bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Influence of Bariatric Surgery on Erectile Dysfunction—a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Małczak Piotr , Wysocki Michał , Pisarska-Adamczyk Magdalena , Strojek Jakub , Rodak Hanna , Lastovetskyi Ilie , Pędziwiatr Michał , Major Piotr 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Introduction
Obesity is associated with a higher prevalence of various comorbidities including erectile dysfunction (ED). Bariatric surgery leads to weight loss and remission of weight-related diseases. The exact influence of bariatric treatment on ED is yet to be established; however, the number of papers on the subject is growing.

Methodology
A systematic review with meta-analysis comparing erectile dysfunction before and after surgery was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines with a literature search performed in June 2022. Inclusion criteria involved (1) ED assessment using the International International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and (2) longitudinal study design. Secondary endpoints involved hormonal changes and specific fields of IIEF.

Results
An initial search yielded 878 records. Fourteen studies were included in the meta-analysis involving 508 patients. The quality of analyzed studies was moderate. Analysis showed significant differences in IIEF before and after surgery (Std. MD = 1.19, 95% CI 0.72 to 1.66, p<0.0001). Testosterone after surgery is higher by 156.32 pg/ml (95% CI 84.78 to 227.86, p<0.0001). There were differences in erectile function (MD:4.86, p < 0.0001), desire (MD: 1.21, p < 0.0001), intercourse satisfaction (MD: 2.16, p < 0.0001), and overall satisfaction (MD: 1.21, p = 0.003). There were no differences in terms of orgasms (MD: 0.65, p = 0.06).

Conclusion
There are differences in ED before and after bariatric surgery. Patients achieve 19% more in the IIEF questionnaire showing improvement. Further studies, including multivariate regression models on large cohorts, are required to determine whether the surgery is an independent factor in alleviating ED.

Graphical Abstract
Appropriateness of packed red blood cells transfusions in chronic anemic patients in the emergency department: the TRANSFUS-ED retrospective analysis
Authors: Paganini Matteo , Rigon Fabio , Rebustello Federico , Cianci Vito , Bertozzi Irene , Randi Maria Luigia 
Published: April 2023

AbstractPatients suffering from chronic anemia can benefit from scheduled transfusions of packed red blood cells (PRBCs), while urgent transfusions have specific indications. These patients frequently seek medical attention in the emergency department (ED), where they can be inappropriately transfused, but research in this field is limited. This study aimed to assess the appropriateness of PRBCs transfusions in chronic anemic patients in the ED. A retrospective analysis was performed on patients who accessed the ED of the Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova (Padova, Italy) between 2016 and 2019 and received PRBCs transfusions. Patients aged ≥ 18 years old and with chronic anemia were included, while those with acute anemia or admitted to the hospital after the transfusion were excluded. Chronic anemia was defined as satisfying one of the following in the past medical history: diagnosis of chronic anemia; two or more previous blood samplings demonstrating anemia; periodic transfusions. As primary outcome, the appropriateness of transfusions was assessed according to the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) 2016 criteria, using the recommended threshold of 7 g/dL for hemodynamically stable adults and 8 g/dL for patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease. Out of 1153 transfusions, 344 transfusions were included in the study. According to our criteria, 139 (40.4%) patients were inappropriately transfused, resulting in a total estimated cost of 54,528.71 € in the study period. This study showed that transfusions in chronic anemic patients are recurrent events in the ED and are frequently inappropriate. A possible explanation could be the lack of a well-structured primary care network granting periodic transfusions in ambulatory centers. In the future, implementing and improving chronic anemic patients’ access to transfusion services through dedicated pathways could reduce the burden on the ED and also decrease costs.
Pathophysiological Links Between Obesity and Dementia
Authors: Wong Zhang David E. , Tran Vivian , Vinh Antony , Dinh Quynh Nhu , Drummond Grant R. , Sobey Christopher G. , Jelinic Maria , De Silva T. Michael 
Published: April 2023

