bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cardiovascular Implications of Gynecological Disorders: Bridging the Gap Between Gynecology and Cardiology
Authors: Tripathi Ashish , Arsha Sanjana , Thapa Anish , Thapa Sangharsha , Chand Swati , Frishman William H. , Aronow Wilbert S.
Published: July 2024

Gynecological disorders such as endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, and gynecological cancers are increasingly recognized as potential risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Endometriosis, a chronic inflammatory condition, exhibits shared pathogenic mechanisms with CVD, including endothelial dysfunction and an atherogenic lipid profile. Emerging evidence suggests a link between endometriosis and an elevated risk of cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction, ischemic heart disease, and hypertension. Polycystic ovary syndrome, characterized by hormonal imbalances and metabolic derangements, is associated with an increased risk of hypertension, myocardial infarction, and structural cardiac abnormalities, even after controlling for obesity. Gynecological cancers, such as ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancers, are also associated with an increased burden of cardiovascular comorbidities and mortality. Cancer treatments, including chemotherapy and radiation therapy, can further contribute to cardiovascular toxicity. Understanding the interplay between gynecological disorders and CVD is crucial for identifying high-risk individuals, implementing preventive strategies, and providing comprehensive care. A multidisciplinary approach involving gynecologists, cardiologists, and other specialists is essential for optimizing the management of these complex conditions and improving overall patient outcomes.
An open book: A virtual book club designed to connect advanced practice registered nurses through quality improvement
Authors: Newell Cassandra Faye , Woods Catherine
Published: July 2024

A virtual book club (VBC) was created for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to foster engagement, connect with peers, and apply readings to their personal and professional development. Microsoft Teams virtual platform was used. Books chosen focused on professional development and health care–related topics. As a quality-improvement project, 60 participants completed an anonymous Likert-scale survey about their perception of the VBC. Respondents survey completion rate was 71%. Sixty survey evaluations stated that they agreed or strongly agreed (mean 4.78–4.82/5) that the VBC encourages peer engagement, professional applicability, intention to read professional books, and willingness to invite peers to future VBCs. Participants were neutral (mean 3.25/5) about reading professional or health care–related books outside of the VBC. Virtual book clubs offer opportunities for APRNs to socially connect with peers and apply readings to both their personal and professional development. The results from this project may be applied to help encourage connection with other APRNs during these times of provider burnout.
The first reported rare case of carbamazepine-induced malignant hypertension from Nepal: a case report
Authors: Acharya Ashish , Bhattarai Kritika , Timilsina Sarika , Adhikari Jenish
Published: July 2024

Introduction and importance:

Malignant hypertension is the most severe form of hypertension that may cause life-threatening manifestations. Carbamazepine is an antiepileptic drug primarily used for seizure disorders and trigeminal neuralgia. One of the rarely triggered adverse side effects of carbamazepine is drug-induced malignant hypertension. Here, we intend to present the first case report of carbamazepine-induced malignant hypertension from Nepal.

Presentation of case:

Here, we aim to present a case report of a 26-year-old female with a history of generalized tonic–clonic seizure who had developed de-novo hypertension after initiation of carbamazepine with no decrease in blood pressure to normal levels despite several antihypertensive administrations which eventually resolved on the discontinuation of drug carbamazepine. The patient was subsequently managed at our institution, where levetiracetam was used as an alternative. The patient was in close follow-up monitoring blood pressure charting.

Clinical discussion:

Although rare, a variety of cardiovascular side effects, including hypertension led by the drug carbamazepine, have been reported. Carbamazepine acts by inducing cytochrome P450, which facilitates an early metabolism and clearance of several antihypertensive medications, causing a decrease in their role in hypertension. The exact etiology is still debatable. However, the removal of the drug carbamazepine may result in a remission of hypertension, as illustrated in several literatures.

Conclusion:

Malignant hypertension is caused in rare cases to the use of the drug carbamazepine. The hypertension can undergo remission by subsequent discontinuation of the carbamazepine therapy. Regular blood pressure monitoring and charting are crucial in such cases.
Effects of Cannabis Use on Sedation Requirements for Endoscopic Procedures
Authors: Smith Llewellyn Dawn , Pelton Wendy , Morgan Merri K.
Published: July 2024

On July 1, 2021, cannabis became legal in Virginia for adults 21 years of age and older. Cannabis consumption may have significant implications for outcomes related to medical care, including procedural sedation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether self-reported cannabis consumption has any relationship to sedation medication requirements during endoscopic procedures. A retrospective analysis was conducted to examine two groups of surgical patients (self-reported cannabis use versus self-reported non-cannabis use) at a community hospital in the mid-Atlantic region. Results demonstrate that there were no significant differences between groups for either Time to Aldrete ≥8 (p = .486) or Time to Meet Phase II Criteria (p = .762). Equivalent recovery times for both groups may be an indicator that comparable sedation levels were maintained, despite the increased propofol requirements of the cannabis group. Open conversations to establish patient use of cannabis products prior to procedural sedation is important for determining appropriate plans of care related to risk factors and medication dosage requirements during endoscopic evaluations.
Glutamate transporters are involved in direct inhibitory synaptic transmission in the vertebrate retina
Authors: Niklaus Stephanie , Glasauer Stella M. K. , Kovermann Peter , Farshori Kulsum F. , Cadetti Lucia , Früh Simon , Rieser Nicolas N. , Gesemann Matthias , Zang Jingjing , Fahlke Christoph , Neuhauss Stephan C. F.
Published: July 2024

