bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Visceral adipose tissue and risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Tao Min , Zhou Guanghong , Liu Jing , He Miao , Wang Cong , Luo Xie , Zhang Lili
Published: August 2023

Objective

Observational studies have shown that visceral adipose tissue (VAT) can increase the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the causality of this association remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the causal association between VAT and NAFLD.

Design

We obtained single‐nucleotide polymorphisms strongly associated with VAT (n = 325,153) from large‐scale genome‐wide association studies. Summary‐level data for NAFLD (2275 cases and 375,002 controls) was available from the FinnGen consortium. We applied two‐sample Mendelian randomization (MR) to determine the causal association between VAT and NAFLD. The random‐effects inverse‐variance weighted (IVW) method was used as the main MR approach, with alternate methods including the weighted median (WM) approach and MR‐Egger regression. In addition, we conducted sensitivity analyses to assess the robustness of MR analyses.

Results

Genetically predicted higher VAT mass is causally associated with a higher risk of NAFLD. The three analysis results of MR were as follows: IVW (β = 0.665, odds ratio [OR] = 1.944, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.482–2.550, p = 1.58e−06], WM (β = 0.615, OR = 1.849, 95% CI = 1.272–2.689, p = 1.29e−03), and MR‐Egger (β = 1.250, OR = 3.490, 95% CI = 1.522–7.998, p = 3.52e−03). In the sensitivity analysis, the data showed heterogeneity (p < 0.05) but no pleiotropy (p = 0.145).

Conclusion

This study provided genetic evidence that higher VAT mass causally associated with a higher risk of NAFLD. The amount of VAT could be reduced using a therapeutic strategy for managing NAFLD.
Child placement in the community: Socio‐religious challenges for Druze social workers in Israel
Authors: Natoor Maha , Zarka Hoda , Shoshana Avihu
Published: August 2023

This article features insights from 15 Druze social workers in Israel regarding their experiences dealing with out‐of‐home placement for Druze children. The study reveals the distinct challenges faced by social workers in bridging professional and socio‐religious values and the caution with which they navigate a complex reality and strive to provide culturally appropriate interventions while facing limitations on their freedom of action. Socio‐religious characteristics of the Druze influence the interventions of social workers including the restriction on adoption and limited interaction between divorced partners. The process of removing a child from their home can be complex and challenging. This is often due to concerns regarding stigma and the strong desire within closely knit communities to preserve the family name and reputation. Moreover, most Druze social workers reside in Druze villages which can blur the line between personal and professional boundaries. This article underscores the importance of hearing the voices of minority therapists in order to promote culturally competent interventions in social work within the community.
Seventy questions of importance to the conservation of the North Central grasslands of the United States in a changing climate
Authors: Miller Hesed Christine D. , Yocum Heather M. , Cross Molly , Bamzai‐Dodson Aparna , Wheeler Ben , Beckmann Jon P. , Ahlering Marissa , Hall Kimberly R. , Boyd‐Valandra Emily , Mosher Danika , Miller Brian W. , Jaffe Sarah
Published: August 2023

Successful conservation of ecosystems in a changing climate requires actionable research that directly supports the rethinking and revising of management approaches to address changing risks and opportunities. As an important first step toward actionable research, we reviewed and synthesized grassland management‐related documents to identify broadly shared questions that, if answered, would help to support collective conservation of the grasslands in the northern Great Plains of the United States in a changing climate. A Management Priorities Working Group reviewed 183 grassland‐relevant management documents and identified 70 questions. Feedback was iteratively provided by a Climate and Ecology Working Group, an Advisory Committee, and representatives from grassland management agencies and organizations. The identified questions generally fall under 15 topics: land conversion; restoration; disturbance regimes; woody encroachment; herbaceous invasives; grazing; water quality, quantity, and availability; animal species; private land; public understanding; legal and policy changes; economic incentives; coordination across management entities; accessibility of science and tools; and novel ways of thinking. These questions can inform a research agenda for researchers looking to conduct actionable science in the Great Plains grassland ecosystems. Both the approach and the questions presented here can also be adapted and applied in other regions and ecosystems.
The diabetes management experiences questionnaire: Psychometric validation among adults with type 1 diabetes
Authors: Hendrieckx Christel , Husin Hanafi M. , Russell‐Green Sienna , Halliday Jennifer A. , Lam Benjamin , Trawley Steven , McAuley Sybil A. , Bach Leon A. , Burt Morton G. , Cohen Neale D. , Colman Peter G. , Holmes‐Walker D. Jane , Jenkins Alicia J. , Lee Melissa H. , McCallum Roland W. , Stranks Steve N. , Sundararajan Vijaya , Jones Tim W. , O'Neal David N. , Speight Jane ,   for the Australian JDRF Closed‐Loop Research Group
Published: August 2023

Aims

To examine the psychometric properties of the Diabetes Management Experiences Questionnaire (DME‐Q). Adapted from the validated Glucose Monitoring Experiences Questionnaire, the DME‐Q captures satisfaction with diabetes management irrespective of treatment modalities.

Methods

The DME‐Q was completed by adults with type 1 diabetes as part of a randomized controlled trial comparing hybrid closed loop (HCL) to standard therapy. Most psychometric properties were examined with pre‐randomization data (n = 149); responsiveness was examined using baseline and 26‐week follow‐up data (n = 120).

