bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A general framework for modelling trade‐offs in adaptive behaviour
Authors: Houston Alasdair I. , Fromhage Lutz , McNamara John M.
Published: August 2023

An animal's behaviour can influence many variables, such as its energy reserves, its risk of injury or mortality, and its rate of reproduction. To identify the optimal action in a given situation, these various effects can be compared in the common currency of reproductive value. While this idea has been widely used to study trade‐offs between pairs of variables, e.g. between energy gain versus survival, here we present a unified framework that makes explicit how these various trade‐offs fit together. This unification covers a wide range of biological phenomena, highlighting similarities in their logical structure and helping to identify knowledge gaps. To fill one such gap, we present a new model of foraging under the risk of predation and damage accumulation. We conclude by discussing the use and limitations of state‐dependent optimisation theory in predicting biological observations.
Discovery of lipid profiles in plasma‐derived extracellular vesicles as biomarkers for breast cancer diagnosis
Authors: Liu Lin , Kawashima Masahiro , Sugimoto Masahiro , Sonomura Kazuhiro , Pu Fengling , Li Wei , Takeda Masashi , Goto Takayuki , Kawaguchi Kosuke , Sato Taka‐Aki , Toi Masakazu
Published: August 2023

Lipids are a major component of extracellular vesicles; however, their significance in tumorigenesis and progression has not been well elucidated. As we previously found that lipid profiles drastically changed in breast tumors upon progression, we hypothesized that lipid profiles of plasma‐derived extracellular vesicles could be utilized as breast cancer biomarkers. Here, we adopted modified sucrose cushion ultracentrifugation to isolate plasma‐derived extracellular vesicles from breast cancer (n = 105), benign (n = 11), and healthy individuals (n = 43) in two independent cohorts (n = 126 and n = 33) and conducted targeted lipidomic analysis. We established a breast cancer diagnostic model comprising three lipids that showed favorable performance with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.759, 0.743, and 0.804 in the training, internal validation, and external test sets, respectively. Moreover, we identified several lipids that could effectively discriminate breast cancer progression and subtypes: phosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylserines were relatively higher in Stage III, whereas phosphatidylcholines and sphingomyelins were higher in Stage IV; phosphatidylcholines and ceramides were correspondingly concentrated in HER2‐positive patients, while lysophosphatidylcholines and polyunsaturated triglycerides were concentrated in the triple‐negative breast cancer subtype. Lipid profiling of plasma‐derived extracellular vesicles is a non‐invasive and promising approach for diagnosing, staging, and subtyping breast cancer.
Children and adults' intuitions of what people can believe
Authors: Confer Joshua A. , Schleihauf Hanna , Engelmann Jan M.
Published: August 2023

Two preregistered studies tested how 5‐ to 6‐year‐olds, 7‐ to 8‐year‐olds, and adults judged the possibility of holding alternative beliefs (N = 240, 110 females, U.S. sample, mixed ethnicities, data collected from September 2020 through October 2021). In Study 1, children and adults thought people could not hold different beliefs when their initial beliefs were supported by evidence (but judged they could without this evidential constraint). In Study 2, children and adults thought people could not hold different beliefs when their initial beliefs were moral beliefs (but judged they could without this moral constraint). Young children viewed moral beliefs as more constrained than adults. These results suggest that young children already have sophisticated intuitions of the possibility of holding various beliefs and how certain beliefs are constrained.
The body mass index increases the genetic risk scores' ability to predict risk of hepatic damage in European adolescents: The HELENA study
Authors: Seral‐Cortes Miguel , Sabroso‐Lasa Sergio , Gonzalez‐Gross Marcela , Quesada‐Gonzalez Carlos , Stehle Peter , Gottrand Frederic , Marcos Ascension , Esperanza‐Diaz Ligia , Manios Yannis , Androutsos Odysseas , Widhalm Kurt , Molnar Denes , Huybrechts Inge , Muntaner Manon , Meirhaeghe Aline , Salazar‐Tortosa Diego , Ruiz Jonatan R. , Esteban Luis Mariano , Labayen Idoia , Moreno Luis A. ,   the HELENA study group
Published: August 2023

Background

Hepatic disorders are often complex and multifactorial, modulated by genetic and environmental determinants. During the last years, the hepatic disease has been progressively established from early stages in life. The use of genetic risk scores (GRS) to predict the genetic susceptibility to a particular phenotype among youth has gained interest in recent years. Moreover, the alanine aminotransferase (ALT) blood biomarker is often considered as hepatic screening tool, in combination with imaging techniques. The aim of the present study was to develop an ALT‐specific GRS to help in the evaluation of hepatic damage risk in European adolescents.

Methods

A total of 972 adolescents (51.3% females), aged 12.5–17.5 years, from the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence study were included in the analyses. The sample incorporated adolescents in all body mass index (BMI) categories and was divided considering healthy/unhealthy ALT levels, using sex‐specific cut‐off points. From 1212 a priori ALT‐related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) extracted from candidate gene selection, a first screening of 234 SNPs univariately associated was established, selecting seven significant SNPs (p < .05) in the multivariate model. An unweighted GRS (uGRS) was developed by summing the number of reference alleles, and a weighted GRS (wGRS), by multiplying each allele to its estimated coefficient.

