bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Alcohol use and alcohol use disorders in sub‐Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Belete Habte , Yimer Tesfa Mekonen , Dawson Danielle , Espinosa Dorothy C. , Ambaw Fentie , Connor Jason P. , Chan Gary , Hides Leanne , Leung Janni
Published: May 2024

Background and aims

Population‐level alcohol use data are available from high‐income countries, but limited research has been conducted in sub‐Saharan Africa. This systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to summarize population‐level alcohol use in sub‐Saharan Africa.

Method

Databases searched included PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO and AJOL, without language restrictions. Searches were also conducted in the Global Health Data Exchange (GHDx) and Google Scholar. Search terms encompassed ‘substance’ or ‘substance‐related disorders’ and ‘prevalence’ and ‘sub‐Saharan Africa’. We included general population studies on alcohol use (including any use, high‐risk alcohol use and alcohol use disorders) from 2018 onwards. Prevalence data for alcohol use among sub‐Saharan African adolescents (10–17) and adults (18+) were extracted. Analyses included life‐time and past 12‐ and 6‐month alcohol use.

Results

We included 141 papers. Among adolescents, the life‐time prevalence of alcohol use was 23.3% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 11.3–37.1%], 36.2% (CI = 18.4–56.1%) in the past year and 11.3% (CI = 4.5–20.4%) in the past 6 months. Among adolescents, 12‐month prevalence of alcohol use disorder and alcohol dependence were 7.7% (CI = 0.0–27.8%) and 4.1% (CI = 1.4–7.9%), respectively. Among adults, the life‐time prevalence of alcohol use was 34.9% (CI = 17.7–54.1%), 27.1% (CI = 5.0–56.4%) in the past year and 32.2% (CI = 19.8–46.0%) in the past 6 months. Among adults, the 12‐month prevalence of alcohol use disorder and alcohol dependence were 9.5% (CI = 0.0–30.4%) and 4.3% (CI = 0.8–9.8%), respectively. The highest weighted life‐time prevalence of alcohol use, 86.4%, was reported in Tanzania among adults. The highest weighted past 6‐month prevalence of alcohol use, 80.6%, was found in Zambia among adolescents.

Conclusion

Alcohol use patterns vary across countries and subregions within sub‐Saharan Africa, and comprehensive population‐level data on alcohol use remain scarce in numerous sub‐Saharan African countries. The prevalence of alcohol use disorder is common among adolescents in sub‐Saharan Africa.
Placental exosomes in pregnancy and preeclampsia
Authors: Nishi Kumari , Modi Deepak
Published: May 2024

Preeclampsia, poses significant risks to both maternal and fetal well‐being. Exosomes released by the placenta play a crucial role in intercellular communication and are recognized as potential carriers of essential information for placental development. These exosomes transport a payload of proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids that mirror the placental microenvironment. This review delves into the functional roles of placental exosomes and its contents shedding light on their involvement in vascular regulation and immune modulation in normal pregnancy. Discernible changes are reported in the composition and quantity of placental exosome contents in pregnancies affected by preeclampsia. The exosomes from preeclamptic mothers affect vascularization and fetal kidney development. The discussion also explores the implications of utilizing placental exosomes as biomarkers and the prospects of translating these findings into clinical applications. In conclusion, placental exosomes hold promise as a valuable avenue for deciphering the complexities of preeclampsia, providing crucial diagnostic and prognostic insights. As the field progresses, a more profound comprehension of the distinct molecular signatures carried by placental exosomes may open doors to innovative strategies for managing and offering personalized care to pregnancies affected by preeclampsia.
Opioid analgesic exposure during the first trimester of pregnancy and the risk of major congenital malformations in infants: a systematic review and meta‐analysis†
Authors: Varney Bianca , Brett Jonathan , Zoega Helga , Gillies Malcolm B. , Powell Madeline , Bateman Brian T. , Shand Antonia W. , Pearson Sallie‐Anne , Havard Alys
Published: May 2024

Background

Prescribed opioid analgesics are frequently used to manage pain in pregnancy. However, the available literature regarding the teratogenic potential of opioid use during pregnancy has not been systematically summarised. This systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to assess the quality of the evidence on these potential risks and calculate a pooled estimate of risk for any opioid analgesic and individual opioids.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Embase and CINAHL for published studies assessing the risk of major congenital malformations in infants following first‐trimester exposure to opioid analgesics compared with a reference group, excluding studies examining opioid agonist therapy or illicit opioid use. We assessed the risk of bias using the Risk of Bias in Non‐Randomised Studies of Intervention tool. We pooled adjusted risk estimates from studies rated at serious risk of bias or better in a random‐effects meta‐analysis.

Results

Of 12 identified studies, 11 were at high risk of bias (eight serious; three critical). Relative to unexposed infants, those exposed to any opioid use during the first trimester of pregnancy were not at an increased risk of major congenital malformations overall (relative risk 1.04, 95%CI 0.98–1.11); cardiovascular malformations (relative risk 1.07, 95%CI 0.96–1.20); or central nervous system malformations (relative risk 1.06, 95%CI 0.92–1.21). Raised risk estimates were observed for gastrointestinal malformations (relative risk 1.40, 95%CI 0.38–5.16) and cleft palate (relative risk 1.57, 95%CI 0.48–5.13) following any opioid exposure and atrial septal defects (relative risk 1.20, 95%CI 1.05–1.36) following codeine exposure.

