bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Decadal Thermal Variability of the Upper Southern Ocean: Zonal Asymmetry
Authors: Song Yuanyuan , Li Yuanlong , Hu Aixue , Cheng Lijing , Forget Gaël , Chen Xiaodan , Duan Jing , Wang Fan 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
As the major sink of anthropogenic heat, the Southern Ocean has shown quasi-symmetric, deep-reaching warming since the mid-twentieth century. In comparison, the shorter-term heat storage pattern of the Southern Ocean is more complex and has notable impacts on regional climate and marine ecosystems. By analyzing observational datasets and climate model simulations, this study reveals that the Southern Ocean exhibits prominent decadal (>8 years) variability extending to ∼700-m depth and is characterized by out-of-phase changes in the Pacific and Atlantic–Indian Ocean sectors. Changes in the Pacific sector are larger in magnitude than those in the Atlantic–Indian Ocean sectors and dominate the total heat storage of the Southern Ocean on decadal time scales. Instead of heat uptake through surface heat fluxes, these asymmetric variations arise primarily from wind-driven heat redistribution. Pacemaker and preindustrial simulations of the Community Earth System Model version 1 (CESM1) suggest that these variations in Southern Ocean winds arise primarily from natural variability of the tropical Pacific, as represented by the interdecadal Pacific oscillation (IPO). Through atmospheric teleconnection, the positive phase of the IPO gives rise to higher-than-normal sea level pressure and anticyclonic wind anomalies in the 50°–70°S band of the Pacific sector. These winds lead to warming of 0–700 m by driving the convergence of warm water. The opposite processes, involving cyclonic winds and upper-layer divergence, occur in the Atlantic–Indian Ocean sector. These findings aid our understanding of the time-varying heat storage of the Southern Ocean and provide useful implications on initialized decadal climate prediction.
Association of Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 With Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Acute Cerebral Infarction Patients
Authors: Liang Libing , Chen Jingjuan , Zhang Chengguo , Luo Baigui , Zhou Tianen , Wang Xiaofeng , Wang Yukai 
Published: March 2024

Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is an inflammatory marker associated with atherosclerotic and cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to explore the association of Lp-PLA2 with carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and explore a threshold level to predict the risk of vulnerable plaques. This retrospective observational study included patients with AIS in the Neurology Department of our Hospital between January 2018 and December 2019. The study included 293 patients aged 65.29 ± 12.11 years, including 212 males, of whom 124 had carotid intima-media thickening (42.32%). Multivariable logistic regression showed that Lp-PLA2 level was an independent risk factor for cIMT (odds ratio [OR] = 1.004, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.001–1.008, P = .008). Threshold effect analysis showed that the risk of vulnerable carotid plaque occurrence increased by 2% for every 1 ng/mL increase in Lp-PLA2 level with serum Lp-PLA2 levels between 157 and 279 ng/mL; this increase was statistically significant (OR = 1.02, 95% CI 1.01–1.03, P < .001). Serum Lp-PLA2 is an independent risk factor for increased cIMT in patients with AIS, and a threshold Lp-PLA2 level between 157 and 279 ng/mL showed a higher risk of carotid plaque rupture.
Mean Square Error Estimation of Small Area Predictors by Use of Parametric and Nonparametric Bootstrap
Authors: Pfeffermann Danny , Glickman Hagit , Preminger Arie 
Published: March 2024

In this article, we propose and compare some old and new parametric and nonparametric bootstrap methods for MSE estimation in small area estimation, restricting to the case of the widely used Fay-Herriot model. The parametric method consists of generating parametrically a large number of area bootstrap samples from the model fitted to the original data, re-estimating the model parameters for each bootstrap sample and then estimating the separate components of the MSE. The use of double-bootstrap is also considered. The nonparametric method generates the samples by bootstrapping standardized residuals, estimated from the original sample data. The bootstrap procedures are compared to other methods proposed in the literature in a simulation study, which also examines the robustness of the various methods to non-normality of the model error terms. A design-based MSE estimator for the Fay-Herriot model-dependent predictor is also described and its performance is investigated in a separate simulation study. AMS subject classification: 62F10, 62F40
Patient information videos via QR codes: An innovative and sustainable approach in ophthalmology
Authors: Patel Sirjhun , Ong Wei Han , Cobb Caroline , Gillan Stewart 
Published: March 2024

