bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial Clustering in Temporal Trends of Female Genital Mutilation Risk: Leveraging Sparse Data in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia
Authors: Weny Kathrin , Silva Romesh , Diop Nafissatou , Snow Rachel
Published: June 2023

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a harmful practice rooted in gender inequality. Its elimination is part of national and international agendas including the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. Understanding its geographical evolution is crucial for targeted programming. However, due to sparse data, it is challenging to establish international comparability and statistical reliability. Data on FGM is observed at different points in time and periodicity across countries and in contexts with varying age‐risk patterns, all of which can be a source of inaccurate and biased estimates. We perform an exemplary analysis, drawing on survival and complex survey analysis in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. This novel approach addresses measurement challenges specific to FGM data and produces an internationally comparable indicator—the probability of not experiencing FGM by age 20. We pinpoint the onset of statistically significant FGM decline at the subnational level from cohorts born in the 1970s until the 1990s. In the same period, we observe no decline in FGM risk across regions clustered around international borders and increasing subnational inequalities within countries. Our methods thus provide crucial insights into the geographical pattern of temporal trends in FGM risk.
Oral 3‐hydroxybuturate ingestion acutely lowers circulating testosterone concentrations in healthy young males
Authors: Svart Mads , Nielsen Mette Mølby , Rittig Nikolaj , Hansen Mette , Møller Niels , Gravholt Claus H.
Published: June 2023

Ketone bodies, such as 3‐hydroxybutyrate (3‐OHB), have been frequently used by endurance athletes, such as cyclists, to enhance performance and recovery and are recognized for their health benefits and therapeutic effects for decades. Testosterone is a potent regulator of red blood cell production. Evidence suggests that ketone bodies can increase the production of erythropoietin, which stimulates red blood cell production. Therefore, we investigated whether an acute increase in 3‐OHB levels affects testosterone levels in healthy young men. We studied six healthy, young male participants who fasted overnight and were tested twice: (i) after drinking 37.5 g of Na‐D/L‐3‐OHB dissolved in 500 mL of distilled water (KET), and (ii) after drinking 500 mL of placebo saline water (0.9% NaCl) (CTR). During the KET trial, 3‐OHB levels increased to approximately 2.5 mM. Testosterone levels decreased significantly by 20% during KET compared to 3% during CTR. A simultaneous increase in luteinizing hormone was observed in KET. We observed no changes in other adrenal androgens, such as androstenedione and 11‐keto androgens. In conclusion, an acute increase in 3‐OHB levels decreases testosterone levels. Concomitantly, an increase in luteinizing hormone was observed. This suggests that 3‐OHB may counteract some of the beneficial effects of endurance training. Further studies, involving larger sample sizes and performance outcomes, are required to fully understand this phenomenon.
Perception gap of aged facial appearance; self‐perception is younger than actual status due to angle of viewing
Authors: Ezure Tomonobu
Published: June 2023

Background

Facial morphology changes with aging, resulting in an aged appearance that is a great matter of concern for people. However, it is not clear whether people perceive their own facial appearance accurately, in part because there are few methods to evaluate this.

Aim

The aim of this study is firstly to establish an evaluation system for the perception gap of aged facial appearance between the self‐perceived status and the actual status, and then to use this evaluation system to quantify the perception gap and to clarify the mechanism of this gap

Method

Thirty‐six middle‐aged female volunteers were first asked to rate their facial aging‐related morphology according to a 6‐grade set of photos taken at a 45° angle from the front showing progressive stages of sagging severity, without looking either in a mirror or at photos of themselves (self‐ or “subjective” perception). Then they were shown photos of their face taken at a 45° angle from the front, and asked again to rate their sagging grade based on these photos (“objective” rating). In addition, facial photos taken from several angles from the front to the side were evaluated for sagging severity by trained evaluators.

