bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Is Gestational COVID-19 a Risk Factor for Congenital Hearing Loss?
Authors: Tanyeri Toker Gokce , Kumbul Yusuf Cagdas , Cetinkol Ali Emre , Aslan Hale , Baba Pinar , Oncel Mehmet Yekta 
Published: January 2023

Objective
The aim of this study was to investigate whether COVID-19 during pregnancy is a risk factor for congenital hearing loss.

Study Design
Retrospective cohort.

Setting
Tertiary referral center.

Patients
Hearing screening test results of 60,223 newborns between March 2020 and May 2021 were screened using the national database. Newborn babies of 570 pregnant women with positive COVID-19 PCR test during pregnancy who met the study criteria were included in the gestational COVID-19 group, and 570 healthy newborns born in the same period were included in the control group.

Intervention
Diagnostic.

Main Outcome Measure
Results of up to three automatic auditory brainstem response tests in the first 30 days of life were used for newborn hearing screening.

Results
When the gestational COVID-19 and control groups were compared in terms of demographic data, there was no statistically significant difference for any of the variables (maternal age, gestational age, birth weight, neonate gender, mode of delivery, p > 0.05 for all variables). Of the mothers in the gestational COVID-19 group, 62 (10.9%) had COVID-19 in the first trimester, 181 (31.8%) in the second trimester, and 327 (57.3%) in the third trimester. When the first and second test results of newborn hearing screening were compared between the groups, the number of babies with hearing loss was higher in the gestational COVID-19 group than in the control group (p = 0.025; odds ratio, 1.357; 95% confidence interval, 1.039–1.774; p = 0.006; odds ratio, 4.924; 95% confidence interval, 1.410–17.193, respectively). For the third test results, hearing loss was detected in only one baby in both groups (p = 0.284). When the first, second, and third test results for newborn hearing screening were compared according to the trimesters when COVID-19 positivity was identified, the difference between trimesters was not found to be statistically significant (p > 0.05).

Conclusion
To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest study in the literature of the impact of COVID-19 on newborn hearing. The findings in the study suggest that gestational COVID-19 is not a risk factor for permanent congenital hearing loss. However, because the risk of detecting hearing loss is high in the first 15 days, we emphasize the importance of the third screening test.
Vestibular Implantation Can Work Even After More Than 20 Years of Bilateral Vestibular Hypofunction
Authors: Schoo Desi P. , Ayiotis Andrianna I. , Fernandez Brillet Celia , Chow Margaret R. , Lane Kelly E. , Ward Bryan K. , Carey John P. , Della Santina Charles C. 
Published: January 2023

Objective
To determine whether prosthetic stimulation delivered via a vestibular implant can elicit artificial sensation of head movement despite long (23-yr) duration adult-onset ototoxic bilateral vestibular hypofunction (BVH).

Study Design
Case report.

Setting
Tertiary care center as part of a first-in-human clinical trial.

Patients
One.

Interventions
Unilateral vestibular implantation with an investigational multichannel vestibular implant in a 55-year-old man with a well-documented 23-year history of aminoglycoside-induced BVH.

Main Outcome Measures
Electrically evoked vestibulo-ocular reflexes (eeVOR).

Results
Vestibular implant stimulation can drive stimulus-aligned eeVOR and elicit a vestibular percept 23 years after the onset of bilateral vestibulopathy. Prosthetic stimulation targeting individual semicircular canals elicited eye movements that approximately aligned with each targeted canal's axis. The magnitude of the eeVOR response increased with increasing stimulus current amplitude. Response alignment and magnitude were similar to those observed for implant recipients who underwent vestibular implantation less than 10 years after BVH onset. Responses were approximately stable for 18 months of continuous device use (24 h/d except during sleep).

Conclusions
Vestibular implantation and prosthetic electrical stimulation of semicircular canal afferent nerves can drive canal-specific eye movement responses more than 20 years after the onset of ototoxic vestibular hypofunction.
The Prevalence of Symptom Reporting for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo in a Traumatic Brain Injury Population
Authors: Harrell Regan , Manetta Chelsea , Guthrie Michael , Enam Nabela 
Published: January 2023

Objective
To assess the prevalence of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) in traumatic brain injury population.

