bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparing Combination vs Monochemotherapy in Late-Elderly Patients With Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: Insights From a Single-Center Study
Authors: Orlandi Elena , Citterio Chiara , Chinelli Rebecca , Dotti Ilaria , Zaffignani Elena , Biasini Claudia , Anselmi Elisa , Cremona Gabriele , Vecchia Stefano 
Published: December 2024

Objectives The incidence of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) increases with age and is frequently diagnosed at an inoperable stage, which limits treatment options. There is limited evidence concerning patients over 75 years old, and clinical practice often lacks clear guidance regarding the choice of first-line therapy. The primary objective of this retrospective study was to assess overall survival (OS) in elderly patients receiving first-line monochemotherapy vs combination therapy. Secondary objectives included evaluating progression-free survival (PFS) and safety. Methods This retrospective study analyzed the records of 150 patients aged 75 or older with confirmed PDAC treated with first-line chemotherapy at Piacenza General Hospital, Italy. Of these, 72 patients received monotherapy, while 78 underwent polychemotherapy. The majority of patients (93.3%) were administered reduced doses, and within this group, 67.9% had their doses reduced by more than 20%. Most patients (80%) presented with comorbidities, predominantly hypertension and diabetes. Results The median overall survival was significantly higher in the polychemotherapy group (8.2 months) compared to the monotherapy group (4.7 months), with a P-value of 0.0022. The median PFS was 5.7 months for polychemotherapy and 2.8 months for monotherapy, showing a statistically significant difference ( P = 0.004). In the multivariate analysis, poor performance status, high CA19.9 levels, and monotherapy were significantly associated with worse OS. Patients treated with polychemotherapy had a 37% lower likelihood of death within the year compared to those treated with monotherapy (HR 0.58, P = 0.009). Conclusion Polychemotherapy may provide a survival advantage over monotherapy in the late-elderly population, although considerations for dose adjustments due to comorbidities and polypharmacy are necessary. These findings suggest that, when feasible, polychemotherapy could offer a balance between effectiveness and tolerability, potentially improving outcomes in this age group.
Adverse spinopelvic mobility in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty is associated with high mobility of the hip in a flexed seated position
Authors: Aubert Thomas , Halle Aurelien , Gerard Philippe , Riouallon Guillaume , Auberger Guillaume , Lhotellier Luc 
Published: December 2024

Purpose: Adverse spinopelvic mobility from a standing to a flexed seated position of more than 20° of the spinopelvic tilt (∆SPT) has been shown to have a high risk of dislocation. If hypermobility of the hip analysed with the pelvic femoral angle (∆PFA) has a high risk of impingement, the correlation between the range of motion of the hip from a standing to a flexed seated position and its implication in adverse spinopelvic mobility has not been described. Methods: A series of 337 patients treated with primary THA underwent lateral x-ray in standing and flexed seated positions to analyse ∆SPT, ∆PFA and spinopelvic parameters. The objectives were to establish a ∆PFA threshold associated with a ∆SPT ⩾20° and to subsequently investigate its influence in conjunction with spinopelvic risk factors on the occurrence of adverse spinopelvic mobility. Results: The area under the curve was 0.904 (95%CI, 0.864–0.945) for ∆PFA to predict ∆SPT ⩾ 20°; it was predicted by ∆PFA ⩾ 95° with a sensitivity of 91.7% and a specificity of 74.4% at the Youden optimal threshold. Patients with a ∆SPT < 20° (277 patients) had a mean ∆PFA of 83° compared to 110° if ∆SPT ⩾ 20° (60 patients) ( p < 0.001). Patients with a ∆PFA < 95° (203 patients) had a mean ∆SPT of −6° compared to 18° if ∆PFA ⩾ 95° (134 patients) ( p < 0.001). ∆PFA ⩾ 95° rates were 95% (57/60) and 27.8% (77/200) in patients with ∆SPT ⩾ 20° and ∆SPT < 20°, respectively (OR 49.35; CI, 15.01–162.28; p < 0.001). Conclusions: High mobility of the hip (∆PFA ⩾ 95°) seems to be a necessary condition for adverse spinopelvic mobility. A preoperative analysis of patients with lower hip mobility, associated with spinopelvic risk factors, might identify patients with abnormal spinopelvic mobility after the restoration of femoral flexion. Trial registration: IDRCB 2023-A01390, CNIL MR004 2225508 (07/06/2023), retrospectively registered.
Association between education level and access to disease-modifying treatment in patients with multiple sclerosis in France
Authors: Lefort Mathilde , Dejardin Olivier , Berger Eric , Camdessanché Jean-Philippe , Ciron Jonathan , Clavelou Pierre , De Sèze Jerome , Debouverie Marc , Heinzlef Olivier , Labauge Pierre , Laplaud David Axel , Michel Laure , Lebrun-Frénay Christine , Moreau Thibault , Pelletier Jean , Ruet Aurélie , Thouvenot Eric , Vukusic Sandra , Zephir Hélène , Defer Gilles , Leray Emmanuelle 
Published: December 2024

