bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Procedural learning and school‐age language outcomes in children with and without a history of late talking
Authors: Kautto Anna , Mainela‐Arnold Elina
Published: June 2022

Background

‘Late talkers’ (LTs) are toddlers with late language emergence that cannot be explained by other impairments. It is difficult to predict which of these children continue to present long‐term restrictions in language abilities and will later be identified as having a developmental language disorder. Procedural memory weaknesses have been suggested to underlie developmental language disorders, but have not been investigated in LTs.

Aims

We investigated the relationships between aspects of procedural memory and school‐age language abilities in children with and without a history of LT. We hypothesized that children with a history of LT exhibit (1) restrictions in procedural memory when compared with children with typical early development (TED); and (2) a positive association between procedural memory and school‐age language abilities.

Methods & Procedures

We recruited 79 children (7;5–10;5), 43 of whom had a history of LT. Aspects of procedural memory, procedural learning and motor planning were assessed using the serial reaction time and the end‐state comfort tasks. School‐age language abilities were measured using standardized tests.

Outcomes & Results

Counter to expectations, motor planning was not associated with a history of LT or school‐age language abilities, and the children with TED did not show stronger procedural learning as compared with peers with a history of LT. However, weaker school‐age language abilities were associated with weak procedural learning in TED group.

Conclusions & Implications

Factors other than deficits in procedural memory are likely to underlie LT. Procedural learning shows promise as a potential predictor of language development in children that are not identified as LTs.

What this paper adds

What is already known on the subject

Poor procedural learning has been associated with developmental language disorders and suggested to underlie language difficulties. However, to our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate procedural learning and its associations with language outcomes in LTs.

What this paper adds to existing knowledge

Consistent with prior research, we found an association between language abilities and procedural learning in school‐aged children, but found no evidence for poor procedural learning in children with a history of LT. Furthermore, the school‐age language outcomes were only associated with procedural learning in children with no history of LT.

What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?

Our findings suggest that factors other than limitations in procedural learning underlie LT. However, procedural learning could be a useful predictor for school‐aged language outcomes in children not identified as LTs.
Comprehensive risk profiles of family history and lifestyle and metabolic risk factors in relation to diabetes: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Ye Chaojie , Wang Yiying , Kong Lijie , Zhao Zhiyun , Li Mian , Xu Yu , Xu Min , Lu Jieli , Wang Shuangyuan , Lin Hong , Chen Yuhong , Wang Weiqing , Ning Guang , Bi Yufang , Wang Tiange
Published: June 2022

Background

Family history of diabetes, unhealthy lifestyles, and metabolic disorders are individually associated with higher risk of diabetes, but how different combinations of the three risk categories are associated with incident diabetes remains unclear. We aimed to estimate the associations of comprehensive risk profiles of family history and lifestyle and metabolic risk factors with diabetes risk.

Methods

This study included 5290 participants without diabetes at baseline with a mean follow‐up of 4.4 years. Five unhealthy lifestyles and five metabolic disorders were each allocated a score, resulting in an aggregated lifestyle and metabolic risk score ranging from 0 to 5. Eight risk profiles were constructed from combinations of three risk categories: family history of diabetes (yes, no), lifestyle risk (high, low), and metabolic risk (high, low).

Results

Compared with the profile without any risk category, other profiles exhibited incrementally higher risks of diabetes with increasing numbers of categories: the hazard ratio (HR, 95% confidence interval [CI]) for diabetes ranged from 1.34 (1.01–1.79) to 2.33 (1.60–3.39) for profiles with one risk category, ranged from 2.42 (1.45–4.04) to 4.18 (2.42–7.21) for profiles with two risk categories, and was 4.59 (2.85–7.39) for the profile with three risk categories. The associations between the numbers of risk categories and diabetes risk were more prominent in women (pinteraction = .025) and slightly more prominent in adults <55 years (pinteraction = .052).

Conclusions

This study delineated associations between comprehensive risk profiles with diabetes risk, with stronger associations observed in women and slightly stronger associations in adults younger than 55 years.
Estimating animal density for a community of species using information obtained only from camera‐traps
Authors: Wearn Oliver R. , Bell Thomas E. M. , Bolitho Adam , Durrant James , Haysom Jessica K. , Nijhawan Sahil , Thorley Jack , Rowcliffe J. Marcus
Published: June 2022

Animal density is a fundamental parameter in ecology and conservation, and yet it has remained difficult to measure. For terrestrial mammals and birds, camera‐traps have dramatically improved our ability to collect systematic data across a large number of species, but density estimation (except for species with natural marks) is still faced with statistical and logistical hurdles, including the requirement for auxiliary data and large sample sizes, and an inability to incorporate covariates.

To fill this gap in the camera‐trapper's statistical toolbox, we extended the existing Random Encounter Model (REM) to the multi‐species case in a Bayesian framework. This multi‐species REM can incorporate covariates and provides parameter estimates for even the rarest species. As input to the model, we used information directly available in the camera‐trap data. The model outputs posterior distributions for the REM parameters—movement speed, activity level, the effective angle and radius of the camera‐trap detection zone, and density—for each species. We applied this model to an existing dataset for 35 species in Borneo, collected across old‐growth and logged forest. Here, we added animal position data derived from the image sequences in order to estimate the speed and detection zone parameters.