AbstractObesity is a major global health concern, with prevalence rates rapidly rising due to increased availability of highly processed foods rich in fats and/or sugars and technological advances promoting more sedentary behaviour. There is increasing evidence to suggest that obesity predisposes individuals to developing cognitive impairment and dementia. However, the relationship between the brain and the peripheral metabolic state is complex, and many of the underlying mechanisms of cognitive impairment in obesity are yet to be fully elucidated. To better understand the links between obesity and dementia, further work is required to determine pathological changes occurring in the brain during obesity. In this mini-review, we discuss the role of two pathological features of obesity (the gut-brain axis and systemic inflammation) and their potential contribution to dementia.
How cost-efficient is energy efficiency in buildings? A comparison of building shell efficiency and heating system change in the European building stock
Authors: Hummel M. , Müller A. , Forthuber S. , Kranzl L. , Mayr B. , Haas R. 
Published: April 2023

AbstractMitigating CO2 emissions for space heating (SH) and hot water (HW) preparation in buildings is key to reaching climate protection targets. In this context, it is important to understand meaningful balances between CO2 reduction through thermal renovation activities and the change of heating systems. In this work, we develop cost-optimal balances for different system settings with the Invert/Opt model. This model optimises the measures applied in each building so that the system costs for SH and HW preparation are minimised under given constraints for a given country. About 500–1000 options are considered for each building. We calculate scenarios and sensitivities for all countries of EU-27, reflecting a 95% reduction in CO2 emissions for SH and HW with a mix of direct and indirect RES technologies. These differ in the settings related to the applicability and costs of building-shell-related measures and the costs and availability of resource potentials. The results show that probably a high share of thermal renovation on total upcoming refurbishment activities until 2050 is cost-efficient to reach a 95% CO2 reduction in the EU-27 building stocks. Assuming that up to 90% of the buildings in each EU-27 country is applicable for a thermal renovation in case a refurbishment activity is needed leads to around 4% lower system costs by 2050 (13 billion EUR/year) compared to assuming a maximum share of 35%. Energy needs are reduced on average more in older buildings than in newer buildings. Nonetheless, a combination of thermal renovation and heating system change is often the most cost-effective option to reduce system-wide CO2 emissions also in more recent buildings. The calculations lead to cost-optimal savings in final energy demand in the range of 29–47% between 2019 and 2050. Assuming less favourable conditions for thermal renovation (high capital recovery expectations, additional technical barriers and high availability of cheap fuels) the cost-optimal level of heat savings in buildings for overall EU-27 could be suspected at around 1/3 down to 1/4 of current final energy demand.
Coexistence in spatiotemporally fluctuating environments
Authors: Johnson Evan C. , Hastings Alan 
Published: April 2023

AbstractEcologists have put forward many explanations for coexistence, but these are onlypartial explanations; nature is complex, so it is reasonable to assume that in any given ecological community, multiple mechanisms of coexistence are operating at the same time. Here, we present a methodology for quantifying the relative importance of different explanations for coexistence, based on an extension of theModern Coexistence Theory. Current versions of Modern Coexistence Theory only allow for the analysis of communities that are affected by spatialortemporal environmental variation, but not both. We show how to analyze communities with spatiotemporal fluctuations, how to parse the importance of spatial variation and temporal variation, and how to measure everything with either mathematical expressions or simulation experiments. Our extension of Modern Coexistence Theory shows that many more species can coexist than originally thought. More importantly, it allows empiricists to use realistic models and more data to better infer the mechanisms of coexistence in real communities.
The impact of cultural intelligence on burnout among practitioners working with migrants: an examination of age, gender, training, and language proficiency
Authors: Puzzo Gabriele , Sbaa Maha Yomn , Zappalà Salvatore , Pietrantoni Luca 
Published: April 2023

