bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Arterial stiffness and contralateral differences in blood pressure: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study
Authors: Charry Daniela , Gouskova Natalia , Meyer Michelle L. , Ring Kimberley , Nambi Vijay , Heiss Gerardo , Tanaka Hirofumi 
Published: June 2022

AbstractA large interarm difference in brachial systolic blood pressure (SBP) (≥10 or ≥15 mmHg) is strongly associated with elevated cardiovascular events and mortality. Evidence demonstrating whether such contralateral differences in SBP occur in ankle blood pressure and its association with arterial stiffness is scarce. The aims of this study were to characterize arm and ankle contralateral SBP differences in a sample of community‐dwelling older adults (5077), and to determine whether this difference is associated with arterial stiffness assessed by pulse wave velocity (PWV) between the heart and ankle (haPWV), femoral artery and ankle (faPWV), and brachial artery and ankle (baPWV) in the right and left sides. Prevalence of interarm SBP differences ≥10 and ≥15 mmHg was 5.1% and .7%, respectively; the corresponding prevalence for interankle SBP was 24.9% and 12.0%. Higher BMI and lower ankle‐brachial index (ABI) were significantly correlated with greater interarm SBP differences. Increased age, higher BMI, lower ABI, and greater contralateral differences in haPWV, faPWV, and baPWV were significantly correlated to greater interankle SBP differences. Interankle SBP difference ≥15 mmHg was significantly associated with contralateral differences of >80 cm/s in haPWV (OR = 1.94 [95% CI = 1.52–2.49]), >165 cm/s in faPWV (OR = 1.64 [95% CI = 1.27–2.12]), and >240 cm/s in baPWV (OR = 2.43 [95% CI = 1.94–3.05]). The associations remained significant after adjustment for age, sex, race, BMI, smoking status, and ABI. Compared with interarm differences, interankle differences in SBP are common in older adults. The magnitude of interankle, but not interarm, differences in SBP is associated with various measures of arterial stiffness.
A comprehensive, tri‐national, cross‐sectional analysis of characteristics and impact of pruritus in psoriasis
Authors: Hawro M. , Sahin E. , Steć M. , Różewicka‐Czabańska M. , Raducha E. , Garanyan L. , Philipp S. , Kokolakis G. , Christou D. , Kolkhir P. , Pogorelov D. , Weller K. , Metz M. , Sabat R. , Maleszka R. , Olisova O. , Maurer M. , Hawro T. 
Published: June 2022

AbstractBackgroundPruritus is prevalent in psoriasis but still many features of pruritus, its response to therapy and its burden in psoriasis remain to be better characterized.ObjectiveTo investigate characteristics and burden of pruritus in an international cohort of patients with psoriasis.MethodsThis cross‐sectional study included a total of 634 patients and 246 controls from Germany, Poland and Russia. Physicians examined and interviewed participants, recording clinical characteristics, such as severity, therapy and localization of psoriatic lesions. Participants filled out self‐reported questionnaires including questions on pruritus severity and impact, characteristics, and response to therapy, and quality of life (QoL). Localization patterns of pruritus and skin lesions were visualized using body heat maps.ResultsMost patients (82%) experienced pruritus throughout their disease, and 75% had current pruritus. The majority of patients (64%) perceived pure pruritus, and those who reported additional painful and/or burning sensations (36%) reported overall stronger pruritus. The scalp was the most frequently reported localization of pruritus, even in the absence of skin lesions. Body surface area (BSA) of pruritus was not linked to pruritus intensity, but to BSA of psoriatic lesions (rho = 0.278; P < 0.001). One third of patients (31%) reported impaired sex‐life, and 4% had suicidal ideations due to pruritus. In up to one third of patients, psoriasis therapies had little or no effect on pruritus. The only therapeutic option offered to some of these patients were antihistamines, which appeared to be effective in most cases.ConclusionPruritus is highly prevalent in psoriasis and is linked to a significant burden. Current psoriasis therapies are frequently insufficient to control pruritus. Managing psoriasis should include the assessment and control of itch. Efficient antipruritic therapies should be developed and be made available for patients with psoriasis.
Mathematical modeling of infrared drying of red pitaya pulp (Stenocereus queretaroensis) for potential use of its betalains
Authors: Ríos‐Moreno Gustavo , Cruz‐Reyes Ivan , Vargas‐Rodríguez Paulina , Félix‐Flores Ma. Guadalupe , Quiñones‐Reyes Guillermo , Lozada‐Rodríguez Leticia 
Published: June 2022

