bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Maternal age at birth of last child and cardiovascular disease mortality later in life among a national cohort of postmenopausal women from the United States
Authors: Appiah Duke , Kim Catherine , Fuquay Taylor , de Riese Cornelia , Ebong Imo A. , Nwabuo Chike C. 
Published: February 2023

Abstract

Objective
Maternal age at last birth (ALB) of child is increasing in the United States, and it has been reported to influence future chronic diseases. However, the relationship of ALB and cardiovascular disease (CVD) events later in life has not been widely studied. We evaluated the association of ALB with CVD mortality.

Methods
Data were from 7,971 parous postmenopausal women older than 45 years who participated in the US National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey from 1999 to 2018 and had mortality follow-up data through to December 31, 2019. ALB was self-reported, whereas CVD mortality was assessed using International Classification of Diseases codes. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

Results
The mean age of participants was 63 ± 9.8 years, with 9.5% being non-Hispanic Black, 9.7% being Hispanic women, and 21% reporting ALB ≥35 years. During a median follow-up of 8.1 years, 443 participants died from CVD. In age-adjusted models, CVD mortality was elevated for women with ALB of <25 years (HR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.23‐2.29) and ALB of ≥35 years (HR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.00‐1.88). However, after additional adjustment for race and ethnicity, foreign born, education, marital status, poverty income ratio, parity, smoking status, age at menarche, oral contraceptive pills use and family history of myocardial infarction, these estimates were attenuated resulting in no association between ALB and CVD mortality.

Conclusions
In this study of nationally representative sample of postmenopausal women, there was no conclusive association between maternal ALB and CVD mortality later in life.
Potential Airborne Releases and Deposition of Radionuclides from the Santa Susana Field Laboratory during the Woolsey Fire
Authors: Rood Arthur S. , Mohler H. Justin , Grogan Helen A. , Mangini Colby , Caffrey Emily A. , Till John E. 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
The Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL), located in southern California, is a former research facility, and past activities have resulted in residual radioactive contamination in Area IV of the Site. The Woolsey Fire burned across the site, including some of the contaminated areas, on 8–11 November 2018. Atmospheric transport modeling was performed to determine where the smoke plume went while the fire burned across the SSFL and the deposition footprint of particulates in downwind communities. Any radionuclides on vegetation and in surface soil released by the fire were assumed to follow particulate matter transport path and deposition. The predicted deposition footprint was used to guide confirmatory soil sampling at 16 locations including background. Highest offsite deposition was determined to be northeast of the Oak Park community, which is located about 6 km southwest of SSFL. Depth-profile sampling was used to evaluate whether radionuclides of SSFL origin were potentially emitted and deposited during the Woolsey Fire. If radionuclides had been deposited from the Woolsey Fire at sufficient concentrations, then they would be detected in the surface layer and would be expected to be higher within the plume footprint than outside it. An upper bound estimate of the hypothetical effective dose to a person in Oak Park based on measured radionuclide concentrations in soil and vegetation on the SSFL was less than 0.0002 mSv. The occurrence of naturally occurring radionuclides at concentrations above the established background for the SSFL was attributed to natural variability in geologic formations and not SSFL. No anthropogenic radionuclides were measured at levels above those expected from global fallout. The soil sampling confirmed that no detectable levels of SSFL-derived radionuclides migrated from SSFL at the locations sampled because of the Woolsey Fire or from past operations of the SSFL.
Aqueous extract from urucum (Bixa orellana L.): antimicrobial, antioxidant, and healing activity
Authors: Franklin Victor A. , Bach Hi Edgar M. , Wadt Nilsa S. Y. , Bach Erna E. 
Published: February 2023

Abstract

Background: Annatto was obtained from seed B orellana (urucum) and is commonly used in food and cosmetic industries. The objective of this study was to identify the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of the aqueous extract from urucum seeds and its skin healing potential in exposed cutaneous lesions in rats treated with the gel containing the extract.

Methods: Three types of extracts from seeds were made using chloroform, sodium hydroxide, water, and estimated bixin and norbixin. In the presence of antioxidants, antibacterial was observed and then evaluated the skin healing in rats using aqueous extract.

