bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Retinal blood vessel analysis using optical coherence tomography in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Young Nicholas , Zivadinov Robert , Dwyer Michael G. , Bergsland Niels , Weinstock-Guttman Bianca , Jakimovski Dejan 
Published: November 2022

Background: Both greater retinal neurodegenerative pathology and greater cardiovascular burden have been seen in persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS).1,2 Moreover, studies have described multiple extracranial and intracranial vasculature changes in pwMS.3 However, only a few studies have examined the retinal vasculature in multiple sclerosis (MS).
Objectives: To determine if there are differences in retinal vasculature between pwMS and healthy controls (HCs) and their relationship to peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness.
Materials and methods: A total of 167 pwMS (113 relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and 54 progressive MS (PMS)) and 48 HCs were scanned using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Earlier OCT scans were available in a smaller sample size of 101 pwMS and 35 HCs for additional longitudinal 5-year follow-up analysis. The semiautomated segmentation of the retinal vasculature was performed in a blinded manner on peripapillary scans using the optical coherence tomography segmentation and evaluation GUI (OCTSEG) in MatLab. (Figure 1). Automated segmentation of the pRNFL was performed in the native Heidelberg OCT software. The sum of bilateral measures of total retinal vessel diameter, the total number of retinal vessels and average vessel diameter were calculated. Independent sample t-test and paired t-test were used for cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, respectively and non-parametric Spearman’s test for determining correlations.
Results: PwMS had a significantly smaller total vessel diameter (2.5 cm vs 2.7 cm, age-adjusted p=0.017) and numerically fewer number of retinal vessels when compared to HCs (35.1 vs 36.8, age-adjusted p=0.167). No significant differences between the pwRRMS and pwPMS were found. Over the follow-up, pwMS had significant decrease in number of retinal vessels (36.7 vs. 33.0, p<0.001) and significant increase in the average vessel diameter (0.072cm vs. 0.081cm, p<0.001). No longitudinal changes in the HCs were noted. Only in pwMS, lower pRNFL was associated with fewer retinal vessels and total vessel diameter (r=0.191, p=0.018 and r=0.216, p=0.007).
Conclusions: PwMS have retinal vasculature that results in smaller and fewer retinal vessels when compared to HCs that were related to reduced pRNFL. Over time, a reduction of retinal vasculature occurred. Future investigations should determine the relevance of retinal vasculature in regards to MS disease outcomes, presence of cardiovascular abnormalities and cerebral/retinal perfusion.
Aerobic exercise training reduces central arterial stiffness and improves cerebral blood flow in older adults
Authors: Zhang Rong 
Published: November 2022

Background: Evidence of the benefits of aerobic exercise training (AET) on brain structure, function, and perfusion in older adults is inconclusive.
Methods: We conducted two randomized controlled trials (RCT) in sedentary older adults with or without mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to address this question.1-3 The trial’s intervention arm was a progressive moderate-to-vigorous intensity AET, and the active control arm was stretching-and-toning (SAT). Outcome measures included neurocognitive function focused on memory and executive function, global and regional brain volume and cortical thickness measured with structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cerebral blood flow (CBF) and CBF pulsatility measured in the large cerebral arteries (the internal carotid artery, the vertebral artery, and the middle cerebral artery) with 2D duplex ultrasonography and transcranial Doppler, central arterial stiffness measured with arterial applanation tonometry, and cardiorespiratory fitness measured with treadmill peak oxygen consumption (V̇O2peak). The duration of both trials was one year.
Results: In both studies, we observed that AET increased V̇O2peak significantly by ∼10% while it did not change with SAT. Cognitive composite scores and domain-specific scores improved in both the AET and SAT groups, although no group differences were observed (likely reflected by cognitive test practice effects). Total brain and hippocampal volume and mean cortical thickness decreased in both groups over one year. Conversely, AET increased CBF, and decreased central arterial stiffness and CBF pulsatility. Increases in V̇O2peak with AET were correlated with increases in CBF and decreases in cerebrovascular resistance (CVR). Further, the improved memory score in the AET group was associated with decreased CVR and central arterial stiffness measured with carotid β-stiffness index.
Conclusions: Taken together, these findings demonstrated that one-year moderate-to-vigorous intensity AET increased CBF and decreased central arterial stiffness in older adults with or without MCI. We speculate that improvement in cerebrovascular function with AET may precede its potential effects on brain structure and neurocognitive function in older adults. (The research findings presented herein were supported by the National Institutes of Health R01AG033106 and R01HL102457)
<I>In vivo</I> mapping of hippocampal venous vasculature and oxygen saturation using dual-echo SWI/QSM at 7 T: a potential marker for neurodegeneration
Authors: Li Chenyang , Muccio Marco , Jiang Li , Sun Zhe , Buch Sagar , Zhang Jiangyang , Haacke E. Mark , Ge Yulin 
Published: November 2022

