bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Caracterización en el segmento posterior ocular en pacientes del Instituto de la Visión – Manta y Portoviejo
Authors: Varas Rodríguez Pamela Cristina , Nieto Fernández Juan Carlos , Terán Parra Andrea Villegas 
Published: October 2024

Introducción: El estudio examina las características del segmento posterior ocular y su impacto en la salud visual de los pacientes del Instituto de la Visión en Manta y Portoviejo. Se destaca la importancia de comprender estas características para mejorar el diagnóstico, tratamiento y pronóstico de enfermedades oculares. La investigación se enfoca en identificar patrones y características mediante avanzadas técnicas de imagenología y análisis de datos, considerando factores como edad, género y antecedentes médicos. Objetivo: Caracterizar el segmento posterior ocular de los pacientes del Instituto de la Visión Manta-Portoviejo. Metodología: El estudio analiza las características del segmento posterior ocular de 433 pacientes con alteraciones en el fondo de ojo, diagnósticos previos, estudios especiales y agudeza visual corregida que se atendieron en el 2019, mediante un enfoque transversal, correlacional-causal/descriptivo para identificar patrones significativos. Se utilizo las herramientas estadísticas como SPSS versión 26, analizando datos a través de frecuencias (n) y porcentajes (%). Resultados: El estudio revela que el glaucoma es más común en mujeres y el edema macular predomina en hombres, afectando principalmente a personas de 61 a 80 años (48.1%). Se destaca la necesidad de mejorar los servicios de salud ocular para adultos mayores y la infraestructura en áreas rurales. La retinopatía diabética (30,9 %) y el glaucoma (20,3%) son las patologías del segmento posterior más prevalentes, con alta proporción de afectación bilateral. Conclusión: Los hallazgos subrayan la necesidad de detección temprana y el acceso equitativo a servicios de diagnóstico y tratamiento. Se resalta la importancia de un enfoque multidisciplinario que incorpore la prevención y manejo de condiciones sistémicas en la atención. El estudio proporciona información crucial para mejorar la práctica clínica optométrica/oftalmológica y concienciar sobre la importancia de revisiones periódicas del fondo de ojo para mejorar la atención. Área de estudio general: Medicina. Área de estudio específica: Optometría. Tipo de estudio: Artículos originales.
Efectividad del dispositivo pre-donación en bolsas colectoras de sangre para reducir el riesgo de contaminación bacteriana
Authors: Galarza Ramírez Bairon Andrés , Andrade Campoverde Diego Paúl 
Published: October 2024

Introducción. La seguridad en la recolección de sangre para transfusiones es un aspecto crítico en la medicina transfusional. Una de las principales preocupaciones es la contaminación bacteriana, que puede comprometer la calidad de los hemocomponentes y poner en riesgo la salud de los pacientes receptores. A pesar de la implementación de procedimientos estrictos de desinfección de la piel antes de la punción, las bacterias presentes en la superficie cutánea pueden introducirse en las bolsas de sangre durante el proceso de extracción. Objetivos. Evaluar la eficacia de las bolsas pre-colectoras para reducir la contaminación bacteriana en donaciones de sangre. Metodología. Se realizó un estudio en donantes de colectas extramurales. Se tomaron muestras de piel antes de la punción y de las bolsas pre-colectoras. Se realizaron cultivos para detectar la presencia de bacterias. Los hemocomponentes se evaluaron si las bolsas pre-colectoras resultaron positivas. Resultados. De 75 muestras, el 93.33% de las muestras de piel no presentaron crecimiento bacteriano. Staphylococcus hominis fue detectado en 4 muestras de piel (5,33%) y en 1 bolsa pre-colectora (1,33%). Los hemocomponentes de las donaciones con cultivos positivos en las bolsas pre-colectoras no muestran contaminación. Conclusión. El uso de bolsas pre-colectoras demostró eficacia en la reducción de la contaminación bacteriana, minimizando los riesgos en los hemocomponentes obtenidos de las donaciones. El costo adicional que implica este dispositivo en las bolsas de extracción se justifica con el beneficio en términos de seguridad del paciente y eficacia en el manejo de productos sanguíneos justifican la inversión. Área de estudio general: medicina. Área de estudio específica: cardiología. Tipo de estudio: original.
Identificación de anticuerpos irregulares y su prevalencia en pacientes transfundidos en el centro zonal de fraccionamiento de la provincia de El Oro, 2022-2023
Authors: Calderón Morán William Arturo , Guerrero Quiroz Enmanuel Isidoro 
Published: October 2024

