bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Acupuncture for fatigue in parkinson’s disease: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Li Yibo , Zhang Jingxin , Liu Xiaohan , Li Tengteng , Zhang Bingbing , Wang Xiting , Lu Tao 
Published: February 2024

AbstractBackgroundParkinson’s disease (PD) is a common movement disorder characterized by bradykinesia, rigidity, and resting tremors. Fatigue is a common disabling symptom but is easily ignored in PD. Half of the PD patients were influenced by fatigue. Acupuncture is one of the conservative treatments for fatigue related to other conditions, especially in China. Therefore, we perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the evidence for acupuncture’s effectiveness, safety, and cost benefits for the treatment.MethodsThis protocol is based on the previously published randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies. A literature search will be performed on the following database: PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Chinese BioMedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), and Wanfang Data. According to the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool and the level of evidence for results, we will assess the quality of the included studies by using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) method. The Review Manager (v5.3) software will be applied to statistical analysis.ResultsFrom the study, we will assess the effectiveness, safety, and cost-benefit of acupuncture on fatigue relief and functional improvement in patients with Parkinson’s Disease.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020163155Strengths and limitations of this studyThis paper emphasizes the importance of assessing acupuncture in treating Parkinson’s fatigue symptoms and provides methodological guidance for the evaluation of clinical evidence. This study 1) provides a research protocol, 2) facilitates the reasonable evaluation for acupuncture in the treatment of Parkinson’s fatigue symptoms, and 3) raises the potential importance of acupuncture in Parkinson’s fatigue symptoms. Due to the lack of acupuncture reports, there may be a limitation of the small sample size.
Identifying factors related to nondisclosure during clinical supervision among Chinese supervisees: Study protocol
Authors: Stefana Alberto , Youngstrom Eric A. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractPsychoanalysis is gaining widespread popularity as a therapeutic model in China. However, the absence of local accredited psychoanalytic training institutes necessitates that Chinese trainees and clinicians often receive supervision from European or American supervisors through online platforms. A key component of effective supervision is the willingness of the supervisees to disclose. This openness not only solidifies the supervisory alliance but also improves the supervisee’s self-awareness, self-efficacy, knowledge, and therapeutic skills. Emerging research highlights the significant role of cultural factors in shaping supervisory relationships. Our study aims to: (a) compare the disclosure and nondisclosure rates in clinical supervision between Chinese supervisees and their counterparts from Western cultures, and (b) examine the association between these behaviors and variables related to the therapeutic process among Chinese supervisees. We will employ a cross-sectional design, targeting Chinese psychoanalytic clinicians, both trainees and licensed professionals, engaged in individual clinical supervision. Recruitment will be primarily through the China American Psychoanalytic Alliance mailing list, complemented by snowball sampling. Data will be collected through an online survey hosted on the REDCap platform, focusing on the primary clinical supervisor of the participants and their supervisory experience. This research aims to provide insights that could enable supervisors of Chinese trainees to better understand and adapt to the relational dynamics in supervisory contexts. Additionally, it will lay the foundation for more detailed qualitative investigations into the experiences of Chinese psychoanalytic supervisees, potentially informing future supervisory practices and training methodologies.
Investigating the changing taxonomy and antimicrobial resistance of bacteria isolated from door handles in a new infectious disease ward pre- and post-patient admittance
Authors: Ackers-Johnson Gavin , Pulmones Ralfh , McLaughlan Danielle , Doyle Amy , Lewis Joseph M , Neal Tim , Todd Stacy , Roberts Adam P. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractBackgroundHealthcare associated infections (HAIs) are a significant burden to health systems, conferring increased morbidity, mortality and financial costs to hospital admission. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) further compounds the issue as viable treatment options are constrained. The hospital environment plays a significant role in the development of HAIs, with effective microbial monitoring providing the foundation for targeted interventions and improved infection prevention and control strategies.MethodsThis project sampled door handles in an infectious disease ward at the newly built Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool, UK. Sampling was performed prior to the first patients being admitted to the ward and then six and twelve months after this date. In addition to identifying all isolates, we also investigated the phenotypic antibiotic resistance of allStaphylococcusspp. identified, with further whole genome sequencing analysis of multidrug resistant isolates.ResultsPrior to patient admission, the majority of isolates identified (57%) wereStaphylococcusspp., reducing to 32% and 29% at six and twelve months respectively whereBacillusspp. accounted for 51% of isolates. No ESKAPE pathogens were identified. Antibiotic susceptibility testing of theStaphylococcusspp. showed the rates of resistance were relatively low for all isolates prior to patient admittance, with the exception of cefoxitin (56%). Overall, resistance was highest after six months of ward use, with only tetracycline showing a consistent increase in resistance at each consecutive time point. Despite an increase in isolates susceptible to all antibiotics after 12 months, the rate of multi-drug resistance remained high. Whole genome sequencing revealed the most abundant resistance genes present amongst multidrug resistant staphylococci wereblaZ(25/26),mecA(22/26) andaac6-aph2(20/26) respectively, followed byermC(15/26) which was identified in allStaphylococcus hominisisolates anddfrC(11/26) which was identified in allStaphylococcus epidermidis isolates. No isolates believed to be clonal were observed across the three time points assessed.SummaryThis study highlighted the prevalence of a resistant reservoir of bacteria recoverable on high touch surfaces. However, given all the isolates identified were unique, it would suggest that the cleaning protocols in place are sufficient, and that the observed bacteria are a result of subsequent recolonisation events. This study emphasises the importance of frequent cleaning and efficient, ongoing, environmental surveillance.
