bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‘You are not Sikkimese enough’: Understanding collective action tendencies of old settlers in Sikkim using SIMCA
Authors: Malu Bhasker , Belavadi Sucharita , Chhabra Samreen , Rajan Santhosh Kareepadath , Dochania Rashbha
Published: April 2024

The current study analyses the motivators and inhibitors of collective action tendency using the Social Identity Model of Collective Action (SIMCA). The study was conducted with a minority and state‐based repressed group known as the old settlers in Sikkim, India. The old settlers are a community that have been historically settled in Sikkim prior to the state's merger with India in 1975. They are racially and ethnically different from the majority population of northeasterners in Sikkim and face both institutional and interpersonal discrimination. A qualitative approach using semi‐structured interviews with 11 old settlers was taken to delineate SIMCA variables – moral conviction, identity, injustice and efficacy – within the context of northeast India. Collective action was motivated through moral conviction via principles of equality and unequal treatment and outsider status, identity via politicisation of identity, creation of social movement organisations, injustice via anger and fraternal resentment and efficacy via marches and legal recourses. Collective action was inhibited through moral conviction via denial of violation, identity via acculturation, injustice via fear and efficacy via learned helplessness. These findings indicate that in state‐based repressed groups, collective action tendencies must be understood from a context‐specific lens that attempts to understand both motivating and inhibitory factors.
Extracellular vesicle miRNAs drive aberrant macrophage responses in NSAID‐exacerbated respiratory disease
Authors: Hartung Franziska , Haimerl Pascal , Schindela Sonja , Mussack Veronika , Kirchner Benedikt , Henkel Fiona D. R. , Bernhardt Ulrike , Zissler Ulrich M. , Santarella‐Mellwig Rachel , Pfaffl Michael , Schmidt‐Weber Carsten B. , Chaker Adam M. , Esser‐von Bieren Julia
Published: April 2024

Background

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma, however, how EVs contribute to immune dysfunction and type 2 airway inflammation remains incompletely understood. We aimed to elucidate roles of airway EVs and their miRNA cargo in the pathogenesis of NSAID‐exacerbated respiratory disease (N‐ERD), a severe type 2 inflammatory condition.

Methods

EVs were isolated from induced sputum or supernatants of cultured nasal polyp or turbinate tissues of N‐ERD patients or healthy controls by size‐exclusion chromatography and characterized by particle tracking, electron microscopy and miRNA sequencing. Functional effects of EV miRNAs on gene expression and mediator release by human macrophages or normal human bronchial epithelial cells (NHBEs) were studied by RNA sequencing, LC–MS/MS and multiplex cytokine assays.

Results

EVs were highly abundant in secretions from the upper and lower airways of N‐ERD patients. N‐ERD airway EVs displayed profoundly altered immunostimulatory capacities and miRNA profiles compared to airway EVs of healthy individuals. Airway EVs of N‐ERD patients, but not of healthy individuals induced inflammatory cytokine (GM‐CSF and IL‐8) production by NHBEs. In macrophages, N‐ERD airway EVs exhibited an impaired potential to induce cytokine and prostanoid production, while enhancing M2 macrophage activation. Let‐7 family miRNAs were highly enriched in sputum EVs from N‐ERD patients and mimicked suppressive effects of N‐ERD EVs on macrophage activation.

Conclusion

Aberrant airway EV miRNA profiles may contribute to immune dysfunction and chronic type 2 inflammation in N‐ERD. Let‐7 family miRNAs represent targets for correcting aberrant macrophage activation and mediator responses in N‐ERD.
“Black Women Should Not Die Giving Life”: The lived experiences of Black women diagnosed with severe maternal morbidity in the United States
Authors: Post Wendy , Thomas Angela , Sutton Karey M.
Published: April 2024

Objective

We sought to understand the lived experiences of Black women diagnosed with severe maternal morbidity (SMM) in communities with high maternal mortality to inform practices that reduce obstetric racism and improve patient outcomes.

Methods

From August 2022 through December 2022, we conducted a phenomenological, qualitative study among Black women who experienced SMM. Participants were recruited via social media and met inclusion criteria if they self‐identified as Black cisgender women, were 18–40 years old, had SMM diagnosed, and lived within zip codes in the United States that have the top‐five highest maternal mortality rates. Family members participated on behalf of women who were deceased but otherwise met all other criteria. We conducted in‐depth interviews (IDIs), and transcripts were analyzed using inductive and deductive methods to explore birth story experiences.

Results

Overall, 12 participants completed IDIs; 10 were women who experienced SMM and 2 were mothers of women who died due to SMM. The mean age for women who experienced SMM was 31 years (range 26–36 years) at the time of the IDI or death. Most participants had graduate‐level education, and the average annual household income was 123,750 USD. Women were especially interested in study participation because of their high‐income status as they did not fit the stereotypical profile of Black women who experience racial discrimination. The average time since SMM diagnosis was 2 years. Participants highlighted concrete examples of communication failures, stereotyping by providers, differential treatment, and medical errors which patients experienced as manifestations of racism. Medical personnel dismissing and ignoring concerns during emergent situations, even when raised through strong self‐advocacy, was a key factor in racism experienced during childbirth.

