bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mortality and burden of post‐COVID‐19 syndrome have reduced with time across SARS‐CoV‐2 variants in haematology patients
Authors: Willan John , Agarwal Gaurav , Bienz Nicola 
Published: March 2023

SummaryHaematology patients contracting SARS‐CoV‐2 were identified at the start of the pandemic to be at higher risk of death or of persistent symptoms (post‐COVID‐19 syndrome). As variants with altered pathogenicity have emerged, uncertainty remains around how that risk has changed. We prospectively set up a dedicated post‐COVID‐19 clinic to monitor haematology patients infected with COVID‐19 from the start of the pandemic. In total, 128 patients were identified and telephone interviews were conducted with 94 of 95 survivors. Ninety‐day mortality attributed to COVID‐19 has fallen sequentially from 42% for the Original and Alpha strains to 9% and to 2% for the Delta and Omicron variants respectively. Furthermore, the risk of post‐COVID‐19 syndrome in survivors has fallen from 46% for the Original or Alpha strains to 35% for Delta and 14% for the Omicron strain. Since vaccine uptake has been nearly universal in haematology patients, it is not possible to determine whether improved outcomes reflect the reduced pathogenicity of the virus, or widespread vaccine deployment. Whilst mortality and morbidity remain higher in haematology patients than in the general population, our data suggest that the absolute risks are now significantly lower. Given this trend, we believe clinicians should initiate conversations about risk with their patients on whether to maintain any self‐imposed social isolation.
From bench to behaviour: The role of lifestyle factors on intraocular pressure, neuroprotection, and disease progression in glaucoma
Authors: Kumar Anika , Ou Yvonne 
Published: March 2023

AbstractCurrent glaucoma management centres on intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction through pharmacological and surgical therapy. Despite broad interest in active management of glaucoma through lifestyle modifications, such recommendations have yet to be incorporated into standards of treatment. In this review, noteworthy preclinical studies and their translations in clinical populations are discussed to evaluate the roles of lifestyle factors in lowering IOP, offering neuroprotection, and/or slowing disease progression in those with open‐angle glaucoma. Current literature suggests that aerobic exercise may be associated with neuroprotection and decreased disease progression. Mindfulness is associated with IOP reductions and neuroprotection. Caffeine is associated with mild, transient IOP elevations of uncertain significance. Nicotinamide supplementation is associated with neuroprotection and short‐term visual function improvement. This review also highlights knowledge gaps regarding these factors and opportunities to strengthen our understanding of their role in glaucoma, including future preclinical studies that elucidate underlying mechanisms and clinical studies with additional functional endpoints and longer follow‐up.
Exploring possibilities for child participation in guideline development: The need for a fundamental reconsideration and reconfiguration of the system
Authors: Harmsen Simone , Broerse Jacqueline E. W. , Pittens Carina A. C. M. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractWhile the right of children to be involved in decisions that concern them has been widely recognised, they are currently barely involved in guideline development in healthcare. This paper aims to explore what a future guideline development system in which children are meaningfully involved might look like and to reflect on the transition required to achieve this. We used a systems innovation perspective, exploring child participation within its systemic context and complexity. To this end, we conducted 24 interviews with various actors, about their ideas on and experiences with child participation in guideline development in the Dutch system (between August 2018 and September 2020), complemented with a scoping review. The current system is characterised by a high‐speed, rigid process that relies heavily on scientific evidence. Children are usually not included or taken seriously. The contours of a system in which children are meaningfully involved would differ markedly: children would be considered capable and taken seriously, and the guideline development process would be flexible, with time for interaction with children and discussion about the implications of their perspectives. We encountered few examples of child participation in guideline development worldwide, and believe our results are indicative of the situation in other Western countries. We propose the following actions: (1) Development of a discussion arena to create a joint vision on the aim of guideline development and subsequently the role of child participation therein. (2) Set up of transition experiments unbound by the current constellation, conducted by front‐runners who are open to children's perspectives. These are essential to clarify pathways towards a future in which the voices of children are meaningfully integrated. It remains to be seen, however, whether there are sufficient actors who feel the necessary urgency for change.
Contact sensitization to benzisothiazolinone: IVDK‐data of the years 2002 to 2021
Authors: Geier Johannes , Brans Richard , Weisshaar Elke , Wagner Nicola , Szliska Christiane , Heratizadeh Annice , Schubert Steffen ,   for the IVDK
Published: March 2023