Results

This system for analyzing perception gap revealed that the self‐perception of aged appearance was significantly younger than the actual situation in three facial areas, namely the cheek, around the eyes and the facial contour, and the gap corresponded to an age difference of as much as 8 years in middle‐aged females. Trained evaluators found that the severity of sagging judged from photos taken from a frontal direction was significantly less than in photos of the same subject taken from side angles. This suggests that recognition of sagging is more difficult from the front, which is the direction from which people view their own face in daily life. Indeed, viewing photos taken from the side, a rare viewing angle of one's own face, increased the motivation to improve aged appearance in more than 70% of the subjects in a questionnaire survey.

Conclusion

The results suggest that people perceive their own facial appearance as less aged than it actually is. The reason for this appears to be that viewing from the front, the usual viewing angle of one's own face in daily life, results in lower perceived sagging severity, likely due to reduced depth perception.
Plasma exchange in acute hemolytic reaction due to ABO‐incompatible erythrocyte concentrate transfusions: Single center experience
Authors: Andıç Neslihan , Teke Hava Üsküdar , Gündüz Eren
Published: June 2023

Objectives

Acute hemolytic transfusion reaction (AHTR) due to ABO‐incompatible erythrocyte concentrate (EC) is one of the most catastrophic complications of transfusion. Since the hemolysis is intravascular; hemoglobinemia and hemoglobinuria result in disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), acute renal failure, shock, and sometimes death.

Background

Treatment of AHTR is mostly supportive measures. Today there are no clear suggestions about plasma exchange (PE) in these patients.

Methods/Materials

Here we report our experience with six patients diagnosed with AHTR due to ABO‐incompatible EC transfusion.

Results

We performed PE in 5 of these patients. Although all of our patients were geriatric and most of them had significant comorbidities four out of five patients recovered without an incident.

Conclusion

Although PE is considered a last‐chance treatment when other measures fail in the literature, our experience above indicates that it must be evaluated in every patient with AHTR early in the course. If the patient has cardiac and renal comorbidities, large volume EC is transfused, DAT is negative, plasma color is red and there is macroscopic hemoglobinuria, we suggest performing PE.
Reviewer Acknowledgements for Journal of Education and Training Studies, Vol. 11, No. 3
Authors: Smith Robert
Published: June 2023

Journal of Education and Training Studies (JETS) would like to acknowledge the following reviewers for their assistance with peer review of manuscripts for this issue. Many authors, regardless of whether JETS publishes their work, appreciate the helpful feedback provided by the reviewers. Their comments and suggestions were of great help to the authors in improving the quality of their papers. Each of the reviewers listed below returned at least one review for this issue.Reviewers for Volume 11, Number 3Alphonce John Amuli, ADEM, TanzaniaChris Mutseekwa, Bindura University of Science Education, ZimbabweGuilherme Tucher, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), BrazilHassan Shaaban, Atomic energy Authority, EgyptHelena Reis, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, PortugalIntakhab Khan, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi ArabiaJane Liang, California Department of Education, USAJohn Cowan, Edinburgh Napier University, UKJohn Mark Asio, Gordon College, PhilippinesJonathan Chitiyo, University of Pittsburgh Bradford, USAKendall Hartley, University of Nevada, USAMaria Rachel Queiroz, Universidade do Estado da Bahia, BrazilMaria Rosa M. Prado, Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe, BrazilMeral Seker, Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, TurkeyMichail Kalogiannakis, University of Crete, GreeceNiveen M. Zayed, MENA College of Management, JordanRichard H. Martin, Mercer University, USARichard Penny, University of Washington Bothell, USASabrine Chbichib, The Higher Institute of Computing&Multimedia Gabes Tunisia, TunisiaSarah Nabih Nasif, October University, EgyptSelloane Pitikoe, University of Eswatini, EswatiniSenem Seda Şahenk Erkan, Marmara University, TurkeyWong Ken Keong, Inspectorate of School Sabah, MalaysiaYuChun Chen, Louisiana Tech University, USA Robert SmithEditorial AssistantOn behalf of,The Editorial Board of Journal of Education and Training StudiesRedfame Publishing9450 SW Gemini Dr. #99416Beaverton, OR 97008, USAE-mail 1: jets@redfame.comE-mail 2: jets@redfame.orgURL: http://jets.redfame.com
Two new erythraeid mites (Acari: Trombidiformes: Erythraeidae) from China: one based on larvae, another one based on larvae and adult
Authors: Xu Si-Yuan , Yi Tian-Ci , Guo Jian-Jun , Jin Dao-Chao
Published: June 2023