Conclusions

Future interventions to reduce racism and improve maternal health outcomes should center on the experiences of Black women and focus on improving patient–provider communication, as well as the quality and effectiveness of responses during emergent situations.

Précis statement: This study underscores the need to center Black women's experiences, enhance patient–provider communication, and address emergent concerns to mitigate obstetric racism and enhance maternal health outcomes.
Sequence not salvage
Authors: Sborov Douglas W. , Fortuna Gliceida Galarza , Hayden Patrick J.
Published: April 2024

Chimeric antigen receptor T‐cell (CAR‐T) therapy for the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) has fundamentally changed the relapsed and refractory therapeutic landscape, but the disease remains incurable. Two CAR‐T products, idecabtagene vicleucel (ide‐cel; Abecma) and ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta‐cel, Carvykti), have been FDA‐ and EMA‐approved for the treatment of relapsed/refractory MM (RRMM); both target B‐cell maturation antigen (BCMA), a surface glycoprotein highly expressed on MM cells. Despite deep and durable responses following CAR‐T therapy, most patients will need subsequent treatment, and the optimal next‐line therapy is presently unclear.

Commentary on: Liu et al. Outcomes in patients with multiple myeloma receiving salvage treatment after BCMA‐specific CAR‐T therapy: A retrospective analysis of LEGEND‐2. Br J Haematol 2024;204:1780‐1789.
Do minimum wages crowd out union density?
Authors: Kozák Michal , Picot Georg , Starke Peter
Published: April 2024

Minimum wage legislation has spread across rich democracies in recent decades in response to rising inequality and in‐work poverty. However, there are concerns that state regulation of wages could reduce incentives to join a union. We empirically test this crowding out hypothesis, using (1) an event‐study macro‐level analysis of trade union density in 19 advanced capitalist countries between 1960 and 2017 and (2) a multi‐level analysis of 32 countries (1981−2020) where we use individual‐level union membership as dependent variable. We find no evidence that statutory minimum wage adoption crowds out union density. We also test whether the most vulnerable groups of employees (young, low‐skilled and low‐income) have a lower propensity to join a union when a minimum wage is introduced but find no effect either.
Self‐serving attribution and managerial investment decision
Authors: Chung Chune Young , Choi Changhwan , Fard Amirhossein
Published: April 2024

This study examines whether managerial overconfidence coupled with self‐attribution bias distorts the investment decisions of firms. To this end, we investigate the impact of overconfidence on asymmetric investment cash flow sensitivity (ICS). We find that managerial overconfidence affects ICS in a downward‐sticky direction, which is reinforced by overconfidence coupled with managerial self‐attribution. The results for both unconstrained and constrained firms are qualitatively consistent with those for the overall sample; however, the constrained subsample provides slightly weaker results. Thus, our findings indicate that managerial overconfidence and self‐attribution to recent successes may induce managers to make excessive investment commitments.
Strategies of plants to overcome abiotic and biotic stresses
Authors: Du Baoguo , Haensch Robert , Alfarraj Saleh , Rennenberg Heinz
Published: April 2024

In their environment, plants are exposed to a multitude of abiotic and biotic stresses that differ in intensity, duration and severity. As sessile organisms, they cannot escape these stresses, but instead have developed strategies to overcome them or to compensate for the consequences of stress exposure. Defence can take place at different levels and the mechanisms involved are thought to differ in efficiency across these levels. To minimise metabolic constraints and to reduce the costs of stress defence, plants prioritise first‐line defence strategies in the apoplastic space, involving ascorbate, defensins and small peptides, as well as secondary metabolites, before cellular processes are affected. In addition, a large number of different symplastic mechanisms also provide efficient stress defence, including chemical antioxidants, antioxidative enzymes, secondary metabolites, defensins and other peptides as well as proteins. At both the symplastic and the apoplastic level of stress defence and compensation, a number of specialised transporters are thought to be involved in exchange across membranes that still have not been identified, and information on the regeneration of different defence compounds remains ambiguous. In addition, strategies to overcome and compensate for stress exposure operate not only at the cellular, but also at the organ and whole‐plant levels, including stomatal regulation, and hypersensitive and systemic responses to prevent or reduce the spread of stress impacts within the plant. Defence can also take place at the ecosystem level by root exudation of signalling molecules and the emission of volatile organic compounds, either directly or indirectly into the rhizosphere and/or the aboveground atmosphere. The mechanisms by which plants control the production of these compounds and that mediate perception of stressful conditions are still not fully understood. Here we summarise plant defence strategies from the cellular to ecosystem level, discuss their advantages and disadvantages for plant growth and development, elucidate the current state of research on the transport and regeneration capacity of defence metabolites, and outline insufficiently explored questions for further investigation.
Simplified detection of genetic background admixture using artificial intelligence
Authors: Pauly Rini , Alexander Feltus Frank
Published: April 2024

