bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The baggage and the benefits that travel with the F word: Transnational feminism and its discontents
Authors: Savaş Özge , Duncan Lauren E. , Smith Hanna M. , Stewart Abigail J.
Published: May 2024

We examined how locally situated and transnationally circulated meanings of feminism interact forming implicit cultural meanings, and how these meanings about feminism appear in women's accounts of their own work and identifications. Using twenty‐four oral histories, we identified four implicit cultural meanings about feminism: (1) “Mainstream” feminism is/as white and middle‐class; (2) Feminists are lesbians; (3) Feminism is/as hostile to men; and (4) Feminism is/as a “western” ideology. In addition, we identified three strategies activists used to respond to these meanings: (1) distancing themselves from the word “feminist/feminism”; (2) explicitly embracing the term and clarifying its meaning; and (3) shifting from an individual to a structural level of analysis. Examining these discourses in a multinational sample with women of various racial‐ethnic and indigenous identities, we found that implicit cultural meanings often identified in the US or as western interact with locally found meanings affecting activists in the Majority World. Activists’ use of these implicit cultural meanings complicated prevalent, but often simplistic, narratives about feminists, feminism, and identity.
Relationships between parental involvement in homework and learning outcomes among elementary school students: The moderating role of societal collectivism–individualism
Authors: Wang Yiheng , Li Liman Man Wai
Published: May 2024

Background

Parents are often involved in their child's homework with the goal of improving their child's academic achievement. However, mixed findings were observed for the role of parental involvement in homework in shaping students' learning outcomes.

Aims

The present study examined whether and how the effect of parental involvement in homework on students' performance in science and math varies across sociocultural contexts by considering the degrees of societal collectivism–individualism.

Methods

The present study used a large‐scale dataset, consisting of participants from 43 countries/regions, to test whether societal collectivism–individualism would moderate the relationship between three types of parental involvement (asking, helping and checking) in homework and elementary school students' academic performance in math and science.

Results

The multi‐level analyses revealed diverse effects of different parental involvement behaviours for homework. Helping and checking behaviours were generally negatively associated with elementary school students' academic achievement, but asking behaviours were positively associated with their academic achievement. Importantly, the positive effect of asking behaviours was stronger, while the negative effect of helping behaviours was weaker in collectivistic societies than in individualistic societies.

Conclusions

The present study highlights the importance of considering the multifaceted nature of parental homework involvement and the sociocultural contexts that vary in collectivism–individualism when evaluating the role of parents in elementary school students' learning in math and science.
WTAP promotes proliferation of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via m6A‐dependent epigenetic promoting of PTP4A1
Authors: Zou Jiang , Ma Qiang , Gao Chuanli , Yang Miyuan , Wen Jilin , Xu Lei , Guo Xiaolan , Zhong Xiaowu , Duan Yixiang
Published: May 2024

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) represents a frequently seen malignancy with high prevalence worldwide. Although current studies have shown that Wilms' tumor 1‐associated protein (WTAP), a major part in the methyltransferase complex, is involved in various tumor pathological processes, its specific role in ESCC remains unclear. Therefore, the present work focused on exploring WTAP's function and mechanism in ESCC progression using clinical ESCC specimens, ESCC cells, and mammalian models. Firstly, we proved WTAP was significantly upregulated within ESCC, and WTAP mRNA expression showed a good diagnostic performance for ESCC. Functionally, WTAP positively regulated in‐vivo and in‐vitro ESCC cells' malignant phenotype through the AKT‐mTOR signaling pathway. Meanwhile, WTAP positively regulated the N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) modification levels in ESCC cells. Protein tyrosine phase type IVA member 1 (PTP4A1) was confirmed to be the m6A target of WTAP, and WTAP positively regulated the expression of PTP4A1. Further study revealed that PTP4A1 showed high expression within ESCC. Silencing PTP4A1 inhibited the AKT‐mTOR signaling pathway to suppress ESCC cells' proliferation. Rescue experiments showed that silencing PTP4A1 partially reversed the WTAP‐promoting effect on ESCC cells' proliferation ability. Mechanistically, WTAP regulated PTP4A1 expression to activate the AKT‐mTOR pathway, promoting the proliferation of ESCC cells. Our study demonstrated that WTAP regulates the progression of ESCC through the m6A‐PTP4A1‐AKT‐mTOR signaling axis and that WTAP is a potential target for diagnosing and treating ESCC.
Findings from the 2019 nationally representative oral health survey for adults in Singapore
Authors: Sim Christina P. C. , Lee Yun Hui , Sim Yu Fan , Wong Jennifer , Soh Shean Han , Goh Bee Tin , Poon Choy Yoke , Allen Patrick Finbarr , Chia Kee Seng , Wong Mun Loke
Published: May 2024

Objectives

The aim of this study was to present key findings from the 2019 national adult oral health survey in Singapore (NAOHS).

Methods

A multi‐stage stratified sampling method was used to recruit participants for a representative national adult oral health survey. A total of 12 212 households were randomly selected from the National Database on Dwellings in Singapore. Within each household eligible persons aged ≥65 years were automatically invited to participate while a Kish selection method was used to invite those between 21 and 64 years old. The survey comprised a face‐to‐face interview questionnaire and a clinical examination which recorded details of tooth loss, DMFT, DMFS and prevalence of periodontal disease according to the CPITN and the US CDC‐AAP classifications. Weighted analysis was performed to adjust for oversampling, non‐response and post‐stratification. Multivariate regression with backward stepwise selection was carried out to identify predictors of chronic periodontal disease and untreated dental caries.

