bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CEP76 is a critical regulator of male germ cell transition zone function and tail composition
Authors: Houston Brendan J. , Jo Merriner D. , Gemma Stathatos G. , O’Connor Anne E. , Lopes Alexandra M. , Conrad Donald F. , Baker Mark , Dunleavy Jessica E.M. , O’Bryan Moira K.
Published: March 2023

The transition zone is a specialised gate at the base of cilia/flagella, which segregates the ciliary compartment from the cytoplasm and strictly regulates protein entry. In this study, we have identified CEP76 as an essential germ cell transition zone protein, involved in the selective entry and incorporation of key proteins required for sperm function and fertility into the ciliary compartment and ultimately the sperm tail. In its absence sperm tails are shorter and immotile as a consequence of deficits in essential sperm motility proteins including DNAH2 and AKAP4, which accumulate at the sperm neck in the mutant. We demonstrate CEP76 is required for sperm tail fibrous sheath formation, outer dense fibre loading and axoneme stability in the principal piece and ultimately sperm motility. Finally, we identify that CEP76 dictates annulus positioning and composition, adding further evidence that the spermatid transition zone and annulus are part of the same functional structure.
Aberrant phase separation is a common killing strategy of positively charged peptides in biology and human disease
Authors: Boeynaems Steven , Ma X. Rosa , Yeong Vivian , Ginell Garrett M. , Chen Jian-Hua , Blum Jacob A. , Nakayama Lisa , Sanyal Anushka , Briner Adam , Van Haver Delphi , Pauwels Jarne , Ekman Axel , Schmidt H. Broder , Sundararajan Kousik , Porta Lucas , Lasker Keren , Larabell Carolyn , Hayashi Mirian A. F. , Kundaje Anshul , Impens Francis , Obermeyer Allie , Holehouse Alex S. , Gitler Aaron D.
Published: March 2023

Positively charged repeat peptides are emerging as key players in neurodegenerative diseases. These peptides can perturb diverse cellular pathways but a unifying framework for how such promiscuous toxicity arises has remained elusive. We used mass-spectrometry-based proteomics to define the protein targets of these neurotoxic peptides and found that they all share similar sequence features that drive their aberrant condensation with these positively charged peptides. We trained a machine learning algorithm to detect such sequence features and unexpectedly discovered that this mode of toxicity is not limited to human repeat expansion disorders but has evolved countless times across the tree of life in the form of cationic antimicrobial and venom peptides. We demonstrate that an excess in positive charge is necessary and sufficient for this killer activity, which we name ‘polycation poisoning’. These findings reveal an ancient and conserved mechanism and inform ways to leverage its design rules for new generations of bioactive peptides.
Learning to teach: an investigation into pre-service biology teachers' perceptions toward lesson study
Authors: Jayanti Ummi Nur Afinni Dwi , Adlini Miza Nina
Published: March 2023

Purpose

Despite numerous kinds of research regarding the potential of lesson study (LS) in internship and microteaching in teacher education curricula, studies examining the adaptation of LS in the lesson planning (LP) course have not been established. To fill this gap, this study aims to explore the perceptions of pre-service biology teachers of an adapted LS in the LP course toward their instructional design skills and teaching competency.

Design/methodology/approach

This study opted for basic qualitative studies. The participants were eleven pre-service biology teachers in their third year who had already taken a LP course. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Collected data were then transcribed and thematically analyzed using grounded theory and focused on participants' perceptions about the development of their teaching competency in lesson planning through LS.

Findings

The findings revealed that participants appreciated the planning and consultation phases, teaching practice, peer observation as well as observer feedback from the reflection phase in supporting the development of their basic teaching skills. There was also a change in their perceptions related to the concept of teaching.

Originality/value

The findings of this study offer insight regarding the benefits and challenges of involving pre-service biology teacher students in the LS for biology teacher education programs with a focus on the method or LP course.
IPO valuation in an emerging market – a study in Iran
Authors: Hekmat Hanieh , Rahmani Ali , Yazdifar Hassan
Published: March 2023

Purpose

This study aims to highlight the accuracy, performance and selection of the IPO valuation methods in the Islamic Republic of Iran’s emerging market.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors performed accurate ex ante evaluations based on a pre-IPO data set obtained from valuation institutions. This study considered valuation methods through correlations, Mann–Whitney U tests and regression analysis, using a sample of 83 IPOs from January 2017 to March 2021.

Findings

The authors found that the dividend discount model (DDM) was the most popular in Iran. Even after controlling firm characteristics and market circumstances, the IPO price was highly correlated to pre-IPO reports’ estimates. The results showed that firms’ age, size and profitability affected the selection of valuation methods. The valuers did not apply forward P/E in a volatile market. Firm size affected the weights assigned to free cash flow to the firm, and the valuers considered the asset-in-place intensity to determine the weights of DDM, P/E and net asset value, and they mainly used the P/E to value old firms. Finally, this study estimated the accuracy of the pre-IPO report at 61% and found the highest accuracy to be associated with DDM.

