bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficient spatial multi‐state capture–recapture model to study natal dispersal: An application to the Alpine marmot
Authors: Dupont Pierre , Allainé Dominique , Ferrandiz‐Rovira Mariona , Pradel Roger
Published: November 2021

Studying natal dispersal in natural populations using capture–recapture data is challenging as an unknown proportion of individuals leaves the study area when dispersing and are never recaptured. Most dispersal (and survival) estimates from capture–recapture studies are thus biased and only reflect what happens within the study area, not the population.

Here, we elaborate on recent methodological advances to build a spatially explicit multi‐state capture–recapture model to study natal dispersal in a territorial mammal while accounting for imperfect detection and movement in and out of the study area.

We validate our model using a simulation study where we compare it to a non‐spatial multi‐state capture–recapture model. We then apply it to a long‐term individual‐based dataset on Alpine marmotMarmota marmota.

Our model was able to accurately estimate natal dispersal and survival probabilities, as well as mean dispersal distance for a large range of dispersal patterns. By contrast, the non‐spatial multi‐state estimates underestimated both survival and natal dispersal even for short dispersal distances relative to the study area size. We discuss the application of our approach to other species and monitoring setups.

We estimated higher inheritance probabilities of female Alpine marmots, which suggests higher levels of philopatry, although the probability to become dominant after dispersal did not differ between sexes. Nonetheless, the lower survival of young adult males suggests higher costs of dispersal for males. We further discuss the implications of our findings in light of the life history of the species.
Predators balance consequences of climate‐change‐induced habitat shifts for range‐shifting and resident species
Authors: Shepard Isaac D. , Wissinger Scott A. , Wood Zachary T. , Greig Hamish S.
Published: November 2021

While many species distributions are shifting poleward or up in elevation in response to a changing climate, others are shifting their habitats along localized gradients in environmental conditions as abiotic conditions become more stressful. Whether species are moving across regional or local environmental gradients in response to climate change, range‐shifting species become embedded in established communities of competitors and predators. The consequences of these shifts for both resident and shifting species are often unknown, as it can be difficult to isolate the effects of multiple species interactions.

Using a model system of insects in high‐elevation ponds in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, we sought to disentangle the effects of predation and intraguild interactions on the survival and development of a semi‐permanent pond resident caddisfly Limnephilus externus and the habitat‐shifting caddis Asynarchus nigriculus that is being forced into semi‐permanent ponds as temporary ponds dry too quickly to complete development.

We conducted a manipulative in‐situ pond cage experiment in which L. externus and A. nigriculus caddisfly larvae in single‐species treatments and together were exposed to the presence/absence of predatory Dytiscus diving beetle larvae. This approach allowed us to isolate the effects of intraguild interactions and predation on the survival and development of both the resident and habitat‐shifting species.

We found that intraguild interactions had strong negative effects on the resident and habitat‐shifting species. Intraguild interactions reduced the survival of the resident L. externus and increased the variation in survival of the shifting A. nigriculus. However, Dytiscus predators reduced these negative effects, stabilizing the community by increasing L. externus survival and reducing variation in A. nigriculus survival. We also found that intraguild interactions reduced L. externus biomass but resulted in increased A. nigriculus development. A. nigriculus development was also increased by predation.

Our results show that strong intraguild interactions between resident and shifting species are likely to have negative consequences for both species. However, the presence of predators reduces these negative consequences of the habitat shift on both the resident and the shifting.
Impacts of oil well drilling and operating noise on abundance and productivity of grassland songbirds
Authors: Rosa Patricia , Koper Nicola
Published: November 2021

Anthropogenic noise from natural resource extraction may negatively impact many species, particularly those reliant on acoustic communication. To compare the impacts of several types of noise resulting from oil extraction operations on habitat use and productivity of grassland songbirds, we designed and implemented a novel large‐scale, spatially and temporally replicated experiment.

We recreated soundscapes produced by drilling and operating oil well noise, and compared impacts of noise‐producing and quiet playback infrastructure, in twenty‐nine 64.7‐ha native prairie sites in Alberta, Canada, from 2013 to 2015. Drilling noise recordings played 24 hr/day for 10 days, twice during each breeding season, while oil well operating noise played continuously, 24 hr/day, throughout each ~90‐day breeding season.

Despite the much shorter duration of drilling noise playbacks, drilling noise negatively impacted three of our four focal species, and had a much greater impact on habitat use and productivity than did well operating noise. Infrastructure also impacted Vesper Sparrows and Sprague's Pipits, even in the absence of noise.

