bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Palliative Care in the UAE
Authors: Nijhawan Neil A. , Al-Shamsi Humaid O. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe aim of palliative care is to prevent and alleviate the suffering associated with serious illness. While palliative care has traditionally been aligned with the care of patients with a diagnosis of advanced malignancy, palliative care is equally applicable to patients with a non-cancer diagnosis and highlights the fact that palliative care input is based on patient need rather as opposed to the diagnosis. Health-related suffering is present across the globe and the UAE is no different. Although palliative care remains a specialty in the early stages of development within the UAE, there has been a palliative care clinical service since 2007 at Tawam Hospital in Al Ain and the number of palliative care providers has slowly grown. There is a growing public awareness of the impact of health on quality of life and these cultural issues in addition to a number of other factors influencing the provision of palliative care across the UAE are discussed in this chapter.
Geriatric Oncology in the UAE
Authors: Sheikh Hassan Shahryar , Munawar Kiran 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThis article provides an overview of the burden of cancer in the elderly in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), highlighting pertinent demographic and epidemiological data. Information on the ageing of the UAE population and cancer incidence in the individuals’ aged >60 years is abstracted from the official national statistics reports and census figures. Older individuals with cancer account for approximately one-third of the total cancer population in the UAE, and they are disproportionately more prevalent among older Emiratis among the Emirati nationals. Current infrastructure and a skilled workforce in geriatric oncology are lacking, and no formal clinical or training program exists in the country. Current data on the burden of cancer treatment in the elderly are also limited. Demographic trends suggest that a pressing demand for infrastructure, skills, and personnel pertaining to geriatric oncology will be made in the future. The Top Priority Initiative from the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) provides a valuable and comprehensive framework for developing and fostering geriatric oncology services in the country. These data and recommendations can assist key stakeholders and government agencies in informing them about the unique needs of older cancer patients, as well as in making specific recommendations and policies at the public health level.
Lung Cancer in the UAE
Authors: Rafii Saeed , Aboud Batool , Al-Shamsi Humaid O. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractLung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortalities worldwide. It is expected that the incidence of lung cancer will significantly increase in the next decade. Given the recognized risk factors for lung cancer, such as smoking and air pollution, preventative measures can have a remarkable impact on reducing the incidence of lung cancer in the UAE. Additionally, earlier detection of lung cancer can lead to reduced mortality from this disease. In this chapter, we review the current incidence of lung cancer in the UAE compared with the region and the rest of the world, the current effort to reduce the risk of lung cancer, the lung cancer screening service, and the availability of resources to diagnose and treat lung cancer in UAE.
Gynecologic Malignancies in the UAE
Authors: Sawan Saladin , Iqbal Faryal , Al-Shamsi Humaid O. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe United Arab Emirates is a country with its own unique demographics that are constantly changing and imposing their own opportunities and challenges. Women and girls in the UAE constitute about a third of the population (2,813,950 out of the total UAE population of 9,282,410), and the vast majority are young women (median age for females (in years): 31.2), according to the UAE Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre in 2020. Hence, the usual age group for most gynecological cancer occurrences forms only a small percentage of the UAE population. Therefore, the overall incidence of gynecology malignancies tends to be low in the UAE female population.
Cancer Prevention, Screening, and Early Detection in the UAE
Authors: Rafii Saeed , Al-Shamsi Humaid O. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the most rapidly expanding economies in the world, with a fast-growing population and immigration. Such rapid expansion has been associated with an increase in the cancer prevalence rate in the country. Recent statistics forecast an even greater increase in cancer prevalence by 2040. In this chapter, we review the current incidence of cancer and its risk factors in the UAE and the initiatives by the UAE government to reduce the burden of cancer in the country. We review the currently available specific cancer screening programs in the country, the challenges with the current screening programs, and recommendations for improving cancer screening in the UAE.
Kendall correlations and radar charts to include goals for and goals against in soccer rankings
Authors: Cerqueti Roy , Mattera Raffaele , Ficcadenti Valerio 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThis paper deals with the challenging themes of the way sporting teams and athletes are ranked in sports competitions. Starting from the paradigmatic case of soccer, we advance a new method for ranking teams in the official national championships through computational statistics methods based on Kendall correlations and radar charts. In detail, we consider the goals for and against the teams in the individual matches as a further source of score assignment beyond the usual win-tie-lose trichotomy. Our approach overcomes some biases in the scoring rules that are currently employed. The methodological proposal is tested over the relevant case of the Italian “Serie A” championships played during 1930–2023.
SWIEET—a salt-free alternative to QuEChERS
Authors: Kalinke Nadja , Stopper Pascal , Völkl Luca , Diehl Florian , Huhn Carolin 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe efficient extraction of various analytes from a wide spectrum of matrices with organic solvents is still a great challenge in analytical chemistry. Especially polar and charged compounds are hard to extract in combination with neutral analytes of intermediate to low polarity. The QuEChERS method is often chosen and has been adapted not only to the analysis of food samples, but also to environmental matrices (soil, wastewater) or biota. In this study, we overcome major drawbacks of QuEChERS such as low recoveries of charged analytes and impairment of downstream analysis by high salt loads. The new extraction method, applicable to liquid and solid samples, is called SWIEET (sugar water isopropanol ethyl nitrile extraction technique). Phase separation of the otherwise miscible extraction solvents water and acetonitrile is achieved by sugaring-out instead of salting-out. Extraction efficiencies were greatly improved by adding isopropanol to the acetonitrile phase. The concentrations of the additives glucose and isopropanol, as well as temperature, were optimized by a design of experiment. Further improvement was achieved through electro- or double-extractions. For all sample types tested (surface water, wastewater treatment plant effluent, tomato, soil, and oats), recoveries and precision were higher with SWIEET than with the established QuEChERS method. From wastewater treatment plant effluent, 75% recovery on average were achieved with our SWIEET method compared to 37% with QuEChERS for a model analyte mixture with polarities of logDpH7 =  − 5.7 − 3.5. Higher recoveries and lower standard deviations compared to QuEChERS were achieved especially for polar and charged analytes such as metformin. Handling proved to be easy, since there was no additional solid phase and no tedious weighing of salts.
Graphical Abstract
Dental Abnormalities in Osteogenesis Imperfecta: A Systematic Review
Authors: Ventura Laura , Verdonk Sara J. E. , Zhytnik Lidiia , Ridwan-Pramana Angela , Gilijamse Marjolijn , Schreuder Willem H. , van Gelderen-Ziesemer Kirsten A. , Schoenmaker Ton , Micha Dimitra , Eekhoff Elisabeth M. W. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractOsteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by fragile bones and skeletal deformities. Individuals with OI may have dental abnormalities such as dentinogenesis imperfecta (DI) type I, malocclusions, and unerupted or missing teeth. This review comprehensively examines these dental abnormalities to assess their prevalence among the OI population and explore potential differences across different clinical types of OI and pathogenic variants. In accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic literature search in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science was conducted that included articles up to June 2024. Out of 672 articles screened, 34 were included. The included studies confirmed that dental abnormalities are prevalent in OI, with DI prevalence ranging from approximately 20 to 48%. Those with a more severe skeletal phenotype (OI type III/IV) exhibited more dental abnormalities than those with a milder skeletal phenotype (OI type I). Notably, OI type V individuals generally do not have DI, although a few isolated cases have been reported. The prevalence of occlusion types varied: Class I occlusion ranged from 14.8 to 50% and Class II malocclusion ranged from 0 to 37.5%, while Class III malocclusion from 4.1 to 84%. This differs from the general population, where Class III malocclusion is typically the least common. Open bites, cross-bites, and unerupted and missing teeth are also commonly reported, particularly in OI types III and IV. This review emphasizes the need for comprehensive dental examinations in OI due to the high prevalence of dental abnormalities. Additionally, the review draws attention to the lack of clear guidelines for diagnosing DI.
An innovative soil mesocosm system for studying the effect of soil moisture and background NO on soil surface C and N trace gas fluxes
Authors: Subramaniam Logapragasan , Engelsberger Florian , Wolf Benjamin , Brüggemann Nicolas , Philippot Laurent , Dannenmann Michael , Butterbach-Bahl Klaus 
Published: September 2024

