bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Supporting the development of ethnic groups with smaller populations: the policies and practices of the Chinese government
Authors: Shi Yazhou , Gao Rui , Wang Rui 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Development is a fundamental pursuit of human society. When it comes to national governance, there are issues of imbalanced and insufficient development that must be addressed. Since 1949, when the People’s Republic of China was founded, the Chinese government has adopted a series of ethnic policies to resolve these development issues across ethnic minority areas. Since the late 1970s, Chinese scholars and the government have paid particular attention to the development issues of ethnic groups with smaller populations. This paper examines the relevant literature on this topic and divides China’s policies on this issue into three stages: (1) initial exploration, (2) targeted assistance, and (3) specialized planning. It discusses the Chinese government’s policy process and its experience empowering ethnic groups with smaller populations. The paper argues that the Chinese government’s support for ethnic groups with smaller populations is guided by valid ethnic theories and a comprehensive policy system. In the implementation of policies, the government recognizes “development” as the primary objective. It then formulates, implements, and evaluates policies based on the characteristics of the different ethnic groups with smaller populations. This approach effectively addressed the problems faced by these ethnic groups during different stages of their development and achieved the intended policy goals. Therefore, these policies are practical and sustainable. They are a valuable asset, and studying them could be beneficial to any unified multi-ethnic country that wants to tackle the development issues of their ethnic minorities.
Polydatin nanoparticles attenuate oxidative stress and histopathological changes in streptozotocin model of diabetic nephropathy: targeting Nrf2/HO-1/NF-κβ signaling pathways
Authors: Abdul-Hamid Manal , Galaly Sanaa R. , Mohamed Hanaa M. , Mostafa Fatma , Abdel-Moneim Adel 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Background
One of the most prevalent and serious side effects of diabetes mellitus is diabetic nephropathy, which is characterized by abnormalities in kidney structure that can occur before kidney function declines. Up to 90% of persons with diabetic nephropathy and 40% of adults with severe diabetic nephropathy are unaware that they have kidney disease. Through Nrf2/HO-1/NF κβ/TNF α signaling pathways, biochemical, oxidative stress, and antioxidant biomarkers, ultrastructural, immunohistochemical, and histopathological studies, so we attempt to evaluate the potential corrective mechanisms of polydatin nanoparticles against diabetic nephropathy in comparison with polydatin and metformin.

Results
POLY-CSNPs, POLY, and METF treatment lowered fasting superoxide dismutase, catalase activities, and glutathione content in treating the diabetic blood sugar level, glycosylated hemoglobin percentage, and oxidative stress such as lipid peroxidation level, and also enhanced antioxidant biomarkers like superoxide peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase activities, and glutathione content in treating the diabetic nephropathy. POLY-CSNPs, POLY, and METF also significantly reduced the area % of immunohistochemical reaction of TNF α (tumor necrosis factor alpha) and NF κβ (nuclear factor-kappa-β), while significantly increasing the mRNA expression’s levels for nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and heme oxygenase-1. The results observed that POLY-CSNPs showed extremely significant efficacy in treated diabetic rats as contrasted with POLY. Histological and ultrastructural studies showed marked improvement in glomeruli, basal laminae, and proximal tubules appearing nearly identical to the normal.

Conclusions
POLY-CSNPs revealed a marked ameliorative effect on diabetic nephropathy via its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and prolonged-release properties.
Antimicrobial susceptibility testing in veterinary medicine: performance, interpretation of results, best practices and pitfalls
Authors: Feßler Andrea T. , Wang Yang , Burbick Claire R. , Diaz-Campos Dubraska , Fajt Virginia R. , Lawhon Sara D. , Li Xian-Zhi , Lubbers Brian V. , Maddock Kelli , Miller Ron A. , Papich Mark G. , Simjee Shabbir , Sweeney Michael T. , Watts Jeffrey L. , Wu Congming , Shen Jianzhong , Schwarz Stefan 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThe performance of antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of bacteria and the interpretation of AST results for bacteria isolated from animals are complex tasks which must be performed using standard published methodology and overseen by experts in clinical microbiology and in consultation with clinical pharmacologists. Otherwise, AST has significant potential for errors and mistakes. In this review, we provide guidance on how to correctly perform AST of bacteria isolated from animals and interpret the AST results. Particular emphasis is placed on the various approved or published methodologies for the different bacteria as well as the application of interpretive criteria, including clinical breakpoints and epidemiological cut-off values (ECVs/ECOFFs). Application of approved interpretive criteria and definitions of susceptible, susceptible dose-dependent, nonsusceptible, intermediate, and resistant for clinical breakpoints as well as wild-type and non-wildtype for ECVs, are explained and the difficulties resulting from the lack of approved clinical breakpoints for other bacteria, indications, and animal species is discussed. The requirement of quality controls in any AST approach is also emphasized. In addition, important parameters, often used in monitoring and surveillance studies, such as MIC50, MIC90, and testing range, are explained and criteria for the classification of bacteria as multidrug-resistant, extensively drug-resistant or pandrug-resistant are provided. Common mistakes are presented and the means to avoid them are described. To provide the most accurate AST, one must strictly adhere to approved standards or validated methodologies, like those of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute or other internationally accepted AST documents and the detailed information provided therein.
Lifestyle Intervention With Smartphone App and isCGM for People at High Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: Randomized Trial
Authors: Kitazawa Masaru , Takeda Yasunaga , Hatta Mariko , Horikawa Chika , Sato Takaaki , Osawa Taeko , Ishizawa Masahiro , Suzuki Hiroshi , Matsubayashi Yasuhiro , Fujihara Kazuya , Yamada Takaho , Sone Hirohito 
Published: November 2023

