bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
On the difficulties of obtaining absolute transit depths with HST WFC3: KELT-11 b, an example
Authors: Edwards Billy , Tsiaras Angelos , Changeat Quentin , Yip Kai Hou 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT
The study of exoplanetary atmospheres with low-resolution transmission spectroscopy relies on measuring minute changes in the transit depth with wavelength and a number of ground- and space-based instruments have been used to characterize exoplanets in different spectral bands. For the last decade, these instruments have each only probed a narrow spectral region, which has motivated the community to combine observations from different instruments in order to achieve a broader wavelength coverage. By analysing Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) data of KELT-11 b, we once again show the risks of following this now conventional approach. We demonstrate that changes in the reduction or analysis method can lead to drastic differences in the mean transit depth and that combining this with additional data can lead to discrepant interpretations of the atmospheric composition. With the launch of JWST, and its many available instruments and modes, observers may be tempted to combine data sets at longer wavelengths (e.g. NIRSpec – Near Infrared Spectrometer) with those from HST STIS (Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph) or WFC3 without the consideration of offsets or other incompatibilities. Given the obvious potential issues, we caution against such an approach and encourage the community to thoroughly address the issue of data incompatibility instead of adhering to a de facto assumption of compatibility.
Stress factors affecting protein stability during the fabrication and storage of dissolvable microneedles
Authors: Koenitz Laura , Crean Abina , Vucen Sonja 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Objectives
The current review summarizes product and process attributes that were reported to influence protein integrity during manufacturing and storage of dissolvable microneedle arrays. It also discusses challenges in employing established protein characterization methods in dissolvable microneedle formulations.

Methods
Studies on dissolvable microneedles loaded with protein therapeutics that assess protein stability during or after fabrication and storage were collected. Publications addressing other types of microneedles, such as coated and vaccine-loaded microneedles, are also discussed as they face similar stability challenges.

Key findings
To date, various researchers have successfully incorporated proteins in dissolvable microneedles, but few publications explicitly investigated the impact of formulation and process parameters on protein stability. However, protein therapeutics are exposed to multiple thermal, physical, and chemical stressors during the fabrication and storage of microneedles. These stressors include increased temperature, shear and interfacial stress, transition to the solid state during drying, interaction with excipients, and suboptimal pH environments. While analytical methods are essential for monitoring protein integrity during manufacturing and storage, the performance of some well-established protein characterization techniques can be undermined by polymer excipients commonly employed in dissolvable microneedle formulations.

Conclusions
It is essential to understand the impact of key process and formulation parameters on the stability of protein therapeutics to facilitate their safe and effective administration by dissolvable microneedles.
Age and objectively measured sleep: investigating associations and interactions by sex and race in middle-aged and older adults
Authors: He Linchen , Rabinowitz Jill A , An Yang , Jackson Chandra , Hellinger Ryan , Wanigatunga Sarah , Schrack Jennifer , Ferrucci Luigi , Simonsick Eleanor M , Koehler Kirsten , Spira Adam P 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Study Objectives
Few studies of middle-aged and older adults have examined the association between age and sleep using objective sleep measures. We examined these associations in adults aged ≥40 years using wrist actigraphy, and investigated whether these associations differed by sex and race.

Methods
Participants were 468 cognitively normal adults aged ≥40 years enrolled in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging who completed wrist actigraphy. We used Generalized Least Squares Models to examine the associations of age with actigraphic sleep parameters, including total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency, sleep onset latency, and wake after sleep onset (WASO). We conducted interaction and stratification analyses to test whether cross-sectional age-sleep associations were modified by sex and race.

Results
In analyses adjusting for sex, body mass index, and individual medical conditions, older age was associated with longer TST from ages 40–70 that plateaued after age 70. Older age also was associated with lower sleep efficiency, longer sleep onset latency, and greater WASO. In men only, after age 70, older age was associated with shorter TST, lower sleep efficiency, longer onset latency, and greater WASO. However, we did not observe any significant interactions of race with age.