Admixture refers to the mixing of genetic ancestry from different populations. Admixture is important for genomic medicine because it can affect how an individual responds to certain medications, how they metabolize drugs, and susceptibility to certain diseases. For example, some genetic variants associated with drug metabolism and response may be more common in certain populations, and individuals with admixed ancestry may have a different frequency of these variants than individuals from the ancestral populations. Understanding the patterns of admixture in a population can also help researchers identify new genetic variants associated with diseases or traits and develop more personalized and targeted treatments. In this study, we compared and classified the known and self‐reported genetic backgrounds from 1000 Genomes Project and admixed samples from GTEx projects using supervised, unsupervised and statistical classification methodologies. We developed a novel tool called Admix‐AI that uses a one‐dimensional convolutional neural network to understand and classify admixed genetic backgrounds using 213 DNA‐marker based genetic background labels. Admix‐AI can be used to discover admixed proportions in samples and ultimately aid personalized genomic medicine by identifying specific biomarker systems. We compared Admix‐AI to the existing admixture categorization software and found our tool to be computationally faster with 2× speedup and streamlined usage. Admix‐AI is available as open‐source code under GPL version 3.0 license at https://github.com/rpauly/Admix-AI.
Maxillary sinus floor augmentation with autogenous bone graft compared with composite grafts: A one‐year single‐blinded randomized controlled trial
Authors: Starch‐Jensen Thomas , Ahmad Marianne , Bruun Niels Henrik , Becktor Jonas Peter
Published: April 2024

Objective

The objective was to assess the one year implant treatment outcome and patient‐related outcome measures (PROMs) following maxillary sinus floor augmentation (MSFA) with autogenous bone graft (ABG) from the zygomatic buttress (control) compared with 1:1 mixture of ABG and anorganic porcine bone mineral (APBM) (Test I) or biphasic bone graft material (BBGM) (Test II).

Materials and Methods

Sixty healthy patients (34 females, 26 males) were randomly allocated to either control or test groups. Outcome measures included survival of suprastructures and implants, implant stability quotient, health status of peri‐implant tissue, peri‐implant marginal bone loss, frequency of complications, and PROMs using Oral Health Impact Profile‐14 combined with questionnaire assessing patient perception of peri‐implant soft tissue, prosthetic solution, implant function, and implant treatment outcome using visual analogue scale. Mean differences were expressed with standard deviation and 95% confidence interval. Level of significance was .05.

Results

All suprastructures and implants were well‐functioning after one year of functional implant loading. There was no significant difference between control and test groups in any of the applied outcome measures. The implant stability significantly increased from implant placement to abutment connection within all groups (p < .001). High patient satisfaction and significant improvement in oral health‐related quality of life was also reported within all groups.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that MSFA with composite grafts containing minimal amounts of ABG reveals comparable implant treatment outcomes as compared with ABG alone, after one year of functional implant loading. Extensive ABG harvesting in conjunction with MSFA therefore seems not to be needed.
Predictability and Variation in Language Are Differentially Affected by Learning and Production
Authors: Keogh Aislinn , Kirby Simon , Culbertson Jennifer
Published: April 2024

General principles of human cognition can help to explain why languages are more likely to have certain characteristics than others: structures that are difficult to process or produce will tend to be lost over time. One aspect of cognition that is implicated in language use is working memory—the component of short‐term memory used for temporary storage and manipulation of information. In this study, we consider the relationship between working memory and regularization of linguistic variation. Regularization is a well‐documented process whereby languages become less variable (on some dimension) over time. This process has been argued to be driven by the behavior of individual language users, but the specific mechanism is not agreed upon. Here, we use an artificial language learning experiment to investigate whether limitations in working memory during either language learning or language production drive regularization behavior. We find that taxing working memory during production results in the loss of all types of variation, but the process by which random variation becomes more predictable is better explained by learning biases. A computational model offers a potential explanation for the production effect using a simple self‐priming mechanism.
Influence of ecotourism on grizzly bear activity depends on salmon abundance in the Atnarko River corridor, Nuxalk Territory
Authors: Field Kate A. , Short Monica L. , Moody Jason E. , Artelle Kyle A. , Bourbonnais Mathieu L. , Paquet Paul C. , Darimont Chris T.
Published: April 2024