Synthesis and applications. Acute oil drilling noise had a greater negative impact on breeding migratory birds when compared to chronic oil well noise, perhaps because drilling noise is unpredictable. While this study demonstrates that noise alone can negatively impact habitat use, nesting success and nestling quality, it is also clear that effective mitigation strategies require both noise and above‐ground infrastructure management to reduce impacts on wildlife.
Direct and indirect effects of nitrogen enrichment and grazing on grassland productivity through intraspecific trait variability
Authors: Zheng Shuxia , Chi Yonggang , Yang Xiaojing , Li Wenhuai , Lan Zhichun , Bai Yongfei
Published: November 2021

In the context of global change, the effects of livestock grazing and nitrogen (N) deposition on ecosystem structure and function of grasslands are not isolated, but simultaneous or even interactive. However, most studies on variations in plant functional traits and linkages to ecosystem function have focused on grazing or N enrichment alone. Few studies have combined these two factors to explore the role of intraspecific trait variability in community assembly and primary productivity, and their pathways on ANPP remain unclear.

Here, we examined the effects of N addition and grazing on intra‐ and interspecific variations in plant functional traits in Inner Mongolia steppe based on two manipulative experiments with six N addition rates or grazing intensities over 6 years. The direct and indirect effects of N addition and grazing on ANPP were further analysed.

Our results showed that N enrichment greatly enhanced intraspecific trait variability compared to grazing, which played an important role in maintaining species diversity and primary productivity. There was a negative linear relationship between species richness and intraspecific trait variance within community (TIP/IC), indicating that N enrichment promoted intraspecific trait variability and increased interspecific niche width, leading to a decrease in species richness. ANPP was positively correlated with TIP/IC values under N addition or grazing, suggesting that higher intraspecific trait variability was beneficial to maintaining grassland productivity. We also found that N addition had a direct positive effect on ANPP, and intraspecific trait variation was the secondary cause of ANPP variation; in contrast, grazing had an indirect negative effect on ANPP, mainly through species richness and interspecific trait variation.

Synthesis and applications. Our findings have important implications for the restoration and management of semi‐arid grasslands. Considering the offsetting effects of N addition and grazing on primary productivity, fertilization measures can be integrated into pasture management to quickly restore productivity. In the restoration of degraded grassland by artificial reseeding, the optimal seedling density related to intraspecific variation should be determined, and the forge species should be selected according to plant functional traits, taking into account the strategies of both conservative resource‐use and grazing tolerance.
Alchemy and the repair of dissociation – a response to William Meredith‐Owen
Authors: West Marcus
Published: November 2021

This paper is a response to William Meredith‐Owen’s paper presented at the inaugural joint conference on ‘Alchemy, a bridge to Jung’s objective psyche’, for The Society of Analytical Psychology and the West Midlands Institute of Psychotherapy in autumn 2020. The paper presents a way of understanding the collective unconscious through the functioning of the core self, and thus offers a bridge which addresses the indivisibility of the personal and collective psyche/unconscious, referencing Mary Williams’ (1963) classic paper. Specifically, this is applied to Winnicott’s dream of destruction that he had after reviewingMemories, Dreams, Reflections, as well as to parts of the psyche that were dissociated due to significant early deprivation – the primary narcissistic wounds. Alchemical metaphors are shown to relate to the analytic process, which allows the primitive core self (with its identificatory, participatory, connecting nature), when integrated through relationship, to sink back into the unconscious and function as the Self.
Hospital surgical volume–outcome relationship in caesarean hysterectomy for placenta accreta spectrum
Authors: Matsuo K , Youssefzadeh AC , Mandelbaum RS , Sangara RN , Matsuzaki S , Matsushima K , Klar M , Ouzounian JG , Wright JD
Published: November 2021

Objective

To examine the association between hospital surgical volume of caesarean hysterectomy and surgical morbidity in women with placenta accreta spectrum (PAS).

Design

Population‐based retrospective cohort study.

Setting

National Inpatient Sample, January 2016 to December 2018.

Population

Six thousand and ten women with PAS who underwent caesarean hysterectomy in 738 centres.

Methods

(1) Comprehensive modelling for relative hospital surgical volume cut‐point selection, (2) multinomial regression analysis for characterising hospital surgical volume, and (3) binary logistic regression analysis to examine the volume–outcome relationship.

Main outcome measures

Surgical morbidity (haemorrhage, coagulopathy, shock, urinary tract injury, and death).

Results

The majority of centres had five surgeries over the 3‐year period (468 centres, 63.4%) and were grouped as the low‐volume group. Surgical morbidity decreased after a relative hospital surgical volume of 25 cases (24 centres, 3.3%) was reached, grouped as the high‐volume group. The remaining centres were grouped as the mid‐volume group (246 centres, 33.3%). In multivariable analysis, women in the high‐volume group were more likely to be Black, have lower median household income, medical comorbidity, previous caesarean delivery, placenta praevia or placenta percreta, and to have undergone surgeries at large urban teaching hospitals compared with those in the low‐volume group (all, P < 0.05). After controlling for patient demographics, hospital characteristics and pregnancy factors, performance of caesarean hysterectomy at high‐volume centres was associated with a 22% decreased risk of surgical complications compared with surgery at the low‐volume centres (adjusted odds ratio 0.78, 95% CI 0.64–0.94).

Conclusion

Caesarean hysterectomy for PAS is a rare surgical procedure. Higher hospital surgical volume may be associated with improved surgical outcome in PAS.