Conclusions

Although the meta‐analysis did not indicate substantial increased risk for most malformations examined, this risk remains uncertain due to the methodological limitations of the included studies. Healthcare professionals and pharmaceutical regulators should be aware of the issues related to the quality of research in this field.
Transvesical bladder diverticulectomy via bladder neck opening during robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy
Authors: Hattori Yuto , Kambe Takanari , Mine Yuta , Hagimoto Hiroki , Kokubun Hidetoshi , Abe Yohei , Tsutsumi Naofumi , Kawakita Mutsushi , Yamasaki Toshinari
Published: May 2024

Introduction

As bladder diverticula in older adults are often secondary to bladder outlet obstruction, bladder diverticulectomy is often performed with prostate treatment. Cases of sequentially performed robot‐assisted bladder diverticulectomy and prostatectomy have been reported; however, performing cystotomy for each procedure may increase the risk of complications and prolong operative time.

Materials and Surgical Technique

We reported the cases of three patients who underwent diverticulectomy without additional cystotomy via the bladder opening during robot‐assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy in our hospital.

Discussion

This technique corresponds to a transvesical approach through the bladder neck opening. Hence, it is especially useful for well‐visualized diverticula close to the ureteral orifice or on the posterior wall. Although other approaches may be better depending on the location of the diverticulum, it is considered a reasonable approach that does not require an additional cystotomy.
Refugees' right to health: A case study of Poland's disparate migration policies
Authors: Kędziora Krzysztof
Published: May 2024

Poland has faced two waves of migration: the first was of irregular asylum seekers, which led to the humanitarian crisis on the eastern EU–Belarusian border since 2021; the second was of Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion. Although there are noticeable differences between these situations, and between the different reactions of the Polish authorities, it is possible to juxtapose them in terms of the right to health. The normative content of refugee and human rights law is the starting point for reconstructing the meaning of the terms ‘refugee’ and ‘right to health’. A refugee is a person who needs international protection because of a well‐founded fear of harm, which is not limited to persecution as defined by the Refugee Convention but also includes situations of international and non‐international armed conflict. The right to health, which includes, inter alia, entitlements to a ‘system of health protection’ and ‘underlying determinations of health’, is reconstructed on the basis of human rights law and refugee and migration law. There are no legal and moral grounds to grant the right to health differentially to different groups of refugees. Nondiscriminatory health policy requires that refugees have the same access to health care as nationals, although their specific health needs resulting from past experiences and refugee situation require special treatment, that is, an appropriate refugee health policy. The broad understanding of the underlying determinants of health demonstrates the importance of overall migration policy for refugees’ health, which can jeopardise the fragile good of refugee health.
Colour gamut analysis of low‐cost dye‐sensitised solar cells using natural dyes
Authors: Haghighi Sanaz Shirahmad , Jafari Razieh , Hosseinnezhad Mozhgan
Published: May 2024

Due to the increasing effects of greenhouse gases and environmental pollution, the need for new clean energies like solar energy attracts much attention. Although the characteristics and the efficiency of green photovoltaic devices have been researched, the colour gamut achievable from those devices has not been studied. This study investigates the colour gamut of low‐cost dye‐sensitised solar cells (DSSCs). To do this, 14 natural dye extracts were obtained from herbal resources including dragon fruit, blueberry, mango, radish, yellow rose, red cabbage, sour pomegranate, beetroot, olive, green cabbage pepper, eggplant, parsley, bramble and cherry, and employed as photosensitiser in solar cells. Then, the colorimetric attributes of the photosensitisers were studied in three‐dimensional (3D)‐colour space, that is, CIELab, CIELCH and CIE1931 chromaticity diagram. Additionally, the convex hull method was employed to determine the colour gamut boundary and the corresponding colour gamut volume. Results showed that the majority of samples benefited from approximately 3°–82° of hue angle in a*b* diagram of CIELab colour space and showed the yellowish to reddish tint effects. In CIELCH colour order system, cherry and parsley showed the lowest and highest lightness attributes while the chroma property of samples varied from minimum 1.2 for eggplant to maximum 60.2 for the dragon fruit. Moreover, the results of using the convex hull method showed the volume of 7.73 × 104 that is bounded by the colour gamut of 3D colour points over the CIELab colour space.
Quantitative analysis of lung lesions using unenhanced chest computed tomography images
Authors: Zarei Fariba , Jannatdoust Payam , Malekpour Siamak , Razaghi Mahshad , Chatterjee Sabyasachi , Varadhan Chatterjee Vani , Abbasi Amirbahador , Haghighi Rezvan Ravanfar
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Chest radiograph and computed tomography (CT) scans can accidentally reveal pulmonary nodules. Malignant and benign pulmonary nodules can be difficult to distinguish without specific imaging features, such as calcification, necrosis, and contrast enhancement. However, these lesions may exhibit different image texture characteristics which cannot be assessed visually. Thus, a computer‐assisted quantitative method like histogram analysis (HA) of Hounsfield unit (HU) values can improve diagnostic accuracy, reducing the need for invasive biopsy.

