bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of diabetes mellitus on sperm quality and fertility outcomes: Clinical evidence
Authors: Lotti Francesco , Maggi Mario
Published: November 2022

Background

Diabetes mellitus is a global epidemic characterized by high morbidity and mortality. Diabetes mellitus can lead to acute and chronic systemic complications. Among them, a negative effect of diabetes mellitus on sperm quality and male/couple fertility has been suggested. However, available studies in diabetes mellitus men evaluated relatively small cohorts with discordant results.

Objectives

To evaluate the clinical evidences of the effects of diabetes mellitus on sperm quality and fertility outcomes.

Methods

An extensive Medline search was performed identifying studies in the English language.

Results

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus in infertile men ranges from 0.7% to 1.4%, while the prevalence of infertility in diabetes mellitus men, evaluated in a few studies, ranges from 35% to 51%. Male diabetes mellitus seems to play a negative effect on couple fecundity, while being childless or subfertile men might increase the risk of diabetes mellitus. Available cross‐sectional studies investigating semen parameters and male sexual hormones in men with diabetes mellitus are heterogeneous, assessed relatively small cohorts, show often discordant results and frequently are not directly comparable to derive robust conclusions. Two meta‐analyses support a negative effect of diabetes mellitus on sperm normal morphology and no effect on sperm total count, with contradictory results regarding other semen parameters. Considering only studies on type 1 diabetes mellitus men, meta‐analyses support a negative effect of diabetes mellitus on sperm motility and no effect on sperm total count, with contradictory results regarding other semen parameters. The rate of children observed among type 1 diabetes mellitus men was lower than controls, especially in subjects with a longer diabetes mellitus duration. Couples with a diabetes mellitus male partner undergoing assisted reproduction techniques showed lower pregnancy rates than controls. No study evaluated the impact of diabetes mellitus treatment on semen quality and male fertility.

Conclusions

Overall, available data show that diabetes mellitus might impair male reproductive health and couple fertility. However, further larger and full of details studies are needed.
Spoken word ≠ interviews: Listening to negotiations in a Moroccan market
Authors: Wagner Lauren B.
Published: November 2022

Analysing the spoken word, in some traditions, means analysing how social life is created, ordered and transformed through interaction, rather than how it is reported about in interviews. This paper examines an excerpt recorded in that spirit—towards understanding how participants continuously and demonstrably categorise each other in face‐to‐face conversation. Within the larger project, this excerpt was unique and memorable, but did not seem to present any conclusive direction for analysis. Here, I show how its interactional features might combine with contexts beyond the immediate situation to frame an ethnomethodological and geographical analysis.
Words beyond ‘data’: Managing small talk and positionality in North Norway
Authors: Medby Ingrid A.
Published: November 2022

Beyond the boundaries of neatly presented ‘datasets’ are the words said before and after audio‐recorders are switched on, small talk that is rarely transcribed or archived. In this intervention, I return to a brief moment preceding a semi‐structured interview in North Norway. While I was there to study political relations in the Barents region, the research encounters generated interpersonal connections and surprises. This paper considers first, positionality and the blurriness of the researcher's role as insider or outsider; and second, the nuances often left out of research accounts, such as local dialects, small talk and the relational settings of interviews.
Assessing Exposure-Time Treatment Effect Heterogeneity in Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomized Trials
Authors: Maleyeff Lara , Li Fan , Haneuse Sebastien , Wang Rui
Published: November 2022

A stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial (CRT) is a unidirectional crossover study in which timings of treatment initiation for clusters are randomized. Because the timing of treatment initiation is different for each cluster, an emerging question is whether the treatment effect depends on the exposure time, namely, the time duration since the initiation of treatment. Existing approaches for assessing exposure-time treatment effect heterogeneity either assume a parametric functional form of exposure time or model the exposure time as a categorical variable, in which case the number of parameters increases with the number of exposure-time periods, leading to a potential loss in efficiency. In this article, we propose a new model formulation for assessing treatment effect heterogeneity over exposure time. Rather than a categorical term for each level of exposure time, the proposed model includes a random effect to represent varying treatment effects by exposure time. This allows for pooling information across exposure-time periods and may result in more precise average and exposure-time-specific treatment effect estimates. In addition, we develop an accompanying permutation test for the variance component of the heterogeneous treatment effect parameters. We conduct simulation studies to compare the proposed model and permutation test to alternative methods to elucidate their finite-sample operating characteristics, and to generate practical guidance on model choices for assessing exposure-time treatment effect heterogeneity in stepped-wedge CRTs.
Development of subjective well‐being and its relationship with self‐esteem in early adolescence
Authors: Katsantonis Ioannis , McLellan Ros , Marquez Jose
Published: November 2022

