bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
18F‐fluoro‐ethyl‐tyrosine PET co‐registered with MRI in patients with persisting acromegaly
Authors: Bakker Leontine E. H. , Verstegen Marco J. T. , Manole Diandra C. , Lu Huangling , Decramer Thomas J. M. , Pelsma Iris C. M. , Kruit Mark C. , Verbist Berit M. , van de Ven Annenienke , Gurnell Mark , Ghariq Idris , van Furth Wouter R. , Biermasz Nienke R. , Pereira Arias‐Bouda Lenka M. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractObjectiveTo report our experience with 18F‐fluoro‐ethyl‐tyrosine (FET) positron emission tomography‐computed tomography (PET‐CT) co‐registered with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (FET‐PET/MRICR) in the care trajectory for persistent acromegaly.DesignProspective case series.PatientsTen patients with insufficiently controlled acromegaly referred to our team to evaluate surgical options.MeasurementsFET‐PET/MRICR was used to support decision‐making if MRI alone and multidisciplinary team evaluation did not provide sufficient clarity to proceed to surgery.ResultsFET‐PET/MRICR showed suspicious (para)sellar tracer uptake in all patients. In five patients FET‐PET/MRICR was fully concordant with conventional MRI, and in one patient partially concordant. FET‐PET/MRICR identified suggestive new foci in four other patients. Surgical re‐exploration was performed in nine patients (aimed at total resection (6), debulking (2), diagnosis (1)), and one patient underwent radiation therapy. In 7 of 9 (78%) operated patients FET‐PET/MRICR findings were confirmed intraoperatively, and in six (67%) also histologically. IGF‐1 decreased significantly in eight patients (89%). All patients showed clinical improvement. Complete biochemical remission was achieved in three patients (50% of procedures in which total resection was anticipated feasible). Biochemistry improved in five and was unchanged in one patient. No permanent complications occurred. At six months, optimal outcome (preoperative intended goal achieved without permanent complications) was achieved in six (67%) patients and an intermediate outcome (goal not achieved, but no complications) in the other three patients.ConclusionsIn patients with persisting acromegaly without a clear surgical target on MRI, FET‐PET/MRICR is a new tracer to provide additional information to aid decision‐making by the multidisciplinary pituitary team.
CCR6+ T helper cells and regulatory T cells in the blood and gastric mucosa during Helicobacter pylori infection
Authors: Talayev Vladimir , Svetlova Maria , Zaichenko Irina , Voronina Elena , Babaykina Olga , Neumoina Natalia , Perfilova Ksenia 
Published: May 2024

AbstractBackgroundHelicobacter pylori (H. pylori) can evade the host's immune response and persist for a long time on the gastric mucosa. T helper (Th) cells appear to be involved in the control of H. pylori bacteria but promote mucosal inflammation. In contrast, regulatory T cells (Tregs) may reduce inflammation but promote H. pylori persistence. CC motif chemokine receptor 6 (CCR6) is involved in the migration of various cells into inflamed gastric mucosa. In this study, we examined CCR6+ Th cells and CCR6+ Tregs during H. pylori infection in humans.Materials and MethodsIsolation of cells from blood and mucosal biopsies, magnetic separation of В cells, CD4+ and CD4+CCR6+CD45RO+ T cells, antigen‐specific activation, B cell response in vitro, flow cytometry, determination of CD4+CD25hiFoxP3+ Tregs and various groups of Th cells.ResultsCD4+CCR6+ blood lymphocytes from healthy donors included Th cells and Tregs. These CCR6+ Th cells produced proinflammatory cytokines and also stimulated plasma cell maturation and antibody production in vitro. H. pylori gastritis and peptic ulcer disease were associated with an increase in the number of circulate CD4+CCR6+CD45RO+ cells and the percentage of Th1, Th17 and Th1/17 cells in this lymphocyte subgroup. In H. pylori‐positive patients, circulating CD4+CCR6+ cells contained a higher proportion of H. pylori‐specific cells compared with their CD4+CCR6− counterparts. H. pylori infection strongly increased the content of CD4+ lymphocytes in the inflamed gastric mucosa, with the majority of these CD4+ lymphocytes expressing CCR6. CD4+CCR6+ lymphocytes from H. pylori‐infected stomach included Tregs and in vivo activated T cells, some of which produced interferon‐γ without ex vivo stimulation.ConclusionH. pylori infection causes an increase in the number of mature CD4+CCR6+ lymphocytes in the blood, with a pro‐inflammatory shift in their composition and enrichment of the gastric mucosa with CD4+CCR6+ lymphocytes, including CCR6+ Th1 cells and Tregs.
