bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pairing transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation with an intensive bimanual training in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy: study protocol of a randomized sham-controlled trial
Authors: Oldrati Viola , Gasparroni Verusca , Michelutti Arianna , Ciricugno Andrea , Borgatti Renato , Orcesi Simona , Fazzi Elisa , Morandi Alessandra , Galli Jessica , Piccinini Luigi , Maghini Cristina , Arioli Maria , Cattaneo Zaira , Urgesi Cosimo , Finisguerra Alessandra 
Published: August 2024

BackgroundGross motor function impairments and manual dexterity deficits are frequently observed in children and adolescents with Cerebral Palsy (CP), having a major impact on their activity level and autonomy. Improving manual dexterity and activity level of patients with CP is often the focus of rehabilitation. Novel and adjuvant treatment methods that could support the standard training also in chronic conditions are a research priority. The transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (tVNS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, which provides a bottom-up stimulation of subcortical and cortical brain structures, enhancing brain GABA and Noradrenaline levels. This technique may play a pivotal role in brain plasticity, which has not been tested in CP patients before.Methods44 children and adolescents with CP will be involved, treated in pairs in a randomized, double-blind, pre-post test study. The two groups will undergo the Hand-Arm Bimanual Intensive Therapy Including Lower Extremities (HABIT-ILE) for 2 consecutive weeks, with 3 h daily sessions for 5 days per week, for an overall time interval of 30 h; the training will be combined with the application for 75 min/day of active or sham tVNS, in separate, randomly allocated groups. The primary outcome measure will include the scores at the Assisting Hand Assessment and Box and Block Test, and at an ad-hoc visuomotor task evaluating manual visuomotor control. Secondary outcomes will include the scores at the Children’s Hand Experience Questionnaire, Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, Melbourne Assessment of Unilateral Upper Limb Function, Gross Motor Function Measure, Vineland, Pediatric quality of life inventory. The evaluation points will include pre (T0), post (T1) and 3-month follow up (T2) assessments. Safety and tolerability will also be assessed.ResultsThe results of this trial will assess whether tVNS can effectively boost the effects of an intensive two-week bimanual training, in improving manual dexterity in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy, ensuring safety and tolerability throughout the intervention period.Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT06372028.
Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation: a bibliometric study on current research hotspots and status
Authors: Fan Shiyu , Yan Long , Zhang Junfeng , Sun Yujia , Qian Yulin , Wang Meng , Yu Tao 
Published: August 2024

BackgroundTranscutaneous Vagal Nerve Stimulation (tVNS) has been used as a promising noninvasive neuromodulation technique for the treatment of various systems.The aim of this study was to analyze the research hotspots and future directions of tVNS in the 21st century by using bibliometric methods.MethodsThe study object was the literature related to tVNS from the Web of Science database from 2000 to May 2024. In order to measure and analyze the number of literature issuance, institutions, authors, countries, keywords, co-citations, and journals of publication, we used VOSviewer, Citespace, Bibliometrix R-package, and Scimago Graphica software. A narrative review of the current research content of tVNS was conducted to gain a better understanding of the current state of the field.ResultsA total of 569 papers were included in the study. The results show that from 2000 to 2024, the number of publications shows an increasing trend year by year, involving a total of 326 research institutions. The United States, China, and Germany are the major research centers. The study identified 399 keywords, which roughly formed 11 natural clusters, revealing that the current hotspots of related research are mainly reflected in 3 areas: intervention efficacy on nervous system diseases, mechanism of action of tVNS, and stimulation mode of tVNS. The top 10 most cited references focus on research into the mechanism of action of tVNS.ConclusionThe efficacy and safety of tVNS have been confirmed in previous studies, but a standardized tVNS treatment protocol has not yet been developed, and most clinical studies have small sample sizes and lack multicenter and multidisciplinary collaboration. Currently, tVNS is used in the treatment of neurological diseases, psychiatric diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and some autoimmune diseases. It is expected that future research in this field will continue to focus on the application of tVNS in central nervous system diseases and the exploration of related mechanisms, and at the same time, with the rise of non-invasive neuromodulation technology, the application of tVNS in other diseases also has great potential for development.
Application of 3D reconstruction and 3D printing technology in advanced ovarian cancer surgery: a retrospective study
Authors: Cai Zhihui , Zhang Ke , Li Linqian , Suo Yuping 
Published: August 2024