Background: The current understanding of the venous system in the hippocampus is mostly based on histological and autopsy studies.1 However, the main disadvantage is that it only reveals the anatomy of the vascular system at the post-mortem stage and lacks physiological aspects associated with neuronal metabolism. In vivo characterization of the venous system using susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) at 7 T could provide valuable information on both venous anatomy and blood oxygen saturation, through high-resolution SWI venography2 and quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM).3 In this study, we aim to elucidate the hierarchical network of the hippocampal venous system and then test the feasibility of using venous susceptibility to characterize venous oxygenation level changes related to neurodegeneration.
Methods: Seven healthy volunteers were recruited for this study. We used high in-plane resolution of flow-compensated dual-echo gradient echo sequence (TE1/TE2/TR=7.5/15/22 ms, voxel size: 0.25*0.25*1 mm). SWI and QSM were then reconstructed using the iterative SWI and mapping (iterative SWIM) algorithm,3 as shown in Figure 1. Hippocampus masks were extracted from the T1-MPRAGE image, which was transformed to SWI space afterwards. To reduce the partial volume effect from the tissue-vessel boundary, we extract the venous susceptibility value from each voxel along the centerline of the vessels.
Results: High-resolution in vivo mapping of hippocampal venous vasculature exhibits a high analogy to Duvernoy’s reference4 for hippocampal vascularization. As shown in Figure 1, there is a shape of venous arch near the fimbria of the hippocampus, and small veins extending through the arch are possibly the intrahippocampal veins. The intrahippocampal veins will eventually reach the inferior ventricular vein (IVV) (anteriorly) and medial atrial vein (MAV) (posteriorly), before joining the basal vein of Rosenthal (BVR). For venous susceptibility quantification, Figure 1 shows the representative color-coded QSM for centerline extraction on BVR.
Conclusions: Our results showed improved visualization of the micro venous system in the hippocampus using high-resolution 7 T SWI data without the contrast agent.5 In summary, the characterization of venous QSM in major tributaries related to the hippocampus offers a novel perspective on oxygen utilization in the hippocampus, which may be useful for studying age-related dementia. We delineated the hierarchical network of the hippocampus venous system using SWI/QSM at 7 T and extract the venous density and venous susceptibility value in hippocampus-related small veins and major venous tributaries, as an overall measure for venous oxygenation level related to the hippocampus, which may be used as an early marker for hippocampal atrophy in Alzheimer’s disease.
Predictors of readiness for discharge in mothers of preterm infants
Authors: Valipour Sedighe , Estebsari Fatemeh , Nasiri Maliheh , Vasli Parvaneh 
Published: November 2022

Objective:
To determine the predictive role of stress, self-efficacy, and perceived social support on readiness for discharge in mothers of preterm infants.

