bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of boron citrate supplementation on cardiometabolic factors, inflammatory biomarkers and anthropometric measures in obese patients: study protocol for a randomised, double-blind clinical trial
Authors: Naemi Mohammad , Naghshi Sina , Rostami Somaye , Safaei Ehsan , Tutunchi Helda , Ostadrahimi Alireza 
Published: December 2023

IntroductionObesity is a chronic disease with serious health consequences, but weight loss is difficult to maintain through lifestyle intervention alone. The efficacy and safety of boron citrate (BC), a novel therapeutic approach, in patients with obesity are not known. The current trial will take place to determine the effects of BC supplementation on cardiometabolic factors, inflammatory biomarkers, anthropometric measures and body composition in obese patients.Methods and analysisThis double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised clinical trial will involve 60 eligible obese participants aged 18–60 years. Participants will randomly be allocated to receive either BC capsules (containing 10 mg of boron) in the intervention group or placebo capsules (containing 10 mg of maltodextrin) in the placebo group for 12 weeks. Moreover, physical activity and dietary recommendations will be provided for both groups. To assess the dietary intakes of participants, a 3-day food record (2 days of the week and 1 day of the weekend) will be filled. Cardiometabolic factors, inflammatory biomarkers including tumour necrosis factor α, C reactive protein, interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 levels, anthropometric measures and body composition will be assessed at the baseline and end of the intervention. The findings of this study will provide evidence for the effectiveness of BC in the management of obesity.Ethics and disseminationThere are so far no reported adverse effects associated with the use of boron. This trial was approved by the Ethics Committee of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (approval number: IR.TBZMED.REC.1401.350). Positive as well as negative findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration numberIRCT20220806055624N1.
Optimal concentration of ropivacaine for peripheral nerve blocks in adult patients: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Li Jing , Pan Jiamei , Xu Ying , Wang Yi , Zhang Donghang , Wei Yiyong 
Published: December 2023

IntroductionRopivacaine is the most widely used local anaesthetic for peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs). The effects of various concentrations of ropivacaine in PNB have been investigated and compared by many randomised controlled trials (RCTs). This protocol aims to identify the optimal concentration of ropivacaine for PNB in adult patients.Methods and analysisPubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane library and Web of Science will be searched from their inception to 10 July 2023. RCTs that compare the analgesic effects of different concentrations of ropivacaine for PNB will be included. Retrospective studies, meta-analyses, reviews, case reports, letters, conference abstracts and paediatric studies will be excluded. The duration of analgesia will be named as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes will include the onset time of motor and sensory blockade, postoperative pain scores, analgesic requirements over 24 hours and the incidence of adverse effects. The study selection, data extraction and quality assessment will be performed by two independent reviewers. Data processing and analysis will be performed by RevMan 5.4. The quality of the evidence will be assessed by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not applicable. The results of this study will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42023406362.
Cohort profile: the Pregnancy Risk Infant Surveillance and Measurement Alliance (PRISMA) – Pakistan
Authors: Naz Sabahat , Jaffar Ali , Yazdani Nida , Kashif Muhammad , Hussain Zaid , Khan Uzma , Farooq Fouzia , Nisar Muhammad Imran , Jehan Fyezah , Smith Emily , Hoodbhoy Zahra 
Published: December 2023