Abstract

Aims
Although conventional interventions for people at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes are usually conducted face-to-face, such interventions are burdensome for health care providers. We developed a lifestyle intervention program combining lifestyle coaching via a smartphone application augmented by intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitoring without burdening health care providers. Its effectiveness for glycemic control and body weight reduction in people at risk of type 2 diabetes was investigated.

Materials and Methods
For this 12-week randomized unblinded trial with offline recruitment, participants with a hemoglobin A1c level of 5.6% to 6.4% or a fasting blood glucose of 110 to 125 mg/dL and body mass index (BMI) &gt;23 kg/m2 but &lt;40 kg/m2 were randomly assigned to the intervention group (App) and control group (C). The primary endpoint was the difference in time in range of blood glucose between 70 and 140 mg/dL (3.9-7.8 mmol/L) before and after the study period between the 2 groups.

Results
Among 168 patients (mean age, 48.1 years; mean BMI, 26.6 kg/m2; and male, 80.4%), 82 and 86 were assigned to the App group and C group, respectively. After 12 weeks, time in range of blood glucose at 70 to 140 mg/dL significantly improved in the App group compared with the C group (−2.6 minutes/day vs +31.5 minutes/day, P = .03). Changes in time above range did not differ, whereas time below range (blood glucose &lt;70 mg/dL; +23.5 minutes/day vs −8.9 minutes/day, P = .02) improved in the App group. BMI (−0.26 vs −0.59, P = .017) was reduced in the App group compared with the C group.

Conclusion
Intervention with a smartphone app and intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitoring increased glycemic control accompanied by decreased carbohydrate intake and weight loss. Further trials are needed to confirm whether these interventions can reduce incident type 2 diabetes.
High-fat diet induces C-reactive protein secretion, promoting lung adenocarcinoma via immune microenvironment modulation
Authors: Hsu Wei-Lun , Hsieh Yun-Ting , Chen Wei-Ming , Chien Min-Hui , Luo Wei-Jia , Chang Jung-Hsuan , Devlin Kevin , Su Kang-Yi 
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACT
To understand the effects of a high-fat diet (HFD) on lung cancer progression and biomarkers, we here used an inducible mutant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-driven lung cancer transgenic mouse model fed a regular diet (RD) or HFD. The HFD lung cancer (LC-HFD) group exhibited significant tumor formation and deterioration, such as higher EGFR activity and proliferation marker expression, compared with the RD lung cancer (LC-RD) group. Transcriptomic analysis of the lung tissues revealed that the significantly changed genes in the LC-HFD group were highly enriched in immune-related signaling pathways, suggesting that an HFD alters the immune microenvironment to promote tumor growth. Cytokine and adipokine arrays combined with a comprehensive analysis using meta-database software indicated upregulation of C-reactive protein (CRP) in the LC-HFD group, which presented with increased lung cancer proliferation and metastasis; this was confirmed experimentally. Our results imply that an HFD can turn the tumor growth environment into an immune-related pro-tumorigenic microenvironment and demonstrate that CRP has a role in promoting lung cancer development in this microenvironment.
Outcomes of oncoplastic breast surgery compared to breast-conserving surgery in breast cancer patients in a developing country: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Vohra Lubna , Farooqi Nifasat , Jiwani Uswa , Ali Danish 
Published: November 2023