Results: Annatto dyes have been evaluated in all three extracts. When the seeds were extracted with chloroform, bixin was detected. If extraction was performed by sodium hydroxide or water, norbixin was detected. For healing use, 10% of aqueous extract was mixed in a gel base. The finding obtained from the antioxidant assay revealed that the activities of the water extract could be used as a source of polyphenolic compounds. In chloroform extract, the antioxidant was not effective because it has weak radical scavengers. With respect to antimicrobial activity, it has been observed that aqueous extract has more effect. For skin healing assay, a total of 3 study groups were tested: negative control group (gel base), positive control group (fibrinase), and test group (gel with urucum aqueous extract). After 7 days of treatment, animals treated with fibrinase had an improvement of 4.7% in total wound area when compared with the negative control while those treated with urucum aqueous extract presented an improvement of 51.55% in comparison. After 14 days, the total wound area of animals within the test group had a decrease of 94.97% when compared with the negative control (gel base) results while the control group presented an improvement of 56.58% in total wound area. These results indicate that wounds treated with urucum aqueous extract were 38.39% more efficient than fibrinase, a cream used for skin healing.

Conclusions: It is possible to conclude that gel with aqueous extract is effective in skin healing in rats, being used as a phytotherapic, besides possessing antioxidant and antimicrobial activity.
The use of innovative targeted angiogenic therapies for ischemic diabetic foot ulcer repair: From nanomedicine and microRNAs toward hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Authors: Canha Fatigracy , Soares Raquel 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease that has a high prevalence worldwide and is characterized by chronic hyperglycemia leading to the development of vascular or nonvascular complications. It is these complications that result in huge mortality rates in patients with diabetes, especially vascular ones. This work focuses on diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), which are one of the most common complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cause significant morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. The healing of DFUs is hindered by deregulation of nearly all phases of this process because of the hyperglycemic environment. Although therapies currently exist to treat a patient with DFU, they are proving inadequate. In the present work, angiogenesis is highlighted as part of the proliferative phase, which, when diminished, plays an important role in the impaired healing of DFU and other chronic wounds. Therefore, the search for new therapeutic strategies targeting angiogenesis is of great interest. In this study, we provide an overview of molecular targets with therapeutic potential and therapies that act on angiogenesis. To this end, a search of articles in PubMed and Scopus databases from 2018 to 2021 was performed to review angiogenesis as a therapeutic target for DFU. Growth factors, microRNAs, and signaling pathways were investigated as molecular targets, and negative pressure, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and the use of nanomedicine were explored as therapies.
Copy number variations on chromosome 2: impact on human phenotype, a cross-sectional study
Authors: Sousa Beatriz , Grangeia Ana , Pinto Joel , Santos Helena , Dória Sofia 
Published: February 2023

Abstract

Background:
Copy number variations (CNVs) on chromosome 2 are associated with a variety of human diseases particularly neurodevelopmental disorders. Array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) constitutes an added value for the diagnosis of neurodevelopmental or neuropsychiatric diseases. This study aims to establish a genotype–phenotype correlation, reporting CNVs on the chromosome 2, contributing for a better characterization of the molecular significance of rare CNVs in this chromosome.

Methods:
To accomplish this, a cross-sectional study was performed using genetic information included in a database of the Department of Genetics of the Faculty of Medicine and clinical data from Hospital database. CNVs were classified as pathogenic, benign, variants of unknown significance, and likely pathogenic or likely benign, in accordance with the ACMG Standards and Guidelines.

Results:
A total of 2897 patients were studied using aCGH, 32 with CNVs on chromosome 2, 24 classified as likely pathogenic, and 8 as pathogenic. Genomic intervals with a higher incidence were one 2p25.3 and 2q13 regions.