Results

The uGRS and wGRS were significantly associated with ALT (p < .001). The area under curve was obtained integrating BMI as clinical factor, improving the predictive ability for uGRS (.7039) and wGRS (.7035), using 10‐fold internal cross‐validation.

Conclusions

Considering BMI status, both GRSs could contribute as complementary tools to help in the early diagnosis of hepatic damage risk in European adolescents.
Climate and ant diversity explain the global distribution of ant‐plant mutualisms
Authors: Luo Yangqing , Taylor Amanda , Weigelt Patrick , Guénard Benoit , Economo Evan P. , Nowak Arkadiusz , Inderjit  , Kreft Holger
Published: August 2023

Biotic interactions play an important role in shaping species geographic distributions and diversity patterns. However, the role of mutualistic interactions in shaping global plant diversity patterns remains poorly understood, particularly with respect to interactions with invertebrates. It is unclear how the nature of different mutualisms interacts with abiotic drivers and affects the distribution of mutualistic organisms. Here, we present a global‐scale biogeographic analysis of three distinct ant‐plant mutualisms, differentiating between plants bearing domatia, extrafloral nectaries (EFNs), and elaiosomes, based on comprehensive geographic distributions of ~ 19 000 flowering plants and ~ 13 000 ant species. Domatia and extrafloral nectaries involve indirect plant defences provided by ants, while elaiosomes attract ants to disperse seeds. Our results reveal distinct biogeographic patterns of different ant‐plant mutualisms, with domatium‐ and EFN‐bearing plant diversity decreasing sharply from the equator towards the poles, while elaiosome‐bearing plants prevail at mid‐latitudes. Present climate, especially mean annual temperature and precipitation, emerge as the strongest predictors of ant‐associated plant diversity. In hot and moist regions, typically the tropics, the representation of EFN‐bearing plants increases with the proportion of potential ant partners while domatium‐bearing plants show no correlation with ants. In dry regions, plants with elaiosomes are strongly linked to interacting ant seed dispersers. Our results suggest that ants in combination with climate drive the spatial variation of plants bearing domatia, extrafloral nectaries, and elaiosomes, highlighting the importance of mutualistic interactions for understanding plant biogeography.
Treatments with the specific δ‐secretase inhibitor, compound 11, promote the regeneration of motor and sensory axons after peripheral nerve injury
Authors: Isaacson Robin H. , Carrasco Dario I. , Holliday Hannah , Kang Seong Su , Khan Samia , Kim David , Liu Xia , Ye Keqiang , English Arthur W.
Published: August 2023

Limited axon regeneration following peripheral nerve injury may be related to activation of the lysosomal protease, asparaginyl endopeptidase (AEP, δ‐secretase) and its degradation of the microtubule associated protein, Tau. Activity of AEP was increased at the site of sciatic nerve transection and repair but blocked in mice treated systemically with a specific AEP inhibitor, compound 11 (CP11). Treatments with CP11 enhanced axon regeneration in vivo. Amplitudes of compound muscle action potentials recorded 4 weeks after nerve transection and repair and 2 weeks after daily treatments with CP11 were double those of vehicle‐treated mice. At that time after injury, axons of significantly more motor and sensory neurons had regenerated successfully and reinnervated the tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius muscles in CP11‐treated mice than vehicle‐treated controls. In cultured adult dorsal root ganglion neurons derived from wild type mice that were treated in vitro for 24 h with CP11, neurites were nearly 50% longer than in vehicle‐treated controls and similar to neurite lengths in cultures treated with the TrkB agonist, 7,8‐dihydroxyflavone (7,8‐DHF). Combined treatment with CP11 and 7,8‐DHF did not enhance outgrowth more than treatments with either one alone. Enhanced neurite outgrowth produced by CP11 was found also in the presence of the TrkB inhibitor, ANA‐12, indicating that the enhancement was independent of TrkB signalling. Longer neurites were found after CP11 treatment in both TrkB+ and TrkB− neurons. Delta secretase inhibition by CP11 is a treatment for peripheral nerve injury with great potential.
Carbon‐based pelleting, soil ripping and herbicide application can be used to overcome plant recruitment barriers in Grey Stinkwood (Jacksonia furcellata)
Authors: Brown Vanessa S. , Erickson Todd E. , Hobbs Richard J. , Mastrantonis Stanley , Ritchie Alison L.
Published: August 2023

