bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Follow-up of a Wide-Diameter Bone-Anchored Hearing Implant: 10-Year Experience on Stability, Survival, and Tolerability of an Implant-Abutment Combination
Authors: Teunissen Emma Margaretha , Caspers Coosje Jacoba Isabella , Vijverberg Maarten Adriaan , Mylanus Emmanuel Antonius Maria , Hol Myrthe Karianne Sophie 
Published: November 2022

Objective
To compare stability, survival, and soft tissue reactions between a wide-diameter (test) and previous-generation small-diameter (control) bone-anchored hearing implant and to ascertain the safety of loading the test implant 3 weeks after surgery, at a long-term follow-up of 10 years.

Study Design
This study is a continuation of two previously completed, multicenter, randomized, controlled trials and consisted of one to two additional follow-up visits until 10 years after surgery.

Patients
Fifty-one of the 72 participants from the previous trials were included. Patients received a test or control implant. All control implants were loaded 6 weeks after surgery (group A). Test implants were loaded 3 (group B) or 6 weeks (group C) after surgery.

Results
The test implant showed significantly higher implant stability quotient (ISQ) values than the control implant throughout the 10-year follow-up. At 10 years, the mean ISQ-high values for both implants were higher than at the first follow-up visit. No significant differences in change of ISQ-high from baseline to 10 years were noticed between both implants and loading groups. Soft tissue reactions were rarely seen. At 10-year follow-up, no patients presented with adverse soft tissue reactions. Excluding explantations, the implant survival rate was 78.6% (group A), 100% (group B), and 90.0% (group C).

Conclusions
The test implant showed superior mean ISQ values and significantly better implant survival throughout 10-year follow-up. In addition, the current study concludes that it is safe to load the test implant at 3 weeks after surgery, as long-term results show high ISQ values and good implant survival.
Feasibility and Efficacy of Low Thoracic Ultrasound-Guided Erector Spinae Plane Blocks in Patients Undergoing Radical Total Mastectomy With Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator Flap Reconstruction
Authors: Pai B.H. Poonam , Lai Yan H. 
Published: November 2022

Abstract
The analgesic efficacy of bilateral low thoracic erector spinae blocks for combined major breast and abdominal surgery has not been reported. The aim of this case series was to assess the feasibility and efficacy of T8 thoracic preincisional erector spinae blocks in patients undergoing total radical mastectomies with axillary lymph node dissections in addition to reconstruction with abdominal deep inferior epigastric flaps. The aim was to supply dermatomal coverage to provide analgesia for T2–L1 that formed the basis for an opioid-sparing multimodal technique in the context of our early recovery after breast surgery with deep inferior epigastric flap program.
Effectiveness of Absorbable Plates for the Treatment of Nasal Septal Cartilage Fractures
Authors: Kim Se Young , Bae Joon Suk , Nam Seung Min , Cha Han Gyu , Park Eun Soo 
Published: November 2022

Background
Nasal bone fractures are the most common type of facial fracture. Nasal bone fractures often occur in combination with septal cartilage fractures, because the nasal septal cartilage acts as a vertical strut and provides structural support for the nose and bilateral nasal airway. However, the treatment for nasal septal cartilage fracture remains controversial, and if untreated, nasal septal cartilage fracture can lead to various complications, such as nasal obstruction and posttraumatic nasal and septal deformity. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of our procedure in which septal cartilage fractures were treated with septoplasty using an absorbable plate as an internal splint.

Methods
Between January 2017 and November 2020, 21 patients with nasal septal cartilage fractures were treated with septoplasty using an absorbable plate as an internal splint. The severity of the septal cartilage fracture was graded from 0 to 3 according to the computed tomography septal grading system. The numeric graded scale of nasal septal cartilage fracture was evaluated preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively using a computed tomography scan.

Results
Of 21 patients with septal cartilage fractures, 12 were treated with a polycaprolactone (PCL) mesh plate, and 9 were treated with a polydioxanone (PDS) plate. In the PDS plate group, the preoperative numeric scale of nasal septal cartilage fracture was 2.50 (2.00–3.00), whereas the postoperative numeric scale was 1.00 (1.00–1.25, P = 0.023). In the PCL mesh plate group, the preoperative numeric scale of nasal septal cartilage fracture was 2.00 (2.00–3.00), whereas the postoperative numeric scale was 1.00 (1.00–1.50, P = 0.034). The effectiveness of the PCL mesh plate and that of the PDS plate group according to the septal grading scale were 1.45 (SD, 0.522) and 1.18 (SD, 0.603), respectively. However, these differences were not statistically significant.