Conclusions:
This study will help to establish new genotype–phenotype correlations, allowing update of databases and literature and the improvement of diagnosis and genetic counseling which could be an added value for prenatal genetic counseling.
Risk factors for antibody-mediated rejection in ABO blood-type incompatible and donor-specific antibody-positive liver transplantation
Authors: Tajima Tetsuya , Hata Koichiro , Haga Hironori , Kusakabe Jiro , Kageyama Shoichi , Yurugi Kimiko , Hishida Rie , Zhao Xiangdong , Nishikori Momoko , Nagao Miki , Takaori-Kondo Akifumi , Uemoto Shinji , Hatano Etsuro 
Published: February 2023

Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) is a refractory rejection after ABO blood-type incompatible (ABOi) or donor-specific antibody (DSA)-positive liver transplantation (LT). Pretransplant rituximab desensitization dramatically reduced posttransplant AMR development; however, risk factors for AMR in the rituximab era remain unclear in both ABOi living-donor LT (ABOi-LDLT) and preformed DSA-positive LT (pDSA-LT). Of our 596 adult LDLTs (≥18 y) after rituximab introduction (2004–2019), 136 were ABOi-LDLT (22.8%). After excluding retransplants (9), acute liver failure (7), and protocol deviations (16), 104 ABOi-LDLTs were finally enrolled. Of these, 19 recipients developed AMR, 18 of which occurred within 2 weeks after transplantation (95%). ABOi-AMR significantly worsened graft and recipient survival than those without (p=0.02 and 0.04, respectively). Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) ≤13 (OR: 5.15 [1.63–16.3], p=0.005) and pre-rituximab anti-ABO IgM-titer ≥128 (OR: 3.25 [1.05–10.0], p=0.03) were identified as independent risk factors for ABOi-AMR development. Recipients fulfilling both factors showed significantly worse survival rates than those who did not (p=0.003). Of 352 adult LTs, after introducing the LABScreen Single Ag method (2009–2019), pDSA with mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) ≥500 was detected in 50 cases (14.2%). After excluding 10 ABOi-LDLTs, 40 pDSA-LTs were finally analyzed, of which 5 developed AMR. The combination of high-titer (sum-MFI ≥10,000) and multi-loci pDSAs was a significant risk factor for pDSA-AMR development (p <0.001); however, it did not affect the 5-year recipient survival compared with those without (p=0.56). In conclusion, preoperative MELD ≤13 and pre-rituximab anti-ABO IgM-titer ≥128 for ABOi-LDLT, and the combination of sum-MFI ≥10,000 and multi-loci pDSAs for pDSA-LT, are risk factors for AMR in the era of rituximab desensitization. Characteristically, ABOi-AMR significantly deteriorated graft and recipient survival, whereas pDSA-AMR did not.
Palliative Care Education and Serious Illness Communication Training for Baccalaureate Nursing Students
Authors: Rauch Lisa , Dudley Nancy , Adelman Toby , Canham Daryl 
Published: February 2023

Background:
Palliative care is an essential component of community health for a growing population of seriously ill older adults residing in the community. Yet, nursing students are often challenged in initiating and engaging in serious illness conversations.

Purpose:
This study implemented and evaluated an educational activity designed to increase nursing students' skills and self-efficacy to initiate and conduct conversations with patients/clients experiencing serious illness.

Methods:
A mixed-methods approach was used to study how statement cards and prompts facilitated students' readiness to engage in such conversations. A quantitative pre- and posttest survey was used to evaluate self-efficacy and students' perception of their ability to engage in challenging conversations.

Results:
The results indicated a significant increase in student confidence in conducting serious illness conversations.

Conclusion:
Students reported an improved perception of their ability to conduct serious illness conversations and emphasized the need to practice these conversations in clinical practice.
Treponema pallidum Strains Among Women and Men Who Have Sex With Women in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and Antwerp, Belgium Between 2014 and 2020
Authors: Zondag Hélène C.A. , Zwezerijnen-Jiwa Florine H. , de Vries Henry J.C. , De Baetselier Irith , Bruisten Sylvia M. 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
The Treponema pallidum strain distribution among men who have sex with women were similar to the strain distribution men who have sex with men. The most prevalent strains and percentage of strains belonging to the Nichols lineage are similar to previous studies in Amsterdam focusing on men who have sex with men.
Impact of a Community Empowerment Intervention on Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Female Sex Workers in Baltimore, Maryland
Authors: Sherman Susan G. , Tomko Catherine , Nestadt Danielle F. , Silberzahn Bradley E. , Clouse Emily , Haney Katherine , Allen Sean T. , Galai Noya 
Published: February 2023

Background
Female sex workers (FSWs) are vulnerable to a number of health issues, but often delay seeking health care due to structural barriers. Multiservice drop-in centers have been shown to increase FSW access to health services globally, but their impact on FSW in the United States is lacking. This study seeks to evaluate the effect of a community-level empowerment intervention (the multiservice drop-in SPARC center) on cumulative sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among FSW in a city in the United States.

