bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The role of negative pressure wound therapy with instillation and dwell time in the treatment of deep sternal wound infections—A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Bota Olimpiu , Taqatqeh Feras , Bönke Florian , Nowotny Jörg , Matschke Klaus , Bienger Kevin , Dragu Adrian 
Published: July 2023

AbstractBackground and AimsNegative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has gained a central role in the treatment of deep sternal wound infections (DSWIs) after median thoracotomy. Our study aims at proving the safety of using NPWT with instillation and dwell time (NPWTi‐d) in the treatment of DSWI.MethodsWe retrospectively evaluated the patients who were treated at our institution between March 2018 and November 2021 for DSWI after radical sternectomy using NPWT or NPWTi‐d. The NPWTi‐d was applied to start the first postoperative day using 75 mmHg negative pressure for 3 h, followed by instillation of sodium hypochlorite <0.08% with a 3‐min dwell time.ResultsThe NPWTi‐d group showed a shorter length of stay (29.39 ± 12.09 vs. 39.54 ± 17.07 days; p = 0.049), a shorter elapsed time between the debridement and the flap coverage (7.18 ± 4.27 vs. 11.86 ± 7.7 days; p = 0.003) and less operative or nonoperative dressing changes (1.73 ± 1.14 vs. 2.68 ± 56; p < 0.001). The in‐hospital mortality was 8.2%, with no significant differences between the two groups (p = 1).ConclusionNPWTi‐d can be safely employed in the treatment of DSWI. Further prospective randomized studies need to establish the role of NPWTi‐d in the control of infection and biofilm as well as in wound healing.
“I hope to all the world they don't forget women of Afghanistan”: An interrupted survey among doctors in Afghanistan
Authors: Endler Margit , Hassan Lubna , Gemzell‐Danielsson Kristina , Babak Shafiqa , Sohail Rubina ,   the FIGO Committee on Women Facing Crisis
Published: July 2023

AbstractObjectiveTo assess current access to essential sexual and reproductive health (SRHR) services in Afghanistan and how access has changed with the transition of power.MethodsThis is a cross‐sectional study based on data from an anonymous survey among doctors in Afghanistan in May 2022, analyzed using descriptive statistics. The survey recorded subjective estimates of access to SRHR services, barriers to access, extent of maternal mortality or near miss due to preventable factors, and the effect of the regime change on access.ResultsThe data collection was interrupted after 60 responses. A majority of providers responded that their population went hungry often or always. According to our criteria for “access”, that 75% or more of the population was estimated to have it, no respondents (0%) assessed that access existed for services for gender‐based violence. The corresponding proportion responding that access existed was 3.4% for services after rape, 12.6% for legal abortion, 13.3% for antenatal care, and 20% for labor care. According to 41.7% of respondents, untreated postpartum hemorrhage accounted for a large or very large proportion of preventable maternal mortality or near miss. Almost half of respondents (47.4%) reported the same for lack of skilled providers, 66.2% reported it for the concept “too many pregnancies”, and 55% reported it for malnutrition and poor health. According to 43.3% of respondents, the regime change had reduced access to labor care to a large extent, 33.9% of respondents said this in relation to access to contraceptives, and 43.1% for overall access for internally displaced persons.ConclusionInterim data suggest that women in some settings in Afghanistan have no access to SRHR services, that preventable factors account for a large portion of maternal deaths or near miss, and that access has deteriorated since the transition of power.
