bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Trend of passive smoking and associated factors in Iranian children and adolescents: the CASPIAN studies
Authors: Hashemi-Aghdam Mohammad Reza , Shafiee Gita , Ebrahimi Mehdi , Ejtahed Hanieh-Sadat , Yaseri Mehdi , Motlagh Mohammad Esmaeil , Qorbani Mostafa , Heshmat Ramin , Kelishadi Roya 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Background
It is well documented that, similar to active smokers, passive smokers are also at an increased risk of developing non-communicable diseases, and it could impose high financial costs on the healthcare system. This study aimed to evaluate the trend of passive smoking and related determinants during the three phases of a school-based surveillance program.

Methods
This is a secondary study using the national data obtained from three phases of the surveillance program entitled The Childhood and Adolescence Surveillance and Prevention of Adult Noncommunicable Disease (CASPIAN) study, conducted from 2008 to 2014 on Iranian children and adolescents living in urban and rural areas of 30 provinces in Iran. Participants were selected by cluster multistage sampling method.

Results
Overall, the study participants consisted of 33,288 students (50.5% boys) with a mean (± SD) age of 12.8 ± 3.2 years. The passive smoking rate was significantly increased from 35.6% in 2008 to 43.2% in 2015 among children and adolescents. According to the multivariate logistic regression, father’s university education, mother’s employment, life satisfaction, and socioeconomic status had a protective role regarding second-hand smoke exposure. In contrast, the father’s self-employment had a positive role in increasing the rate of passive smoking.

Conclusion
Considering the increasing trend of passive smoking and its considerable adverse health effects, it is necessary to implement large-scale public interventions to reduce the rate and hazards of exposure to tobacco smoke.
Effect of socioeconomic status on the physical and mental health of the elderly: the mediating effect of social participation
Authors: Zhang Yunfan , Su Dai , Chen Yingchun , Tan Min , Chen Xinlin 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Background
Previous studies have demonstrated the effect of socioeconomic status on the health status of the elderly. Nevertheless, the specific dimensions of the effect and the mechanism await further investigation. In this study, socioeconomic status was divided into three dimensions and we used social participation as the mediation variable to investigate the specific path of effect.

Methods
Using the 2018 Waves of Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) dataset, a total of 10,197 effective samples of the elderly over 65 years old were screened out. Socioeconomic status included income, education level, and main occupation before retirement. The physical health and mental health of the elderly was measured by the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale and the Minimum Mental State Examination, respectively. The social participation of the elderly was the mediation variable, including group exercise, organized social activities and interacting with friends. Omnibus mediation effect analysis was adopted to examine the mediation effect and mediation analysis was completed using the SPSS PROCESS program.

Results
First, the results showed that when the income gap between the elderly reached a certain level, there was a significant difference in health status. Significant differences existed in health status amongst with different education levels. There was no sufficient evidence to show that occupation has a significant effect on the physical health. But when the dependent variable was mental health, the effect was significant. Second, group exercise mediated 64.11% (aib = 0.24, 95% CI [0.17,0.3]) and up to 20.44% (aib = 0.12, 95% CI [0.07,0.17]) of the disparity in physical and mental health due to income gap, respectively. And it could mediate the effect up to 56.30% (aib = 0.62, 95% CI [0.52,0.73]) and 17.87% (aib = 0.50, 95% CI [0.4,0.61]) of education on physical and mental health status, respectively. The proportion of relative mediation effect of occupation was up to 28.74% (aib = 0.19, 95% CI [0.13,0.25]) on mental health. Interacting with friends mediated only on the path that the education affected the health status of the elderly. The proportion was up to 33.72% (aib = 0.29, 95% CI [0.16,0.44]). The relative mediation effect of organized social activities on the health gap caused by income or education level gap was significant at some levels. The proportion was up to 21.20% (aib = 0.33, 95% CI [0.26,0.4]).