Introducción: La identificación de Anticuerpos Irregulares (AI) es un proceso de vital importancia para toda muestra de sangre que requiera una transfusión. Por tal razón, se recomiendan pruebas pre transfusionales tales como la clasificación ABO, Rh y pruebas cruzadas. Objetivo: Identificar la prevalencia de AI en pacientes transfundidos del centro zonal de fraccionamiento de la provincia de El Oro, 2022-2023. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo retrospectivo no experimental, analítico y transversal. Para el rastreo se utilizó la tarjeta ID-card Liss/coombs de 6 microtubos que contiene anti-IgG y anti-C3d dentro del gel y el reactivo ID-Diacell I-II-III. Además, para la identificación se utilizó el panel de11 células y fenotipos del factor Rh (anti-C, anti-E, anti-c, anti-e y anti-K) de de la misma casa comercial. Resultados: El anticuerpo prevalente fue el anti-E con 16 casos (28,6%), teniendo mayor frecuencia en el sexo femenino (62,5%) y en pacientes con edades superior a los 45 años (21,5%). Conclusión: La prevalencia de AI en pacientes transfundidos del centro de francionamiento de la provincia de El Oro, es similar a lo reportado en otros artículos. El conocer la identificación AI, permite realizar la fenotipificación correcta del sistema Rh de manera habitual y así disminuir el peligro de reacciones adversas, asociadas a transfusiones. Área de estudio general: Banco de sangre. Área de estudio específica: Inmunohematología. Tipo de estudio: Artículo original.
‘Beyond the Circles of the World’: The Meaning of Death and Immortality as Reflected in Tolkien's ‘Incarnate’ Beings
Authors: Latar Siobhán Maloney 
Published: October 2024

The paradox of man as a unity of matter and spirit preoccupied the thought and imagination of Tolkien to a deep degree. Indeed, in a number of places, Tolkien identifies the main theme or purpose of his work being an exploration of ‘Death, and Immortality’. By introducing two races within his legendarium that reflect two different ontological relations to the world, Tolkien could explore the subtlety of this paradox that is the current condition of man against other possible relations to shed further light on man's actual relationship with time and eternity. As Tolkien's imaginative work directly engages with the nature of body and soul, and man's experience as embodied spirit, this paper seeks to examine some aspects of Tolkien's anthropology as sketched throughout his work, in order to see what his formulation in the mode of myth can contribute to deepening the principles given in a classical anthropology.
Effect of boswellia (Boswellia serrata L.) supplementation on glycemic markers and lipid profile in type 2 diabetic patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Karimi Mehdi , Vakili Kimia , Rashidian Pegah , Razavi-Amoli Seyedeh-Kiana , Akhbari Matin , Kazemi Kimia 
Published: October 2024

BackgroundType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a significant global health challenge whose prevalence is projected to increase alarmingly. Recently, due to better safety and fewer adverse effects, herbal medicines have been used to manage T2DM. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of boswellia in improving glycemic markers and lipid profiles in T2DM patients.MethodsA comprehensive search was conducted on the PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases for all relevant studies published up to April 30, 2024. The effects of boswellia supplementation were evaluated using glycemic markers and lipid profiles. The data were extracted and meta-analyzed using Stata software.ResultsThis meta-analysis included five studies with a total of 287 patients with T2DM. It was found that boswellia in patients with T2DM compared to the placebo or control group significantly reduced hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) (SMD: -1.01; 95%CI: -1.55 to -0.46; P=0.00), total cholesterol (TC) (SMD: -0.44; 95%CI: -0.68 to -0.21; P=0.00), Triglycerides (TG) (SMD: -0.42; 95%CI: -0.66 to -0.19); P=0.00) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (SMD: -0.43; 95%CI: -0.73 to -0.12); P=0.006) levels, while reduced fasting blood glucose (FBG) but it was not significant (SMD: -1.34, 95%CI: -2.68 to 0.00; P=0.05). Notably, it did not affect high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (SMD: 0.56, 95%CI: -0.14 to -1.26; P=0.118).ConclusionIn summary, boswellia supplementation has the potential to improve glycemic markers and lipid profiles in patients with T2DM. It may help diabetic patients in addition to a controlled diet and other treatments.Systematic review registrationcrd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=538347, identifier CRD42024538347.
Fine tuning for totally endoscopic mitral valve surgery: ERAS applications
Authors: Ertugay Serkan , Karaca Sedat , Engin Ayşen Yaprak , Kahraman Ümit , Ünlü Zehra , Kocabaş Seden , Çalkavur Tanzer , Özbaran Mustafa 
Published: October 2024

