bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
16 years follow-up evaluation of immediate vs delayed vs. combined hormonal therapy on fertility of patients with cryptorchidism: results of a longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Bartoletti Riccardo , Pastore Antonio Luigi , Fabris Filippo Menchini , Di Vico Tommaso , Morganti Riccardo , Mogorovich Andrea , Morelli Girolamo , Peroni Diego , Al Salhi Yazan , Zucchi Alessandro 
Published: July 2022

AbstractBackgroundTo investigate in a longitudinal cohort study, the best treatment to preserve fertility in cryptorchid subjects. Patients treated with immediate hormonal vs. delayed vs. combined (hormone plus surgery) therapy consecutively enrolled during the period 1987–1997, were evaluated.MethodsTwo hundred fifty-five subjects were enrolled and 192 patients completed the follow-upt. One hundred fifty-six patients and 36 out 192 had monolateral and bilateral cryptorchidism, respectively. Twenty-nine out of 192 were previously treated by surgery alone (Group A), 93/192 by hormone therapy alone (Group B), 51/192 received sequential combined hormone therapy plus surgery (Group C) whilst 19/192 refused any type of treatment (Group D). The other 63 patients were considered lost to follow-up. All the patients underwent medical consultation, scrotal ultrasound scan, sperm analysis and Inhibin B, Follicular Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Testosterone (T) serum level determination.ResultsTesticular volume was found decreased in the Group D patients whilst hormone serum levels were comparable in all groups. Statistically significant differences for sperm characteristics were found in patients treated with hormonal therapy alone or combined with surgery (Groups B and C). These two groups reported better semen quality than patients who received surgery alone or no treatment. No differences were observed between monolateral and bilateral cryptorchidism patients.ConclusionsEarly prolonged hormonal therapy is advisable in all patients with cryptorchidism independently from the surgical option of promoting testicular descent to the scrotum. Hormonal therapy provides in our study better chance to obtain adequate sperm quality in adult life.
Longitudinal change in physical activity and adiposity in the transition from adolescence to early adulthood: the 1993 Pelotas cohort study
Authors: Kwon Soyang , Menezes Ana M. B. , Ekelund Ulf , Wehrmeister Fernando C. , Gonçalves Helen , da Silva Bruna Gonçalves C. , Janz Kathleen F. 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Background
In the current Physical Activity Guidelines (PAG) for moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA), abrupt transition from ≥ 60 min/day [youth PAG] to ≥ 150 min/week (≥ 22 min/day on average) [adult PAG] during emerging adulthood is poorly justified. The aim of this study was to examine body fat mass changes according to whether meeting the youth and adult PAGs in late adolescence (age 18 years) to early adulthood (age 22 years).

Methods
The study sample included 2,099 participants (1,113 females) from the 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) Study. At ages 18 and 22 years, MVPA was measured using wrist-worn accelerometry and fat mass was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. MVPA at age 18 was categorized into two groups: 0–59 or ≥ 60 min/day (no [N] or yes [Y] for meeting the youth recommendation, respectively). MVPA at age 22 was categorized into three groups: 0–21, 22–59, or ≥ 60 min/day (N, Y22, or Y60 for not meeting the adult recommendation, meeting the adult recommendation, or meeting the youth recommendation, respectively). The combination of these groups created six MVPA groups (N&N, N&Y22, N&Y60, Y&N, Y&Y22, and Y&Y60). Sex-specific multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted to estimate change in fat mass index (FMI) from age 18 to 22 years in the six MVPA groups.

Results
Among males, compared to Y&Y60 (FMI increase = 1.2 kg/m2 [95% CI = 1.0, 1.4]), Y&Y22 and Y&N had larger FMI increases (1.9 [1.6, 2.1] and 1.9 [1.2, 2.5], respectively). Among females, Y&Y60 and Y&Y22 had an equal FMI increase (1.6 [1.4, 1.9] for both groups), while Y&N had a larger FMI increase (2.4 [1.8, 3.0]).

Conclusions
These findings suggest that among those who were active in late adolescence, engaging in ≥ 22 min/day of MVPA in adulthood is associated with lower body fat gain for females, but not for males.
Associations of accelerometer measured school- and non-school based physical activity and sedentary time with body mass index: IPEN Adolescent study
Authors: Van Dyck Delfien , Barnett Anthony , Cerin Ester , Conway Terry L. , Esteban-Cornejo Irene , Hinckson Erica , Rubín Lukáš , Rush Elaine , Baron-Epel Orna , Cain Kelli L. , Christiansen Lars Breum , Islam Mohammed Zakiul , Mitáš Josef , Molina-García Javier , Oyeyemi Adewale , Ranjani Harish , Reis Rodrigo , Santos Maria Paula , Sit Cindy , Timperio Anna , Muda Wan Abdul Manan Wan , Sallis James F. 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Background
This study examined the strength, shape and direction of associations of accelerometer-assessed overall, school- and non-school-based moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time (ST) with BMI among adolescents across the world. Second, we examined whether these associations differed by study site and sex.