Despite evidence indicating that self‐esteem (SE) may be considered a precondition to subjective well‐being (SWB), there are inconclusive findings regarding its developmental links with SWB. Considering the declines in SWB, the purpose of this study is to examine the developmental changes in SWB and its relationship with SE in early adolescence. The data of 11,231 adolescents aged 11 and 14 years old (50% females) from the Millennium Cohort Study were utilized. Latent mean comparison indicated that SWB declined substantially between 11 and 14 years old in the United Kingdom. Cross‐lagged modelling showed that SWB was developmentally unstable and that SE predicted later changes in SWB, whereas SWB did not predict changes in SE. SWB declines in the United Kingdom are mostly linked to less satisfaction with secondary school contexts and peer relationships. In short, SE is an important factor that can contribute to adolescents' SWB. Implications for educational policy and practice are discussed.
Maternal hypothyroidism and adverse outcomes of pregnancy
Authors: Knøsgaard Louise , Andersen Stig , Hansen Annebirthe Bo , Vestergaard Peter , Andersen Stine Linding
Published: November 2022

Objective

Hypothyroidism has been associated with pregnancy complications, but uncertainty prevail regarding the severity and the role of thyroid autoimmunity. This study aimed to evaluate adverse pregnancy outcomes by exposure to maternal hypothyroidism and thyroid autoimmunity.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Patients

14,744 singleton pregnancies from the North Denmark Region Pregnancy Cohort (2011−2015).

Measurements

Maternal thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO‐Ab), and thyroglobulin antibodies (Tg‐Ab) were retrospectively measured in early pregnancy blood samples (ADVIA Centaur XPT, Siemens Healthineers). Adjusted odds ratio (aOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to estimate associations between maternal hypothyroidism (TSH cut‐offs: 6.0 and 10 mIU/L), thyroid autoimmunity (TPO‐Ab cut‐off: 60 U/ml, Tg‐Ab cut‐off: 33 U/ml), and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Results

Pregnancy outcomes were 93.2% live births, 6.5% spontaneous abortions, and 0.3% stillbirths. The frequency of spontaneous abortion was 6.5% when TSH was below 6.0 mIU/L, 6.5% when above 6.0 mIU/L (aOR 1.0 [95% CI: 0.5−2.0]), and 12.5% when above 10 mIU/L (aOR: 2.0 [95% CI: 0.8−5.2]). For outcome of preterm birth, the frequency was 5.4% when TSH was below 6.0 mIU/L, 7.8% when above 6.0 mIU/L (aOR 1.5 [95% CI: 0.7−2.9]), and 11.4% when above 10 mIU/L (aOR: 2.6 [95% CI: 0.9–7.3]). No association was found between thyroid autoantibodies and spontaneous abortion (TPO‐Ab: aOR: 1.0 [0.8−1.3], Tg‐Ab: 1.0 [0.8−1.2]) or preterm birth (TPO‐Ab: aOR: 1.0 [0.8–1.2], Tg‐Ab: 0.9 [0.7–1.2]).

Conclusion

A high frequency of adverse pregnancy outcomes was seen among pregnancies exposed to maternal TSH above 10 mIU/L, whereas no association with thyroid autoantibodies was seen.
Do multiple types of confirmatory tests improve performance in predicting subtypes of primary aldosteronism?
Authors: Kaneko Hiroki , Umakoshi Hironobu , Fukumoto Tazuru , Wada Norio , Ichijo Takamasa , Sakamoto Shohei , Watanabe Tetsuhiro , Ishihara Yuki , Tagami Tetsuya , Ogata Masatoshi , Iwahashi Norifusa , Yokomoto‐Umakoshi Maki , Matsuda Yayoi , Sakamoto Ryuichi , Ogawa Yoshihiro
Published: November 2022

Objective

The clinical practice guideline for primary aldosteronism (PA) places a high value on confirmatory tests to sparing patients with false‐positive results in case detection from undergoing adrenal venous sampling (AVS). However, it is unclear whether multiple types of confirmatory tests are more useful than a single type. To evaluate whether the machine‐learned combination of two confirmatory tests is more useful in predicting subtypes of PA than each test alone.

Design

A retrospective cross‐sectional study in referral centres.

Patients

This study included 615 patients with PA randomly assigned to the training and test data sets. The participants underwent saline infusion test (SIT) and captopril challenge test (CCT) and were subtyped by AVS (unilateral, n = 99; bilateral, n = 516).

Measurements

The area under the curve (AUC) and clinical usefulness using decision curve analysis for the subtype prediction in the test data set.

Results

The AUCs for the combination of SIT and CCT, SIT alone and CCT alone were 0.850, 0.813 and 0.786, respectively, with no significant differences between them. The AUC for the baseline clinical characteristics alone was 0.872, whereas the AUCs for these combined with SIT, combined with CCT and combined with both SIT and CCT were 0.868, 0.854 and 0.855, respectively, with no significant improvement in AUC. The additional clinical usefulness of the second confirmatory test was unremarkable on decision curve analysis.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that patients with positive case detection undergo one confirmatory test to determine the indication for AVS.
Low serum magnesium is associated with poor functional outcome in acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack patients
Authors: Xu Qin , Hu Lele , Chen Lu , Li Hao , Tian Xue , Zuo Yingting , Zhang Yijun , Zhang Xiaoli , Sun Ping , Wang Yongjun , Meng Xia , Wang Anxin
Published: November 2022

Aim

The association between magnesium and outcomes after stroke is uncertain. We aimed to investigate the association of serum magnesium with all‐cause mortality and poor functional outcome.

Methods

We included patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA) from the China National Stroke Registry III. We used Cox proportional hazards model for all‐cause mortality and logistic regression model for poor functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] 2–6/3–6) to examine the relationships.

