bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Trends in appropriateness of end-of-life care in people with cancer, COPD or with dementia measured with population-level quality indicators
Authors: De Schreye Robrecht , Deliens Luc , Annemans Lieven , Gielen Birgit , Smets Tinne , Cohen Joachim 
Published: February 2023

Introduction
Measuring changes in the appropriateness of end-of-life care provided to patients with advanced illness such as cancer, COPD or dementia can help governments and practitioners improve service delivery and quality of life. However, an assessment of a possible shift in appropriateness of end-of-life care across the population is lacking.

Aim
Measuring quality indicators with routinely collected population-level data, this study aims to evaluate the appropriateness of end-of-life care for people with cancer, COPD or dementia in Belgium.

Design
A population-level decedent cohort study, using data from eight population-level databases, including death certificate and health claims data. We measured validated sets of quality indicators for appropriateness of end-of-life care.

Setting/Participants
All people who died from cancer or COPD or with dementia between 1st January 2010 and 1st January 2016 in Belgium.

Results
We identified three main trends over time across the three disease groups of increasing use of: family physicians in the last 30 days of life (+21.7% in cancer, +33.7% in COPD and +89.4% in dementia); specialist palliative care in the last 14 days of life (+4.6% in cancer, +36.9% in COPD, +17.8% in dementia); and emergency department in the last 30 days of life (+7.0% in cancer, +4.4% in COPD and +8.2% in dementia).

Conclusions
Although we found an increase of both specialized palliative care and generalist palliative care use, we also found an increase in potentially inappropriate care, including ED and ICU admissions. To increase the quality of end-of-life care, both timely initiating (generalist and specialist) palliative care and avoiding potentially inappropriate care transitions, treatments and medications need to be quality performance targets.
Physician exhaustion and work engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal survey into the role of resources and support interventions
Authors: Solms Lara , van Vianen Annelies E. M. , Koen Jessie , Kan Kees-Jan , de Hoog Matthijs , de Pagter Anne P. J. ,   on behalf of the Improve Research Network
Published: February 2023

Background
Physicians increasingly show symptoms of burnout due to the high job demands they face, posing a risk for the quality and safety of care. Job and personal resources as well as support interventions may function as protective factors when demands are high, specifically in times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the Job Demands-Resources theory, this longitudinal study investigated how monthly fluctuations in job demands and job and personal resources relate to exhaustion and work engagement and how support interventions are associated with these outcomes over time.

Methods
A longitudinal survey consisting of eight monthly measures in the period 2020–2021, completed by medical specialists and residents in the Netherlands. We used validated questionnaires to assess job demands (i.e., workload), job resources (e.g., job control), personal resources (e.g., psychological capital), emotional exhaustion, and work engagement. Additionally, we measured the use of specific support interventions (e.g., professional support). Multilevel modeling and longitudinal growth curve modeling were used to analyze the data.

Results
378 medical specialists and residents were included in the analysis (response rate: 79.08%). Workload was associated with exhaustion (γ = .383, p < .001). All job resources, as well as the personal resources psychological capital and self-judgement were associated with work engagement (γs ranging from -.093 to .345, all ps < .05). Job control and psychological capital attenuated the workload-exhaustion relationship while positive feedback and peer support strengthened it (all ps < .05). The use of professional support interventions (from a mental health expert or coach) was related to higher work engagement (estimate = .168, p = .032) over time. Participation in organized supportive group meetings was associated with higher exhaustion over time (estimate = .274, p = .006).

