bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Anisometropia and Amblyopia Outcomes in Early Versus Late Resolution of Congenital Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction in Older Infants
Authors: Sims Deion T. , Gillette Thomas B. , Lam Jocelyn G. , Liu Darren , Lee Calvin , Ding Leona , Tarczy-Hornoch Kristina , Cabrera Michelle T. 
Published: September 2023

Purpose:
Congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction is a known risk factor for amblyopia and anisometropia. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the rate of anisometropia and amblyopia development differed based on the age at CNLDO resolution in older infants.

Methods:
This retrospective chart review at a single tertiary children’s hospital from 2007 to 2017 compared early versus late spontaneous resolution (cutoff 12 months) and intervention (cutoff 15 months) groups presenting at ≥9 months of age, comparing visual outcomes, including anisometropia (≥1 D of sphere or cylinder) and amblyopia (≥2 levels difference in Teller acuity or optotype testing). Parents/guardians were contacted by phone for missing data on spontaneous resolution or intervention status.

Results:
A total of 462 patients were included (152 early; 310 late group). The early group presented at a median age of 12.0 (interquartile range: 10.0, 13.0) months, while the late group presented at 21.0 (interquartile range: 15.0, 32.0) months. Unilateral disease occurred in 62% and 59%, respectively. Anisometropia was seen in (12/102) 12% of early versus (25/243) 10% of late patients (p = 0.686, 95% CI: –0.059, 0.088), and amblyopia in (4/131) 3% of early versus (14/286) 5% of late patients (p = 0.322, 95% CI: –0.061, 0.018). In patients presenting <24 months without undergoing surgery, spontaneous resolution occurred in 76% between 12 and 24 months (n = 41).

Conclusions:
Anisometropia and amblyopia rates did not significantly differ between early and delayed intervention for congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction in this retrospective cohort presenting beyond 9 months of age to a children’s hospital. This study found frequent late spontaneous resolution.
Primary Renal Neuroendocrine Tumor Causing Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome
Authors: Faber Lauren S. , Lokke Amanda , Zilavy Andrew , Kaplan Damara , Davis Michael S. 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Primary renal neuroendocrine tumor causing Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, also known as renal gastrinoma, has only been reported twice in the literature and in both cases was treated with radical nephrectomy. Here we report the first case of renal gastrinoma successfully treated with renal preservation partial nephrectomy.
Practical Strategies for Addressing Video Visit Access Barriers in Urology
Authors: Rasheed Husain Abizer , Hazelrigg Olivia , Rasmussen Patrick Magnus , Raja Hamza Mustafa , Blazek Mary C. , Chen Julia , Ellimoottil Chad 
Published: September 2023

Purpose:
Since March 2020, telehealth has been a major part of health care delivery. Observational studies have shown that seniors, minorities, low-income Americans, and rural Americans have proportionally greater challenges in accessing telehealth compared with their counterparts. However, strategies to overcome these challenges have not been fully addressed. The objective of this study was to understand in greater detail the challenges patients face with video visits and introduce specific strategies to address these problems.

Methods:
We collected data on the technical barriers faced by patients through phone calls from a medical student-run volunteer program that assisted patients with telehealth visits through an electronic health record referral system.

Results:
Our study identified 4 main issues faced by patients that prevent successful video visits: (1) completion of registration steps, (2) familiarity with accessing and using video conferencing software, (3) attainment of proxy access for parents of a pediatric patient, and (4) resolution of miscellaneous technical queries. We addressed these issues through a structured workflow algorithm, which provided patients with an opportunity to receive a live walk-through of the steps for registering for a video visit, practice with video conferencing software, and guidance to resources and answers to any issues in the process.

Conclusion:
This study provides practical guidance for overcoming the challenges that patients face with video visits. These strategies can be used in any urology practice to improve video visit adoption and telehealth access in patient populations where challenges may exist.
Risk factors for death in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Riziki Ghislain Manimani , Muzumbukilwa Willy Tambwe , Magula Nombulelo 
Published: September 2023

Background:
The coronavirus disease 2019 has quickly spread worldwide since it first appeared in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. The most affected country in Africa was South Africa. This study aimed to identify the risk factors for death in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Africa.

