bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Who Delivers Maternal and Child Health Services? The Contributions of Public Health and Other Community Partners
Authors: QUINLAN TARYN A. G. , MITCHELL AMELIA L. , MAYS GLEN P.
Published: January 2023

Policy Points

Local health departments with direct maternal and child health service provisions exhibit greater social service collaboration, thereby enhancing community capacity to improve health care access and social determinant support.

These findings may prioritize collaboration as a community‐based effort to reduce disparities in maternal and child health and chronic disease.

Context

Improving maternal and child health (MCH) care in the United States requires solutions to address care access and the social determinants that contribute to health disparities. Direct service provision of MCH services by local health departments (LHDs) may substitute or complement public health services provided by other community organizations, impacting local service delivery capacity. We measured MCH service provision among LHDs and examined its association with patterns of social service collaboration among community partners.

Methods

We analyzed the 2018 National Longitudinal Survey of Public Health Systems and 2016 National Association of County and City Health Officials Profile data to measure the LHD provision of MCH services and the types of social services involved in the implementation of essential public health activities. We compared the extensive and intensive margins of social service collaboration among LHDs with any versus no MCH service provision. We then used latent class analysis (LCA) to classify collaboration and logistic regression to estimate community correlates of collaboration.

Findings

Of 620 LHDs, 527 (85%) provided at least one of seven observed MCH services. The most common service was Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (71%), and the least common was obstetric care (15%). LHDs with MCH service provision were significantly more likely to collaborate with all types of social service organizations. LCA identified two classes of LHDs: high (n = 257; 49%) and low (n = 270; 51%) collaborators. Between 74% and 96% of high collaborators were engaged with social service organizations that provided basic needs services, compared with 31%‐60% of low collaborators. Rurality and very high maternal vulnerability were significantly correlated with low collaboration among MCH service–providing LHDs.

Conclusions

LHDs with direct MCH service provision exhibited greater social service collaboration. Collaboration was lowest in rural communities and communities with very high maternal vulnerability. Over half of MCH service–providing LHDs were classified as low collaborators, suggesting unrealized opportunities for social service engagement in these communities.
Study on structural characteristics and physicochemical properties of starches extracted from three varieties of kudzu root (Pueraria lobata starch)
Authors: Duan Xuantong , Guan Yongmei , Dong Huanhuan , Yang Mei , Chen Lihua , Zhang Hua , Naeem Abid , Zhu Weifeng
Published: January 2023

Kudzu root (Pueraria lobata) is well known for its traditional use as a medicinal food homologous plant in China. Three varieties of kudzu roots, such as Gange‐1, Gange‐2, and Gange‐6, are commonly used. Nowadays, kudzu starch (KS) is commercially available as satiating foods or product ingredients. Differentiation and selection of the variety are important components of quality control for KS‐based products. Thus, the present work was aimed at comparing the physicochemical properties, such as thermodynamic properties, pasting properties, solubility, swelling, as well as the structural characteristics of the starches extracted from the three varieties of kudzu roots. The results show that KS‐6 has a higher content of functional ingredients thus can be used as an ideal functional starch. However, KS‐6 has a higher amylopectin:amylose ratio of 4.65, resulting in a better solubility, higher transition temperature, and higher gelatinization enthalpy. KS‐2 showed lower transition temperature and gelatinization enthalpy, as well as higher peak viscosity, through viscosity, and final viscosity. KS‐1 could result in a soft texture after pasting. The appropriate variety of KS should be differentiated and selected according to application scenarios. This study provided valuable insights into the potential use of different KS in the food and nonfood industries.

Practical Application

1. KS‐1 was found to be suitable for use as a food supplement. 2. KS‐6 has the highest nutritional value. 3. They can be used as a substitute for other similar starches.
Insights into gene tissue specificity and protein–protein interactions in the context of purifying selection in humans
Authors: Mezzavilla Massimo , Cocca Massimiliano
Published: January 2023

Background

How much are natural selection and gene characteristics, such as the number of protein‐protein interactions (PPIs), tissue specificity (𝞽), and expression level, connected?

Methods

In order to investigate these relationships, we combined different metrics linked to genetic constraints and analyzed their distribution concerning PPIs, 𝞽 and expression levels.

Results

We discovered a positive correlation between genetic constraints, PPIs, and expression levels in all tissues. On the other hand, we obtained a negative correlation between genetic constraints and 𝞽. Furthermore, the fraction of variance in PPI and 𝞽 explained by the constraints metrics is around 6% and 10%, respectively.

