bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
In Vitro Antifungal Activity of White Thyme, Oregano, and Savory Oils Against Five Monilinia fructicola Isolates from the Southeastern United States
Authors: Chang Yuru , Boukari Wardatou , Riley Simon S. , Harmon Philip F. , Sarkhosh Ali , Brecht Jeffrey K. 
Published: March 2024

Monilinia fructicola is a primary pathogen causing fruit brown rot of peach during pre- and postharvest in the southeast of the United States. In this in vitro study, we assessed the antifungal activity of four plant essential oil treatments against five isolates of M. fructicola obtained from naturally infected peaches in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. The tested essential oils were white thyme oil, oregano oil, summer savory oil, and a 1:1 mixture of thyme and oregano oils. We evaluated isolates’ growth using a Gompertz growth curve model. All tested essential oils exhibited antifungal activity against all isolates, with thyme, oregano, and the 1:1 mixture of thyme and oregano oils showing no significant differences and no evidence of synergy. Savory oil showed the least effectiveness and stability of the four essential oil treatments. We observed diverse sensitivities of different M. fructicola isolates to the essential oils. The minimum inhibitory concentration values for the essential oils ranged from 200 to 500 μl/liter, and the minimum fungicidal concentration values varied from 500 to 750 μl/liter, depending on the fungal isolate and essential oil treatment. All isolates were inhibited by the essential oils at 500 μl/liter and killed at 750 μl/liter. Our findings provide a basis for future in vivo research on the use of these essential oils for controlling fruit brown rot caused by M. fructicola in peach postharvest handling. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license .
Serum Prestin Level May Increase Following Music Exposure That Induces Temporary Threshold Shifts: A Pilot Study
Authors: Iliadou Eleftheria , Plack Christopher J. , Pastiadis Konstantinos , Bibas Athanasios 
Published: March 2024

Objectives:
To determine if blood prestin level changes after exposure to music at high sound pressure levels, and if this change is associated with temporary threshold shift (TTS) and/or changes in distortion product (DP) amplitude.

Design:
Participants were exposed to pop-rock music at 100 dBA for 15 min monaurally through headphones. Pure-tone audiometry, DP amplitude, and blood prestin level were measured before and after exposure.

Results:
Fourteen adults (9 women; age range: 20 to 54 years, median age = 31 [Interquartile ratio = 6.75]) with normal hearing were included in the study. Mean prestin level increased shortly after exposure to music, then returned to baseline within 1 week, although this trend was not observed in all participants. All participants presented TTS or a decrease in DP amplitude in at least one frequency after music exposure. There was a statistically significant average threshold elevation at 4 min postexposure. Statistically significant DP amplitude shifts were observed at 4 and 6 kHz, 2 min following exposure. Mean baseline serum prestin level (mean: 140.00 pg/mL, 95% confidence interval (CI): 125.92 to 154.07) progressively increased following music exposure, reaching a maximum at 2 hr (mean: 158.29 pg/mL, 95% CI: 130.42 to 186.66) and returned to preexposure level at 1 week (mean: 139.18 pg/mL, 95% CI: 114.69 to 163.68). However, after correction for multiple comparisons, mean prestin level showed no statistically significant increase from baseline at any timepoint. No correlation between maximum blood prestin level change and average TTS or distortion product otoacoustic emission amplitude shift was found. However, in an exploratory analysis, TTS at 6 kHz (the frequency at which maximum TTS occurred) decreased significantly as baseline blood prestin level increased.

Conclusions:
The results suggest that blood prestin level may change after exposure to music at high sound pressure levels, although statistical significance was not reached in this relatively small sample after correction. Baseline serum prestin level may also predict the degree of TTS. These findings thus suggest that the role of baseline serum prestin level as a proxy marker of cochlear susceptibility to intense music exposure should be further explored.
Donor Cornea Storage Temperature: Investigation of the Time Period Immediately Before Cornea Transplantation Surgery
Authors: Andersen Karl Maeser , Da Joseph Lin , Petroll Walter Matthew , Waldrop William Hatcher 
Published: March 2024

Purpose:
Donor cornea storage temperature seems to affect tissue viability; however, the time period between removal from storage and transplant surgery has not been explored. We investigated the possible impact time at room temperature in the operating room may have on endothelial cell density (ECD) and corneal thickness (CT).