Results

Among the 6483 patients, the median (interquartile range) magnesium was 0.87 (0.80–0.93) mmol/L. Patients in the first quartile had a higher risk of mRS score 3–6/2–6 at 3 months (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 1.30; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02, 1.64; adjusted OR: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.04–1.59) compared with those in the fourth quartile. Similar results were found for mRS score 26 at 1 year. The age‐ and sex‐adjusted hazard ratio (HR) with 95% CI in first quartile magnesium was 1.40 (1.02–1.93) for all‐cause mortality within 1 year, but became insignificant (HR: 1.03; 95% CI: 0.71–1.50) after adjusting for potential variables.

Conclusions

Low serum magnesium was associated with a high risk of poor functional outcome in patients with AIS or TIA.
Brain‐clinical signatures for vagus nerve stimulation response
Authors: Guo Zhihao , Mo Jiajie , Zhang Chao , Zhang Jianguo , Hu Wenhan , Zhang Kai
Published: November 2022

Aim

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a valuable treatment for drug‐resistant epilepsy (DRE) without the indication of surgical resection. The clinical heterogeneity of DRE has limited the optimal indication of choice and diagnosis prediction. The study aimed to explore the correlations of brain‐clinical signatures with the clinical phenotype and VNS responsiveness.

Methods

A total of 89 DRE patients, including VNS‐ (n = 44) and drug‐treated (n = 45) patients, were retrospectively recruited. The brain‐clinical signature consisted of demographic information and brain structural deformations, which were measured using deformation‐based morphometry and presented as Jacobian determinant maps. The efficacy and presurgical differences between these two cohorts were compared. Then, the potential of predicting VNS response using brain‐clinical signature was investigated according to the different prognosis evaluation approaches.

Results

The seizure reduction was higher in the VNS‐treated group (42.50%) as compared to the drug‐treated group (12.09%) (p = 0.11). Abnormal imaging representation, showing encephalomalacia (pcorrected = 0.03), was commonly observed in the VNS‐treated group (p = 0.04). In the patients treated with VNS, the mild/subtle brain abnormalities indicated higher seizure frequency (p = 0.03) and worse VNS response (p = 0.04). The partial least square regression analysis showed a moderate prediction potential of brain‐clinical signature for VNS response (p < 0.01). The increase in the pre‐VNS seizure frequency and structural etiology could indicate a worse prognosis (higher McHugh classification).

Conclusion

The brain‐clinical signature illustrated its clinical potential in predicting the VNS response, which might allow clinicians to personalize treatment decisions for DRE patients.
Contribution of visual stimuli to mating and fighting behaviors of Drosophila prolongata
Authors: Takau Ayumi , Matsuo Takashi
Published: November 2022

The importance of visual stimuli in a given behavior is often different, even between closely related species. Species of the genus Drosophila have been categorized into three classes according to their reproductive dependency on vision. Class I and II species reproduce in the darkness, whereas class III species never reproduce without vision. Therefore, in class III species, mutants at the white locus that are deprived of normal visual function are not able to be established as homozygous stocks. Drosophila prolongata is a species with a conspicuous body color pattern, suggesting that an increased importance of visual stimuli underlies the evolution of this species. In this study, to examine the behavioral dependency on visual stimuli in D. prolongata, we generated white gene‐knockout (w−) mutants using the CRISPR/Cas9 system and examined their mating and fighting behaviors in light and dark conditions. The courtship and fighting activities of w− males were extremely reduced regardless of the light condition. Furthermore, wildtype males did not perform any courtship or fighting behaviors in dark conditions. Our results showed that D. prolongata is a class III species that strongly relies on visual stimuli in both behaviors.
Segmentation and classification of ovarian cancer based on conditional adversarial image to image translation approach
Authors: Kodipalli Ashwini , Devi Susheela , Dasar Santosh , Ismail Taha
Published: November 2022

Medical image analysis and disease diagnosis have significantly improved with the use of AI and Machine Learning algorithms. Automated systems for medical image analysis will help the doctors and radiologists understand the anomaly in a short span of time and with better visualization. Such automated systems will help to reduce the time taken for diagnosis by experts. Recently, Computer Vision is industrialized with the advancements in algorithms and hardware. The proposed study aims to develop a computer vision solution for automatic segmentation and classification of ovarian tumours in discriminating between benign and malignant tumours by image‐to‐image translation approach using Conditional Generative Adversarial Network (cGAN). Our method uses a novel algorithm which segments and classifies the images in a single pipeline which makes the algorithm unique and useful. This research also aims to compare its diagnostic accuracy with that of an expert radiologist. The dataset used by in the present study is formulated with images obtained from a hospital and annotated by doctors from the hospital. The obtained results show the proposed study is promising for ovarian cancer segmentation and classification with an average segmentation score of 0.825 for benign and 0.765 for malignant and classification accuracy of 83% for benign and 79% for malignant, precision score of 85% for benign and 80% for malignant and F1 score of 81% for benign and 80.1% for malignant images. The proposed methodology is evaluated on the existing MRI images to perform segmentation and classification. The results obtained shows that the proposed methodology can perform well on other MRI images. In this study, proposed methodology is convenient as separate segmentation need not be done and is giving good result. The same MRI images are segmented using UNet and classified using RESNET 101 and results are compared with the proposed methodology.
Reversible switching and stability of the epigenetic memory system in bacteria
Authors: Graf Dimitri , Laistner Laura , Klingel Viviane , Radde Nicole E. , Weirich Sara , Jeltsch Albert
Published: November 2022

