bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The impact of brain cancer care coordinators on healthcare utilization and outcomes in patients with glioblastoma
Authors: Hong Martin , Leigh Lucy , Ballinger Connor , Reeves Penny , Gooley Alisha , Nixon Sandy , Paul Chris , Lynam James 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Background
Cancer care coordinators (CCCs) are recognized as having an important role in patients’ and carers’ cancer journey. However, there are no studies investigating the impact of CCCs on quantitative outcomes. We performed a retrospective cohort study investigating the impact of brain cancer care coordinators (BCCCs) on health service resource use and survival in patients with glioblastoma.

Methods
All patients diagnosed with glioblastoma between 2012 and 2019 in Hunter New England Local Health District, Australia (HNELHD) were included and the patients were divided into 2 cohorts: before and after the introduction of the BCCC. Any patient diagnosed in 2016, during the introduction of the BCCC, were excluded. The main outcomes assessed were overall survival, health service resource use, odds of being admitted to hospital after the emergency presentation, and cost-offset analysis to examine the economic implications of BCCCs.

Results
A total of 187 patients were included. There were no significant differences in overall survival between the 2 groups (mOS 12.0 vs 11.16 months, HR 0.95). However, there was a reduction in the number of ED presentations and admissions. This was associated with a 24% reduction in aggregate length of stay with the BCCC. There was no statistically significant difference in mean patient costs, however our hospital may have saved over AUD$500 000 with BCCCs.

Conclusions
The introduction of BCCC did not improve survival but appeared to be associated with reduced health resource utilization. This study provides economic justification, in addition to the established quality of life improvements, to support the presence of BCCCs.
‘Everything is Obstetric Violence Now’: Identifying the Violence in ‘Obstetric Violence’ to Strengthen Socio-legal Reform Efforts
Authors: Pickles Camilla 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Since its global uptake, ‘obstetric violence’ is increasingly used to capture any/all violations during reproductive healthcare, with few conceptual limits. Consequently, it runs the risk of becoming an overgeneralised concept, making it difficult to operationalise in socio-legal reform efforts. This article draws on the Latin American origins of the concept and aims to provide a theoretical framework to support a focused and coherent socio-legal reform agenda. It offers a universal definition of violence, being the violation of physical or psychological integrity, and localises this definition using the ‘view from everywhere’. The article proposes that violence will qualify as ‘obstetric violence’ if the violation of integrity occurs in the context of antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care. Further, the subject of the violence is the birthing woman, trans or non-binary person. Thinking in terms of a ‘continuum of violence’ in reproductive healthcare ensures that different forms of obstetric violence are recognised and helps envisage overlaps with other violences.
Osteoarthritis of zygapophysial joints as a cause of back pain and neck pain: a scoping review
Authors: Bogduk Nikolai , MacVicar John 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Background
Zygapophysial joints (Z joints) can be a source of back pain and of neck pain, but the cause of pain is not known. Some authors attribute the pain to osteoarthritis but without citing evidence.

Objectives
The present review was undertaken to determine if there was sufficient evidence of association between spinal pain and osteoarthritis of Z joints to justify osteoarthritis being held to be the cause of pain. The null hypothesis was that osteoarthritis of Z joints does not cause back pain or neck pain.

Eligibility criteria
Relevant studies were ones that provided primary data on the association between pain and osteoarthritis of Z joints. These could be population studies, diagnostic studies, or case-control studies.

Sources of evidence
The database of PubMed was searched using the terms: Lumbar or cervical, zygapophysial or facet, pain, and osteoarthritis or degeneration or degenerative.

Charting methods
Data pertinent to the research question were extracted from original articles and tabulated for reporting. Odds ratios for associations were calculated, as were the prevalence rates of osteoarthritis in subjects with pain, and conversely the prevalence rates of pain in subjects with osteoarthritis.

Results
The searches retrieved 11 population studies, 4 diagnostic studies, and 3 cases control studies. No study showed any positive association between osteoarthritis of Z joints and pain. All studies found pain to be independent of the presence or severity of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis was as common in subjects with no pain as in subjects with pain. The null hypothesis was not refuted.