The model revealed a decrease in movement speeds, and therefore day‐range, across the species community in logged compared to old‐growth forest, whilst activity levels showed no consistent trend. Detection zones were shorter, but of similar width, in logged compared to old‐growth forest. Overall, animal density was lower in logged forest, even though most species individually occurred at higher density in logged forest. However, the biomass per unit area was substantially higher in logged compared to old‐growth forest, particularly among herbivores and omnivores, likely because of increased resource availability at ground level. We also included body mass as a variable in the model, revealing that larger‐bodied species were more active, had more variable speeds, and had larger detection zones.

Caution is warranted when estimating density for semi‐arboreal and fossorial species using camera‐traps, and more extensive testing of assumptions is recommended. Nonetheless, we anticipate that multi‐species density estimation could have very broad application.
Do producer organizations improve trading practices and negotiation power for dairy farms? Evidence from selected EU countries
Authors: Di Marcantonio Federica , Havari Enkelejda , Colen Liesbeth , Ciaian Pavel
Published: June 2022

This article analyzes the impact of producer organizations (POs) on dairy farmers’ self‐assessed experiences of unfair trading practices (UTPs) and negotiation power. We employ an endogenous switching regression (ESR) model using cross‐sectional survey data collected in four EU countries: France, Germany, Spain, and Poland. The results show rather mixed impacts of PO membership. PO membership reduces the likelihood of farmers reporting UTPs. On the other hand, PO membership is found to reduce the self‐assessed negotiation power of PO members. The estimated impact of PO membership is found to be largest for smaller farms.
Frequent users of health services among community‐based older Australians: Characteristics and association with mortality
Authors: Williamson Margaret , Barr Margo Linn , Kabir Alamgir , Comino Elizabeth Jane , Goodger Brendan , Harris‐Roxas Ben F. , Crozier Ann‐Marie , Jackson Tony , Finch Julie , Harris Mark Fort
Published: June 2022

Objectives

To investigate characteristics of frequent users of general practice (GP; ≥21 visits in a year), medical specialist (≥10 visits), emergency department (ED; ≥2 presentations) and hospital services (≥2 overnight hospitalisations) and the association with mortality for people aged over 75 years.

Methods

The study included residents from Central and Eastern Sydney, Australia, aged over 75 years who participated in a large community‐dwelling cohort study. Demographic, social and health characteristics data were extracted from the 45 and Up Study survey. Health service (GP, medical specialist, ED and hospitalisations) use and mortality data were extracted from linked administrative data. We calculated adjusted prevalence ratios to identify independent characteristics associated with frequent users of services at baseline (approx. 2008) and adjusted hazard ratios to assess the association between frequent users of services and mortality.

Results

Frequent users of services (GPs, medical specialists, EDs and hospitals) were more likely to be associated with ever having had heart disease and less likely to be associated with reporting good quality of life. Characteristics varied by service type. Frequent users of services were 1.5–2.0 times more likely to die within 7 years compared to those who were less frequent service users after controlling for all significant factors.

Conclusions

Our analysis found that frequent service users aged over 75 years had poorer quality of life, more complex health conditions and higher mortality and so their health service use was not inappropriate. However, better management of these frequent service users may lead to better health outcomes.
Corporate Board Quotas and Gender Equality Policies in the Workplace
Authors: Latura Audrey , Weeks Ana Catalano
Published: June 2022

Do corporate board gender quotas increase attention to gender equality in workplace policies? Existing research examines the link between quotas, financial performance, and women's promotion, but we lack an understanding of how quotas impact the structural determinants of gender imbalance in the workplace. We compare the case of Italy, which adopted a quota in 2011, to a counterfactual country with no quota: Greece. Using a difference‐in‐difference approach, we analyze the corporate reports of publicly listed companies in both countries over time. We find a 50% increase in post‐quota Italian companies' attention to gender equality issues, especially relating to leadership and family care. This increase is not exclusively driven by the share of women on boards, suggesting that quotas influence the importance that both women and men within firms give to gender equality. Qualitative analysis finds that observed changes are not window dressing: companies developed new equality initiatives after the quota.
Microclimate shapes vegetation response to drought in calcareous grasslands
Authors: Mazalla Leonie , Diekmann Martin , Duprè Cecilia
Published: June 2022

Questions

Semi‐natural grasslands have been shown to be relatively resilient to drought events, but there seems to be no uniform response of different grassland types or across species. The typical vegetation of calcareous grasslands, which are biodiversity hotspots in Europe, reportedly even profits from droughts. What was the response of their vegetation, considering different species groups, to the recent periods of intense summer droughts? How did differences in microclimate, such as between steep, south‐facing slopes (SSF) and flat or north‐facing slopes (FNF), affect species composition and drought response?

Location

Semi‐arid calcareous grasslands (Mesobromion) in northwest Germany.

Methods

In 2019, we resurveyed 112 vegetation plots from 25 sites first established in 2008, after 11 exceptionally dry years. Species identities and cover were assessed in plots of 1 m2. We used linear mixed models to determine the effect of microclimate on species composition and drought response. Vegetation changes were visualised by non‐metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS).