Agricultural crisis, refugee crisis, or health crisis? Migrant seasonal workers in Italian agriculture during the COVID pandemic
Authors: Cingolani Pietro 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe concept of crisis has been widely used to describe European social phenomena which have become acute and unmanageable in recent years. Exceptionality and emergency have become attributes of the political strategies developed to address the economic, social, and environmental unsustainability of industrial farming; the flow of forced migrants; and the COVID‐19 pandemic. This article is based on ethnographic data collected over more than 2 years among immigrant workers and their employers in northern Italy, before and during the spread of the pandemic. By relating the experience of the people involved and analysis of the structural dimensions, I show how the “refugeeization of the agricultural workforce” and the “normalization of precarity” are two interconnected and interdependent processes. My study contributes to the recent scientific debate on the “polycrisis” by highlighting how the agricultural crisis generated a demand for vulnerable migrant labour and this situation was exacerbated by the health crisis.
Switching to a 100% remote follow‐up of implantable cardiac electronic devices: Organizational model and results of a single center experience
Authors: Miracapillo Gennaro , Addonisio Luigi , De Sensi Francesco , Orselli Paolo , Piccinetti Elena , Aramini Carla , Limbruno Ugo 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIntroductionDuring the SARS‐CoV‐2 COVID‐19 pandemic, the global health system needed to review important processes involved in daily routines such as outpatient activities within the hospital, including follow‐up visits of implantable cardiac electronic devices (CIEDs) carried out in office. The aim of this study is to describe our 3.5 years of real‐world experience of a full remote CIED follow‐up, evaluate the success rate of remote transmissions, and verify the adopted organizational model.MethodsFrom April 2020 to November 2023, all patients with an activated and well‐functioning remote monitoring (RM) system and automatic algorithms, like autocapture and autosensing, underwent exclusive RM follow‐up. Unscheduled in‐office visits were only prompted by remote yellow or red alerts. Patients were divided into two groups, based on available technology: Manual Transmission System (MTS) and Automatic Transmission System (ATS). The ATS group, in addition to ensuring a daily transmission of any yellow or red alerts, was checked at least every 15 days to ensure a valid connection. An automatic transmission was scheduled once a year, irrespective of alerts occurred. The MTS group provided a manual transmission every 6 months.ResultsOne thousand nine hundred thirty‐seven consecutive patients were included in the study. By the end of November 2023, a total of 1409 patients (1192 in the ATS and 217 in the MTS group) were still actively followed by our remote clinic (384 expired, 137 dismissed, 7 transferred). The overall success rate of transmissions with the adopted organizational model was 96.6% in the ATS group (connection index) and 87% in the MTS group. Conventional in‐hospital follow‐up visits decreased by 44%. Total clinic working time, resulting from the sum of the time spent during in‐hospital and remote follow‐up, after an initial increase, was progressively reduced to the actual −25%. Mortality rate for any cause was 7.5% per year in remote follow‐up patients and 8.3% (p=NS) in in‐office patients. In the ATS group, no device malfunctions were notified to our remote clinic, before we had already realized it through appropriate alerts.ConclusionsThe available technology makes moving to a 100% remote clinic possible, without overwhelming clinic workflow, safely. Adopting an appropriate organizational model, it is possible to maintain high transmission success rates. The automatic transmissions allow a more frequent control of patients with CIED.
