bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Context-specific and context-invariant computations of interval timing
Authors: Pourmohammadi Ahmad , Sanayei Mehdi 
Published: September 2023

IntroductionAn accurate sense of time is crucial in flexible sensorimotor control and other cognitive functions. However, it remains unknown how multiple timing computations in different contexts interact to shape our behavior.MethodsWe asked 41 healthy human subjects to perform timing tasks that differed in the sensorimotor domain (sensory timing vs. motor timing) and effector (hand vs. saccadic eye movement). To understand how these different behavioral contexts contribute to timing behavior, we applied a three-stage Bayesian model to behavioral data.ResultsOur results demonstrate that the Bayesian model for each effector could not describe bias in the other effector. Similarly, in each task the model-predicted data could not describe bias in the other task. These findings suggest that the measurement stage of interval timing is context-specific in the sensorimotor and effector domains. We also showed that temporal precision is context-invariant in the effector domain, unlike temporal accuracy.DiscussionThis combination of context-specific and context-invariant computations across sensorimotor and effector domains suggests overlapping and distributed computations as the underlying mechanism of timing in different contexts.
Radiolabeled iron oxide nanoparticles functionalized with PSMA/BN ligands for dual-targeting of prostate cancer
Authors: Bajwa Danae Efremia , Salvanou Evangelia-Alexandra , Theodosiou Maria , Koutsikou Theodora S. , Efthimiadou Eleni K. , Bouziotis Penelope , Liolios Christos 
Published: September 2023

IntroductionProstate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequent cancer diagnosis in men and the fifth leading cause of death worldwide. Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) and Gastrin Releasing Peptide (GRP) receptors are overexpressed in PCa. In this study, we have developed iron oxide nanoparticles (IONs) functionalized with the Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) and Gastrin Releasing Peptide (GRP) ligands for dual targeting of Prostate cancer.MethodsIONs were developed with a thin silica layer on their surface with MPTES (carrying -SH groups, IONs-SH), and they were coupled either with a pharmacophore targeting PSMA (IONs-PSMA) or with bombesin peptide (IONs-BN), targeting GRP receptors, or with both (IONs-PSMA/BN). The functionalized IONs were characterized for their size, zeta potential, and efficiency of functionalization using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). All the aforementioned types of IONs were radiolabeled directly with Technetium-99m (99mTc) and evaluated for their radiolabeling efficiency, stability, and binding ability on two different PCa cell lines (PC3 and LNCaP).Results and DiscussionThe MTT assay demonstrated low toxicity of the IONs against PC3 and LNCaP cells, while the performed wound-healing assay further proved that these nanostructures did not affect cellular growth mechanisms. The observed hemolysis ratio after co-incubation with red blood cells was extremely low. Furthermore, the 99mTc-radiolabeled IONs showed good stability in human serum, DTPA, and histidine, and high specific binding rates in cancer cells, supporting their future utilization as potential diagnostic tools for PCa with Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging.
Comparative study of gait parameters of patients undergoing distal femoral resections with non-operated and healthy limbs: a meta-analysis study
Authors: Banskota Nishant , Fang Xiang , Yuan Dechao , Zhang Wenli , Duan Hong 
Published: September 2023

IntroductionGait analysis is one of the most important components of functional outcome evaluation in patients with lower-extremity tumors. Disparities between operated limbs when compared with non-operated limbs and healthy populations based on gait parameters have rarely been studied. In the present study, we attempted to analyze the gait difference and its impacts on daily life.MethodsThe gait parameters of distal femoral tumor-resected patients were collected from PubMed, CNKI, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, and Google Scholar till September 30, 2022, by strictly following the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Differences between gait parameters in the operated and non-operated limbs or healthy limbs of distal femoral tumor patients were analyzed based on stance phase, swing phase, cadence, and velocity. The fixed-effects and random-effects models were used to conduct a meta-analysis.ResultsSix studies were included according to the selection criteria. There were 224 patients in total in these studies. Standard mean differences were calculated for all of our outcomes. Our results showed that there was a minimal difference in the standard mean difference of gait parameters between operated and non-operated limbs and healthy limbs.ConclusionDistal femoral tumor resections have been associated with deficient muscle function and strength and impaired gait parameters. Minimal differences in the gait parameters highlighted the advantage of distal femoral resection when replaced with a prosthesis.
Prevalence of subclinical keratoconus and impact on adults undergoing routine, uncomplicated age-related cataract extraction
Authors: Tran Tu M. , Mittal Aman , Naik Vihar , Chhadva Priyanka , Wade Matthew , Garg Sumit 
Published: September 2023

