bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effects of professional expertise on perceptions of treatment need in patients with class II division 1 malocclusion: a comparison between orthodontists, general dentists, and lay people in Germany
Authors: Bühling Sarah , Neidhardt Stefanie , Sayahpour Babak , Eslami Sara , Plein Nicolas , Kopp Stefan
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This study aimed to compare the perception of practitioners with varying levels of expertise and laypeople regarding the orthodontic treatment need and facial harmony in patients with increased anterior overjet.

Methods

Three groups of observers (orthodontists, general dentists, and laypeople, in total n = 48) were asked to rate on images—using a 10-point visual analog scale (VAS)—the facial harmony and treatment need of a sample of 8 patients with class II division 1 malocclusion and overjets of 2, 4, 6, and 8 mm.

Results

Statistically significant differences were observed between the three groups of observers regarding patients with an overjet of 4 mm and above (p < 0.001). Treatment need was perceived at an overjet of 4 mm by orthodontists and 6 mm by general dentists, whereas laypeople did not perceive a need for treatment in any of the groups (p < 0.001). Regarding perception of facial harmony, orthodontists had the lowest threshold (4 mm overjet), while dentists followed at a greater overjet of 6 mm or more (p < 0.001). A statistically significant correlation between the noticed facial harmony and the perceived orthodontic treatment need was found in all observers (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The perceived orthodontic treatment need for class II division 1 malocclusion increased with increasing professional expertise.
Unveiling the automation—wage inequality nexus within and across regions
Authors: Capello Roberta , Ciappei Simona , Lenzi Camilla
Published: November 2024

Since the1800s, automation technologies have been interpreted as a source of displacement effects, largely conceptualised and empirically proved in a vast literature. This paper claims that, despite their non-manufacturing nature, metropolitan regions are not exempted by the negative effects of automation on wage inequalities across workers’ groups. The paper empirically proves this statement by analysing the effects on jobs and wage differentials among groups of workers associated with the diffusion of robot technologies in Italian NUTS3 regions in the period 2012–2019. Results show that automation technologies in the form of robotisation do displace jobs, harming particularly low-skilled workers in non-metropolitan manufacturing regions, where inter-group wage inequalities increase. However, through the creation of high-skilled jobs, also cities experience a rise of inter-group workers inequalities. These results call for appropriate policies to cope with the changing occupational profiles requested by the labour market.
Epistatic effects of IGHG and FCGRIIB genes on the development of Alzheimer’s disease in African Americans
Authors: Pandey Janardan P. , Nietert Paul J. , Namboodiri Aryan M. , Bennett David A. , Barnes Lisa L.
Published: November 2024

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have identified a large number of susceptibility genes, but most of AD heritability remains unexplained, implying the existence of additional genes. Furthermore, the majority of the GWAS have been conducted in people of European descent, and the genes important for AD susceptibility in people of African descent have been underexplored. In this hypothesis-generating prospective cohort study, we genotyped 191 African Americans (AAs) from three longitudinal cohorts on aging for the IgG3 allotype GM6, which is expressed exclusively in people of African descent, and assessed its interaction with IGHG, FCGRIIB, and HLA-DRB1 genes. Cox proportional hazards modeling showed that GM6 by itself was not significantly associated with AD development. However, there was evidence of epistatic interaction: The risk of developing AD associated with GM6 positivity was significantly different (p = 0.0098) in non-GM17/GM17 participants compared with GM 17/GM17 participants. Specifically, in non-GM17/GM17 participants, the risk of AD was over fourfold higher in GM6-positive participants compared with GM 6-negative participants (HR = 4.63). Similarly, risk of developing AD associated with GM6 positivity was marginally different in non-FCGRIIB TT participants compared with FCGRIIB TT participants. In non-FCGRIIB TT participants, the risk of developing AD was over twofold higher in GM6-positive participants compared with GM6-negative participants (HR = 2.44). This is the first report suggesting that immunoglobulin GM allotypes might play a role in AD etiology among AAs; however, since this was largely a hypothesis-generating study, replication in larger cohorts would be required to confirm this finding.
Combination of ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related inhibition with ablative radiotherapy remodels the tumor microenvironment and enhances immunotherapy response in lung cancer
Authors: Chen Jenny Ling-Yu , Pan Chun-Kai , Lin Li-Cheng , Huang Yu-Sen , Huang Tsung-Hsuan , Yang Shu-Jyuan , Kuo Sung-Hsin , Lin Yu-Li
Published: November 2024