Methods:
The present cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 120 mothers of preterm infants admitted to hospitals affiliated to Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Iran in 2019. Participants were selected by a convenience sampling method and based on inclusion criteria. Data collection tools included the demographic questionnaire of mothers and infants, parent perceptions of their child's hospital discharge, parental stressor scale: neonatal intensive care unit, perceived maternal parenting, and multidimensional scale of perceived social support. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and stepwise regression at the significance level of 0.05.

Results:
Infant behavior and appearance, situational belief, and family support achieved the highest mean score from parents' stress, self-efficacy, and perceived social support dimensions, respectively. There was a significant relationship between stress, self-efficacy, and perceived social support with readiness for discharge in mothers of preterm infants (P<0.001). The score of mothers' readiness for discharge decreased by 0.07 per 1-point increase in stress score, and the score of readiness for discharge in mothers of preterm infants rose by 0.35 and 0.43, respectively, for a unit increase in the scores of self-efficacy and perceived social support.

Conclusions:
Stress, self-efficacy, and perceived social support can be considered as predictors of readiness for discharge in mothers of preterm infants. It is suggested that nurses in neonatal intensive care units provide a better platform for the readiness for discharge in mothers of preterm infants by reducing stressors and increasing maternal self-efficacy and social support.
Kermanian propolis induces apoptosis through upregulation of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in acute myeloblastic leukemia cell line (NB4)
Authors: Salavatipour Maryam Samareh , Kouhbananinejad Seyedeh Mehrnaz , Lashkari Mahla , Bardsiri Mahla Sattarzadeh , Moghadari Masoud , Kashani Bahareh , Farsinejad Alireza , Vahidi Reza 
Published: November 2022

ABSTRACT

Objective:
Propolis is a viscous resinous honeybee-produced substance with numerous medicinal functions; its composition and texture varies according to the geographic location. It is considered to be a promising natural source for the management and prevention of various pathological conditions. Although several studies have exhibited the anti-cancer activity of different types of propolis, the tumor-suppressing potential of Kermanian propolis against leukemia cell lines has remained poorly understood. Therefore, the current experiment was aimed to reveal the anti-tumor activity of this bioactive compound both as monotherapy and combined therapy with cytarabine against an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell line, NB4.

Materials and Methods:
Following the treatment of NB4 cells with either Kermanian propolis (5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 160, and 320 μg/mL), cytarabine (0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, and 2 mM), or their combination (40 and 80 μg/mL of Kermanian propolis along with 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 mM of cytarabine), colorimetric 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was employed to measure the viability (%) of the cells. Next, to examine the apoptotic rate and the pattern of corresponding gene expression (Bcl-2, Bax, p53, and p21), Annexin-V/PI staining by flow cytometry and quantitative Real-Time polymerase chain reaction assays were performed, respectively.

Results:
We perceived significant apoptosis induction in a dose-dependent manner following the treatment with Kermanian propolis, cytarabine, and also their combination in the NB4 cell line. In addition, the combined treatment was associated with lower expression of the anti-apoptotic gene (Bcl-2) and higher expression of the pro-apoptotic genes (p53, Bax, and p21) in comparison to mono treatments.

Conclusion:
The synergistic anti-tumor activity induced by the combination of Kermanian propolis and cytarabine presents a novel and encouraging option for AML treatment.
An assessment of school-based health instruction among primary schools in Ido/Osi local government area Southwest, Nigeria
Authors: Adeyemi EO , Olatunya OS , Fayemi O , Anidobe C , Adeyemi FM , Adebami OJ 
Published: November 2022

Background:
School Health Instruction (SHI) comprises of series of formal, well-planned, and organized learning whereby information concerning knowledge, habits, attitudes, practices, and conducts are given pertaining to the health of an individual or members of the school community. A well-structured and implemented SHI forms the basis for a healthy health promotion.

Aim:
The study aimed at assessing the implementation of SHI among primary schools in a Local Government Area, Southwest, Nigeria.