Seed‐based restoration efforts frequently experience limited success due to competition from invasive plant species and poor soil conditions. We aimed to alleviate these plant recruitment barriers through a combination of carbon‐based seed enhancement technologies and commonly applied restoration management practices. Compared to non‐pelleted (control) seeds, we tested seven seed enhancement technologies on Grey Stinkwood (Jacksonia furcellata), a perennial shrub common within the Banksia Woodlands of Western Australia, which included extruded pellets, coating and coins (a novel extrusion method), incorporated with activated carbon or biochar. We tested five management practices including combinations of herbicide and soil ripping at two locations (post‐sand mine and Post‐pine plantation). At the Post‐pine site, coins incorporating biochar had the highest overall mean emergence (53%), and at the Post‐mine site, extruded pellets containing activated carbon had the highest mean emergence (58%). In comparison, emergence was significantly lower from the non‐pelleted seeds (44% and 45% respectively). Survival at the Post‐mine site was also higher from biochar coins (31%) compared to the non‐pelleted seeds (22%), and highest in plots with herbicide application followed by soil ripping (36%), compared to the control, in which no management practice was applied (16%). At the Post‐pine site, survival was poor (<10%), and seed treatment and management practice did not significantly affect seedling survival. Using carbon‐based seed treatments and management practices, such as herbicide application followed by soil ripping, may help to overcome seedling emergence bottlenecks in direct seeding programmes. However, further examination into seedling survival is required, particularly within highly degraded settings, before seed enhancement technologies are used in large‐scale seeding programmes.
History, Rest and Exercise Score (HRE‐S) for assessment of disease severity in horses with trigeminal‐mediated headshaking
Authors: Kloock Tanja , Pickles Kirstie J. , Roberts Veronica , Uhlendorf Frauke , Twele Lara , Wilkens Henriette L. , Stehle Eva , Feige Karsten , Niebuhr Tobias
Published: August 2023

Background

In horses with trigeminal‐mediated headshaking (TMHS), clinical signs are likely to be expression of neuropathic facial pain. Currently, subjective assessment of disease severity is used as measure of compromise of animal's welfare.

Objectives

To develop and validate a precise scoring system for TMHS: History, Rest and Exercise Score (HRE‐S). The HRE‐S consists of three subscores: history score (H‐S), resting score (R‐S) and exercise score (E‐S).

Study design

Retrospective observational study.

Methods

Seven masked observers with different experience used HRE‐S to score 40 video recordings taken during rest and lungeing including five duplicates. Video recordings were taken from nine horses with TMHS and three controls. Inter‐ and intraobserver reliability and practicability of HRE‐S were assessed. For every video recording severity of clinical signs was graded by every observer using an intuitive global‐type‐scale and interobserver reliability was calculated. Convergent validity was evaluated comparing HRE‐S to groups created by an existing score (grade 0–3). Discriminant validity was analysed comparing HRE‐S to groups created by intuitive global‐type‐scale.

Results

Reliability for HRE‐S was excellent, irrespective of observers experience: Spearman's Rho = 0.946, p < 0.001 (intraobserver reliability) and intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.98, p < 0.001 (interobserver reliability). Interobserver reliability for intuitive global‐type‐scale was fair to substantial: Fleiss' κappa = 0.48 (R‐S) −0.63 (E‐S). Groups created by intuitive global‐type‐scale had significantly different R‐S and E‐S (p < 0.05), demonstrating discriminant validity. Convergent validity was proven as horses with grade 3/3 had significantly higher average E‐S and total scores compared with an existing score than those with grade 0/3 or 1/3 (p < 0.001).

Main limitations

Retrospective nature, video recordings, sample size.

Conclusions

HRE‐S is a valid and reliable score evaluating disease severity in TMHS, independent of observers' experience.
Pose recognition of dancing images using fuzzy deep learning technique in an IoT environment
Authors: Zheng Dongxia , Yuan Yi
Published: August 2023

With the development of smart technologies (e.g., Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Big Data), people have start using them for various purposes. The real‐time IoT devices generate an enormous amount of video and imaging data, leading to the concept of complex data structure. And people face major challenges in mining and extraction of useful features and information from such data. How to efficiently analyse and process video data to obtain valuable information has become a key research topic. The traditional manual annotation methods are unable to meet the current demand for the growing number of videos. Therefore, a more convenient method for processing video data needs to be developed. The research objective of this paper is dance videos, and the goal is to realize automatic recognition of dance movements. In this paper, a Dual Convolutional Neural Network Algorithm (DCNNA) is proposed for the automatic recognition of different dance movements in live and remote videos. DCNNA can extract video information more comprehensively and efficiently. It can simultaneously extract the light flow features corresponding to the action changes and the information contained in each frame of the video. Therefore, the dance movements can be more accurately identified. In the experiments, the performance of DCNNA is evaluated based on dance videos and compared with Inception V3 and 3D‐CNN. All the experiments illustrate the superior performance of the proposed DCNN algorithm. From the experimental results, it is quite obvious that the F1 score of the proposed DCNNA is 11% and 6% higher than that of the Inception V3 and 3D‐CNN, respectively.
Human neutrophil elastase inhibitors: Classification, biological‐synthetic sources and their relevance in related diseases
Authors: Ocampo‐Gallego Jhonnatan Styver , Pedroza‐Escobar David , Caicedo‐Ortega Ana Ruth , Berumen‐Murra María Teresa , Novelo‐Aguirre Ana Lucía , de Sotelo‐León Rebeca Denis , Delgadillo‐Guzmán Dealmy
Published: August 2023