Conclusions
Older age was associated with longer TST from ages 40 to 70 and with poorer sleep quality after age 40, and these relationships might vary by sex. Future studies with larger sample sizes are needed to investigate mechanisms that may account for sex differences in the observed age-sleep associations.
Updates on the diagnosis and management of subdural hematoma
Authors: Scruton Thomas J. 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT
Intracranial hemorrhage is a potentially life-threatening condition categorized into four main groups by the location of bleeding: epidural, subdural, subarachnoid, and intraparenchymal. Subdural hematoma (SDH) is increasingly common as the population of older adults increases. Clinicians must recognize the typical presentations and order diagnostic imaging studies to make a timely diagnosis and referral to neurosurgery for definitive treatment. Understanding the pathophysiology and risk factors for chronic or expanding SDH informs decision-making in managing anticoagulants. Emerging treatments offer potential alternatives to the traditional evacuation of SDH by craniotomy, which remains the standard of care for most symptomatic patients.
Imaging Outcomes of MRI After CT in Pediatric Spinal Trauma: A Single-center Experience
Authors: Sirén Aapo , Nyman Mikko , Syvänen Johanna , Mattila Kimmo , Hirvonen Jussi 
Published: July 2024

Background:
Imaging has an essential role in the diagnostic workup of suspected pediatric spinal trauma. The most suitable imaging method is still being debated and needs to be considered regarding the patient, injury, and local resources. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is often performed after computed tomography (CT) in case of neurological symptoms or suspected ligamentous disruption. However, it is unclear if the MRI yields significant additional value after CT if the spinal cord injury is not suspected and if the MRI could be used as the sole imaging modality in an emergency department. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic value of emergency MRI after CT in suspected spinal trauma in children and adolescents.

Methods:
The imaging data and medical records of patients 17 years of age and younger with emergency spinal CT and MRI over 8 years were retrospectively reviewed. The primary study outcome was the diagnostic accuracy of the 2 imaging modalities in detecting surgically treated spinal injuries.

Results:
The study population consisted of 100 patients. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated all 7 surgically treated injuries, although one of the injuries was initially missed with CT. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed more injuries, but none of the injuries visible on CT required surgical fixation. Magnetic resonance imaging was able to exclude unstable injuries in patients who had highly suspicious or unequivocal findings on CT.

Conclusions:
Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography were both highly accurate in detecting unstable pediatric spinal injuries requiring surgical treatment. Magnetic resonance imaging seems not to reveal additional unstable injuries after adequately interpreted spinal CT.

Level of Evidence:
Level III—retrospective observational study.
Clinical Outcomes of Repeat Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty After Graft Failure
Authors: Laouani Achraf , Vasiliauskaitė Indrė , Bourgonje Vincent J. A. , Ghaly Mohamed , Lanser Charlotte , van Lieshout Isabel , Baydoun Lamis , Kocaba Viridiana , Melles Gerrit R. J. , Oellerich Silke 
Published: July 2024

Purpose:
To evaluate the clinical outcomes after repeat Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) for technical failure (TF) and secondary graft failure (SGF).

Methods:
Retrospective analysis of 49 eyes that underwent repeat DMEK either for TF (ie, persistent graft detachment, n = 24) or for SGF (ie, late endothelial graft failure, n = 25). Surgery indications for primary DMEK were Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD, 80%) and bullous keratopathy (BK, 20%). Main outcome measures were best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), endothelial cell density (ECD), corneal backscattering, pachymetry, and graft survival. Outcomes were compared with an age-matched control group of 49 primary DMEK eyes.

Results:
Logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution BCVA improved from 0.92 ± 0.6 before to 0.20 ± 0.3 at 1 year after repeat DMEK with better outcomes for eyes with TF than those with SGF (P = 0.046). Donor ECD decreased from 2618 ± 171 cells/mm2 before to 1247 ± 422 cells/mm2 at 1 year postoperatively, with no difference between technical TF and SGF eyes (P > 0.05). One-year BCVA and ECD outcomes were better in the control group than in the repeat DMEK group (P < 0.05). Five-year graft survival probability after repeat DMEK was better for TF than for SGF eyes (100% vs. 75%, P = 0.010) and better for eyes with FECD than BK as primary indication for surgery (92% vs. 65%, P = 0.042).

