bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Time Spent Away from Home in the Year Following High‐Risk Cancer Surgery in Older Adults
Authors: Suskind Anne M. , Zhao Shoujun , Boscardin W. John , Smith Alexander , Finlayson Emily
Published: January 2020

OBJECTIVES

To understand where older adults spend time (at home, in the hospital, or in a nursing home) in the year following high‐risk cancer surgery.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Medicare beneficiaries using data from Medicare Inpatient claims to ascertain hospital days and the Minimum Data Set to ascertain nursing home days.

PARTICIPANTS

Beneficiaries who underwent high‐risk cancer surgery (cystectomy, pancreaticoduodenectomy, gastrectomy, or esophagectomy) were identified to determine cumulative time spent away from home in the year following surgery.

MEASUREMENTS

Adjusted percentages of time spent away from home (ie, days in a hospital or nursing home) were modeled for the year following surgery.

RESULTS

A total of 37 748 beneficiaries underwent high‐risk cancer surgery during the study period, and 28.3% died within 1 year. Overall, beneficiaries spent 13.9 ± 26.2 days in the hospital (over 1.5 ± 2.0 hospital readmissions) and 37.2 ± 50.6 days in the nursing home (over 1.5 ± 1.0 admissions) in the year following surgery. Among beneficiaries who were alive and dead at 1 year, 18.5% and 30.1% of time was spent away from home, respectively. Beneficiaries who were initially discharged to a facility following surgery and died within 1 year spent 44.4% of their final year away from home.

CONCLUSION

Time spent away from home in the hospital and/or nursing home in the year following high‐risk cancer surgery is substantial among Medicare beneficiaries. This information is crucial in counseling patients on postoperative expectations and may additionally influence preoperative decision making. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:505–510, 2020
Experiences of Reproductive Coercion Among Latina Women and Strategies for Minimizing Harm: “The Path Makes Us Strong”
Authors: Grace Karen Trister , Alexander Kamila A. , Jeffers Noelene K. , Miller Elizabeth , Decker Michele R. , Campbell Jacquelyn , Glass Nancy
Published: January 2020

Introduction

Latina women disproportionately report experiencing reproductive coercion (RC), a set of behaviors that interfere with autonomous reproductive decision making. Given RC's associations with intimate partner violence (IPV) and unintended pregnancy, it is critical to identify and address RC to assist women to achieve safety, autonomy, and reproductive life plans. The purpose of this study was to describe and understand the context of RC and the use of RC safety strategies among Latina women receiving services at an urban clinic, through listening to the experiences of the women in their own words.

Methods

Qualitative descriptive methodology was used. Semistructured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 13 Latina women recruited from a Federally Qualified Health Center in the Washington, DC, area.

Results

Data were organized into 3 a priori categories: (1) RC behaviors, (2) co‐occurrence of RC and IPV, and (3) RC harm reduction strategies. New RC behaviors emerged, and immigration status was used as a method of coercive control. From these a priori categories emerged 4 themes: impact of immigrant and citizenship status, machismo, strength and bravery, and importance of family. Harm reduction strategies included less detectable contraception; some sought community services, but others resorted to deception and stalling as the only tools available to them.

Discussion

Less detectable methods of contraception remained useful harm reduction strategies for women experiencing RC. Midwives should inquire about method fit and be mindful of honoring the request when patients ask to change methods. Women's strength and resilience emerged as a vital source of power and endurance. This diverse sample and the powerful voices of the women who participated make a significant contribution to the understanding of RC experienced by Latina women in the United States.
Smoke Free? Public Health Policy, Coercive Paternalism, and the Ethics of Long‐Game Regulation
Authors: Coggon John
Published: January 2020

Contemporary public health advocacy promotes a ‘fifth wave of public health’: a ‘cultural’ shift wherein the public's health becomes recognized as a common good, to be realized through concerted developments in the institutional, social, and physical environments. With reference to examples from anti‐tobacco policy, in this article I critically examine the fifth‐wave agenda in England. I explore it as an approach that, in the face of liberal individualism, works through a ‘long‐game’ method of progressive social change. Given the political context, and a predominant concern with narrow understandings of legal coercion, I explain how efforts are made to apply what are presented as less ethically contentious framings of regulatory methods, such as are provided by ‘libertarian paternalism’ (‘nudge theory’). I argue that these fail as measures of legitimacy for long‐game regulation: the philosophical foundations of public health laws require a greater – and more obviously contestable, but also more ambitious – critical depth.
Oral lichen planus has a very low malignant transformation rate: A systematic review and meta‐analysis using strict diagnostic and inclusion criteria
Authors: Idrees Majdy , Kujan Omar , Shearston Kate , Farah Camile S.
Published: January 2020

Background

The malignant transformation (MT) potential of oral lichen planus (OLP) has sparked heated debates for almost a century, despite the fact that global figures of OLP prevalence and oral cancer incidence do not support an association mathematically. In this study, we performed a systematic review and meta‐analysis, using strict inclusion criteria, to more precisely assess the malignant potential rate of OLP and the influence of associated risk factors.