Autoimmune blistering diseases treated with glucocorticoids: An international study of steroid‐induced myopathy
Authors: He A. , Koszegi B. , Uzun S. , Bilgic A. , Bozca B. C. , Yang B. , Daneshpazhooh M. , Boziou M. , Patsatsi A. , Kakuta R. , Takahashi H. , Nery D. , Mundin C. , Ramirez‐Quizon M. , Culton D. , McAlpine S. , Johal J. , Shulruf B. , Stone J. H. , Murrell D. F. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractBackgroundPatients with autoimmune blistering diseases (AIBDs) are often exposed to chronic glucocorticoid (GC) treatment with many side effects. Glucocorticoid‐induced myopathy (GIM) is a well‐established side effect, which particularly affects the proximal muscles. The Glucocorticoid Toxicity Index (GTI) is a validated global assessment tool which quantifies GC toxicity over time.ObjectivesThis study marks the first study which analyses GIM in patients with AIBDs. The objectives of this study were to utilize the GTI to investigate the nature and prevalence of GIM in AIBD patients and explore potential risk factors.MethodsThis international cohort study was conducted in blistering disease clinics across Australia, China, Greece, Iran, Japan, the Philippines, Turkey and the United States of America between February 2019 and July 2023. The GTI tool was completed by a medical practitioner at each patient visit. Data related to glucocorticoid toxicity were entered into the Steritas GTI 2.0 to generate an aggregate improvement and cumulative worsening score at each visit.ResultsThe study included 139 patients. There were 132 episodes of myopathy, and 47.5% of patients developed muscle weakness at some point during the study period. Cumulative GC dose correlated positively with myopathy risk, while average dose and treatment duration were not significant. Older age, male gender and obesity more than doubled the likelihood of developing GIM.ConclusionsGIM is a common side effect experienced by AIBD patients on GC treatment. Muscle weakness is less likely to occur if cumulative GC dose is less than 0.75 mg/kg/day. Studies of exercise programs to mitigate myopathy and newer alternative treatments to reduce cumulative GC dose should be considered.
Feedback‐based learning from viewpoints of surgical nursing students: A mixed‐method study
Authors: Keshmiri Fatemeh , Javadi Alireza 
Published: May 2024

AbstractBackgroundFeedback‐based learning (FBL) focuses on guiding the learning process according to educational objectives and the student's needs. This study aimed to investigate surgical nursing students' perceptions and explore their experiences of FBL.MethodThe present study used a mixed‐methods sequential explanatory design that was conducted in the quantitative and qualitative phases. Surgical nursing students participated in the quantitative phase (n = 105). In the first phase, students completed two questionnaires about FBL and clinical feedback. Semi‐structured face‐to‐face interviews were used to collect qualitative data in the second phase. Graneheim and Lundman's inductive approaches were used to analyse the qualitative data.ResultsThe mean (SD) score for students' perception of FBL was 3.99 ± 0.70. The qualitative results were explored in two themes, “motivational support for improvement” and “unpleasant learning”.ConclusionIn this study, the positive and negative aspects of FBL were explained. FBL is perceived as a motivational support mechanism to improve students' capabilities during their academic courses and also prepare them for future careers. Conversely, FBL may experience unpleasant learning due to negative feedback and negative emotions.
Systematic review and meta‐analysis of endoscopic versus medical management of peptic ulcers with adherent clots
Authors: Tassone Daniel , Kazi Shamsul , Lee Tanya , Gilmore Robert , Ding Nik 
Published: May 2024

AbstractPeptic ulcer disease is an important cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Current guidelines recommend endoscopic treatment for ulcers with active bleeding or non‐bleeding visible vessels, but the optimal management of ulcers with adherent clots is unclear. We performed a systematic review of the efficacy of endoscopic versus medical management of peptic ulcers with adherent clots. A systematic literature search was performed through September 2022 (MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the effect of endoscopic versus medical management alone for peptic ulcers with adherent clots on the outcome of recurrent bleeding were incuded. A random‐effects meta‐analysis was performed to estimate the overall treatment effect. We included seven RCTs reporting on the endoscopic versus medical management of peptic ulcers with adherent clots. The pooled cohort comprised 268 patients with a mean age of 62.8 years and a mean follow up of 20 days. There was a significant reduction in the risk of recurrent bleeding with endoscopic hemostatic treatment for peptic ulcers with adherent clots, compared with medical management alone (risk ratio [RR] = 0.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.16–0.95, 268 participants). However, there was no difference in mortality (RR = 0.90, 95% CI 0.23–3.59, 52 participants) or need for ulcer surgery (RR = 0.48, 95% CI 0.10–2.28, 52 participants) between endoscopic and medical management groups. In summary, there was evidence for a reduction in recurrent bleeding from peptic ulcers with adherent clots treated with endoscopic hemostatic techniques compared with medical management alone but no difference in rates of mortality or need for surgery.