Results

Pre‐randomization, participants' mean age was 44 ± 12 years, 52% were women. HbA1c was 61 ± 11 mmol/mol (7.8 ± 1.0%), diabetes duration was 24 ± 12 years and 47% used an insulin pump prior to the trial. A forced three‐factor analysis revealed three expected domains, that is, ‘Convenience’, ‘Effectiveness’ and ‘Intrusiveness’, and a forced one‐factor solution was also satisfactory. Internal consistency reliability was strong for the three subscales ( range = 0.74–0.84) and ‘Total satisfaction’  = 0.85). Convergent validity was demonstrated with moderate correlations between DME‐Q ‘Total satisfaction’ and diabetes distress (PAID: rs = −0.57) and treatment satisfaction (DTSQ; rs  = 0.58). Divergent validity was demonstrated with a weak correlation with prospective/retrospective memory (PRMQ: rs = −0.16 and − 0.13 respectively). Responsiveness was demonstrated, as participants randomized to HCL had higher ‘Effectiveness’ and ‘Total satisfaction’ scores than those randomized to standard therapy.

Conclusions

The 22‐item DME‐Q is a brief, acceptable, reliable measure with satisfactory structural and construct validity, which is responsive to intervention. The DME‐Q is likely to be useful for evaluation of new pharmaceutical agents and technologies in research and clinical settings.
Design Led No‐Code: Enhancing Workflows and Maximizing Insights
Authors: Patricio Kai Alexander
Published: August 2023

For as technology has moved forward, so has the ability for more people, including designers, to use it.

Not a programmer? Not a problem. No‐code has the potential to enable designers to engage in developing solutions for a plethora of problems—tasks previously left to the programmers.
Mound architecture and season affect concentrations of CO2, CH4 and N2O in nests of African fungus‐growing termites
Authors: Vesala Risto , Räsänen Matti , Leitner Sonja , Mulat Daniel Girma , Mwangala Lucas , Rikkinen Jouko , Arppe Laura
Published: August 2023

Termites are a significant natural source of greenhouse gases (GHGs), but quantifying emissions especially from large termite mounds is problematic as they rarely fit in measurement chambers. Predicting fluxes based on internal and atmospheric concentrations could provide an indirect way to assess mound emissions, but developing such models necessitates better understanding of the concentration levels and their variance.

We used gas chromatography to measure carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) concentrations within nests of two co‐occurring species of fungus‐growing termites in both dry and wet seasons in Kenya, with termite Macrotermes michaelseni building mounds with a closed and Macrotermes subhyalinus with an open ventilation system.

Gas concentrations were 3–100 times higher in mounds than the global averages in atmosphere, implying that termite mounds are sources of all three GHGs. Carbon dioxide concentrations were higher in closed than in open mounds. Methane concentrations remained constant in open mounds, whereas closed mounds exhibited considerable variation between nests and across seasons. Concentrations of both CH4 and N2O correlated positively with mound volume during the wet season, whereas interactions with mound size were not observed in CO2 concentrations or during the driest sampling period.

These findings underline that among fungus‐growing termites, mound size, ventilation type and precipitation affect nest gas concentrations and with this likely the magnitude of mound GHG emissions. Potential reasons behind the observed relationships are discussed, including differences in population size, biomass of fungus gardens and CH4 oxidation.
Distinguishing skill levels with haptic simulation in restorative dentistry: Myth or reality?
Authors: Joseph David , Davril Jeanne , Mortier Éric , Martrette Jean‐Marc , Tran Nguyen , Corne Pascale , Vincent Marin
Published: August 2023

Introduction

This study aims to validate that haptic simulator assistance could distinguish skill levels with haptic simulation in restorative dentistry.

Materials and Methods

This work was carried out with 93 first‐year, 87 third‐year and 44 fifth‐year dental students. The promotions of first‐ and fifth‐year dental students made one session to represent the negative and the positive controls, respectively. The third‐year dental students were the studied population. Whatever the group, the maximum time for each reparation was restricted to 3 min. All students have to perform the same three exercises. The third‐year dental students performed four sessions spread over the whole university year. For each test, the total score provided by the simulator was recorded and analysed.

Results

The exercises are not discriminating in direct vision while the exercise in indirect vision is very interesting to distinguish the levels of the learners.

Conclusion

The results underline that the exercises in indirect vision could distinguish different profiles of student having different preclinical and clinical levels, while making it possible to follow the acquisition of clinical competence.
Sustained selective attention to chromatic information enhances visuocortical gain at the population level
Authors: Panitz Christian , Keil Andreas , Müller Matthias M.
Published: August 2023

