bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The turning point of COVID‐19 severity is associated with a unique circulating neutrophil gene signature
Authors: Fuzo Carlos A. , Fraga‐Silva Thais F. C. , Maruyama Sandra R. , Bastos Víctor A. F. , Rogerio Luana A. , Takamiya Nayore T. , da Silva‐Neto Pedro V. , Pimentel Vinícius E. , Toro Diana M. , Pérez Malena M. , de Carvalho Jonatan C. S. , Carmona‐Garcia Ingryd , Oliveira Camilla N. S. , Degiovani Augusto M. , Ostini Fátima M. , Constant Leticia F. , de Amorim Alessandro P. , Vilar Fernando C. , Feitosa Marley R. , Parra Rogerio S. , da Rocha José J. R. , Feres Omar , Gaspar Gilberto G. , Viana Angelina L. , Fernandes Ana P. M. , Santos Isabel K. F. M. , Russo Elisa M. S. , Cardoso Cristina R. B. , Sorgi Carlos A. , Faccioli Lúcia H. , Bonato Vânia L. D. , Dias‐Baruffi Marcelo ,   in collaboration with the ImmunoCOVID study group
Published: February 2023

COVID‐19 has a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations associated with the host immune response heterogeneity. Despite the advances in COVID‐19 research, it is still crucial to seek a panel of molecular markers that enable accurate stratification of COVID‐19 patients. Here, we performed a study that combined analysis of blood transcriptome, demographic data, clinical aspects and laboratory findings from 66 participants classified into different degrees of COVID‐19 severity and healthy subjects. We identified a perturbation in blood‐leukocyte transcriptional profile associated with COVID‐19 aggravation, which was mainly related to processes that disfavoured lymphocyte activation and favoured neutrophil activation. This transcriptional profile stratified patients according to COVID‐19 severity. Hence, it enabled identification of a turning point in transcriptional dynamics that distinguished disease outcomes and non‐hospitalized from hospitalized moderate patients. Central genes of this unique neutrophil signature were S100A9, ANXA3, CEACAM6, VNN1, OLFM4, IL1R2, TCN1 and CD177. Our study indicates the molecular changes that are linked with the differing clinical aspects presented by humans when suffering from COVID‐19, which involve neutrophil activation.
Third Country Access to EU Agencies: Exploring Spaces for Influence
Authors: Lavenex Sandra , Lutz Philipp
Published: February 2023

EU decentralised agencies dispose of a wide network of external relations giving third countries various degrees of access to their management boards, secondary bodies and/or operational cooperation. These venues constitute hitherto under‐explored opportunities for third country influence on EU laws and policies. Based on an original dataset, this article maps the widening scope and depth of third country de jure access to 26 EU agencies over time and provides first explanations for the variation across agencies and countries. We find that agency autonomy and international mandate as well as third country democracy, regulatory capacity, and wealth are positively correlated with access. Whilst the de jure provisions examined in this article capture the formal institutional scope for third country influence, they underline the potential for more detailed case studies on de facto third country influence and its determinants.
Complex adaptive phenomenology: A conceptual framework for healthcare research
Authors: Borghmans Felice , Laletas Stella
Published: February 2023

Rationale

Healthcare research exploring the lived experiences of health care professionals from different disciplines, such as nursing, medicine, and allied health, has repeatedly highlighted many methodological challenges, especially in understanding the individual human experience within complex systems. In response, complexity theory and phenomenological approaches emerged and evolved in ways that potentially offered researchers frameworks to inform an understanding of the individual human experience. However, while these two theoretical approaches inform a method of inquiry, there is a gap in understanding the phenomenon of ‘being’ and how this is embodied within complex systems such as the healthcare system.

The Aims and Objectives

The aim of this paper is to present an integrated theoretical framework, namely complex adaptive phenomenology (CAP). CAP aims to address this inquiry gap by offering a structured conceptual framework wherein complexity theory and phenomenology are complementary but multi‐dimensional. The key objective of CAP was to synthesize and integrate two methods of inquiry that examine the relational aspects of ‘being’, that is the gestalt of perception, action, and context, The authors argue that CAP is well‐suited to complex research contexts such as healthcare. The framework focuses on the reciprocal, co‐constructive relationships extant between perception, meaning, context, and action that shape experiences of ‘being’ within complex systems. Complexity theory's connectionist orientation explains the relationships that are formative of the experience of being, while phenomenology explores the manifestations of these formative relationships by attending to the notion of ‘being’ itself.

Conclusion

The authors propose that an integrated framework, of phenomenology and complexity theory, can provide a platform for deeper understandings of the experiences of health professionals and contribute to healthcare scholarship.
Clinical outcomes of Dieulafoy's lesion compared with peptic ulcer in upper gastrointestinal bleeding
Authors: Jo Sang Yong , Noh Jin Hee , Cha Boram , Ahn Ji Yong , Oh Seung‐pyo , Seo Jun‐young , Na Hee Kyong , Lee Jeong Hoon , Jung Kee Wook , Kim Do Hoon , Choi Kee Don , Song Ho June , Lee Gin Hyug , Jung Hwoon‐Yong
Published: February 2023

Background and Aim

Although Dieulafoy's lesion (DL) is an important cause of nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, few studies have investigated the clinico‐epidemiological outcomes due to its rarity. Here, we investigated clinical features of upper GI bleeding caused by peptic ulcer (PU) or DL and compared endoscopic treatment outcomes.

