bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Women Surgeons in Brazil: A Time Trend Analysis by Specialties in the Last Decade
Authors: Rangel Brandão Gabriela , Iaroseski Júlia , Bueno Motter Sarah , Oliveira Trindade Bruna 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBackgroundIn surgery, there is a gender worldwide gap. In Brazil, we still do not have studies that describe this scenario. Based on this lack of research, we aim to assess the prevalence of women in surgical specialties, how it has changed over the years and how long it will take to achieve an equal distribution of men and women surgeons in Brazil.
MethodsWe conducted a retrospective review of the last five editions of the Brazilian Medical Demography (2011, 2013, 2015, 2018, and 2020). We analyzed the absolute and proportional (women/total) increase in women registered in 13 surgical specialties in Brazil. We performed a linear regression, and we estimated the expected year of equal distribution of women and men in each subspecialty, through the linear regression equation.
ResultsIn absolute numbers of women, all surgical specialties presented a linear increase over the years (p <.05). In proportional numbers of women, however, 10 specialties showed a significant linear increase (p <.05) except cardiovascular surgery, hand surgery, and neurosurgery. According to the equation that predicts equal distribution, pediatric surgery will be the first one to achieve equal distribution, in 2026, and other specialties are far from achieving it. For example, Urology will not achieve equal distribution until 2433.ConclusionsThere are fewer women surgeons in Brazil than men. However, in general, there is an increase in women in the analyzed specialties over the years. With the proportional inclusion of women in the Brazilian surgical workforce, we hope that we can achieve sex equality in Brazil.
Effect of obstructive sleep apnoea on retinal microvascular function: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Turnbull Chris D. , Stockley James A. , Madathil Shyam , Huq Syed S. A. , Cooper Brendan G. , Ali Asad , Wharton Simon , Stradling John R. , Heitmar Rebekka 
Published: February 2022

Abstract

Purpose
Retinal microvascular endothelial dysfunction is thought to be of importance in the development of ocular vascular diseases. Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) causes macrovascular endothelial dysfunction, but the effect of OSA on retinal microvascular endothelial function is not known. We aimed to determine the effect of OSA on retinal microvascular function.

Methods
We conducted a multi-centre, double-blind, randomised, parallel, controlled trial in patients with known moderate-to-severe OSA, established on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Participants were randomised to 14 nights of either continued CPAP or sham CPAP to generate a return of OSA. Retinal vascular responses to flickering light were measured using dynamic vessel analysis both at baseline and after 14 nights of intervention. The primary outcome was the change from baseline to follow-up in the area under the curve of the arteriolar response to flickering light, sham CPAP versus continued CPAP.

Results
Nineteen patients were randomised to sham CPAP, and 18 patients were randomised to continued CPAP. There was no significant effect of CPAP withdrawal and return of OSA on retinal responses, with a change in the area under the curve of the arteriole response to flickering light of + 3.8 arbitrary units (95% CI − 10.6 to + 18.2, p = 0.59), sham CPAP versus continued CPAP.

Conclusions
CPAP withdrawal and a return of OSA had no significant effect on retinal microvascular responses. This contrasts with the effect of CPAP withdrawal on macrovascular endothelial function and suggests that OSA has different effects on macrovascular and microvascular endothelial function.
ISRCTN 78082983, 23/10/2014, Prospectively registered.
Late effects and survival of children with malignant solid tumours in northern Finland: a single-centre cohort study
Authors: Kortelainen Sanni , Harju Tekla , Juntti Hanna , Pokka Tytti , Niinimäki Riitta 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe global survival rates for childhood cancers are high: approximately 80% of affected children will survive. Nevertheless, the burden of treatment for survivors is also high as three-quarters experience late effects of varying severity following cancer treatment. The aims of this study were to evaluate the treatment-related late effects of patients with childhood solid tumour in northern Finland and to report their survival rates. Our study included 104 patients treated for malignant solid tumours, excluding central nervous system tumours and lymphomas, between 1990 and 2015. Information regarding the type of late effects as well as other clinical data were obtained from the patients’ medical records. Late effects were observed in 65 (63%) patients, and almost half (40%) of the patients displayed more than one late effect. The most common late effect was hearing loss (n = 20). The 5-year survival rate in our study was 75%. Conclusion: Our results highlight the importance of long-term follow-up for childhood cancer survivors. As survivors age and survival rates improve, late effects and their impact on patient health as well as the value of surveillance must be considered.

