bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perirhinal cortex supports object perception by integrating over visuospatial sequences
Authors: Bonnen Tyler , Wagner Anthony D. , Yamins Daniel L.K.
Published: September 2023

Perception unfolds across multiple timescales. For humans and other primates, many object-centric visual attributes can be inferred ‘at a glance’ (i.e., given<200ms of visual information), an ability supported by ventral temporal cortex (VTC). Other perceptual inferences require more time; to determine a novel object’s identity, we might need to represent its unique configuration of visual features, requiring multiple ‘glances.’ Here we evaluate whether perirhinal cortex (PRC), downstream from VTC, supports object perception by integrating over such visuospatial sequences. We first compare human visual inferences directly to electrophysiological recordings from macaque VTC. While human performance ‘at a glance’ is approximated by a linear readout of VTC, participants radically outperform VTC given longer viewing times (i.e.,>200ms). Next, we leverage a stimulus set that enables us to characterize PRC involvement in these temporally extended visual inferences. We find that human visual inferences ‘at a glance’ resemble the deficits observed in PRC-lesioned human participants. Not surprisingly, by measuring gaze behaviors during these temporally extended viewing periods, we find that participants sequentially sample task-relevant features via multiple saccades/fixations. These patterns of visuospatial attention are both reliable across participants and necessary for PRC-dependent visual inferences. These data reveal complementary neural systems that support visual object perception: VTC provides a rich set of visual features ‘at a glance’, while PRC is able to integrate over the sequential outputs of VTC to support object-level inferences.
Light at night and modeled circadian disruption predict higher risk of mortality: A prospective study in >88,000 participants
Authors: Windred Daniel P. , Burns Angus C. , Lane Jacqueline M. , Olivier Patrick , Rutter Martin K. , Saxena Richa , Phillips Andrew J. K. , Cain Sean W.
Published: September 2023

Importance

Light at night disrupts human circadian rhythms, which are critical for maintaining optimal health. Circadian disruption accompanies poor health outcomes that precede premature mortality, including cardiometabolic diseases. However, links between personal night light exposure and premature mortality risk have not been established.

Objective

To characterize the association of light at night with all-cause and cardiometabolic mortality risks and to understand the role of circadian disruption in these associations by applying a computational model of the response of the human circadian pacemaker to light.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

United Kingdom.

Participants

UK Biobank cohort, N=88,904, aged 62.4±7.8 years, 57% female.

Exposure

Participants wore activity tracking watches with light sensors for one week between 2013-2016. Twenty-four-hour light exposure profiles were extracted for each participant, and day-time and night-time hours were defined by factor analysis. A validated mathematical model of the human circadian pacemaker was applied to model circadian amplitude and phase from weekly light data.

Main Outcome

Cause-specific mortality (National Health Service) recorded in 2,605 participants across a mean (±SD) follow-up period of 6.31±0.83 years after light/activity tracking.

Results

Risk of all-cause mortality was higher in participants in the 90th-100thpercentiles of night-light exposure (HR[95%CI]=1.30[1.15-1.48]), and for those between the 70th-90thpercentiles (HR=1.16[1.04-1.28]), compared to the darkest 50%. Participants in the 90th-100thpercentiles of night-light exposure also had higher risk of cardiometabolic mortality (HR=1.41[1.07-1.85]). Higher circadian amplitude predicted lower risks of all-cause mortality (HR = 0.94[0.91-0.97] per SD) and cardiometabolic mortality (HR=0.90[0.83-0.96]), and circadian phase that deviated from the group average predicted higher risks of all-cause mortality (HR=1.33[1.17-1.51]) and cardiometabolic mortality (HR=1.48[1.12-1.97]). These findings were robust to adjustment for age, sex, ethnicity, and sociodemographic and lifestyle factors.

Conclusions and Relevance

Minimizing exposure to light at night and keeping regular light-dark patterns that enhance circadian rhythms may promote cardiometabolic health and longevity.

Key Points

Question

Is light exposure at night associated with risk of premature mortality?

Findings

Exposure to brighter light at night, recorded with personal light sensors in >88,000 participants, was associated with higher risk of mortality across a subsequent 6-year period. Computational modeling indicated that disrupted circadian rhythms may explain this higher mortality risk.