Methods

In this exploratory control study, nonenhanced chest CT images of 20 patients with benign (10) and cancerous (10) lesion were selected retrospectively. The appearances of benign and malignant lesions were very similar in chest CT images, and only pathology report was used to discriminate them. Free hand region of interest (ROI) was inserted inside the lesion for all slices of each lesion. Mean, minimum, maximum, and standard deviations of HU values were recorded and used to make HA.

Results

HA showed that the most malignant lesions have a mean HU value between 30 and 50, a maximum HU less than 150, and a minimum HU between −30 and 20. Lesions outside these ranges were mostly benign.

Conclusion

Quantitative CT analysis may differentiate malignant from benign lesions without specific malignancy patterns on unenhanced chest CT image.
Ethnic disparities in quality of diabetes care in Scotland: A national cohort study
Authors: Scheuer Stine H. , Fleetwood Kelly , Wild Sarah H. , Jackson Caroline A. ,   Scottish Diabetes Research Network epidemiology group
Published: May 2024

Aims

The aim of this study is to compare quality of diabetes care in people with type 2 diabetes by ethnicity, in Scotland.

Methods

Using a linked national diabetes registry, we included 162,122 people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes between 2009 and 2018. We compared receipt of nine guideline indicated processes of care in the first‐year post‐diabetes diagnosis using logistic regression, comparing eight ethnicity groups to the White group. We compared annual receipt of HbA1c and eye screening during the entire follow‐up using generalised linear mixed effects. All analyses adjusted for confounders.

Results

Receipt of diabetes care was lower in other ethnic groups compared to White people in the first‐year post‐diagnosis. Differences were most pronounced for people in the: African, Caribbean or Black; Indian; and other ethnicity groups for almost all processes of care. For example, compared to White people, odds of HbA1c monitoring were: 44% lower in African, Caribbean or Black people (OR 0.56 [95% CI 0.48, 0.66]); 47% lower in Indian people (OR 0.53 [95% CI 0.47, 0.61]); and 50% lower in people in the other ethnicity group (OR 0.50 [95% CI 0.46, 0.58]). Odds of receipt of eye screening were 30%–40% lower in most ethnic groups compared to the White group. During median 5 year follow‐up, differences in HbA1c monitoring and eye screening largely persisted, but attenuated slightly for the former.

Conclusions

There are marked ethnic disparities in routine diabetes care in Scotland in the short‐ and medium‐term following diabetes diagnosis. Further investigation is needed to establish and effectively address the underlying reasons.
How the wellbeing function varies with age: the importance of income, health and social relations over the lifecycle
Authors: Bitzer Jürgen , Gören Erkan , Welsch Heinz
Published: May 2024

Previous literature has identified income, health status and social relationships as the most important predictors of subjective wellbeing (SWB). In addition, the literature has identified a non‐linear relationship between age and SWB, with a dip in SWB in midlife. Explanations of the non‐linear age–SWB relationship include the notion of unmet aspirations and the idea that people's emotional response to the drivers of SWB changes with age. Against this background, we use representative longitudinal data for Germany (1992–2019) with about 570,000 observations for more than 88,000 individuals aged 16–105 years to investigate if and how the association between SWB and its main predictors changes over the lifecycle. Using fixed effects estimation to control for cohort effects and unobserved personal characteristics, we find that the marginal effects of income and social relationships vary with age in a wave‐like fashion, while the positive marginal effect of good health status increases monotonically and progressively with age. Our results are similar for alternative measures of SWB (life satisfaction and living in misery), and for men and women separately. The age‐related changes in the importance of income and social relationships for SWB found in this paper help to explain the relationship between age and SWB found in previous literature.
Institutional investor network and idiosyncratic volatility of stocks
Authors: Zhai Xiaoying , Ma Huiping , Zhang Yongmin , Wang Peijun , Toh Moau Yong
Published: May 2024

This paper constructs an institutional investor network based on the heavy holdings of the same stock in China and conducts a social network analysis to investigate the influence of this network on stock price volatility from the perspectives of network structure (density) and location (centrality). The study demonstrates that institutional investor network density is negatively related to stock price volatility, while network centrality is positively related to it. Mechanism analyses further reveal that network density reduces stock price volatility by mitigating private information arbitrage behavior among institutional investors, whereas network centrality increases stock price volatility by creating private information arbitrage opportunities within the network. Additionally, the paper finds that information asymmetry enhances the positive effect of network centrality on stock price volatility. These findings are generally consistent across subsample analyses for different market states, reactions to good and bad news, and types of equity ownership, as well as in other robustness tests. The practical implications of these findings are significant for market stability regulation.
Cholinergic modulation of motor sequence learning
Authors: Voegtle Angela , Mohrbutter Catharina , Hils Jonathan , Schulz Steve , Weuthen Alexander , Brämer Uwe , Ullsperger Markus , Sweeney‐Reed Catherine M.
Published: May 2024