Conclusions

We observed that the variance of expression of tissue‐specific genes seems not related to their level of selection constraints, which is the opposite of what is found on non‐tissue‐specific genes. Overall these observations would help to elucidate the relationship between natural selection and gene features.
Multiple interfaces
Authors: Udupa Sahana , Kramer Max
Published: January 2023

In India and its diaspora in the UK, online activities of various sorts—tweeting, blogging, messaging, trolling, and tagging—have become central to tensions surrounding religion's presence in public life and the stakes of belonging to the nation. Three clusters of social media practices undergird these digital mediations: piety, surveillance, and fun. Such practices reveal how internet‐enabled mediations reenergize religion as a political category of difference under majoritarian right‐wing regimes and the transnational context of Islamophobia, while also offering distinct possibilities for imagining politics through the pleasures, visibilities, and reflections induced by digital circulations. Rather than approaching the internet as an abstract technological context or discrete channels for communication, this analysis theoretically positions it as an arena of “multiple interfaces.” It signals contiguities and collisions that digital practice has opened up among the very real communities and structures of authority, under conditions shaped by longer colonial histories.
Up‐regulation of oxytocin receptors on peripheral sensory neurons mediates analgesia in chemotherapy‐induced neuropathic pain
Authors: Li Lixuan , Li Pupu , Guo Jing , Wu Yifei , Zeng Qian , Li Nan , Huang Xiaoting , He Yongshen , Ai Wen , Sun Wuping , Liu Tao , Xiong Donglin , Xiao Lizu , Sun Yanyan , Zhou Qiming , Kuang Haixia , Wang Zilong , Jiang Changyu
Published: January 2023

Background and Purpose

Chemotherapy‐induced neuropathic pain (CINP) currently has limited effective treatment. Although the roles of oxytocin (OXT) and the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) in central analgesia have been well documented, the expression and function of OXTR in the peripheral nervous system remain unclear. Here, we evaluated the peripheral antinociceptive profiles of OXTR in CINP.

Experimental Approach

Paclitaxel (PTX) was used to establish CINP. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR), in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry were used to observe OXTR expression in dorsal root ganglia (DRG). The antinociceptive effects of OXT were assessed by hot‐plate and von Frey tests. Whole‐cell patch clamp was performed to record sodium currents, excitability of DRG neurons, and excitatory synapse transmission.

Key Results

Expression of OXTR in DRG neurons was enhanced significantly after PTX treatment. Activation of OXTR exhibited antinociceptive effects, by decreasing the hyperexcitability of DRG neurons in PTX‐treated mice. Additionally, OXTR activation up‐regulated the phosphorylation of protein kinase C (pPKC) and, in turn, impaired voltage‐gated sodium currents, particularly the voltage‐gated sodium channel 1.7 (NaV1.7) current, that plays an indispensable role in PTX‐induced neuropathic pain. OXT suppressed excitatory transmission in the spinal dorsal horn as well as excitatory inputs from primary afferents in PTX‐treated mice.

Conclusion and Implications

The OXTR in small‐sized DRG neurons is up‐regulated in CINP and its activation relieved CINP by inhibiting the neural excitability by impairment of NaV1.7 currents via pPKC. Our results suggest that OXTR on peripheral sensory neurons is a potential therapeutic target to relieve CINP.
Overcoming the challenges associated with identification of deep intronic variants by whole genome sequencing
Authors: Dirix Marie , Gribouval Olivier , Arrondel Christelle , Benjelloun Saadia , Boyer Olivia , Charbit Marina , Antignac Corinne , Heidet Laurence , Dorval Guillaume
Published: January 2023

Whole‐genome sequencing (WGS) now allows identification of multiple variants in non‐coding regions. The large number of variants identified by WGS however complicates their interpretation. Through identification of the first deep intronic variant in NPHS2, which encodes podocin, a protein implicated in autosomal recessive steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS), we compare herein three different tools including a newly developed targeted NGS‐based RNA‐sequencing to explore the splicing effect of intronic variations.

WGS identified two different variants in NPHS2 eventually involved in the disease. Through RT‐PCR, exon‐trapping Minigene assay and targeted RNA sequencing, we were able to identify the splicing defect in NPHS2 mRNA from patient kidney tissue. Only targeted RNA‐seq simultaneously analyzed the effect of multiple variants and offered the opportunity to quantify consequences on splicing. Identifying deep intronic variants and their role in disease is of utmost importance. Alternative splicing can be predicted by in silico tools but always requires confirmation through functional testing with RNA analysis from the implicated tissue remaining the gold standard. When several variants with potential effects on splicing are identified by WGS, a targeted RNA sequencing panel could be of great value.
Nomadic boat‐dwelling children of Southeast Asia: Discourses on theSama‐Bajauchildren and implications on decentring child migration studies
Authors: Andal Aireen Grace
Published: January 2023

This article examines the discursive narratives in academic literature about the nomadic boat‐dwelling children of the Sama‐Bajau group in Southeast Asia. Through examining academic literature from 1989 to 2021, this paper explores how the literature shapes and mediates the narratives about Sama‐Bajau children. Findings suggest two threads of discursive narratives—one takes a developmentalist lens, and the other offers alternative narratives that reveal the complex identities of Sama‐Bajau children. These observations highlight the importance of nuanced conversations on child sea nomadism towards further developments of critical childhood studies on child migration in Southeast Asia and beyond.
Latent classes and longitudinal patterns of material hardship as predictors of child well‐being
Authors: Thomas Margaret M. C.
Published: January 2023