We investigated the combined effects of ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) inhibition, ablative radiotherapy, and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy against lung cancer. ATR inhibitor was administered combined with ablative radiotherapy to assess its radiosensitizing effect on lung cancer cells. Treatment response and survival were evaluated in vivo using A549 xenograft flank tumor and synchronous LLC lung and flank tumor mouse models. Mice received ablative radiotherapy (12 Gy/d for 2 d), ATR inhibitor, and ICI. The tumor microenvironment was assessed in irradiated flank and non-irradiated lung tumors. Programmed death-ligand 1 expression was upregulated after irradiation. ATR inhibition attenuated this upregulation. ATR inhibitor pretreatment decreased cell survival after irradiation by inhibiting DNA double-strand break repair, inducing mitotic cell death, and altering cell cycle progression. ATR inhibition enhanced radiation-induced damage-associated molecular patterns determined by high mobility group box 1 quantification and activated the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes pathway. Combined ATR inhibition and ablative radiotherapy inhibited tumor growth and improved survival in mice. Adding ICI therapy further enhanced local antitumor effects, reducing the metastatic lung tumor burden and remodeling the tumor microenvironment through immunogenic cell death induction and enhanced immune cell infiltration. Triple therapy increased immune cell infiltration in distant non-irradiated lung tumors and stimulated the generation of protective T-cell immunity in splenocytes. Safety analysis showed minimal toxicity. ATR inhibition enhanced the efficacy of ablative radiotherapy and immunotherapy in lung cancer. These findings underscore the importance of combination therapies for enhancing systemic antitumor immune responses and outcomes.
Cellular diffusion processes in singularly perturbed domains
Authors: Bressloff Paul C.
Published: November 2024

There are many processes in cell biology that can be modeled in terms of particles diffusing in a two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) bounded domain $$\varOmega \subset {\mathbb {R}}^d$$

Ω
⊂

R

d

containing a set of small subdomains or interior compartments $${\mathcal {U}}_j$$

U
j

, $$j=1,\ldots ,N$$

j
=
1
,
…
,
N

(singularly-perturbed diffusion problems). The domain $$\varOmega $$
Ω
could represent the cell membrane, the cell cytoplasm, the cell nucleus or the extracellular volume, while an individual compartment could represent a synapse, a membrane protein cluster, a biological condensate, or a quorum sensing bacterial cell. In this review we use a combination of matched asymptotic analysis and Green’s function methods to solve a general type of singular boundary value problems (BVP) in 2D and 3D, in which an inhomogeneous Robin condition is imposed on each interior boundary $$\partial {\mathcal {U}}_j$$

∂

U
j

. This allows us to incorporate a variety of previous studies of singularly perturbed diffusion problems into a single mathematical modeling framework. We mainly focus on steady-state solutions and the approach to steady-state, but also highlight some of the current challenges in dealing with time-dependent solutions and randomly switching processes.
In-hospital bioimpedance-derived total body water predicts short-term cardiovascular mortality and re-hospitalizations in acute decompensated heart failure patients
Authors: Faragli Alessandro , Herrmann Alexander , Cvetkovic Mina , Perna Simone , Khorsheed Eman , Lo Muzio Francesco Paolo , La Porta Edoardo , Fassina Lorenzo , Günther Anna-Marie , Oetvoes Jens , Düngen Hans-Dirk , Alogna Alessio
Published: November 2024

Background

Hospital re-admissions in heart failure (HF) patients are mostly caused by an acute exacerbation of their chronic congestion. Bioimpedance analysis (BIA) has emerged as a promising non-invasive method to assess the volume status in HF. However, its correlation with clinically assessed volume status and its prognostic value in the acute intra-hospital setting remains uncertain.

Methods and results

In this single-center observational study, patients (n = 49) admitted to the cardiology ward for acute decompensated HF (ADHF) underwent a daily BIA-derived volume status assessment. Median hospital stay was 7 (4–10) days. Twenty patients (40%) reached the composite endpoint of cardiovascular mortality or re-hospitalization for HF over 6 months. Patients at discharge displayed improved NYHA class, lower body weight, plasma and blood volume, as well as lower NT-proBNP levels compared to the admission. Compared to patients with total body water (TBW) less than or equal to that predicted by body weight, those with higher relative TBW levels had elevated NT-proBNP and E/e´ (both p < 0.05) at discharge. In the Cox multivariate regression analysis, the BIA-derived delta TBW between admission and discharge showed a 23% risk reduction for each unit increase (HR = 0.776; CI 0.67–0.89; p = 0.0006). In line with this finding, TBW at admission had the highest prediction importance of the combined endpoint for a subgroup of high-risk HF patients (n = 35) in a neural network analysis.

Conclusion

In ADHF patients, BIA-derived TBW is associated with the increased risk of HF hospitalization or cardiovascular death over 6 months. The role of BIA for prognostic stratification merits further investigation.
Asymmetry of attentive networks contributes to adult Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) pathophysiology
Authors: Parlatini Valeria , Radua Joaquim , Robertsson Naianna , Lintas Alessandra , Atuk Emel , dell’Acqua Flavio , Thiebaut de Schotten Michel , Murphy Declan
Published: November 2024