Methods

All reports that documented MT of OLP and published in the English language until January 2020 were included if they met the following strict criteria: (a) the presence of a properly verified OLP diagnosis, (b) a clear description of the cancerous lesion developing at the same site as the verified OLP lesion; and (c) a follow‐up period of a minimum of 6 months prior to carcinoma development.

Results

Thirty‐three studies were included in this analysis with a total of 12 838 OLP patients. Of these, 151 cases were initially considered to have progressed to carcinoma (1.2%). However, after applying strict criteria, only 56 cases were considered to have undergone MT from OLP (0.44%). The risk of MT was significantly higher among OLP patients who smoked (OR = 4.62), consumed alcohol (OR = 3.22), were seropositive for HCV (OR = 3.77) and/or displayed a red OLP subtype (OR = 0.37).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the reported OLP malignant transformation rates are exaggerated, and these do not reflect the actual clinical course of the disease according to strict clinical and histopathological criteria.
Predicted prevalence of oral human papillomavirus (HPV) by periodontitis status and HPV vaccination status
Authors: McDaniel Justin T. , Davis Joan M. , McDermott Robert J. , Maxfield Izaak , Kapatamoyo Kombe
Published: January 2020

Objectives

The purpose of the present study was to examine differences in oral human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence among adults based on HPV vaccination status and periodontitis status.

Methods

Data from 2011 to 2012 and 2013 to2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (n = 822) were retrieved in order to predict the prevalence of oral HPV in 24 separate demographic groups (age by sex by race) based on the following characteristics: HPV vaccination status and periodontitis status. A multiple logistic regression model, controlling for gender, age, race, smoking behavior, alcohol consumption, and sexual partners, was calculated in order to generate prevalence estimates.

Results

Median predicted oral HPV prevalence rates per 1,000 in 2011–2012 were highest among nonvaccinated individuals with periodontitis [median () = 31.62, interquartile range (IQR) = 102.97], followed by nonvaccinated individuals without periodontitis ( = 24.63, IQR = 81.84), vaccinated individuals with periodontitis ( = 18.40, IQR = 62.27), and vaccinated individuals without periodontitis ( = 14.29, IQR = 48.96). Median predicted oral HPV prevalence rates per 1,000 in 2013–2014 were highest among nonvaccinated individuals with periodontitis ( = 9.50, IQR = 33.02), followed by nonvaccinated individuals without periodontitis ( = 7.37, IQR = 25.76), vaccinated individuals with periodontitis ( = 5.48, IQR = 19.27), and vaccinated individuals without periodontitis ( = 4.25, IQR = 14.98).

Conclusions

Interventions that integrate primary care and dental care are needed, given increased risk for oral HPV among unvaccinated individuals with periodontitis.
Anti-inflammatory potential of invasive sun corals (Scleractinia: Tubastraea spp.) from Brazil: alternative use for management?
Authors: Carpes Raphael de Mello , Corrêa Fernandes Daniele , Coelho Marsen Garcia Pinto , Creed Joel Christopher , Fleury Beatriz Grosso , Garden Simon John , Felzenszwalb Israel
Published: January 2020

Objectives

The objective was to analyse the anti-inflammatory potential of the invasive coral species Tubastraea coccinea and Tubastraea tagusensis.

Methods

Methanolic extracts, fractions and synthesized compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory ability, and their composition was elucidated through chemical analysis.

Key findings

The genus Tubastraea (Order Scleractinia, Family Dendrophylliidae) (known as sun corals) presents compounds with pharmacological value. The introduction of these azooxanthellate hard corals into Brazil, initially in Rio de Janeiro state, occurred through their fouling of oil and gas platforms from the Campos oil Basin. The two invasive species have successfully expanded along the Brazilian coast and threaten endemic species and biodiversity. The HPLC-MS and GC-MS data suggest the presence of aplysinopsin analogues (alkaloids). Anti-inflammatory activity was observed in all samples tested in in-vivo assays, especially in T. coccinea. The ethyl acetate fraction from this sample was more effective in in-vitro assays for anti-inflammatory activity. Depending on the concentration, this fraction showed cytotoxic responses.

Conclusions

These species have potential pharmacological use, and considering their invasive nature, this study presents a potential alternative use, which may enhance the management of this biological invasion.
Folic acid supplementation regulates milk production variables, metabolic associated genes and pathways in perinatal Holsteins
Authors: Khan Muhammad Zahoor , Liu Lei , Zhang Zhichao , Khan Adnan , Wang Di , Mi Siyuan , Usman Tahir , Liu Gang , Guo Gang , Li Xizhi , Wang Yachun , Yu Ying
Published: January 2020