BackgroundsAdvanced ovarian cancer is frequently accompanied by extensive peritoneal metastasis, complicating surgical interventions. This study aims to explore the application of 3D reconstruction and 3D printing technology in the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective analysis of 60 patients with stage III ovarian cancer who underwent cytoreductive surgery at Hebei University Affiliated Hospital between 2020 and 2023. Patients were randomly assigned to three groups: a 3D visualization group, a 3D visualization plus 3D printing group, and a traditional 2D CT imaging evaluation group. High-precision medical imaging techniques (e.g., CT, MRI) were employed to create digital 3D models, which were then converted into physical entities using 3D printing for surgical planning and simulation.ResultsBoth the 3D visualization group and the 3D visualization plus 3D printing group demonstrated superior outcomes in terms of surgery duration and blood loss compared to the traditional 2D CT group, indicating the efficacy of 3D reconstruction and 3D printing in preoperative planning. Postoperative recovery indicators, such as hospital stay and time to first flatus, were also more favorable in the groups utilizing 3D technology. Although there were no significant differences in postoperative complications and recurrence rates among the three groups, the groups using 3D technology showed advantages in reducing certain complications.ConclusionsThe results indicate that medical 3D technology has significant value in the surgical planning of advanced ovarian cancer, enhancing surgical precision and reducing intraoperative risks, which may aid in improving postoperative recovery.
Use of the BRANT-MERQS scoring table for the quality assessment of type 3 medication review in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and those with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Robberechts Anneleen , Stas Kaat , Puttemans Margot , Poppe Laura , Steurbaut Stephane , De Meyer Guido R. Y. , De Loof Hans 
Published: August 2024

BackgroundA type 3 medication review (MR3) is a patient-centred medication service primarily provided by pharmacists and is presently employed routinely in several countries. In this process, pharmacists interview patients and collaborate with the treating physician to optimize the patient’s pharmacotherapy, taking into account the patient’s medication history and other medical data including laboratory values. The need to maintain the quality of such interventions during and after their initial implementation cannot be overstated.AimThe objective of this study was to refine and assess a scoring table to evaluate the quality of MR3 conducted in Belgian community pharmacies.MethodsThe comprehensive quality of MR3s was assessed by scoring its various components using a previously developed scoring table, called BRANT-MERQS, Brussels Antwerp Medication Review Quality Score. MR3s were analysed from an implementation study with patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA, subproject 1) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM, subproject 2). Additional information was obtained during a telephone call with a subset of participating pharmacists of subproject 1 who finalized their first MR3.ResultsIn subproject 1, a total of 21 MR3s of patients with RA were examined. The assessment showed favourable scores for elements such as a well-organized medication schedule, treatment adherence, and the elaboration of specific interventions. However, certain other quality criteria posed challenges in the evaluation, for example, the use of simple and understandable language. Pharmacists faced time constraints, and elderly general practitioners (GPs) displayed limited enthusiasm, which were notable barriers observed for this subproject. In the context of subproject 2 that investigated 41 MR3s in patients with T2DM, the quality criteria of interaction between pharmacist and GP, and used sources and tools received high scores. However, there was still room for improvement, especially in areas such as accurate dosing, handling kidney function, QT prolongation, correctly associating laboratory values with relevant drugs and medical conditions, and optimisation of medication schedules for patients.ConclusionThis study demonstrated the feasibility of MR3 quality assessment through a scoring system. However, it also unveiled the tool’s current imperfections and highlighted the ongoing need for refinement, something expected of a new service in an implementation phase.
Topiramate inhibits adjuvant-induced chronic orofacial inflammatory allodynia in the rat
Authors: Mohos Violetta , Harmat Máté , Kun Jozsef , Aczél Tímea , Zsidó Balázs Zoltán , Kitka Tamás , Farkas Sándor , Pintér Erika , Helyes Zsuzsanna 
Published: August 2024

