bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Access and Cost Trends for Same-Day Plastic Surgery among Propensity-Matched Patients by Site-of-Service
Authors: Fahmy Joseph N. , Benítez Trista M. , Ouyang Zhongzhe , Wang Lu , Chung Kevin C. 
Published: September 2024

Background:
Same-day surgery is common in plastic surgery. Sites-of-service are associated with cost differences. Freestanding (F-ASCs) and hospital-owned ambulatory surgery centers (HO-ASCs) are less costly than hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs), though access disparities are reported. Trends in cost, access, and outcomes between same-day surgery facilities for common plastic surgeries have not been evaluated.

Methods:
Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Ambulatory Surgery and Inpatient databases (2016-2019) were queried for patients who underwent laceration repair, local tissue rearrangement, skin grafting, panniculectomy, reduction mammaplasty, breast reconstruction, and revision breast reconstruction. Patients were 1:1:1 propensity-matched by facility type and outcomes were analyzed with a mixed-effects log-linear regression with repeated measures.

Results:
This study included 120,240 patients. Compared with HOPDs, no change in HO-ASC charges and an 8% quarterly decrease in F-ASC charges (95% CI: 0.89 to 0.96, p<0.001) was found. Relative to White patients, F-ASC use increased among Black (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.06, p<0.001) and Hispanic (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.06, p<0.001) patients. F-ASCs had the lowest rates of unexpected postoperative visits (F-ASC OR: 0.28, 95% CI: 0.25-0.32, p<0.001; HO-ASC OR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.46-0.58, p<0.001).

Conclusion:
Incentives encouraging ASC use are maligned with same-day surgery payment policy in the US. Policy that narrows differences in ASC reimbursement relative to HOPDs will improve access to same-day plastic surgery and constrain costs. Narrowing F-ASC access disparities and lower rates of unexpected postoperative visits suggest F-ASCs improve access to same-day plastic surgery.
Academic Influence and Industry Funding in Nerve Allograft Research: A Coauthorship Network Analysis
Authors: Reese McKay , Mehta Yash A. , Haupt Michael R. , Dennis Daniella , Becker Miriam , Clark Robert Craig , Reid Chris M. 
Published: September 2024

Background:
Clinical use of acellular nerve allografts is rapidly increasing despite limited high-quality, comparative evidence of superiority. Simultaneously, nonresearch payments to clinicians by the nerve allograft industry exceed $14 million over the past decade. In this study, the authors hypothesized that nerve allograft–related academic influence would correlate with industry funding.

Methods:
PubMed studies on nerve allografts in plastic and reconstructive surgery journals were reviewed. Using author lists from extracted studies, a coauthorship network was generated and degree centralities—quantitative measurements of influence within a network—were calculated. Open Payments data from the nerve allograft industry was summated for each author. Finally, Pearson correlation and linear regression were used to analyze the relationship between centrality and payments received.

Results:
A total of 185 studies were included, with 581 unique authors (nodes) and 2406 coauthorships (ties) between them. Among authors with exceptional network influence (centrality >10, 75th percentile; n = 113), 56 were clinicians with valid National Provider Identifiers and therefore eligible for inclusion in the Open Payments database. Forty-four (79%) of these authors received at least 1 payment from the industry. Pearson correlation revealed a moderate (0.4 < r < 0.6) positive correlation between centrality and payments received (r = 0.51; P < 0.001). Linear regression demonstrated an estimated 16% increase in total pay per additional unit of centrality (P < 0.001; 95% CI, 8% to 25%).

Conclusions:
There is a significant connection between academic influence and financial support from the nerve allograft industry. Such results warrant discussion concerning conflicts of interest in clinical research and best practices for mitigating potential bias related to commercially backed treatments.
A Subunit-Based Concept for Preoperative Design of the Cauliflower Ear
Authors: Ma Xu , Dai Xinyue , Zhang Dapeng , Xiong Zenghui , Wang Bingyu , Li Jiajun , Liu Guofeng 
Published: September 2024

Purpose:
Cauliflower ear is an ear deformity caused by a closed ear injury with varying severity. Several studies on the systematic reconstruction of cauliflower ear have been reported. Here, the authors aim to introduce a simplified subunit-based reconstruction concept for the cauliflower ear.