Background We explore an innovative approach by transforming patient information leaflet (PILs) into Quick Response (QR) code linked patient information videos (PIVs) in ophthalmology. Our objectives are to assess the subjective utility of a PIV on glaucoma and analyse the use of QR codes as a delivery method. Methods A prospective study was conducted in Ninewells Hospital, NHS Tayside. A glaucoma PIV was created and linked to a QR code provided to 130 glaucoma patients. Pre- and post-video questionnaires evaluated the patients’ perception of using a QR code and subjective improvement in their understanding of glaucoma. Results Out of 102 responses collected, 55% of patients had no prior experience with QR codes. However, 81% of patients were able to watch the PIV. The average view duration of the video was 3:26, with 82.5% view retention. Statistically significant improvement in glaucoma knowledge was observed across all six areas questioned (p < 0.001) using a 5-point Likert scale. Overall, 70% of patients preferred PIVs over PILs, and 77% acknowledged that PIVs could be a sustainable alternative. Conclusion QR codes for delivering PIVs were well-received, with patients finding them easy to use. Our PIV on glaucoma effectively enhanced patients’ understanding of the condition.
Analysis of Psychology of Religion Content in Introductory Psychology Textbooks
Authors: Wesely Laura Priscilla , Miller-Perrin Cindy 
Published: March 2024

Background Past research on the representation of religion/spirituality in introductory psychology textbooks is dated. Objective Analyze religion/spirituality content in the nine most frequently purchased introductory psychology textbooks published within the last 5 years. Method The current study identified 27 terms that related to religion/spirituality and performed qualitative analysis of term's mentions in each textbook. Results Findings indicated that 100% of textbooks mentioned religion/spirituality, which represents an increase in mentions compared to past research. However, none of the textbooks included a specific section on the psychology of religion and spirituality. Overall, there was greater discussion-based coverage of religion/spirituality than research-based coverage, similar to past research findings, although the current study found a greater percentage of research-based discussion than previous research. Compared to past research, the current study found a greater proportion of positive coverage of religious/spiritual mentions but found that most textbooks included negative coverage of religious/spiritual mentions representing rare phenomena associated with religion/spirituality. Conclusion This study provides evidence that coverage of religion/spirituality is better represented in introductory psychology textbooks than past research, but organization and inclusion is still lacking. Teaching Implications Religion/spirituality content could be better organized in textbooks by including a specific section dedicated to the psychology of religion and spirituality.
The psychometric properties of the Six-Spot Step Test – a systematic review using the COSMIN guidelines
Authors: Aakrann Endre Bakke , Brincks John 
Published: March 2024