This study examined the associations of multifaceted material hardship measured cross‐sectionally and longitudinally with children's well‐being in the United States. Results from linear regression and child fixed effects models indicated that more intense material hardship had consistent, detrimental associations with child health status and internalizing and externalizing behaviours. More intense longitudinal patterns of material hardship were consistently associated with behaviours only. These findings examine new, multifaceted measures of material hardship and suggest associations between child well‐being, particularly behaviour challenges, and exposure both to multiple forms of material hardship and to more intense long‐term patterns of hardship.
The assessment of cliques in bound child and adolescent groups: A systematic scoping review
Authors: Robertson Madison A. , Sutcliffe Jordan T. , McGuire Cailie S. , Bruner Mark W. , Côté Jean , Martin Luc J.
Published: January 2023

The purpose of this systematic scoping review was to examine research that has assessed cliques within bound child and adolescent groups. A total of 10,878 studies were obtained from six research databases, with 68 studies ultimately being included. Results highlighted a range of methods used for the assessment of cliques with social network analysis and peer nominations being most prevalent. Moreover, research question(s) were encompassed within the following categories: antecedent‐oriented (n = 13), outcome‐oriented (n = 43) or the general nature of cliques (n = 12). These findings demonstrate the complexity of cliques and the need for nuanced approaches to exploring their implications for youth.
Effects of forest fragmentation on avian breeding activity
Authors: Coddington Charles P. J. , Cooper W. Justin , Luther David A.
Published: January 2023

Biodiversity declines and ecosystem decay follow forest fragmentation; initially, abundant species may become rare or be extirpated. Underlying mechanisms behind delayed extirpation of certain species following forest fragmentation are unknown. Species declines may be attributed to an inadequate number of breeding adults required to replace the population or decreased juvenile survival rate due to reduced recruitment or increased nest predation pressures. We used 10 years of avian banding data, 5 years before and 4 years after fragment isolation, from the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, carried out near Manaus, Brazil, to investigate the breeding activity hypothesis that there is less breeding activity and fewer young after relative to before fragment isolation. We compared the capture rates of active breeding and young birds in 3 forest types (primary forest, fragment before isolation, and fragment after isolation) and the proportion of active breeding and young birds with all birds in each unique fragment type before and after isolation. We grouped all bird species by diet (insectivore or frugivore) and nesting strategy (open cup, cavity, or enclosed) to allow further comparisons among forest types. We found support for the breeding activity hypothesis in insectivorous and frugivorous birds (effect sizes 0.45 and 0.53, respectively) and in birds with open‐cup and enclosed nesting strategies (effect sizes 0.56 and 0.44, respectively) such that on average there were more breeding birds in fragments before isolation relative to after isolation. A larger proportion of birds in the community were actively breeding before fragment isolation (72%) than after fragment isolation (11%). Unexpectedly, there was no significant decrease in the number of young birds after fragment isolation, although sample sizes for young were small (n = 43). This may have been due to sustained immigration of young birds to fragments after isolation. Together, our results provide some of the strongest evidence to date that avian breeding activity decreases in response to fragment isolation, which could be a fundamental mechanism contributing to ecosystem decay.
Dedifferentiated leiomyosarcoma of the uterus: a clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical analysis of 23 cases
Authors: Chapel David B , Maccio Livia , Bragantini Emma , Zannoni Gian F , Quade Bradley J , Parra‐Herran Carlos , Nucci Marisa R
Published: January 2023

Aims

To morphologically and immunophenotypically characterize dedifferentiated uterine leiomyosarcoma (LMS).

Methods and results

We identified 23 dedifferentiated uterine LMS, defined as a malignant uterine smooth muscle tumour containing discrete differentiated and dedifferentiated components (i.e. with and without morphologic and immunophenotypic evidence of smooth muscle differentiation, respectively). The differentiated component was leiomyosarcoma in most cases (17/23), though some arose from a leiomyoma (n = 4) or smooth muscle tumour of uncertain malignant potential (n = 2). The dedifferentiated tumour component showed noncohesive polygonal cells with moderate to abundant cytoplasm, pleomorphic nuclei with coarse vesicular to smudged chromatin, one or more macronucleoli, frequent multinucleation, and atypical mitoses. Three cases showed heterologous osteosarcomatous or chondrosarcomatous differentiation. Immunohistochemistry revealed alterations characteristic of uterine LMS, including Rb loss (18/19); strong diffuse p16 (17/19); strong diffuse (9/19) or complete absence of (5/19) p53; and ATRX loss (6/16). Compared to a control cohort of uterine LMS without dedifferentiation, dedifferentiated uterine LMS showed significantly shorter disease‐specific (median, 54 versus 20 months; 5‐year DSS, 46% versus 36%; P = 0.04) and disease‐free (median, 31 versus 8 months; 5‐year DFS, 42% versus 8%; P = 0.002) survival. Of 19 dedifferentiated uterine LMS with follow‐up, 12 had died of disease at median 14 (range, 2–73) months; four were alive with disease at 4, 12, 44, and 50 months; and three were alive with no evidence of disease at 56, 109, and 114 months.