Methods:
In our simulation, transplant-ineligible corneas underwent 1 of 4 room temperature protocols. ECD (by specular microscopy) and CT (by anterior segment optical coherence tomography [OCT]), measured before and after protocols, were used to explore possible effects of time at room temperature. Control group tissue resided at room temperature only long enough for warming and subsequent ECD and CT measurements.

Results:
Corneas underwent one of the following protocols: 1) 17 (±1) minutes at room temperature (for baseline OCT measurements; n = 13) followed by 23 minutes at 35°C (to facilitate specular imaging, conducted for all 4 protocols), 2) 60 (±1) minutes (1 hour; n = 8) at room temperature, 3) 187 (±1) minutes (approximately 3 hours; n = 7) at room temperature, and 4) 416 (±1) minutes (approximately 7 hours; n = 7). Statistical analysis showed no significant difference in ECD change (P = 0.353) or CT change (P = 0.415) between protocol groups. Controlling for donor age and death-to-preservation time rendered no statistical significance.

Conclusions:
Time at room temperature did not seem to significantly influence ECD or CT measured soon after warming. Studies exploring ECD postoperatively and long-term graft survival are needed to assess the possible clinical impact of preoperative time at room temperature.
Noninvasive liver disease assessment to identify portal hypertension: Systematic and narrative reviews supporting the AASLD Practice Guideline
Authors: Rockey Don C. , Alsawas Mouaz , Duarte-Rojo Andres , Patel Keyur , Levine Deborah , Asrani Sumeet K. , Hasan Bashar , Nayfeh Tarek , Alsawaf Yahya , Saadi Samer , Malandris Konstantinos , Murad M. Hassan , Sterling Richard K. 
Published: March 2024

Background and Aims:
Portal hypertension is a serious complication of cirrhosis, which leads to life-threatening complications. HVPG, a surrogate of portal pressure, is the reference standard test to assess the severity of portal hypertension. However, since HVPG is limited by its invasiveness and availability, noninvasive liver disease assessments to assess portal pressure, especially clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH), are needed.

Approach and Results:
We conducted a systematic review of Ovid MEDLINE(R) Ovid EMBASE, Ovid Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Ovid Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Scopus from each database’s inception to April 22, 2022. We included only studies in English that examined ≥50 patients in single liver disease etiologies, which compared noninvasive tests (blood and/or imaging) to HVPG for predicting clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH; defined as HVPG ≥ 10 mm Hg) in patients with chronic liver disease. Outcomes included measures of diagnostic test accuracy. Additionally, a narrative review of studies not eligible for the systematic review is also provided. Nine studies with 2492 patients met the inclusion criteria. There was substantial heterogeneity with regard to liver disease studied and cutoff values used to detect CSPH. Blood-based tests, including aspartate-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) (56% sensitivity and 68% specificity) and FIB-4 (54% sensitivity and 73% specificity) had low accuracy measures. Imaging-based tests (transient elastography and shear wave elastography detection of liver stiffness measurement [LSM]) had better accuracy but also had substantial variation; at 15 kPa, TE sensitivity was 90%–96% and specificity was 48%–50%, while at 25 kPa, its sensitivity and specificity were 57%–85% and 82%–93%, respectively. The narrative review suggested that imaging-based tests are the best available noninvasive liver disease assessment to detect CSPH; CSPH is highly unlikely to be present at an LSM ≤15 kPa and likely to be present at an LSM ≥25 kPa.

Conclusions:
While imaging-based noninvasive liver disease assessment appeared to have higher accuracy than blood-based tests to detect CSPH, only 9 studies fit the a priori established inclusion criteria for the systematic review. In addition, there was substantial study heterogeneity and variation in cutoffs for LSM to detect CSPH, limiting the ability to establish definitive cutoffs to detect CSPH.
COVID-19-Related Work Absenteeism and Associated Lost Productivity Cost in Germany
Authors: Yang Jingyan , Rai Kiran K. , Seif Monica , Volkman Hannah R , Ren Jinma , Schmetz Andrea , Gowman Hannah , Massey Lucy , Pather Shanti , Nguyen Jennifer L. 
Published: March 2024

Objective
The aim of the study is to estimate COVID-19 absenteeism and indirect costs, by care setting.

