bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assessment of left ventricular structure and function in preeclampsia subtypes by multimodal echocardiography
Authors: Jiang Lan , Liang Weixiang , Xie Renjie , Fang Xiaobo , Liu Dandan , Zhang Mengkai , Shi Changzheng 
Published: June 2023

AbstractAimTo explore left ventricular structural/functional abnormalities in preeclampsia patients by using multimodal echocardiography and to analyze the cardiac impact in preeclampsia subtypes.MethodsA total of 103 individuals, including 64 preeclampsia patients and 39 healthy pregnant women were recruited for this study from 2019 to 2021. There were 34 patients with preeclampsia with severe features (SPE) patients and 30 with preeclampsia with nonsevere features (NSPE), including 9 with early‐onset NSPE (EO‐NSPE) patients, 27 early‐onset SPE (EO‐SPE) patients, 21 later‐onset NSPE (LO‐NSPE), and 7 with later‐onset SPE (LO‐SPE). All patients underwent multimodal echocardiography before treatment, including two‐dimensional, Doppler, and speckle‐tracking echocardiography, to evaluate left ventricular structure/function. Analysis of variance was used to determine statistical significance across groups.ResultsEO‐SPE patients showed decreased left ventricular ejection fractions, peak longitudinal systolic strain at apical four‐chambers, peak circumferential, and radial systolic strain at the apical and mitral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE), and increased mitral regurgitation compared to other preeclampsia patients. Compared to LO‐NSPE and EO‐SPE patients, LO‐SPE patients showed increased left ventricular mass indexed to height2.7 and early diastolic left ventricular diastolic filling/mitral annular velocity, and decreased MAPSE and early/late diastolic mitral annular velocity.ConclusionEO‐SPE patients were characterized by left ventricular injury and systolic function reduced. LO‐SPE patients were characterized by left ventricular hypertrophy and reduced diastolic function. Multimodal echocardiography can detect myocardial injury in PE patients at an early stage.
Sex Differences in the Relationship Between Asthma and Bullying Victimization Among High School Students in the United States
Authors: Pudasainee‐Kapri Sangita , Pontes Nancy M. H. , Pontes Manuel C. F. 
Published: June 2023

ABSTRACTBACKGROUNDChildren with asthma are often marginalized at school, including bullying victimization. The purpose of this study is to estimate the association between asthma and school or electronic bullying victimization among US high school students, and test whether the association varies significantly by sex.METHODSPooled data from five waves of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (N = 73,074) were used. Additive interactions were estimated in R software as per STROBE guidelines.RESULTSAsthma increases the risk of bullying victimization among female and male adolescents. The risk of school bullying was significantly greater among female students with asthma (7.3%) compared to males (4.0%, p = .002). Similarly, the increased risk for electronic bullying victimization associated with asthma was significantly greater among female (7.2%) than among male students (3.4%, p < .001).CONCLUSIONSTargeted educational interventions to decrease bullying victimization among adolescents with asthma are needed to mitigate its negative impacts.
Rate and determinants of antiviral treatment initiation for patients with HBeAg‐negative chronic hepatitis B
Authors: Mutimer David , Elsharkawy Ahmed , Hathorn Emma , Arunkumar Selvi 
Published: June 2023

AbstractMost clinic attenders with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) are serum HBeAg‐negative, and a minority will require suppressive antiviral treatment. Expert guidelines propose schedules for the monitoring of untreated patients, but the recommended frequency of patient review does not reflect recognised demographic determinants of HBeAg‐negative chronic hepatitis. Also, the impact of patient ethnicity on risk has not been defined. The aim of our study was to determine the rates and determinants of antiviral treatment initiation in a large multi‐ethnic cohort of CHB patients attending a single centre. We undertook a retrospective study using entirely electronic sources of patient information. Treatment initiation dates were identified from electronic pharmacy records. Crude and time‐dependent statistical analyses were undertaken to identify rate and risk factors for treatment initiation. Treatment was initiated for 232/1256 (18.5%) patients with rates of 23.2% and 33.2% at 5 and 10 years. An increased risk of treatment was associated with male sex (RR 1.803), older age at presentation (RR 1.027 per year increase) and with non‐Black ethnicity (RR 1.654). Patient sex, baseline age and ethnicity also determined risk for treatment in the subset of patients with normal serum ALT and low HBV DNA at baseline, though overall treatment rate in this group was low (only 2% per annum). Thus, patient demographics permit risk stratification for treatment initiation and could determine to a significant extent the frequency of review required for untreated HBeAg‐negative patients. Black ethnicity is associated with a significant reduction in risk of treatment initiation.
Cost‐effectiveness of treating all hepatitis B–positive individuals in the United States
Authors: Razavi‐Shearer Devin , Estes Chris , Gamkrelidze Ivane , Razavi Homie 
Published: June 2023

AbstractChronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a leading cause of liver disease and related mortality globally. However, most of the infected individuals in the United States remain undiagnosed and untreated. There is a need to understand more completely the economic and disease burden impact of removing treatment restrictions and increasing diagnosis and treatment. The PRoGReSs model, a dynamic HBV model that tracks the infected population by year, disease stage, and gender, was used to quantify the disease and economic burden of chronic HBV infection in the United States from 2020 to 2050 based on four scenarios: a status quo (base) scenario and three treat‐all scenarios, in which screening, diagnosis, and treatment were maximized at different annual treatment price levels of $5382, $2000 and $750. Compared to the base scenario, the treat‐all scenarios would avert 71,100 acute and 11,100 chronic incident cases of HBV, and 169,000 liver‐related deaths from 2020 to 2050. At an annual treatment cost of $2000, treating all HBV infections would be highly cost‐effective, and at $750 would be cost saving and would achieve a positive return on investment before 2050. Maximizing the diagnosed and treated HBV population in the United States would avert a significant number of cases of advanced liver disease and related mortality. Such interventions can also be cost‐effective compared to the status quo strategy, and cost saving at a treatment price threshold of $750 annually, above the current lowest annual treatment cost of $362.
Peeking under the canopy: anomalously short fire‐return intervals alter subalpine forest understory plant communities
Authors: Kiel Nathan G. , Braziunas Kristin H. , Turner Monica G. 
Published: June 2023

Summary
Climate change is driving changes in disturbance regimes world‐wide. In forests adapted to infrequent, high‐severity fires, recent anomalously short fire‐return intervals (FRIs) have resulted in greatly reduced postfire tree regeneration. However, effects on understory plant communities remain unexplored.
Understory plant communities were sampled in 31 plot pairs across Greater Yellowstone (Wyoming, USA). Each pair included one plot burned at high severity twice in < 30 yr and one plot burned in the same most recent fire but not burned previously for > 125 yr. Understory communities following short‐interval fires were also compared with those following the previous long‐interval fire.
Species capable of growing in drier conditions and in lower vegetation zones became more abundant and regional differences in plant communities declined following short‐interval fire. Dissimilarity between plot pairs increased in mesic settings and decreased with time since fire and postfire winter snowfall. Reduced postfire tree density following short‐interval fire rather than FRI per se affected the occurrence of most plant species.
Anomalously short FRIs altered understory plant communities in space and time, with some indications of community thermophilization and regional homogenization. These and other shifts in understory plant communities may continue with ongoing changes in climate and fire across temperate forests.
The Reliability and Accuracy of the Medial Malleolar Fracture Classification Based on 3D CT Reconstruction
Authors: Lu Hao , Liu Yijun , Xie Wenyong , Liang Hui , Guo Hao , Quan Yuan , Zhang Boyu , Zeng Canjun , Xu Hailin 
Published: June 2023