Meaning

Avoiding light at night may be a cost-effective and accessible recommendation for promoting health and longevity.
Cellular protein painting for structural and binding sites analysis via lysine reactivity profiling with o-phthalaldehyde
Authors: Zheng Zhenxiang , Zeng Ya , Lai Kunjia , Liao Bin , Li Pengfei , Tan Chris Soon Heng
Published: September 2023

The three-dimensional structure and the molecular interaction of proteins determine their roles in many cellular processes. Chemical protein painting with protein mass spectrometry can identify changes in structural conformations and molecular interactions of proteins including their binding sites. Nevertheless, most current protein painting techniques identified protein targets and binding sites of drugsin vitrousing cell lysate or purified protein. Here, we screened 11 membrane-permeable lysine-reactive chemical probes for intracellular covalent labeling of endogenous proteins, which revealsortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA) as the most reactive probe in intracellular environment. An MS workflow was developed and coupled with a new data analysis strategy termed RAPID (Reactive Amino acid Profiling by Inverse Detection) to enhance detection sensitivity. RAPID-OPA successfully identified structural change induced by allosteric drug TEPP-46 on its target protein PKM2, and was applied to profile conformation change of the proteome occurring in cells during thermal denaturation. Application of RAPID-OPA on cells treated with geldanamycin, selumetinib, and staurosporine successfully revealed their binding sites on target proteins. Thus, RAPID-OPA for cellular protein painting permits the identification of ligand-binding sites and detection of protein structural changes occurring in cells.

Significance Statement

Protein painting can be used to identify changes in the three-dimensional structure and molecular interaction of proteins that govern many cellular processes but are mostly applied to cell lysate or purified protein. We identified lysine reactive probes for the intracellular labeling of endogenous proteins, and developed an MS procedure with new data analysis strategy termed RAPID-OPA to characterize the intracellular conformation change of the proteome during thermal denaturation, and identified structural change mediated by allosteric regulator TEPP-46 on target protein PKM2. Furthermore, the approach could identify ligand binding sites exemplified by labeling of target proteins in cells treated with geldanamycin, selumetinib and staurosporine. Overall, RAPID-OPA for cellular protein painting enables the detection of protein structural changes happening in cells as well as the identification of ligand-binding sites.
Grey Mouse Lemurs’ response to acute caloric restriction before reproduction supports the “Thrifty Female Hypothesis”
Authors: Noiret Aude , Aujard Fabienne , Terrien Jeremy
Published: September 2023

The thrifty female hypothesis states that females would preserve more of their energy reserves during winter than males, because of a sex specific time-frame of energy allocation to reproduction. As males reactivate their reproductive axis before the mating period, while females mainly allocate energy in gestation and lactation, we make the hypothesis that males would have to use shorter torpor bouts and longer periods of normothermic activity in order to promote spermatogenesis during winter, a period of low food availability. Here we applied an acute two-week 80%CR in males and females grey mouse lemurs, shortly before the mating period. We show evidence of thriftier phenotypes in wintering females, which performed deeper and longer torpor bouts than males, and ultimately lost less body mass. Our results thus support the thrifty female hypothesis in a seasonally breeding primate, and reinforce the concept of a sex-biased trade-off in using torpor, which might ultimately benefit to reproduction and survival.
Improved estimation of molecular evolution coupling stochastic simulations and deep learning
Authors: Silvestro Daniele , Latrille Thibault , Salamin Nicolas
Published: September 2023

Models have always been central to inferring molecular evolution and to reconstructing phylogenetic trees. Their use typically involves the development of a mechanistic framework reflecting our understanding of the underlying biological processes, such as nucleotide substitutions, and the estimation of model parameters by maximum likelihood or Bayesian inference. However, deriving and optimizing the likelihood of the data is not always possible under complex evolutionary scenarios or tractable for large datasets, often leading to unrealistic simplifying assumptions in the fitted models. To overcome this issue, we couple stochastic simulations of genome evolution with a new supervised deep learning model to infer key parameters of molecular evolution. Our model is designed to directly analyze multiple sequence alignments and estimate per-site evolutionary rates and divergence, without requiring a known phylogenetic tree. The accuracy of our predictions matches that of likelihood-based phylogenetic inference, when rate heterogeneity follows a simple gamma distribution, but it strongly exceeds it under more complex patterns of rate variation, such as codon models. Our approach is highly scalable and can be efficiently applied to genomic data, as we show on a dataset of 26 million nucleotides from the clownfish clade. Our simulations also show that the per-site rates obtained by deep learning increase the likelihood of the true tree and could therefore lead to more accurate phylogenetic inference. We propose that future advancements in phylogenetic analysis will benefit from a semi-supervised learning approach that combines deep-learning estimation of substitution rates, which allows for more flexible models of rate variation, and probabilistic inference of the phylogenetic tree, which guarantees interpretability and a rigorous assessments of statistical support.
Synthesis, crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface analysis, DFT and NBO study of ethyl 1-(4-fluorophenyl)-4-[(4-fluorophenyl)amino]-2,6-diphenyl-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridine-3-carboxylate
Authors: Bansal Ravi , Butcher Ray J. , Gupta Sushil K.
Published: September 2023

