bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exploratory clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of transdermal electrical stimulation in patients with central retinal artery occlusion
Authors: Miura Gen , Fujiwara Tadami , Iwase Takayuki , Ozawa Yoshihito , Shiko Yuki , Kawasaki Yohei , Nizawa Tomohiro , Tatsumi Tomoaki , Baba Takayuki , Kurimoto Takuji , Mori Sotaro , Nakamura Makoto , Hanaoka Hideki , Yamamoto Shuichi 
Published: February 2023

Purpose
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of transdermal electrical stimulation (TdES) using skin electrodes in patients with central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO).

Methods
Five eyes of five patients with CRAO underwent TdES (10-ms biphasic pulses, 20 Hz, 30 min) six times at 2-week intervals. Only the affected eye was stimulated with 1.0-mA pulses in all patients. The primary endpoint was the best-corrected logMAR visual acuity. The secondary endpoints were changes in the best-corrected logMAR visual acuity, Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) visual acuity, mean deviation of the Humphrey field analyzer (HFA) 10–2, and HFA Esterman test score. We also evaluated its safety.

Results
The logMAR visual acuity at 12 weeks was improved by 0.1 or more in two patients and was maintained in two patients compared to the baseline. No obvious changes in the mean logMAR visual acuity, ETDRS visual acuity, mean deviation, and HFA Esterman score were observed at 12 weeks compared to the baseline. All five enrolled patients completed the study according to the protocol. No treatment-related adverse events were observed during this study.

Conclusion
In this study, logMAR visual acuity was slightly improved in two patients, confirming the safety of TdES. Since CRAO has no established treatment method, further research into the effects of TdES treatment in CRAO patients may be beneficial.
Does papillary muscle free strain has predictive value in risk stratification of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?
Authors: Koyuncu Atilla , Yildiz Cennet , Ocal Lutfu , Kalkan Sedat , Kılıçgedik Alev , Gürsoy Mustafa Ozan , Oflar Ersan , Kahveci Gökhan 
Published: February 2023

Background
Papillary muscle free strain has not been evaluated previously in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCMP) patients. Our aim was to evaluate free papillary muscle free strain in HCMP patients and to find whether it has a value for prediction of sudden cardiac death (SCD) risk score.

Methods
Transthoracic echocardiography with tissue Doppler imaging, 2-D speckle tracking imaging (STI) of 55 HCMP patients and 45 controls were performed. HCMP patients were further divided into two groups according to their SCD risk score. Patients with risk score of less than 6 points constituted low/intermediate risk group, whereas patients with risk score of greater or equal to 6 points constituted high risk group.

Results
Interventricular septum, posterior wall, and left ventricular mass index were significantly higher, whereas mitral E/A ratio was significantly lower in HCMP patients compared to controls. Longitudinal apical 4C, 2C, 3C, global longitudinal LV strain, anterolateral papillary muscle (ALPM), posteromedial papillary muscle (PMPM) free strain were significantly reduced in HCMP group compared to control group. Global longitudinal strain and ALPM free strain were significantly lower in patients with high SCD risk score (-14.6 (-17.4 - -13.1) vs -11.6 (-13.2 - -10.1), p = 0.001 and -17.1 (-20.3 - -14.0) vs -9.2 (-12.6 - -7.5), p<0.001, respectively. Global longitudinal strain and ALPM free strain were statistically significantly correlated with SCD risk score (r = 0.480, p<0.001 and r = 0.462, p<0.001, respectively). Global longitudinal strain value of -12.60% had a sensitivity of 73.3% and specificity of 82.5% for predicting high SCD risk score (AUC: 0.787, 95% CI: 00.643–0.930, p = 0.001). ALPM free strain value of -12.95% had 66.7% sensitivity and 77.5% specificity for predicting high SCD risk score (AUC: 0.766, 95% CI: 0.626–0.905, p = 0.003).