Conclusions
Job and personal resources can safeguard work engagement and mitigate the risk of emotional exhaustion. Professional support programs are associated with higher work engagement over time, whereas organized group support meetings are associated with higher exhaustion. Our results stress the importance of professional individual-level interventions to counteract a loss of work engagement in times of crisis.
The role of the apelin/APJ system in water homeostasis regulation
Authors: Fargieva Kh. R. , Guseinova R. M. , Pigarova E. A. , Dzeranova L. K. 
Published: February 2023

Water balance in the body is achieved by balancing renal and non-renal water losses with corresponding water intake. It is under the control of both the central nervous system, which integrates many parameters of water and electrolyte balance in the body, including inducing important adaptive behavioral responses, and three hormonal systems: vasopressinergic, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone and apelinergic. A lot of research is devoted to the regulation of water-electrolyte metabolism. However, this process is still quite difficult to understand, especially since more and more of its regulators are being discovered over time. One of them is the hormone apelin, an endogenous ligand for the APJ receptor. As is known, the receptor is highly expressed in many organs, such as the brain, heart, liver and kidneys, lungs, and has multidirectional effects.This literature review discusses the main characteristics and features of the regulation of these systems in relation to water-electrolyte metabolism, as well as issues of intersystem interaction and modulation of the effects of apelin.
The FINDRISC scale as a risk assessment tool for liver fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Kuznetsova A. S. , Dolgushina A. I. , Selyanina A. A. , Sokolova T. A. , Olevskaya E. R. , Genkel V. V. 
Published: February 2023

BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease in the world, which includes changes from hepatic steatosis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis to fibrosis and cirrhosis. Attempts to find noninvasive markers of liver fibrosis have led to a variety of scales, diagnostic algorithms, and imaging techniques. Individual studies have analyzed the relationship between the FINDRISC scale and hepatic steatosis and concluded that this questionnaire can be used as part of population screening to identify individuals at risk for hepatic steatosis. However, our review of the literature did not reveal any clinical studies on the use and effectiveness of the FINDRISC in liver fibrosis screening.AIM: To evaluate diagnostic value of FINDRISC for liver fibrosis detection.MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study enrolled patients aged 40–60 years from unorganized outpatient population. The sample of patients was formed randomly according to the inclusion and noninclusion criteria. All patients were assessed with standard anthropometric parameters. The FINDRISC questionnaire was used. All patients underwent transabdominal ultrasound examination of the liver and transient liver elastometry. The degree of steatosis was evaluated using Hamaguchi ultrasound scale. RESULTS: The study included 100 patients. An increased risk of type 2 DM (≥7 points) was detected in 68% of patients using the FINDRISC scale. Liver steatosis was diagnosed in 41% of patients. Median values of hepatic elastic modulus by transient elastometry were 4.50 (4.00; 5.25) kPa. At the same time, liver elasticity modulus values ≥5.9 kPa were registered in 11 (11.0%) patients. When analyzing the array of sensitivity and specificity values using the ROC-curve, it was found that for the FINDRISC scale the maximum LR+ and the minimum LRvalues were observed when the number of points on the indicated scale exceeded 10. At this cutoff, the FINDRISC scale had a sensitivity of 81.8% and specificity of 61.8% for detecting liver fibrosis (liver modulus of elasticity ≥5.9 kPa). The scale was of good diagnostic value (AUC 0.699; 95% CI 0.530–0.815).CONCLUSION: In an unorganized sample of patients aged 40–60 years the FINDRISC can serve as a diagnostic tool for liver fibrosis and steatosis. Sum of FINDRISC scores >10 allowed to diagnose liver fibrosis (liver elastic modulus ≥5.9kPa) with sensitivity 81.8% and specificity 61.8%. The probability of absence of hepatic fibrosis with FINDRISC scale values <10 was 96.5%.
Electro-hydrodynamic processes in an electromagnetic silicon crystallizer
Authors: Bazarov Alexander A. , Navasardyan Ashot A. 
Published: February 2023