Conclusion
The published evidence does not support the belief that osteoarthritis causes Z joint pain. All the evidence contradicts this belief.
Citizens’ Communication Styles in Written Public Encounters
Authors: Gilad Sharon , Freedman Michael , Ben-Nun Bloom Pazit 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Current studies of citizens’ coping behaviors in public encounters lack a direct examination of what citizens say and how they say it. Moreover, despite the ubiquity of citizens’ written communications with the state, such interactions are seldom studied. This article contributes a relational approach to studies of citizens’ coping behaviors by developing a taxonomy and detailed operationalization of citizens’ communication styles in written public encounters. This taxonomy is based on an abductive content analysis of over 1,000 citizen web contacts to an Israeli welfare agency, mostly during coronavirus disease 2019. We show that citizens’ written communications differ in their inclination to espouse demanding, pleading, civil, or neutral styles. Additionally, we tentatively show that citizens’ subjective experiences of administrative burdens and trust in government are correlated with the variation in their communication styles. The taxonomy, its operationalization, and preliminary findings open up new avenues for studying citizens’ coping behaviors in written encounters.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on 397 631 elective dental admissions among the under-25s in England: a retrospective study
Authors: Faitna Puji , Hargreaves Dougal S , Neale Francesca K , Kenny Simon E , Viner Russell M , Aylin Paul P , Bottle Alex , Ashley Paul 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Background
COVID-19 caused widespread disruptions to health services worldwide, including reductions in elective surgery. Tooth extractions are among the most common reasons for elective surgery among children and young people (CYP). It is unclear how COVID-19 affected elective dental surgeries in hospitals over multiple pandemic waves at a national level.

Methods
Elective dental tooth extraction admissions were selected using Hospital Episode Statistics. Admission trends for the first 14 pandemic months were compared with the previous five years and results were stratified by age (under-11s, 11–16s, 17–24s).

Results
The most socioeconomically deprived CYP comprised the largest proportion of elective dental tooth extraction admissions. In April 2020, admissions dropped by &gt;95%. In absolute terms, the biggest reduction was in April (11–16s: −1339 admissions, 95% CI −1411 to −1267; 17–24s: −1600, −1678 to −1521) and May 2020 (under-11s: −2857, −2962 to −2752). Admissions differed by socioeconomic deprivation for the under-11s (P &lt; 0.0001), driven by fewer admissions than expected by the most deprived and more by the most affluent during the pandemic.