Methods

Patients with upper GI bleeding resulting from PU or DL who visited emergency room between January 2013 and December 2017 were eligible. Clinical features and treatment outcomes were retrospectively investigated.

Results

Overall, 728 patients with upper GI bleeding due to PU (n = 669) and DL (n = 59) were enrolled. The median age was 64 years (interquartile range [IQR], 56–75 years), and 74.3% were male. Endoscopic intervention was performed in 53.7% (n = 359) and 98.3% (n = 58) of the PU and DL groups, respectively (P < 0.0001). Patients were matched by sex, age, body mass index, comorbidity, and past medical history, and 190 PU and 52 DL were finally selected. The rebleeding rates within 7 (7.37% vs 17.31%, P = 0.037) and 30 (7.37% vs 26.92%, P < 0.001) days after initial endoscopy were significantly lower in the PU than in the DL group after propensity score matching. During the median follow‐up period of 52 months (IQR, 34–70 months), there was no difference in overall survival rate (67.9% vs 82.7%, P = 0.518).

Conclusions

Although DL is a rare cause of upper GI bleeding, it requires endoscopic hemostasis more frequently and has a higher rate of rebleeding than PU even after therapeutic endoscopy. Endoscopists should pay attention and perform active endoscopic hemostasis for DL bleeding.
Quantifying GHG emissions enabled by capital and labor: Economic and gender inequalities in France
Authors: Pottier Antonin , Le Treut Gaëlle
Published: February 2023

Many studies have investigated the carbon footprint of households. They rely on consumption‐based responsibility and focus on how many emissions are embodied in a product. Here we open a new field by discussing the emissions that individuals enable by providing labor and capital to companies, using the framework of income‐based (downstream) responsibility. This perspective focuses on the emissions enabled by providing inputs to production processes, and is relevant for discussion of sustainable work and the carbon impact of investment and financial portfolios. We compute the downstream carbon intensity of primary inputs for 35 industries in France using the multi‐regional input–output database EXIOBASE. We provide a detailed picture of enabled emissions, disaggregating those by industry and primary inputs. On average, capital inputs are more carbon intensive than labor inputs. Finally, we couple downstream carbon intensities with an extensive national survey on wages to obtain a distribution of the income‐based emissions of employees. Income‐based emissions are much more unequally distributed than wages due to the huge variability of carbon intensity across industries: a truck driver enables far more emissions than a social‐care worker. Inequalities in emissions do not strongly interact with economic inequality. Yet they are gendered because women work disproportionately in low‐carbon‐intensive industries such as healthcare. As a result, women contribute less to GHG emissions than their wage share would seem to indicate.
Disseminated Mucor indicus infection in a marmoset (Callithrix sp.)
Authors: Ferreira‐Machado Eduardo , Ervedosa Ticiana Brasil , Navas‐Suárez Pedro Enrique , Figueiredo Ketlyn Bolsachini , de Carvalho Ana Carolina Souza Ramos , Takahashi Juliana Possatto Fernandes , de Araújo Leonardo Tadeu , de Jesus Isis Paixão , de Carvalho Julia , Sanches Thaís , de Azevedo Fernandes Natália Coelho Couto , Guerra Juliana Mariotti
Published: February 2023

Mucormycosis is rarely described in Platyrrhines. Herein, we describe the pathologic and molecular features of a gastric and hepatic infection by Mucor indicus in a marmoset (Callithrix sp.).
Predictors of self‐care behaviour trajectories in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A latent class growth analysis
Authors: Dou Bei , Tang Ting , Wang Chen , Zha Huixian , Kong Yu , Liu Kouying
Published: February 2023

Aims and Objectives

To explore the trajectories of self‐care behaviours in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease based on the latent class growth model and investigate the predictors of each trajectory based on the capability opportunity motivation and behaviour model.

Background

Studies on self‐care behaviours of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are mainly cross‐sectional surveys. However, little is known about longitudinal trends of self‐care behaviours changes among those population.

Design

This was a prospective observational research performed according to STROBE Checklist.

Methods

One hundred and nineteen patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were followed up at baseline, 3 and 6 months. Data collection included the scores of self‐care behaviours, specific demographic and clinical characteristics, and scores for the predictors. A latent class growth model was used to explore the self‐care behaviours trajectories. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify predictors of self‐care behaviours trajectories.

Results

Three trajectories in the self‐care behaviours of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were found: a persistently negative trajectory, a maintenance trajectory after a slight increase and an active trajectory with a slow upward improvement in self‐care behaviours. Medical insurance and access to medical resources were the predictors of self‐care behaviours.

Conclusion

The patients with poor medical resources and medical insurance are at high risk for the poor self‐care behaviours and the negative trajectory. Thus, dynamic and individualised intervention should be continuously provided to ensure patients acquire adequate medical resources to comprehensively improve self‐care behaviours.