Prior work in selective attention research has shown that colour‐selective attention enhances neural activity in visuocortical areas sensitive to the attended colour while suppressing activity in areas sensitive to ignored colours. However, it is currently unclear whether this effect is limited to attending to specific colour hues or extends to chromatic information more broadly. To investigate this question, we used steady‐state visual evoked potentials (ssVEPs) frequency tagging to quantify participants' visuocortical responses to specific elements embedded in arrays of flickering, randomly moving mid‐complex patterns. Participants were instructed to attend to either coloured or greyscale patterns while ignoring the others. We found that attending to either coloured or greyscale patterns produced robust increases in ssVEP amplitudes both compared to ignored stimuli and to baseline. There was however no evidence of suppressed responses to ignored patterns. These findings demonstrate that attentional selection based on the presence or absence of chromatic information prompts selectively enhanced visuocortical processing but this selective amplification is not accompanied by suppression of unattended stimuli. Findings are consistent with theoretical notions that predict strong competition between specific exemplars within a given feature dimension, such as red or green, but weak competition between broadly defined stimulus categories, such as chromatic versus non‐chromatic.
Molecular insights into the lipid‐carbohydrates metabolism switch under the endurance effort in Arabian horses
Authors: Myćka Grzegorz , Ropka‐Molik Katarzyna , Cywińska Anna , Szmatoła Tomasz , Stefaniuk‐Szmukier Monika
Published: August 2023

Background

Recent studies have shown that in Arabian horse muscle, long‐term exercise‐induced expression of genes related to fatty acid degradation and the downregulation of genes belonging to the glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and insulin signalling pathways. Long‐lasting physical exertion may trigger the metabolism to switch the main energy source from carbohydrates to lipids due to higher caloric content.

Objectives

To describe the metabolism adaptation at the whole transcriptome of blood to endurance effort in Arabian horses.

Study design

In vivo experiment.

Methods

Venous blood samples from 10 Arabian horses were taken before and after a 120 km long endurance ride to isolate the RNA and perform the high‐throughput NGS transcriptome sequencing.

Results

The results, including KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes) and GO (Gene Ontology) analyses, allowed us to describe the most significantly upregulated—ARV1, DGAT2, LIPE, APOA2, MOGAT1, MOGAT2, GYS1, GYS2 and downregulated—ACACA, ACACB, FADS1, FADS2 genes involved in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Also, the increased expression of RAF1, KRAS and NRAS genes involved in the Insulin pathway and PI3K–Akt was shown.

Main limitations

Limited sample size, Arabians used for endurance racing were not compared to Arabians from other equestrian disciplines.

Conclusions

This general insight into the processes described supports the thesis of the lipid‐carbohydrates metabolism switch in endurance Arabian horses and provides the basis for further research.
Gastroscopic characterisation and prevalence of gastric ulcer syndrome in working mules in Colombia
Authors: Calixto‐Vega Lady C. , Martínez‐Aranzales José R.
Published: August 2023

Background

The existing literature does not contain information about the prevalence of gastric ulcers in mules, and on the potential associations between the presence of ulcers and work load, work type, diet, sex, age and body condition score (BCS).

Objective

To estimate the prevalence and factors associated with mule gastric ulcer syndrome (MGUS) and evaluate its distribution in both mule squamous gastric disease (MSGD) and mule glandular gastric disease (MGGD) mucosa in a population of mules in Colombia.

Study design

Observational, cross‐sectional.

Methods

A total of 97 clinically healthy mules of different ages and locations in the province of Antioquia (Colombia) were included in this study. The mules were involved in agricultural activities (i.e., riding, pack and ranch mules) at the time of the study. The animals underwent gastroscopic evaluation, and ulcer scores from 0 to 4 were assigned based on severity, with scores ≥2 indicating clinical relevance. The presence or absence of ulcer in the squamous and/or glandular region of the stomach was recorded. Data related to work type, work load and diet, as well as sex, age and BCS were recorded for each mule. Pearson's chi‐square test was used to determine the association between the outcomes and explanatory variables of the study (p ≤ 0.05). The results of the risk estimations were presented as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

The frequency of MGUS in the study population was 42%. Most of the lesions were located in the squamous region of the stomach (27%), mainly in the margo plicatus, and 20% were located in the glandular region, mainly in the fundus and pyloric antrum. Six animals showed lesions in both squamous and glandular regions. Work load was the only variable associated with the presence of MGUS (OR: 1.98; 95% CI: 0.49–0.96) and MSGD (OR: 1.78; 95% CI: 0.36–0.67). Nevertheless, the findings did not provide any significant risk assessment result, nor did they reveal any significant interactions among the other variables.

Main limitations

This study used convenience sampling from a limited geographic region, and multivariate analysis was not performed, one of the exclusion criteria was the use of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs, which means that the effect of these drugs can no longer be evaluated.

Conclusions

MGUS occurs in mules subjected to agricultural work, the risk factors associated with EGUS do not appear to be significant in mules and other equids subjected to the same conditions, in this region. Further research is needed to define the differential dynamics of MGUS in comparison with the findings in horses.
Reproductive performance of a cohort of Standardbred mares under a commercial breeding system
Authors: Tanner Jasmine C. , Barrell Graham K.
Published: August 2023

Background

Despite being a large commercial breeding industry, there is little published data on the reproductive success of Standardbred mares.

Objectives

To quantify the reproductive performance of Standardbred mares under artificial breeding systems in a commercial setting and determine the incidence of early embryonic and other pre‐partum losses.

Study design

Retrospective cohort study.

Methods

Data from four commercial farms were collected across four breeding years, and all mares were bred via artificial insemination. A total of 3995 mares contributed 7229 mare years. First‐cycle pregnancy rate (FCPR) and end of season pregnancy rate (SPR) were analysed in mixed‐effects logistic regression models. Time‐to‐conception interval was analysed in a Cox regression model.