Methods:
The authors retrospectively analyzed all patients who underwent surgery to repair cauliflower ear in our department from April 2021 to April 2023. Patients’ demographic information, clinical characteristics, and outcomes were recorded. All patients were followed up for 1 year.

Technique:
The authors assessed each subunit of the cauliflower ear in sequence in terms of the change in size and shape and decided whether tissue removal or grafting is needed. The surgical design was obtained by a combination of all subunits.

Results:
The authors included a total of 5 patients with mild and moderate cauliflower ear repaired by the subunit-based method. The shape of all the involved ear subunits of our patients was almost restored. No patient needed the use of cartilage grafts and flaps. The authors summarized 5 common subunits with deformity: helix, scaphoid fossa, antihelix crura and triangular fossa, antihelix body, and concha. The pathology results reported a keloid in 1 case. All patients reported no recurrence and were satisfied with the surgery after 1 year.

Conclusions:
The authors reported a simplified subunit-based method of preoperative evaluation and design of cauliflower ear, as a new alternative option to complement the current clinical strategies. The authors also reported the first case of a keloid in cauliflower ear.
Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Prevention and Treatment of Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Aljohani Marwan H. 
Published: September 2024

Objectives:
Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a significant complication associated with bisphosphonates, impacting jaw osteoclasts, and causing altered bone remodelling. Prevention involves stabilizing systemic pathology, considering antiresorptive therapies, and exploring platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) for wound healing and tissue regeneration. The study aims to assess the efficacy of PRF in MRONJ treatment and highlight research gaps for more robust investigations.

Methods:
Following PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines, this systematic review and meta-analysis included English publications from 2013 to 2023, employing a systematic search in databases such as MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science. Quality assessment used the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool and the NOS, with the main meta-analysis concentrating on PRF-treated MRONJ cases, assessing resolution rates, and prioritizing healing outcomes and infection absence as primary endpoints.

Results:
The study, encompassing 11 articles and 480 participants with MRONJ, demonstrated that in stage 1 procedures, PRF significantly outperformed conventional medical treatments (OR: 2.93, 95% CI: 1.54–5.59, P=0.001), particularly at the mandible site (OR: 1.65, 95% CI: 0.86–3.17, P=0.13). PRF also exhibited significantly superior healing outcomes compared with conventional medical treatments (OR: 4.45, 95% CI: 1.58–12.53, P=0.005), supporting its consideration as a valuable alternative in specific MRONJ management scenarios.

Conclusion:
This study highlights PRF’s effectiveness in early MRONJ interventions and specific anatomic sites, despite acknowledged limitations, emphasizing the need for further research, and supporting its consideration in MRONJ surgical management.
Big Data Analysis of Facial Fracture Epidemiology in South Korea From 2015 to 2020: Impacts of Aging and Personal Mobility
Authors: Jun Daiwon , Lee Jun Hyeok , Kim Shin Hyun , Choi Jong Yun , Choi Jangyoun , Lee Jung Ho 
Published: September 2024

The epidemiology of facial fractures is continuously evolving due to various influencing factors, including social, economic, and technological advancements. Thus, an updated analysis of facial bone fractures is necessary. This study aimed to provide an updated epidemiological analysis of facial bone fractures and assess severity using multiple factors. We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent facial bone fracture surgery at 3 teaching hospitals in South Korea between January 2015 and December 2020. Data collected included patient demographics (sex and age), trauma mechanism, alcohol intoxication status, and fracture types. Trauma mechanisms were categorized into 7 groups: assault, fall, sports, occupational injury, motor vehicle crash, bicycle, and personal mobility. Severity was assessed using the modified facial injury severity scale. A total of 5953 patients (4437 males and 1516 females) were included, with ages ranging from 1 to 92 years (mean age: 36.37±18.61 y). A steady decline in the number of patients was observed from 2015 to 2020. Falls were the most common cause of facial fractures (2300 cases, 39%), and nasal bone fractures were the most frequent type (3683 cases, 46%). The number of elderly patients (> 60 y) and injuries caused by personal mobility devices increased steadily. Male sex and alcohol intoxication were associated with higher severity scores. Motor vehicle crashes had the highest severity scores (2.246). While the incidence of facial bone fractures has decreased in recent years, the proportion of elderly patients and injuries caused by personal mobility devices is increasing, posing a significant burden on the health care system.
Maternal, Fetal and Infant outcomes Associated with Bariatric Surgery
Authors: Doumouras Aristithes G. , Muraca Giulia M. , Darling Elizabeth K. , O’Callaghan Emma K. , Nguyen Francis , Boudreau Vanessa , Anvari Mehran 
Published: September 2024

