bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS) cases and India: affronting regulatory autonomy or indicting capricious state behaviour?
Authors: Ranjan Prabhash
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The dominant narrative in the investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS) system is that it enables powerful corporations to encroach upon the regulatory power of developing countries aimed at pursuing compelling public interest objectives. The example of Phillip Morris, the tobacco giant, suing Uruguay’s public health measures is cited as the most significant example to prove this thesis. The other side of the story that States abuse their public power to undermine the protected rights of foreign investors does not get much attention.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reviews all the ISDS cases that India has lost to ascertain the reason why these claims were brought against India in the first place. The approach of the paper is to study these ISDS cases to find out whether these cases arose due to abuse of the State’s public power or affronted India’s regulatory autonomy.

Findings

Against this global context, this paper studies the ISDS claims brought against India, one of the highest respondent-State in ISDS, to show that they arose due to India’s capricious behaviour. Analysis of these cases reveals that India acted in bad faith and abused its public power by either amending laws retroactively or by scrapping licences without following due process or going back on specific and written assurances that induced investors to invest. In none of these cases, the foreign investors challenged India’s regulatory measures aimed at advancing the genuine public interest. The absence of a “Phillip Morris moment” in India’s ISDS story is a stark reminder that one should give due weight to the equally compelling narrative that ISDS claims are also a result of abuse of public power by States.

Originality/value

The originality value of this paper arises from the fact that this is the first comprehensive study of ISDS cases brought against India and provides full documentation within the larger global context of rising ISDS cases. The paper contributes to the debate on international investment law by showing that in the case of India most of the ISDS cases brought were due to India abusing its public power and was not an affront on India’s regulatory autonomy.
Research Note: Simple formulas for pseudo‐position for electrical resistivity and IP in vertical boreholes based on mean positions of the sensitivity
Authors: Butler S.L.
Published: December 2021

The electrical conductivity method in boreholes has been applied for exploration as well as engineering and environmental investigations. The simplest deployment involves placing electrodes at varying heights within a single borehole. Borehole surveys differ from surface surveys using colinear arrays in that the ground surface is in the line of the electrodes and so it influences the measured potential in the ground differently. Multiple electrodes can be deployed on a single multichannel cable resulting in measurements from non‐standard array configurations. The choice of the plot point for pseudo‐sections can be difficult for these non‐standard arrays. The mean of the sensitivity function of a constant resistivity half space has been shown to yield simple and useful formulas for pseudo‐positions for four electrode surface arrays. In this contribution, I first derive the sensitivity function for electrodes in a vertical borehole and then calculate the vertical and horizontal sensitivity functions. I then derive simple formulas for the vertical and horizontal positions of the mean of the sensitivity function for electrodes in a vertical borehole. Pseudo‐sections for synthetic data are shown to be more easily interpretable than pseudo‐sections plotted using averages of the electrode positions. The simple formulas will be useful for plotting pseudo‐sections for initial data visualization and for survey planning.
Trends and outcomes for deliveries with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy from 2000 to 2018: A repeated cross‐sectional study
Authors: Wen Timothy , Schmidt Christina N. , Sobhani Nasim C. , Guglielminotti Jean , Miller Eliza C. , Sutton Desmond , Lahtermaher Yael , D’Alton Mary E. , Friedman Alexander M.
Published: December 2021

Objective

To analyse trends, risk factors, and outcomes related to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP).

Design

Repeated cross‐sectional.

Setting

US delivery hospitalisations.

Population

Delivery hospitalisations in the 2000–2018 National Inpatient Sample.

Methods

US hospital delivery hospitalisations with HDP were analysed. Several trends were analysed: (i) the proportion of deliveries by year with HDP, (ii) the proportion of deliveries with HDP risk factors and (iii) adverse outcomes associated with HDP including maternal stroke, acute renal failure and acute liver injury. Risk ratios were determined using regression models with HDP as the exposure of interest.

Main Outcome Measures

Prevalence of HDP, risk factors for HDP and associated adverse outcomes.

Results

Of 73.1 million delivery hospitalisations, 7.7% had an associated diagnosis of HDP. Over the study period, HDP doubled from 6.0% of deliveries in 2000 to 12.0% in 2018. The proportion of deliveries with risk factors for HDP increased from 9.6% in 2000 to 24.6% in 2018. In adjusted models, HDP were associated with increased stroke (aRR [adjusted risk ratio] 15.9, 95% CI 14.8–17.1), acute renal failure (aRR 13.8, 95% CI 13.5–14.2) and acute liver injury (aRR 1.2, 95% CI 1.2–1.3). Among deliveries with HDP, acute renal failure and acute liver injury increased; in comparison, stroke decreased.

Conclusion

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy increased in the setting of risk factors for HDP becoming more common, whereas stroke decreased.

Tweetable Abstract

While hypertensive disorders of pregnancy increased from 2000 to 2018, stroke appears to be decreasing.
Evaluation of the short‐term host response and biomechanics of an absorbable poly‐4‐hydroxybutyrate scaffold in a sheep model following vaginal implantation
Authors: Diedrich Chantal M. , Guler Zeliha , Hympanova Lucie , Vodegel Eva , Zündel Manuel , Mazza Edoardo , Deprest Jan , Roovers Jan Paul
Published: December 2021

Objective

To evaluate the host‐ and biomechanical response to a fully absorbable poly‐4‐hydroxybutyrate (P4HB) scaffold in comparison with the response to polypropylene (PP) mesh.

