bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Healthy at Home: an integrated health and social care initiative for vulnerable and marginalized older adults in Toronto
Authors: Cheng Siu Mee , Catallo Cristina
Published: February 2024

Purpose

The Healthy at Home (H@H) is an older adult day program that is in Toronto in Ontario, Canada. This is an integrated health and social care (IHSC) program that seeks to address the social isolation and health needs of a highly vulnerable older adult population living in the north Toronto communities. These are Russian-speaking Jewish older adult immigrants. The case provides a detailed description of the factors that enabled a diverse group of health and social care organizations to integrate their respective services to address the health and social care needs of their clients using a culturally appropriate and trauma-informed lens.

Design/methodology/approach

A case description comprised of key informant interviews, and a focus group was undertaken of representatives from health and social care organizations serving clients in the north Toronto area.

Findings

This case description identified eleven integration factors that enabled organizations to provide integrated care using a culturally appropriate and trauma-informed lens, and they include developing an aligned vision and goals, communications, an inter-organization culture of inter-dependence, champions, pre-existing relationships, and champions. In addition, operating in the not-for-profit sector, sector differences, enabling public policies and a strong sense of community have influenced integration of services across the organizational partners to serve its high-risk client group.

Originality/value

This case description lends insights into how IHSC can be leveraged to provide culturally appropriate and trauma-informed care for highly vulnerable client/patient populations. A lesson learnt is that social care partners can engage in successful integration leadership in joint health and social care integration efforts.
Brand heritage on Twitter: a text-mining stereotype content perspective
Authors: Mähnert Lydia , Meyer Caroline , Orth Ulrich R. , Rose Gregory M.
Published: February 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how users on social media view brands with a heritage. Consumers commonly post opinions and accounts of their experiences with brands on social media. Such consumer-generated content may or may not overlap with content desired by brand managers. Drawing from “The medium is the message” paradigm, this study text-mines user narratives on Twitter1 to shed light on the role of social media in shaping public images of brands with heritage through the lens of the stereotype content model.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a data set of almost 80,000 unique tweets on 12 brands across six categories, compares brands high versus low in heritage and combines dictionary-based content analysis with sentiment analysis.

Findings

The results indicate that both user-generated content and sentiment are significantly more positive for brands low rather than high in heritage. Regarding warmth, consumers use significantly more positive words on sociability and fewer negative words on morality for brands low rather than high in heritage. Regarding competence, tweets include more positive words on assertiveness and ability for low-heritage brands. Finally, overall sentiment is more positive for brands low rather than high in heritage.

Practical implications

Important from co-creation and integrated marketing communication perspectives, the findings provide brand managers with actionable insights on how to more effectively use social media.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is among the first to examine user-generated content in a brand heritage context. It demonstrates that heritage brands, with their longevity and strong links to the past, need to be aware of how contemporary social media can detract from their image.
Agricultural insurance and pesticides selection in China: traditional or green?
Authors: Zhang Zhuang , Chen You Hua
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Numerical literature shows that agricultural insurance can affect pesticide investments, but few of them are devoted to explain how agricultural insurance affects farmers’ selection on green or traditional pesticides. This paper aims to develop a theoretical model about how agricultural insurance influences on green pesticides selections and tests our conclusions by using the data from China land economic survey (CLES) from 2020 to 2021.

Design/methodology/approach

We employ probit model to capture the effects of agricultural insurance on green pesticides adoption.

Findings

We indicate that green pesticides have a stronger effect on stabilizing yield and increasing income than traditional pesticides, but there are still risks disturbing farmers’ decisions on green pesticides usage. By providing premium subsidies after the farmers are affected by natural risk, agricultural insurance improves the farmers’ expected income and encourages farmers to use green pesticides. Further, we further confirm these conclusions by considering different scenarios such as climate risks, farmers’ entrepreneurship and credit constraints. We find that the effects are more salient if croplands are under higher natural risks and, farmers are equipped with entrepreneurship and formal credit. This paper implies that the agricultural insurance decoupled with green technologies also have salient positive effects on agricultural pollution control.

Originality/value

The potential contributions of this paper can be outlined in three aspects in detail. Firstly, this paper aims to revel the effects of agricultural insurance on pesticide selection by structuring a general theoretical model. By using the CLES data from 2020 to 2021, we confirm that agricultural insurance increases the probability for adopting green pesticides. Secondly, this paper discusses the effects of farmers’ characteristics on the results and finds that if farmers have entrepreneurship, the effects of agricultural insurance on green pesticide usage will be more salient. Thirdly, it uncovers some practices in China, which will supply experiences for other developing countries. For example, this paper further demonstrates that “insurance + credit” plan the present Chinese government carried out will be an important measure for strengthening effects of agricultural insurance on green pesticides usage. Moreover, it shows that decouple agricultural policies will also guide farmers to use green technologies eventually if the technologies are reliable and farmers can afford.
Conscientiousness and entrepreneurship
Authors: Khalaf Sarah
Published: February 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of conscientiousness on entrepreneurship over and above the impact of other factors that are associated with entrepreneurship in the literature.