Conclusions
Our study shows that septoplasty using absorbable plates provides satisfactory and safe clinical outcomes in patients with nasal septal cartilage fractures.
Do Public Health Efforts Matter? Explaining Cross-Country Heterogeneity in Excess Death During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Sun Min Woo , Troxell David , Tibshirani Robert 
Published: November 2022

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has taken a devastating toll around the world. Since January 2020, the World Health Organization estimates 14.9 million excess deaths have occurred globally. Despite this grim number quantifying the deadly impact, the underlying factors contributing to COVID-19 deaths at the population level remain unclear. Prior studies indicate that demographic factors like proportion of population older than 65 and population health explain the cross-country difference in COVID-19 deaths. However, there has not been a holistic analysis including variables describing government policies and COVID-19 vaccination rate. Furthermore, prior studies focus on COVID-19 death rather than excess death to assess the impact of the pandemic. Through a robust statistical modeling framework, we analyze 80 countries and show that actionable public health efforts beyond just the factors intrinsic to each country are necessary to explain the cross-country heterogeneity in excess death.
Brain Alterations in COVID Recovered Revealed by Susceptibility-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Mishra Sapna S , Hafiz Rakibul , Misra Rohit , Gandhi Tapan K. , Prasad Alok , Mahajan Vidur , Biswal Bharat B. 
Published: November 2022

ABSTRACTThe increasing number of reports of mild to severe psychological, behavioral, and cognitive sequelae in COVID-19 survivors motivates a need for a thorough assessment of the neurological effects of the disease. In this regard, we have conducted a neuroimaging study to understand the neurotropic behavior of the coronavirus. We hypothesize that the COVID recovered subjects have developed alterations in the brain which can be measured through susceptibility differences in various regions of brain when compared to healthy controls (HCs). Hence we performed our investigations on susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) volumes. Fatigue, being of the most common symptoms of Long COVID has also been studied in this work. SWI volumes of 46 COVID and 30 HCs were included in this study. The COVID patients were imaged within six months of their recovery. We performed unpaired two-sample t-test over the pre-processed SWI volumes of both the groups and multiple linear regression was performed to observe group differences and correlation of fatigue with SWI values. The group analysis showed that COVID recovered subjects had significantly higher susceptibility imaging values in regions of the frontal lobe and the brain stem. The clusters obtained in the frontal lobe primarily show differences in the white matter regions. The COVID group also demonstrated significantly higher fatigue levels than the HC group. The regression analysis on the COVID group yielded clusters in anterior cingulate gyrus and midbrain which exhibited negative correlations with fatigue scores. This study suggests an association of Long COVID with prolonged effects on the brain and also indicates the viability of SWI modality for analysis of post-COVID symptoms.HighlightsSusceptibility weighted imaging is used for neuroimaging study of Long COVID.A group-level study is performed to analyze the effects of COVID on the brain.COVID survivors showed susceptibility differences in the frontal lobe and brainstem.Analyzed the relationship between MRI data of COVID survivors and fatigue scores.
Cost of In-patient Management of Covid-19 Patients in a Tertiary Hospital in Kuwait
Authors: Muhammad Nur Amrizal , Aljunid Syed Mohamed , Almari Mohammad 
Published: November 2022