Design

In vivo animal experiment.

Setting

KU Leuven Center for Surgical Technologies.

Population

Fourteen parous female Mule sheep.

Methods

P4HB scaffolds were surgically implanted in the posterior vaginal wall of sheep. The comparative PP mesh data were obtained from an identical study protocol performed previously.

Main outcome measures

Gross necropsy, host response and biomechanical evaluation of explants, and the in vivo P4HB scaffold degradation were evaluated at 60‐ and 180‐days post‐implantation. Data are reported as mean ± standard deviation (SD) or standard error of the mean (SEM).

Results

Gross necropsy revealed no implant‐related adverse events using P4HB scaffolds. The tensile stiffness of the P4HB explants increased at 180‐days (12.498 ± 2.66 N/mm SEM [p =0.019]) as compared to 60‐days (4.585 ± 1.57 N/mm) post‐implantation, while P4HB degraded gradually. P4HB scaffolds exhibited excellent tissue integration with dense connective tissue and a moderate initial host response. P4HB scaffolds induced a significantly higher M2/M1 ratio (1.70 ± 0.67 SD, score 0–4), as compared to PP mesh(0.99 ± 0.78 SD, score 0–4) at 180‐days.

Conclusions

P4HB scaffold facilitated a gradual load transfer to vaginal tissue over time. The fully absorbable P4HB scaffold, in comparison to PP mesh, has a favorable host response with comparable load‐bearing capacity. If these results are also observed at longer follow‐up in‐vivo, a clinical study using P4HB for vaginal POP surgery may be warranted to demonstrate efficacy.

Tweetable Abstract

Degradable vaginal P4HB implant might be a solution for treatment of POP.
Quality of life from cytoreductive surgery in advanced ovarian cancer: Investigating the association between disease burden and surgical complexity in the international, prospective, SOCQER‐2 cohort study
Authors: Sundar Sudha , Cummins Carole , Kumar Satyam , Long Joanna , Arora Vivek , Balega Janos , Broadhead Tim , Duncan Tim , Edmondson Richard , Fotopoulou Christina , Glasspool Ros , Kolomainen Desiree , Leeson Simon , Manchanda Ranjit , McNally Orla , Morrison Jo , Mukhopadhyay Asima , Paul Jim , Tidy John , Wood Nick
Published: December 2021

Objective

To investigate quality of life (QoL) and association with surgical complexity and disease burden after surgical resection for advanced ovarian cancer in centres with variation in surgical approach.

Design

Prospective multicentre observational study.

Setting

Gynaecological cancer surgery centres in the UK, Kolkata, India, and Melbourne, Australia.

Sample

Patients undergoing surgical resection (with low, intermediate or high surgical complexity score, SCS) for late‐stage ovarian cancer.

Main Outcome Measures

Primary: change in global score on the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) core quality‐of‐life questionnaire (QLQ‐C30). Secondary: EORTC ovarian cancer module (OV28), progression‐free survival.

Results

Patients’ preoperative disease burden and SCS varied between centres, confirming differences in surgical ethos. QoL response rates were 90% up to 18 months. Mean change from the pre‐surgical baseline in the EORTC QLQ‐C30 was 3.4 (SD 1.8, n = 88) in the low, 4.0 (SD 2.1, n = 55) in the intermediate and 4.3 (SD 2.1, n = 52) in the high‐SCS group after 6 weeks (p = 0.048), and 4.3 (SD 2.1, n = 51), 5.1 (SD 2.2, n = 41) and 5.1 (SD 2.2, n = 35), respectively, after 12 months (p = 0.133). In a repeated‐measures model, there were no clinically or statistically meaningful differences in EORTC QLQ‐C30 global scores between the three SCS groups (p = 0.840), but there was a small statistically significant improvement in all groups over time (p < 0.001). The high‐SCS group experienced small to moderate decreases in physical (p = 0.004), role (p = 0.016) and emotional (p = 0.001) function at 6 weeks post‐surgery, which resolved by 6–12 months.

Conclusions

The global QoL of patients undergoing low‐, intermediate‐ and high‐SCS surgery improved at 12 months after surgery and was no worse in patients undergoing extensive surgery.

Tweetable Abstract

Compared with surgery of lower complexity, extensive surgery does not result in poorer quality of life in patients with advanced ovarian cancer.
Gestational weight gain, appetite regulating hormones, and metformin treatment in polycystic ovary syndrome: A longitudinal, placebo‐controlled study
Authors: Molin Johanna , Vanky Eszter , Løvvik Tone S. , Dehlin Eva , Bixo Marie
Published: December 2021

Objective

To explore mechanisms that modulate gestational weight gain (GWG) in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and healthy controls.

Design

Sub‐sample of randomised controlled trials (PCOS) combined with a prospective cohort (controls).

Setting

Eleven Norwegian, Swedish, and Icelandic hospitals.

