bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Looking beyond the mean: quantile regression for comparative physiologists
Authors: Hird Coen , Barham Kaitlin E. , Franklin Craig E. 
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACT
Statistical analyses that physiologists use to test hypotheses predominantly centre on means, but the tail ends of the response distribution can behave quite differently and underpin important scientific phenomena. We demonstrate that quantile regression (QR) offers a way to bypass some limitations of least squares regression (LSR) by building a picture of independent variable effects across the whole distribution of a dependent variable. We used LSR and QR with simulated and real datasets. With simulated data, LSR showed no change in the mean response but missed significant effects in the tails of the distribution found using QR. With real data, LSR showed a significant change in the mean response but missed a lack of response in the upper quantiles which was biologically revealing. Together, this highlights that QR can help to ask and answer more questions about variation in nature.
The effectiveness of the trans-theoretical model in managing adult obese and overweight individuals
Authors: Gereklioğlu Çiğdem , Topal Kenan , Velipaşaoğlu Hatice , Aksoy Hüseyin 
Published: February 2024

Background & Objective: The prevalence of obesity is gradually increasing in our country and worldwide. Being obese and overweight are risk factors for chronic diseases. Obesity has a multifactorial etiology, so treatment should involve lifestyle changes, psychological strategies, pharmacologic treatment, and bariatric surgery. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the trans-theoretical stages of change (TTM SOC) model in managing adult obese and overweight patients.
Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted with 133 adults who were admitted to the Family Medicine Outpatient Clinic of Adana City Research and Training Hospital between April 1, 2017, and April 30, 2019. Socio-demographic characteristics, blood pressures, anthropometric measurements, and laboratory data were compared between the baseline and the first, third, and sixth months.
Results: Body mass index (BMI) was higher among those with a low educational level. The mean age, the number of medications used, and the metabolic parameter values were significantly lower among the participants who did not have a chronic disease. Blood pressures, weight, BMI, plasma glucose and insulin, HOMA-IR, and triglyceride were statistically significantly higher at the baseline compared to follow-up values. Fasting plasma glucose was higher at the baseline in diabetic patients. The results were compared with Student t and One Way ANOVA tests. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to demonstrate the association between baseline and repeated metabolic measurements.
Conclusion: The trans-theoretical model is effective in managing adult obese and overweight individuals and also in glycemic control in obese Type-2 diabetics.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.4.7373
How to cite this: Gereklioglu C, Topal K, Velipasaoglu H, Aksoy H. The effectiveness of the trans-theoretical model in managing adult obese and overweight individuals. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(4):685-689. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.4.7373
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.
Effect of comprehensive nursing intervention on the quality of life and clinical outcomes of patients with thyroid nodules treated by ultrasound-guided microwave ablation
Authors: Chen Dan , Yang Fan , Xing Shao-ling , Liu Chun-zi 
Published: February 2024

Objective: To evaluate the effects of comprehensive nursing intervention on the quality of life and clinical outcomes of patients with thyroid nodules treated by ultrasound-guided microwave ablation.
Methods: This was a prospective study conducted from December 2020 to December 2022 at The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital. One hundred and twenty patients with benign thyroid nodules undergoing microwave ablation were included. Patients were randomly divided into control group and experimental group. Patients in the control group were given conventional intervention mode during the perioperative period, while those in the experimental group were given comprehensive nursing intervention mode on the basis of the control group. The differences in quality of life, cognitive level before and after intervention and satisfaction between the two groups were compared and analyzed.
Results: The SF-36 scores in the experimental group were significantly higher than that in the control group after intervention. After the intervention, the SAS and SDS scores in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group, with a statistically significant difference. The VAS scores in the experimental group were better than those in the control group at six, twelve and twenty four hour after operation, with statistically significant differences. After the intervention, the cognitive score of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group.
Conclusion: Comprehensive nursing intervention is worthy of clinical promotion in the treatment of patients with thyroid nodules treated by ultrasound-guided microwave ablation, leading to various benefits such as effectively improving patients’ quality of life and relieving pain.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.4.7616
How to cite this: Chen D, Yang F, Xing S, Liu C. Effect of comprehensive nursing intervention on the quality of life and clinical outcomes of patients with thyroid nodules treated by ultrasound-guided microwave ablation. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(4):663-668. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.4.7616
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 healing effect of a mixture of Arnebia euchroma and animal fat on burn wounds in rats in comparison with sulfadiazine
Authors: Dehkordi Saied Habibian , Karimi Iraj , Mills Paul , Shirian Sadegh 
Published: February 2024

