bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Change in perioperative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio as a potential predictive biomarker for chronic postsurgical pain and quality of life: an ambispective observational cohort study
Authors: Shu Bin , Xu Fang , Zheng Xuemei , Zhang Yamei , Liu Qi , Li Shiqi , Chen Jie , Chen Yuanjing , Huang He , Duan Guangyou 
Published: April 2023

IntroductionAccurate and accessible predictors of chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) to identify high-risk postsurgical patients are prerequisite for preventive and interventional strategies. We investigated the incidence and risk factors of CPSP after abdominal surgery, with a focus on plasma immunological markers.Materials and methodsThis was a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent abdominal surgery under general anesthesia at a tertiary center between January 2021 and January 2022. The preoperative demographics, laboratory test data, and surgical factors of the participants were collected from the electronic medical record system. Postoperative pain intensity and living conditions at 1 year after discharge from the hospital were assessed via a phone survey. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to explore independent risk factors associated with CPSP.ResultsA total of 968 patients were included, and 13.53% (n = 131 of 968) of patients reported CPSP 1 year after surgery. Patients with older age, open surgery, higher American Association of Anesthesiologists classification, patient-controlled intravenous analgesia application, longer surgery duration, higher postoperative absolute neutrophil count, and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lower postoperative absolute lymphocyte count, and higher white blood cell count, were more likely to suffer from CPSP. A changed ratio of NLR (postoperative to preoperative) ≥ 5 significantly correlated with CPSP, moderate to severe pain, maximum numeric rating score since discharge from the hospital, and affected quality of life.DiscussionThe changed ratio of NLR could be used for the early identification of patients at risk for CPSP and affect the quality of life to alert the clinician to undertake further assessment.
Plantar pressures values related with appearance of mechanical hyperkeratosis before and after surgery of mild hallux valgus
Authors: Martínez-Nova Alfonso , Gascó-López de Lacalle Jaime , Morán-Cortés Juan Francisco , Pedrera-Zamorano Juan Diego , Sánchez-Rodríguez Raquel 
Published: April 2023

BackgroundHyperkeratoses are thickenings of the stratum corneum, provoked by deviation of the ray and excessive plantar pressures. They are very common under the first metatarsal head (MTH) and on the big toe when there exists hallux valgus. The objective of this study was to assess plantar pressures pre- and post-surgery to try to define the threshold values that could determine the appearance of keratopathies.Materials and methodsSeventy-nine patients (100 feet) who had undergone percutaneous distal soft-tissue release and the Akin procedure were evaluated prospectively. The BioFoot/IBV® in-shoe system was used for objective baropodometric functional evaluations of the heel, midfoot, first through fifth MTHs, hallux, and lesser toes. The presence or absence of a hyperkeratosis (HK) or plantar callus under the first MTH or hallux was recorded. The average follow-up time at which the measurements were repeated was 28.1 months.ResultsPre-surgery, 62 feet presented a painful HK on the big toe, while post-surgery, only 9 of the feet presented the same lesion. Patients who presented a prior HK at the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint had a mean pressure of 417.2 ± 254.5 kPa as against a value of 359.6 ± 185.1 kPa for the rest. Post-surgery, these values dropped to 409.8 and 346.3 kPa, respectively.ConclusionPatients with HK presented an 11% greater mean pressure than those without. The values obtained with the BioFoot/IBV® system in the present study can therefore be considered predictive of the appearance of HK under the first MTH and on the side of the big toe.
Flexible highly conductive films based on expanded graphite /polymer nanocomposites
Authors: Nista Silvia V. G. , Alaferdov Andrei V. , Isayama Yuri H. , Mei Lucia H. I. , Moshkalev Stanislav A. 
Published: April 2023