Results

In the initial survey in 2008, the species composition was significantly influenced by the microclimate, with positive effects of dry and warm conditions on SSF on character species. Phosphorus availability played an equally important, albeit contrasting, role. Vegetation change between 2008 and 2019 showed strong signs of the severe droughts. On SSF slopes, total species richness decreased, with negative trends for all species groups except ruderal species. Remarkably, this also affected the character species of dry grasslands. By contrast, dry conditions on FNF favoured an increase in total species richness and character species. However, eutrophication indicators increased here as well.

Conclusions

We conclude that sites with a dry and warm microclimate have to date had a positive, stabilising effect on the typical vegetation of calcareous grasslands. However, increasing droughts due to climate change pose a potential threat to the characteristic species composition, especially at sites with hot and dry microclimates.
Statin use before and after the KDIGO Lipids in chronic kidney disease guideline: A population‐based interrupted time series analysis
Authors: Kampmann Jan D. , Nybo Mads , Brandt Frans , Støvring Henrik , Damkier Per , Henriksen Daniel P. , Lund Lars C.
Published: June 2022

In November 2013, the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes Clinical Practice Guideline for Lipid Management in Chronic Kidney Disease was published, recommending statins for all individuals 50 years or older with an estimated glomerular filtration rate below 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 to lower the risk of major cardiovascular events. We quantified the prevalence of statin use among the target population before and after the guideline publication in a large Danish cohort of individuals with an estimated glomerular filtration rate below 60 ml/min/1.73 m2, to investigate the effect of the guideline, but found no difference in the prevalence of statin use prior to and after the guideline publication.
Screening: Value enhancing or diminishing?
Authors: Ferrat Yann , Daty Frédéric , Burlacu Radu
Published: June 2022

Using an international sample of environmental and social firm‐level ratings between 2007 and 2019, we form synthetic overlapping region‐based equity portfolios to examine the impact of screening stringency on abnormal returns and specific risk. While previous literature analyzes this relationship in a bidimensional setting, inferences made in this study are additionally robust to regional levels of market efficiency. Our results suggest that (1) screening stringency displays an inverted curvilinear relationship with risk‐adjusted returns and (2) the impact on specific risk is strictly increasing. Thus, portfolios that employ marginal and substantial screening incur the cost of responsible investing. However, moderate screening has the benefit of increasing performance without the burden of financing the least responsible corporations.
Schematic beliefs, negative affect and paranoia in at‐risk youth
Authors: Crowter Lucie , Banerjee Robin , Berry Clio , Fowler David
Published: June 2022

Objectives

Attenuated symptoms of psychosis are a core feature of At‐Risk Mental States. However, subthreshold levels of paranoia are also common among nonpsychosis populations. At present, little is known about whether the processes underpinning the experience of paranoid ideation in high‐risk youth differ as a consequence of meeting At‐Risk Mental States (ARMS) for psychosis criteria.

Methods

This study utilized path analysis techniques to examine the relationships between schematic beliefs, negative affect and the experience of paranoia for two groups: a group meeting criteria for ARMS (n = 133) and a group presenting with emerging complex mental health difficulties who did not meet the criteria for ARMS (n = 137).

Results

While the ARMS group displayed significantly greater maladaptive schematic beliefs and more severe symptomatology, the associations between schematic beliefs, symptoms of negative affect and paranoia did not differ as a consequence of ARMS status.

Conclusions

While meeting the ARMS criteria is associated with experiencing more maladaptive cognitions and more negative symptomatology among at‐risk youth, the associations between these cognitive beliefs and symptoms may be similar for youth who do not meet ARMS. These findings have implications for broadening the scope of at‐risk/high‐risk and for developing effective interventions for young people presenting with emerging difficulties.
Nomogram predicting the probability of spontaneous stone passage in patients presenting with acute ureteric colic
Authors: Gao Chuanyu , Peters Max , Kurver Piet , Anbarasan Thineskrishna , Jayaraajan Keerthanaa , Manning Todd , Cashman Sophia , Nambiar Arjun , Cumberbatch Marcus , Lamb Benjamin W. , Pickard Robert , Erotocritou Paul , Smith Daron , Kasivisvanathan Veeru , Shah Taimur T. ,   British Urology Researchers in Surgical Training (BURST) Collaborative MIMIC Study Group
Published: June 2022

Objectives

To develop a nomogram that could predict spontaneous stone passage (SSP) in patients presenting with acute ureteric colic who are suitable for conservative management.

Patients and Methods

A 2517 patient dataset was utilised from an international multicentre cohort study (MIMIC, A Multi‐centre Cohort Study Evaluating the role of Inflammatory Markers In Patients Presenting with Acute Ureteric Colic) of patients presenting with acute ureteric colic across 71 secondary care hospitals in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. Inclusion criteria mandated a non‐contrast computed tomography of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder. SSP was defined as the ‘absence of the need for intervention’. The model was developed using logistic regression and backwards selection (to achieve lowest Akaike's information criterion) in a subset from 2009–2015 (n = 1728) and temporally validated on a subset from 2016–2017 (n = 789).