Population

Pregnant women with PCOS treated with metformin (PCOS‐M, n = 36) or placebo (PCOS‐P, n = 37), and healthy pregnant women (HC, n = 15).

Methods

Serum levels of the appetite regulating hormones leptin, ghrelin, allopregnanolone, and soluble leptin receptor (sOB‐R) were determined in the first and third trimesters.

Main Outcome Measures

Excessive GWG (eGWG) relative to body mass index according to Institute of Medicine (IOM) guideline. Serum leptin/sOB‐R ratio, or free‐leptin‐index (FLI), as biomarker of leptin sensitivity. Serum ghrelin and allopregnanolone levels.

Results

The overall prevalence of eGWG was 44% (38/86). Women with eGWG had higher first and third trimester FLI (P < 0.001), and lower third trimester allopregnanolone levels (P = 0.003) versus women with non‐eGWG. The prevalence of eGWG was lower in PCOS‐M versus PCOS‐P (28% versus 62%, odds ratio = 0.4, 95% CI 0.2–0.8, P = 0.005). FLI decreased during pregnancy in PCOS‐M (P = 0.01), but remained unaltered in PCOS‐P and HC. Ghrelin and allopregnanolone levels were comparable in PCOS‐M, PCOS‐P and HC throughout pregnancy.

Conclusion

Excessive GWG is associated with enhanced leptin resistance, and attenuated physiological increase in serum allopregnanolone levels during pregnancy. Metformin reduces the risk for eGWG and improves leptin sensitivity in pregnant women with PCOS.

Tweetable Abstract

Metformin counteracts excessive weight gain and leptin resistance in pregnant women with polycystic ovary syndrome.
The Effects of Independent Director Litigation Risk*
Authors: Donelson Dain C. , Tori Elizabeth , Yust Christopher G.
Published: December 2021

Does personal litigation risk for independent directors materially affect firm valuation, compensation‐related issues for independent directors, and board composition decisions? We use the unexpected In re Investors Bancorp decision in 2017 by the Delaware Supreme Court, which lowered the liability threshold only for directors in derivative litigation over their own equity grants and increased their future litigation risk, to examine these issues. Understanding changes in independent director litigation risk is important because such changes may affect directors' willingness or ability to serve on boards and advise executives. Consistent with our predictions, investors and firms reacted to the decision. First, Delaware firms experienced significant negative short‐window returns, concentrated in high‐litigation‐risk firms where equity compensation is most important. Second, Delaware firms responded by increasing the use of director compensation caps, highlighting that they did not pay excessive amounts. Third, Delaware firms with higher abnormal director compensation decreased director compensation, while those with lower abnormal director compensation did not. Finally, Delaware firms added higher‐quality directors to the compensation committee, consistent with concerns about heightened litigation risk for those positions. Notably, these new, higher‐quality directors did not accept lower pay, unlike holdover directors who previously served on the committee. Overall, results are consistent with director litigation concerns having a significant effect on shareholder value and firm and director behavior.
Effects of environmental temperature on the growth performance of a tropical Oreochromis esculentus (Graham, 1928). Implications for the species conservation
Authors: Nagayi Jane Kalule Yawe , Kisakye John Joseph , Mwanja Matthew Tenywa , Nattabi Juliet , Opio Alfonse
Published: December 2021

Climate variability and change are currently recognised global challenges. However, the impacts of rising temperatures may be greatest on tropical freshwater fish, which already exist in warm environments and may be living close to their critical thermal maximum. However, there is limited species‐specific information on tropical species’ adaptive capacity to increased temperature. This study examined various growth attributes in juvenile populations (farmed, L. Kacheera and L. Nabisojjo) of a critically endangered tropical Oreochromis esculentus to determine its adaptive potential. Fish were acclimated at 25, 28, 31 and 34°C for 28 days. Overall, survival rates were high. Growth coefficient b was not significantly different from three (b = 3) in all treatments, implying isometric growth. The specific growth rates (SGRs), body condition K, and hepato‐somatic indices (his) declined as the acclimation temperatures increased. Although SGR showed significant variations only among populations, the highest in L. Nabisojjo, K and HSI showed significant variations among treatments. Overall, the growth attributes declined at higher acclimation temperatures, but remained within acceptable ranges, implying that the species may attain normal growth at elevated temperatures experienced in outdoor aquaculture systems, despite its warm environmental background. Hence, we recommend selective breeding for temperature resilience and species introduction into aquaculture using broodstock from L. Nabisojjo.
Treatment‐related decisional conflict in pre‐dialysis chronic kidney disease patients in Singapore: Prevalence and determinants
Authors: Goh Zack Zhong Sheng , Chia Jace Ming Xuan , Seow Terina Ying‐ying , Choo Jason Chon Jun , Foo Marjorie , Seow Pei Shing , Griva Konstadina
Published: December 2021

Background

In advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), patients face complex decisions related to renal replacement modality that can cause decisional conflict and delay. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of severe decisional conflict across decision types and to identify the psychosocial and clinical factors associated with decisional conflict in this population.

Design

Observational cross‐sectional study.