Methods
A population-based retrospective cohort study using data from the German Statutory Health Insurance (SHI) database to define outpatient (April 2020–December 2021) and hospitalized (April 2020–October 2022) cohorts of employed working-aged individuals.

Results
In the outpatient cohort (N = 369,220), median absenteeism duration and associated cost was 10.0 (Q1, Q3: 5.0, 15.0) days and €1061 (530, 1591), respectively. In the hospitalized cohort (n = 20,687), median absenteeism and associated cost was 15.0 (7.0, 32.0) days and €1591 (743, 3394), respectively. Stratified analyses showed greater absenteeism in older workers, those at risk, and those with severe disease.

Conclusions
The hospitalized cohort had longer absenteeism resulting in higher productivity loss. Being older, at risk of severe COVID-19 and higher disease severity during hospitalization were important drivers of higher absenteeism duration.
Vaginal delivery of triplets after emergency transvaginal cerclage: A case report and literature review
Authors: Zou Tong , Wu Yi-Cheng , Yao Qiang 
Published: March 2024

Rationale:
To report a peculiar case of vaginal delivery of a triplet after emergency transvaginal cerclage and to find a way to optimize some extreme situations encountered in clinical practice after evaluating feasibility.

Patient concerns:
A 33-year-old gravida 6, para 0050 woman at 21 + 6 weeks of gestation was referred to the obstetric department for opening of the cervical canal. An emergency McDonald cerclage was performed at 22 weeks of gestation after a comprehensive assessment, and the pregnancy ended with vaginal delivery at 24 + 6 weeks of gestation. The postpartum period was normal, and the newborns were discharged to home care after treatment in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Interventions:
After discussing the risks, the patient requested emergency transvaginal McDonald cerclage at 22 weeks of gestation.

Outcomes:
Emergency McDonald cerclage was performed at 22 weeks of gestation, and the pregnancy ended with vaginal delivery at 24 + 6/25 weeks of gestation, successfully prolonging gestation by 20/21 days. The postpartum period had no exceptional circumstances, and newborns were discharged to home care after treatment in the neonatal intensive care unit for 104/98/104 days.

Lessons:
Emergency cerclage seems to be impossible in multiple pregnancies. However, in this case, after a comprehensive assessment, it was feasible to extend the gestational age by emergency cerclage, and prompt and accurate evaluation is important to avoid complications and individualize the following management. In this case, we may find a way to optimize some extreme situations encountered in clinical practice and offer a glimmer of hope for families challenged with multiple pregnancies at risk of preterm delivery. However, more high-quality studies are needed to prove the effectiveness and safety of emergency cerclages in triplets.
Effect of liraglutide on cardiac function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis of double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials
Authors: Xia Wenjing , Yu Hua , Lei Xia , Wen Pengcheng 
Published: March 2024

Background:
Liraglutide widely utilized in type 2 diabetes treatment, has elicited conflicting findings regarding its impact on cardiac function in patients with this condition. Therefore, The objective of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the effects of liraglutide on cardiac function in patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Methods:
We identified double-blind randomized trials assessing the effects of liraglutide compared to placebo on cardiac function in patients with type 2 diabetes. Data were synthesized with the fixed-effect models to generate standard mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of each outcome for liraglutide versus placebo. The risk of bias would be assessed according to the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool, while meta-analysis would be conducted using Revman 5.3.0 software. The evidence was graded based on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach.

Results:
The meta-analysis encompassed 5 RCTs including 220 participants. Results revealed that liraglutide exhibited significant enhancements in left ventricular ejection fraction [SMD = −0.38, 95%CI(−0.70, −0.06), P = .02], cardiac index [SMD = −1.05, 95%CI(−1.52, −0.59), P < .0001], stroke volume [SMD = −0.67, 95%CI(−1.02, −0.32), P = .0002] and early diastolic filling velocity/late atrial filling velocity ratio [SMD = −0.52, 95%CI(−0.82, −0.22), P = .0006]. However, no statistically significant impact on cardiac output [SMD = −0.20, 95%CI(−0.53, 0.14), P = .26], early diastolic filling velocity/early diastolic annular velocity (E/Ea) ratio [SMD = −0.34, 95%CI(−0.75, 0.06), P = .10] and early diastolic filling velocity/early diastolic mitral annular velocity ratio [SMD = 0.21, 95%CI(−0.15, 0.56), P = .25] was observed. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation evidence quality ratings indicated that all the outcome measures included in this study were evaluated as having low and very low quality.