Objective Accurate and reliable balance measures are important for prescribing fall prevention treatments and monitoring their effectiveness. Thus, we aimed to systematically review the psychometric properties of the Six-Spot Step Test, an increasingly used measure of dynamic balance. Data sources A literature search using the free-text term “Six-Spot Step Test” was performed on 12 February 2024, in Medline, Embase, Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine and SPORTDiscus. Eligibility criteria were adults aged 18 or more, trials evaluating the psychometric properties of the Six-Spot Step Test, and English-language articles. Conference abstracts were excluded. Review methods Two investigators screened and selected data independently and assessed the methodological quality and evidence using the COSMIN Risk of Bias checklist and modified GRADE approach. One investigator extracted study characteristics such as design, population and psychometric properties. Results Of the 159 articles identified, 16, evaluating multiple measurement properties, were included in the final analysis. A total of 1319 people participated, including people affected by Stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkison's disease, chronic inflammatory polyneuropathy and older adults with balance problems. Eight articles assessing reliability (n = 618, intraclass correlations coefficient ≥0.7, minimal detectable change = 22%) and 12 construct validity (n = 1082, 83% true hypothesis, area under the curve >0.7) exhibited sufficient methodological quality with high-level evidence, while two studies (n = 167) examining responsiveness showed very low evidence. Conclusion Apart from responsiveness, robust evidence supports the reliability and validity of the Six-Spot Step Test for assessing dynamic balance in a specific group of individuals with neurological diseases and older adults. Further, it is considered feasible for clinical use.
Increased prevalence of migraine in women with inflammatory bowel disease: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Pascual-Mato Marta , Gárate Gabriel , de Prado-Tejerina Carlota , García María José , Castro Beatriz , González-Quintanilla Vicente , Madera Jorge , Crespo Javier , Pascual Julio , Rivero Monserrat 
Published: March 2024

BackgroundSome studies have suggested an association between migraine and inflammatory bowel disease. We determined migraine prevalence in a cohort of patients with inflammatory bowel disease.MethodsPatients with inflammatory bowel disease aged 18–65 years were interviewed using an ad hoc headache questionnaire. Those who admitted a history of headache in the last year answered the three questions of the ID-Migraine questionnaire. Those who answered “yes” to the three of them were classified as “definite” and those who answered “yes” to two were classified as “probable” migraine.ResultsWe interviewed 283 patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Of these, 176 (62.2%) had headache. Fifty-nine (20.8%; 95% CI 16.3–26.0%) met migraine criteria either definite (n = 33; 11.7%; 95% CI 8.2–16.0%) or probable (n = 26; 9.2%; 95% CI 6.1–13.2). When divided by gender, 12 men (9.6%; 95% CI 5.1–16.2%) and 47 women (29.8%; 95% CI 22.8–37.5%) met migraine criteria. The prevalence of migraine was increased in inflammatory bowel disease patients from the current cohort (20.8%) versus that reported for our general population for the same age group (12.6%; p < 0.0001). These differences remained significant in female inflammatory bowel disease patients (29.8% versus 17.2% in our general population; p < 0.0001), but not in males (9.6% in inflammatory bowel disease vs 8.0%; p = 0.30). Seventeen patients with inflammatory bowel disease (6.0%; 95% CI 3.54–9.44%) fulfilled chronic migraine criteria. There were no differences in migraine prevalence by inflammatory bowel disease subtypes.ConclusionMigraine prevalence, including chronic migraine, seems to be increased in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. The fact that this association was stronger for women suggests an influence of sex-related factors.
Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Psychiatric Traits and Diagnoses within a Community-based Sample of Children and Youth: Disparités raciales/ethniques dans les traits et diagnostics psychiatriques au sein d’un échantillon communautaire d’enfants et de jeunes
Authors: Dissanayake Andrew , Dupuis Annie , Burton Christie L. , Soreni Noam , Peters Paul , Gajaria Amy , Arnold Paul D. , Schachar Russell , Crosbie Jennifer 
Published: March 2024