In the central nervous system of vertebrates, glutamate serves as the primary excitatory neurotransmitter. However, in the retina, glutamate released from photoreceptors causes hyperpolarization in post-synaptic ON-bipolar cells through a glutamate-gated chloride current, which seems paradoxical. Our research reveals that this current is modulated by two excitatory glutamate transporters, EAAT5b and EAAT7. In the zebrafish retina, these transporters are located at the dendritic tips of ON-bipolar cells and interact with all four types of cone photoreceptors. The absence of these transporters leads to a decrease in ON-bipolar cell responses, with
eaat5b
mutants being less severely affected than
eaat5b
/
eaat7
double mutants, which also exhibit altered response kinetics. Biophysical investigations establish that EAAT7 is an active glutamate transporter with a predominant anion conductance. Our study is the first to demonstrate the direct involvement of post-synaptic glutamate transporters in inhibitory direct synaptic transmission at a central nervous system synapse.
Relationship between low mood and micro-expression processing: evidence of negative bias in interpreting fleeting facial expressions
Authors: Wezowski Kasia , Penton-Voak Ian S.
Published: July 2024

Depression affects the recognition of emotion in facial expressions by reducing the detection accuracy and adding a bias towards negativity. However, no study has examined associations between depression and the recognition of microfacial expressions (fleeting facial cues of emotions in people’s faces). Thus, we investigated associations between low mood and micro-expression processing using video stimuli of micro-expressions. We examined whether (i) individuals with low mood had trouble recognizing emotions, (ii) were more likely to perceive happy facial expressions as neutral and neutral facial expressions as sad, and (iii) recognized sad emotional expressions better than control subjects (
n
= 349). We found that participants with low mood showed poorer performance when judging emotions in faces (
p
= 0.03). Furthermore, there was a specific deficit among them in recognizing happiness. Lastly, participants with low moods were more likely to perceive neutral faces as sad (
p
= 0.042). However, no evidence was found that individuals with low moods confused happy faces as neutral or were better than the control group at recognizing sad faces. Our results show that mood affects the perception of emotions in facial expressions, which has the potential to negatively affect interpersonal interactions and ultimately quality of life.
Styrene monomer as potential material for design of new optoelectronic and nonlinear optical polymers: density functional theory study
Authors: Noudem P. , Fouejio D. , Mveme C. D. D. , Zekeng S. S.
Published: July 2024

Using density functional theory, we have studied the intrinsic properties of styrene. First, we determine the optimized structures, structural parameters and thermodynamic properties to make our simulations more realistic to experimental results and check the stability. Second, we investigate optoelectronic, electronic and global descriptors, transport properties of holes and electrons, natural bond orbital analysis, absorption and fluorescence properties. Finally, we study nonlinear optical (NLO) properties: first- and second-order hyperpolarizability, second and third-order optical susceptibilities, hyper-Rayleigh scattering hyperpolarizability, electro-optical Pockel effect, direct current Kerr effects and quadratic refractive index. The bandgap energy
E
g
= 5.146 eV and dielectric constant

ε

r

=
3.062

show that styrene is a good insulator with an average electric field value of 4.43 × 10
8
Vm
−1
. Thermodynamic findings show that our molecule is thermodynamically and chemically stable. Electron and hole reorganization energies of 0.393 and 0.295 eV, respectively, show that styrene is more favourable to hole transport than electron transport. Styrene is transparent with linear refractive index
n
= 1.750 and quadratic
n
2
= 1.748 × 10
−20
m
2
 W
−1
. At the NLO, styrene has a non-zero value of

β

H
R
S

,

which confirms the existence of first-order NLO activity. Globally the study shows that the styrene monomer is suitable for the architecture design of new polymer materials for NLO applications and optoelectronic by functionalization.
Immigration allows population persistence and maintains genetic diversity despite an attempted experimental extinction
Authors: Park Keon Young , Lucas Mel , Chaulk Andrew , Matter Stephen F. , Roland Jens , Keyghobadi Nusha
Published: July 2024