Results

Six hundred and sixty‐three participants completed both the questionnaires and the clinical examination. The prevalence of edentulousness was 2.7%. Of participants, 34.8% presented with untreated dental caries with a higher proportion found in those who were aged ≥60 years, of Malay ethnicity, living in 1–2‐room public housing and who only visited the dentist when there was a problem. Mean DMFS and DMFT indices were 24.7 and 7.9 respectively. Based on the CDC‐AAP classification, the prevalence of moderate–severe chronic periodontitis was 56.9% and increased with age, with a higher proportion in males. Participants with untreated dental caries were more likely to have moderate or severe periodontal disease.

Conclusions

Survey findings showed high prevalence of dental caries and periodontal disease, at 34.8% and 77.6% respectively. A clear socio‐economic gradient in the distribution of tooth loss, untreated dental caries and moderate‐to‐severe periodontitis was observed.
Liothyronine (LT3) prescribing in England: Are cost constraints inhibiting guideline implementation?
Authors: AH Heald , LD Premawardhana , PN Taylor , Depesina Dasha , Chaudhury Nadia , OE Okosieme , M Stedman , CM Dayan
Published: May 2024

Background

Primary hypothyroidism affects about 3% of the general population in Europe. In most cases people with hypothyroidism are treated with levothyroxine. In the context of the 2023 British Thyroid Association guidance and the 2020 Competitions and Marketing Authority (CMA) ruling, we examined prescribing data for levothyroxine, Natural desiccated thyroid (NDT) and liothyronine by dose, regarding changes over the years 2016–2022.

Design

Monthly primary care prescribing data for each British National Formulary code were analysed for levothyroxine, liothyronine and NDT.

Patients and Measurements

The rolling 12‐month total/average of cost or prescribing volume was used to identify the moment of change. Results included number of prescriptions, the actual costs, and the cost/prescription/mcg of drug.

Results

Liothyronine: In 2016 94% of the total 74,500 prescriptions were of the 20 mcg dose. In 2020 the percentage prescribed in the 5 mcg and 10 mcg doses started to increase so that by 2022 each reached nearly 27% of total liothyronine prescribing. The average cost/prescription in 2016 of 20 mcg was £404/prescription and this fell by 80% to £101 in 2022; while the 10 mcg cost of £348/prescription fell by only 35% to £255 and the 5 mcg cost of £355/prescription fell by 38% to £242/prescription. The total prescriptions of liothyronine in 2016 were 74,605, falling by 30% up to 2019 when they started to grow again ‐ most recently at 60,990−15% lower than the 2016 figure, with the result that total costs fell by 70% to £9 m/year.

Conclusions

Liothyronine costs fell after the CMA ruling but remain orders of magnitude higher than for levothyroxine. The remaining 0.2% of patients with liothyronine treated hypothyroidism are still absorbing 16% of medication costs. The lower liothyronine 5cmg and 10 mcg doses as recommended by BTA are 240% the costs of the 20 mcg dose. Thus, following latest BTA guidance which recommends the lower liothyronine doses still incurs substantial additional costs vs the prescribing liothyronine in the no longer recommended treatment regime. High drug price continues to impact clinical decisions, potentially limiting liothyronine therapy availability to a considerable number of patients who could benefit from this treatment.
Stylize My Wrinkles: Bridging the Gap from Simulation to Reality
Authors: Weiss S. , Stanhope J. , Chandran P. , Zoss G. , Bradley D.
Published: May 2024

Modeling realistic human skin with pores and wrinkles down to the milli‐ and micrometer resolution is a challenging task. Prior work showed that such micro geometry can be efficiently generated through simulation methods, or in specialized cases via 3D scanning of real skin. Simulation methods allow to highly customize the wrinkles on the face, but can lead to a synthetic look. Scanning methods can lead to a more organic look for the micro details, however these methods are only applicable to small skin patches due to the required image resolution. In this work we aim to overcome the gap between synthetic simulation and real skin scanning, by proposing a method that can be applied to large skin regions (e.g. an entire face) with the controllability of simulation and the organic look of real micro details. Our method is based on style transfer at its core, where we use scanned displacement maps of real skin patches as style images and displacement maps from an artist‐friendly simulation method as content images. We build a library of displacement maps as style images by employing a simplified scanning setup that can capture high‐resolution patches of real skin. To create the content component for the style transfer and to facilitate parameter‐tuning for the simulation, we design a library of preset parameter values depicting different skin types, and present a new method to fit the simulation parameters to scanned skin patches. This allows fully‐automatic parameter generation, interpolation and stylization across entire faces. We evaluate our method by generating realistic skin micro details for various subjects of different ages and genders, and demonstrate that our approach achieves a more organic and natural look than simulation alone.
Seeing is believing: The effects of optometrist scope of practice expansion
Authors: Bae Kihwan , Timmons Edward , Nandy Protik
Published: May 2024