Relevance to Clinical Practice

People with better self‐care trajectory may be patients who receive more medical resources or have less financial burden, which will help with the early identification of high‐risk patients with a negative self‐care trajectory. Intervention guided by Behaviour Change Wheel Theory should be conducted dynamically for patients for patients with different trajectories.

Patient or Public Contribution

Thank the patients and their families for their cooperation in data collecting in this study.
Mental health bias in physical care: An integrative review of the literature
Authors: Hallyburton Ann , Allison‐Jones Lisa
Published: February 2023

Accessible Summary

What is known on the subject?

Individuals experiencing mental illness make up a significant portion of the world's population.

Individuals with mental illness experience higher rates of morbidity and die on average at least a decade earlier than individuals without mental health disorders.

What this paper adds to existing knowledge?

Issues of stigma, diagnostic overshadowing, premature closure, inadequate workup, fear and lack of training negatively impact the care of individuals with mental illness.

Issues impacting the care of individuals experiencing mental illness cross geographic and care setting boundaries.

What are the implications for practice?

Partnerships between physical and mental health practitioners are needed to thoroughly assess and accurately diagnose symptoms experienced by individuals with mental illness.

Educational interventions can help prepare practitioners to care for individuals with mental illness.

Nurses can better advocate for effective patient care by learning about the phenomenon of diagnostic overshadowing and calling attention to its occurrence.

Introduction

Individuals with mental illness experience significantly higher overall rates of morbidity and mortality than counterparts without mental illness. Misdiagnosis of symptoms emanating from physical illnesses as psychiatric in nature presents one important cause.

Aim

This integrative review explores research on healthcare professionals' misattribution of physical health symptoms to patients' comorbid psychiatric issues and seeks to identify unifying themes, shared causes, and possible strategies for addressing the issue.

Method

This review uses Whittemore and Knafl's 2005 integrative review methodology coupled with vetted quality appraisal tools.

Results

Following a systematic search of allied health, medical, psychological, sociological and general literature, 24 publications employing qualitative, quantitative, mixed and synthesis research methodologies were selected. Each study was appraised according to design, and relevant data were extracted.

Discussion

Themes of stigmatization, diagnostic overshadowing, incomplete medical examination, insufficient training, and fears experienced by providers and patients emerged.

Implications for Practice

Increased partnering between physical and mental health practitioners, continuing education, and improving patient–provider communication are key to providing equitable care. Nurses play primary roles in empathizing with patients, advocating for appropriate care and educating others on the dangers of misattributing physical symptoms to psychiatric cause.
Challenges of hepatitis B treatment in rural Sub‐Saharan Africa: Treatment initiation and outcomes from a public hospital‐based clinic in Kono, Sierra Leone
Authors: Nyama Emmanuel T. , Allan‐Blitz Lao‐Tzu , Bitwayiki Remy , Swaray Mohamed , Lebbie Williams , Lavalie Daniel , Mhango Michael , Gupta Neil , Rodriguez Marta Patiño
Published: February 2023

Despite a high prevalence, there are few successful models for de‐centralizing diagnosis and treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among rural communities in Sub‐Saharan Africa. We report baseline characteristics and 1 year retention outcomes for patients enrolled in a HBV clinic integrated within chronic disease services in a rural district hospital in Sierra Leone. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with HBV infection enrolled between 30 April 2019 and 30 April 2021. Patients were eligible for 1 year follow‐up if enrolled before 28 February 2020. Treatment eligibility at baseline was defined as cirrhosis (diagnosed by clinical criteria of decompensated cirrhosis, ultrasonographic findings or aspartate‐aminotransferase‐to‐platelet ratio >2) or co‐infection with HIV or HCV. Retention in care was defined as a documented follow‐up visit at least 1 year after enrolment. We enrolled 623 individuals in care, median age of 30 years (IQR 23–40). Of 617 patients with available data, 97 (15.7%) had cirrhosis. Treatment was indicated among 113 (18.3%) patients and initiated among 74 (65.5%). Of 39 patients eligible for 1 year follow‐up on treatment at baseline, 20 (51.3%) were retained at 1 year, among whom 12 (60.0%) had documented viral suppression. Among the 232 patients not initiated on treatment eligible for 1 year follow‐up, 75 (32.3%) were retained at 1 year.

Although further interventions are required to improve outcomes, our findings demonstrated feasibility of retention and treatment of patients with HBV infection in a rural district in Sub‐Saharan Africa, when integrated with other chronic disease services.
Liver stiffness is associated with excess mortality in the general population driven by heart failure: The Rotterdam Study
Authors: van Kleef Laurens A. , Sonneveld Milan J. , Zhu Fang , Ikram M. Arfan , Kavousi Maryam , de Knegt Robert J.
Published: February 2023

Background

Elevated liver stiffness reflects hepatic fibrosis but can also be secondary to venous congestion. We aimed to study the association between liver stiffness and mortality in the general population, stratified for heart failure and/or coronary heart disease (CHD).