The title compound, C32H28F2N2O2, a highly functionalized tetrahydropyridine, was synthesized by a one-pot multi-component reaction of 4-fluoroaniline, ethyl acetoacetate and benzaldehyde at room temperature using sodium lauryl sulfate as a catalyst. The compound crystallizes with two molecules in the asymmetric unit. The tetrahydropyridine ring adopts a distorted boat conformation in both molecules and the dihedral angles between the planes of the fluoro-substituted rings are 77.1 (6) and 77.3 (6)°. The amino group and carbonyl O atom are involved in an intramolecular N—H...O hydrogen bond, thereby generating an S(6) ring motif. In the crystal, molecules are linked by C—H...F hydrogen bonds forming a three-dimensional network and C—H...π interactions. A Hirshfeld surface analysis of the crystal structure indicates that the most important contributions to the crystal packing are from H...H (47.9%), C...H/H...C (30.7%) and F...H/H...F (12.4%) contacts. The optimized structure calculated using density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,p) level is compared with the experimentally determined molecular structure in the solid state. The HOMO–LUMO behaviour was used to determine the energy gap and the Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analysis was done to study donor–acceptor interconnections.
Identity performances on professional accounting association magazine covers
Authors: Neal Anne K.H. , Bujaki Merridee Lynne , Durocher Sylvain , Brouard François
Published: September 2023

Purpose

The authors examine and compare accounting associations' identities in distinct segments of the accounting profession surrounding the 2014 merger of three Canadian accounting associations.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conceive of accounting associations' magazine front covers as a setting for “identity performance” (i.e. a scenery through which identity dimensions are intentionally communicated to target audiences). The authors examine pre-merger and post-merger associations' identity performances that took place between January 2011 and December 2020 and identify 21 broad themes that the authors interpret in terms of identity logics (i.e. professionalism/commercialism) and audience focus (society/association members), underscoring (dis)similarities in identity performances pre- and post-merger.

Findings

The authors' analysis reveals distinct identity performances for the different segments of the pre-merger accounting profession and for the post-merger unified accounting association. Identity logics manifest differently: a commercial logic dominated for two of the associations and a professional logic dominated for the third. Identity fluidity was evident in the merged association's shift from commercial toward professional logic when the association ceased publishing one magazine and introduced a new one. Society rather than associations' members dominated as a target audience for all associations, but this focus manifested differently. Post-merger, identity performances continued to focus on society as the audience.

Originality/value

The authors highlight the Goffmanian identity performances (Goffman, 1959) taking place via accounting associations' magazines. The authors adopt a segment perspective (Bucher and Strauss, 1961) that demonstrates that commercialism does not trump professionalism in all segments of the profession. For the first time, the authors juxtapose identity logics (professionalism/commercialism) and targeted audiences to better understand how these facets of accountants' identities compare between segments.
Work–family balance – validation of a measurement instrument in a sample of Portuguese workers
Authors: Marôco Ana Lúcia , Gonçalves Sónia P. , Nogueira Fernanda
Published: September 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper was to study the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Work–family balance (WFB) scale, developed by Carlson et al. (2009), as well as demonstrating that the WFB is a different construct from the work–family conflict (WFC) and the family–work conflict (FWC). Additionally, this study intended to verify if the work–family balance construct is invariant in the different work regimes (face-to-face work, hybrid work, teleworking), and between men and women.

Design/methodology/approach

Snow-ball convenience sample of 224 workers; psychometric analysis of the different scales/constructs analyzed by confirmatory analysis using R/Lavaan.

Findings

The results obtained show that the WFB scale presents factor and convergent validity, and high reliability. The WFB construct is negatively correlated with the WFC and FWC constructs. The WFB is a different construct from the WFC and FWC. The WFB is invariant both in workers subjected to different work regimes, and sexes.

Originality/value

The conceptualization and measurement of the work–family relationship has been the subject of several studies. Among the different conceptual approaches to this relationship, WFB has been the least studied and, in terms of human resource management, it is the one that has the best relationship with sustainability and organizational performance. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to obtain a valid and reliable WFB measures, to be used by both academics and human resources professionals.
Exploring the relationship between generational diversity and knowledge sharing: the moderating role of workplace intergenerational climate, boundary-spanning leadership and respect
Authors: Hans Swati , Nayeem Abdul Mohammad , Mikkilineni Sitamma , Gupta Ritu
Published: September 2023

Purpose

The current article investigates the impact of generational diversity on knowledge sharing and group performance. It, further, explores the moderating effects of intergenerational climate, boundary-spanning leadership, and respect in facilitating greater knowledge sharing and enhanced group performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors applied partial least square structural equation modeling to test the model, using a sample of 635 employees working in the banking industry.

Findings

Results indicate that generational diversity negatively influences knowledge sharing among employees at work. However, the moderating roles of intergenerational climate and boundary-spanning leadership aid in mitigating this negative affect and facilitate knowledge sharing among employees, thereby, resulting in better group performance.

Research limitations/implications

The study extends extant literature on generational diversity and differences by examining its impact on knowledge sharing and group performance. Further, the study also contributes by highlighting intergenerational climate and boundary-spanning leadership as key facilitators in promoting knowledge sharing among employees. Future research may include other industries/contexts to widen the generalizability of the findings and a longitudinal design to ascertain the causal effects.