Study Design
In this cross-sectional design, each subject completed screening for BPPV, which included subjective questioning and positional testing. Subjects were asked if they experienced dizziness with bed mobility. All were tested with the Dix-Hallpike and the roll test to determine if nystagmus consistent with BPPV was present.

Setting
Brain injury inpatient rehabilitation unit.

Participants
Subjects admitted to the rehabilitation unit during a 6-month time frame who had a traumatic mechanism of brain injury or experienced a fall resulting from a neurologic event.

Interventions
Diagnostic interventions included the Dix-Hallpike and roll tests.

Main Measures
The primary outcomes of this study were the prevalence of BPPV and symptom reports.

Results
Seventy-six subjects met the inclusion criteria. Three subjects were transferred to acute care before screening for BPPV could be completed. Of the 73 subjects who completed the screening process, 42 (58%) tested positive for BPPV, of which only 7 (10%) reported subjective symptoms of dizziness and/or vertigo. χ
2 Analysis of the two screening methods demonstrated a statistically significant difference in the positivity rate between tests (χ
2
1 = 5.715, p = 0.017, Cohen's W = 0.279). If subjects responded yes to both screening questions, they were significantly more likely to test positive for BPPV with a moderate effect size of 0.279.

Conclusion
There was a high prevalence of BPPV within an inpatient rehabilitation facility in subjects with traumatic brain injury, with a small percentage of patients reporting dizziness with subjective questioning.
Ossicular Chain Reconstruction With Titanium Prostheses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Kortebein Sarah , Russomando Alessandra Cataldo , Greda Dominik , Cooper Matthew , Ledbetter Leila , Kaylie David 
Published: January 2023

Objectives
This review sought to establish expectations for hearing improvement with specifically titanium partial (PORP) and total ossicular replacement prostheses (TORP) to give surgeons an acceptable goal for postoperative hearing results and to counsel patients on their expected results.

Databases Reviewed
MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library.

Methods
A systematic review of the literature was performed per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Three databases (MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library) were searched using relevant key search terms to identify studies evaluating outcomes of titanium prostheses. A title/abstract and full article review was then done, and the results from the remaining studies were analyzed with Review Manager 5.4 Software to perform a meta-analysis using a random-effects model.

Results
Forty articles were analyzed after full article review based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. For PORPs, the average improvement in air-bone gap (ABG) and pure-tone average were 12.1 and 13.5 dB, respectively. For TORPs, the average improvements in ABG and pure-tone average were 16.7 and 17.0 dB, respectively. Preoperatively, the average ABG was 7.0 dB better for PORP than TORP patients, and postoperatively, the ABG improved an average of 4.9 dB more for the PORP cohort. Seventy percent of PORPs and 57% of TORPs subjects had a postoperative ABG less than 20 dB.

Conclusions
Overall, reconstruction of the ossicular chain with titanium prostheses reliably improves patients' hearing outcomes, and this study gives relevant information for counseling patients preoperatively on realistic hearing outcomes.
Vestibular Complaints Impact on the Long-Term Quality of Life of Vestibular Schwannoma Patients
Authors: Fuentealba-Bassaletti Constanza , Neve Olaf M. , van Esch Babette F. , Jansen Jeroen C. , Koot Radboud W. , van Benthem Peter Paul G. , Hensen Erik F. 
Published: January 2023

Objective
To analyze the effect of dizziness-related symptoms on the long-term quality of life (QoL) of patients with unilateral vestibular schwannoma.

Methods
In this cross-sectional study, patients with a unilateral vestibular schwannoma diagnosed between 2004 and 2013 completed a disease-specific QoL questionnaire (Penn Acoustic Neuroma Quality of Life [PANQOL]) and the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) in 2020. Linear regression was performed to assess the correlation between QoL and the DHI total score, and the scores of the DHI functional, emotional, and physical subdomains. Potential confounders such as age, sex, tumor size at baseline, and treatment modality (active surveillance, surgery, or radiotherapy) were included in the model.

Results
In total, 287 of 479 patients (59%) experienced dizziness with a median follow-up of 10 years. The DHI total score was significantly associated with the PANQOL total score. On average, we found a reduction of 0.7 points on the PANQOL for each additional point on the DHI. The DHI emotional subdomain was the most prominent determinant of poorer QoL. Each point on the DHI emotional subscale was associated with a reduction of 1.3 on the PANQOL score. Treatment modality did not have a clinically relevant effect on dizziness-related QoL.