Background

Human neutrophil elastase is a multifunctional protease enzyme whose function is to break the bonds of proteins and degrade them to polypeptides or amino acids. In addition, it plays an essential role in the immune mechanism against bacterial infections and represents a key mediator in tissue remodeling and inflammation. However, when the extracellular release of this enzyme is dysregulated in response to low levels of its physiological inhibitors, it ultimately leads to the degradation of proteins, in particular elastin, as well as other components of the extracellular matrix, producing injury to epithelial cells, which can promote sustained inflammation and affect the innate immune system, and, therefore, be the basis for the development of severe inflammatory diseases, especially those associated with the cardiopulmonary system.

Objective

This review aims to provide an update on the elastase inhibitory properties of several molecules, either synthetic or biological sources, as well as their classification and relevance in related pathologies since a clear understanding of the function of these molecules with the inhibitory capacity of this protease can provide valuable information for the development of pharmacological therapies that manage to modify the prognosis and survival of various inflammatory diseases.

Methods

Collected data from scientific databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Nature, Wiley, Scopus, and Scielo. Articles published in any country and language were included.

Results

We reviewed and included 132 articles conceptualizing neutrophil elastase activity and known inhibitors.

Conclusion

Understanding the mechanism of action of elastase inhibitors based on particular aspects such as their kinetic behavior, structure–function relationship, chemical properties, origin, pharmacodynamics, and experimental progress has allowed for a broad classification of HNE inhibitors.
Editor Profile: Arun Shukla
Authors:   The FEBS Journal Editorial Team, Shukla Arun K.
Published: August 2023

In this special interview series, we profile members of The FEBS Journal editorial board to highlight their research focus, perspectives on the journal, and future directions in their field. Professor Arun Shukla is a Senior Fellow of DBT Wellcome Trust India Alliance, and Professor and Sonu Agrawal Memorial Chair at the Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India. He has served as an Editorial Board Member of The FEBS Journal since 2021.
The recovery of crustacean zooplankton from acidification depends on lake type
Authors: Pilotto Francesca , Walseng Bjørn , Jensen Thomas C. , Schartau Ann Kristin
Published: August 2023

Acidification has harmed freshwater ecosystems in Northern Europe since the early 1900s. Stricter regulations aimed at decreasing acidic emissions have improved surface‐water chemistry since the late 1980s but the recovery of biotic communities has not been consistent. Generally, the recovery of flora and fauna has been documented only for a few lakes or regions and large‐scale assessments of long‐term dynamics of biotic communities due to improved water quality are still lacking. This study investigates a large biomonitoring dataset of pelagic and littoral crustacean zooplankton (Cladocera and Copepoda) from 142 acid‐sensitive lakes in Norway spanning 24 years (1997–2020). The aims were to assess the changes in zooplankton communities through time, compare patterns of changes across lake types (defined based on calcium and humic content), and identify correlations between abiotic and biological variables. Our results indicate chemical and biological recovery after acidification, as shown by a general increase in pH, acid neutralizing capacity, changes in community composition and increases in the total number of species, number of acid‐sensitive species and functional richness through time. However, the zooplankton responses differ across lake types. This indicates that the concentration of calcium (or alkalinity) and total organic carbon (or humic substances) are important factors for the recovery. Therefore, assessment methods and management tools should be adapted to the diverse lake types. Long‐term monitoring of freshwater ecosystems is needed to fully comprehend the recovery dynamics of biotic communities from acidification.
THE LATE ARRIVAL OF ‘DER DEUTSCHE PROUST’: TRANSLATING A LA RECHERCHE DU TEMPS PERDU INTO GERMAN
Authors: Ellison Ian
Published: August 2023

Marcel Proust's A la recherche du temps perdu, an unparalleled chronicle of European modernity's transition from the nineteenth to the twentieth century, was published between 1913 and 1927. It was not until the 1950s, however, that a complete German translation of the novel appeared. Earlier attempts did not get far: Rudolph Schottlaender's 1925 translation of the first volume was critically panned, and the subsequent translation of the next two volumes by Walter Benjamin and Franz Hessel was unfortunately curtailed by the rise of Nazism and these writers’ untimely deaths. A full rendering into German of Proust's magnum opus was only completed between 1953 and 1957 by Eva Rechel‐Mertens. Reconstructing the upheavals of the translation history of Proust's Recherche into German, this article also draws on archival research into Rechel‐Mertens’ literary estate, held at the Deutsches Literaturarchiv, to ask to what extent it was already too late for a German readership to be introduced to a German Proust, as Peter Suhrkamp once wrote to Rechel‐Mertens. Examining behind‐the‐scenes correspondence between publishers, translators and critics, this essay investigates the seemingly random and turbulent history of the late emergence of a ‘deutscher Proust’ and the implications of this for modern German – and, indeed, European – literature.
A Monte‐Carlo Chemical Budget Approach to Assess Ambient Groundwater Flow in Bedrock Open Boreholes
Authors: Harte Philip T.
Published: August 2023

