bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pattern of Neonatal Outcome of NICU Admissions Born to Teenage Pregnant Women Admitted in a Level-1 Government Hospital from January 2016 to December 2016
Authors: Laurito Arbeen Acosta 
Published: February 2023

ABSTRACTTeenage pregnancy in the Philippines is increasing and alarming. Services in the antenatal care are in accordance with the Department of Health and the World Health Organization serving pregnant women of all ages. Looking at the post-partum women, we will be identifying factors among this specific teenage group who were considered at risk compared to the older pregnant women.The researcher aims to conduct a study which can give as baseline clinical picture of the product of conceptions among those teenage pregnant women admitted at Justiniano R. Borja General Hospital.Among the NCU admitted neonates, 120 (20%) were delivered by teenage pregnant women, 131 (21.83%) from 20-24 years old, and 349 (58.17%) from >25 years old pregnant women.The prevalence of teenage pregnancy in JRBGH was 20%, with 12 years old as the youngest to have live newborn for 2017. Teenage pregnancy ranges from 20 to 23% on monthly delivery census. While NCU babies born to teenage pregnant women ranges from 10 to 26% on monthly census of NCU admission.This study found out that teenage pregnancy were significantly different from the 20-24 years old in terms of their parity, timing of first ultrasound and hospital expenses. Other maternal profiles which showed no significant difference were; place of residence, menarche, blood pressure, mode of delivery. Hepatitis B status was described by percentage.Based on this study, parity is significantly different in both age groups. These study population covered the NCU babies. Repeat pregnancies should be considered seriously to prevent more cases of NCU admission or other morbidities. Post-natal care should be accessed and improved in terms of the ante-natal care, tracking system, local networking of referrals, and more improve access to data and data collection for analysis of existing health programs.The mean hopital expenses is significantly lower in the teenage pregnant women vs 20-24 years old group. The mean hospital expenses for teenage pregnant women is probably higher because of the study population (neonates) were NCU admitted compared to the total delivery. It is noteworthy to mention that majority of these teenage group (study population) are un-employed. And these hospital expenses may correlates to the out-of-pocket expenses from their families or the cost of LGU funding. Thus, the gross cost of hospitalization from these teenage pregnant women would be Php1,044,357.6 (based on the mean hospital expenses x 88 retrieved SOA) or Php 1,424,124 (based on the mean hospital expenses x 120 teenage pregnant women in NCU), or Php 17,635,402 for 2017 (11,867.7 × 1,486 teenage pregnant deliveries).There were no significant diffrence noted among the neonatal profile variables, namely; birthweight, Apgar score and outcome (complicated or non-complicated). Length of hospital for mothers and length of NCU stay of neonates were found to be not significant in both age groups.
Genetically Determined Blood Pressure, Antihypertensive Medications, and Risk of Intracranial Aneurysms and Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: Liu Hanchen , Zuo Huiqin , Johanna Ospel , Zhao Rui , Yang Pengfei , Li Qiang , Lin Xiaolei , Zhou Yu , Liu Jianmin 
Published: February 2023

ABSTRACTBackgroundObservational studies suggest that different classes of antihypertensive drugs may have different effects on the occurrence of intracranial aneurysm(IA) and subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH). However, the reported effects in previous studies are inconsistent, and randomised data are absent. We performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization(MR) analysis to study the causal effects of genetically determined blood pressure(BP) and genetic proxies for antihypertensive drug classes on the risk of IA and SAH.MethodsGenetic instruments and outcome data were obtained from independent genome-wide association studies(GWAS) or published data, which were exclusively restricted to european ancestry. Causal relationships were identified using inverse-variance weighted MR analyses and a series of statistical sensitivity analyses. The Finngen consortium was used for repeated analysis to verify results obtained from above GWAS.ResultsTwo-sample MR analysis showed that genetically determined Systolic BP, Dystolic BP and Pulse Pressure were related to higher risk of IA and SAH. Based on indentified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that influence the effect of calcium channel blockers (CCB, 43 SNPs), beta-blockers (BB, 30 SNPs), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI, 16 SNPs), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB, 11 SNPs), and thiazides (5 SNPs), genetically determined effect of CCBs was associated with higher risk of IA (OR, 1.08 [95%CI, 1.04-1.12], P=1.21×10-5) and SAH (OR, 1.07 [95%CI, 1.02-1.12], P=2.05×10-3). No associations were found between other antihypertensive drugs and risk of IA or SAH. The effect of CCBs on SAH was confirmed in Finngen consortium samples(OR, 1.04 [95%CI, 1.00-1.08], P=0.042).ConclusionThis MR analysis supports the protection effect of hypertension control on the occurrence of intracranial aneurysm and subarachnoid hemorrhage. However, genetic proxies for calcium channel blockers were associated with increased risk of intracranial aneurysm and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Further studies are required to confirm these findings and investigate the underlying mechanisms.
Analysis of sex disparities in under-five mortality rates in Ghana: Insights from vector autoregressive modeling
Authors: Essel Nana Owusu , Appiah Simon Kojo , Mensah Isaac Adjei 
Published: February 2023