The cholinergic system plays a key role in motor function, but whether pharmacological modulation of cholinergic activity affects motor sequence learning is unknown. The acetylcholine receptor antagonist biperiden, an established treatment in movement disorders, reduces attentional modulation, but whether it influences motor sequence learning is not clear. Using a randomized, double‐blind placebo‐controlled crossover design, we tested 30 healthy young participants and showed that biperiden impairs the ability to learn sequential finger movements, accompanied by widespread oscillatory broadband power changes (4–25 Hz) in the motor sequence learning network after receiving biperiden, with greater power in the theta, alpha and beta bands over ipsilateral motor and bilateral parietal–occipital areas. The reduced early theta power during a repeated compared with random sequence, likely reflecting disengagement of top‐down attention to sensory processes, was disrupted by biperiden. Alpha synchronization during repeated sequences reflects sensory gating and lower visuospatial attention requirements compared with visuomotor responses to random sequences. After biperiden, alpha synchronization was greater, potentially reflecting excessive visuospatial attention reduction, affecting visuomotor responding required to enable sequence learning. Beta oscillations facilitate sequence learning by integrating visual and somatosensory inputs, stabilizing repeated sequences and promoting prediction of the next stimulus. The beta synchronization after biperiden fits with a disruption of the selective visuospatial attention enhancement associated with initial sequence learning. These findings highlight the role of cholinergic processes in motor sequence learning.
Revisiting the research on social networks and entrepreneurship: An integrative framework and research agenda
Authors: Wang Xiao , Zhu Li , Xiang Ricardo T. , Zheng Leven J.
Published: May 2024

Following on from reviews about social networks and entrepreneurship published more than 10 years ago, this article updates our knowledge by reviewing and grouping representative studies among 693 articles selected from the Web of Science. This review identifies research patterns in major subrealms, examines research achievements in the light of earlier reviews' suggestions discusses directions for further research, and develops an integrative framework to advance theory and empirical knowledge of social networks and entrepreneurship.
‘Who is the ideal woman?’: The subjectification of impoverished Javanese working mothers
Authors: Ginting‐Carlström Carmelita Euline
Published: May 2024

This study examines the subjectification of working mothers through the lens of intersectionality by listening to the under‐represented voices of those whose lives are shaped at the intersections of gender, poverty, Islam, and Javanese ethnicity. Drawing on poststructuralist feminist discourse analysis, the subtle subjectification process is observed through conversational interactions in which working mothers construct the ‘ideal woman’. The findings challenge the predominant postfeminist framing in the extant literature by illustrating how here working mothers draw on a specifically local discourse (i.e., moderate‐Islam and Javanese cultural discourses) to construct the ideal woman as embodying the dual wife‐mother identities. Based on these locally dependent discourses, working mothers accentuate their identity as wives while subduing identities as mothers and workers. The emphasis on the underexplored wife identity imbues work with a distinct significance for mothers within this context.
Early drain removal after hepatectomy based on bile leakage prediction using drainage fluid volume and direct bilirubin level
Authors: Muranushi Ryo , Harimoto Norifumi , Seki Takaomi , Hagiwara Kei , Hoshino Kouki , Ishii Norihiro , Tsukagoshi Mariko , Igarashi Takamichi , Watanabe Akira , Araki Kenichiro , Shirabe Ken
Published: May 2024

Aims

This study aimed to determine the value of the drainage fluid volume and direct bilirubin level for predicting significant bile leakage (BL) after hepatectomy and establish novel criteria for early drain removal.

Methods

Data from 351 patients who underwent hepatic resection at Gunma University in Japan between October 2018 and March 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes of patients with and without significant BL were compared. Criteria for early drain removal were determined and verified.

Results

Bile leakage occurred in 27 (7.1%) patients; 8 (2.3%) had grade A leakage and 19 (5.4%) had grade B leakage. The optimal cut‐off value for the drainage fluid direct bilirubin level on postoperative day (POD) 2 was 0.16 mg/dL, which had the highest area under the curve and negative predictive value (NPV). Patients with BL had significantly larger drainage volumes on POD 2. The best cut‐off value was 125 mL because it had the greatest NPV. Patients in both the primary and validation (n = 90) cohorts with bilirubin levels less than 0.16 mg/dL and drainage volumes less than 125 mL did not experience leakage.

