bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Tumor Volume Doubling Time of Less Than 1 Year Is Associated With a Higher Risk of Death From Medullary Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Behairy Noha , Leonardi Anthony J , Gubbi Sriram , Kumari Sonam , Pascoal Mateus , Bharadwaj Ashwin , Dorgham Amr , Wright Elizabeth C , Abijo Tomilowo , Uttarkar Vikram Chandra Nayan , Veeraraghavan Padmasree , Cochran Craig , Akshintala Srivandana , Glod John , Klubo-Gwiezdzinska Joanna 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Context
Tumor volume doubling time (TVDT) is emerging as a useful tool in predicting oncologic outcomes. There are limited data on the prognostic role of TVDT in metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC).

Objective
The goal of this study was to assess the value of TVDT in predicting disease-specific survival (DSS) in patients with hereditary and sporadic MTC.

Methods
This was an Institutional Review Board–approved cohort study including patients with metastatic MTC having at least 3 consecutive imaging studies. TVDT of up to the 5 largest lesions per organ was calculated using a standardized formula. The association between TVDT and DSS was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Cox proportional regression model was used to account for confounding factors.

Results
The study sample consisted of 51 patients presenting with 286 metastatic lesions measured with 457 scans during the follow-up of 51 (IQR, 25-102) months. Median age was 19 years (IQR, 15-41), 53% female patients. Cumulative volumes of all metastatic lesions and proportion of patients with TVDT of &lt; 1 year were higher in patients with sporadic as compared with hereditary MTC (P &lt; .01). Factors independently associated with shorter DSS were TVDT of &lt; 1 year based on 3 initial and 3 last scans as well as lung, brain, and prostate as the organs with the fastest growing tumor. TVDT based on 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional measurements showed strong correlation (r = 0.94, P &lt; .05).