Originality/value

IPO pricing in emerging markets constitutes a more significant dilemma than in developed markets. This paper provides empirical evidence of IPO pricing focusing on valuation methods used in the context of an emerging market – the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The building as a palimpsest: heritage, memory and adaptive reuse beyond intervention
Authors: Lanz Francesca
Published: March 2023

Purpose

This paper contributes to this special issue on the ethics and aesthetics of adaptive reuse with a reflection on the specific case of the reuse of those sites and buildings that can be regarded as “difficult”, “uncomfortable”, or “neglected” heritage (MacDonald, 2009; Logan and Keir, 2009; Pendlebury et al., 2018; Lanz, 2021). By doing so it is the author's intention to add to the most recent research-driven and theory-oriented strand of the contemporary architectural debate on adaptive reuse (Lanz and Pendlebury, 2022). They also intend to encourage increased research engagement within such a debate, both across disciplines and with methods and approaches that may be able to bring in greater critical consideration of the more-than-architectural aspects involved in adaptive reuse practices.

Design/methodology/approach

Building equally on a comprehensive literature review on the subject and extensive field work, the paper works through one paradigmatic example – the San Girolamo mental asylum in Volterra, Italy – and combines on-site observation, field notes, qualitative interviews and archival research with theory-driven reflections to discuss the ramifications of adaptive reuse processes in place-based memory and heritage practices.

Findings

The case of the former mental asylum San Girolamo in Volterra, today abandoned and decaying on the landscape, is discussed via the metaphor of the building as palimpsest to explore the significance of this built heritage in both its materiality and meanings. The San Girolamo asylum demonstrates the value, complexity and potential of this heritage site, and other alike, to act as a powerful place which connects the past and present that might serve as a platform to promote productive discourses about contemporary sensible topics, ethics of care and human rights. Drawing on these observations, the paper concludes by expanding on how the case of the San Girolamo former asylum both showcases and advocates the need for developing more creative, explorative, trans-disciplinary and collaborative approaches and methodologies to the study and implementation of adaptive reuse projects for these site “beyond intervention”.

Originality/value

This paper draws on and contributes to the more recent research-driven and theory-oriented corpus of studies focussing on adaptive reuse.
Resilience, complexity and digital transformation: three case studies in the valves industry
Authors: Codara Lino , Sgobbi Francesca
Published: March 2023

Purpose

This paper shows how the interplay between organisational resilience and environmental complexity justifies the existence of differentiated yet successful approaches to digital transformation.

Design/methodology/approach

A multi-case method is applied to test our research hypotheses by contrasting the digital transformation of three Italian companies in the valves industry.

Findings

Different combinations of technological and organisational tools, hence diversified digital transformations, can be successful, provided that they are supported by a coherent set of resilience factors and allow for the implementation of strategic approaches aligned with the resilience capacity of the firm.

Practical implications

Awareness that resilience capacity shapes digital transformation and the strategies available to engage with external complexity should focus managers to invest in the alignment and the reinforcement of the factors underlying organisational resilience.

Originality/value

Most literature so far focused on the antecedents to digital transformation. In contrast, this paper focuses on the transformation process and highlights how the resilience capacity of the firm affects the unfolding of digital transformation and the emergence of diversified yet successful paths. In addition, in contrast with a dichotomous approach to external complexity this paper shows that digital transformation involves a mix of complexity reduction and complexity absorption strategies.
Packaging plastic waste management in the cosmetic industry
Authors: De Sanjeet Kumar , Kawdia Priyanshi , Gupta Dipti , Pragya Namita
Published: March 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the relationship between the various variables present in the packaging plastic waste management system in the cosmetics industry.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors deal with plastic packaging waste in the cosmetic industry with the help of system dynamics. The model broadly divides the system into six sections – Cosmetic Packaging, Waste Generation, Waste Collected, Waste Sorted, Waste Treated and Waste Dumped. Businesses have been investing in each section depending on their progress and targets. The authors are looking at case studies of two leading cosmetic brands, L'Oréal and L'Occitane en Provence, to validate the industry practices against our model.

Findings

From a business perspective, using the case study methodology for L'Oréal and L'Occitane, the authors inferred that out of the various investment vehicles available, companies are targeting technological advancement and third-party collaborations as they have the potential to offer the greatest visible change. However, most of these investments are going toward the treatment subsection. Still, there is a scope for improvement in the collection and sorting subsystems, increasing the efficiency of the whole chain.

Originality/value

There has been a lot of research on packaging plastic waste management in the past, but only a few of them focused on the cosmetic industry. This study aims to connect all the possible variables involved in the cosmetic industry’s packaging plastic waste management system and provide a clear output variable for various businesses looking to manage their packaging waste because of their products efficiently.
River infrastructure and the spread of freshwater invasive species: Inferences from an experimentally‐parameterised individual‐based model
Authors: Daniels Jack A. , Kerr James R. , Kemp Paul S.
Published: March 2023

Invasive species and river infrastructure are major threats to freshwater biodiversity. These stressors are commonly considered in isolation, yet the construction and maintenance of river infrastructure can both enhance and limit the expansion of invasive species. Spatial and temporal limitations of laboratory and field studies, coupled with little consideration of population‐level responses (e.g. invasion rate), have limited understanding of the efficacy of infrastructure for long‐term, catchment‐scale containment of invasive species.