Conclusions

A drainage fluid volume less than 125 mL and direct bilirubin level less than 0.16 mg/dL on POD 2 are criteria for safe early drain removal after hepatectomy.
Development of an early warning system for higher education institutions by predicting first‐year student academic performance
Authors: Çırak Cem Recai , Akıllı Hakan , Ekinci Yeliz
Published: May 2024

In this study, an early warning system predicting first‐year undergraduate student academic performance is developed for higher education institutions. The significant factors that affect first‐year student success are derived and discussed such that they can be used for policy developments by related bodies. The dataset used in experimental analyses includes 11,698 freshman students' data. The problem is constructed as classification models predicting whether a student will be successful or unsuccessful at the end of the first year. A total of 69 input variables are utilized in the models. Naive Bayes, decision tree and random forest algorithms are compared over model prediction performances. Random forest models outperformed others and reached 90.2% accuracy. Findings show that the models including the fall semester CGPA variable performed dramatically better. Moreover, the student's programme name and university placement exam score are identified as the other most significant variables. A critical discussion based on the findings is provided. The developed model may be used as an early warning system, such that necessary actions can be taken after the second week of the spring semester for students predicted to be unsuccessful to increase their success and prevent attrition.
Bandits, heroes and villains: A view from a settler colony
Authors: Foster Meg
Published: May 2024

‘Bushrangers’ were late 18th to early 20th‐century bandits who lived in the Australian bush through the proceeds of crime, but today, they are national legends. A particular constellation of factors led to the white male bushranger's status as a national hero in Australia. By charting the development of bushranging historiography alongside bushranging in practice and the bushranging myth, this article will demonstrate the distinctive Australian and settler colonial dimensions of this bandit tradition. In describing how white bushranging men came to national prominence, the piece will also draw attention to those excluded from this legend—women and people of colour, with particular reference to Aboriginal people. The Australian bushranging myth, as it exists today, was not an organic or natural development. It was actively constructed by white settlers, including white settler historians.
Evaluating the usability of public health data dashboards as information sources for professionals and the public: Findings from a case study with domain experts
Authors: Ansari Bahareh
Published: May 2024

Background

Recently, public health data dashboards have gained popularity as trusted, up‐to‐date sources of health information. However, their usability and usefulness may be limited.

Objective

To identify the requirements of usable public health data dashboards through a case study with domain experts.

Methods

Paired‐user virtual data collection sessions were conducted with 20 experts in three steps: (1) a monitored use of an existing dashboard to complete tasks and discuss the usability problems, (2) a survey rating user experience, and (3) an interview regarding the users and use cases. Data analysis included quantitative analysis of the survey findings and thematic analysis of the audio transcripts.

Results

Analyses yielded several findings: (1) familiar charts with clear legends and labels should be used to focus users' attention on the content; (2) charts should be organized in a simple and consistent layout; (3) contextual information should be provided to help with interpretations; (4) data limitations should be clearly communicated; (5) guidance should be provided to lead user interactions.

Discussion

The identified requirements guide health librarians and information professionals in evaluating public health data dashboards.

Conclusion

Public health data dashboards should be designed based on users' needs to provide useful up‐to‐date information sources for health information consumers.
Unravelling moderated mediating effects of loss aversion, information avoidance and self‐efficacy on cancer fear and cancer screening
Authors: Lam Jocelin Y. , Lin Sapphire H.
Published: May 2024

Background

Cancer health campaigns provide information to drive early detection.

Objective

To examine the effect of cancer fear on cancer screening focusing on the mediating role of loss aversion, a concept derived from prospect theory. We hypothesize that fear initiates negative beliefs that cancer can cause the loss of way of life leading to information avoidance, and indirectly influences cancer screening intentions. This theoretical model is conditional, in that one's degree of self‐efficacy moderates cancer screening intentions.

Methods

A cross‐sectional sample (N = 371), aged 35 to 70, recruited via an online panel. Participants completed a questionnaire containing demographic and examined variables. Using conditional process, we tested the proposed theoretical framework.

Results

Cancer fear was positively associated with cancer screening, and an indirect path was found where loss aversion and information avoidance negatively mediated the relationship. Self‐efficacy was found to significantly moderate information avoidance and cancer screening intentions. Among those who reported high information avoidance, less self‐efficacious individuals had lower cancer screening intentions compared to those more self‐efficacious.

Conclusion

We confirm extant literature that negative views of cancer lead to loss aversion and information avoidance. Using prospect theory can help make messaging for cancer screening more effective.
Gluten fractions unevenly altered the digestion and physical properties of wheat starch‐lauric acid system under non‐alkaline/alkaline conditions
Authors: Sun Jing , Lv Meng‐yao , Zheng Shuang‐yi , Zhang Hai‐long , Ding Wen‐ping , Wang Xue‐dong , Du Jing
Published: May 2024

This research delved into the role of gluten fractions on digestion, physical properties and structure of wheat starch (WS)–lauric acid (LA) system under non‐alkaline/alkaline conditions. Results showed that gluten fractions decreased the digestion of WS with LA and gliadin had greater effect on the digestion of WS with LA under non‐alkaline/alkaline conditions than glutenin. Specifically, gliadin increased RS content of WS with LA by 70.99% and 84.89%, respectively, under non‐alkaline and alkaline conditions. The diminished in WS digestion caused by gluten fractions and LA ascribed to the decrease in swelling power and leaching of starch. Rapid viscosity analyser (RVA) demonstrated that gluten fractions were conducive to WS–LA and/or WS–LA–protein complexes formation and gliadin was more helpful to these complexes' formation than glutenin under non‐alkaline conditions. Additionally, gliadin had greater effect on the stability and short‐range ordered structure of WS with LA than glutenin. Addition of gliadin resulted in 6.79% and 13.33% of increase in short‐range orderliness compared with WS–LA system under non‐alkaline and alkaline conditions, respectively. Furthermore, gluten fractions had greater influence on the digestion of WS with LA under alkaline conditions than non‐alkaline conditions ascribed to the formation of WS–LA and/or WS–LA–protein complexes with low swelling power and high ordered structure under alkaline conditions. This study provided crucial information on the design of starchy foods with low digestion.
Microbial influences on severity and sex bias of systemic autoimmunity
Authors: Lee Jean , Reiman Derek , Singh Samara , Chang Anthony , Morel Laurence , Chervonsky Alexander V.
Published: May 2024

