bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interaction-controlled transport in a two-dimensional massless-massive Dirac system: Transition from degenerate to nondegenerate regimes
Authors: Levin A. D. , Gusev G. M , Hernandez F. G. G. , Olshanetsky E. B. , Kovalev V. M. , Entin M. V. , Mikhailov N. N.
Published: May 2024

The resistivity of two-dimensional (2D) metals generally exhibits insensitivity to electron-electron scattering. However, it is worth noting that Galilean invariance may not hold true in systems characterized by a spectrum containing multiple electronic branches or in scenarios involving electron-hole plasma. In the context of this paper, we focus on 2D electrons confined within a triple quantum well (TQW) based on HgTe. This system displays a coexistence of energy bands featuring both linear and paraboliclike spectra at low energy and, therefore, lacks the Galilean invariance. This paper employs a combined theoretical and experimental approach to investigate the transport properties of this two-component system across various regimes. By manipulating carrier density and temperature, we tune our system from a fully degenerate regime, where resistance follows a temperature-dependent behavior proportional to T2 to a regime where both types of electrons adhere to Boltzmann statistics. In the nondegenerate regime, electron interactions lead to resistance that is weakly dependent on temperature. Notably, our experimental observations closely align with the theoretical predictions derived in this paper. In this paper, we establish the HgTe-based TQW as a promising platform for exploring different interaction-dominant scenarios for the massless-massive Dirac system.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Quantum-Informed Recursive Optimization Algorithms
Authors: Finžgar Jernej Rudi , Kerschbaumer Aron , Schuetz Martin J.A. , Mendl Christian B. , Katzgraber Helmut G.
Published: May 2024

We propose and implement a family of quantum-informed recursive optimization (QIRO) algorithms for combinatorial optimization problems. Our approach leverages quantum resources to obtain information that is used in problem-specific classical reduction steps that recursively simplify the problem. These reduction steps address the limitations of the quantum component (e.g., locality) and ensure solution feasibility in constrained optimization problems. Additionally, we use backtracking techniques to further improve the performance of the algorithm without increasing the requirements on the quantum hardware. We showcase the capabilities of our approach by informing QIRO with correlations from classical simulations of shallow circuits of the quantum approximate optimization algorithm, solving instances of maximum independent set and maximum satisfiability problems with hundreds of variables. We also demonstrate how QIRO can be deployed on a neutral atom quantum processor to find large independent sets of graphs. In summary, our scheme achieves results comparable to classical heuristics even with relatively weak quantum resources. Furthermore, enhancing the quality of these quantum resources improves the performance of the algorithms. Notably, the modular nature of QIRO offers various avenues for modifications, positioning our work as a template for a broader class of hybrid quantum-classical algorithms for combinatorial optimization.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Synthesis and crystal structures of 5,17-dibromo-26,28-dihydroxy-25,27-dipropynyloxycalix[4]arene, 5,17-dibromo-26,28-dipropoxy-25,27-dipropynyloxycalix[4]arene and 25,27-bis(2-azidoethoxy)-5,17-dibromo-26,28-dihydroxycalix[4]arene
Authors: Gorbunov Alexander , Bezzubov Stanislav , Malakhova Maria , Kovalev Vladimir , Vatsouro Ivan
Published: May 2024

The calixarenes, 5,17-dibromo-26,28-dihydroxy-25,27-dipropynyloxycalix[4]arene (C34H26Br2O4, 1), 5,17-dibromo-26,28-dipropoxy-25,27-dipropynyloxycalix[4]arene (C40H38Br2O4, 2) and 25,27-bis(2-azidoethoxy)-5,17-dibromo-26,28-dihydroxycalix[4]arene (C32H28Br2N6O4, 3) possess a pinched cone molecular shape for 1 and 3, and a 1,3-alternate shape for compound 2. In calixarenes 1 and 3, the cone conformations are additionally stabilized by intramolecular O—H...O hydrogen bonds, while in calixarene 2 intramolecular Br...Br interactions consolidate the 1,3-alternate molecular conformation. The dense crystal packing of the cone dialkyne 1 is a consequence of π–π, C—H...π and C—H...O interactions. In the crystal of the diazide 3, there are large channels extending parallel to the c axis, which are filled by highly disordered CH2Cl2 solvent molecules. Their contribution to the intensity data was removed by the SQUEEZE procedure that showed an accessible void volume of 585 Å3 where there is room for 4.5 CH2Cl2 solvent molecules per unit cell. Rigid molecules of the 1,3-alternate calixarene 2 form a columnar head-to-tail packing parallel to [010] via van der Waals interactions, and the resulting columns are held together by weak C—H...π contacts.
Institutions and financial development: Comparative analysis of developed and developing economies
Authors: Lisbinski Fernanda Cigainski , Burnquist Heloisa Lee
Published: May 2024

Purpose

This article aims to investigate how institutional characteristics affect the level of financial development of economies collectively and compare between developed and undeveloped economies.

Design/methodology/approach

A dynamic panel with 131 countries, including developed and developing ones, was utilized; the estimators of the generalized method of moments system (GMM system) model were selected because they have econometric characteristics more suitable for analysis, providing superior statistical precision compared to traditional linear estimation methods.

Findings

The results from the full panel suggest that concrete and well-defined institutions are important for financial development, confirming previous research, with a more limited scope than the present work.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations of this research include the availability of data for all countries worldwide, which would make the research broader and more complete.