Conclusion

Routine prospective recognition of dedifferentiated uterine LMS and distinction from mimics is advocated for accurate prognostication and for further characterisation of these tumours.
Recent patent applications for coffee and coffee by‐products as active ingredients in cosmetics
Authors: de Mello Valéria , de Mesquita Júnior Gilmar Alves , Alvim Julia Gabriela Eurico , Costa Juliana de Carvalho da , Vilela Fernanda Maria Pinto
Published: January 2023

Objective

Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages worldwide, and its production and consumption generate large amounts of by‐products annually. Coffee by‐products and coffee beans are rich in bioactive compounds of great commercial value, including potential applications as active ingredients in skin care products and cosmetic formulations. In addition, there has been growing interest in the use of natural ingredients for cosmetic purposes. Considering the importance of coffee in the world economy, its chemical constituents with potential for cosmetic and dermatological application, and the importance of patents for innovation and technological development, the present study aimed to review recent patents involving coffee and coffee by‐product use in cosmetics.

Methods

This review was carried out using Espacenet. The following inclusion criteria were established: patents that included the terms “coffee” and “skin” in the title, abstract and claims and belonged to the classification A61Q, which is related to the “specific use of cosmetics or similar toilet preparations” considering the International Patent Classification (IPC) or Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC).

Results

Considering the 52 patents analysed, the bean was the main way to obtain extracts (39), followed by green beans (7), silverskin (3), peel and pulp (1), pulp (1) and beans and leaves (1). The formulations are mainly intended for use in nonspecific areas of skin (29), eye areas (12), scalp hair (9) and lip skin (2) with claims of anti‐ageing, moisturizers, sun protection, hair growth, anti‐dandruff, etc.

Conclusion

Coffee and its residues have high amounts of phenolic compounds, caffeine, fatty acids and other substances known to have important biological properties for the skin. Coffee and its by‐products are promising ingredients to be incorporated into topical formulations, ensuring skin health benefits and reducing the environmental impact.
Dysphoric milk ejection reflex (D‐MER) and its implications for mental health nursing
Authors: Frawley Timothy , McGuinness Denise
Published: January 2023

Dysphoric milk ejection reflect (D‐MER) is a dysphoria which women may experience within seconds of commencing breastfeeding. It is only recently gaining recognition in the academic literature and may have important implications for breastfeeding continuation, differential diagnosis and perinatal mental health. This perspective piece introduces the topic, sets out the physiological processes underpinning the experience and outlines why increased awareness of D‐MER is important for the profession of mental health nursing.
Health‐seeking, intercultural health communication, and health outcomes: An intersectional study of ethnic minorities' lived experiences
Authors: Leung Dion Sik‐Yee , Ku Ben Hok‐Bun
Published: January 2023

Aims

To explore ethnic minorities' lived experiences of health‐seeking and healthcare utilization in Hong Kong, and to examine the impact of intersectionality of sociocultural identities on intercultural health communication.

Design

Qualitative exploratory design.

Methods

Data collection methods were semi‐structured interviews, unstructured observations, and unstructured informal group discussions. Twenty‐five informants, including eight Pakistanis, seven Nepalese, five Indians, four Bangladeshis and one Sri Lankan, were recruited using the snowball sampling method and individually interviewed between 25th June and 23rd September 2019.

Results

Sixteen females and nine males, aged 21–76 years, were in the study. Two‐thirds could communicate in English, but eight required interpreters. Thematic analysis reveals four factors affecting intercultural health communication: healthcare professionals' cultural insensitivity, red‐tapism and ethnic minorities' language improficiency and/or deficiency in medical knowledge. Health professionals' workplace stress and cultural insensitivity prompt ineffective intercultural communication, making ethnic minority patients feel disrespected despite having adopted the Hong Kong culture. The intersectionality of sociocultural identities plus health professionals' blocking behaviours results in health inequalities.

Conclusion

The unequal power relationship between health professionals and ethnic minority patients may lead to dehumanizing and depersonalized experiences for patients, as humanity is the heart and soul of medicine. Therefore, the government should raise healthcare providers' cultural sensitivity and diversity awareness, and offer ethno‐specific care and more interpretation services.

Impact

The study addresses health inequalities among Hong Kong ethnic minority patients with different sociocultural identities. About the impact of ineffective intercultural health communication on health inclusion and health outcomes, policies and practices should ameliorate health professionals' cultural sensitivity, awareness of the unequal power relationship and respect for diversity.

Patient or Public Contribution

Referred by organizations serving ethnic minorities, the minority patients shared their lived experiences in health‐seeking.
Does sexual conflict contribute to the evolution of novel warning patterns?
Authors: Hausmann Alexander E. , Freire Marília , Alfthan Sara A. , Kuo Chi‐Yun , Linares Mauricio , McMillan Owen , Pardo‐Diaz Carolina , Salazar Camilo , Merrill Richard M.
Published: January 2023