Conclusion:
The available evidence suggested that liraglutide may exert a favorable impact on cardiac function in patients with type 2 diabetes. Consequently, the utilization of liraglutide as a preventive measure against heart failure incidents in individuals with type 2 diabetes represents a promising strategy. However, robust evidence support requires the conduct of large-scale, multicenter high-quality RCTs.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of minimally invasive versus conventional open proctectomy for locally advanced colon cancer
Authors: Peng Zhang , Ya Lu , Yichi Zhang , Dong Lin , Dechun Zhang 
Published: March 2024

Background:
Locally advanced colon cancer is considered a relative contraindication for minimally invasive proctectomy (MIP), and minimally invasive versus conventional open proctectomy (COP) for locally advanced colon cancer has not been studied.

Methods:
We have searched the Embase, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Medline, and Web of Science for articles on minimally invasive (robotic and laparoscopic) and COP. We calculated pooled standard mean difference (SMD), relative risk (RR), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The protocol for this review has been registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023407029).

Results:
There are 10132 participants including 21 articles. Compared with COP, patients who underwent MIP had less operation time (SMD 0.48; CI 0.32 to 0.65; I2 = 0%, P = .000), estimated blood loss (MD −1.23; CI −1.90 to −0.56; I2 = 95%, P < .0001), the median time to semi-liquid diet (SMD −0.43; CI −0.70 to −0.15; I2 = 0%, P = .002), time to the first flatus (SMD −0.97; CI −1.30 to −0.63; I2 = 7%, P < .0001), intraoperative blood transfusion (RR 0.33; CI 0.24 to 0.46; I2 = 0%, P < .0001) in perioperative outcomes. Compared with COP, patients who underwent MIP had fewer overall complications (RR 0.85; CI 0.73 to 0.98; I2 = 22.4%, P = .023), postoperative complications (RR 0.79; CI 0.69 to 0.90; I2 = 0%, P = .001), and urinary retention (RR 0.63; CI 0.44 to 0.90; I2 = 0%, P = .011) in perioperative outcomes.

Conclusion:
This study comprehensively and systematically evaluated the difference between the safety and effectiveness of minimally invasive and open treatment of locally advanced colon cancer through meta-analysis. Minimally invasive proctectomy is better than COP in postoperative and perioperative outcomes. However, there is no difference in oncological outcomes. This also provides an evidence-based reference for clinical practice. Of course, multi-center RCT research is also needed to draw more scientific and rigorous conclusions in the future.
Postpartum choriocarcinoma – a rare cause of delayed postpartum hemorrhage: Four case reports and literature review
Authors: Dai Guan-Lin , Tang Fu-Rong , Ma Yu , Wang Dan-Qing 
Published: March 2024

Background:
Delayed postpartum hemorrhage is rare, with an incidence of 0.5% to 2.0% in all pregnancies. The most important causes are placental remnants, infections, and placental bed subinvolution. Postpartum choriocarcinoma, a highly malignant complication of pregnancy, is a rare condition that can be easily misdiagnosed as other common causes, such as gestational remnants, and delays the diagnosis.

Methods:
Four patients visited our clinic complaining of delayed postpartum hemorrhage, combined with respiratory and neurological symptoms in 2 cases. Two cases were confirmed by histopathological examination and in addition, medical history, elevated human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) level, and imaging findings help confirm the diagnosis of delayed postpartum hemorrhage caused by postpartum choriocarcinoma in other cases. Individualized combination chemotherapies were prescribed. In the light of massive cerebral metastasis in case 2, intrathecal methotrexate injection combined with whole-brain radiotherapy was prescribed.

Results:
Due to the absence of routine monitoring of β-hCG following full-term delivery, there was widespread metastasis at the time of diagnosis. Three patients got complete remission and there is no sign of recurrence. One patient had relapse and widespread metastasis and died at home 6 months after the last chemotherapy.