AbstractRed pitaya fruit has an important concentration of betalains (68.7 mg/100 g fresh sample) that potentially can be used as natural colorants for food, textiles, dye‐sensitized solar cells, etc. Nevertheless, this fruit has a short shelf life. To overcome this problem and to take advantage of their varied and attractive colors, pitayas can be infrared dried. In this work, we evaluated the kinetics of infrared drying of red pitaya pulp in the temperature range of 40–70°C. The drying rate was found to increase with temperature. The time required to diminish moisture content of red pitaya pulp from 80.5% to around 0.1%–0.3% (dry basis) decreased from 625 min at 40 to 240 min at 70°C. The experimental drying data were fitted to nine empirical drying models reported in literature and to one new model herein proposed. Based on statistical criteria, the proposed model was found the best for characterizing drying behavior of red pitaya pulp for the whole range of temperature. Effective moisture diffusivity was moisture content‐dependent, the average values for diffusivity coefficients at each drying temperature were derived from Fick's law and varied from 0.98–4.43 × 10−9 m2/s over the temperature range. Activation energy for moisture diffusion in red pitaya pulp was determined as 42.89 kJ/mol. Best drying temperature was found to be at 70°C, where a higher betalain content and a faster drying process conditions were achieved.Practical applicationsBetalains can be used as healthy natural colorants for food, among others. A limitation for which pitayas have not been exploited as a source of colorants is because of their short shelf life. Due to the important concentration of betalains present in this fruit, it is highly desirable to have methodologies that allow access to their use. To overcome this problem and to take advantage of their varied and attractive colors, red pitaya pulp was infrared dried for its study. Herein the proposed model exhibited an excellent fit to the red pitaya pulp drying process. The commercial exploitation of pitayas as an alternative source of natural colorant betalains may not only provide a wider color spectrum than red beetroot, but also contribute to the sustainable development of the usually underdeveloped semiarid regions.
Multi‐step‐ahead flood forecasting using an improved BiLSTM‐S2S model
Authors: Cao Qing , Zhang Hanchen , Zhu Feilin , Hao Zhenchun , Yuan Feifei 
Published: June 2022

AbstractRainfall–runoff modeling is a complex hydrological issue that still has room for improvement. This study developed a coupled bidirectional long short‐term memory (LSTM) with sequence‐to‐sequence (Seq2Seq) learning (BiLSTM‐Seq2seq) model to simulate multi‐step‐ahead runoff for flood events. The bidirectional LSTM with Seq2Seq learning (LSTM‐Seq2Seq) and multilayer perceptron (MLP) was set as benchmarks. The results show that: (1) root mean absolute error is reduced by approximately 19% up to 27%, and the Nash–Sutcliffe coefficient of efficiency is improved by 14% up to 34% for 6‐h‐ahead runoff prediction for BiLSTM‐Seq2Seq compared LSTM‐Seq2Seq and MLP; (2) The BiLSTM‐Seq2Seq model has good performance not only for one‐peak flood events but also for multi‐peak flood events; and (3) BiLSTM‐Seq2Seq can mitigate the time‐delay problem and time lag is shortened by 39% up to 69% in comparison to LSTM‐Seq2Seq and MLP. These results suggest that the time‐delay problem can be mitigated by BiLSTM‐Seq2Seq, which has excellent potential in time series predictions in the hydrological field.
Automatic identification of buildings vulnerable to debris flows in Sichuan Province, China, by GIS analysis and Deep Encoding Network methods
Authors: Wei Li , Hu Kaiheng , Liu Jin 
Published: June 2022