Methods

Patients with CKD in renal care were recruited. The Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS), Functional, Communicative, and Critical Health Literacy (FCCHL), Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ), and the Kidney‐disease Quality of Life (KDQOL) questionnaires were used. Clinical data were obtained from medical records. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify predictors of severe decisional conflict (DCS score ≥ 37.5).

Results

Participants (N = 190; response rate = 56.7%; mean age = 62.8 ± 10.8) reported moderate levels of decisional conflict (29.7 ± 14.5). The overall prevalence of severe decisional conflict was 27.5% (n = 46) with no significant differences across decision types (dialysis, modality, access). Ethnicity (Chinese), marital status (married), BIPQ treatment control, coherence, KDQOL staff encouragement, and all health literacy domains, except functional health literacy, were significant predictors of decisional conflict in the unadjusted models. In the multivariable model, only the health literacy domains of FCCHL Communicative, and HLQ Active Engagement remained significant.

Conclusion

Even after pre‐dialysis education, many CKD patients in this study still report severe decisional conflict, with rates remaining substantial across decision junctures. The associations of decisional conflict and health literacy skills related to communication and engagement with healthcare providers indicate that more collaborative and patient‐centric pre‐dialysis programs may support patient activation and resolve decisional conflict.
Online urological educational material for medical students: can search engines be trusted?
Authors: Gunasegaram James , Ong Sean , Swann Ray , Lawrentschuk Nathan
Published: December 2021

Objectives

To determine the credibility of online urological information that medical students are likely to encounter, determine possible discrepancies between the credibility of information pertaining to different areas within urology (especially those less relevant to patients), and assess trends in the sponsorship of online urological educational material.

Materials and Methods

Health on the Net (HON) principles were used as a validated benchmark to assess the reliability of websites that appeared in the first 150 results of a search using the Google search engine. A variety of urological search terms were used, grouped into three broad categories with varying relevance to patients and medical students. Further analysis focussed on the sponsorship of assessed websites.

Results

A total of 5400 websites were assessed for validation over a set of 36 search terms. Only 843/5400 (15.6%) of these were HONcode accredited, indicating a large proportion of unverified and potentially unreliable information. Search engine rankings usually favoured accredited websites (P = 0.009), and accreditation peaked at 51.1% (184/360) in the first page of results, but sorting became weaker outside the highest search results. The percentage of accredited websites varied significantly between different subcategories of search terms such as conditions (18.3% [329/1800], P = 0.003) and procedures (13.5% [243/1800], P = 0.043). Governmental/educational and commercial sources supported the majority of websites assessed for sponsorship (21% [31/150] and 33% [49/150], respectively), and the former were more likely to rank highly in search results.

Conclusion

Online urological information frequently lacks validation and is often of indeterminate credibility. There is a marked decrease in the proportion of accredited websites beyond the highest‐ranked results and when considering search categories more relevant to students and less relevant to patients. Students cannot necessarily rely on free online sources for accurate information and could benefit from the development of more rigorous novel tools and platforms.
Associations of bird and bat species richness with temperature and remote sensing‐based vegetation structure on a tropical mountain
Authors: Vogeler Anna‐Valeska Bettina , Otte Insa , Ferger Stefan , Helbig‐Bonitz Maria , Hemp Andreas , Nauss Thomas , Böhning‐Gaese Katrin , Schleuning Matthias , Tschapka Marco , Albrecht Jörg
Published: December 2021

Given the current challenges of global change, e.g., through increasing temperatures and changes in habitat quality, it is essential to gain a better understanding of how species are linked to the conditions of their environment. Bats and birds fulfill crucial ecosystem functions as highly mobile long‐distance seed dispersers, pollinators, and insect predators and might be influenced not only by abiotic conditions such as temperature, but also by structural parameters of their habitats. We hypothesized that mean annual temperature and vegetation structures are key determinants of flying vertebrate species richness along the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. We used Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) to characterize the three‐dimensional habitat structure across different forest strata and recorded mean annual temperature on 58 study sites along the elevational gradient of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Our results show that both bat and bird species richness were significantly associated with temperature and a LiDAR derived measure of canopy density. In combination, temperature and LiDAR‐derived vegetation structure described over 90% of the variability in bat and bird species richness along the elevational gradient. Our findings reveal that climate data and measures of canopy structure obtained by remote sensing can be used to approximate the richness of flying vertebrates on tropical mountains and are highly suitable monitoring tools in conservation programs for these functionally important taxa.
Disentangling drivers of thermal physiology: Community‐wide cold shock recovery of butterflies under natural conditions
Authors: Khazan Emily S. , Haggard Jaime , Ríos‐Málaver Indiana Cristobal , Shirk Philip , Scheffers Brett R.
Published: December 2021