Conclusion:
It is important to be aware of the possibility of choriocarcinoma in patients with delayed postpartum hemorrhage. Clinicians should improve the recognition of choriocarcinoma following full-term delivery, emphasize the monitoring of β-hCG, comprehensively analyze the general condition of patients, and conduct standardized and individualized chemotherapy protocols.
Research status and challenges of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children: A bibliometric and visualization analysis from 2011 to 2023
Authors: Liu Congcong , Wang Rui , Ge Shuyi , Wang Binding , Li Siman , Yan Bohua 
Published: March 2024

Background:

Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infections occur in regional outbreaks every 3 to 7 years, lasting up to 2 years. Since this fall, there has been a significant rise in MP infections among children in China, indicating a regional epidemiological trend that imposes an increased national public health burden. To date, bibliometric methods have not been applied to studies on MP infection in children.

Methods:
We searched for all relevant English publications on MP pneumonia in children published from 2011 to 2023 using Web of Science. Analytical software tools such as Citespace and VOSviewer were employed to analyze the collected literature.

Results:
993 articles on MP pneumonia in children were published in 338 academic journals by 5062 authors affiliated with 1381 institutions across 75 countries/regions. China led in global productivity with 56.19%. Among the top 10 prolific organizations, 8 were Chinese institutions, with Soochow University being the most active, followed by Capital Medical University and Zhejiang University. Zhimin Chen from Zhejiang University School of Medicine exhibited the highest H-index of 32. Keyword co-occurrence network analysis revealed 7 highly relevant clusters.

Conclusion:
The current research hotspots and frontiers in this field are primarily MP pneumonia, refractory MP pneumonia, lactate dehydrogenase, asthma, and biomarker. We anticipate that this work will provide novel insights for advancing scientific exploration and the clinical application of MP pneumonia in children.
Contemporary perioperative outcomes after total abdominal colectomy for ulcerative colitis in a tertiary referral centre
Authors: Stephens Ian J.B. , Murphy Brenda , Burns Lucy , McCawley Niamh , McNamara Deborah A. , Burke John P. 
Published: March 2024

Objective
Colectomy for ulcerative colitis (UC) is common despite therapeutic advances. Post-operative morbidity and mortality demonstrate an association between hospital volumes and outcomes. This single-centre retrospective study examines outcomes after emergency colectomy for UC.

Methods
Patient demographics, perioperative variables and outcomes were collected in Beaumont Hospital between 2010 and 2023. Univariant analysis was used to assess relationships between perioperative variables and morbidity and length of stay (LOS).

Results
A total of 115 patients underwent total abdominal colectomy with end ileostomy for UC, 8.7 (±3.8) per annum. Indications were refractory acute severe colitis (88.7%), toxic megacolon (6.1%), perforation (4.3%), or obstruction (0.9%). Over 80% of cases were performed laparoscopically. Pre-operative steroid (93%) and biologic (77.4%) use was common. Median post-operative LOS was 8 days (interquartile range 6–12). There were no 30-day mortalities, and 30-day post-operative morbidity was 38.3%. There was no association between time to colectomy (P = 0.85) or biologic use (P = 0.24) and morbidity. Increasing age was associated with prolonged LOS (P = 0.01). Laparoscopic approach (7 vs. 12 days P =0.01, 36.8% vs. 45% P = 0.66) was associated with reduced LOS and morbidity.

Conclusion
This study highlights contemporary outcomes after emergency colectomy for UC at a specialist high-volume, tertiary referral centre, and superior outcomes after laparoscopic surgery in the biologic era.
Prognostic value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-neutrophil (PN) index in locally advanced rectal cancer patients: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Morais Marina , Fonseca Telma , Machado-Neves Raquel , Honavar Mrinalini , Coelho Ana Rita , Lopes Joanne , Guerreiro Emanuel , Carneiro Silvestre 
Published: March 2024

Introduction:
In locally advanced rectal cancers (LARC), tumour node metastasis (TNM) staging is far from optimal. The authors aimed to investigate the value of previously described circulating biomarkers as predictors of prognosis.

Methods:
Retrospective analysis of 245 LARC patients diagnosed between January 2010 and December 2022, who underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and surgery at two centres. A Cox regression and Kaplan–Meier analysis were performed.

Results:
Post-treatment platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) predicted pathological complete response. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in two timepoints of the treatment significantly predicted overall survival, whereas the platelet-neutrophil (PN) index significantly predicted disease-free survival. In pathological stage II, the PN index predicted patients with a higher risk of disease-free survival.

Conclusion:
Blood parameters might allow the definition of subgroups of risk beyond TNM for the application of different therapeutic strategies.