Conclusions
Even mild dizziness can have a significant and clinically relevant effect on the QoL of patients with unilateral vestibular schwannoma in the long term. This holds true for all treatment modalities. Addressing the vestibular problems may improve QoL in vestibular schwannoma patients, and DHI subscale analysis may help tailor the optimal vestibular intervention.
Audiometry-Confirmed Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss Incidence among COVID-19 Patients and BNT162b2 Vaccine Recipients
Authors: Cohen Michael Ori , Tamir Sharon Ovnat , O'Rourke Norm , Marom Tal 
Published: January 2023

Objective
To compare sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) incidence rates over the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak and the COVID-19 vaccination campaign periods to pre-COVID-19 periods.

Study Design
Retrospective cohort.

Setting
Secondary hospital.

Patients
Patients >12 years with auditory-confirmed SSNHL were enrolled. COVID-19 status and BNT162 inoculation records ≤28 days before SSNHL diagnosis were retrieved. Patients were categorized according to their date of presentation over four equal periods: 1) July 2018–April 2019 (first prepandemic period), 2) May 2019–February 2020 (second prepandemic period), 3) March 2020–December 2020 (COVID-19 outbreak), and 4) January 2021–October 2021 (BNT162b2 vaccinations campaign).

Interventions
Pre- and post-COVID-19 emergence; BNT162b2 vaccine.

Main Outcome Measures
Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were calculated to compare SSNHL cases during the COVID-19 and vaccination periods with pre-COVID-19 periods.

Results
Of the 100 patients with SSNHL over the four periods, 1 had COVID-19 and 8 were vaccinated. The annual SSNHL incidence was 12.87, 12.28, 13.45, and 19.89 per 100,000 over periods 1 to 4, respectively. SSNHL incidence over the third period was not significantly different than the first/second periods (IRR = 1.045, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.629–1.85, ρ = 0.788, and IRR = 1.095, 95% CI = 0.651–1.936, ρ = 0.683, respectively), whereas SSNHL incidence rate over the fourth period was higher (IRR = 1.545, 95% CI = 0.967–2.607, ρ = 0.068, and IRR = 1.619, 95% CI = 1–2.73, ρ = 0.05, respectively). SSNHL incidence in vaccine recipients was lower than prepandemic unvaccinated patients (IRR = 0.584, 95% CI =0.464–1.67, ρ = 0.984, and IRR = 0.612, 95% CI =0.48–1.744, ρ = 0.92, respectively).

Conclusion
There were fewer SSNHL cases during the first COVID-19 months. Although the SSNHL rate over the COVID-19 vaccination campaign increased, it was not higher for patients who received the BNT162b2 vaccine.
Race and Apolipoprotein E-e4 Allele Status Differences in the Association Between Loneliness and Cognitive Decline
Authors: Desai Pankaja , Krueger Kristin R. , de Leon Carlos Mendes , Wilson Robert S. , Evans Denis A. , Rajan Kumar B. 
Published: January 2023

ABSTRACT

Objective
This study aimed to examine race and apolipoprotein E-e4 allele (APOE-e4) status differences in the longitudinal associations between loneliness and cognitive decline.

Methods
The study sample is composed of participants (N = 7696, 64% Black participants and 36% White participants) from the Chicago Health and Aging Project, a population-based cohort study. Mixed-effects regression models were conducted to examine the longitudinal associations between loneliness on global cognitive function and individual tests of cognitive function. Models were also stratified by race and APOE-e4.

Results
A greater percentage of Black participants (17%) reported loneliness at baseline visit compared with White participants (12%). Black and White participants who were lonely individuals had a similar rate of decline in global cognitive function at 0.075 (95% confidence interval [CI] = −0.082 to −0.068) standard deviation unit (SDU) per year for Black participants and at 0.075 (95% CI = −0.086 to −0.063) SDU per year for White participants. Lonely participants with APOE-e4 had a higher rate of global cognitive decline at −0.102 (95% CI = −0.115 to −0.088) SDU per year than for lonely participants without APOE-e4 at −0.052 (95% CI = −0.059 to −0.045) SDU per year.