We examine how the emergence of optometrists as new “eye doctors” affected population eye health outcomes and optometrist earnings in the United States. Using the staggered adoption of optometrist prescription authority across states, we find suggestive evidence that optometrist scope of practice expansion reduced vision impairment and mitigated racial and ethnic disparities in eye health. We also find that the policy is associated with an increase in hourly wages among optometrists who are not self‐employed. These findings imply that allowing optometrists to use medications for eye treatments effectively expanded the primary eye care workforce and therefore improved public eye health.
Evaluating the diagnostic performance of a large language model‐powered chatbot for providing immunohistochemistry recommendations in dermatopathology
Authors: McCrary Myles R. , Galambus Justine , Chen Wei‐Shen
Published: May 2024

Background

Large language model (LLM)‐powered chatbots such as ChatGPT have numerous applications. However, their effectiveness in dermatopathology has not been formally evaluated. Dermatopathological cases often require immunohistochemical workup. Here, we evaluate the performance of a chatbot in providing diagnostically useful information on immunohistochemistry relating to dermatological diseases.

Methods

We queried a commonly used chatbot for the immunophenotypes of 51 cutaneous diseases, including a diverse variety of epidermal, adnexal, hematolymphoid, and soft tissue entities. We requested it to provide references for each diagnosis. All tests were repeated, compiled, quantified, and then compared with established literature standards.

Results

Clustering analysis demonstrated that recommendations correlated with tumor type, suggesting chatbots can supply appropriate panels. However, a significant portion of recommendations were factually incorrect (13.9%). Citations were rarely clinically useful (24.5%). Many were confabulated (27.2%). Prompt responses for cutaneous adnexal lesions tended to be less accurate while literature references were less useful. Reference retrieval performance was associated with the number of PubMed entries per entity.

Conclusions

This foundational study suggests that LLM‐powered chatbots may be useful for generating immunohistochemical panels for dermatologic diagnoses. However, specific performance capabilities and biases must be considered. In addition, extreme caution is advised regarding the tendencies to fabricate material. Future models intentionally fine‐tuned to augment diagnostic medicine may prove to be valuable.
Role of protein arginine methyltransferase 1 in obesity‐related metabolic disorders: Research progress and implications
Authors: Xuan Xiaolei , Zhang Yongjiao , Song Yufan , Zhang Bingyang , Liu Junjun , Liu Dong , Lu Sumei
Published: May 2024

Obesity has become a major global problem that significantly confers an increased risk of developing life‐threatening complications, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, fatty liver disease and cardiovascular diseases. Protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) are enzymes that catalyse the methylation of target proteins. They are ubiquitous in eukaryotes and regulate transcription, splicing, cell metabolism and RNA biology. As a key, epigenetically modified enzyme, protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) is involved in obesity‐related metabolic processes, such as lipid metabolism, the insulin signalling pathway, energy balance and inflammation, and plays an important role in the pathology of obesity‐related metabolic disorders. This review summarizes recent research on the role of PRMT1 in obesity‐related metabolic disorders. The primary objective was to comprehensively elucidate the functional role and regulatory mechanisms of PRMT1. Moreover, this study attempts to review the pathogenesis of PRMT1‐mediated obesity‐related metabolic disorders, thereby offering pivotal information for further studies and clinical treatment.
Evaluating the predictors of habitat use and successful reproduction in a model bird species using a large‐scale automated acoustic array
Authors: Chronister Lauren M. , Larkin Jeffery T. , Rhinehart Tessa A. , King David , Larkin Jeffery L. , Kitzes Justin
Published: May 2024

The emergence of continental to global scale biodiversity data has led to growing understanding of patterns in species distributions, and the determinants of these distributions, at large spatial scales. However, identifying the specific mechanisms, including demographic processes, determining species distributions remains difficult, as large‐scale data are typically restricted to observations of only species presence. New remote automated approaches for collecting data, such as automated recording units (ARUs), provide a promising avenue towards direct measurement of demographic processes, such as reproduction, that cannot feasibly be measured at scale by traditional survey methods. In this study, we analyze data collected by ARUs from 452 survey points across an approximately 1500 km long study region to compare patterns in adult and juvenile distributions in great horned owl Bubo virginianus. We specifically examine whether habitat associated with successful reproduction is the same as that associated with adult presence. We postulated that congruence between these two distributions would suggest that all areas of the species' range contribute equally to maintenance of the population, whereas significant differences would suggest more specificity in the species' requirements for successful reproduction. We filtered adult and juvenile calls of the species for manual review using automated classification and constructed single season occupancy models to compare land cover and vegetation covariates which significantly predicted presence of each life stage. We found that habitat use by adults was significantly predicted by increasing amounts of forest cover, reduced forest basal area, and lower elevations; whereas juvenile presence was significantly predicted only by decreasing amounts of forest cover, a pattern opposite that of adults. These results show that presence of adult great horned owls is not a sufficient proxy for locations at which reproduction occurs, and also demonstrate a highly scalable workflow that could be used for similar analyses in other sound‐producing species.
Autism spectrum disorder identification using multi‐model deep ensemble classifier with transfer learning
Authors: Herath Lakmini , Meedeniya Dulani , Marasinghe Janaka , Weerasinghe Vajira , Tan Tele
Published: May 2024