Results

Of the 2517 patients, 1874 had SSP (74.5%). The mean (SD) age was 47 (14.7) years and 1892 were male (75.2%). At the end of the modelling process, gender: male (odds ratio [OR] 0.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.64–1.01, P = 0.07), neutrophil count (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.00–1.06, P = 0.08), hydronephrosis (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.59–1.05, P = 0.1), hydroureter (OR 1.3, 95% CI 0.97–1.75, P = 0.08), stone size >5–7 mm (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.16–0.25, P < 0.001), stone size >7 mm (OR 0.11, 95% CI 0.08–0.15, P < 0.001), middle ureter stone position (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.43–0.81, P = 0.001), upper ureter stone position (OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.25–0.39, P < 0.001), medical expulsive therapy use (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.1–1.67, P = 0.001), oral nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug (NSAID) use (OR 1.3, 95% CI 0.99–1.71, P = 0.06), and rectal NSAID use (OR 1.17, 95% CI 0.9–1.53, P = 0.24) remained. The concordance‐statistic (C‐statistic) was 0.77 (95% CI 0.75–0.80) and a nomogram was developed based on these.

Conclusion

The presented nomogram is available to use as an on‐line calculator via www.BURSTurology.com and could allow clinicians and patients to make a more informed decision on pursuing conservative management vs early intervention.
Drought and fire determine juvenile and adult woody diversity and dominance in a semi‐arid African savanna
Authors: Trotter Felix D. , Lehmann Caroline E. R. , Donaldson Jason E. , Mangena Happy E. , Parr Catherine L. , Archibald Sally
Published: June 2022

The aim of this study was to understand how communities of adult and juvenile (seedlings and saplings) woody plants were impacted by fire and the 2014–2016 El Niño drought in Kruger National Park, South Africa. We used a landscape‐scale fire experiment spanning 2013–2019 in a semi‐arid savanna in the central west of Kruger National Park (mean annual precipitation, 543 mm). Adult and juvenile woody species composition were recorded during and after the drought in 40 plots that experienced a mix of no fire, moderate fire, and frequent fire treatments. Using multivariate modeling, we related community composition in juvenile and adult woody plants to year of sampling and the experimental fire treatments. Post‐drought, there was significant adult woody plant top‐kill, especially in dominant species Dichrostachys cinerea (81% reduction in abundance), Acacia nigrescens (30%), and Combretum apiculatum (19%), but there was no significant change in adult species richness. Two years post‐drought, abundance of all juveniles decreased by 35%, and species richness increased in juveniles in both the frequent fire (7%) and no fire treatments (32%). Counter‐intuitively, the El Niño drought increased species richness of the woody plant community due to the recruitment of new species as juveniles, a potential lasting impact on diversity, and where different fire regimes were associated with differences in community composition. Drought events in semi‐arid savannas could drive temporal dynamics in species richness and composition in previously unrecognized ways.
Narrow diameter implants to replace congenital missing maxillary lateral incisors: A 1‐year prospective, controlled, clinical study
Authors: Roccuzzo Andrea , Imber Jean‐Claude , Lempert Jakob , Hosseini Mandana , Jensen Simon Storgård
Published: June 2022

Objectives

To report the clinical, radiographic, esthetic, and patient‐reported outcomes after placement of a newly developed narrow‐diameter implant (NDI) in patients with congenitally missing lateral incisors (MLIs).

Materials and methods

Patients with MLIs with a mesio‐distal distance between the canine and the central incisor of 5.9–6.3 mm received a dental implant with a diameter of 2.9 mm (Test), while a diameter of 3.3 mm (Control) was used when the distance was 6.4–7.1 mm. After healing, a cement‐retained bi‐layered zirconia crown was fabricated. At the 1‐year follow‐up (T2), implant survival rate, marginal crestal bone level (CBL) changes, biological and technical complications were registered. The esthetic outcome was assessed by using the Copenhagen index score, and the patient‐reported outcomes were recorded using the OHIP‐49 questionnaire.

Results

One hundred patients rehabilitated with 100 dental implants Ø2.9 mm (n = 50) or Ø3.3 mm (n = 50) were included. One Ø3.3 mm implant was lost, and seven patients dropped out of the study, yielding an implant survival rate of 99% (p = 1.000). At T2 a. CBL of −0.19 ± 0.25 mm (Test) and −0.25 ± 0.31 mm (Control) was detected, with no statistically significant difference between the groups (p = .342). Good to excellent esthetic scores (i.e., 1–2) were recorded in most of cases. Technical complications (i.e., loss of retention, abutment fracture, and chipping of veneering ceramic) occurred once in three patients with no statistically significant difference between the groups (p > .05). OHIP scores did not differ significantly at follow‐ups between groups (p = .110).

Conclusion

The use of Ø2.9 mm diameter implants represents as reliable a treatment option as Ø3.3 mm implants, in terms of CBL changes, biological and technical complications. Favorable esthetics and patient‐reported outcomes were recorded for both groups.
Hypoxia‐induced polypoid giant cancer cells in glioma promote the transformation of tumor‐associated macrophages to a tumor‐supportive phenotype
Authors: Liu Yuyang , Shi Ying , Wu Mengwan , Liu Jialin , Wu Hong , Xu Chuan , Chen Ling
Published: June 2022

Aims

Polypoid giant cancer cells (PGCCs) represent a unique subgroup of stem‐like cells, acting as a critical factor in promoting the recurrence of various solid tumors. The effect of PGCCs on the tumor malignancy of glioma and its immune microenvironment remains unclear.