Ecotourism management can draw on theory and data related to non‐consumptive effects of risk on wildlife. The asset protection principle (APP) predicts that variable food supply and its associated risks will affect antipredator behavior; responses to predation risk should dominate when food reserves are high, while nutritional risk becomes more important when food reserves are limited. Additionally, the human shield hypothesis (HSH) describes how some individuals might seek human presence if it repels potential sources of risk. Using camera traps, we used generalized linear mixed effects and multinomial regression models to test components of the APP and HSH where ecotourism co‐occurs with grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) foraging during hyperphagia. When salmon abundance was high (+1 SD), bear activity (weekly detections) decreased by 13% with every 100 visitors/week. Under low salmon conditions, bear activity increased with visitor numbers, creating ‘high bear‐high visitor’ conditions. Consistent with HSH, detection data revealed an increased likelihood of detecting subordinate age‐sex classes compared with adult males when visitor numbers were high. Our findings suggest that when salmon are low, managers might consider limiting visitors to mitigate disturbance. More broadly, understanding how wildlife allocate anti‐predator behavior as a function of risk and food can inform conservation science and practice.
Advancing the utilization of real‐world data and real‐world evidence in clinical pharmacology and translational research—Proceedings from the ASCPT 2023 preconference workshop
Authors: Liu Jing , Rowland‐Yeo Karen , Winterstein Almut , Dagenais Simon , Liu Qi , Barrett Jeffrey S. , Zhu Rui , Ghobadi Cyrus , Datta‐Mannan Amita , Hsu Joy , Menon Sujatha , Ahmed Mariam , Manchandani Pooja , Ravenstijn Paulien
Published: April 2024

Real‐world data (RWD) and real‐world evidence (RWE) are now being routinely used in epidemiology, clinical practice, and post‐approval regulatory decisions. Despite the increasing utility of the methodology and new regulatory guidelines in recent years, there remains a lack of awareness of how this approach can be applied in clinical pharmacology and translational research settings. Therefore, the American Society of Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (ASCPT) held a workshop on March 21st, 2023 entitled “Advancing the Utilization of Real‐World Data (RWD) and Real‐World Evidence (RWE) in Clinical Pharmacology and Translational Research.” The work described herein is a summary of the workshop proceedings.
Influence of COVID‐19 pandemic on mandible fracture patterns in a German cranio‐maxillofacial trauma center: PreCOVID (2019) versus IntraCOVID (2020)
Authors: Dudde Florian , Schuck Oliver , Schunk Johannes , Filip Barbarewicz
Published: April 2024

Background/Aims

The COVID‐19 (Coronavirus Disease‐2019) pandemic confronted the global healthcare system with a variety of challenges. The pandemic and the associated lockdowns also had an impact on multiple medical disciplines (i.e. delay of surgery, change of hospital admissions). The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on mandible fracture patterns/distributions and circumstances in a German cranio‐maxillofacial trauma center.

Materials and Methods

This retrospective study compared the mandible fracture patterns of patients in the PreCOVID (PC) era (February 2019–January 2020) with patients in the IntraCOVID (IC) era (February 2020–January 2021). In addition to baseline characteristics, the number/type of mandible fractures, location of the mandible fracture, circumstances leading to mandible fracture, and hospital admissions/treatments were analyzed.

Results

A total of 127 patients was included in this study. In the IC period, the absolute frequencies of mandible fractures decreased (PC = 72 vs. IC = 55). There were minor changes in the mandible fracture locations. An increase of concomitant facial soft tissue injuries (IC = 69.1% vs. PC = 58.3%), as well as higher rates of traumatic tooth loss (IC = 32.7% vs. PC = 22.2%), was observed. Regarding the causes/accidents leading to mandible fractures, there were significant increases in falls and significant decreases in sports accidents as well as interpersonal violence during the IC period. A significant increase in accidents at home and domestic violence during the COVID‐19 pandemic, with a simultaneous decrease in weekend and night‐time trauma leading to mandible fractures was observed. Furthermore, a significant increase in days from trauma to surgery was recorded.

Conclusion

The COVID‐19 pandemic had a significant impact on mandibular fracture patterns. The locations and types of mandibular fractures changed slightly. However, significant differences in the circumstances leading to mandible fractures (increased falls, decreased interpersonal violence) were recorded.
Response of maize yield to changes in soil organic matter in a Swedish long‐term experiment
Authors: Kätterer Thomas , Bolinder Martin A.
Published: April 2024

Agricultural practices that lead to soil carbon sequestration may be a win–win strategy for mitigating global warming and improving soil fertility and resource use efficiency. The mechanisms through which soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration affects crop yields are numerous but difficult to separate. The objective of this study was to disentangle these processes and estimate to what extent the yield response to SOC is mainly driven by changes in physical or biochemical properties and processes. This was achieved by analysing the response of yields in continuous maize to SOC concentrations during 20 years (2000–2019), which had evolved in 14 experimental treatments in a Swedish long‐term field experiment at Ultuna since 1956, ranging from 0.94% to 3.65% in the topsoil (0–20 cm). Average maize yields during this period varied between 1.9 and 8.4 Mg dry mass per hectare in the different treatments. The treatments comprise applications of different mineral nitrogen (N) fertilizers and organic amendments and combinations thereof. Our analysis showed that maize yield in the treatments that were not severely limited by nitrogen supply or soil acidity increased by 16% for each percentage unit increase in SOC. We applied the widely used concept of critical N concentration in plant biomass to diagnose the N status in maize in the different treatments (N nutrition index [NNI]) and parameterized a response function between yield and pH (RpH). Dry soil bulk density (BD) was used as a proxy for soil physical properties. These three variables NNI, RpH and BD explained 95% of the variation in maize yields among treatments. Further analysis of the relationship between BD, SOC and plant available water capacity revealed that about two thirds of the yield increases in response to SOC change could be ascribed to associated changes in soil physical properties. Our analysis suggests that the extra storage capacity of water, which increased by up to 15 mm in the topsoil for each unit percentage increase in SOC, was the main driver for the observed yield responses. We conclude that measures for increasing SOC in soils most likely are an effective adaptation strategy for reducing the risk of crop damage during dry spells, which probably are becoming more frequent in the future due to climate change, even in relatively humid climates as in Sweden.
Relationship between weld rip diameter and fatigue fracture mode for friction stir spot welded tension‐peel joints
Authors: Hayashi Miu , Fujita Itsuki , Itadani Takumi , Arakawa Jinta , Aoki Yasuhiro , Fujii Hidetoshi , Akebono Hiroyuki , Sugeta Atsushi
Published: April 2024