Identifying autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms accurately is a challenging task. The traditional subjective diagnostic process of ASD relies on time‐consuming behavioural and psychological observations. In this study, we introduce an ensemble learning‐based classification model using an open‐access database focusing on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We propose a novel multi‐model ensemble classifier (MMEC) and multisite ensemble classifier (MSEC) with transfer learning (TL) for ASD classification to improve the prediction accuracy. The MMEC utilizes four base classifiers, Inception V3, ResNet50, MobileNet, and DenseNet to boost the performance of the individual convolutional neural network (CNN) models. The MSEC combined the base classifiers trained from different data sites. We evaluate the two models with ensemble averaging, weighted averaging, and stacking methods. The proposed MMEC with stacking shows the state of art performance compared to MSEC, improving the prediction accuracy by 3.25%. The obtained results have shown an accuracy of 97.82%, 97.82%, and 97.78% for ensemble averaging, weighted averaging, and stacking methods, respectively, on multi‐site datasets. The ensemble classifier MMEC performed better than a single classifier on the multi‐site dataset. The proposed MMEC opens a new paradigm to design a universal ASD classification framework.
Retrospective chart review of GI bleeding in people with von Willebrand disease
Authors: Roberts Jonathan C. , Escobar Miguel A. , Acharya Suchitra , Hwang Nina X. , Wang Michael , Hale Sarah , Brighton Sarah , Kouides Peter A.
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding events (BEs) in von Willebrand disease (VWD) are difficult to diagnose and often recurrent. Limited data from clinical trials has led to lack of consensus on treatment options.

Aim

Describe current treatments and outcomes for GI BEs in people with VWD.

Methods

This retrospective, observational, multicentre chart review study was conducted from January 2018 through December 2019 and included patients with inherited VWD with ≥1 GI BE in the preceding 5 years. Baseline characteristics, number and aetiology of BEs, associated GI‐specific morbidities/lesions, treatment and outcomes were analysed descriptively.

Results

Sixty bleeds were reported in 20 patients with type 1 (20%), type 2 (50%) and type 3 (30%) VWD. During the 5‐year study period, 31 (52%) BEs had one identified or suspected cause; multiple causes were reported in 11 (18%). Most GI BEs (72%) were treated with a combination of von Willebrand factor (VWF), antifibrinolytics and/or other haemostatic or non‐haemostatic treatments. Time to resolution did not differ by VWF treatment use; however, BEs treated with non‐VWF treatments tended to resolve later. In patients with GI‐specific morbidities/lesions, 84% resolved with first‐line treatment; time to resolution tended to be longer than in patients without such morbidities/lesions. Thirteen BEs occurred in patients receiving prophylaxis and 47 in patients receiving on‐demand treatment; 18 BEs resulted in a switch to prophylaxis after bleed resolution.

Conclusions

This study confirms the unmet need for the management of recurrent GI BEs in people with VWD and the need for prospective data, especially on prophylaxis.
Patterns of aerial arthropod biomass and diversity from three regions of boreal Alaska
Authors: Sikes Derek S. , Hagelin Julie C. , Skinner John P. , Haberski Adam , DuBour Kristin A. , Johnson James A.
Published: May 2024

Multi‐decadal monitoring has revealed dramatic evidence of global decline in arthropod biomass and biodiversity, yet little baseline information exists for Alaska, a region 1/5th the size of the contiguous US states.

We documented patterns of aerial arthropod biomass and diversity in a multi‐year investigation of three regions in boreal Alaska—two in central Alaska (Fairbanks and Tetlin) and one in southcentral Alaska (Anchorage). Sampling employed canopy Malaise and near‐ground pollinator traps as part of a parallel study of a steeply declining songbird. Traps yielded 115,078 specimens of 15 orders and 692 unique taxa with body sizes ≥3 mm.

During peak summer (15 June–15 July), mean aerial arthropod biomass was more than three times higher in traps in Fairbanks (50.6 mg·d−1, confidence interval [CI]: 34.5–63.7) than Anchorage (15.8 mg·d−1, CI: 9.3–26.4). Tetlin exhibited an intermediate value (35.4 mg·d−1, CI: 18.4–67.4). Temperature correlated positively with captured biomass, whereas wind (above 1.5 m·s−1) correlated negatively.

To obtain species‐level diversity data, we focused on beetles, representing a wide range of feeding guilds and taxa. Beetles accounted for 6229 adult specimens, 364 unique (mostly species‐level) taxa and 47 families. Trophic categorizations of beetles were similar for the central Alaskan sites; both had a greater proportion of wood‐feeding beetles than Anchorage. Ten species are potentially new to science and 49 are new state records for Alaska.