Practical implications

This study identifies the need to effectively manage multigenerational workforce to capitalize on the unique benefits of each generation. An intergenerational climate free from ageist attitudes and employing leaders possessing boundary-spanning abilities would help organizations to create an inclusive workplace.

Originality/value

The authors attempt to explore the relationship between generational diversity, knowledge sharing, and group performance through the moderating effects of intergenerational climate and boundary-spanning leadership, which has not been studied in the past.
Corporate social responsibility and sustainability practices: mediating effect of green innovation and moderating effect of knowledge management in the manufacturing sector
Authors: Alketbi Moza Saeed , Ahmad Syed Zamberi
Published: September 2023

Purpose

This study aims to examine the roles of corporate social responsibility (CSR), green innovation (GI) and knowledge management (KM) in boosting sustainable practices (SPs). It also investigates the mediating effect of green innovation and the moderating effect of KM in the relationship between CSR and SPs.

Design/methodology/approach

Using measurement scales adapted from existing studies, a quantitative methodology with causal and deductive reasoning was used on data from an online survey with 322 respondents in manufacturing firms in the United Arab Emirates.

Findings

There was no direct significant positive relationship between CSR and SPs; the mediating role of GI was evident, whereas the moderating role of KM was not present.

Research limitations/implications

Only manufacturing enterprises are considered in this study, with a single geographical case study highlighting CSR efforts.

Practical implications

The findings reveal the positive influence of GI on CSR and SPs. This study contributes to the understanding of the influence of green processes and product innovation on applying social, environmental and sustainability practices to enhance the overall productivity, compliance, performance and well-being of the community.

Originality/value

This study collectively explores the causal relationships between these factors, besides offering new insights into the manufacturing industry in an emerging market.
Cumulative fatigue damage theories for metals: review and prospects
Authors: Liu Xintian , Ma Muzhou
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Scholars mainly propose and establish theoretical models of cumulative fatigue damage for their research fields. This review aims to select the applicable model from many fatigue damage models according to the actual situation. However, relatively few models can be generally accepted and widely used.

Design/methodology/approach

This review introduces the development of cumulative damage theory. Then, several typical models are selected from linear and nonlinear cumulative damage models to perform data analyses and obtain the fatigue life for the metal.

Findings

Considering the energy law and strength degradation, the nonlinear fatigue cumulative damage model can better reflect the fatigue damage under constant and multi-stage variable amplitude loading. In the following research, the complex uncertainty of the model in the fatigue damage process can be considered, as well as the combination of advanced machine learning techniques to reduce the prediction error.

Originality/value

This review compares the advantages and disadvantages of various mainstream cumulative damage research methods. It provides a reference for further research into the theories of cumulative fatigue damage.
Researching hard-to-reach populations: lessons learned from dispersed migrant communities
Authors: Falcão Roberto , Cruz Eduardo , Costa Filho Murilo , Elo Maria
Published: September 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the issues in studying hard-to-reach or dispersed populations, with particular focus on methodologies used to collect data and to investigate dispersed migrant entrepreneurs, illustrating shortcomings, pitfalls and potentials of accessing and disseminating research to hard-to-reach populations of migrant entrepreneurs.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed methodology is proposed to access hard-to-reach or dispersed populations, and this paper explores these using a sample of Brazilian migrants settled in different countries of the world.

Findings

This paper explores empirical challenges, illustrating shortcomings, pitfalls and potentials of accessing and disseminating research to hard-to-reach populations of migrant entrepreneurs. It provides insights by reporting research experiences developed over time by this group of researchers, reflecting a “mixing” of methods for accessing respondents, contrasting to a more rigid, a-priori, mixed methods approach.

Originality/value

The main contribution of this paper is to showcase experiences from, and suitability of, remote data collection, especially for projects that cannot accommodate the physical participation of researchers, either because of time or cost constraints. It reports on researching migrant entrepreneurship overseas. Remote digital tools and online data collection are highly relevant due to time- and cost-efficiency, but also represent solutions for researching dispersed populations. These approaches presented allow for overcoming several barriers to data collection and present instrumental characteristics for migrant research.
Exploring the promotion of blockchain adoption in the healthcare industry through government subsidies
Authors: Li Keqing , Liang Changyong
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Blockchain technology has been recognized as a potential solution to the challenges in managing healthcare information. Its adoption in the healthcare industry has garnered the attention of healthcare institutions and governments. Given the significant role of subsidies in promoting technology adoption, this study applies evolutionary game theory to examine the impact of government subsidies on the adoption of blockchain technology by healthcare institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the authors analyze the interests of government administration departments and healthcare institutions separately in regards to blockchain adoption. Subsequently, the authors develop the payoff matrix of both participants and construct the evolutionary game model. And then, the authors calculate the replication dynamic equations and analyze the decision evolution of both participants through the replication dynamic equations and numerical experiments.