Originality/value

A panel of countries was used, divided into developed and developing countries, to analyze the impact of institutional variables on the financial development of these countries, which is one of the differentiators of this work. Another differentiator of this research is the presentation of estimates in six different configurations, with emphasis on the GMM system model in one and two steps, allowing for comparison between results.
Richard Nagel and the challenge of employee retention
Authors: Rosenberg Stuart
Published: May 2024

Research methodology

Information was obtained in interviews with Richard Nagel in Winter/Spring 2022. This information was supplemented by material from secondary sources. The only information that was disguised were the real names for Bob Crater, Tim Landy, Jane Tolley and Mary Nagel.

The case was classroom tested in Summer 2022. The responses from students helped to shape the writing of the case.

Case overview/synopsis

Richard Nagel, the owner of the RE/MAX Elite real estate agency in Monmouth Beach, New Jersey, has just learned that one of his agents, Tim Landy, quit and left the industry. Tim was a young real estate agent and Richard had spent considerable time training him. Tim was motivated and he worked hard to prospect for business, but he showed that he was experiencing difficulty closing on his sales. Richard decided to recommend that Tim work with another agent, Bob Crater, as Bob was an experienced salesman but was not doing the up-front prospecting that Tim was doing. Richard suggested two different strategies to the two agents – a pairing up arrangement and peer-to-peer learning. The outcome that Richard envisioned was that both of the struggling salesmen would benefit from either of these strategies, but Bob refused to collaborate.

Tim’s quitting was characteristic of an ongoing problem with employee retention that Richard had been experiencing as a manager in recent years. This problem caused Richard to think about how he recruited his real estate agents, how he developed them through coaching and how he motivated them so that they would stay happy in their job and not leave. He recognized the importance of thoroughly examining his retention strategy within the next 12 months so that he could better manage the problem and strengthen the productivity of his real estate agency.

Complexity academic level

The case is intended for an undergraduate course in human resources management, as it deals directly with recruiting, coaching and retaining employees.
Impact of the Affordable Care Act on access to accredited facilities for cancer treatment
Authors: Sabik Lindsay M. , Kwon Youngmin , Drake Coleman , Yabes Jonathan , Bhattacharya Manisha , Sun Zhaojun , Bradley Cathy J. , Jacobs Bruce L.
Published: May 2024

Objective

To examine differential changes in receipt of surgery at National Cancer Institute (NCI)‐designated comprehensive cancer centers (NCI‐CCC) and Commission on Cancer (CoC) accredited hospitals for patients with cancer more likely to be newly eligible for coverage under Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance expansions, relative to those less likely to have been impacted by the ACA.

Data Sources and Study Setting

Pennsylvania Cancer Registry (PCR) for 2010–2019 linked with discharge records from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4).

Study Design

Outcomes include whether cancer surgery was performed at an NCI‐CCC or a CoC‐accredited hospital. We conducted a difference‐in‐differences analysis, estimating linear probability models for each outcome that control for residence in a county with above median county‐level pre‐ACA uninsurance and the interaction between county‐level baseline uninsurance and cancer treatment post‐ACA to capture differential changes in access between those more and less likely to become newly eligible for insurance coverage (based on area‐level proxy). All models control for age, sex, race and ethnicity, cancer site and stage, census‐tract level urban/rural residence, Area Deprivation Index, and year‐ and county‐fixed effects.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

We identified adults aged 26–64 in PCR with prostate, lung, or colorectal cancer who received cancer‐directed surgery and had a corresponding surgery discharge record in PHC4.

Principal Findings

We observe a differential increase in receiving care at an NCI‐CCC of 6.2 percentage points (95% CI: 2.6–9.8; baseline mean = 9.8%) among patients in high baseline uninsurance areas (p = 0.001). Our estimate of the differential change in care at the larger set of CoC hospitals is positive (3.9 percentage points [95% CI: −0.5‐8.2; baseline mean = 73.7%]) but not statistically significant (p = 0.079).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that insurance expansions under the ACA were associated with increased access to NCI‐CCCs.
An expanded investigation of alliance security free riding
Authors: Kim Wukki , Sandler Todd , Shimizu Hirofumi
Published: May 2024

This paper provides an expanded analysis of NATO security burden sharing by including a variety of conglomerate security terms that involve subsets of military expenditure (ME), UN and non‐UN peacekeeping contributions, global health spending, UN environmental support, and official development assistance. In so doing, we identify components of security spending that promote or inhibit free riding on allies' security spillovers. Additionally, we examine security burden sharing when the NATO alliance is conceptually augmented to include three key Asia‐Pacific allies – Australia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. The paper's statistical tests for security burden sharing rely on spatial‐lag panel models that account for ally connectiveness based on alliance membership, contiguity and US power projection, and allies’ relative locations. Security subsets containing ME display robust free riding or reliance on other allies’ security spillovers, while security subsets not containing ME indicate allies responding positively to security spillovers.
Comparison of SP263 and 22C3 pharmDx assays to test programmed death ligand‐1 (PD‐L1) expression in surgically resected non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Shigeta Naoko , Murakami Shuji , Yokose Tomoyuki , Isaka Tetsuya , Shinada Kanako , Nagashima Takuya , Adachi Hiroyuki , Shigefuku Shunsuke , Murakami Kotaro , Miura Jun , Kikunishi Noritake , Watabe Kozue , Saito Haruhiro , Ito Hiroyuki
Published: May 2024