Methods
Between September 2017 and January 2019, 385 FSWs were recruited in Baltimore. Participants from areas served by SPARC were recruited to the intervention; other areas of Baltimore were the control. Follow-up occurred at 6, 12, and 18 months. The primary outcome is cumulative STI (ie, positive gonorrhea or chlamydia test at any follow-up). We tested effect modification by condomless sex with paying clients reported at baseline. Logistic regressions with propensity score weighting were used to estimate intervention effect, accounting for loss to follow-up, with bootstrap confidence intervals.

Results
Participants completed 713 follow-up study visits (73%, 70%, 64% retention at 6, 12, and 18 months, respectively). Baseline STI prevalence was 28% and cumulative STI prevalence across follow-ups was 26%; these both did not differ between control and intervention communities in bivariate analyses. After adjusting for covariates, FSW in the intervention had a borderline-significant decrease in odds of cumulative STI compared with control (odds ratio, 0.61, P = 0.09). There was evidence of effect modification by baseline condomless sex, such that FSW in the intervention who reported condomless sex had lower odds of cumulative STI compared with FSW in the control community who also reported baseline condomless sex (odds ratio, 0.29; P = 0.04).

Conclusions
Results demonstrate the value of a low-barrier, multiservice model on reducing STIs among the highest-risk FSW.
Clinical Trial Number: NCT04413591
Epidemiology and Burden of Astigmatism: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Zhang Jun , Wu Yifei , Sharma Bhavna , Gupta Ritu , Jawla Shantanu , Bullimore Mark A. 
Published: February 2023

ABSTRACT

Significance
This is the first literature review to report the epidemiology, patient burden, and economic burden of astigmatism in the general adult population. The unmet needs of astigmatism patients with co-existing ocular conditions (cataract, glaucoma, dry eye, presbyopia, or macular degeneration) and risks associated with untreated astigmatism are also reviewed and reported.

Purpose
To identify, report and summarize the published literature on epidemiology, patient burden, and economic burden of astigmatism using a systematic literature review.

Methods
MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched (January 1996-May 2021). Search results were limited to the English language. Proceedings (2018-2021) from ophthalmology congresses were searched along with gray literature using the Google Scholar platform.

Results
The literature search yielded 6,804 citations, of which 125 met the inclusion criteria (epidemiology: 68; patient burden: 60; economic burden: 6). Astigmatism prevalence in the general population varied from 8% to 62%, with higher rates in individuals ≥70 years. The prevalence of with-the-rule astigmatism was higher in individuals ≤40 years, while rates of against-the-rule and oblique astigmatism increased with age. Astigmatic patients experienced decreased vision quality, increased glare (53 to 77%), haloes (28 to 80%), night-time driving difficulties (66%), falls, and spectacle dependence (45 to 85%). Astigmatic patients performed vision-related tasks slower (1 D: 9% slower, 2 D: 29% slower) and made more errors (1 D: 38% more errors, 2 D: 370% more errors) compared to fully corrected individuals. In cataract patients with astigmatism, the annual mean per patient productivity loss costs ranged from €55 ($71) to 84 ($108) and mean informal care costs ranged from €30 ($39) to 55 ($71) with a mean of 2.3 to 4.1 hours spent on informal care.