Findings

The numerical experiments demonstrate that government subsidies are effective in encouraging healthcare institutions to adopt blockchain technology. The study also reveals the necessary amount of subsidy required to guide healthcare institutions towards adoption. Additionally, the validity of the evolutionary game model in analyzing the interaction between governments and healthcare institutions is confirmed by the results.

Originality/value

Blockchain adoption in the healthcare industry differs from other emerging technologies, as there is the potential for it to reduce revenue for healthcare institutions. This study contributes to the analysis of theoretical models for promoting blockchain in the healthcare industry through subsidies. Additionally, it demonstrates the potential of evolutionary game theory in analyzing the adoption of blockchain technology, and the interaction between governments and healthcare institutions.
Antecedents of attitudes towards the use of environmentally friendly household appliance products in Zimbabwe: an extension of the theory of planned behaviour
Authors: Maziriri Eugine Tafadzwa , Nyagadza Brighton , Chuchu Tinashe , Mazuruse Gideon
Published: September 2023

Purpose

This study aims to determine the antecedents that influence attitudes towards the use of environmentally friendly household appliance products and consumers' green purchase intention among consumers in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 329 consumers in Harare, Zimbabwe's commercial capital who were served from five using a structured questionnaire via an online web-based cross-sectional survey. Hypothesised relationships were tested through structural equation modelling with the aid of Smart PLS software.

Findings

Green product awareness, social influence, perceived benefit and attitude towards green appliances were found to have a significant positive effect on green purchase intention.

Research limitations/implications

The study's findings may not be generalised to other contexts as sample data was only collected in Zimbabwe. Complementary cross-sectional research studies can be done in other parts of the world to enable cross-cultural comparisons and methodological validations.

Practical implications

The green appliance and energy saving practices are vastly growing, with many multinational appliance companies introducing green products within their product lines and adopting the concept of sustainability through modifications in production, design and consumption of household appliance products that encompass fewer harmful consequences on the environment in response to their concerns about the scarcity of natural resources, environmental well-being and the potential detriment of future generations.

Originality/value

Notwithstanding the limitations of the current study, the results have the potential to contribute to an improved understanding of influence attitudes towards the use of environmentally friendly household appliance products.
Capitalised nonmarket benefits of multifunctional water‐sensitive urban infrastructure: A case of living streams
Authors: Akbari Saloomeh , Polyakov Maksym , Iftekhar Md Sayed
Published: September 2023

Living streams are an important element of decentralised stormwater management solutions. They are actively promoted due to their ability to generate multiple ecosystem services, including water quality improvement, biodiversity protection and aesthetics. However, a lack of monetised values of ecosystem services of living stream projects makes it difficult to assess the net benefits of investing in such projects. This study uses the hedonic pricing method to estimate the capitalised amenity values of living streams and other public open spaces (POS) in housing and lot markets for the first time. The study area includes two newly greenfield‐developed suburbs in the Perth metropolitan area. We find the positive impact of living streams and other POS on the house and lot prices. However, living streams generate greater value than other types of POS. Furthermore, the POS (including living streams) that support active recreation are valued more than basic POS without active recreation features. Finally, we observe, for the first time, that the benefits of planned but not yet constructed POS (including living stream) are similar to the completed POS (including living stream) in both housing and lot markets. This information is useful for policymakers and developers making informed decisions about water‐sensitive urban infrastructure.
Patients at risk for further examination with conventional gastroscopy after undergoing magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy
Authors: Wu Ting Ting , Zhang Meng Yu , Tan Nian Di , Chen Song Feng , Zhuang Qian Jun , Luo Yu , Xiao Ying Lian
Published: September 2023

Objective

In this study we aimed to compare the need for further examination with conventional gastroscopy within 1 year after magnetically assisted capsule endoscopy (MCCE) examination between patients with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and asymptomatic individuals.

Methods

After propensity score matching analysis, 372 patients with GI symptoms and 372 asymptomatic individuals who had undergone MCCE at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen University from January 1, 2019 to December 30, 2020 were retrospectively enrolled. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the participants and their MCCE and gastroscopic findings (performed within 1 year after MCCE) were analyzed.

Results

Fifty‐one (6.85%) patients underwent further examination with conventional gastroscopy within 1 year after MCCE. Those with GI symptoms were more likely to undergo conventional gastroscopy than those without (9.95% vs 3.76%, P < 0.001). Polyps were the most common finding of MCCE. The rate of conventional gastroscopy in patients with focal lesions was significantly higher than that in those without focal lesions (P < 0.05). However, such rate did not differ in the different age groups (P = 0.106).

