bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Kisspeptin System and Menarcheal Age as Predictors of Primary Female Infertility: A Case-Control Study Among Nigerian Women
Authors: Okafor Izuchukwu Azuka , Saanu Oluseun Olugbenga , Olayemi Oladapo , Omigbodun Akinyinka O.
Published: July 2024

Background

The Kisspeptin system plays a critical regulatory role in female reproductive functions. However, its role is not yet investigated in primary female infertility (PFI).

Materials and Methods

This is a case-control study of consenting primarily infertile (54) and fertile (50) Nigerian females aged between 20 and 44 years who sought consult at University College Hospital, Ibadan. Basic clinical and demographic data were obtained from the participants using a clinical proforma. Five ml of blood were collected by venepuncture for kisspeptin, KISS1, and KISS1R gene expression analysis within the plasma using ELISA and RT-qPCR techniques. The menarcheal age and BMI of the cases and controls were also investigated as possible predictors of PFI.

Result

There was no significant change in the relative expression of Kisspeptin, KISS1, and KISS1R genes (p>0.05) in the plasma of the primarily infertile women (PIW) compared to the fertile women (FW). PIW with early menarche showed a significantly lower level of Kisspeptin compared to PIW with normal menarche (p=0.03). Plasma Kisspeptin levels in PIW showed a weak negative correlation (r = −.305; p=0.039) and a good predictive model for KISS1 gene expression (p=0.001; r=0.458). There was a significant difference in KISS1 gene expression in PIW when compared based on their menarcheal age categories (p=0.04).

Conclusion

Kisspeptin levels, KISS1, and KISS1R gene expression levels in the blood may not be useful for diagnosing PFI. However, menarcheal age should be investigated as an additional diagnostic indicator for PFI.
Exploring the power of MRI and clinical measures in predicting Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology
Authors: Kamal Farooq , Morrison Cassandra , Oliver Michael D. , Dadar Mahsa
Published: July 2024

Background

The ability to predict Alzheimer’s disease (AD) before diagnosis is a topic of intense research. Early diagnosis would aid in improving treatment and intervention options, however, there are no current methods that can accurately predict AD years in advance. This study examines a novel machine learning approach that integrates the combined effects of vascular (white matter hyperintensities, WMHs), and structural brain changes (gray matter, GM) with clinical factors (cognitive status) to predict post-mortem neuropathological outcomes.

Methods

Healthy older adults, participants with mild cognitive impairment, and AD from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative dataset with both post-mortem neuropathology data and antemortem MRI and clinical data were included. Longitudinal data were analyzed across three intervals before death (post-mortem data): 0-4 years, 4-8 years, and 8-14 years. Additionally, cross-sectional data at the last visit or interval (within four years, 0-4 years) before death were also examined. Machine learning models including gradient boosting, bagging, support vector regression, and linear regression were implemented. These models were applied towards feature selection of the top seven MRI, clinical, and demographic data to identify the best performing set of variables that could predict postmortem neuropathology outcomes (i.e., neurofibrillary tangles, neuritic plaques, diffuse plaques, senile/amyloid plaques, and amyloid angiopathy).

Results

A total of 94 participants (55-90 years of age) were included in the study. At last visit, the best-performing model included total and temporal lobe WMHs and achievedr=0.87(RMSE=0.62) during cross-validation for neuritic plaques. For longitudinal assessments across different intervals, the best-performing model included regional GM (i.e., hippocampus, amygdala, caudate) and frontal lobe WMH and achievedr=0.93(RMSE=0.59) during cross-validation for neurofibrillary tangles. For MRI and clinical predictors and clinical-only predictors,t-tests demonstrated significant differences at all intervals before death (t[-13.60-7.90],p-values<0.001). Overall, post-mortem neuropathology outcome were predicted up to 14 years before death with high accuracies (∼90%).

Conclusions

Prediction accuracy was higher for post-mortem neuropathology outcomes that included MRI (WMHs, GM) and clinical features compared to clinical-only features. These findings highlight that MRI features are critical to successfully predict AD-related pathology years in advance which will improve participant selection for clinical trials, treatments, and intervention options.
Sex-specific GABAergic microcircuits that switch vulnerability into resilience to stress and reverse the effects of chronic stress exposure
Authors: Jiang Tong , Feng Mengyang , Hutsell Alexander , Luscher Bernhard
Published: July 2024