Methods

We analysed individuals enrolled in the ongoing prospective population‐based Rotterdam Study who attended a visit between 2009–2014 that included liver stiffness measurement. Exclusion criteria for the primary analysis were incomplete data on heart failure, unreliable liver stiffness, alcohol abuse and viral hepatitis, leaving 4.153 participants (aged 67.5 ± 8.4 years, 44.2% male) for analysis with a median follow‐up of 6.0 (interquartile range: 5.1–7.0) years. Secondary analysis included participants with viral hepatitis, alcohol abuse and/or unreliable measurement. The association between liver stiffness and mortality was assessed using Cox regression. Associations between heart failure, CHD, and echocardiographic characteristics and liver stiffness were quantified with linear regression.

Results

Liver stiffness ≥8.0 kPa was associated with mortality (aHR: 1.37, 95%CI: 1.00–1.89). However, this was driven by participants with heart failure (aHR: 2.48, 95%CI: 1.15–5.35), since high liver stiffness was not associated with mortality in participants without heart failure and/or CHD (aHR: 1.07, 95%CI: 0.70–1.64). Results were consistent when individuals with viral hepatitis, alcohol abuse or unreliable liver stiffness measurement were not excluded. Several cardiovascular characteristics were significantly associated with higher liver stiffness, e.g. heart failure, moderate/poor diastolic dysfunction, and right atrium diameter > 4.5 cm.

Conclusion

In our cohort of community‐dwelling elderly, high liver stiffness was associated with excess mortality, primarily explained by participants with heart failure. Moreover, heart failure and its indicators were associated with increased liver stiffness.
Metagenomics reveals an abundance of black yeast‐like fungi in the skin microbiome
Authors: Voidaleski Morgana Ferreira , Costa Flávia de Fátima , de Hoog G. Sybren , Gomes Renata Rodrigues , Vicente Vania Aparecida
Published: February 2023

Background

The skin is the first line of defence against communities of resident viruses, bacteria and fungi. The composition of the microbiome might change with factors related to the environment and host. The microbiome is dominated by bacteria. Dermatophytes and yeasts are the predominant fungi that are also involved in opportunistic infections of skin, hair and nails. Among environmental fungi, Chaetothyriales (black yeasts and relatives) are enriched by hydrocarbon pollution in domesticated habitats and comprise numerous species that cause mild‐to‐severe disease.

Methods

We investigated the presence of black fungi in the skin microbiome by conducting an analysis in the publicly available metagenomic SRA database (NCBI). We focused on the causative agents of chromoblastomycosis and phaeohyphomycosis and used barcodes and padlock probe sequences as diagnostic tools.

Results

A total of 132,159,577 MB was analysed and yielded 18,360 reads that matched with 24 species of black fungi. Exophiala was the most prevalent genus, and Cyphellophora europaea was the most abundant species.

Conclusion

This study reveals the abundant presence of Chaetothyriales on the skin without necessarily being associated with infection. Most of the detected causal agents are known from mild skin diseases, while also species were revealed that had been reported from CARD9‐deficient patients.
Gastrointestinal‐Specific symptom anxiety in patients with gastroparesis: Relationships to symptom severity and quality of life
Authors: Tanner Samuel E. , Burton Murray Helen , Brown Tiffany A. , Malik Zubair , Parkman Henry P.
Published: February 2023

Background

Gastrointestinal (GI)‐specific anxiety has been identified as a treatment target in irritable bowel syndrome. However, GI‐specific anxiety has been understudied in other GI functional/motility disorders. Among adults with gastroparesis, we aimed to: (1) initially validate a measure of GI‐specific anxiety, the Visceral Sensitivity Index (VSI); and (2) evaluate the relationship between GI‐specific anxiety and gastroparesis symptom severity and quality of life, compared to measures of anxiety, depression, and somatization.

Methods

Consecutive adult patients (N = 100) with gastroparesis presenting for initial consultation completed a series of self‐report measures including the VSI. We conducted a confirmatory factor analysis of the VSI one‐factor structure and tested internal consistency and convergent validity. We then performed hierarchical linear regression analyses to explore associations between VSI and gastroparesis symptom severity and overall quality of life.

Key Results

Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the original VSI one‐factor structure overall fit well [χ2(90) = 220.1, p < 0.0001; SRMR = 0.08; RMSEA = 0.12; CFI = 0.96]. The VSI also had excellent internal consistency (α = 0.99) and convergent validity (r = 0.29–0.56; all p < 0.01). Higher GI‐specific anxiety was significantly associated with greater gastroparesis symptom severity, including nausea/vomiting, fullness/satiety, and upper abdominal pain scores beyond depression, anxiety, or somatization (all p = <0.01–0.01). Additionally, higher GI‐specific anxiety was significantly associated with lower mental health‐related quality of life, beyond gastroparesis symptom severity, depression, anxiety, or somatization (p = 0.01).

Conclusions & Inferences

The VSI is an adequate measure of GI‐specific anxiety in patients with gastroparesis. Higher GI‐specific anxiety was associated with increased patient‐reported gastroparesis symptom severity and decreased quality of life, beyond depression/anxiety.
Electrophysiological and morphological features of myenteric neurons of human colon revealed by intracellular recording and dye fills
Authors: Yew Wai Ping , Humenick Adam , Chen Bao Nan , Wattchow David A. , Costa Marcello , Dinning Phil G. , Brookes Simon J. H.
Published: February 2023

Background

Ex vivo intracellular recordings and dye fills, combined with immunohistochemistry, are a powerful way to analyze the enteric nervous system of laboratory animals.