Objective: Thermal burn is a serious cause of morbidity and mortality that affects millions of people worldwide. The aim of this experimental study was to investigate the efficacy of Arnebia euchroma (AE) to treat burn wounds in a rat model. Method: A total of 80 male rats (200–250g) were shaved over the back of the neck (2×3cm2) and a second-degree burn wound was induced at this site under general anaesthesia. The rats were then randomly assigned to one of four groups (each n=20) and the burns were treated daily for 14 days as follows: (1) dressed with animal fat; (2) dressed with sulfadiazine; (3) dressed with a mixture of AE and animal fat; (4) no treatment (control). Five rats from each group were sacrificed on days 3, 5, 9 and 14 post-burn and the wounds were evaluated histologically and immunohistochemically for the expression of interleukin (IL)-1 and IL-6. Results: There was a significant increase at day 3 and decrease on day 5 samples for the expression of IL-1 in the AE plus fat group and IL-6 in the AE plus fat and sulfadiazine groups, compared to the control and fat treatment groups, respectively. Both AE plus fat and sulfadiazine treatments reduced inflammation and granulation tissue formation by day 5 post-burn, while re-epithelialisation commenced by day 9 post-burn. In addition, burns treated with AE plus fat exhibited keratinised epidermis, associated with regular collagen fibres, compared to moderately dense collagen fibres without vascularisation in the sulfadiazine group. Conclusion: These findings suggested that AE plus fat was superior to sulfadiazine in enhancing burn wound healing in rats.
Polyurethane foam dressing with non-adherent membrane improves negative pressure wound therapy in pigs
Authors: Zuo Jun , Zhu Yi , Yang Feng , Yang Yong , Yang JunTao , Huang Ze Lin , Cheng Biao 
Published: February 2024

Objective: Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is considered to be an effective technique to promote the healing of various wounds. The aim of this study was to evaluate different wound dressings combined with NPWT in treating wounds in Wuzhishan pigs. Method: Excisions were made in the backs of the pigs and were covered with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) dressing, polyurethane (PU) dressing or PU dressing with non-adherent membrane (PU-non-ad). NPWT was applied to the wound site. In the control group, basic occlusive dressing (gauze) without NPWT was applied. On days 0, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 post-surgery, the wound size was measured during dressing change, and wound healing rate (WHR) was calculated. In addition, blood perfusion within 2cm of the surrounding wound was measured by laser doppler flowmetry. Dressing specimen was collected and microbiology was analysed. Granulation tissues from the central part of the wounds were analysed for histology, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and cluster of differentiation 31 (CD31) mRNA expression. Results: The PU-non-ad-NPWT significantly (p<0.01) accelerated wound healing in the pigs. Further pathological analysis revealed that the non-adherent membrane effectively protected granulation tissue formation in PU-NPWT treated wounds. The blood perfusion analysis suggested that the non-adherent membrane improved the blood supply to the wound area. Microbiological analysis showed that non-adherent membrane decreased the bacterial load in the PU-NPWT dressing. VEGF and CD31 mRNA expression was upregulated in the wound tissue from the PU-non-ad-NPWT treated groups. Conclusion: In this study, the PU dressing with non-adherent membrane was an ideal dressing in NPWT-assisted wound healing.
Extended just-noticeable difference for ultralow-luminance displays used in diagnostic imaging
Authors: Kawamorita Takushi , Yasuda Tetsuya , Ota Takashi , Iizuka Tatsuya , Miyasaka Makiko , Mamorita Noritaka , Handa Tomoya 
Published: February 2024

