bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Investigation of conditioned medium properties obtained from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem/stromal cells preconditioned with dimethyloxalylglycine in a correlation with ultrastructural changes
Authors: Olcar Hanife Nurdan , Isildar Basak , Ozkan Serbay , Ercin Merve , Gezginci‐Oktayoglu Selda , Koyuturk Meral 
Published: September 2023

AbstractMesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) hold significant therapeutic value due to their regeneration abilities, migration capacity, and immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory properties. These cells secrete soluble and insoluble factors, and this complex secretome contributes to their therapeutic effect. Furthermore, stimulation of cells by various external stimuli lead to secretome modifications that can increase the therapeutic efficacy. So, this study examined the effect of dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG), a hypoxia‐mimetic agent, on secretome profiles and exosome secretions of MSCs by evaluating conditioned medium (CM) and ultrastructural morphologies of the cells in comparison with unpreconditioned MSCs. The appropriate dose and duration of the use of DMOG were determined as 1000 μM and 24 h by evaluating the HIF‐1α expression. DMOG‐CM and N‐CM were collected from MSCs incubated in serum‐free medium with/without DMOG for 24 h, respectively. The content analysis of conditioned mediums (CMs) revealed that VEGF, NGF, and IL‐4 levels were increased in DMOG‐CM. Subsequently, exosomes were isolated from the CMs and were shown by transmission electron microscopy and Western blot analysis in both groups. The effects of CMs on proliferation and migration were determined by in vitro wound healing tests; both CMs increased the fibroblast's migratory and proliferative capacities. According to the ultrastructural evaluation, autophagosome, autolysosome, myelin figure, and microvesicular body structures were abundant in DMOG‐preconditioned MSCs. Consistent with the high number of autophagic vacuoles, Beclin‐1 expression was increased in those cells. These findings suggested that DMOG could alter MSCs' secretion profile, modify their ultrastructural morphology accordingly, and make the CM a more potent therapeutic tool.Research Highlights
Preconditioning mesenchymal stem/stromal cells with dimethyloxalylglycine, a hypoxia‐mimetic agent, could modify cellular metabolism.
Hypoxic mechanisms lead to alterations in the ultrastructural characteristics of mesenchymal stromal/stem cells.
Preconditioning with dimethyloxalylglycine leads to ultrastructural and metabolic changes of mesenchymal stromal/stem cells along with modifications in their secretome profiles.
Preconditioning of mesenchymal stromal/stem cells could render them a more potent therapeutic tool.
Patient, provider, and system‐level factors associated with preoperative cardiac testing: A systematic review
Authors: Ellenbogen Michael I. , Drmanovic Aleksandra , Segal Jodi B. , Kapoor Shrey , Wagner Phillip C. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractBackgroundOveruse of preoperative cardiac testing contributes to high healthcare costs and delayed surgeries. A large body of research has evaluated factors associated with variation in preoperative cardiac testing. However, patient, provider, and system‐level factors associated with variation in testing have not been systematically studied.ObjectiveTo conduct a systematic review to better delineate the patient, provider, and system‐level factors associated with variation in preoperative cardiac testing.MethodsWe included studies of an adult US population evaluating a patient, provider, or system‐level factor associated with variation in preoperative cardiac testing for noncardiac surgery since 2012. Our search strategy used terms related to preoperative testing, diagnostic cardiac tests, and care variation with Ovid MEDLINE and Embase from inception through January 2023. We extracted study characteristics and factors associated with variation and qualitatively analyzed them. We assessed risk of bias using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale and Evidence Project Risk of Bias tool.ResultsTwenty‐eight articles met inclusion criteria. Older age and higher comorbidity were strongly associated with higher‐intensity testing. The evidence for provider and system‐level covariates was weaker. However, there was strong evidence that a focus on primary care and away from preoperative clinic and cardiac consultations was associated with less testing and that interventions to reduce low‐value testing can be successful.ConclusionsThere is significant interprovider and interhospital variation in preoperative cardiac testing, the correlates of which are not well‐defined. Further work should aim to better understand these factors.
Evaluation of a rapid, chip‐based, micro‐PCR assay for detection of rabies virus in human and canine specimens
Authors: Lodha Lonika , Ananda Ashwini M. , Ramachandran Arya , Manuel Sathya Priya , Sannaiah Sujatha Valagere , Mahadevan Anita , Mani Reeta S. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractRabies, a lethal zoonotic encephalitis, remains a significant global health concern, causing an estimated 60 000 annual fatalities worldwide. Dogs serve as the primary reservoirs and vectors for transmitting this infection to humans. Definitive diagnosis of rabies in both human and animal cases necessitates laboratory testing involving various clinical specimens. However, the complexity of laboratory infrastructure and the need for skilled personnel, along with the challenge of maintaining cold‐chain integrity during sample referral, hinder the decentralization of diagnostic facilities. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of the Truenat rabies assay, a rapid, portable, semiautomated, and closed PCR‐based system, for the diagnosis of rabies in both humans and animals. The Truenat assay demonstrated a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 86.96% when compared with the fluorescent antibody test (FAT), as the reference standard, on 147 canine brain samples tested. Notably, the Truenat assay exhibited a sensitivity and specificity of 100% when tested on 48 human brain specimens. Furthermore, an examination of 148 human antemortem samples (cerebrospinal fluid, saliva, and skin biopsy) using both the Truenat assay and a validated real‐time reverse transcriptase PCR assay revealed a κ value of 0.505, indicative of a moderate level of agreement between the two tests. Thus, the Truenat assay offers a robust, reliable, and affordable point‐of‐care solution to enhance rabies diagnostic capacity in endemic areas.
The efficacy and safety of oral antibiotic treatment in patients with chronic low back pain and Modic changes: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Wong Arnold Y. L. , Mallow G. Michael , Pinto Sabina M. , Hornung Alexander L. , Rudisill Samuel S. , Aboushaala Khaled , Udby Peter M. , An Howard S. , Samartzis Dino 
Published: September 2023