This study utilised an individual‐based model (IBM) to investigate the ability of a partial riverine barrier to contain the spread of invasive species at large spatio‐temporal scales, using American signal crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus as a model species. The base model (no barrier) accurately recreated longitudinal expansion rates of signal crayfish reported in existing literature. A virtual riverine barrier was added to the base model, with passage at the structure parameterised using existing literature and the results of an experiment that demonstrated no clear relationship between crayfish density and passage efficiency at a Crump weir.

Model outputs indicated a weir downstream of the release point had no effect on longitudinal expansion of crayfish, whereas an upstream barrier slowed the invasion rate for 6.5 years after it was first encountered. After the invasion rate had recovered to pre‐barrier levels, the invasion front was 2.4 km further downstream than predicted in the absence of a barrier, representing a 1.73 year delay in longitudinal range expansion.

Synthesis and applications. Despite substantial negative impacts on native biodiversity, river infrastructure can also delay the spread of freshwater invasive species, representing a trade‐off. This demonstrates the need to consider positive ecological consequences of river infrastructure when designing prioritisation techniques for barrier removal and mitigation (e.g. selective fish passage), and suggests that in some cases barriers may provide a useful integrated pest management tool.
Evaluating the ability of wetland mitigation banks to replace plant species lost from destroyed wetlands
Authors: Tillman Stephen C. , Matthews Jeffrey W.
Published: March 2023

Offset policies are used world‐wide as a means to compensate for destruction of ecosystems by requiring developers to restore or preserve ecosystems elsewhere. A key challenge to effectively implementing offset policies is ensuring ecological equivalence between impacted ecosystems and compensation sites, yet equivalence is rarely tested.

Using data from wetland mitigation banks and naturally occurring wetlands in Illinois, USA, we evaluated the ability of wetland offsetting to replace the plant species composition of wetlands impacted by development. We simulated the effects of three policy strategies used to promote equivalence: disallowing the replacement of one type of habitat with another, requiring a greater ratio of offset area to impacted area, and spatially restricting wetland trades.

Wetland banks replaced an average of 45% of the native plant species present in impacted natural wetlands. Allowing only in‐kind habitat replacement and quadrupling the offset ratio resulted in modest increases in the percentage of plant species replaced, but restricting trades to within counties did not.

Synthesis and application. Many of the plant species present in wetlands that are vulnerable to development were absent from wetland mitigation banks. Policies intended to ensure equivalence between impacted wetlands and banks did not ensure protection of biodiversity. If preservation of taxonomic diversity is to be a goal of offsetting, offset policies will need to ensure that offset sites have similar biophysical conditions to the ecosystems they replace.
Bovine Reproductions: Animal Husbandry and Acclimatization in the Cattle Paintings and Prints of Rosa Bonheur
Authors: Triplett Stephanie
Published: March 2023

The mutability and physical perfectibility of animal bodies was a scientific and aesthetic preoccupation in nineteenth‐century France, channelling anxieties about class, race and national identity into projects of breeding domestic animals. This essay explores how the animal painter Rosa Bonheur figured an imagined agricultural superabundance through depictions of both European and ‘exotic' imported bovines. The cattle that so often functioned throughout art history as illustrated zoological specimens or landscape staffage emerge in these portrayals as central protagonists rich in fur, fat, and muscular force. The seemingly anodyne cow thereby became symbolically charged, associated with both capitalist modernization and pastoral idyll.
The honeybee gut resistome and its role in antibiotic resistance dissemination
Authors: SUN Huihui , LI Hu , ZHANG Xue , LIU Yan , CHEN Hao , ZHENG Li , ZHAI Yifan , ZHENG Hao
Published: March 2023

There is now general concern about widespread antibiotic resistance, and growing evidence indicates that gut microbiota is critical in providing antibiotic resistance. Honeybee is an important pollinator; the incidence of antibiotic resistance genes in honeybee gut causes potential risks to not only its own health but also to public and animal health, for its potential disseminator role, thus receiving more attention from the public. Recent analysis results reveal that the gut of honeybee serves as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes, probably due to antibiotics application history in beekeeping and horizontal gene transfer from the highly polluted environment. These antibiotic resistance genes accumulate in the honeybee gut and could be transferred to the pathogen, even having the potential to spread during pollination, tending, social interactions, etc. Newly acquired resistance traits may cause fitness reduction in bacteria whereas facilitating adaptive evolution as well. This review outlines the current knowledge about the resistome in honeybee gut and emphasizes its role in antibiotic resistance dissemination.
Identifying stream temperature variation by coupling meteorological, hydrological, and water temperature models
Authors: Tang Chunling , Garcia Valeria
Published: March 2023