This study investigates the just-noticeable difference (JND) in luminance below the 0.050cd/m2 threshold not covered by the DICOM standard in medical imaging displays. A total of 21 healthy young adults were tested using an ultralow-luminance liquid crystal display at a viewing distance of 46 cm. The optotype featured a 4 cycle/deg rectangular wave-like stripe. The average percentage of correct responses for JND indices between −18 and 0 was 70.8%. Using the extended JND based on the Barten model that matches the current JND definition, we confirmed the JND at a very low luminance of 0.0500cd/m2 or less. These findings suggest the feasibility of further refining the gradation differences in medical imaging displays.
Atom-based optical polarization modulator
Authors: Wang Ruiqi , Yang Peiyu , Huang Ding , Bao Guzhi , Zhang Weiping 
Published: February 2024

In this work, we employ 87Rb atoms as rotation media to manipulate the polarization of optical fields in both magnetic and magnetic-free environments. Employing the nonlinear magneto-optical rotation mechanism, we achieve a state-of-the-art magneto-optical rotation coefficient of 1.74×108 rad⋅T−1⋅m−1 which is four orders of magnitude higher than commonly employed materials. Additionally, in a magnetic-free environment, we achieve all-optical cross-polarization modulation between the pump and probe light via Rb atoms. The nonlinear magneto-optical rotation configuration introduces inventive techniques for a new type of magneto-optical modulator while the all-optical configuration paves the way for exploring photonic integrated circuit (PIC) devices free from disruptions caused by electrical or magnetic crosstalk.
Associations between artificial sweetener intake from cereals, coffee, and tea and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: A genetic correlation, mediation, and mendelian randomization analysis
Authors: Zhang Youqian , Tang Zitian , Shi Yong , Li Lin 
Published: February 2024

Background
Previous studies have emphasized the association between the intake of artificial sweeteners (AS) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but the causative relationship remains ambiguous.

Methods
This study employed univariate Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to assess the causal link between AS intake from various sources and T2DM. Linkage disequilibrium score (LDSC) regression was used to evaluate the correlation between phenotypes. Multivariate and mediation MR were applied to investigate confounding factors and mediating effects. Data on AS intake from different sources (N = 64,949) were sourced from the UK Biobank, while T2DM data were derived from the DIAbetes Genetics Replication And Meta-analysis.The primary method adopted was inverse variance weighted (IVW), complemented by three validation techniques. Additionally, a series of sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate pleiotropy and heterogeneity.

Results
LDSC analysis unveiled a significant genetic correlation between AS intake from different sources and T2DM (rg range: -0.006 to 0.15, all P < 0.05). After correction by the false discovery rate (FDR), the primary IVW method indicated that AS intake in coffee was a risk factor for T2DM (OR = 1.265, 95% CI: 1.035–1.545, P = 0.021, PFDR = 0.042). Further multivariable and mediation MR analyses pinpointed high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) as mediating a portion of this causal relationship. In reverse MR analysis, significant evidence suggested a positive correlation between T2DM and AS intake in coffee (β = 0.013, 95% CI: 0.004–0.022, P = 0.004, PFDR = 0.012), cereal (β = 0.007, 95% CI: 0.002–0.012, P = 0.004, PFDR = 0.012), and tea (β = 0.009, 95% CI: 0.001–0.017, P = 0.036, PFDR = 0.049). No other causal associations were identified (P > 0.05, PFDR > 0.05).

Conclusion
The MR analysis has established a causal relationship between AS intake in coffee and T2DM. The mediation by HDL-C emphasizes potential metabolic pathways underpinning these relationships
Prevalence of DSM-5 mild and major neurocognitive disorder in India: Results from the LASI-DAD
Authors: Gross Alden L. , Nichols Emma , Angrisani Marco , Ganguli Mary , Jin Haomiao , Khobragade Pranali , Langa Kenneth M. , Meijer Erik , Varghese Mathew , Dey A. B. , Lee Jinkook 
Published: February 2024

Introduction
India, with its rapidly aging population, faces an alarming burden of dementia. We implemented DSM-5 criteria in large-scale, nationally representative survey data in India to characterize the prevalence of mild and major Neurocognitive disorder.