The erythraeid species can be assigned with larva or adult only, or both under current Erythraeidae taxonomy. The present study describes two new erythraeid species from Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau (Oriental region). Marantelophus neodubifurcatus sp. nov. is based on larvae that were off-host when collected, while Erythraeus (Zaracarus) mossesus sp. nov. is based on a female adult, which was preying on an ant when collected, and larvae which were her offspring. The genus Marantelophus is divided into two species groups based on the odontus with or without a subterminal tooth, and M. neodubifurcatus sp. nov. belongs to the group with the subterminal tooth. The larval members of the subgenus Erythraeus (Zaracarus) are divided into five species groups, and E. (Z.) mossesus sp. nov. belongs to the group with the characters such that AL without swelling near bases, and fn BFe = 2-2-2.
Modeling linear and nonlinear relationship between temperature and development rate of Amblyseuis swirskii (Acari: Phytoseiidae)
Authors: Moradi Farshad , Rahimi Akram , Sadeghi Amin , Fathipour Yaghoub , Maroufpoor Mostafa
Published: June 2023

In recent years, the utilization of biocontrol agents to administer agriculture pests has received more attention, which has conduce to an growth in companies generating biocontrol agents, including predators and parasitoids. Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot as a part of predatory communities in greenhouses is currently used worldwide as a biocontrol agent against small insects and various mites, especially to suppress the population of the two-spotted spider mite (TSSM), Tetranychus urticae Koch. To improve mass rearing of A. swirskii and optimize its application in integrated pest management programs, its development rate was determined at seven constant temperatures ranging from 15 to 34 (±1)°C, 50±10% RH and a photoperiod of 16:8 (L:D) h under laboratory conditions. None of the eggs hatched at 34°C and no development was observed. To determine the lower temperature threshold (T0) and thermal constant (K) of different stages of the predator, two linear models (ordinary and Ikemoto) were used. In addition, 26 nonlinear models were fitted to evaluate the development rate at different temperatures. The lower temperature threshold (T0) and thermal constant (K) of total immature stages were estimated by the ordinary (3.72°C and 133.22 DD) and Ikemoto (10.64°C and 86.51DD) linear models. Based on the Akaike information criterion (AIC), the best model for the description of the temperature-dependent development rate of the egg, larval, protonymphal, and dutonymphal stages was the Ratkowsky model and for the whole pre-adult stage, it was the Logan-6 model. Our results provided a detailed evaluation of the thermal requirements of A. swirskii, which can be important in improving the role of this mite in biological control programs.
Controlling audibility with noise for online experiments using sound
Authors: Bravard Rodrigue , Demany Laurent , Pressnitzer Daniel
Published: June 2023

Online auditory experiments use the sound delivery equipment of each participant, with no practical way to calibrate sound level or frequency response. Here, a method is proposed to control sensation level across frequencies: embedding stimuli in threshold-equalizing noise. In a cohort of 100 online participants, noise could equate detection thresholds from 125 to 4000 Hz. Equalization was successful even for participants with atypical thresholds in quiet, due either to poor quality equipment or unreported hearing loss. Moreover, audibility in quiet was highly variable, as overall level was uncalibrated, but variability was much reduced with noise. Use cases are discussed.
Human PBMC scRNA-seq–based aging clocks reveal ribosome to inflammation balance as a single-cell aging hallmark and super longevity
Authors: Zhu Hongming , Chen Jiawei , Liu Kangping , Gao Lei , Wu Haiyan , Ma Liangliang , Zhou Jieru , Liu Zhongmin , Han Jing-Dong J.
Published: June 2023