Conclusion
Papillary muscle free strain was reduced in HCMP patients. It might be used in risk stratification of these patients.
How many days are needed? Measurement reliability of wearable device data to assess physical activity
Authors: Hilden Patrick , Schwartz Joseph E. , Pascual Christian , Diaz Keith M. , Goldsmith Jeff 
Published: February 2023

Introduction/Purpose
Physical activity studies often utilize wearable devices to measure participants’ habitual activity levels by averaging values across several valid observation days. These studies face competing demands–available resources and the burden to study participants must be balanced with the goal to obtain reliable measurements of a person’s longer-term average. Information about the number of valid observation days required to reliably measure targeted metrics of habitual activity is required to inform study design.

Methods
To date, the number of days required to achieve a desired level of aggregate long-term reliability (typically 0.80) has often been estimated by applying the Spearman-Brown Prophecy formula to short-term test-retest reliability data from studies with single, relatively brief observation windows. Our work, in contrast, utilizes a resampling-based approach to quantify the long-term test-retest reliability of aggregate measures of activity in a cohort of 79 participants who were asked to wear a FitBit Flex every day for approximately one year.

Results
The conventional approach can produce reliability estimates that substantially overestimate the actual test-retest reliability. Six or more valid days of observation for each participant appear necessary to obtain 0.80 reliability for the average amount of time spent in light physical activity; 8 and 10 valid days are needed for sedentary time and moderate/vigorous activity respectively.

Conclusion
Protocols that result in 7–10 valid observation days for each participant may be needed to obtain reliable measurements of key physical activity metrics.
Is retina affected in Huntington’s disease? Is optical coherence tomography a good biomarker?
Authors: Dusek Pavel , Kopal Ales , Brichova Michaela , Roth Jan , Ulmanova Olga , Klempir Jiri , Preiningerova Jana Lizrova 
Published: February 2023

Aim of the study
Comparative cross-sectional study of retinal parameters in Huntington’s disease and their evaluation as marker of disease progression.

Clinical rationale for the study
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with dominant motor and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Involvement of sensory functions in HD has been investigated, however studies of retinal pathology are incongruent. Effect sizes of previous findings were not published. OCT data of the subjects in previous studies have not been published. Additional examination of structural and functional parameters of retina in larger sample of patients with HD is warranted.

Materials and methods
This is a prospective cross-sectional study that included: peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL) and total macular volume (TMV) measured by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) of retina, Pelli-Robson Contrast Sensitivity test, Farnsworth 15 Hue Color discrimination test, ophthalmology examination and Unified Huntington’s disease Rating Scale (UHDRS). Ninety-four eyes of 41 HD patients examined in total 47 visits and 82 eyes of 41 healthy controls (HC) examined in total 41 visits were included. Analyses were performed by repeated measures linear mixed effects model with age and gender as covariates. False discovery rate was corrected by Benjamini-Hochberg procedure.

Results
HD group included 21 males and 20 females (age 50.6±12.0 years [mean ± standard deviation], disease duration 7.1±3.6 years, CAG triplet repeats 44.1±2.4). UHDRS Total Motor Score (TMS) was 30.0±12.3 and Total Functional Capacity 8.2±3.2. Control group (HC) included 19 males and 22 females with age 48.2±10.3 years. There was no statistically significant difference between HD and HC in age. The effect of the disease was not significant in temporal segment RNFL thickness. It was significant in the mean RNFL thickness and TMV, however not passing false discovery rate adjustment and with small effect size. In the HD group, the effect of disease duration and TMS was not significant. The Contrast Sensitivity test in HD was within normal limits and the 15-hue-test in HD did not reveal any specific pathology.

Conclusions
The results of our study support possible diffuse retinal changes in global RNFL layer and in macula in Huntington’s disease, however, these changes are small and not suitable as a biomarker for disease progression. We found no other structural or functional changes in retina of Huntington’s disease patients using RNFL layer and macular volume spectral domain OCT and Contrast Sensitivity Test and 15-hue-test.

Clinical implications
Current retinal parameters are not appropriate for monitoring HD disease progression.
Formula constant optimisation techniques including variation of keratometer or corneal refractive index and consideration for classical and modern IOL formulae
Authors: Langenbucher Achim , Szentmáry Nóra , Cayless Alan , Wendelstein Jascha , Hoffmann Peter 
Published: February 2023

Background
To investigate whether variation of the keratometer/corneal refractive index nK/nC improves the performance (prediction error PE) of classical and a modern intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation formula and further, to establish whether any trend error of PE for corneal radius R could be eliminated using formula constant and nK/nC optimisation.