Subjects and Methods:
A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out among 67 private and public schools in a Local Government Area of Ekiti State using a standardized checklist and direct observation. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.

Results:
The ratio of teachers to pupils was 1:16 in public schools and 1:10 in private schools. More public-school teachers (93.8%) compared to private school teachers (28.9) had education-related qualifications (P < 0.0001). All public schools adhered to the recommended three periods per week on health education while the frequency of adherence varied in private schools. About half of the private school teachers and 60.4% of the public school teachers have had in-service training on general health and health promotion. Direct teaching by a subject teacher was carried out by 11.9% of the schools while 49.3% had supplemental teaching aids. The scope of health education was uniform among all the schools. Only 46.3% of the schools attained the recommended minimum acceptable score on SHI.

Conclusion:
School health instruction was poorly implemented in the study location. There is a need to scale up SHI and monitor its implementation in the study location. These efforts should be supported by all stakeholders and backed with adequate oversight function by regulatory authorities, provision of in-service training, and teaching aids for teachers.
Determination of the effect of two different methods of dental anesthesia on pain level in pediatric patients
Authors: Yilmaz N , Baygin O , Tuzuner T , Mentese A , Demir S 
Published: November 2022

Background:
In dentistry, needles are the most feared and anxiety-causing tool, making anesthetic injection a worrying practice for patients.

Aim:
To evaluate the effect of intraosseous anesthesia (IOA) and needle-free dental anesthesia (NFA) on pain levels in systemically healthy 8–10-year-old patients.

Patients and Methods:
Twenty patients aged 8–10 years were included in this cross-over study. Specifically, the pain was measured by Wong Baker, pulse rate (PR), and salivary opiorphin levels (SOL). In addition, the Frankl Behavioral scale was used to measure behaviors and face, legs, activity, cry, consolability (FLACC) was utilized to measure pain and discomfort. To determine the patients' anxiety levels Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scale (SSAS-SAAS) was used. The Friedman and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used. P < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results:
According to FLACC scores, IOA and NFA exhibited significantly pain alteration patterns in during local and topical anesthesia, respectively (p = 0.004, 0.001; P < 0.01). Also, only NFA showed significantly decreased SOL values in 5- and 10-min after local anesthesia periods compared to the before levels (p = 0.004, P = 0.001; P < 0.01).

Conclusion:
Patients feel similar pain perceptions during local anesthesia application in both injection systems. According to the SOL values, NFA may provide more higher anesthetic efficiency than IOA.
Comparison of carotid and vertebral artery doppler measurements in supine and sitting positions
Authors: Ikidag MA , Firat YE 
Published: November 2022

Background:
Carotid and vertebral Doppler ultrasonography (USG) is the primary diagnostic tool for the detection of extra cranial atherosclerotic disease and measurement of posterior fossa blood flow volume. The examination is performed while the patient lies on supine position. However, in daily practice we occasionally encounter patients who are not able to lie down on supine position for different reasons, such as kyphosis, severe dyspnea, or severe back pain.

Aim:
We aimed to compare the doppler spectral measurements of carotid and vertebral arteries obtained in supine and sitting positions.

Patients and Methods:
Fifty-three patients were recorded in the first group, to whom carotid and vertebral (CV) Doppler Ultrasound examination was initially performed while sitting, and another 52 patients were examined as the second group where initial measurements were done in a supine position. Peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (ED) from each vessel, internal carotid artery (ICA)/common carotid artery (CCA) ratio, and volume flow of vertebral artery (VA) were measured in supine and sitting positions. Also, another 83 patients with a complaint of vertigo were included in the third group but only VA measurements were compared.