ABSTRACTInternational monitoring organizations call for child mortality indicators to be disaggregated by gender. However, there remains a paucity of studies, especially, from the sub-Saharan region aimed at producing accurate forecasts of child mortality indicators with their sex variations. This study aims at investigating disparities in indicators of childhood mortality rates by sex in Ghana by employing vector autoregressive (VAR) model to analyze jointly annual recorded data on total, male and female under-five mortality rates (TU5MR, MU5MR, FU5MR, respectively). The results show gradual declining under-five mortality trends among sexes in both the historical and forecasted rates. The trivariate traditional and instantaneous Granger causality analyses found that any of the mortality indicators Granger causes the other two combinations, except TU5MR to MU5MR and FU5MR. The forecast error variance decomposition analyses revealed that FU5MR was the most exogenous variable while long-term impulse response function analyses indicated that unit shocks in FU5MR significantly increased TU5MR. The VAR(2) model forecast constructed revealed that contrary to recent predictions based on wider interval data derived from demographic health surveys, Ghana may meet the SDG 3.2.2 if ongoing efforts are sustained and that focusing policies and interventions on reducing FU5MR would largely contribute to reducing TU5MR in Ghana.Ethical considerationsNot applicable. This study did not require ethics approval or consent for participation.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Cancer Screening and Treatment in Older Adults: The Multiethnic Cohort Study
Authors: Mak Victoria P. , White Kami , Wilkens Lynne R. , Cheng Iona , Haiman Christopher , Marchand Loïc Le 
Published: February 2023

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has impacted the health and day-to-day life of individuals, especially the elderly and people with certain pre-existing medical conditions, including cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate how COVID-19 impacted access to cancer screenings and treatment, by studying the participants in the Multiethnic Cohort (MEC) study.MethodsThe MEC has been following over 215,000 residents of Hawai’i and Los Angeles for the development of cancer and other chronic diseases since 1993-1996. It includes men and women of five racial and ethnic groups: African American, Japanese American, Latino, Native Hawaiian, and White. In 2020, surviving participants were sent an invitation to complete an online survey on the impact of COVID-19 on their daily life activities, including adherence to cancer screening and treatment. Approximately 7,000 MEC participants responded. A cross-sectional analysis was performed to investigate the relationships between the postponement of regular health care visits and cancer screening procedures or treatment with race and ethnicity, age, education, and comorbidity.ResultsWomen with more education, women with lung disease, COPD, or asthma, and women and men diagnosed with cancer in the past 5 years were more likely to postpone any cancer screening test/procedure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Groups less likely to postpone cancer screening included older women compared to younger women and Japanese American men and women compared to White men and women.ConclusionsThis study revealed specific associations of race/ethnicity, age, education level, and comorbidities with the cancer-related screening and healthcare of MEC participants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Increased monitoring of patients in high-risk groups for cancer and other diseases is of the utmost importance as the chance of undiagnosed cases or poor prognosis is increased as a result of delayed screening and treatment.FundingThis research was partially supported by the Omidyar ‘Ohana Foundation and grant U01 CA164973 from the National Cancer Institute.
Adaptive nutrition intervention stabilizes serum phosphorus levels in hemodialysis patients: a multi-center decentralized clinical trial using real-world data
Authors: Chung Moon Kyung , Kim Do Hyoung , Park Ji In , Lee Sunhwa , Park Hayne Cho , Kim Kyungmin , Kang Young Sun , Ko Kangji , Kim Jieun , Koo Hoseok , Cha Jin Joo , Kwon Young Eun , Kim Ju Han 
Published: February 2023

AbstractObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the effect of an adaptive nutritional and educational intervention for hemodialysis patients in a routine care setting, using real-world data from electronic health records.MethodsDecentralized clinical trial of seven hemodialysis facilities recruited patients under hemodialysis for over 3 months (N=153) for an 8-week adaptive intervention protocol and divided them into four groups: (1) control (2) education intervention (3) meal intervention (4) education and meal interventions. Educational contents are digitally delivered via mobile phones and pre-made meals tailored on laboratory findings via home delivery. Changes in serum electrolytes and malnutrition inflammation score (MIS) are analyzed.ResultsMeal intervention statistically significantly stabilized serum phosphorus level (β = −0.81) at week 8 with increased likelihood of being in normal range (Odds ratio = 1.21). Meal and education group showed better nutritional status (MIS=3.97) than the control group (MIS=4.57) at week 8 (adjusted p<0.05). No significant changes were observed in serum potassium level, depression, and self-efficacy.ConclusionIt is demonstrated that an adaptive education and meal interventions in a real-world care setting may benefit hemodialysis patients’ serum phosphorus control and nutritional status, without negative effect on depression levels or self-efficacy.
Effects of a Telehealth-Delivered Mediterranean Diet Intervention in Adults with Rheumatoid Arthritis (MEDRA): A Randomised Controlled Trial
Authors: Raad Tala , George Elena , Griffin Anne , Larkin Louise , Fraser Alexander , Kennedy Norelee , Tierney Audrey 
Published: February 2023

AbstractObjectiveTo compare the effects a Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) versus the Irish Healthy Eating Guidelines (HEG) on physical function and quality of life in adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Ireland.MethodsForty-four adults with RA were randomised (1:1) to the MedDiet or HEG for 12 weeks. The intervention included three video teleconsultations and two follow-up telephone calls facilitated by a Registered Dietitian (RD). Changes in physical function by Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) and quality of life by Rheumatoid Arthritis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RAQoL) were the primary outcomes measured. Secondary outcomes included changes in dietary adherence, physical activity by Yale Physical Activity survey (YPAS), patient-perceived pain and general health, and anthropometric measures. All measurements were administered at baseline and repeated at 6 and 12 weeks.ResultsForty participants completed the study. Participants were primarily females (87.5%), mean age was 47.5 ± 10.9 years. At the end of the intervention, participants in the MedDiet group reported significantly better physical function (p=0.006) and quality of life (p=0.037) compared to HEG group. From baseline to 12 weeks, physical function significantly improved in both die tgroups, MedDiet (0.9 ± 0.5 to 0.5 ± 0.4 units, p <0.001) and HEG (1.4 ± 0.7 to 1.0 ± 0.6 units, p<0.001). Quality of life also significantly improved in the MedDiet (10.1 ±7.5 to 4.0 ± 4.7 units, p<0.001) and HEG group (11.25 ±7.2 to 7.9 ±6.4 units, p=0.048). Physical activity improved significantly in the MedDiet (56.7 ±28.6 to 70.6±33.5 points, p=0.01) but not within the HEG group despite similar recommendations.ConclusionAdhering to the MedDiet and Irish Healthy Eating Guidelines resulted in improvements in RA patient-reported outcomes. The changes observed in both diet groups are likely due to the improvement in overall diet quality irrespective of dietary prescription.Trial registration numberNCT04262505
Preparation for cardiac procedures: identifying gaps between outpatients’ views and experiences of patient-centred care
Authors: Fakes Kristy , Williams Trent , Collins Nicholas , Boyle Andrew , Sverdlov Aaron L , Boyes Allison , Sanson-Fisher Rob 
Published: February 2023