Background

Atezolizumab, one of the immune checkpoint inhibitors, has been approved as an adjuvant treatment following resection and platinum‐based chemotherapy in patients with stage II–IIIA non‐small cell lung cancer with 1% or more programmed death ligand‐1 (PD‐L1) expression. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved SP263 as a companion diagnostic assay for adjuvant treatment with atezolizumab; however, in clinical practice, the 22C3 assay is most commonly used for advanced non‐small cell lung cancer. Therefore, our study aimed to compare two PD‐L1 assays, SP263 and 22C3, to evaluate whether 22C3 could replace SP263 when deciding whether to administer adjuvant atezolizumab.

Methods

We retrospectively and prospectively analyzed 98 patients who underwent surgical resection at Kanagawa Cancer Center (Japan). An immunohistochemistry assay was performed for all the cases with both SP263 and 22C3. We statistically analyzed the concordance of PD‐L1 expression between SP263 and 22C3 assays.

Results

The concordance between the two assays using Cohen's kappa was κ = 0.670 (95% CI: 0.522–0.818) at the 1% cutoff and κ = 0.796 (95% CI: 0.639–0.954) at the 50% cutoff. The Spearman correlation coefficient of 0.874 (p < 0.01) indicated high concordance. PD‐L1 expression with 22C3 resulted slightly higher than that with SP263.

Conclusions

This study showed a high concordance of PD‐L1 expression with the SP263 and 22C3 assays. Further studies examining the therapeutic effects of adjuvant atezolizumab are required.
Cerebrospinal fluid proteomic profile of frailty: Results from the PROLIPHYC cohort
Authors: Guillotin Sophie , Fulzele Amit , Vallet Alexandra , de Peredo Anne Gonzalez , Mouton‐Barbosa Emmanuelle , Cestac Philippe , Andrieu Sandrine , Burlet‐Schiltz Odile , Delcourt Nicolas , Schmidt Eric
Published: May 2024

Frailty is a clinical state reflecting a decrease in physiological reserve capacities, known to affect numerous biological pathways and is associated with health issues, including neurodegenerative diseases. However, how global protein expression is affected in the central nervous system in frail subject remains underexplored. In this post hoc cross‐sectional biomarker analysis, we included 90 adults (52–85 years) suspected of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) and presenting with markers of neurodegenerative diseases. We investigated the human proteomic profile of cerebrospinal fluid associated with frailty defined by an established cumulated frailty index (FI, average = 0.32), not enriched for neurology clinical features. Using a label‐free quantitative proteomic approach, we identified and quantified 999 proteins of which 13 were positively associated with frailty. Pathway analysis with the top positively frailty‐associated proteins revealed enrichment for proteins related to inflammation and immune response. Among the 60 proteins negatively associated with frailty, functional pathways enriched included neurogenesis, synaptogenesis and neuronal guidance. We constructed a frailty prediction model using ridge regression with 932 standardized proteins. Our results showed that the “proteomic model” could become an equivalent predictor of FI in order to study chronological age. This study represents the first comprehensive exploration of the proteomic profile of frailty within cerebrospinal fluid. It sheds light on the physiopathology of frailty, particularly highlighting processes of neuroinflammation and inhibition of neurogenesis. Our findings unveil a range of biological mechanisms that are dysregulated in frailty, in NPH subjects at risk of neurodegenerative impairment, offering new perspectives on frailty phenotyping and prediction.
Pre‐eruptive intracoronal resorption: A report of two cases treated with Biodentine in mandibular premolars
Authors: Casa‐Herzmann Maximiliano , Álvarez Horacio , Soto‐Valencia Nicole , Silva Emmanuel J. N. L.
Published: May 2024

Pre‐eruptive intracoronal resorption is a rare dental anomaly marked by a radiolucent area within an unerupted tooth. This report discusses the clinical management of pre‐eruptive intracoronal resorption in two mandibular premolars through vital pulp therapy using Biodentine as a sealant. Emphasising the significance of timely intervention for preserving pulp vitality and the tooth's integrity, the present case report underscores the necessity of vigilant clinical and radiographic monitoring for early detection and appropriate treatment. By presenting effective strategies for managing pre‐eruptive intracoronal resorption, the report contributes to the understanding of this condition and highlights the importance of proactive measures in preserving affected teeth and ensuring favourable long‐term outcomes.
Dupilumab for atopic dermatitis in metastatic cancer
Authors: McClatchy Jessica , Ross Gayle
Published: May 2024

We present a case of a 47‐year‐old male with severe atopic dermatitis and metastatic renal cell carcinoma managed successfully with dupilumab. This case further supports the safety of dupilumab in patients with active malignancy, an area currently with limited data.
Gendering Toxic Contamination: Toxic Risks, Bodies, and Pregnancies in Gold Mining and Coca Farming Communities in the Bajo Cauca Region
Authors: Chiavaroli Chiara
Published: May 2024