Design/methodology/approach

The design uses household responses from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) biennial survey that follows the same heads of households over time to measure their conscientiousness, businesses owned and other demographic and financial characteristics. Ordinary least squares (OLS), Probit and Poisson regression techniques are applied at the head of household and state level to examine the relationship.

Findings

The results show heads of households’ conscientiousness positively relating to the average number of businesses owned, beyond other Big Five traits and the impact of other characteristics. A one-standard deviation increase in conscientiousness is significantly associated with a 0.012 increase in the number of businesses owned. This association is robust to alternative regression specifications and variable measurements.

Originality/value

The results are original to the finance literature, complementing studies by linking intrinsic head of household-level traits to entrepreneurship while controlling for external financial and demographic factors. The study also attempts to externally validate previous findings using aggregate-level outcomes. The data and setting used to measure personality traits as well as entrepreneurial outcomes are original to the entrepreneurship literature, validating previous findings.
Best of both worlds: Acclimation to fluctuating environments confers advantages and minimizes costs of constant environments
Authors: Hodgson Mitchell J. , Schwanz Lisa E.
Published: February 2024

Thermal acclimation is often considered critical in organismal responses to novel thermal conditions. Our understanding of the physiological implications of acclimation is largely derived from lab studies that either manipulate daytime basking availability or use of constant thermal regimes. In contrast, the importance of the nocturnal thermal environment (e.g. the extent of thermal respite) is often overlooked yet could play a vital role in thermal acclimation in the wild.

To fill this gap, we acclimated lizards (Amphibolurus muricatus) under three thermal regimes (Hot Constant, Cold Constant and Alternating) and compared their physiological responses (Metabolic Rate, Sprint Speed, Thermal Preferences and Thermal Limits).

We found that animals maintained constantly at hot temperatures (preferred temperature, 35°C) gained sprint performance increases and exhibited shifts in thermal optima not seen in those maintained constantly at cold temperatures (20°C), yet suffered costs to growth (in smaller animals) and maintenance (mass loss in larger animals). Animals maintained at alternating temperatures (12 h 20°C; 12 h 35°C) had performance benefits similar to animals in the hot treatment, without experiencing reductions in juvenile growth and adult mass.

Animals acclimated under hot temperatures showed a significant lower preferred and voluntary maximum temperatures compared to animals acclimated under a cold temperature regime.

We found no impact of acclimation treatment on behavioural thermal limits or standard metabolic rate.

Overall, we show that alternating between access to preferred temperatures and having periods of energetic rest confer the greatest benefits for our animals. These results highlight the importance of natural body temperature variation for enhancing overall ectotherm performance and physiology, and the costs of novel thermal environments that fail to provide this variation.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Quantifying the impacts of management and herbicide resistance on regional plant population dynamics in the face of missing data
Authors: Goodsell Robert M. , Comont David , Hicks Helen , Lambert James , Hull Richard , Crook Laura , Fraccaro Paolo , Reusch Katharina , Freckleton Robert P. , Childs Dylan Z.
Published: February 2024

A key challenge in the management of populations is to quantify the impact of interventions in the face of environmental and phenotypic variability. However, accurate estimation of the effects of management and environment, in large‐scale ecological research is often limited by the expense of data collection, the inherent trade‐off between quality and quantity, and missing data.

In this paper we develop a novel modelling framework, and demographically informed imputation scheme, to comprehensively account for the uncertainty generated by missing population, management, and herbicide resistance data. Using this framework and a large dataset (178 sites over 3 years) on the densities of a destructive arable weed (Alopecurus myosuroides) we investigate the effects of environment, management, and evolved herbicide resistance, on weed population dynamics.

In this study we quantify the marginal effects of a suite of common management practices, including cropping, cultivation, and herbicide pressure, and evolved herbicide resistance, on weed population dynamics.

Using this framework, we provide the first empirically backed demonstration that herbicide resistance is a key driver of population dynamics in arable weeds at regional scales. Whilst cultivation type had minimal impact on weed density, crop rotation, and earlier cultivation and drill dates consistently reduced infestation severity.

Synthesis and applications: As we demonstrate that high herbicide resistance levels can produce extremely severe weed infestations, monitoring herbicide resistance is a priority for farmers across Western Europe. Furthermore, developing non‐chemical control methods is essential to control current weed populations, and prevent further resistance evolution. We recommend that planning interventions that centre on crop rotation and incorporate spring sewing and cultivation to provide the best reductions in weed densities. More generally, by directly accounting for missing data our framework permits the analysis of management practices with data that would otherwise be severely compromised.
Putting seed traits into pellets: Using seed mass data to improve seed encapsulation technology for native plant revegetation
Authors: Lieurance Paige E. , Mills Charlotte H. , Tetu Sasha G. , Gallagher Rachael V.
Published: February 2024

Poor seedling emergence often limits the success of direct seeding in ecological restoration. New techniques for maximising seed use efficiency and seedling emergence are needed to help meet global targets for nature repair in the UN Decade on Restoration. Extruded pellets are widely used in agriculture and represent a promising advancement in seed‐based restoration. However, extruded pellets must be optimised for diverse suites of native species that possess a range of seed sizes and morphotypes.

