bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A NOVEL SURGICAL TECHNIQUE FOR GIANT AND REFRACTORY MACULAR HOLES: AUTOLOGOUS TENON CAPSULE PLUG
Authors: Yilmaz Sami , Yildiz Aysegul Mavi , Avci Remzi 
Published: April 2024

Purpose:
To evaluate the safety and efficiency of the autologous Tenon capsule plug (ATCP) technique for the treatment of large (1000 um<) and refractory macular holes (MHs).

Methods:
This retrospective, interventional, case series included 3 patients who underwent 23-gauge vitrectomy and ATCP technique for giant or refractory MH. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmic examination including optical coherence tomography (OCT), OCT angiography (OCTA), and microperimetry (MP). The changes in retinal structure and function were evaluated.

Results:
The minimum follow-up was 6 months. The preoperative minimum hole diameters were 728 um, 422 um, and 1154 um for case 1, case 2, and case 3 respectively. Case 1 and case 2 had an idiopathic MH that failed to close after vitrectomy with (internal limiting membrane) ILM peeling, whereas case 3, who had a giant, irregular MH underwent the ATCP technique as the primary intervention. Complete hole closure was achieved in all patients at the last follow-up. However, case 1 required a second ATCP surgery due to dislodgement of the plug in the early postoperative period. The BCVA increased in all patients. The final MP analysis revealed that the percentage of fixation points at circles 4o for case 1, case 2 and case 3 were 93.5%, 99.9% and 95.6% respectively.

Conclusions:
We suggest that the ATCP technique can provide a simple, cheap, repeatable, and readily available surgical solution for the treatment of giant and refractory macular holes. Further prospective studies with a larger sample size are needed to confirm our preliminary results.
Evolution of Pentosan Polysulfate Maculopathy Following Medication Discontinuation
Authors: Ka-Lok Tao Brendan , Pereira Austin , Koushan Keyvan 
Published: April 2024

Purpose:
To describe a patient receiving pentosan polysulfate (PPS) for interstitial cystitis, who developed PPS maculopathy (PPSM) that persisted and evolved for four years after medication discontinuation.

Methods:
Case report of one patient at a tertiary retina clinic.

Results:
A 48-year-old female with a history of interstitial cystitis was referred to our retina clinic with no vision complaints. She had been taking PPS for 10 years, first consuming 600mg/day for eight years, followed by 200mg/day for two years. At first presentation in 2016, examination revealed macular pigmentary clumping in both eyes. In subsequent years, pigmentary changes were confirmed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) which showed progressive macular thinning in both eyes. In 2019, the patient discontinued PPS; however, she continued to exhibit PPSM progression for years thereafter. At four-year follow-up after discontinuation of PPS, the patient returned with stable vision, but showed changes in macular lipofuscin deposits with outer retinal and retinal pigment epithelial alterations.

Conclusion:
This case demonstrates sustained and evolving PPSM even after drug discontinuation, suggesting that active PPS may have a prolonged half-life in the retina and retinal pigment epithelium.
Anti-dementia drugs: what is the evidence in advanced stages?
Authors: Ferreira Daniel , Nogueira Noémi , Guimarães Joana , Araújo Rui 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Dementia is a major public health concern due to its increasing prevalence, substantial caregiver burden, and high financial costs. Currently, the anti-dementia drugs aim only at a symptomatic effect. The subject of prescribing these drugs in advanced stages is a matter of considerable debate, with different countries making distinct recommendations. In this review article, we analyzed the evidence regarding cognitive and functional outcomes, adverse events, health-related costs, and caregiver burden in patients with advanced Alzheimer disease (AD) and mixed dementia. We included 35 studies. Most studies are heterogeneous, focus exclusively on AD, and show small benefits in terms of cognitive and functional scales. The overall evidence seems to suggest a benefit in introducing or maintaining anti-dementia drugs in patients with advanced dementia, but clinical meaningfulness is difficult to ascertain. The issue of costs and caregiver burden is significantly underexplored in this field but also seems to favor treatment continuation, despite a reduced overall effect. The decision of introducing or withdrawing anti-dementia drugs in advanced stages of dementia should be individualized. Future studies with homogeneous designs and outcomes are warranted.
Psychometric Analysis of an Integrated Clinical Education Tool for Physical Therapists
Authors: Becker Marcie , Shields Richard K. , Sass Kelly J. 
Published: April 2024