Problem-based Learning Curriculum Disconnect on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Authors: Brondani Mario , Barlow Grace , Liu Shuwen , Kalsi Pavneet , Koonar Annika , Chen Jialin (Lydia) , Murphy Peter , Broadbent Jonathan , Brondani Bruna 
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACTBackgroundDiversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) mission statements continue to be adopted by academic institutions in general, and by dental schools around the globe in particular. But DEI content seems to be under-developed in dental education.ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were two-fold: to extract information from all the PBL cases at University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Dentistry curriculum in terms of the diversity, equity, and inclusion of patient and provider characteristics, context, and treatment outcomes; and; to compare these findings with the composition of the British Columbia census population, dental practice contextual factors, and the evidence on treatment outcomes within patient care.MethodsInformation from all the 58 PBL cases was extracted focusing on patient and provider characteristics (e.g., age, gender, ethnicity), context (e.g., type of insurance), and treatment outcomes (e.g., successful/unsuccessful). This information was compared with the available literature.ResultsFrom all the 58 PBL cases, 0.4% included non-straight patients, while at least 4% of BC residents self-identify as non-straight; there were no cases involving First Nations patients although they make up 6% of the British Columbia population. Less than 10% of the cases involved older adults who make up almost 20% of the population. Only Treatments involving patients without a disability were 5.74 times more likely to be successful compared to those involving patients with a disability (p<0.05).ConclusionsThe characteristics of the patients, practice context, and treatment outcomes portrayed in the existing PBL cases seem to differ from what is known about the composition of the British Columbia population, treatment outcome success, and practice context; a curriculum disconnect seems to exist. The PBL cases should be revised to better represent the population within which most students will practice.
Effects of COVID-19 on the provision of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services in health care facilities in the Far-North Region of Cameroon
Authors: Nounkeu Carole Debora , Noumbissi Massop Giequel Corniche , Koyalta Donato , Ndongo Chanceline Bilounga , Ouabo Florent Kamkumo , Nono Bertin , Ngoufack Marie Nicole , Dharod Jigna Morarji , Juillard Catherine , Chichom-Mefire Alain , Nguefack-Tsague Georges 
Published: February 2024

AbstractWorldwide, the Joint Monitoring Program reports that one in four health care facilities (HCFs) lack functional water supply on premises, one in three lack hand hygiene facilities, and one in three lack adequate infectious waste disposal. The COVID-19 pandemics shed light on the lack of investments, the absence of infrastructures, education and policies related to WASH as well as revealed insufficient investment in healthcare safety and has brought WASH services as non-negotiable for HCFs. This study used a cross-sectional pre-post COVID-19 framework to determine the proportion of HCFs: meeting basic WASH services and, which WASH services improved post-COVID-19 in the Far-North Region of Cameroon. A total of 97 (23.04%) HCFs among the 421 that are found in the Far-North region were surveyed and located in eight (25%) of the 32 Health Districts. They corresponded to the integrated health centers category (79.4%) and the survey’s respondent was the chief of the HCF (92.8%). Approximately 75.3%, 0.0%, 48.5%, 46.4%, and 6.2% of HCFs respectively met thresholds for basic water, sanitation, hygiene, waste management, and environment cleaning services. When comparing pre- vs. post COVID-19 periods, a significant increase (8%) was noted in the proportion of HCFs as of optimal handwashing practices-related services (P=0.0026). There was also a significant increase (p=0.007) in the proportion of HCFs with cleaning protocols available. Further, none of the HCFs fulfilled all the criteria to meet basic services for all the five WASH services. In conclusion, the response to the COVID-19 pandemics only partially improved WASH services-related infrastructures in HCFs of the Far-North Region of Cameroon. The COVID-19 pandemics was a missed opportunity to strengthen WASH services. There should be a continuing encouragement of governments and funding agencies in planning and budgeting WASH in healthcare-related research and issues, and enabling the maintenance of existing WASH infrastructures in healthcare settings.