Our work provides the first insight into regional differences and seasonal trends in aerial arthropod biomass and diversity in boreal Alaska, creating important baselines for the future.
End of 2022/23 Season Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness in Primary Care in Great Britain
Authors: Whitaker Heather J. , Willam Naoma , Cottrell Simon , Goudie Rosalind , Andrews Nick , Evans Josie , Moore Catherine , Agrawal Utkarsh , Hassell Katie , Gunson Rory , Zitha Jana , Anand Sneha , Sebastian‐Pillai Praveen , Kalapotharakou Panoraia , Okusi Cecilia , Hoschler Katja , Jamie Gavin , Kele Beatrix , Hamilton Mark , Couzens Anastasia , Quinot Catherine , Pheasant Kathleen , Byford Rachel , Marsh Kimberly , Robertson Chris , de Lusignan Simon , Williams Christopher , Zambon Maria , McMenamin Jim , Watson Conall H.
Published: May 2024

Background

The 2022/23 influenza season in the United Kingdom saw the return of influenza to prepandemic levels following two seasons with low influenza activity. The early season was dominated by A(H3N2), with cocirculation of A(H1N1), reaching a peak late December 2022, while influenza B circulated at low levels during the latter part of the season. From September to March 2022/23, influenza vaccines were offered, free of charge, to all aged 2–13 (and 14–15 in Scotland and Wales), adults up to 49 years of age with clinical risk conditions and adults aged 50 and above across the mainland United Kingdom.

Methods

End‐of‐season adjusted vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates against sentinel primary‐care attendance for influenza‐like illness, where influenza infection was laboratory confirmed, were calculated using the test negative design, adjusting for potential confounders.

Methods

Results In the mainland United Kingdom, end‐of‐season VE against all laboratory‐confirmed influenza for all those > 65 years of age, most of whom received adjuvanted quadrivalent vaccines, was 30% (95% CI: −6% to 54%). VE for those aged 18–64, who largely received cell‐based vaccines, was 47% (95% CI: 37%–56%). Overall VE for 2–17 year olds, predominantly receiving live attenuated vaccines, was 66% (95% CI: 53%–76%).

Conclusion

The paper provides evidence of moderate influenza VE in 2022/23.
Effects of temperature inversion on densification in chemical vapor infiltration
Authors: Ramanuj Vimal , Li Mengnan , Ge Wenjun , Sankaran Ramanan , She Ying , Dardas Zissis
Published: May 2024

In a classical chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) process, the competing effects of chemical kinetics and reagent gas transport lead to non‐uniform depositions such that outer layers of a preform densify faster leaving the core highly porous. Currently, CVI must be performed at a sufficiently low temperature to achieve good densification quality which leads to high processing time and cost. Volumetric heating of the preform, especially through microwaves, can create temperature inversion such that the core is hotter than the outer surface and potentially, overcome the challenges associated with isothermal CVI. Direct numerical simulations (DNS) of densification under various such temperature distributions indicate that microwave heating in CVI processing can lead to better (uniform) densification of porous preforms. The role of key parameters describing the temperature distributions on the densification behavior is investigated. Strategic temporal control of the temperature distribution shows that processing times can be reduced by almost half while maintaining a good densification quality similar to that of low‐temperature isothermal processing. Inside‐out densification due to the inverted temperature profile is a key distinguishing characteristic of microwave assisted CVI.
Feasibility research of perovskite‐type PrAlO3+δ as high‐temperature infrared radiation coating
Authors: Xu Mingyi , Chen Wenbo , Lü Kaiyue , Huang Yan , Deng Longhui , Jiang Jianing , Dong Shujuan , Cao Xueqiang , Lu Guoqiang , Zhang Yixing
Published: May 2024

Thermal radiation coating with low thermal conductivity and high infrared emissivity are desirable. In this work, a novel rare‐earth aluminate (PrAlO3+δ with rhombohedral structure) was synthesized via solid‐state reaction method, and the corresponding coating was fabricated using atmospheric plasma spraying (APS). The study encompassed an investigation into the phase structure, high‐temperature phase stability, thermo‐mechanical characteristics, and infrared properties. The results illustrate that as‐deposited coating contained amorphous phase, but recrystallized coating presented phase stability up to 1600°C. Furthermore, the recrystallized coating exhibited low thermal conductivity of 1.35 W/m K at 900°C as well as an average coefficient of thermal expansion of 10.36 × 10−6/K. Also, the coating exhibited high infrared emissivity related to high valance state (Pr4+) and oxygen vacancies. And the average infrared emissivity within 2–14 µm was 0.822 at 1300°C and presented slight decrease with the increase of temperature (the average infrared emissivity of 0.795 at 1800°C).
Antecubital vein combined with femoral vein pathway could shorten the learning curve of simultaneous bilateral adrenal vein sampling
Authors: Liu Jiaqi , Shao Shuai , Wang Qiuli , Zhang Zhiping , Ding Xiaoying , Zhao Li , Wang Jinliang , Ji Xiaohong , Dai Qiuyan , Du Mingli , Zhang Zhi
Published: May 2024