AbstractBackgroundBenzisothiazolinone (BIT; CAS no. 2634‐33‐5) is used as a biocide in various products, including water‐based paints, metalworking fluids, and household products. In recent years, increasing sensitization rates have been observed in Europe.ObjectiveTo describe a time trend of sensitization to BIT, analyse concomitant reactions, and identify patients with increased risk of BIT sensitization.MethodsRetrospective analysis of data from 26 739 patients patch tested with BIT, sodium salt, 0.1% petrolatum as part of several special test series within the Information Network of Departments of Dermatology (IVDK), 2002 to 2021.ResultsPositive reactions to BIT were noted in 771 patients (2.9%). Sensitization frequency varied over time and increased in recent years, peaking at 6.5% in 2020. Painters and metalworkers handling metalworking fluids, but not cleaners, had a significantly increased risk of BIT sensitization. From our data, there is no evidence of immunological cross‐reactivity between BIT and other isothiazolinones.ConclusionThe increasing frequency of sensitization justifies adding BIT to the baseline series. More research on the clinical relevance of positive patch test reactions to BIT and the cause for the rising numbers of BIT sensitization is needed.
Prognostic impact of left ventricular systolic dysfunction in patients with mixed aortic valve disease undergoing aortic valve replacement
Authors: Saijo Yoshihito , Wang Tom Kai Ming , Isaza Nicolas , Conic Julijana Z. , Johnston Douglas , Roselli Eric E. , Desai Milind Y. , Grimm Richard A. , Svensson Lars G. , Kapadia Samir R. , Griffin Brian P. , Popović Zoran B. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBackgroundThe implications of left ventricular remodeling and dysfunction before and after aortic valve replacement (AVR) for mixed aortic valve disease (MAVD) are not well understood. This study aims to evaluate the impact of AVR on left ventricular (LV) systolic function in MAVD, and determine the prognostic value of postoperative LV global longitudinal strain (LV‐GLS) and LV ejection fraction (LVEF).MethodsWe retrospectively assessed 489 consecutive patients with MAVD (defined as at least moderate aortic stenosis and at least moderate aortic regurgitation) and baseline LVEF ≥50%, who underwent AVR between February 2003 and August 2018. All patients had baseline echocardiography, whereas 192 patients underwent postoperative echocardiography between 3 and 18 months after AVR. The primary endpoint was all‐cause mortality.ResultsMean age was 65 ± 15 years, and 65% were male. AVR in MAVD patients has a neutral effect on LV systolic function quantitated by LVEF and LV‐GLS. During a median follow‐up period of 5.8 years, 65 patients (34%) of 192 patients with follow‐up echocardiography died. The patients with postoperative LVEF ≥50% had better survival than those with postoperative LVEF <50% (P < .001). Furthermore, among patients with postoperative LVEF ≥50%, mortality differed between patients with postoperative LV‐GLS worse than –15% and those with postoperative LV‐GLS better than ‐15% (P < .001).ConclusionsIn patients with MAVD who underwent AVR, the mean postoperative LV‐GLS and LVEF remain at a similar value to baseline. However, worse postoperative LV‐GLS and LVEF were both independently associated with higher mortality in this population.
Energy loss index as a predictor of all‐cause mortality after transcatheter aortic valve replacement: A long‐term follow‐up
Authors: Johal Gurkaran , Jonnala Vinesh , Pourafkari Leili , Sedghi Siavash , Jafarsis Samira , Fernandez Stanley , Iyer Vijay , Nader Nader D. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBackgroundAs transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures become more widely available, there is a growing need to monitor and evaluate postoperative outcomes accurately. The energy loss index (ELI) of the ascending aorta has been commonly used to examine the agreement between the echocardiographic and Gorlin measurement of the aortic valve area.ObjectivesThis project aims to demonstrate a link between ELI values and mortality following implanted TAVR valves and determine an ELI cutoff value associated with post‐TAVR events.MethodWe retrospectively reviewed patients undergoing TAVR from 2012 to 2017. We calculated ELI values for patients immediately postoperative after a TAVR procedure. Using Receiver‐Operator Characteristic and Cox Regression analyses, we identified a cutoff value to distinguish between “High ELI” (≥ 1.34) and “Low ELI” (< 1.34) patients.ResultsThis study showed low ELI (hazard ratio, 2.30; 95% confidence interval 1.57–3.36, p < .001) as representative of patients with a high risk of mortality post‐TAVR. Additionally, post‐TAVR, ejection fraction increased by 3.6% (p < .001), and the aortic valve effective orifice area increased by 1.41 cm squared (p < .001) while the mean transvalvular gradient decreased by 32.8 mmHg (p < .001) and the peak transvalvular gradient decreased by 49.0 mmHg (p < .001).ConclusionELI is an additional prognostic factor that should be considered during risk assessment before TAVR. This study shows that patients with Low ELI had decreased cumulative survival post‐TAVR. These patients almost had a fivefold increased risk of death following TAVR.
Mortality after a first‐ever unprovoked seizure
Authors: Pang Elaine W. , Lawn Nicholas D. , Lee Judy , Dunne John W. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractObjectiveAlthough increased mortality associated with epilepsy is well understood, data in patients after their first‐ever seizure are limited. We aimed to assess mortality after a first‐ever unprovoked seizure and identify causes of death (CODs) and risk factors.MethodsA prospective cohort study was undertaken of patients with first‐ever unprovoked seizure between 1999 and 2015 in Western Australia. Two age‐, gender‐, and calendar year‐matched local controls were obtained for each patient. Mortality data, including COD, based on International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision codes, were obtained. Final analysis was performed in January 2022.ResultsOne thousand two hundred seventy‐eight patients with a first‐ever unprovoked seizure were compared to 2556 controls. Mean follow‐up was 7.3 years (range = .1–20). Overall hazard ratio (HR) for death after a first unprovoked seizure compared to controls was 3.06 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.48–3.79), with HRs of 3.30 (95% CI = 2.26–4.82) for those without seizure recurrence and 3.21 (95% CI = 2.47–4.16) after a second seizure. Mortality was also increased in patients with normal imaging and no identified cause (HR = 2.50, 95% CI = 1.82–3.42). Multivariate predictors of mortality were increasing age, remote symptomatic causes, first seizure presentation with seizure cluster or status epilepticus, neurological disability, and antidepressant use at time of first seizure. Seizure recurrence did not influence mortality rate. The commonest CODs were neurological, most relating to the underlying cause of seizures rather than being seizure‐related. Substance overdoses and suicide were more frequent CODs in patients compared to controls and were commoner than seizure‐related deaths.SignificanceMortality is increased two‐ to threefold after a first‐ever unprovoked seizure, independent of seizure recurrence, and is not only attributable to the underlying neurological etiology. The greater likelihood of deaths related to substance overdose and suicide highlights the importance of assessing psychiatric comorbidity and substance use in patients with first‐ever unprovoked seizure.
Influence of spatial and temporal variation on establishing stable isotope baselines of δ15N, δ13C, and δ34S in a large freshwater lake
Authors: Heuvel Cecilia Elizabeth , Zhao Yingming , Fisk Aaron Thomas 
Published: March 2023