Methods

Bioinformatic analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between M2 tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs) infiltration and survival of glioblastoma (GBM) patients. The spatial location of M2 TAMs in GBM was also investigated using the Ivy Glioblastoma Atlas Project (Ivy GAP) database. PGCCs were quantified in glioma of different grades. CoCl2 was used to induce PGCCs in cultures of A172 cells. PGCCs, and their progeny cells in cultures were further evaluated for morphological features, tumorsphere formation, and TAMs activation.

Results

The magnitude of M2 TAMs infiltration is significantly correlated with poor survival in GBM patients. M2 TAMs were enriched in the perinecrotic zone (PNZ) of GBM and positively correlated with hypoxic levels. Increased PGCCs were detected in glioma specimens of higher grades. CoCl2 induced hypoxia and the transformation of A172 cultures into PGCCs, producing the progeny cells, PGCCs‐Dau, through asymmetric division. PGCCs and PGCCs‐Dau possessed tumor stem cell‐like features, while PGCCs‐Dau enhanced the polarization of TAMs into an M2 phenotype with relevance to immunosuppression and malignancy in GBM.

Conclusions

PGCCs promote malignancy and immune‐suppressive microenvironment in GBM. PGCCs or their progeny cells may be a potential therapeutic target for GBM.
Differences in strength, leg lean mass, and lifestyle factors between premenopausal and perimenopausal women
Authors: Cabre Hannah E. , Gould Lacey M. , Gordon Amanda N. , Giuliani‐Dewig Hayden K. , Moore Sam R. , Ryan Eric D. , Smith‐Ryan Abbie E.
Published: June 2022

Background

Menopausal changes coupled with age‐related reductions in muscle strength can impact functionality.

Aim

To evaluate the differences in muscle strength, dominant leg lean mass (DLMleg), relative protein intake (r_PRO) and physical activity (PA) between premenopausal (PRE) and perimenopausal (PERI) women.

Methods

Twenty‐four PRE‐ (age = 39.8 ± 3.3 years; BMI: 25.3 ± 5.0 kg/m2) and 24 PERI‐women (age = 50.0 ± 3.3 years; BMI: 26.5 ± 5.4 kg/m2) participated in leg extensor isometric peak force (PF), DLMleg, r_PRO and PA. Independent samples t‐tests and one‐way analyses of covariance covaried for age and DLMleg were used to compare groups.

Results

The PRE group had significantly higher PF (mean difference ± standard error: 57.8 ± 28.0 N; p = 0.045) and DLMleg (0.7 ± 0.3 kg; p = 0.031) when compared to the PERI group. There were no significant differences in r_PRO, or PA between groups (p = 0.173–0.423). When covaried for age and DLMleg, there was no significant difference in PF (p = 0.982 and 0.405, respectively).

Conclusions

Age and DLMleg may be important contributors to menopause‐phase related differences in strength.
Automated classification of PET‐CT lesions in lung cancer: An independent validation study
Authors: Borrelli Pablo , Góngora José Luis Loaiza , Kaboteh Reza , Enqvist Olof , Edenbrandt Lars
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Recently, a tool called the positron emission tomography (PET)‐assisted reporting system (PARS) was developed and presented to classify lesions in PET/computed tomography (CT) studies in patients with lung cancer or lymphoma. The aim of this study was to validate PARS with an independent group of lung‐cancer patients using manual lesion segmentations as a reference standard, as well as to evaluate the association between PARS‐based measurements and overall survival (OS).

Methods

This study retrospectively included 115 patients who had undergone clinically indicated (18F)‐fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT due to suspected or known lung cancer. The patients had a median age of 66 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 61–72 years). Segmentations were made manually by visual inspection in a consensus reading by two nuclear medicine specialists and used as a reference. The research prototype PARS was used to automatically analyse all the PET/CT studies. The PET foci classified as suspicious by PARS were compared with the manual segmentations. No manual corrections were applied. Total lesion glycolysis (TLG) was calculated based on the manual and PARS‐based lung‐tumour segmentations. Associations between TLG and OS were investigated using Cox analysis.

Results

PARS showed sensitivities for lung tumours of 55.6% per lesion and 80.2% per patient. Both manual and PARS TLG were significantly associated with OS.

Conclusion

Automatically calculated TLG by PARS contains prognostic information comparable to manually measured TLG in patients with known or suspected lung cancer. The low sensitivity at both the lesion and patient levels makes the present version of PARS less useful to support clinical reading, reporting and staging.
TGF‐β1 peptide‐based inhibitor P144 ameliorates renal fibrosis after ischemia–reperfusion injury by modulating alternatively activated macrophages
Authors: Li Delun , Zhang Jian , Yuan Siyu , Wang Chao , Chang Jiakai , Tong Yan , Liu Ran , Sang Tian , Li Lili , Li Jijun , Ouyang Qing , Chen Xiangmei
Published: June 2022

Objectives

Ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI) is a major cause of chronic renal fibrosis. Currently, numerous therapies have shown a minimal effect on the blockade of fibrosis progression. Here, the therapeutic potential of peptide‐based TGF‐β1 inhibitor P144 in IRI‐induced renal fibrosis and the underlying mechanism were analyzed.

Materials and Methods

The unilateral ischemia–reperfusion injury with the contralateral nephrectomy model was established, and the P144 was administered intravenously 1d/14d after the onset of IRI. The histopathology and immunofluorescence staining were used to detect renal fibrosis and macrophage infiltration. The in vivo fluorescence imaging was used to measure the bio‐distribution of P144. The transwell assays were used to observe the migration of macrophages. RT‐qPCR and western blot were used to analyze TGF‐β1 signaling.