AbstractNitric oxide (NO) is a key substance in atmospheric chemistry, influencing the formation and destruction of tropospheric ozone and the atmosphere's oxidizing capacity. It also affects the physiological functions of organisms. NO is produced, consumed, and emitted by soils, the effects of soil NO concentrations on microbial C and N cycling and associated trace gas fluxes remain largely unclear. This study describes a new automated 12-chamber soil mesocosm system that dynamically changes incoming airflow composition. It was used to investigate how varying NO concentrations affect soil microbial C and N cycling and associated trace gas fluxes under different moisture conditions (30% and 50% WFPS). Based on detection limits for NO, NO2, N2O, and CH4 fluxes of < 0.5 µg N or C m−2 h−1 and for CO2 fluxes of < 1.2 mg C m−2 h−1, we found that soil CO2, CH4, NO, NO2, and N2O were significantly affected by different soil moisture levels. After 17 days cumulative fluxes at 50% WFPS increased by 40, 400, and 500% for CO2, N2O, and CH4, respectively, when compared to 30% WFPS. However, cumulative fluxes for NO, and NO2, decreased by 70, and 40%, respectively, at 50% WFPS when compared to 30% WFPS. Different NO concentrations tended to decrease soil C and N fluxes by about 10–20%. However, with the observed variability among individual soil mesocosms and minor fluxes change. In conclusion, the developed system effectively investigates how and to what extent soil NO concentrations affect soil processes and potential plant–microbe interactions in the rhizosphere.
Dietary patterns derived by reduced rank regression, macronutrients as response variables, and variation by economic status: NHANES 1999–2018
Authors: Coxall Samuel C. , Albers Frances EM. , Li Sherly X. , Shi Zumin , Hodge Allison M. , Lynch Brigid M. , Melaku Yohannes Adama 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Macronutrient intakes vary across people and economic status, leading to a disparity in diet-related metabolic diseases. This study aimed to provide insight into this by: (1) identifying dietary patterns in adults using reduced rank regression (RRR), with macronutrients as response variables, and (2) investigating the associations between economic status and macronutrient based dietary patterns, and between dietary patterns with central obesity (waist circumference) and systemic inflammation (C-reactive protein [CRP]).