AbstractBackgroundThis systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to summarize evidence regarding the effectiveness and safety of oral antibiotic intervention for chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients with/without type‐1 Modic changes (MC1).MethodsAMED, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Medline were searched from inception to March 3, 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or non‐RCTs that investigated the effectiveness or safety of oral antibiotics in treating CLBP patients were eligible for inclusion. Two independent reviewers screened abstracts, full‐text articles, and extracted data. The methodological quality of each included article were evaluated by RoB2 and NIH quality assessment tools. The quality of evidence was appraised by GRADE. Meta‐analyses were performed, where applicable. A subgroup analysis was conducted to evaluate the RCTs and case series separately, and to evaluate the effect of removing a low‐quality RCT.ResultsThree RCTs and four case series were included. All Amoxicillin‐clavulanate/Amoxicillin treatments lasted for approximately 3 months. Moderate‐ and low‐quality evidence suggested that antibiotic was significantly better than placebo in improving disability and quality of life in CLBP patients with MC1 at 12‐month follow‐up, respectively. Low‐quality evidence from meta‐analyses of RCTs showed that oral antibiotic was significantly better than placebo in improving pain and disability in CLBP patients with MC1 immediately post‐treatment. Very low‐quality evidence from the case series suggested that oral Amoxicillin‐clavulanate significantly improved LBP/leg pain, and LBP‐related disability. Conversely, low‐quality evidence found that oral Amoxicillin alone was not significantly better than placebo in improving global perceived health in patients with CLBP at the 12‐month follow‐up. Additionally, oral antibiotic users had significantly more adverse effects than placebo users.ConclusionsAlthough oral antibiotics were statistically superior to placebo in reducing LBP‐related disability in patients with CLBP and concomitant MC1, its clinical significance remains uncertain. Future large‐scale high‐quality RCTs are warranted to validate the effectiveness of antibiotics in individuals with CLBP.
Evaluation of multiple behavioral responses of sika deer to human hunting pressures
Authors: Ikeda Takashi , Koizumi Itsuro 
Published: September 2023