Physiological strategies of terrestrial ectotherms are a delicate interplay between species’ traits and their physical environment. Several theories and overarching hypotheses seek to explain strategies related to thermal physiology with respect to organisms and their environments. However, most of these have been investigated under controlled laboratory conditions with lab‐reared or otherwise acclimated individuals, removing the effect of environmental acclimation. This study examines anin‐situphysiological trait, cold shock recovery, across butterfly communities of the Colombian Andes from different environments, elevations, and ambient conditions. We explored four non‐mutually exclusive hypotheses—1) intrinsic (species) traits dictate response hypothesis; 2) extrinsic (environmental) traits dictate response hypothesis; 3) climate variability hypothesis; 4) thermal melanism hypothesis—to explain cold shock recovery of wild‐caught butterflies from high (1800 m.a.s.l) and low (600 m.a.s.l.) elevations in two habitat types (open and closed canopy). Cold shock recovery was measured as the time following a cold shock to full recovery, that is, flight. Ambient conditions and the thermal melanism hypothesis, which posits an interaction between pigmentation and solar intensity, best explained cold‐shock recovery. Higher temperatures and light exposure reduced recovery time. Dark butterflies under high solar intensity recovered from cold shock faster than light butterflies or those under low solar intensity regardless of species identity, morphology, or habitat characteristics. These results highlight the importance of ambient conditions and the interaction between pigmentation of tropical ectotherms and their physical thermal environments, patterns that may render populations vulnerable to the thermal impacts of climate change and development.

Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.
Landscape structure and local variables affect plant community diversity and structure in a Brazilian agricultural landscape
Authors: Silveira dos Santos Juliana , Silva‐Neto Carlos M. , Castro Silva Thiago , Nascimento Siqueira Karoline , Ribeiro Milton Cezar , Garcia Collevatti Rosane
Published: December 2021

The biodiversity in agricultural landscapes depends on land‐use types, natural elements, and farming intensity. The Brazilian Cerrado is a biodiversity hotspot, however, the native vegetation loss rates have increased in the last years, leading several plant species to extinction risk. Here, we analyze the effects of local (soil fertility and litter amount) and landscape variables (patch shape, habitat amount, compositional heterogeneity, matrix dominance and connectivity) on alpha species richness and diversity, and basal area of different Cerrado vegetation types (savanna, forested savanna, and forest) using linear models and Akaike information criterion. We calculated landscape metrics at different spatial scales for 49 sampling sites in intensive farming landscapes. Woody plant diversity and richness were positively related to soil fertility and landscape compositional heterogeneity at 1500 m spatial scale. Plant richness was negatively related to the patch shape of remnants at 1000 m spatial scale. The effects of litter amount to explain the basal area varied between vegetation types. We found a positive effect in savanna and forested savanna and a negative effect in forest areas. Our findings suggest that the increase of monocultures lead to a decline on plant diversity in the studied landscapes. Also, local variables and the diversity of vegetation types need to be considered to design restoration actions in Cerrado. Sustainable intensification and biodiversity‐friendly production systems may be alternatives to increase compositional heterogeneity, thus favoring plant diversity in Cerrado farming landscapes.

Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material.
Cohort‐based analysis of maternal age at menarche in relation to young adult offspring anthropometric and metabolic parameters
Authors: Jalali Zahra , Bahrampour Saeed , Khalili Parvin , Jalali Nazanin , Esmaeili Nadimi Ali , Sadeghi Tabandeh
Published: December 2021

Objectives

Age of menarche is a determinant factor of cardiometabolic risk, adiposity and stature at adulthood. However, little is known about the transgenerational effects of age of menarche, especially beyond childhood of any offspring, and the studies remain limited to anthropometric outcomes in children at birth or before adolescence. In the present study, we aim to investigate the relationship of maternal age at menarche (MAM) with anthropometric and metabolic parameters in the young adult offspring (aged 15–35 years) in a Persian population.

Design, Patients and Measurements

In this cohort‐based cross‐sectional study, we recruited 1139 mother–young adult dyads enroled in Rafsanjan Cohort Study (RCS) at adult RCS (aged 35–70 years) and youth RCS (aged 15–35 years) as part of the comprehensive PERSIAN (Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in IrAN). In this study, MAM was categorized to early (MAM < 12 years), normal (12 ≤ MAM ≤ 14) and late menarche (MAM > 14 years). For these analyses, bivariate and multiple logistic regression models were used to investigate the relationships between late or early MAM and offspring anthropometric and metabolic parameters.

Results

Early MAM displayed a significant association with an increased odds ratio (OR) of tall stature adjusting for sex, age, socioeconomic status index, maternal age at birth and maternal height (as genetically determined factor). Sensitivity analysis by sex indicated this relationship to be specific to male offspring only (adjusted OR: 1.84 95% CI: 1.13–3.00, p value: .014). In addition, late MAM displayed a significant association with reduced OR of overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity in daughters only (obesity adjusted OR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.27–0.88, p value: .018, abdominal obesity adjusted OR: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.23–0.82, p value: .010). dose–response analysis by categorization of MAM, further supported our results. On the contrary, our analyses do not support a significant relationship between MAM and youth metabolic indices, that is, metabolic syndrome, fasting blood sugar (FBS), high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglyceride (TG).