In this publication, the issues of computer simulation of electromagnetic and hydrodynamic processes in an electromagnetic crystallizer mold of a silicon melt of periodic action are considered. The crystallization process proceeds under conditions of additional heating by eddy currents in the melt. The main task of the electromagnetic interaction of currents in the melt and the inductor field is to create a repulsive force to exclude mechanical contact between silicon and the lining surface. When this problem is solved, heat is released in the melt and a vector of forces is formed, which leads to mixing of liquid silicon. These processes affect the transfer of heat between the lower, upper and side surfaces of the cylinder, the shape of which is taken by the melt. To improve the quality of the crystal structure of the ingot, a temperature gradient is formed by controlling heat flows due to the thickness of the lining walls, heating the upper surface and removing heat from the lower base.
The appearance of a perturbing action under these conditions can upset the balance of heat flows and lead to the creation of thermal stresses in the ingot, accompanied by microcracks. Simultaneous modeling of all processes occurring in an electromagnetic silicon crystallizer is currently unrealizable on a personal computer.
When modeling the process of hydrodynamics in the melt, several geometry options were considered, starting from the maximum volume of the liquid phase and ending with a thin upper layer in the upper part. With a conical shape of the inductor, the distribution of the force vector in the melt depends on the axial coordinate, which leads to a significant decrease in the velocity components as the thickness of the liquid phase decreases. The results of the study showed a rapid decrease in the mixing effect as the thickness of the liquid layer of silicon decreases with a slight change in the overall parameters of the crystallization process.
Relationship Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea Severity and Serum Endocan Levels in Patients With Hypertension
Authors: Yazan Serkan , Karakurt Hüseyin , Püşüroğlu Hamdi 
Published: February 2023

Background
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common in middle-aged adults and has been associated with various cardiovascular disorders; endothelial dysfunction may play a role in the pathogenesis of these disorders in patients with OSA. Endothelial cell specific molecule-1 (endocan) is a marker of vascular pathology, which is correlated with endothelial dysfunction. This study investigates the relationship between serum endocan levels and OSA severity in patients with hypertension.

Methods
A retrospective review included 48 patients with OSA and hypertension but without conventional cardiovascular risk factors, and 67 patients with OSA who did not have hypertension. The correlation between serum endocan levels and the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was investigated in both groups.

Results
There was a significant correlation between the serum endocan level and the AHI in patients with OSA and hypertension (r = 0.308; P = .033), but there was no such correlation in patients without hypertension (r = 0.193; P = .118). However, when both groups were combined (ie, all patients with OSA), there was a significant correlation between serum endocan levels and the AHI (r = 0.228; P = .014). On multiple logistic regression analysis, endocan levels were independent predictors of OSA severity in patients with OSA and hypertension (P = .029).

Conclusion
In patients with OSA and hypertension, serum endocan levels are significantly correlated with the AHI. Measurement of endocan may have a place in evaluating patients with OSA and hypertension for adverse cardiovascular events, and they may even help to guide OSA therapy for these patients.
The lncRNA prostate androgen-regulated transcript 1 (PART-1) promotes non-small cell lung cancer progression by regulating the miR-204-3p/IGFBP-2 pathway
Authors: Li Kenfen , Zhang Yanping , Wang Yunfeng , Guo Xin , Dai Xianhui , Song Li 
Published: February 2023

Abstract

Objectives
Lung cancer is a common malignant tumour of the lung and the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 80–85% of lung cancers, and 40% of NSCLCs have spread beyond the lungs by the time they are diagnosed. The long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) prostate androgen-regulated transcript 1 (PART-1) has been reported to promote the development of several cancers.

Methods
In the current study, we investigated the role of PART-1 in the proliferation, invasion, and migration of NSCLC.

Results
The expression levels of the PART-1 gene were higher in NSCLC cell lines, including A549, H1229, H1650, H1975, and PC9, than in human bronchial epithelia (HBE) cell lines. Knocking down PART-1 inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and migration of A549 cells and decreased tumour proliferation in nude mice. We confirmed that PART-1 targeted miR-204-3p directly and that miR-204-3p targeted insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2 (IGFBP-2) directly. Furthermore, we discovered that PART-1 impacts NSCLC progression by regulating the miR-204-3p-targeted IGFBP-2 pathway.