Conclusions

MCCE is an optimal alternative for gastric examination, especially for large‐scale screening of asymptomatic individuals. Patients with GI symptoms or focal lesions detected by MCCE are more likely to seek further examination with conventional gastroscopy for biopsy or endoscopic treatment than those without.
Association of visceral fat area or BMI with arterial stiffness in ideal cardiovascular health metrics among T2DM patients
Authors: Zhao Ling , Zhou Xiangming , Chen Yufei , Dong Qijuan , Zheng Qidong , Wang Yufan , Li Li , Zhao Dong , Ji Bangqun , Xu Fengmei , Shi Juan , Peng Ying , Zhang Yifei , Dai Yuancheng , Ke Tingyu , Wang Weiqing
Published: September 2023

Background

“Obesity paradox” occurs in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients when body mass index (BMI) is applied to define obesity. We examined the association of visceral fat area (VFA) as an obesity measurement with arterial stiffness in seven ideal cardiovascular health metrics (ICVHMs).

Methods

A total of 29 048 patients were included in the analysis from June 2017 to April 2021 in 10 sites of National Metabolic Management Centers. ICVHMs were modified from the recommendations of the American Heart Association. Brachial‐ankle pulse wave velocity (BaPWV) ≥ 1400 cm/s was employed to evaluate increased arterial stiffness. Multivariate regression models were used to compare the different effects of BMI and VFA on arterial stiffness.

Results

Lower VFA was more strongly associated with low BaPWV than lower BMI when other ICVHMs were included (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.85 [95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80–0.90] vs OR 1.08 [95% CI, 1.00–1.17]). Multivariable‐adjusted ORs for arterial stiffness were highest in patients with the VAT area VFA in the range of 150‐200 cm2 (adjusted OR, 1.26 [95% CI 1.12–1.41]). Compared with participants with VAT VFA < 100 cm2, among participants with higher VAT VFA, the OR for arterial stiffness decreased gradually from 1.89 (95% CI, 1.73–2.07) in patients who had ≤1 ICVHM to 0.39 (95% CI, 0.25–0.62) in patients who had ≥5 ICVHMs.

Conclusion

In patients with T2DM, using VAT for anthropometric measures of obesity, VFA was more relevant to cardiovascular risk than BMI in the seven ICVHMs. For anthropometric measures of obesity in the ICVHMs to describe cardiovascular risk VFA would be more optimal than BMI.
Statistical modelling to examine the impact of changes in crude oil and fertiliser prices on maize prices and future forecasts in India
Authors: Tyagi Sanjay
Published: September 2023

This study examines the impact of crude oil and fertiliser price changes on maize crop prices in India using monthly time series data from May 2007 to September 2022. The best‐fitted Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average model with the lowest Akaike's Information Criterion value is selected, and the Box–Ljung test is used to validate the prediction accuracy. Empirical results suggest that maize price is driven by crude oil and fertiliser prices since it has been found that maize prices are highly positively correlated with the prices of crude oil and fertiliser. Also, a strong correlation has been found between crude oil and fertiliser prices. The investigation for forecasting the next 15 months from November 2022 also revealed that maize prices showed no volatility because of a constant trend, but crude oil prices showed a declining trend, while di‐ammonium phosphate prices showed an increasing trend over the period from November 2022 to February 2023. They then declined to June 2023 but again showed an increasing trend from July 2023 to January 2024 and achieved the highest price in December 2023. Because of a constant trend, urea prices showed no volatility over the 15 months. The estimates can aid the government in formulating policies to maintain agricultural crop production and control input price changes to meet the growing population's food demands.
Translation and validation of the Norwegian version of the postoperative quality of recovery score QoR‐15
Authors: Bergestuen Linda , Moger Thomas , Oterhals Kjersti , Pfeffer Frank , Nestvold Torunn , Norderval Stig , Nymo Linn Såve , Havnes Kjerstin , Lassen Kristoffer , Breivik Kyrre
Published: September 2023

Background

As patient‐centered care gains more attention, assessing the patient's perspective on their recovery has become increasingly important. In response to the need for a reliable and valid patient reported outcome measurement tool for major surgical resections in Norway. The Norwegian Registry for Gastrointestinal Surgery (NORGAST) initiated a project to translate and evaluate QoR‐15's psychometric properties for patients going through general, gastrointestinal (GI), and hepato‐pancreato‐biliary (HPB) resectional surgery.

Methods

After a translation and adaption of the original version of QoR–15 into Norwegian, the QoR–15NO was psychometrically evaluated including a confirmatory factor analysis to test for unidimensionality, as well as tests for content validity, internal consistency, measurement error, construct validity, feasibility, and responsiveness. This process included cognitive interviews using a structured interview guide. Further, patients who underwent various types of GI/HPB surgery at five hospitals in different parts of Norway completed the QoR‐15NO before surgery and on the first or second day after surgery. The impact of surgery was classified according to Surgical Outcome Risk Tool v2 (SORT), in extra major/complex, major, intermediate, and minor.

