bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Barriers and Facilitators to Administering Burn Pit Registry Exams in VHA Facilities
Authors: Chen Patricia V , Christie Israel C , Godwin Kyler M , Han Jaehwan , Jani Nisha , Sotolongo Anays , Ali Asma , Helmer Drew A 
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACT

Introduction
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) established the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry (AHOBPR) in 2014 to address exposure concerns for veterans who have served in military operations in Southwest Asia and Afghanistan. By 2021, over 236,086 veterans completed the online questionnaire and 60% requested an AHOBPR examination. Of those requesting an exam, only 12% had an exam recorded in their medical record. This article summarizes barriers and facilitators to delivering AHOBPR exams and shares lessons learned from facilities who have successfully implemented burn pit exams for veterans.

Materials and Methods
We (I.C.C and J.H.) constructed a key performance measure of AHOBPR examination (the ratio of examinations performed in facility over examinations assigned to a facility) to identify top performing facilities and then used stratified purposeful sampling among high-performing sites to recruit a diverse set of facilities for participation. We (P.V.C. and A.A.) recruited and interviewed key personnel at these facilities about their process of administering burn pit exams. Rapid qualitative methods were used to analyze interviews.

Results
The ratio of exams performed to exams assigned ranged from 0.00 to 14.50 for the 129 facilities with available information. Twelve interviews were conducted with a total of 19 participants from 10 different facilities. We identified 3 barriers: Unclear responsibility, limited incentives and competing duties for personnel involved, and constrained resources. Facilitators included the presence of an internal facilitator, additional staff support, and coordination across a facility’s departments to provide care.