Immune‐related interaction perturbation networks unravel biological peculiars and clinical significance of glioblastoma
Authors: Liu Zaoqu , Xu Yudi , Wang Yuhui , Weng Siyuan , Xu Hui , Ren Yuqing , Guo Chunguang , Liu Long , Zhang Zhenyu , Han Xinwei 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThe immune system is an interacting network of plentiful molecules that could better characterize the relationship between immunity and cancer. This study aims to investigate the behavioral patterns of immune‐related interaction perturbation networks in glioblastoma. An immune‐related interaction‐perturbation framework was introduced to characterize four heterogeneous subtypes using RNA‐seq data of TCGA/CGGA glioblastoma tissues and GTEx normal brain tissues. The stability and robustness of the four subtypes were validated in public datasets and our in‐house cohort. In the four subtypes, C1 was an inflammatory subtype with high immune infiltration, low tumor purity, and potential response to immunotherapy; C2, an invasive subtype, was featured with dismal prognosis, telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter mutations, moderate levels of immunity, and stromal constituents, as well as sensitivity to receptor tyrosine kinase signaling inhibitors; C3 was a proliferative subtype with high tumor purity, immune‐desert microenvironment, sensitivity to phosphatidylinositol 3′‐kinase signaling inhibitor and DNA replication inhibitors, and potential resistance to immunotherapy; C4, a synaptogenesis subtype with the best prognosis, exhibited high synaptogenesis‐related gene expression, prevalent isocitrate dehydrogenase mutations, and potential sensitivity to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Overall, this study provided an attractive platform from the perspective of immune‐related interaction perturbation networks, which might advance the tailored management of glioblastoma.
Medical image segmentation method based on multi‐scale feature and U‐net network
Authors: Wang Jingquan 
Published: July 2023

AbstractIn medical image segmentation (MIS), better segmentation results can be obtained by training the deeper neural network. However, directly building too deep network will cause problems such as gradient disappearance, which will affect the segmentation effect. Therefore, a dilated inception U‐Net (DIU)‐net network is constructed by combining the multi‐scale feature fusion (MSFF) method and the concept of Inception in Google net based on U‐net, and its effectiveness is verified by experiments. The DIU‐net network's training accuracy has been improved in the lung computed tomography (CT) and fundus vascular CT image data sets. And the attenuation of the loss function is relatively stable, with the highest accuracy of 99.6%. In comparison of evaluation indicators, the values of different indicators of DIU‐net in the two data sets are higher than those of the comparison network. The DICE coefficient of DIU‐net in the lung CT image in the experiment is 0.986 on average, which is 0.2% higher than that of ResU‐net. SE value is 0.985, which is 1.9% higher than SegNet. Specificity value is slightly higher than the second segmentation effect. F1 score is 0.985, 0.6% higher than ResU‐net, area under curve value is 0.99, 0.7% higher than FCN‐8 s. In general, the DIU‐net network proposed in the study will not cause gradient disappearance and other problems in the experiment. At the same time, this method also shows high efficiency and has strong feasibility for the actual MIS.
Trauma is only part of the story: Strengths moderate the relationship between trauma and needs for older youth in foster care
Authors: Spinelli Tawny R. , Bruckner Ellie , Jordan Neil , Kisiel Cassandra L. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractIntroductionMany youth in foster care endure traumatic experiences (TE) that can lead to lasting negative outcomes. However, the identification of strengths may mitigate the impact of TE.MethodsThis study examines the frequency and distribution of identified strengths; whether strengths moderate the association between TE and various outcomes; and whether certain strengths have a larger moderation effect on the association between TE and life domain functioning. Administrative and clinical data, including the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment, were examined for 3324 transition age youth and emerging adults in out‐of‐home foster care in the United States. Participants were males and females between 14.5 and 21 years old. Pearson's chi‐square tests of association were conducted to determine whether identification of strengths varied significantly by sex or race/ethnicity. Negative binomial regressions were used to determine whether strengths modified the association between TE and needs domains.ResultsOf 11 measured strengths, 56% of youth had 7 or more strengths identified as centerpiece strengths, and 20% had all 11. No significant differences in identification of strengths were found across sex or race/ethnicity. All strengths significantly moderated the association of TE and outcomes across CANS domains tested. While cumulative strengths had the largest overall moderation effects, identification of education setting, coping and savoring skills, and interpersonal strengths as centerpiece strengths had the largest moderation effect among specific strengths.ConclusionsFindings suggest assessing, identifying, and bolstering strengths may help to promote well‐being after trauma exposure.