In this study, we demonstrate a physically based semi‐Lagrangian water temperature model known as the River Basin Model (RBM) coupled with the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) hydrological model and Weather Research & Forecasting Model in the Mississippi River Basin (MRB). The results of this coupling compare favorably with observed water temperature data available from six river gages located in the MRB. Further sensitivity analysis indicates that the mean water temperatures may increase by 1.3, 1.5, and 1.8°C in northern, central, and southern MRB zones under a hypothetical uniform air temperature increase of 3.0°C. If air temperatures increase uniformly by 6.0°C in this scenario, then water temperatures are projected to increase by 3.3, 3.5, and 4.0°C. Lastly, downscaled air temperatures from a global climate model are used to drive the coupled VIC and RBM model from 2020 to 2099. Average stream temperatures from 2020 to 2099 increase by 1.0 to 8.0°C above 1950 to 2010 average water temperatures, with non‐uniform increases along the river. In some portions of the MRB, stream temperatures could increase above survival thresholds for several native fish species, which are critical components of the stream ecosystem. In addition, increased water temperatures interact with nutrient loadings from sources throughout the MRB, which is expected to exacerbate harmful algal blooms and dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico.
Mechanisms of diabetic foot ulceration: A review
Authors: Deng Haibo , Li Binghui , Shen Qian , Zhang Chenchen , Kuang Liwen , Chen Ran , Wang SiYuan , Ma ZhiQiang , Li Gongchi
Published: March 2023

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are associated with complex pathogenic factors and are considered a serious complication of diabetes. The potential mechanisms underlying DFUs have been increasingly investigated. Previous studies have focused on the three aspects of diabetic peripheral vascular disease, neuropathy, and wound infections. With advances in technology, researchers have been gradually conducting studies using immune cells, endothelial cells, keratinocytes, and fibroblasts, as they are involved in wound healing. It has been reported that the upregulation or downregulation of molecular signaling pathways is essential for the healing of DFUs. With a recent increase in the awareness of epigenetics, its regulatory role in wound healing has become a much sought‐after trend in the treatment of DFUs. This review focuses on four aspects involved in the pathogenesis of DFUs: physiological and pathological mechanisms, cellular mechanisms, molecular signaling pathway mechanisms, and epigenetics. Given the challenge in the treatment of DFUs, we are hopeful that our review will provide new ideas for peers.
U‐shaped association between serum IGF2BP3 and T2DM: A cross‐sectional study in Chinese population
Authors: Wu Xiaoying , Wang Wei , Fan Shujin , You Lili , Li Feng , Zhang Xiaoyun , Wu Hongshi , Tang Juying , Qi Yiqin , Feng Wanting , Yan Li , Ren Meng
Published: March 2023

Objective

To clarify the expression of N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) modulators involved in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We further explored the association of serum insulin‐like growth factor 2 mRNA‐binding proteins 3 (IGF2BP3) levels and odds of T2DM in a high‐risk population.

Methods

The gene expression data set GSE25724 was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus, and a cluster heatmap was generated by using the R package ComplexHeatmap. Differential expression analysis for 13 m6A RNA methylation regulators between nondiabetic controls and T2DM subjects was performed using an unpaired t test. A cross‐sectional design, including 393 subjects (131 patients with newly diagnosed T2DM, 131 age‐ and sex‐matched subjects with prediabetes, and 131 healthy controls), was carried out. The associations between serum IGF2BP3 concentrations and T2DM were modeled by restricted cubic spline and logistic regression models.

Results

Two upregulated (IGF2BP2 and IGF2BP3) and 5 downregulated (methyltransferase‐like 3 [METTL3], alkylation repair homolog protein 1 [ALKBH1], YTH domain family 2 [YTHDF2], YTHDF3, and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein [HNRNPC]) m6A‐related genes were found in islet samples of T2DM patients. A U‐shaped association existed between serum IGF2BP3 levels and odds of T2DM according to cubic natural spline analysis models, after adjustment for body mass index, waist circumference, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, and triglyeride. Multivariate logistic regression showed that progressively higher odds of T2DM were observed when serum IGF2BP3 levels were below 0.62 ng/mL (odds ratio 3.03 [95% confidence interval 1.23–7.47]) in model 4.

Conclusion

Seven significantly altered m6A RNA methylation genes were identified in T2DM. There was a U‐shaped association between serum IGF2BP3 levels and odds of T2DM in the general Chinese adult population. This study provides important evidence for further examination of the role of m6A RNA methylation, especially serum IGF2BP3 in T2DM risk assessment.
Delineation of Integrated Anomaly with Generative Adversarial Networks and Deep Neural Networks in the Zhaojikou Pb‐Zn Ore District, Southeast China
Authors: DUAN Jilin , LIU Yanpeng , ZHU Lixin , MA Shengming , GONG Qiuli , DOLGOPOLOVA Alla , LUDWIG Simone A.
Published: March 2023