ABSTRACTBackgroundTo examine the delivery of patient-centred care and identify any gaps in care perceived as essential by patients; this study examined outpatients’: 1) views on what characterises essential care and 2) experiences of care received, in relation to cardiac catheterisation and subsequent cardiovascular procedures.MethodsA cross-sectional descriptive study was undertaken. Surveys were posted to outpatients who had undergone elective cardiac catheterisation in the prior six months at an Australian tertiary public hospital. Participants completed a 65-item survey to determine: a) aspects of care they perceive as essential for a healthcare team to provide to patients receiving care for a cardiac condition (Important Care Survey); or b) their actual care received (Actual Care Survey). Numbers and percentages were used to calculate the most frequently identified essential care items by patients; and the experiences of care received. Items rated as either ‘Essential’ or ‘Very important’ by at least 80% of participants were determined, reflecting patient endorsement of the importance of the component of care. A gap in patient-centred care was identified as being any item that was endorsed as essential/very important by 80% or more of participants but reported as received by less than 80% of participants.ResultsOf 582 eligible patients, 264 (45%) returned a completed survey. 43/65 items were endorsed by over 80% of participants as essential/very important. Of those, for 22 items, less than 80% of respondents reported the care as received. Gaps were identified in relation to GP consultation (3 items), preparation (4 items), having the procedure (2 items), follow-up care (1 item), subsequent decision making for treatment (4 items), prognosis (6 items) and post-treatment follow-up (1 item).ConclusionsAreas were identified where actual care fell short of patients’ perceptions of essential care, particularly general practitioner involvement, the referral process and information on patient prognosis.
Auditory confounds can drive online effects of transcranial ultrasonic stimulation in humans
Authors: Kop Benjamin R. , Oghli Yazan Shamli , Grippe Talyta C. , Nandi Tulika , Lefkes Judith , Meijer Sjoerd W. , Farboud Soha , Engels Marwan , Hamani Michelle , Null Melissa , Radetz Angela , Hassan Umair , Darmani Ghazaleh , Chetverikov Andrey , den Ouden Hanneke E.M. , Bergmann Til Ole , Chen Robert , Verhagen Lennart 
Published: February 2023

AbstractTranscranial ultrasonic stimulation (TUS) is rapidly emerging as a promising non-invasive neuromodulation technique. TUS is already well-established in animal models, providing foundations to now optimize neuromodulatory efficacy for human applications. Across multiple studies, one promising protocol, pulsed at 1000 Hz, has consistently resulted in motor cortical inhibition in humans (Fomenko et al., 2020). At the same time, a parallel research line has highlighted the potentially confounding influence of peripheral auditory stimulation arising from TUS pulsing at audible frequencies. In this study, we disentangle direct neuromodulatory and indirect auditory contributions to motor inhibitory effects of TUS. To this end, we include tightly matched control conditions across four experiments, one preregistered, conducted independently at three institutions. We employed a combined transcranial ultrasonic and magnetic stimulation paradigm, where TMS-elicited motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) served as an index of corticospinal excitability. First, we replicated motor inhibitory effects of TUS but showed through both tight controls and manipulation of stimulation intensity, duration, and auditory masking conditions that this inhibition was driven by peripheral auditory stimulation, not direct neuromodulation. Further, we consider neuromodulation beyond driving overall excitation/inhibition and show preliminary evidence of how TUS might interact with ongoing neural dynamics instead. Primarily, this study highlights the substantial shortcomings in accounting for the auditory confound in prior TUS-TMS work where only a flip-over sham and no active control was used. The field must critically reevaluate previous findings given the demonstrated impact of peripheral confounds. Further, rigorous experimental design via (in)active control conditions is required to make substantiated claims in future TUS studies. Only when direct effects are disentangled from those driven by peripheral confounds can TUS fully realize its potential for research and clinical applications.
Structural brain correlates of non-verbal cognitive ability in 5-year-old children: findings from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort study
Authors: Pulli Elmo P. , Nolvi Saara , Eskola Eeva , Nordenswan Elisabeth , Holmberg Eeva , Copeland Anni , Kumpulainen Venla , Silver Eero , Merisaari Harri , Saunavaara Jani , Parkkola Riitta , Lähdesmäki Tuire , Saukko Ekaterina , Kataja Eeva-Leena , Korja Riikka , Karlsson Linnea , Karlsson Hasse , Tuulari Jetro J. 
Published: February 2023