Commensal microbes have the capacity to affect development and severity of autoimmune diseases. Germ‐free (GF) animals have proven to be a fine tool to obtain definitive answers to the queries about the microbial role in these diseases. Moreover, GF and gnotobiotic animals can be used to dissect the complex symptoms and determine which are regulated (enhanced or attenuated) by microbes. These include disease manifestations that are sex biased. Here, we review comparative analyses conducted between GF and Specific‐Pathogen Free (SPF) mouse models of autoimmunity. We present data from the B6;NZM‐Sle1NZM2410/AegSle2NZM2410/AegSle3NZM2410/Aeg−/LmoJ (B6.NZM) mouse model of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) characterized by multiple measurable features. We compared the severity and sex bias of SPF, GF, and ex‐GF mice and found variability in the severity and sex bias of some manifestations. Colonization of GF mice with the microbiotas taken from B6.NZM mice housed in two independent institutions variably affected severity and sexual dimorphism of different parameters. Thus, microbes regulate both the severity and sexual dimorphism of select SLE traits. The sensitivity of particular trait to microbial influence can be used to further dissect the mechanisms driving the disease. Our results demonstrate the complexity of the problem and open avenues for further investigations.
P‐wave alternans rebound following pulmonary vein isolation predicts atrial arrhythmia recurrence
Authors: Nearing Bruce D. , Fialho Guilherme L. , Waks Jonathan W. , Maher Timothy R. , Clarke John‑Ross , Shepherd Alyssa J. , D'Avila Andre , Verrier Richard L.
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Numerous P‐wave indices have been explored as biomarkers to assess atrial fibrillation (AF) risk and the impact of therapy with variable success.

Objective

We investigated the utility of P‐wave alternans (PWA) to track the effects of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) and to predict atrial arrhythmia recurrence.

Methods

This medical records study included patients who underwent PVI for AF ablation at our institution, along with 20 control subjects without AF or overt cardiovascular disease. PWA was assessed using novel artificial intelligence‐enabled modified moving average (AI‐MMA) algorithms. PWA was monitored from the 12‐lead ECG at ~1 h before and ~16 h after PVI (n = 45) and at the 4‐ to 17‐week clinically indicated follow‐up visit (n = 30). The arrhythmia follow‐up period was 955 ± 112 days.

Results

PVI acutely reduced PWA by 48%–63% (p < .05) to control ranges in leads II, III, aVF, the leads with the greatest sensitivity in monitoring PWA. Pre‐ablation PWA was ~6 µV and decreased to ~3 µV following ablation. Patients who exhibited a rebound in PWA to pre‐ablation levels at 4‐ to 17‐week follow‐up (p < .01) experienced recurrent atrial arrhythmias, whereas patients whose PWA remained reduced (p = .85) did not, resulting in a significant difference (p < .001) at follow‐up. The AUC for PWA's prediction of first recurrence of atrial arrhythmia was 0.81 (p < .01) with 88% sensitivity and 82% specificity. Kaplan–Meier analysis estimated atrial arrhythmia‐free survival (p < .01) with an adjusted hazard ratio of 3.4 (95% CI: 1.47–5.24, p < .02).

Conclusion

A rebound in PWA to pre‐ablation levels detected by AI‐MMA in the 12‐lead ECG at standard clinical follow‐up predicts atrial arrhythmia recurrence.
Exposure–response relationship of guselkumab and the potential of serum proteomics in identifying predictive biomarker candidates in psoriasis
Authors: Soenen R. , Schots L. , Wang Z. , Tilleman L. , Van Nieuwerburgh F. , Grine L. , Temmerman L. , Hillary T. , Stockman A. , Dreesen E. , Thomas D. , Lambert J.
Published: May 2024

Background

Response to biologics in psoriasis varies in real‐world settings. Serum biomarkers could aid biologic selection and dose modifications to improve patient outcomes while encouraging cost‐effective care.

Objectives

To explore the exposure–response relationship for guselkumab (GUS), to define a GUS concentration target for optimal response and to evaluate the potential of serum protein levels as predictive biomarker candidates.

Methods

This is a prospective, multicentric, cohort study in psoriasis patients treated with GUS. Serum GUS trough concentrations (TCs) collected at multiple timepoints were measured using an in‐house immunoassay. Next, proximity extension assay technology (Target 96 Inflammation Panel Olink®) was used to measure serum protein levels in a subcohort including 38 GUS patients (week 0 and week 4), six psoriasis patients naive for systemic treatment and four healthy controls.