Methods:
We conducted a systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. We searched articles from the following database: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Medline, and COVID-19 Research Database. We used Google Scholar for gray literature. The language used in this article was English. The last search was conducted on January 15, 2023. Pooled HRs, or ORs, and 95% confidence intervals, were calculated separately to identify the risk factors for death in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Heterogeneity was assessed by Cochran’s Q statistic and the I
2 test. The Egger test was used to assess publication bias. Subgroup analysis was performed to determine the source of heterogeneity. Data analysis was performed using Stata version 17. A P value < .05 was considered significant.

Results:
A total of 16,600 articles were obtained from the database search; finally, 16 articles met the inclusion criteria and were eligible for data extraction. The analysis revealed that the pooled prevalence of mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients was 13.9%. Advanced age was a significant risk factor for death in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, with the pooled coronavirus mortality HR and OR being 3.73 (95% CI: 2.27–5.19) and 1.04 (95% CI: 1.02–1.06), respectively. In addition, male gender (pOR 1.23; 95% CI: 1.07–1.40), patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) (pOR 1.26; 95% CI: 1.01–1.51), hypertension (HTN) (pOR 1.56; 95% CI: 1.27–1.85), chronic kidney disease (CKD) (pHR 5.43; 95% CI: 0.18–10.67), severe or critical conditions (pOR 9.04; 95% CI: 3.14–14.94) had a significantly increased risk of coronavirus-related mortality. The main limitations of the present study stem from the predominant use of published studies, which could introduce publication bias.

Conclusion:
According to this study, advanced age, male gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and severe or critical condition were clinical risk factors associated with death outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Africa.
Nurses’ attitudes, knowledge, and practices concerning evidence-based practice: a descriptive cross-sectional study
Authors: Ibrahim Radhwan Hussein , Abdulghani Mohammad Faris , Abdullah Mohanned Khaleel , Mahmood Hanady Jabbar , Mohsen Ommar Akram , Jassim Raghad Saad 
Published: September 2023

Background & Aim:
Evidence-based practice (EBP) is an essential approach to patient care that relies on the best available evidence to guide decision-making. However, there are several barriers to implementing EBP among nurses. This study aimed to investigate the attitudes, knowledge, and practices of nurses regarding EBP in patient care, as well as the obstacles they faced in its implementation.

Methods and Materials:
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 250 nurses from XXX Teaching Hospital in XXXX using a convenience sampling method. Two questionnaires were administered to collect data on nurses’ EBP practices, knowledge, attitudes, and perceived difficulties. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and multivariate analysis of variance were used to analyze the collected data.

Results:
The study found that nurses had a moderate level of EBP utilization, moderate knowledge of EBP, and positive attitudes toward evidence-based practice. Lack of time was the most commonly reported obstacle, followed by lack of support from management and lack of access to relevant research. Nurses with positive attitudes and more knowledge about EBP were more likely to use it in their daily work. The study also revealed that nurses who had worked for more than 10 years perceived more barriers to implementing EBP than those who had worked for 10 years or less.

Conclusion:
The study recommends addressing the perceived barriers and promoting facilitators to improve the uptake and implementation of evidence-based practice among nurses in XXXX. This can be achieved by providing nurses with access to relevant research, encouraging supportive management, and promoting positive attitudes toward EBP. Moreover, the study highlights the importance of continuous education and training for nurses, especially those with more than 10 years of experience, to overcome the perceived barriers to EBP implementation.
Spontaneous widespread muscle hematoma complicated by pyomyositis in a case of dengue hemorrhagic fever: a case report from Nepal
Authors: Timilsina Binita , Suryabanshi Anil , Bhandari Aashna , Pokhrel Saroj , Chataut Chandra P. 
Published: September 2023