Conclusion
Elective tooth extractions dropped most in April 2020, remaining below pre-pandemic levels throughout the study. Despite being the most likely to be admitted, the most deprived under-11s had the largest reductions in admissions relative to other groups.
Clinical diagnostic reference levels in neuroradiology based on clinical indication
Authors: Aly Antar , Tsapaki Virginia , Ahmed Ayman Zakaria , Own Ahmed , Patro Satya , Al Naemi Huda , Kharita Mohammad Hassan 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
This study focuses on patient radiation exposure in interventional neuroradiology (INR) procedures, a field that has advanced significantly since its inception in the 1980s. INR employs minimally invasive techniques to treat complex cerebrovascular diseases in the head, neck, and spine. The study establishes diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for three clinical indications (CIs): stroke (S), brain aneurysms (ANs), and brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM). Data from 209 adult patients were analyzed, and DRLs were determined in terms of various dosimetric and technical quantities. For stroke, the established DRLs median values were found to be 78 Gy cm2, 378 mGy, 118 mGy, 12 min, 442 images, and 15 runs. Similarly, DRLs for brain AN are 85 Gy cm2, 611 mGy, 95.5 mGy, 19.5, 717 images, and 26 runs. For brain AVM, the DRL’s are 180 Gy cm2, 1144 mGy, 537 mGy, 36 min, 1375 images, and 31 runs. Notably, this study is unique in reporting DRLs for specific CIs within INR procedures, providing valuable insights for optimizing patient safety and radiation exposure management.
LGBTQ+ People’s Perceptions of Interactions with Outgroup Members: Implications for Social Work Education and Practice
Authors: Braganza Morgan E , Hodge David R 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Engaging respectfully with individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, genderqueer, or gender-nonconforming (LGBTQ+) is an ethical imperative. To help social workers fulfill this obligation, this study explored the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ people regarding their interactions with people outside the LGBTQ+ community, and what LGBTQ+ people desire for future interactions. Narrative interviews were conducted with 11 LGBTQ+ social work graduate students and alumni to explore (a) their self-reported experiences engaging in one-on-one and small group interactions with outgroup members throughout their lives and (b) the meaning they gleaned from their life experiences across various domains (e.g., work, family, education) that might improve future interactions. Analysis produced six storylines that can be summarized as (1) unbalanced depictions of difference, (2) avoiding interactions, (3) managing positive treatment of an identity, (4) restricting certain perspectives, (5) focusing on differences, and (6) the importance of seeing humanity. The findings suggest several strategies for interacting with LGBTQ+ people in a more culturally sensitive way including discussing the LGBTQ+ community in a nuanced manner (as opposed to monolithically) and considering the level of attention paid to individuals’ sexual orientation and gender identity.
“The Air Is Being Sucked Out of the Room”: Experiences of Social Work Students of Color with Antiracism Education in the Classroom and Practicum
Authors: Lerner Justin E , Kim Angie 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
This study explores the experiences of social work students of color (SOC) and their antiracism education within a school of social work at a public university. Twenty-one SOC participated in focus groups where they described their experiences with antiracism education. Several key themes were identified: (a) finding community through affinity groups, (b) SOC interactions with White students, (c) differentiating internalized racism and anti-Black racism, (d) the impact of White instructors and the lack of mentors and supervisors of color, (e) microaggressions and incidents of racism, and (f) taking up space. As this is an exploratory study, authors make recommendations for social work schools to pilot in the future. These recommendations include assessing White students’ skill level with antiracism education and practice before placing them in classes with SOC, assessing faculty’s skill set with antiracist teaching and providing ongoing support, creating sustained affinity spaces for SOC as a way to booster wellness, designing and piloting antiracist outcomes for social work students, and developing simulation-based learning with simulated patients as a tool to measure antiracist practice competencies.
PLA2G12A protects against diet‐induced obesity and insulin resistance by enhancing energy expenditure and clearance of circulating triglycerides
Authors: Wu Min , Wang Qian , Li Hengchun , Tao Jiawang , Wang Zhi , Zhang Shengnan , Chen Longhui , Li Pingchao , Chen Ling , Qu Linbing 
Published: May 2024

AbstractSecreted phospholipase A2s are involved in the development of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease, which have become serious and growing health concerns worldwide. Integration of genome‐wide association study and gene co‐expression networks analysis showed that the secreted phospholipase A2 group XIIA (PLA2G12A) may participate in hepatic lipids metabolism. Nevertheless, the role of PLA2G12A in lipid metabolism and its potential mechanism remain elusive. Here, we used AAV9 vector carrying human PLA2G12A gene to exogenously express hPLA2G12A in the liver of mice. We demonstrated that the overexpression of hPLA2G12A resulted in a significant decrease in serum lipid levels in wild‐type mice fed with chow diet or high‐fat diet (HFD). Moreover, hPLA2G12A treatment protected against diet‐induced obesity and insulin resistance in mice fed a HFD. Notably, we found that hPLA2G12A treatment confers protection against obesity and hyperlipidemia independent of its enzymatic activity, but rather by increasing physical activity and energy expenditure. Furthermore, we demonstrated that hPLA2G12A treatment induced upregulation of ApoC2 and Cd36 and downregulation of Angptl8, which contributed to the increase in clearance of circulating triglycerides and hepatic uptake of fatty acids without affecting hepatic de novo lipogenesis, very low‐density lipoprotein secretion, or intestinal lipid absorption. Our study highlights the potential of PLA2G12A gene therapy as a promising approach for treating obesity, insulin resistance and T2DM.
Impact of coordinated care on adherence to antihypertensive medicines among adults experiencing polypharmacy in Australia
Authors: Lin Jialing , de Oliveira Costa Juliana , Pearson Sallie-Anne , Buckley Nicholas A. , Brieger David , Schutte Aletta E. , Schaffer Andrea L. , Falster Michael O. 
Published: May 2024

Background:
Adherence to antihypertensives is key for blood pressure control. Most people with hypertension have several comorbidities and require multiple medicines, leading to complex care pathways. Strategies for coordinating medicine use can improve adherence, but cumulative benefits of multiple strategies are unknown.