Methods
The Harmonized Diagnostic Assessment of Dementia for the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI-DAD) (N = 4,096) is a nationally representative cohort study in India using multistage area probability sampling methods. Using neuropsychological testing and informant reports, we defined DSM-5 mild and major neurocognitive disorder, reported its prevalence, and evaluated criterion and construct validity of the algorithm using clinician-adjudicated Clinical Dementia Ratings (CDR)®.

Results
The prevalence of mild and major neurocognitive disorder, weighted to the population, is 17.6% and 7.2%. Demographic gradients with respect to age and education conform to hypothesized patterns. Among N = 2,390 participants with a clinician-adjudicated CDR, CDR ratings and DSM-5 classification agreed for N = 2,139 (89.5%) participants.

Discussion
The prevalence of dementia in India is higher than previously recognized. These findings, coupled with a growing number of older adults in the coming decades in India, have important implications for society, public health, and families. We are aware of no previous Indian population-representative estimates of mild cognitive impairment, a group which will be increasingly important in coming years to identify for potential therapeutic treatment.
Causes and circumstances of death in stimulant and opioid use—A comparative study
Authors: Åhman Ada , Wingren Carl Johan , Håkansson Anders 
Published: February 2024

Aims
To investigate the individual characteristics, causes and circumstances around deaths in stimulant use, and to examine how individuals who died with stimulants in their body differ from individuals who died with opioids in their body.

Methods
This study includes individuals who died during the years 2000–2018 and underwent a forensic autopsy at Forensic Medicine in Lund, Skåne County, Sweden. All individuals over 18 years of age with stimulants (n = 310), opioids (n = 2,039) or both stimulants and opioids (n = 385) in the body at the time of death, were included. The three groups were assessed regarding gender, age, place of death, BMI, other substances detected in forensic toxicological analysis, organ weights and underlying and contributing causes of death. The data were analysed by frequency and proportion calculations, cross-tabulations and comparisons of medians.

Results
The median age at death of the study population (n = 2,734) was 45.5 years (interquartile range ☯IQR] 32–60 years) and 73.2% were men. The most common cause of death in the stimulant group was suicide (26.8%), higher proportion compared to the opioid group (20.8%) (p = 0.017) and in the polysubstance group accidental poisoning (38.2%), higher proportion compared to the opioid group (18.0%) (p<0.001). Death by transport accidents was significantly associated with the stimulant group (p<0.001) as well as death by other accidents (p = 0.016).