Results

Seventy‐five patients participated and 400 samples were collected. Guselkumab TCs and clinical response were correlated at week 4, week 12 and in steady‐state (≥20 weeks). Optimal responders (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index [PASI] ≤ 2) had significantly higher TCs than suboptimal responders from week 4 onwards in treatment. An optimal steady‐state TC of 1.6 μg/mL was defined. Although TC and absolute PASI were lower and worse, respectively, in patients weighing ≥90 kg, clinical outcomes referred to desirable to excellent PASI ranges. Therefore, we do not recommend systematically higher GUS doses in obese patients. We could not reveal early differentially expressed proteins to distinguish future optimal from suboptimal responders.

Conclusions

We demonstrated an exposure–response relationship for GUS and an optimal steady‐state TC of 1.6 μg/mL in real‐world psoriasis patients. Hereby, we deliver more evidence that therapeutic drug monitoring poses a promising strategy in optimizing GUS treatment. No biomarker candidates were identified through serum proteomics. We propose protein screening should be repeated in larger cohorts to continue the quest for predictive biomarkers.
Cutting into short logs reduces infestation by the bark beetle Polygraphus proximus
Authors: Takagi Etsuro , Aochi Mai
Published: May 2024

Polygraphus proximus Blandford (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), a non‐aggressive bark beetle, has caused mortality of Abies spp. in Western Siberia, Central Asia, European Russia as well as Japan. Removing dead trees (e.g. salvage logging) and thinning stands are considered one of the best practices to reduce the risk of bark beetle outbreaks. However, salvaging or removing dead and thinned trees requires significant effort. Thus, to determine whether cutting trees into shorter logs would reduce P. proximus infestation, we exposed A. sachalinensis logs of various lengths on the ground in a forest stand. The attack density of P. proximus significantly decreased with shorter log lengths. It can be concluded that cutting into short logs and leaving them on the ground are effective practices to reduce the chance of P. proximus host location and outbreaks after natural disturbances and thinning.
An integrative review of racism in nursing to inform anti‐racist nursing praxis in Aotearoa New Zealand
Authors: Wiapo Coral , Adams Sue , Komene Ebony , Davis Josephine , Clark Terryann
Published: May 2024

Aim

To synthesise international literature to identify mechanisms that maintain racism in nursing and understand the factors that contribute to designing and implementing anti‐racist praxis to inform nursing in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Design

An integrative literature review was undertaken, integrating Indigenous Kaupapa Māori methodologies to ensure a cultural and philosophical lens.

Methods

Peer‐reviewed literature published, between January 2011 and July 2023 were sourced. Of 1296 articles, 16 met the inclusion criteria and 4 were identified via citation chaining. In total, 20 articles were included. The Johns Hopkins Research Evidence Tool was applied, findings extracted, and thematic analysis completed utilising Indigenous Kaupapa Māori principles.

Data Sources

Databases, including CINAHL, Scopus, PubMed and Aus/NZ Reference Centre, were searched in July 2023.

Results

Two key themes were identified: (1) colonial active resistance to change; and (2) transformational, visionary, and proactive nursing.

Conclusion

Nurses are well‐positioned to confront the structures that maintain racism in health and education systems but are often actors in maintaining status quo. Anti‐racist praxis can be a mechanism for nurses to reimagine, redefine and transform nursing care, leadership, and nursing education to begin to eradicate racism.

Reporting Method

This integrative review adhered to the 2020 Preferred Reporting for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) method.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution.

Implications for the Profession

Racism remains prevalent in nursing and the healthcare system. It is necessary to implement anti‐racist praxis and policies that resist, deconstruct, and dismantle power and racism while validating Indigenous values, beliefs and practices. This is vital to deliver equitable health care.

Impact

This integrative review presents lived realities and knowledge of Indigenous and racially minoritised nurses and scholars, alongside nursing allies to inform anti‐racist praxis. This evidence signifies that it is time to walk the walk to challenge the colonising systems and processes that hold racism in place.
A processual approach to community agriculture: Between structuralist and individualist explanations
Authors: Aguiari Irina
Published: May 2024

Community agriculture describes the practice of land commoning for food production. Communitarian food systems are explained as determined by neoliberalisation for being either prompted by global processes of environmental degradation or dissolved in submerged networks of everyday politics. While consistent with neoliberal critiques, the article advocates for their historicization through a processual approach to community agriculture. The analysis builds on the historical‐comparative scrutiny of land commoning in the Italian peninsula through the selection of secondary sources and draws a longue durée periodization from late antiquity to the present. Analytical results highlight three temporal macro‐sequences of food transformations that contextualise structural and agential influences on communitarian food systems: delegation, privatisation, and commodification of food production. The historical trajectories of community agriculture in the Italian peninsula offer valuable insights into three key areas of debate and potential avenues for future research. The first concerns the divides between structure and agency, contentious and everyday politics; the article also contributes to classical analyses that emphasize the crucial role of food in capitalist development and finally, it advances the processual framework as an adaptable analytical tool.
Hepatocellular carcinoma among patients with chronic hepatitis B in the indeterminate phase
Authors: Mak Lung‐Yi , Yee Leland J. , Wong Robert J. , Ramers Christian B. , Frenette Catherine , Hsu Yao‐Chun
Published: May 2024