This paper investigates women's everyday reproductive struggles in contexts of toxic contamination and the tensions emerging between toxic exposure and care in women's experiences of motherhood. While scientific framings of reproductive disruptions understand social identities as pre‐existing the experience of toxic risks, in this paper I argue that, in toxic territories, the categories of “contaminating” and “contaminated” actors interact with other categories of identity, such as gender and race, shaping social relations. Drawing on 13 months of ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the Bajo Cauca region among gold mining and coca farming communities, I investigate the everyday processes of gendered subject formation that unfold in toxic territories and the emergence of “faulty” gendered identities for rural mothers. Building on scholarship in feminist geography and Latin American feminist science and technology studies, I argue that ineffective forms of integration of gender in the institutional debate on toxic contamination reproduce, rather than challenge, the invisibility of rural women before the state.
Moving from voluntary to mandatory sustainability reporting—Transparency in sustainable development goals (SDG) reporting: An analysis of Germany's largest MNCs
Authors: Donner Eva Katharina , Meißner Annekatrin , Bort Suleika
Published: May 2024

A growing number of multinational companies (MNCs) report on their progress toward contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in their annual reports, yet the amount and quality of the information they disclose varies significantly. The aim of this study is twofold: First, we investigate how transparent MNCs report on their SDG engagement and second, we study how the reported SDG engagement changed over time due to major shifts in sustainability reporting requirements. Using a dataset of the largest German MNCs, we analyze their disclosure of SDG contribution reporting practices. Our results show that, overall, between 2016 and 2021 all German MNCs increased their SDG reporting activity and that the MNCs adopted four different practices to report their SDG engagement. We also found that the largest MNCs were more transparent and systematic in their SDG reporting than smaller MNCs, whose reporting was more heterogeneous. Our study contributes to legitimacy research and the role of transparency in corporate reporting as well as the debates on the efficacy of sustainability reporting legislation in the context of SDG engagement. Our findings imply that regulations on environmental and social regulation increase the transparency of sustainability reporting.
Hard to reach, or struggling to be heard? Real‐life experience of coproduction with people with learning disabilities
Authors: Dobel‐Ober David , Moloney Paul , Millichap Sarah
Published: May 2024

Background

Coproduction is a fast‐developing approach to patient involvement. It entails health and social care services users working as equals in partnership with providers and other public institutions to produce novel research and information, usually aimed at the improvement of service planning and delivery.

Methods

This paper presents two real‐life examples of attempted coproduction with a group of men with learning disabilities in England. The first case study concerns the piloting and assessment of a ‘user‐friendly’ version of a local authority's ‘vision statement’. The second explores an attempt to secure funding to develop and evaluate a community intervention with and for people with learning disabilities.

Findings

Together, these portraits capture two important and intertwined problems that afflict the field of coproduction: namely, the drive to create fast results and the challenges of time and resource allocation that service users and professionals face whenever they attempt to coproduce work in a meaningful way.

Conclusions

The paper concludes with some suggestions for how policy and practice might seek to address these issues in the future.
HIF‐1α and adaptor protein LIM and senescent cell antigen‐like domains protein 1 axis promotes tubulointerstitial fibrosis by interacting with vimentin in angiotensin II‐induced hypertension
Authors: Ni Wei‐Jie , Li Zuo‐Lin , Wen Xian‐Li , Ji Jia‐Ling , Liu Hong , Yin Qing , Jiang Liang‐Yun‐Zi , Zhang Yi‐Lin , Wen Yi , Tang Tao‐Tao , Jiang Wei , Lv Lin‐Li , Gan Wei‐Hua , Liu Bi‐Cheng , Wang Bin
Published: May 2024

Background and Purpose

Activation of the renin‐angiotensin system, as a hallmark of hypertension and chronic kidney diseases (CKD) is the key pathophysiological factor contributing to the progression of tubulointerstitial fibrosis. LIM and senescent cell antigen‐like domains protein 1 (LIMS1) plays an essential role in controlling of cell behaviour through the formation of complexes with other proteins. Here, the function and regulation of LIMS1 in angiotensin II (Ang II)‐induced hypertension and tubulointerstitial fibrosis was investigated.

Experimental Approach

C57BL/6 mice were treated with Ang II to induce tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α (HIF‐1α) renal tubular‐specific knockout mice or LIMS1 knockdown AAV was used to investigate their effects on Ang II‐induced renal interstitial fibrosis. In vitro, HIF‐1α or LIMS1 was knocked down or overexpressed in HK2 cells after exposure to Ang II.

Key Results

Increased expression of tubular LIMS1 was observed in human kidney with hypertensive nephropathy and in murine kidney from Ang II‐induced hypertension model. Tubular‐specific knockdown of LIMS1 ameliorated Ang II‐induced tubulointerstitial fibrosis in mice. Furthermore, we demonstrated that LIMS1 was transcriptionally regulated by HIF‐1α in tubular cells and that tubular HIF‐1α knockout ameliorates LIMS1‐mediated tubulointerstitial fibrosis. In addition, LIMS1 promotes Ang II‐induced tubulointerstitial fibrosis by interacting with vimentin.