Introduction and importance:Most dengue infections are asymptomatic, and some of them develop haemorrhagic manifestations with or without shock. However, dengue can sometimes present with very rare complications like pyomyositis.Case presentation:A healthy 27-year-old male, presented with a 2-day fever, confirmed to be dengue through a positive non-structural protein 1 test. Despite initial symptomatic management, his condition worsened and he was hospitalized. Leucocyte and platelet counts dropped to the lowest value on the seventh day of illness, followed by the gradual development of chest pain, persistent fever, and severe limb pain. Radiographic evaluation revealed pleural effusion, and multiple intramuscular haematomas complicated by pyomyositis. Pleural effusion resolved on its own. Pyomyositis resolved with 6 weeks of appropriate antibiotics and aspiration of pus.Clinical discussion:Dengue infection, caused by a dengue virus transmitted through Aedes mosquitoes, is a significant public health concern in many parts of the world. Dengue haemorrhagic fever is a severe form of dengue infection characterized by vascular leakage, thrombocytopenia, and bleeding manifestations. Although musculoskeletal manifestations are common in dengue fever, the occurrence of multiple muscle haematomas and pyomyositis as complications of Dengue haemorrhagic fever is rare. Drainage or aspiration of pus combined with the antibiotics according to the pus culture and sensitivity report is the management strategy.Conclusion:Prolonged fever with severe musculoskeletal pain and focal tenderness on examination in a dengue patient, warrant radiographic testing (ultrasonography or MRI) considering the differentials of haematoma, myositis, or pyomyositis.
Artificial Intelligence Iterative Reconstruction in Computed Tomography Angiography: An Evaluation on Pulmonary Arteries and Aorta With Routine Dose Settings
Authors: Gong Huan , Peng Liying , Du Xiangdong , An Jiajia , Peng Rui , Guo Rui , Ma Xu , Xiong Sining , Ma Qin , Zhang Guozhi , Ma Jing 
Published: September 2023

Objective
The objective of this study is to investigate whether a newly introduced deep learning–based iterative reconstruction algorithm, namely, the artificial intelligence iterative reconstruction (AIIR), has a clinical value in computed tomography angiography (CTA), especially for visualizing vascular structures and related lesions, with routine dose settings.

Methods
A total of 63 patients were retrospectively collected from the triple rule-out CTA examinations, where both pulmonary and aortic data were available for each patient and were taken as the example for investigation. The images were reconstructed using the filtered back projection (FBP), hybrid iterative reconstruction (HIR), and the AIIR. The visibility of vasculature and pulmonary emboli and the general image quality were assessed.

Results
Artificial intelligence iterative reconstruction resulted in significantly (P < 0.001) lower noise as well as higher signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio compared with FBP and HIR. Besides, AIIR achieved the highest subjective scores on general image quality (P < 0.05). For the vasculature visibility, AIIR offered the best vessel conspicuity, especially for the small vessels (P < 0.05). Also, >90% of emboli on the AIIR images were graded as sharp (score 5), whereas <15% of emboli on FBP and HIR images were scored 5.

Conclusion
As demonstrated for pulmonary and aortic CTAs, AIIR improves the image quality and offers a better depiction for vascular structures compared with FBP and HIR. The visibility of the pulmonary emboli was also increased by AIIR.
Comparison of 18F-FDG and 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT in a Rare Renal Leiomyoma
Authors: Liu Yanggang , Zhang Shumao , Lan Lianjun , Chen Yue , Qiu Lin 
Published: September 2023

AbstractRenal leiomyoma is a rare benign mesenchymal tumor of the kidney, which mainly originates from the renal capsule or pelvis. We described18F-FDG and68Ga-FAPI PET/CT findings in a case of renal leiomyoma. The PET/CT findings showed that the left renal leiomyoma demonstrated intensively increased68Ga-FAPI uptake, whereas only inhomogeneously slightly increased18F-FDG uptake. This case illustrates that68Ga-FAPI PET/CT may be an effective tool for detecting renal leiomyoma.
Cranial Nerve Palsies in the Setting of Arachnoid Cysts: A Case Series and Literature Review
Authors: Bison Henry S. , Janetos Timothy M. , Russell Eric J. , Volpe Nicholas J. 
Published: September 2023

Background:
Arachnoid cysts (ACs) are benign lesions typically believed to not cause neurologic defects in the adult population and are most often found incidentally on imaging. We describe 2 patients with ACs potentially leading to isolated cranial nerve (CN) dysfunction.