What is Known:• Up to three-quarters of childhood cancer survivors experience treatment-related late effects.

What is New:• The 5-year survival rate and the prevalence of late effects amongst childhood solid tumour patients treated in northern Finland are in line with findings from previous studies.
Optimizing fresh-frozen plasma transfusion in surgical neonates through thromboelastography: a quality improvement study
Authors: Raffaeli Genny , Pesenti Nicola , Cavallaro Giacomo , Cortesi Valeria , Manzoni Francesca , Amelio Giacomo Simeone , Gulden Silvia , Napolitano Luisa , Macchini Francesco , Mosca Fabio , Ghirardello Stefano 
Published: February 2022

AbstractFresh frozen plasma (FFP) is largely misused in the neonatal setting. The aim of the study is to evaluate the impact of a Thromboelastography (TEG)-based Quality Improvement (QI) project on perioperative FFP use and neonatal outcomes. Retrospective pre-post implementation study in a level-III NICU including all neonates undergoing major non-cardiac surgery before (01–12/2017) and after (01–12/2019) the intervention. In 2018, the intervention included the following: (1) Training on TEG, (2) Implementation of TEG, and (3) Algorithm for TEG-directed FFP administration in surgical neonates. We compared pre- vs post-intervention patient characteristics, hemostasis, and clinical management. Linear and logistic regression models were used to evaluate the impact of the project on main outcomes. We analyzed 139 neonates (pre-intervention: 72/post-intervention: 67) with a mean (± SD) gestational age (GA) 34.9 (± 5) weeks and birthweight 2265 (± 980) grams which were exposed to 184 surgical procedures (pre-intervention: 91/post-intervention: 93). Baseline characteristics were similar between periods. In 2019, prothrombin time (PT) was longer (14.3 vs 13.2 s; p < 0.05) and fibrinogen was lower (229 vs 265 mg/dl; p < 0.05), if compared to 2017. In 2019, the intraoperative exposure to FFP decreased (31% vs 60%, p < 0.001), while the pre-operative FFP use did not change. The reduction of intraoperative FFP did not impact on mortality and morbidity. Intraoperative FFP use was lower in the post-intervention even after controlling for GA, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, PT, and fibrinogen (Odds ratio: 0.167; 95% CI: 0.070, 0.371). Conclusion: The TEG-based QI project for the management of FFP during neonatal surgery reduced intraoperative FFP exposure.

What is Known:• PT and aPTT are poor predictors of bleeding risk in acquired neonatal coagulopathy, leading to likely unnecessary fresh frozen plasma (FFP) transfusion in the Neonatal Intensive Care Setting. • As neonatal hemostasis is a delicate balance between the concomitant reduction of pro- and anti-coagulants drivers, thromboelastography (TEG) is a promising alternative for coagulation monitoring.

What is New:• The implementation of TEG, training, and shared protocols contributed to reduced intraoperative FFP use, which was not associated with increased mortality or bleeding events.• These findings inform future research showing that there is clinical equipoise to allow for larger studies to confirm the use of TEG in NICUs and to identify TEG cut-offs for transfusion practice.
Deterministic Constructions of High-Dimensional Sets with Small Dispersion
Authors: Ullrich Mario , Vybíral Jan 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe dispersion of a point set$$P\subset [0,1]^d$$P⊂[0,1]dis the volume of the largest box with sides parallel to the coordinate axes, which does not intersectP. It was observed only recently that, for any$$\varepsilon >0$$ε>0, certain randomized constructions provide point sets with dispersion smaller than$$\varepsilon $$εand number of elements growing only logarithmically ind. Based on deep results from coding theory, we present explicit, deterministic algorithms to construct such point sets in time that is only polynomial ind. Note that, however, the running-time will be super-exponential in$$\varepsilon ^{-1}$$ε-1. Our construction is based on the apparently new insight that low-dispersion point sets can be deduced from solutions of certaink-restriction problems, which are well-known in coding theory.
Predictive value of the Distress Thermometer score for risk of suicide in patients with cancer
Authors: Chiang Yung-Chih , Couper Jeremy , Chen Jing-Wen , Lin Ke-Jui , Wu Han-Ping 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to assess the association between the Distress Thermometer (DT) score and risk of suicide in patients with cancer. In addition, we aimed to determine the best cutoff score to predict patients at risk of suicide.