Conclusion and Implications

We conclude that HIF‐1α transcriptionally regulated LIMS1 plays a central role in Ang II‐induced tubulointerstitial fibrosis through interacting with vimentin. Our finding represents a new insight into the mechanism of Ang II‐induced tubulointerstitial fibrosis and provides a novel therapeutic target for progression of CKD.
Even though active recommendation for HPV vaccination has restarted, Japan's rates have not recovered
Authors: Yagi Asami , Ueda Yutaka , Oka Emiko , Nakagawa Satoshi , Kimura Tadashi , Shimoya Koichiro
Published: May 2024

Japan has a particularly critical situation surrounding its collapsed HPV vaccination program for preventing HPV‐caused cervical cancers, a problem exacerbated by the lack of a national immunization database. We have determined the year‐to‐year HPV vaccination uptake by Japanese females and analyzed by birth fiscal year (FY) the monthly number of people receiving initial HPV vaccination. Our analysis covers the period from the start of public subsidies in 2010 to September 2023, using data provided by local governments. We calculated the cumulative number of monthly immunizations for those unimmunized as of April (the beginning of each vaccination year). The monthly number of initial HPV vaccinations was highest in August for every FY from FY 2010 to FY 2023; a second vaccination peak tended to occur in March when the vaccination year ended. The highest number of August vaccinations occurred in FY 2011, followed (in order) by 2012, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2013. In Japan's ongoing catch‐up vaccination program for young women, the monthly number of vaccinations increased in August 2022 but then slowed the following year. After FY 2021, the cumulative vaccination coverage of subjects unvaccinated at the beginning of the vaccination year but subsequently covered by routine immunizations was slightly improved. FY 2021 was when the governmental recommendations for HPV vaccination were resumed. More recent vaccination rates are considerably lower than those in FY 2011–2012 when vaccinations were first fully endorsed. Paralyzing HPV vaccination hesitancy, which began in FY 2013, will linger in Japan in FY 2024.
Neurofibroma with glomus‐like bodies: A novel association—Thoughts about origin
Authors: Patel Riya T. , Rizzo Marissa T. , Guerra Karla C. , Grider Douglas J.
Published: May 2024

A neurofibroma with focal glomus‐like body differentiation is an unusual phenomenon recently encountered in an excision specimen from the right lateral distal forearm of a 26‐year‐old man. Glomus cells are modified smooth muscle cells normally present in glomus‐like bodies but can also be found in glomus tumors (GT) or lesions considered in the spectrum of GT, including myopericytoma, myofibroma, and angiolipoma. Neurofibromas are peripheral nerve sheath tumors derived from the neural crest cells. While both GT and its variants and neurofibroma are thought to be derived from different cell types, there is growing evidence that glomus cells have a neural crest origin. This is based on multiple theories, with some overlapping pathways, including neural crest cell differentiation, Schwann cell reprogramming, VEGF expression, and NF1 gene biallelic inactivation. This report adds to the growing evidence of possible neural crest origin for glomus cells and would help explain finding glomus‐like bodies scattered through a neurofibroma.
Participação em casa e fatores pessoais e ambientais em crianças e adolescentes com síndrome de Down
Authors: Brugnaro Beatriz Helena , Fernandes Gesica , De Campos Ana Carolina , Pavão Silvia Letícia , Pfeifer Luzia Iara , De Camargo Olaf Kraus , Hlyva Oksana , Rocha Nelci Adriana Cicuto Ferreira
Published: May 2024

Objetivo

Descrever a participação em casa atual (frequência, envolvimento) e o desejo do cuidador por mudança na participação em casa de crianças e adolescentes com síndrome de Down, bem como fatores ambientais da casa, e explorar as associações de fatores pessoais e ambientais com a participação atual e o desejo do cuidador por mudança.

Método

Oitenta e dois cuidadores (média de idade = 45 anos e 10 meses) de crianças e adolescentes com síndrome de Down (média de idade = 10 anos e 7 meses) foram entrevistados sobre a participação em casa da criança e fatores ambientais utilizando a Medida de Participação e do Ambiente ‐ Crianças e Jovens. Além disso, foram coletados fatores pessoais e ambientais das crianças. Os resultados são relatados por meio de análise descritiva e correlações (coeficientes de correlação de Spearman ou teste U de Mann–Whitney) para descrever a relação entre a participação atual e o desejo do cuidador por mudança, com fatores pessoais e ambientais, para as variáveis ordinais e nominais, respectivamente (p < 0,05).

Resultados

A participação das crianças foi maior em cuidados pessoais e menor em atividades relacionadas à escola. A maioria dos cuidadores desejava mudança nas lições de casa e nas tarefas domésticas. Maior frequência de participação foi associada ao sexo masculino, distanciamento social menos rigoroso do cuidador devido à pandemia de covid‐19 e crianças recebendo terapia. O maior envolvimento na participação foi associado a uma idade mais jovem nas crianças e a um maior apoio do ambiente. A idade mais avançada das crianças foi associada ao maior desejo por mudança do cuidador.

Interpretação

Fatores pessoais e ambientais são correlacionados com a participação de formas específicas. Devem ser realizadas estratégias criativas para promover a participação e que considerem os desejos do cuidador.
Predicting autoimmune etiology in pediatric epilepsy
Authors: Shetty Jay
Published: May 2024

This commentary is on the original article by Mori et al. on pages 1319–1328 of this issue.
Adenosine kinase inhibits β‐cell proliferation by upregulating DNA methyltransferase 3A expression
Authors: Chen Ting , Yu Jiayu , Guo Xin , Wang Siqi , Wang Zhihua , Chen Yang , Hu Xiang , Li Huiqing , Chen Lulu , Zheng Juan
Published: May 2024

Aim

To investigate the effects of adenosine kinase (ADK), a key enzyme in determining intracellular adenosine levels, on β cells, and their underlying mechanism.