Conclusion
The SES of the elderly including relatively large income gap, different education levels and occupational categories could indeed have a significant effect on health status of the elderly, and the reason why this effect existed could be partly explained by the mediation effect of social participation. Policymakers should pay more attention to the social participation of the elderly.
Association between body composition, sarcopenia and pulmonary function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Martínez-Luna Nathalie , Orea-Tejeda Arturo , González-Islas Dulce , Flores-Cisneros Laura , Keirns-Davis Candace , Sánchez-Santillán Rocío , Pérez-García Ilse , Gastelum-Ayala Yael , Martínez-Vázquez Valeria , Martínez-Reyna Óscar 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Background
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is characterized by progressive and irreversible airflow limitation. Different factors that modify pulmonary function include age, sex, muscular strength, and a history of exposure to toxic agents. However, the impact of body composition compartments and sarcopenia on pulmonary function is not well-established. This study aimed to evaluate how body composition compartments and sarcopenia affect pulmonary function in COPD patients.

Methods
In a cross-sectional study, patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COPD, > 40 years old, and forced expiratory volume in the first second /forced vital capacity ratio (FEV1/FVC) < 0.70 post-bronchodilator were included. Patients with cancer, HIV, and asthma were excluded. Body composition was measured with bioelectrical impedance. Sarcopenia was defined according to EWGSOP2, and pulmonary function was assessed by spirometry.

Results
185 patients were studied. The mean age was 72.20 ± 8.39 years; 55.14% were men. A linear regression adjusted model showed associations between body mass index, fat-free mass, skeletal muscle mass index, appendicular skeletal muscle mass index, and phase angle (PhA), and sarcopenia with FEV1 (%). As regards FVC (%), PhA and exercise tolerance had positive associations.

Conclusion
Body composition, especially PhA, SMMI, ASMMI, and sarcopenia, has a significant impact on pulmonary function. Early detection of disturbances of these indexes enables the early application of such therapeutic strategies in COPD patients.
Visualized simulative surgery in preoperative planning for proximal femoral varus osteotomy of DDH
Authors: Zhou Wen , Guo Haoyu , Duan Rongjie , Shi Qiang 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Purpose
To assess the preoperative planning of visualized simulative surgery (VSS) and clinical outcomes based on computer-aided design (CAD) and 3D reconstruction for proximal femoral varus osteotomy of DDH.

Methods
A total of 31 consecutive patients (23 females and 8 males) with DDH who underwent proximal femoral varus osteotomy were retrospectively reviewed between June 2014 and July 2018. Patients were divided into conventional group (n = 15) and VSS group (n = 16) according to different surgical methods. In VSS group, 16 consecutive patients who underwent proximal femoral varus osteotomy were evaluated preoperatively with the aid of VSS. The VSS steps included morphological evaluation of DDH, simulated reconstruction of proximal femoral varus osteotomy, and the implantation of locking compression pediatric hip plate (LCP-PHP). Meanwhile, the osteotomy degrees, surgery time, and radiation exposure were compared between the two groups.

Results
The average follow-up time was 33.5 months (range, 24 to 46 months). The varus angle for proximal femoral varus osteotomy was 24.2 ± 1.1° in VSS group and 25.1 ± 1.0° in conventional group (P = 0.4974). The surgery time was 31.0 ± 4.5 mins in VSS group and 48.2 ± 7.3 mins in conventional group, while radiography was 5.0 ± 1.5 times in VSS group and 8.3 ± 2.4 times in conventional group. There was a statistical significance in surgery time and radiography (P <  0.0001) when compared with the conventional group.

Conclusion
The VSS can greatly decrease surgery time and radiation exposure for proximal femoral varus osteotomy, which could also be a tool to train young doctors to improve surgical skills and academic communication.
Comparison of open reduction and fixation with hook plate and modified closed reduction and fixation with tightrope loop plate for treatment of rockwood type III acromioclavicular joint dislocation
Authors: Liu Song , Li Chunxia , Song Zhaohui , Bai Xiaodong , Wu Haotian 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Objective
To compare the outcomes of open reduction and hook plate fixation (ORHPF) and modified TightRope loop plate fixation (MTRLPF) in the treatment of Rockwood type III acromioclavicular joint dislocation.

Methods
This was a retrospective study. Data on 71 patients with Rockwood type III acromioclavicular joint dislocation who underwent either ORHPF (n = 39) or MTRLPF (n = 32) between January 2016 and October 2019 were extracted and analyzed. Baseline data at injury were compared to evaluate the balance. The disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH) score, Constant-Murley score and visual analog scores (VAS) score at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months after operation were compared; further, at 12 months coracoclavicular distance and related complications were evaluated and compared.