Methods
Cross-sectional data from the IPEN Adolescent study, an observational multi-country study, were used. Participants wore an accelerometer for seven days, reported height and weight, and completed a socio-demographic survey. In total, 4852 adolescents (46.6% boys), aged 11–19 years (mean age = 14.6, SD = 1.7 years) were included in the analyses, using generalized additive mixed models.

Results
Adolescents accumulated on average 41.3 (SD = 22.6) min/day of MVPA and 531.8 (SD = 81.1) min/day of ST, and the prevalence of overweight and obesity was 17.2% (IOTF), but these mean values differed by country. Linear negative associations of accelerometer-based MVPA and ST with standardized BMI scores and the likelihood of being overweight/obese were found. School-based ST and non-school-based MVPA were more strongly negatively associated to the outcomes than non-school based ST and school-based MVPA. Study site moderated the associations; adolescent sex did not. No curvilinear associations were found.

Conclusions
This multi-country study confirmed the importance of MVPA as a potential protective factor against overweight/obesity in adolescents. Non-school-based MVPA seemed to be the main driver of these associations. Unexpected results were found for ST, calling for further examination in methodologically sound international studies but using inclinometers or pressure sensors to provide more precise ST measures.
Complement activation contributes to subretinal fibrosis through the induction of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in retinal pigment epithelial cells
Authors: Llorián-Salvador María , Byrne Eimear M. , Szczepan Manon , Little Karis , Chen Mei , Xu Heping 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Background
We previously reported higher plasma levels of complement fragments C3a and C5a in neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration (nAMD) patients with macular fibrosis. This study aimed to understand whether complement activation contributes to the development of macular fibrosis and the underlying mechanisms involved.

Methods
Complement activation was blocked using a C5 neutralizing antibody (BB5.1) in C57BL/6J mice after induction of subretinal fibrosis using the two-stage laser protocol. Fibrotic lesions were examined 10 days after the 2nd laser through fundus examination and immunohistochemistry. The expression of C5aR in fibrotic lesions and retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cultures were examined by confocal microscopy. Primary murine RPE cells were treated with C3a or C5a (10–100 ng/mL) or TGF-β2 (10 ng/mL). Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was assessed through various readouts. The expression of E-cadherin, vimentin, fibronectin, α-SMA, Slug, ERK/AKT and pSMAD2/3 were determined by Western blot and immunocytochemistry. Collagen contraction and wound-healing assays were used as functional readouts of EMT. The production of IL-6, TGF-β1, TGF-β2 and VEGF by RPE cells were determined by ELISA. PMX53 was used to block C5aR in RPE cultures and in vivo in mice with subretinal fibrosis.

Results
Extensive C5b-9 deposition was detected at the site of subretinal fibrosis. BB5.1 treatment completely abrogated complement activation and significantly reduced subretinal fibrosis. C5aR was detected in RPE and infiltrating MHC-II+ cells in subretinal fibrosis. In vitro, RPE cells constitutively express C5/C5a and C5aR, and their expression was increased by TGF-β2 treatment. C5a but not C3a increased fibronectin, α-SMA, vimentin and Slug expression, and decreased E-cadherin expression in RPE cells. C5a treatment also increased the contractility and migration of RPE cells and enhanced the production of VEGF and TGF-β1/2. C5a treatment induced pSmad2/3 and pERK1/2 expression in RPE cells and this was blocked by PMX53. PMX53 treatment significantly reduced sodium fluorescein leakage in the subretinal fibrosis model, while collagen-I+ lesions only mildly reduced.

Conclusions
Complement activation is critically involved in the development of subretinal fibrosis, partially through C5a–C5aR-mediated EMT in RPE cells. Targeting complement activation rather than C5a may be a novel approach for the management of macular fibrosis.
The impact of virtual learning on students’ educational behavior and pervasiveness of depression among university students due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Azmi Fatima M. , Khan Habib Nawaz , Azmi Aqil M. 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Background
One of the worst pandemics of recent memory, COVID-19, severely impacted the public. In particular, students were physically and mentally affected by the lockdown and the shift from physical person-to-person classrooms to virtual learning (online classes). This increased the prevalence of psychological stress, anxiety, and depression among university students. In this study, we investigated the depression levels in Saudi Arabian university students who were learning virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic and examined its impact on their educational proficiency.