Conclusion
Measurements from 3 baseline and 3 most recent scans preceding follow-up visit enable calculation of TVDT and can be used as predictors of mortality from MTC.
Giant Intracranial Meningiomas Requiring Surgery in 2 Transgender Women Treated With Cyproterone Acetate
Authors: Balcerek Matthew I , Hovelroud Rachel , Ruhl Matthew , Nolan Brendan J 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Progestin-associated meningioma is a rare complication of cyproterone acetate (CPA), an anti-androgen commonly prescribed in feminizing hormone therapy regimens for transgender and gender-diverse individuals. A dose-response association has been observed, particularly with longer-term exposure to doses ≥ 50 mg daily; however, the dose below which CPA use is safe remains unclear. We herein report the cases of 2 transgender women using CPA who developed meningioma. Novel aspects of our cases include: (i) the presence of symptomatic giant meningiomas (&gt; 5 cm), including multiple meningiomas in one patient, requiring urgent surgical intervention; (ii) meningioma development with both high-dose, long duration and low-dose, shorter duration CPA; and (iii) the presence of a PIK3CA missense variant in one patient, which may play a role in the pathogenesis of progestin-associated meningioma. Our cases highlight the real-world risk of this likely underreported adverse effect and underscore the importance of clinician vigilance for neurological sequelae. We suggest using the lowest dose of CPA that maintains adequate androgen suppression, with consideration of alternative anti-androgens where appropriate.
A Case of Refractory Thyroid Storm Despite Correction of Peripheral Thyroid Hormone Levels
Authors: Evans Madeline , Prince Grace , Majety Priyanka 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Thyroid storm is a life-threatening complication of hyperthyroidism that necessitates early diagnosis for aggressive, effective treatment. We present a patient with a newly diagnosed multinodular goiter who presented to the emergency department with leg swelling, dyspnea, tremors, and atrial fibrillation with elevation in thyroid hormone levels consistent with thyrotoxicosis. Despite improvement in peripheral hormone levels on maximized medical treatment with beta-blockers, methimazole, glucocorticoids, cholestyramine, and potassium iodide, she continued to clinically decline with new encephalopathy, heart failure, and liver and kidney dysfunction while receiving treatment. Work-up for alternative causes of her clinical decompensation was unrevealing. Plasmapheresis was initiated, with further reduction in thyroid hormone levels without clinical improvement. Cases in the literature do report incidences of severe thyrotoxicosis refractory to traditional treatment measures; however, generally, these cases involve a failure to reduce thyroid hormone levels with medical treatment and subsequent consideration of plasmapheresis. Our case suggests that clinical improvement in thyroid storm does lag behind biochemical improvement in select patients, and delayed clinical improvement or even severity of symptoms may warrant earlier consideration of plasmapheresis in such patients.
Successful Transition to Sulfonylurea for Relapsed Monogenic Diabetes Due to Rare 6q23.3 Duplication
Authors: Hassan Doha , Allen David B , Chen Melinda 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Transient neonatal diabetes mellitus (TNDM) due to 6q duplication usually presents in the first 4 months of life, resolves before 18 months of life, and recurs in adolescence or adulthood. Insulin is the first-line treatment for chromosome 6–related neonatal diabetes in infancy. While there is no ideal treatment for patients with relapsed TNDM, residual β-cell function after remission of neonatal diabetes indicates a potential role for insulin secretagogues. Patients with 6q24 duplication have been successfully transitioned from insulin to sulfonylureas (SUs) in adolescence. We present the first report to our knowledge of TNDM secondary to a rare 6q23.3 duplication for which reemergence of diabetes was successfully transitioned from insulin to SU treatment. The successful transition to SU improved glycemic control, cost-effectiveness, and overall quality of life, while decreasing occurrence of hypoglycemia.
What causes cardiac mitochondrial failure at high environmental temperatures?
Authors: Hickey Anthony J. R. , Harford Alice R. , Blier Pierre U. , Devaux Jules B. 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACT
Although a mechanism accounting for hyperthermic death at critical temperatures remains elusive, the mitochondria of crucial active excitable tissues (i.e. heart and brain) may well be key to this process. Mitochondria produce ∼90% of the ATP required by cells to maintain cellular integrity and function. They also integrate into biosynthetic pathways that support metabolism as a whole, allow communication within the cell, and regulate cellular health and death pathways. We have previously shown that cardiac and brain mitochondria demonstrate decreases in the efficiency of, and absolute capacity for ATP synthesis as temperatures rise, until ultimately there is too little ATP to support cellular demands, and organ failure follows. Importantly, substantial decreases in ATP synthesis occur at temperatures immediately below the temperature of heart failure, and this suggests a causal role of mitochondria in hyperthermic death. However, what causes mitochondria to fail? Here, we consider the answers to this question. Mitochondrial dysfunction at high temperature has classically been attributed to elevated leak respiration suspected to result from increased movement of protons (H+) through the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM), thereby bypassing the ATP synthases. In this Commentary, we introduce some alternative explanations for elevated leak respiration. We first consider respiratory complex I and then propose that a loss of IMM structure occurs as temperatures rise. The loss of the cristae folds of the IMM may affect the efficiency of H+ transport, increasing H+ conductance either through the IMM or into the bulk water phases of mitochondria. In either case, O2 consumption increases while ATP synthesis decreases.
The Why, What, Who, When, and Where of Carbon Capture and Storage in Southern Ontario
Authors: Hart Bruce S. 
Published: October 2024