AbstractDebris flows commonly cause tremendous damage to buildings in mountainous areas. The identification of buildings susceptible to debris flows is vital for settlement risk management. The efficient identification method is a major issue limiting the targeted regional policy setting. By combining geographic information system (GIS) and Deep Encoding Network (DE‐Net) methods, we proposed an automatic identification method for buildings highly susceptible to debris flows with large‐scale digital elevation data and high‐resolution remote sensing imagery. The judgment criteria were based on a vulnerability matrix containing different threshold values of the horizontal distance (HD) and vertical distance (VD) between buildings and channels obtained from the statistics of 362 buildings destroyed by 23 debris flows and the maximum debris flow depths of 26 events, respectively. Five steps, which are debris flow channel extraction, building extraction, building cluster segmentation, distance calculation, and building classification, were implemented in the method. A case study in Puge County, Sichuan Province, demonstrated the high identification potential of the method for buildings susceptible to debris flows in large areas with only scarce information available. The identification results provide valuable information regarding high‐risk residential areas to governments and facilitate targeted measure design in these areas in the initial planning stage.
A systematic review of relationships and sex education outcomes for students with intellectual disability reported in the international literature
Authors: Paulauskaite L. , Rivas C. , Paris A. , Totsika V. 
Published: June 2022

AbstractBackgroundLittle is known about how to evaluate relationships and sex education (RSE) delivered to students with intellectual disability and what stakeholders perceive are important outcomes. The present study aimed to systematically review existing studies on outcomes of RSE, as the first step in the development of a core outcome set (COS) for students with intellectual disability.MethodA systematic literature process included two stages: (1) searching for studies reporting on RSE outcomes for students with intellectual disability and (2) studies reporting on measurement properties (e.g. validity, reliability and responsiveness) of standardised instruments identified in stage 1.ResultsA total of 135 RSE outcomes were extracted from 42 studies: 43 outcomes for students in secondary education and 92 outcomes for students in further education. No RSE outcomes were reported for primary education. Outcomes referred to the human body, hygiene, relationships, sexuality, sex and its consequences, inappropriate and appropriate social and sexual behaviour, keeping safe, emotional vocabulary and positive self‐esteem. Outcomes were predominantly knowledge‐based, rather than relating to skills and attitudes development. Students with intellectual disability, parents and teachers perceive different RSE outcomes meaningful. Five instruments were used to measure the outcomes, but none have established psychometric properties with this population.ConclusionsThe comprehensive list of RSE outcomes for students with intellectual disability will be used to inform the next steps of a Core Outcome Set needed for RSE evaluations in research and education settings. There is an urgent need to develop standardised instruments validated for students with intellectual disability.
ERp57 chaperon protein protects neuronal cells from Aβ‐induced toxicity
Authors: Di Risola Daniel , Ricci Daniela , Marrocco Ilaria , Giamogante Flavia , Grieco Maddalena , Francioso Antonio , Vasco‐Vidal Aldrin , Mancini Patrizia , Colotti Gianni , Mosca Luciana , Altieri Fabio 
Published: June 2022

AbstractAlzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder whose main pathological hallmark is the accumulation of Amyloid‐β peptide (Aβ) in the form of senile plaques. Aβ can cause neurodegeneration and disrupt cognitive functions by several mechanisms, including oxidative stress. ERp57 is a protein disulfide isomerase involved in the cellular stress response and known to be present in the cerebrospinal fluid of normal individuals as a complex with Aβ peptides, suggesting that it may be a carrier protein which prevents aggregation of Aβ. Although several studies show ERp57 involvement in neurodegenerative diseases, no clear mechanism of action has been identified thus far. In this work, we gain insights into the interaction of Aβ with ERp57, with a special focus on the contribution of ERp57 to the defense system of the cell. Here, we show that recombinant ERp57 directly interacts with the Aβ25−35 fragment in vitro with high affinity via two in silico‐predicted main sites of interaction. Furthermore, we used human neuroblastoma cells to show that short‐term Aβ25−35 treatment induces ERp57 decrease in intracellular protein levels, different intracellular localization, and ERp57 secretion in the cultured medium. Finally, we demonstrate that recombinant ERp57 counteracts the toxic effects of Aβ25−35 and restores cellular viability, by preventing Aβ25−35 aggregation. Overall, the present study shows that extracellular ERp57 can exert a protective effect from Aβ toxicity and highlights it as a possible therapeutic tool in the treatment of AD.image
Vulvodynia: What is available online? A systematic review of information on the internet
Authors: Loganathan Jemina , Ghai Vishalli , Ilaalagan Ragave , Doumouchtsis Stergios K. ,   CHORUS
Published: June 2022