Methods
41,849 US participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 1999–2018 were included. The percentages of energy from protein, carbohydrates, saturated fats, and unsaturated fats were used as response variables in RRR. Multivariable generalized linear models with Gaussian distribution were employed to investigate the associations.

Results
Four dietary patterns were identified. Economic status was positively associated with both the high fat, low carbohydrate [βHighVsLow = 0.22; 95% CI: 0.16, 0.28] and high protein patterns [βHighVsLow = 0.07; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.11], and negatively associated with both the high saturated fat [βHighVsLow = -0.06; 95% CI: -0.08, -0.03] and the low alcohol patterns [βHighVsLow = -0.08; 95% CI; -0.10, -0.06]. The high saturated fat pattern was positively associated with waist circumference [βQ5VsQ1 = 1.71; 95% CI: 0.97, 2.44] and CRP [βQ5VsQ1 = 0.37; 95% CI: 0.26, 0.47].

Conclusion
Macronutrient dietary patterns, which varied by economic status and were associated with metabolic health markers, may explain associations between economic status and health.
Synthetic cartilage implant vs. first metatarsophalangeal arthrodesis for the treatment of hallux rigidus
Authors: Budde Konrad , Claassen Leif , Plaass Christian , Stukenborg-Colsman Christina , Daniilidis Kiriakos , Yao Daiwei 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Background
This study evaluated the outcome of the Cartiva synthetic cartilage implant (SCI) in the treatment of hallux rigidus.

Methods
In the present retrospective matched case-control study, we compared 18 patients with Cartiva SCI (mean follow-up: 17.7 months) to 18 patients with metatarsophalangeal joint arthrodesis (mean follow-up: 20 months) using multiple function measures, along with four specified visual analog subscales for pain. Pre- and postoperative radiographs were compared, and radiographic abnormalities were documented.

Results
We observed no significant differences in function measures between groups. While both groups experienced significant pain reduction, the arthrodesis group reported significantly lower exertion pain than the Cartiva SCI group (p = 0.004). Radiographic abnormalities, including implant site enlargement (6/18, 33.3%), erosive changes of the metatarsal bone (11/18, 61.1%) or articular surfaces (10/18, 55.6%), and bright sclerotic margins (12/18, 66.7%), occurred in the Cartiva SCI group.

Conclusion
The present study showed good functional results and a high satisfaction rate after MTP joint arthrodesis, which is considered the gold standard surgical treatment for higher grade hallux rigidus. While the Cartiva SCI group did not show significant differences from the arthrodesis in most aspects of function and clinical scores, the arthrodesis group tended to have better results in terms of satisfaction, residual pain, and revision rate. Even after the short follow-up period, there were some remarkable radiographic findings in the Cartiva SCI group, the long-term effects of which are not yet evident, but which may lead to implant loss. Cartiva SCI has advantages for patients who prioritize postoperative mobility, but the potential risks should be considered in the patient’s informed consent. Therefore, the present study highlights the importance of MTP joint arthrodesis for the treatment of hallux rigidus.

Level of evidence
Level IV – Retrospective matched case-control study.
Analysis of the optical performance of intraocular lenses using profilometric measurements
Authors: Miret Juan J. , Camps Vicente J. , García Celia , Caballero Maria T. , Gonzalez-Leal Juan M. 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study was to develop a methodology, based on profilometer measurements to assess the optical behaviour of Intraocular Lenses (IOls). The “Modulation Transfer Function through-object” (MTF through-object) based on vergence object displacement was calculated for different pupil sizes and pseudophakic eyes. Tilt and decentration were also analysed in a realistic cornea eye model.