Conclusions
The burden of loneliness and its relation to cognitive decline is higher among participants with APOE-e4 compared with those without APOE-e4. Loneliness is associated with cognitive decline in both Black and White participants.
Broadly neutralizing antibody-mediated protection against simian-HIV infection among macaques with vaginal sexually transmitted infections
Authors: Garber David A. , Guenthner Patricia , Zhao Chunxia , Mitchell James , Ellis Shanon , Jia Hongwei , Manganare Marcos , Gazumyan Anna , Seaman Michael S. , Vishwanathan Sundaram Ajay , Heneine Walid , McNicholl Janet M. 
Published: January 2023

Objective:
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) increase mucosal HIV infection risk and have the potential to reduce preexposure prophylaxis efficacy. Clinical trials of a broadly neutralizing antibody (bNAb) provided proof-of-concept that passive immunization against HIV can be efficacious in people. We sought to evaluate preclinically the protective efficacy of passive bNAb immunization against simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) infection in the context of concurrent vaginal STIs.

Design:
Using a macaque model of combined ulcerative and nonulcerative vaginal STIs caused by Treponema pallidum, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Trichomonas vaginalis, we determined the protection that passively administered bNAb 10-1074 conferred against repeated vaginal SHIV challenges and compared correlates of protection to contemporaneous and historical controls without STIs.

Methods:
Plasma viremia was monitored via RT-qPCR assay. Concentrations of 10-1074 were determined longitudinally in plasma samples via TZM-bl pseudovirus neutralization assay.

Results:
Among macaques with vaginal STIs, a single subcutaneous injection of 10-1074 durably protected against vaginal SHIV acquisition, as compared with untreated controls. Interestingly, the median plasma concentration of 10-1074 at the time of SHIV breakthrough among macaques with STIs was significantly higher (10-fold) than that previously observed among 10-1074-treated macaques in the absence of STIs.

Conclusion:
Passive immunization with 10-1074 conferred significant protection against repeated vaginal SHIV challenges among macaques harboring vaginal STIs. However, our findings suggest that higher bNAb concentrations may be required for prophylaxis when STIs are present. Our findings potentially impact dose selection for the clinical development of bNAbs and highlight the importance of additional preclinical efficacy testing in STI models.
MACHINE LEARNING MODELS FOR PREDICTING ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY IN PATIENTS WITH SEPSIS-ASSOCIATED ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME
Authors: Zhou Yang , Feng Jinhua , Mei Shuya , Zhong Han , Tang Ri , Xing Shunpeng , Gao Yuan , Xu Qiaoyi , He Zhengyu 
Published: January 2023

ABSTRACT

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a prevalent and serious complication among patients with sepsis-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Prompt and accurate prediction of AKI has an important role in timely intervention, ultimately improving the patients’ survival rate. This study aimed to establish machine learning models to predict AKI via thorough analysis of data derived from electronic medical records. Method: The data of eligible patients were retrospectively collected from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III database from 2001 to 2012. The primary outcome was the development of AKI within 48 hours after intensive care unit admission. Four different machine learning models were established based on logistic regression, support vector machine, random forest, and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost). The performance of all predictive models was evaluated using the area under receiver operating characteristic curve, precision-recall curve, confusion matrix, and calibration plot. Moreover, the discrimination ability of the machine learning models was compared with that of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) model. Results; Among 1,085 sepsis-associated ARDS patients included in this research, 375 patients (34.6%) developed AKI within 48 hours after intensive care unit admission. Twelve predictive variables were selected and further used to establish the machine learning models. The XGBoost model yielded the most accurate predictions with the highest area under receiver operating characteristic curve (0.86) and accuracy (0.81). In addition, a novel shiny application based on the XGBoost model was established to predict the probability of developing AKI among patients with sepsis-associated ARDS. Conclusions: Machine learning models could be used for predicting AKI in patients with sepsis-associated ARDS. Accordingly, a user-friendly shiny application based on the XGBoost model with reliable predictive performance was released online to predict the probability of developing AKI among patients with sepsis-associated ARDS.
ENDOTHELIAL GLYCOCALYX SHEDDING IN INTRA-ABDOMINAL SEPSIS: A FEASIBILITY STUDY
Authors: Carmichael Samuel P. , Appelbaum Rachel D. , Renaldo Antonio , Hauser Nathaniel , Rahbar Elaheh , Nunn Andrew M. 
Published: January 2023