BackgroundAmong the GCC countries affected by COVID-19 infections, Kuwait was impacted with 658,520 cases and 2,563 deaths as reported by WHO on September 30, 2022. However, the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on the economy of Kuwait especially in health sector is unknown.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to determine the total cost of COVID-19 in-patient management in Kuwait.MethodRetrospective design was employed in this study. A total 485 Covid-19 patients admitted to a tertiary hospital assigned to manage Covid-19 cases was randomly selected for this study from 1st May to 31st September 2021. Data on sociodemographic, length of stay (LOS), discharge status and comorbidity were obtained from the patients’ medical records. Among others, data on cost in this study cover administration, utility, pharmacy, radiology, laboratory, nursing, and ICU costs. The unit cost per admission was imputed using a step-down costing method with three levels of cost centers. The unit cost was multiplied by the individual patient’s length of stay to obtain the cost of care per patient per admission.FindingsThe mean cost of Covid-19 inpatient per episode of care was KD 2,216 (SD=2,018) equals to US$ 7,344 (SD=6,688) with the average length of stay of 9.4 (SD=8.5) days per admission. The total treatment costs of Covid-19 inpatient (n=485) were estimated to be KD 1,074,644 (US$ 3,561,585), in which the physician and nursing care cost were the largest share of costs (42.1%) with KD 452,154 (US$ 1,498,529). The second- and third-largest costs were intensive care (20.6%) of KD 221,439 (US$ 733,893) and laboratory costs (10.2%) of KD 109,264 (US$ 362,123). The average cost for severe Covid-19 patient was KD 4,626 (US$ 15,332), which is almost three times higher than the non-severe patients of KD 1,544 (US$ 5,117).ConclusionThe cost of managing Covid-19 cases is substantial. The cost information can assist hospital managers and policymakers in designing more efficient interventions, especially for the management of high-risk groups.
Prevalence and factors associated with electrocardiographic abnormalities among adults attending Methadone Assisted Therapy in Dodoma, central Tanzania
Authors: Kalungi Immaculate , Mujuni Martin , Mwombeki Innocent , Nyundo Azan 
Published: November 2022

AbstractBackgroundPatients with opioid use disorder are at a higher cardiovascular risk due to the effect of opioids on the cardiovascular system. Cardiac conduction abnormalities, electrical activity impairment, cardiac arrhythmias, and ventricular hypertrophy are reported in the opioid population.ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with ECG abnormalities among adults with opioid use disorder attending the Itega addiction center for methadone-assisted therapy (MAT).MethodologyA cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among adult outpatients attending the Itega addiction center in Dodoma. A calculated sample size of 321was attained through a convenience sampling approach. A standard 12-lead ECG was recorded for each participant and interpreted by two independent cardiologists. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression was computed to determine the factors associated with ECG abnormalities. Under adjusted analysis, a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant for factors associated with ECG abnormalities after controlling for all the variables with a minimum p-value of 0.2 at univariate analysis.ResultsThe majority of 308 (95.95%) of the participants were males, 197 (61.37%) had attained primary education level, and the mean age of the participants was 35.44 ± 6.54 years. The overall prevalence for any ECG abnormalities in this study was 26.47%, with Sinus bradycardia 59(18.4%) being the most observed ECG abnormality, followed by QTc prolongation 27(8.41%). A month’s increase in the duration on MAT and being a female were significantly associated with lower odds of ECG abnormalities (AOR =0.85, 95% CI =0.74-0.96 p =0.014) and (AOR = 0.05, 95% CI = 0.01-0.59, p = 0.017) respectively.ConclusionThe high prevalence of ECG Abnormalities implies high cardiovascular risk among a population with opioid use disorder. Given that majority of the ECG abnormalities are treatable, integrating cardiovascular care in the opioid addiction clinic would be beneficial for this population.
Small leucine-rich proteoglycans inhibit CNS regeneration by modifying the structural and mechanical properties of the lesion environment
Authors: Kolb Julia , John Nora , Kim Kyoohyun , Möckel Conrad , Rosso Gonzalo , Möllmert Stephanie , Kurbel Veronika , Parmar Asha , Sharma Gargi , Beck Timon , Müller Paul , Schlüßler Raimund , Frischknecht Renato , Wehner Anja , Krombholz Nicole , Steigenberger Barbara , Blümcke Ingmar , Singh Kanwarpal , Guck Jochen , Kobow Katja , Wehner Daniel 
Published: November 2022