Highly electrically and thermally conducting films of expanded graphite/polymer nanocomposites were fabricated using an approach based on solution mixing methods. The use of Hydroxyethylcellulose and benzylic alcohol based solutions provides efficient dispersion and better exfoliation of multilayer graphene (nanographite) flakes that are further aligned in extended 2D layers forming continuous conductive pathways during lamination (hot calendering) process. Very high electrical conductivity (190 S/cm) was obtained for fabricated layered films. In contrast, for films produced by a conventional mixing and deposition method with acrylic copolymer and the same nanographitic material, with flakes randomly distributed within the composite, much lower conductivities (2.4 S/cm) were obtained.
Serum short chain fatty acids mediate hippocampal BDNF and correlate with decreasing neuroinflammation following high pectin fiber diet in mice
Authors: Church Jamie S. , Bannish Jane A. M. , Adrian Leighelle A. , Rojas Martinez Kimberly , Henshaw Asari , Schwartzer Jared J. 
Published: April 2023

IntroductionDietary components, such as prebiotic fiber, are known to impact brain chemistry via the gut-brain axis. In particular, short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) generated from excessive soluble fiber consumption are thought to impact neuroimmune signaling and brain function through increased production of neurotropic factors. Given reports that high dietary fiber intake is associated with increased mental health and improved quality of life scores, we set out to identify whether changes in SCFA levels as a result of a high soluble fiber diet mediate hippocampal neuroinflammation and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in mice.MethodsAdult male and female C57BL/6 mice were fed a 1-month high pectin fiber or cellulose-based control diet. Following 1 month of excessive pectin consumption, serum SCFAs were measured using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and hippocampal cytokines and BDNF were assessed via multiplex magnetic bead immunoassay.ResultsPectin-based fiber diet increased circulating acetic acid in both sexes, with no effect on propionic or butyric acid. In the hippocampus, a high fiber diet decreased TNFa, IL-1ß, IL-6, and IFNγ and increased BDNF levels. Furthermore, increased SCFA levels were inversely correlated with neuroinflammation in the hippocampus, with acetic acid revealed as a strong mediator of increased BDNF production.ConclusionCollectively, these findings highlight the beneficial effects of fiber-induced molecular changes in a brain region known to influence mood- and cognition-related behaviors. Dietary composition should be considered when developing mental health management plans for men and women with an emphasis on increasing soluble fiber intake.
Association between methionine sulfoxide and risk of moyamoya disease
Authors: Li Junsheng , Ge Peicong , He Qiheng , Liu Chenglong , Zeng Chaofan , Tao Chuming , Zhai Yuanren , Wang Jia , Zhang Qian , Wang Rong , Zhang Yan , Zhang Dong , Zhao Jizong 
Published: April 2023

ObjectiveMethionine sulfoxide (MetO) has been identified as a risk factor for vascular diseases and was considered as an important indicator of oxidative stress. However, the effects of MetO and its association with moyamoya disease (MMD) remained unclear. Therefore, we performed this study to evaluate the association between serum MetO levels and the risk of MMD and its subtypes.MethodsWe eventually included consecutive 353 MMD patients and 88 healthy controls (HCs) with complete data from September 2020 to December 2021 in our analyzes. Serum levels of MetO were quantified using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC–MS) analysis. We evaluated the role of MetO in MMD using logistic regression models and confirmed by receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under curve (AUC) values.ResultsWe found that the levels of MetO were significantly higher in MMD and its subtypes than in HCs (p &lt; 0.001 for all). After adjusting for traditional risk factors, serum MetO levels were significantly associated with the risk of MMD and its subtypes (p &lt; 0.001 for all). We further divided the MetO levels into low and high groups, and the high MetO level was significantly associated with the risk of MMD and its subtypes (p &lt; 0.05 for all). When MetO levels were assessed as quartiles, we found that the third (Q3) and fourth (Q4) MetO quartiles had a significantly increased risk of MMD compared with the lowest quartile (Q3, OR: 2.323, 95%CI: 1.088–4.959, p = 0.029; Q4, OR: 5.559, 95%CI: 2.088–14.805, p = 0.001).ConclusionIn this study, we found that a high level of serum MetO was associated with an increased risk of MMD and its subtypes. Our study raised a novel perspective on the pathogenesis of MMD and suggested potential therapeutic targets.
Association of Dietary intake of vitamin E with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease events in US adults: A cross-sectional study of NHANES 2013–2018
Authors: Liu Ziyi , Su Yingjie , Chen Qing , Xiao Lihua , Zhao Xue , Wang Feichi , Peng Zhenyu , Zhang Hongliang 
Published: April 2023