Conclusions
Gaps across many VHA facilities to provide AHOBPR exams may be understood as stemming from organizational issues related to clear delegation of responsibility and staffing issues. VHA facilities that wish to increase AHOBPR exams for veterans may need additional administrative and medical staff.
p21/Zbtb18 repress the expression of cKit to regulate the self-renewal of hematopoietic stem cells
Authors: Wang Nini , Yang Shangda , Li Yu , Gou Fanglin , Lv Yanling , Zhao Xiangnan , Wang Yifei , Xu Chang , Zhou Bin , Dong Fang , Ju Zhenyu , Cheng Tao , Cheng Hui 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
The maintenance of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is a complex process involving numerous cell-extrinsic and -intrinsic regulators. The first member of the cyclin-dependent kinase family of inhibitors to be identified, p21, has been reported to perform a wide range of critical biological functions, including cell cycle regulation, transcription, differentiation, and so on. Given the previous inconsistent results regarding the functions of p21 in HSCs in a p21-knockout mouse model, we employed p21-tdTomato (tdT) mice to further elucidate its role in HSCs during homeostasis. The results showed that p21-tdT+ HSCs exhibited increased self-renewal capacity compared to p21-tdT− HSCs. Zbtb18, a transcriptional repressor, was upregulated in p21-tdT+ HSCs, and its knockdown significantly impaired the reconstitution capability of HSCs. Furthermore, p21 interacted with ZBTB18 to co-repress the expression of cKit in HSCs and thus regulated the self-renewal of HSCs. Our data provide novel insights into the physiological role and mechanisms of p21 in HSCs during homeostasis independent of its conventional role as a cell cycle inhibitor.
Existence and Nonexistence of Solutions of Minkowski-Curvature Problems in Exterior Domains
Authors: Chen Tianlan , Wu Haiyi 
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACT
In this paper, we show some nonexistence results of radial solutions for the following Minkowski curvature problems in an exterior domain: $$ \begin{cases} \ -\text{div} \big(\phi(\nabla v(x))\big)=k(x)f(v(x)), \quad\quad x\in\Omega,\\ \ v=0\ \text{on} \ \partial\Omega, \qquad\lim\limits_{x\rightarrow\infty}v(x)=0\\ \end{cases} $$ for R sufficiently large, where $\phi(s)=\frac{s}{\sqrt{1-s^{2}}}$ for $s\in{\mathbb R}$ with $s^2\lt1,$ $\Omega=\{x\in{{\mathbb R}^{N}}:\ |x| \gt R\}$, $N\geq3$ is an integer, $|\cdot|$ denotes the Euclidean norm on $\mathbb{R}^{N}$, R is a positive parameter, $f:\mathbb{R}\rightarrow\mathbb{R}$ is an odd and locally Lipschitz continuous function and $k \in C^{1}(\mathbb{R}^{+},\ \mathbb{R}^{+})$ with $\mathbb{R}^{+}=(0, +\infty)$. We also apply the fixed-point index theory to establish the existence of positive radial solutions of the above problems for R sufficiently small.
Multidimensional neural representations of social features during movie viewing
Authors: Lee Masson Haemy , Chang Lucy , Isik Leyla 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe social world is dynamic and contextually embedded. Yet, most studies utilize simple stimuli that do not capture the complexity of everyday social episodes. To address this, we implemented a movie viewing paradigm and investigated how everyday social episodes are processed in the brain. Participants watched one of two movies during an MRI scan. Neural patterns from brain regions involved in social perception, mentalization, action observation and sensory processing were extracted. Representational similarity analysis results revealed that several labeled social features (including social interaction, mentalization, the actions of others, characters talking about themselves, talking about others and talking about objects) were represented in the superior temporal gyrus (STG) and middle temporal gyrus (MTG). The mentalization feature was also represented throughout the theory of mind network, and characters talking about others engaged the temporoparietal junction (TPJ), suggesting that listeners may spontaneously infer the mental state of those being talked about. In contrast, we did not observe the action representations in the frontoparietal regions of the action observation network. The current findings indicate that STG and MTG serve as key regions for social processing, and that listening to characters talk about others elicits spontaneous mental state inference in TPJ during natural movie viewing.
Australasian Sleep Association 2024 guidelines for sleep studies in adults
Authors: Ellender Claire M , Ruehland Warren R , Duce Brett , Joyce Rosemarie , Worsnop Christopher , Mercer Jeremy , Naughton Matthew , Hukins Craig A , Wheatley John , Cunnington David 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Executive summary: This document is a consensus statement of a subcommittee of experienced sleep physicians and scientists, tasked to review the literature and formulate recommendations on the indications, performance, and reporting of sleep studies, to update clinical practice from the 2017 Australasian Sleep Association (ASA) guidelines for sleep studies in adults (Douglas JA, Chai-Coetzer CL, McEvoy D, et al. Guidelines for sleep studies in adults - a position statement of the Australasian Sleep Association. Sleep Med. 2017;36(Suppl 1):S2–S22. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2017.03.019). This document moves the focus beyond important discussions outlined in the 2017 guidelines, particularly surrounding the sensitivity and specificity of validated questionnaires and home sleep studies. The 2024 guide outlines the performance of the broad range of sleep testing available for the investigations of sleep disorders in adults including indications, strengths, limitations, and reporting standards.
Prevalence and mortality of haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in dengue fever: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Ong Leong Tung , Balasubramaniam Roovam 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Background
Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare complication of dengue fever with potentially life-threatening consequences and high mortality. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the prevalence, management and outcome of HLH in dengue fever.

Methods
The major electronic databases, including PubMed, ScienceDirect and Ovid SP, were searched from inception until 31 January 2024 to identify relevant studies. Pooled prevalence and mortality were calculated using the random-effects generic inverse variance model with a 95% CI. All the statistical analysis was conducted using R programming.

Results
A total of nine studies with 157 patients with HLH, 576 patients with severe dengue and 5081 patients with dengue fever were included in this meta-analysis. The prevalence of HLH in severe dengue (22.1%, 95% CI 8.07 to 48.0%) was significantly higher than the prevalence in dengue fever (3.12%, 95% CI 0.37 to 21.9%). The prevalence of HLH in severe dengue was higher in the paediatric population (22.8%, 95% CI 3.9 to 68.4%) compared with the adult population (19.0%, 95% CI 3.0 to 63.9%). The overall mortality rate was 20.2% (95% CI 9.7 to 37.2%).

Conclusion
The prevalence of dengue-associated HLH was low in patients with dengue fever but is significantly higher in patients with severe dengue and a high mortality rate.
Biomechanical Effect of Different Posterior Fixation Techniques on Stability and Adjacent Segment Degeneration in Treating Thoracolumbar Burst Fracture With Osteoporosis
Authors: Zhang Guodong , Li Jianyi , Zhang Li , Song Jie , Shao Jiale , Lv Changlin , Bai Tianyu , Du Yukun , Xi Yongming 
Published: May 2024

Study Design.
Finite element analysis.