Background and Objective: Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) with adjuvant radiotherapy remains the standard of care for early breast cancers in Pakistan. We sought to compare the outcomes of BCS with oncoplastic surgery (OPS), a relatively infrequent approach to breast cancer treatment in the country.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital and Ziauddin Hospital in Karachi. Patients who had biopsy-proven Stage-I to III breast cancer and underwent either OPS or BCS between August 1, 2016, and December 31, 2021, were identified and followed for 30 days. Data were collected by reviewing patient files and electronic records.
Results: A total of 481 patients were included in the study, where 204 (42.4%) underwent BCS and 277 (57.6%) underwent OPS. Mean tumor volume (146.8 vs. 90.4 cm3), and postoperative complications (2.2 % vs. 0%) were higher in OPS while the frequency of positive margins was greater in the BCS group (15.7 % vs. 2.2 %). There were no significant differences in the histologic type of tumor between the two groups.
Conclusion: OPS is a valid alternative approach to breast cancer treatment that can be offered to women with early stage, locally advanced, multifocal or tumors at complex locations owing to the reduced occurrence of positive margins and thus lowered re-excision rates.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.1.7360
How to cite this: Vohra LM, Farooqi N, Jiwani U, Ali D. Outcomes of oncoplastic breast surgery compared to breast-conserving surgery in breast cancer patients in a developing country: a retrospective cohort study. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(1):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.1.7360
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Hepatitis-C during Pregnancy: Antenatal period challenges, management and the way forward
Authors: Kamani Lubna , Abdul Razzak Asma 
Published: November 2023

Pregnant women and the general public are both directly impacted by cirrhosis which is a chronic liver disease. It is also widely known that women who have a history of injectable drug use and cirrhosis are more prone to experience unfavorable consequences that have a negative impact on the health of both the mother and the unborn child. Higher maternal Hepatitis-C Virus (HCV) in pregnancy viral load, length of labor, use of amniocentesis or fetal scalp monitoring and protracted membrane rupture are all the risk of perinatal transmission of HCV in newborns. Globally, a large number of childbearing-age women become affected by HCV every year and vertical transmission of HCV is still a serious public health concern. Pregnancy-related immune alterations have a significant impact on the course of HCV infection throughout the third trimester and provide favorable circumstances for the spread of the virus. The exacerbation of hepatic damage during pregnancy and the postpartum period is mostly responsible for HCV-specific cell-mediated immune responses. An extensive literature search done via electronic search engine including Cochrane library databases, PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct and HCV in pregnancy articles were included.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.1.7578
How to cite this: Kamani L, Razzak AA. Hepatitis-C during Pregnancy: Antenatal period challenges, management and the way forward. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(1):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.1.7578
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Comparison of risk factors for Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization in healthy newborns, born to mothers with and without MRSA colonization
Authors: Malik Sara , Muhammad Faheem Afzal  , Muhammad Haroon Hamid  
Published: November 2023

Objective: To compare the risk factors for MRSA colonization in healthy newborns, born of mothers with and without MRSA colonization.
Methods: This case control study was conducted in post-natal unit of Lady Willingdon Hospital, affiliated with King Edward Medical University/Mayo Hospital, Lahore from January to June 2017. The vaginal and anterior nares swabs for MRSA culture were collected from mothers within six hours before planned delivery and the neonatal anterior nares swabs for MRSA culture were taken within one hour of birth. All the samples were cultured in Paediatric Microbiology laboratory in Mayo Hospital. Data were analyzed through SPSS 20.0 and logistic regression was applied for risk factors analysis.
Results: Out of total 80 mothers and their newborns, 15 (18.75%) mothers and 16 neonates (20%) were MRSA colonized. The frequency of MRSA colonization in mothers’ anterior nares and vaginal swab was 17.5% and 1.25% respectively. The significant risk factors were prolonged rupture of membranes for >18 hours (p-value 0.02, odds ratio 11.85, 95% CI 1.41-99.3), birth weight <2500 grams (p-value 0.01, odds ratio 5.39, 95% CI 1.35-21.4), history of presence of meconium (p-value 0.006, odds ratio 7.30, 95% CI 1.78-29.8). The non-significant factors were age of mother (p-value 0.682, odds ratio 0.765, 95% CI 1.0.212-2.76), parity (p-value 0.185, odds ratio 3.82, 95% CI 0.46-31.66) , gestation (p-value 0.615, odds ratio 0.797, 95% CI 0.714-0.89) , mode of delivery (p-value 0.576, odds ratio 0.543, 95% CI 0.062-4.76), sex of baby (p-value 0.546, odds ratio 0.683, 95% CI 0.196-2.37) and presentation of baby at birth (p-value 0.47, odds ratio 0.795, 95% CI 0.71-0.89)
Conclusion: The presence of meconium, prolonged rupture of membranes and low birth weight were the significant risk factors for MRSA colonization in healthy new-borns, born to mothers with and without MRSA colonization.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.1.7703
How to cite this: Malik S, Afzal MF, Hamid MH. Comparison of risk factors for Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization in healthy newborns, born to mothers with and without MRSA colonization. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(1):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.1.7703
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Outcomes of initial 100 cases of laparoscopic nephrectomy at tertiary care center (PKLI)
Authors: Iqbal Nadeem , Syed Imtiaz Ali  , Ayesha Farooq  , Nauman Zafar  
Published: November 2023