Clinical and preclinical studies have identified somatostatin (SST)-positive interneurons as key elements that regulate the vulnerability to stress-related psychiatric disorders. Conversely, disinhibition of SST neurons in mice results in resilience to the behavioral effects of chronic stress. Here we established a low-dose chronic chemogenetic protocol to map these changes in positively and negatively motivated behaviors to specific brain regions. AAV-hM3Dq mediated chronic activation of SST neurons in the prelimbic cortex (PLC) had antidepressant drug-like effects on anxiety- and anhedonia-like motivated behaviors in male but not female mice. Analogous manipulation of the ventral hippocampus (vHPC) had such effects in female but not male mice. Moreover, activation of SST neurons in the PLC of male and the vHPC of female mice resulted in stress resilience. Activation of SST neurons in the PLC reversed prior chronic stress-induced defects in motivated behavior in males but was ineffective in females. Conversely, activation of SST neurons in the vHPC reversed chronic stress-induced behavioral alterations in females but not males. Quantitation of c-Fos+and FosB+neurons in chronic stress-exposed mice revealed that chronic activation of SST neurons leads to a paradoxical increase in pyramidal cell activity. Collectively, these data demonstrate that GABAergic microcircuits driven by dendrite targeting interneurons enable sex- and brain-region-specific neural plasticity that promotes stress resilience and reverses stress-induced anxiety- and anhedonia-like motivated behavior. Our studies provide a mechanistic rationale for antidepressant efficacy of dendrite-targeting, low-potency GABAAreceptor agonists, independent of sex and despite striking sex differences in the relevant brain substrates.
Relaxed selection can speed the evolution of complex adaptations
Authors: Draghi Jeremy , Ogbunugafor C. Brandon , Zaman Luis , Parsons Todd L.
Published: July 2024

Natural selection drives adaptive evolution and removes deleterious mutations; these effects are countervailing when a complex adaptation requires mutations that are initially deleterious when they arise, but beneficial in combination. While many models of this dynamic consider how genetic drift or other influences can aid valley crossing by weakening selection, we lack a general, analytical treatment of when relaxed selection might speed this type of adaptation. Here we use simulation and analysis to show that relaxed selection is generally favorable for valley-crossing when adaptive pathways require more than a single deleterious step. We also demonstrate that spatial heterogeneity in selection pressures could, by relaxing selection, allow populations to cross valleys much more rapidly than expected. These results relate to several applications of evolutionary theory to complex systems ranging from host-pathogen evolution to search algorithms in computer science.
RNA biogenesis and RNA metabolism factors as R-loop suppressors: a hidden role in genome integrity
Authors: Luna Rosa , Gómez-González Belén , Aguilera Andrés
Published: July 2024

Genome integrity relies on the accuracy of DNA metabolism, but as appreciated for more than four decades, transcription enhances mutation and recombination frequencies. More recent research provided evidence for a previously unforeseen link between RNA and DNA metabolism, which is often related to the accumulation of DNA–RNA hybrids and R-loops. In addition to physiological roles, R-loops interfere with DNA replication and repair, providing a molecular scenario for the origin of genome instability. Here, we review current knowledge on the multiple RNA factors that prevent or resolve R-loops and consequent transcription–replication conflicts and thus act as modulators of genome dynamics.
Magnetic corrections to the QCD coupling: Strong field approximation
Authors: Fernández Gabriela , Hernández L. A. , Zamora R.
Published: July 2024

We compute the one-loop vertex function of the QCD coupling in the presence of an ultraintense magnetic field. From the vertex function, we extract the effective coupling and show that it grows with increasing magnetic field. We consider the quark-gluon vertex and the three-gluon vertex, accounting for the propagators of charged particles within the loops using the lowest Landau level approximation in order to satisfy the condition where the magnetic field is the largest energy scale. Under this approximation, we find that the contribution from the three-gluon vertex vanishes. Therefore, this result arises from the competition between the color charge associated to gluons and to quarks as well, with the former being larger than the latter. The behavior of the QCD coupling as a function of the magnetic field strength is analogous to that exhibited by the light-quark condensate, indicating the magnetic catalysis occurs. This increasing behavior stems from the dominant contribution of color charge associated to gluons in the vertex function.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Physical Running of Couplings in Quadratic Gravity
Authors: Buccio Diego , Donoghue John F. , Menezes Gabriel , Percacci Roberto
Published: July 2024

We argue that the well-known beta functions of quadratic gravity do not correspond to the physical dependence of scattering amplitudes on external momenta, and derive the correct physical beta functions. Asymptotic freedom turns out to be compatible with the absence of tachyons.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Shaping the future of work: how labour market intermediaries (LMIs) use institutional work to transition to triadic, project-based employment relationships
Authors: Schneider Anna
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This paper identifies how the operations of labour market intermediaries (LMIs) transform dyadic employment relationships into triadic ones. It reveals the change dynamics that LMIs engage in to bring about this transformation and that contribute to the projectification of work.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on an institutional-work lens and using interview data from both TempX, a German-based staffing service provider, and its client organizations, the analytical framework details the dynamics by which LMIs appropriate various HR tasks and different labour-market-organizing roles and thus create these triadic employment relationships.