Methods
From 2015 to 2016, we retrospectively collected data on patients with cancer. DT scores were collected, and the association between DT score and risk of suicide (suicide ideation or death ideation) was analyzed. Furthermore, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to identify the appropriate cutoff score for predicting risk of suicide.

Results
A total of 260 patients with cancer were included, and suicidal ideation was identified in 33 cases referred for psychological intervention. The DT scores of the patients with suicidal ideation were significantly higher than those of patients without suicidal ideation (6.30±2.11 vs. 4.29±1.72, p<0.05). In addition, the area under the ROC curve for predicting risk for suicide was 0.758. The cutoff DT score of 3 had the highest sensitivity of 1.00 to rule out suicidal ideation, while 9 had the highest specificity of 1.00 to rule in suicidal ideation. Moreover, the appropriate cutoff DT score to predict patients with suicidal ideation was 5, with a sensitivity of 0.52, specificity of .84, positive likelihood ratio of 3.24, and negative likelihood ratio of 0.58.

Conclusion
The DT score may be a helpful clinical tool to evaluate emotional distress and risk of suicide in patients with cancer. Clinically, for DT scores greater than 5 in patients with cancer, the risk of suicide greatly increases. In view of the DT’s widespread use internationally by non-mental health clinicians in cancer to guide the need for specialist mental health interventions, its potential utility in also predicting suicide risk is of great interest.
Risk factors for nephropathy in persons with type 1 diabetes: a population-based study
Authors: Seyed Ahmadi Shilan , Pivodic Aldina , Svensson Ann-Marie , Wedel Hans , Rathsman Björn , Nyström Thomas , Ludvigsson Johnny , Lind Marcus 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
Aims
Albuminuria is strongly associated with risk of renal dysfunction, cardiovascular disease and mortality. However, clinical guidelines diverge, and evidence is sparse on what risk factor levels regarding blood pressure, blood lipids and BMI are needed to prevent albuminuria in adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes.

Methods
A total of 9347 children and adults with type 1 diabetes [mean age 15.3 years and mean diabetes duration 1.4 years at start of follow-up] from The Swedish National Diabetes Registry were followed from first registration until end of 2017. Levels for risk factors for a risk increase in nephropathy were evaluated, and the gradient of risk per 1 SD (standard deviation) was estimated to compare the impact of each risk factor.

Results
During the follow-up period, 8610 (92.1%) remained normoalbuminuric, 737 (7.9%) individuals developed micro- or macroalbuminuria at any time period of whom 132 (17.9% of 737) individuals developed macroalbuminuria. Blood pressure ≥ 140/80 mmHg was associated with increased risk of albuminuria (p ≤ 0.0001), as were triglycerides ≥ 1.0 mmol/L (p = 0.039), total cholesterol ≥ 5.0 mmol/L (p =  0.0003), HDL < 1.0 mmol/L (p = 0.013), LDL 3.5– < 4.0 mmol/L (p = 0.020), and BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 (p =  0.033). HbA1c was the strongest risk factor for any albuminuria estimated by the measure gradient of risk per 1 SD, followed by diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, cholesterol and LDL. In patients with HbA1c > 65 mmol/mol (> 8.1%), blood pressure > 140/70 mmHg was associated with increased risk of albuminuria.

Conclusions
Preventing renal complications in adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes need avoidance at relatively high levels of blood pressure, blood lipids and BMI, whereas very tight control is not associated with further risk reduction. For patients with long-term poor glycaemic control, stricter blood pressure control is advocated.
Early extractions of premolars reduce age-related crowding of lower incisors: 50 years of follow-up
Authors: Persson Maurits , Al-Taai Nameer , Pihlgren Karin , Westerlund Anna 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
Objectives
To study the effects of extraction of four premolars, without subsequent orthodontic treatment, on the crowding of lower incisors in subjects between early adolescence and late adulthood, as compared to untreated subjects.