Results

P144 ameliorated the accumulation of extracellular matrix in the kidney and improved the renal function in the unilateral ischemia–reperfusion injury plus contralateral nephrectomy model. Mechanistically, P144 downregulated the TGF‐β1‐Smad3 signaling at both the transcriptional and translational levels and further reduced the TGF‐β1‐dependent infiltration of macrophages to the injured kidney. Additionally, P144 blocked the polarization of macrophages to an M2‐like phenotype induced by TGF‐β1 in vitro, but showed no effect on their proliferation.

Conclusions

Our study showed that the TGF‐β1 peptide‐based inhibitor P144 decreased renal fibrosis through the blockade of the TGF‐β1–Smad3 signaling pathway and the modulation of macrophage polarization, suggesting its potential therapeutic use in IRI‐induced renal fibrosis.
Association between perceived addiction and cessation behaviours among users of smokeless or combustible tobacco in India
Authors: Thawal Vaibhav P. , Tzelepis Flora , Ahmadi Sima , Paul Christine
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Addiction to tobacco is one of the main drivers of continued tobacco use. This study explored whether perceived addiction, type of tobacco and demographic characteristics were associated with past quit attempts (PQA), intention and self‐efficacy to quit among combustible tobacco (CT) or smokeless tobacco (SLT) users in India.

Methods

A cross‐sectional survey was conducted among adult tobacco users (N = 607) attending an out‐patient department in Mumbai. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association between demographic characteristics, type of tobacco, addiction perceptions and cessation behaviours.

Results

Being ‘a little addicted’ (adjusted odds ratio, AOR [95% confidence interval, CI] 2.75 [1.83, 4.11],P < 0.0001) or ‘quite addicted’ (AOR [95% CI] 2.93 [1.53, 5.62],P < 0.0012) was associated with lower odds of making a PQA compared to ‘not addicted at all’. Being a SLT user (AOR [95% CI] 0.64 [0.41, 0.99],P = 0.047) and female (AOR [95% CI] 0.46 [0.26, 0.81],P = 0.0068) was associated with lower odds of making a PQA. There was a significant decrease in the odds of intention to quit as age increased by 1 year (AOR [95% CI] 0.98 [0.97, 0.99],P = 0.0018). Being identified as ‘a little addicted’ (AOR [95% CI] 0.28 [0.14, 0.55],P = 0.0003), ‘quite addicted’ (AOR [95% CI] 0.16 [0.07, 0.39],P < 0.0001) or ‘very addicted’ (AOR [95% CI] 0.09 [0.04, 0.19],P < 0.0001) was associated with lower odds of self‐efficacy to quit compared to ‘not addicted at all’.

Discussion and Conclusion

Lack of awareness about addiction may inhibit cessation, particularly among less educated and female users of SLT and CT products.
Is there a human right to essential health care?
Authors: Hausman Daniel M.
Published: June 2022

In Global Health Impact, Nicole Hassoun joins the ranks of those defending a right to health. Unlike the World Health Organization, which views this right expansively, Hassoun would limit the right to the health needed to enjoy a minimally good life. This essay argues that this right is difficult to specify and insufficient to support the policies Hassoun defends. The essay sketches an alternative view of the obligations of institutions to address health problems that derives from imperfect individual duties to aid those who are doing badly or who are at risk of harm.
Central and cardiac stress resilience consistently linked to integrated immuno‐neuroendocrine responses across stress models in male mice
Authors: Helman Tessa J. , Headrick John P. , Peart Jason N. , Stapelberg Nicolas J. C.
Published: June 2022

Stress resilience, and behavioural and cardiovascular impacts of chronic stress, are theorised to involve integrated neuro‐endocrine/inflammatory/transmitter/trophin signalling. We tested for this integration, and whether behaviour/emotionality, together with myocardial ischaemic tolerance, are consistently linked to these pathways across diverse conditions in male C57Bl/6 mice. This included Restraint Stress (RS), 1 h restraint/day for 14 days; Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress (CUMS), seven stressors randomised over 21 days; Social Stress (SS), 35 days social isolation with brief social encounters in final 13 days; and Control conditions (CTRL; un‐stressed mice). Behaviour was assessed via open field (OFT) and sucrose preference (SPT) tests, and neurobiology from frontal cortex (FC) and hippocampal transcripts. Endocrine factors, and function and ischaemic tolerance in isolated hearts, were also measured. Model characteristics ranged from no behavioural or myocardial changes with homotypic RS, to increased emotionality and cardiac ischaemic injury (with apparently distinct endocrine/neurobiological profiles) in CUMS and SS models. Highly integrated expression of HPA axis, neuro‐inflammatory, BDNF, monoamine, GABA, cannabinoid and opioid signalling genes was confirmed across conditions, and consistent/potentially causal correlations identified for (i) locomotor activity (noradrenaline, ghrelin; FC Crhr1, Tnfrsf1b, Il33, Nfkb1, Maoa, Gabra1; hippocampal Il33); (ii) thigmotaxis (adrenaline, leptin); (iii) anxiety‐like behaviour (adrenaline, leptin; FC Tnfrsf1a; hippocampal Il33); (iv) depressive‐like behaviour (ghrelin; FC/hippocampal s100a8); and (v) cardiac stress‐resistance (noradrenaline, leptin; FC Il33, Tnfrsf1b, Htr1a, Gabra1, Gabrg2; hippocampal Il33, Tnfrsf1a, Maoa, Drd2). Data support highly integrated pathway responses to stress, and consistent adipokine, sympatho‐adrenergic, inflammatory and monoamine involvement in mood and myocardial disturbances across diverse conditions.
The coloniality of labor: Migrant Black African youths' experiences of looking for and finding work in an Australian deindustrializing city
Authors: Kalemba Joshua
Published: June 2022