Identifying predictors of psychological well‐being among volunteer mentors in Big Brothers Big Sisters
Authors: Anderson Amy J. , Jones Kristian V. , Melton Theresa N. , Keller Thomas E. , DuBois David L. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractBig Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) facilitates mentoring relationships between youth and volunteer mentors. Although research has examined outcomes for youth in BBBS, relatively less investigation has been undertaken for volunteer outcomes. This study explored factors associated with changes in psychological well‐being among BBBS volunteer mentors. Participants included 593 mentors (Mage = 31) surveyed at study baseline and 15‐month follow‐up. A classification and regression decision tree approach was used to predict residualized change in psychological well‐being from study baseline with match length included as the first split variable, and demographic, individual, and relationship variables included as candidate predictors. Analyses indicated that mentors with longer relationships (>4.5 months) reported more positive change in psychological well‐being compared with mentors with shorter relationships. Perceived quality of program supervision was a further predictor within both groups of volunteers. Findings suggest that longer relationships and greater program support may contribute to mentor well‐being.
Pattern of bile cultures and antibiotic sensitivity tests in Sudanese patients diagnosed with obstructive jaundice: A single‐center prospective study
Authors: Babekir Mohammed Salah , Abdelrahim Elfatih Yousif , Doush Wael Mohialddin Ahmed , Abdelaziz Muataz S 
Published: July 2023

AbstractBackground and AimBiliary obstruction causes bacteriobilia and significant morbidity and high mortality, which necessitates prompt and effective treatment for a good clinical outcome. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine updated knowledge of biliary microbial spectrum, antibiotic sensitivity pattern, and key clinical factors of bacteriobilia.MethodsThis is a prospective study conducted during the period between November 2021 and December 2022 at Ibn Sina specialized hospital, Khartoum, Sudan, on 50 patients diagnosed with obstructive jaundice and symptomatic bacteriobilia who underwent open biliary surgeries electively. Bile samples were aspirated intra‐operatively and cultured, and antibiotic sensitivity tests were performed.ResultsFifty‐four percent of patients diagnosed with obstructive jaundice who underwent elective open biliary surgeries were males with the ratio (2:1). Forty‐six percent of patients were between 61 and 75 years (elderly). The most frequent cause of obstructive jaundice was migrating biliary stones (48% of cases). Thirty‐two percent of patients were diabetic with bacteriobilia. The predominant isolated bacterial pathogen in this study was Escherichia coli (36% of cases). These biliary pathogens were sensitive to meropenem in 54% of cases and ciprofloxacin in 46%. Eventually, in all patients in this study, biliary bacterial pathogens were found to be resistant to a broad spectrum of antibiotics.ConclusionCareful selection of empirical antibiotic therapy based on surveillance of routine bile cultures during biliary tree procedures in patients with high risk of bacteriobilia will potentially help in improving the surgical outcomes and optimizing treatment of acute cholangitis, which is associated with high mortality.
Investigation of the binding interactions mechanism between zein with chrysin by multispectroscopic techniques
Authors: Gao Xue , Qi Ruiquan , Cheng Ye , Chen Junliang , He Yin , Mao Yitong , Cao Xiangyu 
Published: July 2023

AbstractAs a natural carrier protein, zein was intensively studied for the construction of a flavonoid delivery system. Chrysin has presented superior tumor‐resistant, anti‐inflammatory, and anti‐oxidation potentials among the flavonoid candidates in clinical practice. However, due to inadequate research, the binding mechanism and structural affinity of zein to chrysin are still indeterminate. Therefore, multispectral methods were employed to explore the molecular interaction of zein and chrysin in this work. These techniques showed that chrysin reduced the intrinsic fluorescence of zein via a static process and that the interaction between zein and chrysin was mainly driven spontaneously by hydrophobic forces. Additionally, the experimental results revealed the changed microenvironment in the vicinity of tyrosine and affected secondary structure in the presence of chrysin, indicating zein's conformation were altered by chrysin. This work provided comprehensive insight into the combination of plant‐derived protein (zein) and flavonoids (chrysin) and helped rationalize the protection, transportation, and release of chrysin through a zein‐based delivery system.