Geochemical maps are of great value in mineral exploration. Integrated geochemical anomaly maps provide comprehensive information about mapping assemblages of element concentrations to possible types of mineralization/ore, but vary depending on expert's knowledge and experience. This paper aims to test the capability of deep neural networks to delineate integrated anomaly based on a case study of the Zhaojikou Pb‐Zn deposit, Southeast China. Three hundred fifty two samples were collected, and each sample consisted of 26 variables covering elemental composition, geological, and tectonic information. At first, generative adversarial networks were adopted for data augmentation. Then, DNN was trained on sets of synthetic and real data to identify an integrated anomaly. Finally, the results of DNN analyses were visualized in probability maps and compared with traditional anomaly maps to check its performance. Results showed that the average accuracy of the validation set was 94.76%. The probability maps showed that newly‐identified integrated anomalous areas had a probability of above 75% in the northeast zones. It also showed that DNN models that used big data not only successfully recognized the anomalous areas identified on traditional geochemical element maps, but also discovered new anomalous areas, not picked up by the elemental anomaly maps previously.
Capturing key function‐focused care problems, nursing diagnoses, and interventions for nursing home patients using a web‐based case management system
Authors: Lee Su Jung , Park Min Sun , Chang Sung Ok
Published: March 2023

Purpose

The aim of this study is to identify the key functional care problems, NANDA‐I nursing diagnoses, and intervention plans related to function‐focused care (FFC) using a web‐based case management system for patients who present different cognitive status.

Methods

This study employed a retrospective descriptive research design. Data were obtained from system records on patients after the research team trained the case management system at a nursing home in Dangjin in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. A total of 119 inpatient records were analyzed.

Results

The key physical, cognitive, and social functional problems, nursing diagnoses in six domains (health promotion, elimination and exchange, activity/rest, perception/cognition, coping/stress tolerance, and safety/protection), and intervention plans were identified.

Conclusion

The identified FFC case management information of interdisciplinary caregivers will provide evidence for the implementation of effective interventions according to a patient's functional status. Additional studies related to the establishment of a large clinical database of advanced case management systems focusing on interdisciplinary caregivers’ functional management are needed to support the prioritization of functional care.
Immune regulatory cytokines in seminal plasma of healthy men: A scoping review and analysis of variance
Authors: Lyons Hannah E. , Arman Bridget M. , Robertson Sarah A. , Sharkey David J.
Published: March 2023

Objective

Seminal plasma cytokines are associated with fertility and reproductive health, but progressing their clinical utility is hampered by absence of reference data on concentration ranges of relevant cytokines in healthy men. We employed a systematic approach to assemble current evidence on the concentrations of immune regulatory cytokines present in seminal plasma (SP) of normozoospermic and/or fertile men and evaluated the impact of different platform methodologies for cytokine quantification.

Evidence review

A systematic literature search was performed utilising PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus. Databases were searched from inception until 30th June 2022 inclusive, using combinations of keywords pertaining to seminal fluid and cytokines, and was restricted to human participants. Original data with values reported as concentration of specific cytokines in SP of men clearly defined as fertile or normozoospermic were extracted from studies written in English.

Results

A total of 3769 publications were initially identified, of which 118 fulfilled the eligibility criteria for inclusion. A total of 51 individual cytokines are detectable in SP of healthy men. The number of studies reporting on each cytokine range from 1 to >20. The reported concentrations for many cytokines linked with fertility status, including IL6, CXCL8/IL8, and TNFA, are highly variable between published studies. This is associated with the different immunoassay methodologies utilised and may be exacerbated by a lack of validation of assays to ensure suitability for SP assessment. Due to the large variation between studies, accurate reference ranges for healthy men cannot be determined from the published data.

Conclusions

The concentrations of cytokines and chemokines detected in SP is inconsistent and highly variable between studies and cohorts, limiting current capacity to define reference ranges for cytokine concentrations in fertile men. The lack of standardisation in methods used to process and store SP, and variation in platforms used to evaluate cytokine abundance, are factors contributing to the observed heterogeneity. To progress the clinical utility of SP cytokine analysis will require standardisation and validation of methodologies so that reference ranges for healthy fertile men can be defined.
Clinical presentation and disease prevalence of captive central bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) at veterinary clinics in Australia
Authors: Sollom HJ , Baron HR
Published: March 2023

Central bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) are one of the most popular reptile pets in Australia and around the world. Diseases, including metabolic bone disease, periodontal disease, and gastrointestinal endoparasites commonly affect captive animals. To determine the common reasons these lizards were presented to the veterinarian and to establish the prevalence of disease seen in captive P. vitticeps in Australia, this retrospective study evaluated the clinical records of three exotic pet veterinary hospitals. Records from 724 P. vitticeps were analysed, with 70 reasons for presentation and 88 diseases identified across 1000 visits to the veterinarian. Lethargy was the most reported reason for presentation (n = 181). The gastrointestinal tract (18.25%) and skin (18.25%) were the equally most commonly affected organ systems, followed by the musculoskeletal system (15.17%). Endoparasites were the most common single disease process (n = 103), followed by metabolic bone disease (n = 65), skin wounds (n = 59) and periodontal disease (n = 48). Of the patients that presented for routine preventive health examinations (n = 159), 45.30% received some form of intervention to treat or prevent disease. Many of the conditions that were identified by the veterinarians in this study are traditionally correlated with suboptimal husbandry and may be easily prevented. This study identified the common reasons for presentation to the veterinarian and the prevalence of disease in captive P. vitticeps in Australia, providing the first extensive retrospective analysis of objective reference literature for central bearded dragon owners and aspiring reptile veterinarians.
Prescribing of low‐dose rivaroxaban in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands
Authors: Hunt Nicholas B. , Pajouheshnia Romin , Salih Allan , van Doorn Sander , Souverein Patrick C. , Bazelier Marloes T. , Klungel Olaf H. , Gardarsdottir Helga
Published: March 2023

Aims

Low‐dose rivaroxaban has been indicated for the management of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) after recent (2019‐2020) updates to European guidelines. We aimed to describe prescription trends of low‐dose rivaroxaban in ASCVD patients over the period 2015‐2022 in two European countries, to compare the trends before and after guideline changes, and to determine the characteristics of users.