Conclusions
Individuals who died with stimulants in their body died at a higher rate from suicide, transport accidents and other accidents, compared to individuals who died with opioids in their body. This study indicates the need to identify and prevent psychiatric conditions, elevated suicide risk, and risk-taking behaviors among people who use stimulants.
Severe Liver and Renal Injury From Tribulus Terrestris
Authors: Mohy-ud-din Nabeeha , Jonassaint Naudia 
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACT
Tribulus terrestris is a shrub that is found worldwide. Although it has been linked to severe jaundice and death in grazing animals, there are only a few case reports of hepatotoxicity in humans. We describe a case of a 46-year-old man who took tribulus supplements daily for 2 months. He developed severe jaundice prompting hospital admission. His total bilirubin peaked at 48 mg/dL, with concomitant renal dysfunction (creatinine of 7.1). His liver biopsy showed features consistent with drug-induced liver injury. He was initiated on a trial of plasmapheresis and underwent 3 sessions with a subsequent decrease in bilirubin with each session. He had appropriate renal recovery and was discharged home and on follow-up, continues to do well with most recent bilirubin of 1.1 mg/dL.
Numerical and experimental comparison study of piled raft foundation
Authors: Almaged Rasool Kadhim Mohammed , Al-Abbas Kadhim A. 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
The piled rafts are expressed as consisting of three geotechnical elements (piles, raft, and soil). As the load can be divided between the piles and the raft, the piles are highly effective in reducing settling and increasing the bearing capacity of the piled rafts, compared to shallow foundations. Civil engineering is witnessing a development in the field of geotechnical engineering, and because the experimental study takes a long time to verify, so the numerical study was conducted by the program MIDAS GTS NX 2020 (v1.1) for comparison with the experimental study. Small-scale models were tested in a sandbox placed in an iron structure containing a hydraulic jack with a capacity of 50 tons, and then, a vertical load was placed in the center of the raft; the bearing capacity was recorded by the load cell, the settlement was recorded by the dial gauge digital and the LVDT, in this study, the number of piles (9) was taken hollow aluminium, the diameter of piles (25) mm, and length of pile (500) mm. They were distributed under the raft by (3 × 3). The distance between the piles was taken by three-dimensional (3D) of the pile, and the dimensions of the raft were 250 mm × 250 mm, with a thickness of 20 mm. Numerical modelling was also used in the MIDAS GTS NX 2020(v1.1) program to solve the problem of the piled raft system for modelling and analysis. 3D models were analyzed using a sandy soil model with a raft of iron 250 mm × 250 mm and a thickness of 20 mm using piles of hollow aluminium with a length of 500 mm and a diameter of 25 mm and the number 3 × 3. As well as taking the criteria (Cullum-Mohr) and (von Mises). It was shown that the numerical study could be relied upon in the field of geotechnical engineering, where the percentages of convergence between the two studies were up to 91% in the piled raft test and 89% in the raft test only.
ОЦІНКА СТАНУ ПОСТАВИ ЧОЛОВІКІВ ПЕРШОГО ПЕРІОДУ ЗРІЛОГО ВІКУ, ЩО ЗАЙМАЮТЬСЯ ОЗДОРОВЧИМ ФІТНЕСОМ
Authors: Кашуба Віталій , Ватаманюк Сергій , Хабінець Тамара 
Published: February 2024

Мета. Оцінка стану біогеометричного профілю постави чоловіків першого періоду зрілого віку, що займаються оздоровчим фітнесом. Методи. Для виконання поставлених завдань використано такі методи дослідження: педагогічний експеримент, візуальний скринінг, методи математичної статистики. Результати. Встановлено з віком негативну динаміку збільшення кількості порушень постави у чоловіків 26–35 років. Експрес-контроль біогеометричного профілю постави чоловіків вказує на той факт, що серед чоловіків першого періоду зрілого віку з нормальною поставою немає з низьким рівнем біогеометричного профілю. Розподіл чоловіків 26–30 років і чоловіків 31–35 років як з порушеною, так і з нормальною поставою за показниками оцінки стану біогеометричного профілю постави у фронтальній і сагітальній площинах, а також узагальненою сумарною оцінкою відповідав закону нормального розподілу. Для виділення зони ризику виникнення функціональних порушень опорно-рухового апарату були побудовані графіки нормального розподілу чоловіків 26–30 років і чоловіків 31–35 років з нормальною поставою і з порушеннями постави відповідно за показниками оцінки стану біогеометричного профілю постави у фронтальній і сагітальній площинах, а також за показником узагальненої сумарної оцінки біогеометричного профілю постави. Висновок. За результатами дослідження встановлено з віком негативну динаміку збільшення кількості порушень постави у чоловіків 26–35 років. Експрес-контроль біогеометричного профілю постави чоловіків вказує на той факт, що серед чоловіків першого періоду зрілого віку з нормальною поставою немає осіб з низьким рівнем біогеометричного профілю постави.
Molecularly doped polythiophene film as an efficient photocathode for oxygen reduction to hydrogen peroxide
Authors: Shinohara Hiromi , Nishide Hiroyuki 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe molecularly doped poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) was used for the first time as a photocathode for reducing oxygen to H2O2. For this purpose, a P3HT film was doped with hexaazatriphenylenehexacarbonitrile, which increased the oxygen reduction current at an applied negative potential in the dark. Visible light illumination of the doped P3HT film significantly facilitated the oxygen reduction with a high current density and shifted the onset potential beyond the reaction equilibrium potential. The oxygen reduction performance of the doped P3HT film is discussed in relation to the energy level diagram.
Graphical abstract