AimTo determine the prevalence of subclinical keratoconus (SKCN) among individuals undergoing routine, uncomplicated age-related cataract surgery and its impact on visual and refractive outcomes.Patient and MethodsAt a major academic ophthalmology department in the United States, we reviewed records of patients aged 50 years and older who underwent surgery from January 2011 to June 2022. We excluded patients who had poor-quality or unreliable tomographic data, previous corneal surgery, keratorefractive procedures, and significant vision-limiting ocular pathology. We defined SKCN if an eye had a Belin-Ambrósio enhanced ectasia index (BAD-D) ≥1.7, which was based on the results of a meta-analysis of large studies. In addition to the BAD-D cutoff, the eye had to deviate significantly on at least one of seven additional parameters: 1) posterior elevation at thinnest point, 2) index of vertical asymmetry, 3) index of surface variation, 4) total front higher order aberrations, 5) front vertical coma, 6) front secondary vertical coma, 7) back vertical coma. An individual had SKCN if at least one eye met the tomography-based classification and did not have manifest KCN in either eye. Visual and refractive outcomes data were acquired from patients of one experienced cataract surgeon with cases done from July 2021 to June 2022. Statistical significance was set at p &lt; 0.05.ResultsAmong 5592 eyes from 3828 individuals, the prevalence of SKCN was 24.7% (95% CI, 23.4 – 26.1, 945 individuals), and the prevalence of KCN was 1.9% (95% CI, 1.6 – 2.4, 87 individuals). The prevalence of SKCN did not increase with age and was more prevalent among females and non-white races. Median post-operative month one distance-corrected visual acuity (DCVA) and proportion of eyes with improvement in DCVA were similar between normal and SKCN eyes. The proportion of eyes reaching ±0.5 and ±1.0 diopter within the refractive target were similar between normal and SKCN eyes.ConclusionSKCN is highly prevalent and should be detected but is unlikely to have a significant deleterious effect on outcomes in routine, uncomplicated cataract surgery.
Evaluating case management for caregivers of children with spinal muscular atrophy type I and II—an exploratory, controlled, mixed-methods trial
Authors: Willems Jana , Pechmann Astrid , Wider Sabine , Ambs Rita , Meyer Sylvia A. N. , Cascante Isabel , Sproß Joachim , Mund Annette , Farin-Glattacker Erik , Langer Thorsten 
Published: September 2023

IntroductionSpinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare neuromuscular disease requiring various clinical specialists and therapists to provide care. Due to the disease's dynamic nature and the long distances between specialized centers and local providers, integrating care between disciplines can be challenging. Care that is inadequately integrated can compromise the quality of care and become a burden for patients and families. This trial aimed to improve the care of patients through a case management (CM) intervention.MethodsWe conducted an exploratory, controlled, two-arm trial with pre-, post-, and follow-up measures (process and outcome evaluation). Proof of efficacy based on statistical significance was not our primary study objective since we were investigating a rare disease. Primary outcomes were caregivers' HRQoL and caregiver-rated quality of care integration. Our secondary outcome was the children's HRQoL.ResultsQuestionnaires and semi-structured interviews yielded heterogeneous results depending on caregivers' level of experience and desire (or possibility) to delegate care tasks.DiscussionDespite differing perceptions, all participants supported the establishment of a care coordination model. We recommend CM immediately after diagnosis to provide the greatest benefit to families. We hope that our trial will support the further development of CM interventions that can be customized for specific diseases.
Translation and validation of the Sindhi version of the general medication adherence scale in patients with chronic diseases
Authors: Islam Md. Ashraful , Iffat Wajiha , Imam Shahlla , Shakeel Sadia , Rasheed Abdul , Naqvi Atta Abbas 
Published: September 2023