Methods
Based on 2 large datasets (1: N = 888 Hoya Vivinex aberration-correcting and 2: N = 822 Alcon SA60AT spherical lens) a classical formula constant optimisation has been performed for the Hoffer Q, Holladay 1, Haigis and Castrop formulae, to minimise the root mean squared (rms) PE (situation A). In two further optimisations, the formula constants and the formula specific nK/nC value were optimised to minimise the rms PE (situation B) or rms PE and trend error of PE for R (situation C). Nonlinear iterative optimisation strategy was applied according to Levenberg-Marquardt.

Results
Optimising for rms PE and trend error (C) mainly improved the performance of the Holladay 1. The Haigis formula also showed a slight improvement compared to (A). The Hoffer Q formula shows no relevant trend error of PE for R. In contrast, the Holladay shows a positive and the Haigis (and the Castrop a slight) negative trend error of PE for R. The trend error could be fully eliminated by optimising formula constants and nK/nC in (B), but this was at the cost of overall performance in the case of the Holladay 1 formula.

Conclusion
Classical IOL calculation concepts should be critically examined for potential improvement of formula performance by variation of the empirical nK/nC value defined in the formula. With additional degrees of freedom additional optimisation terms such as trend errors might be considered in new intelligent optimisation strategies.
Practice variation in opioid prescribing for non-cancer pain in Dutch primary care: A retrospective database study
Authors: Kalkman G. A. , Kramers C. , van Dongen R. T. , Schers H. J. , van Boekel R. L. M. , Bos J. M. , Hek K. , Schellekens A. F. A. , Atsma F. 
Published: February 2023

Background
Prescription opioid use has increased steadily in many Western countries over the past two decades, most notably in the US, Canada, and most European countries, including the Netherlands. Especially the increasing use of prescription opioids for chronic non-cancer pain has raised concerns. Most opioids in the Netherlands are prescribed in general practices. However, little is known about variation in opioid prescribing between general practices. To better understand this, we investigated practice variation in opioid prescribing for non-cancer pain between Dutch general practices.

Methods
Data from 2017–2019 of approximately 10% of all Dutch general practices was used. Each year included approximately 1000000 patients distributed over approximately 380 practices. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with chronic (>90 days) high-dose (≥90 oral morphine equivalents) opioid prescriptions. The secondary outcome was the proportion of patients with chronic (<90 oral morphine equivalents) opioid prescriptions. Practice variation was expressed as the ratio of the 95th/5th percentiles and the ratio of mean top 10/bottom 10. Funnel plots were used to identify outliers. Potential factors associated with unwarranted variation were investigated by comparing outliers on practice size, patient neighbourhood socioeconomic status, and urbanicity.

Results
Results were similar across all years. The magnitude of variation for chronic high-dose opioid prescriptions in 2019 was 7.51-fold (95%/5% ratio), and 15.1-fold (top 10/bottom 10 ratio). The percentage of outliers in the funnel plots varied between 13.8% and 21.7%. Practices with high chronic high-dose opioid prescription proportions were larger, and had more patients from lower income and densely populated areas.

Conclusions
There might be unwarranted practice variation in chronic high-dose opioid prescriptions in primary care, pointing at possible inappropriate use of opioids. This appears to be related to socioeconomic status, urbanicity, and practice size. Further investigation of the factors driving practice variation can provide target points for quality improvement and reduce inappropriate care and unwarranted variation.
Pattern of diseases and clinical outcomes in medical intensive care unit at a tertiary hospital in northeastern Tanzania: A three-year retrospective study
Authors: Sadiq Abid M. , Kilonzo Kajiru G. 
Published: February 2023

Background
The availability of medical intensive care unit (MICU) services is limited, which is the main obstacle to providing optimal care to critically ill patients. Describing disease patterns and clinical outcomes will help make better use of the limited resources. This retrospective study was conducted to determine the pattern and outcome of MICU admissions to aid continuous quality improvement in obstetric care.