In low‐permeability rocks, ambient groundwater flow in open boreholes may go undetected using conventional borehole‐flowmeter tools and alternative approaches may be needed to identify flow. Understanding ambient flow in open boreholes is important for tracking of cross contamination in groundwater. Chlorinated volatile organic compound (CVOC) concentrations from three open boreholes set in a crystalline‐rock aquifer (two of three open boreholes) and a siltstone aquifer (one of three open boreholes) were examined using a new approach and associated software program called the AFCE (Aqueous‐Flow‐Concentration‐Estimator). The program allows comparison of coupled chemical datasets through a Monte‐Carlo simulation and a chemical‐budget approach to assess ambient groundwater flow in open boreholes. The coupled datasets required for the comparison include aqueous CVOC concentrations from groundwater samples from (1) discrete fractures, such as those measured from temporary deployment of straddle‐borehole packer assemblies; and (2) the concentration of the open borehole (wellbore) water, as measured by a vertical profile of passive samplers from within the same open borehole. Because results from the passive samplers represent a composite mixture of the results from the discrete samples under ambient groundwater‐flow conditions, potentially at unknown proportions, the comparison between coupled datasets affords the ability to discern likely water contributions of CVOC from discrete fractures (or fracture zones), and which fractures may be dominating the water chemistry of the open borehole.
What is higher education to contemporary students in Germany?
Authors: Schäfer Gregor
Published: August 2023

The purpose, aim and goals of higher education itself have been discussed and researched in the context of massified and marketised higher education in Germany, with a focus mainly on higher education national policies or the view of faculty staff. By shifting the perspective instead to the students, this article asks what higher education means to them nowadays. This study is based on 95 interviews with German graduate students from three disciplines (i.e. business administration/management, medicine and musicology) and it offers a typology of what students understand as the purpose of higher education. Six types were reconstructed from the empirical material, along three main lines of higher education's purpose (i.e. occupational, personal and societal). This paper also shows how the chosen discipline becomes more salient for the student's perception of higher education purpose than their social background. This questions previous research that found strong ties between instrumentalism and social background in higher education. This paper also demonstrates that social differences do matter in their egalitarian or elitist variation of understanding within non‐instrumentalist types. Overall, this study illustrates how heterogenous contemporary higher education purpose has become, which mirrors a further general differentiation in higher education.
Efficacy of γ‐linolenic acid, Vitis vinifera extract, and acetyl‐L‐carnitine combination therapy for improving arterial stiffness in Korean adults: Real‐world evidence
Authors: Ahn Hyo‐Suk , Cho Eun Young , Yum Keun‐Sang
Published: August 2023

Atherosclerosis is associated with various cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Measurement of arterial stiffness using pulse wave velocity (PWV) enables assessment of atherosclerosis progression in individuals. The authors screened patients with asymptomatic atherosclerosis, based on the PWV findings, to evaluate appropriate early interventions and assess the efficacy of γ‐linolenic acid, Vitis vinifera extract, and acetyl‐L‐carnitine triple combination therapy in atherosclerosis prevention. This retrospective study analyzed the medical records of adult patients between March 2007 and April 2019, with presenting complaints of fatigue and lethargy. Among patients with vascular stiffness beyond their biological age on brachial‐ankle PWV (baPWV) testing, those with ≥80% compliance for three drugs were allocated to the experimental group. Those with compliance of <80% for any one drug were allocated to the control group to assess changes in arterial stiffness, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), lipid level, and blood pressure (BP). After 1 year of triple‐combination therapy, there were significant decreases in right and left baPWV (1537.16 ± 274.84 and 1519.00 ± 289.32 cm/s, respectively) as compared to baseline (1633.15 ± 271. 20 and 1598.64 ± 267.95 cm/s, respectively; p < .001). There was no difference in baPWV between sexes. Moreover, neither group showed significant changes in FPG and lipid levels. When triple‐combination therapy combining γ‐linolenic acid, V. vinifera extract, and acetyl‐L‐carnitine was administered to patients with high arterial stiffness relative to their age, as assessed by baPWV, the experimental group showed a decrease in arterial stiffness in both sexes.
The rejuvenating influence of young plasma on aged intestine
Authors: Ceylani Taha , Teker Hikmet Taner , Keskin Seda , Samgane Gizem , Acikgoz Eda , Gurbanov Rafig
Published: August 2023