Why warning patterns are so diverse is an enduring evolutionary puzzle. Because predators associate particular patterns with unpleasant experiences, an individual's predation risk should decrease as the local density of its warning pattern increases, promoting pattern monomorphism. DistastefulHeliconiusbutterflies are known for their diversity of warning patterns. Here, we explore whether interlocus sexual conflict can contribute to their diversification. MaleHeliconiususe warning patterns as mating cues, but mated females may suffer costs if this leads to disturbance, favouring novel patterns. Using simulations, we show that under our model conditions drift alone is unlikely to cause pattern diversification, but that sexual conflict can assist such a process. We also find that genetic architecture influences the evolution of male preferences, which track changes in warning pattern due to sexual selection. When male attraction imposes costs on females, this affects the speed at which novel pattern alleles increase. In two experiments, females laid fewer eggs with males present. However, although males in one experiment showed less interest in females with manipulated patterns, we found no evidence that female colouration mitigates sex‐specific costs. Overall, male attraction to conspecific warning patterns may impose an unrecognized cost onHeliconiusfemales, but further work is required to determine this experimentally.
A practical, predictable, and reliable method to select shades for direct resin composite restorations
Authors: Vargas Marcos , Saisho Hiromi , Maharishi Anvita , Margeas Robert
Published: January 2023

Objective

This article describes a practical, predictable, and reliable method to select shades for direct composite restorations using custom shade guides made of resin composite at hand using a process of elimination

Clinical Considerations

Esthetics in direct resin composite restorations depends on the clinician's ability to reproduce the shape and shade of natural teeth, thus appropriate shade selection is a must. This method presented in this article simplifies the process of shade selection for direct resin composite restorations. The use of custom shades tabs made of commecially available resin composites, its arrangment and a process of elimination of tabs during shade selection allows the practitioner to obtain the best possible resin composite shade available for every case.

Conclusions

The use of custom shade guide tabs and an elimination protocol facilitates and expedites the process of shade selection for direct resin composites

Clinical Significance

The article presents a practical, predictable, and reliable method to select shades for direct resin composite restorations for daily practice.
Reproductive phase–dependent and sexually dimorphic expression of leptin and its receptor in different parts of brain of spotted snakehead Channa punctata
Authors: Bakshi Amrita , Rai Umesh
Published: January 2023

The reproductive phase‐wise leptin (lep) and its receptor (lepr) expression in different parts of the brain of adult male and female spotted snakehead Channa punctata reveals sexual dimorphism in the brain leptin system. In anterior, middle and posterior parts of the brain of males, a maximum lep was observed in resting, spawning and postspawning reproductive phases, respectively. In females, a high level of lep was seen during the preparatory phase in the anterior brain, preparatory and postspawning phases in the middle brain and resting and postspawning phases in the posterior brain. Nonetheless, the transcript level of lepr was recorded highest during the spawning phase, irrespective of sex and region of the brain. Regardless of the reproductive state of fishes, lep and lepr were seen considerably high in middle and posterior parts of male brain than that of female, implying the involvement of factors other than sex steroids for sex‐related variation in the leptin system in these regions of the brain. Nonetheless, no sex difference was evidenced in the expression of either ligand or its receptor in the anterior brain. In summary, the presence of lep and lepr in different regions of the brain and variation in their expression depending on sex and reproductive phases raise the possibility of pivotal actions of leptin in influencing neuronal circuitry and thereby reproductive functions.
Cost/effectiveness analysis of treatment options for the rehabilitation of the total edentulous mandible
Authors: Zhurakivska Khrystyna , Luciano Rossella , Caponio Vito Carlo Alberto , Lo Russo Lucio , Muzio Lorenzo Lo , Mascitti Marco , Troiano Giuseppe
Published: January 2023

Background

Several solutions are available for the rehabilitation of edentulous jaws. Each treatment option is characterised by specific advantages and drawbacks.

Objective

The aim of this research was to perform a cost‐effectiveness (CE) analysis of the main rehabilitative solutions of totally edentulous mandibles.

Methods

Decision tree models were built using TreeAge Pro Healthcare 2021 software to compare the following strategies: Conventional Denture (CD), Overdenture retained by two implants (OD‐2), Overdenture retained by a bar on two implants (ODbar), Overdenture retained by 4 mini‐implants (ODmini) and Fixed denture supported by 4 implants (FD). Costs were estimated using data from public rate tables. Effectiveness measures were obtained from a meta‐analysis of literature data, normalising the different scales in 0–1 range. A value of 30 000€ per 1 normalised utility points was set as threshold of willingness to pay (WTP). Probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) with 1000 Monte Carlo Simulations was performed to characterise uncertainty.

Results

Total costs ranged between 1804,40€ for CD and 10 008,80€ for FD rehabilitations, with an effectiveness of 0,69 and 0,95 normalised points (0–1 scale) for the two solutions. The ODbar resulted to be the most CE strategy at the established WTP value, with the highest Net Monetary Benefit (22 001,20€), followed by the OD‐2 rehabilitation (21 866,80€). PSA analysis confirmed the dominance of OD‐2 and ODbar strategies, confirming a net separation from the other alternatives.

Conclusion

OD stabilised by 2 implants could represent a good rehabilitative solution for patients with edentulous mandible, being a good trade‐off in terms of costs and effectiveness. Nevertheless, a standardised measure of oral health‐related quality of life is needed to obtain more reliable results.
Positive yet problematic: Lived experiences of racial and ethnic minority medical students during rural and urban underserved clinical rotations
Authors: Cedeño Brian , Shimkin Genya , Lawson Alexa , Cheng Bopha , Patterson Davis G. , Keys Toby
Published: January 2023

Purpose of Study

Medical students who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) regularly experience mistreatment and discrimination. This study sought to understand these student experiences during rotations in rural and urban underserved community teaching sites.