Tweetable abstract

Higher hospital caesarean hysterectomy volume may be associated with improved surgical outcome in PAS.
Validation and application of a needs‐based segmentation tool for cross‐country comparisons
Authors: Duminy Lize , Sivapragasam Nirmali Ruth , Matchar David Bruce , Visaria Abhijit , Ansah John Pastor , Blankart Carl Rudolf , Schoenenberger Lukas
Published: November 2021

Objective

To compare countries' health care needs by segmenting populations into a set of needs‐based health states.

Data sources

We used seven waves of the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) panel survey data.

Study design

We developed the Cross‐Country Simple Segmentation Tool (CCSST), a validated clinician‐administered instrument for categorizing older individuals by distinct, homogeneous health and related social service needs. Using clinical indicators, self‐reported physician diagnosis of chronic disease, and performance‐based tests conducted during the survey interview, individuals were assigned to 1–5 global impressions (GI) segments and assessed for having any of the four identifiable complicating factors (CFs). We used Cox proportional hazard models to estimate the risk of mortality by segment. First, we show the segmentation cross‐sectionally to assess cross‐country differences in the fraction of individuals with different levels of medical needs. Second, we compare the differences in the rate at which individuals transition between those levels and death.

Data collection/extraction methods

We segmented 270,208 observations (from Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland) from 96,396 individuals into GI and CF categories.

Principal findings

The CCSST is a valid tool for segmenting populations into needs‐based states, showing Switzerland with the lowest fraction of individuals in high medical needs segments, followed by Denmark and Sweden, and Poland with the highest fraction, followed by Italy and Israel. Comparing hazard ratios of transitioning between health states may help identify country‐specific areas for analysis of ecological and cultural risk factors.

Conclusions

The CCSST is an innovative tool for aggregate cross‐country comparisons of both health needs and transitions between them. A cross‐country comparison gives policy makers an effective means of comparing national health system performance and provides targeted guidance on how to identify strategies for curbing the rise of high‐need, high‐cost patients.
Effect of starch concentration and resistant starch filler addition on the physical properties of starch hydrogels
Authors: Apostolidis Eftychios , Kioupis Dimitris , Kakali Glikeria , Stoforos Nikolaos G. , Mandala Ioanna
Published: November 2021

Corn starch‐based hydrogels are safe and biodegradable polymers with a wide array of applications in food science. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of starch and natural filler resistant starch type 2 (RS2) particles concentration on the textural properties of corn starch hydrogels. Native starch (NS) hydrogels of 8%, 10%, 12%, and 15% w/v were prepared; in each of these dispersions, part of the NS was substituted with RS2 to a concentration of 2% or 10%. NS hydrogels with the highest concentrations had the maximum hardness, cohesiveness, and gumminess values, whereas the addition of RS2 particles did not affect gel textural properties. Native and substituted RS2 hydrogels showed close similarities in their rheological and textural characteristics. Water‐holding capacity greatly decreased with increasing starch concentration, suggesting that the hydrogels with the highest NS concentration had the densest network as depicted by SEM micrographs. Subsequently, hardness, gumminess, and consistency coefficient were linearly correlated to starch concentration and storage time. Fluid release was exponentially dependent on starch concentration. The degree of crystallinity by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) indicated that by increasing starch concentration and substitution level, crystallinity increased. Consequently, NS concentration determined the textural properties of corn starch hydrogels. On the other hand, RS2 substitutions did not affect any of these parameters, indicating their potential role as inactive fillers with a beneficial effect on the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels. Therefore, the consistency of a food gel can be optimized by changing the ratio of inactive filler to starch gel matrix.
The first high‐quality chromosomal genome assembly of a medicinal and edible plant Arctium lappa
Authors: Yang Yanyun , Li Shengnan , Xing Yanping , Zhang Zhongren , Liu Tao , Ao Wuliji , Bao Guihua , Zhan Zhilai , Zhao Rong , Zhang Tingting , Zhang Dachuan , Song Yueyue , Bian Che , Xu Liang , Kang Tingguo
Published: November 2021

Arctium lappa has a long medicinal and edible history with great economic importance. Here, the first high‐quality chromosome‐level draft genome of A. lappa was presented by the Illumina and PacBio sequencing data. The assembled genome was approximately 1.79 Gb with a N50 contig size of 6.88 Mb. Approximately 1.70 Gb (95.4%) of the contig sequences were anchored onto 18 chromosomes using Hi‐C data; the scaffold N50 was improved to be 91.64 Mb. Furthermore, we obtained 1.12 Gb (68.46%) of repetitive sequences and 32,771 protein‐coding genes; 616 positively selected candidate genes were identified. Among candidate genes related to lignan biosynthesis, the following were found to be highly correlated with the accumulation of arctiin: 4‐coumarate‐CoA ligase (4CL), dirigent protein (DIR), and hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HCT). Additionally, we compared the transcriptomes of A. lappa roots at three different developmental stages and identified 8,943 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in these tissues. These data can be utilized to identify genes related to A. lappa quality or provide a basis for molecular identification and comparative genomics among related species.
High‐throughput sequencing of faeces provides evidence for dispersal of parasites and pathogens by migratory waterbirds
Authors: Briscoe Andrew G. , Nichols Sarah , Hartikainen Hanna , Knipe Hazel , Foster Rachel , Green Andy J. , Okamura Beth , Bass David
Published: November 2021