In this study, the effects of variations in the weld rip diameter on fatigue properties were investigated based on the fatigue fracture mechanism using tensile peeling‐type friction stir spot welding (FSSW) joints. The results of the fatigue test showed that the high and low applied force ranges exhibited base metal fracture and weld area fracture, respectively, and the difference in the weld rip diameter hardly affected the fatigue life. In contrast, in the middle‐applied force range, the fracture morphology changes as the weld rip diameter decreases, and it is apparent that joints exhibiting weld area fracture decrease the fatigue life. The fatigue fracture morphology of the tensile peeling‐type FSSW joints can be described by a competing risk model between the weld rip diameter. Increasing the heat input during joining, thereby increasing the crack propagation resistance at the pressure fusion interface, can suppress weld area fracture.
Driver–response relationships in a large shallow lake since the Anthropocene: Short‐term abrupt perturbations versus long‐term sustainable pressures
Authors: Ran Fengwei , Wang Shilan , Nie Xiaodong , Xiao Tao , Yang Changrong , Liu Yaojun , Li Zhongwu
Published: April 2024

Lakes, as integral social‐ecological systems, are hotspots for exploring climatic and anthropogenic impacts, with crucial pathways revealed by continuous sediment records. However, the response of multi‐proxies in large shallow lakes to typical abrupt events and sustained drivers since the Anthropocene remains unclear. Here, we explored the driver‐identification relationships between multi‐proxy peaks and natural and anthropogenic events as well as the attribution of short‐term perturbations and long‐term pressures. To this end, sediment core records, socio‐ecological data, and documented events from official records were integrated into a large shallow lake (Dongting Lake, China). Significant causal cascades and path effects (goodness‐of‐fit: 0.488; total effect: −1.10; p < .001) were observed among catchment environmental proxies, lake biogenic proxies, and mixed‐source proxies. The peak‐event identification rate (PEIR) and event‐peak driving rate were proposed, and values of 28.57%–46.43% and 50%–81.25% were obtained, respectively. The incomplete accuracy of depicting event perturbations using sediment proxies was caused by various information filters both inside and outside the lake. PEIRs for compound events were 1.41 (±0.72) and 1.09 (±0.46) times greater than those for anthropogenic‐dominated and natural‐dominated events, respectively. Furthermore, socio‐economic activity, hydrologic dynamics, land‐use changes, and agriculture exerted significant and persistent pressures, cumulatively contributing 55.3%–80.9% to alterations in sediment proxies. Relatively synergistic or antagonistic trends in temporal contributions of these forces were observed after 2000, which were primarily attributed to the “Grain for Green” project and the Three Gorges Dam. This study represents one of the few investigations to distinguish the driver–response relationship of multiple proxies in large shallow lakes under typical event perturbations and long‐term sustained pressures since the Anthropocene. The findings will help policymakers and managers address ecological perturbations triggered by climate change and human activities over long‐term periods.
Development of a Variable Multimodal Balanced Floating Catchment Area Approach for Spatial Accessibility Assessment
Authors: Benhlima Ouidad , Riane Fouad , Puchinger Jakob , Bahi Hicham
Published: April 2024

Rapid urbanization and expansion, stemming from demographic growth and migration from rural areas to urban centers, have heavily strained cities in recent years. These circumstances have created an ever‐growing need for equipment and essential services. On the other hand, previous research has shown that accessibility measurement is a powerful technique for assessing urban compactness. This assessment arises from the willingness of urban planners to develop transport services and land use across various cities globally. This paper addresses the computational problem of spatial accessibility, focusing on the influence of private cars versus public transport. We introduced a metric that enhances the Balanced Floating Catchment Area (BFCA) index. Our metric not only considers multiple transportation modes in the calculation of spatial accessibility but also takes into account variable catchment sizes. We applied our metric in a case study examining spatial accessibility to public hospitals in Casablanca. The results provide a geographic breakdown of each transportation mode, and the accessibility of different scenarios has been compared.
Health status, care dependency and oral care utilization among older adults: a register‐based study
Authors: Tapager Ina , Westergaard Caroline Louise , Øzhayat Esben Boeskov
Published: April 2024

Background and objectives

The aim of the study was to examine oral care utilisation among older Danes and to describe the extent to which oral care use is associated with the co‐existence of challenges relating to general health and care dependency.