Synthetic gRNA/Cas9 ribonucleoprotein targeting HBV DNA inhibits viral replication
Authors: Zhang Jinyu , Zhang Yi , Khanal Sushant , Cao Dechao , Zhao Juan , Dang Xindi , Nguyen Lam Ngoc Thao , Schank Madison , Wu Xiao Y. , Jiang Yong , Ning Shunbin , Wang Ling , El Gazzar Mohamed , Moorman Jonathan P. , Guo Haitao , Yao Zhi Q. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThe presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) covalently closed circular (ccc) DNA (cccDNA), which serves as a template for viral replication and integration of HBV DNA into the host cell genome, sustains liver pathogenesis and constitutes an intractable barrier to the eradication of chronic HBV infection. The current antiviral therapy for HBV infection, using nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs), can suppress HBV replication but cannot eliminate integrated HBV DNA and episomal cccDNA. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas9 is a powerful genetic tool that can edit integrated HBV DNA and minichromosomal cccDNA for gene therapy, but its expression and delivery require a viral vector, which poses safety concerns for therapeutic applications in humans. In the present study, we used synthetic guide RNA (gRNA)/Cas9‐ribonucleoprotein (RNP) as a nonviral formulation to develop a novel CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated gene therapy for eradicating HBV infection. We designed a series of gRNAs targeting multiple specific HBV genes and tested their antiviral efficacy and cytotoxicity in different HBV cellular models. Transfection of stably HBV‐infected human hepatoma cell line HepG2.2.15 with HBV‐specific gRNA/Cas9 RNPs resulted in a substantial reduction in HBV transcripts. Specifically, gRNA5 and/or gRNA9 RNPs significantly reduced HBV cccDNA, total HBV DNA, pregenomic RNA, and HBV antigen (HBsAg, HBeAg) levels. T7 endonuclease 1 (T7E1) cleavage assay and DNA sequencing confirmed specific HBV gene cleavage and mutations at or around the gRNA target sites. Notably, this gene‐editing system did not alter cellular viability or proliferation in the treated cells. Because of their rapid DNA cleavage capability, low off‐target effects, low risk of insertional mutagenesis, and readiness for use in clinical application, these results suggest that synthetic gRNA/Cas9 RNP‐based gene‐editing can be utilized as a promising therapeutic drug for eradicating chronic HBV infection.
An analysis of the spatial variation of tropical cyclone rainfall trends in Mainland Southeast Asia
Authors: Chen Aifang , Huang Hao , Wang Jie , Li Yuxin , Chen Deliang , Liu Junguo 
Published: July 2023

AbstractTropical cyclones (TCs) and the associated rainfall (TCR) have received increasing attention because of their catastrophic damages. Due to the differences in TC characteristics and TCR in different ocean basins, the changes in TCR would be complicated for areas receiving TC landfalling from multi‐basins. Therefore, separating TCR and TC characteristics from the formation basins can offer more insights for accurately evaluating TCR in the landfalling areas. Here we selected the TC‐prone Mainland Southeast Asia (MSEA) to investigate changes in TCR regarding TC characteristics from the surrounding formation basins from 1983 to 2020. Results show that the interannual variability of the total TCs influencing MSEA (MSEA‐ALL‐TC) characteristics, including number, total duration, maximum intensity and accumulated cyclone energy, was dominated by the TCs originating from the Western North Pacific (WNP‐TC). However, the total TCR was controlled by the TCs originating from the WNP and the South China Sea (SCS‐TC), whose influence on TCR was concentrated in the eastern MSEA. TCR associated with TCs originating from the Bay of Bengal was relatively small and concentrated in the western MSEA. For the whole MSEA, the total TCR contributed up to 47% of the annual extreme rainfall amount. Annual TCR presented significant decreasing trends in the southeast MSEA, while increasing trends exist in the northeast. These contrasting trends are attributed to the reduced tendency of WNP‐TC track density and the increased SCS‐TC rainfall rate. We also found that the SCS‐TC induced a higher rainfall rate than the other two basins. The TC characteristics of number, total duration, maximum intensity and accumulated cyclone energy were significantly correlated with TCR in each formation basin, with the highest correlation of the total duration. This study improves our understanding of the influence of changes in TC characteristics on TCR in the TC multi‐source region.