In previous work, we have developed a DNA methylation‐based epigenetic memory system that operates in Escherichia coli to detect environmental signals, trigger a phenotypic switch of the cells and store the information in DNA methylation. The system is based on the CcrM DNA methyltransferase and a synthetic zinc finger (ZnF4), which binds DNA in a CcrM methylation‐dependent manner and functions as a repressor for a ccrM gene expressed together with an egfp reporter gene. Here, we developed a reversible reset for this memory system by adding an increased concentration of ZnSO4 to the bacterial cultivation medium and demonstrate that one bacterial culture could be reversibly switched ON and OFF in several cycles. We show that a previously developed differential equation model of the memory system can also describe the new data. Then, we studied the long‐term stability of the ON‐state of the system over approximately 100 cell divisions showing a gradual loss of ON‐state signal starting after 4 days of cultivation that is caused by individual cells switching from an ON‐ into the OFF‐state. Over time, the methylation of the ZnF4‐binding sites is not fully maintained leading to an increased OFF switching probability of cells, because stronger binding of ZnF4 to partially demethylated operator sites leads to further reductions in the cellular concentrations of CcrM. These data will support future design to further stabilize the ON‐state and enforce the binary switching behaviour of the system. Together with the development of a reversible OFF switch, our new findings strongly increase the capabilities of bacterial epigenetic biosensors.
Primary mucosal melanomas of the head and neck are characterised by overexpression of the DNA mutating enzyme APOBEC3B
Authors: Argyris Prokopios P , Naumann Jordan , Jarvis Matthew C , Wilkinson Peter E , Ho Dan P , Islam Mohammed N , Bhattacharyya Indraneel , Gopalakrishnan Rajaram , Li Faqian , Koutlas Ioannis G , Giubellino Alessio , Harris Reuben S
Published: November 2022

Aims

Primary head/neck mucosal melanomas (MMs) are rare and exhibit aggressive biologic behaviour and elevated mutational loads. The molecular mechanisms responsible for high genomic instability observed in head/neck MMs remain elusive. The DNA cytosine deaminase APOBEC3B (A3B) constitutes a major endogenous source of mutation in human cancer. A3B‐related mutations are identified through C‐to‐T/−G base substitutions in 5′‐TCA/T motifs. Herein, we present immunohistochemical and genomic data supportive of a role for A3B in head/neck MMs.

Methods and results

A3B protein levels were assessed in oral (n = 13) and sinonasal (n = 13) melanomas, and oral melanocytic nevi (n = 13) by immunohistochemistry using a custom rabbit α‐A3B mAb (5210‐87‐13). Heterogeneous, selective‐to‐diffuse, nuclear only, A3B immunopositivity was observed in 12 of 13 (92.3%) oral melanomas (H‐score range = 9–72, median = 40) and 8 of 13 (62%) sinonasal melanomas (H‐score range = 1–110, median = 24). Two cases negative for A3B showed prominent cytoplasmic staining consistent with A3G. A3B protein levels were significantly higher in oral and sinonasal MMs than intraoral melanocytic nevi (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0022, respectively), which were A3B‐negative (H‐score range = 1–8, median = 4). A3B levels, however, did not differ significantly between oral and sinonasal tumours (P > 0.99). NGS performed in 10 sinonasal MMs revealed missense NRAS mutations in 50% of the studied cases and one each KIT and HRAS mutations. Publicly available whole‐genome sequencing (WGS) data disclosed that the number of C‐to‐T mutations and APOBEC3 enrichment score were markedly elevated in head/neck MMs (n = 2).

Conclusion

The above data strongly indicate a possible role for the mutagenic enzyme A3B in head/neck melanomagenesis, but not benign melanocytic neoplasms.
Myelofibrosis progression grading based on type I and type III collagen and fibrillin 1 expression boosted by whole slide image analysis
Authors: Szekely Tamas , Wichmann Barna , Maros Mate E , Csizmadia Annamaria , Bodor Csaba , Timar Botond , Krenacs Tibor
Published: November 2022

Aims: The progression of primary myelofibrosis is characterised by ongoing extracellular matrix deposition graded based on ‘reticulin’ and ‘collagen’ fibrosis, as revealed by Gomori's silver impregnation. Here we studied the expression of the major extracellular matrix proteins of fibrosis in relation to diagnostic silver grading supported by image analysis.