Background: We hypothesized that differences in access to disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) could explain the association between socioeconomic status and disability progression in multiple sclerosis (MS). Objective: This study aimed to analyze the association between education level and DMT use in France. Methods: All patients from OFSEP network with MS onset over 1996–2014 and aged ⩾ 25 years at onset were included. Three time-to-event outcomes were investigated using flexible parametric survival regression models: time from MS onset to first DMT (any) and to platform therapy, and time from platform therapy to switch to high-efficacy therapy. Results: Overall, 7563 patients were included (mean follow-up 12.6 ± 5.9 years). The percentages of patients aged less than 40 years at MS onset and who initiated treatment before the age of 40 years were significantly higher in the groups with a higher education level. The time-to-event outcomes showed no major difference in DMT practices according to education level, except for women who had a significantly shorter time to DMT initiation in medium to very high education level groups versus low, at 5 years from MS clinical onset. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the association between education level and MS disability progression does not solely reflect different therapeutic practices, particularly in men.
On the feasibility of country-specific and country-general explanations for the increase over time in psychosomatic complaints among Nordic adolescents
Authors: Stattin Håkan , Eriksson Charli 
Published: December 2024

Aims: This study examines the evidence for similar increases in psychosomatic complaints among 15-year-olds in the Nordic countries over the period 2002–2022. A distinction is made between the level and shape of these time trends. Methods: A dataset from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey from 2002 to 2022 was used. Time trends for psychosomatic complaints were analysed for five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Results: A significant increase in psychosomatic complaints over the last two decades was found among 15-year-old boys and girls in all countries, especially among girls. The shapes of the time trends were very similar for adolescents in all Nordic countries. There were significant differences in the time trends between the countries. Here, the countries with high or low levels of psychosomatic complaints in 2022 were largely the same as those with high or low levels of psychosomatic complaints years earlier. Conclusions: The high degree of similarity observed in the shapes of the time trends for psychosomatic complaints among Nordic adolescents, as evidenced by this study, suggests that explanations for the observed increases in these psychosomatic complaints should be sought in conditions common to the five countries. However, country-specific explanations are more likely to be candidates for understanding differences in the levels of these time trends. The potential for differentiation between shapes and levels using the aggregate technique when comparing countries also provides an opportunity to empirically examine country-general and country-specific explanations for trends in measures in other areas of research.
Valproic Acid Inhibits Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Reduces Ferroptosis After Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Chen Jie , Li Lei , Huang Lei , Zhao Chengyu , Ruan Zhanwei 
Published: December 2024

Backgound Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a severe neurological disorders, which invloving complicated molecular mechanisms, such as endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and ferroptosis. , However, the mechanism underlying TBI remains unclear. Objectives The Objective was to determine the effect of VPA on ER stress and ferroptosis, and affirm the relationship between ER stress and ferroptosis. Methods: The expression levels of GRP78, ATF6, CHOP and GPX4 in brain tissues were detected via western blot, histological staining, and immunofluorescence. The effect of VPA on ER stress and ferroptosis on OS cellswas evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Results In our study, we found that VPA suppressed ER stress after TBI by inhibiting the GRP78-ATF6-CHOP signaling pathway, which ameliorated ferroptosis by reversing the reduction of the ferroptosis protein GPX4. Furthermore, tissue defects, bleeding, and iron accumulation also reduced. Moreover, 4-phenylbutyric acid was used to further confirm our assumption. Conclusion VPA plays a neuroprotective role by inhibiting ER stress levels and subsequently inhibiting ferroptosis.
Enforced Disappearance as a Border Management Tool: The Case of Border Patrol Detentions of Immigrant and Asylum-Seeking Families in the United States1
Authors: Leal Diego F. , Cadwalader Natalie L. 
Published: December 2024