Chronic orofacial pain disorders are common debilitating conditions, affecting the trigeminal system. Its underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are still unclear and the therapy is often unsatisfactory, therefore, preclinical models are crucial to identify the key mediators and novel treatment options. Complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA)-induced orofacial inflammatory allodynia/hyperalgesia is commonly used in rodents, but it has not been validated with currently used drugs. Here we tested the effects of the adjuvant analgesic/antiepileptic voltage-gated Na+ channel blocker complex mechanism of action topiramate in comparison with the gold standard antimigraine serotonin 5-HT1B/D receptor agonist sumatriptan in this model. CFA was injected subcutaneously into the right whisker pad of male Sprague-Dawley rats (250–300 g), then mechanonociceptive threshold values were investigated with von Frey filaments (3, 5, and 7 days after CFA injection). Effects of topiramate (30 mg/kg per os) and sumatriptan (1 mg/kg subcutaneous) on the adjuvant-induced chronic inflammatory orofacial allodynia were investigated 60, 120, and 180 min after the treatments each day. To determine the optimal concentration for drug effect analysis, we tested the effects of two different CFA-concentrations (1 and 0.5 mg/mL) on mechanonociceptive thresholds. Both concentrations of CFA induced a chronic orofacial allodynia in 60% of all rats. Although, higher CFA concentration induced greater allodynia, much more stable threshold reduction was observed with the lower CFA concentration: on day 3 the thresholds decreased from 18.30 g to approximately 11 g (low) and 5 g (high), respectively, however a slight increase was observed in the case of higher CFA concentration (on days 5, 7, and 11). In all investigation days, topiramate showed significant anti-allodynic effect comparing the pre and post drug dose and comparing the vehicle treated to the drug treated groups. Sumatriptan also caused a significant threshold increase compared to pre dose thresholds (day 3) and also showed a slight anti-allodynic effect compared to the vehicle-treated group (day 3 and 5). In the present study CFA-induced chronic orofacial allodynia was reversed by topiramate in rats validating the model with the adjuvant analgesic. Other than establishing a validated orofacial pain-related syndrome model in rats, new ways are opened for the repurposing of topiramate.
Protein assemblies in the Arabidopsis thaliana chloroplast compartment
Authors: Ditz Noah , Braun Hans-Peter , Eubel Holger 
Published: August 2024

IntroductionEquipped with a photosynthetic apparatus that uses the energy of solar radiation to fuel biosynthesis of organic compounds, chloroplasts are the metabolic factories of mature leaf cells. The first steps of energy conversion are catalyzed by a collection of protein complexes, which can dynamically interact with each other for optimizing metabolic efficiency under changing environmental conditions.Materials and methodsFor a deeper insight into the organization of protein assemblies and their roles in chloroplast adaption to changing environmental conditions, an improved complexome profiling protocol employing a MS-cleavable cross-linker is used to stabilize labile protein assemblies during the organelle isolation procedure.Results and discussionChanges in protein:protein interaction patterns of chloroplast proteins in response to four different light intensities are reported. High molecular mass assemblies of central chloroplast electron transfer chain components as well as the PSII repair machinery react to different light intensities. In addition, the chloroplast encoded RNA-polymerase complex was found to migrate at a molecular mass of ~8 MDa, well above its previously reported molecular mass. Complexome profiling data produced during the course of this study can be interrogated by interested readers via a web-based online resource (https://complexomemap.de/projectsinteraction-chloroplasts).
Exogenous salicylic acid treatment enhances the disease resistance of Panax vietnamensis by regulating secondary metabolite production
Authors: Hou Jiae , Ai Mingtao , Li Jianbin , Cui Xiuming , Liu Yuan , Yang Qian 
Published: August 2024