AbstractSeveral ungulate populations have become overabundant worldwide, resulting in ecological and social effects. Wildlife managers must establish effective population control programs to mitigate these negative influences. Hunting is a significant mortality factor for ungulates, which exhibit sensitive behavioral responses toward hunting activities. Wildlife managers need a comprehensive understanding of the ungulate responses to different hunting pressures across seasons. We developed a conceptual method to evaluate multiple behavioral responses to human hunting pressures and applied this to sika deer (Cervus nippon) in Hokkaido, Japan, during August and November in 2015. We measured flight behavior, spatial avoidance, and temporal activity shift during non‐hunting and hunting seasons in 4 regions with different hunting pressures. Although we did not observe a clear difference in flight initiation distance among study areas or seasons, sika deer showed significant spatial avoidance during the hunting season in areas with high hunting pressure. Furthermore, sika deer were more active at night in areas with higher hunting pressures, regardless of the season. Collectively, these results suggest that sika deer responded to hunting pressure by changing diel activity to nocturnal throughout the year and avoiding risky areas (i.e., around hunting roads) during hunting season, rather than by increasing flight distance when they encounter humans. Our method can be used for a more efficient population control program for wildlife managers, as it considers the spatiotemporal variations of flexible ungulate behaviors in response to hunting pressures.
Superlinear fractional elliptic problems via the nonlinear Rayleigh quotient with two parameters
Authors: Silva Edcarlos D. , Carvalho M. L. M. , Goulart C. , Silva M. L. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractIt is established existence of weak solutions for nonlocal elliptic problems driven by the fractional Laplacian where the nonlinearity is indefinite in sign. More specifically, we shall consider the following nonlocal elliptic problem:
where , and . The potentials satisfy some extra assumptions. The main feature is to find sharp parameters and where the Nehari method can be applied. In order to do that, we employ the nonlinear Rayleigh quotient together a fine analysis on the fibering maps associated to the energy functional. It is important to mention also that for each parameters and , there exist degenerate points in the Nehari set that give serious difficulties. Furthermore, we consider nonlinearities that are superlinear at the origin and superlinear at infinity. In order to overcome these difficulties, we apply some estimates together with a carefully analysis on the fibering maps. Here, we also consider the asymptotic behavior of the weak solutions for our main problem when or . Furthermore, we consider a nonexistence result for our main problem under some appropriate conditions on the parameters and .
Negative halo effects of sustainable packaging
Authors: Techawachirakul Monin , Pathak Abhishek , Motoki Kosuke , Calvert Gemma Anne 
Published: September 2023

AbstractMore firms are adopting “green packaging” due to regulatory and environmental concerns. The alcoholic beverage industry has recently joined the lobby and major producers have introduced creative paper bottles for their alcoholic drinks. Previous research on sustainable labeling (e.g., eco‐friendly labels) has shown the positive halo effect where sustainable labeling induces positive evaluations. In contrast, our research aims to reveal the negative halo effects of sustainable packaging in the case of paper‐bottled alcoholic beverages. Across three studies, we explore consumers' perceptions toward alcoholic drinks packed in innovative paper bottles. Studies 1–2 demonstrate that consumers hold inferior expectations (i.e., sensory attributes, price, and purchase likelihood) toward alcoholic beverages packed in paper bottles. Study 3 demonstrates that the enforced messaging and attractive packaging can mitigate the negative halo effect for self‐consumption and gifting. These findings contribute to the literature on sustainable packaging, especially in the novel space of paper‐bottled alcoholic drinks.
Practical management algorithms for late complications after colorectal and anal cancer—Basic treatment of late complications
Authors: Oggesen Birthe Thing , Hamberg Marie Louise Sjødin , Rosenberg Jacob 
Published: September 2023