PurposePakistan has disproportionately high maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. There is a lack of detailed, population-representative data to provide evidence for risk factors, morbidities and mortality among pregnant women and their newborns. The Pregnancy Risk, Infant Surveillance and Measurement Alliance (PRISMA) is a multicountry open cohort that aims to collect high-dimensional, standardised data across five South Asian and African countries for estimating risk and developing innovative strategies to optimise pregnancy outcomes for mothers and their newborns. This study presents the baseline maternal and neonatal characteristics of the Pakistan site occurring prior to the launch of a multisite, harmonised protocol.ParticipantsPRISMA Pakistan study is being conducted at two periurban field sites in Karachi, Pakistan. These sites have primary healthcare clinics where pregnant women and their newborns are followed during the antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal periods up to 1 year after delivery. All encounters are captured electronically through a custom-built Android application. A total of 3731 pregnant women with a mean age of 26.6±5.8 years at the time of pregnancy with neonatal outcomes between January 2021 and August 2022 serve as a baseline for the PRISMA Pakistan study.Findings to dateIn this cohort, live births accounted for the majority of pregnancy outcomes (92%, n=3478), followed by miscarriages/abortions (5.5%, n=205) and stillbirths (2.6%, n=98). Twenty-two per cent of women (n=786) delivered at home. One out of every four neonates was low birth weight (<2500 g), and one out of every five was preterm (gestational age <37 weeks). The maternal mortality rate was 172/100 000 pregnancies, the neonatal mortality rate was 52/1000 live births and the stillbirth rate was 27/1000 births. The three most common causes of neonatal deaths obtained through verbal autopsy were perinatal asphyxia (39.6%), preterm births (19.8%) and infections (12.6%).Future plansThe PRISMA cohort will provide data-driven insights to prioritise and design interventions to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes in low-resource regions.Trial registration numberNCT05904145.
Employing telepsychiatry services to assess the prevalence and identify mental health disorders using the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 in resource-constrained regions of Dadar Mansehra, Pakistan: an observational cross-sectional study
Authors: Aga Iffat Zafar , Khurram Sara Saeed , Karim Mahek , Muzzamil Muhammad , Hashmi Shahkamal , Shafique Kashif 
Published: December 2023

ObjectiveThis study aims to measure the prevalence of mental health disorders in low-resource settings through telepsychiatry and evaluate data from Pakistan’s Sehat Kahani nurse-assisted online clinics serving low-income communities. This will help to understand the magnitude and nature of the demand for contextual therapies to promote mental health. The paper will discuss the challenges faced in these settings, such as limited access to mental health facilities, stigma and opportunities telemedicine brings.DesignAn observational cross-sectional study of telepsychiatry consultations using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 to screen for depression and anxiety was conducted between October and December 2022.SettingThis research was conducted at Dadar Mansehra e-health clinics of Sehat Kahani with telepsychiatry services in Pakistan.ParticipantsThe study included 2660 participants who visited Sehat Kahani e-health clinics between October and December 2022 and voluntarily completed the questionnaire for data collection.ResultsThe study was comprised of 2660 participants with a mean age of 34.3 years. The study findings show that the majority of participants were females (98.4%), 16.9% of participants had moderate depression, and 20.8% had severe depression. Furthermore, the participants who were widowed/divorced were more likely to have depression than those who were single (OR=3.3, 95% CI (2.0 to 5.2)).ConclusionsBased on the findings, most study participants were female, and their mental health was negatively impacted. Women in Pakistan are disproportionately affected by the rising rates of depression and anxiety, and telepsychiatry therapies effectively respond to this growing need. Potentially, it is a game-changer for dealing with mental health problems. Telepsychiatry can help policymakers and mental health professionals to develop effective low-income mental health initiatives.
Policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in West Africa: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Fischer Hanna-Tina , Müller Kathrin , Wenham Clare , Hanefeld Johanna 
Published: December 2023