Methods
The study focused on two points: first, examining the depression levels among undergraduate students in Saudi Arabia, by adapting the Zung (Self-Rating Depression Scale) questionnaire. Second, whether there is an association between the levels of depression and various distress factors associated with virtual (online) learning resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on students’ educational behaviors. The questionnaire was prepared using a monkey survey and shared online, via email, and on WhatsApp groups, with participants in two universities, a public and private university in the largest city of Saudi Arabia. A total of 157 complete responses were received. Data were analyzed using SPSS-24, the chi-square test, descriptive statistics, and multilinear regression.

Results
The results indicated that three-fourths of the university students suffered from different depressive symptoms, half of which had moderate to extreme levels of depression. Our study confirmed that a boring virtual (online) learning method, stress, fear of examinations, and decreased productivity were significantly associated with increased depression. In addition, 75% and 79% of the students suffered from stress and fear of examinations, respectively. About half of the students were associated with increased depression. The outcome also indicated that female students experienced extreme depression, stress, and fear of examinations more than males.

Conclusion
These findings can inform government agencies and representatives of the importance of making swift, effective decisions to address students’ depression levels. It is essential to provide training for students to change their educational experience mindset, which might help decrease "depression and stress-related growth." There is also a need to search for a better virtual teaching delivery method to lessen students' stress and fear of examinations.
Cryoglobulinemia in systemic lupus erythematosus: a retrospective study of 213 patients
Authors: Roubertou Yoann , Mainbourg Sabine , Hot Arnaud , Fouque Denis , Confavreux Cyrille , Chapurlat Roland , Debarbieux Sébastien , Jullien Denis , Sève Pascal , Juillard Laurent , Kolopp-Sarda Marie-Nathalie , Lega Jean-Christophe 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Objectives
The clinical value of cryoglobulinemia (CG) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is largely unknown. The aim of this retrospective study was to describe the characteristics of CG in SLE, its impact on SLE phenotype, and the features associated with cryoglobulinemic vasculitis (CryoVas) in SLE patients.

Methods
This retrospective study conducted in a French university hospital reviewed the data from 213 SLE patients having been screened for CG between January 2013 and December 2017. SLE patients positive for CG were compared to SLE patients without CG. Patients were classified as CryoVas using the criteria of De Vita et al.

Results
Of the 213 SLE patients included (mean age 29.2 years, female sex 85%), 142 (66%) had at least one positive CG in their history, 67% of them having a persistent CG at follow-up. CG was type III in 114 (80%) cases and type II in 27 (19%) cases. The mean concentration of the cryoprecipitate was 40mg/L (range 0-228). Patients with CG had significantly more C4 consumption. Among patients with CG, 21 (15%) developed a CryoVas. The clinical manifestations of patients with CryoVas were mainly cutaneous (purpura, ulcers, digital ischemia) and articular, without any death at follow-up. Severe manifestations of CG included glomerulonephritis in 1/21 (5%) patients and central nervous system involvement in 4/21 (19%) patients. A response to first-line treatments was observed in 12/13 (92%) patients, but relapses were observed for 3 of them.

Conclusion
CG is frequent in SLE, but mostly asymptomatic. CryoVas features involve mostly joints, skin, and general symptoms. CryoVas in SLE appears to be a specific condition, with a low prevalence of neuropathy, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, and severe manifestations.
An epigenome-wide association study of insulin resistance in African Americans
Authors: Chilunga Felix P. , Meeks Karlijn A. C. , Henneman Peter , Agyemang Charles , Doumatey Ayo P. , Rotimi Charles N. , Adeyemo Adebowale A. 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Background
African Americans have a high risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and insulin resistance. Studies among other population groups have identified DNA methylation loci associated with insulin resistance, but data in African Americans are lacking. Using DNA methylation profiles of blood samples obtained from the Illumina Infinium® HumanMethylation450 BeadChip, we performed an epigenome-wide association study to identify DNA methylation loci associated with insulin resistance among 136 non-diabetic, unrelated African American men (mean age 41.6 years) from the Howard University Family Study.

Results
We identified three differentially methylated positions (DMPs) for homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) at 5% FDR. One DMP (cg14013695, HOXA5) is a known locus among Mexican Americans, while the other two DMPs are novel—cg00456326 (OSR1; beta = 0.027) and cg20259981 (ST18; beta = 0.010). Although the cg00456326 DMP is novel, the OSR1 gene has previously been found associated with both insulin resistance and T2D in Europeans. The genes HOXA5 and ST18 have been implicated in biological processes relevant to insulin resistance. Differential methylation at the significant HOXA5 and OSR1 DMPs is associated with differences in gene expression in the iMETHYL database. Analysis of differentially methylated regions (DMRs) did not identify any epigenome-wide DMRs for HOMA-IR. We tested transferability of HOMA-IR associated DMPs from five previous EWAS in Mexican Americans, Indian Asians, Europeans, and European ancestry Americans. Out of the 730 previously reported HOMA-IR DMPs, 47 (6.4%) were associated with HOMA-IR in this cohort of African Americans.