AimOne of the philosophies of minimally invasive mitral surgery is to enhance recovery after surgery (ERAS). Beyond surgical applications, ERAS applications provide a complementary approach to optimize postoperative course and discharge. In this report, we aim to present institutional protocol for ERAS and its results in patients who underwent totally endoscopic mitral valve surgery (TEMVS).Patients and methodsBetween 2021 and 2023, totally 113 patients who underwent TEMVS were included in this study. TEMVS was performed by peripheral cannulation and 3D endoscopic technique. As a dedicated team, institutional ERAS protocols which are used are listed above: (1) Education; operative course, cessation of smoking and alcohol. (2) Anemia; diagnostic evaluation and its treatment by iv iron. (3) Optimization of blood glucose; checking of HbA1c and control of hyperglycemia. (4) Rehabilitation; Physical and pulmonary rehabilitation. (5) Anxiety and Analgesia treatment. (6) Blood Conservation techniques; Antifibrinolytic, acute normovolemic hemodilution, less priming volume, mini-incision, meticulous surgery by 3D endoscope. (7) Postoperative; early extubation, prevention of nausea, aggressive analgesia, early mobilization, early removal of tubes. (8) Restrictive transfusion strategy. (9) Early discharge.ResultsThe mean age was 54.7 years, and 56% was female. The rate of iv iron therapy for anemia was 26.5%. Mitral repair was performed in 58.4% of the cases. The repair rate of degenerative mitral valve was 96.9%. Of all, 68.1% did not have any red packed cells and 15.9% had only one unit. Ninety-five patients (90.2%) did not have any unit of fresh frozen plasma. The median extubation time was 7 h. On the postoperative first day, 96% of foley catheters, 87% of all central venous catheter and 93% of all drainage tubes are removed. The rates of respiratory, infectious, and renal complications were 9%, 3.5%, 3.4% respectively. The median ICU, and hospital stays were 1 and 5 days respectively. There was only one mortality in the early postoperative period.ConclusionTotally endoscopic mitral valve surgery provides minimal surgical trauma. By the addition of well-established and nurse-based ERAS protocols, complication and transfusion rates can be decreased, early recovery and discharge can be provided.
Dexmedetomidine vs. propofol on arrhythmia in cardiac surgery: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Peng Juan , Wu Yifan , Li Lin , Xia Panpan , Yu Peng , Zhang Jing , Liu Xiao 
Published: October 2024

BackgroundDexmedetomidine (DEX) and propofol are popular anesthetics, but it remains unknown whether DEX reduces the incidence of arrhythmias compared with propofol after cardiac surgery.MethodsWe performed a comprehensive search for RCTs (Randomized Controlled Trials) that compared the incidence of arrhythmias between DEX and propofol in adults who had undergone cardiac surgery across three databases (PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library), and ClinicalTrials.gov up to October 3, 2023. The primary outcome was ventricular arrhythmias, the secondary outcomes were bradycardia and atrial fibrillation (AF).ResultsOur analysis included 7 RCTs with 1,004 patients (mean age: 64.37, male: 71.11%) undergoing cardiac surgery, and the incidence of in-hospital arrhythmia was 22.01% (ventricular arrhythmias 2.75%, bradycardia 3.33%, AF 18.63%). Perioperative or postoperative use of DEX reduced the incidence of in-hospital ventricular arrhythmias [Odds Ratio (OR) 0.14, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.03–0.66], but increased the risk of in-hospital bradycardia (OR 2.88, 95% CI 1.02–8.17) compared with propofol. The trial sequence analysis verified the adequacy of sample size and robustness of the ventricular arrhythmias and bradycardia. There was no significant reduced incidence of the use of DEX in the incidence of AF (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.36–1.29). The GRADE assessment indicated a high certainty for ventricular arrhythmias and bradycardia and a moderate certainty for AF.ConclusionsOur findings suggested the use of DEX reduces in-hospital ventricular arrhythmias but increases bradycardia incidence compared to propofol in adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Further studies are needed to assess the impact of dexmedetomidine on atrial fibrillation compared to propofol.Systematic Review Registrationhttp://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ PROSPERO, identifier (CRD42023482193).
Prevalence and predictors of false positive QTc prolongation by the automated measurement
Authors: Alqarawi Wael , Allwaim Marwah 
Published: October 2024