We investigated how seed mass affects the performance of native plant seeds (total % seedling emergence) when encapsulated in extruded pellets designed for revegetation. Two glasshouse trials were undertaken using seeds from 30 native Australian plant species. In Trial 1, we encapsulated seeds in the centre of pellets and determined the relationship between seed mass and emergence. In Trial 2, we encapsulated seeds nearer the periphery of pellets and determined whether the position of seeds (central vs. peripheral) affected emergence for a subset of 10 small‐seeded species. In both trials, emergence from pellets was compared to an optimal, bare‐seeded control to identify any barriers to seed encapsulation under well‐watered conditions.

In Trial 1, when seeds were centrally encapsulated, emergence was generally higher for bare‐seeded controls relative to pelleted seeds. However, seed mass predicted emergence when seeds were encapsulated in the pellet centre (R2 = 0.32, p = 0.002), such that larger‐seeded species tended to have higher emergence than smaller‐seeded species.

In Trial 2, encapsulating seeds nearer the pellet periphery (relative to the centre) resulted in an average 28‐fold increase in emergence for all 10 small‐seeded species. For half of the small‐seeded species trialled, emergence from the pellet periphery was equivalent to that of bare‐seeded controls.

Synthesis and applications: Collectively, our results demonstrate: (1) a positive relationship between seed mass and emergence under central‐encapsulation, and (2) that emergence can be significantly improved for small‐seeded species when seeds are positioned nearer the pellet periphery. Translation of these findings into practice can help optimise emergence outcomes for native species with different sized seeds and nuanced germination requirements.
Facilitation against herbivory more important than resource‐based niche differences for plant coexistence in a field experiment
Authors: Carroll Oliver , MacDougall Andrew S.
Published: February 2024

Theory suggests that eutrophication impacts plant community biodiversity by constraining niche differences and increasing competitive inequalities among species, leading to the exclusion of weaker competitors. However, explicit tests of nutrient effects on the strength and direction of inter‐ and intraspecific plant–plant interactions that dictate coexistence are lacking, especially in complex field settings where multiple processes can simultaneously affect plant growth and reproduction.

We conducted a field experiment in southeastern Vancouver Island, Canada, using four annual grassland plant species to test how species interactions responded to eutrophication and the covariation of herbivore pressure and neighbour species light‐ and moisture‐use.

We found that focal species reproduction was limited by nutrient availability and herbivory, such that the nature of species interactions was context‐dependent. Competitive interactions failed to predict species persistence under these conditions. Instead, facilitation was critical—phytometers grown without neighbours consistently failed to produce seed under herbivore pressure meaning that fecundity significantly increased with neighbour density.

Synthesis. Our work demonstrates the importance of species interactions in plant community responses to eutrophication but emphasizes that ‘indirect’ drivers of plant performance may influence or overwhelm nutrient effects on plant–plant competition. The widespread occurrence of mortality overcome primarily by facilitation highlights the importance of positive density dependence. Overall, our results suggest that knowledge of resource niche overlap may be insufficient to explain plant community responses to eutrophication. This highlights the necessity of considering the broader environmental context when leveraging ecological theory to understand global change effects in empirical settings.
Population‐wide long‐term study of incidence, renal failure, and mortality rates for lupus nephritis
Authors: Nossent Johannes C. , Keen Helen I. , Preen David B. , Inderjeeth Charles A.
Published: February 2024

Objective

Given limited regional data, we investigate the state‐wide epidemiology, renal and patient outcomes for lupus nephritis (LN) in Western Australia (WA).

Methods

Patients hospitalized with incident SLE (≥2 diagnostic codes in the state‐wide WA Health Hospital Morbidity Data Collection) in the period 1985–2015 were included (n = 1480). LN was defined by the presence of glomerulonephritis and/or raised serum creatinine. Trends over three study decades for annual incidence rate (AIR)/100.000 population, mortality (MR), and end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) rates/100 person years were analyzed by least square regression and compared with a matched control group (n = 12 840).

Results

Clinical evidence of LN developed in 366 SLE patients (25.9%) after a median disease duration of 10 months (IQR 0–101) with renal biopsy performed in 308 (84.2%). The AIR for LN (0.63/100.000) did not change significantly over time (R2 = .11, p = .85), while point prevalence reached 11.9/100.000 in 2015. ESRD developed in 14.1% (n = 54) of LN patients vs. 0.2% in non‐LN SLE patients and 0.05% in controls (all p ≤ 0.01). ESRD rates increased over time in LN patients (0.4 to 0.7, R2 = .52, p = .26). The odds ratio for death was 8.81 (CI 3.78–22.9) for LN and 6.62 (CI 2.76–17.9) for non‐LN SLE patients compared to controls and MR for LN patients increased over time (1.3 to 2.2, R2 = .84, p = .26).