Introduction.
Integrated clinical education (ICE) courses require opportunities for practice, assessment of performance, and specific feedback. The purposes of this study were to 1) analyze the internal consistency of a tool for evaluating students during ICE courses, 2) examine the responsiveness of the tool between midterm and final assessments, and 3) develop a model to predict the final score from midterm assessments and explore relationships among the 6 domains.

Review of Literature.
Several clinical education assessment tools have been developed for terminal clinical experiences, but few have focused on the needs of learners during the ICE.

Subjects.
Eighty-five student assessments were collected from 2 consecutive cohorts of physical therapist students in a first full-time ICE course.

Methods.
The tool contained 29 items within 6 domains. Items were rated on a 5-point scale from dependent to indirect supervision. Cronbach's alpha was used to analyze the internal consistency of the tool, whereas responsiveness was examined with paired t-test and Cohen's d. A best subsets regression model was used to determine the best combination of midterm variables that predicted the final total scores. Coefficients of determination (R
2) were calculated to explore the relationships among domains.

Results.
The tool was found to have high internal consistency at midterm and final assessment (α = 0.97 and 0.98, respectively). Mean scores increased over time for each domain score and for the total score (P < .001; d = 1.5). Scores in 3 midterm domains predicted more than 57% of the variance in the final total score.

Discussion and Conclusion.
Results support the use of this tool to measure student performance and growth in a first full-time ICE course. Targeted measurement of students' abilities in ICE courses assists with differentiating formative and summative learning needed to achieve academic success.
Prevalence of smoking and its associated factors among students of the University of Dongola, Northern State, Sudan: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Abdelraouf May M.F. , Abdalla Rofida A.M. , Mohamed Douaa M.S. , Ahmed Abubaker K.A. , Abuzaid Mohamed A.M. , Issak Mohamed A. , Eljack Ibrahim A. , Saeed Elshazaly , Abdelaziz Mohamed O. 
Published: April 2024

Background:
Smoking is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and its prevalence has increased globally, particularly among university students.

Objective:
The study aimed to assess the smoking prevalence and its associated factors among students at University of Dongola, Northern State, Sudan.

Methods:
A multi-centred cross-sectional study was conducted among students of University of Dongola. Data was collected via an online Google form questionnaire. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed using SPSS, version 26. Statistical significance was considered at p less than or equal to 0.05.

Results:
A total of 642 students participated in the study, of which 51.9% were females. Most of the students (73.6%) were aged 20–25 years and came from health & medical faculties (60.7%). The overall prevalence of smoking was 11.7%. The determined risk factors for smoking included male gender (P≤0.001), older age (P≤0.001), non-health and non-medical faculties (P≤0.001), uneducated fathers (P=0.032), and low socio-economic status (P=0.001). The most common reason for smoking was stress (36%), with cigarettes being the most commonly used type (88%). Personal savings were the main source of smoking expenses (73.3%). Most smokers (88%) were aware of the harmful effects of smoking.