Examination of faecal material has demonstrated how a broad range of organisms are distributed by bird movements. Such research has largely focused on dispersal of plant seeds by frugivores and of freshwater organisms by waterbirds. However, with few exceptions (e.g. avian influenza, Ebola virus), there is a dearth of evidence for transport of parasites and pathogens. High‐throughput sequencing methods now provide a powerful means of addressing this knowledge gap by elucidating faecal contents in unprecedented detail. We collected faeces excreted by a range of migratory waterbirds in south‐west Spain and pooled faecal DNA to create libraries reflective of feeding behavior. We created sets of libraries using high‐throughput metagenomic and amplicon sequencing. For the latter we employed two sets of primers to broadly target the V4 region of the 18S rRNA gene (one set amplifying the region across all eukaryotes, the other excluding amplification of metazoans). Libraries revealed a wide diversity of eukaryotes, including parasites of the faecal producers themselves, parasites of food items, or those incidentally ingested. We also detected novel microbial eukaryotic taxa and found that parasite assemblage profiles were relatively distinct. Comparing the performance of the methods used supports their joint use for future studies of diversity and abundance. Because viable stages of many parasites are likely to be present in faeces, our results suggest significant levels of bird‐mediated dispersal of parasites (both from avian and other hosts). Our methods revealed much hidden biodiversity, and allowed identification of the individuals who produced the faecal samples to species level, facilitating the study of interaction networks.
KTU: K‐mer Taxonomic Units improve the biological relevance of amplicon sequence variant microbiota data
Authors: Liu Po‐Yu , Yang Shan‐Hua , Yang Sung‐Yin
Published: November 2021

Amplicon sequencing is widely implemented in microbiome‐associated studies. In recent years, microbial ecologists have switched to new algorithms for taxonomic identification and quantification. The amplicon sequence variant (ASV) denoising algorithm of unbiased sequence picking has replaced the OTU clustering methods. ASV can be used to detect and distinguish biological variations to the species OTU level (≥97% similarity). However, the ASV quantification among samples is sparse and less prevalent within the same batch.

Here, we present a k‐mer based, alignment‐free algorithm—‘KTU’ (K‐mer Taxonomic Unit)—to iteratively re‐cluster ASVs into optimal biological taxonomic units.

The ‘KTU’ algorithm comprises four parts: (a) The k‐mer frequency calling is sliding window counted by tetranucleotide frequencies from both ends of the DNA sequence. (b) The similarities in k‐mer frequencies among the sequences are measured by cosine dissimilarity. (c) The KTUs are detected from the cosine dissimilarity matrix using the partition around medoids (PAM) clustering algorithm. The iterative PAM‐KTU detecting process searches for the numbers of KTU convergent clusters according to the maximum silhouette coefficient. (d) Finally, the ASVs are aggregated into the corresponding KTUs.

KTU re‐clustered every 1.38–4.53 ASVs into a feature with >99% sequence similarity on average and 1% cosine divergence for each KTU. Additionally, the re‐clustering procedure improved biological explanations for correlations and significances of clinical and environmental factors.
A study on the effect of joint supervision between auditors and sponsors: evidence from China
Authors: Wang Juewei , Wang Jenny Jing , Tulig Steve , Zhang Weidong , Li Zeyu
Published: November 2021

This study examines the joint supervision of auditors and sponsors in a sample of private placements on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets from 2006 to 2019. We observe variation in the inhibitory effect of earnings management and inefficient investment based on the combination of intermediaries with different reputations. We find that auditors exert a strong inhibitory effect on earnings management while sponsors are best positioned to suppress inefficient investment. Furthermore, this study enriches the existing supervisory literature and provides insights to further improve the relationship between auditors and sponsors in the context of China’s unique registration system.
Capitalist Transformation and Settler Colonialism: Theorizing the Interface
Authors: Ramones Ikaika , Merry Sally Engle
Published: November 2021

Anthropological theory has approached Indigenous experiences of colonialism through frameworks of capitalist expansion or, more recently, through those of settler colonialism. Given their different attentions, these frameworks in conjunction provide a more nuanced account of the colonizing and displacement process than either does alone. The history of Hawaiʻi from 1778 to 1860 provides a valuable illustration of the entanglements of economic transformation and settler colonialism over time, showing the need to combine analyses of settler colonialism with those of political economy to understand the emergence of new systems of governance, law, and exchange. The establishment of settler colonialism was neither quick nor uncontested, entailing Indigenous strategic appropriation along with political, legal, and social changes that created the space for settler dominance. Settler colonialism was fostered by the prospect of a profitable plantation economy. In Hawai‘i, chiefs managed to avoid a Euro‐American capitalist takeover during the first eighty years of contact but began to lose control as the settler population grew and the capitalist economy expanded. [settler colonialism, capitalist transformation, land alienation, Hawaiian history]
Adopting a Root: Documenting Ecological and Cultural Signatures of Plant Translocations in Northwestern North America
Authors: Turner Nancy J. , Geralda Armstrong Chelsey , Lepofsky Dana
Published: November 2021