Materials and methods

The study used registry data covering the entire population of older adults (≥65 years) in seven municipalities in Denmark (N = 178 787 individuals). Oral care services utilisation was computed from administrative data on oral care contacts up to and including 2019, including both private oral care and a municipal oral care programme (MOCP). Various registry data sources were used to compute risk factors to describe oral care utilisation across indicators of general health and care dependency.

Results

Indicators for poorer health were associated with larger proportions of individuals enrolled in the MOCPs and larger proportions of non‐users of any type of oral care. Higher degrees of care dependency were associated with larger proportions of individuals enrolled in MOCPs and individuals with no use of any oral care services, with the exception of nursing home residents, who comprised a lower proportion of non‐users than individuals receiving at‐home care. Municipal oral care mainly enrolled older adults who were nursing home residents (60% of nursing home residents were enrolled).

Conclusion

Our findings support existing evidence on the link between oral care utilisation and general health and frailty. While the municipal care programmes assisted in covering oral care for those with the highest level of care dependency, future preventive strategies for ensuring care continuity for older adults that are increasing in frailty may want to focus on the earlier stages of frailty and of general health deterioration.
Sleep‐disordered breathing and nocturnal hypoxemia in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary disease
Authors: Li Hui‐Ting , Yuan Ping , Jiang Rong , Zhao Qin‐Hua , Sun Yuan‐Yuan , Zhang Jian , Gong Su‐Gang , Li Jin‐Ling , Qiu Hong‐Ling , Wu Wen‐Hui , Luo Ci‐Jun , Xu Jiang , Wang Lan , Liu Jin‐Ming
Published: April 2024

Background and Aims

Sleep‐disordered breathing (SDB) and nocturnal hypoxemia were known to be present in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), but the difference between SDB and nocturnal hypoxemia in patients who have chronic thromboembolic pulmonary disease (CTEPD) with or without pulmonary hypertension (PH) at rest remains unknown.

Methods

Patients who had CTEPH (n = 80) or CTEPD without PH (n = 40) and who had undergone sleep studies from July 2020 to October 2022 at Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital were enrolled. Nocturnal mean SpO2 (Mean SpO2) <90% was defined as nocturnal hypoxemia, and the percentage of time with a saturation below 90% (T90%) exceeding 10% was used to evaluate the severity of nocturnal hypoxemia. Logistic and linear regression analyses were performed to investigate the difference and potential predictor of SDB or nocturnal hypoxemia between CTEPH and CTEPD without PH.

Results

SDB was similarly prevalent in CTEPH and CTEPD without PH (P = 0.104), both characterised by obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Twenty‐two patients with CTEPH were diagnosed with nocturnal hypoxemia, whereas only three were diagnosed with CTEPD without PH (P = 0.021). T90% was positively associated with mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) and pulmonary vascular resistance in patients with CTEPH and CTEPD without PH (P < 0.001); T90% was also negatively related to cardiac output in these patients. Single‐breath carbon monoxide diffusing capacity, sex and mPAP were all correlated with nocturnal hypoxemia in CTEPH and CTEPD without PH (all P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Nocturnal hypoxemia was worse in CTEPD with PH; T90%, but not SDB, was independently correlated with the hemodynamics in CTEPD with or without PH.
Discovering adaptive features of innate immune memory
Authors: Sadeghi Mina , Divangahi Maziar
Published: April 2024

Conventionally, it was thought that innate immunity operated through a simple system of nonspecific responses to an insult. However, this perspective now seems overly simplistic. It has become evident that intricate cooperation and networking among various cells, receptors, signaling pathways, and protein complexes are essential for regulating and defining the overall activation status of the immune response, where the distinction between innate and adaptive immunity becomes ambiguous. Given the evolutionary timeline of vertebrates and the success of plants and invertebrates which depend solely on innate immunity, immune memory cannot be considered an innovation of only the lymphoid lineage. Indeed, the evolutionary innate immune memory program is a conserved mechanism whereby innate immune cells can induce a heightened response to a secondary stimulus due to metabolic and epigenetic reprogramming. Importantly, the longevity of this memory phenotype can be attributed to the reprogramming of self‐renewing hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in the bone marrow, which is subsequently transmitted to lineage‐committed innate immune cells. HSCs reside within a complex regulated network of immune and stromal cells that govern their two primary functions: self‐renewal and differentiation. In this review, we delve into the emerging cellular and molecular mechanisms as well as metabolic pathways of innate memory in HSCs, which harbor substantial therapeutic promise.
The weather as a determinant of farmer's mental health: A dependent, interacting, cumulative and escalating model (DICE) of the effects of extreme weather events
Authors: Rice Kylie , Usher Kim J.
Published: April 2024