Materials and methods
This was a retrospective study conducted in a tertiary hospital in northeastern Tanzania. Data on participant characteristics were collected from patient records for all MICU admissions to identify the pattern of disease, length of stay, and clinical outcome from 1st January 2018 to 31st December 2020. Descriptive statistics were presented as frequencies, proportions, and tables. The odds ratio was generated for the relationship between MICU admission outcome and participant characteristics. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results
Of the 1425 patients analyzed, 780 (54.7%) were males. Most patients (61.5%) were admitted to the MICU from the emergency department. The overall mortality rate was 37.6%. Mortality was associated with being over 75 years old (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.20–2.30, P 0.002), being transferred from the medical ward (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.16–1.82, P 0.001), having a communicable disease (OR 2.63, 95% CI 1.98–3.50, P <0.001), and having cardiovascular disease (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.14–1.86, P 0.002).

Conclusion
The overall mortality rate in the MICU was high. Elderly patients, transfers from the medical ward, and short ICU stays were significantly associated with the poor outcome of MICU patients. Further studies are needed to better appreciate the causes underlying MICU admission outcomes.
Development and validation of prediction models for the discharge destination of elderly patients with aspiration pneumonia
Authors: Hirota Yoshito , Shin Jung-ho , Sasaki Noriko , Kunisawa Susumu , Fushimi Kiyohide , Imanaka Yuichi 
Published: February 2023

Background
Discharge planning enhances the safe and timely transfer of inpatients between facilities. Predicting the discharge destination of inpatients with aspiration pneumonia is important for discharge planning. We aimed to develop and validate prediction models for the discharge destination of elderly patients with aspiration pneumonia.

Methods
Using a nationwide inpatient database, we identified aspiration pneumonia cases for patients aged ≥65 years who had been admitted to hospital from their home or from a nursing home between April 2020 and March 2021. We divided the cases into derivation and validation cohorts according to the location of the admitting hospital. We developed two prediction models by dividing the cases based on the patient’s place of residence prior to admission, one model to predict the home discharge of cases admitted from home and the other to predict the home or to a nursing home discharge of cases admitted from a nursing home. The models were internally validated with bootstrapping and internal-externally validated using a validation cohort. Nomograms that could be used easily in clinical practice were also created.

Results
The derivation cohort included 19,746 cases admitted from home and 14,359 cases admitted from a nursing home. Of the former, 10,760 (54.5%) cases were discharged home; from the latter, 7,071 (49.2%) were discharged to either home or a nursing home. The validation cohort included 6,262 cases admitted from home and 6,352 cases admitted from a nursing home. In the internal-external validation, the C-statistics of the final model for the cases admitted from home and the cases admitted from a nursing home were 0.71 and 0.67, respectively.

Conclusions
We developed and validated new prediction models for the discharge of elderly patients with aspiration pneumonia either to home or to a nursing home. Our models and nomograms could facilitate the early implementation of discharge planning.
The association between serum albumin and long length of stay of patients with acute heart failure: A retrospective study based on the MIMIC-IV database
Authors: Liu Tao , Xuan Haochen , Wang Lili , Li Xiaoqun , Lu Zhihao , Tian Zhaoxuan , Chen Junhong , Wang Chaofan , Li Dongye , Xu Tongda 
Published: February 2023

Background
The purpose of this article is to assess the relationship between serum albumin level and long length of stay (LOS) of inpatients with acute heart failure (AHF) in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Methods
We retrospectively analyzed data of 2280 patients with AHF from the medical information mart for intensive care IV (the MIMIC-IV) database. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to evaluate the association between serum albumin and long LOS, and the development of the predictive model was based on independent predictors of long LOS.