In recent years, there has been an increasing recognition of the role humans play in the structure, composition, and function of ecosystems. Ethnoecological documentation of traditional management systems of Indigenous Peoples in northwestern North America has contributed significantly to this rethinking. A less well‐recognized but foundational part of traditional management of this region is the practice of transplanting plants and plant propagules to expand the range and accessibility of culturally valued plants. In part, the lack of recognition of such translocations has to do with difficulties in identifying evidence of such actions from the past. Here, we summarize various lines of evidence, including that from ethnographic and ethnohistoric records, languages, oral traditions, phytogeography, and archaeology, to document the widespread and long‐standing extent of plant translocation practices among Indigenous Peoples of northwestern North America. Furthermore, we demonstrate how such practices have helped shape contemporary native plant communities throughout the region. Recognizing these past contributions to current ecological contexts honors Indigenous heritage and Indigenous Peoples’ long‐term relationships with their biological worlds. [translocation, transplanting, ethnobotany, traditional resource management, northwestern North America]
On shame
Authors: McBRIEN JULIE
Published: November 2021

Uiat is a word ubiquitously spoken in Kyrgyzstan. It is hurled at children to stop improper behavior and thrown by adults to evaluate conduct. It is a relational practice that textures everyday life, cultivating discomfort in the body when spoken, gendering and aging those involved in its practice, and setting the boundaries of propriety. Uiat is most often translated as “shame.” The earliest work on honor and shame in anthropology established the prevalence of shame and outlined its basic work as a social mechanism of control, but the discussion, especially when considering Muslim societies, largely died out. Yet shame remains a prominent practice ripe for investigation. Looking at uiat as a dense, knotty practice carried out over time shows how shaming practices, in Kyrgyzstan at least, work to exert control and why they are so very efficacious. [shame, material semiotics, gender, age, embodiment, performativity, Muslim societies, postsocialist, Kyrgyzstan]
Contamination in theory and protest
Authors: BOND DAVID
Published: November 2021

Contamination offers a new observatory for anthropological theory. But does it bring us closer to the world at hand? I have spent the past five years working with residents in Bennington, Vermont, and Hoosick Falls, New York, in pursuit of justice after the toxin PFOA was discovered in their drinking water. Turning from advocacy to writing, I've been struck by how prominent toxicity is becoming in certain currents of anthropological theory and how little those theories illuminate about the protests against contamination I participated in. As the theoretical dazzle of contamination surges forward toward experimental futures, planetary futures, and queer futures, toxicity can become an oracle whose ethnographic significance lies more in its prophetic intimation than in its present inhabitation. Staying close to the experience of a New England community protesting industrial pollution, I show how the ethnographic realities of contamination can orient theory for a better world without first resigning us to the loss of the present. [toxics,materiality,futures,environmental justice,PFAS,plastic pollution,United States]
The right to public security
Authors: SAVELL STEPHANIE
Published: November 2021

In 2013 activists in a Rio de Janeiro favela—an epicenter of the city's notorious police violence—called on the Brazilian state to fulfill their “right to public security.” They were anticipating a new policing program, known as “pacification,” in which the state would expand its efforts to “clean up” poor, racially stigmatized neighborhoods dominated by drug‐trafficking groups. The activists’ claim was at once a cry and a demand: a cry against discriminatory policing, state terror, and an unjustly divided city, and a demand for equality, peace, and the state provision of safety in their streets. This case shows that a critical anthropology of security can maintain a tension between security‐as‐violence and security‐as‐rights. In doing so, scholars can broaden the understanding of state security beyond repression and attend to how it instantiates various modes of sovereign power. [security, policing, rights, activism, pacification, UPP, traffickers, favela, Brazil]
Long‐term testosterone undecanoate treatment in the elderly testosterone deficient male: An observational cohort study
Authors: Abildgaard Julie , Petersen Jørgen Holm , Bang Anne Kirstine , Aksglaede Lise , Christiansen Peter , Juul Anders , Jørgensen Niels
Published: November 2021

Background

Quarterly intramuscular injections with long‐acting testosterone undecanoate (TU) provide stable serum testosterone concentrations over time and are therefore preferred by many testosterone‐deficient patients. However, the use of long‐acting TU in elderly patients is limited due to lack of safety and feasibility studies.

Objective

To investigate long‐acting TU pharmacokinetics and assess differences in treatment regimens and risk of adverse outcomes in younger versus elderly testosterone‐deficient patients.

Materials and methods

Single‐center longitudinal observational study. Patients who initiated long‐acting TU treatment between 2005 and 2010 were included. Elderly patients were born before 1956 and younger patients between 1965 and 1985. TU dose was adjusted yearly through shortening or prolongation of time between injections. Treatment targets were as follows: (1) free testosterone between 0 and −1 SD from the age‐adjusted mean, (2) no symptoms of testosterone deficiency, and (3) hematocrit within the normal range.