Exit wave reconstruction of a focal series of images with structural changes in high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy
Authors: Zhang Xiaohan , Chen Shaowen , Wang Shuya , Huang Ying , Jin Chuanhong , Lin Fang 
Published: May 2024

AbstractHigh‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images can capture the atomic‐resolution details of the dynamically changing structure of nanomaterials. Here, we propose a new scheme and an improved reconstruction algorithm to reconstruct the exit wave function for each image in a focal series of HRTEM images to reveal structural changes. In this scheme, the wave reconstructed from the focal series of images is treated as the initial wave in the reconstruction process for each HRTEM image. Additionally, to suppress noise at the frequencies where the signal is weak due to the modulation of the lens transfer function, a weight factor is introduced in the improved reconstruction algorithm. The advantages of the new scheme and algorithms are validated by using the HRTEM images of a natural specimen and a single‐layer molybdenum disulphide. This algorithm enables image resolution enhancement and lens aberration removal, while potentially allowing the visualisation of the structural evolution of nanostructures.
Seeds of empire or seeds of friendship? The politics of the diffusion of Chinese cotton seeds in Tajikistan
Authors: Hofman Irna 
Published: May 2024

AbstractChina's nascent role in the global agrifood regime manifests itself in varied ways across the world, including in the rising spread of Chinese agricultural inputs in foreign markets. This article examines the character and dynamics of a Chinese seed company in Tajikistan, a country in which China's influence has grown substantially since the early 2010s. Focussing on Tajikistan's politicized cotton sector, I analyse the multiscalar and multiactor processes involved in the promotion of Chinese cotton seed and illuminate that Chinese seed breeders strategically tapped into Chinese state funds for their commercial seed business. However, Tajik actors as well as socio‐economic, technical, and political factors have played a crucial role in mediating the Chinese presence and the commodification of seed. I contend that Tajik farmers' seed selection is not significantly influenced by, what could be called, grand politics. Furthermore, I demonstrate that, while the Chinese state plays a central role in the globalization of seed companies, the materialization of state capital has been shaped by private actors, who operate according to capitalist rationality.
Extensive scintigraphic gastric motor function testing with concurrent symptom recording predicts prospectively measured daily dyspeptic symptoms
Authors: Wang Xiao Jing , O'Connor Michael , Peck Taylor , Johnston Geoffrey , Prichard David O. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractBackgroundAbsent “organic” disease, dyspeptic symptoms may arise from abnormal gastric sensation, accommodation, motility or emptying (GE). Extensive gastric sensorimotor evaluation is rarely undertaken because testing is prolonged, invasive, poorly tolerated or unavailable.AimsTo investigate whether gastric antral motor function, evaluated with scintigraphy, predicts GE. To explore whether motor testing with symptom recording predicts day‐to‐day symptoms in patients with dyspepsia.MethodsGE was determined using a scintigraphic solid‐meal protocol (296 kcal, 35% fat). Antral motility was estimated from 10 min of scintigraphic time‐activity curves acquired 40 min after meal consumption. An antral motility index (MI) was derived from contraction amplitude and frequency. Intra‐gastric distribution of the meal on scintograms at 1 h (IGD1) was determined. Meal‐induced symptoms were evaluated by questionnaire. Patients completed the Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index Daily Diary (GCSI‐DD) for 14 days.ResultsTwelve healthy participants and 23 prospectively recruited patients completed the study. Nine patients had delayed, and 2 had rapid, GE. In univariate analysis MI explained 42% of GE half‐time. In multivariate analysis MI and GE half‐time explained 25% of the variance in meal‐induced symptoms. While scintigraphic evaluation of gastric motor function with symptom recording explained 80% of the variance in the GCSI‐DD, meal‐induced symptoms were the only significant predictor. However, among patients with delayed GE, MI, GE half‐time, IGD1, and meal‐induced symptoms all significantly predicted GCSI‐DD.ConclusionsAntral motility predicts GE. In exploratory analyses, only meal‐induced symptoms predicted daily symptoms among patients with dyspepsia. However, motor function also predicted symptoms in patients with delayed GE.