Widespread fragmentation and degradation of habitats make organisms increasingly vulnerable to declines in population size. Immigration is a key process potentially affecting the rescue and persistence of populations in the face of such pressures. Field research addressing severe demographic declines in the context of immigration among interconnected local populations is limited owing to difficulties in detecting such demographic events and the need for long-term monitoring of populations. In a 17-subpopulation metapopulation of the butterfly,
Parnassius smintheus
, all adults observed in two adjacent patches were removed over eight consecutive generations. Despite this severe and long-term reduction in survival and reproduction, the targeted populations did not go extinct. Here, we use genetic data to assess the role of immigration versus
in situ
reproduction in allowing the persistence of these populations. We genotyped 471 samples collected from the targeted populations throughout the removal experiment at 152 single nucleotide polymorphisms. We found no reduction in the genetic diversity of the targeted populations over time, but a decrease in the number of loci in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, consistent with a high level of immigration from multiple surrounding populations. Our results highlight the role of connectivity and movement in making metapopulations resilient to even severe and protracted localized population reductions.
Mate choice in the brain: species differ in how male traits ‘turn on’ gene expression in female brains
Authors: Keagy Jason , Hofmann Hans A. , Boughman Janette W.
Published: July 2024

Mate choice plays a fundamental role in speciation, yet we know little about the molecular mechanisms that underpin this crucial decision-making process. Stickleback fish differentially adapted to limnetic and benthic habitats are reproductively isolated and females of each species use different male traits to evaluate prospective partners and reject heterospecific males. Here, we integrate behavioural data from a mate choice experiment with gene expression profiles from the brains of females actively deciding whether to mate. We find substantial gene expression variation between limnetic and benthic females, regardless of behavioural context, suggesting general divergence in constitutive gene expression patterns, corresponding to their genetic differentiation. Intriguingly, female gene co-expression modules covary with male display traits but in opposing directions for sympatric populations of the two species, suggesting male displays elicit a dynamic neurogenomic response that reflects known differences in female preferences. Furthermore, we confirm the role of numerous candidate genes previously implicated in female mate choice in other species, suggesting evolutionary tinkering with these conserved molecular processes to generate divergent mate preferences. Taken together, our study adds important new insights to our understanding of the molecular processes underlying female decision-making critical for generating sexual isolation and speciation.
Cold kiss still hot: limited temperature effects on envenomation performance in predatory strikes of a Japanese pit viper (
Gloydius blomhoffii
)
Authors: Kodama Tomonori , Sakamoto Shinsuke H. , Mori Akira
Published: July 2024

Understanding how environmental factors affect the performance of predators can provide profound insights into predator–prey interactions from evolutionary and ecological perspectives and the global distributional patterns of each taxon. Almost all venomous predators are ectotherms, with muscle contraction properties depending on temperature. For predators having venom transportation systems driven by muscle contraction, temperature may have quite large effects on envenomation performance for prey subjugation. Here, we used videography and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to examine thermal effects on envenomation kinematics and venom expenditure in predatory strikes of a venomous snake, the Mamushi
Gloydius blomhoffii
, to its main rodent prey at various body temperatures under both field and laboratory experimental conditions. Unexpectedly, we found that the thermal effects on envenomation performance are limited over nearly the entire ecologically relevant range of temperature (from 13.2°C to 26.2°C). Although temperature statistically significantly affected the mass of venom injected under field conditions, temperature explained only a minor proportion of the variation in venom expenditure. These findings suggest that the Mamushi is able to maintain prey subjugation performance across a wide range of temperatures, which is highly advantageous for ectothermic predators. Further studies should examine the underlying mechanisms of the limited thermal effects and their ubiquity across venomous predators.
Convergent evolution of giant size in eurypterids
Authors: Ruebenstahl Alexander , Mongiardino Koch Nicolás , Lamsdell James C. , Briggs Derek E. G.
Published: July 2024

Eurypterids—Palaeozoic marine and freshwater arthropods commonly known as sea scorpions—repeatedly evolved to remarkable sizes (over 0.5 m in length) and colonized continental aquatic habitats multiple times. We compiled data on the majority of eurypterid species and explored several previously proposed explanations for the evolution of giant size in the group, including the potential role of habitat, sea surface temperature and dissolved sea surface oxygen levels, using a phylogenetic comparative approach with a new tip-dated tree. There is no compelling evidence that the evolution of giant size was driven by temperature or oxygen levels, nor that it was coupled with the invasion of continental aquatic environments, latitude or local faunal diversity. Eurypterid body size evolution is best characterized by rapid bursts of change that occurred independently of habitat or environmental conditions. Intrinsic factors played a major role in determining the convergent origin of gigantism in eurypterids.
Representational drawing ability is associated with the syntactic language comprehension phenotype in autistic individuals
Authors: Vyshedskiy Andrey , Venkatesh Rohan , Khokhlovich Edward
Published: July 2024