Methods and results: By using automated immunohistochemistry, in this study we demonstrate that the expression of both types I and III collagens and fibrillin 1 by bone marrow stromal cells can reveal the extracellular matrix scaffolding in line with myelofibrosis progression as classified by silver grading. ‘Reticulin’ fibrosis indicated by type III collagen expression and ‘collagen’ fibrosis featured by type I collagen expression were parallel, rather than sequential, events. This is line with the proposed role of type III collagen in regulating type I collagen fibrillogenesis. The uniformly strong fibrillin 1 immune signals offered the best inter‐rater agreements and the highest statistical correlations with silver grading of the three markers, which was robustly confirmed by automated whole slide digital image analysis using a machine learning‐based algorithm. The progressive up‐regulation of fibrillin 1 during myelofibrosis may result from a negative feedback loop as fibrillin microfibrils sequester TGF‐β, the major promoter of fibrosis. This can also reduce TGF‐β‐induced RANKL levels, which would stimulate osteoclastogenesis and thus can support osteosclerosis in advanced myelofibrosis.

Conclusions: Through the in‐situ detection of these extracellular matrix proteins, our results verify the molecular pathobiology of fibrosis during myelofibrosis progression. In particular, fibrillin 1 immunohistochemistry, with or without image analysis, can complement diagnostic silver grading at decent cell morphology.
Eusociality as a neglected aspect of wild bee α‐diversity and its potential impact on diversity estimation
Authors: Ferrari Andrea , Polidori Carlo
Published: November 2022

Bees provide important ecosystem services and are subjects of extensive studies on their α‐diversity, which is generally calculated with indices that integrate the number of species with their abundances. Variation in social behaviour, though expected to impact genetic diversity, is still largely neglected in such studies.

We propose a simple method to show how sociality may affect diversity indices, when a surrogate of genetic diversity is taken into account. This method weighs the number of sampled females (N) to obtain new abundance values (NW), by taking into account relevant biological traits affecting genetic structure of populations, that is, the number of (natal) nests from which the sampled females originated (which depends on brood productivity and sex ratio) and the genetic relatedness among such females.

Solitary species tend to have greater NW than eusocial ones especially at larger sample sizes. Across studies on 121 bee communities, we found that Taxonomic distinctness, Shannon–Wiener diversity and Gini–Simpson dominance tended to be greater when based on NW rather than on N. Such differences increased in communities with decreasing number of eusocial species and with increasing proportion of individuals from eusocial species.

The results suggest that taking into account the social organisation of wild bees may have important consequences in estimating α‐diversity, thus claiming for future efforts in collecting biological data on as many wild bee species as possible to improve the precision of NW estimations. For example, stressors affecting more solitary bees could impoverish communities dominated by few but abundant eusocial species, more than expected by using unweighted abundances.
Leadership training in dermatology: a narrative review
Authors: Hengy Meredith , Farooqui Sara , Dimitrion Peter , Fotouhi Audrey , Daveluy Steven
Published: November 2022

Effective leadership is imperative for dermatologists and clinically has been shown to improve team efficacy, patient outcomes, and staff engagement, as well as reduce physician burnout and medical errors. Dermatologists are expected to exercise leadership in a variety of contexts during their professional careers, but despite the demonstrated benefit of effective leadership on improving clinical outcomes and reducing burnout, there is a lack of formal leadership training in residency programs, especially in the field of dermatology. The purpose of this review is to elucidate the current understanding of effective leadership for dermatologists, with a focus on leadership models and select strategies that dermatologists may implement in their daily practice to become more efficacious leaders. This review also seeks to provide a summary of existing opportunities for leadership in the field of dermatology. A narrative review was performed in 2022 examining leadership models as determined by the top results in PubMed with search term “Leadership Models”. These models were then related to the field of dermatology. In addition, existing leadership opportunities, as determined through PubMed and Google searches, were reviewed and summarized. There are several medical and non‐medical leadership models that can be applied to the field of dermatology. There are many opportunities to gain leadership experience for dermatologists and dermatologists in training; however, there is still a demonstrated need for more opportunities. Through the application of basic leadership principles, dermatologists will experience improved satisfaction and enhanced outcomes.
A critique of gender‐blind migration theories and data sources
Authors: Bircan Tuba , Yilmaz Sinem
Published: November 2022

Despite this being the era of migration, no systematic theory of international migration has emerged, nor is there an academic or political agreement on ways in which migration is a ‘gendered’ process. Both theoretically and as inputs in the policy‐making process, gender‐blind approaches have actually rendered the gender dimension of migration more or less invisible. Through an in‐depth examination of the place of gender in the key theories of migration and relevant sources of data, the paper seeks to take stock of how these theories treat this dimension and investigate the cross‐sectional challenges in uncovering gender in international migration data. It, therefore, provides a critical review of both theory and data by shedding much‐needed light on their neglect of the gender aspects. Our findings based on a conceptual review of the literature and a case study based on Eurostat data on migration drivers demonstrate that migration theories and statistics typically equate gender with sex, which limits our ability to develop a comprehensive understanding of how complex gender dimensions shape the migration process. Moreover, given the extent to which existing data and theories overlook the intersectionality between the drivers of migration and diversity within migrant groups, this gap in knowledge presents an obstacle to gender‐responsive migration governance. In light of this, the paper discusses priorities for ‘gendering’ international migration research. We argue that in addition to improving accuracy and coverage of sex‐disaggregated statistics on international migration, both regular and irregular, it is crucial to develop quantitative as well as qualitative indicators to monitor the gender dimension in this area.
Periodontitis is associated with the development of fungal sinusitis: A nationwide 12‐year follow‐up study
Authors: Kim Min Gul , Kang Min Gu , Lee Min Gyu , Yang Seong J. , Yeom Sang Woo , Lee Jong Hwan , Choi Sang Moon , Yoon Ji Hyun , Lee Eun Jung , Noh Sang Jae , Kim Min‐Su , Kim Jong Seung
Published: November 2022

Aim

The incidence of fungal sinusitis is increasing; however, its pathophysiology has not been investigated previously. We investigate the effect of periodontitis on the incidence of fungal sinusitis over a 12‐year follow‐up period using nationwide population‐based data.