This paper reviews the five Ws (Why, What, Who, When, and Where) of carbon capture and storage in southwestern Ontario. This area is home to nearly one quarter of Canada’s population and approximately three-quarters of one million people work in the manufacturing sector. Fifteen of the province’s top 20 CO2 emission point sources are in this area. The industries responsible for these emissions include steel mills, refineries and petrochemical plants, and cement plants. These industries are part of the hard-to-abate sector, in that CO2 is used or generated as an integral part of the industrial process. As such, eliminating or even reducing emissions from these industries is a difficult task. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects aim to sequester that gas in sedimentary basins over periods exceeding several thousand years. To this end, deeply buried (> 800 m) porous and permeable rocks (a repository) must be overlain by impermeable rocks that act as a seal, preventing the upward migration of CO2 into the atmosphere. The possibility that injection activities could trigger seismicity is but one of the additional considerations. When operational, CCS projects have a negative carbon footprint and the desirability of developing and using this technology has been established for over 20 years. True CCS projects differ from carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) projects in that the former are only designed with sequestration in mind. One type of CCUS project involves using CO2 for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and this technology has been employed for several decades. Cambrian sandstones are the most suitable injection targets for CCS in southwestern Ontario because previous oil and gas drilling has shown the rocks to have the necessary characteristics. They are buried below 800 m, can be tens of metres thick, and have adequate porosity and permeability. However, the Cambrian section is lithologically and stratigraphically heterogeneous and oil, gas, and brine can all be present in the pore space. The extent to which this complexity will affect CO2 injection has not yet been evaluated.
Intraoperative ‘space suits’ do not reduce periprosthetic joint infections in shoulder arthroplasty
Authors: Stoneham Adam , Poon Peter , Hirner Marc , Frampton Christopher , Gao Ryan 
Published: October 2024

AimsBody exhaust suits or surgical helmet systems (colloquially, ‘space suits’) are frequently used in many forms of arthroplasty, with the aim of providing personal protection to surgeons and, perhaps, reducing periprosthetic joint infections, although this has not consistently been borne out in systematic reviews and registry studies. To date, no large-scale study has investigated whether this is applicable to shoulder arthroplasty. We used the New Zealand Joint Registry to assess whether the use of surgical helmet systems was associated with lower all-cause revision or revision for deep infection in primary shoulder arthroplasties.MethodsWe analyzed 16,000 shoulder arthroplasties (hemiarthroplasties, anatomical, and reverse geometry prostheses) recorded on the New Zealand Joint Registry from its inception in 2000 to the present day. We assessed patient factors including age, BMI, sex, and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade, as well as whether or not the operation took place in a laminar flow operating theatre.ResultsA total of 2,728 operations (17%) took place using surgical helmet systems. Patient cohorts were broadly similar in terms of indication for surgery (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fractures) and medical comorbidities (age and sex). There were 842 revisions (5% of cases) with just 98 for deep infection (0.6% of all cases or 11.6% of the revisions). There were no differences in all-cause revisions or revision for deep infection between the surgical helmet systems and conventional gowns (p = 0.893 and p = 0.911, respectively).ConclusionWe found no evidence that wearing a surgical helmet system reduces the incidence of periprosthetic joint infection in any kind of primary shoulder arthroplasty. We acknowledge the limitations of this registry study and accept that there may be other benefits in terms of personal protection, comfort, or visibility. However, given their financial and ecological footprint, they should be used judiciously in shoulder surgery.Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2024;5(10):894–897.
Learning to weave through a digital app: Women’s empowerment in Artisan Villages of Nepal
Authors: Saakha Prasuna , Discetti Roberta 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
This article aims to understand how and to what extent Fair Trade initiatives empower women workers through what we call ‘digital localization’, namely through the provision of digitally enabled trainings that support localization of production and consequent improvement of workers’ livelihoods. While digitalization processes are often considered as disconnected ‘by default’ by the communities in which they take place, here we propose instead that digitalization and localization are interconnected and complementary processes for the purpose of women’s empowerment in Fair Trade supply chains. In order to address these questions, we present the case study of ‘Artisan Villages’ an ongoing project launched by the organization Label STEP Nepal to provide Nepalese workers with decent and dignified local jobs as hand-knotted carpet weavers. The project is implementing not only digitalization of learning and monitoring but also localization and decentralization of production. We collected 12 women weavers’ biographies and interviewed six women weavers and master weavers involved in the programme. Results showed that our participants indicated three main benefits generated by the programme: i) the acquisition of new locally relevant skills; ii) the opportunity to secure local employment and generate stable incomes; iii) increased confidence and improved time management. The contribution of this paper lies in the acknowledgement that ‘digital’ and ‘local’ are not mutually exclusive dimensions, and that processes of digitalization and localization, far from being separate, can foster and reinforce each other, through positive loops with impactful outcomes for women workers’ livelihoods.
Operation mode-switchable photodetector with a pn junction local-floating gate
Authors: Jiang Yurong , Wang Zhi , Xing Wenqian , Liao Chuanzheng , Song Xiaohui , Li Xueping , Xia Congxin 
Published: October 2024