Objective.
To investigate the biomechanical effect of four posterior fixation techniques on stability and adjacent segment degeneration in treating thoracolumbar burst fractures with osteoporosis.

Summary of Background Data.
In terms of stability and adjacent segment degeneration, there remains no consensus or guidelines on the optimal technique for the treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures in patients with osteoporosis.

Materials and Methods.
Images of CT scans were imported into MIMICS and further processed by Geomagic to build three-dimensional models of the T10-L5 region. A v-shaped osteotomy was performed on the L1 vertebral body to simulate a burst fracture in the setting of osteoporosis. Subsequently, four fixation techniques were designed using SolidWorks software. Range of motion (ROM) of the global spine, ROM distribution, ROM of adjacent segment, Von Mises stress on adjacent intervertebral disks, and facet joints were analyzed.

Results.
Among the four groups, the cortical bone screw fixation (CBT) showed the highest global ROM at 1.86°, while long-segmented pedicle screw fixation (LSPS) had the lowest global ROM at 1.25°. The LSPS had the smallest percentage of ROM of fractured vertebral body to fixed segment at 75.04%, suggesting the highest stability after fixation. The maximum ROM of the adjacent segment was observed in the CBT at 1.32°, while the LSPS exhibited the smallest at 0.89°. However, the LSPS group experienced larger maximum stress on the adjacent intervertebral disks (9.60 MPa) and facet joints (3.36 MPa), indicating an increasing risk of adjacent segment disease.

Conclusion.
LSPS provided the greatest stability, while CBT provided the smallest amount of stability. However, the elevated stress on adjacent intervertebral disks and facet joints after LSPS fixation increased the possibility of adjacent segment degeneration. Cement-augmented pedicle screw fixation (CAPS) and combined cortical bone screw and pedicle screw fixation (CBT-PS) demonstrated significant biomechanical advantages in providing moderate fixation strength while reducing stress on the intervertebral disks and facet joints.
Photochemical Crosslinking of Tarsal Collagen as a Treatment for Eyelid Laxity: Evaluation in Ex Vivo Human Tissue
Authors: Manta Alexandra I. , Pop Nadja E. , Tripon Robert G. , Vultur Florina , Suzuki Shuko , Cordos Bogdan A. , Radu Carmen C. , Hogea Timur , Carasca Cosmin , Horvath Karin U. , Muntean George A. , Siserman Vasile C. , Cotoi Ovidiu S. , Radford Mark H. B. , Chirila Traian V. 
Published: May 2024

Purpose:
Experimental investigation in human eyelids to confirm that exposing excised tarsal plates to ultraviolet-A radiation can induce a stiffening effect through the riboflavin-photosensitized crosslinking of tarsal collagen.

Methods:
Thirteen tarsal plates excised from nonfrozen human cadavers were irradiated with ultraviolet-A rays (365 nm wavelength) at an irradiance of 75 mW/cm2 for 3 minutes, equivalent to a radiation fluence of 13.5 J/cm2, in the presence of a riboflavin derivative as a photosensitizer. The tensile stress (strength) and Young’s modulus (stiffness) of both nonirradiated and irradiated specimens were measured with the BioTester 5000 in the uniaxial mode at a strain of 10% and analyzed statistically. Individual specimens excised from 2 cadavers were also examined by routine histopathologic protocols to assess the effect of radiation on the Meibomian glands and collagen organization.

Results:
The irradiation enhanced both stiffness and strength of the human tarsal specimens, the difference between the test samples and controls being statistically significant (p < 0.0002 for n = 13). Histology indicated no damage to tarsal connective tissue or to Meibomian glands, and revealed a more compact packing of the collagen network located around the glands, which may be beneficial. The existence of collagen compaction was also supported by the reduction of samples’ thickness after irradiation (p = 0.0645).

Conclusions:
The irradiation of tarsal tissue with ultraviolet-A light of tarsus appears to be a safe and effective method for reducing eyelid laxity in human patients.
Cultivating a “Feminine” Surgical Culture: Lessons from Indonesia
Authors: Sanders Hayley M. , Cullen Clara M. , Benítez Trista M. , Prasetyono Theddeus , Chung Kevin C. 
Published: May 2024

Background:
Although the number of female physicians in the United States has been increasing, most practicing surgeons in the United States are men. By contrast, Indonesia has achieved notable gender parity among surgeons, with the number of women practicing as plastic surgeons projected to soon surpass that of men. Achieving greater female representation in plastic surgery is important for delivering high-quality care, especially in the face of physician shortages and high burnout rates.