Conclusions

The results of the present study indicate an association of maternal age of menarche with anthropometric measures of offspring in young adulthood in a sex differential manner. The data does not support a significant relationship between the metabolic indices FBS, TG and HDL in offspring with MAM. Overall, this study provides evidence for the intergenerational effects of age at menarche in the development of anthropometric measures in offspring in young adulthood (15–35), which is the first study of this kind in this age range.
Adverse skin reactions among health care workers using face personal protective equipment during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: A cross‐sectional survey of six hospitals in Denmark
Authors: Skiveren Jette G. , Ryborg Malene F. , Nilausen Britt , Bermark Susan , Philipsen Peter A.
Published: December 2021

Background

Health care workers (HCWs) report frequent adverse skin reactions (ASRs) due to face personal protective equipment (F‐PPE) use during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic.

Objectives

To describe self‐reported ASRs among HCWs using F‐PPE; investigate background factors, such as chronic skin diseases and skin types (dry, oily, combination, sensitive), and determine whether HCWs took preventive methods against ASRs.

Methods

An online questionnaire was distributed to 22 993 HCWs at hospitals.

Results

The prevalence of ASRs was 61.9% based on 10 287 responders. Different types of F‐PPE caused different reactions. The most common ASRs from surgical masks were spots and pimples (37.2%) and from FFP3 masks was red and irritated skin (27.3%). A significantly higher proportion of HCWs with chronic skin diseases had ASRs (71.6%) than those without chronic skin diseases (59.7%) (P < .001). Some skin types were more prone to ASRs (sensitive skin [78.8%] vs dry skin [54.3%]; P = .001). HCWs using F‐PPE for >6 hours versus <3 hours per day had a four times higher ASR risk (P = <.001). Nearly all HCWs used preventive and/or counteractive methods (94.2%).

Conclusions

It is important to consider background factors, such as chronic skin diseases and skin types, to prevent and counteract ASRs due to F‐PPE use.
Novel electrosurgical knife with adjustable sheath length for colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection
Authors: Nomura Tatsuma , Sugimoto Shinya , Oyamada Jun
Published: December 2021

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Disentangling age and schooling effects on inhibitory control development: An fNIRS investigation
Authors: McKay Courtney , Wijeakumar Sobanawartiny , Rafetseder Eva , Shing Yee Lee
Published: December 2021

Children show marked improvements in executive functioning (EF) between 4 and 7 years of age. In many societies, this time period coincides with the start of formal school education, in which children are required to follow rules in a structured environment, drawing heavily on EF processes such as inhibitory control. This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal development of two aspects of inhibitory control, namely response inhibition and response monitoring and their neural correlates. Specifically, we examined how their longitudinal development may differ by schooling experience, and their potential significance in predicting academic outcomes. Longitudinal data were collected in two groups of children at their homes. At T1, all children were roughly 4.5 years of age and neither group had attended formal schooling. One year later at T2, one group (P1, n = 40) had completed one full year of schooling while the other group (KG, n = 40) had stayed in kindergarten. Behavioural and brain activation data (measured with functional near‐infrared spectroscopy, fNIRS) in response to a Go/No‐Go task and measures of academic achievement were collected. We found that P1 children, compared to KG children, showed a greater change over time in activation related to response monitoring in the bilateral frontal cortex. The change in left frontal activation difference showed a small positive association with math performance. Overall, the school environment is important in shaping the development of the brain functions underlying the monitoring of one own's performance.
A comparison of machine learning algorithms for mapping soil iron parameters indicative of pedogenic processes by hyperspectral imaging of intact soil profiles
Authors: Xu Shengxiang , Zhao Yongcun , Wang Meiyan , Shi Xuezheng
Published: December 2021

Soil iron (Fe) performs vital functions in the biogeochemical cycles of soil environments. The amount and profile allocation of various Fe parameters can be used as sensitive indicators of soil development and pedogenic processes. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of ground‐based hyperspectral imaging (HSI: 400–1010 nm) spectroscopy to predict and map six Fe parameters indicative of pedogenic processes: total Fe (Fet), dithionite‐citrate‐bicarbonate (DCB)‐extracted Fe (Fed), oxalate‐extracted Fe (Feo), weathering index (FeW), active ratio (FeA) and crystallinity ratio (FeC). In total, 17 intact soil profiles at a depth of 100 ± 5 cm were collected to acquire HSI images. Four non‐linear machine learning techniques, namely, random forest (RF), XGBoost, CatBoost and support vector machine regression (SVMR), were implemented and compared with linear partial least squares (PLS) to identify the models with the best performance for different soil Fe parameters. Our results indicate that the four non‐linear machine learning models outperformed PLS for most soil Fe parameters, with low root mean square error (RMSE) and high Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (LCCC) values. Based on the testing set, SVMR showed better performance over the other tested models for Fet (RMSEP = 2.645 g kg−1, LCCCP = 0.89), Fed (RMSEP = 0.972 g kg−1, LCCCP = 0.97), Feo (RMSEP = 0.273 g kg−1, LCCCP = 0.97), FeW (RMSEP = 0.035, LCCCP = 0.97), FeA (RMSEP = 0.033, LCCCP = 0.97) and FeC (RMSEP = 0.031, LCCCP = 0.97). According to the LCCCP values, soil Fet was predicted to be in substantial agreement by SVMR, and the other soil Fe predictions were considered to be in near perfect agreement. Moreover, SVMR required lower computational costs. Given these results, the combination of HSI spectroscopy and SVMR is recommended due to its more reliable estimation and profile mapping of the selected soil Fe parameters than that of PLS, RF, XGBoost and CatBoost.