Objective Racial/ethnic disparities in the prevalence of psychiatric disorders have been reported, but have not accounted for the prevalence of the traits that underlie these disorders. Examining rates of diagnoses in relation to traits may yield a clearer understanding of the degree to which racial/ethnic minority youth in Canada differ in their access to care. We sought to examine differences in self/parent-reported rates of diagnoses for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety disorders after adjusting for differences in trait levels between youth from three racial/ethnic groups: White, South Asian and East Asian. Method We collected parent or self-reported ratings of OCD, ADHD and anxiety traits and diagnoses for 6- to 17-year-olds from a Canadian general population sample (Spit for Science). We examined racial/ethnic differences in trait levels and the odds of reporting a diagnosis using mixed-effects linear models and logistic regression models. Results East Asian ( N = 1301) and South Asian ( N = 730) youth reported significantly higher levels of OCD and anxiety traits than White youth ( N = 6896). East Asian and South Asian youth had significantly lower odds of reporting a diagnosis for OCD (odds ratio [ OR]East Asian = 0.08 [0.02, 0.41]; ORSouth Asian = 0.05 [0.00, 0.81]), ADHD ( OREast Asian = 0.27 [0.16, 0.45]; ORSouth Asian = 0.09 [0.03, 0.30]) and anxiety ( OREast Asian = 0.21 [0.11, 0.39]; ORSouth Asian = 0.12 [0.05, 0.32]) than White youth after accounting for psychiatric trait levels. Conclusions These results suggest a discrepancy between trait levels of OCD, ADHD and anxiety and rates of diagnoses for East Asian and South Asian youth. This discrepancy may be due to increased barriers for ethnically diverse youth to access mental health care. Efforts to understand and mitigate these barriers in Canada are needed.
Comprehensive functional outcome analysis and importance of bone remodelling on personalized cranioplasty treatment using Poly(methyl methacrylate) bone flaps
Authors: Iratwar Sandeep , Roy Chowdhury Sulob , Pisulkar Shweta , Das Soumitra , Agarwal Akhilesh , Bagde Ashutosh , Paikrao Balaji , Quazi Syed , Basu Bikramjit 
Published: March 2024

Cranioplasty involves the surgical reconstruction of cranial defects arising as a result of various factors, including decompressive craniectomy, cranial malformations, and brain injury due to road traffic accidents. Most of the modern decompressive craniectomies (DC) warrant a future cranioplasty surgery within 6–36 months. The conventional process of capturing the defect impression and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) flap fabrication results in a misfit or misalignment at the site of implantation. Equally, the intra-operative graft preparation is arduous and can result in a longer surgical time, which may compromise the functional and aesthetic outcomes. As part of a multicentric pilot clinical study, we recently conducted a cohort study on ten human subjects during 2019–2022, following the human ethics committee approvals from the participating institutes. In the current study, an important aspect of measuring the extent of bone remodelling during the time gap between decompressive craniectomy and cranioplasty was successfully evaluated. The sterilised PMMA bone flaps were implanted at the defect area during the cranioplasty surgery using titanium mini plates and screws. The mean surgery time was 90 ± 20 min, comparable to the other clinical studies on cranioplasty. No signs of intra-operative and post-operative complications, such as cerebrospinal fluid leakage, hematoma, or local and systemic infection, were clinically recorded. Importantly, aesthetic outcomes were excellent for all the patients, except in a few clinical cases, wherein the PMMA bone flap was to be carefully customized due to the remodelling of the native skull bone. The extent of physiological remodelling was evaluated by superimposing the pre-operative and post-operative CT scan data after converting the defect morphology into a 3D model. This study further establishes the safety and efficacy of a technologically better approach to fabricate patient-specific acrylic bone flaps with improved surgical outcomes. More importantly, the study outcome further demonstrates the strategy to address bone remodelling during the patient-specific implant design.
Cost-benefit Analysis of Adopting Blockchain Technology in the Radiology Unit of a District Hospital
Authors: Apipi Munir , Abdul Rasid Siti Zaleha , Basiruddin Rohaida 
Published: March 2024