Results

The mean FCPR was 61.4% (confidence interval [CI] 60.3%–62.6%), the mean end of SPR was 84.7% (CI 83.8–85.5%), the mean live foal rate (FR) was 73.1% (CI 72.1%–74.2%). Mares located on‐farm were more probable to be pregnant in terms of both FCPR (odds ratio [OR] 1.168, CI 1.018–1.340, p = 0.026) and SPR (OR 2.026, CI 1.673–2.454, p < 0.001), mares inseminated with thawed–frozen semen were less probable to be pregnant in terms of FCPR (OR 0.598, CI 0.457–0.783, p < 0.001) and SPR (OR 0.479, CI 0.354–0.647, p < 0.001) compared with insemination with fresh‐extended semen. Older mares (14 years and older) were less probable to be pregnant in terms of FCPR (OR 0.795, CI 0.688–0.919, p = 0.002) and SPR (0.435, CI 0.352–0.538, p < 0.001) compared with young mares (3‐ to 8‐year old).

Main limitations

Retrospective data relied on accurate record keeping of stud farms and no mare‐treatment or ovulation induction records were available. Live FRs relied mostly on annual foaling returns so fetal/foal deaths may be underrepresented.

Conclusion

This study provides substantial baseline data on reproductive performance for Standardbred mares managed under a commercial artificial breeding system.
Study of cyclic crack‐tip opening displacement of microstructurally small fatigue crack using digital image correlation
Authors: Tillikainen Ilari , Gallo Pasquale , Lehto Pauli , Remes Heikki
Published: August 2023

The current work investigates the relationship between the crack growth rate (CGR) and the cyclic crack‐tip opening displacement (ΔCTOD) of microstructurally small fatigue cracks by using high‐resolution digital image correlation (DIC). Load‐controlled fatigue tests were conducted on small‐scale specimens of 18%Cr body‐centered cubic ferritic stainless steel. Microstructurally small fatigue crack growth was analyzed based on accurate high sample‐rate measurements, starting from a sub‐grain crack length up to seven times the volume‐weighted grain size dv = 224 μm. Under these experimental conditions, the high‐resolution analyses reveal that variation from the otherwise linear relationship between CGR and ΔCTOD on double logarithmic scale is due to the crack‐tip bypassing an inhomogeneous shear strain localization zone. In this zone, ΔCTOD is not able to characterize the behavior of microstructurally small fatigue cracks. Outside the shear strain localization zone, ΔCTOD still is a valid crack driving force parameter.
Reasons for the dramatic loss ofLobelia dortmanna, a keystone plant species of softwater lakes in the Northern Hemisphere
Authors: Nielsen Sune Ringsing , Martinsen Kenneth Thorø , Pedersen Ole , Baastrup‐Spohr Lars
Published: August 2023

Lobelia dortmannais an iconic keystone species of northern softwater lakes in Europe as well as North America. It has suffered a dramatic decline in distribution in recent decades and the root causes are not well‐known, although elements such as eutrophication, acidification and brownification have been suggested as underlying reasons for the decline.

In order to quantify the causes of change in the occurrence ofL. dortmannain Danish lakes, we firstly mapped the historical distribution of the species and secondly collected the available recent information on the presence ofL. dortmannaalong with data on environmental variables and plant community composition from the lakes. We identified 168 original Lobelia lakes of whichL. dortmannahad, by now, gone extinct in 48%. A subset of 80 lakes formed the backbone of this study owing to the availability of data related to environmental conditions and aquatic plant communities.

Using piecewise structural equation models, we identified that only the mean height of the lake plant communities had a direct negative influence on the occurrence ofL. dortmanna. The expected adverse effects of eutrophication and alkalinity were all indirect, and funnelled through the trophic affinity of the plant community, which in turn influenced the mean plant height. Direct effects of eutrophication via shading from phytoplankton, acidification or brownification were not observed.

We show that eutrophication, particularly in more alkaline water, is likely to have caused the dramatic decline in occurrence ofL. dortmanna, but our models indicated that the effect of eutrophication acted via interspecific competition from other larger rooted aquatic plants.

Conservation efforts aimed at protecting small aquatic plant species should be prioritised in more alkaline lakes where such species are most at risk. Furthermore, managers should be aware of the threat of interspecific competition posed by larger aquatic plants on their smaller counterparts.
Peer supporters' mental health and emotional wellbeing needs: Key factors and opportunities for co‐produced training
Authors: Kane Laura , Portman Robert M. , Eberhardt Judith , Walker Lauren , Proctor Emma‐Lily , Poulter Hannah , O'Neill Catherine
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Peer supporters are a valuable asset to mental health and support services, but their own mental health needs are often overlooked in research and practice. This study explored peer supporters' perceived challenges of maintaining their mental health and emotional wellbeing and co‐produced training needs.

Methods

A qualitative approach was used to explore factors affecting peer supporters' mental health and emotional wellbeing. Semi‐structured interviews and focus groups were conducted online with 11 peer supporters across North East England.

Results

A thematic analysis identified: ‘Lack of training and support’, ‘Role ambiguity’ and ‘Emotional labour’ as challenges experienced by peer supporters in relation to maintaining their mental health and emotional wellbeing. Peer supporters' own lived experiences had the potential to act as a barrier towards providing support to others. Conflict with peer ‘supportees’ sometimes negatively impacted on the peer supporter experience. Participant responses emphasised a need for person‐centred, co‐produced training.