Results

The study population consisted of 63 elderly and 63 younger patients. Median follow‐up time during testosterone replacement was 12.1 years. Increasing intervals between TU injections were performed 44% more often in the elderly compared to younger patients and time between TU injections were prolonged 4% more in the elderly patients. The hematocrit, as well as the hematocrit for a given serum testosterone (hematocrit: testosterone ratio), increased with treatment time but did not differ between age groups. During follow‐up, 40% of patients—both elderly and younger—experienced polycythemia. Risk of polycythemia did not differ with age.

Discussion and conclusion

An increased number of adjustments of TU dose are necessary in elderly patients in order to reach treatment targets. TU treatment in elderly testosterone‐deficient patients is not associated with an increased risk of polycythemia compared to younger patients if age‐adjusted treatment targets are reached.
Effect of childhood obesity on admissions for respiratory disease
Authors: Ogino Jayme , Basravi Sunniya , Salazar Adler , Chan Randall Y.
Published: November 2021

Aim

The purpose of this study was to assess for an association between higher body mass index and disease severity, morbidity and mortality in children admitted for an acute respiratory distress and failure.

Methods

A single‐institution retrospective cross‐sectional study performed in the United States evaluating paediatric patients, 2–20 years of age, admitted for diagnoses related to acute respiratory distress and acute respiratory failure. Main outcomes include disease severity as assessed using the respiratory component of the Paediatric Early Warning Score (PEWS) with adjustment for altered mental status (Resp‐PEWS + AMS), hospital or intensive care length of stay (LOS) and death.

Results

Children with obesity made up 42/334 (13%) of the cohort. There was no significant difference in Resp‐PEWS + AMS between obese and non‐obese cohorts (mean of 0.93, {standard deviation 1.11} vs. 1.13 {1.35}, range 0–6, rank sum p = 0.46). There was no significant difference in overall hospital LOS or intensive care LOS. Multivariate analysis including diagnosis as a control variable did not change the results.

Conclusion

We found that body habitus was not an independent factor for illness severity or clinical outcomes.
The epistemic politics of “northern‐led” humanitarianism: Case of Lebanon
Authors: Carpi Estella
Published: November 2021

This paper examines the epistemic politics of hegemonic humanitarianism by building on agnotology theories. I unpack the idea of “professional authority” with the purpose of showing how the Global North's humanitarian agencies thrive on both a technocratic and an unpredictability approach. This epistemic politics is used to absolve humanitarianism of its failures and to blame “Southern” politics and technical deficiencies in the Global South.
Practising comparative urbanism: Methods and consequences
Authors: Brill Frances
Published: November 2021

This paper addresses methodological approaches to comparative urban geography and the consequences of such approaches. It demonstrates three ways by which an imaginative comparison can be constructed and employed: letting the sites speak to one another, repeated instance analysis, and tracing. Successfully employing these methods requires adopting comparison as both an implicit ethos and explicit approach during data collection and analysis, answering “why is it different here?” Reflecting on the impact of utilising comparative approaches, I argue that comparative urbanism helps balance the unique and ubiquitous conclusions from research, and forces researchers to question the norms or assumptions they hold from doing singular case study research, which in turn foregrounds the situational nature of urban governance in analysis. In the specifics of this paper, it also helps uncover assumptions around the power of state and reveals (some) global elite urban networks.
Arrested versus active silica diagenesis reaction boundaries—A review of seismic diagnostic criteria
Authors: Varkouhi Shahab , Cartwright Joseph A. , Tosca Nicholas J. , Papineau Dominic
Published: November 2021

This paper evaluates previously proposed diagnostic criteria that can be used to determine whether or not there is active migration of the opal‐A to opal‐CT transition zone (TZA/CT). The criteria are based on the interpretation of 2D and 3D seismic surveys and are therefore geometrical. They involve an assessment of the relationship of the TZA/CT with polygonal fault systems, differential compaction structures and tectonic folds. The most robust evidence for an inactive ‘reaction front’ between opal‐A and opal‐CT bearing sediments is the discordance of the TZA/CT relative to present‐day isotherms. Any of these may be persuasive as diagnostic criteria for the upward arrest of the diagenetic transformation at a regional scale, but actual truncation of the TZA/CT at the modern seabed is definitive for arrested diagenesis. This study argues that diagenetic assessment based solely on a single criterion independently is not reliable as an indicator for the current state of a silica transition. As a conclusion, the analysed seismic/structural criteria should be synthesised to provide a more credible interpretation for silica diagenesis. The use of modern 2D and 3D seismic data for the reconstruction of the diagenetic history of opaline silica bearing sediments offers a new approach to the study of silica diagenesis at a regional scale.
Moving and resisting Lean: Saskatchewan’s contested implementation of Lean healthcare
Authors: Leifso Justin
Published: November 2021