Impact of continuous labour companion- who is the best: A comprehensive meta-analysis on familiarity, training, temporal association, and geographical location
Authors: Jayasundara DMCS , Jayawardane IA , Weliange SDS , Jayasingha TDKM , Madugalle TMSSB 
Published: February 2024

AbstractBackgroundContinuous labour support is widely acknowledged for potentially enhancing maternal and neonatal outcomes and smoothing the labour process. However, existing literature lacks a comprehensive analysis of the optimal characteristics of labour companions, particularly in comparing the effects of trained versus untrained and familiar versus unfamiliar labour companions across diverse geographical regions and pre and post-millennial. This meta-analysis addresses these research gaps by providing insights into the most influential aspects of continuous labour support.MethodologyA thorough search of PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP),ClinicalTrials.gov, Research4Life, and Cochrane Library was conducted. Study selection utilised the semi-automated tool Rayyan. The Cochrane risk-of-bias (RoB2) tool and funnel plots gauged the risk of bias. Statistical analysis employed RevMan 5.4, using Mantel-Haenszel statistics and random effects models to calculate risk ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Subgroup analyses were performed for different characteristics, including familiarity, training, temporal associations, and geographical locations. The study was registered in INPLASY. (Registration number: INPLASY202410003)ResultsThirty-five randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were identified from 5,346 studies. The meta-analysis highlighted significant positive effects of continuous labour support across various outcomes. There was a substantial improvement in the 5-minute APGAR score < 7, with an effect size of 1.52 (95% CI 1.05, 2.20). Familiar labour companions showed a higher effect size in reducing tocophobia, 1.73 (95% CI 1.49, 2.42), compared to unfamiliar companions, 1.34 (95% CI 1.14, 1.58). Differences were noted between trained and untrained companions, favouring untrained companions in reducing tocophobia and the cesarean section rate. Studies conducted after 2000 had a more significant impact on decreasing labour duration. Geographical variations indicated more pronounced effects in Asia and Africa than in Europe.Discussion and ConclusionThe meta-analysis underscores the benefits of labour companionship, particularly in facilitating the parturient experience of spontaneous labour. The impact is more pronounced in specific subgroups, such as familiar companions, untrained companions, recent studies, and studies conducted in Asia and Africa. The study recommends integrating labour companionship into obstetric care pending further research, standardisation, and awareness initiatives to enhance maternal and neonatal outcomes. Challenges such as study heterogeneity, insufficient data on companion training, and temporal outcome variations are acknowledged.
Racial and ethnic associations with interstitial lung disease and healthcare utilization in patients with systemic sclerosis
Authors: Tukpah Ann-Marcia C. , Rose Jonathan A. , Seger Diane L. , Hunninghake Gary Matt , Bates David W. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractRationaleRacial and ethnic differences in presentation and outcomes have been reported in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and SSc-interstitial lung disease (ILD). However, diverse cohorts and additional modeling can improve understanding of risk features and outcomes, which is important for reducing associated disparities.Objective(s)To determine if there are racial/ethnic differences associated with SSc-ILD risk and age; time intervals between SSc and ILD, and with emergency department (ED) visit or hospitalization rates.MethodsA retrospective cohort study using electronic health record data from an integrated health system, over a 5.5 year period was conducted using clinical and sociodemographic variables, models were generated with sequential adjustments for these variables. Logistic regression models were used to examine the association of covariates with ILD and age at SSc-ILD. Healthcare outcomes were analyzed with complementary log-log regression models.ResultsThe cohort included 756 adults (83.6% female, 80.3% non-Hispanic White) with SSc with a mean age of 59 years. Overall, 33.7% of patients in the cohort had an ILD code, with increased odds for Asian (odds ratio [OR], 2.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29, 5.18;P=.007) compared to White patients. The age in years of patients with SSc-ILD was younger for Hispanic (mean difference, −6.5; 95% CI, −13, −0.21;P= 0.04) and Black/African American patients (−10; 95% CI −16, −4.9;P<0.001) compared to White patients. Black/African American patients were more likely to have an ILD code before an SSc code (59% compared to 20.6% of White patients), and had the shortest interval from SSc to ILD (3 months). Black/African American (HR, 2.59; 95% CI 1.47, 4.49;P=0.001) and Hispanic patients (HR 2.29; 95% CI 1.37, 3.82;P=0.002) had higher rates of an ED visit.ConclusionIn this study, SSc-ILD presentation and outcomes differed by racial/ethnic group (increased odds of SSc-ILD, younger age at SSc-ILD, and preceding diagnosis with respect to SSc, rates of ED visit), some of which was attenuated with adjustment for clinical and sociodemographic characteristics. Differing presentation may be driven by social drivers of health (SDOH), autoantibody profiles, or other key unmeasured factors contributing to susceptibility and severity.