Diffusion imaging studies in Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have revealed alterations in anatomical brain connections, such as the fronto-parietal connection known as superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). Studies in neurotypical adults have shown that the three SLF branches (SLF I, II, III) support distinct brain functions, such as attention and inhibition; and that their pattern of lateralization is associated with attention performance. However, most studies in ADHD have investigated the SLF as a single bundle and in children; thus, the potential contribution of the lateralization of the SLF branches to adult ADHD pathophysiology remains to be elucidated. We used diffusion-weighted spherical deconvolution tractography to dissect the SLF branches in 60 adults with ADHD (including 26 responders and 34 non-responders to methylphenidate, MPH) and 20 controls. Volume and hindrance modulated orientational anisotropy (HMOA), which respectively reflect white matter macro- and microstructure, were extracted to calculate the corresponding lateralization indices. We tested whether neurotypical controls differed from adults with ADHD, and from treatment response groups in sensitivity analyses; and investigated associations with clinico-neuropsychological profiles. All the three SLF branches were lateralized in adults with ADHD, but not in controls. The lateralization of the SLF I HMOA was associated with performance at the line bisection, not that of the SLF II volume as previously reported in controls. Further, an increased left-lateralization of the SLF I HMOA was associated with higher hyperactivity levels in the ADHD group. Thus, an altered asymmetry of the SLF, perhaps especially of the dorsal branch, may contribute to adult ADHD pathophysiology.
Polymorphic pseudogenes in the human genome - a comprehensive assessment
Authors: Lopes-Marques Mónica , Peixoto M. João , Cooper David N. , Prata M. João , Azevedo Luísa , Castro L. Filipe C.
Published: November 2024

Background: Over the past decade, variations of the coding portion of the human genome have become increasingly evident. In this study, we focus on polymorphic pseudogenes, a unique and relatively unexplored type of pseudogene whose inactivating mutations have not yet been fixed in the human genome at the global population level. Thus, polymorphic pseudogenes are characterized by the presence in the population of both coding alleles and non-coding alleles originating from Loss-of-Function (LoF) mutations. These alleles can be found both in heterozygosity and in homozygosity in different human populations and thus represent pseudogenes that have not yet been fixed in the population. Results: A methodical cross-population analysis of 232 polymorphic pseudogenes, including 35 new examples, reveals that human olfactory signalling, drug metabolism and immunity are among the systems most impacted by the variable presence of LoF variants at high frequencies. Within this dataset, a total of 179 genes presented polymorphic LoF variants in all analysed populations. Transcriptome and proteome analysis confirmed that although these genes may harbour LoF alleles, when the coding allele is present, the gene remains active and can play a functional role in various metabolic pathways, including drug/xenobiotic metabolism and immunity. The observation that many polymorphic pseudogenes are members of multigene families argues that genetic redundancy may play a key role in compensating for the inactivation of one paralogue. Conclusions: The distribution, expression and integration of cellular/biological networks in relation to human polymorphic pseudogenes, provide novel insights into the architecture of the human genome and the dynamics of gene gain and loss with likely functional impact.
Deterministic fault-tolerant connectivity labeling scheme
Authors: Izumi Taisuke , Emek Yuval , Wadayama Tadashi , Masuzawa Toshimitsu
Published: November 2024

The f-fault-tolerant connectivity labeling (f-FTC labeling) is a scheme of assigning each vertex and edge with a small-size label such that one can determine the connectivity of two vertices s and t under the presence of at most f faulty edges only from the labels of s, t, and the faulty edges. This paper presents a new deterministic f-FTC labeling scheme attaining

$$O(f^2 \textrm{polylog}(n))$$

O
(

f
2

polylog

(
n
)

)

-bit label size and a polynomial construction time, which settles the open problem left by Dory and Parter (in: Proceedings of the 2021 ACM symposium on principles of distributed computing (PODC), pp 445–455, 2021). The key ingredient of our construction is to develop a deterministic counterpart of the graph sketch technique by Ahn et al. (in: Proceedings of the 31st ACM SIGMOD-SIGACT-SIGAI symposium on principles of database systems (PODS), pp 5–14, 2012), via some natural connection with the theory of error-correcting codes. This technique removes one major obstacle in de-randomizing the Dory–Parter scheme. The whole scheme is obtained by combining this technique with a new deterministic graph sparsification algorithm derived from the seminal

$$\epsilon $$

ϵ

-net theory, which is also of independent interest. As byproducts, our result deduces the first deterministic fault-tolerant approximate distance labeling scheme with a non-trivial performance guarantee and an improved deterministic fault-tolerant compact routing. The authors believe that our new technique is potentially useful in the future exploration of more efficient FTC labeling schemes and other related applications based on graph sketches.
Preoperative hypoxic biomarkers and postoperative delirium in patients with obstructive sleep apnea
Authors: Breitkopf Martin , Ahrens Elena , Herrmann Matthias L. , Heinemann Stephanie , Kuester Olivia , Ma Haobo , Walther Andreas , Thomas Christine , Eschweiler Gerhard W. , von Arnim Christine A. F. , Wagner Soeren
Published: November 2024

Purpose

Postoperative delirium (POD) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with increased mortality and healthcare costs. In this study, we investigated the association of OSA risk, serum biomarkers for central nervous ischemia (S100B and NSE), and POD.

Methods

After research ethics approval, patients completed the STOP BANG assessment before undergoing elective surgery. Blood was drawn for S100B and NSE measurement, and cognitive performance was tested using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) at study admission and postoperatively at discharge. Delirium assessment was performed using the Nursing Delirium Screening Scale (NuDESC) and the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM).