The relationship between symbolic thinking and language abilities is a topic of intense debate. We have recently discovered three distinct phenotypes of language comprehension, which we defined as command, modifier and syntactic phenotypes (Vyshedskiy et al., 2024). Individuals in thecommandphenotype were limited to comprehension of simple commands, while those in themodifierphenotype showed additional comprehension of color, size, and number modifiers. Finally, individuals in the most-advancedsyntacticphenotype added comprehension of spatial prepositions, verb tenses, flexible syntax, possessive pronouns, complex explanations, and fairytales. In this report we analyzed how these three language phenotypes differed in their symbolic thinking as exhibited through their drawing abilities. In a cohort of 39,654 autistic individuals 4- to 21-years-of-age, parents reported that ‘drawing, coloring and art’ was manifested by 36.0% of participants. Among these individuals, representational drawing was manifested by 54.1% of individuals with syntactic-, 27.7% of those with modifier-, and 10.1% of those with command-phenotype (all pairwise differences between the phenotypes were statistically significant,p< 0.0001). The ability to draw a novel image per parent’s description (e.g. a three-headed horse) was reported by 34.6% of individuals with syntactic-, 7.9% of those with modifier-, and 1.9% of individuals with command-phenotype (all pairwise differences between the phenotypes were statistically significant,p< 0.0001). These results show strong association between the representational drawing ability and the syntactic-language-comprehension-phenotype, suggesting a potential benefit of drawing interventions in language therapy.
Residential Methamphetamine Contamination in Boulder Colorado: Incidence and Implications
Authors: Dennison James E. , Minick Norris
Published: July 2024

The manufacture and use of methamphetamine (meth) is a significant problem, in part because it can lead to the contamination of properties where it occurs. Meth contamination can lead to health issues for occupants as well as very high remediation costs for property owners. But even in a state like Colorado, where meth testing and remediation are highly regulated, the number of residences or other types of property that are contaminated in excess of health standards is unknown. Generally, testing for meth contamination occurs only after a property is identified as a likely site for meth use or manufacture, whether by law enforcement, the property owner, or a potential buyer. For this paper, a unique random data set based on a real estate broker’s meth screening program was used to determine the incidence of contaminated residences in general. Brokerage clients put 303 residential properties under contract between 2013 and 2022, of which 288 (95%) were screened for meth contamination. Meth was detected in 45 of the 288 screening tests (16%), many at trace levels, while 84% contained no detectable meth. Comprehensive testing was subsequently performed on 35 of these 45 properties and ten of the original 288 (3.47%) screened properties contained meth contamination above state health standards. While the sample size of this analysis was modest, it provides a first real estimate of the incidence of meth-contaminated residential property and an indication of the environmental health significance of this issue.
Association between cardiometabolic phenotypes with atherogenic index of plasma: a cross-sectional study from the Azar Cohort Study
Authors: Soheilifard Shireen , Mahdavi Reza , Faramarzi Elnaz
Published: July 2024

Background

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between cardiometabolic phenotypes and atherogenic index of plasma in the Azar cohort population.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 9,515 participants aged 35 to 55, using data from the Azar Cohort Study. Metabolic syndrome was defined based on ATP III criteria. Participants were then classified into four cardiometabolic phenotypes by considering BMI and metabolic syndrome components: metabolically healthy normal weight (MHNW, BMI <25 kg/m²), metabolically unhealthy normal weight (MUHNW, BMI <25 kg/m²), metabolically healthy obese (MHO, BMI ≥25 kg/m²), and metabolically unhealthy obese (MUHO, BMI ≥25 kg/m²). AIP was calculated.

Result

Among the subjects, 4,801 (50.5%) were metabolically healthy obese (MHO) and 2,680 (28.2%) were metabolically unhealthy obese (MUHO). High-risk AIP levels (>0.21) differed significantly across cardiometabolic phenotypes, with MUHNW (79.6%) and MUHO (64.6%) showing the highest proportions compared to MHNW (13.5%) and MHO (18.6%). After adjusting for confounders, multinomial logistic regression analysis showed individuals in the third tertile of AIP were 103.46 times more likely to be MUHNW (OR = 103.46, 95% CI: 52.82– 202.64), 55.77 times more likely to be MUHO (OR = 55.77, 95% CI: 45.65–68.12), and 2.22 times more likely to be MHO (OR = 2.22, 95% CI: 1.91–2.64) compared to the MHNW phenotype (p < 0.001 for all).

Conclusion

The study demonstrates significant variation in high-risk AIP levels across cardiometabolic phenotypes, emphasizing the need for detailed metabolic health assessments beyond BMI to better predict cardiovascular risk.
Fast analysis of Spatial Transcriptomics (FaST): an ultra lightweight and fast pipeline for the analysis of high resolution spatial transcriptomics
Authors: Fulci Valerio
Published: July 2024

Recently, several protocols repurposing the Illumina flow cells as an RNA capture device for spatial transcriptomics have been reported. These protocols yield high volumes of sequencing data which are usually analyzed through the use of HPC clusters. I report inhere a novel pipeline for the analysis of high resolution spatial transcriptomics datasets obtained on Illumina flow cells. FaST is compatible with OpenST, seq-scope and potentially other protocols. It allows full reconstruction of the spatially resolved transcriptome, including cell segmentation, of datasets consisting of more than 500 M million reads in as little as two hours on a standard multi core workstation with 32 Gb of RAM. The FaST pipeline returns RNA segmented ST datasets suitable for subsequent analysis through commonly used packages (e.g scanpy or seurat).