AbstractBackgroundThe aim of this work was to develop a basic treatment guideline set for late complications after treatment for colorectal and anal cancer. Furthermore, a prerequisite was that the guideline was appropriate and safe to use for all health care staff regardless of their educational level. Lastly, the set should cover the most common late complications for patients treated for colorectal and anal cancer, including stool, urinary, sexual, and depressive symptoms.MethodsThe treatment algorithms were developed by doctors in the Late Complication Clinic and afterward they were discussed to establish consensus with external experts in different fields such as surgery, gastroenterology, dietitian, gynecology, urology, sexology, general practice, anesthesiology, and psychiatry.ResultsWe have developed a practical basic guideline set covering the most common late complications after colorectal and anal cancer treatment. The guideline set can be used by both nurses and doctors. The treatment algorithms are a combination of ordinary treatment principles and the best possible evidence in the field of late complications after colorectal and anal cancer.ConclusionsWe have developed a basic treatment guideline set for late complications after treatment for colorectal and anal cancers. There is generally little evidence in the field of late complications, and the evidence is mostly based on consensus. To establish higher‐level evidence for late complication treatment after colorectal and anal cancer, it is important to monitor and adjust the treatment algorithms.
A composite energy‐selective surface based on diode‐induced VO2 conduction for the applications of adaptive electromagnetic protection
Authors: Chen Qi , Cheng Yanqing , Min Weitong , Xiao Yonghang , Xia Zuxue 
Published: September 2023

AbstractIn this letter, a composite energy selective surface (CESS) using diode to induce VO2 is proposed. The CESS is composed of periodic metal meshes connected with PIN diodes and VO2 in rows and the CESS is embedded in a metal window. VO2 can be induced by using the properties of uneven distribution of induced electric field on the CESS and the conduction field of diode is smaller than that of VO2, so as to reduce the metal‐insulator transition field of it. When the shielding efficiency (SE) reaches 10 dB, the incident field of CESS would be reduced by 72.95% compared with the ESS using VO2 (V‐ESS). Meanwhile, compared with the ESS using diode (D‐ESS), the number of diode in CESS is reduced by 92%, greatly reducing the manufacturing cost. Furthermore, the design of CESS with different incident field when SE reaches 10 dB can be realized more flexibly according to different structures, while the maximum SE can reach 20.94 dB.
Superficial vessel‐based near infrared‐assisted patient position recognition and real‐time monitoring system (VIPS) for radiotherapy: A proof‐of‐concept study
Authors: Qiu Jianjian , Lv Bo , Ge Weiqiang , Zhang Shujun , Zhang Libo , Mo Fan , Li Ya , Zheng Xiangpeng 
Published: September 2023

AbstractBackgroundThe accuracy and precision of patient position in radiotherapy process have dramatic impacts on the tumor local control and therapy‐related side effects, and there exist demands to explore effective positioning solutions, particularly in the era with great progress in imaging recognition and matching.PurposeSuperficial vessel‐based near infrared‐assisted patient position recognition and real‐time monitoring system (VIPS) was proposed to develop an automated, operator‐independent and skin marker‐free imaging system to improve patient setup and intrafractional motion monitoring.MethodsVIPS includes two components, the imaging module and the image alignment software. Using a simulated blood vessel model, multiple NIR sources with various wavelength and bolus (pseudo‐skin) were evaluated in terms of imaging quality to determine the optimal light source and the upper limit of superficial fatty tissue thickness. Then the performance of VIPS with reference to either CBCT or laser setup system was conducted using 3D phantom and clinical cases enrolled into the registered clinical trial. The position displacement from VIPS and laser system was compared, as well as the systematic and random errors of VIPS setup procedure.ResultsThe NIR light source with the combined wavelengths of 760 nm + 940 nm (S760+940 nm) provided the best performance among multiple tested light sources. The bolus (superficial fatty layer) thickness over 5 mm could dramatically compromise the NIR detection of vessels beneath. In the phantom study, the translational positional displacements according to VIPS guidance were within the submillimeter level with reference to CBCT, indicative of high setup accuracy. The clinical trial showed the prototype VIPS could effectively detect and control position displacement of patients in translational and rotational directions within an acceptable range, which was non‐inferior to conventional laser/skin marker system.ConclusionThis proof‐of‐concept study validated the feasibility and reliability of VIPS in guiding radiotherapy setup. However, limitations and technical challenges should be resolved prior to further clinical evaluation, including isocenter alignment, potential NIR image distortion and the impact of the superficial tissues on the recognition of vessels.
Technical note: Preprocessing of portal images to improve image quality of VMAT‐CT
Authors: Chien Chia‐Lung , Zhao Xiaodong , Guo Beibei , Zhang Rui 
Published: September 2023