During our previous bilateral adrenal vein sampling (AVS) procedure, the authors observed that accessing the left adrenal vein through the antecubital vein was more feasible than the conventional femoral vein. Meanwhile, the femoral vein pathway facilitated access to the right adrenal vein than the antecubital vein pathway. Therefore, the authors hypothesized that simultaneous bilateral AVS via the antecubital combined with the femoral vein pathway could improve the success rate. A total of 94 cases of AVS via the antecubital combined with the femoral vein pathway were performed, while the remaining 20 cases employed the antecubital vein pathway at our center between August 2020 and April 2023. Furthermore, a meta‐analysis was conducted in this study using 15 selected articles to determine the success rate of AVS in each center and pathway. The success rate of ACTH‐stimulated simultaneous bilateral AVS via the antecubital vein combined with the femoral vein pathway was 92.85% (P = .503) on the right and 95.00% (P < .001) on the left. In the antecubital vein pathway, the success rates were only 25.00% (P < .001) on the right side and 80.00% (P = .289) on the left side. The results of meta‐analysis demonstrated a success rate of 78.16% on the right and 94.98% on the left for ACTH‐stimulated AVS via the femoral vein pathway. Based on our center's experience, simultaneous bilateral adrenal vein sampling via the combined pathway could improve the success rate of AVS in the short term and shorten the learning curve.
Predictive value of Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation 2‐Diabetes risk model and arterial stiffness for cardiovascular events in the Asian population with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Suwannasom Pannipa , Thonghong Tasalak , Leemasawat Krit , Nantsupawat Teerapat , Prasertwitayakij Narawudt , Pairoj Chutamas , Wongcharoen Wanwarang , Phrommintikul Arintaya ,   CORE‐Thailand Investigators
Published: May 2024

Aims/Introduction

Individuals with diabetes are at high risk of developing cardiovascular events. The present study investigated the predictive value of the cardio‐ankle vascular index (CAVI) when added to the Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation 2‐Diabetes (SCORE2‐Diabetes) risk algorithm to predict cardiovascular events in the Asian population.

Materials and Methods

The SCORE2‐Diabetes risk was assessed in 1,502 patients with diabetes, aged 40–69 years. Then, we further stratified each 10‐year risk category with a CAVI value of 9.0. The primary outcomes (composite of all causes of death, myocardial infarction, stroke and hospitalization for heart failure) were assessed over 5 years.

Results

The mean age of the population was 59.8 ± 6.4 years. The proportion of 10‐year risk according to the SCORE2‐Diabetes risk of low, moderate, high and very high risk identified at 7.2, 30.0, 27.2 and 35.6%, respectively. The mean CAVI value was 8.4 ± 1.4, and approximately 35.4% of the patients had CAVI ≥9.0. The SCORE2‐Diabetes risk algorithm independently predicted the primary outcomes in patients with diabetes (hazard ratio 1.18, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13–1.22), whereas CAVI did not (hazard ratio 1.03, 95% CI 0.89–1.18). The C‐index for the primary outcomes of the SCORE2‐Diabetes risk algorithm alone was 0.72 (95% CI 0.67–0.77). The combination of SCORE2‐Diabetes and CAVI, both in the continuous value and risk groups, did not improve discrimination (C‐index 0.72, 95% CI 0.67–0.77 and 0.68, 95% CI 0.64–0.74, respectively).

Conclusions

Adding the CAVI to the SCORE2‐Diabetes risk algorithm did not improve individual risk stratification in patients with diabetes.
The impact of different surface treatments on repair bond strength of conventionally, subtractive‐, and additive‐manufactured denture bases
Authors: Sahin Zeynep , Ozer Nazire Esra , Akan Tamer , Kılıcarslan Mehmet Ali , Karaagaclıoglu Lale
Published: May 2024

Objective

This study aimed to examine the shear bond strength (SBS) of repair material to conventionally, subtractive‐, and additive‐manufactured denture bases after different surface treatments.

Materials and Methods

Disk‐shaped test specimens (N = 300) were prepared from denture base materials produced by one conventional (Procryla), one subtractive (Yamahachi), and one additive (Curo Denture) method. The test specimens were randomly divided into five groups (n = 10) and exposed to a variety of surface treatments—Group A: no surface treatment; Group B: grinding with silicon carbide paper; Group C: sandblasting; Group D: erbium: yttrium‐aluminum‐garnet laser; and Group E: plasma. Repair was performed with autopolymerizing acrylic resin (Meliodent). Surface roughness analyses were performed with a profilometer. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine one specimen from each subgroup. SBS was evaluated on a universal testing machine. Failure types were observed under a stereomicroscope.

Results

Surface roughness values were significantly higher in all test materials in Group D than in the other groups (p < 0.001). For conventional resin, the SBS values were higher in Group C than in Groups A, D, and E (p < 0.001). For CAD/CAM material, Groups B and C had significantly greater SBS increases compared with Group E (p < 0.001). For 3D material, Group D showed higher SBS than all groups except Group C (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

For SBS, sandblasting was most effective in the conventional group, whereas laser treatment was the most effective in the additive‐manufactured group. For the subtractive group, surface treatments other than plasma exhibited similar SBS.