AbstractMigrants are a vulnerable population that often requires specialized care and support. Practitioners who work with migrants must be knowledgeable about the unique challenges they face. Some first-line practitioners are better equipped to work in intercultural environments because they possess higher cultural intelligence (CQ). This study aims to examine the impact of cultural intelligence on burnout among practitioners working in 15 countries. It also compares levels of CQ in relation to age, gender, education, intercultural training, and language proficiency in the workplace. The participants in the study were professionals working primarily with migrants (N = 258) from 15 countries. The results indicate that motivational cultural intelligence significantly reduces burnout levels, while the cognitive and the behavioural dimensions do not have any effect. Practitioners who have undergone intercultural training have higher levels of cultural intelligence, and this type of training may be effective in improving cultural intelligence. The study provides organizations with insight on how to select and train first-line practitioners, focusing on developing cultural competencies and intrinsic motivation to prevent burnout among their staff and ultimately improve the quality of services.
Factors Explaining Workplace Learning of Turkish Research Assistants
Authors: Alkan Muhammet Fatih , Emmioğlu-Sarıkaya Esma 
Published: April 2023

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to explore the structural relationships among diverse variables to provide a comprehensive understanding of Turkish research assistants’ workplace learning. The cross-sectional data of the study were collected online from 21 universities around Turkey. A total of 1218 research assistants from various disciplines took part in the study. The findings revealed that workplace affordances as well as the personal factors of workplace effort and personal agency had direct, positive, and statistically significant effects on the workplace learning of research assistants. The rest of the personal factors including vocational identity, workplace identity, and interpersonal agency had statistically significant direct effects on workplace affordances. Moreover, these three personal factors had statistically significant indirect effects on workplace learning. These findings showed that research assistants’ workplace learning was impacted by both what the workplaces offered and how the research assistants perceived these affordances. The findings also showed that some of the personal variables affected workplace learning independent of workplace affordances.
POLG2-Linked Mitochondrial Disease: Functional Insights from New Mutation Carriers and Review of the Literature
Authors: Borsche Max , Dulovic-Mahlow Marija , Baumann Hauke , Tunc Sinem , Lüth Theresa , Schaake Susen , Özcakir Selin , Westenberger Ana , Münchau Alexander , Knappe Evelyn , Trinh Joanne , Brüggemann Norbert , Lohmann Katja 
Published: April 2023

AbstractDifferent pathogenic variants in the DNA polymerase-gamma2 (POLG2) gene cause a rare, clinically heterogeneous mitochondrial disease. We detected a novel POLG2 variant (c.1270 T > C, p.Ser424Pro) in a family with adult-onset cerebellar ataxia and progressive ophthalmoplegia. We demonstrated altered mitochondrial integrity in patients’ fibroblast cultures but no changes of the mitochondrial DNA were found when compared to controls. We consider this novel, segregating POLG2 variant as disease-causing in this family. Moreover, we systematically screened the literature for POLG2-linked phenotypes and re-evaluated all mutations published to date for pathogenicity according to current knowledge. Thereby, we identified twelve published, likely disease-causing variants in 19 patients only. The core features included progressive ophthalmoplegia and cerebellar ataxia; parkinsonism, neuropathy, cognitive decline, and seizures were also repeatedly found in adult-onset heterozygous POLG2-related disease. A severe phenotype relates to biallelic pathogenic variants in POLG2, i.e., newborn-onset liver failure, referred to as mitochondrial depletion syndrome. Our work underlines the broad clinical spectrum of POLG2-related disease and highlights the importance of functional characterization of variants of uncertain significance to enable meaningful genetic counseling.
Intrauterine Administration of Autologous Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Concentrate (aka Autologous Blood Cell Derivative) Improves the Endometrial Thickness in 'Thin' Endometrium in the Frozen Embryo Transfer Cycle
Authors: Kumar Pratap , Mundkur Anjali , Sai Bhavna D. , Palanivel Vasanthi , Adiga Prashanth , Poojari Vidyashree G. , Rao Shubha , Ullagaddi Rashmi 
Published: April 2023