Quantifying aging rate is important for evaluating age-associated decline and mortality. A blood single-cell RNA sequencing dataset for seven supercentenarians (SCs) was recently generated. Here, we generate a reference 28-sample aging cohort to compute a single-cell level aging clock and to determine the biological age of SCs. Our clock model placed the SCs at a blood biological age to between 80.43 and 102.67 years. Compared to the model-expected aging trajectory, SCs display increased naive CD8
+
T cells, decreased cytotoxic CD8
+
T cells, memory CD4
+
T cells, and megakaryocytes. As the most prominent molecular hallmarks at the single-cell level, SCs contain more cells and cell types with high ribosome level, which is associated with and, according to Bayesian network inference, contributes to a low inflammation state and slow aging of SCs. Inhibiting ribosomal activity or translation in monocytes validates such translation against inflammation balance revealed by our single-cell aging clock.
The biosynthetic-secretory pathway, supplemented by recycling routes, determines epithelial membrane polarity
Authors: Zhang Nan , Zhang Hongjie , Khan Liakot A. , Jafari Gholamali , Eun Yong , Membreno Edward , Gobel Verena
Published: June 2023

In prevailing epithelial polarity models, membrane-based polarity cues (e.g., the partitioning-defective PARs) position apicobasal cellular membrane domains. Intracellular vesicular trafficking expands these domains by sorting polarized cargo toward them. How the polarity cues themselves are polarized in epithelia and how sorting confers long-range apicobasal directionality to vesicles is still unclear. Here, a systems-based approach using two-tiered
C. elegans
genomics-genetics screens identifies trafficking molecules that are not implicated in apical sorting yet polarize apical membrane and PAR complex components. Live tracking of polarized membrane biogenesis indicates that the biosynthetic-secretory pathway, linked to recycling routes, is asymmetrically oriented toward the apical domain during this domain’s biosynthesis, and that this directionality is regulated upstream of PARs and independent of polarized target membrane domains. This alternative mode of membrane polarization could offer solutions to open questions in current models of epithelial polarity and polarized trafficking.
AI model GPT-3 (dis)informs us better than humans
Authors: Spitale Giovanni , Biller-Andorno Nikola , Germani Federico
Published: June 2023

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way we create and evaluate information, and this is happening during an infodemic, which has been having marked effects on global health. Here, we evaluate whether recruited individuals can distinguish disinformation from accurate information, structured in the form of tweets, and determine whether a tweet is organic or synthetic, i.e., whether it has been written by a Twitter user or by the AI model GPT-3. The results of our preregistered study, including 697 participants, show that GPT-3 is a double-edge sword: In comparison with humans, it can produce accurate information that is easier to understand, but it can also produce more compelling disinformation. We also show that humans cannot distinguish between tweets generated by GPT-3 and written by real Twitter users. Starting from our results, we reflect on the dangers of AI for disinformation and on how information campaigns can be improved to benefit global health.
Functional regulation of an intrinsically disordered protein via a conformationally excited state
Authors: Madhurima Kulkarni , Nandi Bodhisatwa , Munshi Sneha , Naganathan Athi N. , Sekhar Ashok
Published: June 2023

A longstanding goal in the field of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) is to characterize their structural heterogeneity and pinpoint the role of this heterogeneity in IDP function. Here, we use multinuclear chemical exchange saturation (CEST) nuclear magnetic resonance to determine the structure of a thermally accessible globally folded excited state in equilibrium with the intrinsically disordered native ensemble of a bacterial transcriptional regulator CytR. We further provide evidence from double resonance CEST experiments that the excited state, which structurally resembles the DNA-bound form of cytidine repressor (CytR), recognizes DNA by means of a “folding-before-binding” conformational selection pathway. The disorder-to-order regulatory switch in DNA recognition by natively disordered CytR therefore operates through a dynamical variant of the lock-and-key mechanism where the structurally complementary conformation is transiently accessed via thermal fluctuations.
Navigating to objects in the real world
Authors: Gervet Theophile , Chintala Soumith , Batra Dhruv , Malik Jitendra , Chaplot Devendra Singh
Published: June 2023