Conclusions:
Repeat DMEK gives acceptable clinical outcomes especially when performed for TF in the early period after primary DMEK. Long-term graft survival probability after repeat DMEK is comparable to primary DMEK for FECD eyes, whereas BK eyes may show an elevated risk to develop graft failure again.
Body Checking Injuries in National Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Ice Hockey: Findings From the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program 2009/10 to 2019/20
Authors: Boltz Adrian J. , Garcia Reagan E. , Alexander Andrew S. , Mihalik Jason P. , Collins Christy L. , Chandran Avinash 
Published: July 2024

Objective:
To describe the epidemiology of body checking injuries in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men's Ice Hockey.

Design:
Secondary data analysis of historical cohort data.

Setting:
A convenience sample of injuries in NCAA Men's Ice Hockey during the 2009/10 to 2019/20 academic years.

Patients (or Participants)
NCAA student-athletes.

Independent Variables:
Event type, season, time loss, body part, diagnosis, player position, and mechanism.

Main Outcome Measures:
This study examined injuries that occurred during practice or competition, regardless of time loss, reported to the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program. Injury counts, rates, and proportions were used. The injury rate and proportion ratios with 95% confidence intervals were also constructed. Three independent logistic regression models were constructed to examine differential odds of time loss (≥1 day; TL) injury and the 2 most common injuries, between body checking injuries and all other injuries.

Results:
Overall, 1290 body checking injuries (rate = 1.59/1000 athlete-exposures) were reported during the study period. Most were attributed to the upper extremity (42%) or head/neck (27%). The competition injury rate generally decreased after 2012/13. After adjusting for covariates, odds of (1) a TL injury was lower and (2) an acromioclavicular sprain was higher among body checking injuries as compared with injuries attributed to all other activities. Odds of concussion was not associated with body checking injuries.

Conclusions:
Body checking injuries were frequently attributed to the head/neck and upper extremities, and the rate of these injuries during competition appeared to be decreasing. Still, improvements in helmet and shoulder pad technology may further improve health and safety.
Vertical Scar Reduction Mammaplasty Using the Superomedial-Based Pedicle Technique in Gigantomastia
Authors: Qiang Shuai , Wang Jia-Yang , Wang Na , Wei Si-Ming , Zhang Zhao-Xiang 
Published: July 2024

Background
Breast reduction surgery has witnessed significant advancements in recent years; however, it continues to pose challenges for both surgeons and patients when dealing with cases involving excessive breast volume and severe breast ptosis. This study aimed to assess the aesthetic outcomes and the impact on the quality of life, as measured by the BREAST-Q questionnaire, in patients with gigantomastia and severe breast ptosis who underwent reduction mammaplasty using the superomedial-based pedicle technique.

Methods
We present a retrospective series comprising 84 patients who underwent reduction mammoplasty utilizing the superomedial pedicle technique. The surgical resections exceeded 1 kg per breast, with a mean resection weight of 1506.58 g (right breast) and 1500.32 g (left breast). The preoperative mean suprasternal notch to nipple distance measured 40.50 cm (right breast) and 40.38 cm (left breast). Postoperatively, the patients were followed up for a minimum of 6 months. Both preoperative and postoperative BREAST-Q surveys were administered to the participants, and scores were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results
Complications were observed in 3 patients (3.57%), characterized by partial loss of the areola, which resolved spontaneously over time. Additionally, 2 cases of hematoma and 2 instances of minor delayed wound healing were reported. All patients expressed satisfaction with their aesthetic outcomes, as they achieved a natural breast shape and minimal scarring, along with symptomatic relief.

Conclusions
The superomedial pedicle reduction mammaplasty technique has demonstrated its ability to produce satisfactory aesthetic outcomes and long-term benefits in patients with excessively large breasts. Careful patient selection and postoperative management are vital for achieving optimal results. Further investigations involving larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are warranted to validate our findings.