Findings

TempX assumes a powerful position between its client organizations and workers by increasingly taking over HR tasks from its client organizations, alternating between profiting from market transactions and engaging as a buyer and seller of labour. This powerful position, gradually created through four distinct, sequential, institutional work dynamics, allows it to transform dyadic employment relationships into triadic ones and to promote project-based work.

Originality/value

By showing how LMIs capitalize on the multiple services they offer, and how they use these services to establish a powerful position in both the labour market and in their relations with client organizations, this paper contributes to research on how LMIs change their institutional environment. Second, by showing that LMIs switch between different labour-market organizing roles and HR tasks, this paper reveals how essential this switching is for LMIs to establish triadic employment relationships and to drive the projectification of work, and thus it also contributes to research on LMIs’ role in the projectification of work.
Different factors affecting the real estate market in the Egyptian context
Authors: Mustafa Nada A. , Hassan Ghada Farouk , Elrefaie Mohab Abdel Moneim , Afifi Samy
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Real estate projects are capital-intensive and deeply intertwined with economic factors, making them subject to various influences besides local housing needs. This paper aims to comprehensively understand the dynamics of the Egyptian real estate market, examining real estate cycles, driving factors and their correlation and scale of impact.

Design/methodology/approach

The study conducts a literature review to explore real estate cycles and their driving factors, along with the relationship between real estate and macroeconomic cycles. It then delves into the dynamics of the Egyptian real estate market, followed by a time series analysis that incorporates five key indicators: economic indicator, demand indicator, supply indicator, capital flow indicator and cost indicator over a 12-year interval (2012–2023), to examine short-term cycle factors, followed by correlation and multi-linear regression analysis to elucidate interrelations among these factors.

Findings

Through measuring and comparing the prementioned indicators with different economic and social events, the study paints a comprehensive picture of the macroeconomic environment and the real estate cycle in Egypt. Where demand has been found to be more sensitive and directly affected by macroeconomic factors than the supply. With the economic factor as the factor with the highest impact, especially in times of economic fluctuations, the impact has been immediate and short-term. These findings support the idea that the demand in Egypt is speculative, laying a threat of longer recession periods in the long term and having greater and more direct impact.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the understanding of the Egyptian real estate market by integrating insights from real estate cycles, macroeconomics and specific market dynamics. The application of time series, correlation and multi-linear regression analysis provides a nuanced understanding of the interplay between several factors shaping the real estate cycle. Ultimately, the findings offer valuable insights for decision-makers involved in urban development planning, facilitating more informed and precise decision-making processes.
AI-enabled chatbots healthcare systems: an ethical perspective on trust and reliability
Authors: Basharat Iqra , Shahid Subhan
Published: July 2024

Purpose

The primary objective of this study is to investigate the ethical implications of deploying AI-enabled chatbots in the healthcare sector. In addition, the research underscores trust and reliability as critical factors in addressing the ethical challenges associated with these chatbots.

Design/methodology/approach

This study takes a qualitative approach, conducting 13 semi-structured interviews with a diverse range of participants, including patients, healthcare professionals, academic researchers, ethicists, and legal experts. This broad spectrum of perspectives ensures a comprehensive understanding of the ethical implications of AI-enabled chatbots in healthcare. The rich exploratory data gathered from these interviews is then analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings

The findings of this study are highly significant in the context of AI-enabled healthcare chatbots. They highlight four major themes: developing trust, ensuring reliability, ethical considerations, and potential ethical implications. The interconnectedness of these themes forms a coherent narrative, highlighting the pivotal role of trust and reliability in mitigating ethical issues.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the existing literature on AI-enabled healthcare chatbots. It not only reveals potential ethical concerns associated with these technologies, such as data security, patient privacy, bias, and accountability, but it also places a significant emphasis on trust and reliability as critical elements that can boost user confidence and engagement in using AI-enabled chatbots for healthcare advice.
Research on closed-loop supply chain decision-making of power battery echelon utilization under the scenario of trade-in
Authors: Tang Cancan , Hou Qiang , He Tianhui
Published: July 2024

Purpose

The management issues of this article, and the author is attempting to address these issues, are as follows: What is the optimal decision of each entity in the closed-loop supply chain for the cascading utilization of power batteries under three government measures: no subsidies, subsidies and rewards and punishments? How do different measures affect the process of cascading the utilization of power batteries? Which measures will help incentivize cascading utilization and battery recycling efforts?

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses game analysis methods to study the optimal decisions of various stakeholders in the supply chain under the conditions of subsidies, non-subsidies and reward and punishment policies. The impact of various parameters on the returns of game entities is tested through Matlab numerical simulation.

Findings

The analysis discovered that each party in the supply chain will see an increase in earnings if the government boosts trade-in subsidies, which means that the degree of recycling efforts of each entity will also increase; under the condition with subsidies, the recycling efforts and echelon utilization rates of each stakeholder are higher than those under the incentive and punishment measure. In terms of the power battery echelon’s closed-loop supply chain incentive, the subsidy policy exceeds the reward and punishment policy.