AbstractsContextThin endometrium during the frozen embryo transfer cycles leads to cycle cancellation. The embryo transfer cycle getting deferred is an unpleasant experience for the patients and the fertility specialist.AimsThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Autologous Blood Cell Derivative (ABCD) growth factor concentrate to obtain an optimal thickness of endometrium for embryo transfer during IVF treatments, where rapid regeneration is crucial for the expected therapeutic outcome.Settings and DesignA retrospective cohort study was conducted in Manipal Assisted Reproduction Center, a referral center in Southern India.Methods and MaterialFifty-six patients with thin endometrium were administered three doses of ABCD growth factor concentrate as per the protocol after informed consent. All of them had a history of embryo transfer (ET) cancellation in frozen-thawed embryo cycles due to inadequate growth of the endometrium despite therapy with estrogens and drugs for improving uterine blood circulation.ResultsThe endometrium thickness during the implantation window in the patients included in the study averaged 6.48 ± 1.19 mm. After the intervention, 55 out of 56 patients (98.2%) showed a considerable change in the thickness of the endometrium layer with an average thickness of 8.48 ± 1.32 mm (< 0.0001, SE 0.233, 95% CI 1.58–2.5). Out of the 55 patients, 20 got pregnant, i.e., 36.4% pregnancy rate. Till date, thirteen pregnancies had live births (65%), three pregnancies (15%) were biochemical pregnancies, 1 (5%) was ectopic, and three pregnancies (15%) had spontaneous miscarriage before eight weeks. When we compared the endometrial thickness (EMT) in the pregnant and non-pregnant groups pre- and post-ABCD instillation, (6.47 ± 1.31 mm vs 6.48 ± 1.4 mm,p = 0.98 and 8.68 ± 1.32 mm vs 8.48 ± 1.32 mm,pvalue 0.59) thepvalue was not statistically significant.ConclusionsThe implantation, clinical pregnancy and live birth rates were 36.4, 30 and 65%, respectively. This result is a significant improvement for patients with thin endometrium for whom we would otherwise cancel the frozen transfer. An autologous resource is a safe, readily available and inexpensive treatment modality.
Role of PET gamma detection in radioguided surgery: a systematic review
Authors: De Feo Maria Silvia , Frantellizzi Viviana , De Sio Luciano , Farcomeni Alessio , De Vincentis Giuseppe , Pani Roberto 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Purpose
This systematic review aimed to collect published studies concerning intraoperative gamma detection of positron-emitting tracers for radioguided surgery (RGS) applications.

Methods
A systematic literature search of studies published until October 2022 was performed in Pubmed, Web Of Science, Central (Cochrane Library) and Scopus databases, including the following keywords: “Positron Emission Tomography” OR “PET” AND “Gamma” OR “γ” AND “Probe” AND “Radioguided Surgery” OR “RGS”. The included studies had to concern RGS procedures performed in at least 3 patients, regardless of the administered radiopharmaceutical and the field of application.

Results
Among to the 17 selected studies, all published between 2000 and 2022, only 2 investigations were conducted with gallium-68 (68Ga)-labeled somatostatin analogues, with fluorine-18-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) being the most commonly used agent for RGS applications. Almost all studies were performed in oncologic patients, with only one paper also including inflammatory and infectious findings. The analysis showed that the largest part of procedures was performed through the intraoperative use of conventional gamma probes, not specifically designed for the detection of annihilation photons (n = 9), followed by PET gamma probes (n = 5) and with only three studies involving electronic collimation.