Materials and methods
A total of 45 subjects were included in this study. The extraction group comprised 24 subjects who had all the first premolars removed at a mean age of 11.5 years, to relieve crowding in a class I malocclusion without subsequent orthodontic treatment. The control group had 21 untreated subjects, having a normal occlusion at a mean age of 13.0 years. The participants were documented with dental casts and cephalograms at mean ages of 11.4 and 13.0 years, for the two groups respectively (T1), and at mean ages of 30.9 years (T2) and 61.7 years (T3). Changes in lower incisor crowding were described as changes in “irregularity” and “space deficiency.”

Results
The extraction group showed no changes in the irregularity of the lower incisors and significant improvement of the space deficiency of the lower teeth into late adulthood. While in the control group, both irregularity of the lower incisors and space deficiency of the lower teeth increased significantly into late adulthood.

Conclusion
Lower incisor alignment remains mainly unchanged into late adulthood in subjects who have all their first premolars removed in childhood, as the only treatment to relieve teeth crowding.

Clinical relevance
Severe crowding in a class I occlusion can be solved solely with premolar extraction, allowing for spontaneous adjustments with more stable incisor alignment up to late adulthood.
Quantifying an online wildlife trade using a web crawler
Authors: Masters Susanne , Anthoons Bastien , Madesis Panagiotis , G. Saroja Seethapathy , Schermer Maarten , Gerritsen Wilfred , Karahan Arzu , Verdoes Rick , Schwallier Rachel , van Andel Tinde , de Boer Hugo , Gravendeel Barbara 
Published: February 2022