Notably, the pipeline I present relies on the spateo-release package for RNA segmentation, and does not require Hematoxylin/Eosin or any other imaging procedure to guide cell segmentation. Nevertheless, integration with other software for imaging-guided cell segmentation is still possible.
QCD bounds on leading-order hadronic vacuum polarization contributions to the muon anomalous magnetic moment
Authors: Li Siyuan , Steele T. G. , Ho J. , Raza R. , Williams K. , Kleiv R. T.
Published: July 2024

QCD bounds on the leading-order (LO) hadronic vacuum polarization (HVP) contribution to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon [aμHVP,LO, aμ=(g−2)μ/2] are determined by imposing Hölder inequalities and related inequality constraints on systems of finite-energy QCD sum rules. This novel methodology is complementary to lattice QCD and data-driven approaches to determining aμHVP,LO. For the light-quark (u, d, s) contributions up to five-loop order in perturbation theory in the chiral limit, LO in light-quark mass corrections, next-to-leading order in dimension-four QCD condensates, and to LO in dimension-six QCD condensates, we find that (657.0±34.8)×10−10≤aμHVP,LO≤(788.4±41.8)×10−10, bridging the range between lattice QCD and data-driven values.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
New opportunities for time-resolved imaging using diffraction-limited storage rings
Authors: Yao Zisheng , Rogalinski Julia , Asimakopoulou Eleni Myrto , Zhang Yuhe , Gordeyeva Korneliya , Atoufi Zhaleh , Dierks Hanna , McDonald Samuel , Hall Stephen , Wallentin Jesper , Söderberg Daniel , Nygård Kim , Villanueva-Perez Pablo
Published: July 2024

The advent of diffraction-limited storage rings (DLSRs) has boosted the brilliance or coherent flux by one to two orders of magnitude with respect to the previous generation. One consequence of this brilliance enhancement is an increase in the flux density or number of photons per unit of area and time, which opens new possibilities for the spatiotemporal resolution of X-ray imaging techniques. This paper studies the time-resolved microscopy capabilities of such facilities by benchmarking the ForMAX beamline at the MAX IV storage ring. It is demonstrated that this enhanced flux density using a single harmonic of the source allows micrometre-resolution time-resolved imaging at 2000 tomograms per second and 1.1 MHz 2D acquisition rates using the full dynamic range of the detector system.
Spexwavepy: an open-source Python package for X-ray wavefront sensing using speckle-based techniques
Authors: Hu Lingfei , Wang Hongchang , Sawhney Kawal
Published: July 2024

In situ wavefront sensing plays a critical role in the delivery of high-quality beams for X-ray experiments. X-ray speckle-based techniques stand out among other in situ techniques for their easy experimental setup and various data acquisition modes. Although X-ray speckle-based techniques have been under development for more than a decade, there are still no user-friendly software packages for new researchers to begin with. Here, we present an open-source Python package, spexwavepy, for X-ray wavefront sensing using speckle-based techniques. This Python package covers a variety of X-ray speckle-based techniques, provides plenty of examples with real experimental data and offers detailed online documentation for users. We hope it can help new researchers learn and apply the speckle-based techniques for X-ray wavefront sensing to synchrotron radiation and X-ray free-electron laser beamlines.
Learning facilitation is service indeed: examining how servant leadership leads to employee engagement in learning
Authors: Khan Muhammad Mumtaz , Mubarik Muhammad Shujaat , Ahmed Syed Saad , Jaboob Ali Said
Published: July 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to ascertain the role of servant leadership in promoting employees’ engagement in learning activities. Additionally, the study is intended to explicate the mediating role of employees’ promotion focus relating servant leadership to employees’ engagement in learning activities.

Design/methodology/approach

Data was collected from 401 manager–subordinate dyads employed in the Pakistani software industry located in Karachi in two phases which were conducted two months apart. The data analysis was done through hierarchical regression.

Findings

The study found that servant leadership was related to promotion focus and employees’ learning engagement. The study also found promotion focus was related to employees’ learning engagement. Finally, the results revealed promotion focus mediates the relationship between servant leadership and employees’ learning engagement.

Originality/value

The study unearthed the previously unexplored role of servant leadership in affecting employees’ engagement in learning activities. Additionally, the study explicated how servant leadership affects employees’ promotion focus to motivate employees’ learning engagement.
The changes in zoological publication rates and focal subdisciplines between 1960 and 2022
Authors: LUO Tianbao , LI Liyu , WANG Qian , LIU Wentong , GUO Jinyu , YAN Yimei , CHRIS Newman , ZHOU Youbing , ZHAO Jin
Published: July 2024