IntroductionSeveral studies have demonstrated that vitamin E intake is negatively associated with the development of several diseases, but the relationship between vitamin E intake and COPD in different groups of people is not clear. The aim was to investigate the relationship between vitamin E intake and COPD in different groups of people.MethodsThis study used data from NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) from 2013–2018. A final total of 4,706 participants were included, univariate versus multivariate logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models adjusted for confounders were used to explore the relationship between vitamin E intake and COPD, and subgroup analyses were conducted to assess whether there are differences in the relationship between vitamin E intake and COPD in different populations or conditions.ResultsAfter adjusting for potential confounders, higher vitamin E intake showed a significant negative association with COPD [Model 1(unadjusted covariates, OR = 0.48;95% CI:0.33–0.70; p &lt; 0.001), Model 2(adjusted for age, sex, and race, OR = 0.48;95% CI:0.31–0.73; p &lt; 0.01), and Model 3(adjusted for all covariates, OR = 0.57;95% CI:0.36–0.91; p = 0.02)]. And a restricted cubic spline curve showed a significant negative correlation between vitamin E intake and COPD (p for nonlinear = 0.2036). In the subgroup analysis, we found a negative association between vitamin E intake and COPD in all subgroups as well.ConclusionAfter analyzing data based on the NHANES database from 2013–2018, the results showed that vitamin E intake among U.S. adults was well below the recommended levels and that higher vitamin E intake was negatively associated with COPD incidence.
Evaluation of adherence to the Mediterranean diet with sustainable nutrition knowledge and environmentally responsible food choices
Authors: Yassıbaş Emine , Bölükbaşı Hatice 
Published: April 2023

BackgroundDietary patterns and their possible effects on health and the environment are becoming increasingly important. It is thought that nutritionally balanced diets can also be compatible with environmental targets and, therefore, the Mediterranean diet (MD), which is regarded as a sustainable diet model, comes to the fore. This study was carried out to evaluate adherence to the MD with sustainable nutrition knowledge and environmentally responsible food choices and to determine the factors affecting adherence.MethodsA questionnaire prepared by the researchers was sent to individuals online and 1732 adults living in Turkey participated in this cross-sectional study. Adherence to the MD was evaluated with the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS). In addition, questions were asked about nutritional knowledge and environmentally responsible food choices to evaluate the sustainable nutritional behaviors of individuals.ResultsHalf of the participants (51.1% of men / 53% of women) adhere to the MD at a moderate level. Even the individuals with the highest adherence to the MD had low compliance with the recommendations for fruit (43.4%) and fish (37.3%) consumption. A one-unit increase in age, sustainable nutrition knowledge score, and environmentally responsible food choices score increases the MD adherence score by 0.08, 0.125, and 0.148 points, respectively (p &lt; 0.005). Individuals with high adherence to the MD avoid consuming genetically modified organism food more (p &lt; 0.001), prefer to consume environmentally labeled foods (p &lt; 0.001), and buy food more from local businesses (p &lt; 0.001), while they prefer to buy imported food less (p = 0.034).ConclusionThe results of this study showed that some strategies should be developed to increase the adaptation of individuals to the MD and sustainable nutritional behaviors. Nutritionally adequate, sustainable, and eco-friendly nutritional behaviors should be encouraged to increase the possible health benefits of nutrition and minimize environmental effects. To promote sustainable nutrition, firstly it is important to determine the knowledge level of individuals concerning sustainable nutrition and, for this purpose, it is thought that an international valid sustainable nutrition knowledge assessment tool is needed.
A novel preclinical model of craniospinal irradiation in pediatric diffuse midline glioma demonstrates decreased metastatic disease
Authors: Knox Aaron J. , Van Court Benjamin , Oweida Ayman , Barsh Elinor , DeSisto John , Flannery Patrick , Lemma Rakeb , Chatwin Hannah , Vibhakar Rajeev , Dorris Kathleen , Serkova Natalie J. , Karam Sana D. , Gilani Ahmed , Green Adam L. 
Published: April 2023