Results

One hundred twenty-four enrolled patients were separated into three OSA-risk groups based on STOP BANG score testing (low risk, n = 22; intermediate risk, n = 67; high risk, n = 35). Preoperative NSE values increased with OSA risk (NSE in ng/ml; mean [range]; low risk: 15.6 [9.2–44.3]; intermediate risk: 21.8 [7.6–114.1]; high risk: 29.2 [10.1–151]; p = 0.039). Postoperative MoCA and NuDESC assessments were not different between the OSA-risk groups. We found a decreasing incidence for POD with increasing OSA risk (positive CAM: low risk: 18.1%, intermediate risk: 12.0%; high risk: 11.5%, p = 0.043). However, this was no longer detectable in a complete case analysis. In patients with POD, postoperative ischemic biomarker values were not different between OSA-risk groups.

Conclusion

We found a trend of decreasing POD incidence with increasing OSA risk, which was not robust in a complete case analysis. Our results possibly support the phenomenon of hypoxic preconditioning.
Performance of the systemic lupus erythematosus risk probability index (SLERPI) in the Egyptian college of rheumatology (ECR) study cohort
Authors: Hammam Nevin , Elsaman Ahmed , Abualfadl Esam , Senara Soha , Gamal Nada M. , Abd-Elsamea Mona H. , Moshrif Abdelhfeez , Hammam Osman , Gheita Tamer A. , Tharwat Samar ,   on behalf of the Egyptian College of Rheumatology (ECR) Study Group
Published: November 2024

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate the performance of systemic lupus erythematosus Risk Probability Index (SLERPI) in Egyptian patients with SLE using a national rheumatology database.

Methods

The Egyptian College of Rheumatology (ECR) database comprised of 1,162 patients with SLE and 4,327 with miscellaneous rheumatological diseases who were recruited from the Rheumatology Departments across the country. The diagnosis of SLE was established by expert rheumatologists. Variables of the SLERPI were extracted and recorded as present or absent for each patient. The absolute value for the SLERPI score was calculated for each patient, and the diagnosis of SLE was accounted for if the score was greater than 7 points.

Results

Of 1,162 SLE patients evaluated, 1,031 (88.7%) patients were diagnosed with SLE according to the SLERPI, with an average score of 13.1 (3.8). Differences in the 14 SLERPI variables were significant between the SLE-SLERPI groups, except for the presence of leukopenia and positive ANA. As a score reduction item, the SLE-SLERPI > 7 group had lower interstitial lung diseases. Patients diagnosed with SLE according to SLERPI had significantly higher disease activity (p < 0.001), and this group more commonly received corticosteroids and mycophenolate mofetil. Compared to other miscellaneous rheumatological groups, all 14 SLERPI items are indeed more common in the SLE group. In terms of the overall performance of SLERPI in the diagnosis of SLE, the accuracy of SLERPI was 91.9% (95% CI 90.9%—92.9%), with a specificity of 96.95% and sensitivity of 86.9%. SLERPI showed that accuracy went up to 93.3% (95%CI 92.4%-94.2%), with a specificity of 94.9% and a sensitivity of 91.6% when patients with connective tissue diseases were taken out of the study.

Conclusion

Using a large cohort of SLE, the SLERPI revealed excellent diagnostic efficacy and specificity. The use of SLERPI in clinical practice may contribute to improved patient diagnosis and prognosis.

Key Points• SLERPI's performance has high diagnostic efficiency in Egyptian SLE patients.• SLERPI score can efficiently distinguish patients with SLE from other CTDs.• Within the SLERPI score, interstitial lung disease is the lowest predictor of SLE.
The Importance of Including Psychophysiological Methods in Psychotherapy
Authors: Lehrer Paul
Published: November 2024

This paper describes characteristics of sophisticated use of psychophysiological therapy procedures and describes a scoping review of evidence that adding psychophysiological procedures to psychotherapy improves outcome. It also reviews literature describing comparisons between psychophysiological procedures and various CBT and other verbal psychotherapy procedures when used as monotherapies. Some details of progressive muscle relaxation, autogenic training, and biofeedback are described that often are omitted in standard clinical training, including the method of diminishing tensions and differential relaxation training in progressive muscle relaxation, use of autogenic discharges and hypnotic instructions in autogenic training, and resonance frequency training in heart rate variability biofeedback and slow breathing. Although these details are often also missing in outcome studies, tentative conclusions can still be drawn from the empirical literature. As a monotherapy, psychophysiological methods are generally as powerful as verbal psychotherapies, although combining them with psychotherapy yields a larger effect than either approach alone. Psychophysiological methods have their strongest effects on anxiety and depression, with weaker effects for panic and PTSD, particularly when compared with exposure therapy, although the latter comparisons were restricted to relaxation training as a psychophysiological approach. Effects of psychophysiological interventions are weaker among elementary school children than among adults and adolescents. The results suggest that psychophysiological methods should be used along with other psychotherapeutic interventions for greatest effect.
Should We Use Clinician Self-Report to Tailor Implementation Strategies? Predicting Use of Youth CBT with Clinician Self-Report Versus Direct Observation
Authors: Schriger Simone H. , Marcus Steven C. , Becker-Haimes Emily M. , Beidas Rinad S.
Published: November 2024