The photodetectors are critical elements in state-of-the-art technology; however, it is still challenging to realize simultaneously high detectivity and responsivity for the fixed operation mode configuration. In this work, we propose a pn junction local-floating gate photodetector (PNLFG-PD) based on a two-dimensional p-WSe2/n-MoS2 heterojunction, where n-type MoS2 is partly floated on the p-WSe2 channel. The device exhibits the switchable mode between the Λ-shaped anti-ambipolar conduction in dark and the unipolarity conduction of p-type under illumination. Subsequently, the high responsivity of 2.12×105  A/W and detectivity of 1.25×1014 Jones are simultaneously obtained at 2 V bias and 405 nm illumination of 370 μW light power, resulting in high light/dark ratio over 106 attributed to barrier lowering in the channel. This work provides a particular platform to overcome the tradeoff between detectivity and responsivity for the high-performance photodetection.
Blood-spinal cord barrier in spinal cord injury: a scientific review based on own experimental trial
Authors: Chelyshev Yu. A. , Kabdesh I. M. , Mukhamedshina Ya. O. 
Published: October 2024

Objective. To analyze the mechanisms of the blood-spinal cord barrier permeability violation after spinal cord injury and to assess its impact on the development of secondary injuries, including those in the areas significantly remote from the epicenter of injury.Material and Methods. The article is an analysis of 45 publications supplemented by our own experimental data. The search for articles was conducted in databases such as PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science on the topic under study. Experimental data were obtained using confocal microscopy and bioluminescence detection on a rat spinal cord contusion injury model.Results. The problem of barrier disintegration in a region remote from the injury epicenter is considered. It is shown that spinal cord injury significantly increases the permeability of the blood-spinal cord barrier, which promotes enhanced transmigration of immune cells and release of cytotoxic molecules. The results of our own studies on a model of dosed contusion injury in the thoracic spinal cord of a rat show that the permeability of the barrier increases not only in the injury epicenter, but also along the entire length of the organ. This circumstance is especially significant for the lumbar spinal cord, where neural networks that are critical for the maintenance and restoration of motor function are localized.Conclusion. Potential causes of remote barrier disruption have been discussed, including the possible influence of damage biomarker molecules that travel from the injury epicenter to remote regions of the spinal cord via the bloodstream or cerebrospinal fluid. The promising clinical application of effective experimental approaches to contain barrier disruption and restore the blood-spinal cord barrier and the lack of translational research in this direction are highlighted.
Endoscopic and microsurgical decompression for central lumbar spinal stenosis
Authors: Khalepa R. V. , Amelina E. V. , Kubetsky Yu. E. 
Published: October 2024