Methods

Myenteric neurons were recorded in isolated specimens of human colon. A key determinant of successful recording was near‐complete removal of circular muscle from the surface of ganglia.

Key Results

Treatment with a collagenase/neutral protease mix before dissection significantly improved recording success and reduced damage to the plexus. Carboxyfluorescein in microelectrodes allowed recorded neurons to be routinely labeled, analyzed, and subjected to multi‐layer immunohistochemistry. Carboxyfluorescein revealed morphological details that were not detected by immunohistochemical methods. Of 54 dye‐filled myenteric neurons (n = 22), 45 were uni‐axonal and eight were multi‐axonal. There was a significant bias toward recordings from large neural somata. The close association between morphology and electrophysiology (long after‐hyperpolarizations and fast EPSPs) seen in mice and guinea pigs did not hold for human myenteric neuron recordings. No slow EPSPs were recorded; however, disruption to the myenteric plexus during dissection may have led the proportion of cells receiving synaptic potentials to be underestimated. Neurons immunoreactive for nitric oxide synthase were more excitable than non‐immunoreactive neurons. Distinctive grooves were observed on the serosal and/or mucosal faces of myenteric neurons in 3D reconstructions. These had varicose axons running through them and may represent a preferential site of synaptic inputs.

Conclusions

Human enteric neurons share many features with laboratory animals, but the combinations of features in individual cells appear more variable.
Additive fungal interactions drive biocontrol of Fusarium wilt disease
Authors: Tao Chengyuan , Wang Zhe , Liu Shanshan , Lv Nana , Deng Xuhui , Xiong Wu , Shen Zongzhuan , Zhang Nan , Geisen Stefan , Li Rong , Shen Qirong , Kowalchuk George A.
Published: February 2023

Host‐associated fungi can help protect plants from pathogens, and empirical evidence suggests that such microorganisms can be manipulated by introducing probiotic to increase disease suppression. However, we still generally lack the mechanistic knowledge of what determines the success of probiotic application, hampering the development of reliable disease suppression strategies.

We conducted a three‐season consecutive microcosm experiment in which we amended banana Fusarium wilt disease‐conducive soil with Trichoderma‐amended biofertilizer or lacking this inoculum. High‐throughput sequencing was complemented with cultivation‐based methods to follow changes in fungal microbiome and explore potential links with plant health.

Trichoderma application increased banana biomass by decreasing disease incidence by up to 72%, and this effect was attributed to changes in fungal microbiome, including the reduction in Fusarium oxysporum density and enrichment of pathogen‐suppressing fungi (Humicola). These changes were accompanied by an expansion in microbial carbon resource utilization potential, features that contribute to disease suppression. We further demonstrated the disease suppression actions of Trichoderma‐Humicola consortia, and results suggest niche overlap with pathogen and induction of plant systemic resistance may be mechanisms driving the observed biocontrol effects.

Together, we demonstrate that fungal inoculants can modify the composition and functioning of the resident soil fungal microbiome to suppress soilborne disease.
Impact of licit and illicit substances on the oral health‐related quality of life in adolescents
Authors: Zemolin Nicole Adrielli Monteiro , Rauber Everton Daniel , Brondani Bruna , Knorst Jessica Klöckner , Mendes Fausto Medeiros , Ardenghi Thiago Machado
Published: February 2023

Objective

To assess the impact of the consumption of licit and illicit substances on the oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL) of adolescents from public schools in the south of Brazil.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study was carried out with a random sample of adolescents aged between 17 and 18 years old from Santa Maria, Brazil. The consumption of licit and illicit substances was measured through a self‐administered questionnaire with questions from the National Survey of Scholar Health. The OHRQoL was collected using the Brazilian short version of Child Perceptions Questionnaire 11‐14 (CPQ11‐14). Multilevel Poisson regression models were used to estimate the association between the outcome and the explanatory variables where the adolescents (first level) were nested in their schools (second level).

Results

A total of 768 adolescents were evaluated. Of these, about 15.6% have already used illegal substances. Adolescents who reported the use of illicit substances had 28% higher CPQ11‐14 scores when compared to their counterparts. Alcohol use was also related to worse levels of OHRQoL, while the consumption of cigarettes acted as a protective factor.

Conclusions

This study found an association between the use of alcohol and illicit drugs with worse levels of OHRQoL.
Prognostic effects of previous cancer history on patients with major salivary gland cancer
Authors: Li Junhong , Rao Yufang , Wang Xiaoyu , Yu Libo , Qiu Ke , Mao Minzi , Song Yao , Pang Wendu , Cheng Danni , Zhang Yuyang , Feng Lan , Wang Xinyi , Shao Xiuli , Luo Yaxin , Zheng Yongbo , Li Xiaohong , Xu Yanhong , Xu Wei , Zhao Yu , Ren Jianjun
Published: February 2023

Objectives

To explore the prognostic effects of previous cancer history on patients with major salivary gland cancer (SGC).