Confounder control in biomedicine necessitates conceptual considerations beyond statistical evaluations
Authors: Komeyer Vera , Eickhoff Simon B. , Grefkes Christian , Patil Kaustubh R. , Raimondo Federico 
Published: February 2024

AbstractMachine learning (ML) models hold promise in precision medicine by enabling personalized predictions based on high-dimensional biomedical data. Yet, transitioning models from prototyping to clinical applications poses challenges, with confounders being a significant hurdle by undermining the reliability, generalizability, and interpretability of ML models. Using hand grip strength (HGS) prediction from neuroimaging data from the UK Biobank as a case study, we demonstrate that confounder adjustment can have a greater impact on model performance than changes in features or algorithms. An ubiquitous and necessary approach to confounding is by statistical means. However, a pure statistical viewpoint overlooks the biomedical relevance of candidate confounders, i.e. their biological link and conceptual similarity to actual variables of interest. Problematically, this can lead to biomedically not-meaningful confounder-adjustment, which limits the usefulness of resulting models, both in terms of biological insights and clinical applicability. To address this, we propose a two-dimensional framework, theConfound Continuum, that combines both statistical association and biomedical relevance, i.e. conceptual similarity, of a candidate confounder. The evaluation of conceptual similarity assesses on a continuum how much two variables overlap in their biological meaning, ranging from negligible links to expressing the same underlying biology. It thereby acknowledges the gradual nature of the biological link between candidate confounders and a predictive task. Our framework aims to create awareness for the imperative need to complement statistical confounder considerations with biomedical, conceptual domain knowledge (without going into causal considerations) and thereby offers a means to arrive at meaningful and informed confounder decisions. The position of a candidate confoudner in the two-dimensional grid of theConfound Continuumcan support informed and context-specific confounder decisions and thereby not only enhance biomedical validity of predictions but also support translation of predictive models into clinical practice.
Age Prediction From 12-lead Electrocardiograms Using Deep Learning: A Comparison of Four Models on a Contemporary, Freely Available Dataset
Authors: Barros Andrew , German-Mesner Ian , Rich Nguyen N. , Moorman J. Randall 
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACTObjectiveThe 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) is routine in clinical use and deep learning approaches have been shown to have the identify features not immediately apparent to human interpreters including age and sex. Several models have been published but no direct comparisons exist.ApproachWe implemented three previously published models and one unpublished model to predict age and sex from a 12-lead ECG and then compared their performance on an open-access data set.Main resultsAll models converged and were evaluated on the holdout set. The best preforming age prediction model had a hold-out set mean absolute error of 8.06 years. The best preforming sex prediction model had a hold-out set area under the receiver operating curve of 0.92.SignificanceWe compared performance of four models on an open-access dataset.
Genome-wide association analysis of composite sleep health scores in 413,904 individuals
Authors: Goodman Matthew O , Faquih Tariq , Paz Valentina , Nagarajan Pavithra , Lane Jacqueline M , Spitzer Brian , Maher Matthew , Chung Joon , Cade Brian E , Purcell Shaun M , Zhu Xiaofeng , Noordam Raymond , Phillips Andrew J. K. , Kyle Simon D. , Spiegelhalder Kai , Weedon Michael N , Lawlor Deborah A. , Rotter Jerome I , Taylor Kent D , Isasi Carmen R , Sofer Tamar , Dashti Hassan S , Rutter Martin K , Redline Susan , Saxena Richa , Wang Heming 
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACTRecent genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of several individual sleep traits have identified hundreds of genetic loci, suggesting diverse mechanisms. Moreover, sleep traits are moderately correlated, and together may provide a more complete picture of sleep health, while also illuminating distinct domains. Here we construct novel sleep health scores (SHSs) incorporating five core self-report measures: sleep duration, insomnia symptoms, chronotype, snoring, and daytime sleepiness, using additive (SHS-ADD) and five principal components-based (SHS-PCs) approaches. GWASs of these six SHSs identify 28 significant novel loci adjusting for multiple testing on six traits (p<8.3e-9), along with 341 previously reported loci (p<5e-08). The heritability of the first three SHS-PCs equals or exceeds that of SHS-ADD (SNP-h2=0.094), while revealing sleep-domain-specific genetic discoveries. Significant loci enrich in multiple brain tissues and in metabolic and neuronal pathways. Post GWAS analyses uncover novel genetic mechanisms underlying sleep health and reveal connections to behavioral, psychological, and cardiometabolic traits.