Conclusions

The incidence rate of LN in WA remained unchanged over 30 years. A lack of improvement in renal failure and mortality rates illustrates the pressing need for better long‐term treatment options and/or strategies in LN.
Evaluating the performance of the HEART score in a Tanzanian emergency department
Authors: Grisel Braylee , Adisa Olanrewaju , Sakita Francis M. , Tarimo Tumsifu G. , Kweka Godfrey L. , Mlangi Jerome J. , Maro Amedeus V. , Yamamoto Marilyn , Coaxum Lauren , Arthur David , Limkakeng Alexander T. , Hertz Julian T.
Published: February 2024

Objective

The HEART score successfully risk stratifies emergency department (ED) patients with chest pain in high‐income settings. However, this tool has not been validated in low‐income countries.

Methods

This is a secondary analysis of a prospective observational study that was conducted in a Tanzanian ED from January 2019 through January 2023. Adult patients with chest pain were consecutively enrolled, and their presenting symptoms and medical history were recorded. Electrocardiograms and point‐of‐care troponin assays were obtained for all participants. Thirty‐day follow‐up was conducted, assessing for major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), defined as death, myocardial infarction, or coronary revascularization (coronary artery bypass grafting or percutaneous coronary intervention). HEART scores were calculated for all participants. Likelihood ratios, sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive values (NPVs) were calculated for each HEART cutoff score to predict 30‐day MACEs, and area under the curve (AUC) was calculated from the receiver operating characteristic curve.

Results

Of 927 participants with chest pain, the median (IQR) age was 61 (45.5–74.0) years. Of participants, 216 (23.3%) patients experienced 30‐day MACEs, including 163 (17.6%) who died, 48 (5.2%) with myocardial infarction, and 23 (2.5%) with coronary revascularization. The positive likelihood ratio for each cutoff score ranged from 1.023 (95% CI 1.004–1.042; cutoff ≥ 1) to 3.556 (95% CI 1.929–6.555; cutoff ≥ 7). The recommended cutoff of ≥4 to identify patients at high risk of MACEs yielded a sensitivity of 59.4%, specificity of 52.8%, and NPV of 74.7%. The AUC was 0.61.

Conclusions

Among patients with chest pain in a Tanzanian ED, the HEART score did not perform as well as in high‐income settings. Locally validated risk stratification tools are needed for ED patients with chest pain in low‐income countries.
Transcending borders: Remarkable genetic homogeneity among Barred mudskipper (Periophthalmus argentilineatus) populations in the southwestern Indian Ocean
Authors: Rumisha Cyrus
Published: February 2024

In the past 24 years, the Southwestern Indian Ocean (SWIO) region has lost about 4% of its mangroves due to unsustainable extraction, land clearance for agriculture and climate change impacts. Since this loss risks fragmenting mangrove fauna, this study analysed 179 D‐loop sequences (329 base pairs) of Barred mudskipper (Periophthalmus argentilineatus) sampled from estuarine mangroves in the SWIO to test two hypotheses: (1) whether Barred mudskipper populations in the region display genetic connectivity along the fragmented mangroves and (2) whether these populations have experienced demographic declines in recent history. The populations showed low and insignificant indices of genetic differentiation (FST = −0.00068, p > 0.05; ΦST = 0.005, p > 0.05), and haplotypes from different localities did not cluster according to their geographical origins. Similarly, Bayesian phylogenetic analysis grouped all SWIO haplotypes into one cluster, suggesting the hypothesis of genetic interconnectedness could not be rejected. Furthermore, the populations showed high haplotype diversity (0.96 ± 0.007) combined with low nucleotide diversity (1.09 ± 0.61%). They also showed significant negative Tajima's D values (−1.71, p < 0.02) and a unimodal mismatch distribution, indicating the hypothesis of demographic expansion post a historical bottleneck could not be rejected. Nevertheless, the Bayesian skyline plot indicated an increase in population size post‐bottleneck, suggesting an ongoing recovery. These findings indicate that, despite varying management approaches in the SWIO, Barred mudskipper populations exhibit genetic exchange that transcends geographical and administrative borders. This implies that their populations should be considered a single stock within the region. These findings underscore the need for coordinated management approaches among the SWIO countries. This is crucial because inconsistencies in conservation measures across borders could disrupt the population's interconnectedness, potentially impacting their genetic integrity and long‐term survival.
The utility of Global Positioning System collars in inventorying the diet of lions and its shifts following an anthrax outbreak
Authors: Tarugara Allan , Clegg Bruce W. , Clegg Sarah B.
Published: February 2024