Methods:
Using dispensing claims for a 10% sample of eligible Australians, we identified adult users of antihypertensives during July 2018–June 2019 who experienced polypharmacy (≥5 unique medicines). We measured medicine use reflecting coordinated medicine management in 3 months before and including first observed dispensing, including: use of simple regimens for each cardiovascular medicine; prescriber continuity; and coordination of dispensings at the pharmacy. We measured adherence (proportion of days covered) to antihypertensive medicines in the following 12 months, and used logistic regression to assess independent associations and interactions of adherence with these measures of care.

Results:
We identified 202 708 people, of which two-thirds (66.6%) had simple cardiovascular medicine regimens (one tablet per day for each medicine), two-thirds (63.3%) were prescribed >75% of medicines from the same prescriber, and two-thirds (65.5%) filled >50% of their medicine on the same day. One-third (28.4%) of people experienced all three measures of coordinated care. Although all measures were significantly associated with higher adherence, adherence was greatest among people experiencing all three measures (odds ratio = 1.63; 95% confidence interval: 1.55–1.72). This interaction was driven primarily by effects of prescriber continuity and dispensing coordination.

Conclusions:
Coordinating both prescribing and dispensing of medicines can improve adherence to antihypertensives, which supports strategies consolidating both prescribing and supply of patients’ medicines.
Occurrence of hypertension among patients with opioid use disorder in methadone maintenance treatment
Authors: Sason Anat , Adelson Miriam , Leshno Dahlia , Schreiber Shaul , Peles Einat 
Published: May 2024

Background:
Patients in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) may develop age-related medical problems, but hypertension (HTN) proportion and its occurrence during MMT have not been studied yet. We aimed to evaluate changes in blood pressure (BP) during MMT and characterize current HTN.

Methods:
Of all 1098 ever admitted MMT patients, those with ≥2 BP follow-up measures were included (n = 516), of them all current patients (N = 245) tested for HTN (systolic BP ≥140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥90 were detected twice (one week apart) were considered as affected with HTN. Current and earliest during the first, and latest year in MMT of body mass index (BMI), BP, methadone dose and serum level, and drugs in urine were analyzed.

Results:
HTN was detected in 89(36.3%) of the current patients. The HTN and non-HTN groups did not differ by sex (P = 0.6), age (P = 0.2), and duration in MMT (P = 0.6), but had higher BMI (27.9 ± 5.2 vs. 25.6 ± 5.2, respectively, P = 0.001) and fewer had positive urine test findings for any substance (31.5% vs. 44.9%, P = 0.04). Comparing their earliest measures (before 11.9 ± 5.8 years), BP and BMI increased more among the hypertensive group, independent of methadone dose and serum levels, which significantly reduced over the years. No drug abuse was associated with increased BMI and BP.

Conclusions:
Weight gain was associated with BP elevation and characterized patients who succeeded in drug abstinence during MMT. Healthy nutrition education at admission to MMT may reduce the incidence of weight gain and HTN, therefore identifying HTN and offering treatment for this highly prevalent life-threatening condition among middle-age and older patients in MMT is recommended.
Acute Eye-Tracking Changes Correlated With Vestibular Symptom Provocation Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Uyeno Caroline , Zhang Rachel , Cornwell Jordan , Teramoto Masaru , Boo Marie , Lumba-Brown Angela 
Published: May 2024

Objectives:
To quantify norms and changes in eye-tracking proficiency, and determine vestibular symptom correlations in varsity college athletes following acute mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). We hypothesized that mTBI impacts central coordination between the vestibular and oculomotor systems with resultant changes in eye-tracking proficiency that are correlated with vestibular symptom provocation.

Design:
Retrospective cohort study.

Setting:
Sports medicine care at a single institution.

Patients:
One hundred and nineteen college athletes diagnosed with mTBI by a physician between 2013 and 2019.

Interventions:
N/A.