Developing tailored implementation strategies to increase the use of evidence-based practice (EBP) requires accurate identification of predictors of their use. However, known difficulties with measuring EBP use complicates interpretation of the extant literature. In this proof-of-concept study, we examined whether the same predictors of use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are identified when CBT use is measured with clinician self-report compared to direct observation. We examined four candidate predictors of CBT use - clinician participation in an EBP training initiative, years of experience, caseload, and employment status - in a sample of 36 clinicians (64% female; 72% White and 28% Black) from 19 community mental health agencies treating youth in greater Philadelphia. CBT use was captured for 100 unique client sessions (M = 2.8 recorded sessions per clinician) through both clinician self-report and direct observation, using parallel measures. We used three-level (client, clinician, and agency) regression models with random intercepts to estimate the relationship between each predictor variable and CBT use in both measures and compared the magnitude and direction of each model across self-report and direct observation using z-tests. There was no alignment for any of the four candidate predictors between predictive relationships identified by self-report compared to those identified by direct observation. The findings in this study extend literature documenting limitations of using clinician self-report to capture clinician behavior and suggest that even the characteristics that predict higher self-reported CBT use do not align with (and often are discordant with) those that predict directly observed CBT use. This raises questions about the utility of relying on self-reported use to inform implementation strategy design.
Racial disparities in presenting stage and surgical management among octogenarians with breast cancer: a national cancer database analysis
Authors: Vadlakonda Amulya , Chervu Nikhil L. , Porter Giselle , Sakowitz Sara , Lee Hanjoo , Benharash Peyman , Kapoor Nimmi S.
Published: November 2024

Background

As the US faces a diverse aging population, racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes among elderly patients remain poorly understood. We evaluate the association of race with presenting stage, treatment, and survival of invasive breast cancer among octogenarians.

Methods

Women (≥ 80 years) with invasive breast cancer were identified in 2004–2020 NCDB. To facilitate comparison, only non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White patients were included; patients of Hispanic ethnicity were excluded. Demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatments were assessed by race. Overall survival was compared using the logrank test. Multivariable logistic and Cox proportional hazard regression models were developed to evaluate the independent association of race with outcomes of interest.

Results

Of 222,897 patients, 19,059 (8.6%) were Black. Most patients had stage I ER + HER2- invasive ductal carcinoma. Black patients more frequently had greater comorbidities, low income and education, and advanced stage (p < 0.001 each; ref: White). Following adjustment, Black women had increased likelihood of Stage III/IV over time, as well as increased odds of chemotherapy (AOR 1.22, 95% CI 1.15 – 1.29) and non-operative management (AOR 1.82, 95% CI 1.72 – 1.92; ref: White). Although Black patients had lower survival rates compared to White, race was not associated with 5-year mortality following adjustment for stage, receipt of surgery, and adjuvant treatments (p = 0.34).

Conclusions

Inferior survival among elderly Black patients appears be driven by advanced stage at presentation. While such disparities are narrowing in the present era, future work must consider upstream interventions to ensure equitable outcomes for all races.
HBV Transmission Knowledge Among Korean-American Chronic Hepatitis B Patients in the United States
Authors: Lee Giyoung , Juon HeeSoon , Kim Eunji , Smith Katherine C. , Hann Hie-Won , Chang Mimi , Klassen Ann C.
Published: November 2024

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a condition that disproportionately affects Asian Americans in the United States. Knowledge of transmission is crucial for CHB patients to practice prevention methods to limit the spread of the hepatitis B virus (HBV), but also live their lives free from unwarranted fears or restrictions. Among Asian CHB patients, several misperceptions about HBV transmission have been identified. This analysis aims to assess the current state of HBV knowledge among a cohort of Korean-American CHB patients. This mixed-methods study includes 363 respondents who completed a survey in either Korean (N = 298) or English (N = 65) at two clinical care settings in Philadelphia (N = 161) and Los Angeles (N = 202); 30 participants also completed in-depth interviews. Knowledge was measured on a 10-point scale, asking patients yes or no transmission questions (n = 10, alpha = 0.87). The average knowledge score was 6.3. In multivariate analyses, older age was associated with lower knowledge (β=-0.25, p < 0.001). More years of formal education (β = 0.09, p = 0.076) and utilizing more sources for health information (β = 0.12, p = 0.023) were both independently associated with higher knowledge scores. Qualitative findings show that misperceptions about transmission through shared food still exist and that provider communication is an important part of knowledge acquisition. These results suggest that despite receiving specialized, culturally concordant medical care for their disease, some Korean-American CHB patients have an inadequate understanding of transmission and that opportunities exist to improve education in this population. Identifying additional factors that influence knowledge acquisition and retention is key to developing culturally effective education interventions for this population.
Bridging the Gap Between Labour Unions and the Management Through Leadership Development Programs?
Authors: Vie Ola Edvin , Lebesby Kristin
Published: November 2024