ObjectiveThere is a new medial malleolar fracture classification based on 3D CT reconstruction. However, there is no study assessing the reliability and accuracy of the new classification system and comparison between the new and the classic classification. This study aimed to compare the reliability and accuracy of the medial malleolar fracture classification based on 3D CT reconstruction and the Herscovici classification system.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the consecutive ankle fractures in our hospital from January 2013 to September 2020. Five inexperienced and five experienced orthopedic surgeons were included as observers to assess 68 cases with medial malleolar fractures. Ten evaluators classified the cases according to the two classification systems. The reference results of each case were made by the consensus of three senior trauma surgeons. The interobserver reliability, intraobserver reliability, and accuracy were evaluated at an interval of 6 weeks using Fleiss's kappa (κ) statistics.ResultsWe found substantial interobserver and intraobserver reliability and 81.4% accuracy for the new classification, which was statistically superior to the Herscovici classification (P < 0.05). The reliability and accuracy of both classifications were similar in inexperienced and experienced groups, except for type III in the new classification. The interobserver reliability of type II was the best (P < 0.05), and the intraobserver reliability of IVc ranked the worst (P < 0.05) in the new classification.ConclusionThe reliability and accuracy of the new classification are superior to the Herscovici classification. Clinical experiences will not affect the assessment of both classification systems in most instances.
Technical Notes and Clinical Outcomes of Full‐Endoscopic Interbody Fusion Via Transforaminal Approach for Hard Disc Herniations in Thoracolumbar Junction
Authors: Cao Zheng , Li Zhen‐Zhou , Zhao Hong‐Liang , Zhu Jia‐Liang , Hou Shu‐Xun 
Published: June 2023

ObjectiveObtaining sufficient decompression and solid fusion and avoiding approach‐related injuries simultaneously are still challenging for the treatment of hard disc herniation in thoracolumbar junction. A combined full‐endoscopic decompression and interbody fusion via a transforaminal approach was used to achieve this goal. The purpose of this study was to introduce the technical notes and clinical outcomes of this novel technique.MethodsTwenty segments of hard disc herniations in the thoracolumbar junction of 14 patients treated with full‐endoscopic interbody fusion via the transforaminal approach between January 2018 and September 2021 were analyzed. The patients were an average age of 43.3 years. Full‐endoscopic interbody fusion and discectomy via the transforaminal approach were performed under local anesthesia, followed by percutaneous pedicle screw system fixation under general anesthesia. Imaging, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and X‐ray, was carried out. MRI was performed on the second day and 3 months postoperatively. CT was performed on the second day, 6 months, and 1 year (as needed) postoperatively. Back and radicular pain, neurological function, and thoracic spine function were scored using a visual analog scale, the Nurick scale, and modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) scale, and the Oswestry disability index at 1 week, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively.ResultsAll the operations were successfully completed, and no intraoperative conversion of the surgical methods occurred. Postoperative thoracolumbar junction MRI and CT examinations of all the patients revealed a sufficiently decompressed spinal cord or cauda equina, without any residual compression. At the 1‐year follow‐up, all the surgical segments were fused. Back and radicular pain was relieved in all the patients, and neurological function was restored. The average recovery rate of the mJOA was 72.5%, including seven excellent, five good, and two fair cases. Although dural tears occurred in two cases during the operation, no cerebrospinal fluid leakage or pseudomeningocele occurred during follow‐up. No other surgical complications were noted.ConclusionsA combined full‐endoscopic decompression and interbody fusion via a transforaminal approach can achieve complete spinal canal decompression and solid interbody fusion with fewer approach‐related injuries. It is a safe and effective minimally invasive spine surgery for treating hard disc herniation in the thoracolumbar junction.
Dorsal root ganglion stimulation for chemotherapy‐induced peripheral neuropathy
Authors: Ege Eliana , Briggi Daniel , Mach Steven , Huh Billy K. , Javed Saba 
Published: June 2023

AbstractBackgroundChemotherapy‐induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common consequence of cancer treatment that can be persistent and difficult to manage. Dorsal root ganglion stimulation (DRG‐S) is a recently introduced but understudied treatment modality. This study explored the effect of DRG‐S on pain and symptom burden associated with CIPN.MethodsPatients with CIPN who underwent a DRG‐S trial between January 2017 and August 2022 were identified through chart review after IRB approval was obtained. Demographic data, procedure details, pre‐and postoperative scores, including the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) and Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS), and duration of follow‐up were recorded. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and paired t‐tests to compare pre‐and postoperative scores.ResultsNine patients with an even mix of solid and hematologic malignancies underwent DRG‐S trial and had a statistically significant decrease in NRS scores, with a mean reduction of 2.3 in their average pain (p = 0.014), 2.6 in worst pain (p = 0.023), and 2.1 in least pain (p = 0.018). Eight patients (88.9%) underwent permanent DRG‐S implantation. Mean NRS scores remained lower than preoperative baselines through the first year of follow‐up. Statistically significant reductions were noted at 3 months in average (2.1, p = 0.006) and least pain scores (1.9, p = 0.045), which further decreased after 6–12 months (average: 3.6, p = 0.049; least: 3.4, p = 0.023). Only the pain component of ESAS scores showed a significant reduction with DRG‐S (2.0, p = 0.021). All patients endorsed improved sensation, 75% decreased their pain medication usage, and 37.5% reported complete pain relief by 2 years.ConclusionDorsal root ganglion stimulation can be an effective treatment for pain related to CIPN and deserves further investigation.
Risk tolerance as a complementary concept to risk perception of natural hazards: A conceptual review and application
Authors: Anderson Carl C. , Moure Mar , Demski Christina , Renaud Fabrice G. 
Published: June 2023