Conclusion

This work highlights the need for targeted training for peer supporters, including both role‐specific education and strategies to support their mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Patient or Public Contribution

Participants were contacted and asked to provide feedback on finalised themes to ensure the analysis was congruent with their experiences, further enabling the future development of an emotional wellbeing training programme for peer supporters.
Butterfly biodiversity increases with prairie strips and conservation management in row crop agriculture
Authors: Kemmerling Lindsey R. , McCarthy Annabelle C. , Brown Cameron S. , Haddad Nick M.
Published: August 2023

Butterfly abundances are declining globally, with meta‐analysis showing a rate of −2% per year. Agriculture contributes to butterfly decline through habitat loss and degradation. Prairie strips—strips of farmland actively restored to native perennial vegetation—are a conservation practice with the potential to mitigate biodiversity loss, but their impact on butterfly biodiversity is not known.

Working within a 30‐year‐old experiment that varied land use intensity, from natural areas to croplands (maize–soy–wheat rotation), we introduced prairie strips to less intensely managed crop treatments. Treatments included conservation land, biologically based (organic) row crops with prairie strips, reduced input row crops with prairie strips, no‐till row crops and conventional row crops. We measured butterfly abundance and richness: (1) within prairie strips and (2) across the gradient of land use intensity at the plot level.

Butterfly abundance was higher within prairie strips than in all other treatments. Across the land use intensity gradient at the plot level, the conservation land treatment had the highest abundance, treatments with prairie strips had intermediate levels and no‐till and conventional treatments had the lowest abundances. Also across entire plots, butterfly richness increased as land use intensity decreased. Treatments with prairie strips, which also had reduced land use intensity, had distinct butterfly communities as they harboured several butterfly species that were not found in other row crop treatments.

In addition to the known effects of prairie strips on ecosystem services including erosion control and increased water quality, prairie strips can increase biodiversity in multifunctional landscapes.
Triglyceride‐glucose index is strongly associated with all‐cause mortality in elderly females with diabetic foot ulcers: A 9‐year follow‐up study
Authors: Huang Xiuxian , Han Jiaxia , Nong Yuechou , Sun Jingxia , Wang Qiu , Zhai Zhenwei , Mo Jiacheng , Huang Jianhao , Lu Wensheng
Published: August 2023

This study aims to explore the association between the triglyceride‐glucose (TyG) index and all‐cause mortality in patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) through an ambispective cohort study. A total of 555 inpatients with DFUs were qualified to participate in the trial study from 2013 to 2022. Throughout a median 63‐month period, all subjects were followed up every 6 months. According to the three quantiles of the TyG index, participants were divided into three groups: low‐level (≤8.75, n = 185), moderate‐level (8.76–9.33, n = 185) and high‐level (≥9.34, n = 185). The association between the TyG index and all‐cause mortality in patients with DFUs was then assessed. During the follow‐up period, out of 555 patients with DFUs, 116 died (20.9%). After adjusting for confounding factors, the TyG index was positively associated with all‐cause mortality in patients with DFUs (HR = 1.733; 95% CI = 1.341–2.241; p < 0.001). Compared with the low‐level TyG index, the moderate‐level TyG index (HR = 1.685; 95% CI = 1.011–2.810; p = 0.045) and the high‐level TyG index (HR = 2.769; 95% CI = 1.678–4.568; p < 0.001) were positively correlated with all‐cause mortality in patients with DFUs. Additionally, in subgroup analysis, both females (HR = 1.905; 95% CI = 1.250–2.904; p = 0.003), males (HR = 1.729; 95% CI = 1.240–2.409; p = 0.001), younger (<65 years old) (HR = 1.467; 95% CI = 1.008–2.135; p = 0.046) and elderly (≥ 65) (HR = 1.933; 95% CI = 1.339–2.791; p < 0.001) showed a positive correlation between TyG index and all‐cause mortality rate in patients with DFUs. Furthermore, in the high‐level TyG index group compared, males (HR = 2.699; 95% CI = 1.457–4.998) and participants aged <65 years (HR = 2.031; 95% CI = 0.972–4.242), with the TyG index level increase by 1.0, the risk for all‐cause mortality increased 3.277‐fold in females (HR = 4.277; 95% CI = 1.645–11.124) and 1.909‐fold in elderly aged ≥65 years (HR = 2.909; 95% CI = 1.486–5.695), respectively. Kaplan–Meier survival curve analysis showed that the higher the TyG index level, the higher risk of all‐cause mortality in patients with DFUs (log‐rank, all p < 0.001). Briefly, this study implies a strong positive correlation between the TyG index and all‐cause mortality in patients with DFUs, especially in older women. Therefore, special attention should be paid to elderly females with DFUs because they have a higher TyG index level and risk of all‐cause mortality than other populations in daily clinical practice.
Touch‐free reactive flash sintering of dense strontium hexaferrite permanent magnet
Authors: Jalali Syed I. A. , Manchón‐Gordón Alejandro F. , Chacartegui Ricardo , Sánchez‐Jiménez Pedro E. , Blázquez Javier S. , Perejón Antonio , Raj Rishi , Pérez‐Maqueda Luis A.
Published: August 2023

This work presents an extension of the touch‐free flash sintering technique. In the proposed technique, chemical reaction and sintering occur in a single step, without the use of electrodes, in the presence of electric and magnetic fields. We show that a dense, single‐phase strontium hexaferrite magnet can be produced from a mixture of commercial carbonate and oxide powders in a single step in a little more than a minute. This new technique implies significant reduction in energy and time consumption (primarily because of ultrafast processing) relative to conventional sintering.
Investigation of COVID‐19 vaccination among maintenance hemodialysis patients in Sichuan, China
Authors: He Li , Chen Lin , Zheng Haotian , Zhang Yingjun , Tang Sikai , Chen Hui
Published: August 2023

Aim

To investigate the current status of COVID‐19 vaccination in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients and its influencing factors.