Methods

Genetic animal models and transgenic immortalized cells were applied to study the effect of ADK on islet beta‐cell proliferation and function. The beta‐cell mass and response to glucose were measured in vivo using mice with beta‐cell‐specific ADK overexpression, and in vitro using ADK‐overexpressed immortalized beta‐cell.

Results

The expression of ADK in human islets at high abundance, especially in β cells, was decreased during the process of β‐cell proliferation. Additionally, a transgenic mouse model (ADKtg/tg /Mip‐Cre) was generated wherein the mouse Insulin1 gene promoter specifically overexpressed ADK in pancreatic β cells. The ADKtg/tg /Mip‐Cre model exhibited impaired glucose tolerance, decreased fasting plasma insulin, loss of β‐cell mass, and inhibited β‐cell proliferation. Proteomic analysis revealed that ADK overexpression inhibited the expression of several proteins that promote cell proliferation and insulin secretion. Upregulating ADK in the β‐cell line inhibited the expression of β‐cell related regulatory molecules, including FoxO1, Appl1, Pxn, Pdx‐1, Creb and Slc16a3. Subsequent in vitro experiments indicated that the inhibition of β‐cell proliferation and the decreased expression of Pdx‐1, Creb and Slc16a3 were rescued by DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) knockdown in β cells.

Conclusion

In this study, we found that the overexpression of ADK decreased the expression of several genes that regulate β cells, resulting in the inhibition of β‐cell proliferation and dysfunction by upregulating the expression of DNMT3A.
Detecting and managing the patient with chronic kidney disease in primary care: A review of the latest guidelines
Authors: Mayne Kaitlin J. , Hanlon Peter , Lees Jennifer S.
Published: May 2024

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major global health problem, affecting about 9.5% of the population and 850 million people worldwide. In primary care, most CKD is caused by diabetes and/or hypertension, but a substantial proportion of cases may have alternative causes. During the early stages, CKD is asymptomatic, and many people are unaware that they are living with the disease. Despite the lack of symptoms, CKD is associated with elevated risks of cardiovascular disease, progressive kidney disease, kidney failure and premature mortality. Risk reduction strategies are effective and cost‐effective but require early diagnosis through testing of the estimated glomerular filtration rate and albuminuria in high‐risk populations. Once diagnosed, the treatment of CKD centres around lifestyle interventions, blood pressure and glycaemic control, and preventative treatments for cardiovascular disease and kidney disease progression. Most patients with CKD should be managed with statins, renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system inhibitors and sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2 inhibitors. Additional treatment options to reduce cardiorenal risk are available in patients with diabetes, including glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists and non‐steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. The Kidney Failure Risk Equation is a new tool that can support the identification of patients at high risk of progressive kidney disease and kidney failure and can be used to guide referrals to nephrology. This review summarizes the latest guidance relevant to managing adults with, or at risk of, CKD and provides practical advice for managing patients with CKD in primary care.
Gastric emptying in newly diagnosed, treatment‐naïve Han Chinese with type 2 diabetes and the impact of 4‐week insulin pump therapy
Authors: Sun Yixuan , Luo Yong , Xiang Chunjie , Xie Cong , Huang Weikun , Sun Zilin , Jones Karen L. , Horowitz Michael , Rayner Christopher K. , Ma Jianhua , Wu Tongzhi
Published: May 2024

Aim

To evaluate gastric emptying (GE) and the glycaemic response to a 75‐g oral glucose load in newly diagnosed, treatment‐naïve Han Chinese with type 2 diabetes (T2D) before insulin pump therapy, after 4 weeks of insulin pump therapy, and 12–15 months after insulin pump therapy.

Materials and Methods

Twenty participants with T2D (baseline glycated haemoglobin [± SD] 10.7% [± 1.2%] 93 [± 10] mmol/mol) ingested a 75‐g glucose drink containing 150 mg 13C‐acetate, to determine the gastric half‐emptying time, and underwent assessment of plasma glucose and serum insulin, C‐peptide and glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) over 180 min before and after 4 weeks of insulin pump therapy (discontinued for 48 h before re‐assessment). Data were compared to those in 19 healthy participants matched for sex and age. After 12–15 months, GE was re‐measured in 14 of the T2D participants.

Results

At baseline, participants with T2D exhibited substantially augmented fasting and post‐glucose glycaemia, diminished insulin secretion, and more rapid GE (p < 0.05 each), but comparable GLP‐1, compared to healthy participants. Following insulin pump therapy, insulin secretion increased, GLP‐1 secretion was attenuated, fasting and post‐glucose glycaemia were lower, and GE was slowed (p < 0.05 each). The slowing of GE in T2D participants was sustained over 12–15 months of follow‐up.