Perinatal period is the critical time in dairy cattle due to negative energy balance and high milk production stress. Being a key role in biosynthesis and methylation cycle, folic acid is considered essential for lactational and metabolic performance in dairy cattle. Thus, the current study was designed to evaluate the effect of folic acid supplementation on milk production phenotypic traits in periparturient cows. Transcriptomic screening was performed for milk production and metabolism‐associated differentially expressed genes. The 123 cows having similar parity, weight and expected date of calving were randomly selected and divided into three groups; A (n = 41, folic acid 240 mg/500 kg cow/day), B (n = 40, FA 120 mg/500 kg cow/day) and C (Control, n = 42). Folic acid was supplemented for 21 days (14 days pre‐ and seven days post‐calving), and three samples of blood lymphocytes were taken on day seven post‐calving from each folic acid‐treated and control group. In addition, the milk samples for each folic acid‐treated group have been collected at 2nd, 3rd and 4th month of lactation. The increase in average milk yield noticed in group B were significantly (p‐value < .05) higher than C and A. However, the data showed no noteworthy differences for milk fat and milk protein among the three groups. The transcriptomic analysis revealed that folic acid treatment regulated many key metabolic‐related genes (DGAT2, ALOX5, LAP3, GPAT3, GGH, ALDOA, TKT) and pathways (glycolysis, folate biosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, etc.) in periparturient dairy cattle. It was concluded from the above findings that 120 mg/500 kg of folic acid quantity could be considered as a standard during the periparturient period to enhance the milk production performance of dairy cows. The transcriptomic profile revealed several metabolic and milk production‐associated genes which could be a useful addition to the marker selection for the enhancement of metabolism and milk production of periparturient dairy cows.
Liberal Churches and Social Justice Movements: Analyzing the Limits of Inclusivity
Authors: Krull Laura M.
Published: January 2020

Conservative Protestants have been successful in communicating their religious voice in the public sphere, while liberal Protestants have struggled to articulate a distinctly liberal, religious voice. In this article, I show that a major component of liberal Protestant identity—inclusivity—itself constitutes a fundamental barrier to developing that voice. Drawing on 26 interviews and a year of participant observation at a liberal Protestant congregation in the southeast, I first show that congregants construct their identity of inclusivity in response to cultural associations of Christianity with conservatism and exclusivism. I then analyze three discursive strategies that congregants use to make sense of individuals’ involvement in Moral Mondays, a left‐leaning local social movement. By connecting Moral Mondays to social justice, to religious beliefs, and to individual commitments, congregants depoliticize involvement in Moral Mondays and maintain their commitment to inclusivity. I argue that inclusivity does not limit their participation, but rather limits their ability to connect that participation to their liberal religious voice. This research has important implications for understanding barriers to liberal Protestants’ articulation of a distinctly liberal and religious voice in the public sphere.
Plateletcrit as a potential index for predicting liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B
Authors: Wang Jian , Xia Juan , Yan Xiaomin , Yang Yue , Wei Jie , Xiong Yali , Wu Weihua , Liu Yong , Chen Yuxin , Jia Bei , Chen Zhong , Zhang Zhaoping , Ding Weimao , Huang Rui , Wu Chao
Published: January 2020

Noninvasive tests (NITs) for liver fibrosis are highly needed for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. We aimed to investigate whether plateletcrit (PCT) could be used as a NIT in predicting liver fibrosis for CHB patients. Five hundred and sixty‐seven treatment‐naïve CHB patients with available liver biopsies were included. Patients were randomly divided into a derivation cohort (n = 378) and a validation cohort (n = 189). The diagnostic accuracy of PCT was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. In the derivation cohort, PCT in CHB patients with S2‐S4 (0.14%), S3‐S4 (0.13%) and S4 (0.12%) was lower than patients with S0‐S1 (0.17%, P < .001), S0‐S2 (0.17%, P < .001) and S0‐S3 (0.16%, P < .001), respectively. PCT was an independent predictor of significant fibrosis (≥S2), advanced fibrosis (≥S3) and cirrhosis (S4). The area under the ROC curve (AUROC) of PCT in predicting significant fibrosis, advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis was 0.645, 0.709 and 0.714, respectively. The AUROC of PCT was higher than the aspartate transaminase to platelet ratio index (APRI) in identifying advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis, while this was comparable with APRI in identifying significant fibrosis. The diagnostic value of PCT was comparable with fibrosis‐4 score (FIB‐4) in predicting significant fibrosis, advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis. In the validation cohort, PCT could also identify significant fibrosis, advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis with similar diagnostic accuracy as in the derivation cohort. PCT represents a simple and inexpensive indictor for liver fibrosis in CHB patients. PCT is just as good or better than other more complex tools for staging liver fibrosis in CHB patients.
Platelet aggregometry testing during aspirin or clopidogrel treatment and measurement of clopidogrel metabolite concentrations in dogs with protein‐losing nephropathy
Authors: Shropshire Sarah , Johnson Tyler , Olver Christine
Published: January 2020

Background

Dogs with protein‐losing nephropathy (PLN) are treated with antiplatelet drugs for thromboprophylaxis but no standardized method exists to measure drug response. It is also unknown if clopidogrel metabolite concentrations [CM] differ between healthy and PLN dogs.

Objectives

Assess response to aspirin or clopidogrel in PLN dogs using platelet aggregometry (PA) and compare [CM] between healthy and PLN dogs.

Animals

Six healthy and 14 PLN dogs.