ABSTRACTExtracellular matrix (ECM) deposition after central nervous system (CNS) injury leads to inhibitory scarring in mammals, whereas it facilitates axon regeneration in the zebrafish. However, the molecular basis of these different fates is not understood. Here, we identify small leucine-rich proteoglycans (SLRPs) as a causal factor in regeneration failure. We demonstrate that the SLRPs Chondroadherin, Fibromodulin, Lumican, and Prolargin are enriched in human, but not zebrafish, CNS lesions. Targeting SLRPs to the zebrafish injury ECM inhibits axon regeneration and functional recovery. Mechanistically, we find that SLRPs confer structural and mechanical properties to the lesion environment that are adverse to axon growth. Our study reveals SLRPs as previously unknown inhibitory ECM factors in the human CNS that impair axon regeneration by modifying tissue mechanics and structure.ONE SENTENCE SUMMARYComposition, structural organization, and mechanical properties of the injury ECM direct central nervous system regeneration.
Cross-movie prediction of individualized functional topography
Authors: Jiahui Guo , Feilong Ma , Nastase Samuel A. , Haxby James V. , Gobbini M. Ida 
Published: November 2022

AbstractParticipant-specific, functionally-defined brain areas are usually mapped with functional localizers and estimated by making contrasts between responses to single categories of input. Naturalistic stimuli engage multiple brain systems in parallel, provide more ecologically plausible estimates of real-world statistics, and are friendly to special populations. The current study shows that cortical functional topographies in individual participants can be estimated with high fidelity from naturalistic stimuli. Importantly, we demonstrate that robust, individualized estimates can be obtained even when participants watched different movies, were scanned with different parameters/scanners, and were sampled from different institutes across the world. Our results create a foundation for future studies that allow researchers to estimate a broad range of functional topographies based on naturalistic movies and a normative database, making it possible to integrate high-level cognitive functions across datasets from laboratories worldwide.
Perceptual reorganisation from prior knowledge emerges late in childhood
Authors: Milne G. A. , Lisi M. , McLean A. , Zheng R. , Groen I.I.A. , Dekker T. M. 
Published: November 2022

AbstractPerception in the mature human visual system relies heavily on prior knowledge. Here we show for the first time that prior-knowledge-induced reshaping of visual perception emerges gradually, and late in childhood. To isolate the effects of prior knowledge on vision, we presented 4-to-12-year-olds and adults with two-tone images, which are degraded photos that are hard to recognise on first viewing. In adults, seeing the original photo causes a perceptual reorganisation leading to sudden, mandatory recognition of the two-tone version - a well-documented process relying on top-down signalling from higher-order brain areas to early visual cortex. We find that children younger than 7 to 9 years, however, do not experience this knowledge-guided shift, despite viewing the original photo immediately before each two-tone. To assess potential computations underlying this development we compared human performance to three state-of-the-art neural networks with varying architectures. We found that the best-performing architecture behaved much like 4- to 5-year-old humans, who display a feature-based rather than holistic processing strategy akin to neural networks. Our results reveal a striking age-related shift in the reconciliation of prior knowledge with sensory input, which may underpin the development of many perceptual abilities.
A replication study on key neurodevelopmental pathways affected by valproate treatment of neural precursor cells
Authors: Sukumaran Salil K. , Srividya M , Iyer Shruti , Banerjee Anushka , Purushottam Meera , Jain Sanjeev , Viswanath Biju , Sud Reeteka 
Published: November 2022

AbstractAdults with bipolar disorder or epileptic seizures are commonly prescribed sodium valproate.In uteroexposure to this drug is linked to a multitude of defects in normal brain development, from neural tube defects to autism spectrum disorders. During the course of brain development, neural precursor cells (NPCs) give rise to neurons and glia, and therefore to understand the valproate-induced defects, it is crucial to understand its effect on NPCs. Two NPC lines, both derived from healthy individuals, were used for all experiments. Cells were treated with 0.7mM valproate for one week. Fresh media (+/− drug) was replenished every alternate day. RNA was extracted on day 7 of drug treatment, and transcriptomics performed. All experiments were performed in biological replicates. Genes that showed >1-fold difference (with FDR adjusted q-value ≤ 0.05) were considered differentially expressed. We further investigated the interacting partners of the differentially expressed genes using PINOT, as well as cellular pathways using DAVID. Our primary endpoint of analysis were genes that were differentially expressed (DEGs) with valproate treatment in both the NPC lines used. We found 21 such genes that were common in the two lines. PINOT revealed 504 interacting partners of the DEGs. Functional annotation analysis showed significant enrichment of four signaling pathways - Wnt, Notch, Rho-GTPase and PI3K-AKT. While the role of Rho-GTPase is a novel finding, we have replicated previously reported findings on Wnt, Notch and PI3K-Akt pathways, which further strengthens their role in mediating neurodevelopmental anomalies.
Environmental and genetic drivers of population differences in SARS-CoV-2 immune responses
Authors: Aquino Yann , Bisiaux Aurélie , Li Zhi , O’Neill Mary , Mendoza-Revilla Javier , Merkling Sarah Hélène , Kerner Gaspard , Hasan Milena , Libri Valentina , Bondet Vincent , Smith Nikaïa , de Cevins Camille , Ménager Mickaël , Luca Francesca , Pique-Regi Roger , Barba-Spaeth Giovanna , Pietropaoli Stefano , Schwartz Olivier , Leroux-Roels Geert , Lee Cheuk-Kwong , Leung Kathy , Wu Joseph T.K. , Peiris Malik , Bruzzone Roberto , Abel Laurent , Casanova Jean-Laurent , Valkenburg Sophie A. , Duffy Darragh , Patin Etienne , Rotival Maxime , Quintana-Murci Lluis 
Published: November 2022