Objective:
The purpose of this study was to determine the association between bariatric surgery and maternal, fetal and infant outcomes.

Summary Background Data:
Obesity during pregnancy is a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Bariatric surgery is the most effective weight loss treatment but the impact of bariatric surgery on pregnancy outcomes remains poorly characterised.

Methods:
This was a population-based, matched cohort study of prospective databases in Ontario, Canada. Patients with obesity who received bariatric surgery from 2010 to 2016 and subsequently became pregnant matched on multiple factors to non-surgical pregnant patients with obesity. The primary outcomes of interest were the incidence included of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia/HELLP syndrome, small for gestational age (SGA), large for gestational age (LGA), and a composite of severe fetal/infant morbidity/mortality. Multivariable regression evaluated outcomes.

Results:
680 patients who underwent bariatric surgery and later became pregnant were matched to 2002 pregnant patients with obesity. Gestational diabetes occurred in 8.7% of the surgery group and 18.8% of the non-surgical group (adjusted OR (aOR) 0.29, 95%CI 0.21-0.40, P<0.001). A lower incidence of preeclampsia/HELLP was observed post-surgery (aOR 0.20, 95%CI 0.13-0.31, P<0.001). Bariatric surgery impacted SGA (aOR 2.74, 95%CI 2.04–3.70, P<0.001) and LGA (aOR 0.25, 95%CI 0.18-0.36, P<0.001). There were no observed associations between bariatric surgery and any adverse fetal or infant outcomes. A lower composite severe fetal/infant morbidity/mortality was observed post-surgery (aOR 0.73, 95%CI 0.54-0.97, P<0.05).

Conclusions:
Pregnancy after bariatric surgery appears safe and was associated with a reduced risk of several obesity related adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Epidemiology and Regional Variation in Additional Surgical Interventions for Children with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia
Authors: Cimbak Nicole , Perez Jennifer M , Akhondi-Asl Alireza , Vitali Sally H , Mehta Nilesh M , Demehri Farokh R , Dickie Belinda Hsi , Zalieckas Jill M 
Published: September 2024

Objective:
To determine practice variation in surgical management of co-morbidities in pediatric patients with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH).

Background:
A higher percentage of CDH patients are surviving to discharge, accompanied by an increase in morbidity requiring surgical interventions such as tracheostomy and gastrostomy tube insertion. The frequency, trends, and regional variations in operative management of these co-morbidities in this population are unclear.

Methods:
Neonates who underwent CDH repair between 2012-2022 in the United States Pediatric Health Information System database were identified. Multivariable regression identified predictive factors for additional surgical morbidity after CDH repair, defined by an additional surgical intervention during index hospitalization or within one year after discharge. To narrow the spectrum of severity of disease, only patients with an intensive care unit admission on index hospitalization were included. Secondary analysis compared frequency of operations and hospital resource utilization by region.

Results:
4003 patients underwent CDH repair and were discharged from their index hospitalization. 1939 (48%) underwent at least one additional surgical procedure after the index CDH repair. Most performed surgeries were gastrostomy tube (28%), fundoplication (13%), and tracheostomy (5%). Covariates associated with additional surgical morbidity included: prematurity (OR 1.38; 95% CI: 1.20-1.59), cardiac co-morbidity (OR 1.31; 95% CI: 1.14-1.49), and chromosomal anomalies (OR 1.76, 95% CI: 1.30-2.40). Northeast (OR: 2.43; CI 1.42-3.52), Midwest (OR 2.11; 95% CI: 1.45-3.07), and South (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.02-2.12) regions were associated with additional surgical morbidity. Patients who required additional surgical procedures had longer initial inpatient length of stays (71 versus 31 d) and higher associated costs ($357,000 versus $161,000).