Methods
For comparison between the different IOLs, an optical quality criterion based on a minimum value the MTF through-object and the recognition of simulated vision optotypes was introduced. Five IOLs were used in this study: Tecnis Eyhance, Mini Well, Tecnis Symfony, Tecnis Synergy and RayOne EMV.

Results
The technique was validated with previous methodologies. A general narrowing of the through-object MTF curve compared to the through-focus MTF curve was shown, resulting in greater distances between near and intermediate points and less depth of field around the far peak. The comparison between the IOLs showed that variations in corneal aberrations, pupil size and decentration caused relevant changes in IOL performance. A decrease of the SA produced a hypermetropic shift of the far focus between + 0.3 D and + 0.4 D. Most of IOLs worsen the optical quality as pupil size increased, even the MTF through-object shape changed. Decentration was an important factor in IOL implantation, causing a significant change in MTF through-object shape in most of IOLs.

Conclusions
This study highlights the need to evaluate pre-operative patients for corneal aberrations and pupillary size to have the best optical success after cataract surgery in multifocal or extended depth of focus IOLs.

Key messages
What is known

MTF(Modulation Transfer Function) through-focus curves (calculated in image space by moving the detector plane) can be obtained from optical bench assembly or from commercial devices.

Recently, some studies proposed to characterize the lens surface design based on the profilometric measurements

What is new

A novel methodology based on profilometer measurements to assess the optical behaviour of Intraocular Lenses (IOls) was shown.

The “Modulation Transfer Function through-object” based on vergence object displacement was introduced in order to analyse five premium IOLs.

MTF through-object curve is more appropriate for studying clinical behaviour, as it provides further near and intermediate points distances and lower depth of focus around far peak compare to MTF through-focus curves.

The optical behaviour of the five IOLs can vary considerably depending on the eye model and pupil size.

The effect of tilt and decentration on the MTF through-object the IOLs was analysed.
Freiburg vision test (FrACT): optimal number of trials?
Authors: Bach Michael 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Visual acuity is a psychophysical threshold that we want to determine as precisely and efficiently as possible. The Freiburg Vision Test FrACT employs the automated Bayesian “Best PEST” algorithm for this purpose: the next optotype size is always selected to be at threshold based on the information acquired so far, thereby maximizing information gain.

Methods
We assessed the test–retest Limits of Agreement (LoA, Bland & Altman 1986) across 6 to 48 trials in 2 × 78 runs involving 26 participants; visual acuity (in part artificially reduced) ranged from 1.22 to -0.59 LogMAR.

Results
LoA exhibited a steep decline from ± 0.46 LogMAR at six trials to ± 0.17 at 18 trials; with more trials, LoA showed less change, reaching ± 0.12 LogMAR at 48 trials. LoA did not significantly change over the wide acuity range assessed here.

Conclusion
These findings suggest that 18 trials represent an efficient balance between precision and burden on the participant and examiner. This observation holds for the eight response alternatives used in this study (8 Landolt C orientations) and is anticipated to apply to the ten Sloan letters as well. With only four choices (e.g., tumbling E), more trials will be necessary.

Key messages
What is known

When assessing visual acuity, a tradeoff between precision and effort is necessary.

What is new

A run length of 18 trials is a good compromise between effort and precision for an 8-alternative task (the Landolt C).

With 18 trials a 95% confidence interval of ± 0.17 LogMAR for test–retest is found.

The test–retest precision is independent of the acuity level over the 1.5 LogMAR range studied here.
Homogenisation of nonlinear Dirichlet problems in randomly perforated domains under minimal assumptions on the size of perforations
Authors: Scardia Lucia , Zemas Konstantinos , Zeppieri Caterina Ida 
Published: September 2024

AbstractIn this paper we study the convergence of nonlinear Dirichlet problems for systems of variational elliptic PDEs defined on randomly perforated domains of $$\mathbb {R}^n$$

R

n

. Under the assumption that the perforations are small balls whose centres and radii are generated by a stationary short-range marked point process, we obtain in the critical-scaling limit an averaged nonlinear analogue of the extra term obtained in the classical work of Cioranescu and Murat (Res Notes Math III, 1982). In analogy to the random setting recently introduced by Giunti, Höfer and Velázquez (Commun Part Differ Equ 43(9):1377–1412, 2018) to study the Poisson equation, we only require that the random radii have finite $$(n-q)$$

(
n
-
q
)

-moment, where $$1<q<n$$

1
<
q
<
n

is the growth-exponent of the associated energy functionals. This assumption on the one hand ensures that the expectation of the nonlinear q-capacity of the spherical holes is finite, and hence that the limit problem is well defined. On the other hand, it does not exclude the presence of balls with large radii, that can cluster up. We show however that the critical rescaling of the perforations is sufficient to ensure that no percolating-like structures appear in the limit.