Methods

Self‐identified BIPOC medical students who completed the University of Washington School of Medicine's Rural Underserved Opportunities Program from 2019 through 2021 were invited to participate in a 60‐ to 90‐minute focus group discussion via Zoom. From August to September 2021, 4 focus groups and 1 individual interview were conducted with a total of 12 participants. A current BIPOC medical student facilitated the sessions utilizing questions developed by the research team. Four study team members coded transcripts for key themes related to experiences of microaggressions.

Findings

All participants reported having an overall positive experience, but everyone also witnessed and/or experienced at least 1 microaggression. Unlike those in urban placements, participants placed in rural sites expressed anxiety about being in predominantly White communities and experienced feelings of racial and/or ethnic isolation during the rotation. Participants recommended that rural preceptors identify themselves as trusted advocates and the program should prioritize placing BIPOC students at diverse clinical sites.

Conclusions

Medical schools must take action to address the mistreatment of BIPOC medical students in the clinical environment. Schools and rural training sites need to consider how to best support students to create an equitable learning environment and recruit more BIPOC physicians to rural practice.
Runs of homozygosity reveal past bottlenecks and contemporary inbreeding across diverging populations of an island‐colonizing bird
Authors: Martin Claudia A. , Sheppard Eleanor C. , Illera Juan Carlos , Suh Alexander , Nadachowska‐Brzyska Krystyna , Spurgin Lewis G. , Richardson David S.
Published: January 2023

Genomes retain evidence of the demographic history and evolutionary forces that have shaped populations and drive speciation. Across island systems, contemporary patterns of genetic diversity reflect population demography, including colonization events, bottlenecks, gene flow and genetic drift. Here, we investigate genome‐wide diversity and the distribution of runs of homozygosity (ROH) using whole‐genome resequencing of individuals (>22× coverage) from six populations across three archipelagos of Berthelot's pipit (Anthus berthelotii)‐a passerine that has recently undergone island speciation. We show the most dramatic reduction in diversity occurs between the mainland sister species (the tawny pipit) and Berthelot's pipit and is lowest in the populations that have experienced sequential bottlenecks (i.e., the Madeiran and Selvagens populations). Pairwise sequential Markovian coalescent (PSMC) analyses estimated that Berthelot's pipit diverged from its sister species ~2 million years ago, with the Madeiran archipelago founded 50,000 years ago, and the Selvagens colonized 8000 years ago. We identify many long ROH (>1 Mb) in these most recently colonized populations. Population expansion within the last 100 years may have eroded long ROH in the Madeiran archipelago, resulting in a prevalence of short ROH (<1 Mb). However, the extensive long and short ROH detected in the Selvagens suggest strong recent inbreeding and bottleneck effects, with as much as 38% of the autosomes consisting of ROH >250 kb. These findings highlight the importance of demographic history, as well as selection and genetic drift, in shaping contemporary patterns of genomic diversity across diverging populations.
METTL3 potentiates osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells via IGF2BP1/m6A/RUNX2
Authors: Zhou Shuzuo , Zhang Gang , Wang Kun , Yang Zhong , Tan Yinghui
Published: January 2023

Objective

Maxillofacial bone defect is a critical obstacle for maxillofacial tumors and periodontal diseases. The osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells BMSCs is critical for maxillofacial osteogenesis and functional reconstruction. Here, our study focused on the functions and mechanism of N6‐methyladenosine during BMSCs osteogenic differentiation BMSCs.

Subject and Methods

Biofunctions of BMSCs were detected using ALP activity and alizarin red S staining assays. The molecular interaction within RNA/protein was identified by RNA immunoprecipitation and/or methylation immunoprecipitation.

Results

Results indicated that m6A ‘writer’ METTL3 upregulated during the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs upon osteogenic induction. Functionally, assays' results revealed that METTL3 overexpression promoted the osteogenic differentiation of BMSC, while METTL3 knockdown repressed the osteogenic differentiation. Mechanistically, results revealed that RUNX2 mRNA was a m6A‐methylated target by METTL3 at its 3'‐UTR. Moreover, m6A reader IGF2BP1 recognized the m6A site on RUNX2 mRNA to enhance its stability.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our findings revealed the novel roles of METTL3 in BMSCs osteogenic differentiation via the IGF2BP1/m6A/RUNX2 signaling axis of m6A‐dependent manner, providing a potential therapeutic target for maxillofacial bone defects treatment.
Limited role of children in transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2 virus in households—Immunological analysis of 26 familial clusters
Authors: Sieber Justyna , Schmidthaler Klara , Kopanja Sonja , Weseslindtner Lukas , Stiasny Karin , Götzinger Florian , Graf Alexandra , Krotka Pavla , Hoz Jakub , Schoof Anja , Dwivedi Varsha , Frischer Thomas , Szépfalusi Zsolt
Published: January 2023

Background

The impact of children on the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) remains uncertain. This study provides an insight into distinct patterns of SARS‐CoV‐2 household transmission in case of pediatric and adult index cases as well as age‐dependent susceptibility to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection.