Methods

In total, 585 patients undergoing regular hemodialysis in Sichuan Province of China from January to March 2022 were selected to complete a questionnaire survey on their knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding COVID‐19 vaccination. Independent t tests and logistic multivariate analysis were used to analyze the influencing factors of COVID‐19 vaccination in hemodialysis patients.

Results

The survey showed that 37.44% of MHD patients had been vaccinated with the COVID‐19 vaccine. Being married was associated with COVID‐19 vaccination in patients with MHD (odds ratio [OR] = 1.969 95% CI 0 .870 ~ 4.453). MHD patients living in county areas have higher rates of COVID‐19 vaccination (OR = 0.572 95% CI 0.301 ~ 1.087). Family /relatives/friends who are healthcare workers are associated with COVID‐19 vaccination for MHD patients (OR = 1.840 95% CI 1.140 ~ 2.970). Other vaccination history within 5 years was a factor in COVID‐19 vaccination for MHD patients (OR = 5.592 95% CI 2.997 ~ 10.434). Attitude (OR = 0.885 95% CI 0.808 ~ 0.905), and practice (OR = 0.756 95% CI 0.697 ~ 0.819) scores on the COVID‐19 vaccination knowledge and practice questionnaire were related to the vaccination status of MHD patients.

Conclusions

MHD patients had lower rates of COVID‐19 vaccination. Marital status, living environment, whether family/relatives/friends were medical workers, and the score of the COVID‐19 vaccine knowledge and practice questionnaire were the factors influencing their vaccination status. Clinical attention should be given to the adverse reactions of COVID‐19 vaccination in MHD patients to improve the awareness of primary medical staff on hemodialysis, and families and society should pay more attention to COVID‐19 vaccination in MHD patients.
The developing juvenile talus: Radiographic identification of distinct ontogenetic phases and structural trajectories
Authors: Reid Rebecca A. G. , Davies Catriona , Cunningham Craig
Published: August 2023

Trabecular bone architecture in the developing skeleton is a widely researched area of bone biomechanics; however, despite its significance in weight‐bearing locomotion, the developing talus has received limited examination. This study investigates the talus with the purpose of identifying ontogenetic phases and developmental patterns that contribute to the growing understanding of the developing juvenile skeleton. Colour gradient mapping and radiographic absorptiometry were utilised to investigate 62 human tali from 38 individuals, ranging in age‐at‐death from 28 weeks intrauterine to 20 years of age. The perinatal talus exhibited a rudimentary pattern comparable to the structural organisation observed within the late adolescent talus. This early internal organisation is hypothesised to be related to the vascular pattern of the talus. After 2 years of age, the talus demonstrated refinement, where radiographic trajectories progressively developed into patterns consistent with adult trabecular organisation, which are linked to the forces associated with the bipedal gait, suggesting a strong influence of biomechanical forces on the development of the talus.
Adolescents' and parents' affect in relation to discrepant perceptions of parental warmth in daily life
Authors: Janssen Loes H. C. , Sloan Carlie J. , Verkuil Bart , Van Houtum Lisanne A. E. M. , Wever Mirjam. C. M. , Fosco Gregory M. , Elzinga Bernet M.
Published: August 2023

The current study aimed to evaluate how adolescents' and parents' perceptions of daily parenting—and their discrepancies—relate to daily parent and adolescent affect. Daily parental warmth and affect were assessed using electronic diaries in 150 American adolescent–parent dyads (61.3% females, Mage = 14.6, 83.3% White; 95.3% mothers, Mage = 43.4; 89.3% White) and in 80 Dutch adolescents with 79 mothers and 72 fathers (63.8% females, Mage = 15.9, 91.3% White; Mage = 49.0, 97.4% White). Results of preregistered models indicated that individuals' affect may be more important for perceptions of parenting than discrepancies between parent–adolescent reports of parenting for affect, stressing the need to be aware of this influence of affect on parenting reports in clinical and research settings.
The nurse faculty role: A lived experience of mentoring nurses while coping with anxiety during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Orth Stephanie J. , Evanson Tracy A.
Published: August 2023

Accessible Summary

What is known on the subject?

Anxiety is common in women, nurses and nurse educators and can negatively impact overall mental well‐being and work–life satisfaction.

Anxiety increased during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Hope is a personal resource that can be employed to help cope with anxiety.

Professional identity, ‘our why’, is important to recognize and revisit as a way to add value to daily work in anxious times.

What this paper adds to existing knowledge?

Compassion fatigue has contributed to burnout and turnover of nurses and nursing faculty.

Knowing our ‘why’ helps understand the motivation in our work.