Methods

Platelet aggregometry using adenosine diphosphate (ADP), arachidonic acid (AA), and saline was performed in healthy dogs at baseline and 1‐week postclopidogrel administration to identify responders or nonresponders. A decrease of ≥60% for ADP or ≥30% for AA at 1 or 3 hours postpill was used to define a responder. At 1 and 3 hours postclopidogrel, [CM] and PA were measured in healthy and PLN dogs. Platelet aggregometry was performed in PLN dogs at baseline, 1, 6, and 12 weeks after clopidogrel or aspirin administration.

Results

In PLN dogs receiving clopidogrel, PA differed from baseline at all time points for ADP but not for AA at any time point. Most dogs responded at 1 or both time points except for 1 dog that showed no response. For PLN dogs receiving aspirin, no differences from baseline were observed at any time point for either ADP or AA. No differences in [CM] were found at either time point between healthy and PLN dogs.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Platelet aggregometry may represent an objective method to evaluate response to clopidogrel or aspirin treatment and PLN dogs appear to metabolize clopidogrel similarly to healthy dogs.
A spatial genomic approach identifies time lags and historical barriers to gene flow in a rapidly fragmenting Appalachian landscape
Authors: Maigret Thomas A. , Cox John J. , Weisrock David W.
Published: January 2020

The resolution offered by genomic data sets coupled with recently developed spatially informed analyses are allowing researchers to quantify population structure at increasingly fine temporal and spatial scales. However, both empirical research and conservation measures have been limited by questions regarding the impacts of data set size, data quality thresholds and the timescale at which barriers to gene flow become detectable. Here, we used restriction site associated DNA sequencing to generate a 2,140 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data set for the copperhead snake (Agkistrodon contortrix) and address the population genomic impacts of recent and widespread landscape modification across an ~1,000‐km2 region of eastern Kentucky, USA. Nonspatial population‐based assignment and clustering methods supported little to no population structure. However, using individual‐based spatial autocorrelation approaches we found evidence for genetic structuring which closely follows the path of a historically important highway which experienced high traffic volumes from c. 1920 to 1970 before losing most traffic to a newly constructed alternative route. We found no similar spatial genomic signatures associated with more recently constructed highways or surface mining activity, although a time lag effect may be responsible for the lack of any emergent spatial genetic patterns. Subsampling of our SNP data set suggested that similar results could be obtained with as few as 250 SNPs, and a range of thresholds for missing data exhibited limited impacts on the spatial patterns we detected. While we were not able to estimate relative effects of land uses or precise time lags, our findings highlight the importance of temporal factors in landscape genetics approaches, and suggest the potential advantages of genomic data sets and fine‐scale, spatially informed approaches for quantifying subtle genetic patterns in temporally complex landscapes.
Pavement defect detection with fully convolutional network and an uncertainty framework
Authors: Tong Zheng , Yuan Dongdong , Gao Jie , Wang Zhenjun
Published: January 2020

Image segmentation has been implemented for pavement defect detection, from which types, locations, and geometric information can be obtained. In this study, an integration of a fully convolutional network with a Gaussian‐conditional random field (G‐CRF), an uncertainty framework, and probability‐based rejection is proposed for detecting pavement defects. First, a fully convolutional network is designed to generate preliminary segmentation results, and a G‐CRF is used to refine the segmentation. Second, epistemic and aleatory uncertainties in the model and database are considered to overcome the disadvantages of traditional deep‐learning methods. Last, probability‐based rejection is conducted to remove unreasonable segmentations. The proposed method is evaluated on a data set of images that were obtained from 16 highways. The proposed integration segments pavement distresses from digital images with desirable performance. It also provides a satisfactory means to improve the accuracy and generalization performance of pavement defect detection without introducing a delay into the segmentation process.
Aspects of Fluency Across Assessed Levels of Speaking Proficiency
Authors: TAVAKOLI PARVANEH , NAKATSUHARA FUMIYO , HUNTER ANN–MARIE
Published: January 2020

Recent research in second language acquisition suggests that a number of speed, breakdown, repair, and composite measures reliably assess fluency and predict proficiency. However, there is little research evidence to indicate which measures best characterize fluency at each assessed level of proficiency and which can consistently distinguish one level from the next. This study investigated fluency in 32 speakers’ performing 4 tasks of the British Council's Aptis Speaking Test, which were awarded 4 different levels of proficiency (Common European Framework of Reference for Language levels A2–C1). Using PRAAT, the performances were analyzed for various aspects of utterance fluency across different levels of proficiency. The results suggest that speed and composite measures consistently distinguish fluency from the lowest to upper‐intermediate levels (A2–B2), and many breakdown measures differentiate between the lowest level (A2) and the rest of the proficiency groups, with a few differentiating between lower (A2, B1) and higher levels (B2, C1). The varied use of repair measures at different levels suggests that a more complex process is at play. The findings imply that a detailed micro‐analysis of fluency offers a more reliable understanding of the construct and its relationship with assessment of proficiency.
Positive Aspergillus PCR as a marker of azole resistance or sub‐therapeutic antifungal therapy in patients with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis
Authors: Moazam Samihah , Eades Christopher Philip , Muldoon Eavan Gabrielle , Moore Caroline B. , Richardson Malcolm D. , Rautemaa‐Richardson Riina
Published: January 2020

Background

Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is a progressive respiratory disease, caused most commonly by A fumigatus, with significant morbidity and mortality. Azole resistance in A fumigatus is a growing concern worldwide, with resistance to itraconazole reported in up to 50% of patients.