Conclusions
The lncRNA PART-1 might be a target for treating NSCLC and an early marker in the diagnosis of early lung cancer.
A fast and efficient approach for gene-based association studies of ordinal phenotypes
Authors: Li Nanxing , Chen Lili , Zhou Yajing , Wei Qianran 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Many human disease conditions need to be measured by ordinal phenotypes, so analysis of ordinal phenotypes is valuable in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, existing association methods for dichotomous or quantitative phenotypes are not appropriate to ordinal phenotypes. Therefore, based on an aggregated Cauchy association test, we propose a fast and efficient association method to test the association between genetic variants and an ordinal phenotype. To enrich association signals of rare variants, we first use the burden method to aggregate rare variants. Then we respectively test the significance of the aggregated rare variants and other common variants. Finally, the combination of transformed variant-level P values is taken as test statistic, that approximately follows Cauchy distribution under the null hypothesis. Extensive simulation studies and analysis of GAW19 show that our proposed method is powerful and computationally fast as a gene-based method. Especially, in the presence of an extremely low proportion of causal variants in a gene, our method has better performance.
Allopregnanolone Effects on Inhibition in Hippocampal Parvalbumin Interneurons
Authors: Lu Xinguo , Lambert Peter , Benz Ann , Zorumski Charles F. , Mennerick Steven J. 
Published: February 2023

AbstractAllopregnanolone (AlloP) is a neurosteroid that potentiates ionotropic GABAergic (GABAA) inhibition and is approved for treating postpartum depression in women. Although the antidepressant mechanism of AlloP is largely unknown, it could involve selective action at GABAAreceptors containing the δ subunit. Despite previous evidence for selective effects of AlloP on α4/δ-containing receptors of hippocampal dentate granule cells (DGCs), other recent results failed to demonstrate selectivity at these receptors (Lu et al., 2020). In contrast to DGCs, hippocampal fast-spiking parvalbumin (PV) interneurons express an unusual variant partnership of δ subunits with α1 subunits. Here, we hypothesized that native α1/δ receptors in hippocampal fast-spiking interneurons may provide a preferred substrate for AlloP. Contrary to the hypothesis, electrophysiology from genetically tagged PV interneurons in hippocampal slices from male mice showed that 100 nmAlloP promoted phasic inhibition by increasing the sIPSC decay, but tonic inhibition was not detectably altered. Co-application of AlloP with 5 μmGABA did augment tonic current, which was not primarily through δ-containing receptors. Furthermore, AlloP decreased the membrane resistance and the number of action potentials of DGCs, but the impact on PV interneurons was weaker than on DGCs. Thus, our results indicate that hippocampal PV interneurons possess low sensitivity to AlloP and suggest they are unlikely contributors to mood-altering effects of neurosteroids through GABA effects.
Insufficient Oligodendrocyte Turnover in Optic Nerve Contributes to Age-Related Axon Loss and Visual Deficits
Authors: Zhi Jun-Jie , Wu Shuang-Ling , Wu Hao-Qian , Ran Qi , Gao Xing , Chen Jing-Fei , Gu Xing-Mei , Li Tao , Wang Fei , Xiao Lan , Ye Jian , Mei Feng 
Published: February 2023