Using hope as a personal resource, and sharing my lived experience, could be useful to other nursing faculty struggling with anxiety.

What are the implications for mental health nursing?

There is a need for mental health resources within healthcare and education systems to support nurses and nurse educators not only during the COVID‐19 pandemic but through future healthcare crises.

Support programmes and interventions need to be developed to sustain and retain both nurses and nursing faculty.

Background

Providing patient care and nurse education in today's healthcare environment is high‐stress, often resulting in high‐anxiety among both nurses and nurse educators. The impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on nurse faculty is largely unexplored.

Aims

The aim was to share the experience of living and work working with anxiety in the nurse faculty role during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Materials & Methods

This is a lived experience narrative of one nurse faculty member.

Results

Through daily purposeful self‐motivation and reflection, yoga, and brief outdoor respites, the author was able to strengthen professional identity, to see value in her work and to activate the personal resource of hope (Nursing Management, 52, 2021, 56; Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 93, 2020, 187).

Discussion

‘Nursing faculty are essential to the profession’ and likely experienced ‘emotional exhaustion’ during the pandemic (Nursing Education Perspectives, 42, 2021, 8) in their efforts to buoy students. It needs to be acknowledged that nursing faculty can experience anxiety, secondary trauma (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17, 2020, 8358) and compassion fatigue, through listening to students’ experiences and offering reinforcement during chaotic times.

Conclusion

Little is known about what nursing faculty experienced as they attempted to support students (Nursing Education Perspectives, 42, 2021, 285). It is hoped that by sharing this lived experience, nurses and nurse faculty will understand how employing hope as a personal resource and re‐engaging with their professional identity will help them cope with the significant stresses that future healthcare pandemics or disasters may bring.
Diagnosis and treatment of a congenital portosystemic shunt in a ferret (Mustela putorius furo)
Authors: Visser J. , Schoemaker N. J. , van Zeeland Y. R. A. , Veraa S. , Kik M. J. L. , Fieten H. , Kummeling A.
Published: August 2023

A 3‐year‐old female neutered ferret presented with progressive weight loss was diagnosed with portosystemic shunting based on increased fasting bile acids, rectal ammonia tolerance testing and advanced imaging. Ammonia reference values were determined in 16 healthy ferrets. A congenital extrahepatic spleno‐caval shunt was visualised with ultrasonography and CT angiography of the abdomen. Complete surgical shunt closure by suture ligation was performed, without clinical improvement after surgery. Euthanasia was elected 4 months postoperatively because the clinical condition deteriorated. This is a case report of advanced diagnostics and surgical treatment of a congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt in a ferret, demonstrating rectal ammonia tolerance testing and imaging as feasible techniques for the diagnosis.
Growth performance, feed utilization, and resistance to acute crowding of post‐metamorphic stage black sea bass Centropristis striata reared at high stocking densities in a pilot recirculating nursery
Authors: Carroll Patrick M. , Watanabe Wade O. , Alam Md Shah
Published: August 2023

A reliable and cost‐effective source of fingerlings is essential for the successful commercial aquaculture of black sea bass. This study aimed to determine the effects of nursery tank stocking densities on the growth performance, feed efficiency, survival, tolerance to shipping, and biochemical quality of juvenile black sea bass. In two experiments, different stocking densities were compared for black sea bass at different stages of development. In Experiment 1, intermediate stage juveniles (1.27 g mean wt) were stocked at densities of 4.5 and 6.5 fish per liter of tank volume. Growth performance and biochemical quality were similar between the two density treatments. In Experiment 2, early post‐metamorphic stage juveniles (mean wt. = 0.524 g) were compared using the same stocking densities. While the fish reared at 4.5 fish/L were slightly larger, there were no significant differences in growth performance or biochemical quality between the density treatments. After both experiments, the fingerlings from each density treatment showed high survival rates under acute crowding and simulated shipping conditions. The study demonstrates that high NT densities of 4.5 and 6.5 fish/L did not negatively impact the growth performance and quality of black sea bass fingerlings, providing transport‐ready fingerlings in a relatively short period.
An autopsy case of intravascular large B‐cell lymphoma showing a rapid transition to embolic strokes with occlusion of the major cerebral arteries
Authors: Tando So , Kimura Tadashi , Mizuhara Ryo , Yuki Natsuko , Yoshioka Akira , Takahashi Hisashi , Yasuda Rei , Itoh Kyoko
Published: August 2023