Lions (Panthera leo) are a keystone species of many wildlife areas and, as such, understanding their dietary ecology is important for holistic wildlife management. Knowledge of lion feeding ecology enables researchers and wildlife managers to better understand predator–prey dynamics and ecological limits governing their local contexts. Where kill sites can be physically located in the field, they can provide important baseline information on lion diet. In this study, Global Positioning System (GPS) collar data were used together with field observations to investigate the dietary breadth of lions at Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve, Zimbabwe. Results showed that lions in our study had a moderately specialised diet with zebra (Equus quagga) constituting the largest proportion of prey species consumed. A massive anthrax outbreak occurred during the study, drastically reducing numbers of several prey species, and this provided an opportunity to test possible shifts in lion diet in response to changes in prey abundance. Prey species selection before the anthrax outbreak was significantly different to the period after the outbreak, indicating a shift in diet post‐outbreak. Notable increases were observed in kill rates of species that were not severely affected by anthrax, namely warthog (Phacochoerus africanus), zebra, wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) and eland (Taurotragus oryx). Quantifying lion dietary requirements is important for assessing the ecological and economic impacts they have on prey populations. In addition to space‐use ecology, this study shows that GPS collar data can facilitate diet investigation in large carnivores thereby providing useful information for ecological management.
Impact of cannula diameter on pregnancy outcomes after minimally invasive fetal laser surgery in the treatment of twin‐to‐twin transfusion syndrome: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: van der Schot Anouk M. , van Steenis Josee L. , Sikkel Esther , Spaanderman Marc E. A. , van Drongelen Joris
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM) remains a major complication of fetal laser surgery in the treatment of twin‐to‐twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). The aim of the study was to determine the impact of cannula size on pregnancy outcomes, with a particular focus on PPROM.

Material and methods

The protocol was developed and registered in the PROSPERO database under registration number CRD42022333630. The PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases were searched electronically on May 18, 2022, and updated on March 2, 2023, utilizing a combination of the relevant MeSH terms, keywords, and word variants for “TTTS” and “laser”. Randomized controlled trials, prospective and retrospective cohorts, case–control studies, and case reports/series with more than five participants were considered eligible for inclusion. Studies reporting the cannula diameter and PPROM rate after laser surgery in the treatment of monochorionic pregnancies affected by TTTS between 16‐ and 26 weeks' gestation were included. Data was extracted independently, and when appropriate, a random‐effects meta‐analysis was undertaken to calculate pooled estimates and their confidence intervals. Heterogeneity in the effect estimates of the individual studies was calculated using the I2 statistic. The primary outcome was PPROM rate. Secondary outcomes were survival rate, preterm birth, and incomplete surgery. The quality of the included studies was assessed using a modified quality in prognosis study tool.

Results

We included a total of 22 studies, consisting of 3426 patients. Only one study was scored as low quality, seven as moderate quality, and the remaining 14 as high quality. The mean PPROM rate after laser surgery treating TTTS was 22.9%, ranging from 11.6% for 9 French (Fr) to 54.0% for 12 Fr. Subsequent meta‐regression for the clinically relevant PPROM rate before 34 weeks of gestation, showed increased PPROM rates for increased cannula size (p‐value 0.01).

Conclusions

This systematic review confirmed PPROM as a frequent complication of fetal laser surgery, with a mean PPROM rate of 22.9%. A larger cannula diameter relates to a significant higher PPROM risk for PPROM before 34 weeks gestation. Hence, the ideal balance between optimal visualization requiring larger port diameters and shorter operation time and more complete procedures that benefit from larger diameters is crucial to reduce iatrogenic PPROM rates.
Systemic risk factors of retinopathy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Meng Lihui , Yu Qianyi , Zhao Xinyu , Chen Lulu , Yang Jingyuan , Wang Yuelin , Chen Huan , Chen Youxin
Published: February 2024

Objective

To investigate the risk factors of lupus retinopathy (LR) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods

This is a retrospective, cross‐sectional study. LR patients admitted at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from June 2013 to April 2023 were reviewed. Age‐ and gender‐matched SLE patients without retinopathy were selected as controls. Medical records including clinical manifestations, laboratory data and ophthalmic examination were collected. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted.

Results

One hundred and twelve LR patients (198 eyes) were included, with 12 cases (14 eyes) presenting with retinal macrovascular obstruction, and 100 cases (184 eyes) only exhibiting microvasculopathy. Multivariate analysis indicated the presence of haemolytic anaemia, decreased haemoglobin (HGB) and higher relative percentage of neutrophils were independent risk factors for LR (p < 0.05). The first two were also risk factors for retinal microvasculopathy, whereas secondary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) was for macrovascular obstruction. In male group, LR had significant associations with decreased HGB, no matter which types of retinopathy (p < 0.05). In female group, LR was significantly associated with haemolytic anaemia, presence of antiphospholipid antibodies, decreased white blood cells and relative high percentage of neutrophils. Specifically, haemolytic anaemia (p = 0.002) was significantly associated with retinal microvasculopathy, and APS (p = 0.003) was significantly associated with macrovasculature obstruction.

Conclusion

LR was related to haemolytic anaemia, decreased HGB levels and higher percentage of neutrophils. Retinal microvasculopathy accounted for most cases and macrovasculature obstructions were rare. Male and female patients have distinct risk factors. Early ophthalmic screening is recommended especially for those with risk factors of LR.
Validation of red flags in the workup of children with long‐term abdominal pain – A retrospective study
Authors: Delin Malin , Berglund Staffan K.
Published: February 2024

Aim

To evaluate red flags as an instrument to distinguish other medical conditions from Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (FGID) in children with long‐term abdominal pain.