Originality/value

The article takes the perspective of differential games and considers the dynamic process of exchanging old for new, providing important value for the practice of using old for new behavior in the closed-loop supply chain of power battery cascading utilization.
Linking business analytics capability and sustainability performance: the mediating role of circular economy implementation
Authors: Tetteh Francis Kamewor , Atiki Gabriel , Kyeremeh Andrews , Degbe Francisca Delali , Apanye Prosper
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Though business analytics capability continues to attract considerable industrial and scholarly attention, its holistic performance implications, especially in the post-COVID-19 period, have not been fully understood. Thus, there have been calls for a full understanding of the implications of BAC for achieving holistic, sustainable outcomes among firms. This study therefore examines the influence of BAC on the three dimensions of sustainable performance. We also proposed the mediating role of circular economy implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

We tested the proposed model using survey data from 246 managers of manufacturing firms in Ghana. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was employed to validate the model.

Findings

Our findings showed that BAC significantly enhances both sustainable performance and circular economy implementation. We also found a significant association between CEI and sustainable performance. We further found significant partial mediation of CEI in the BAC sustainable performance nexus.

Practical implications

Our study offers thoughtful insights for managers, policymakers and the academic community that firms should simultaneously implement circular models alongside building analytics competencies in the quest to achieve balanced performance outcomes.

Originality/value

To the best of our knowledge, our study is among the very few attempts to understand the mechanism that channels the benefits of BAC for a holistic, sustainable outcome.
Learning beyond borders: lifelong learning and learning culture in Islamic institutions in the pursuit of quality education
Authors: Rushami Zien Nur Hanisfatin , Abu Bakar Nurul Azma , Saad Rohaizah
Published: July 2024

Purpose

The concept of lifelong learning and learning culture in education generally refers to the continuous acquisition of knowledge and skills throughout one's life, extending beyond formal education while learning culture is the creation of learning opportunities, resources and support systems that empower individuals to continuously enhance their knowledge and skills. Lifelong learning and a learning culture contribute significantly to the realization of SDG 4 by promoting inclusive, equitable and quality education that prepares individuals for a lifetime of learning and adaptation in a changing world. This paper aims to identify the level of understanding of school’s community regarding these concepts and measuring the implementation level and readiness of primary schools across Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

Employing a mixed-methods approach, the initial qualitative phase involved interviewing teachers to know their level of understanding regarding the concept of lifelong learning and learning culture. The subsequent quantitative phase assessed the readiness and implementation level of 35 primary schools across Malaysia.

Findings

An interview that been done has successfully collected the viewpoints of teachers about lifelong learning and learning culture. A survey administered to primary schools affiliated with the MUSLEH organization affirmed the readiness and implementation level of schools in which it was found that most of the schools has high degree of awareness and understanding regarding the significance of the concepts to be implemented in the education system.

Originality/value

This study's contributions extend beyond academia, offering insights for educators and policymakers alike. The findings can inform education ministries, curriculum developers and stakeholders, aiding them in providing substantial support to educators aligning with the principles of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
Design of sustainable bituminous concrete pavement with cement–treated granular layers constructed on stabilized subgrade
Authors: Uppuluri Siva Rama Krishna , Chaudhary Yatin , H. Badiger Mohan , Turumella Vijaya Gowri , S. Krishna Rao , E. Keerthana
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Designing a sustainable bituminous concrete with long-term performance is a challenging problem. In addition, strength of the subgrade has a crucial impact on pavement design. This paper aims to concentrate on subgrade soil stabilization with granite dust powder (GDP) and crumb rubber powder (CRP) to improve the engineering properties of the soil. Further design of bituminous concrete pavement with cement-treated layers in base and subbase course layers was carried out with life cycle cost analysis and life cycle assessment for 1 km of a four-lane national highway.

Design/methodology/approach

Subgrade soil stabilized with GDP and CRP is characterized as per Indian Standards (IS)-2720 to determine the optimum dosage. Further, the mechanistic-empirical pavement design was carried out using Indian Road Congress-37 (2018), analyzed using IITPAVE software and validated with ANSYS software. The life cycle cost analysis is carried out using the net present value method, and the life cycle assessment is performed according to the cradle-to-grave approach.

Findings

A soil mix comprising 10% GDP and 2.5% CRP yielded a soaked California bearing ratio value of 6.58%. In addition, the design of bituminous concrete pavement with cement-treated granular layers showed a 26.9% reduction in life cycle cost and 59.4% reduction in total carbon footprint per kilometer compared to the pavement with traditional aggregate layers.