IntroductionSalicylic acid (SA) is a phenolic compound widely found in plants. It plays a key role in exerting plant disease resistance. Panax vietnamensis Ha &amp; Grushv., a valuable medicinal plant, contains high levels of phenolic compounds, which contribute significantly to the resilience of the plant against stress. However, the precise role of SA in regulating the synthesis of secondary metabolites in P.vietnamensis remains elusive.MethodsTwo-year-old P. vietnamensis seedlings were treated with exogenous SA. We systematically assessed the changes in the physiological parameters of SA-treated P. vietnamensis leaves, employing transcriptome and metabolome analyses to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. ResultsOur results revealed a significant improvement of the plant’s antioxidant capacity at 6 h post-treatment. Furthermore, exogenous SA treatment promoted the biosynthesis of lignin and flavonoids such as rutin, coumarin, and cyanidin. In addition, it increased the levels of endogenous SA and jasmonic acid (JA), promoting the disease resistance of the plants. Thus, SA pretreatment enhanced the defense of P. vietnamensis against pathogens. ConclusionsOur study provided novel insights into the potential molecular mechanisms underlying SA-mediated biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Furthermore, our results provided a theoretical foundation for optimizing the cultivation practices of P.vietnamensis and the application of SA as a plant immunomodulator.
Factors determining curtailment behaviour of youths: moderating role of government policies
Authors: Ahmad Asad , Garg Swati , Kirmani Mohd Danish , Madsen Dag Øivind 
Published: August 2024

IntroductionEnvironmental degradation poses a significant threat, making the comprehension of sustainable behaviour imperative for both environmental and business reasons. Embracing sustainable practices and reducing the unnecessary consumption of resources is essential in our current times. One can be sustainable by focusing on either buying sustainable or green products or by using fewer resources, i.e., by adopting curtailment behaviour. The purpose of this study is to determine various factors and their impact on the curtailment behaviour of youths.MethodsWe used an exploratory and descriptive research design. Responses were generated from 513 young respondents using a structured questionnaire developed based on the extant literature.ResultsThe structural model findings showed that social norms, eco-concern, and religiosity significantly and positively affect curtailment behaviour. However, we observed no significant influence of financial concern or government policy on curtailment behaviour. We also tested the moderation impact of government policy on the relationship between economic concern and curtailment behaviour. The findings suggest that the relationship between eco-concern and curtailment behaviour is stronger for consumers exhibiting higher commitment to government policy.DiscussionIt is imperative that politicians exercise critical thought and devise strategies to encourage more sustainable consumer behaviour. With the strains that our world is under now and in the future, we need to unite around a common goal: ensuring that our planet is sustainable for coming generations. The study findings are useful for academicians, marketers, and policymakers.
Empowering older adults: evaluating the impact of a smartphone education app on independent living
Authors: Woo Ye-Shin , Shin Ga-in , Park Hae Yean 
Published: August 2024

PurposeAs science and technology advance, older people’s ability to use smart devices in their daily living is becoming more demanding. This study addresses the increasing use of smartphones by the older adults, who often struggle with technology due to lack of competence. We developed an educational app tailored for older adults users and compare its effectiveness with existing educational videos.MethodsAn app was created based on the learning characteristics of the older adults, using the ADDIE model, and compared with traditional video education. It involved six participants aged 65 or older, and convenience sampling method was used, evaluating the app and video through usability assessments and eye tracking. Quantitative and qualitative analyzes were conducted with focus groups under the researcher’s control.ResultsThe app received higher usability scores than the video in content, motivation, and interaction. Eye tracking showed users paid more consistent attention to the app.ConclusionThe smartphone app facilitates learning for the older adults without the constraints of time and place, improving their quality of life and technology skills. Eye tracking can be instrumental in future app development for this demographic.
Prevalence and association between alcohol, tobacco, and COVID-19: a study from a tribal predominant district in eastern India
Authors: Narasimha Venkata Lakshmi , Nath Santanu , Alam Benazir , Kumari Bipasa , Kumari Pooja , Kumari Shalini , Kaur Jagdish , Varshney Saurabh 
Published: August 2024