Methods

In a retrospective follow‐up, data were collected from 317 children who were referred for medical assessment due to long‐term abdominal pain between the years 2011 and 2012 at three Swedish paediatric open clinic units in Sweden. Throughout the review of medical records, any documented red flags at the primary consultation and finally set diagnosis after 1 year were noted for all cases.

Results

A non‐FGID disease was diagnosed in 32 cases (10.1%). The sensitivity of red flags to predict inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was 100% and the specificity 64.1%. The sensitivity of red flags to predict celiac disease was 45.5% and the specificity 63.7%. The sensitivity of red flags to predict any non‐FGID disease was 59.4%, and the specificity was 65.6%.

Conclusion

The use of red flags is a sensitive instrument to identify patients with IBD but less applicable when identifying celiac disease and other organic diseases. Specificity is generally low and future biomarkers for assessing children with long‐term abdominal pain is needed.
Vascular protein disulfide isomerase A1 mediates endothelial dysfunction induced by angiotensin II in mice
Authors: Kij Agnieszka , Bar Anna , Czyzynska‐Cichon Izabela , Przyborowski Kamil , Proniewski Bartosz , Mateuszuk Lukasz , Kurylowicz Zuzanna , Jasztal Agnieszka , Buczek Elzbieta , Kurpinska Anna , Suraj‐Prazmowska Joanna , Marczyk Brygida , Matyjaszczyk‐Gwarda Karolina , Daiber Andreas , Oelze Matthias , Walczak Maria , Chlopicki Stefan
Published: February 2024

Aim

Protein disulfide isomerases (PDIs) are involved in platelet aggregation and intravascular thrombosis, but their role in regulating endothelial function is unclear. Here, we characterized the involvement of vascular PDIA1 in angiotensin II (Ang II)‐induced endothelial dysfunction in mice.

Methods

Endothelial dysfunction was induced in C57BL/6JCmd male mice via Ang II subcutaneous infusion, and PDIA1 was inhibited with bepristat. Endothelial function was assessed in vivo with magnetic resonance imaging and ex vivo with a myography, while arterial stiffness was measured as pulse wave velocity. Nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability was measured in the aorta (spin‐trapping electron paramagnetic resonance) and plasma (NO2− and NO3− levels). Oxidative stress, eNOS uncoupling (DHE‐based aorta staining), and thrombin activity (thrombin–antithrombin complex; calibrated automated thrombography) were evaluated.

Results

The inhibition of PDIA1 by bepristat in Ang II‐treated mice prevented the impairment of NO‐dependent vasodilation in the aorta as evidenced by the response to acetylcholine in vivo, increased systemic NO bioavailability and the aortic NO production, and decreased vascular stiffness. Bepristat's effect on NO‐dependent function was recapitulated ex vivo in Ang II‐induced endothelial dysfunction in isolated aorta. Furthermore, bepristat diminished the Ang II‐induced eNOS uncoupling and overproduction of ROS without affecting thrombin activity.

Conclusion

In Ang II‐treated mice, the inhibition of PDIA1 normalized the NO‐ROS balance, prevented endothelial eNOS uncoupling, and, thereby, improved vascular function. These results indicate the importance of vascular PDIA1 in regulating endothelial function, but further studies are needed to elucidate the details of the mechanisms involved.
MFN2 overexpression in skeletal muscles of young and old mice causes a mild hypertrophy without altering mitochondrial respiration and H2O2 emission
Authors: Cefis Marina , Dargegen Manon , Marcangeli Vincent , Taherkhani Shima , Dulac Maude , Leduc‐Gaudet Jean‐Philippe , Mayaki Dominique , Hussain Sabah N. A. , Gouspillou Gilles
Published: February 2024

Aim

Sarcopenia, the aging‐related loss of muscle mass and function, is a debilitating process negatively impacting the quality of life of affected individuals. Although the mechanisms underlying sarcopenia are incompletely understood, impairments in mitochondrial dynamics, including mitochondrial fusion, have been proposed as a contributing factor. However, the potential of upregulating mitochondrial fusion proteins to alleviate the effects of aging on skeletal muscles remains unexplored. We therefore hypothesized that overexpressing Mitofusin 2 (MFN2) in skeletal muscle in vivo would mitigate the effects of aging on muscle mass and improve mitochondrial function.

Methods

MFN2 was overexpressed in young (7 mo) and old (24 mo) male mice for 4 months through intramuscular injections of an adeno‐associated viruses. The impacts of MFN2 overexpression on muscle mass and fiber size (histology), mitochondrial respiration, and H2O2 emission (Oroboros fluororespirometry), and various signaling pathways (qPCR and western blotting) were investigated.

Results

MFN2 overexpression increased muscle mass and fiber size in both young and old mice. No sign of fibrosis, necrosis, or inflammation was found upon MFN2 overexpression, indicating that the hypertrophy triggered by MFN2 overexpression was not pathological. MFN2 overexpression even reduced the proportion of fibers with central nuclei in old muscles. Importantly, MFN2 overexpression had no impact on muscle mitochondrial respiration and H2O2 emission in both young and old mice. MFN2 overexpression attenuated the increase in markers of impaired autophagy in old muscles.