Originality/value

The research on subgrade stabilization with sustainable materials like GDP and CRP incorporating mechanistic empirical pavement design, life cycle cost analysis and life cycle assessment is limited. Overall, the study recommends the use of GDP and CRP to stabilize soil for subgrade application and incorporate cement-treated granular layers, which offer economic and environmental benefits compared to traditional pavement construction.
Trust in the Police: What is to be Done?
Authors: Bradford Ben , Jackson Jonathan
Published: July 2024

Trust in the police in England and Wales has diminished steadily over the past decade. Police still enjoy levels of trust that other some institutions might envy, so calling this a crisis risks over‐statement. Yet, declining trust and intense media, political and social pressure on police—symbolised by a number of high‐profile instances of police failure and malpractice—certainly makes many working in and around policing feel like it is a crisis. And trust has gone down; action is needed to protect the idea of policing by consent, the bedrock ideology that underpins British policing. In this article, we review some potential solutions to declining trust, while also acknowledging some costs and difficulties. We close by noting that, despite its importance, public trust is not enough to ensure ‘good policing’, and that more is needed in terms of transparency, accountability and governance.
Income change and sympathy for right‐wing populist parties in the Netherlands: The role of gender and income inequality within households
Authors: Roll Yoav , De Graaf Nan Dirk
Published: July 2024

The global rise of right‐wing populist [RWP] parties presents a major political concern. RWP parties' voters tend to be citizens who have either experienced or fear economic deprivation. Income change constitutes a viable measure of this deprivation. However, previous contributions examining effects of income change on support for RWP parties have yielded diverging conclusions. This paper challenges previous findings by incorporating considerations of gender and within‐household inequality. We hypothesise a negative relationship between, on the one hand, personal and household income change and, on the other hand, sympathy towards RWP parties. Furthermore, we expect to find a stronger association between personal income change and RWP sympathy among men. Moreover, we expect the relationship between household income change and RWP sympathy to differ between genders. Finally, we hypothesise that this gender disparity can be interpreted by considering who contributes most to the household income. All these hypotheses are grounded in gender socialisation and economic dominance theories. Analysing Dutch LISS longitudinal data spanning from 2007 to 2021 (N = 7,801, n = 43,954) through fixed‐effects multilevel linear regression models enables us to address various competing explanations. It appears that only for men, personal income change is negatively linked with sympathies towards RWP parties. However, considering who is the highest earner within households reveals that women are also affected by their personal income change if they earn the highest income. For both men and women, household income change is negatively linked with sympathies towards RWP parties. These results lend partial support to both the socialisation and economic dominance theories. The implications of these findings are discussed.
The effect of price and assortment of local products on store performance: An agent‐based modelling approach
Authors: Ge Houtian , Gómez Miguel I. , Richards Timothy J.
Published: July 2024

Retail distribution is essential for the growth of markets for local food. While online direct‐to‐consumer and local food hubs are becoming more sophisticated, the largest market for local foods remains the traditional intermediation (retailing) sector. We develop an agent‐based model to simulate the expansion, growth and profitability of retailers offering local foods across a landscape populated by consumers and competing retailers. We design a series of experiments to examine how changes in prices and assortment that include local and non‐local options in the fresh produce category impact store market share and profitability. We validate the model, and conduct our experiments, using household fresh produce expenditures data from a retail food‐delivery business in the Mid‐Atlantic region of the US. We find that retailers offering a larger assortment of local foods are able to sustain higher basket‐average retail prices and exhibit higher long‐run profits in comparison to retailers that do not carry local options. These results underscore the importance of local foods in a food retailer's price and assortment strategy. The key implication is that retailers need to be conscious not only of the breadth but also of the quality of their assortment in their pricing strategies.
Do rheumatic diseases, long‐term glucocorticoids, and immunosuppressant treatment, and vaccination impact the COVID‐19 severity? Insight from a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Ma Yi , Wei Chang , Yi Zixi , Song Zaiwei , Cheng Yinchu , Zeng Lin , Zhao Rongsheng , Mu Rong
Published: July 2024

Objectives

The impact of rheumatic diseases, long‐term medication, and vaccination on COVID‐19 severity remain insufficiently understood, hindering effective patient management. This study aims to investigate factors influencing COVID‐19 severity in Chinese rheumatic patients and to provide real‐world evidence for patient care.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective observational study consisting of two cohorts, followed by a nested case–control analysis. The outpatient cohort included non‐severe COVID‐19 patients, while the inpatient cohort included consecutive severe COVID‐19 inpatients. Additionally, rheumatic patients from both cohorts were included for the nested case–control study. Clinical information was obtained from electronic medical records and surveys.

Results

A total of 749 outpatients and 167 inpatients were enrolled. In the outpatient cohort, rheumatic diseases were identified as a risk factor for the severity of dyspnea (No rheumatic disease: OR = 0.577, 95% CI = 0.396–0.841, p = .004), but not for mortality, length of hospitalization, or hospitalization costs in the inpatient cohort. Long‐term glucocorticoids use was identified as an independent risk factor for severity of dyspnea in rheumatic patients (OR = 1.814, 95% CI = 1.235–2.663, p = .002), while vaccination and immunosuppressant treatment showed no association. Vaccination was identified as a protective factor against hospitalization due to COVID‐19 in patients with rheumatic diseases (OR = 0.031, 95% CI = 0.007–0.136, p < .001), whereas long‐term glucocorticoids and immunosuppressant treatment showed no association.