Conclusions

In newly diagnosed Han Chinese with T2D, GE is often accelerated despite poor glycaemic control and is slowed by short‐term insulin pump therapy. The effect on GE is maintained for at least 12 months.
Gastric emptying is slower in women than men with type 2 diabetes and impacts on postprandial glycaemia
Authors: Xiang Chunjie , Sun Yixuan , Luo Yong , Xie Cong , Huang Weikun , Jones Karen L. , Horowitz Michael , Sun Zilin , Rayner Christopher K. , Ma Jianhua , Wu Tongzhi
Published: May 2024

Aim

To evaluate sex differences in gastric emptying and the glycaemic response to a glucose drink and a high carbohydrate meal in type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods

In cohort 1, 70 newly diagnosed, treatment‐naïve Chinese patients with T2D (44 men) recruited from a diabetes outpatient clinic ingested a 75‐g glucose drink containing 150 mg 13C‐acetate. In cohort 2, 101 Australian patients with T2D (67 male) recruited from the community, managed by diet and/or metformin monotherapy, ingested a semi‐solid mashed potato meal, labelled with 100 μl 13C‐octanoic acid. Breath samples were collected over 3 and 4 h, respectively, for assessment of gastric emptying, and venous blood was sampled for evaluation of glycaemia (with and without adjustment for each participant's estimated total blood volume).

Results

Gastric emptying was slower in female than male subjects in both cohorts (both p < .01). Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that gastric emptying was independently associated with sex (both p < .05). Without adjustment for blood volume, the glycaemic responses to oral glucose and the mixed meal were greater in female subjects (both p < .001). However, after adjustment for blood volume, the glycaemic responses were greater in men (both p < .05).

Conclusions

Gastric emptying is slower in women than men with T2D, associated with a reduced blood volume‐adjusted glycaemic response to oral glucose and a mixed meal in women. These observations highlight the sex difference in postprandial glucose handling, which is relevant to the personalized management of postprandial glycaemia in T2D.
Pioglitazone reduces serum ketone bodies in sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2 inhibitor‐treated non‐obese type 2 diabetes: A single‐centre, randomized, crossover trial
Authors: Yang Min , Yue Han , Xu Qinqin , Shao Shiying , Chen Yong
Published: May 2024

Aim

To examine the effects of the thiazolidinedione (TZD) pioglitazone on reducing ketone bodies in non‐obese patients with T2DM treated with the sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2 (SGLT2) inhibitor canagliflozin.

Methods

Crossover trials with two periods, each treatment period lasting 4 weeks, with a 4‐week washout period, were conducted. Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive pioglitazone combined with canagliflozin (PIOG + CANA group) versus canagliflozin monotherapy (CANA group). The primary outcome was change (Δ) in β‐hydroxybutyric acid (β‐HBA) before and after the CANA or PIOG + CANA treatments. The secondary outcomes were Δchanges in serum acetoacetate and acetone, the rate of conversion into urinary ketones, and Δchanges in factors related to SGLT2 inhibitor‐induced ketone body production including non‐esterified fatty acids (NEFAs), glucagon, glucagon to insulin ratio, and noradrenaline (NA). Analyses were performed in accordance with the intention‐to‐treat principle.

Results

Twenty‐five patients with a mean age of 49 ± 7.97 years and a body mass index of 25.35 ± 2.22 kg/m2 were included. One patient discontinued the study during the washout period. Analyses revealed a significant increase in the levels of serum ketone bodies and an elevation in the rate of conversion into urinary ketones after both interventions. However, differernces in levels of ketone bodies (except for acetoacetate) in the PIOG + CANA group were significantly smaller than in the CANA group (219.84 ± 80.21 μmol/L vs. 317.69 ± 83.07 μmol/L, p < 0.001 in β‐HBA; 8.98 ± 4.17 μmol/L vs. 12.29 ± 5.27 μmol/L, p = 0.018 in acetone). NEFA, glucagon, glucagon to insulin ratio, and NA were also significantly increased after both CANA and PIOG + CANA treatments; while only NEFAs demonstrated a significant difference between the two groups. Correlation analyses revealed a significant association between the difference in Δchanges in serum NEFA levels with the differences in Δchanges in ketones of β‐HBA and acetoacetate.

Conclusion

Supplementation of pioglitazone could alleviate canagliflozin‐induced ketone bodies. This benefit may be closely associated with decreased substrate NEFAs rather than other factors including glucagon, fasting insulin and NA.
Individual activity levels and presence of conspecifics affect fish passage rates over an in‐flume barrier
Authors: Nyqvist Daniel , Tarena Fabio , Candiotto Alessandro , Comoglio Claudio
Published: May 2024

Dams and other in‐stream obstacles disrupt longitudinal connectivity and hinder fish from moving between habitats. Fishways and other fish passage solutions are used to pass fish over these artificial migration barriers. Fish passage functionality, however, varies greatly with fish passage design and environmental conditions and depends on fish species and characteristics. In particular, swimming performance and fish behaviour are considered key characteristics to predict fish passage performance. It is also well known, but not well quantified, that the presence of conspecifics affects fish passage behaviour. In this study, we quantified individual passage rates of PIT‐tagged gudgeons (Gobio gobio) over a scaled deep side notch weir in an hydraulic flume. We then quantified individual swimming capability (time to fatigue) and activity level (distance moved in an open field test) for the same individual fish and tested for potential effects on fish passage rate. To check for potential group effects, we then repeated the passage experiment for fish individually or in groups of five. More active fish displayed higher passage rates compared to less active fish, and fish passed the obstacle at higher rates in groups of five compared to alone. No effect of fish swimming capability on passage rates was detected. This result highlights the need to take both individual variation as well as the presence and behaviour of conspecifics into account in fish passage studies and evaluations. Doing so has the potential to improve the understanding of fish behaviour, and in the end, the design of fish passage solutions. Future studies should explore these results on free ranging fish and in relation to in‐situ fish passage solutions.
Multimodal convergence in the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus: Motor, sensory and theta‐frequency inputs influence activity of single neurons
Authors: Lu Xiaodong , Wickens Jeffery R. , Hyland Brian Ian
Published: May 2024

The pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus of the brainstem (PPTg) has extensive interconnections and neuronal‐behavioural correlates. It is implicated in movement control and sensorimotor integration. We investigated whether single neuron activity in freely moving rats is correlated with components of skilled forelimb movement, and whether individual neurons respond to both motor and sensory events. We found that individual PPTg neurons showed changes in firing rate at different times during the reach. This type of temporally specific modulation is like activity seen elsewhere in voluntary movement control circuits, such as the motor cortex, and suggests that PPTg neural activity is related to different specific events occurring during the reach. In particular, many neuronal modulations were time‐locked to the end of the extension phase of the reach, when fine distal movements related to food grasping occur, indicating strong engagement of PPTg in this phase of skilled individual forelimb movements. In addition, some neurons showed brief periods of apparent oscillatory firing in the theta range at specific phases of the reach‐to‐grasp movement. When movement‐related neurons were tested with tone stimuli, many also responded to this auditory input, allowing for sensorimotor integration at the cellular level. Together, these data extend the concept of the PPTg as an integrative structure in generation of complex movements, by showing that this function extends to the highly coordinated control of the forelimb during skilled reach to grasp movement, and that sensory and motor‐related information converges on single neurons, allowing for direct integration at the cellular level.
Tree diversity enhances predation by birds but not by arthropods across climate gradients
Authors: Vázquez‐González Carla , Castagneyrol Bastien , Muiruri Evalyne W. , Barbaro Luc , Abdala‐Roberts Luis , Barsoum Nadia , Fründ Jochen , Glynn Carolyn , Jactel Hervé , McShea William J. , Mereu Simone , Mooney Kailen A. , Morillas Lourdes , Nock Charles A. , Paquette Alain , Parker John D. , Parker William C. , Roales Javier , Scherer‐Lorenzen Michael , Schuldt Andreas , Verheyen Kris , Weih Martin , Yang Bo , Koricheva Julia
Published: May 2024

Tree diversity can promote both predator abundance and diversity. However, whether this translates into increased predation and top‐down control of herbivores across predator taxonomic groups and contrasting environmental conditions remains unresolved. We used a global network of tree diversity experiments (TreeDivNet) spread across three continents and three biomes to test the effects of tree species richness on predation across varying climatic conditions of temperature and precipitation. We recorded bird and arthropod predation attempts on plasticine caterpillars in monocultures and tree species mixtures. Both tree species richness and temperature increased predation by birds but not by arthropods. Furthermore, the effects of tree species richness on predation were consistent across the studied climatic gradient. Our findings provide evidence that tree diversity strengthens top‐down control of insect herbivores by birds, underscoring the need to implement conservation strategies that safeguard tree diversity to sustain ecosystem services provided by natural enemies in forests.
Preliminary study of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy to assess bone marrow adiposity in the third metacarpus or metatarsus in Thoroughbred racehorses
Authors: Hewitt‐Dedman Charlotte L. , Kershaw Lucy E. , Schwarz Tobias , Del‐Pozo Jorge , Duncan Juliet , Daniel Carola R. , Cillán‐García Eugenio , Pressanto Maria Chiara , Taylor Sarah E.
Published: May 2024

Background

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) has been used to investigate metabolic changes within human bone. It may be possible to use MRS to investigate bone metabolism and fracture risk in the distal third metacarpal/tarsal bone (MC/MTIII) in racehorses.

Objectives

To determine the feasibility of using MRS as a quantitative imaging technique in equine bone by using the 1H spectra for the MC/MTIII to calculate fat content (FC).

Study design

Observational cross‐sectional study.

Methods

Limbs from Thoroughbred racehorses were collected from horses that died or were subjected to euthanasia on racecourses. Each limb underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3 T followed by single‐voxel MRS at three regions of interest (ROI) within MC/MTIII (lateral condyle, medial condyle, proximal bone marrow [PBM]). Percentage FC was calculated at each ROI. Each limb underwent computed tomography (CT) and bone mineral density (BMD) was calculated for the same ROIs. All MR and CT images were graded for sclerosis. Histology slides were graded for sclerosis and proximal marrow space was calculated. Pearson or Spearman correlations were used to assess the relationship between BMD, FC and marrow space. Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to check for differences between sclerosis groups for BMD or FC.

Results

Eighteen limbs from 10 horses were included. A negative correlation was identified for mean BMD and FC for the lateral condyle (correlation coefficient = −0.60, p = 0.01) and PBM (correlation coefficient = −0.5, p = 0.04). There was a significant difference between median BMD for different sclerosis grades in the condyles on both MRI and CT. A significant difference in FC was identified between sclerosis groups in the lateral condyle on MRI and CT.

Main limitations

Small sample size.

Conclusions

1H Proton MRS is feasible in the equine MC/MTIII. Further work is required to evaluate the use of this technique to predict fracture risk in racehorses.