Methods:
This survey study was conducted at the 26th annual scientific meeting of the Indonesian Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons, in Manado, Indonesia, in August 2023. Respondents were asked about their perceptions of plastic surgery, mentorship, career motivations, and caregiving responsibilities. Responses were scored using a 3-point Likert scale of agreement with statements (disagree, neutral, or agree); χ2 and Fisher exact tests were performed to assess differences in responses by sex.

Results:
In this validated survey of 175 plastic surgeon trainees and attendings, there were no significant differences between sexes in the perception and roles of mentorship in preparing for a career in plastic surgery. Respondents from both sexes espoused optimistic views on work–life balance items, including time for family and friends and flexibility of work schedules.

Conclusions:
Indonesia can serve as a model for encouraging greater gender parity in plastic surgery. Community-level interventions, such as family leave policies, childcare provisions, and initiatives to promote an inclusive culture, will create a more supportive workplace to increase women’s representation in plastic surgery in the United States and around the world.
FDG PET/CT Findings of Primary Pulmonary Choriocarcinoma in a Postmenopausal Woman
Authors: Zhang Jun , Dong Aisheng , Wang Yang 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Choriocarcinomas usually occur in the genital tracts of reproductive-age women after a gestational event. Primary pulmonary choriocarcinoma is very rare. We describe FDG PET/CT findings of primary pulmonary choriocarcinoma with multiple intrapulmonary metastases in a postmenopausal woman with elevated serum beta human chorionic gonadotropin level. On FDG PET/CT, the large primary lung tumor showed intense FDG uptake (SUVmax, 46), and the small intrapulmonary metastases showed variable FDG uptake (SUVmax, 27). Primary pulmonary choriocarcinoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of FDG-avid pulmonary lesions with elevated serum beta human chorionic gonadotropin levels, including metastatic choriocarcinoma and lung cancer.
Upper Extremity Nerve Transfers for Treatment of Nerve Injury After Cervical Spine Surgery
Authors: Doucet Véronique M. , Clark Tod A. , Giuffre Jennifer L. 
Published: May 2024

Purpose
Nerve transfers to restore or augment function after spinal cord injury is an expanding field. There is a paucity of information, however, on the use of nerve transfers for patients having undergone spine surgery. The incidence of neurologic deficit after spine surgery is rare but extremely debilitating. The purpose of this study was to describe the functional benefit after upper extremity nerve transfers in the setting of nerve injury after cervical spine surgery.

Methods
A single-center retrospective review of all patients who underwent nerve transfers after cervical spine surgery was completed. Patient demographics, injury features, spine surgery procedure, nerve conduction and electromyography study results, time to referral to nerve surgeon, time to surgery, surgical technique and number of nerve transfers performed, complications, postoperative muscle testing, and subjective outcomes were reviewed.

Results
Fourteen nerve transfers were performed in 6 patients after cervical spine surgery. Nerve transfer procedures consisted of a transfer between a median nerve branch of flexor digitorum superficialis into a biceps nerve branch, an ulnar nerve branch of flexor carpi ulnaris into a brachialis nerve branch, a radial nerve branch of triceps muscle into the axillary nerve, and the anterior interosseous nerve into the ulnar motor nerve. Average patient age was 55 years; all patients were male and underwent surgery on their left upper extremity. Average referral time was 7 months, average time to nerve transfer was 9 months, and average follow-up was 21 months. Average preoperative muscle grading was 0.9 of 5, and average postoperative muscle grading was 4.1 of 5 (P < 0.00001).

Conclusions
Upper extremity peripheral nerve transfers can significantly help patients regain muscle function from deficits secondary to cervical spine procedures. The morbidity of the nerve transfers is minimal with measurable improvements in muscle function.
Application of Carbon Nanoparticles in Transoral Endoscopic Thyroidectomy Vestibular Approach for Unilateral Papillary Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Zhang Wei-dong , Le Qi , Yu Ke-jie , Wang Ying-chun , Wu Xian-jiang 
Published: May 2024

Background:
Transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA) is newly applied technology. Carbon nanoparticles (CNs) are novel lymph node tracers that have been widely used in China to help remove central lymph nodes (CLNs) and protect the parathyroid glands (PGs) in open thyroid cancer surgery. This study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of CNs in TOETVA.