BackgroundCorrected QT (QTc) is an important electrocardiographic (ECG) interval. Physicians rely on automated QTc provided by ECG machines while the manual method is the recommended method. We sought to assess the prevalence and predictors of false positive QTc prolongation by the automated measurement.Methods and resultsConsecutive ECGs were retrieved from the ECG database at King Khaled University Hospital. Manual QT was measured by a trained physician using the tangent method and was corrected for heart rate and QRS duration. Automated QTc measurement was recorded by the ECG machine. “Long QT (LQT)” was defined as QTc≥470 ms for males and ≥480 for females. False positive LQT was defined as LQT by automated QTc but not manual QTc. Pre-determined factors were included in a multivariate logistic regression to assess predictors of false positive LQT. A total of 567 ECGs were included in this study. Automated QTc was longer than manual QTc (440 ms [±35] vs. 417 ms [±35], respectively) which resulted in a high negative predictive value (NPV) (99%) and a low positive predictive value (PPV) (32%). Male gender and abnormal rhythm were found to be independently associated with false positive LQT (OR = 1.9 [95% 1.1–3.5], p = 0.03 and OR = 3.1 [95% 1.2–8.3], p = 0.02; respectively).ConclusionAutomated QTc measurement is unreliable for detecting long QT, necessitating manual verification and further research to enhance its accuracy.
Species diversity and spatial differentiation of heritage trees in Chengdu, China
Authors: Yang Yuanzhao , Sang Shiye , Liu Fangling , Xu Yang , Jiang Zhuying , Liu Xiaoli 
Published: October 2024

IntroductionHeritage trees have special historical, cultural, and landscape value in cities and are keystone ecological structures for urban areas. However, these trees are threatened by rapid urbanization. To facilitate the conservation and management of such trees, our study investigated ancient trees in Chengdu, which is one of the hotspot of biodiversity and Historical and Cultural cities in Southwest of China.MethodsThe floristic diversity, Shannon-Wiener index (H), spatial pattern, characteristics, dimension, age, and health status of the trees were estimated by using ecological indexes and mathematical statistics.ResultsA total of 9383 heritage trees belonging to 119 species in 20 districts of Chengdu were surveyed. Dujiangyan (DJY) had the largest Shannon-Weiner index (H) (2.63), species count (76), and tree count (1842) and is therefore the most important district for preserving ancient trees. In contrast, Qingyang (QY) had the largest density of trees (120 trees/10 km2) among the 20 studied districts. In terms of important species, Phoebe zhennan (2351) was the dominant species, followed by Cupressus funebris, Ginkgo biloba, and Ficus virens. Akaike information criterion weights and standard deviation ellipse analysis showed that mean annual rainfall is a critical predictor for species distribution and age.DiscussionFindings from this study suggest that reducing water stress environments will improve the management and conservation of heritage trees in the future.
Biomarkers in the early stage of PD-1 inhibitor treatment have shown superior predictive capabilities for immune-related thyroid dysfunction
Authors: Liu Jinyu , Chen Mengli , Li Shu , Cai Le , Ma Liang , Yang Qiuliang , Zhang Xiaoxuan , Bai Nan , Wu Xiaodong , Tang Zhihui , Wang Tianlin 
Published: October 2024