IntroductionFour years after the devastating Ebola outbreak, governments in West Africa were quick to implement non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) in response to the rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2. The NPIs implemented included physical distancing, closure of schools and businesses, restrictions on public gatherings and mandating the use of face masks among others. In the absence of widely available vaccinations, NPIs were the only known means to try to slow the spread of COVID-19. While numerous studies have assessed the effectiveness of these NPIs in high-income countries, less is known about the processes that lead to the adoption of policies and the factors that influence their implementation and adherence in low-income and middle-income countries. The objective of this scoping review is to understand the extent and type of evidence in relation to the policy formulation, decision-making and implementation stages of NPIs in West Africa.Methods and analysisA scoping review will be undertaken following the guidance developed by Arskey and O’Malley, the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews and the PRISMA guidelines for Scoping Reviews. Both peer-reviewed and grey literature will be searched using Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, APA PsycInfo, WHO Institutional Repository for Information Sharing, JSTOR and Google Advanced Search, and by searching the websites of the WHO, and the West African Health Organisation. Screening will be conducted by two reviewers based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and data will be extracted, coded and narratively synthesised.Ethics and disseminationWe started this scoping review in May 2023, and anticipate finishing by April 2024. Ethics approval is not required since we are not collecting primary data. This protocol was registered at Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/gvek2/). We plan to disseminate this research through publications, conference presentations and upcoming West African policy dialogues on pandemic preparedness and response.
Family-focused intervention to promote adolescent mental health and well-being in Moldova and North Macedonia (FLOURISH): feasibility study protocol
Authors: Shenderovich Yulia , Piolanti Antonio , Babii Viorel , Calovska-Hertzog Nevena , Evans Rhiannon E , Heinrichs Nina , Burgund Isakov Anita , Lesco Galina , Moore Graham , Mueller Janina , Raleva Marija , Shimbov Bojan , Simon Judit , Waller Franziska , Wienand Dennis , Foran Heather M 
Published: December 2023

IntroductionFamily-Focused Adolescent & Lifelong Health Promotion (FLOURISH) project will adapt, implement and evaluate a programme to support adolescent mental health and well-being through strategies, such as strengthening parenting practices, adolescent-caregiver relationships, adolescent and parent socioemotional skills, and social support.Methods and analysisThe project will focus on adolescents aged 10–14 years and their caregivers in North Macedonia and Moldova. The countries were selected based on implementation readiness of two organisations and a need for accessible evidence-informed services to help mitigate health risks due to economic, social and political challenges. Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH) for Parents and Teens is a family-based programme developed for low-resource settings. PLH has been adapted with input from advisory groups. The programme includes additional components to strengthen impacts on adolescents: adolescent mental health tools, based on UNICEF’s Helping Adolescents Thrive, adolescent peer support and participation booster. This pilot is first of three study phases. The pilot will be a feasibility testing of the adapted intervention and the assessment and implementation procedures to determine further refinements. The pilot will examine if the adapted programme is acceptable for adolescents, their families and providers, explore contextual factors relevant to embedding this programme into longer-term scale-up and investigate whether the programme can be delivered with fidelity and participation; whether the participants report changes in adolescent emotional and behavioural problems, well-being and other outcomes; and whether the study tools are feasible and appropriate. Pre-post adolescent and caregiver questionnaires will provide outcome data. Process evaluation will include attendance and fidelity data, and focus groups. We will examine delivery cost and resource requirements.Ethics and disseminationThe study was approved at the University of Klagenfurt (Austria), Medical Faculty at St. Cyril and Methodius University (North Macedonia) and National Committee of Ethical Expertise for Clinical Trials (Moldova). Through stakeholder engagement and dissemination, FLOURISH will advance scale-up of open-source family interventions.Trial registration numberTrial registration: ID101095528; project page:https://www.flourish-study.org/about.html;https://www.linkedin.com/company/flourish-study/
Evaluating the long-term biological stability of cytokine biomarkers in ocular fluid samples
Authors: Felfeli Tina , Park Jeff , Nestor Bret , Altomare Filiberto , Rai Amandeep S , Mandelcorn Efrem D , Chow David R , Wong David T 
Published: December 2023