Results
Both groups did not differ for any baseline data. At 1 and 3 months after operation, MTRLPF group exhibited a significantly better performance than the ORHPF group in VAS (1 month: 2.4 ± 1.8 vs 3.0 ± 1.7; 3 months: 1.2 ± 1.4 vs 1.8 ± 1.6), Constant-Murley (1 month: 75.2 ± 11.2 vs 63.8 ± 13.7; 3 months: 81.4 ± 9.8 vs 75.8 ± 10.6), DASH (1 month: 33.6 ± 6.8 vs 40.6 ± 6.1; 3 months: 21.2 ± 7.4 vs 25.6 ± 6.6). At 6 months, only Constant-Murley remained marginally significant (p = 0.048). At 12 months, no statistical difference was observed for any outcome variable (all P > 0.05 for VAS, Constant-Murley and DASH), coracoclavicular distance (12.7 ± 1.6 mm vs 12.2 ± 1.6 mm; P = 0.374), or overall complication rate (P = 0.763).

Conclusions
For Rockwood type III acromioclavicular joint dislocation, both methods can achieve satisfactory 1-year results, but modified minimally invasive TightRope treatment is more advantageous in early functional recovery at 1 and 3-month follow-ups.
Method for quantification of porcine type I interferon activity using luminescence, by direct and indirect means
Authors: Puckette Michael , Barrera J. , Schwarz M. , Rasmussen M. 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Background
Type I interferons are widely used in research applications and as biotherapeutics. Current assays used to measure interferon concentrations, such as plaque reduction assays and ELISA, are expensive, technically challenging, and may take days to provide results. We sought to develop a robust and rapid assay to determine interferon concentrations produced from transiently transfected cell cultures.

Method
Indirect quantification of recombinant interferon was evaluated using a novel bi-cistronic construct encoding the Foot-and-mouth disease virus 2A translational interrupter sequence to yield equimolar expression of Gaussia princeps luciferase and porcine interferon α. Direct quantification was evaluated by expression of a novel fusion protein comprised of Gaussia princeps luciferase and porcine type I interferon. Plasmids encoding constructs are transiently transfected into cell cultures and supernatant harvested for testing of luminescence, ELISA determined concentration, and anti-viral activity against vesicular stomatitis virus.

Results
Bi-cistronic constructs, utilized for indirect quantification, demonstrate both luciferase activity and anti-viral activity. Fusion proteins, utilized for direct quantification, retained secretion and luminescence however only the interferon α fusion protein had antiviral activity comparable to wildtype porcine interferon α. A strong linear correlation was observed between dilution and luminescence for all compounds over a dynamic range of concentrations.

Conclusion
The correlation of antiviral and luciferase activities demonstrated the utility of this approach, both direct and indirect, to rapidly determine recombinant interferon concentrations. Concentration can be determined over a more dynamic concentration range than available ELISA based assays using this methodology.
Vulvar neuroendocrine carcinoma that is independent of merkel cell polyomavirus and human papillomavirus suggests endometrial cancer recurrence: a case report
Authors: Hirakawa Tomoko , Yano Mitsutake , Nishida Haruto , Sato Shimpei , Nasu Kaei 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Background
Vulvar neuroendocrine carcinomas with small cell morphology need an appropriate differential diagnosis with respect to primary Merkel cell carcinomas, primary small cell neuroendocrine carcinomas, and secondary/metastatic carcinomas. Herein, we report a woman with a history of endometrial carcinoma led to neuroendocrine vulvar carcinoma.

Case presentation
An 82-y-old woman with right vulvar swelling was transferred to our hospital. Computed tomography scan showed a 75 mm irregular mass in her right vulva. Three years ago, she had been diagnosed with endometrial endometrioid carcinoma stage IA and had undergone surgery. Vulvar biopsy revealed neuroendocrine carcinomas with small cell morphology. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the vulvar tumor was positive for CD56 and chromogranin A, but negative for Merkel cell polyomavirus and cytokeratin 20. Incidentally, her endometrial carcinoma was also positive for CD56 and chromogranin A. Human papillomavirus DNA typing analysis of vulvar tumor was negative. Hence, the vulvar tumor seemed to be a recurrence of the endometrial cancer rather than a primary vulvar neuroendocrine carcinoma. The patient died of the disease within a month.