This study aims to investigate the effects of plasma exchange on the biomolecular profiles and histology of ileum and colon tissues in young and aged Sprague–Dawley male rats. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, linear discriminant analysis and support vector machine (SVM) techniques were employed to analyse the lipid, protein, and nucleic acid indices in young and aged rats. Following the application of young plasma, aged rats demonstrated biomolecular profiles similar to those of their younger counterparts. Histopathological and immunohistochemical assessments showed that young plasma had a protective effect on the intestinal tissues of aged rats, increasing cell density and reducing inflammation. Additionally, the expression levels of key inflammatory mediators tumour necrosis factor‐alpha and cyclooxygenase‐2 significantly decreased after young plasma administration. These findings underscore the therapeutic potential of young plasma for mitigating age‐related changes and inflammation in the intestinal tract. They highlight the critical role of plasma composition in the ageing process and suggest the need for further research to explore how different regions of the intestines respond to plasma exchange. Such understanding could facilitate the development of innovative therapies targeting the gastrointestinal system, enhancing overall health during ageing.
Glycated hemoglobin variability and the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus: A post‐hoc analysis of a prospective and multicenter study
Authors: Manosroi Worapaka , Phimphilai Mattabhorn , Waisayanand Nipawan , Buranapin Supawan , Deerochanawong Chaicharn , Gunaparn Siriluck , Phrommintikul Arintaya , Wongcharoen Wanwarang ,   for the CORE‐Thailand investigators
Published: August 2023

Aims/Introduction

High glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) variability has been reported to be linked with cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetes patients. Only a few studies have been carried out on Asian patients. This study aimed to investigate the association of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in Asian patients by performing a post‐hoc analysis of a multicenter, prospective, observational study.

Materials and methods

Data for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes patients were retrieved from a multicenter national registry entitled “CORE‐Thailand study.” The primary outcome was 4P‐MACE (major adverse cardiovascular events, including non‐fatal myocardial infarction, heart failure hospitalization, non‐fatal stroke and all‐cause death). Patients were stratified according to quartiles of HbA1c standard deviation. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate the association of HbA1c variability with incident cardiovascular disease.

Results

A total of 3,811 patients with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes were included. The median follow‐up duration was 54 months. In the fully adjusted model, the highest quartile of HbA1c variability showed a statistically significant association with 4P‐MACE (hazard ratio [HR] 2.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.77–4.35), fatal and non‐fatal myocardial infarction (HR 6.91, 95% CI 1.90–25.12), hospitalization for heart failure (HR 3.34, 95% CI 1.20–9.26) and all‐cause death (HR 3.10, 95% CI 1.72–5.57). All these outcomes were statistically significantly different among four quartiles of HbA1c (log‐rank P‐value <0.05). Fatal and non‐fatal stroke showed no statistically significant association with high HbA1c variability.

Conclusion

High HbA1c variability in the highest quartile showed a statistically significant association with multiple adverse cardiovascular events in an Asian population. Minimizing HbA1c fluctuation during long‐term follow up should be another important objective for type 2 diabetes patients.
Checklist identification of candidates for systemic therapy in adult patients with atopic dermatitis in Germany: A multicentre study
Authors: Heratizadeh A. , Mempel M. , von Kiedrowski R. , Hagl S. , Mosch T. , Fritz B. , Werfel T.
Published: August 2023

Background

The German S2k guideline is the first to include a checklist that captures atopic dermatitis (AD) signs and symptoms as well as the lack of treatment response to identify patients eligible for systemic therapy.

Objectives

Identifying candidates for a start/switch of systemic therapy in adult AD patients in Germany by applying the S2k guideline's checklist.

Methods

In this German multicentre, cross‐sectional, non‐interventional study (German Clinical Trials Register number: DRKS00023296), adult patients with mild to severe AD were enrolled at dermatological outpatient clinics and offices between April and October 2021. Demographics, clinical characteristics and quality of life were collected using questionnaires during one single visit. Eligibility for a start/switch of systemic AD therapy was evaluated according to the criteria of the German S2k guideline's checklist.

Results

Atopic dermatitis patients (575) were included in the analysis. One hundred and sixty‐four patients (28.5%) received systemic (SYS) AD therapy and 411 patients (71.5%) did not (TOP). Of the TOP therapy patients, 38.7% were eligible to start systemic AD therapy, and about half of those (49.1%), were scheduled to start systemic AD therapy. The most frequent reason deciding against a systemic therapy was the patient's wish. Although 29.3% of SYS patients were eligible for a switch according to the criteria of the German S2k guideline's checklist, the majority (81.3%) did not switch AD therapy.

Conclusions

This is the first study on the implementation of the German S2k guideline's checklist in everyday care of AD patients in Germany. More than one‐third of the TOP patients were identified as eligible for systemic treatment. By applying the guideline's checklist criteria, another one‐third of SYS patients may have benefited from a change of current systemic therapy. The use of the German S2k guideline's checklist in routine care represents an important tool to ensure effective patient care and identify inadequately treated patients.
Risk of serious infection and infection mortality in patients with psoriasis: A nationwide cohort study using the Taiwan National Health Insurance claims database
Authors: Chen Teng‐Chou , Wang Ting‐Chun , Yiu Zenas Z. N. , Lee Meng‐Sui , Chen Li‐Chia , Chan K. Arnold , Griffiths Christopher E. M. , Ashcroft Darren M. ,   the Global Psoriasis Atlas (GPA)
Published: August 2023

Background

The risks of serious infections that lead to hospitalization and mortality in patients with psoriasis in Asia have not been comprehensively studied.

Objectives

We examined the incidence of serious infection and infection mortality in patients with psoriasis.