Reduced in vitro starch hydrolysis and in vivo glycemic effects after addition of soy presscake to corn tortillas
Authors: Wu Mingjue (Shirley) , Taylor Carla , Zahradka Peter , Arntfield Susan 
Published: July 2023

AbstractBACKGROUNDChronically elevated blood glucose leads to development of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, as well as increased risk for heart and kidney disease and vision loss. For many, elevated blood glucose can be managed through diet and exercise. Consequently, the availability of foods that limit blood glucose elevation would aid in addressing this global problem. This paper investigated the effect of adding soy presscake (SP) to corn tortillas on starch hydrolysis in vitro as well as the glycemic responses elicited in vivo upon consumption of these modified tortillas.RESULTSSP in corn tortillas decreased the rate and extent of starch hydrolysis in vitro. The in vivo glycemic index (GI) values decreased from 43 for corn control tortillas to 31 with 40% SP fortification. A high correlation (r = 0.9781) was found between the GI values from in vivo analysis and the area under the curve of starch hydrolysis in vitro. The best correlations (r > 0.96) between GI and degree of hydrolysis were found at 45–90 min of in vitro starch hydrolysis.CONCLUSIONSIncorporating SP into corn‐based tortillas lowers glycemic responses to them. In addition, in vitro starch hydrolysis could be used to estimate the GI values of food products and, in particular, the comparison of multiple items during food product development. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Metachronous colorectal cancer metastasis: Who, what, when and what to do about it
Authors: Cohen Ryan , Platell Cameron F. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractMetachronous colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasis occurs due to micrometastatic disease, in up to 23% of patients who have undergone curative‐intent treatment. Metachronous metastasis tends to occur within 2 years of initial treatment. Diagnosis relies on posttreatment surveillance strategies. Care for patients with metachronous CRC metastasis is complex and requires careful multidisciplinary consideration. Those with isolated and technically resectable diseases are recommended to undergo metastasectomy with adjunct chemotherapy, however, survival, even after curative‐intent resection, is poor.
Complications of cryoprobe cryoablation as a surgical adjuvant for the treatment of metastatic carcinoma to bone, benign bone tumors, and soft tissue tumors: A series of 148 patients
Authors: Gettleman Brandon S. , Richardson Mary K. , Ayad Mina , Christ Alexander B. , Menendez Lawrence R. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractBackground and ObjectiveThis study describes the complication profile of modern cryoablation utilizing probes as an adjuvant during open surgical treatment of orthopedic tumors.MethodsA retrospective, single‐surgeon study was performed for patients receiving cryoprobe cryoablation. Demographic information, malignancy‐related and operative details, and clinical courses were collected. Outcomes assessed included rates of complications, recurrence, and correlations between the number of probes or cryoablation cycles performed.ResultsIn this 148‐patient study, 67.6% had metastatic carcinoma to bone, 27.7% had benign bone tumors, and 4.7% had soft tissue tumors. An average of 3.4 ± 1.7 cryoablation probes were utilized and 1.7 ± 0.6 freezing cycles were performed. The overall cohort aggregate complication rate was 16.9%. These complications included postoperative fracture (3.4%), nerve palsy (2.7%), wound complications (7.4%), and infection (3.4%). The number of cycles and probes was significantly correlated with the incidence of aggregate complications in the overall cohort (Pearson = 0.162, p = 0.049) and metastatic bone cohort (Pearson = 0.222, p = 0.027). There were 13 recurrences.ConclusionThis study describes the complication rates involving cryoablation probes used as surgical adjuvants. Greater probe number usage was correlated with increased aggregate complications in patients with metastatic disease to bone; meanwhile, more treatment cycles were associated with increased aggregate complications in the overall cohort.