AbstractAimThis review aimed to evaluate the quality of medicalinformation online for patients relating to vulvodynia. To our knowledge no evaluation of online patient information exists regarding vulvodynia and, at present, there is no standardized or validated method of evaluating medical information on the internet.MethodsA clearly defined protocol was developed to generate keywords relating to vulvodynia. The three most popular search engines worldwide; google.com, yahoo.com, and bing.com, were searched in September 2020. Three assessors evaluated eligible webpages for accuracy, credibility, readability, and reliability.ResultsForty‐five webpages were eligible with 38% given HON certification or Information Standard approval. Only one webpage achieved a DISCERN score of ≥63 indicating excellent reliability. No webpages scored a maximum 10 points for credibility. Eleven percent of webpages were rated “accurate” with score 17 or above. The modal Flesch Kincaid Grade Level was 9 with only 15.6% having a readability grade level of 8 or less.ConclusionsIt has been shown in previous studies that patient information available online pertaining to gynecological conditions is frequently inaccurate, with limited regulation and low reliability, and our findings are in agreement with this. As patients increasingly look to the internet for medical information and education, we as clinicians, need to ensure the resources available are of a high standard and regulated. Without ensuring safe and effective healthcare resources, we risk misinformation which can negatively impact clinical care.
Meta‐analysis of the association between periodontal disease, periodontal treatment and carotid intima–media thickness
Authors: Ding Lifang , You Qiqi , Jiang Qingqing , Cao Shiyi , Jiang Shengjun 
Published: June 2022

AbstractPeriodontal disease is a major threat to oral health and would further contribute to systemic diseases without timely control. We aimed to evaluate the relation between periodontal disease, periodontal treatment and carotid intima–media thickness (CIMT) based on available epidemiological and clinical evidence. PubMed and Scopus were searched for relevant studies through May 2021. Observational studies reporting risk estimates with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for the association between periodontal disease (including periodontitis and gingivitis) and risk of increased CIMT (defined as CIMT value that exceeded the cut‐off value of clinical and prognostic significance), as well as interventional studies providing mean values with standard deviations of CIMT before and after periodontal intervention, were included. Random‐effect models for meta‐analysis were used to calculate the summary effect estimates with 95% CIs. A total of 406 citations were retrieved from electronic databases and 45 full‐text articles were screened, leaving 11 articles using ultrasound to measure CIMT with 8744 participants included. Pooled results of seven cross‐sectional studies involving 8558 participants indicated that compared to those without periodontitis, patients with periodontitis and those with severe periodontitis had an odds ratio of 1.42 (95% CI: 1.16, 1.75) and 1.70 (95% CI: 1.24, 2.33) for increased CIMT, respectively. Although publication bias was detected in these results, odds ratios corrected by the trim‐and‐fill method were still statistically significant. Results of four non‐randomized controlled trials with 186 patients suggested that periodontal intervention may help reduce CIMT in patients with periodontal disease in the short term. Periodontitis, especially severe periodontitis, was significantly associated with the risk of increased CIMT. Periodontal intervention might help slow the progression of carotid intima–media thickening in patients with periodontal disease in the short term.
Advanced practice role delineation within Hong Kong: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Jokiniemi Krista , Chair Sek Ying , Wong Frances Kam Yuet , Bryant‐Lukosius Denise 
Published: June 2022