Main Outcome Measures:
Standard deviation of tangential error, standard deviation of radian error, mean phase error, and horizontal gain from virtual reality-based, circular eye-tracking goggles used at baseline and within 72 hours post-mTBI. Headache, dizziness, nausea, and fogginess provocation after the Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS) smooth pursuits subtest compared with pretest baseline, assessed within 72 hours post-mTBI.

Results:
One hundred and nineteen college athletes (N = 56 women and 63 men) aged 18 to 24 years sustained a total of 177 mTBI. Forty-four percent of athletes displayed abnormal eye-tracking on at least 1 eye-tracking measure following acute mTBI compared with their baseline. From the VOMS, horizontal gain showed medium-sized to large-sized positive correlations with headache (r = 0.34) and dizziness (r = 0.54), respectively. Mean phase error showed a medium-sized negative correlation with nausea (r = −0.32) on the VOMS.

Conclusions:
Eye-tracking proficiency was impaired and correlated with vestibular symptom provocation following acute mTBI in college athletes. Future research should examine eye-tracking proficiency testing in other acute care settings to support mTBI diagnosis.
Alpha-Gal syndrome as a novel food allergy: a case report study
Authors: Ghelichi-Ghojogh Mousa , Ghezeljeh Edris , Delavari Sahar , Aghapour Seyed Ali 
Published: May 2024

Introduction and importance:
Alpha-Gal syndrome (AGS), a distinct form of mammalian meat allergy, presents unique characteristics that set it apart from typical IgE-mediated food hypersensitivities. AGS induces an allergic response typically 3–6 h post-ingestion of mammalian meat, such as beef, pork, or lamb. This prolonged reaction time differentiates AGS from other food allergies, which usually provoke a more immediate response.

Case presentation:
The authors present a case of a 35-year-old male patient who, unbeknownst to him, had been experiencing symptoms consistent with Alpha-Gal allergy for several years. His symptoms only subsided upon the complete elimination of mammalian meat from his diet. It was only then that the possibility of AGS was considered. Complete abstinence from mammalian meat, meat by-products, and other α-Gal containing foods is the most effective preventative strategy for AGS. No definitive cure for AGS has been established as of now. Treatment protocols for hypersensitivity reactions are contingent upon the severity of the reaction, with therapies ranging from antihistamine medications to the administration of epinephrine.

Conclusion:
There is considerable variability among AGS patients concerning the consumption of dairy products. Some individuals with AGS can safely consume dairy products without any adverse reactions, while others are advised to abstain due to potential allergenic responses. This variability in dairy tolerance among AGS patients warrants further investigation.
Association between bronchial asthma and TSLP gene polymorphism: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Shrestha Abhigan B. , Pokharel Pashupati , Singh Harendra , Shrestha Sajina , Shrestha Shubham , Sedhai Yub Raj 
Published: May 2024

Aims:
This study entails an association between bronchial asthma and common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) gene; rs2289278, rs3806933, rs2289276, and rs1837253.

Methods:
The databases of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched for studies reporting TSLP polymorphisms and asthma from inception to January 2022. Hardy–Weinberg equilibriums (HWE) for each polymorphism of the control group were checked using the χ
2 test. The association was estimated by means of odds ratio (OR) with 95% CI in both dominant and recessive modes of inheritance, respectively.

Results:
Altogether, 11 studies with 3121 asthma cases and 3041 healthy controls were added. Results from six studies showed that the SNP rs2289278 had a protective role in asthma development (OR=0.65, 95% CI: 0.44–0.97, P=0.04). Pooling of four studies showed that the SNP rs3806933 had higher odds of developing asthma (OR=1.32, 95% CI:1.14–1.54, P<0.01). However, the SNP rs2289276 and rs1837253 showed no significant association. From the subgroup analysis, SNPs rs2289278 and rs1837253 were protective against the development of asthma in Asia. However, SNP rs2289276 showed a risk association in Asia and in adults.

Conclusion:
This meta-analysis shows that the SNP rs2289278 has a protective effect on the development of asthma; whereas rs3806933 has a risk of asthma. Additionally, this study adds genomic-based support to the recent FDA approval of tezepelumab, an anti-TSLP agent.