Background: There is no medication adherence scale available in Sindhi language currently. Hence, the Sindhi speaking population will either use a translator or provide their medical history in another language for documentation of medical conditions. This poses a challenge in monitoring and evaluating adherence to medications within this linguistic community.Aim: The aim of this study was to translate and validate the Sindhi version of the General Medication Adherence Scale (GMAS-S) in patients with chronic diseases.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 4 months duration and was conducted in out-patient department of a university affiliated hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. All adults with chronic diseases, who were on long-term medications, and able to read and understand Sindhi language were invited. Convenience sampling was employed and a questionnaire consisting of demographic questions and the Sindhi version of GMAS was used. The translation of the scale was carried out. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted, and a structural equation model (SEM) was developed. Fit indices, namely, goodness of fit index (GFI), adjusted goodness of fit index (AGFI), Tucker Lewis index (TLI), comparative fit index (CFI), and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) were reported. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha (α), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), corrected item-to-total correlation (ITC) and item deletion. Data were analysed through IBM SPSS version 23 and IBM AMOS version 25. The study obtained ethical clearance.Results: A total of 150 responses were analysed. The reliability of the Sindhi version of GMAS was (α) = 0.696. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was reported at 0.696 (95% CI: 0.618–0.763). The values for the fit indices were as follows: χ2/df = 1.84, GFI = 0.918, TLI = 0.920, CFI = 0.942, AGFI = 0.864, and RMSEA = 0.075. All values except AGFI were in the acceptable ranges and indicated good fitness. Most participants (80.7%) appeared non-adherent to their medications.Conclusion: The results of the study demonstrate that the Sindhi version of the GMAS is a valid and reliable scale to measure adherence in Sindhi speaking persons with chronic diseases.
Does early exposure to spoken and sign language affect reading fluency in deaf and hard-of-hearing adult signers?
Authors: Ziubanova Anastasia A. , Laurinavichyute Anna K. , Parshina Olga 
Published: September 2023

IntroductionEarly linguistic background, and in particular, access to language, lays the foundation of future reading skills in deaf and hard-of-hearing signers. The current study aims to estimate the impact of two factors – early access to sign and/or spoken language – on reading fluency in deaf and hard-of-hearing adult Russian Sign Language speakers.MethodsIn the eye-tracking experiment, 26 deaf and 14 hard-of-hearing native Russian Sign Language speakers read 144 sentences from the Russian Sentence Corpus. Analysis of global eye-movement trajectories (scanpaths) was used to identify clusters of typical reading trajectories. The role of early access to sign and spoken language as well as vocabulary size as predictors of the more fluent reading pattern was tested.ResultsHard-of-hearing signers with early access to sign language read more fluently than those who were exposed to sign language later in life or deaf signers without access to speech sounds. No association between early access to spoken language and reading fluency was found.DiscussionOur results suggest a unique advantage for the hard-of-hearing individuals from having early access to both sign and spoken language and support the existing claims that early exposure to sign language is beneficial not only for deaf but also for hard-of-hearing children.
Stable organization of the early lexical-semantic network in 18- and 24-month-old preterm and full-term infants: an eye-tracker study
Authors: Ragó Anett , Varga Zsuzsanna , Szabo Miklos 
Published: September 2023

IntroductionAn organized mental lexicon determines new information acquisition by orienting attention during language processing. Adult-like lexical-semantic knowledge organization has already been demonstrated in 24-month-olds. However, the outcomes of earlier studies have been contradictory in terms of the organizational capacities of 18-month-olds, thus our aim was to examine lexical-semantic organization in this younger age group. In prematurely born infants, audiovisual integration deficits have been found alongside disruptions in language perception. By including late preterm infants with corrected ages in our study, we aimed to test whether maturational differences influence lexical-semantic organization when vocabulary is growing rapidly.MethodsWe tested 47 late preterm and full-term 18- and 24-month-old infants by means of an infant-adapted target-absent task using a slightly modified version of the original visual world paradigm for eye tracker.ResultsWe found a longer fixation duration for the lexical and semantic distractors compared to the neutral pictures. Neither language proficiency nor age affected the looking time results. We found a dissociation by age between taxonomic and associative semantic relations. Maturational differences were detectable in the initial processing of taxonomic relations, as processing in the preterm group was slightly delayed and qualitatively different in the first half of the looking time. The size and composition of the expressive vocabulary differed only by age.DiscussionIn general, our study demonstrated a stable lexical-semantic organization between 18 and 24 months of age, regardless of maturational differences.
Chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting may cause anxiety and depression in the family caregivers of patients with cancer
Authors: Luo Xiaozhen , Yang Lili , Chen Jing , Zhang Jing , Zhao Quanqing , Zhu Jiang 
Published: September 2023