Since ancient times, zoology, as the branch of biology dealing with animals, has been a cornerstone of natural science and has developed substantially over the last century. We conducted a bibliometric analysis using structural topic modeling (STM) to determine changes in the representation of principal zoological subdisciplines in the literature between 1960 and 2022. We collated a corpus of 217 414 articles from 88 top‐ranked zoology journals and identified three main fields: (i) ecology, (ii) evolution, and (iii) applied research. Within these, we identified 10 major subdisciplines. The number of studies published per year grew from 118 in 1960 to 6635 in 2022. Macroscale‐related subdisciplines increased while classical and traditional subdisciplines decreased. Mammals (34.4%) and insects (18.1%) were the dominant taxa covered, followed by birds (15.2%) and fish (8.0%). Research on mammals, insects, and fish involved a broad range of subdisciplines, whereas studies of birds focused on ecological subdisciplines. Most publications were from the United States, followed by the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Australia, China, and Japan, with two developing countries, China and South Africa among the top 15 countries. There were different subdiscipline biases between countries, and the gross domestic product of each country correlated positively with its publication output (R2 = 0.681). We discuss our findings in the context of advances in technological innovations and computing power, as well as the emergence of ecology as a formal sister discipline, driven by changing environmental pressures and societal values. We caution that valuable publications from traditional zoological fields must not be completely supplanted by more contemporary topics and increasingly sophisticated analyses.
Letter: Association of serum growth differentiation factor 15 and liver‐related outcomes in patients with MASLD
Authors: Wang Jian , Fan Tao , Zhang Shaoqiu , Wu Chao , Huang Rui
Published: July 2024

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Kumazaki et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.18063 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.18186
Letter: Association of serum growth differentiation factor 15 and liver‐related outcomes in patients with MASLD—Authors' reply
Authors: Kumazaki Shusuke , Hikita Hayato , Tahata Yuki , Takehara Tetsuo
Published: July 2024

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Kumazaki et al. papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.18063 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.18150
Systematic review: Methotrexate—A poorly understood and underused medication in inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Sequier Léa , Caron Bénédicte , Loeuille Damien , Honap Sailish , Jairath Vipul , Netter Patrick , Danese Silvio , Sibilia Jean , Peyrin‐Biroulet Laurent
Published: July 2024

Background

Methotrexate, an immunosuppressant used for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) for over 30 years, remains underused compared to thiopurines.

Aims

To review the efficacy, safety, optimal dosing and delivery regimens of methotrexate in adults with IBD.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review of studies involving patients with IBD treated with methotrexate from inception to August 2023. All studies were included from the MEDLINE database via PubMed.

Results

For Crohn's disease, we included eight randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and 17 observational studies. Parenteral methotrexate effectively increased remission rates in steroid‐dependent patients at 25 mg/week for 16 weeks and at 15 mg/week for maintenance. Methotrexate can be used in combination with anti‐tumour necrosis factor (TNF) agents to reduce immunogenicity. Data comparing thiopurines and methotrexate remain scarce. For ulcerative colitis (UC), we included five RCTs and 10 observational studies were included; there was no evidence to support the use of methotrexate in (UC). We extracted safety data from 17 studies; mild‐to‐moderate adverse effects were common. The incidence of liver fibrosis or cirrhosis was low.

Conclusion

Methotrexate is effective at inducing and maintaining remission in steroid‐refractory Crohn's disease and can reduce anti‐TNF‐induced immunogenicity when used in combination therapy. Data regarding tolerance and safety are reassuring. These findings challenge preconceived ideas on methotrexate and suggest that it is a valid first‐line conventional option for the treatment of mild‐to‐moderate Crohn's disease.
Yes, we can (but for different reasons): Collective narcissism is linked to different values but similar pro‐ingroup collective action tendencies among disadvantaged and advantaged ethnic groups
Authors: Marinthe Gaëlle , Cislak Aleksandra , Stronge Samantha , Biddlestone Mikey , Azevedo Flavio , Kasper Alice , Sibley Chris G. , Cichocka Aleksandra
Published: July 2024

Collective narcissism, a belief that one's group is exceptional and entitled to special treatment but underappreciated by others, is related to important social and political outcomes but has been predominantly studied in advantaged groups. The present research compares the motivational correlates (through values) of collective narcissism in ethnic groups of different status (advantaged and disadvantaged) and explores its associations with attitudes towards, and intention to engage in collective action. Three studies examined these processes in different national and intergroup contexts (total N = 16,275). Overall, ethnic collective narcissism was linked to self‐protective values (power, and less consistently, conservation) in advantaged groups but to universalism in disadvantaged groups. Moreover, in both advantaged and disadvantaged groups, ethnic collective narcissism was related to more positive attitudes towards, and intentions of pro‐ingroup actions but not to attitudes towards (other) disadvantaged groups (i.e., intergroup solidarity). These studies suggest that collective narcissism may be associated with different motivations, yet linked to similar intergroup attitudes among advantaged and disadvantaged groups.
Evaluation in Neural Style Transfer: A Review
Authors: Ioannou Eleftherios , Maddock Steve
Published: July 2024