Aim

The aim of this study was to determine whether a positive Aspergillus PCR (polymerase chain reaction) is a marker of resistance in CPA patients on azole therapy.

Methods

Patients were selected via a consecutive database search for the first 50 CPA patients with a positive Aspergillus PCR from January to September 2016. Data were collected regarding concurrent and subsequent culture results, current therapy and serum antifungal levels. PCR‐positive patients not on therapy were included as the control group.

Results

Twenty‐three patients were on therapy (15 itraconazole, 4 voriconazole and 4 posaconazole). Cycle threshold (Ct) values ranged from 20.8 to 37.9; no significant difference was found between each treatment and the control group (P = .47). In treated patients, concurrent azole‐resistant A fumigatus was found in 75% of A fumigatus‐positive cultures (6/8). All of the resistant isolates in the itraconazole group showed therapy resistance. Twenty per cent of all itraconazole levels were sub‐therapeutic. No significant difference was found in serum itraconazole levels for patients on itraconazole with a positive PCR versus negative PCR (P = .44).

Conclusion

Positive sputum, Aspergillus‐specific PCR can be associated with azole resistance in CPA patients on therapy.
SMALL LEAF AND BUSHY1 controls organ size and lateral branching by modulating the stability of BIG SEEDS1 in Medicago truncatula
Authors: Yin Pengcheng , Ma Qingxia , Wang Hui , Feng Dan , Wang Xianbing , Pei Yanxi , Wen Jiangqi , Tadege Million , Niu Lifang , Lin Hao
Published: January 2020

Organ size is a major agronomic trait that determines grain yield and biomass production in crops. However, the molecular mechanisms controlling organ size, especially in legumes, are poorly understood.

Using forward genetic approaches in a Tnt1 insertion mutant population of the model legume Medicago truncatula, we identified SMALL LEAF AND BUSHY1 (SLB1), which is required for the control of organ size and lateral branching.

Loss of function of SLB1 led to reduced leaf and flower size but increased lateral branch formation in M. truncatula. SLB1 encodes an F‐box protein, an orthologue of Arabidopsis thaliana STERILE APETALA (SAP), that forms part of an SKP1/Cullin/F‐box E3 ubiquitin ligase complex. Biochemical and genetic analyses revealed that SLB1 controls M. truncatula organ growth and lateral branching by modulating the stability of BIG SEEDS1 (BS1). Moreover, the overexpression of SLB1 increased seed and leaf size in both M. truncatula and soybean (Glycine max), indicating functional conservation.

Our findings revealed a novel mechanism by which SLB1 targets BS1 for degradation to regulate M. truncatula organ size and shoot branching, providing a new genetic tool for increasing seed yield and biomass production in crop and forage legumes.
Palatal volume estimation in operated unilateral and bilateral cleft lip and palate subjects using digital study models
Authors: Monga Nitika , Kharbanda Om Prakash , Balachandran Rajiv , Neelapu Bala Chakravarthy
Published: January 2020

Objective

To quantify and compare palatal volume of operated unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) subjects.

Setting and sample population

This cross‐sectional study was conducted on 85 study models comprising of 40 operated UCLP subjects (UG; mean age 10.33 ± 1.76 years), 25 operated BCLP subjects (BG; mean age 10.44 ± 1.92 years) and 20 non‐cleft controls (C; mean age 12.90 ± 1.68 years).

Materials and method

The study models were scanned using 3D scanner and palatal volume assessment done using 3‐matic software. Kruskal‐Wallis test for palatal volume and one‐way ANOVA for intercanine (IC), interpremolar (IPM) and intermolar (IM) width comparison were used. Pearson correlation was done between IM, IPM, and IC width, and palatal volume for three groups. The control group sample was evaluated by two observers to evaluate the interobserver reliability.

Results

The median palatal volume of C, UG and BG groups was 5814.31 mm3, 2452.34 mm3 and 1688.39 mm3, respectively. Significantly smaller palatal volume was found in UG and BG compared to control. Significant difference was seen in IC width between three groups. The IM, IPM and IC width with palatal volume in UG and IM width with palatal volume in BG group showed significant correlation. The ICC showed excellent agreement (>0.9) between observers.

Conclusion

Palatal volume of UG and BG groups was smaller by 57.82% and 71.1%, respectively, compared to controls. Improving IPM width in UG and IM width in BG seems to have more impact in correction of palatal volume.
Periodontitis and self‐reported halitosis among young adults from the 1982 Pelotas Birth Cohort
Authors: Silva Manuela F. , Nascimento Gustavo G. , Leite Fábio R.M. , Horta Bernardo L. , Demarco Flávio F.
Published: January 2020

Objective

To investigate the association between periodontitis and self‐reported halitosis among young adults, and whether there is an interaction between the effects of smoking and periodontitis on halitosis.