Conclusion

MFN2 overexpression may be a viable approach to mitigate aging‐related muscle atrophy and may have applications for other muscle disorders.
Editorial: Updated epidemiology of steatotic liver disease in people with HIV in the United States
Authors: Manikat Richie , Kim Seung Up , Ahmed Aijaz , Kim Donghee
Published: February 2024

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Gawrieh et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17849 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17886
Editorial: Towards optimal thiopurine therapy for inflammatory bowel disease—authors' reply
Authors: Vasudevan Abhinav , Con Danny , van Langenberg Daniel R.
Published: February 2024

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Vasudevan et al papers. To view these articles, visithttps://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17831andhttps://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17876
Letter: Severe underweight and sarcopenia in decompensated cirrhosis are associated with highFGF21levels—authors' reply
Authors: Alkhouri Naim , Tseng Leo , Balic Kemal , Mansbach Hank , Margalit Maya
Published: February 2024

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Alkhouri et al papers. To view these articles, visithttps://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17709andhttps://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17881
Perceived discrimination and self‐esteem of left‐behind children: The mediating effect of grit
Authors: Sun Wenxiang , Fu Wangqian
Published: February 2024

Although perceived discrimination has been found to diminish self‐esteem, the mechanism of such effect and potential protective factors demands further study. Grit has been suggested to moderate the effect of risk factors affecting Chinese left‐behind children, but few studies have considered that being left behind might diminish the family and social conditions needed for nurturing grit, and therefore grit might mediate the effect of being left behind and perceived discrimination upon self‐esteem. With the questionnaire data collected from 974 Chinese rural children among whom 517 were left‐behind children, the present study shows that perseverance of effort mediates the effect of being left behind upon self‐esteem. Moreover, within the subsample of left‐behind children, perceived discrimination was found to mediate the effect of time length of being left behind on self‐esteem, while a chain mediation effect was found where perceived discrimination and consistency of interest mediated the effect of the time length of being left behind on self‐esteem. Findings suggest that for left‐behind children, while the adverse social conditions reflected by perceived discrimination affects self‐esteem by diminishing consistency of interest, the absence of adequate parental regulation more directly affects perseverance of effort and therefore affects self‐esteem. Further research directions about practices and interventions targeting at protecting self‐esteem through fostering grit are discussed.
Prediction of response to truncated selection based on BLUP of breeding values and its prediction accuracy
Authors: Satoh Masahiro
Published: February 2024

Three methods of predicting the response to truncated selection based on BLUP of breeding values (BVs) were compared under conditions in which the phenotypic values for the progenies of selected animals were not available. The following methods were used to predict the response to selection: (1) based on the mean of estimated breeding values (EBV) in the candidate population for selection (), (2) based on the variance of EBV in the candidate population for selection (), and (3) based on diagonal elements of the inverse matrix on the left‐hand side of the mixed model equation (). The deviation of the average BV of the selected animals from the average BV of the candidate population for selection was taken as the true response to selection. The pedigree information and phenotypic values used for comparison were generated by Monte Carlo computer simulation. The results showed that had the smallest absolute mean error and had the smallest root‐mean‐square error. We concluded that it is desirable to use or to predict the response to truncated selection based on BLUP of BVs. However, in the population where selection is ongoing, the prediction accuracy of selection response is likely to be affected by the distortion of the distribution and the Bulmer effect for .
Estimation of genetic parameters for visceral diseases of fattening Japanese Black cattle in Shimane Prefecture, Japan
Authors: Nakamura Ryoichi , Sasaki Makiko , Shoji Nobutaka , Takahashi Masaru , Watanabe Akihiro , Iijima Kumi , Hasegawa Kiyotoshi , Oyama Kenji , Mannen Hideyuki
Published: February 2024

In this study, the genetic parameters of major visceral diseases were estimated using the postmortem inspection records of 9057 fattening Japanese Black cattle in Shimane Prefecture, Japan, and the genetic correlation between visceral diseases and carcass traits was analyzed. There were six visceral diseases with a prevalence of 5% or higher, namely, pleurisy, pneumonia, bovine abdominal fat necrosis (BFN), rumenitis, hemorrhagic hepatitis, and perihepatitis. Variance components were estimated using the Gibbs sampling method, and the heritability of the visceral disease ranged from 0.07 to 0.49 for perihepatitis and BFN, respectively. Significant negative genetic correlations were identified between pleurisy and rib thickness (−0.32), BFN and carcass weight (−0.29), and BFN and rib eye area (−0.22). No significant genetic correlation was observed among the visceral diseases. The least squares analysis of variance suggested that some visceral diseases decrease the value of carcass traits. In particular, carcass weight and rib eye area in individuals with BFN were 11.7 kg and 1.87 cm2 lower than those of healthy cattle, respectively. Thus, it was inferred that genetic factors were involved in the visceral diseases of fattening Japanese Black cattle in Shimane Prefecture.
Personal reformulation during the clinical associate psychologist apprenticeship: Exploratory mixed methods evaluation
Authors: Kellett Stephen , Brown Katie , Au‐Yeung Sheena K. , Tew Victoria , Parry Glenys
Published: February 2024

Objectives

Clinical associate psychologists (CAPs) train under the auspices of the apprenticeship programme and are a new addition to the psychological workforce. This project sought to evaluate whether a “personal reformulation” (PR) was helpful in terms of personal and professional development during the apprenticeship.