Highlights

Hyperspectral imaging was used to map six soil Fe parameters of intact profiles.

Nonlinear machine learning models were compared to select the most suitable model.

Nonlinear techniques outperformed the linear PLS model in most cases.

SVMR showed higher comprehensive performance than other models.

Hyperspectral imaging combined with SVMR is recommended to map soil Fe in profiles.
The role of forkhead box class O1 during implant osseointegration
Authors: Zhou Feng , Yi Zumu , Wu Yingying , Xiong Yi
Published: December 2021

FOXO1, a member of the forkhead family of transcription factors, plays a vital role in the osteogenic lineage commitment of mesenchymal stem cells, and affects multiple cellular functions of osteogenic cells. However, prior studies have focused on mesenchymal stem cells but not on differentiated osteoblasts. In addition, studies about the role of FOXO1 during osseointegration are lacking. In this present study, we constructed osteoblast conditional FOXO1 knock‐out mice and lentivirus‐mediatedFoxO1overexpression to investigate maxillary titanium implant osseointegration. After 4 wk post implant placement, micro‐computed tomography, histomorphometric analyses, and RT‐qPCR assays were performed. Results showed that compared with the control group, overexpression of FOXO1 significantly enhanced bone formation around implant and bone‐implant contact ratio, while loss of FOXO1 impaired peri‐implant osteogenesis and osseointegration. Moreover, overexpression ofFoxO1enhanced expression of osteogenesis‐related genes, such asRunx2,Alp1,Col1a1, andBglap. Whereas, knock‐out ofFoxo1reduced the expression of osteogenesis‐related genes. Taken together, our results suggested that FOXO1 in osteoblasts could enhance osteogenesis‐related gene expression to improve osseointegration.
Acidogenic and aciduric properties of Streptococcus mutans serotype c according to its genomic variability
Authors: Bedoya‐Correa Claudia María , Rincón‐Rodríguez Ramiro Javier , Parada‐Sanchez Monica Tatiana
Published: December 2021

Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) has a wide genetic diversity that contributes to its phenotypic heterogeneity, and may be related to attributes associated with acidogenicity and aciduricity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acidogenic and aciduric properties of S. mutans serotype c isolates from saliva of schoolchildren according to the genomic variability. S. mutans isolates were identified by polymerase chain reaction. Fifty S. mutans serotype c isolates were genotyped by pulsed field gel electrophoresis and tested for their ability to produce and resist acid. Three specific genotypes were identified in the caries‐active group and only one in the caries‐free group. Although isolates were similarly acidogenic, an exclusive caries‐active genotype had the greatest glycolytic activity. In contrast, isolates exhibited variable aciduricity, and three caries‐active genotypes were the least aciduric. We concluded that there is genetic variability within serotype c. Acid production was similar regardless of the caries status but correlated with the number of genotypes. In addition, resistance to acid could be an important characteristic for the establishment and colonisation of specific genotypes in children with caries. However, it is important to evaluate children's intrinsic characteristics and other phenotypic properties to explain the physiopathological behaviour of the different genotypes.
Prediction intervals should be included in meta‐analyses published in dentistry
Authors: Faggion Clovis Mariano , Menne Max Clemens , Pandis Nikolaos
Published: December 2021

This focus article aims to highlight the value of reporting prediction intervals (PIs) in random effects meta‐analysis and to assess the prevalence of PI‐reporting in periodontology and implant dentistry meta‐analyses. We searched in the PubMed database for meta‐analyses published in the fields of periodontology and implant dentistry. We selected meta‐analyses related to primary outcomes with at least three trials. Additionally, we extracted information on the type of the meta‐analysis model (fixed or random) and whether the random effects meta‐analyses included PIs in addition to the 95% confidence intervals. Three‐hundred and forty‐nine meta‐analyses were found in 94 systematic reviews. Two‐hundred and sixty‐three (75.4%) subgroup and full meta‐analyses used the random‐effects model, 81 (23.2%) used fixed‐effect methods, and 5 (1.4%) did not specify the model used. In 75 systematic reviews, we found 231 meta‐analyses with three or more trials (173 full meta‐analyses and 58 subgroup meta‐analyses). Only one systematic review reported PIs. Interpretation of the results of random effects meta‐analyses which ignore heterogeneity can be misleading. Heterogeneity should be explored, and two common approaches include subgroup analyses and meta‐regression. Random effects meta‐analyses should include PIs because they convey the extent of heterogeneity in treatment effects across studies in a clinically relevant context.
Dental caries severity and oral health‐related quality‐of‐life in Brazilian preschool children
Authors: Fernandez Matheus dos Santos , Pauli Laís Anschau , da Costa Vanessa Polina Pereira , Azevedo Marina Souza , Goettems Marília Leão
Published: December 2021