Results

This study included 324 patients with 83% return rate with both pre‐ and postoperative forms. There were negative correlations between duration of surgery and postoperative QoR‐15 score and the difference between post‐ and preoperative score (change score). Individuals who had gone through surgery with major impact had a lower postoperative mean QoR‐15 score (97) than their counterparts who had experienced either medium (QoR‐15: 110) or minor (QoR15: 119) impact surgery. Cronbach's alpha (0.88) and Omega Alpha Total (ωt = 0.90) indicate that the scale has good to very good internal consistency. Test–retest reliability was measured by Intra‐class Correlation Coefficient to ICC = 0.70. Confirmatory factor analyses supported that a one‐factor model with correlated residuals had a good fit to data.

Conclusion

This study supports QoR‐15NO as a valid, essentially unidimensional, feasible, and responsive instrument among patients undergoing general, GI, and HPB resectional surgery in Norway. The total QoR‐15NO score provides important information that can be used in an everyday clinical setting and integrated into NORGAST.
Degradation of cochlear Connexin26 accelerate the development of age‐related hearing loss
Authors: Xu Kai , Chen Sen , Bai Xue , Xie Le , Qiu Yue , Liu Xiao‐zhou , Wang Xiao‐hui , Kong Wei‐jia , Sun Yu
Published: September 2023

The GJB2 gene, encoding Connexin26 (Cx26), is one of the most common causes of inherited deafness. Clinically, mutations in GJB2 cause congenital deafness or late‐onset progressive hearing loss. Recently, it has been reported that Cx26 haploid deficiency accelerates the development of age‐related hearing loss (ARHL). However, the roles of cochlear Cx26 in the hearing function of aged animals remain unclear. In this study, we revealed that the Cx26 expression was significantly reduced in the cochleae of aged mice, and further explored the underlying molecular mechanism for Cx26 degradation. Immunofluorescence co‐localization results showed that Cx26 was internalized and degraded by lysosomes, which might be one of the important ways for Cx26 degradation in the cochlea of aged mice. Currently, whether the degradation of Cx26 in the cochlea leads directly to ARHL, as well as the mechanism of Cx26 degradation‐related hearing loss are still unclear. To address these questions, we generated mice with Cx26 knockout in the adult cochlea as a model for the natural degradation of Cx26. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) results showed that Cx26 knockout mice exhibited high‐frequency hearing loss, which gradually progressed over time. Pathological examination also revealed the degeneration of hair cells and spiral ganglions, which is similar to the phenotype of ARHL. In summary, our findings suggest that degradation of Cx26 in the cochlea accelerates the occurrence of ARHL, which may be a novel mechanism of ARHL.
Cross‐species comparison illuminates the importance of iron homeostasis for splenic anti‐immunosenescence
Authors: He Ziqing , He Weiya , Hu Chuanxia , Liao Jiayu , Deng Wenjun , Sun Haijian , Huang Qingpei , Chen Weilue , Zhang Libiao , Liu Meiling , Dong Ji
Published: September 2023

Although immunosenescence may result in increased morbidity and mortality, many mammals have evolved effective immune coping strategies to extend their lifespans. Thus, the immune systems of long‐lived mammals present unique models to study healthy longevity. To identify the molecular clues of anti‐immunosenescence, we first built high‐quality reference genome for a long‐lived myotis bat, and then compared three long‐lived mammals (i.e., bat, naked mole rat, and human) versus the short‐lived mammal, mouse, in splenic immune cells at single‐cell resolution. A close relationship between B:T cell ratio and immunosenescence was detected, as B:T cell ratio was much higher in mouse than long‐lived mammals and significantly increased during aging. Importantly, we identified several iron‐related genes that could resist immunosenescence changes, especially the iron chaperon, PCBP1, which was upregulated in long‐lived mammals but dramatically downregulated during aging in all splenic immune cell types. Supportively, immune cells of mouse spleens contained more free iron than those of bat spleens, suggesting higher level of ROS‐induced damage in mouse. PCBP1 downregulation during aging was also detected in hepatic but not pulmonary immune cells, which is consistent with the crucial roles of spleen and liver in organismal iron recycling. Furthermore, PCBP1 perturbation in immune cell lines would result in cellular iron dyshomeostasis and senescence. Finally, we identified two transcription factors that could regulate PCBP1 during aging. Together, our findings highlight the importance of iron homeostasis in splenic anti‐immunosenescence, and provide unique insight for improving human healthspan.
Prevalence of geographic atrophy in Nordic countries and number of patients potentially eligible for intravitreal complement inhibitor treatment: A systematic review with meta‐analyses and forecasting study
Authors: Vangsted Andreas , Thinggaard Benjamin S. , Nissen Anne H. K. , Hajari Javad N. , Klefter Oliver N. , Krogh Nielsen Marie , Sørensen Torben L. , Grauslund Jakob , Subhi Yousif
Published: September 2023