Age-related decline in visual functions is a prevalent health problem among elderly people, and no effective therapies are available up-to-date. Axon degeneration and myelin loss in optic nerves (ONs) are age-dependent and become evident in middle-aged (13-18 months) and old (20-22 months) mice of either sex compared with adult mice (3-8 months), accompanied by functional deficits. Oligodendrocyte (OL) turnover is actively going on in adult ONs. However, the longitudinal change and functional significance of OL turnover in aging ONs remain largely unknown. Here, using cell-lineage labeling and tracing, we reported that oligodendrogenesis displayed an age-dependent decrease in aging ONs. To understand whether active OL turnover is required for maintaining axons and visual function, we conditionally deleted the transcription factor Olig2 in the oligodendrocyte precursor cells of young mice. Genetically dampening OL turnover by Olig2 ablation resulted in accelerated axon loss and retinal degeneration, and subsequently impaired ON signal transmission, suggesting that OL turnover is an important mechanism to sustain axon survival and visual function. To test whether enhancing oligodendrogenesis can prevent age-related visual deficits, 12-month-old mice were treated with clemastine, a pro-myelination drug, or induced deletion of the muscarinic receptor 1 in oligodendrocyte precursor cells. The clemastine treatment or muscarinic receptor 1 deletion significantly increased new OL generation in the aged ONs and consequently preserved visual function and retinal integrity. Together, our data indicate that dynamic OL turnover in ONs is required for axon survival and visual function, and enhancing new OL generation represents a potential approach to reversing age-related declines of visual function.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTOligodendrocyte (OL) turnover has been reported in adult optic nerves (ONs), but the longitudinal change and functional significance of OL turnover during aging remain largely unknown. Using cell-lineage tracing and oligodendroglia-specific manipulation, this study reported that OL generation was active in adult ONs and the efficiency decreased in an age-dependent manner. Genetically dampening OL generation by Olig2 ablation resulted in significant axon loss and retinal degeneration, along with delayed visual signal transmission. Conversely, pro-myelination approaches significantly increased new myelin generation in aging ONs, and consequently preserved retinal integrity and visual function. Our findings indicate that promoting OL generation might be a promising strategy to preserve visual function from age-related decline.
Word Formation Guide for the general public and specialists
Authors: Murmulaitytė Daiva 
Published: February 2023

Word Formation Guide (WFG) – one of the services of the Information System of Resources of the Lithuanian Language E. kalba (E -Language). It is intended to quickly and concisely introduce the means of word formation of Lithuanian nouns and the essential regularities of their formation. This guide is intended for the general public, but may also be useful for the specialists in word formation. The article briefly introduces a fast and detailed data search in the WFG. The quick search provides two ways of searching for means of word formation, focusing on their formal expression or derivative and lexical semantics. The detailed search is designed to search according to several features of the word formation means, base, and the semantics of the derivatives. In this search various combinations of the features are possible. Next, the article discusses several problematic issues that arose during the creation of the WFG data structure and data management. This is the homonymy of means of word formation, the classification of initial and final borrowed (neoclassical and other) formatives of words (prefixes, combining forms etc.) and their place in the word formation system of the Lithuanian language, and in the guide under discussion, experimental separation of (lexical) semantic features. In conclusion, the development possibilities of the Word Formation guide are introduced, not only by increasing the number of examples of noun derivatives and compounds but also by redesigning the current data structure and including the word formation data of other parts of speech.
Pediatric Ethics Consultation Services
Authors: Weaver Meaghann S. , Shostrom Valerie K. , Sharma Shiven , Keegan Amy , Walter Jennifer K. 
Published: February 2023

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Although guidelines call for the presence of pediatric ethics consultation services (PECS), their existence in children’s hospitals remains unquantified. This study determined the prevalence of PECS in children’s hospitals and compared the practice environments of those with versus without PECS.

METHOD
The Children’s Hospital Association Annual Benchmark Report survey from 2020 and PECS data were analyzed for the association of PECS with domains of care.

RESULTS
Two hundred thirty-one hospitals received survey requests, with 148 submitted and 144 reachable to determine PECS (62% response rate), inclusive of 50 states. Ninety-nine (69%) reported having ethics consultation services. Freestanding children’s hospitals (28% of all hospitals) were more likely to report the presence of PECS (P &lt;.001), making up 41% of hospitals with a PECS. The median number of staffed beds was 203 (25th quartile 119, 75th quartile 326) for those with PECS compared with 80 for those without (25th quartile 40, 75th quartile 121). Facilities with palliative care, higher trauma ratio, intensive care, and comprehensive programs were more likely to have PECS. Academic affiliation was associated with PECS presence (P &lt;.001). Settings associated with skilled nursing facilities or long-term care programs were not more likely to have PECS. Hospitals designated as federally qualified health centers (P = .04) and accountable care organizations (P = .001) were more likely to have PECS.

CONCLUSION
Although PECS function as formal means to clarify values and mitigate conflict, one-third of children’s hospitals lack PECS. Future research is needed to understand barriers to PECS and improve its presence.