Conclusion:
The overall smoking prevalence was relatively low among students at University of Dongola. Male gender, older age, non-health and non-medical faculties, uneducated fathers, and low socio-economic status were significant risk factors for smoking. The majority of smokers were aware of the harmful effects of smoking.
Implementation of Listening Visits with Parents of Preterm Infants in an Italian Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Scabia Aurora , Chorna Olena , Rocchitelli Lucia , Festante Fabrizia , Del Secco Sabrina , Costagli Ginevra , Riparbelli Cristina , Controzzi Tiziana , Tuoni Cristina , Filippi Luca , Guzzetta Andrea 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Purpose:
To assess the feasibility of implementing Listening Visits (LV) in an Italian neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Study Design and Methods:
This feasibility implementation of LV included empathic listening and problem-solving sessions provided by a psychologist to 26 parents of hospitalized preterm newborns. Using the RE-AIM implementation framework, three facets of feasibility were assessed: reach, adoption, and implementation.

Results:
It is feasible to integrate LV into the NICU: 76% of families were willing to try LV (reach). Listening Visits recipients reported high satisfaction. Twelve of the 16 families (75%) received six or more LV sessions (adoption), with mothers attending more sessions. Implementation fidelity, defined here as the percentage of LV recipients that received at least four sessions, was 94% among mothers and 30% among fathers.

Clinical Implications:
The LV intervention for parental support during the NICU stay is feasible and deemed helpful by parents. Parents were motivated to participate even though their levels of depression, stress, and anxiety were not high. In addition to the use of standardized screening questionnaires, parental requests and clinical team indications should be included in the decision-making for the provision of parental support services.
Wearable apparatus for correction of visual alignment under torsional strabismus
Authors: Malleson Charles , Guillemaut Jean-Yves 
Published: April 2024

SIGNIFICANCE
A wearable optical apparatus that compensates for eye misalignment (strabismus) to correct for double vision (diplopia) is proposed. In contrast to prism lenses, commonly used to compensate for horizontal and/or vertical misalignment, the proposed approach is able to compensate for any combination of horizontal, vertical, and torsional misalignment.

PURPOSE
If the action of the extraocular muscles is compromised (e.g., by nerve damage), a patient may lose their ability to maintain visual alignment, negatively affecting their binocular fusion and stereo depth perception capability. Torsional misalignment cannot be mitigated by standard Fresnel prism lenses. Surgical procedures intended to correct torsional misalignment may be unpredictable. A wearable device able to rectify visual alignment and restore stereo depth perception without surgical intervention could potentially be of great value to people with strabismus.

METHODS
We propose a novel lightweight wearable optical device for visual alignment correction. The device comprises two mirrors and a Fresnel prism, arranged in such a way that together they rotationally shift the view seen by the affected eye horizontally, vertically, and torsionally. The extent of the alignment correction on each axis can be arbitrarily adjusted according to the patient's particular misalignment characteristics.

RESULTS
The proposed approach was tested by computer simulation, and a prototype device was manufactured. The prototype device was tested by a strabismus patient exhibiting horizontal and torsional misalignment. In these tests, the device was found to function as intended, allowing the patient to enjoy binocular fusion and stereo depth perception while wearing the device for daily activities over a period of several months.

CONCLUSIONS
The proposed device is effective in correcting arbitrary horizontal, vertical, and torsional misalignment of the eyes. The results of the initial testing performed are highly encouraging. Future study is warranted to formally assess the effectiveness of the device on multiple test patients.
Parent strategies for improving compliance with eyeglass wear in young children
Authors: Harvey Erin M. , Ramesh Divya , Marshall Maria Sandra , Martin Jenifer A. , McGrath Eileen R. , Yescas Selenne , Miller Joseph M. 
Published: April 2024

SIGNIFICANCE
Results of this study provide preliminary data on parent strategies for improving compliance with eyeglass treatment in young children, an age group for which previous data are limited. Parent responses provide important insights to support parents of young children who wear eyeglasses and provide preliminary data to guide additional research.

PURPOSE
The goal of this exploratory study was to learn more about parents' strategies to improve compliance with eyeglass treatment of young children.