This paper explores migrant Black African youths' experiences of looking for and finding work in Newcastle, a deindustrializing Australian city. Data for this paper were drawn from interviews conducted with young people who migrated to Australia as temporary and permanent residents. Drawing on concepts of coloniality, racialization, bodywork, and hidden labor, this paper demonstrates how, when looking for work, participants' names get attached to their racialized bodies—a situation which deems them as suitable or not for specific kinds of work. Their strategies of finding work differ according to their migration status; that is, temporary residents draw on their personal networks, whereas some permanent residents with full citizenship rights rely on social welfare support services to find work. However, irrespective of the different strategies used to find work, they all end up doing jobs that they described as “work which others do not wish to do.” I argue that these experiences re‐articulate the coloniality of labor because, as workers in these jobs, they play a crucial role in the economic transformation taking place in the city due to deindustrialization. This is not merely because they form part of the workforce responsible for working in unwanted jobs, but because they are also consumers of Newcastle's emerging welfare support and educational services sectors. The paper contributes to an understanding of how race shapes the labor market experiences of racialized youth in deindustrializing labor markets.
Becoming a researching subject in the era of neoliberalism: Toward a theory of ethics
Authors: Shin Jaran
Published: June 2022

This study interrogates the influences of neoliberalism on applied linguistics research by engaging in critical reflections on my researcher subjectivity. Drawing on a longitudinal study of marginalized teenagers in South Korea, I examine how neoliberal forces have acted upon me as a subject and how I have maneuvered the neoliberal academic field. As I narrate and name my struggles that have originated from the ascendancy of neoliberalism, I show how I take up, reproduce, and withstand my neoliberal self. The inseparable link between neoliberalism and researcher subjectivity ultimately points to a theory of ethics—as a way to address not simply how to resist the forces of neoliberalism, but what kind of subjects we might want to become under the reign of neoliberalism.
Meta‐analysis: microbial inactivation in milk using pulsed electric field
Authors: Nabilah Uray Ulfah , Sitanggang Azis Boing , Dewanti‐Hariyadi Ratih , Sugiarto Anto Tri , Purnomo Eko Hari
Published: June 2022

Pulsed electric field (PEF) is a technology that can preserve milk into dairy products with sensory quality similar to fresh milk. Adoption of PEF at industrial level is challenging due to the various variables that may influence the microbial inactivation studies. This review aimed to quantify the inactivation effect by PEF on microbial population in milk through meta‐analysis. The literatures consisted of 15 studies with 384 data in the inclusion criteria which were extracted using Hedges'd method. The order of microbial resistance to PEF from the highest to lowest was bacterial spores, Gram‐positive, followed by Gram‐negative bacteria. The effect of pulse shape on microbial inactivation from the highest to lowest was bipolar square, monopolar square and monopolar exponentially decaying. Increasing the intensity of PEF processing parameters increased microbial inactivation. The processing parameters influencing microbial inactivation from the highest to lowest were pulse shape, inlet temperature, treatment time, pulse width, electric field, pulses number and frequency.
Micro X‐ray diffraction and elemental study on Al‐tobermorite formation in aged modern concrete
Authors: Aili Abudushalamu , Maruyama Ippei , Geng Guoqing , Umeki Shota , Sumitani Kazushi , Sawada Shohei , Ueda Shinya , Umeki Yoshito
Published: June 2022

In modern Portland cement, calcium aluminum silicate hydrates (C‐A‐S‐H) do not generally form crystalline Al‐tobermorite. In this study, to identify the mechanism of Al‐tobermorite formation, synchrotron micro X‐ray diffraction and field‐emission scanning electron microscopy‐based energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS) investigations were performed on a slice of a thick concrete wall in a nuclear power plant, where the presence of Al‐tobermorite was previously confirmed. Rietveld analysis of the diffraction diagrams obtained from the 2D diffraction patterns showed that Al‐tobermorite was formed almost everywhere in the cement paste near sandstone aggregate and that Al‐tobermorite platelets were distributed across most of the cement paste area in a random orientation. The basal spacing d‐value of Al‐tobermorite was identical and equal to 11.39 Å. The ratio plots from the EDS maps indicated that the chemical composition of the mixture of Al‐tobermorite and C‐A‐S‐H was almost homogeneous all around the cement paste. The Al‐tobermorite in this concrete is probably formed via a dissolution–precipitation process. From the random orientation even next to the surface of aggregate, we infer that the Al‐tobermorite formation does not need the surface of aggregate to precipitate.
Legislative Transparency in the European Parliament: Disclosing Legislators' Meetings with Interest Groups
Authors: Font Nuria , Pérez‐Durán Ixchel
Published: June 2022