Impact of protraction or orthognathic surgery for class III malocclusion on longitudinal quality of life in patients with cleft lip and palate
Authors: Gu Bocheng , Johns Alexis L. , Binhuwaishel Lamia , Dass Amarjit , Sheller Barbara , Kapadia Hitesh P. , Yen Stephen L‐K. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractObjectivesThis study assessed overall quality of life (QoL) over time in youth with cleft lip and palate (CLP) undergoing maxillary protraction treatment or orthognathic surgery for class III malocclusion to identify any differences in QoL based on treatment group and outcome success.Materials and MethodsA prospective longitudinal cohort study was conducted in two pediatric hospitals. The Short Form Health Survey (SF‐12) measured physical and mental QoL prior to treatment, at maximal correction, at treatment completion, and at 1‐year post treatment. Analyses included one‐sample, two‐sample, and paired t‐tests and analyses of variance and covariance.ResultsParticipants (N = 91) either completed protraction (n = 53) at age 11–14 or surgery (n = 38) at age 16–21. Participants were mostly Latinx (67%) males (55%) born with unilateral CLP (81%) and there were no demographic differences between the two groups other than age. The total sample's QoL was in the average range and significantly higher than national norms. No significant differences were found in QoL‐based outcome success; however, the protraction group showed a gradual physical QoL improvement over time, while the surgery group experienced a temporary drop in physical QoL postoperatively. At treatment completion, higher physical QoL was associated with higher socioeconomic status. At a year post treatment, mental QoL was significantly higher for males.ConclusionBoth protraction and surgery appear to be acceptable treatment options in terms of overall QoL for youth with CLP. While treatment success did not impact QoL, there were some differences in physical QoL coinciding with the treatment phase as well as individual factors.
NLRP3 inflammasome activity and periodontal disease pathogenesis–A bidirectional relationship
Authors: Didilescu Andreea C. , Chinthamani Sreedevi , Scannapieco Frank A. , Sharma Ashu 
Published: May 2024

AbstractObjectivePeriodontitis is an inflammatory oral disease that occurs as a result of the damaging effects of the immune response against the subgingival microflora. Among the mechanisms involved, the nucleotide‐binding oligomerization domain, leucine‐rich repeat‐containing proteins family member NLRP3 (NLR family pyrin domain‐containing 3), proposed as the key regulator of macrophage‐induced inflammation, is strongly associated with periodontal disease due to the bacterial activators. This paper aimed to present key general concepts of NLRP3 inflammasome activation and regulation in periodontal disease.MethodA narrative review was conducted in order to depict the current knowledge on the relationship between NLRP3 inflammasome activity and periodontal disease. In vitro and in situ studies were retrieved and commented based on their relevance in the field.ResultsThe NLRP3 inflammasome activity stimulated by periodontal microbiota drive periodontal disease pathogenesis and progression. This occurs through the release of proinflammatory cytokines IL‐1β, IL‐18, and DAMPs (damage‐associated molecular pattern molecules) following inflammasome activation. Moreover, the tissue expression of NLRP3 is dysregulated by oral microbiota, further exacerbating periodontal inflammation.ConclusionThe review provides new insights into the relationship between the NLRP3 inflammasome activity and periodontal disease pathogenesis, highlighting the roles and regulatory mechanism of inflammatory molecules involved in the disease process.
Personal persistence
Authors: Baber H. E. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractAccording to perdurantist accounts of persistence, transtemporal aggregates of stages, ‘worms’, are ‘the referents of ordinary terms, members of ordinary domains of quantification, subjects of ordinary predications, and so on…on the stage view…it is instantaneous stages rather than worms that play this role’. I argue the stage theory should be preferred as an account of personal persistence. I consider the way in which four‐dimensionalist accounts of personal persistence are organized and the conditions which, arguably, any plausible account of personal persistence should satisfy. I sketch a semantics for the stage theory which yields a stage‐theoretical account of personal persistence that satisfies these conditions. I argue that standard purdurantist accounts do not. I conclude that standard purdurantist accounts fail because, while persons view themselves and their worlds from the time‐bound first‐person perspective of stages, purdurantist accounts privilege the atemporal view of persons as four‐dimensional aggregates of stages or ‘worms’. Perdurantist accounts produce counterintuitive results in fission cases because there is a discrepancy between a person's time‐bound first‐person perspective and the purdurantist view from nowhen.