METHODS
An online survey of parents of 1-year-old to less than 5-year-old children who wear eyeglasses was conducted. Parents indicated whether they used various strategies to encourage wear and were asked to provide advice for parents of young children recently prescribed eyeglasses. Use of various strategies by age was determined. Open-ended responses regarding advice for other parents were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS
The final sample included 104 parents who were predominantly White (81%), non-Hispanic (76%), and college graduates (68%). During the 2 weeks prior to survey completion, 74% of parents reported their child wore their eyeglasses ≥8 hours/day. Use of strategies for improving eyeglass wear varied by child age. The most frequent recommendations that parents provided for other parents were to be consistent in encouraging wear, use social modeling, provide positive reinforcement when the eyeglasses are worn, and ensure that the eyeglasses fit well and were comfortable.

CONCLUSIONS
Parents provided many useful insights into their experiences. However, results may not be broadly generalizable, because of the limited diversity and high rate of compliance in the study sample. Further research with more diverse populations and research on effectiveness of various strategies to increase compliance in this age group are recommended to support eyeglass treatment compliance in young children.
Predicting the onset of myopia in children by age, sex, and ethnicity: Results from the CLEERE Study
Authors: Mutti Donald O. , Sinnott Loraine T. , Cotter Susan A. , Jones-Jordan Lisa A. , Kleinstein Robert N. , Manny Ruth E. , Twelker J. Daniel , Zadnik Karla 
Published: April 2024

SIGNIFICANCE
Clinicians and researchers would benefit from being able to predict the onset of myopia for an individual child. This report provides a model for calculating the probability of myopia onset, year-by-year and cumulatively, based on results from the largest, most ethnically diverse study of myopia onset in the United States.

PURPOSE
This study aimed to model the probability of the onset of myopia in previously nonmyopic school-aged children.

METHODS
Children aged 6 years to less than 14 years of age at baseline participating in the Collaborative Longitudinal Evaluation of Ethnicity and Refractive Error (CLEERE) Study who were nonmyopic and less hyperopic than +3.00 D (spherical equivalent) were followed up for 1 to 7 years through eighth grade. Annual measurements included cycloplegic autorefraction, keratometry, ultrasound axial dimensions, and parental report of children's near work and time spent in outdoor and/or sports activities. The onset of myopia was defined as the first visit with at least −0.75 D of myopia in each principal meridian. The predictive model was built using discrete time survival analysis and evaluated with C statistics.

RESULTS
The model of the probability of the onset of myopia included cycloplegic spherical equivalent refractive error, the horizontal/vertical component of astigmatism (J
0), age, sex, and race/ethnicity. Onset of myopia was more likely with lower amounts of hyperopia and less positive/more negative values of J
0. Younger Asian American females had the highest eventual probability of onset, whereas older White males had the lowest. Model performance increased with older baseline age, with C statistics ranging from 0.83 at 6 years of age to 0.92 at 13 years.

CONCLUSIONS
The probability of the onset of myopia can be estimated for children in the major racial/ethnic groups within the United States on a year-by-year and cumulative basis up to age 14 years based on a simple set of refractive error and demographic variables.
The effect of Medicaid expansion on rates of carpal tunnel release: an interrupted time series analysis
Authors: Khouri Alexander N. , Benítez Trista M. , Ouyang Zhongzhe , Fahmy Joseph N. , Wang Lu , Chung Kevin C. 
Published: April 2024

Background:
Medicaid expansion through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been associated with greater access and utilization of surgical services in underserved populations. However, its impact on use of hand surgical care is less understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between New York State adoption of the ACA and carpal tunnel release (CTR) procedural volume in Medicaid beneficiaries.

Methods:
We conducted a pooled cross-sectional analysis of patients who underwent CTR using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project New York State all-payer database (2010-2018). An interrupted time series (ITS) analysis using an autoregressive integrated moving average model estimated the immediate and long-term impact of Medicaid expansion in January 2014 on CTR procedural volume in Medicaid beneficiaries and uninsured individuals.