Conclusion
We report a case of vulvar neuroendocrine carcinoma that is independent of Merkel cell polyomavirus and human papillomavirus, thereby suggesting a recurrence of endometrial cancer. Immunohistochemical and virological analyses helped in the differential diagnosis of the neuroendocrine carcinoma.
Association between serum hydrogen sulfide concentrations and dysglycemia: a population-based study
Authors: Bahadoran Zahra , Jeddi Sajad , Mirmiran Parvin , Kashfi Khosrow , Azizi Fereidoun , Ghasemi Asghar 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Background and aim
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a signaling gasotransmitter, is involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Here, we aimed to assess the potential association between serum H2S and dysglycemia in the framework of a population-based study.

Methods
Adults men and women with completed data (n = 798), who participated in the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (2014–2017) were included in the study. Medians of fasting serum H2S concentration were compared across the glycemic status of the participants, defined as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), isolated impaired fasting glucose (IIFG), isolated impaired glucose tolerance (IIGT), combined IFG-IGT, and normal glycemia [i.e., those with both normal fasting glucose (NFG) and normal glucose tolerance (NGT)]. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess potential associations between serum H2S and the defined glycemic status.

Results
Mean age of the participants was 45.1 ± 14.0 y, and 48.1% were men. Prevalence of T2DM, IIFG, IIGT, and combined IFG-IGT was 13.9, 9.1, 8.1, and 4.8% respectively. No significant difference was observed in serum H2S concentrations between the groups. Lower serum H2S (< 39.6 µmol/L) was associated with an increased chance of having IIGT (OR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.15–3.34) in the adjusted model.

Conclusion
Reduced serum H2S level may be associated with impaired glucose tolerance.
Memory decline in older individuals predicts an objective indicator of oral health: findings from the Sydney Memory and Ageing Study
Authors: Manchery Nithin , Henry Julie D. , Lam Ben C. P. , Kochan Nicole A. , Deutsch Alan , Brodaty Henry , S.Sachdev Perminder , Nangle Matthew R. 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Background
Growing evidence suggests that there is an association between poor oral health and cognitive function in late adulthood. However, most studies to date have relied on cross-sectional research methods that do not permit inferences about the temporality of any association. Moreover, the few longitudinal studies that do exist have typically relied on small samples and quite limited cognitive or oral health assessments. The aim of the present study was therefore designed to provide the first direct evaluation of whether cognitive function is predictive of poor oral health in older adults.

Methods
This longitudinal research included data from 339 participants aged 70 years or older from The Sydney Memory and Ageing Study (MAS), a large cohort of healthy community-dwelling older adults. Cognitive function was assessed using a battery of tests at baseline (Wave 1) in 2005 and six years later (Wave 4) in 2011. In 2015 (Wave 6), participants were assessed for oral health using the Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT), number of functional occluding pairs of natural teeth and sublingual resting saliva pH (SRSpH). Ordinal least squares regression analysis was used to model the effect of cognitive function on total OHAT score, and binomial logistic regression used for SRSpH and occluding pairs of functional teeth.

Results
Two models were tested. In the partially adjusted model, age, gender and years of education were included. The fully adjusted model additionally included medical conditions, general health, depression, smoking, alcohol consumption, functionality, and dental care utilization. The key finding to emerge was that a six-year change in memory (from Wave 1 to Wave 4) was associated with lower sublingual resting saliva pH at Wave 6 in partially (Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.65) and fully adjusted model (OR = 0.63).