AbstractLegally protected plants are illegally traded through online sales platforms and orchids are a significant component of this wildlife trade. This study focused on salep, a compound product made from wild collected orchid tubers from several genera—including Anacamptis, Dactylorhiza, Himantoglossum, Ophrys, Orchis, Serapias—whose harvest endangers some of the species used, despite their collection and sale being restricted by national and international legislation. Using a custom designed web crawler in combination with DNA barcoding of a subset of products over 18 months 1942 items of salep were detected as sold at a total value of US$ 37,775, estimated to be equivalent to 90,000 to 180,000 wild orchids being destructively harvested. Wild harvested tubers traded at a value of $0.21 and equivalent cultivated orchids have a market price of $16–28; cultivation is currently no viable alternative to wild harvesting. Using a web crawler on open trade sites contributes to knowledge on illegal wildlife trade, which can be used to address illegal plant trade at the national and international level.
Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder-Short Version (PSCD-SV): Psychometric Properties, Concurrent Correlates and Parenting Predictors
Authors: López-Romero Laura , Cutrín Olalla , Maneiro Lorena , Salekin Randall T. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe present study aims to further examine the four-factor model of psychopathy in adolescence with a new alternate model for the assessment of psychopathic traits and conduct disorder (CD): The Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder-Short version (PSCD-SV). Data were collected in a sample of 414 adolescents (49.2% females) aged 12–15 at the first assessment who were then followed-up 2 years later. Results supported the usefulness of the PSCD-SV to assess the broader construct of psychopathy showing good psychometric properties, including adequate reliability and validity, while accounting for all its dimensions. In addition, the study showed close associations between psychopathic traits and adolescent behavioral, emotional and psychosocial maladjustment. Finally, the findings elucidated the PSCD’s connection to parental support and psychological control, and reinforced the potential role of parenting practices as predictors that can act as mechanisms of change in the development of psychopathy. Overall, current findings shed light on conceptual and developmental models of psychopathy that may have implications for assessment, diagnostic classification, prevention, and intervention.
An Approaching Motor Boat Induces Stress-Related Behaviors in Proboscis Monkeys (Nasalis larvatus) Living in a Riparian Area
Authors: Davila-Ross Marina , Pople Helen , Gibson Violet , Nathan Senthilvel K. S. S. , Goossens Benoit , Stark Danica J. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractPrimate ecotourism is a fast-growing tourism sector that may have a negative effect on wildlife. In riparian areas, tourists can conveniently reach primates via motor boats, but no study has directly examined whether such boats cause stress in primates. Our goal was to test whether the approach of a motor boat induces stress-related and other behaviors in proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus), an Endangered species. We studied six one-male, multifemale groups living in a remote riparian area in Sabah, Malaysia, and conducted an experiment by approaching the monkeys in a motor boat by using three conditions with different speeds and travel distances (fast-close, slow-close, and slow-far conditions; 7-8 subjects per condition). For each condition, we compared stress-related behaviors before the boat approach with after the boat started approaching. Feeding, allogrooming and aggression were similarly examined, respectively. We also observed the monkeys’ behaviors at other times to examine age-sex classes differences in vigilance, social proximity, allogrooming, aggression and play (87 subjects). In the experiment, subjects displayed stress-related behaviors for longer in the fast-close and slow-close conditions once the boat started approaching than before the boat approach. The subjects also reduced feeding in the fast-close condition after the boat started approaching. In our observational study, males were more vigilant than females—a behavior that is likely to relate to male-male competition and group protection. This study provides evidence that even a single motor boat moving slowly, with humans behaving calmly, may negatively affect primate behavior and induce stress—an impact that is likely to be larger with tourist boats. Our study also shows that using conditions comparable to the slow-far condition (speed of 3.6 km/hr; no closer than 60 m), where no impact was observed, may help with to develop guidelines for primate tourism in riparian areas. Future research that examines the impact of boats on other primates is needed.
The effect of real estate purchase subsidies on property prices
Authors: Krolage Carla 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThis paper assesses to which degree housing purchase subsidies are capitalized into property prices. Using a large-scale micro-dataset on German house prices, I exploit the introduction of a new subsidy scheme in the state of Bavaria. My difference-in-difference estimations at the Bavarian interstate border indicate that the prices of single-family homes increased by approximately 10,000 euros more in Bavarian border regions. This is consistent with a full capitalization of the subsidy. No effect is found for apartments, whose purchasers seldom qualify for the subsidy. A heterogeneity analysis confirms that the price effect is larger in segments of the real estate market with a higher exposure to the subsidy scheme. I also provide suggestive evidence that the subsidy scheme slightly stimulated construction activity. Overall, my results indicate that instead of making house purchases more affordable for families, the subsidy scheme led to a rise in house prices and mainly benefited sellers of properties.
Schema-Centred Unity and Process-Centred Pluralism of the Predictive Mind
Authors: Poth Nina 
Published: February 2022

AbstractProponents of the predictive processing (PP) framework often claim that one of the framework’s significant virtues is its unificatory power. What is supposedly unified are predictive processes in the mind, and these are explained in virtue of a common prediction error-minimisation (PEM) schema. In this paper, I argue against the claim that PP currently converges towards a unified explanation of cognitive processes. Although the notion of PEM systematically relates a set of posits such as ‘efficiency’ and ‘hierarchical coding’ into a unified conceptual schema, neither the frameworks’ algorithmic specifications nor its hypotheses about their implementations in the brain are clearly unified. I propose a novel way to understand the fruitfulness of the research program in light of a set of research heuristics that are partly shared with those common to Bayesian reverse engineering. An interesting consequence of this proposal is that pluralism is at least as important as unification to promote the positive development of the predictive mind.
A class of C2 quasi-interpolating splines free of Gibbs phenomenon
Authors: Amat Sergio , Levin David , Ruiz-Álvarez Juan , Trillo Juan C. , Yáñez Dionisio F. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractIn many applications, it is useful to use piecewise polynomials that satisfy certain regularity conditions at the joint points. Cubic spline functions emerge as good candidates havingC2regularity. On the other hand, if the data points present discontinuities, the classical spline approximations produce Gibbs oscillations. In a recent paper, we have introduced a new nonlinear spline approximation avoiding the presence of these oscillations. Unfortunately, this new reconstruction loses theC2regularity. This paper introduces a new nonlinear spline that preserves the regularity at all the joint points except at the end points of an interval containing a discontinuity, and that avoids the Gibbs oscillations.