Conclusions:
Surgical morbidity exists in CDH patients after initial CDH repair. Counseling families on these outcomes is important in establishing expectations for management. Establishing guidelines for optimal surgical management will require continued reporting from multi-institutional studies.
Factors that influence vaccination communication during pregnancy: provider and patient perspectives using the theoretical domains framework
Authors: Patey Andrea M. , Amarbayan Mungunzul M. , Lee Kate , Bruce Marcia , Bettinger Julie A. , Pringle Wendy , Donald Maoliosa , Castillo Eliana 
Published: September 2024

ABSTRACT

Introduction:
Vaccination during pregnancy is recommended but uptake is low and evidence on the topic is limited.

Aims:
This study aimed to identify the drivers of current behavior and barriers to change for health care practitioners (HCPs) and pregnant patients in Canada.

Methods:
This study is an in-depth qualitative investigation of the factors influencing HCPs’ vaccination communication during pregnancy, as well as factors influencing pregnant patients’ vaccination uptake in Canada using the Theoretical Domains Framework. Three data sources were used: (1) perinatal HCP interviews before COVID-19; (2) perinatal HCP interviews regarding vaccine communication after COVID-19; and (3) survey of pregnant or lactating women after COVID-19.

Results:
Forty-seven interviews and 169 participant responses were included. Perinatal HCPs reported limited information on vaccine communication or difficulty keeping up-to-date (Environmental context and resources; Knowledge; Beliefs about capabilities). HCPs lacked confidence and struggled with lack of training to address vaccine hesitancy without alienating patients (Beliefs about capabilities; Skills). Pregnant or lactating women struggled with the amount of information they felt was imposed on them, had concerns about the perceived negative consequences of vaccination, and felt pressure to understand what was best for them and their babies (Knowledge; Beliefs about consequences; Social influences).

Conclusions:
Our study provides a theory-based approach to identify influencing factors that can be mapped to theory-based intervention components, improving the likelihood of intervention effectiveness. The study is the first step in adapting an existing intervention to improve vaccine communication during pregnancy, ultimately, increasing vaccination uptake.

Spanish abstract:

http://links.lww.com/IJEBH/A260
A unified Bayesian approach to transcriptome-wide association study
Authors: Khan Arnab Kumar , Haldar Tanushree , Majumdar Arunabha 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) has discovered novel gene-trait associations that offer essential biological interpretations. TWAS integrates reference panel transcriptome data and genome-wide association study (GWAS) data. In standard TWAS methods, a prediction model for gene expression is built utilizing the transcriptome data, which is employed to impute the gene expression in the GWAS data. The complex trait in GWAS is regressed on the predicted expression to identify gene-trait associations. Such a two-step approach ignores the uncertainty of the imputed expression and can lead to reduced inference accuracy. We develop a unified Bayesian method for TWAS to avoid a two-step approach, modeling the two datasets simultaneously. We consider the horseshoe prior, an established choice of global-local shrinkage prior, to model the relationship between gene expression and local SNPs and the spike and slab prior while testing for an association between the genetic component of expression and the trait. We extend our approach to conducting a multi-ancestry TWAS, focusing on discovering genes that affect the trait in all ancestries. Using extensive simulations, we show that our approach performs better than existing methods concerning the accuracy of effect size estimation and classifying non-null genes. We perform a single-ancestry and multi-ancestry TWAS for body mass index (BMI), integrating the Geuvadis transcriptome and UK Biobank GWAS data. Our approach identified 111 genes associated with BMI for the single ancestry TWAS of Europeans, which were enriched in the Interferon gamma signaling pathway at a nominal level. For a multi-ancestry TWAS of Africans and Europeans, the method discovered 19 genes that affect BMI in both ancestries, which were nominally enriched in the Molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis pathway.
Climate variation and serotype competition drive dengue outbreak dynamics in Singapore
Authors: Finch Emilie , Kucharski Adam , Sim Shuzhen , Ng Lee-Ching , Lowe Rachel 
Published: September 2024