PurposeThe quality of biological fluid samples is vital for optimal preanalytical procedures and a requirement for effective translational biomarker research. This study aims to determine the effects of storage duration and freeze-thawing on the levels of various cytokines in the human aqueous humour and vitreous samples.Methods and analysisHuman ocular aqueous humour and vitreous samples were obtained from 25 eyes and stored at −80°C for analysis. All samples were assayed for 27 cytokine biomarker concentrations (pg/mL) using a multiplex assay. Four sample storage durations following sample collection were evaluated (1 week, 3 months, 9 months and 15 months). Additionally, samples underwent up to three freeze-thaw cycles within the study period.ResultsAmong the 27 cytokine biomarkers, concentrations of four cytokines (Interleukin (IL)−2, IL-10, IL-12 and platelet-derived growth factor-BB) were significantly decreased by storage duration at all time points, as early as 3 months following sample collection (range of 9%–37% decline between 1 week and 15 months, p<0.001). Freeze-thawing of up to three cycles did not significantly impact the cytokine biomarker concentrations in aqueous humour or vitreous. Separability of patient-specific cytokine biomarker profiles in the principal component analysis remained relatively the same over the 15 months of storage duration.ConclusionThe findings from this study suggest that several intraocular cytokine biomarkers in human aqueous humour and vitreous samples may be susceptible to degradation with long-term storage, as early as 3 months after collection. The overall patient-specific cytokine biomarker profiles are more stable than concentrations of individual cytokines. Future studies should focus on developing guidelines for optimal and standardised sample handling methods to ensure correct research findings about intraocular biomarkers are translated into clinical practice.
Physician Variation and the Impact of Payment Model in Cardiac Imaging
Authors: Quinn Amity E. , Chew Derek S. , Faris Peter , Au Flora , James Matthew T. , Tonelli Marcello , Manns Braden J. 
Published: December 2023

Background
The influence of fee‐for‐service reimbursement on cardiac imaging has not been compared with other payment models. Furthermore, variation in ordering practices is not well understood.

Methods and Results
This retrospective, population‐based cohort study using linked administrative data from Alberta, Canada included adults with chronic heart disease (atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, and heart failure) seen by cardiac specialists for a new outpatient consultation April 2012 to December 2018. Generalized linear mixed‐effects models estimated the association of payment model (including the ability to bill to interpret imaging tests) and the use of cardiac imaging and quantified variation in cardiac imaging. Among 31 685 adults seen by 308 physicians at 136 sites, patients received an observed mean of 0.67 (95% CI, 0.67–0.68) imaging tests per consultation. After adjustment, patients seeing fee‐for‐service physicians had 2.07 (95% CI, 1.68–2.54) and fee‐for‐service physicians with ability to interpret had 2.87 (95% CI, 2.16–3.81) times the rate of receiving a test than those seeing salaried physicians. Measured patient, physician, and site effects accounted for 31% of imaging variation and, following adjustment, reduced unexplained site‐level variation 40% and physician‐level variation 29%.

Conclusions
We identified substantial variation in the use of outpatient cardiac imaging related to physician and site factors. Physician payment models have a significant association with imaging use. Our results raise concern that payment models may influence cardiac imaging practice. Similar methods could be applied to identify the source and magnitude of variation in other health care processes and outcomes.
Ovarian Tumor Domain‐Containing 7B Attenuates Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy by Inhibiting Ubiquitination and Degradation of Krüppel‐Like Factor 4
Authors: Du Bin‐Bin , Zhang Jie‐Lei , Kong Ling‐Yao , Shi Hui‐Ting , Zhang Dian‐Hong , Wang Xing , Yang Chun‐Lei , Li Peng‐Cheng , Yao Rui , Liang Cui , Wu Lei‐Ming , Huang Zhen 
Published: December 2023

Background
Cardiac hypertrophy (CH) is a well‐established risk factor for many cardiovascular diseases and a primary cause of mortality and morbidity among older adults. Currently, no pharmacological interventions have been specifically tailored to treat CH. OTUD7B (ovarian tumor domain‐containing 7B) is a member of the ovarian tumor‐related protease (OTU) family that regulates many important cell signaling pathways. However, the role of OTUD7B in the development of CH is unclear. Therefore, we investigated the role of OTUD7B in CH.