In this paper we explore if leadership development programs can be applied to bridge the gap between labour unions and the management. By describing and discussing three different programs we can see that joint leadership development programs can promote collaboration between labour unions and the management. The paper argues that such programs need to be built on a premise that more actors than just formal managers can exercise leadership and contribute to organizational development. The paper also discusses why such programs are more easily achievable in a Norwegian setting. However, to make lasting improvements leadership development programs also need to include large organizational development elements, like the co-generative learning model (Elden and Levin (1991) Participatory Action Research. Sage, Newbury Park, pp 127–142). Sufficient time, resources and focus, including assessments of employees’ needs and internal politics, is needed to not only bridging the gap between labour unions and the management, but also to bring in “ordinary” employees.
Investigation of the reproducibility of the treatment efficacy of a commercial bio stimulant using metabolic profiling on flax
Authors: Hamade Kamar , Fliniaux Ophelie , Fontaine Jean-Xavier , Molinié Roland , Herfurth Damien , Mathiron David , Sarazin Vivien , Mesnard Francois
Published: November 2024

Introduction and objectives

Since the use of a bio stimulant should provide a response to a problem that depends on the production system implemented (crops, plant model, soil, climate, the farmer’s practices…), the agricultural sector is facing concomitant challenges of choosing the best bio stimulant that suits their needs. Thus, understanding bio stimulant-plant interactions, at molecular level, using metabolomics approaches is a prerequisite, for the development of a bio stimulant, leading to an effective exploration and application of formulations in agriculture. AGRO-K®, is commercialized as a plant-based bio stimulant that improve vigor and enhance resistance to lodging in cereal crops. A recent previous untargeted metabolomics study has demonstrated the ability of this bio stimulant to improve wheat resistance to lodging, in real open-field conditions. However, the reproducibility of the impact of this bio stimulant in other filed crops is not yet investigated.

Methods

Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the changes in primary and secondary metabolites in the roots, stems, and leaves of fiber flax (Linum usitatissimum L), treated with the bio stimulant, using NMR and LC-MS-based untargeted metabolomics approach.

Results and conclusions

In addition to the previous result conducted in wheat, the present analysis seemed to show that this bio stimulant led to a similar pathway enhancement in flax. The pathways which seem to be reproducibly impacted are hydroxycinnamic acid amides (HCAAs), phenylpropanoids and flavonoids. Impacting these pathways enhance root growth and elongation and cell wall lignification, which can aid in preventing crop lodging. These results confirm that HCAAs, flavonoids, and phenylpropanoids could serve as signatory biomarkers of the impact of AGRO-K® on improving lodging resistance across various plant species.
Design, validation and psychometric properties of a questionnaire to assess intrapreneurial behaviours in sports organisations
Authors: Lara-Bocanegra Alejandro , Bohórquez M. Rocío , García-Fernández Jerónimo , Ratten Vanessa , Gálvez-Ruiz Pablo
Published: November 2024

Intrapreneurs in sports organisations can detect early signs of new opportunities and threats and introduce early changes to adapt to the constant changes in the sports sector. In addition, intrapreneurs are considered a fundamental pillar in the growth and development of innovation in sports organisations. Thus, the objective of this work is to design and validate an instrument to detect employees with intrapreneurial behaviours in sports organisations. Based on the dimensions of intrapreneurship identified in the scientific literature and related questionnaires, a tool—the COINDE—composed of 46 items distributed in five dimensions was constructed and subjected to expert judgment and a pilot study and subsequently reduced to 26 items and five statistically validated dimensions. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) yielded two valid and reliable models to detect employees with intrapreneurial behaviours in sports organisations, with 5 and 6 dimensions and 25 and 26 items, respectively. The 5-factor model is proposed and justified. The dimensions are: creativity/innovation, risk-taking, proactivity, recognition of opportunities and priority of the internal project. The COINDE is a valid and reliable instrument representing an important advance over the existing instruments by providing specificity of the measure in the sports context, the work profile of the employees of these organisations, and allowing direct evaluation of intrapreneurial behaviour.
Mishaps in the Land van Eendracht: Exploring the Cause of Zuytdorp’s Wrecking
Authors: Stelten Ruud , van Duivenvoorde Wendy
Published: November 2024