Objective. To perform comparative analysis of the results of endoscopic and microsurgical decompression for lumbar spinal stenosis.Material and Methods. Design: Retrospective monocentric intra-cohort comparison of two groups of patients. The study included 99 patients aged 51–88 years with clinically significant lumbar spinal stenosis manifested by neurogenic intermittent claudication syndrome. Endoscopic decompression was performed in 51 patients, and microsurgical decompression – in 48 patients. To objectify and standardize clinical symptoms, walking distance in meters, pain syndrome and quality of life were assessed before and after surgery using standard scales and questionnaires (VAS, ODI). On the first day after surgery, back and lower limb pain were assessed, and during the observation period back and lower limb pain, quality of life and walking distance were assessed. Functional lumbar radiography was performed to exclude instability of the spinal motion segment. Using MRI, the cross-sectional area of the dural sac at the level of stenosis was measured before and after surgery. Clinical efficacy was assessed using the MCID (Minimal Clinical Important Difference) criterion. The results of the operation were followed-up for 12 months after the operation.Results. Blood loss in the endoscopic intervention group was less than in the microsurgical group. Pain in the lumbar spine and in the lower extremities decreased, and the cross-sectional area of the dural sac increased. In the first days after surgery, patients after endoscopic decompression had less severe back and lower extremity pain than patients after microsurgical decompression due to less soft tissue trauma. Pain syndrome in back 10–12 months after surgery was without statistically significant difference between the groups. Patients after endoscopic decompression had statistically significantly better quality of life according to ODI, lesser pain in the lower extremities according to VAS and longer walking distance than those in the microsurgical decompression group. Surgical treatment in both groups turned out to be effective, which is confirmed by MCID. The time of endoscopic intervention is significantly longer than that of microsurgical intervention. The length of the incision during endoscopic decompression is shorter than that of microsurgical decompression.Conclusion. A comparative analysis of the results of endoscopic and microsurgical decompression for degenerative central lumbar stenosis showed comparable effectiveness of both methods, including an increase in the spinal canal dimension and ensuring regression of clinical symptoms. The results of the comparison do not allow making a sufficiently substantiated judgment on the advantages of one of the methods, which dictates the need for further research.
Cardiomyopathy characterizing and heart failure risk predicting by echocardiography and pathoanatomy in aged male mice
Authors: Du Xiao‐Jun , Feng Xin‐Heng , Ming Zi‐Qiu , Kiriazis Helen 
Published: October 2024

AbstractCorrelation between echocardiographic and pathoanatomic variables and their prognostic value in murine cardiomyopathy models remain unknown. Using echocardiography, morphometrics, and survival monitoring, we characterized transgenic (TG) mice with dilated cardiomyopathy due to cardiac overexpression of β2‐adrenoceptors focusing on predicting heart failure (HF) risk and HF mortality. In 12‐month‐old non‐TG and TG mice, echocardiography was performed to determine left ventricular (LV) dimensions (d), wall thickness (h), and fractional shortening (FS). Animals were monitored for 3 months for survival. Organ weights and pathological events indicating left HF were determined. TG mice (n = 76) had reduced FS and enlarged LV, and 79% died of HF or likely arrhythmias during the follow‐up period while all non‐TG mice (n = 26) survived. These mice with left HF also had pulmonary congestion and hypertrophy/dilatation of the right ventricle (RV). Weights of lungs, RV, and atria were intercorrelated (r = 0.79–0.83) and also negatively correlated with FS × (h/d) index (r = −0.502 to −0.609). By FS × (h/d) tertiles, TG mice of low tertiles were identified with the highest mortality (96%) largely due to HF (76%). In conclusion, in aged cardiomyopathy mice a good correlation existed between echocardiographic and pathoanatomic variables. Echocardiography‐derived LV function and remodeling were useful in identifying a subgroup of TG mice with a high risk of HF and HF fatality.
Shaping Tomorrow’s Chemistry: Reflections and Goals from IUPAC’s Vice President
Authors: Garson Mary 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

I first heard about IUPAC in 1972 in undergraduate organic (nomenclature) lectures; I already knew about the Periodic Table from high school days, but I did not make the connection between this chemistry and the organisation named IUPAC until much later. In 1996, I became involved in planning for Australia to bid for a General Assembly (GA)/World Chemistry Congress (WCC); ultimately the bid was successful, and the meeting was held in my home city of Brisbane in July 2001. In the way, I learnt much about the various component parts of IUPAC while the Executive Secretary role, which I held for a trio of combined meetings including an Asian Chemistry Congress plus an Asian Federation of Medicinal Chemistry meeting, brought me into contact with the IUPAC leadership. I also interacted with Titular Members, many volunteers, as well as key movers and shakers within the chemistry field. And I got to know our wonderful current IUPAC staff members Fabienne Meyers and Enid Weatherwax.