Methods

A mixed methods evaluation containing a longitudinal quantitative element and a “Big Q” qualitative element with a single cohort of N = 18 CAPs. A PR consists of a 2‐hr one‐to‐one session and a follow‐up session with a cognitive analytic psychotherapist. During a PR, a sequential diagrammatic reformulation is produced to aid recognition and revision of potentially problematic relationship patterns at work. Two outcome measures concerning reflective capacity and professional quality of life were completed at the start of the apprenticeship, pre‐PR and at 3‐month PR follow‐up. The semi‐structured interviews (n = 11) conducted at the follow‐up were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results

Quantitative changes were limited to significant increases to general confidence and 8/12 apprentices had a reliable increase in confidence in communication. Qualitatively, five overarching themes were found: (1) gaining insight, (2) wellbeing, (3) nature of the space, (4) being an apprentice, and (5) moving forward.

Conclusions

PRs were generally found to be emotionally challenging, but relatively large amounts of insight are possible from a very brief intervention that can contribute to personal and professional development during clinical training. More controlled research needs to be conducted and wider applications and evaluations of PRs in different professions would be welcome.
Anatomizing online collaborative inquiry using directional epistemic network analysis and trajectory tracking
Authors: Ba Shen , Hu Xiao , Stein David , Liu Qingtang
Published: February 2024

Accurate assessment and effective feedback are crucial for cultivating learners' abilities of collaborative problem‐solving and critical thinking in online inquiry‐based discussions. Based on quantitative content analysis (QCA), there has been a methodological evolvement from descriptive statistics to sequential mining and to network analysis for mining coded discourse data. Epistemic network analysis (ENA) has recently gained increasing recognition for modelling and visualizing the temporal characteristics of online discussions. However, due to methodological restraints, some valuable information regarding online discussion dynamics remains unexplained, including the directionality of connections between theoretical indicators and the trajectory of thinking development. Guided by the community of inquiry (CoI) model, this study extended generic ENA by incorporating directional connections and stanza‐based trajectory tracking. By examining the proposed extensions with discussion data of an online learning course, this study first verified that the extensions are comparable with QCA, indicating acceptable assessment validity. Then, the directional ENA revealed that two‐way connections between CoI indicators could vary over time and across groups, reflecting different discussion strategies. Furthermore, trajectory tracking effectively detected and visualized the fine‐grained progression of thinking. At the end, we summarize several research and practical implications of the ENA extensions for assessing the learning process.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

Assessment and feedback are crucial for cultivating collaborative problem‐solving and critical thinking in online inquiry‐based discussions.

Cognitive presence is an important construct describing the progression of thinking in online inquiry‐based discussions.

Epistemic network analysis is gaining increasing recognition for modelling the temporal characteristics of online inquiries.

What this paper adds

Directional connections between discourses can reflect different online discussion strategies of groups and individuals.

A pair of connected discourses coded with the community of inquiry model can have different meanings depending on their temporal order.

A trajectory tracking approach can uncover the fine‐grained progression of thinking in online inquiry‐based discussions.

Implications for practice and/or policy

Besides the occurrences of individual discourses, examining the meanings of directional co‐occurrences of discourses in online discussions is worthwhile.

Groups and individuals can employ different discussion strategies and follow diverse paths to thought development.

Developmental assessment is crucial for understanding how participants achieve specific outcomes and providing adaptive feedback.
Outcome of malignant lymphoma in Ukraine. Analysis of 563 cases registered in the Ukrainian Lymphoma Registry in 2019–2021
Authors: Stepanishyna Yana , Manni Martina , Civallero Monica , Shokun Nazar , Skrypets Tetiana , Burtna Alevtyna , Shapovalenko Natalia , Tytorenko Iryna , Aleksyk Olena , Pastushenko Yan , Gubareva Hanna , Moiseienko Kateryna , Kadnikova Tetyana , Rudyuk Timur , Filonenko Kateryna , Martynchyk Arina , Novosad Olga , Galli Giulia R. , Kryachok Irina , Federico Massimo
Published: February 2024

We report the outcome of 563 cases of newly diagnosed lymphoma registered in 2019–2021, including 176 cases (31.2%) of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), 130 (23.1%) of diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL), 28 (5%) of follicular lymphoma (FL), 16 (2.9%) of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and 20 (3.5%) of peripheral T‐cell lymphoma (PTCL). After a median follow‐up of 30.1 months (95% CI: 28.8–31.3), the 3‐year overall survival rates were 95%, 83%, 86%, 100%, 61% and 42% for HL, DLBCL, CLL, FL, MCL and PTCL respectively. These data offer valuable information on the curability of lymphoma patients in Ukraine, in a real‐world setting.