Results
According to the statistical results, A negative linear relationship was presented between albumin and long LOS of AHF patients in the ICU (P for trend <0.001), and serum albumin could predict long LOS (AUC 0.649, 95%CI 0.616–0.683, P <0.001). Based on independent predictors, including respiratory failure (OR 1.672, 95%CI 1.289–2.169, P<0.001), WBC (OR 1.046, 95%CI 1.031–1.061, P<0.001), creatinine (OR 1.221, 95%CI 1.098–1.257, P<0.001), glucose (OR 1.010, 95%CI 1.007–1.012, P<0.001), lactic acid (OR 1.269, 95%CI 1.167–1.381, P<0.001), and albumin (OR 0.559, 95%CI 0.450–0.695, P<0.001), identified by multivariable logistic regression analysis, we developed the nomogram to predict the probability of long LOS of AHF patients in the ICU. The nomogram accurately predicted the probability of long LOS (AUC 0.740, 95%CI 0.712–0.768, P<0.001). The calibration suggested the predictive probability was highly consistent with the actual probability of long LOS. Decision curve analysis (DCA) also suggested that the nomogram was applicable in the clinic.

Conclusion
Serum albumin level was negatively associated with LOS among AHF patients. The predictive model based on serum albumin has predictive value for evaluating the length of stay in AHF patients.
Caizhixuan hair tonic regulates both apoptosis and the PI3K/Akt pathway to treat androgenetic alopecia
Authors: Fang Tingting , Xu Ruofei , Sun Shaopeng , He Yineng , Yan Yi , Fu Hongyang , Luo Hongbin , Cao Yi , Tao Maocan 
Published: February 2023

Purpose
Caizhixuan hair tonic (CZX) is a topical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia (AGA). However, its active compounds and underlying mechanism for treating AGA are still unclear. The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of CZX on hair growth promotion in AGA mice and to explore the active components and mechanism.

Methods
Testosterone propionate was administered subcutaneously to mice to establish an AGA mouse model. The therapeutic effects of CZX on AGA were evaluated by observing skin colour changes, hair growth time, and average hair length; calculating the hair growth score; and performing skin histopathological analysis. Following that, CZX chemical components were analysed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC–Q–TOF/MS). Network pharmacology was used to predict the major effects and possible mechanisms of CZX for the treatment of AGA. Furthermore, RT-qPCR and Western blotting were performed to assess the expression of key genes and proteins involved in PI3K/Akt and apoptosis pathways in order to validate CZX’s predicted mechanism in AGA.

Results
CZX promoted hair growth and improved the pathological morphology of hair follicles in the skin. In UPLC–Q–TOF/MS analysis, 69 components from CZX were isolated. Based on network pharmacology, CZX alleviated AGA by regulating PI3K/Akt and apoptosis pathways. According to RT-qPCR and Western blotting, CZX upregulated the expressions of PI3K, Akt, and Bcl-2, while downregulating that of Bax and caspase-3.

Conclusions
CZX promotes hair growth to treat AGA by regulating the PI3K/Akt and apoptosis pathways.
Perfectioning trust, reinforcing testimony
Authors: GIL Francisco Javier 
Published: February 2023

Miranda Fricker characterizes the most basic or primary form of epistemic, testimonial injustice by way of a set of negative delimitations. In this paper I raise some doubts about how these delimitations are drawn, about the wrongful harms and disadvantages the testimonial injustice is supposed to entail and produce, and about the way Miranda Fricker clarifies the perfectionist character of the corrective virtue on the part of hearers, the ethical and intellectual virtue of testimonial justice.
К вопросу о ранних контактах между самодийскими языками: заметки об
истории нган. колииң
Authors: Кахейнен Kайсла 
Published: February 2023

The current article is concerned with the development of Proto-Samoyed
*j in intervocalic position in Nganasan. In previous studies, intervocalic
PS *j is said to disappear in Nganasan, leading into the formation of
secondary vowel sequences in addition to the primary ones inherited from
Proto-Samoyed. A more detailed inspection of certain Proto-Samoyed
etymologies reveals that *j indeed disappears in intervocalic position
unless it is either preceded or followed by a sequence of two vowels, in
which case it is preserved and phonetically often strenghtened to d’. The
implications of this change are further discussed in light of one particular
etymology, that of PS *kåläjə̑ŋ ’mammoth / whale’, for which Nganasan has,
in addition to the regular reflex kol’iiŋ ’whale’, several doublet reflexes
that appear to be early borrowings from a neighbouring Samoyed
language.