This perspective paper presents a conceptual, theoretical framework of the weather as a determinant of mental health for farmers. This model proposes that the effects of extreme weather events have interacting and cumulative effects for farmers, who are dependent on the land.
Evaluating the impact of recombinant human epidermal growth factor on scar formation in oral and maxillofacial traumatic wound healing
Authors: Zhu Bin , Tong Guoyong , Gao Peiyi , Yan Mengxiong
Published: April 2024

Scarring following oral and maxillofacial trauma can have significant aesthetic and functional repercussions. Recombinant human epidermal growth factor (rhEGF) has emerged as a potential therapeutic agent to enhance wound healing and minimise scar formation. This retrospective study analysed data from March 2020 to June 2023 at a single institution. A total of 105 patients were divided into a control group (n = 70) receiving standard treatment and an observation group (n = 35) receiving standard treatment plus rhEGF. The primary outcomes were the incidence of scar hyperplasia and infection rates, with the secondary outcome being scar aesthetics measured by the visual analogue scale (VAS). No significant differences were found in baseline characteristics between the two groups. The observation group showed a significant reduction in scar hyperplasia (14.3% vs. 57.1%, χ2 = 20.98, p < 0.01) and infection rates (5.7% vs. 21.4%, χ2 = 4.246, p < 0.05) compared to the control group. VAS scores indicated a superior aesthetic outcome in the observation group at all post‐treatment timepoints (p < 0.01). rhEGF treatment in oral and maxillofacial trauma patients resulted in favourable healing outcomes and reduced scar formation, improving aesthetic results. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of rhEGF and underscore the need for larger‐scale trials to further investigate its benefits.
Role of nutritional support in nursing practice for improving surgical site wound healing in patients post‐surgery with risk of pressure ulcers
Authors: Chu Yali , Kong Juan , Xu Jin , Han Guangxue , Yu Wenbin , Xu Xiulian
Published: April 2024

To explore the role of nutritional support in nursing practice on postoperative surgical site wound healing in patients undergoing surgery at risk for pressure ulcers. This study adopted a retrospective experimental design and included a total of 60 patients at risk of pressure ulcers, divided into a nutritional support group and a control group, with 30 people in each group. The nutritional support group implemented specific nutritional support measures after surgery, while the control group received standard postoperative care. Outcome measures included redness and swelling scores, edema scores, anxiety assessments, pain scores, bleeding volume, recovery time and incidence of pressure ulcers. The result indicates that patients who received nutritional support exhibited lower postoperative wound redness and swelling scores compared to the control group (3.11 ± 0.45 vs. 4.85 ± 0.74, p < 0.05). Additionally, the nutritional support group showed significantly lower edema scores (2.75 ± 0.37 vs. 3.53 ± 0.62, p < 0.05). Anxiety levels, as measured by the anxiety assessment scale (SAS), were also lower in the nutritional support group (6.52 ± 1.19 vs. 7.60 ± 1.62, p < 0.05). Moreover, the average healing time was shorter for the nutritional support group (7.27 ± 1.36 days) compared to the control group (9.71 ± 1.84 days, p < 0.05). Postoperative pain scores were lower in the nutritional support group (4.13 ± 0.72 vs. 5.43 ± 0.62, p < 0.05), and patient satisfaction scores were higher (9.42 ± 0.76 vs. 7.25 ± 0.81, p < 0.05). Nutritional support has a positive effect on postoperative wound healing at surgical sites in patients at risk of pressure ulcers in nursing practice. It can significantly reduce redness, swelling, edema, anxiety, and pain scores, reduce bleeding, shorten recovery time, and reduce pressure ulcers. incidence rate.
With whom do people compare at work? The role of regulatory mode and social comparison motives
Authors: Beylat Magali , Woltin Karl‐Andrew , Yzerbyt Vincent , Sassenberg Kai
Published: April 2024

We investigate whether people's regulatory mode (assessment and locomotion) and social comparison motives (self‐evaluation vs. self‐enhancement) jointly influence with whom—either a peer or their leader—individuals prefer to compare. In three preregistered studies (N = 839), we measured participants' chronic regulatory mode and assessed their comparison target preference separately for different social comparison motives. For each motive, participants indicated with whom they would prefer to compare, using choice (Study 1) and rating (Studies 2 and 3) measures. Supporting our predictions, assessment interacted with social comparison motives such that assessment was positively associated with preferring to compare to peers for self‐enhancement motives, but unrelated to comparison target preference regarding self‐evaluation motives. In addition, and as predicted, locomotion was consistently positively associated with preferring leaders as comparison target, independently of social comparison motives. These results contribute to emerging research highlighting the key role of individuals' regulatory mode in understanding interpersonal dynamics at work.
Effects of reference population size and structure on genomic prediction of maternal traits in two pig lines using whole‐genome sequence‐, high‐density‐ and combined annotation‐dependent depletion genotypes
Authors: Kjetså Maria V. , Gjuvsland Arne B. , Grindflek Eli , Meuwissen Theo
Published: April 2024