ObjectiveTo investigate the impact of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) on the anxiety and depression of the primary family caregivers of patients with cancer.MethodsThis study screened family caregivers of patients with cancer undergoing highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC) containing a 3-day cisplatin regime. Caregivers who did not experience anxiety or depression at baseline screening were enrolled in this study. Based on the patients’ CINV status during chemotherapy, their family caregivers were divided into two groups: patients who experienced CINV (CINV group) and patients who did not experience CINV (No-CINV group). All enrolled family caregivers completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire on the fourth and 8 days of chemotherapy.ResultsA total of 256 family caregivers were screened for this study, of which 195 caregivers without anxiety or depression at baseline were included. A total of 150 (76.9%) patients undergoing chemotherapy experienced acute CINV; 63 (42%) of their family caregivers experienced anxiety, and 65 (43.3%) developed depression. This was significantly higher than the experiences of the No-CINV group (2.2%, P &lt; 0.001; 0%, P &lt; 0.001, respectively). Among the patients undergoing chemotherapy, 86 (44.1%) experienced delayed CINV. The incidence of anxiety and depression in the family caregivers of patients with delayed CINV were 27.9 and 36%, respectively, both of which were significantly higher than that in the family caregivers of the No-CINV group (0.9%, P &lt; 0.001; and 0.9%, P &lt; 0.001, respectively).ConclusionAcute and delayed CINV occurring in patients during chemotherapy may induce anxiety and depression in their family caregivers.
Moving the needle for COVID-19 vaccinations in Nigeria through leadership, accountability, and transparency
Authors: Ojeniyi Toluwanimi , Eguavoen Amenze , Chinye-Nwoko Fejiro 
Published: September 2023

BackgroundThe first set of vaccines arrived in Nigeria in March 2021. The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) set out to vaccinate at least 70% percent of Nigeria’s eligible population, i.e., 111,776,503 people, by December 2022. As of June 2021, only 3% had received at least one dose of the vaccine. This presented a threat to the achievement of NPHCDA’s goal. Nigeria Solidarity Support Fund (NSSF) went into a partnership with NPHCDA to accelerate the uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations across Nigeria over 3 months.MethodsAcross Nigeria’s 6 geopolitical zones, 6 states were selected, namely: Adamawa, Edo, Imo, Katsina, Nasarawa, and Ogun states based on performance, political will, and absence of external resources. A two-pronged approach was implemented: unrestricted funding to the sub-national level and providing technical support at the national level.Results5 out of 6 states received unrestricted funding to ramp up vaccination coverage. They also received adequate vaccine supplies. A total of 12,000 healthcare workers were trained on safe immunization practices and multiple communities were engaged across the 133 local government areas (LGAs) through religious and community leaders. After 6 months, there was an average of 35% increase in the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in the 5 states. An indicator tracker was developed for weekly reviews at the national level and the total population vaccinated in Nigeria increased from 6,186,647 to 11,985,336 at the end of the partnership.ConclusionUnrestricted funding, though not without its risks, can yield a significant impact on health. The intervention was co-designed with stakeholders and had leadership buy-in, accountability mechanisms, with unrestricted funding. These techniques produced an increase in the vaccination rates in the 5 states and across the country. These elements should be explored for application to other program designs such as routine immunization.
The prevalence of risk for hearing impairment in newborns with congenital syphilis in a newborn hearing screening program (NHS)
Authors: Oliveira Thalita da Silva , Dutra Monique Ramos Paschoal , Nunes-Araujo Aryelly Dayane da Silva , Silva Aline Roberta Xavier da , Oliveira Gabriel Barros Lins Lelis de , Silva Gleyson José Pinheiro Caldeira , Valentim Ricardo Alexsander de Medeiros , Balen Sheila Andreoli 
Published: September 2023