Results:
A total of 112,569 patients were included in the sample. After expansion, we observed an absolute increase of 6% in the share of CTR procedures provided to Medicaid beneficiaries. Policy implementation was associated with an immediate 1.81% increase (95% CI=0.0085, 0.0277; p<0.001) in the probability of Medicaid as the primary payer and an annual increase of 1.68% (95% CI=0.0134, 0.0202; p<0.001) after reform. ITS analysis found this resulted in 4,190 additional CTR procedures in Medicaid beneficiaries than predicted without expansion.

Conclusions:
Study results suggest New York’s adoption of the ACA was associated with an immediate and steady increase in use of outpatient CTR in Medicaid beneficiaries. Most of this increase represented newly treated patients rather than those who were previously uninsured.
High-Density Porous Polyethylene Implant Cranioplasty: A Systematic Review of Outcomes
Authors: Perozzo Filippo Andrea Giovanni , Ku Ying C. , Kshettry Varun R. , Sikder Prabaha , Papay Francis A. , Rampazzo Antonio , Bassiri Gharb Bahar 
Published: April 2024

Porous polyethylene has been widely used in craniofacial reconstruction due to its biomechanical properties and ease of handling. The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review of the literature to summarize outcomes utilizing high-density porous polyethylene (HDPP) implants in cranioplasty. A literature search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases was conducted to identify original studies with HDPP cranioplasty from inception to March 2023. Non-English articles, commentaries, absent indications or outcomes, and nonclinical studies were excluded. Data on patient demographics, indications, defect size and location, outcomes, and patient satisfaction were extracted. Summary statistics were calculated using weighted averages based on the available reported data. A total of 1089 patients involving 1104 cranioplasty procedures with HDPP were identified. Patients’ mean age was 44.0 years (range 2 to 83 y). The mean follow-up duration was 32.0 months (range 2 wk to 8 y). Two studies comprising 17 patients (1.6%) included only pediatric patients. Alloplastic cranioplasty was required after treatment of cerebrovascular diseases (50.9%), tumor excision (32.0%), trauma (11.4%), trigeminal neuralgia/epilepsy (3.4%), and others such as abscesses/cysts (1.4%). The size of the defect ranged from 3 to 340 cm2. An overall postoperative complication rate of 2.3% was identified, especially in patients who had previously undergone surgery at the same site. When data were available, contour improvement and high patient satisfaction were reported in 98.8% and 98.3% of the patients. HDPP implants exhibit favorable outcomes for reconstruction of skull defects. Higher complication rates may be anticipated in secondary cranioplasty cases.
Interventional Embolization of Unilateral Cavernous Sinus With ONXY Glue Combined With Coils for the Treatment of Bilateral Dural Arteriovenous Fistula
Authors: Li Wei , Liu Yang , Chu Fudi , Wang Yongli 
Published: April 2024

Purpose:
To summarize the clinical experience of unilateral sponge sinus embolization of cavernous sinus dural arteriovenous fistula (CS DAVF) via jugular vein access with ONXY gel and spring coil intervention.

Methods:
The authors retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 3 patients who were treated with unilateral cavernous sinus embolization for bilateral cavernous sinus dural arteriovenous fistula (CS DAVF) from October 2020 to May 2022 in our department by using transjugular vein access spring coil + ONXY gel interventional embolization.

Results:
Immediate postoperative angiography suggested that the cavernous sinus fistula was completely embolized in all 3 patients, and cerebral angiography was carried out from 6 to 12 months after the operation and assessed using the Class grading method, and there was no recurrence in any of the 3 patients.

Conclusions:
Transvenous access ONXY adhesive combined with spring coil interventional embolization of unilateral cavernous sinus to cure bilateral cavernous sinus dural arteriovenous fistula is feasible, which can avoid the excessive use of spring coils and ONXY adhesive, and it is the key to the effective cure of DAVF in cavernous sinus area and to reduce the complication.