ABSTRACT

Background: The endothelial glycocalyx layer (EGL) is a complex meshwork of glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans that protect the vascular endothelium. Cleavage or shedding of EGL-specific biomarkers, such as hyaluronic acid (HA) and syndecan-1 (SDC-1, CD138) in plasma, have been shown to be associated with poor clinical outcomes. However, it is unclear whether levels of circulating EGL biomarkers are representative of the EGL injury within the tissues. The objective of the present feasibility study was to describe a pathway for plasma and tissue procurement to quantify EGL components in a cohort of surgical patients with intra-abdominal sepsis. We sought to compare differences between tissue and plasma EGL biomarkers and to determine whether EGL shedding within the circulation and/or tissues correlated with clinical outcomes. Methods: This was a prospective, observational, single-center feasibility study of adult patients (N = 15) with intra-abdominal sepsis, conducted under an approved institutional review boards. Blood and resected tissue (pathologic specimen and unaffected peritoneum) samples were collected from consented subjects at the time of operation and 24–48 hours after surgery. Endothelial glycocalyx layer biomarkers (i.e., HA and SDC-1) were quantified in both tissue and plasma samples using a CD138 stain and ELISA kit, respectively. Pairwise comparisons were made between plasma and tissue levels. In addition, we tested the relationships between measured EGL biomarkers and clinical status and patient outcomes. Results: Fifteen patients with intra-abdominal sepsis were enrolled in the study. Elevations in EGL-specific circulating biomarkers (HA, SDC-1) were positively correlated with postoperative SOFA scores and weakly associated with resuscitative volumes at 24 hours. Syndecan-1 levels from resected pathologic tissue significantly correlated with SOFA scores at all time points (R = 0.69 and P < 0.0001) and positively correlated with resuscitation volumes at 24 hours (R = 0.41 and P = 0.15 for t = 24 hours). Tissue and circulating HA and SDC-1 positively correlated with SOFA >6. Conclusions: Elevations in both circulating and tissue EGL biomarkers were positively correlated with postoperative SOFA scores at 24 hours, with resected pathologic tissue EGL levels displaying significant correlations with SOFA scores at all time points. Tissue and circulating EGL biomarkers were positively correlated at higher SOFA scores (SOFA > 6) and could be used as indicators of resuscitative needs within 24 hours of surgery. The present study demonstrates the feasibility of tissue and plasma procurement in the operating room, although larger studies are needed to evaluate the predictive value of these EGL biomarkers for patients with intra-abdominal sepsis.
The importance of increasing primary vaccinations against COVID-19 in Europe
Authors: Boëlle Pierre-Yves , Valdano Eugenio 
Published: January 2023

AbstractIn the European Union, mass vaccination against COVID-19 staved off the strict restrictions that had characterized early epidemic response. Now, vaccination campaigns are focusing on booster doses, and primary vaccinations have all but halted. Still, 52 million European adults are unvaccinated. We investigated if reaching the still unvaccinated population in future vaccination campaigns would substantially decrease the current burden of COVID-19, which is substantial. We focused on vaccination homophily, whereby those who are unvaccinated are mostly in contact with other unvaccinated, making COVID-19 circulation easier. We quantified vaccination homophily and estimated its impact on COVID-19 circulation.We used an online survey of 1,055,286 people from 22 European countries during early 2022. We computed vaccination homophily as the association between reported vaccination status and perceived vaccination uptake among one’s own social contacts, using a case-referent design and a hierarchical logistic model. We used this information in an analysis of the COVID-19 reproduction ratio to determine the impact of vaccine homophily in transmission.Vaccination homophily was present and strong everywhere: the average odds ratio of being vaccinated for a 10-percentage-point increase in coverage among contacts was 1.66 (95% CI=(1.60, 1.72)). Homophily was positively associated with the strictness of COVID-19-related restrictions in 2020 (Pearson=0.49, p-value=0.03). In the countries studied, 12%-to-18% of the reproduction ratio would be attributable to vaccine homophily.Reducing vaccination homophily may curb the reproduction ratio substantially even to the point of preventing recurrent epidemic waves. In addition to boosting those already vaccinated, increasing primary vaccination should remain a high priority in future vaccination campaigns, to reduce vaccination homophily: this combined strategy may decrease COVID-19 burden.