AbstractNon-verbal cognitive ability predicts multiple important life outcomes, e.g., school and job performance. It has been associated with parieto–frontal cortical anatomy in prior studies in adult and adolescent populations, while young children have received relatively little attention. We explored the associations between cortical anatomy and non-verbal cognitive ability in 165 5-year-old participants (mean scan age 5.40 years, SD 0.13; 90 males) from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort study. T1-weighted brain magnetic resonance images were processed using FreeSurfer. Non-verbal cognitive ability was measured using the Performance Intelligence Quotient (PIQ) estimated from the Block Design and Matrix Reasoning subtests from the Wechsler Preschool And Primary Scale Of Intelligence (WPPSI-III). In vertex-wise general linear models, PIQ scores associated positively with volumes in left caudal middle frontal and right pericalcarine regions, as well as surface area in left caudal middle frontal, left inferior temporal, and right lingual regions. There were no associations between PIQ and cortical thickness. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to examine structural correlates of non-verbal cognitive ability in a large sample of typically developing 5-year-olds. The findings are generally in line with prior findings from older age groups.
IMD-mediated innate immune priming increases Drosophila survival and reduces pathogen transmission
Authors: Prakash Arun , Fenner Florence , Shit Biswajit , Salminen Tiina S. , Monteith Katy M. , Khan Imroze , Vale Pedro F. 
Published: February 2023

AbstractInvertebrates lack the immune machinery underlying vertebrate-like acquired immunity. However, in many insects past infection by the same pathogen can ‘prime’ the immune response, resulting in improved survival upon reinfection. Here, we investigated the generality, specificity and mechanistic basis of innate immune priming in the fruit flyDrosophila melanogasterwhen infected with the gram-negative bacterial pathogenProvidencia rettgeri. We find that priming in response toP. rettgeriinfection is a long-lasting and pathogen-specific response. We further explore the epidemiological consequences of immune priming and find it has the potential to curtail pathogen transmission by reducing pathogen shedding and spread. The enhanced survival of individuals previously exposed to a non-lethal bacterial inoculum coincided with a transient decrease in bacterial loads, and we provide strong evidence that the effect of priming requires the IMD-responsive antimicrobial-peptideDiptericin-Bin the fat body. Further, we show that whileDiptericin Bis the main effector of bacterial clearance, it is not sufficient for immune priming, which requires regulation of IMD by peptidoglycan recognition proteins. This work underscores the plasticity and complexity of invertebrate responses to infection, providing novel experimental evidence for the effects of innate immune priming on population-level epidemiological outcomes.
Inhibition of cleavage of human complement component C5 and the R885H C5 variant by two distinct high affinity anti-C5 nanobodies
Authors: Struijf Eva M. , De la O Becerra Karla I , Ruyken Maartje , van Oosterom Fleur , Siere Danique Y. , Heesterbeek Dani A. C. , Dolk Edward , Heukers Raimond , Bardoel Bart W. , Gros Piet , Rooijakkers Suzan H.M. 
Published: February 2023

AbstractThe human complement system plays a crucial role in immune defense. However, its erroneous activation contributes to many serious inflammatory diseases. Since most unwanted complement effector functions result from C5 cleavage, development of C5 inhibitors, such as clinically approved monoclonal antibody Eculizumab, are of great interest. In this study, we developed and characterized two anti-C5 nanobodies, UNbC5-1 and UNbC5-2. Using surface plasmon resonance (SPR), we determined a binding affinity of 120 pM for UNbC5-1 and 8 pM for UNbC5-2. Competition experiments determined that the two nanobodies recognize distinct epitopes on C5. Both nanobodies efficiently interfered with C5 cleavage in a human serum environment, as they prevented red blood cell lysis via membrane attack complexes (C5b-9) and the formation of chemoattractant C5a. The cryo-EM structure of UNbC5-1 and UNbC5-2 in complex with C5 revealed that the binding interfaces of UNbC5-1 and UNbC5-2 overlap with known complement inhibitors Eculizumab and RaCI3, respectively. UNbC5-1 binds to the MG7 domain of C5, facilitated by a hydrophobic core and polar interactions, and UNbC5-2 interacts with the C5d domain mostly by salt bridges and hydrogen bonds. Interestingly, UNbC5-1 potently binds and inhibits C5 R885H, a genetic variant of C5, that is not recognized by Eculizumab. Altogether, we identified and characterized two different, high affinity nanobodies against human C5. Both nanobodies could serve as diagnostic and/or research tools to detect C5 or inhibit C5 cleavage. Furthermore, the residues targeted by UNbC5-1 hold important information for therapeutic inhibition of different polymorphic variants of C5.