AbstractA career ladder for nurses, including several levels of nursing practice and specific roles for advanced practice nurses, was introduced in Hong Kong around the start of the 21st century. To date no studies have distinguished the practices of advanced practice nurses in Hong Kong. This cross‐sectional study, conducted between November 2020 and March 2021, aims to identify and differentiate the practice patterns of advanced practice nurses by utilizing the Advanced Practice Role Delineation tool. A total of 191 responses were obtained. Three roles were identified: nurse consultant, advanced practice nurse, and advanced practice nurse in management. Among the five advanced practice nursing domains, nurses were most frequently involved in Education and in Direct Comprehensive Care activities, while least active in Research and in Publication and Professional Leadership. Identifying activities in various nursing roles helps to differentiate their responsibilities and provides new insights for role utilization and support. Although the role characteristics are shaped by country contexts, research evidence on practice patterns may be used to support international discussion and efforts to promote role clarity and effective role introduction and optimization.
Potential applications of medicinal herbs and phytochemicals in oral and dental health: Status quo and future perspectives
Authors: Dalir Abdolahinia Elaheh , Hajisadeghi Samira , Moayedi Banan Zahra , Dadgar Esmaeel , Delaramifar Amin , Izadian Sepideh , Sharifi Simin , Maleki Dizaj Solmaz 
Published: June 2022

AbstractObjectiveHerbal therapies are utilized to treat a broad diversity of diseases all over the globe. Although no clinical studies have been conducted to demonstrate the antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antiplaque characteristics of these plants, this does not imply that they are ineffectual as periodontal treatments or anti‐cariogenic drugs. However, there is a scarcity of research confirming their efficacy and worth.SubjectHerbs are utilized in dentistry as antimicrobial, antineoplastic, antiseptic, antioxidant, and analgesics agents as well as for the elimination of bad breath. In addition, the application of herbal agents in tissue engineering improved the regeneration of oral and dental tissues. This study reviews the application of medicinal herbs for the treatment of dental and oral diseases in different aspects.MethodsThis article focuses on current developments in the use of medicinal herbs and phytochemicals in oral and dental health. An extensive literature review was conducted via an Internet database, mostly PubMed. The articles included full‐text publications written in English without any restrictions on a date.ConclusionPlants have been suggested, as an alternate remedy for oral–dental problems, and this vocation needs long‐term dependability. More research on herbal medicine potential as pharmaceutical sources and/or therapies is needed.
Epigenetic/genetic variations in CG‐rich elements of immune‐related genes contribute to food allergy development during childhood
Authors: Kostara Maria , Chondrou Vasiliki , Fotopoulos Vassilis , Sgourou Argyro , Tsabouri Sophia 
Published: June 2022

AbstractBackgroundGenetic areas of FOXP3 TSDR, human leukocyte antigen‐G (HLA‐G) upstream of CpG island 96, CpG41 and CpG73 islands of the HLA‐DRB1 and HLA‐DQB1 genes respectively, previously documented to display immune‐modulatory properties, were subjected to epigenetic/genetic analysis to assess their influence in IgE‐mediated food allergy (FA) development in children.MethodsSixty‐four orally challenged and IgE‐tested food allergic subjects together with 44 controls were recruited. Targeted pyrosequencing analysis to detect DNA methylation status and genetic variations was utilized and experimental results obtained were analyzed by a statistical software platform and correlated to clinical data. Also, transcription factor (TF) binding sites in study areas were unmasked by the JASPAR prediction database.ResultsParents’ smoking was significantly correlated with aberrant methylation patterns, regardless of food allergic or control status. HLA‐G promoter region showed a trend for hypomethylation in food allergic subjects, with one of the CG sites displaying significantly decreased methylation values. Rs1233333, residing within the HLA‐G promoter region preserved a protective role toward DNA methylation. Variable methylation patterns were recorded for CpG41 of the HLA‐DRB1 gene and hypermethylation of the region was significantly correlated with the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). TFs’ recognition sites, located in studied genetic areas and exerting pivotal regulatory biological roles, are potentially affected by divergent DNA methylation status.ConclusionsWe propose that HLA‐G expression is triggered by food‐derived allergens, providing a TregFoxP3‐/HLA‐G+ subpopulation generation to promote direct immune tolerance. Furthermore, clear evidence is provided for the underlying co‐operation of genetic polymorphisms with epigenetic events, mainly at the CpG41 island of the HLA‐DRB1 gene, which needs an extended investigation and elucidation.