We systematically reviewed the literature on the prevalence of geographic atrophy (GA) in Nordic populations, conducted meta‐analyses on age‐stratified estimates, and calculated current and future number of patients and those potentially eligible for intravitreal complement inhibitor treatment. We followed the PRISMA guidelines, and our protocol was registered in PROSPERO. Ten databases were searched on 22 April 2023 for population‐based studies of GA prevalence. Based on clinical descriptive analyses of GA and eligibility criteria of the phase III studies for intravitreal pegcetacoplan (complement C3 and C3b inhibitor), we were able to calculate the proportion of patients with GA potentially eligible for therapy. Finally, we extracted population data for Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) from Eurostat, applied prevalence statistics to the extracted census and forecasting data to estimate the number of patients with GA, and then applied the proportion eligible for intravitreal pegcetacoplan therapy. We identified six studies with a total of 10 159 individuals. Prevalence of GA was estimated to 0.4% (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.2%–0.8%), 1.5% (95% CI: 0.7%–2.6%), and 7.6% (95% CI: 4.6%–11.3%) for individuals aged 60–69, 70–79, and 80+ years, respectively. In Nordic countries, we estimate a total of 166 307 individuals with GA in 2023, increasing to 277 893 in 2050. Of these, 90 803 individuals in 2023, increasing to 151 730 in 2050, are potentially eligible for intravitreal complement inhibitor treatment. Considering these large numbers, our study highlights the importance of this topic in the coming years and its potential to significantly impact our clinical practice, organization, and staffing.
‘Working outside the box’—an interview study regarding manipulation of medicines with registered nurses and pharmacists at a Swedish paediatric hospital
Authors: Andersson Åsa C. , Lindemalm Synnöve , Onatli Dilba , Chowdhury Samia , Eksborg Staffan , Förberg Ulrika
Published: September 2023

Aim

Studies on frequencies of manipulated medicines in paediatric care are common, but there is little knowledge of experiences of pharmacists and registered nurses in this area. The aim of this study was to explore registered nurses' and pharmacists' reasoning in the manipulation of medicines to paediatric inpatients.

Methods

Semistructured interviews with twelve registered nurses and seven pharmacists were performed at a Swedish paediatric university hospital. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using content analysis.

Results

Four major categories emerged from the analysis of the interviews: medicines management, knowledge, consulting others and organisation. Medicines management involved the process of drug handling, which is prescribing, reconstitution or manipulation and administration. Knowledge concerned both the knowledge base and how healthcare personnel seek information. Consulting others involved colleagues, registered nurses and pharmacists, between registered nurses, pharmacists and physicians and between registered nurses, pharmacists and caregivers. Organisation covered documentation, time and working environment.

Conclusion

Both pharmacists and registered nurses stated that manipulation of medicines to paediatric patients was often necessary but felt unsafe due to lack of supporting guidelines. Pharmacists were natural members of the ward team, contributing with specific knowledge about medicines and formulations.
Retinal detachment following retinopathy of prematurity in France: Screening and treatment pathways
Authors: Denier Margot , Kermorvant‐Duchemin Elsa , Barjol Amandine , Caputo Georges , Chapron Thibaut
Published: September 2023

Aim

Preterm children are highly vulnerable to sensorial impairments through Retinopathy Of Prematurity (ROP). The objective was to determine whether some cases of ROP requiring surgery could be secondary to deficiencies in care pathways.

Methods

Descriptive study of neonatal characteristics and the screening/treatment pathways of children treated for stage ≥4A ROP from 2009 to 2020 in a referral unit in France.

Results

Twenty‐five preterm children (44 eyes) were included: median gestational age was 25 weeks, and median birthweight was 700 grams. Eighty‐four per cent had received at least one fundus examination, 50% of which were completed on time. At the time of retinal detachment diagnosis, only 36% of the children had received laser or anti‐vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) intra‐vitreal injection. ROP stage was only reported in 8%, and the zone or type was reported in 16% of the files.

Conclusion

The risk of blindness and the effectiveness of laser or anti‐VEGF treatment highlight the need to enhance screening and treatment practices in France.
Relational care and ordinary repair in diverse craft economies
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Rishika
Published: September 2023

The commentary attends to India's rapidly changing craft economy to notice how individual economic actors in the craft sector make complex and often contradictory ethico‐political choices realising hopeful possibilities. Through the mode of care and repair, the commentary examines how the artisans operating within diverse economies negotiate with exploitative labour regimes and survive a dwindling craft sector. It considers how a woman owner‐artisan creates an atmosphere of togetherness and extends her notion of family by cooking for her team of workers. Care ethics, in this analysis, is not only a gendered feeling but realigns with co‐dependent economic exchanges essential for collective survival. The second case focuses on the everyday repair of musical instruments as an alternative act of ordinary ethics. The commentary argues, even when these small doings do not bring immediate and intentional change in the economic organisation of the two crafts, they require pivotal consideration as already existing alternative value systems anchored within everyday world‐making practices.