Subjects and Methods

SGC patients with (sec‐SGC) and without (one‐SGC) a previous cancer from the SEER database were identified. Cox proportional hazards regression (CoxPH) models were used to compare the prognosis between sec‐SGC and one‐SGC patients. Subgroup analyses for sec‐SGC patients by gender, previous cancer types, previous cancer histology, and cancer diagnosis interval (CDI) were performed. Two CoxPH models were constructed to distinguish sec‐SGC patients with different prognostic risks.

Results

9098 SGC patients were enrolled. Overall, sec‐SGC patients (adjusted HR [aHR] = 1.26,p < 0.001), especially those with a CDI ≤ 5 years (aHR = 1.47,p < 0.001), had worse overall survival (OS) than one‐SGC patients. In subgroup analysis, only sec‐SGC patients with a previous head and neck cancer who were female (aHR = 2.38,p = 0.005), with a CDI ≤ 5 years (aHR = 1.65,p = 0.007) or with a previous squamous cell carcinoma (aHR = 6.52,p < 0.001) had worse OS. Our models successfully differentiated all sec‐SGC patients into high‐, intermediate‐ and low‐risk groups with different prognosis.

Conclusions

Sec‐SGC patients with different previous cancer types, gender, CDI and previous cancer histology had varied prognosis. The models we constructed could help differentiate the prognosis of sec‐SGC patients with different risks.
Genotyping of DNA pools identifies untapped landraces and genomic regions to develop next‐generation varieties
Authors: Arca Mariangela , Gouesnard Brigitte , Mary‐Huard Tristan , Le Paslier Marie‐Christine , Bauland Cyril , Combes Valérie , Madur Delphine , Charcosset Alain , Nicolas Stéphane D.
Published: February 2023

Landraces, that is, traditional varieties, have a large diversity that is underexploited in modern breeding. A novel DNA pooling strategy was implemented to identify promising landraces and genomic regions to enlarge the genetic diversity of modern varieties. As proof of concept, DNA pools from 156 American and European maize landraces representing 2340 individuals were genotyped with an SNP array to assess their genome‐wide diversity. They were compared to elite cultivars produced across the 20th century, represented by 327 inbred lines. Detection of selective footprints between landraces of different geographic origin identified genes involved in environmental adaptation (flowering times, growth) and tolerance to abiotic and biotic stress (drought, cold, salinity). Promising landraces were identified by developing two novel indicators that estimate their contribution to the genome of inbred lines: (i) a modified Roger's distance standardized by gene diversity and (ii) the assignation of lines to landraces using supervised analysis. It showed that most landraces do not have closely related lines and that only 10 landraces, including famous landraces as Reid's Yellow Dent, Lancaster Surecrop and Lacaune, cumulated half of the total contribution to inbred lines. Comparison of ancestral lines directly derived from landraces with lines from more advanced breeding cycles showed a decrease in the number of landraces with a large contribution. New inbred lines derived from landraces with limited contributions enriched more the haplotype diversity of reference inbred lines than those with a high contribution. Our approach opens an avenue for the identification of promising landraces for pre‐breeding.
Editorial synthesis for 2 in 2023 a collaboration between IARR's two journals: Recognizing the need for greater inclusivity in relationship science
Authors: Randall Ashley K. , Curran Melissa A.
Published: February 2023

The idea for this special issue came from the current Editors of the Journal for Social and Personal Relationships and Personal Relationships, who wanted to forge a collaboration between the International Association for Relationship Research's two journals. The timing of such collaboration came at a time when issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion were being brought to light in science, broadly defined. Stemming from such discussions, for this special issue, we asked 10 sets of authors to apply an intersectional lens—grounded in Crenshaw's (1989, 1991) definition of intersectionality and drawing from questions posed by Cole (2009)—in their systematic review of literature from the past 20 years (1992–2022) and to answer these three questions: (1) from whose vantage point is the research being conducted, (2) what types of questions are valued, and (3) who is included in the research vs. who is being left out/whose voices are missing. Reviews for the special issue include these topics: (a) affectionate communication, health, and relationships, (b) romantic relationship maintenance behaviors, (c) relationship maintenance among military couples, (d) relational sacrifices, (e) LGBTQ‐inclusive research, (f) stress, support, and coping for romantic couples, (g) daily stress and romantic relationship quality, (h) infidelity, (i) relationship dissolution, and (j) the longitudinal study of romantic close relationships. Across the reviews, authors noted many of the same patterns; most studies included samples from the United States, wherein participants identified as White, heterosexual, and/or female; however, military samples were dominated by men. The methods employed were largely quantitative, cross‐sectional, and/or with data coming from surveys. Observations during the review process included the role of positionality as well as greater knowledge gained about the critical framework of intersectionality, specifically acknowledging that elements of diversity in sampling methods are not an application of intersectionality; rather, intersectionality places central focus on (a) how multiply marginalized social identities have been historically oppressed and (b) how systems of power, oppression, and privilege construct, reproduce, and sustain those multiply marginalized social identities. Recommendations for future relationship science are presented, specifically in how our fields can benefit from learning from the lens of intersectionality.
The associations of objective and perceived neighborhood disadvantage with stress among pregnant black women
Authors: Vaughan Sarah E. , Misra Dawn P. , Gohar Jazib , Hyer Suzanne , Price Mercedes , Giurgescu Carmen
Published: February 2023

Background

Neighborhood disadvantage may impact risk of preterm birth through stress. Few studies have examined how neighborhood disadvantage relates to stress during pregnancy, especially for Black women.