Abstract

It is essential to establish a baseline in studies using stable isotopes to interpret trophic relationships across ecosystems and through time. Studies in freshwater ecosystems struggle to quantify baseline stable isotopes due to difficulties collecting representative samples, particularly from pelagic habitats. We assessed temporal and spatial variation in δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S in a commonly used pelagic baseline, seston (n = 156), in Lake Erie to understand mechanisms that correlate with baseline stable isotope dynamics in large lakes. Seston contains a wide range of material which can confound stable isotope interpretation, and we examined the utility of element content and ratios to account for variation in sample source.

Seston was collected in each of the three basins of Lake Erie from May to October in 2017–2019 at nearshore (<10 m depth) and offshore (>10 m depth) sites. General linear models were conducted on each stable isotope (δ15N, δ13C, and δ34S) and sample composition (variables: %N, %C, %S, C:N, C:S, and N:S) to assess how basin, month, and collection year influenced seston stable isotopes and composition.

Sample composition (variables: %N, %C, %S, C:N, C:S, and N:S), which is rarely reported for organisms in stable isotope studies, was constant throughout the sample period with no temporal or spatial trends except for small variations in %C, C:N, C:S, and N:S. This indicated that the temporal and spatial trends observed within the stable isotopes were related to seasonal changes in system processes and plankton community dynamics, with few or minimal changes in the amount of detrital and inorganic material within seston.

Values and trends of δ15N, δ13C, and δ34S in seston were comparable to those measured previously in Lake Erie and other Laurentian Great Lakes. All three isotopes increased from May to October of each sample year and varied spatially, δ15N was higher, δ34S was lower, and δ13C was the same in the west basin compared to the central and eastern basins of Lake Erie, which did not differ. These trends probably reflect seasonal changes in plankton community composition and nutrient cycling throughout the lake and are potentially linked to the presence of Microcystis blooms in the western basin during the late summer and autumn.