Conclusions

Rheumatic diseases and long‐term glucocorticoids use are significant risk factors for COVID‐19 severity in the Chinese population, whereas emphasizing the protective effects of vaccines against COVID‐19 severity is crucial. Additionally, the investigation provides preliminary support for the concept that long‐term immunosuppressant therapy does not necessarily require additional prescription adjustments.
Challenges of parenting children born before 24 weeks of gestation
Authors: Pivodic Aldina , Hansson Malin , Löfqvist Chatarina , Sävman Karin , Elfvin Anders , Jacobson Lena , Dinkler Lisa , Hallberg Boubou , Ley David , Morsing Eva , Lundgren Pia , Gyllén Jenny , Pfeiffer‐Mosesson Carola , Hellström Ann
Published: July 2024

Aim

To assess experience of care, well‐being of parents and children's development in a cohort of extremely premature infants born <24 weeks of gestation in Sweden from 2007 to 2018.

Methods

A survey based on multiple questionnaires answered by 124/349 (35.5%) parents.

Results

The median age of parents and children was 43 and 9 years, respectively; 74.2% were mothers. Parents expressed high healthcare satisfaction. Following discharge from neonatal care, the satisfaction with the infant's treatment, support from personnel and being respected as a parent significantly declined but remained high. The criteria for suspected developmental deviation according to the screening test early symptomatic syndromes eliciting neurodevelopmental clinical examinations‐questionnaire was fulfilled by 84.3%, 55.6% had suspected avoidant restrictive food intake disorder and 47.9% had visual perception problems. Parents experienced severe fatigue (48.6%) despite strong social support and family self‐efficacy. Economic support was provided to 30.6%, and 37.9% of children were enrolled in habilitation services.

Conclusion

This study highlighted the substantial challenges faced by parents of infants born before 24 weeks of gestation, including decreased satisfaction post‐discharge, fatigue and concerns about children's well‐being. The findings underscore the need for comprehensive family‐centred support and long‐term multi‐professional follow‐up centres.
Editorial: Prediction of decompensation/death in advanced chronic liver disease with vWF: Non‐invasive vascular factors trump liver function
Authors: Peck‐Radosavljevic Markus , Hucke Florian
Published: July 2024

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Dominik et al paper. To view this article, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17945
Effect of bittern immersion on textural properties and water‐holding capacity in beef
Authors: Takada Shiho , Muramoto Takayuki
Published: July 2024

Hard meat has low market value; hence, we used bittern as a novel meat tenderizer for bovine M. semitendinosus, one of a hard muscle. We investigated the effects of beef immersion in bittern, a basic solution primarily comprising MgCl2, on textural properties and water‐holding capacity. Muscle samples from M. semitendinosus of Holstein steers were immersed in seven different solutions (RO, NaCl, MgCl2, red wine, pH 3, bittern, and pH 8) and heated at 80°C for 5min. The pH of the beef and immersion solutions, water‐holding capacity, and maximum load of the meat were measured. Although beef immersed in red wine (pH 3) had a lower pH and water‐holding capacity, that immersed in bittern (pH 8.4) had a higher pH and higher water holding capacity. These results indicate that immersion in acidic red wine may harden beef and that immersion in basic bittern may be more effective in maintaining water‐holding capacity and softening beef.
Environmental R&D risk choices with network externalities and emission tax in a differentiated duopoly
Authors: Zhang Weiwei , Li Hui , Li Dongdong
Published: July 2024

This paper investigates the optimal choice of firms’ environmental R&D (ER&D) risk in a duopoly market with network externalities and emission tax. Considering consumers’ expectations on the overall network size, we analyze two cases in our model: rational expectations and output commitments. The analysis shows that the ER&D risk increases with the intensity of network externalities and emission tax rate under both rational expectations and output commitments. We also find the ER&D risk is higher under output commitments than under rational expectations. Moreover, whether the private optimum is higher or lower than the social optimum depends on the relationship between the emission tax rate and the marginal environmental damage. Finally, the aforementioned conclusions remain unaffected by alterations in the manner in which competition is carried out, and the ER&D risk is higher under Bertrand competition than under Cournot competition.
A vitamin D‐based strategy overcomes chemoresistance in prostate cancer
Authors: Len‐Tayon Kateryna , Beraud Claire , Fauveau Clara , Belorusova Anna Y. , Chebaro Yassmine , Mouriño Antonio , Massfelder Thierry , Chauchereau Anne , Metzger Daniel , Rochel Natacha , Laverny Gilles
Published: July 2024

Background and purpose

Castration‐resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is a common male malignancy that requires new therapeutic strategies due to acquired resistance to its first‐line treatment, docetaxel. The benefits of vitamin D on prostate cancer (PCa) progression have been previously reported. This study aimed to investigate the effects of vitamin D on chemoresistance in CRPC.