Background Blockchain technology has better security and immutable features, which are beneficial for healthcare data management. Decentralisation data management allows better sharing of medical images between units and departments. Objectives The objectives of this study were to determine the cost of adopting the blockchain-based system for medical images and the cost-benefit analysis for five years of adoption of this technology at a district hospital in Malaysia. Methodology Data regarding the yearly costs and workload for 2016 until 2018 were collected from a district hospital in Malaysia. The cost of blockchain implementation was obtained from a company that developed this technology. The cost-benefit analysis was done using the capital budgeting method for five years of this technology adoption. Sensitivity analysis was done to assess uncertainty conditions during this adoption. Results The total yearly cost of Radiology Unit for 2018 was MYR490,168.96. The cost for adopting blockchain technology was MYR80,000 for the software, MYR115,000 for upgrading the assets and yearly maintenance cost was MYR16,000. The total present value of net benefits for five years of technology adoption was MYR865,295.01. Sensitivity analysis shows that consumables cost-saving is the most sensitive variable. Most pessimistic situation analyses showed positive net benefits. Conclusion The adoption of blockchain technology in managing medical images offers numerous benefits to public hospitals in Malaysia. Investment in this technology can provide a good return to the organisation.
Chronic Liver Disease and Promising Therapeutic Strategy: A Concise Review
Authors: Yu Han , Wang Zhijun , Zhao Gang 
Published: March 2024

Background Chronic liver dysfunction (CLD) is a significant global health issue; alcohol use, obesity, drugs, and antibiotic and viral infections contribute to its development. However, changes in gut microbiota composition, primarily as people grow older, can also play a role in initiating and progressing liver dysfunction. Purpose This review summarizes the altered gut microbiota–mediated chronic liver dysfunction and promising therapeutic strategies for NAFLD, ALD, NASH, and liver cirrhosis. Discussion on the chronic liver disease and its therapeutic aspects The gut microbiota influences physiological processes, including immune system regulation, by promoting the production of pro-inflammatory markers and elevating the expression of toll-like receptors (TLRs) on hepatocytes, metabolisms of bile acids and choline, alteration in saturated aliphatic organic acid (SCFA) production, and food absorption. These alterations increase intestinal permeability, chronic inflammation, and liver dysfunction. Dysbiosis triggers inflammatory pathways, oxidative stress, and the production of toxic compounds that damage liver cells and promote chronic liver diseases such as alcoholic liver disease (ALD), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and cirrhosis. Age-related changes in gut motility, secretory function, and immunological function can further decline beneficial bacterial diversity and abundance and shifts in pathogenic bacterial species’ relative abundance. Conclusion Dysbiosis resulting from these age-related changes may contribute to the development of CLD. Numerous therapeutic approaches are available to restore the altered gut microbiota and reduce the risk of chronic liver dysfunction.
Comparative study of dexamethasone premedication regimens with docetaxel chemotherapy in early HER-2 positive breast cancer: A safety net hospital experience
Authors: Hager Avery , Kondle Shreya , Agarwal Amulya , Chintapenta Monica , Horadam Rochelle , Sadeghi Navid , Syed Samira 
Published: March 2024

Introduction Docetaxel can cause fluid retention reactions (FRRs) and hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs). The manufacturer recommends a multi-day oral dexamethasone premedication to prevent these toxicities, but steroid related side effects and regimen compliance remain a concern. This study aimed to determine if modified dexamethasone premedication regimens resulted in differences in HSRs or FRRs to docetaxel. We also examined side effects of dexamethasone and delays in chemotherapy. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted on 82 early breast cancer patients treated with docetaxel. Three steroid regimens were examined: IV 20 mg single-dose dexamethasone, or IV 12 mg dexamethasone with either dexamethasone 8 mg BID for three days starting the day before chemotherapy or dexamethasone 4 mg BID for three days following chemotherapy. Adverse effects, delays in chemotherapy, and reasons for delays in chemotherapy were recorded. Results The incidence and severity of FRRs and HSRs was low, with less than 10% incidence of HSRs or FRRs in any group. Delays were most common in the group receiving dexamethasone 8 mg BID for 3 days starting the day before chemotherapy (63.3%) ( p < 0.05) and were most commonly due to patient noncompliance (26%). Conclusion A single dose of intravenous dexamethasone alone or followed by lower doses of oral dexamethasone may improve patient compliance and avoid delays in chemotherapy, without an increase in docetaxel toxicity.