The aim of this study was to investigate the reference population size required to obtain substantial prediction accuracy within‐ and across‐lines and the effect of using a multi‐line reference population for genomic predictions of maternal traits in pigs. The data consisted of two nucleus pig populations, one pure‐bred Landrace (L) and one Synthetic (S) Yorkshire/Large White line. All animals were genotyped with up to 30 K animals in each line, and all had records on maternal traits. Prediction accuracy was tested with three different marker data sets: High‐density SNP (HD), whole genome sequence (WGS), and markers derived from WGS based on pig combined annotation dependent depletion‐score (pCADD). Also, two different genomic prediction methods (GBLUP and Bayes GC) were compared for four maternal traits; total number piglets born (TNB), total number of stillborn piglets (STB), Shoulder Lesion Score and Body Condition Score. The main results from this study showed that a reference population of 3 K–6 K animals for within‐line prediction generally was sufficient to achieve high prediction accuracy. However, when the number of animals in the reference population was increased to 30 K, the prediction accuracy significantly increased for the traits TNB and STB. For multi‐line prediction accuracy, the accuracy was most dependent on the number of within‐line animals in the reference data. The S‐line provided a generally higher prediction accuracy compared to the L‐line. Using pCADD scores to reduce the number of markers from WGS data in combination with the GBLUP method generally reduced prediction accuracies relative to GBLUP using HD genotypes. The BayesGC method benefited from a large reference population and was less dependent on the different genotype marker datasets to achieve a high prediction accuracy.
Fostering online interaction in blended learning through social presence and convergence: A systematic literature review
Authors: van der Stap Nanda , van den Bogaart Theo , Rahimi Ebrahim , Versendaal Johan
Published: April 2024

Background

Online interaction in blended learning is leveraged through social presence and convergence. However, little systematic work currently exists on how researchers have explored these challenges in higher education institutions and no studies have synthesised these challenges.

Objectives

The purpose of this study is to give a novel overview of social presence and convergence to improve online interaction in blended learning in higher education. The findings will be synthesised into blended learning design principles.

Method

Two systematic literature reviews, one on each challenge, were carried out through the Web of Science databases and consulting cited sources in review articles. Accordingly, 28 distinct studies were selected through the guidelines of the PRISMA statement, using predefined selection criteria.

Results and Conclusions

The results show that social presence in blended learning is mostly evoked through course design, introductory f2f meetings, collaborative activities, prompt online feedback, the teacher's presence, and planned facilitation. To establish convergence, it is recommended to make basic theory available online through video clips, web‐lectures, articles, followed by simple online assignments or self‐study to increase understanding, thereby creating opportunities for deep learning during face‐to‐face through discussions and collaborative activities.

Implications

This paper adds to the theory on blended learning and instructional design in higher education, and further offers an elaborate set of design principles for educational practice. Future research on instructional design may investigate in particular how a target group or student factors, are affected by the blended learning environment in order to tailor designs for a specific target group.
A scoring system to predict the technical difficulty of endoscopic resection for cardial submucosal tumors
Authors: Geng Zi‐Han , Qu Yi‐Fan , Fu Pei‐Yao , Zhu Yan , Chen Wei‐Feng , Li Quan‐Lin , Zhou Ping‐Hong
Published: April 2024

Background and Aim

Endoscopic resection has been successfully used for the removal of digestive submucosal tumors (SMTs). However, the cardia has been considered a challenging location for endoscopic resection due to its narrow lumen and sharp angle. The objective of this study was to establish a clinical scoring model to grade the technical difficulty of endoscopic resection for cardial SMTs.

Methods

A total of 246 patients who suffered cardial SMTs and received endoscopic resection were included in this retrospective study. All of them were randomized into the training cohort (n = 123) or internal validation cohort (n = 123). Potential predictors were analyzed using univariate analysis. Then, covariates with P < 0.05 were selected for the multivariate logistic regression model. The β coefficients from the logistic regression model were used to create a scoring system for technical difficulty prediction by rounding the score to the nearest integer of the absolute β coefficient value.

Results

The clinical score consisted of the following factors: male gender (2 points), extraluminal growth (3 points), and maximum diameter ≥3 cm (3 points). The scoring model demonstrated good discriminatory power, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.860 and a 95% confidence interval of 0.763–0.958. The model also showed a good goodness of fit in the Hosmer–Lemeshow test (P = 0.979). In the training cohort, the probability of encountering technical difficulty in the easy (score = 0), intermediate (score = 1–3), difficult (score = 4–6), and very difficult (score >6) categories was 0, 6.8%, 33.3%, and 100.0%, respectively; similarly, in the validation cohort, it was 0, 5.6%, 22.2%, and 50.0%, respectively.

Conclusions

This scoring system could serve as a valuable tool for clinicians in predicting the technical difficulty of endoscopic resection for cardial SMTs.