Zuytdorp is one of four known Dutch East India Company shipwrecks off the western Australian coast. Believed to have foundered in the fall of 1712, its wreck site was located in 1927 on a remote stretch of the central western Australian coast. Since its identification in 1958, the site has been investigated during several archaeological expeditions. The cause of Zuytdorp’s wrecking, however, has never been properly assessed. Some researchers assume the ship crashed into shore due to an inaccurate longitude determination. Others believe the ship reached the Australian coastline safely and foundered due to a storm or other mishap. This study will use various lines of evidence to answer the question of how Zuytdorp wrecked. These include an assessment of contemporary cartographic and navigational knowledge, charts that would have been available on the vessel, coastal visibility, and signs that ships were nearing land as found in contemporary ship logs. It will be shown that Zuytdorp’s officers had access to the necessary cartographic information in order to navigate the Indian Ocean and Western Australian coastline, that there were numerous warning signs the vessel was nearing the coast and various measures taken to avoid a collision, and that meteorological conditions at the wreck site likely drove the ship ashore. Through a thorough analysis of these lines of evidence, it will be demonstrated that a sudden and unexpected encounter with the shore is an unlikely scenario. Instead, Zuytdorp could have reached the Australian coastline intentionally and most likely wrecked due to a storm.
The missed chapter on midfoot: Chopart injuries
Authors: Abs Bilal , Ferreira Branco David , Gamulin Axel , Botti Paul , Buzzi Marcello , Poletti Pierre-Alexandre , Bouredoucen Hicham , Boudabbous Sana
Published: November 2024

Purpose

Midtarsal injuries are often missed at initial presentation which may lead to long-term complications. Nonetheless, radiographs (XR) are used as a primary imaging method. The place of cone beam computer tomography (CBCT) remains unclear in the management of midfoot injuries. The aim of this study was to update imaging findings on traumatic ankle and foot injuries (TAAFI) with CBCT and to assess the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of XR compared to CBCT for midfoot injuries detections.

Material and methods

All CBCT studies performed due to (TAAFI) that had previous XR were collected for a period of 5 years. They were retrospectively anonymized and analyzed by a radiologist. A second blinded study of XR was made by a second radiologist as a control.

Results

A total of 754 cases were included. Lisfranc and Chopart injuries were detected in 153 (20.2%) and 154 (20.4%) patients, respectively. Lisfranc and Chopart’s lesions combined together were seen in 33 cases (10.7%). A blinded retrospective analysis of XR compared to CBCT shows a sensitivity of 64.9% (56.8–72.4%; 95% CI), a specificity of 95.0% (92.9–96.6%; 95% CI) and an accuracy of 88.9% (86.4–91.0%; 95% CI) for Chopart’s injuries. Regarding Lisfranc, the sensitivity was 62.1% (53.9–69.8%; 95% CI), specificity 99.0% (97.8–99.6%; 95% CI) and accuracy 91.5% (89.3–93.4%; 95% CI).

Conclusion

This cohort study highlights the missed injuries of Chopart on XR and the low association with Lisfranc avulsions. The use of CBCT helps in detecting and assessing midfoot injury.
Negotiating with your mouth full: Intergovernmental negotiations between transparency and confidentiality
Authors: Kleine Mareike , Huntington Samuel
Published: November 2024

Transparency lies at the heart of canonical theories of international negotiations and institutions—yet it is rarely directly measured or explained. This paper explores the potential downsides of transparency reforms in intergovernmental negotiations and institutions. We argue that as formal international meetings open up to the public, negotiators face incentives to shift deliberations to more informal and opaque venues, especially for sensitive and domestically contested issues. To test when and why this occurs, we present new data on three decades of intergovernmental negotiations in the Council of the European Union (1990–2019), and in particular the use of informal breaks where no minutes are taken. We find that recourse to such breaks—especially at lunch time—has increased substantially, and that ministers often take these opportunities to discuss controversial topics. We deploy quantitative and qualitative analyses to show that variations in informal breaks correlate both with institutional enhancements to transparency and with specific concerns over antagonistic political mobilization at home, notably in the form of Euroscepticism. These findings challenge received positive and normative theories about transparency in international institutions, and contribute to the literature on informal governance, negotiation studies, EU politics, and the transnational democratic deficit.
The Profiles of Health Aging in Older Ethiopian Adults within the WHO Healthy Aging Framework
Authors: Belachew Amare , Cherbuin Nicolas , Bagheri Nasser , Burns Richard
Published: November 2024

The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Healthy Aging framework describes healthy aging as the maintenance of functional capacity in older adults. However, aging is a heterogeneous process influenced by genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors, leading to variations in experiences of functional capacity among adults. In this study, Latent Class Analysis (LCA) classified groups of individuals based on their health and functional capacities. Adults from Northwest Ethiopia (n = 845) aged ≥ 60 years old, were interviewed about their cognition, mental health, social support, independence, and sensory functioning. LCA identified three groups, reflecting “high-“ (47.5%); "moderate-" (37.3%); and "low-functioning" (15.2%) participants. Compared to low-functioning individuals, high-functioning individuals were less likely to be aged 80+ (RR = 0.61; 95% CI: 0.46, 0.80), lonely (RR = 2.34; 95% CI: 1.72, 3.18), but more likely to report normal nutritional status (RR = 2.05; 95% CI: 1.47, 2.86), no multimorbidity (RR = 1.18; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.32), living in an urban area (RR = 1.12; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.22), and financially independent (RR = 1.24; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.49). Notably, almost half of the sample was classified as high functioning, comparable to findings from other developing countries. Those individuals in the high-functioning group who did not meet the WHO criteria for functional capacity across all domains did not differ from those individuals who did meet all the WHO criteria. This positively demonstrates that older adults do not need to be functional across all dimensions to experience healthy aging.
A machine learning approach for analyzing sexual satisfaction based on psychological features
Authors: Romero Duban , Rubio Lihki , Rodrigues David L. , Mebarak Moisés
Published: November 2024