Executive Summary This study examines the experiences of international migrants and asylum-seeker families recently released from the custody of the United States Border Patrol (BP) to assess their ability to make phone calls while in BP detention. The focus on phone access is critical to determining whether respondents experience enforced disappearance under international law, given that BP custody is usually incommunicado. To determine whether some BP detainees experience enforced disappearance in custody, authors collected and analyzed data from 117 respondents using a novel questionnaire. Respondents were heads of families. These families consisted of at least one adult and at least one minor child who were released to a non-profit short-term shelter in the United States (U.S.). Findings show that 78 percent of the respondents who were in BP custody experienced an enforced disappearance because they were not able to make phone calls and there was no reliable publicly accessible locator system to otherwise locate them. While this study provides critical context to how one distinct group of individuals released from BP custody (i.e., families released into the U.S.) experienced enforced disappearance, we note the importance of future studies that assess the situation of additional groups, including single adults released from BP into the U.S. and groups and individuals forced back (typically) to Mexico upon release from BP custody. We discuss policy recommendations to mitigate and prevent continued enforced disappearances in BP custody and to prevent additional human rights violations that are facilitated by enforced disappearance, including the right to access counsel, the right to due process, the right to seek asylum, the right of non-refoulment, and that may constitute a grave threat to the right to life.
Efficient small fragment sequencing of human, cattle, and bison miRNA, small RNA, or csRNA-seq libraries using AVITI
Authors: McDonald Anna L. , Boddicker Andrew M. , Savenkova Marina I. , Brabb Ian M. , Qi Xiaodong , Moré Daniela D. , Cunha Cristina W. , Zhao Junhua , Duttke Sascha H. 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
Background
Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) catalyzed breakthroughs across various scientific domains. Illumina’s sequencing by synthesis method has long been central to NGS, but new sequencing methods like Element Biosciences’ AVITI technology are emerging. AVITI is reported to offer improved signal-to-noise ratios and cost reductions. However, its reliance on rolling circle amplification, which can be affected by polymer size, raises questions about its effectiveness in sequencing small RNAs (sRNAs) such as microRNAs (miRNAs), small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs), and many others. These sRNAs are crucial regulators of gene expression and involved in various biological processes. Additionally, capturing capped small RNAs (csRNA-seq) is a powerful method for mapping active or “nascent” RNA polymerase II transcription initiation in tissues and clinical samples.

Results
Here, we report a new protocol for seamlessly sequencing short fragments on the AVITI and demonstrate that AVITI and Illumina sequencing technologies equivalently capture human, cattle (Bos taurus), and bison (Bison bison) sRNA or csRNA sequencing libraries, increasing confidence in both sequencing approaches. Additionally, analysis of generated nascent transcription start site (TSS) data for cattle and bison revealed inaccuracies in their current genome annotations, underscoring the potential and necessity to translate small and nascent RNA sequencing methodologies to livestock.

Conclusions
Our accelerated and optimized protocol bridges the advantages of AVITI sequencing with critical methods that rely on sequencing short fragments. This advance bolsters the utility of AVITI technology alongside traditional Illumina platforms, offering new opportunities for NGS applications.
Unveiling the antibacterial action of ambroxol against Staphylococcus aureus bacteria: in vitro, in vivo, and in silico investigation
Authors: Abdelaziz Ahmed A. , Abo-Kamar Amal M. , Ashour Alaa E. , Shaldam Moataz A. , Elekhnawy Engy 
Published: November 2024

AbstractIt is critical to find novel therapeutic approaches owing to the dissemination of multidrug resistance (MDR) in pathogenic bacteria, particularly Staphylococcus aureus. FDA-drug repurposing is an important therapeutic tactic to fight MDR bacteria. Here, we inspected the antibacterial activity of ambroxol against clinical MDR S. aureus isolates. Using the broth microdilution method, ambroxol revealed minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.75 to 1.5 mg/mL. Also, it revealed antibiofilm action on 42.17% of the isolates by crystal violet assay. A scanning electron microscope was employed to study the antibiofilm action of ambroxol. It revealed that the association between the cells was interrupted by ambroxol, and the biofilm construction was devastated. Moreover, qRT-PCR was utilized to elucidate the consequence of ambroxol on the gene expression of efflux and biofilm. Remarkably, ambroxol has downregulated the expression of cna, fnb A, ica, nor A, nor B genes. Ambroxol’s in vivo antibacterial action was investigated using S. aureus infected burn infection. Interestingly, ambroxol has improved the histological features of the skin tissues, significantly diminished the bacterial burden, and increased the wound healing percentage. Also, it revealed a significant reduction in the immunohistochemical staining of tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Finally, the in silico investigations were performed to elucidate the potential of ambroxol on five possible targets of S. aureus. Ambroxol showed good affinities on the five investigated targets in S. aureus, with CrtM being the highest, proposing its probable role in the mechanisms for ambroxol’s action on S. aureus.
Understanding the impact of covariates on the classification of implementation units for soil-transmitted helminths control: a case study from Kenya
Authors: Puranik Amitha , Diggle Peter J. , Odiere Maurice R. , Gass Katherine , Kepha Stella , Okoyo Collins , Mwandawiro Charles , Wakesho Florence , Omondi Wycliff , Sultani Hadley Matendechero , Giorgi Emanuele 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
Background
Soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) are a parasitic infection that predominantly affects impoverished regions. Model-based geostatistics (MBG) has been established as a set of modern statistical methods that enable mapping of disease risk in a geographical area of interest. We investigate how the use of remotely sensed covariates can help to improve the predictive inferences on STH prevalence using MBG methods. In particular, we focus on how the covariates impact on the classification of areas into distinct class of STH prevalence.