Semantic navigation is necessary to deploy mobile robots in uncontrolled environments such as homes or hospitals. Many learning-based approaches have been proposed in response to the lack of semantic understanding of the classical pipeline for spatial navigation, which builds a geometric map using depth sensors and plans to reach point goals. Broadly, end-to-end learning approaches reactively map sensor inputs to actions with deep neural networks, whereas modular learning approaches enrich the classical pipeline with learning-based semantic sensing and exploration. However, learned visual navigation policies have predominantly been evaluated in sim, with little known about what works on a robot. We present a large-scale empirical study of semantic visual navigation methods comparing representative methods with classical, modular, and end-to-end learning approaches across six homes with no prior experience, maps, or instrumentation. We found that modular learning works well in the real world, attaining a 90% success rate. In contrast, end-to-end learning does not, dropping from 77% sim to a 23% real-world success rate because of a large image domain gap between sim and reality. For practitioners, we show that modular learning is a reliable approach to navigate to objects: Modularity and abstraction in policy design enable sim-to-real transfer. For researchers, we identify two key issues that prevent today’s simulators from being reliable evaluation benchmarks—a large sim-to-real gap in images and a disconnect between sim and real-world error modes—and propose concrete steps forward.
A standardized quantitative analysis strategy for stable isotope probing metagenomics
Authors: Vyshenska Dariia , Sampara Pranav , Singh Kanwar , Tomatsu Andy , Kauffman W. Berkeley , Nuccio Erin E. , Blazewicz Steven J. , Pett-Ridge Jennifer , Louie Katherine B. , Varghese Neha , Kellom Matthew , Clum Alicia , Riley Robert , Roux Simon , Eloe-Fadrosh Emiley A. , Ziels Ryan M. , Malmstrom Rex R.
Published: June 2023

Stable isotope probing (SIP) facilitates culture-independent identification of active microbial populations within complex ecosystems through isotopic enrichment of nucleic acids. Many DNA-SIP studies rely on 16S rRNA gene sequences to identify active taxa, but connecting these sequences to specific bacterial genomes is often challenging. Here, we describe a standardized laboratory and analysis framework to quantify isotopic enrichment on a per-genome basis using shotgun metagenomics instead of 16S rRNA gene sequencing. To develop this framework, we explored various sample processing and analysis approaches using a designed microbiome where the identity of labeled genomes and their level of isotopic enrichment were experimentally controlled. With this ground truth dataset, we empirically assessed the accuracy of different analytical models for identifying active taxa and examined how sequencing depth impacts the detection of isotopically labeled genomes. We also demonstrate that using synthetic DNA internal standards to measure absolute genome abundances in SIP density fractions improves estimates of isotopic enrichment. In addition, our study illustrates the utility of internal standards to reveal anomalies in sample handling that could negatively impact SIP metagenomic analyses if left undetected. Finally, we present
SIPmg
, an R package to facilitate the estimation of absolute abundances and perform statistical analyses for identifying labeled genomes within SIP metagenomic data. This experimentally validated analysis framework strengthens the foundation of DNA-SIP metagenomics as a tool for accurately measuring the
in situ
activity of environmental microbial populations and assessing their genomic potential.