AbstractBackgroundThe concept of volumetric modulated arc therapy‐computed tomography (VMAT‐CT) was proposed more than a decade ago. However, its application has been very limited mainly due to the poor image quality. More specifically, the blurred areas in electronic portal imaging device (EPID) images collected during VMAT heavily degrade the image quality of VMAT‐CT.PurposeThe goal of this study was to propose systematic methods to preprocess EPID images and improve the image quality of VMAT‐CT.MethodsOnline region‐based active contour method was introduced to binarize portal images. Multi‐leaf collimator (MLC) motion modeling was developed to remove the MLC motion blur. Outlier filtering was then applied to replace the remaining artifacts with plausible data. To assess the impact of these preprocessing methods on the image quality of VMAT‐CT, 44 clinical VMAT plans for several treatment sites (lung, esophagus, and head & neck) were delivered to a Rando phantom, and several real‐patient cases were also acquired. VMAT‐CT reconstruction was attempted for all the cases, and image quality was evaluated.ResultsAll three preprocessing methods could effectively remove the blurred edges of EPID images. The combined preprocessing methods not only saved VMAT‐CT from distortions and artifacts, but also increased the percentage of VMAT plans that can be reconstructed.ConclusionsThe systematic preprocessing of portal images improves the image quality of VMAT‐CT significantly, and facilitates the application of VMAT‐CT as an effective image guidance tool.
Investigation on the physical dose filtered by linear energy transfer for treatment plan evaluation in carbon ion therapy
Authors: Schafasand Mansure , Resch Andreas Franz , Nachankar Ankita , Gora Joanna , Traneus Erik , Glimelius Lars , Georg Dietmar , Stock Markus , Carlino Antonio , Fossati Piero 
Published: September 2023

AbstractBackgroundLarge tumor size has been reported as a predicting factor for inferior clinical outcome in carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT). Besides the clinical factors accompanied with such tumors, larger tumors receive typically more low linear energy transfer (LET) contributions than small ones which may be the underlying physical cause. Although dose averaged LET is often used as a single parameter descriptor to quantify the beam quality, there is no evidence that this parameter is the optimal clinical predictor for the complex mixed radiation fields in CIRT.PurposePurpose of this study was to investigate on a novel dosimetric quantity, namely high‐LET‐dose (, the physical dose filtered based on an LET threshold) as a single parameter estimator to differentiate between carbon ion treatment plans (cTP) with a small and large tumor volume.MethodsTen cTPs with a planning target volume, (large) and nine with a (small) were selected for this study. To find a reasonable LET threshold () that results in a significant difference in terms of , the voxel based normalized high‐LET‐dose () distribution in the clinical target volume (CTV) was studied on a subset (12 out of 19 cTPs) for 18 LET thresholds, using standard distribution descriptors (mean, variance and skewness).The classical dose volume histogram concept was used to evaluate the and distributions within the target of all 19 cTPs at the before determined . Statistical significance of the difference between the two groups in terms of mean and volume histogram parameters was evaluated by means of (two‐sided) t‐test or Mann‐Whitney‐U‐test. In addition, the minimum target coverage at the above determined was compared and validated against three other thresholds to verify its potential in differentiation between small and large volume tumors.ResultsAn of approximately was found to be a reasonable threshold to classify the two groups. At this threshold, the and were significantly larger () in small CTVs. For the small tumor group, the near‐minimum and median (and ) in the CTV were in average (0.31 ± 0.08) and (0.46 ± 0.06), respectively. For the large tumors, these parameters were (0.20 ± 0.01) and (0.28 ± 0.02). The difference between the two groups in terms of mean near‐minimum and median () was 2.7 Gy (11%) and 5.0 Gy (18%), respectively.ConclusionsThe feasibility of high‐LET‐dose based evaluation was shown in this study where a lower was found in cTPs with a large tumor size. Further investigation is needed to draw clinical conclusions. The proposed methodology in this work can be utilized for future high‐LET‐dose based studies.