Methods
This study uses secondary data obtained from a sample of 1551 schools in Kenya, gathered through a combination of longitudinal and cross-sectional surveys. We compare the performance of two geostatistical models: one that does not make use of any spatially referenced covariate; and a second model that uses remotely sensed covariates to assist STH prevalence prediction. We also carry out a simulation study in which we compare the performance of the two models in the classifications of areal units with varying sample sizes and prevalence levels.

Results
The model with covariates generated lower levels of uncertainty and was able to classify 88 more districts into prevalence classes than the model without covariates, which instead left those as “unclassified”. The simulation study showed that the model with covariates also yielded a higher proportion of correct classification of at least 40% for all sub-counties.

Conclusion
Covariates can substantially reduce the uncertainty of the predictive inference generated from geostatistical models. Using covariates can thus contribute to the design of more effective STH control strategies by reducing sample sizes without compromising the predictive performance of geostatistical models.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and the gut microbiota in adolescents: is there a relationship?
Authors: Amrousy Doaa El , Ashry Heba El , Maher Sara , Elsayed Yousef , Hasan Samir 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
Background
Despite the increasing prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the pathophysiology is still not fully understood. Recent evidence suggests that the gut microbiota may play a role in the pathophysiology of NAFLD and may also offer new therapeutic options.

Methods
This prospective cross-sectional study included 100 consecutive newly diagnosed obese patients (BMI ≥ 95th percentile), aged 14–18 years with NAFLD (confirmed by ultrasound), persistently elevated levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) greater than 60 U/L for 1–6 months, and 100 healthy controls. We evaluated changes in the gut microbiota in NAFLD adolescents compared with healthy controls.

Results
According to the multiple logistic regressions, the variables associated with NAFLD were the presence of Clostridium difficile, the presence of Salmonella spp., a greater abundance of Bifidobacterium and Prevotella, and a lower abundance of Lactobacillus.

Conclusion
Changes in the gut microbiota occur in adolescents with NAFLD compared with healthy individuals, which may be useful for identifying youths who are amenable to gut microbiota-based interventions.

Clinical trial number
Not applicable.
Putting measurement-based care into action: a multi-method study of the benefits of integrating routine client feedback in coordinated specialty care programs for early psychosis
Authors: Meyer-Kalos Piper , Owens Grace , Fisher Melissa , Wininger Lionel , Williams-Wengerd Anne , Breen Kimberleigh , Abate Josephine Pita , Currie Ariel , Olinger Nathan , Vinogradov Sophia 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Background
Measurement-based care (MBC) is an effective tool in the delivery of evidence-based practices (EBPs). MBC utilizes feedback loops to share information and drive changes throughout a learning healthcare system. Few studies have demonstrated this practice in team-based care for young people with early psychosis. This paper describes the development of a personalized feedback report derived from routine assessments that is shared with clients and clinicians as part of a MBC process.

Methods
We used a multi-method approach to evaluate the implementation of a personalized feedback report at 5 early psychosis coordinated specialty care programs (CSC). We compared clients enrolled in CSC who did and did not receive a feedback report over the first 6 months of treatment. The sample included 204 clients: 146 who did not receive the feedback report (treatment as usual, TAU) and were enrolled over 2 years, and 58 who received the feedback report. A subset of 67 clients completed measures at both intake and 6-month follow-up, including 42 who received the personalized feedback report and 25 who did not. We compared the two groups with regard to self-reported symptoms, likelihood of completing treatment, and perception of shared decision making. We conducted qualitative interviews with 5 clients and 5 clinicians to identify the benefits and challenges associated with the personalized feedback report.

Results
The total sample showed significant improvements in shared decision-making and in their intent to complete the program. Post hoc analyses revealed significant increases in the personalized feedback group, and non-significant changes in the TAU group, although group-by-time interactions did not reach statistical significance. The feedback report group engaged in significantly more sessions of Supported Employment and Education (SEE), case management, and peer support, and fewer medication visits over the first 6 months of treatment. Both groups showed significant improvement in symptoms and functioning. Results from the qualitative analysis indicated that the experience of receiving the reports was valuable and validating for both patients and clinicians.

Conclusions
A personalized feedback report was integrated into standard of care for early psychosis programs. This process may improve shared decision-making, strengthen the likelihood to stay in treatment, and increase treatment attendance in psychosocial interventions. We posit that this process facilitates recovery-oriented care, strengths-focused treatment planning, enhances intrinsic motivation, and strengthens the therapeutic alliance.