Materials and Methods

The periodontitis group was randomly selected from the National Health Insurance Service database. The non‐periodontitis group was obtained by propensity score matching considering several variables. The primary end point was the diagnosis of sinonasal fungal balls (SFBs) and invasive fungal sinusitis (IFS).

Results

The periodontitis and non‐periodontitis groups included 12,442 and 12,442 individuals, respectively. The overall adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for SFBs in the periodontitis group was 1.46 (p = .002). In subgroup analysis, the aHR for SFBs was 1.59 (p = 0.008) for those with underlying chronic kidney disease (CKD), 1.58 (p = .022) for those with underlying atopic dermatitis, 1.48 (p = .019) for those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and 1.36 (p = .030) for those with diabetes mellitus (DM), but these values are applicable only when considering the relationship between periodontitis and SFB. The aHR for IFS in the periodontitis group was higher than in the non‐periodontitis group (2.80; p = .004).

Conclusions

The risk of SFBs and IFS increased after diagnosis of periodontitis. This trend is often more severe in patients with DM, COPD, or CKD, but this association with underlying diseases is applicable only when considering the association between periodontitis and fungal sinusitis.
Targeted census of lionfishes (Scorpaenidae) reveals high densities in their native range
Authors: Cowan Zara‐Louise , Brooker Rohan M. , Gasc Julien , Gache Camille , Lecchini David , Feeney William E.
Published: November 2022

Indo‐Pacific lionfishes generally exhibit cryptic behaviours and so can be missed when conducting non‐targeted surveys. Here, the authors report the results from targeted surveys of lionfish at Moorea, French Polynesia. Lionfish from three species (Pterois antennata, Pterois radiata, Dendrochirus biocellatus) were observed at a mean density of 267 individuals ha−1. This is substantially higher than previous estimates from the same area (Moorea) and represents the highest reported density of lionfishes from their Pacific range. Overall, this study highlights the importance of targeted survey techniques for detecting cryptic species on coral reefs.
Hypoechogenicity of the raphe nuclei as a biomarker of migraine: A case‐control study, review, and meta‐analysis
Authors: Dorado Laura , Rubio‐Guerra Sara , Valls‐Carbó Adrián , Ispierto Lourdes , Hernández‐Pérez María , Paré Martí , Vilas Dolores
Published: November 2022

Background and Purpose

Hypoechogenicity of the raphe nuclei (hR) has been related to major depression. Comorbidity between migraine and depression is bidirectional postulating a common mechanism of serotonergic dysfunction. We aimed to investigate the association between migraine and hR and its role as biomarker of migraine‐associated depression and disease severity.

Methods

This is a single‐center cross‐sectional descriptive study. We included consecutive patients with episodic (EM) and chronic migraine (CM). We collected their comorbidities, analgesic consumption, hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), disability, and impact on quality of life associated with migraine. We also included a group of control subjects, matched for age and sex with the patients. In both groups, hR was assessed by means of transcranial sonography. We performed a meta‐analysis of the studies investigating the association between migraine and hR.

Results

A total of 107 subjects were included (57 cases and 50 controls). hR rate was lower in controls than in migraine patients (22.2% vs. 42.9%, p = .02) with a progressive increase in EM and CM groups respect to the control group (33.3% and 50% vs. 22.2%, respectively; p = .03). Among patients, hR was not associated with depression, higher HADS score, greater migraine‐related disability, or higher consumption of analgesic medication. The meta‐analysis showed a significant association between migraine and hR (odds ratio = 2.16; 95% confidence interval: 1.42‐3.29).

Conclusion

hR is more prevalent in migraine patients than in controls and, in our population, its prevalence increases in a stepwise manner in patients with EM and CM. These findings support the role of raphe nuclei in migraine pathophysiology.
Social relationships, stigma, and wellbeing through experiences of homelessness in the United Kingdom
Authors: Rea Jessica
Published: November 2022

People occupying stigmatized social positions often withdraw from sources of social support, becoming stressed, depressed, and isolated. Homelessness is globally prevalent and stigmatized. Despite the overwhelming evidence that homelessness is associated with experiences of isolation and poor mental health, there is a sparse understanding of how stigma and social relationships interact with mental health in this context. This mixed‐method study presents evidence that relationship breakdown is a common precedent to experiences of homelessness. It further shows that people withdraw from potential sources of support due to the stigma associated with homelessness. The findings demonstrate that universal forms of social contact and perceived social support do not consistently associate with mental health. Rather, distinct types of support, from different support sources, are associated with higher levels of mental health. Policy implications considering the relationship of stigma and social relationships within the context of homelessness are discussed.
Engineered models of the lymphatic vascular system: Past, present, and future
Authors: Selahi Amirali , Jain Abhishek
Published: November 2022