Methods

This population‐based retrospective cohort study used the Taiwan National Health Insurance claims database from 2000 to 2017. Adult patients with psoriasis were identified by a relevant International Classification of Diseases (ICD) code and matched to six comparators without psoriasis on age and sex. Psoriasis patients were categorized as having moderate‐to‐severe disease once exposed to systemic therapies, phototherapy or biologic therapies. The incidence of serious infection and infection mortality were identified by ICD codes from inpatient hospitalization and death registration. Cox proportional hazard models were used to compare the risk, and the results were adjusted for covariates and presented as adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI).

Results

Overall, 185,434 psoriasis patients and 1,112,581 comparators were included. A higher rate of serious infection (aHR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.19–1.22) was found in patients with psoriasis compared to matched comparators without psoriasis, and the risk was enhanced when patients had moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis (aHR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.27–1.34). Specifically, there was an increased risk of serious infection due to respiratory infections (aHR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.09–1.13), skin/soft‐tissue infections (aHR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.52–1.62), sepsis (aHR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.19–1.27), urinary tract infections (aHR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.08–1.14), hepatitis B (aHR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.06–1.30) and hepatitis C (aHR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.32–1.69). Furthermore, psoriasis patients were associated with a higher risk of infection‐related mortality (aHR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.11–1.18) compared to matched comparators.

Conclusion

Patients with psoriasis had a higher risk of serious infection and infection mortality, which was enhanced by moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis. Practitioners should be aware of the increased risk in patients with psoriasis, but it should not be a barrier to offering effective treatment.
Regulation of epithelial cell differentiation by the Ubiquitous expressed transcript isoform 1 in ulcerative colitis
Authors: Peng Wu , Zeng Chengcheng , Xu Jing , Zhao Hailan , Zhu Qingqing , Xu Haoming , Chen Huiting , Huang Hongli , Zhou Yongjian , Zhao Chong
Published: August 2023

Background and Aim

Mucosal healing has emerged as a desirable treatment goal for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Healing of mucosal wounds involves epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation, and Y‐box transcription factor ZONAB has recently been identified as the key modulator of intestinal epithelial restitution.

Methods

We studied the characteristics of UXT‐V1 expression in UC patients using immunohistochemistry and qPCR. The functional role of UXT‐V1 in the colonic epithelium was investigated using lentivirus‐mediated shRNA in vitro and ex vivo. Through endogenous Co‐immunoprecipitation and LC–MS/MS, we identified ZONAB as a UXT‐V1‐interactive protein.

Results

Herein, we report that UXT‐V1 promotes differentiation of intestinal epithelial cells by regulating the nuclear translocation of ZONAB. UXT‐V1 was upregulated in the intestinal epithelia of UC patients compared with that of healthy controls. Knocking down UXT‐V1 in NCM‐460 cells led to the enrichment of pathways associated with proliferation and differentiation. Furthermore, the absence of UXT‐V1 in cultured intestinal epithelial cells and colonic organoids inhibited differentiation to the goblet cell phenotype. Mechanistically, the loss of UXT‐V1 in the intestinal epithelial cells allowed nuclear translocation of ZONAB, wherein it regulated the transcription of differentiation‐related genes, including AML1 and KLF4.

Conclusion

Taken together, our study reveals a potential role of UXT‐V1 in regulating epithelial cell differentiation, proving a molecular basis for mucosal healing in UC.
Catheter ablation and lower risk of incident dementia and mortality in older adults with atrial fibrillation
Authors: Harrison Stephanie L. , Buckley Benjamin J. R. , Austin Philip , Lane Deirdre A. , Lip Gregory Y. H.
Published: August 2023

Background

Atrial fibrillation (AF) has consistently been associated with a higher risk of incident dementia. Observational evidence has suggested catheter ablation may be associated with a lower risk of dementia in patients with AF, but further research is needed. The objectives of this study were to use a global health research network to examine associations between catheter ablation, incident dementia and mortality in older adults with AF, and amongst subgroups by age, sex, co‐morbidity status, and oral anticoagulant use.

Methods

The research network primarily included healthcare organizations in the United States. This network was searched on 28th September 2022 for patients aged ≥65 years with a diagnosis of AF received at least 5 years prior to the search date. Cox proportional hazard models were run on propensity‐score matched cohorts.