Methods

Secondary data analysis of 572 women in a prospective cohort in Detroit, MI and Columbus, OH. Participants completed questionnaires including the ROSS Neighborhood Disorder Scale, the crime subscale of the Perceived Neighborhood Scale (PNS), and the Perceived Stress Scale. An objective neighborhood disadvantage index (NDI) was created using principal components analysis after geocoding residential addresses and linking to Census data.

Results

All models used logistic regression. Adjusted for maternal age and annual household income, perceived stress was positively associated with perceived neighborhood disorder (p < .01). In a separate model, perceived neighborhood crime was positively associated with perceived neighborhood disorder (p = .005). In a joint model adjusted for age and income, the association of disorder with stress was similar in magnitude (p < .01) but the association between crime and stress weakened. The NDI was not associated with perceived stress before or after adjustment for confounders.

Conclusions

Perceived neighborhood disadvantage may capture a different dimension than objective neighborhood disadvantage. Future studies should test stress as a pathway by which neighborhood environment increases risk of preterm birth.
Trends in survival of children with severe congenital heart defects by gestational age at birth: A population‐based study using administrative hospital data for England
Authors: Gimeno Laura , Brown Katherine , Harron Katie , Peppa Maria , Gilbert Ruth , Blackburn Ruth
Published: February 2023

Background

Children with congenital heart defects (CHD) are twice as likely as their peers to be born preterm (<37 weeks' gestation), yet descriptions of recent trends in long‐term survival by gestational age at birth (GA) are lacking.

Objectives

To quantify changes in survival to age 5 years of children in England with severe CHD by GA.

Methods

We estimated changes in survival to age five of children with severe CHD and all other children born in England between April 2004 and March 2016, overall and by GA‐group using linked hospital and mortality records.

Results

Of 5,953,598 livebirths, 5.7% (339,080 of 5,953,598) were born preterm, 0.35% (20,648 of 5,953,598) died before age five and 3.6 per 1000 (21,291 of 5,953,598) had severe CHD. Adjusting for GA, under‐five mortality rates fell at a similar rate between 2004–2008 and 2012–2016 for children with severe CHD (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.79, 95% CI 0.71, 0.88) and all other children (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.76, 0.81). For children with severe CHD, overall survival to age five increased from 87.5% (95% CI 86.6, 88.4) in 2004–2008 to 89.6% (95% CI 88.9, 90.3) in 2012–2016. There was strong evidence for better survival in the ≥39‐week group (90.2%, 95% CI 89.1, 91.2 to 93%, 95% CI 92.4, 93.9), weaker evidence at 24–31 and 37–38 weeks and no evidence at 32–36 weeks. We estimate that 51 deaths (95% CI 24, 77) per year in children with severe CHD were averted in 2012–2016 compared to what would have been the case had 2004–2008 mortality rates persisted.

Conclusions

Nine out of 10 children with severe CHD in 2012–2016 survived to age five. The small improvement in survival over the study period was driven by increased survival in term children. Most children with severe CHD are reaching school age and may require additional support by schools and healthcare services.
Decree or democracy? State takeovers and local government financial outcomes
Authors: Singla Akheil , Spreen Thomas Luke , Shumberger Jason
Published: February 2023

Many states possess the authority to intervene in local fiscal emergencies, in some cases curtailing decision‐making powers of local officials through the appointment of an emergency financial manager. Previous research has recognized that these managers can push through unpopular reforms that may improve financial health but come at the expense of local control and democratic accountability. We assess the financial outcomes after eight recent state takeovers relative to a matched counterfactual comprised of similarly distressed general purpose local governments. The staggered difference‐in‐differences analysis shows emergency managers improve budgetary solvency and increase fiscal reserves. These enhancements are achieved through significant reduction of general fund expenditures. Several long‐term indicators show deterioration in financial health after state intervention reflecting a significant decline in long‐term assets. Overall, municipalities subjected to a state takeover did not realize significant long‐run improvements in financial health indicators relative to counterfactual governments.
A compliance—integrity framework for ethics management: An empirical analysis of local government practice
Authors: Perlman Bruce J. , Reddick Christopher , Demir Tansu
Published: February 2023

This article examines two approaches to ethics management found in the literature: compliance‐based and integrity‐based, often called the low road and high road. It asks whether both approaches genuinely exist in practice as the literature suggests and whether they are distinct. Data were collected in a national survey of 764 International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) on ethics management practices in their local government to find evidence of the approaches. A Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis showed that CAOs use both compliance‐based ethics, focusing on enforceable rules, and integrity‐based ethics, concentrating on instilling values. Our confirmatory factor analysis showed that both approaches are used in practice, are separate and distinct, but that they are highly correlated. This implies that both approaches are needed to understand ethics management properly. The results challenge existing literature focusing on one approach being dominant and show that both ethics management systems are essential.
The limited impact of reference groups' symbolic gender representation on willingness to coproduce
Authors: Sievert Martin
Published: February 2023