BackgroundDiffuse midline glioma (DMG) is an aggressive pediatric central nervous system tumor with strong metastatic potential. As localized treatment of the primary tumor improves, metastatic disease is becoming a more important factor in treatment. We hypothesized that we could model craniospinal irradiation (CSI) through a DMG patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model and that CSI would limit metastatic tumor.MethodsWe used a BT245 murine orthotopic DMG PDX model for this work. We developed a protocol and specialized platform to deliver craniospinal irradiation (CSI) (4 Gy x2 days) with a pontine boost (4 Gy x2 days) and compared metastatic disease by pathology, bioluminescence, and MRI to mice treated with focal radiation only (4 Gy x4 days) or no radiation.ResultsMice receiving CSI plus boost showed minimal spinal and brain leptomeningeal metastatic disease by bioluminescence, MRI, and pathology compared to mice receiving radiation to the pons only or no radiation.ConclusionIn a DMG PDX model, CSI+boost minimizes tumor dissemination compared to focal radiation. By expanding effective DMG treatment to the entire neuraxis, CSI has potential as a key component to combination, multimodality treatment for DMG designed to achieve long-term survival once novel therapies definitively demonstrate improved local control.
What is needed by parents of constipated infants and toddlers: A cross-sectional study in China
Authors: Wang Yuanyuan , Cao Jinjin , Zhang Weiying , Chen Hongyu , Li Mei , Liu Zhifeng , Wang Jianan 
Published: April 2023

BackgroundChildhood functional constipation is a worldwide problem that affects the intestinal function of children and the quality of life of their families. Treatment and management of the disease need to be carried out at home by parents. Assessment of caregiving needs is an important link in planning and implementing the intervention. This study aimed to assess the caregiving needs of parents of FC infants and toddlers.MethodsThe researchers recruited convenience samples of parents from an outpatient pediatric constipation clinic of a children's medical center. Totally 211 fathers/mothers were recruited. Nursing needs were measured by a questionnaire, and associations between nursing needs and potential factors were examined using multiple regression analysis.ResultsThe vast majority of participants (88.7%) expressed the need of receiving support from professionals, and only 44 (20.85%) had obtained help from medical staff. The needs of parents mainly include information needs, health needs, psychological needs, and social needs. Of all the needs, the highest score was for information needs (3.87 ± 0.69), followed by the dimension of health needs (3.74 ± 0.82). Results showed statistically significant differences in parental education, place of residence, age of children, duration of FC, defecation frequency, difficulty of defecation, and stool traits in nursing needs (p &lt; 0.05). The regression model explained 64.2% of the variance of nursing needs.ConclusionsInformation needs were the major concern for parents, and the unmet needs of parents should be addressed during treatment and care. When developing care plans and providing health education, it should be adjusted according to the specific conditions of the child and parents to improve the compliance of the parents with treatment and care.
Flecainide induces a sustained countercurrent dependent effect on RyR2 in permeabilized WT ventricular myocytes but not in intact cells
Authors: Steer Emma J. , Yang Zhaokang , Al-Owais Moza M. , Kirton Hannah M. , White Edward , Steele Derek S. 
Published: April 2023