The emergence of machine learning techniques has revolutionized various fields, helping to shed light into the complexities of human sexuality and address sexuality-related problems. The present study aimed to classify sexual satisfaction in both women (n = 503) and men (n = 342), who completed a digital survey aimed at Colombian adults based on a snowball sampling. Collected data were analyzed using several supervised learning algorithms where inputs included marital status, sociosexuality, sexual drive, sexual functioning, and personality traits. The results showed that the XGBoost model provided best classification results for sexual satisfaction in women, while the Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) had the best performance in classifying sexual satisfaction in men. In both groups, sexual functioning and sexual drive were the most significant predictors of sexual satisfaction. Traits such as extraversion, narcissism, machiavellianism, and sociosexual behavior had a lesser importance. Lastly, psychopathy emerged as a significant predictor of men's sexual satisfaction, whereas conscientiousness emerged as a significant predictor of women's satisfaction. This study provides a technological tool to classify sexual satisfaction using Machine Learning models, in addition, provide, in terms of entropy, variables with the greatest influence based on the data and predictions.
Machine Learning in Vascular Medicine: Optimizing Clinical Strategies for Peripheral Artery Disease
Authors: Perez Sean , Thandra Sneha , Mellah Ines , Kraemer Laura , Ross Elsie
Published: November 2024

Purpose of Review

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), a condition affecting millions of patients, is often underdiagnosed due to a lack of symptoms in the early stages and management can be complex given differences in genetic and phenotypic characteristics. This review aims to provide readers with an update on the utility of machine learning (ML) in the management of PAD.

Recent Findings

Recent research leveraging electronic health record (EHR) data and ML algorithms have demonstrated significant advances in the potential use of automated systems, namely artificial intelligence (AI), to accurately identify patients who might benefit from further PAD screening. Additionally, deep learning algorithms can be used on imaging data to assist in PAD diagnosis and automate clinical risk stratification.

ML models can predict major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and major adverse limb events (MALE) with considerable accuracy, with many studies also demonstrating the ability to more accurately risk stratify patients for deleterious outcomes after surgical intervention. These predictions can assist physicians in developing more patient-centric treatment plans and allow for earlier, more aggressive management of modifiable risk-factors in high-risk patients. The use of proteomic biomarkers in ML models offers a valuable addition to traditional screening and stratification paradigms, though clinical utility may be limited by cost and accessibility.

The application of AI to the care of PAD patients may enable earlier diagnosis and more accurate risk stratification, leveraging readily available EHR and imaging data, and there is a burgeoning interest in incorporating biological data for further refinement. Thus, the promise of precision PAD care grows closer. Future research should focus on validating these models via real-world integration into clinical practice and prospective evaluation of the impact of this new care paradigm.
Counting Essential Minimal Surfaces in Closed Negatively Curved N-Manifolds
Authors: Jiang Ruojing
Published: November 2024

For closed odd-dimensional manifolds with sectional curvature less than or equal to − 1, we establish the concept of minimal surface entropy that counts the number of surface subgroups. Additionally, we demonstrate that the minimal surface entropy attains the minimum value if and only if the metric is hyperbolic.
Temporal trends in the prevalence of major birth defects in China: a nationwide population-based study from 2007 to 2021
Authors: Li Wen-Yan , Chen Zhi-Yu , Xu Wen-Li , Gao Yu-Yang , Liu Zhen , Li Qi , Dai Li
Published: November 2024

Background

Birth defects constitute a significant public health issue worldwide, yet there is a lack of comprehensive population-based data for the Chinese population.

Methods

We analyzed data from the China National Population-based Birth Defects Surveillance System from 2007 to 2021, we calculated the prevalence rates of selected birth defects, stratified by maternal residence, geographic region, maternal age, and infant sex. The Joinpoint regression model was utilized to assess trends and annual percent changes in prevalence.

Results

From 2007 to 2021, significant downward trends in prevalence were observed for neural tube defects (NTDs), hydrocephalus, cleft lip with or without palate (CL/P), limb reduction defects (LRD), omphalocele, Down syndrome, and tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). Conversely, upward trends were identified for hypospadias, cleft palate (CP), microtia/anotia, polydactyly, syndactyly, ventricular septal defect (VSD), atrial septal defect/patent foramen ovale (ASD/PFO), and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Younger mothers exhibited a higher prevalence of hydrocephalus, gastroschisis, CL/P, and polydactyly, while anotia/microtia, Down syndrome, and congenital heart diseases (CHDs) were more common in mothers aged 35 years or older. Significant variations in the prevalence of anencephalus, spina bifida, CL/P, anorectal atresia/stenosis, hypospadias, polydactyly, syndactyly, VSD, ASD/PFO, and PDA were found across different maternal residences and geographic regions.

Conclusion

This study highlights the diverse trends and prevalence patterns of major birth defects, underscoring the necessity for defect-specific public health interventions.

Graphical abstract