AbstractThere is a longstanding assumption that if people perceive a risk as high, they will act to reduce it. In fact, research has shown a lack of consistently strong causal relations between risk perception (RP) and mitigative behavior—the so‐called “risk perception paradox.” Despite a recent increase in research on RP, individuals’ risk tolerance (RT; or demand for risk reduction) only rarely appears as a consideration for explaining behavioral response to natural hazards. To address this research gap, we first systematically review relevant literature and find that RT has been directly assessed or operationalized using perceived thresholds related to costs and benefits of risk reduction measures, risk consequences, hazard characteristics, behavioral responses, or affective reactions. It is either considered a component or a result of RP. We then use survey data of individuals’ RP, RT, and behavioral intention to assess relations among these variables. Comparing across three European study sites, “behavioral intention” is assessed as the public's willingness to actively support the implementation of nature‐based solutions to reduce disaster risk. A series of tests using regression models shows RT significantly explains variance in behavioral intention and significantly contributes additional explanatory power beyond RP in all three sites. In two sites, RT is also a significant partial mediator of the relation between RP and behavior. Taken together, our findings demand further conceptual and empirical research on individuals’ RT and its systematic consideration as a determinant for (in)action in response to natural hazards.
Hematopoietic stem‐cell transplantation in a zoo of multidrug‐resistant organisms: Data from a cancer center in eastern India
Authors: Ghosh Shouriyo , Bhattacharya Sanjay , Goel Gaurav , Deshmukh Rasika Avinash , Javed Rizwan , Roychowdhury Mita , Sinha Subir , De Maitrayee Sarkar , Nag Arijit , Kumar Jeevan , Bhave Saurabh Jayant , Nair Reena , Chandy Mammen 
Published: June 2023

AbstractBackgroundInfections by multidrug‐resistant organisms (MDRO) are a major hurdle in hematopoietic stem‐cell transplants (HSCTs). Conditioning regimens lead to mucosal barrier injury, which in‐turn leads to transmigration of gut bacteria and sepsis. Pre‐transplant stool and throat surveillance cultures can guide empirical antibiotic policy during the neutropenic period. In this paper, we document colonization with MDRO in pre‐transplant surveillance cultures and the correlation with bloodstream infections in HSCT patients and analyze transplant outcomes with respect to these infections.MethodsA single‐center, retrospective study on HSCT was performed between January 2021 and December 2021. The incidence of bacterial infections, percentage of MDROs, correlation with pre‐transplant stool/throat surveillance cultures, and their impact on overall 100‐day and post‐100‐day to 6‐month post‐transplant survival were analyzed.ResultsSixty‐four patients were included in the study. Pre‐transplant stool surveillance cultures were positive for MDRO in 85.9% of patients. Almost half (48.5%) of the isolates were positive for carbapenemase‐producing genes (mainly New Delhi metallo‐beta‐lactamase‐1 [NDM‐1] and oxacillinase‐48 [OXA‐48]). Eighteen patients (18/64, 28%) had a positive blood culture for MDRO in the peri‐engraftment neutropenic period. Correlation between surveillance and blood cultures was seen in 61% (11/18) of patients. All‐cause mortality was 14.1% (9/64) and 25% (16/64) in patients at 100 days and 6 months post‐HSCT, respectively. The 100‐day and post‐100‐day all‐cause mortality rates were higher in patients with Gram‐negative MDRO bloodstream infections (p < .012 and <.008, respectively).ConclusionMDRO infections can adversely affect HSCT outcomes. Pre‐transplant stool and throat surveillance cultures may guide empirical antibiotic policy and lead to favorable transplant outcomes.
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Serological screening for tick‐borne encephalitis virus in eight Norwegian herds of semi‐domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus)
Authors: Lamsal Alaka , Tryland Morten , Paulsen Katrine M. , Romano Javier Sánchez , Nymo Ingebjørg H. , Stiasny Karin , Soleng Arnulf , Vikse Rose , Andreassen Åshild K. 
Published: June 2023