The field of neural style transfer (NST) has witnessed remarkable progress in the past few years, with approaches being able to synthesize artistic and photorealistic images and videos of exceptional quality. To evaluate such results, a diverse landscape of evaluation methods and metrics is used, including authors' opinions based on side‐by‐side comparisons, human evaluation studies that quantify the subjective judgements of participants, and a multitude of quantitative computational metrics which objectively assess the different aspects of an algorithm's performance. However, there is no consensus regarding the most suitable and effective evaluation procedure that can guarantee the reliability of the results. In this review, we provide an in‐depth analysis of existing evaluation techniques, identify the inconsistencies and limitations of current evaluation methods, and give recommendations for standardized evaluation practices. We believe that the development of a robust evaluation framework will not only enable more meaningful and fairer comparisons among NST methods but will also enhance the comprehension and interpretation of research findings in the field.
Modeling rare plant habitat together with public land managers using an iterative, coproduced process to inform decision‐making on multiple‐use public lands
Authors: Jarnevich Catherine S. , Carter Sarah K. , Davidson Zoe M. , MacPhee Nicole (Nik) D. , Alexander Patrick J. , Hays Brandon , Belamaric Pairsa N. , Harms Benjamin R.
Published: July 2024

Public lands across the United States are managed for multiple uses, resources, and values ranging from energy development to rare plant conservation. Intensified energy development and other land use changes across the Southwestern United States have increased the need for proactive management to mitigate impacts to rare plants. Habitat suitability models can inform decision‐making and lead to more effective conservation of rare plants and their habitats, but high‐quality models that are suited for use at local scales are lacking for many species. Our team of scientists and managers developed ensembles of habitat suitability models for five rare plant species in New Mexico using a coproduced, iterative framework complemented by comprehensive ground truthing and tailoring of products for use in public land decisions. Our process resulted in substantial differences from initial models through changes to environmental predictors, species occurrence and background data, and development of new species‐specific predictors. Involving species experts and end users in model development can strengthen the process and resulting model and build understanding and trust in final products. Both factors can promote use of models to inform public land permitting and planning decisions that may affect rare plants, including by guiding development away from highly suitable habitats.
No‐ and low‐alcohol beer and the sponsorship of sport in Australia: An audit of sponsorship partnerships and analysis of marketing tactics
Authors: Miller Mia , Wright Cassandra C. J.
Published: July 2024

Introduction

Alcohol sponsorship of sport is associated with increased alcohol consumption. Little research to date has examined the sponsorship of sport by no‐ and low‐alcohol (NoLo) beverage brands, despite concern that the marketing of these products might be harmful to young people. This study had dual aims: to identify sporting partnerships between NoLo beers and Australian sport, and examine marketing tactics used in social media advertising to promote these partnerships.

Methods

Our sample included NoLo beers sold online from three large Australian alcohol retailers. First, we performed a qualitative content analysis of partnerships between NoLo beers and sport using publicly available online information. We then analysed the 118 social media posts of NoLo brands linked to these partnerships using a coding framework adapted from the alcohol literature.

Results

Of 34 brands, 13 had sporting sponsorship partnerships across a range of spectator and participatory sports. Key marketing tactics identified on social media were activations, time‐and event‐specific drinking, influencer marketing, competitions, and corporate social responsibility. In particular, NoLo brands aim to disrupt the sports drink market by advertising their products as healthy recovery drinks, or ‘sports beers’, through activation events. Brands are also using influencer marketing and competitions, two tactics shown to be particularly persuasive for young people.

Discussion and Conclusions

NoLo beer brands strategically align with Australian sports to promote NoLo consumption. As they are classified as soft drinks in Australia, NoLo beverages are not regulated like alcohol. Future discussions around sports sponsorship and advertising regulation must consider NoLo products.
Evidence base for yearly respiratory virus vaccines: Current status and proposed improved strategies
Authors: Barosa Mariana , Ioannidis John P. A. , Prasad Vinay
Published: July 2024

Annual vaccination is widely recommended for influenza and SARS‐CoV‐2. In this essay, we analyse and question the prevailing policymaking approach to these respiratory virus vaccines, especially in the United States. Every year, licensed influenza vaccines are reformulated to include specific strains expected to dominate in the season ahead. Updated vaccines are rapidly manufactured and approved without further regulatory requirement of clinical data. Novel vaccines (i.e. new products) typically undergo clinical trials, though generally powered for clinically unimportant outcomes (e.g. lab‐confirmed infections, regardless of symptomatology or antibody levels). Eventually, the current and future efficacy of influenza and COVID‐19 vaccines against hospitalization or death carries considerable uncertainty. The emergence of highly transmissible SARS‐CoV‐2 variants and waning vaccine‐induced immunity led to plummeting vaccine effectiveness, at least against symptomatic infection, and booster doses have since been widely recommended. No further randomized trials were performed for clinically important outcomes for licensed updated boosters. In both cases, annual vaccine effectiveness estimates are generated by observational research, but observational studies are particularly susceptible to confounding and bias. Well‐conducted experimental studies, particularly randomized trials, are necessary to address persistent uncertainties about influenza and COVID‐19 vaccines. We propose a new research framework which would render results relevant to the current or future respiratory viral seasons. We demonstrate that experimental studies are feasible by adopting a more pragmatic approach and provide strategies on how to do so. When it comes to implementing policies that seriously impact people's lives, require substantial public resources and/or rely on widespread public acceptance, high evidence standards are desirable.
A spatial analysis of the economic returns to land‐use change from agriculture to renewable energy production: Evidence from Ireland
Authors: Geoghegan Cathal , O'Donoghue Cathal
Published: July 2024