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a dynamic disease where patients progress through several stages defined by HBV e‐antigen (HBeAg) status, HBV‐DNA levels and transaminase elevations, with antiviral therapy indicated only in specific stages. However, some patients cannot be classified into one of the stages and are said to fall into an ‘indeterminate phase’ or ‘grey zone’. Exact definitions of the indeterminate phase vary from guideline to guideline as a result of different cut‐off values for biomarker measurements. Data suggest that as many as 50% of HBV patients may be in an indeterminate phase and may not rapidly transition out of this phase. Clinical data that suggest these patients are at increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are complemented by molecular evidence of integrations of HBV‐DNA into the host genome, chromosomal translocations and immune activation despite liver enzymes that may suggest lack of inflammation. Antiviral therapy reduces these hepatocarcinogenic mechanisms and is reflected in a reduction of fibrosis and HCC risk. We review key data on patients in the indeterminate phase, with emphasis on HCC as an outcome. We take a holistic approach and link new biological data with clinical observations as well as examine the potential role of antiviral therapy in reducing HCC risk among patients in the indeterminate phase. With the availability of safe and effective oral antivirals, consideration must be given as to how much residual risk of HCC should be tolerated among patients in the indeterminate phase.
MicroRNA169 integrates multiple factors to modulate plant growth and abiotic stress responses
Authors: Chen Xiaotong , Chen Zhaohui , Fiorentino Andrew , Kuess Morgan , Tharayil Nishanth , Kumar Rohit , Leonard Elizabeth , Noorai Rooksana , Hu Qian , Luo Hong
Published: May 2024

MicroRNA169 (miR169) has been implicated in multi‐stress regulation in annual species such as Arabidopsis, maize and rice. However, there is a lack of experimental functional and mechanistic studies of miR169 in plants, especially in perennial species, and its impact on plant growth and development remains unexplored. Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) is a C3 cool‐season perennial turfgrass of significant environmental and economic importance. In this study, we generated both miR169 overexpression and knockdown transgenic creeping bentgrass lines. We found that miR169 acts as a positive regulator in abiotic stress responses but is negatively associated with plant growth and development, playing multiple critical roles in the growth and environmental adaptation of creeping bentgrass. These roles include differentiated spatial hormone accumulation patterns associated with growth and stress accommodation, elevated antioxidant activity that alleviates oxidative damage induced by stress, ion‐channelling membrane components for maintaining homeostasis under saline conditions, and potential cross‐talks with stress‐regulating transcription factors such as AsHsfA and AsWRKYs. Our results unravel the role of miR169 in modulating plant development and stress responses in perennial grass species. This underlines the potential of manipulating miR169 to generate crop cultivars with desirable traits to meet diverse agricultural demands.
Causal relationship between dyslipidemia and risk of facial aging: Insights from Mendelian randomization in East Asian populations
Authors: Deng Yu , Li Chuan , Luo Ailin , Qiu Yang , Yang Mei
Published: May 2024

Background

Emerging observational studies showed an association between dyslipidemia and aging. However, it remains unclear whether this association is causal, particularly in the case of Asians, which are aging more rapidly than other continents. Given the visible manifestations of aging often include changes in facial appearance, the objective of this study is to assess the causal relationship between dyslipidemia and facial aging in East Asian populations.

Methods

SNPs related to dyslipidemia in East Asian people such as Total cholesterol (TC), High‐density‐lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), Low‐density‐lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), and Triglyceride (TG) along with outcomes data on facial aging, were extracted from public genome‐wide association studies (GWAS). A two‐sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was then performed using publicly available GWAS data to investigate the potential causal relationship. The effect estimates were primarily calculated using the fixed‐effects inverse variance weighted (IVW) method.

Results

Totally, 88 SNPs related to HDL among 70657 East Asian participants in GWAS. Based on the primary causal effects model using MR analyses with the IVW method, high HDL level was demonstrated as significantly related to the risk of facial aging (OR, 1.060; 95% CI, 1.005–1.119, p = 0.034), while high TC level (OR, 0.995; 95% CI, 0.920–1.076, p = 0.903), high LDL level (OR, 0.980, 95% CI, 0.924–1.041, p = 0.515), as well as high TG level (OR, 0.999, 95% CI, 0.932–1.071, p = 0.974), showed no significant correlation with facial aging.

Conclusions

The two‐sample MR analysis conducted in this study revealed a positive causal relationship between high HDL levels and facial aging. In contrast, facial aging demonstrated no significant correlation with high levels of TC, LDL, or TG. Further large‐sample prospective studies are needed to validate these findings and to provide appropriate recommendations regarding nutrition management to delay the aging process among old patients in East Asia.