Experimental approach

Structure function relationships of potent vitamin D analogues were determined. The combination of the most potent analogue and docetaxel was explored in chemoresistant primary PCa spheroids and in a xenograft mouse model derived from a patient with a chemoresistant CRPC.

Key results

Here, we show that Xe4MeCF3 is more potent than the natural ligand to induce vitamin D receptor (VDR) transcriptional activities and that it has a larger therapeutic window. Moreover, we demonstrate that VDR agonists restore docetaxel sensitivity in PCa spheroids. Importantly, Xe4MeCF3 reduces tumour growth in a chemoresistant CRPC patient‐derived xenograft. In addition, this treatment targets signalling pathways associated with cancer progression in the remaining cells.

Conclusion and implications

Taken together, these results unravel the potency of VDR agonists to overcome chemoresistance in CRPC and open new avenues for the clinical management of PCa.
Children's dark pictures—Societal critique in children's and young people's visual and verbal expressions about the UNCRC
Authors: Orrmalm Alex
Published: July 2024

This article focuses on what the author has termed children's ‘dark pictures’ to explore how children’ and young people express themselves visually and verbally about difficult issues—such as violence, death and trafficking. Two pictures created by children and young people about the UNCRC, and the interviews accompanying these pictures, are analysed as examples of the commonness of ‘dark’ issues emerging even when they are given assignments emphasising ‘lighter’ issues. The potential of children's and young people's dark pictures to comment on and challenge, how difficult issues are communicated with children by adults and society is explored with the help of socio‐cultural and relational approaches to pictures. The article proposes the notion of dark visuality to highlight the critical potential of children's and young people's engagement with darkness through visual means and propose that their expressions can be understood as societal critique.
Colour difference detection algorithm for warp‐knitted fabric based on image colour appearance model
Authors: Xie Guosheng , Xu Yang , Sheng Xiaowei , Jin Yike , Sun Yize
Published: July 2024

Detecting colour differences in warp‐knitting fabric is essential to ensure its quality. Machine vision algorithms are commonly used for automatic colour difference detection. However, the current algorithm directly extracts RGB (red, green, blue) colour stimulus values from the image without considering the image's colour attributes, leading to a significant error in colour difference detection. To solve this issue, a colour appearance model is introduced into the field of colour difference detection for warp‐knitted fabric. Initially, a colour appearance model based on CAM16 is established, and the critical parameters are calculated to obtain the colour appearance attribute of the fabric. The colour difference calculation formula is then constructed in the uniform colour space of CAM16‐UCS. A template selection algorithm based on principal component analysis was designed to select warp‐knitted cloth images with standard colours. Subsequently, a cloth colour difference detection algorithm was developed using the cloth colour profile model. The performance of the colour difference formula based on the colour profile model was evaluated using the PF/3 method. To compare the CIELab, CMC(2:1), and CIEDE2000 colour difference formulas, standardised residual sum of squares was used. The results indicated that the colour difference formula based on the colour‐appearance model is about 5.32% different from the visual colour difference perceived by the human eye. However, it can perform as well as the CMC(2:1) colour difference formula, which is widely used in the textile industry.
Protective effect of clusterin against interleukin‐1β‐induced apoptosis and inflammation in human knee osteoarthritis chondrocytes
Authors: Ungsudechachai Tachatra , Jittikoon Jiraphun , Honsawek Sittisak , Udomsinprasert Wanvisa
Published: July 2024

Chondrocyte apoptosis is recognized as one of the pathological features involved in cartilage degeneration driving the onset and progression of knee osteoarthritis (OA). This study aimed to determine the molecular mechanism underlying the effect of clusterin (CLU), anti‐apoptotic molecule, in human knee OA chondrocytes. Primary knee OA chondrocytes were isolated from the cartilage of knee OA patients and divided into five groups: (1) the cells treated with interleukin (IL)‐1β, (2) CLU alone, (3) a combination of IL‐1β and CLU, (4) LY294002 (PI3K inhibitor) along with IL‐1β and CLU, and (5) the untreated cells. Production of apoptotic, inflammatory, anabolic, and catabolic mediators in knee OA chondrocytes was determined after treatment for 24 h. Our in vitro study uncovered that CLU significantly suppressed the production of inflammatory mediators [nitric oxide (NO), IL6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α] and apoptotic molecule (caspase‐3, CASP3). CLU significantly upregulated messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expressions of anabolic factors [SRY‐box transcription factor‐9 (SOX9) and aggrecan (ACAN)], but significantly downregulated mRNA expressions of IL6, nuclear factor kappa‐B (NF‐κB), CASP3, and matrix metalloproteinase‐13 (MMP13). Anti‐apoptotic and anti‐inflammatory effects of CLU were mediated through activating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. The findings suggest that CLU might have beneficial effects on knee OA chondrocytes by exerting anti‐apoptotic and anti‐inflammatory functions via PI3K/Akt pathway, making CLU a promising target for potential therapeutic interventions in knee OA.
Liver fibrosis and liver stiffness in patients with obesity and type 1 diabetes
Authors: Al‐Ozairi Ebaa , Irshad Mohammad , AlKandari Jumana , Mashankar Anant , Alroudhan Dherar , le Roux Carel W.
Published: July 2024