ObjectiveTo study the prevalence of risk for hearing impairment in neonates with congenital syphilis in a newborn hearing screening program.Study designThe study design is retrospective, documentary, and is cross-sectional. The sample consisted of newborns who were born between January 2019 and December 2021 and who underwent neonatal hearing screening in a public maternity hospital. Demographic data and the presence and specification of risk indicators for hearing impairment (RIHL) were collected. In retest cases, the results and the final score were also collected. For data analysis, the Kruskal–Wallis and Conover-Iman post-hoc tests were used, comparing the groups that passed and failed the hearing screening that had RIHL, using a significance level of p of &lt;0.5.ResultsAmong the RIHL observed in the sample, prematurity was more frequent in newborns who passed the screening (55.26%) than in those who failed the test (45.67%). Congenital syphilis was the ninth most frequent RIHL (8.04%) among the newborns who passed the test and the 15th factor (3.03%), with the highest occurrence in those who failed the hearing screening. When comparing the two groups (pass and fail), we found significant differences (p &lt; 0.05) between them.ConclusionCongenital syphilis was the ninth risk indicator for the most common hearing impairment and, in isolation, did not present a risk for failure in neonatal hearing screening. Notably, congenital syphilis can cause late hearing loss during child development. Thus, there is an indication of audiological monitoring of these neonates.
COVID-19 pandemic and other factors associated with unfavorable tuberculosis treatment outcomes—Almaty, Kazakhstan, 2018–2021
Authors: Gabdullina Malika , Maes Edmond F. , Horth Roberta Z. , Dzhazybekova Panagul , Amanova Gulzhan N. , Zikriyarova Sanam , Nabirova Dilyara A. 
Published: September 2023

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic negatively influenced the availability of tuberculosis (TB) services, such as detection, diagnosis and treatment, around the world, including Kazakhstan. We set out to estimate the COVID-19 pandemic influence on TB treatment outcomes by comparing outcomes among people starting treatment before the pandemic (2018–2019) and during the pandemic (2020–2021) and to determine risk factors associated with unfavorable outcomes.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study among all people newly diagnosed with drug-sensitive pulmonary or extrapulmonary TB at least 18 years old who initiated treatment from 2018 to 2021 in Almaty. We abstracted data from the national electronic TB register. Unfavorable treatment outcomes were ineffective treatment, death, loss to follow-up, results not evaluated, and transferred. We used multivariable Poisson regression to calculate adjusted relative risk (aRR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI).ResultsAmong 1548 people newly diagnosed with TB during the study period, average age was 43 years (range 18–93) and 52% were male. The number of people initiating treatment was higher before than the pandemic (935 vs. 613, respectively). There was significantly different proportions before compared to during the pandemic for people diagnosed through routine screening (39% vs. 31%, p &lt; 0.001), 60 years and older (16% vs. 22%, p = 0.005), and with diabetes (5% vs. 8%, p = 0.017). There was no difference in the proportion of HIV (8% in both periods). Unfavorable outcomes increased from 11 to 20% during the pandemic (aRR = 1.83; 95% CI: 1.44–2.31). Case fatality rose from 6 to 9% (p = 0.038). Risk factors for unfavorable TB treatment outcomes among all participants were being male (aRR = 1.44, 95%CI = 1.12–1.85), having HIV (aRR = 2.72, 95%CI = 1.99–3.72), having alcohol use disorder (aRR = 2.58, 95%CI = 1.83–3.62) and experiencing homelessness (aRR = 2.94, 95%CI = 1.80–4.80). Protective factors were being 18–39 years old (aRR = 0.33, 95%CI = 0.24–0.44) and 40–59 years old (aRR = 0.56, 95%CI = 0.41–0.75) compared to 60 years old and up.ConclusionCOVID-19 pandemic was associated with unfavorable treatment outcomes for people newly diagnosed with drug-sensitive TB in Almaty, Kazakhstan. People with fewer comorbidities were at increased risk. Results point to the need to maintain continuity of care for persons on TB treatment, especially those at higher risk for poor outcomes during periods of healthcare service disruption.