Background and purpose: While flecainide is now an accepted treatment for arrhythmias associated with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT), its mechanism of action remains controversial. In studies on myocytes from CPVT mice, inhibition of proarrhythmic Ca2+ waves was initially attributed to a novel action on the type-2 ryanodine receptor (RyR2). However, subsequent work on wild type (WT) myocytes questioned the conclusion that flecainide has a direct action on RyR2. In the present study, the effects of flecainide were compared in intact and permeabilized WT myocytes.Experimental approach: Intracellular Ca2+ was measured using confocal microscopy in intact or saponin permeabilized adult rat ventricular myocytes (ARVM). In some experiments on permeabilized cells, flecainide was studied following partial inhibition of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) counter-current.Key results: Flecainide induced sustained changes Ca2+ sparks and waves in permeabilized ARVM, which were comparable to those reported in intact or permeabilized myocytes from CPVT mice. However, a relatively high level of flecainide (25 μM) was required to induce these effects. Inhibition of the SR counter-current potentiated the effects of flecainide on SR Ca2+ waves. In intact field stimulated ARVM, prolonged exposure to 15 μM flecainide decreased wave frequency but RyR2 dependent effects on Ca2+ sparks were absent; higher drug concentrations blocked field stimulation, consistent with inhibition of Nav1.5.Conclusions and implications: In intact ARVM, the absence of effects on Ca2+ sparks suggests that the intracellular flecainide concentration was insufficient to influence RyR2. Wave inhibition in intact ARVM may reflect secondary effects of Nav1.5 inhibition. Potentiation of flecainide’s action by counter-current inhibition can be explained if transient polarization of the SR membrane during SR Ca2+ release facilitates its action on RyR2.
A π-Type Memristor Synapse and Neuron With Structural Plasticity
Authors: Su Bowen , Cai Jueping , Wang Ziyang , Chu Jie , Zhang Yizhen 
Published: April 2023

A synaptic structure with memristor state initialization function and a neuronal circuit with structural variability are presented in this article. In contrast to the popular use of voltage as a medium for containing information and realizing the computational function of a neuron in the form of voltage–current–voltage, the proposed neuron circuit adopts current as a carrier of information; also the computation will be realized in the form of current–voltage instead. Since the sum of currents can be achieved by direct connection, this will greatly reduce the hardware area of the artificial neuron. In addition, by adjusting the switches, the initialization of the memristor can be implemented, and the process of structural changes of neurons in biology can also be mimicked. Comparing with several popular synaptic circuits, it is proven that the π-type synapse has more structural advantages. Simulations show that the π-type synaptic structure can obtain the specified weight value faster and complete the initial state setting of the memristors in 1.502 ms. Even in the worst case, where the weight needs to be changed from −1 to 1, it can be completed in only 1.272 ms. Under the condition of achieving the same function, the area of the proposed neuron with 100 synapses will be reduced by at least 97.42%. Moreover, there is better performance in terms of linearity.
Relationships between physical activity, fundamental motor skills, and body mass index in preschool children
Authors: Ma Fei-Fei , Luo Dong-Mei 
Published: April 2023

PurposeTo investigate whether there is a potential relationship between physical activity (PA), fundamental motor skills (FMS), and Body Mass Index (BMI) in preschool children and to further explore the differences in PA and FMS between normal-weight and overweight/obese preschool children.MethodParticipants were 366 preschool children aged 3 to 6 years; 358 completed all tests (194 boys and 164 girls). PA, FMS, body weight, and height were measured by triaxial accelerometer, the Test of Gross Motor Development, Second Edition (TGMD-2), and anthropometry measurement, respectively.ResultThe overall rate of overweight/obesity was 17.0%, with no significant gender difference (χ2 = 0.628, p = 0.428). Older children perform significantly better in both object control skills and locomotor skills. Independent samples t-tests were used to examine the difference between genders on FMS and PA: girls in the 5-year-old group display better locomotor skills (p = 0.012) than boys. Boys spent more time on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and less time on sedentary activity when compared to girls. Results of partial correlation analysis showed that PA was significantly and positively correlated with both locomotor skills and object control skills in preschool children (p &lt; 0.01), while there was no correlation between FMS, PA level, and BMI. Results of ANCOVA revealed no significant difference in FMS between normal-weight and overweight or obese preschool children; normal-weight girls had significantly longer MPA and MVPA duration and significantly shorter sedentary periods than overweight or obese girls (p &lt; 0.05).ConclusionOverweight/obesity in preschool children requires effective measures. PA is positively associated with FMS, while BMI is not potentially related to FMS or PA in preschool years. Overweight or obese girls should develop healthier weight status by increasing MVPA hours and reducing sedentary time.