Research on transparency in the EU and at the European Parliament, in particular, has extensively examined the adoption and implementation of transparency initiatives as well as the conditions under which interest groups have access to and influence on EU policy‐making. However, the question of whether Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are transparent regarding their interactions with interest group representatives has been overlooked by the literature. This study addresses the question of the conditions under which MEPs are more likely to provide information about their meetings with interest groups. The study engages with institutional theory by emphasizing that formal and informal rules incentivize MEPs' behaviour. Drawing on a dataset on MEPs' reports on their meetings with interest group representatives, the study demonstrates that procedural rules, party's position on the cultural dimension and the national corruption tradition affect legislators' propensity to disclose information about their meetings with interest groups.
Excessive inflammatory response to infection in experimental peri‐implantitis: Resolution by Resolvin D2
Authors: Heyman Oded , Horev Yael , Mizraji Gabriel , Haviv Yaron , Shapira Lior , Wilensky Asaf
Published: June 2022

Aim

The aetiology and pathogenesis of peri‐implantitis are currently under active research. This study aimed to dissect the pathogenesis of murine experimental peri‐implantitis and assess Resolvin D2 (RvD2) as a new treatment modality.

Materials and Methods

Four weeks following titanium implant insertion, mice were infected with Porphyromonas gingivalis using single or multiple oral lavages. RvD2 was administrated following infection, and tissues were analysed using flow cytometry, quantitative RT‐PCR, taxonomic profiling, and micro‐computed tomography.

Results

Repeated infections with Pg resulted in microbial dysbiosis and a higher influx of innate and adaptive leukocytes to the peri‐implant mucosa (PIM) than to gingiva surrounding the teeth. This was accompanied by increased expression levels of IFN‐α, IL‐1β, and RANKL\OPG ratio. Interestingly, whereas repetitive infections resulted in bone loss around implants and teeth, a single infection induced bone loss only around implants, suggesting a higher susceptibility of the implants to infection. Treatment with RvD2 prevented Pg‐driven bone loss and reduced leukocyte infiltration to the PIM.

Conclusions

Murine dental implants are associated with dysregulated local immunity and increase susceptibility to pathogen‐induced peri‐implantitis. However, the disease can be prevented by RvD2 treatment, highlighting the promising therapeutic potential of this treatment modality.
Passive insider trading before pension freezes
Authors: Huang Wei , Qiu Bin
Published: June 2022

We study the patterns of insider trading surrounding pension freezes, a widespread corporate event that creates firm value and generates positive abnormal returns. We find that insiders—particularly nonsenior executive insiders (rather than senior executive insiders) and opportunistic traders (rather than routine traders)—effectively increase their net purchases by reducing their sales of company stocks 1 year before pension freezes. Such passive insider trading does not appear to be driven by liquidity needs or portfolio choices. Overall, our findings highlight the heterogeneity of insiders and limitation of existing insider trading regulations, calling for policy makers’ attention to this insider behavior.
Prevalence of symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction and related factors among Japanese female healthcare workers
Authors: Sawai Moe , Yuno Chikako , Shogenji Miho , Nakada Harumi , Takeishi Yoko , Kawajiri Maiko , Nakamura Yasuka , Yoshizawa Toyoko , Yoshida Mikako
Published: June 2022

Objectives

Women working in the medical field may be at risk for pelvic floor dysfunction due to high physical activity levels leading to increased abdominal pressure; however, the actual situation remains unknown. This study aimed to clarify the prevalence of symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction and its associated factors among Japanese women working in the medical field.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was conducted among female employees at a public hospital in Japan from July to August 2020. Participants answered a web‐based questionnaire. Three types of symptoms related to pelvic floor dysfunction were assessed based on one or more subscale scores in the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory‐Short Form 20 (PFDI‐20).

Results

Out of 466 female employees in the hospital, 294 responded (response rate 63.1%). The mean age was 42.8 ± 10.3 years old and 221 (73.5%) were nurses. The prevalence of at least one type of symptom was 63.9%. The prevalence of recto‐anal symptoms (45.9%) was highest, followed by lower urinary tract (37.1%) and pelvic organ prolapse symptoms (22.8%). The total PFDI‐20 score was associated with constipation (β = .254), body mass index (β = .136), and part‐time work (β = .167) after adjusting for other variables.

Conclusion

This study showed a high prevalence of symptoms related to pelvic floor dysfunction among women working in the medical field. Lifestyle management to prevent constipation and obesity is a promising strategy to improve symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction.
Typhonium kbangense, a new species of Araceae (Aroidea–Areae) from Central Vietnam
Authors: Du Nguyen Van , Toan Le Chi , Diep Dinh Quang , Van Anh Nguyen Thi , Tien Tran Van , Croat Thomas B.
Published: June 2022

Typhonium kbangense is described as a new species from Vietnam. It is one of eleven species recently found in central and southern Vietnam. It belongs to the pedate leaf blade group of species and is closest to T. bachmaense and T. dongnaiense, but is differentiated from the two latter by having much longer sterile flowers, not dense as in T. dongnaiense, and without being clavate apically as in T. bachmaense. A table of morphological characters for the three species, the ecological characteristics, specific habitat and conservation status of the new species are estimated and provided.