Countries are looking to reduce their agricultural sector's carbon footprint while encouraging economic and environmental sustainability. One proposed method of making agriculture more sustainable while maintaining farm incomes is through the production of bioenergy feedstocks. We examine the spatial aspect of the production of renewable energy feedstocks in Ireland. Two feedstocks are looked at—grass silage and short‐rotation coppice (SRC) willow. Spatial microsimulation analysis is utilised to assess the spatial suitability for alternative land uses, simulating land‐use change to compare economic returns with the current agricultural use. A farm‐based carbon subsidy is modelled based on avoided agricultural emissions and carbon sequestered. We find that midlands counties, especially those in the north midlands, have the highest proportion of land where feedstocks would be more profitable than the current agricultural use. Counties on the western seaboard have the lowest proportion of land where feedstocks would give greater returns. The amount of land where feedstocks are more profitable increases as greater carbon subsidies are provided. Of the two feedstocks assessed, SRC willow cultivation is more profitable than grass silage production. The overwhelming majority of land where producing feedstocks would be more profitable has cattle farming as its current use.
Incidence and associated factors for hypotension during continuous renal replacement therapy in critically ill patients
Authors: Nie Anliu , Zhang Shuzeng , Cai Mingju , Yu Limei , Li Jianfeng , Su Xiangfen
Published: July 2024

Aims

This work aimed to analyse retrospective data on hypotension incidence and associated factors among patients requiring continuous renal replacement therapy.

Background

The incidence and risk factors of continuous renal replacement therapy‐related hypotension have not been adequately explored.

Design

The study was designed as a retrospective analysis.

Methods

Patients who required continuous renal replacement therapy in the ICU between January 2017 and June 2021 were reviewed. The multivariate logistic regression model was used to determine the associated factors of hypotension.

Results

Hypotension occurred in 242 out of 885 circuits (27.3%) among 140 patients. The logistic regression analysis identified seven factors associated with the occurrence of hypotension during CRRT: serum albumin (OR = 0.969, 95%CI: 0.934–0.999), serum calcium (OR = 0.514, 95%CI: 0.345–0.905), CO2CP (OR = 0.933, 95%CI: 0.897–0.971), use of vasopressors (OR = 5.731, 95%CI: 4.023–8.165), hypotension before CRRT initiation (OR = 2.779, 95%CI:1.238–6.242), age (OR = 1.016, 95%CI: 1.005–1.027), and fluid removal rate (OR = 1.002, 95%CI: 1.001–1.003).

Conclusions

Hypotension frequently occurs in patients receiving continuous renal replacement therapy, especially in the early stages. Multiple factors can be associated with cardiac output or peripheral resistance changes, including excessive ultrafiltration, vasopressors, serum albumin and serum calcium levels, and carbon dioxide combining power.
Mediation by parent health literacy and behaviour of socioeconomic inequality in child overweight
Authors: Lepe Alexander , Muhamed Tamool A. S. , Reijneveld Sijmen A. , de Kroon Marlou L. A.
Published: July 2024

Background

Socioeconomic inequalities contribute to childhood overweight. Identifying mediators could help reduce these inequalities.

Objective

We assessed to what extent and how parental health literacy and health behaviours mediate the relationship between parental socioeconomic status and childhood overweight.

Methods

Data were taken from the multigenerational prospective Dutch Lifelines Cohort Study. We included 6683 children, baseline age 9.8 years (SD = 2.6), with an average follow‐up of 36.2 months (SD = 9.3). Overweight was defined using age‐ and sex‐specific cut‐offs. Three indicators of socioeconomic status were included: education, income and occupation. We assessed the mediating role of parental health literacy and health behaviours (smoking, diet, physical activity and alcohol) using causal mediation.

Results

Four additional years of education and an SD‐increase in both income and occupation decreased the odds of childhood overweight by 42%, 12% and 20%, respectively. Only parental smoking independently mediated the relationship of both education (6.6%) and occupation (5.7%) with overweight. Parental health behaviours jointly explained 8.4% (education), 19.4% (income) and 9.8% (occupation) per relationship. Lastly, adding parental health literacy explained 10.8% (education), 27.4% (income) and 13.3% (occupation) of these relationships.

Conclusions

We found large socioeconomic inequalities in childhood overweight. Remarkably, parental smoking was a key mediator. Therefore, prevention targeting smoking may reduce socioeconomic inequalities in childhood overweight.