Conclusions
This longitudinal study provides further evidence that a relationship between cognitive function and oral health exists, and also points to this relationship potentially being bi-directional, as previous evidence suggests. The findings from the study also suggest that older adults who present with greater than normal memory decline at an earlier point in life were more likely to experience poor oral health when this was evaluated at a later time-point, four years later.
A cross sectional survey on the effect of COVID-19 related restrictions on undergraduate and postgraduate medical education in Qatar
Authors: Thomas M , Suliman S , Allen M , Hameed M , Ghaffar A , Emara MM , Fatima H , George S , Singh R , Ghazouaini H , Alkhal AL 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Background
COVID-19 pandemic has affected all dimensions of day to day life across the world and medical education was no exception. With this study, we aimed to understand the effect of nationwide restrictions on medical education in Qatar, the models of education adopted during this period and perceptions of participants to the same.

Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional study utilizing an online questionnaire distributed via convenience sampling between April–October 2020. Study participants were faculty and trainees in governmental undergraduate and postgraduate medical education institutes. Two sets of questionnaires were designed for each group. They were asked a series of questions to assess pre- and post-COVID pandemic educational practices, their preferred teaching methods, and their familiarity with electronic teaching platforms. Faculty respondents were asked about their perceived barriers to delivery of medical education during the pandemic and their agreement on a 5-point Likert scale on specific elements. Trainees were asked a series of multiple-choice questions to characterize their pre- and post-COVID pandemic educational experiences. Both groups were asked open-ended questions to provide qualitative insights into their answers. Data were analysed using STATA software version 12.0.

Results
Majority of trainees (58.5%) responded that the pandemic has adversely affected medical education at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Trainees (58.5%) and faculty (35.7%) reported an increased reliance on e-learning. Trainees preferred face-to-face education, while faculty preferred a combination of models of education delivery (33.5% versus 37.1%, p = 0.38). Although 52.5% of the faculty had no previous experience of delivering education through e-learning modalities, 58.9% however felt confident in using e-learning software.

Conclusions
Faculty and trainees agree that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the provision of medical education and training in Qatar, with an increased dependence on e-learning. As trainee’s prefer face-to-face models of education, we may have to consider restructuring of medical curricula in order to ensure that optimum learning is achieved via e-learning, while at the same time enhancing our use, knowledge and understanding of the e -learning methods. Further research is warranted to assess if these changes have influenced objective educational outcomes like graduation rates or board scores.
Visualization of medical concepts represented using word embeddings: a scoping review
Authors: Oubenali Naima , Messaoud Sabrina , Filiot Alexandre , Lamer Antoine , Andrey Paul 
Published: March 2022

AbstractBackgroundAnalyzing the unstructured textual data contained in electronic health records (EHRs) has always been a challenging task. Word embedding methods have become an essential foundation for neural network-based approaches in natural language processing (NLP), to learn dense and low-dimensional word representations from large unlabeled corpora that capture the implicit semantics of words. Models like Word2Vec, GloVe or FastText have been broadly applied and reviewed in the bioinformatics and healthcare fields, most often to embed clinical notes or activity and diagnostic codes. Visualization of the learned embeddings has been used in a subset of these works, whether for exploratory or evaluation purposes. However, visualization practices tend to be heterogeneous, and lack overall guidelines.ObjectiveThis scoping review aims to describe the methods and strategies used to visualize medical concepts represented using word embedding methods. We aim to understand the objectives of the visualizations and their limits.MethodsThis scoping review summarizes different methods used to visualize word embeddings in healthcare. We followed the methodology proposed by Arksey and O’Malley (Int J Soc Res Methodol 8:19–32, 2005) and by Levac et al. (Implement Sci 5:69, 2010) to better analyze the data and provide a synthesis of the literature on the matter.ResultsWe first obtained 471 unique articles from a search conducted in PubMed, MedRxiv and arXiv databases. 30 of these were effectively reviewed, based on our inclusion and exclusion criteria. 23 articles were excluded in the full review stage, resulting in the analysis of 7 papers that fully correspond to our inclusion criteria. Included papers pursued a variety of objectives and used distinct methods to evaluate their embeddings and to visualize them. Visualization also served heterogeneous purposes, being alternatively used as a way to explore the embeddings, to evaluate them or to merely illustrate properties otherwise formally assessed.ConclusionsVisualization helps to explore embedding results (further dimensionality reduction, synthetic representation). However, it does not exhaust the information conveyed by the embeddings nor constitute a self-sustaining evaluation method of their pertinence.