Methods

Data from the 1982 Pelotas birth cohort, Brazil, were used. The controlled direct effect of periodontitis on self‐reported halitosis, not mediated by tongue coating, was estimated using marginal structural modeling. In addition, an interaction between the effects of smoking and periodontitis on halitosis was also tested. Confounders comprised sociodemographic information, obesity, diabetes, and oral hygiene habits.

Results

The controlled direct effect of periodontitis on halitosis not mediated by tongue coating showed that individuals with periodontitis had 90% higher risk of self‐reporting halitosis (RR 1.90) compared to healthy individuals. Individuals with mild periodontitis had twice the risk of reporting halitosis than periodontally healthy individuals (RR 2.31). We also found an interaction between the effects of smoking and periodontitis on halitosis, as noted among smokers with mild (RR 2.91) and moderate‐to‐severe periodontitis (RR 5.84).

Conclusion

There is a controlled direct effect of periodontitis on halitosis not mediated by tongue coating. Additionally, an interaction between the effects of smoking and periodontitis on halitosis was also detected.
Hyaline ring granuloma of the mouth—A foreign‐body reaction that dentists should be aware of
Authors: Kimura Talita de Carvalho , Carneiro Mailon Cury , Coelho Yuri Fernando Sampaio , de Sousa Suzana Cantanhede Orsini Machado , Veltrini Vanessa Cristina
Published: January 2020

Hyaline ring granuloma (HRG) is a rare and atypical foreign‐body granulomatous chronic inflammatory condition. Our aim was to make a critical review of the literature cases and also to illustrate histochemical and immunohistochemical findings of a new case. A modified PICO strategy was used. Inclusion criteria were met by case reports and case series with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of HRG, necessarily in mouth or maxillary bones. Exclusion criteria were no access to the full‐text paper. The search was done up to 2019, totalizing 231 selected cases in 54 papers. The new case was analyzed through PAS, Azan‐Mallory's trichrome, and CD34 and CD68 reactions. HRG is found mainly in the mandible of men, edentulous and prosthesis users, between 51 and 60 years of age, with 0.5–120 months of duration, usually causing edema and pain or discomfort. Endogenous and exogenous theories may be complementary in HRG. Eosinophilic areas could represent particles of vegetal origin, while the hyaline material could be the result of collagen degradation. Considering the material is not always present or even is ring‐shaped, we suggest the change from “hyaline ring granuloma” to “granuloma induced by vegetal inoculation.”
Reduced avian body condition due to global warming has little reproductive or population consequences
Authors: McLean Nina M. , van der Jeugd Henk P. , van Turnhout Chris A. M. , Lefcheck Jonathan S. , van de Pol Martijn
Published: January 2020

Climate change has strong effects on traits such as phenology and physiology. Studies typically assume that climate‐induced trait changes will have consequences for population dynamics, but explicit tests are rare. Body condition reflects energy storage and may directly affect how much can be invested in reproduction and survival. However, the causal pathway by which decreased body condition impacts population dynamics has never been quantified across multiple populations and species. Therefore, we lack a general understanding of the consequences of changes in condition for variables more relevant for conservation, such as population size. Using structural equation modeling, we investigate how temperature‐induced changes in body condition affect reproduction, and the subsequent impact on population growth rates of 19 bird species across 80 Dutch sites over a 21‐year period. Warmer temperatures were associated with decreased body condition, which led to both decreased and increased reproduction at different sites, cancelling out any overall effect. The indirect effect of temperature on population growth (via body condition and reproduction) only explained within‐species variation in the total effects of temperature on population growth. Instead, the direct effect of temperature on population growth (unrelated to condition and reproduction) was the most important pathway underlying the total effects of temperature on population growth, suggesting that unknown variables are mediating this effect. About half of the species are expected to increase under global warming, but this variation was not associated with any species characteristic. Overall, body condition responses to global warming are common, but their consequences on reproduction and subsequently population growth contribute relatively little to the total temperature impacts on population dynamics. Given that warming temperatures have strong effects on population dynamics, understanding the pathways via which temperature impacts population dynamics will be crucial for our ability to predict climate change effects in the future and improve conservation efforts.
Maternal effects in zooplankton consumers are not only mediated by direct but also by indirect effects of phosphorus limitation
Authors: Zhou Libin , Declerck Steven A. J.
Published: January 2020