Methods

In a cross‐sectional interrupted time series analysis, utilization of low‐dose rivaroxaban (2.5 mg, twice daily) was measured in Clinical Practice Research Datalink Aurum (United Kingdom [UK]) and the PHARMO Database Network (the Netherlands) from 1 January 2015 to 28 February 2022 in patients with an ASCVD diagnosis. Incidence rates (IRs) and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of new use (within 182 days) compared to the reference period, 2015‐2018, were calculated. Age, sex and comorbidities of users were compared to those of nonusers.

Results

In the UK, from 721 271 eligible subjects the IR of new use of low‐dose rivaroxaban in the period 2015‐2018, before guideline changes, was 12.4 per 100 000 person‐years and after guideline changes in 2020‐2022 was 124.0 (IRR 10.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 8.5, 11.8). In the Netherlands from 394 851 subjects, the IR in 2015‐2018 was 2.4 per 100 000 person‐years and in 2020 was 16.3 (IRR 6.7, 95% CI 4.0, 11.4). Users were younger (UK mean difference [MD] −6.1 years, Netherlands −2.4 years; P < .05) and more likely to be male (UK difference 11.5%, Netherlands 13.4%; P < .001) than nonusers.

Conclusions

There was a statistically significant increase in the use of low‐dose rivaroxaban for the management of ASCVD after guideline changes in the UK and the Netherlands. There were international differences, but low‐dose rivaroxaban has not been put into widespread practice.
Sleep as a mediator of the relationship between social class and health in higher education students
Authors: McGuffog Romany , Rubin Mark , Boyes Mark , Caltabiano Marie L. , Collison James , Lovell Geoff P. , Muldoon Orla , Paolini Stefania
Published: March 2023

A substantial body of research indicates that higher education students from lower social class backgrounds tend to have poorer health than those from higher social class backgrounds. To investigate sleep as a potential mediator of this relationship, online survey responses of students from five large Australian universities, one Irish university and one large Australian technical college were analysed in three studies (Study 1 N = 628; Study 2 N = 376; Study 3 N = 446). The results revealed that sleep quality, sleep duration, sleep disturbances, pre‐sleep worries and sleep schedule variability mediated the relationship between social class and physical and mental health. Sleep remained a significant mediator when controlling for related variables and other mediators. Thus, the findings suggest that sleep partly explains social class differences in health. We discuss the importance of addressing sleep issues among students from lower social class backgrounds.
Making sense of punishment: Transgressors' interpretation of punishment motives determines the effects of sanctions
Authors: de Vel‐Palumbo Melissa , Twardawski Mathias , Gollwitzer Mario
Published: March 2023

Punishment is expected to have an educative, behaviour‐controlling effect on the transgressor. Yet, this effect often remains unattained. Here, we test the hypothesis that transgressors' inferences about punisher motives crucially shape transgressors' post‐punishment attitudes and behaviour. As such, we give primacy to the social and relational dimensions of punishment in explicating how sanctions affect outcomes. Across four studies using different methodologies (N = 1189), our findings suggest that (a) communicating punishment respectfully increases transgressor perceptions that the punisher is trying to repair the relationship between the transgressor and their group (relationship‐oriented motive) and reduces perceptions of harm‐oriented and self‐serving motives, and that (b) attributing punishment to relationship‐oriented (vs. harm/self‐oriented, or even victim‐oriented) motives increases prosocial attitudes and behaviour. This research consolidates and extends various theoretical perspectives on interactions in justice settings, providing suggestions for how best to deliver sanctions to transgressors.
COVID‐19, mental health, and rurality: A pilot study
Authors: Deacon Leith , Sarapura Silvia , Caldwell Wayne , Epp Sara , Ivany Miranda , Papineau Jacob
Published: March 2023

COVID‐19 has caused enormous economic and social disruptions that may have lasting effects on employment, income, and working conditions. Critically, these disruptions often have a negative impact on mental health. While significant research has examined the relationship between COVID‐19 and mental health, most of these studies focus on urban centres. This paper presents results from a pilot study conducted in two rural counties in Ontario, Canada on the experiences of residents from small and rural communities related to COVID‐19. Based on 3496 survey results, this study quantifies the negative impact of COVID‐19 on overall mental health and the confounding role of gender, income, and age. Results must be used to expand the dialogue around rural mental health and to ensure appropriate programs and policies are developed.
Education‐related inequalities in oral health among older adults: Comparing Singapore and Japan
Authors: Kiuchi Sakura , Aida Jun , Cooray Upul , Osaka Ken , Chan Angelique , Malhotra Rahul , Peres Marco A.
Published: March 2023

Objectives

Oral health inequalities exist worldwide, and cross‐country comparisons can provide valuable insights into country‐level characteristics contributing to such inequalities. However, comparative studies in Asian countries are limited. This study examined the magnitude of education‐related oral health inequalities in older adults in Singapore and Japan.