Level of Evidence
IV.
Statistical Methods to Examine Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Surgical Literature
Authors: Harris Alex H.S. , Eddington Hyrum , Shah Vaibhavi B. , Shwartz Michael , Gurewich Deborah , Rosen Amy K. , Quinteros Badí , Wilcher Britni , Nieser Kenneth J. , Jones Gabrielle , Wu Julie Tsu-yu , Morris Arden M. 
Published: July 2024

Objective:
To characterize the quality of statistical methods for studies of racial and ethnic disparities in the surgical-relevant literature during 2021-2022.

Background:
Hundreds of scientific papers are published each year describing racial and ethnic disparities in surgical access, quality, and outcomes. The content and design quality of this literature have never been systematically reviewed.

Methods:
We searched for 2021 to 2022 studies focused on describing racial and/or ethnic disparities in surgical or perioperative access, process quality, or outcomes. Identified studies were characterized in terms of 3 methodological criteria: (1) adjustment for variables related to both race/ethnicity and outcomes, including social determinants of health (SDOH), (2) accounting for clustering of patients within hospitals or other subunits (“providers”), and (3) distinguishing within-provider and between-provider effects.

Results:
We identified 224 papers describing racial and/or ethnic differences. Of the 38 single-institution studies, 24 (63.2%) adjusted for at least one SDOH variable. Of the 186 multisite studies, 113 (60.8%) adjusted for at least one SDOH variable, and 43 (23.1%) accounted for the clustering of patients within providers using appropriate statistical methods. Only 10 (5.4%) of multi-institution studies made efforts to examine how much of the overall disparities were driven by within versus between-provider effects.

Conclusions:
Most recently published papers on racial and ethnic disparities in the surgical literature do not meet these important statistical design criteria and, therefore, may risk inaccuracy in the estimation of group differences in surgical access, quality, and outcomes. The most potent leverage points for these improvements are changes to journal publication guidelines and policies.
Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Craving, Cognitive Functions, and Serum Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Level in Individuals on Maintenance Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder, A Randomized Sham-Controlled Trial
Authors: Borzooee Bahareh , Aghayan Shahrokh , Hassani-Abharian Peyman , Emamian Mohammad Hassan 
Published: July 2024

Objectives
To investigate the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, craving, and executive functions in individuals on maintenance treatment for opioid use.

Methods
We randomized 70 right-handed men aged 18–55 years into 2 groups: the intervention group and the sham group. The intervention was 10 sessions of 2 mA stimulation over 5 days. Each session in the sham group ended after 30 seconds. Craving was measured using the Desire for Drug Questionnaire (DDQ), Obsessive Compulsive Drug Use Scale (OCDUS), and visual analog scale (VAS). The measurements were taken before and after the intervention, as well as 2 months later. BDNF was measured before and after the intervention. Repeated-measures analysis of variance, the generalized estimating equation model, and independent t test were used for data analysis.

Results
The mean differences (95% confidence intervals) in pre and post craving scores in the intervention group were (12.71 [9.10 to 16.32], P = 0.167) for VAS, (1.54 [1.12 to 1.96], P = 0.012) for OCDUS, and (1.71 [1.27 to 2.15], P = 0.125) for DDQ. These measures in the control group were −0.44 (−1.19 to 0.30), 0.01 (−0.21 to 0.23), and 0.126 (−0.11 to 0.36), respectively. BDNF serum levels significantly increased after the intervention (difference, 0.84 [0.69 to 0.99], P < 0.001); however, this change was not significant in the generalized estimating equation model. The effect of tDCS on craving was significant in OCDUS, but not significant in VAS and DDQ.