AbstractDengue poses a rapidly increasing threat to global health, with Southeast Asia as one of the worst affected regions. Climate-informed early warning systems can help to mitigate the impact of outbreaks; however, prediction of large outbreaks with sufficient lead time to guide interventions remains a challenge. In this work, we quantify the role of climatic variation and serotype competition in shaping dengue risk in Singapore using over 20 years of weekly case data. We integrated these findings into an early warning system framework able to predict dengue outbreaks up to 2 months ahead. While a climate-informed model improved predictive power by 54% compared to a seasonal baseline, including additional serotype information increased predictive performance to 60%, helping to explain interannual variation. By incorporating serotype competition as a proxy for population immunity, this work advances the field of dengue prediction and demonstrates the value of long-term virus surveillance.
Accurate identification of salt domes using deep learning techniques: Transformers, generative artificial intelligence and liquid state machines
Authors: Souadih Kamal , Mohammedi Anis , Chergui Sofia 
Published: September 2024

AbstractAcross various global regions abundant in oil and natural gas reserves, the presence of substantial sub‐surface salt deposits holds significant relevance. Accurate identification of salt domes becomes crucial for enterprises engaged in oil and gas exploration. Our research introduces a precise method for the automatic detection of salt domes, leveraging advanced deep learning architectures such as U‐net, transformers, artificial intelligence generative models and liquid state machines. In comparison with state‐of‐the‐art techniques, our model demonstrates superior performance, achieving a stable and validated intersection over the union metric, indicating high accuracy and robustness. Furthermore, the Dice similarity coefficient attaining underscores the model's proficiency in closely aligning with ground truth across diverse scenarios. This evaluation, conducted on 1000 seismic images, reveals that our proposed architecture is not only comparable but often surpasses existing segmentation models in effectiveness and reliability.
Fear of falling and associated influencing factors in patients on maintenance hemodialysis
Authors: Lu Wenwen , Xu Na , Zhuo Qiyun , Wang Huixian , Huang Bihong , Cao Yanpei 
Published: September 2024

AbstractIntroductionThis cross‐sectional study analyzed the fear of falling (FOF) and associated influencing factors in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD).MethodsPatients on MHD (n = 131) were assessed using the short Falls Efficacy Scale International, Generalized Anxiety Disorder‐7, Patient Health Questionnaire‐9, Perceived Social Support Scale, and Barthel Index questionnaires.ResultsThe total FOF score was positively correlated with total anxiety and depression scores but negatively correlated with the total score of activities of daily living. There were significant differences in FOF among different age groups, employment status, the use of walkers, living arrangements (living alone), and having a history of falling in the past year. Age, employment status, history of falls in the past year, and anxiety score were significant risk factors for FOF in MHD patients.ConclusionFOF in MHD patients is strongly associated with age, employment status, history of falls in the past year, and anxiety level.
From single to multi‐purpose reservoir: A framework for optimizing reservoir efficiency
Authors: Lu Mingda , Merwade Venkatesh 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe prevailing challenge centers on the limited application of single‐purpose flood control reservoirs transitioning to multi‐purpose reservoirs, which, despite their potential, often fall short in addressing the escalating demands for diverse water resource management. These challenges are compounded by outdated operational rules and changing environmental conditions. This research develops a framework to enhance the dual functionality of reservoirs, initially designed for flood control, to also support water supply through the determination of maximum safe water levels (MSWLs). Utilizing historical inflow data and reservoir simulation models, the study identifies opportunities for optimizing United States Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District reservoirs. It highlights certain reservoirs as ideal for augmenting water supply capabilities without compromising flood control performance. Others remain critical for flood management due to limited water supply potential, underscoring the importance of maintaining a focus on flood control. The findings illuminate the intricate balance required between managing flood risks and enhancing water supply, indicating that precise operational adjustments can significantly improve reservoir sustainability and efficiency. This method offers a viable pathway to convert single purpose reservoirs into multi‐purpose reservoirs, meeting growing water demands while ensuring robust flood mitigation, and making a step toward better water utilization.