Conclusions
Uncorrected astigmatism decreases patients' vision-related quality of life; decreases productivity among working-age adults and poses an economic burden on patients and their families.
A complex three-dimensional microfluidic model that mimics the early stage events in the human atherosclerotic artery
Authors: Maringanti Ranganath , van Dijk Christian G.M. , Meijer Elana M. , Brandt Maarten M. , Krebber Merle M. , Chrifi Ihsan , Duncker Dirk J. , Verhaar Marianne C. , Cheng Caroline 
Published: February 2023

AbstractBackgroundAtherosclerosis is a complex inflammatory vascular disease characterized by lipid and immune cells accumulation in the vessel wall, leading to lumen narrowing. Although several 3Din vitromicrofluidic systems were previously described, a realistic reconstruction of thein vivohuman atherosclerotic environment requires co-culture of different cell types arranged in atherosclerotic vessel-like structures with exposure to flow and circulating cells, creating challenges for disease modelling.In this study we developed a 3D tubular microfluidic model with quadruple coculture of human aortic smooth muscle cells (hAoSMCs), human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and foam cells to re-create a complex human atherosclerotic vesselin vitroto study the effect of flow and circulating immune cells.Methods & ResultsOur new co-culture protocol with BFP-labelled hAoSMCs, GFP-labelled HUVECs and THP-1 macrophages-derived, Dil-labelled Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein (Dil-Ox-LDL) foam cells in a fibrinogen-collagen-I based 3D extracellular matrix (ECM) resulted in vessels with an early lesion morphology, showing a layered vessel-like composition with an endothelium and media, with foam cells accumulating in the sub-endothelial space. Perfusion for 24 hours of atherosclerotic and “healthy” vessels (BFP hAoSMCs and GFP HUVECs without foam cells) showed that the layered wall composition remained stable. Perfusion with circulating THP-1 monocytes demonstrated cell extravasation into the atherosclerotic vessel wall and recruitment of THP-1 cells to the foam cell core. QPCR analysis revealed increased expression of atherosclerosis markers in the atherosclerotic vessels and adaptation in VSMCs migration to flow and the plaque microenvironment, compared to control vessels.ConclusionWe present a 3D tubular microfluidic model of a complex early atherosclerotic human vessel that can be exposed to flow and circulating THP-1 monocytes to study hemodynamic changes and immune cell recruitment under live confocal imaging. This novel atherosclerosis-on-a-chip model offers a humanized platform for in-depth mechanisticin vitrostudies and drug testing.
GBAin Parkinson’s disease: variant detection and pathogenicity scoring matters
Authors: Gabbert Carolin , Schaake Susen , Lüth Theresa , Much Christoph , Klein Christine , Aasly Jan O. , Farrer Matthew J. , Trinh Joanne 
Published: February 2023

AbstractBackgroundGBAvariants are the strongest genetic risk factor for Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the pathogenicity ofGBAvariants concerning PD is still not fully understood. Additionally, the frequency ofGBAvariants varies widely across populations.ObjectivesTo evaluate Oxford Nanopore sequencing as a strategy, to determine the frequency ofGBAvariants in Norwegian PD patients and controls, and to review the current literature on newly identified variants that add to pathogenicity determination.MethodsWe included 462 Norwegian PD patients and 367 healthy controls. We sequenced the full-lengthGBAgene on the Oxford Nanopore GridION as an 8.9 kb amplicon. Six analysis pipelines were compared using two aligners (NGMLR, Minimap2) and three variant callers (BCFtools, Clair3, Pepper-Margin-Deepvariant). Confirmation ofGBAvariants was performed by Sanger sequencing and the pathogenicity of variants was evaluated.ResultsWe found 95.8% (115/120) true-positiveGBAvariant calls, while 4.2% (5/120) variant calls were false-positive, with the NGMLR/Minimap2-BCFtools pipeline performing best. In total, 13 rareGBAvariants were detected: two were predicted to be (likely) pathogenic and eleven were of uncertain significance. The odds of carrying one of the two most commonGBAvariants, p.L483P or p.N409S, in PD patients were estimated to be 4.11 times the odds of carrying one of these variants in controls (OR=4.11 [1.39, 12.12]).ConclusionsIn conclusion, we have demonstrated that Oxford long-read Nanopore sequencing, along with the NGMLR/Minimap2-BCFtools pipeline is an effective tool to investigateGBAvariants. Further studies on the pathogenicity ofGBAvariants are needed to assess their effect on PD.