The impact of dental caries on oral health‐related quality‐of‐life (OHRQoL) may be influenced by disease severity. This study evaluated the impact of caries severity on OHRQoL in preschool children. A school‐based, cross‐sectional study was conducted with 205 children (aged 2–5 years) in Southern Brazil. Parents answered the Brazilian version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (B‐ECOHIS) and provided sociodemographic information. The Caries Assessment Spectrum and Treatment criteria were used to evaluate caries severity, and Poisson regression with robust variance estimation conducted to determine the rate ratio (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the mean OHRQoL scores according to severity level. Most children had at least one tooth in the morbidity (37%) or pre‐morbidity (35%) stages, and the prevalence of impacts on OHRQoL was 40%. Caries severity was associated with the impact scores: after adjustments, the mean B‐ECOHIS scores were 6.31 (95% CI: 4.24–9.38) higher for children in the morbidity stage, and 10.84 (95% CI: 6.51–18.05) higher in the severe morbidity stage, than for healthy children [RR = 10.84 (95% CI: 6.51–18.05)]. Children with carious lesions into dentine or with pulpally‐involved or abscessed teeth had poorer OHRQoL than children without such lesions.
Rare Potamogeton species can establish in restored Danish lowland stream reaches
Authors: Johnsen Trine Just , Henriksen Lisbeth Dalsgaard Romme , Larsen Mette Bundgaard , Kallestrup Helena , Larsen Søren Erik , Riis Tenna , Baattrup‐Pedersen Annette
Published: December 2021

Freshwater biodiversity is severely threatened, and despite many efforts to halt biodiversity loss the decline continues. Here, we used a transplantation approach to explore whether failure to reverse this trend for freshwater plants reflects that restoration measures applied to streams are inadequate for restoring suitable habitat conditions for plant species in decline.

We identified declining species within the plant genus Potamogeton and introduced five of these (Potamogeton compressus L., Potamogeton gramineus L., Potamogeton lucens L., Potamogeton praelongus Wulfen., and Potamogeton pusillus L.) into five restored lowland stream reaches in three different habitat types to examine species establishment and growth.

We found that plant establishment varied among streams and species, but we did not see any effect of habitat type within streams on either species growth or survival. Potamogeton compressus and P. pusillus failed to overwinter, while P. gramineus, P. lucens, and P. praelongus were all able to establish viable stands and to overwinter successfully in several of the experimental streams.

Our results suggest that suitable habitats are available for declining Potamogeton species in restored stream reaches in Denmark, but their continued growth may be challenged by limited overwintering success. Consequently, we find it likely that dispersal constraints prevent declining Potamogeton species from naturally recolonising restored stream reaches.

Understanding the importance of life history traits, such as overwintering and dispersal, can be crucial for the recovery of plant diversity in streams. Here we show that species that survived during winter were those with extensive growth of roots and rhizomes making them more adapted to withstand high flows than species relying on seeds and turions for overwintering. The creation of calmer backwater habitats can therefore be crucial when restoring stream reaches since these habitats may facilitate overwintering of species lost from the main channel during winter.
The “new normal” of academia in pandemic times: Resisting toxicity through care
Authors: Plotnikof Mie , Utoft Ea Høg
Published: December 2021

In this piece, we dwell on the shadow sides of the “new normal” of academic labor during the pandemic. As the greedy, neoliberal university penetrates our homes and bodies during lockdown, it infuses our (work) lives with a magnitude of mixed pressures and troublesome effects and affects. Embedded in very different home situations, we explore autoethnographically how we are affected similarly and differently, through questioning our senses of toxic productivity, toxic passivity and toxic affectivity. We recast toxicity as – not a characteristic of the university but – a fundamentally relational issue which works through and exacerbates individualization and isolation in the context of the pandemic, thus requiring relational forms of feminist resistance in response. For this purpose, we develop an approach for writing our differences together, which cares for and fleshes out our lived, multifaceted experiences including the filth and shame associated with the toxic new normal. In doing so, we are not escaping toxicity, but reconfiguring our embodiments and enactments of it by caring for ourselves and others, which re‐energizes us to push back and unsettle how we may live academia, and perhaps become happy academics, during this crisis and beyond.
Wettability and interfacial phenomena in the liquid‐phase bonding of refractory diboride ceramics: Recent developments
Authors: Asthana Rajiv , Sobczak Natalia , Singh Mrityunjay
Published: December 2021

Joining and integration technologies are integral to manufacturing of components based on ultrahigh‐temperature ceramics (UHTCs) such as transition metal diborides. Brazing is a particularly attractive joining technique because of its simplicity and versatility, but its use to join the UHTCs demands knowledge of the complex interplay among high‐temperature wettability, interfacial reactions, and chemical and thermoelastic compatibilities. This paper summarizes the research and development activities carried out over the last two decades to characterize the wettability and interfacial phenomena in brazing of refractory diboride ceramics. The contact angle data of various metal alloys on diboride‐based ceramics have been collected and critically evaluated in conjunction with an analysis of the chemistry and structure of the interface to understand the underlying mechanisms and phenomena that govern interface formation. It explores how solid–liquid interactions impact and are impacted by physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of joined materials. It also describes how this knowledge has been successfully utilized to create liquid‐phase bonded diboride‐based joints. The paper concludes with a summary of the current state of the art and highlights integration challenges and future research and technology development needs in the area.