Methods and Results
OTUD7B knockout mice were used to assay the role of OTUD7B in CH after transverse aortic coarctation surgery. We further assayed the specific functions of OTUD7B in isolated neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. We found that OTUD7B expression decreased in hypertrophic mice hearts and phenylephrine‐stimulated neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, OTUD7B deficiency exacerbated transverse aortic coarctation surgery‐induced myocardial hypertrophy, abnormal cardiac function, and fibrosis. In cardiac myocytes, OTUD7B knockdown promoted phenylephrine stimulation‐induced myocardial hypertrophy, whereas OTUD7B overexpression had the opposite effect. An immunoprecipitation–mass spectrometry analysis showed that OTUD7B directly binds to KLF4 (Krüppel‐like factor 4). Additional molecular experiments showed that OTUD7B impedes KLF4 degradation by inhibiting lysine residue at 48 site‐linked ubiquitination and suppressing myocardial hypertrophy by activating the serine/threonine kinase pathway.

Conclusions
These results demonstrate that the OTUD7B‐KLF4 axis is a novel molecular target for CH treatment.
Real‐World Evaluation of an Automated Algorithm to Detect Patients With Potentially Undiagnosed Hypertension Among Patients With Routine Care in Hawaiʻi
Authors: Thompson Mika D. , Wu Yan Yan , Nett Blythe , Ching Lance K. , Taylor Hermina , Lemmen Tiffany , Sentell Tetine L. , McGurk Meghan D. , Pirkle Catherine M. 
Published: December 2023

Background
This real‐world evaluation considers an algorithm designed to detect patients with potentially undiagnosed hypertension, receiving routine care, in a large health system in Hawaiʻi. It quantifies patients identified as potentially undiagnosed with hypertension; summarizes the individual, clinical, and health system factors associated with undiagnosed hypertension; and examines if the COVID‐19 pandemic affected detection.

Methods and Results
We analyzed the electronic health records of patients treated across 6 clinics from 2018 to 2021. We calculated total patients with potentially undiagnosed hypertension and compared patients flagged for undiagnosed hypertension to those with diagnosed hypertension and to the full patient panel across individual characteristics, clinical and health system factors (eg, clinic of care), and timing. Modified Poisson regression was used to calculate crude and adjusted risk ratios. Among the eligible patients (N=13 364), 52.6% had been diagnosed with hypertension, 2.7% were flagged as potentially undiagnosed, and 44.6% had no evidence of hypertension. Factors associated with a higher risk of potentially undiagnosed hypertension included individual characteristics (ages 40–84 compared with 18–39 years), clinical (lack of diabetes diagnosis) and health system factors (clinic site and being a Medicaid versus a Medicare beneficiary), and timing (readings obtained after the COVID‐19 Stay‐At‐Home Order in Hawaiʻi).

Conclusions
This evaluation provided evidence that a clinical algorithm implemented within a large health system's electronic health records could detect patients in need of follow‐up to determine hypertension status, and it identified key individual characteristics, clinical and health system factors, and timing considerations that may contribute to undiagnosed hypertension among patients receiving routine care.
Can Large Language Models Transform Computational Social
Science?
Authors: Ziems Caleb , Held William , Shaikh Omar , Chen Jiaao , Zhang Zhehao , Yang Diyi 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Large language models (LLMs) are capable of successfully performing many language processing tasks zero-shot (without training data). If zero-shot LLMs can also reliably classify and explain social phenomena like persuasiveness and political ideology, then LLMs could augment the computational social science (CSS) pipeline in important ways. This work provides a road map for using LLMs as CSS tools. Towards this end, we contribute a set of prompting best practices and an extensive evaluation pipeline to measure the zero-shot performance of 13 language models on 25 representative English CSS benchmarks. On taxonomic labeling tasks (classification), LLMs fail to outperform the best fine-tuned models but still achieve fair levels of agreement with humans. On free-form coding tasks (generation), LLMs produce explanations that often exceed the quality of crowdworkers’ gold references. We conclude that the performance of today’s LLMs can augment the CSS research pipeline in two ways: (1) serving as zero-shot data annotators on human annotation teams, and (2) bootstrapping challenging creative generation tasks (e.g., explaining the underlying attributes of a text). In summary, LLMs are posed to meaningfully participate in social science analysis in partnership with humans.