Materials and Methods:
A total of 158 patients who underwent TOETVA with unilateral papillary thyroid carcinoma were enrolled in this study from March 2019 to February 2022. The participants were divided into a CNs group (n=88) and a control group (n=70), based on whether they received a intraoperative injection of CNs or not. Meanwhile, the CNs group were additionally divided into 2 subgroups, leakage subgroup (n=26) and standard subgroup (n=62). The 2 groups and subgroups were compared in terms of patient characteristics, perioperative clinical results, and postoperative outcomes.

Results:
All common metrics had no significant differences were found between the CNs group and the control group (P>0.05). The standard subgroup of CNs group had advantage over the control group on PGs identification (59/62 vs. 59/70 for superior PG, 56/62 vs. 52/70 for inferior PG, P<0.05). Moreover, the standard subgroup harvested more CLNs than the control group (8.97±2.96 vs. 7.47±2.93, P<0.05). More operation time was spent on the leakage subgroup of CNs group than the control group (160.00±17.61 vs. 140.00±13.32, P<0.05). Meanwhile, the leakage subgroup had disadvantage on intraoperative hemorrhage (26.15±10.80 vs. 21.21±7.09, P<0.05) and hospital durations (4.96±0.72 vs. 4.57±0.69, P<0.05). Furthermore, the leakage group identified fewer inferior PG than the control group (7/26 vs. 52/70, P<0.05). Contrary to the standard subgroup, the CLNs of the leakage subgroup was also unsatisfactory compared with the control group (4.96±1.84 vs. 7.47±2.93, P<0.05).

Conclusions:
The application of CNs suspension tracing technology has a definite effect in TOETVA. It can improve the thoroughness of lymph node dissection in the central region and enhance recognition of the PG. However, refined extracapsular anatomy is indispensable to prevent CN leakage. Leaked CNs will also be counterproductive to the operation.
Sex differences emerge after the menopause transition: Females show accelerated decline in episodic memory for spatial context at midlife
Authors: LaPlume Annalise Aleta , Lissaman Rikki , Kearley Julia , Rajah Maria Natasha 
Published: May 2024

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesThe ability to remember past events in rich contextual detail (episodic memory) declines with advancing age, with accelerated decline around midlife. Past research indicates there may be sex differences in cognitive aging trajectories and risk for age-related neurodegenerative diseases, i.e. Alzheimer’s Disease. Yet, little is known about how biological sex affects episodic memory in the adult lifespan. We examined age differences in episodic memory for spatial context in males and females.Research Design and Methods192 adults aged 21 to 65 (M=44,SD=13, 134 females) completed a face-location task measuring spatial context memory (correct spatial context retrieval rates) and facial item memory (correct recognition rates), and the California Verbal Learning Test version II (CVLT-II) measuring verbal item memory (long free recall, cued recall, and recognition rates). Changepoint regression analysis was used to estimate the slope of memory across age and any significant shifts in the slope (indicating critical transition periods).ResultsRegression analyses revealed that the best-fitting model for females on spatial context memory accuracy was a one-changepoint model, with gradual decline of 2% (SE=1) fewer correct responses per year of age from age 21 until age 50 (95% CI 41, 58), shifting to more rapid decline of 4% (SE=1) fewer correct responses per year of age until age 65. The best fitting model for males on spatial context memory accuracy was linear, with no significant changes across ages. The best fitting models for both sexes were linear for facial item memory accuracy, spatial context memory and facial item memory reaction times, and verbal item memory accuracy.Discussion and ImplicationMales and females show similar decline on spatial context memory from young adulthood until midlife, after which females show greater decline than males. Importantly, disaggregating by sex indicated that past midlife effects on episodic memory for context may be driven by a specific group of females (post-menopausal), as accelerated decline occurred at the same time as menopause in midlife females and did not occur in midlife males.Translational SignificanceProblem AddressedWe use changepoint regression to examine how biological sex influences age differences in remembering the context of past events (episodic memory).Main outcomeFemales, but not males, showed significantly greater decline on spatial context memory (i.e., correctly recalling the location of previously learned information) after age 50, which aligns with the time of menopause in midlife females.Implications for TranslationEpisodic memory for spatial context shows accelerated decline in females after midlife compared to before midlife, but not in midlife males, indicating the potential influence of menopause on aging of memory.