Nutrient limitation of primary producers has repeatedly been shown to negatively affect consumers, directly through stoichiometric mismatch and indirectly via alterations in the producer's biochemical quality or palatability. In this study, we assessed whether direct and indirect impacts of phosphorus‐limitation on a planktonic consumer are transferred to the next generation via maternal effects and whether these effects reflect an anticipatory adaptive strategy. For this, we subjected cultures of the algivorous monogonont rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus to three food quality treatments, i.e. P‐limited (LP), P‐replete (HP) and P‐enriched LP algae (i.e. algae with an LP‐growth history but with molar C:P ratios equal to those of HP‐algae). After two generations, we subjected offspring of these cultures to each of the three food quality treatments and monitored life history traits. In addition, we tested starvation resistance. Our results showed very strong negative maternal effects of low P food on offspring performance. These negative effects prevailed irrespective of contemporary diets, suggesting transmissive and selfish maternal effects rather than anticipatory adaptive effects. The relative strength of direct and indirect maternal P‐limitation effects varied among different traits. Adult body size was predominantly determined by direct effects of P‐shortage in maternal as well as contemporary food (LP < LP + P and LP + P = HP). In contrast, whereas egg size was negatively affected by direct effects of P‐limitation in the maternal diet, a contemporary diet of LP and LP + P algae resulted in larger eggs than HP algae. Animals born from such larger eggs showed no higher growth rates, but they were more resistant to starvation, likely as the result of higher maternal allocation of energy rich molecules to the eggs. The present study shows that maternal food conditions represent an important factor that should be taken into account in studies of stoichiometric mismatch between producers and consumers.
Structural defence is coupled with the leaf economic spectrum across saplings of spiny species
Authors: Armani Mohammed , Goodale Uromi M. , Charles‐Dominique Tristan , Barton Kasey E. , Yao Xin , Tomlinson Kyle W.
Published: January 2020

Given that the rate of resource capture constrains plant growth and defence, understanding the linkage between the leaf economic spectrum (LES) and defence and how it contributes to growth is central to predicting species performance. In spite of the prevalence of spiny plants in many plant communities, little is known about how the LES relates to defence and growth rate across these species. We grew 42 spiny species, from diverse environments, under common garden conditions for 15 weeks and measured LES (leaf N, SLA and assimilation rate), defence and growth traits. We assessed general relationships between LES and growth rate and tested whether structural defences (spines, leaf fibre and lignin content) and quantitative chemical defences (condensed tannins) are linked to the LES and growth and if different spine types (i.e. leaf spines, stipular spines, prickles and thorns), with distinct anatomical origins, partition out across the LES. We observed two independent trait axes that together explained ~68% of trait variation across species. The first axis showed that structural defences (spines, leaf fibre and lignin content) trade off with leaf productivity along the LES. Axis 2 revealed that condensed tannins is orthogonal and less integrated with the LES‐structural defence axis. Bivariate trait analyses disclosed positive covariations between LES traits and sapling growth rate. All structural defence traits were negatively related to sapling growth. Across spine types, species with leaf spines were associated with the conservative end of the LES, characterized by high structural defences and lower leaf productivity relative to other spine types.

Synthesis: Our study shows that the LES and structural defences are coupled in spiny species such that constitutive growth – defence strategies range from fast‐growing species with low allocation to defences to slow‐growing species that invest heavily in structural defences (dominated by leaf spiny species).
Management of trigeminal neuralgia. A comparison of two techniques
Authors: Kheirallah M. , Ozzo S.
Published: January 2020

Objectives

Trigeminal neuralgia is a neuropathic disorder characterised by episodes of intense pain in the face. There are various treatment modalities, but none of them provides permanent pain relief. The study aims to investigate the efficacy of alcohol nerve block and cryosurgery in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia and evaluate the outcomes in the period of 5 years follow‐up.

Methods

A total of 108 patients presented with the features of trigeminal neuralgia were included. These individuals were treated with neurolysis therapy using peripheral ethyl alcohol injections and cryosurgery. However, only inferior alveolar nerve and the infraorbital nerve were considered for a better understanding of the outcomes. Every patient was given the treatment, alternatively.

Results

The results have shown that 56.5% of the patients had pain on the right side, 38% had pain on the left side and 5.6% had pain on both sides. Whereas none of the patients had pain in the ophthalmic division. The higher percentage of pain relief was in the groups using alcohol nerve block, while the higher percentage of pain relief was in the groups using cryosurgery. There were significant differences in the duration of pain relief degrees between the alcohol nerve block group and the cryosurgery group. Moreover, the duration of pain relief in the alcohol nerve block was higher than those of the cryosurgery.

Conclusion

The results indicated that alcohol nerve block was a better choice for trigeminal neuralgia as it gave long‐lasting results and maximum patient satisfaction.
Burdens of transparency: An analysis of public sector internal auditing
Authors: Liston‐Heyes Catherine , Juillet Luc
Published: January 2020

Transparency is largely seen as essential to public sector accountability. Yet, information disclosure also generates unintended consequences that may prove detrimental to the workings of some accountability processes. In this light, we investigate the views of Canadian public sector internal auditors, a subset of professionals fulfilling an important accountability function. We show that concerns surrounding disclosure requirements are prevalent. We demonstrate that internal auditors who see public disclosure requirements as a barrier to their effectiveness are more likely to be and/or perceive their organization to be risk averse, to feel professionally isolated and to favour a greater role for data analytics in accountability processes. However, auditors who would like to see their profession play a greater advisory role in their organization view public disclosure in a more positive light. We argue that understanding who is resisting helps identify threats to accountability mechanisms, improves the design of transparency policies and facilitates implementation.
The Transnational Fight to End the Saudi Arabian Slave Trade: The British Anti‐Slavery Society, the African American Press, and the American Jewish Congress, 1953‐1960
Authors: DeAntonis Nicholas J.
Published: January 2020