Methods

Longitudinal data for older adults, aged ≥65 years, from the Panel on Health and Ageing of Singaporean Elderly (PHASE; 2009, 2011–2012, and 2015) and Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES; 2010, 2013, and 2016) were used. Dependent variables were being edentate and having a minimal functional dentition (MFD; i.e. ≥20 teeth). The absolute and relative inequalities were calculated using the slope index of inequality (SII) and relative index of inequality (RII) for educational level [low (<6 years); middle (6–12 years); high (>12 years)] in each country.

Results

A total of 1032 PHASE participants and 35 717 JAGES participants were included. At baseline among PHASE participants, 35.9% were edentate and 24.4% had MFD, while among JAGES participants, 8.5% were edentate and 42.4% had MFD. The prevalence of low, middle and high educational levels for PHASE was 76.5%, 18.0% and 5.5%, and for JAGES were 0.9%, 78.1% and 19.7%, respectively. Older adults in Japan had lower education‐related inequalities for being edentate [for both SII (−0.53, 95% CI = −0.55 to −0.50) and RII (0.40, 95% CI = 0.33–0.48)] and for not having MFD for both SII (−0.24, 95% CI = −0.27 to −0.20) and RII (0.83, 95% CI = 0.79–0.87) compared to Singapore.

Conclusions

Education‐related inequalities for being edentate and not having MFD were higher among older adults in Singapore compared to Japan.
An in‐vitro analysis of the accuracy of different guided surgery systems – They are not all the same
Authors: Guentsch Arndt , Bjork Jennifer , Saxe Reagan , Han Shengtong , Dentino Andrew R.
Published: March 2023

Objectives

Different static computer‐assisted implant surgery (sCAIS) systems are available that are based on different design concepts. The objective was to assess seven different systems in a controlled environment.

Materials and Methods

Each n = 20 implants were placed in identical mandible replicas (total n = 140). The systems utilized either drill‐handles (group S and B), drill‐body guidance (group Z and C), had the key attached to the drill (group D and V), or combined different design concepts (group N). The achieved final implant position was digitized utilizing cone‐beam tomography and compared with the planned position. The angular deviation was defined as the primary outcome parameter. The means, standard deviation, and 95%‐confidence intervals were analyzed statistically with 1‐way ANOVA. A linear regression model was applied with the angle deviation as predictor and the sleeve height as response.

Results

The overall angular deviation was 1.94 ± 1.51°, the 3D‐deviation at the crest 0.54 ± 0.28 mm, and at the implant tip 0.67 ± 0.40 mm, respectively. Significant differences were found between the tested sCAIS systems. The angular deviation ranged between 0.88 ± 0.41° (S) and 3.97 ± 2.01° (C) (p < .01). Sleeve heights ≤4 mm are correlated with higher angle deviations, sleeve heights ≥5 mm with lower deviations from the planned implant position.

Conclusions

Significant differences were found among the seven tested sCAIS systems. Systems that use drill‐handles achieved the highest accuracy, followed by the systems that attach the key to the drill. The sleeve height appears to impact the accuracy.
Impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on acute stroke care: An analysis of the 24‐month data from a comprehensive stroke center in Shanghai, China
Authors: Hu Qimin , Hu Yiming , Gu Yue , Song Xiaoyan , Shen Yijue , Lu Haiyan , Zhang Li , Liu Peifeng , Wang Guodong , Guo Chunni , Fang Kan , Wang Qiaoshu
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Whether the coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic is associated with a long‐term negative impact on acute stroke care remains uncertain. This study aims to compare the timing of key aspects of stroke codes between patients before and after the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study was conducted at an academic hospital in Shanghai, China and included all adult patients with acute ischemic stroke hospitalized via the emergency department (ED) stroke pathway during the 24 months since the COVID‐19 outbreak (COVID‐19: January 1, 2020–December 31, 2021). The comparison cohort included patients with ED stroke pathway visits and hospitalizations during the same period (pre‐COVID‐19: January 1, 2018–December 31, 2019). We compared critical time points of prehospital and intrahospital acute stroke care between patients during the COVID‐19 era and patients during the pre‐COVID‐19 era using t test, χ2, and Mann–Whitney U test where appropriate.

Results

A total of 1194 acute ischemic stroke cases were enrolled, including 606 patients in COVID‐19 and 588 patients in pre‐COVID‐19. During the COVID‐19 pandemic, the median onset‐to‐hospital time was about 108 min longer compared with the same period of pre‐COVID‐19 (300 vs 192 min, p = 0.01). Accordingly, the median onset‐to‐needle time was 169 min in COVID‐19 and 113 min in pre‐COVID‐19 (p = 0.0001), and the proportion of patients with onset‐to‐hospital time within 4.5 h was lower (292/606 [48.2%] vs 328/558 [58.8%], p = 0.0003) during the pandemic period. Furthermore, the median door‐to‐inpatient admission and door‐to‐inpatient rehabilitation times increased from 28 to 37 h and from 3 to 4 days (p = 0.014 and 0.0001).