Results:
In the first group, there was a difference between sitting and supine positions in right ICA diastolic, right and left VA diastolic, and left CCA diastolic velocities (P < 0.05). In the second group, there was a difference in sitting and supine positions in right CCA systolic, right CCA diastolic, and left CCA diastolic velocities (P < 0.05). In the third group, there was a difference in sitting and supine positions in right and left VA diastolic velocities, left VA volume flow, and total VA volume flow (P < 0.05). A strong correlation was detected between supine and sitting positions regarding right and left ICA stenoses. Alterations in waveforms were noted in three patients' unilateral VAs, in supine and sitting positions.

Conclusion:
Our results suggest that CV doppler examinations may be performed in the sitting positions. Examination in the sitting position may be helpful in recognizing pre-steal and retrograde flows.
The effect of leisure activities on successful aging
Authors: Çol BK , Köse BG , Başaran AG 
Published: November 2022

Backround:
The world population is aging with the prolongation of the expected life expectancy. With the increase in the elderly population in the World, successful aging and leisure activities gained importance. Leisure activities contribute to successful aging by supporting an active lifestyle.

Aim:
This study was designed to examine the relationship between older adults' participation in leisure activities and successful aging indicators such as life satisfaction, happiness, mental well-being, depression, anxiety, and stress.

Subjects and Methods:
The sample of this one-group and pre-post experimental study consisted of 28 older adults. The data were collected using the Descriptive Information Form for the Older Adults, The Happiness, Depression-Anxiety-Stress, Satisfaction with Life, and Mental Well-being Scales. The older adults participated in activities such as bead stringing, rope tying, socks matching, rope knitting, chess, and checkers, according to their preferences, for 30–45 min daily for 7 weeks.

Results:
The Happiness Scale scores statistically significantly increased to 24.39 ± 5.15 (P = 0.027 <0.05) at post-test after the activity. Similarly, Life Satisfaction Scale scores increased significantly to 16.54 ± 3.49 after the activity (P = 0.001 <0.05). There was a statistically significant decrease in Depression and Stress Scale scores (depression P = 0.035 <0.05; stress P = 0.011 < 0.05); however, a statistically insignificant increase was seen in anxiety scores (P = 0.758 >0.05). A statistically insignificant increase was also found in the Mental Well-Being Scale post-test score (P = 0.103 >0.05).

Conclusion:
Although leisure activities, effective in successful aging, have a significant effect on the happiness, life satisfaction, depression, and stress levels of older adults, they have no significant effect on the levels of anxiety and mental well-being. To maintain the positive effects of leisure activities, which are effective on success and aging in older adults, these activities can be included in the programs of institutions where people of this age group live.
Performance of artificial intelligence using oral and maxillofacial CBCT images
Authors: Badr FF , Jadu FM 
Published: November 2022

Background:
Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to enhance health care efficiency and diagnostic accuracy.

Aim:
The present study aimed to determine the current performance of AI using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images for detection and segmentation.

Materials and Methods:
A systematic search for scholarly articles written in English was conducted on June 24, 2021, in PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed articles that evaluated AI systems using CBCT images for detection and segmentation purposes and achieved reported outcomes in terms of precision and recall, accuracy, based on DICE index and Dice similarity coefficient (DSC). The Cochrane tool for assessing the risk of bias was used to evaluate the studies that were included in this meta-analysis. A random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled effect size.

Results:
Thirteen studies were included for review and analysis. The pooled performance that measures the included AI models is 0.85 (95%CI: 0.73,0.92) for DICE index/DSC, 0.88 (0.77,0.94) for precision, 0.93 (0.84, 0.97) for recall, and 0.83 (0.68, 0.91) for accuracy percentage.

Conclusion:
Some limitations are identified in our meta-analysis such as heterogenicity of studies, risk of bias and lack of ground truth. The application of AI for detection and segmentation using CBCT images is comparable to services offered by trained dentists and can potentially expedite and enhance the interpretive process. Implementing AI into clinical dentistry can analyze a large number of CBCT studies and flag the ones with significant findings, thus increasing efficiency. The study protocol was registered in PROSPERO, the international registry for systematic reviews (ID number CRD42021285095).