AbstractHumans display vast clinical variability upon SARS-CoV-2 infection1–3, partly due to genetic and immunological factors4. However, the magnitude of population differences in immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 and the mechanisms underlying such variation remain unknown. Here we report single-cell RNA-sequencing data for peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 222 healthy donors of various ancestries stimulated with SARS-CoV-2 or influenza A virus. We show that SARS-CoV-2 induces a weaker, but more heterogeneous interferon-stimulated gene activity than influenza A virus, and a unique pro-inflammatory signature in myeloid cells. We observe marked population differences in transcriptional responses to viral exposure that reflect environmentally induced cellular heterogeneity, as illustrated by higher rates of cytomegalovirus infection, affecting lymphoid cells, in African-descent individuals. Expression quantitative trait loci and mediation analyses reveal a broad effect of cell proportions on population differences in immune responses, with genetic variants having a narrower but stronger effect on specific loci. Additionally, natural selection has increased immune response differentiation across populations, particularly for variants associated with SARS-CoV-2 responses in East Asians. We document the cellular and molecular mechanisms through which Neanderthal introgression has altered immune functions, such as its impact on the myeloid response in Europeans. Finally, colocalization analyses reveal an overlap between the genetic architecture of immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 severity. Collectively, these findings suggest that adaptive evolution targeting immunity has also contributed to current disparities in COVID-19 risk.
MMP2 loss leads to defective parturition and severe dystocia in mice
Authors: Kalev-Altman Rotem , Levy Tamar , Shpigel Nahum Y. , Monsonego-Ornan Efrat , Sela-Donenfeld Dalit 
Published: November 2022

AbstractParturition is the final step of mammalian reproduction and an essential process for the species’ survival. During pregnancy, the uterus is maintained quiescence which is important for fetal growth and development. However, at term, fundamental changes in myometrial contractility are initiated for efficient expulsion of the fetus. These changes involve tissue remodeling that requires changes in the extracellular matrix (ECM). The gelatinases subgroup of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), has only two members: MMP2 and MMP9, which are both known to participate in uterine ECM remodeling throughout the estrus cycle as well as during pregnancy, parturition and postpartum involution. Yet, no knowledge exists regarding their loss-of-function impact on the uterus. Here we investigated the effect of MMP2 and/or MMP9 genetic loss on parturition process. Single and double knockout (dKO) mice for MMP2 and/or MMP9 were used. We found high percentages of dystocia in mmp2-/-, mmp2-/-mmp9+/-and dKO females, but not in mmp9-/-females. Histological analysis of nulliparous uterine tissue of WT, mmp2-/-, mmp9-/-and dKO, at 8 weeks, 4 months and 8-9.5 months, revealed that the uterine tissue of mmp2-/-presents alterations in tissue size and structure, mainly when reaching to 8-9.5 months of age, including enlarged total tissue, myometrium, endometrium and luminal cavity. Additionally, Masson’s Trichrome staining suggested a mechanism of extensive fibrosis in mmp2-/-myometrium, which may lead to dystocia. Altogether, our research highlights a novel cause for dystocia pathology mediated by loss of MMP2 activity in uterine tissue during mammalian parturition.