This article examines the transnational efforts of the British Anti‐Slavery Society to end the Saudi Arabian slave trade, highlighting the liveliness of human rights activism throughout the 1950s. The Society’s abolitionist efforts both succeeded and failed at the UN’s Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery in 1956. The Society failed to pass effective enforcement to end the slave trade, due to the growing concern for sovereignty amid decolonization throughout the Global South. Ironically, as decolonization spread, the Society’s abolitionist efforts were hampered. The Society’s own government avoided assisting them, fearing the imperialist perception of such actions. Nonetheless, the Supplementary Convention internationalized the cause and produced essential allies across the Atlantic: the African American press and American Jewish Congress. In the ensuing years, these journalists and activists denounced the burgeoning US–Saudi alliance and assured the continuity of the abolitionist message in the United States and globally. Although it is beyond the scope of this article, significant evidence exists that this new critical coalition helped shape human rights policy in the Kennedy administration.
What is la force in Simone Weil’s Iliad?
Authors: Levy D.K.
Published: January 2020

Weil’s essay on Homer’s Iliad contains a philosophical analysis of la force that divides it into two phenomena with one metaphysical ground. Her analysis is a corrective to misunderstandings of force as something that can be possessed. The first half of my elaboration of Weil’s analysis is devoted to the phenomena she identifies in relation to la force, which I call might. In the second half, I elaborate the varieties of misunderstanding of la force. First, might is an illusion sustained by the shared belief of those in submission to might. Second, forces, i.e. the material forces on which weaponry depends, cannot be possessed. Third, what lies behind material forces is necessity, a third meaning of la force, which functions as a superordinate or ultimate force to which everyone and everything is subject. Understanding the last of these is the corrective that Weil means to present.
Long‐Term Care Insurance Adoption in East Asia: Politics, Ideas, and Institutions
Authors: Maags Christina
Published: January 2020

Adopción de seguros de cuidados a largo plazo en Asia oriental: política, ideas, e instituciones

Desde la década de 1990, Japón, Corea del Sur y Taiwán han adoptado sistemas de seguro social LTC (LTCI) para enfrentar la creciente “crisis de envejecimiento” en sus países. La investigación comparativa sugiere la difusión del modelo japonés entre los estados del este asiático. Combinando el aprendizaje de políticas, el establecimiento de la agenda y los enfoques institucionalistas históricos, este estudio examina comparativamente cómo los procesos ideológicos e institucionales han impactado la competencia política y, en última instancia, la adopción de LTCI en Japón, Corea del Sur y Taiwán. Sostengo que el diseño LTCI de cada país difiere mucho entre sí, mostrando formas distintivas de bricolaje institucional, no isomorfismo institucional. En este proceso, el tiempo ha sido un factor crucial. El tiempo afecta los procesos ideológicos, institucionales y políticos de manera diferente. El peso relativo de los procesos ideológicos e institucionales en un momento particular en el tiempo y su evolución a lo largo del tiempo tiene un impacto significativo sobre si se produce un cambio de política y si este cambio puede socavar gradualmente la lógica de los regímenes de bienestar.
Health insurance and its impact on the survival rates of breast cancer patients in Synthea
Authors: Scalfani Robert , Bhada Shamsnaz V.
Published: January 2020

The goal of this project was to build policy modules in a synthetic health system to analyze how healthcare policy impacts breast cancer survival rates. To do any inference regarding healthcare policy, researchers need secure and protected health data, which are restricted by privacy laws and interoperability issues. Synthetic health systems generate and help investigate health data without concerns of violating legal restrictions (HIPAA). In this research, we programmed health insurance and loss‐of‐care modules into a synthetic health system simulator (Synthea) to simulate and analyze the impact of health insurance on breast cancer survival rates. Our goal was for our health insurance and loss‐of‐care implementations to be realistic and reflective of the real world, in which we were successful.
Rural teacher leadership in science and mathematics
Authors: Lotter Christine , Yow Jan A. , Lee Melinda , Zeis Jodi G. , Irvin Matthew J.
Published: January 2020

This study adds to our understanding of science and mathematics teacher leadership in rural schools. Through In Vivo and Concept coding of teacher interviews, we investigated 20 secondary science and mathematics teachers' perceptions of rural teacher leadership during their participation in a three‐year professional development program. As the teachers developed as teacher leaders, they broadened their focus from improving their own students' learning to sharing new knowledge learned through the program with other teachers both informally and formally. We compared our program components to the Teacher Leader Model Standards and added an emphasis on the importance of disciplinary content knowledge. We also identified patterns in science and mathematics teacher leadership that are contextually connected to teachers' instruction in rural high poverty schools. Rural teacher leadership included the importance of building strong teacher–student relationships, providing new academic opportunities for students, encouraging students' success, and building community connections.