Seston turns over quickly, as shown by the rapid changes in stable isotope values throughout the study, which confounds the investigation of stable isotopes in upper trophic levels, and especially in organisms that have slower tissue turnover and move throughout the lake seasonally. Additionally, the variable composition of seston (e.g., % C, % N, % S, C:N, C:S, N:S) necessitates analysing sample composition to determine the degree of abiotic (e.g., detritus, sediment, particulate organic matter) and biotic (e.g., phytoplankton, zooplankton) content in it.
Re‐examining and developing the notion of academic citizenship: A critical literature review
Authors: Albia Joclarisse , Cheng Ming 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThe notion of academic citizenship has been largely associated with the service role which is a part of academic work seen as additional to teaching and research. The changing landscapes of higher education and the increasing diversity of academic work have prompted debates on what academic citizenship means. This paper challenges the conventional association of academic citizenship with the service role and presents a critical review of the key themes and issues explored in extant literature on the subject. Drawing upon the general view of citizenship as practice, it proposes that the different dimensions of academic work be seen integratively, with academic citizenship reframed beyond the service role. We argue that academic citizenship needs to be conceptualised as a practice of enactment, that is, by the values, processes and means by which it is enacted and asserted as academics draw on freedoms, autonomy and individual motivations.
Health information seeking behaviour and decision making by patients undergoing breast cancer surgery: A qualitative study
Authors: Madge Octavia‐Luciana , Marincaș Augustin Marian , Daha Claudiu , Simion Laurențiu 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBackgroundInformation is critical for patients having to decide about the best treatment option, and an in‐depth understanding of their information behaviour can help health and information services to improve and facilitate their access to reliable information.ObjectiveTo investigate the health information‐seeking behaviour and information sources and their roles in decision making among breast cancer patients in Romania in the context of the surgical treatment.MethodsSemi‐structured interviews were conducted with 34 patients who were treated surgically for breast cancer at the Bucharest Oncology Institute.ResultsMost participants searched for information independently, before and after the operation, and their information needs evolved during the progression of their disease. The surgeon was regarded as the most trusted source of information. Most patients adopted a paternalistic or a shared approach for decision making.DiscussionBesides findings consistent with research from other countries, our study also revealed findings in contrast to previous research. None of the interviewed patients made any reference to the library as a source of information even if books were mentioned.ConclusionsHealth information specialists should develop a detailed guide and online information services to help physicians and other health professionals to provide relevant and reliable health care information to surgical inpatients from Romania.
Pellino3 ligase negatively regulates influenza B dependent RIG‐I signalling through downregulation of TRAF3‐mediated induction of the transcription factor IRF3 and IFNβ production
Authors: Kula Anna , Makuch Edyta , Lisowska Marta , Reniewicz Patryk , Lipiński Tomasz , Siednienko Jakub 
Published: March 2023

AbstractViral infection activates the innate immune system, which recognizes viral components by a variety of pattern recognition receptors and initiates signalling cascades leading to the production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines. To date, signalling cascades triggered after virus recognition are not fully characterized and are investigated by many research groups. The critical role of the E3 ubiquitin ligase Pellino3 in antibacterial and antiviral response is now widely accepted, but the precise mechanism remains elusive. In this study, we sought to explore Pellino3 role in the retinoic acid‐inducible gene I (RIG‐I)‐dependent signalling pathway. In this work, the molecular mechanisms of the innate immune response, regulated by Pellino3, were investigated in lung epithelial cells during influenza B virus infection. We used wild‐type and Pellino3‐deficient A549 cells as model cell lines to examine the role of Pellino3 ligase in the type I interferon (IFN) signalling pathway. Our results indicate that Pellino3 is involved in direct ubiquitination and degradation of the TRAF3, suppressing interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) activation and interferon beta (IFNβ) production.
From traditional counselling to health‐promoting conversations? Registered nurses' experiences of providing health counselling to people living with severe mental ill‐health in supported housing
Authors: Molin Jenny , Jonsson Lars Isaksson , Antonsson Helena 
Published: March 2023

AbstractPeople with severe mental ill‐health have lower life expectancies than the rest of the population, partly due to unhealthy lifestyles. Counselling to help these people improve their health can also be complex, and registered nurses are key to its success. The aim of this study was to elucidate registered nurses' experiences of providing health counselling to people living with severe mental ill‐health in supported housing. We conducted eight individual semi‐structured interviews with registered nurses working in this context and subjected the responses to qualitative content analysis. The results show that registered nurses who counsel people with severe mental ill‐health feel dispirited, but they defend their often fruitless endeavours and strive, through health counselling, to help these people meet healthier lifestyle goals. Shifting the focus from traditional health counselling to person‐centred care using health‐promoting conversations could strengthen registered nurses in their efforts towards improving lifestyles among people living with severe mental ill‐health in supported housing. Therefore, to facilitate healthier lifestyles among this population, we recommend that community healthcare support registered nurses working in supported housing by educating them in the use of health‐promoting conversations, including teach‐back techniques.