Conclusions
The findings from our study suggest substantial differences in DNA methylation patterns associated with insulin resistance across populations. Two of the DMPs we identified in African Americans have not been reported in other populations, and we found low transferability of HOMA-IR DMPs reported in other populations in African Americans. More work in African-ancestry populations is needed to confirm our findings as well as functional analyses to understand how such DNA methylation alterations contribute to T2D pathology.
Urinary tract tuberculosis misdiagnosed and treated as renal carcinoma in the presence of diffuse interstitial nephritis: a case report
Authors: Swed Sarya , Barazi Mais , Chawa Yamane , Alswij Mahmoud Alhamadeh , Alshareef Leena Abdelwahab , Bitar Sami , Ghaith Hazem S. , Motawea Karam R. 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Background
Urinary tract tuberculosis (UTTB) is a common form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB) which can infrequently present as renal carcinoma, leading to serious errors in the diagnosis and treatment of UTTB.

Case presentation
A 76-year-old Syrian man presented with gross hematuria as the main symptom. A urinary endoscopic examination and pelvic multi-slice computed tomography imaging increased the suspicion of a speared renal mass in the right urinary tract. The patient was treated for renal cancer. After nephrectomy and ureterctomy, the histopathology of the resected mass confirmed the diagnosis of UTTB and interstitial nephritis.

Conclusion
This case should serve to increase the attention of clinicians to perform an accurate diagnosis step by step. This is especially important if they have a patient similar to the case described here who presents with a renal mass, to avoid serious results such as the loss of an essential organ system.
Spatial and spatio-temporal epidemiological approaches to inform COVID-19 surveillance and control: a review protocol
Authors: Odhiambo Julius Nyerere , Dolan Carrie B. 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Introduction
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection that cause coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have afflicted millions worldwide. Understanding the underlying spatial and temporal dynamics can help orient timely public health policies and optimize the targeting of non-pharmaceutical interventions and vaccines to the most vulnerable populations, particularly in resource-constrained settings. The review systematically summarises important methodological aspects and specificities of spatial approaches applied to COVID-19 in Africa.

Methods
Thematically selected keywords will be used to search for refereed studies in the following electronic databases PubMed, SCOPUS, MEDLINE, CINHAL, and Coronavirus Research Database from January 2020 to February 2022. Two independent reviewers will screen the title, abstracts, and full texts against predefined eligibility criteria based on the study’s characteristics, methodological relevance, and quality. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) 2020 procedures will be adhered to during the reporting process.

Discussion
COVID-19 modeling remains in its infancy, and research is needed to characterize uncertainty and validate various modeling regimes appropriately. It is anticipated that the review will aid spatial, spatio-temporal modeling decisions necessary for mitigating the current and future pandemics.

Systematic review registration
CRD42021279767
Holistic antenatal education class interventions: a systematic review of the prioritisation and involvement of Indigenous Peoples’ of Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United States over a 10-year period 2008 to 2018
Authors: Barrett Nikki M. , Burrows Lisette , Atatoa-Carr Polly , Smith Linda T. , Masters-Awatere Bridgette 
Published: July 2022

Abstract
Background
Research into the effectiveness of antenatal education classes is crucial for Indigenous Peoples from Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United States who experience poorer maternal and infant health outcomes compared to non-Indigenous populations. Our systematic review questions were intended to determine the extent of Indigenous Peoples prioritisation and involvement in antenatal education classes, and to understand the experience of Indigenous Peoples from these countries in antenatal education classes.

Methods
Using a standardised protocol, we systematically searched five electronic databases for primary research papers on antenatal education classes within the four countries noted and identified 17 papers that met the criteria. We undertook a qualitative meta-synthesis using a socio-critical lens.

Results
Systematic review of the academic literature demonstrates that Indigenous Peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United States are not prioritised in antenatal education classes with only two of 17 studies identifying Indigenous participants. Within these two studies, Indigenous Peoples were underrepresented. As a result of poor engagement and low participation numbers of Indigenous Peoples in these antenatal education classes, it was not possible to understand the experiences of Indigenous Peoples.

Conclusion
Given that Indigenous Peoples were absent from the majority of studies examined in this review, it is clear little consideration is afforded to the antenatal health needs and aspirations of Indigenous Peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United States. To address the stark antenatal health inequities of Indigenous Peoples, targeted Indigenous interventions that consider culture, language, and wider aspects of holistic health must be privileged.

Trial registration
PROSPERO Registration ID: CRD4202017658