Conclusions
Regardless of the intraoperative devices, RGS with positron emitters seems to lead to significant improvements in surgeons’ ability to obtain a complete resection of tumors, even if the nature of photons resulting from positron–electron collision still remains extremely challenging and requires further technical advances.
Enhancing the earthquake resistance of RC and steel high-rise buildings by bracings, shear walls and TMDs considering SSI
Authors: Kontoni Denise-Penelope N. , Farghaly Ahmed Abdelraheem 
Published: April 2023

AbstractThe increasing population, limited residential space, and scarcity of suitable land for construction have led to a rise in the construction of high-rise buildings (HRBs) as a means to provide additional housing. The increase in human activities (such as excavations for geothermal resources) has led to an increase in seismic activity, making HRBs more vulnerable to earthquakes. Structural analysis of HRBs that are exposed to seismic loadings depends on one of the most important factors that judge the stability and resistance to seismic waves which is the stiffness of the buildings. Various methods that reduce flexibility and enhance stiffness for HRBs are the subject of this numerical investigation, and they were applied to a high-rise building (HRB) of 20 floors, considering soil–structure interaction (SSI). The stiffening methods adopted herein are steel or concrete shear walls (SWs) in specific arrangements, and different bracings in specific arrangements. Moreover, in this study, tuned mass dampers (TMDs) are used, as a damping method of the HRB seismic response, also considering SSI, and the results are compared with the stiffening methods results to judge how the applied methods enhance the seismic resistance of HRBs. These methods, which were used to influence the stiffness or the damping of the building, had different positive effects on the seismic response of the HRBs, which appeared in the results through the base shears, the base moments, the maximum top displacement, and the fundamental period of the building.
TMIGD1: Emerging functions of a tumor supressor and adhesion receptor
Authors: Thüring Eva-Maria , Hartmann Christian , Schwietzer Ysabel A. , Ebnet Klaus 
Published: April 2023

AbstractThe development of multicellular organisms depends on cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) that connect cells to build tissues. The immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) constitutes one of the largest families of CAMs. Members of this family regulate such diverse processes like synapse formation, spermatogenesis, leukocyte-endothelial interactions, or epithelial cell-cell adhesion. Through their extracellular domains, they undergo homophilic and heterophilic interactions in cis and trans. Their cytoplasmic domains frequently bind scaffolding proteins to assemble signaling complexes. Transmembrane and immunoglobulin domain-containing protein 1 (TMIGD1) is a IgSF member with two Ig-like domains and a short cytoplasmic tail that contains a PDZ domain-binding motif. Recent observations indicate that TMIGD1 has pleiotropic functions in epithelial cells and has a critical role in suppressing malignant cell behavior. Here, we review the molecular characteristics of TMIGD1, its interaction with cytoplasmic scaffolding proteins, the regulation of its expression, and its downregulation in colorectal and renal cancers.
Cntnap4 partial deficiency exacerbates α-synuclein pathology through astrocyte–microglia C3-C3aR pathway
Authors: Zhang Wenlong , Ding Liuyan , Chen Huaqing , Zhang Mengran , Ma Runfang , Zheng Shaohui , Gong Junwei , Zhang Zhiling , Xu Huaxi , Xu Pingyi , Zhang Yunlong 
Published: April 2023

AbstractParkinson’s disease (PD) is the most common progressive neurodegenerative movement disorder, which is characterized by dopaminergic (DA) neuron death and the aggregation of neurotoxic α-synuclein. Cntnap4, a risk gene of autism, has been implicated to participate in PD pathogenesis. Here we showed Cntnap4 lacking exacerbates α-synuclein pathology, nigrostriatal DA neuron degeneration and motor impairment, induced by injection of adeno-associated viral vector (AAV)-mediated human α-synuclein overexpression (AAV-hα-Syn). This scenario was further validated in A53T α-synuclein transgenic mice injected with AAV-Cntnap4 shRNA. Mechanistically, α-synuclein derived from damaged DA neuron stimulates astrocytes to release complement C3, activating microglial C3a receptor (C3aR), which in turn triggers microglia to secrete complement C1q and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Thus, the astrocyte–microglia crosstalk further drives DA neuron death and motor dysfunction in PD. Furthermore, we showed that in vivo depletion of microglia and microglial targeted delivery of a novel C3aR antagonist (SB290157) rescue the aggravated α-synuclein pathology resulting from Cntnap4 lacking. Together, our results indicate that Cntnap4 plays a key role in α-synuclein pathogenesis by regulating glial crosstalk and may be a potential target for PD treatment.