This article considers the complexities of how policy moves across jurisdictional and sectoral boundaries by examining how Lean Management was introduced into Saskatchewan’s healthcare system. In 2012, the government of Saskatchewan retained a management consulting firm to “transform” the province’s healthcare system using Lean Management. Over subsequent months and years, the consulting firm and provincial government worked to reconstitute the province’s healthcare system, which became the focal point of public debate in the province. This article explores the complexities of how Lean Management arrived in Saskatchewan, how it was translated to address “waste” in the province, and how resistance to its deployment shaped its mobilization in future settings.
Medullary thyroid cancer with ectopic Cushing's syndrome: A multicentre case series
Authors: Koehler Viktoria F. , Fuss Carmina T. , Berr Christina M. , Frank‐Raue Karin , Raue Friedhelm , Hoster Eva , Hepprich Matthias , Christ Emanuel , Pusl Thomas , Reincke Martin , Spitzweg Christine , Kroiss Matthias ,   The German Study Group for Rare Malignant Tumours of the Thyroid and Parathyroid Glands
Published: November 2021

Objective

Ectopic Cushing′s syndrome (ECS) induced by medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is rare, and data on clinical characteristics, treatment and outcome are limited.

Design

Retrospective cohort study in three German and one Swiss referral centres.

Patients

Eleven patients with MTC and occurrence of ECS and 22 matched MTC patients without ECS were included.

Measurements

The primary endpoint of this study was the overall survival (OS) in MTC patients with ECS versus 1:2 matched MTC patients without ECS.

Results

The median age at diagnosis of ECS was 59 years (range: 35–81) and the median time between initial diagnosis of MTC and diagnosis of ECS was 29 months (range: 0–193). Median serum morning cortisol was 49 µg/dl (range: 17–141, normal range: 6.2–18). Eight (73%) patients received treatment for ECS. Treatment of ECS consisted of bilateral adrenalectomy (BADX) in four (36%) patients and adrenostatic treatment in eight (73%) patients. One patient received treatment with multityrosine kinase inhibitor (MKI) to control hypercortisolism. All patients experienced complete resolution of symptoms of Cushing's syndrome and biochemical control of hypercortisolism. Patients with ECS showed a shorter median OS of 87 months (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 64–111) than matched controls (190 months, 95% CI: 95–285). Of the nine deaths, four were related to progressive disease (PD). Four patients showed PD as well as complications and comorbidities of hypercortisolism before death.

Conclusion

This study shows that ECS occurs in advanced stage MTC and is associated with a poor prognosis. Adrenostatic treatment and BADX were effective systemic treatment options in patients with MTC and ECS to control their hypercortisolism. MKI treatment achieved complete remission of hypercortisolism and sustained tumour control in one treated case.
Raised mortality in old adults with a history of hyperthyroidism following iodine fortification
Authors: Riis Johannes , Andersen Stine L. , Gade Gustav V. , Danielsen Mathias B. , Jorgensen Martin G. , Carlé Allan , Torp‐Pedersen Christian , Andersen Stig
Published: November 2021

Objective

A transient rise in the occurrence of hyperthyroidism ensued the introduction of iodine fortification (IF) of salt in Denmark. Older adults are at risk of complications to hyperthyroidism that could prove fatal to vulnerable individuals. We evaluated the association between thyroid function and mortality in older adults before and after nationwide implementation of IF.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Patients

All 68‐year‐olds from the general population in the city of Randers were invited to participate in a clinical study in 1988 and followed until death, emigration or end of study (31 December 2017) using Danish registries.

Measurements

Baseline measures comprised of a questionnaire, physical examination and blood and urine samples. Kaplan–Meier survival curves and Cox regression were used to determine the association between thyroid function and death before and after IF. Time‐stratification of results before and after IF was employed due to violation of proportional hazards assumptions in Cox regression.

Results

Median urinary iodine concentration was 42 µg/L at baseline consistent with moderate iodine deficiency. Hyperthyroidism (thyrotropin < 0.4 mIU/L) occurred in 37 (9.1%) participants. Kaplan–Meier survival curves showed an increase in mortality among participants with hyperthyroidism after IF. There was no significant association between hyperthyroidism and mortality before IF compared to euthyroid participants, but after IF hyperthyroid subjects had an increased mortality (adjusted hazard ratio: 2.22, 95% confidence interval: 1.44–3.44).

Conclusions

IF was associated with raised mortality among older adults with a history of hyperthyroidism and moderate iodine deficiency. Our results highlight the need for cautious iodine supplementation and for monitoring of IF.
A randomised clinical trial of single or extended dosing ciprofloxacin versus no intervention for prevention of ventilation tube otorrhoea and obstruction (PreVenTO2)
Authors: Wang Luke Chenkan , Phyland Debra Jean , Giddings Charles Edward
Published: November 2021

Objectives

To determine the effectiveness of ciprofloxacin .3% antibiotic eardrops in preventing clinically significant postoperative otorrhoea and tube obstruction following grommet insertion in children.

Design

Three‐arm parallel assessor‐blinded randomised controlled trial. Randomisation in 1: 1: 1 ratio to single intraoperative application of ciprofloxacin drops, extended 5 day postoperative application and no drops. Patients were assessed by blinded assessors at 6 weeks postoperatively.