ObjectiveHematological indicators in the early stage of PD-1 inhibitor treatment may show superior predictive ability of the occurrence of immune related adverse event (irAE) compared to the pre-treatment indicators, as the immune response is modulated during the PD-1 inhibitor treatment. The objective of this study was to investigate the predictive capabilities of biomarkers in the early treatment stage for immune related thyroid dysfunction (irTD), and explore the potential predictive cytokines.MethodsMedical records and blood test results of cancer patients treated with PD-1 inhibitor at a certain medical institution were collected. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to identify the predictive factors of irTD, ROC curves were plotted and the area under the curves (AUC) was calculated. Serum samples were collected before and during early treatment phase, cytokine detection was performed to explore potential predictive cytokines.ResultsA total of 264 patients were enrolled, 58 developed irTD (21.97%), including 31 patients with thyrotoxicosis and 27 with hypothyroidism. There were no significant differences in demographic characteristics, tumor types and PD-1 inhibitors between patients with and without irTD. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that anti-thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) (OR=2.831, 95%CI: 1.077-7.443, P=0.035) and anti-thyroperoxidase antibody (TPOAb) (OR=9.565, 95%CI: 3.399-26.921, P=0.000) in the early treatment phase were independent predictive factors for irTD, the AUC of early-stage biomarkers was larger than that of pre-treatment (0.655 vs 0.571); low level of TSH at the early stage (OR=0.162, 95%CI: 0.077-0.341, P=0.000) was significantly correlated with thyrotoxicosis; female (OR=3.889, 95%CI: 1.457-10.380, P=0.007) and positive TPOAb (OR=8.678, 95%CI: 2.656-28.357, P=0.000) at the early stage were significantly correlated with hypothyroidism. The AUCs of early-stage biomarkers were larger than that of pre-treatment both in thyrotoxicosis (0.812 vs 0.637) and hypothyroidism patients (0.728 vs 0.710). The increase of IL-16 (adjusted P=0.004), IL-12p70 (adjusted P=0.014), IL-17 (adjusted P=0.014), CCL-15 (adjusted P=0.014) and IL-1a (adjusted P=0.021) in the early treatment phase were positively correlated with irTD.ConclusionsBiomarkers at the early stage of PD-1 inhibitor treatment could predict irTD, and demonstrated stronger predictive ability compared to pre-treatment biomarkers. IL-16, IL-12p70, IL-17, CCL-15 and IL-1a could serve as potential predictive biomarkers for irTD.
Potential application of ChatGPT in Helicobacter pylori disease relevant queries
Authors: Gao Zejun , Ge Jinlin , Xu Ruoshi , Chen Xiaoyan , Cai Zhenzhai 
Published: October 2024

BackgroundAdvances in artificial intelligence are gradually transforming various fields, but its applicability among ordinary people is unknown. This study aims to explore the ability of a large language model to address Helicobacter pylori related questions.MethodsWe created several prompts on the basis of guidelines and the clinical concerns of patients. The capacity of ChatGPT on Helicobacter pylori queries was evaluated by experts. Ordinary people assessed the applicability.ResultsThe responses to each prompt in ChatGPT-4 were good in terms of response length and repeatability. There was good agreement in each dimension (Fleiss’ kappa ranged from 0.302 to 0.690, p &lt; 0.05). The accuracy, completeness, usefulness, comprehension and satisfaction scores of the experts were generally high. Rated usefulness and comprehension among ordinary people were significantly lower than expert, while medical students gave a relatively positive evaluation.ConclusionChatGPT-4 performs well in resolving Helicobacter pylori related questions. Large language models may become an excellent tool for medical students in the future, but still requires further research and validation.
Investigation of the fermentation filtrate from soapberry (Sapindus mukorossi Gaertn.) pericarp on improving the microbial diversity and composition of the human scalp
Authors: Xu Chong , Pan Danyang , Zhang Dexiang , Lin Lin , Chen Yiti , Liang Shuangcheng , He Jingyu 
Published: October 2024

IntroductionMicroorganisms as a component of scalp ecosystem play a vital role in human scalp health. Soapberry pericarp is employed in improving scalp health, and its content of active ingredients could be enhanced resulted in fermentation. This study aims to investigate the effect of the fermentation filtrate from soapberry pericarp on the diversity of scalp microorganisms.MethodsThe components in fermentation filtrate from soapberry pericarp were analyzed by HPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS, and 16S and ITS sequences of 198 samples from three different used stages (Day 0, Day 7, Day 28) were sequenced using the Illumina Novaseq platform. Microbial diversity was assessed using alpha diversity (Chao1 and Shannon indexes) and beta diversity (weighted unifrac and unweighted unifrac). Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size analysis (LEfSe) were used to visualize microbial variation among different stages.ResultsThere were 22 components were identified in the fermentation filtrate from soapberry pericarp by HPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS. The alpha-diversity and beta-diversity analyses showed that scalp microbial diversity and composition were influenced by the fermentation filtrate of soapberry pericarp. Based on functional analysis, this study found an enrichment of healthy scalp-related bacterial pathways, such as amino acid, nucleoside, and nucleotide biosynthesis, while a decrease in fungal pathogenesis pathways, specifically saprotroph and symbiotroph pathways, was observed.DiscussionThe study described about the complex community dynamics of human scalp microorganisms during the stages of using the fermentation filtrate from soapberry pericarp. This result will help rationally utilize the fermentation filtrate from soapberry pericarp to keep or improve human scalp health.