AbstractTick‐borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is found in Ixodes ricinus ticks throughout the area where viable tick populations exist. In Norway, TBEV is found in I. ricinus from the south coast until Brønnøy municipality in Nordland County and the range of the vector is expanding due to changes in climate, vegetation, host animals and environmental conditions. TBEV might thus have the potential to establish in new areas when I. ricinus expand its geographical distribution. At present, there is little knowledge on the status of the virus in high‐altitude areas of inland regions in Norway. It has previously been indicated that reindeer may be an important sentinel species and indicator of the spread of ticks and TBEV in high‐altitude regions. In this study, 408 semi‐domesticated Eurasian tundra reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) from eight herds, from Tana in Troms and Finnmark County in northern Norway to Filefjell in Innlandet and Viken Counties in southern Norway, were screened for TBEV antibodies using a commercial enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We found 16 TBEV reactive reindeer samples by ELISA; however, these results could not be confirmed by the serum neutralization test (SNT). This could indicate that a flavivirusand not necessarily TBEV, may be circulating among Norwegian semi‐domesticated reindeer. The results also indicate that TBEV was not enzootic in Norwegian semi‐domesticated reindeer in 2013–2015. This knowledge is important as an information base for future TBEV and flavivirus surveillance in Norway.
EXPLORING HUMAN-ERROR FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS IN HANOI CITY USING GREY RELATIONAL ANALYSIS
Authors: Trung Nguyen Chi , Xuan Can Vuong , Trong Thuat Vu 
Published: June 2023

Along with the development of the economy and society and the speedy increasing number of personal vehicles, especially motorcycles, many cities in developing countries like Hanoi (Vietnam) are facing many transportation problems, notably traffic accidents involving motorcyclists. Motorcycle accidents are caused by main human-error factors, and could be considered as the typical grey system with the features of complexity and imperfect information. In this study, a grey relational analysis (GRA) model of the human-error factors is presented to quickly explore the main human-error factors contributing to traffic accidents caused by motorcycles. In this model, the grey relational degree and the grey relational order of each human-error factor also are determined to rank the main contributing human-error factors. Taking the data of road traffic accidents caused by motorcycles in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam between 2015 and 2017 as experimental data, the grey relational degrees of human-error factors have been analyzed quantitatively through the GRA model. The experimental results show the first three human-error factors include wrong lane shifting, poor road observation, and speeding, respectively. The results also help to conduct effective countermeasures for controlling human errors and reducing road traffic accidents.
COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF USING BIM COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL METHODS IN IRAQ'S PUBLIC CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
Authors: M. Alsamarraie Mundher , Ghazali Farid 
Published: June 2023

The construction procurement process generates significant cost-related issues, such as project delivery delays, budget overruns, and poor quality. Public projects were suffering from bureaucracy and separation in work activities. Building Information Modeling (BIM) has demonstrated the potential for solving these issues. The study aims to investigate and analyze the cost-benefit analysis of using BIM compared to traditional methods in public construction projects in Iraq. Therefore, the study evaluated Multiple case studies of two projects quantitatively and conducted several interviews with 15 experts to determine the cost-benefit of adopting BIM compared to conventional methods. The study investigated the benefits of BIM in construction projects due to the remarkable difference between the two methods. The quantitative data of study findings revealed a significant cost improvement using BIM rather than the traditional method in public projects. To conclude, multi-cultural studies need to assess the projects' performance of large and small entities. Furthermore, this research suggested incorporating BIM adoption in government organizations in a wide range.