Methods

Immune analysis, medical interviewing, and contact tracing of 26 families with confirmed SARS‐CoV‐2 infection cases have been conducted. Blood samples were analyzed serologically with the use of a SARS‐CoV‐2‐specific IgG assay and virus neutralization test (VNT). Uni‐ and multivariable linear regression and mixed effect logistic regression models were used to describe potential risk factors for higher contagiousness and susceptibility to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection.

Results

SARS‐CoV‐2 infection could be confirmed in 67 of 124 family members. Fourteen children and 11 adults could be defined as index cases in their households. Forty of 82 exposed family members were defined as secondarily infected. The mean secondary attack rate in households was 0.48 and was significantly higher in households with adult than with pediatric index cases (0.85 vs 0.19; p < 0.0001). The age (grouped into child and adult) of index case, severity of disease, and occurrence of lower respiratory symptoms in index cases were significantly associated with secondary transmission rates in households. Children seem to be equally susceptible to acquire a SARS‐CoV‐2 infection as adults, but they suffer milder courses of the disease or remain asymptomatic.

Conclusion

SARS‐CoV‐2 transmission from infected children to other household members occurred rarely in the first wave of the pandemic, despite close physical contact and the lack of hygienic measures.
Manufacturer encroachment with an e‐commerce division
Authors: Shi Siyu , Wang Chenyu , Cheng T. C. Edwin , Liu Shuai
Published: January 2023

Traditionally, manufacturer encroachment is investigated under an integrated organizational structure where online business decisions are made at the whole firm level. However, with the establishment of a specific e‐commerce division, the manufacturer has the flexibility to delegate the decision‐making of the online business to its e‐commerce division to maximize the online revenue under a decentralized structure. We study manufacturer encroachment in a supply chain, where a manufacturer sells through a bricks‐and‐mortar retailer and plans to deploy its e‐commerce division to launch the online direct‐to‐consumer business. Different from prior research, we endogenize the manufacturer's choice between the integrated and the decentralized structures in its encroachment pursuit. Our results suggest that the decentralized structure could enlarge the manufacturer's feasible range to encroach, but it would also intensify the competition between the e‐commerce division and the retailer. Therefore, choosing the decentralized structure does not necessarily yield a higher profit for the manufacturer because the loss in the retail channel may be hard to offset due to the intensified competition. Instead, choosing the integrated structure could lead to a win–win–win outcome for the manufacturer, retailer, and e‐commerce division when the direct selling cost is sufficiently low. Although the manufacturer may benefit from encroachment under both organizational structures, it should not encroach when the direct selling cost is between low and moderate. Notably, the bright side of manufacturer encroachment's impact on the retailer still exists under the decentralized structure. We also study some alternative settings, including consumers’ offline hassle cost, market‐based transfer price, and quantity competition, to obtain additional insights.
Wealth in Latin America: Evidence from Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay
Authors: Gandelman Néstor , Lluberas Rodrigo
Published: January 2023

Drawing on recently‐available microdata from financial surveys, this paper presents harmonized indicators for household wealth, its components, and its determinants in four Latin American countries (Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay), using Spain as a comparison benchmark. The paper analyzes the relationship between wealth indicators and sociodemographic characteristics of household heads (age, education, gender, marital status). For Uruguay, we are also able to analyze wealth patterns and intergenerational mobility (inheritance, family businesses and parental education).
Organic residues and their impact on soil health, crop production and sustainable agriculture: A review including bibliographic analysis
Authors: Brichi Lisiane , Fernandes João V. M. , Silva Beatriz M. , Vizú Juliana de F. , Junior Jorge N. G. , Cherubin Maurício Roberto
Published: January 2023

Despite their potential as a sustainable source of soil nutrients and organic matter, waste organic residues are often discarded rather than utilized in agriculture. This review examines the current state‐of‐the‐art in the application of organic residues in agricultural production systems by analysing trends and results in published research conducted on their use for soil health and crop production purposes. For this, a bibliographic analysis was conducted on 81 papers collected from the Web of Science database. Our research shows a growing trend in the field, particularly in recent years, with articles from India, China and the United States at the forefront. The most commonly evaluated organic residues were compost, animal manure, crop residues, municipal solid waste and biochar. Soil pH, bulk density and especially organic matter/total organic carbon (TOC) were the chemical, physical and biological attributes most frequently evaluated, respectively. This review indicates that the application of organic residues improves soil health, positively affecting crop productivity in crops such as maize, wheat and rice. However, further research is needed to address the potential risk of soil contamination from potentially toxic metals (PTMs) associated with organic residues, as well as to identify best practices to guarantee food safety and environmental preservation.
Characterization of the novel HLA‐A*01:383 allele by next‐generation sequencing
Authors: Gatouillat Grégory , Tabary Thierry , Tonye‐Libyh Marcelle , Pham Bach Nga , Giusti Delphine
Published: January 2023

HLA‐A*01:383 differs from HLA‐A*01:01:01:01 by two nucleotide substitutions at positions 28 and 48 in exon 1.
Detrital zircon age signatures of the Mesozoic in the Lusitanian Basin and implications for the evolution of Iberia–Newfoundland conjugate margins
Authors: Dinis Pedro A. , Vermesch Pieter , Callapez Pedro
Published: January 2023