IntroductionAlcohol and tobacco use has been proposed to significantly affect COVID-19 outcomes. The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of alcohol and tobacco use among COVID-19-positive patients and compare it with the general population prevalence rates. It also aimed to assess and determine the association between the severity of COVID-19 illness and the complications with alcohol and tobacco use.MethodFor this, a cross-sectional, retrospective, telephone-based study was conducted using a structured questionnaire among COVID-19 diagnosed patients in the district of Deoghar of the Indian state of Jharkhand. A multinomial logistic regression is done to determine the association.ResultsAmong 1,425 patients interviewed, tobacco and alcohol were used by 22.31 and 9.96%, significantly more than the prevalence of tobacco (Z = 4.9485, p &lt; 0.00001) and alcohol use (Z = 7.118, p &lt; 0.00001), respectively, in the district (tobacco-11.7% and alcohol-4.8%).In a regression model, patients with co-morbidity had higher odds of severe [3.34 (1.99–5.62)] and moderate [2.95 (1.97–4.41)] COVID-19. Young [0.12 (0.04–0.38)] and middle-aged individuals [0.23 (0.13–0.4)], people below the poverty line 0.28 (0.11–0.69) are at lower odds of severe COVID-19. Tobacco users [1.58 (1.16–2.14)], alcohol users [1.53 (1.03–2.28)], incomplete vaccination [3.24 (1.49–7.01)], and patients with comorbidity [3.6 (2.79–4.68)] were found to have higher odds of post-COVID-19 complications.DiscussionPeople with COVID-19 in our study population had significantly higher tobacco and alcohol use compared to the general population. Tobacco and alcohol use significantly increases the risk of post-COVID-19 complications. The study highlights the need for addiction treatment services to prevent complications during future pandemics.
Predictors for postoperative dysphagia in liver transplant recipients
Authors: Isdahl Marian , Katz Lily , Johnson Michaela , Leverson Glen , Al-Adra David , Thibeault Susan 
Published: August 2024

IntroductionLiver transplant recipients are at a heightened risk for oropharyngeal dysphagia; identification of those who are at high risk for postoperative dysphagia could reduce hospital costs and length of stay. We sought to identify predictors of dysphagia, in a large cohort of patients who underwent liver transplantation.MethodsElectronic medical records were queried for patients undergoing liver transplantation, who underwent instrumental swallowing evaluations. Demographics, functional outcomes, and interventions were collected. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of dysphagia.ResultsSeven hundred and ninety-five patients met inclusionary criteria. Multivariate analyses found ethnic group (p = .0191), MELD Score (p &lt; 0001), cold ischemia time (p = .0123), and length of intubation (p &lt; .0001) to be predictors of post-operative development of dysphagia. Pre-transplant dialysis (p &lt; .0001), dysphagia related to end stage liver disease (p &lt; .0001), Karnofsky Performance Status Scale (p &lt; .0001), wait time to transplant (p = 0.0173), surgery time (p = 0.0095), tracheostomy (p &lt; 0.0001), and transfusion of intraoperative RBC (p &lt; .0001), intraoperative platelets (p = 0.0018), intraoperative FFP (p = 0.0495), perioperative FFP (p = 0.0002), perioperative platelets (p = 0.0151) and perioperative RBC (p = 0.0002) were variables of significance associated with the development of postoperative dysphagia from univariate analysis.ConclusionsOur results propose a set of predictors that should be considered when identifying post-operative critically ill patients at risk for dysphagia.