The lymphatic vascular system is crucial for optimizing body fluid level, regulating immune function, and transporting lipid. Relative to the experimental models to investigate blood vasculature, there are significantly fewer tools to explore lymphatics. Although in vivo studies have contributed to major discoveries in the field, finding and characterizing lymphatic specific markers has opened the door to isolating lymphatic vessels and cells for building ex vivo and in vitro platforms. These preparations have enabled the study and analysis of lymphatic vasculature in various physiological and pathophysiological conditions leading to a better understanding of cellular expressions and signaling. In this review, a broad range of ex vivo and in vitro engineered models are highlighted and categorized based on the major lymphatic function they model including contractile function, inflammation, drainage and immune regulation, lymphangiogenesis, and tumor‐lymphatic interactions. Then, the novel 3D engineered tissues are introduced consisting of acellularized scaffolds and hydrogels to form vessels and cellular structures close to in vivo morphology. This paper also compares traditional in vitro methods with recent technologies and elaborates on the inherent advantages and limitations of each preparation by critically discussing simplest to most complex tissue‐cellular structures. It concludes with an outlook of the lymphatic vasculature models and the possible future direction of contemporary tools, such as organ‐on‐chips.
Estimation of Heterogeneous Agent Models: A Likelihood Approach
Authors: Parra‐Alvarez Juan Carlos , Posch Olaf , Wang Mu‐Chun
Published: November 2022

Using a Bewley‐Hugget‐Aiyagari model we show how to use the Fokker‐Planck equation for likelihood inference in heterogeneous agent (HA) models. We study the finite sample properties of the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) in Monte Carlo experiments using cross‐sectional data on wealth and income. We use the Kullback–Leibler divergence to investigate identification problems that may affect inference. Unrestricted MLE leads to considerable biases of some parameters. Calibrating weakly identified parameters is shown to be useful to pin down the remaining structural parameters. We illustrate our approach by estimating the model for the US economy using the Survey of Consumer Finances.
A Retrospective Clinical Study of Endoscopic Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome using the Modified Soft Tissue Release kit
Authors: Li Yiming , Jiao Xin , Gan Yaokai , Shi Dingwei , Wang Zengguang , Yao Yifei , Dai Kerong
Published: November 2022

Objective

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common peripheral entrapment neuropathy, and endoscopic carpal tunnel release (ECTR) is one of the minimally invasive procedures for the treatment of CTS. Based on the shortcomings of ECTR, we designed the “Modified Soft Tissue Release Kit” to assist the endoscopic operation. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of endoscopic treatment of CTS using this kit.

Methods

This retrospective review included 57 patients (86 wrists) who underwent ECTR using the “Modified Soft Tissue Release Kit” at our department between January 2017 and August 2019. Three scale scores (i.e., Quick–Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand [QDASH]; Boston Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Questionnaire [BCTSQ]: symptom severity [BCTSQ‐SS] and functional status [BCTSQ‐FS]) were recorded to assess hand function and symptoms preoperatively, 1 month postoperatively, 3 months postoperatively, and at the last follow‐up. We also asked patients to answer a satisfaction question during follow‐up. Pre‐ and post‐operation scores were compared using paired Wilcoxon signed‐rank test. Spearman's rank‐order correlation was used to evaluate the relationship between scale scores and patient satisfaction.

Results

A total of 55 patients (83 wrists) were followed up, with an average follow‐up of 27.2 ± 9.3 months. The median preoperative QDASH score was 45.5; the scores at 1 month postoperatively, 3 months postoperatively, and the last follow‐up were 4.5, 0, and 0, respectively, with a significant decrease noted compared with the preoperative scores (P < 0.001). The median preoperative BCTSQ‐SS and BCTSQ‐FS scores were 3.3 and 2.8, respectively; the scores at 1 month postoperatively, 3 months postoperatively, and the last follow‐up were 1.2, 1.0, and 1.0, and 1.1, 1.0, and 1.0, respectively, all of which decreased significantly compared with the preoperative scores (P < 0.001). The incidence of nerve injury was 0. The incidence of pillar pain was 0 at the last follow‐up. One patient showed no improvement in hand symptoms and function postoperatively, and two patients showed long‐term recurrence despite postoperative symptom remission. Approximately 94.5% (52/55) of the patients were satisfied or very satisfied with the outcome.

Conclusions

ECTR with the “Modified Soft Tissue Release Kit” can significantly relieve symptoms and improve function in patients with CTS, with significant short‐ and mid‐term efficacy and high safety.
A creeping crisis when an urgent crisis arises: The reprioritization of plastic pollution issues during COVID‐19
Authors: Vince Joanna
Published: November 2022

Single‐use plastics (SUPs) are increasingly polluting terrestrial, coastal, and marine habits, contributing to the creeping “plastic crisis.” The COVID‐19 pandemic provided a window of opportunity for decision makers to change the degree of urgency and responsiveness to this crisis and for policy entrepreneurs and industry who are against reducing plastic consumption to influence decision makers to change their position on various plastic‐related issues. Hygiene/health concerns have been used as a justification by governments and industry to increase the use of SUPs resulting in a reversal in, or a reprioritization of, policy decisions. Through the Multiple Streams Framework (MSF), I examine how creeping crises become secondary to urgent crises through agenda setting that is influenced and leveraged by policy entrepreneurs. I explore examples of such plastic policy decisions finding that they have been politically driven and influenced by entrepreneurs and industry rather than being primarily based on health concerns.