Conclusions
The tDCS reduces craving and improves executive functions in the short term. BDNF serum level was not associated with tDCS.
Rodent chronic variable stress procedures: a disjunction between stress entity and impact on behaviour
Authors: Romanò Nicola , Menzies John 
Published: July 2024

AbstractChronic variable stress (CVS) procedures are widely used to model depression in laboratory rodents. We systematically documented the experimental design used in mouse CVS studies, and the design of the behavioural tests used to evaluate the effect of CVS. In a subset of studies, we measured effect sizes in behavioural tests. Across 202 mouse studies, 82% used a unique CVS procedure. We took advantage of this variability to ask whether the duration and intensity of CVS procedures correlated with effects sizes obtained in five commonly-used behavioural tests: the sucrose preference test (SPT), the tail suspension test (TST), the forced swim test (FST), the open field test (OFT) and the elevated plus maze (EPM). The most evident impact of CVS procedure design on effect sizes were seen in the FST where longer-duration CVS procedures with more diverse types of stressors were associated with a smaller effect size. Next, we correlated effect sizesbetweenbehavioural tests to explore whether these tests might measure similar or different consequences of CVS. We found a positive correlation between effects sizes in the TST and FST, and in the OFT and EPM, but the two strongest positive correlations were between the EPM and TST, and between the EPM and FST. CVS studies deliberately impose suffering over long periods, and our data raise scientific and ethical questions around the stress procedures used and the behavioural tests used to evaluate them.
Characterizing BOLD activation patterns in the human hippocampus with laminar fMRI
Authors: Pfaffenrot Viktor , Bouyeure Antoine , Gomes Carlos Alexandre , Kashyap Sriranga , Axmacher Nikolai , Norris David G 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThe human hippocampus has been extensively studied at the macroscale using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) but the underlying microcircuits at the mesoscale (i.e., at the level of layers) are largely uninvestigated in humans. We target two questions fundamental to hippocampal laminar fMRI: How does the venous bias affect the interpretation of hippocampal laminar responses? And can we establish a benchmark laminar fMRI experiment which robustly elicits single-subject hippocampal activation utilizing the most widely applied GRE-BOLD contrast? We comprehensively characterized GRE-BOLD responses as well as T2*, tSNR and physiological noise as a function of cortical depth in individual subfields of the human hippocampus. Our results show that the vascular architecture differs between subfields leading to subfield-specific laminar biases of GRE-BOLD responses. Using an autobiographical memory paradigm, we robustly acquired depth-specific BOLD responses in hippocampal subfields. In the CA1 subregion, our results indicate a more pronounced trisynaptic path input rather than dominant direct inputs from entorhinal cortex during autobiographical memory retrival. Our study provides unique insights into the hippocampus at the mesoscale level, and will help interpreting hippocampal laminar fMRI responses and allow researchers to test mechanistic hypotheses of hippocampal function.
Acidic pH attenuates immune killing through inactivation of perforin
Authors: Hodel Adrian W , Rudd-Schmidt Jesse A , Noori Tahereh , Lupton Christopher J , Cheuk Veronica CT , Trapani Joseph A , Hoogenboom Bart W , Voskoboinik Ilia 
Published: July 2024

AbstractCytotoxic lymphocytes are pivotal effectors in our immune system. Their most potent way to delete virus infected or cancerous target cells is by perforin/granzyme dependent killing. Perforin is secreted into the immunological synapse and forms transmembrane pores in the target cell plasma membrane, allowing granzymes to enter the target cell cytosol and trigger apoptosis. The prowess of cytotoxic lymphocytes to efficiently eradicate target cells has been widely harnessed in immunotherapies against haematological cancers. Despite efforts to achieve a similar outcome against solid tumours, the immunosuppressive and acidic tumour microenvironment poses a persistent obstacle. Using different types of effector cells, including therapeutically relevant anti-CD19 CAR T cells, we demonstrate that the acidic pH typically found in solid tumours hinders the efficacy of immune therapies by impeding perforin pore formation within the immunological synapse. Nanometre-scale study of purified recombinant perforin undergoing oligomerization reveals that pore formation is inhibited specifically by preventing the formation of a transmembrane β-barrel. The absence of perforin pore formation directly prevents target cell death. This finding uncovers a novel layer of immune effector inhibition that must be considered in the development of effective immunotherapies for solid tumours.One Sentence SummaryOur study reveals that an acidic environment hinders the efficacy of immune therapies by impeding the action of perforin, a critical protein in immune-mediated cell killing, directly within the immunological synapse.