Clinical Significance

In repairing fractured prostheses, any degree of roughening suitable for the material content may provide an SBS benefit.
Building momentum through networks: Bioimaging across the Americas
Authors: De Niz Mariana , Escobedo García Rodrigo , Terán Ramirez Celina , Pakowski Ysa , Abonza Yuriney , Bialy Nikki , Orr Vanessa L. , Olivera Andres , Abonza Victor , Alleva Karina , Allodi Silvana , Almeida Michael F. , Becerril Cuevas Alexis Ricardo , Bonnet Frederic , Burgos Solorio Armando , Chew Teng‐Leong , Chiabrando Gustavo , Cimini Beth , Cleret‐Buhot Aurélie , Contreras Jiménez Gastón , Daza Laura , De Sá Vanessa , De Val Natalia , Delgado‐Álvarez Diego L. , Eliceiri Kevin , Fiolka Reto , Grecco Hernan , Hanein Dorit , Hernández Herrera Paúl , Hockberger Phil , Hernandez Haydee O. , Hernandez Guadarrama Yael , Itano Michelle , Jacobs Caron A. , Jiménez‐García Luis F. , Jiménez Sabinina Vilma , Kamaid Andres , Keppler Antje , Kumar Abhishek , Lacoste Judith , Lovy Alenka , Luby‐Phelps Kate , Mahadevan‐Jansen Anita , Malacrida Leonel , Mehta Shalin B. , Miller Caroline , Miranda Kildare , Moore Joshua A. , North Alison , O'Toole Peter , Olivares Urbano Mariana , Pietrasanta Lía I. , Portugal Rodrigo V. , Rossi Andrés H. , Sanchez Contreras Jonathan , Strambio‐De‐Castilla Caterina , Soldevila Gloria , Vale Bruno , Vazquez Diana , Wood Chris , Brown Claire M. , Guerrero Adan
Published: May 2024

In September 2023, the two largest bioimaging networks in the Americas, Latin America Bioimaging (LABI) and BioImaging North America (BINA), came together during a 1‐week meeting in Mexico. This meeting provided opportunities for participants to interact closely with decision‐makers from imaging core facilities across the Americas. The meeting was held in a hybrid format and attended in‐person by imaging scientists from across the Americas, including Canada, the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Uruguay. The aims of the meeting were to discuss progress achieved over the past year, to foster networking and collaborative efforts among members of both communities, to bring together key members of the international imaging community to promote the exchange of experience and expertise, to engage with industry partners, and to establish future directions within each individual network, as well as common goals. This meeting report summarises the discussions exchanged, the achievements shared, and the goals set during the LABIxBINA2023: Bioimaging across the Americas meeting.
Congenital metastatic neuroblastoma with placental involvement as a rare cause of non‐immune fetal hydrops
Authors: Campillo‐Ajenjo Marta , Pena‐Burgos Eva Manuela , Herrero Ruiz Beatriz , Escuer Albero Guillermo , Rubio Aparicio Pedro , Parrón Pajares Manuel , Bret Zurita Montserrat , Regojo‐Zapata Rita María , Bartha Rasero José Luis , Antolín Alvarado Eugenia
Published: May 2024

Non‐immune hydrops fetalis represents the end‐stage status of a variety of diseases, including metastatic tumors. We report a case of non‐immune hydrops fetalis associated with multiple disseminated echogenic nodular lesions detected by ultrasound and confirmed by magnetic resonance. Cordocentesis demonstrated anemia and thrombopenia. Differential diagnosis included histiocytosis X, acute leukemia or metastatic disease. A stillbirth was diagnosed at week 25 + 6. The autopsy revealed hydrops fetalis, a right adrenal gland mass, multiple disseminated nodules histologically composed of small round blue cells positive for synaptophysin, and placental involvement, concordant findings with congenital undifferentiated neuroblastoma Stage M. No chromosomal abnormalities were associated, nor amplification abnormalities in MYCN and ALK genes. Metastatic neuroblastoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of non‐immune hydrops fetalis associated with multiple nodular lesions.
The association between referral by specialists in oral diagnosis on survival rates of patients with oral cancer: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Sousa‐Neto Sebastião Silvério , Martins Allisson Filipe Lopes , Moreira Victor Hugo Lopes de Oliveira , Pereira João Gabriel Batista , Freitas Nilceana Maya Aires , Curado Maria Paula , Leles Claudio Rodrigues , Mendonça Elismauro Francisco
Published: May 2024

Background

To assess the influence of diagnosis and referral provided by specialists in oral diagnosis on disease‐free survival and overall survival of patients with oral cancer.

Methods

A cohort of 282 patients with oral cancer treated at a regional cancer hospital from 1998 to 2016 was analyzed retrospectively. The referral register of the patients was analyzed and assigned to two groups: (1) those referred by oral diagnosis specialists (n = 129), or (2) those referred by nonspecialized professionals (n = 153). The cancer treatment evolution was assessed from the patients' records, and the outcome was registered concerning cancer recurrence and death. Sociodemographic and clinicopathological variables were explored as predictors of disease‐free survival and overall survival.

Results

Group 1 exhibited lower T stages and a reduced incidence of regional and distant metastases. Surgery was performed in 75.2% of cases in Group 1, while in Group 2, the rate was 60.8%. Advanced T stages and regional metastases reduced the feasibility of surgery. Higher TNM stages and tumor recurrence were associated with decreased disease‐free survival, while surgical intervention was a protective factor. Higher TNM stage had a negative impact on the overall survival.

