients rated favorable user acceptability on the questionnaire.
Conclusion
This pilot study demonstrated that the CGM device is accurate and safe for patients who underwent pancreatectomy, with favorable user acceptability. However, this device was challenging to use in older patients and those in the immediate postoperative period because of their weakened condition. Despite these challenges, the study proposes that the CGM device is beneficial for monitoring glucose levels after discharge in patients with impaired glucose levels following pancreatectomy.
Assessing the effectiveness of measurement scales in evaluating the quality of life in rare disease patients after treatment: a systematic review
Authors: Dumbuya John Sieh , Ahmad Bashir , Zeng Cizheng , Chen Xiuling , Lu Jun 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Background
Rare diseases often entail significant challenges in clinical management and health-related quality of life (QoL) assessment. Variability in reported QoL improvements following interventions has been noted across the literature, raising questions about the effectiveness of treatment modalities and the appropriateness of QoL assessment tools.
Objective
This systematic review aims to analyse the effectiveness of various assessment scales in evaluating QoL and the reasons behind differences in reported QoL improvements across studies using the same and different assessment scales on rare diseases.
Methods
A comprehensive literature search was conducted across various databases to identify studies that reported QoL outcomes related to interventions for rare diseases. Key variables, including intervention types, patient demographics, study design, and geographical factors, were analysed to determine their role in influencing the reported QoL outcomes. The findings were then compared with existing literature to identify consistent patterns and discrepancies.
Results
A total of 39 studies were included, comprising randomised controlled trials, observational studies, and cohort studies, with a total of 4737 participants. Significant variations were observed in QoL improvements across studies, even when using the same assessment scales. These differences were primarily attributed to the heterogeneity in disease severity, intervention types, and patient characteristics. Studies employing disease-specific scales reported more nuanced outcomes than generic ones. Additionally, methodological differences, including study design and intervention type, contributed to variations in results and geographical factors influencing patients' perceptions of health and well-being.
Conclusion
The reported differences in QoL outcomes across studies can be explained by a combination of factors, including disease heterogeneity, treatment modalities, patient demographics, and assessment scale characteristics. These findings underscore the importance of selecting appropriate QoL assessment tools based on the research context and patient population. For more accurate comparisons across studies, it is crucial to consider these factors alongside consistent methodology and cultural adaptability of scales. Future research should focus on developing standardised guidelines for QoL assessments that accommodate the diverse needs of patients with rare diseases.
Ultrasound-responsive nanoparticles for nitric oxide release to inhibit the growth of breast cancer
Authors: Yang Haiyan , Zheng Guangrong , Li GuoChen , Chen Jincui , Qi Licui , Luo Yong , Ke Tengfei , Xiong Jie , Ji Xiaojuan 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Gas therapy represents a promising strategy for cancer treatment, with nitric oxide (NO) therapy showing particular potential in tumor therapy. However, ensuring sufficient production of NO remains a significant challenge. In this study, we successfully constructed ultrasound-responsive nanoparticles, which consisted of poly (D, L-lactide-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles, natural L-arginine (LA), and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIO, Fe3O4 NPs), denote as Fe3O4-LA-PLGA NPs. The Fe3O4-LA-PLGA NPs exhibited effective therapeutic effects both in vitro and in vivo, particularly in NO-assisted antitumor gas therapy and dual-modality imaging properties. Upon exposure to ultrasound irradiation, LA and Fe3O4 NPs were rapidly released from the PLGA NPs. It was demonstrated that LA could spontaneously react with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) present in the tumor microenvironment to generate NO for gas therapy. Concurrently, Fe3O4 NPs could rapidly react with H2O2 to produce a substantial quantity of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can oxidize LA to further facilitate the release of NO. In conclusion, the proposed ultrasound-responsive NO delivery platform exhibits significant potential in effectively inhibiting the growth of breast cancer.