Results

After propensity score matching, 20,746 participants (mean age 68 years; 59% male) were included in each cohort with and without catheter ablation. The cohorts were well balanced for age, sex, ethnicity, co‐morbidities, and cardiovascular medications received. The risk of dementia was significantly lower in the catheter ablation cohort (Hazard Ratio 0.52, 95% confidence interval: 0.45–0.61). The catheter ablation cohort also had a lower risk of all‐cause mortality (Hazard Ratio 0.58, 95% confidence interval: 0.55–0.61). These associations remained in subgroup analyses in individuals aged 65–79 years, ≥80 years, males, females, participants who received OACs during follow‐up, participants with paroxysmal and non‐paroxysmal AF, and participants with and without hypertension, diabetes mellitus, ischemic stroke, chronic kidney disease and heart failure, including heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Conclusion

The observed lower risk of dementia and mortality with catheter ablation could be an important consideration when determining appropriate patient‐centered rhythm control strategies for patients with AF. Further studies including data on the success of ablation are required.
A Delphi study to obtain consensus on medical emergency team (MET) stand‐down decision making
Authors: Kondos Natalie A. , Barrett Jonathan , McDonall Jo , Bucknall Tracey
Published: August 2023

Aim

A medical emergency team (MET) stand‐down decision is the decision to end a MET response and hand responsibility for the patient back to ward staff for ongoing management. Little research has explored this decision. This study aimed to obtain expert consensus on the essential elements required to make optimal MET call stand‐down decisions and the communication required before MET departure.

Design

A Delphi design was utilised.

Methods

An expert panel of 10 members were recruited based on their expert knowledge and recent clinical MET responder experience in acute hospital settings. Participants were emailed a consent form and an electronic interactive PDF for each survey. Two rounds were conducted with no attrition between rounds. The CREDES guidance on conducting and reporting Delphi studies was used to report this study.

Results

Consensus by an expert panel of 10 MET responders generated essential elements of MET stand‐down decisions. Essential elements comprised of two steps: (1) the stand‐down decision that was influenced by both the patient situation and the ward/organisational context; and (2) the communication required before actioning stand‐down. Communication after the decision required both verbal discussions and written documentation to hand over patient responsibility. Specific patient information, a management plan and an escalation plan were considered essential.

Conclusion

The Delphi surveys reached consensus on the actions and communication required to stand down a MET call. Passing responsibility back to ward staff after a MET call requires both patient and ward safety assessments, and a clearly articulated patient plan for ward staff. Observation of MET call stand‐down decision‐making is required to validate the essential elements.

Implication for the Profession and Patient/or Patient Care

In specifying the essential elements, this study offers clinical and MET staff a process to support the handing over of clinical responsibility from the MET to the ward staff, and clarification of management plans in order to reduce repeat MET calls and improve patient outcomes.

Impact

Minimal research has been focussed on the decision to hand responsibility back to ward staff so the MET may leave the ward with safety plan in place. This study provided expert consensus to optimise MET stand‐down decision‐making and the ultimate decision to end a MET call. Communication of agreed patient treatment and escalation plans is recommended before leaving the ward. This study can be used as a checklist for MET responder staff making these decisions and ward staff responsible for post‐MET call care. The aim being to reduce the likelihood of potentially preventable repeat deterioration in the MET patient population.

Reporting Method

The CREDES guidance on conducting and reporting Delphi studies.

Patient or Public Contribution

None.
Trust in Difficult People: A Social Network Perspective
Authors: Opper Sonja , Zou Na
Published: August 2023

We all know people we find difficult to deal with. Some we trust despite major past transgressions, others we do not. What explains the difference? Rather than looking for explanations inside the trustor–trustee dyad, we focus on the embedding social structure. Our argument focuses on two features: network closure around the trustor and the embeddedness of the difficult contact. We test and confirm our argument using data from 384 Chinese managers. Our results show that managers who cite colleagues as difficult following a major transgression report higher trust the more the difficult contact is embedded within the manager's network. The effect is smaller (larger) if the manager is surrounded by a rather closed (open) social network. At a practical level, our study helps distinguish between social situations that facilitate trust and those that impede trust once interpersonal conflicts have tainted a relationship.
Your innovation or mine? The effects of partner diversity on product and process innovation
Authors: Belitski Maksim , Delgado‐Márquez Blanca L. , Pedauga Luis Enrique
Published: August 2023

Despite a fundamental revolution in digital technology, along with an ancillary reduction in the cost of transmitting knowledge, the innovation literature on knowledge collaboration continues to hold on to the spatial localization of knowledge collaboration as a truism. Drawing on the open innovation literature and knowledge‐based view of firm innovation, this study explores key boundary conditions affecting the relationship between research and development (R&D) collaboration breadth, and product and process innovation. Using a large‐scale survey consisting of 25,813 observations of 14,784 firms in the United Kingdom during 2004–2020, we demonstrate that the breadth of knowledge collaboration with regional, national, and international partners directly affects product and process innovation. However, this relationship depends on the geographical location of the collaboration partner, the type of partner, and the firm's absorptive capacity. We found diminishing marginal returns to knowledge collaboration breadth for regional partners in product innovation, and an inverted U‐shaped relationship in R&D collaboration breadth with regional partners for process innovation and for national and international partners for product and process innovation. While investment in digital technologies only shifts the curve upwards, it is unlikely to change the direction of the relationship between R&D collaboration and a type of innovation outcome. On the contrary, an increase in the share of science, technology, engineering, and math graduates enables firms to leverage the negative effect of R&D collaboration breadth nationally and specifically for process innovation. Investment in digital technology and human capital increases absorptive capacity and reduces the transaction costs associated with over‐search and limited managerial capabilities and resources.