Conclusion

Specialized oral diagnosis did not directly impact disease‐free survival and overall survival and did not influence the indication of surgery in oral cancer; however, it was associated with the diagnosis of early tumors and better prognosis.
On a matrix‐valued autoregressive model
Authors: Samadi S. Yaser , Billard Lynne
Published: May 2024

Many data sets in biology, medicine, and other biostatistical areas deal with matrix‐valued time series. The case of a single univariate time series is very well developed in the literature; and single multi‐variate series (i.e., vector time series) though less well studied have also been developed. A class of matrix time series models is introduced for dealing with situations where there are multiple sets of multi‐variate time series data. Explicit expressions for a matrix autoregressive model along with its cross‐autocorrelation functions are derived. Stationarity conditions are also provided. Least squares estimators and maximum likelihood estimators of the model parameters and their asymptotic properties are derived. Results are illustrated through simulation studies and a real data application.
A roadmap to carefully select methods for dark‐diversity studies
Authors: Paganeli Bruno , Fujinuma Junichi , Trindade Diego P. F. , Carmona Carlos P. , Pärtel Meelis
Published: May 2024

Dark diversity includes ecologically suitable species currently absent in a site, albeit theoretically able to arrive from the surrounding region. Various methods can estimate the likelihood that an absent species is in the dark diversity of a site. Recent developments in estimation of dark diversity have advanced the field, yet uncertainty on method selection might lead to confusion and misleading results. Here, we provide methodological guidance by reanalyzing a data set used in a recently published dark‐diversity study (Hostens et al. 2023; Journal of Vegetation Science 34: e13212). Using various approaches to estimate dark diversity, we discuss why their estimations differ, and examine which methods are more appropriate than others for the particular data set. In this study, the hypergeometric method based on species co‐occurrences outperformed the other considered methods (species distribution modelling, Beals index). Further, we show how estimations of dark diversity can be combined with a Bayesian framework to examine which characteristics of sites and species are related to their tendency to have higher dark‐diversity size (sites) than expected or to be more frequently in dark diversity (species). This paper hopefully enhances confidence in dark‐diversity methods, allowing progress in both ecological theory and biodiversity conservation.
Natural selection on feralization genes contributed to the invasive spread of wild pigs throughout the United States
Authors: Barmentlo Niek W. G. , Meirmans Patrick G. , Stiver William H. , Yarkovich Joseph G. , McCann Blake E. , Piaggio Antoinette J. , Wright Dominic , Smyser Timothy J. , Bosse Mirte
Published: May 2024

Despite a long presence in the contiguous United States (US), the distribution of invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa × domesticus) has expanded rapidly since the 1980s, suggesting a more recent evolutionary shift towards greater invasiveness. Contemporary populations of wild pigs represent exoferal hybrid descendants of domestic pigs and European wild boar, with such hybridization expected to enrich genetic diversity and increase the adaptive potential of populations. Our objective was to characterize how genetic enrichment through hybridization increases the invasiveness of populations by identifying signals of selection and the ancestral origins of selected loci. Our study focused on invasive wild pigs within Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which represents a hybrid population descendent from the admixture of established populations of feral pigs and an introduction of European wild boar to North America. Accordingly, we genotyped 881 wild pigs with multiple high‐density single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays. We found 233 markers under putative selection spread over 79 regions across 16 out of 18 autosomes, which contained genes involved in traits affecting feralization. Among these, genes were found to be related to skull formation and neurogenesis, with two genes, TYRP1 and TYR, also encoding for crucial melanogenesis enzymes. The most common haplotypes associated with regions under selection for the Great Smoky Mountains population were also common among other populations throughout the region, indicating a key role of putatively selective variants in the fitness of invasive populations. Interestingly, many of these haplotypes were absent among European wild boar reference genotypes, indicating feralization through genetic adaptation.
Exploring habitat use and movement patterns of humpback whales in a reoccupation area off Brazil: A comparison with the Abrolhos Bank
Authors: Righi Bianca M. , Baumgarten Julio E. , Morete Maria Emilia , Souza Rafaela C. F. , Marcondes Milton C. C. , Sousa‐Lima Renata S. , Teixeira Niel N. , Tonolli Fernanda A. S. , Gonçalves Maria Isabel C.
Published: May 2024

After the worldwide moratorium on whaling, humpback whale populations began to recover, reoccupying former areas of use, as also observed on the Brazilian coast. Abrolhos Bank represents the area of greatest humpback whale concentration but the number of individuals to the north has increased, as has happened in the region of Serra Grande. To compare relative abundance, habitat use, and movement patterns between a well‐established breeding and a reoccupation area, visual monitoring from land‐based stations was performed: 160 days in the Abrolhos Archipelago located on the Abrolhos Bank and 133 days in Serra Grande in 2014, 2015, 2018, and 2019. While relative abundance varied annually in the Abrolhos Archipelago, it gradually increased in Serra Grande, surpassing the number registered in Abrolhos in 2019. Group composition frequency was similar between areas except for mother and calf accompanied by one or more escorts, which were more frequent in Abrolhos. Despite similar movement speed and linearity values, whales in Serra Grande had a higher reorientation rate. Monitoring different areas occupied by this population supports decisions about spatial management of the Brazilian coast in relation to the implementation of anthropogenic activities, especially in areas where whales have recently returned to occupy.
Chlorophytum kolliense (Asparagaceae), a new species from the Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu, India
Authors: Soosairaj Sebastian , Raja Prakasam , Balaguru Balakrishnan , Dhatchanamoorthy Narayanasamy
Published: May 2024

A new species of Chlorophytum is described and illustrated in this article. Morphological, root anatomical, pollen and molecular features were compared with its allied species C. laxum R.Br. which has apiculate anther, lanceolate bract, 16–18 nerved flat leaf and ellipsoid pollen with contrast to obtuse anther, ovate bract, 11–13 nerved conduplicate leaf and ovoid pollen. The molecular features complement the differences.