Setting

The study was conducted in a large tertiary health network in Melbourne, Australia.

Participants

All children, 17 years and under, undergoing bilateral middle ear ventilation tube surgery with or without concurrent upper airway surgery for recurrent acute otitis media and chronic otitis media with effusion were approached.

Main outcome measures

Presence of postoperative otorrhoea and ventilation tube obstruction at 6 weeks postoperatively.

Results

Two‐hundred and fifty‐six paediatric patients completed the study with a median age of 4.02 years. One‐hundred and fifty‐three participants were male. Ear analysis (n = 512) showed intraoperative antibiotics were more effective than no drops in preventing otorrhoea (RR = .341, 95% CI .158–.738, NNT =11.25, p = .006). Postoperative antibiotics were more effective than no drops in preventing ventilation tube obstruction (RR = .424, 95% CI .193 to .930, NNT =14.7, p = .032).

Conclusion

Intraoperative topical ciprofloxacin was effective at preventing early postoperative otorrhoea, and a prolonged course was effective at preventing ventilation tube obstruction. Future studies on this topic should seek to clarify whether particular subgroups of patients benefit more from prophylactic topical antibiotics and model for cost‐effectiveness.
The use of ileal pouch–anal anastomosis in patients with ulcerative colitis from 2009 to 2018
Authors: Kröner Paul T. , Merchea Amit , Colibaseanu Dorin , Picco Michael F. , Farraye Francis A. , Stocchi Luca
Published: November 2021

Aim

The existing literature was updated, assessing the use of surgery in patients with ulcerative colitis in more recent years.

Methods

This was a retrospective observational study identifying all patients with ulcerative colitis within the National Inpatient Sample, years 2009–2018. All patients with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth and Tenth Revisions, Clinical Modification diagnostic codes for ulcerative colitis were included. The primary outcome was the trend in total number of total abdominal colectomy, proctocolectomy and simultaneous versus delayed pouch construction.

Results

A total of 1 184 711 ulcerative‐colitis‐related admissions were identified. An increase of 18.6% in the number of patients was observed, while the number of surgeries decreased. A total of 40 499 patients underwent total colectomy, annually decreasing from 5241 to 3185. The number of proctocolectomies without pouch decreased from 1191 to 530, while the number of patients undergoing pouch construction decreased from 2225 to 1284. The proportion of patients undergoing initial pouch at time of proctocolectomy decreased from 995 (45%) to 265 (21%), while the proportion of patients undergoing delayed pouch construction in 2018 was 79% (n = 1120).

Conclusion

Surgery use in ulcerative colitis has decreased in the last decade despite increasing numbers of hospital admissions in patients with this condition. While the overall proportion of patients undergoing pouch construction remained stable, the majority of patients were initially treated with total colectomy and their ileal pouches werre constructed in a delayed fashion.
Graft‐versus‐host disease‐associated angiomatosis with striking lipomatous metaplasia
Authors: Llamas‐Velasco Mar , Muñoz‐Aceituno Ester , Sánchez‐Pérez Javier , Camarero‐Mulas Celia , Fraga Javier , Aragüés Maximiliano
Published: November 2021

Sclerodermatous graft‐versus‐host disease (GvHD) is one of the many clinicopathological variants of chronic GvHD. One of the rarest forms of this variant is GvHD‐associated angiomatosis (GvHD‐AA). We describe the case of a 62‐year‐old male with sclerodermatous GvHD who presented, in consecutive years, two different lesions that showed characteristics of GvHD‐AA. The first lesion fitted perfectly with the previously known features of this rare entity. However, the second lesion was more interesting, as the angiomatoid lesion was surrounded by newly appeared adipocytes, something not previously described. The appearance of this peculiar adipose tissue may be explained as related to an important dermal atrophy, as a concomitant appearance of a lipomatous nevus and GvHD‐AA, or, finally, as mature adipose tissue related to a previous inflammatory process, that is, lipomatous metaplasia. Both lesions were diagnosed as GvHD‐AA, and the second one was considered to be associated with dermal lipomatous metaplasia. We also considered whether hypoxia could be related to both lesions. In the present report, we review previously published cases of GvHD‐AA and discuss the different hypotheses that could explain the appearance of metaplasia associated with the second lesion.
Measuring Judicial Sentiment: Methods and Application to US Circuit Courts
Authors: Ash Elliott , Chen Daniel L. , Galletta Sergio
Published: November 2021

This paper provides a general method for analysing the sentiments expressed in the language of judicial rulings. We apply natural language processing tools to the text of US appellate court opinions to extrapolate judges’ sentiments (positive/good vs. negative/bad) towards a number of target social groups. We explore descriptively how these sentiments vary over time and across types of judges. In addition, we provide a method for using random assignment of judges in an instrumental variables framework to estimate causal effects of judges’ sentiments. In an empirical application, we show that more positive sentiment influences future judges by increasing the likelihood of reversal but also increasing the number of forward citations.