Aim

To compare hepatic stiffness and fat fraction in patients with obesity and type 1 diabetes (T1D) with type 2 diabetes (T2D) with a similar body mass index (BMI).

Methods

In this prospective cross‐sectional study, 90 participants with T1D (BMI 30.5 ± 4.5 kg/m2; diabetes duration 20.5 ± 9.8 years; HbA1c 8.2% ± 1.4%) and 69 with T2D (BMI: 30.8 ± 4.6 kg/m2; diabetes duration: 11.7 ± 7.8 years; HbA1c: 7.3% ± 1.4%) were included. Liver fat fraction and stiffness were examined by magnetic resonance imaging and elastography, respectively. Logistic regressions were used to evaluate associations with biomedical variables.

Results

The mean liver stiffness score in patients with obesity and T1D was 2.2 ± 0.5 kPa, while in T2D it was 2.6 ± 0.8 kPa (P < .001). The liver fat fraction in patients with obesity and T1D was 3.7% ± 6.3%, and in T2D it was 10.6% ± 7.9% (P < .001). Metabolic dysfunction‐associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) was present in 13.3% of patients with T1D and in 69.6% of patients with T2D, whereas fibrosis was suggested in 7.8% of patients with T1D and in 27.5% of patients with T2D. Liver stiffness was four times higher in patients with T2D compared with those with T1D (odds ratio = 5.4, 95% confidence interval: 2.1‐13.6, P < .001). Aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase, gamma‐glutamyl transferase (GGT), triglycerides and the android‐to‐gynoid ratio were associated with elevated fat fraction in both cohorts. AST and GGT were associated with elevated liver stiffness in both cohorts.

Conclusions

Patients with obesity and T1D had lower liver fat and liver stiffness compared with those patients with T2D, despite similar levels of BMI, a longer duration of diabetes and worse glycaemic control.
Managing migration crises: Evidence from surge facilities and unaccompanied minor children flows
Authors: Amuedo‐Dorantes Catalina , Bucheli José R. , Lopez Mary J.
Published: July 2024

Climate change, political turmoil, and economic instability worldwide suggest that managing migration surges will be a permanent challenge for many economies. In response to the record arrival of unaccompanied migrant children at the southern border, the Biden administration used surge facilities to expedite the processing of children. We assess the effectiveness of this strategy and document reductions in the time children spent under government custody. A counterfactual analysis reveals that, in their absence, the average time to reunification would have risen from 37 to 50 days. Migration surges involving unaccompanied children underscore the urgency of identifying efficient and humanitarian strategies.
Do Tasmanian devil declines impact ecosystem function?
Authors: Stephenson Torrey , Hudiburg Tara , Mathias Justin M. , Jones Menna , Lynch Laurel M.
Published: July 2024

Tasmanian eucalypt forests are among the most carbon‐dense in the world, but projected climate change could destabilize this critical carbon sink. While the impact of abiotic factors on forest ecosystem carbon dynamics have received considerable attention, biotic factors such as the input of animal scat are less understood. Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii)—an osteophageous scavenger that can ingest and solubilize nutrients locked in bone material—may subsidize plant and microbial productivity by concentrating bioavailable nutrients (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus) in scat latrines. However, dramatic declines in devil population densities, driven by the spread of a transmissible cancer, may have underappreciated consequences for soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and forest productivity by altering nutrient cycling. Here, we fuse experimental data and modeling to quantify and predict future changes to forest productivity and SOC under various climate and scat‐quality futures. We find that devil scat significantly increases concentrations of nitrogen, ammonium, phosphorus, and phosphate in the soil and shifts soil microbial communities toward those dominated by r‐selected (e.g., fast‐growing) phyla. Further, under expected increases in temperature and changes in precipitation, devil scat inputs are projected to increase above‐ and below‐ground net primary productivity and microbial biomass carbon through 2100. In contrast, when devil scat is replaced by lower‐quality scat (e.g., from non‐osteophageous scavengers and herbivores), forest carbon pools are likely to increase more slowly, or in some cases, decline. Together, our results suggest often overlooked biotic factors will interact with climate change to drive current and future carbon pool dynamics in Tasmanian forests.