Previous literature presents a strong rationale for the positive impact of symbolic representation in coproduction contexts. However, empirical studies yield inconclusive findings indicating that meaningful effects are limited if citizens face high levels of uncertainty. This article combines symbolic representation with signaling theory, suggesting that the representativeness of central reference groups might reduce uncertainty. The theoretical framework suggests that the representation of supervisors and existing coproducers might positively affect citizens' willingness to coproduce. Contrary to the theoretical expectations, the empirical results from two preregistered factorial survey experiments (n = 2979), situated in prisoner rehabilitation and refugee integration, indicate that the symbolic gender representation of these reference groups has a limited impact. Only a balanced representation of coproducers exhibits a positive treatment effect on citizens' willingness to coproduce. The results oppose central arguments in the representative bureaucracy literature. At least for gender categories, symbolic representation is less important than expected.
Role of reinforcement learning for risk‐based robust control of cyber‐physical energy systems
Authors: Du Yan , Chatterjee Samrat , Bhattacharya Arnab , Dutta Ashutosh , Halappanavar Mahantesh
Published: February 2023

Critical infrastructures such as cyber‐physical energy systems (CPS‐E) integrate information flow and physical operations that are vulnerable to natural and targeted failures. Safe, secure, and reliable operation and control of CPS‐E is critical to ensure societal well‐being and economic prosperity. Automated control is key for real‐time operations and may be mathematically cast as a sequential decision‐making problem under uncertainty. Emergence of data‐driven techniques for decision making under uncertainty, such as reinforcement learning (RL), have led to promising advances for addressing sequential decision‐making problems for risk‐based robust CPS‐E control. However, existing research challenges include understanding the applicability of RL methods across diverse CPS‐E applications, addressing the effect of risk preferences across multiple RL methods, and development of open‐source domain‐aware simulation environments for RL experimentation within a CPS‐E context. This article systematically analyzes the applicability of four types of RL methods (model‐free, model‐based, hybrid model‐free and model‐based, and hierarchical) for risk‐based robust CPS‐E control. Problem features and solution stability for the RL methods are also discussed. We demonstrate and compare the performance of multiple RL methods under different risk specifications (risk‐averse, risk‐neutral, and risk‐seeking) through the development and application of an open‐source simulation environment. Motivating numerical simulation examples include representative single‐zone and multizone building control use cases. Finally, six key insights for future research and broader adoption of RL methods are identified, with specific emphasis on problem features, algorithmic explainability, and solution stability.
“I think I might be a bit wobbly in my corona moral” – young people's moral functioning during the COVID‐19 lockdown: A social representations approach
Authors: Christensen Sarah H. , Gleibs Ilka H.
Published: February 2023

In this paper, we use social representations theory to examine how young people made sense of COVID‐19 and the emergent behavioral guidelines during the lockdown in Denmark in Spring 2020. Further, we discuss how this informed their moral functioning. This research is explored through triangulation, investigating how COVID‐19 was represented in central speeches by Danish leaders (N = 4) and by young people in focus groups (n = 5,N = 25) and individual interviews (N = 10). Results suggest that young people's moral functioning during COVID‐19 depended on multiple, often polemic, representations. Consequently, their moral functioning was found to be an ambivalent practice, resulting in coping strategies of adaptation to their surroundings and othering fellow citizens deviating from the guidelines. In this context, coherent communication by authorities and community values are identified as key to promoting behavior change. As the social impact of COVID‐19 is unprecedented in many societies, including the Danish, this study contributes to the field of emerging infectious diseases providing insights that are essential for the continued management of this and future pandemics.
Cultural differences in maternal emotion control values and children's expressive flexibility
Authors: Son Heimi , Doan Stacey N.
Published: February 2023

Expressive flexibility is the ability to express or suppress one's emotions to meet the demands of the situation. Recent work suggests that expressive flexibility is associated with better adjustment. However, few studies have focused on expressive flexibility in children. In addition, there is a dearth of research on possible correlates, such as culture, parental emotion socialization, and socioeconomic status, that may be associated with expressive flexibility competencies in children. The purpose of this study was to investigate cultural differences in children's expressive flexibility, maternal emotion control values (ECVs), and their relations to family socioeconomic status (SES) during middle childhood in a sample of European American (N = 31, M age = 9.61 years; 54.8% males), Korean American (N = 38, M age = 9.16 years; 55.3% males) and South Korean children (N = 77, M age = 9.74 years; 51.9% males). Mothers reported on demographics and their emotion control values. Children's expressive flexibility ability was assessed using a lab‐based observational measure. Multivariate analyses of covariance controlling for SES, child age, and gender suggested significant cultural differences in expressive flexibility, with the U.S. children (both European and Korean Americans) scoring higher on expressive flexibility compared to their South Korean counterparts. Results also suggested significant cultural differences regarding maternal ECVs; Korean Americans were more similar to South Koreans, both scoring higher on ECVs than European Americans. Socioeconomic status, but not maternal ECVs, were associated with children's expressive flexibility, independent of child age, sex, and culture.