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Identification and virulence of Colletotrichum species causing anthracnose on mango
Authors: Lin Wei‐Lun , Duan Chung‐Hang , Wang Chih‐Li
Published: November 2022

Species of Colletotrichum cause severe anthracnose on mango (Mangifera indica). Many species of Colletotrichum with unequal frequencies on mangos have been revealed in many reports. The biological differences among Colletotrichum species are largely unknown. In this study, species of Colletotrichum were identified by phylogenetic analyses and their virulence was compared. The results revealed six species of Colletotrichum causing anthracnose on mango fruit in Taiwan; these species included C. asianum, C. fructicola, C. siamense and C. tropicale in the C. gloeosporioides species complex and C. sloanei and a new species, described here as C. pedunculi sp. nov., in the C. acutatum species complex. Among them, C. asianum was the most dominant species, accounting for 72% of the studied isolates. The virulence of each species was evaluated by inoculating unwounded fruits and young leaves with conidial suspensions. Notably, C. asianum was the only species with high virulence on both mango fruits and leaves. Additionally, the endophytic lifestyles of C. asianum and C. pedunculi sp. nov. in asymptomatic twigs and peduncles, respectively, were revealed. These results suggest that the high virulence and the endophytic lifestyle of C. asianum may explain its predominance among the Colletotrichum species on diseased mango fruits.
Lower extremity Interlimb coordination associated brain activity in young female athletes: A biomechanically instrumented neuroimaging study
Authors: Slutsky‐Ganesh Alexis B. , Anand Manish , Diekfuss Jed A. , Myer Gregory D. , Grooms Dustin R.
Published: November 2022

Bilateral sensorimotor coordination is required for everyday activities, such as walking and sitting down/standing up from a chair. Sensorimotor coordination functional neuroimaging (fMRI) paradigms (e.g., stepping, cycling) increase activity in the sensorimotor cortex, supplementary motor area, insula, and cerebellum. Although these paradigms are designed to assay coordination, performance measures are rarely collected simultaneously with fMRI. Therefore, we aimed to identify neural correlates of lower extremity coordination using a bilateral, in‐phase, multi‐joint coordination task with concurrent MRI‐compatible 3D motion analysis. Seventeen female athletes (15.0 ± 1.4 years) completed a bilateral, multi‐joint lower‐extremity coordination task during brain fMRI. Interlimb coordination was quantified from kinematic data as the correlation between peak‐to‐peak knee flexion cycle time between legs. Standard preprocessing and whole‐brain analyses for task‐based fMRI were completed in FSL, controlling for total movement cycles and neuroanatomical differences, with interlimb coordination as a covariate of interest. A clusterwise multi‐comparison correction was applied at z > 3.1 and p < .05. Less interlimb coordination during the task was associated with greater activation in the posterior cingulate and precuneus (zmax = 6.41, p < .01) and the lateral occipital cortex (zmax = 7.55, p = .02). The inability to maintain interlimb coordination alongside greater activity in attention‐ and sensory‐related brain regions may indicate a failed compensatory neural strategy to execute the task. Alternatively, greater activity could be secondary to reduced afferent acuity that may be elevating central demand to maintain in‐phase lower extremity motor coordination. Future research aiming to improve sensorimotor coordination should consider interventional approaches uniquely capable of promoting adaptive neuroplasticity to enhance motor control.
Impact of reduced‐dimensionality independent components analysis on event‐related potential measurements
Authors: Pokorny Victor J. , Sponheim Scott R. , Rawls Eric
Published: November 2022

Independent components analysis (ICA) is an effective and ubiquitous tool for cleaning EEG. To reduce computation time, many analysis pipelines decrease EEG dimensionality prior to ICA. A 2018 report by Artoni and colleagues detailed the deleterious effects of such reduced‐dimensionality ICA (rdICA) on the dipolarity and reliability of independent components. Though valuable for researchers interested in directly analyzing independent components, ICA is more commonly used for cleaning EEG. Thus, a direct examination of the impact of artifact removal via rdICA on EEG data quality is needed. We conducted a registered analysis of 128 electrode recordings of 43 healthy subjects performing an active auditory oddball task. We preprocessed each subject's data under the following conditions: (1) ICA without dimension reduction, (2) ICA with only 64 electrodes included, (3) ICA preceded by PCA retaining 99% of the original data variance and (4) ICA preceded by PCA retaining 90% variance. We then quantified ERP data quality by measuring mean‐amplitude, standardized measurement error (SME) of the single‐trial mean‐amplitudes, and split‐half reliability of the N1 and P3 components. We then attempted to replicate our findings in an independent validation dataset. We observed statistically and practically significant changes in the mean amplitude of early sensory components for the 90% condition. Unexpectedly, the SME was only larger for the 64 electrode condition. Also unexpectedly, the effect of rdICA on split‐half reliability was inconsistent between datasets. Based on the observed data, we argue that PCA‐based rdICA is justifiable when used cautiously.