Conclusions

During the 24 months of COVID‐19, a prolongation of stroke onset to hospital arrival and to intravenous rt‐PA administration times were noted. Meanwhile, acute stroke patients needed to stay in the ED for a longer time before hospitalization. Educational system support and process optimization should be pursued in order to acquire timely delivery of stroke care during the pandemic.
Deep brain stimulation may be a viable option for resistant to treatment aggression in children with intellectual disability
Authors: Benedetti‐Isaac Juan Carlos , Camargo Loida , Torres Zambrano Martin , Perea‐Castro Esther , Castillo‐Tamara Edgard , Caldichoury Nicole , Herrera‐Pino Jorge , Flórez Yuliana , Porto María , López Norman
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a surgical technique used to manage aggression in patients who do not improve despite the use of appropriate drug treatment.

Objective

The objective of this study is to assess the impact of DBS on aggressive behavior refractory to the pharmacological and behavioral treatment of patients with Intellectual Disabilities (ID).

Methods

A follow‐up was conducted on a cohort of 12 patients with severe ID, undergoing DBS in posteromedial hypothalamic nuclei; evaluated with the Overt Aggression Scale (OAS), before the intervention, at 6, 12, and 18 months of medical follow‐up.

Results

After the surgical procedure, there was a significant reduction in the aggressiveness of patients in the follow‐up medical evaluation at 6 months (t = 10.14; p < 0.01), 12 months (t = 14.06; p < 0.01), and 18 months (t = 15.34; p < 0.01), respect to the initial measurement; with a very large effect size (6 months: d = 2.71; 12 months: d = 3.75; 18 months: d = 4.10). From 12 months onward, emotional control stabilized and is sustained at 18 months (t = 1.24; p > 0.05).

Conclusion

DBS in posteromedial hypothalamic nuclei may be an effective treatment for the management of aggression in patients with ID refractory to pharmacological treatment.
Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell‐derived exosome suppresses programmed cell death in traumatic brain injury via PINK1/Parkin‐mediated mitophagy
Authors: Zhang Li , Lin Yixing , Bai Wanshan , Sun Lean , Tian Mi
Published: March 2023

Aims

Recently, human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (HucMSC)‐derived exosome is a new focus of research in neurological diseases. The present study was aimed to investigate the protective effects of HucMSC‐derived exosome in both in vivo and in vitro TBI models.

Methods

We established both mouse and neuron TBI models in our study. After treatment with HucMSC‐derived exosome, the neuroprotection of exosome was investigated by the neurologic severity score (NSS), grip test score, neurological score, brain water content, and cortical lesion volume. Moreover, we determined the biochemical and morphological changes associated with apoptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis after TBI.

Results

We revealed that treatment of exosome could improve neurological function, decrease cerebral edema, and attenuate brain lesion after TBI. Furthermore, administration of exosome suppressed TBI‐induced cell death, apoptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis. In addition, exosome‐activated phosphatase and tensin homolog‐induced putative kinase protein 1/Parkinson protein 2 E3 ubiquitin–protein ligase (PINK1/Parkin) pathway‐mediated mitophagy after TBI. However, the neuroprotection of exosome was attenuated when mitophagy was inhibited, and PINK1 was knockdown. Importantly, exosome treatment also decreased neuron cell death, suppressed apoptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis and activated the PINK1/Parkin pathway‐mediated mitophagy after TBI in vitro.

Conclusion

Our results provided the first evidence that exosome treatment played a key role in neuroprotection after TBI through the PINK1/Parkin pathway‐mediated mitophagy.
Characterizing the trophy hunting debate on Twitter
Authors: Evans Luke Christopher , Greenwell Matthew P. , Boult Victoria L. , Johnson Thomas Frederick
Published: March 2023

Social media is an arena of debate for contentious political and social topics. One conservation topic debated online is the acceptability of trophy hunting, a debate that has implications for national and international policy. We used a mixed‐methods approach (grounded theory and quantitative clustering) to identify themes in the trophy hunting debate on Twitter. We examined commonly co‐occurring categories that describe people's stances on trophy hunting. We identified 12 categories and 4 preliminary archetypes opposing trophy hunting—activism, scientific, condemning, and objecting—whose opposition derived from different moral reasoning. Few tweets (22) in our sample of 500 supported trophy hunting, whereas 350 opposed it. The debate was hostile; 7% of tweets in our sample were categorized as abusive. Online debates can be unproductive, and our findings may be important for stakeholders wishing to effectively engage in the trophy hunting debate on Twitter. More generally, we contend that because social media is increasingly influential, it is important to formally contextualize public responses to contentious conservation topics in order to aid communication of conservation evidence and to integrate diverse public perspectives in conservation practice.