Methods:
We describe 2 patients, 1 with a fourth nerve palsy and the other with a sixth nerve palsy found to have ACs on MRI brain imaging in locations that potentially caused a compressive CN palsy. We review previous literature of ACs presenting with CN III, IV, or VI palsy.

Results:
Patient 1 was a 62-year-old man who presented with a 22-year history of diplopia with strabismus examination consistent with a congenital CN IV palsy. Despite multiple surgeries, his CN IV palsy insidiously worsened. An AC in the posterior fossa with mass effect on the quadrigeminal plate and asymmetric atrophy of the right superior oblique was identified on imaging. Patient 2 was an 80-year-old man who presented with an 18-year history of diplopia and was found to have a left esotropia and abduction deficit consistent with complete CN VI palsy. An AC in the left cavernous sinus was identified on imaging. He underwent strabismus surgery with satisfactory resolution of diplopia. We identified a total of 18 previously published cases: 8 reports of CN III palsy, 4 reports of CN IV palsy, and 6 reports of CN VI palsy. Patient ages ranged from 1 to 67 with a median of 34.5. In 16/18 (89%) cases, the diagnosis of ACs was made within 1 year of symptom onset. Surgical removal of the AC was successful in resolving diplopia in 7/12 (58%) cases. In no case was strabismus surgery performed as primary treatment.

Conclusions:
Although ACs are typically congenital asymptomatic lesions, we present a case series of 2 patients with ACs in anatomic locations that potentially caused chronic, progressive, isolated CN palsies leading to strabismus. Our literature review revealed that most published cases detailing this clinical scenario resulted in neurosurgical fenestration of ACs with mixed results. Our cases represent 2 patients with AC-associated CN palsy treated with strabismus surgery.
Flu-CNN: predicting host tropism of influenza A viruses via character-level convolutional networks
Authors: Luo Nan , Wang Xin , Wang Boqian , Meng Renjie , Zhao Yunxiang , Chai Zili , Jin Yuan , Yue Junjie , Hu Mingda , Chen Wei , Ren Hongguang 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThroughout history, Influenza A viruses (IAVs) have caused significant harm and catastrophic pandemics. The presence of host barriers results in viral host tropism, where infected hosts are subject to strict restrictions due to the hindered spread of viruses across hosts. Therefore, the identification of host tropism of IAVs, particularly in humans, is crucial to preventing the cross-host transmission of avian viruses and their outbreaks in humans. Nevertheless, efficiently and effectively identifying host tropism, especially for early host susceptibility warnings based on viral genome sequences during outbreak onset, remains challenging. To address this challenge, we propose Flu-CNN, a deep neural network model based on classical character-level convolutional networks. By analyzing the genomic segments of IAVs, Flu-CNN can accurately identify the host tropism, with a particular focus on avian influenza viruses that may infect humans. According to our experimental evaluations, Flu-CNN achieved an accuracy of 99% in identifying virus hosts via only a single genomic segment, even for subtypes with a relatively small number of viral strains such as H5N1, H7N9, and H9N2. The superiority of Flu-CNN demonstrates its effectiveness in screening for critical amino acid mutations, which is important to host adaptation, and zoonotic risk prediction of viral strains. Flu-CNN is a valuable tool for identifying evolutionary characterization, monitoring potential outbreaks, and preventing epidemical spreads of IAVs, which contribute to the effective surveillance of influenza A viruses.
Relationship between sex biases in gene expression and sex biases in autism and Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Fass Stuart B. , Mulvey Bernard , Yang Wei , Selmanovic Din , Chaturvedi Sneha , Tycksen Eric , Weiss Lauren A. , Dougherty Joseph D. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractSex differences in the brain may play an important role in sex-differential prevalence of neuropsychiatric conditions. In order to understand the transcriptional basis of sex differences, we analyzed multiple, large-scale, human postmortem brain RNA-seq datasets using both within-region and pan-regional frameworks. We find evidence of sex-biased transcription in many autosomal genes, some of which provide evidence for pathways and cell population differences between chromosomally male and female individuals. These analyses also highlight regional differences in the extent of sex-differential gene expression. We observe an increase in specific neuronal transcripts in male brains and an increase in immune and glial function-related transcripts in female brains. Integration with single-cell data suggests this corresponds to sex differences in cellular states rather than cell abundance. Integration with case-control gene expression studies suggests a female molecular predisposition towards Alzheimer’s disease, a female-biased disease. Autism, a male-biased diagnosis, does not exhibit a male predisposition pattern in our analysis. Finally, we provide region specific analyses of sex differences in brain gene expression to enable additional studies at the interface of gene expression and diagnostic differences.Graphical Abstract
LRMP inhibits cAMP potentiation of HCN4 channels by disrupting intramolecular signal transduction
Authors: Peters Colin H , Singh Rohit K , Langley Avery A , Nichols William G , Ferris Hannah R , Jeffrey Danielle A , Proenza Catherine , Bankston John R 
Published: September 2023