Objective: Laparoscopic nephrectomy has been adopted by many centers in the last few decades. However, there are a few inherent challenges while adopting laparoscopic nephrectomy in a new unit. These include a significant learning curve required to adopt this modality. This study aimed to share the initial experience of adopting laparoscopic nephrectomy at our center.
Methods: In total, 101 patients were analyzed in the study. These patients underwent laparoscopic radical or simple nephrectomy (for renal mass and noncancer renal cases respectively) at Department of Urology, Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Centre, Lahore from April 2018 till January 2021. Data were entered in the statistical analysis software file. Analysis was attained by utilizing SPSS version 20. Implementation of Mean along with standard deviation values was utilized in the case of the continuous variables. While frequency/percentages represented categorical factors.
Results: The mean age of patients was 42.81±15.49 years and their overall BMI was 26.41±5.30 kg/m2. Out of these, 57 (56.43%) were males and 44(43.56%) were female. Eighteen percent of patients had a previous surgical history on the ipsilateral side. Total operative time was 163.98±58.02 minutes while mean hospital stay reached 3.2±0.87 days. The tumor-free margin was attained in all cases of radical nephrectomy. Based on Clavien-Dindo classification, Grade-1(n=3; 2.97%), Grade-2 (n=6; 5.94%), Grade-3A (n=1; 0.99%), and Grade-3B (n=1; 0.99%) complications were observed.
Conclusion: In a newly developed urology center, laparoscopic nephrectomy can be a daunting task. Good teamwork among the surgical team members and careful selection of cases can result in satisfactory procedural outcomes.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.1.7819
How to cite this: Iqbal N, Ali SI, Farooq A, Zafar N. Outcomes of initial 100 cases of laparoscopic nephrectomy at tertiary care center (PKLI). Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(1):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.1.7819
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
The Stickiness of Category Labels: Audience Perception and Evaluation of Producer Repositioning in Creative Markets
Authors: Kovács Balázs , Hsu Greta , Sharkey Amanda 
Published: November 2023

Market producers often seek to position themselves in different categories over time. Successful repositioning is difficult, however, as audiences often devalue offerings that depart from a producer’s past creations. Prior research suggests that this penalty arises as evaluators withhold opportunities for producers to reposition because of presumptions of a lack of competence in different categories. In this paper, we develop understanding of a novel evaluator-driven challenge to producers’ repositioning efforts: evaluators are prone to “categorical stickiness,” by which the categories they have come to associate with a producer through its prior offerings shape their perceptions of the producer’s subsequent offerings. The result is a systematic mismatch between what producers claim and what evaluators perceive when a producer repositions. We further propose that audience members who have the greatest prior experience with a producer are the least likely to recognize its repositioning efforts. We examine evidence for our theory using data from Goodreads.com on authors within the book publishing industry, 2007–2017. We first build a novel deep-learning framework to predict categorization of a given book based solely on an author’s description of its content. We then use data on how Goodreads users categorize and evaluate books as well as their past reading behavior to test for evidence of our proposed mechanism. Overall, our results extend understanding of the evaluative processes that generate categorical constraints and how these may differ among various types of audience members. This paper was accepted by Isabel Fernandez-Mateo, organizations. Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2021.02070 .
Data-Driven Allocation of Preventive Care with Application to Diabetes Mellitus Type II
Authors: Kraus Mathias , Feuerriegel Stefan , Saar-Tsechansky Maytal 
Published: November 2023

Problem definition: Increasing costs of healthcare highlight the importance of effective disease prevention. However, decision models for allocating preventive care are lacking. Methodology/results: In this paper, we develop a data-driven decision model for determining a cost-effective allocation of preventive treatments to patients at risk. Specifically, we combine counterfactual inference, machine learning, and optimization techniques to build a scalable decision model that can exploit high-dimensional medical data, such as the data found in modern electronic health records. Our decision model is evaluated based on electronic health records from 89,191 prediabetic patients. We compare the allocation of preventive treatments (metformin) prescribed by our data-driven decision model with that of current practice. We find that if our approach is applied to the U.S. population, it can yield annual savings of $1.1 billion. Finally, we analyze the cost-effectiveness under varying budget levels. Managerial implications: Our work supports decision making in health management, with the goal of achieving effective disease prevention at lower costs. Importantly, our decision model is generic and can thus be used for effective allocation of preventive care for other preventable diseases.Funding: M. Kraus acknowledges funding from Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung [Grant 01IS22080]. S. Feuerriegel acknowledges funding from Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung [Grant 186932].Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2021.0251 .