An insulator target detection algorithm based on improved YOLOv5
Authors: Zeng Bing , Zhou Zhihao , Zhou Yu , He Dilin , Liao Zhanpeng , Jin Zihan , Zhou Yulu , Yi Kexin , Xie Yunmin , Zhang Wenhua 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Drone inspections are widely utilized in the detection of insulators in power lines. To address issues with traditional object detection algorithms, such as large parameter counts, low detection accuracy, and high miss rates, this paper proposes an insulator detection algorithm based on an improved YOLOv5 model. Firstly, in the backbone and neck networks, a lightweight CSP-SCConv module is employed to replace the original CSP-Darknet53 module, thereby reducing the parameter count and enhancing the feature extraction capabilities. Secondly, to broaden the image receptive field and improve feature fusion, an RFB model is incorporated into the neck network, replacing the original SPPF module. Additionally, a LSKBlock attention mechanism is appended at the end of the neck network to further obtain richer semantic information. Finally, to flexibly improve the accuracy of bounding boxes of different sizes and enhance the robustness of the model, an loss function is utilized to replace the original CIOU loss function. Experimental results demonstrate that the improved YOLOv5 model achieves a mean Average Precision (mAP) precision of 95.60%, with a parameter count of 18.36M and a computational load of 30.10G, respectively. The Precision (P) and Recall (R) are 88.10% and 95.20%, providing strong support for deployment on mobile devices for real-time detection.
The Effect of Endometrial PRP on Fertility Outcomes in Women with Implantation Failure or Thin the Endometrium
Authors: gurkan naziye , alper tayfun 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Objective
To evaluate the effect of intrauterine platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment on frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles in patients with recurrent implantation failure.
Materials and Methods
The study group consisted of 150 patients. The patients were grouped only as those with thin endometria, those with recurrent implantation failure (RIF), and those with both thin endometria and RIF. All participants underwent frozen embryo transfer. The control group consisted of a total of 150 patients who had normal endometrial thickness and who did not have a history of RIF and who presented to the clinic due to unexplained infertility. The rates of biochemical pregnancy,clinical pregnancy, miscarriage and live birth were compared among the groups in terms of fertility outcomes.
Results
In 150 patients with a thin endometrium or a history of RIF who underwent PRP, the endometrial thickness was significantly greater than the pre-PRP endometrial thickness, and this value was found to be statistically significant (7.38 mm vs. 7.96 mm, p < 0.001). In the thin endometrium group, there was also a statistically significant difference in between the endometrial thickness measured before and after PRP (5.85 mm vs 6.65mm, p < 0.001). The rate of not achieving pregnancy in the RIF group without PRP was found significantly greater than that in the control group (53.1% vs 28.7%, p < 0.05).
The Association Between Blood Pressure and Gallstones and the Age of First Cholecystectomy in U.S. Adults: Results from a Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Zhang Yue , Duan Ruifeng , Chen Xin , Wei lijuan 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Background
To assess the association between hypertension( HTN ) and the prevalence of gallstones and the age at first cholecystectomy in U.S. adults.
Methods
Data were extracted from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database from 2017 to 2020. Weighted logistic regression analysis, weighted linear regression, weighted subgroup analysis, generalized additive models, smooth fitting curves, and two-piece linear regression models were utilized to evaluate the relationship between HTN, gallstone prevalence, and the age of first cholecystectomy.
Results
A total of 7,532 participants above 20 years were included in the study. Among them, 817 individuals self-reported a history of cholecystectomy, and 781 individuals self-reported a history of gallstones. After adjusting for age, gender, race, education level, smoking status, marital status,, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia, HTN was significantly associated with gallstones in individuals aged 48 years and older (OR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.88). Systolic blood pressure was positively related to the age of first cholecystectomy (β = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.26), and a nonlinear relationship was observed with a threshold effect at 170 mmHg.
Conclusion
An association was identified between blood pressure and the prevalence of gallstones in individuals aged 42 years and older. Systolic blood pressure was positively associated with the age of the first cholecystectomy. Although causality cannot be established, these findings may aid in identifying early risk groups for gallstone disease and first cholecystectomy, improving risk stratification, and reducing screening costs.