AbstractLymphoid restricted membrane protein (LRMP) is a specific regulator of the hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-sensitive isoform 4 (HCN4) channel. LRMP prevents cAMP-dependent potentiation of HCN4 but the interaction domains, mechanisms of action, and basis for isoform-specificity remain unknown. Here we identify the domains of LRMP essential for regulation. We show that LRMP acts by disrupting the intramolecular signal transduction between cyclic nucleotide binding and gating. And we demonstrate that multiple unique regions in HCN4 are required for LRMP isoform-specificity. Using patch clamp electrophysiology and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), we showed that the initial 227 residues of LRMP and the N-terminus of HCN4 are necessary for LRMP to interact with HCN4. We found that the HCN4 N-terminus and HCN4-specific residues in the C-linker are necessary for regulation of HCN4 by LRMP. And we demonstrate that LRMP-regulation can be conferred to HCN2 by addition of the HCN4 N-terminus along with mutation of 5 residues in the S5 region and C-linker to the cognate HCN4 residues. Taken together, these results suggest that LRMP inhibits HCN4 through an isoform-specific interaction involving the N-terminals of both proteins that prevents the transduction of cAMP binding into a change in channel gating via an HCN4-specific orientation of the N-terminus, C-linker, and S4-S5 linker.
Size-Correlated Polymorphisms in Phyllotaxis-Like Periodic and Symmetric Tentacle Arrangements in Hydrozoan Polyps
Authors: Sarper Safiye E. , Kitazawa Miho S. , Nakanishi Tamami , Fujimoto Koichi 
Published: September 2023

AbstractIntroductionPeriodic organ arrangements occur during growth and development and are widespread in animals and plants. In bilaterian animals, the organs can be interpreted as being periodically arranged along the two-dimensional space and defined by two body axes; on the other hand, in radially symmetrical animals and plants, organs are arranged in the three-dimensional space around the body axis and around plant stems, respectively. The principles of periodic organ arrangement have primarily been investigated in bilaterians; however, studies on this phenomenon in radially symmetrical animals are scarce.MethodsIn the present study, we combined live imaging, quantitative analysis, and mathematical modeling to elucidate periodic organ arrangement in a radially symmetrical animal,Coryne uchidai(Cnidaria, Hydrozoa).ResultsThe polyps ofC. uchidaisimultaneously formed multiple tentacles to establish a regularly angled, ring-like arrangement with radial symmetry. Multiple rings periodically appeared throughout the body and mostly maintained symmetry. Furthermore, we observed polymorphisms in symmetry type, including tri-, tetra-, and pentaradial symmetries, as individual variations. Notably, the types of radial symmetry were positively correlated with polyp diameter, with a larger diameter in pentaradial polyps than in tetra- and triradial ones. Our mathematical model suggested the selection of size-correlated radial symmetry based on the activation-inhibition and positional information from the mouth of tentacle initiation.DiscussionOur established quantification methods and mathematical model for tentacle arrangements are applicable to other radially symmetrical animals, and will reveal the widespread association between size-correlated symmetry and periodic arrangement principles.