Intravascular large B‐cell lymphoma can induce central nervous system manifestations, including strokes, due to small‐vessel occlusion caused by lymphoma cells. However, involvement in large‐sized vessels is rare. Here, we present an unusual autopsy case of an 88‐year‐old man showing a rapid transition from multiple strokes due to small vessel occlusion, typical of intravascular lymphoma, to progressive embolic strokes caused by the occlusion of major cerebral arteries. Magnetic resonance angiography demonstrated the major cerebral arteries associated with those multiple progressive strokes, including the right posterior cerebral artery, left anterior cerebral artery, and right middle cerebral artery, but the detectability was poor. A random skin biopsy at the abdomen confirmed the diagnosis of intravascular large B‐cell lymphoma. The patient died 106 days after hospitalization despite intensive treatment. An autopsy revealed broad liquefactive necrosis in the area governed by the major cerebral arteries and multiple small infarctions caused by intravascular lymphoma cells in the small‐sized vessels. In addition, the major cerebral arteries showed multiple thromboembolism with partial organization and clusters of intravascular lymphoma cells. Notably, those cells were shown aggregated and attached along the vascular wall of the basilar artery, which might have caused focal hypercoagulation in the near vessels. This aggregation might have disseminated widely in the other major cerebral arteries. Moreover, the cluster of intravascular lymphoma cells in the basilar artery was positive for tumor necrosis factor α, and similar histopathology findings were observed in the splenic veins. However, the pathogenesis of this rare phenomenon involving these cells remains unknown. From a clinical perspective, we should consider the possibility that intravascular lymphoma cells may provoke similar progressive embolic strokes.
A Novel Macro Perspective on Family Dynamics: The Contribution of Partnership Contexts of Births to Cohort Fertility Rates
Authors: Andersson Linus
Published: August 2023

Partnering behavior is central to understanding fertility. Influential concepts, including singlehood, serial monogamy, and multiple‐partner fertility, are frequently used to analyze partnering and childbearing dynamics. These concepts are evoked to understand individual and population‐level patterns but are mainly analyzed at the individual level. We propose a measure for gauging the interplay between partnerships and childbearing at the population level, namely cohort fertility rates (CFR) as the sum of births under various partnership contexts. Surprisingly, demographers rarely measure and do not have a clear picture of the extent to which childbearing in different partnership contexts contributes to completed fertility. We analyze Finnish register data to decompose CFR into births across union status, union order, and reproductive partner order. Contrary to the discourse of partnering in the Nordics, births within first unions to first reproductive partners account for about two‐thirds of CFR. Births in higher‐order unions to first reproductive partners account for one‐fifth. Single births and births with higher‐order reproductive partners have a modest impact. This ranking holds across sex and educational level. We argue that the proposed measures offer a novel appraisal of population‐level implications of partnerships and childbearing dynamics and provide an opportunity to understand cross‐country variation in fertility patterns.
Seasonal variation of anti‐PD‐1 outcome in melanoma—Results from a Dutch patient cohort
Authors: Borgers J. S. W. , Burgers F. H. , Schina A. , Van Not O. J. , van den Eertwegh A. J. M. , Blank C. U. , Aarts M. J. B. , van den Berkmortel F. W. P. J. , de Groot J. W. B. , Hospers G. A. P. , Kapiteijn E. , Piersma D. , van Rijn R. S. , Boer A. M. Stevense‐den , van der Veldt A. A. M. , Vreugdenhil G. , Boers‐Sonderen M. J. , Wouters M. W. J. M. , Suijkerbuijk K. P. M. , van Thienen J. V. , Haanen J. B. A. G.
Published: August 2023

Despite the improved survival rates of patients with advanced stage melanoma since the introduction of ICIs, many patients do not have (long‐term) benefit from these treatments. There is evidence that the exposome, an accumulation of host‐extrinsic factors including environmental influences, could impact ICI response. Recently, a survival benefit was observed in patients with BRAF wild‐type melanoma living in Denmark who initiated immunotherapy in summer as compared to winter. As the Netherlands lies in close geographical proximity to Denmark and has comparable seasonal differences, a Dutch validation cohort was established using data from our nationwide melanoma registry. In this study, we did not observe a similar seasonal difference in overall survival and are therefore unable to confirm the Danish findings. Validation of either the Dutch or Danish findings in (combined) patient cohorts from other countries would be necessary to determine whether this host‐extrinsic factor influences the response to ICI‐treatment.
Abandoned mine land program: Examining public participation in decision‐making
Authors: Kendrick Karsyn , Kim Younsung
Published: August 2023

For centuries, coal extraction and production provided low‐cost energy that powered the American economy. Currently, an estimated 5.5 million people in the Appalachian region live within one mile of an Abandoned Mine Land (AML) site. The site remediation has been funded and promoted by the AML program under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) of 1977, and public engagement has been required. However, little is known about the AML program and the public engagement requirement for site remediation decision‐making. Relying on State and Tribal Reclamation Plans and community surveys, we investigate how AML states and tribes engage the public and which barriers limit successful participation in the AML program. We found that AML states and tribes rely heavily on traditional methods of public engagement, such as public meetings, hearings, and comment periods, rather than nontraditional methods that could include more diverse stakeholders. We also found (1) lack of information on public participation opportunities and (2) unclear project selection and awards processes as key barriers limiting public engagement. Three recommendations specific to AML program are suggested.
Nonintegrability of the Painlevé IV equation in the Liouville–Arnold sense and Stokes phenomena
Authors: Stoyanova Tsvetana
Published: August 2023

In this paper we study the integrability of the Hamiltonian system associated with the fourth Painlevé equation. We prove that one two‐parametric family of this Hamiltonian system is not integrable in the sense of the Liouville–Arnold theorem. Computing explicitly the Stokes matrices and the formal invariants of the second variational equations, we deduce that the connected component of the unit element of the corresponding differential Galois group is not Abelian. Thus the Morales–Ramis–Simó theory leads to a nonintegrable result. Moreover, combining the new result with our previous one we establish that for all values of the parameters for which the equation has a particular rational solution the corresponding Hamiltonian system is not integrable by meromorphic first integrals which are rational in t.