New detrital zircon age results from the Lusitanian Basin are integrated with published data for the Mesozoic of west Iberia and eastern Canada (4959 concordant ages). Zircons in new samples are either mainly Devonian‐Permian, Cryogenian‐Ediacaran or reveal a combination of these two age populations, showing secondary to minor Mesoproterozoic‐Archean ages. Statistical tools applied to the compiled age data allow grouping the samples according to age signatures and explain main features of the age spectra. Age signatures are determined by the abundance of zircon: (1) recycled from terranes involved in Pangea amalgamation; (2) associated with Acadian‐Variscan crystalline rocks (~420–310 Ma), which becomes younger from the Laurentian to the Gondwanan sides of the orogen; (3) associated with post‐collisional events (~300–285 Ma) that affected different terranes and were exhumed in major structures controlling basin formation; and (4) resulting from Mesozoic magmatism (~145 Ma) with a stronger imprint in the west Atlantic margin.
Iron deficiency in whole blood donors in a resource‐poor setting: A cross‐sectional study in Uganda
Authors: Dhabangi Aggrey , Ssenyonga Ronald , Siu Godfrey , Elaborot Susan Acana , Kyeyune Dorothy , Bates Imelda
Published: January 2023

Background and Objective

Blood donation is known to result in iron deficiency (ID), with a higher prevalence in females. There is little published data on the frequency of ID among blood donors in resource‐poor settings. We determined the prevalence of ID in blood donors in Uganda.

Methods

We conducted a descriptive cross‐sectional study at the Uganda Blood Transfusion Service, Kampala from December 2021 to February 2022. A sample of 500 whole blood donors was enrolled. The evaluation included demographic characteristics, donation history, nutritional history, complete blood count, and serum ferritin. The primary outcome was the proportion of donors with serum ferritin <15 μg/L.

Results

The median (IQR) serum ferritin was 25 (12–47) μg/L and 89 (52–133) μg/L among female and male donors respectively. The prevalence of iron deficiency (serum ferritin <15 μg/L) among donating individuals was 11.5% (8.7–14.9), while among low haemoglobin deferrals, 61.5% (50.9–71.1). The prevalence was high among females [33.0% (27.9–38.6)] compared with males [2.5% (1.0–5.8)], but even higher among females younger than 24 years [35.4% (29.2–42.1)]. Factors associated with ID (adjusted odds ratio, 95% Cl, and significance) were; female donors (15.81, 5.17, 48.28, p < 0.001) and a high RDW (6.89, 2.99, 15.90, p < 0.001). We found a moderate correlation between serum ferritin and RDW (r = −0.419 and −0.487 for males and females respectively).

Conclusion

Iron deficiency is common among blood donors in Uganda, affecting mostly young female donors. Considerations to adopt evidence‐based strategies to prevent and manage ID among blood donors–such as serum ferritin monitoring and iron supplementation are highly recommended.
A second look at the mortality in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura score: An external validation study
Authors: Andanamala Haripriya , Brunton Nichole , Pai Rima , Sostin Oleg
Published: January 2023

Background

Despite high effectiveness of therapeutic plasma exchange as the first‐line therapy, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) remains a life‐threatening condition and may require utilization of adjunct modalities in certain patients. Mortality In TTP Score (MITS) is a prognostic risk stratified scoring tool designed to predict mortality in hospitalized patients with TTP. There has not been an external validation of MITS to date.

Study Design and Methods

We performed an external validation of MITS in patients hospitalized with TTP using the National Inpatient Sample database from 2016 to 2019. We identified 4589 patients who met the selection criteria. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression models were run based on the MITS parameters of arterial thrombosis, intracranial haemorrhage, age, renal failure, ischemic stroke, platelet transfusion, and myocardial infarction to evaluate prognostic performance and discriminatory power of this tool.

Results

All‐cause mortality was reported more frequently in female subjects (57.8%), Caucasian race (58.9%), and ages 60 years, and above (52.3%). In a multivariable analysis, the variables included in the MITS criteria remained significant predictors of mortality. Moreover, MITS correlated with mortality risk. Our model's area under the receiving operator character curve was 71%, compared to 78.6% in the derivation cohort study.

Discussion

In this external validation cohort, performance of MITS was similar to the derivation cohort, validating it as a valuable clinical tool that may guide management of TTP patients.
Functions of Pragmatic Presuppositions in Advertisements: Promoting Cosmetics on Instagram
Authors: Li Siming
Published: January 2023

Presuppositions as pragmatic strategies have been a much-discussed topic, yet there need to be more studies on the pragmatic presupposition in advertisements on social media platforms. The present study explores the distribution and functions of different types of presuppositions in cosmetics advertisements on Instagram to fill the gap. Fifty advertisements posted by the ten most-followed beauty brands on Instagram were chosen as samples. It is found that advertisers prefer fact presupposition over other types of presuppositions since it is helpful when it comes to persuading customers to buy a particular product. This paper contributes to studies on presuppositions in ads on social media platforms and advances our understanding of the functions of pragmatic presuppositions.