IMPORTANCE

Answering the questions,
“who is eating what?”
and
“who is active?”
within complex microbial communities is paramount for our ability to model, predict, and modulate microbiomes for improved human and planetary health. These questions can be pursued using stable isotope probing to track the incorporation of labeled compounds into cellular DNA during microbial growth. However, with traditional stable isotope methods, it is challenging to establish links between an active microorganism’s taxonomic identity and genome composition while providing quantitative estimates of the microorganism’s isotope incorporation rate. Here, we report an experimental and analytical workflow that lays the foundation for improved detection of metabolically active microorganisms and better quantitative estimates of genome-resolved isotope incorporation, which can be used to further refine ecosystem-scale models for carbon and nutrient fluxes within microbiomes.
Statistical Analysis of Common Respiratory Viruses Reveals the Binary of Virus-Virus Interaction
Authors: Zhang Lulu , Xiao Yan , Xiang Zichun , Chen Lan , Wang Ying , Wang Xinming , Dong Xiaojing , Ren Lili , Wang Jianwei
Published: June 2023

Systematic quantitative assessment of the interactions between different respiratory viruses is pivotal for the prevention of infectious diseases and the development of vaccine strategies. Our data showed stable interactions among respiratory viruses at human population level, which are season irrelevant.
The Life Cycle of
Aurelia aurita
Depends on the Presence of a Microbiome in Polyps Prior to Onset of Strobilation
Authors: Jensen Nadin , Weiland-Bräuer Nancy , Joel Shindhuja , Chibani Cynthia Maria , Schmitz Ruth Anne
Published: June 2023

All multicellular organisms are associated with microorganisms that play fundamental roles in the health and fitness of the host. Notably, the native microbiome of the Cnidarian
Aurelia aurita
is crucial for the asexual reproduction by strobilation.
Identification of an Arylnaphthalene Lignan Derivative as an Inhibitor against Dengue Virus Serotypes 1 to 4 (DENV-1 to -4) Using a Newly Developed DENV-3 Infectious Clone and Replicon
Authors: Hu Mingyue , Li Wan-Fei , Wu Tiantian , Yang Yang , Chen Guoquan , Chen Tongling , Liu Yongchen , Mei Yaqing , Wu De , Wei Youchuan , Luo Tingrong , Zhang Hong-Jie , Li Yi-Ping
Published: June 2023

Dengue virus (DENV) is the most prevalent mosquito-transmitted virus, and there is no an anti-dengue drug. Reverse genetic systems representative of different serotype viruses are invaluable tools for the study of viral pathogenesis and antiviral drugs.
tet
-Dependent Gene Expression in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
Authors: Horch Rebecca , Rasp Diana , Dietz Annika , Ebbert Ronald , Steinmann Joerg , Schaible Ulrich E. , Mamat Uwe , Bertram Ralph
Published: June 2023

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
is an emerging pathogen in hospital settings and poses a threat to immunocompromised patients. Due to a high level of resistance to different types of antibiotics, treatment options are limited.
Proteomic and Phenotypic Studies of Mycoplasma pneumoniae Revealed Macrolide-Resistant Mutation (A2063G) Associated Changes in Protein Composition and Pathogenicity of Type I Strains
Authors: Zhang Zhikun , Dou Haiwei , Yuan Qing , Shi Dawei , Wan Ruijie , Tu Peng , Xin Deli , Guo Shuilong
Published: June 2023

The prevalence of macrolide-resistant MPs increased the difficulty in treatment of MP infections and posed potential threats to children's health. Epidemiological studies showed a high prevalence of IR-resistant strains (mainly A2063G in 23S rRNA) in these years.
Supplemental Material: Large-scale rare-metal pegmatite deposit formation driven by supercontinent assembly
Authors: Tang Gong-Jian , al. et
Published: June 2023

Sample description, analytical methods, geological map of the Bailongshan deposit, zircon age diagrams, and age and geochemical data.  
Outcome of combined single-loop fixation of intraocular lens with Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation
Authors: Goel Ruchi , Gaonker Tanvi , Arya Deepanjali , Golhait Priyanka
Published: June 2023

A late adolescent girl presented with medically uncontrolled glaucoma and aphakia post-fire-cracker injury to the right eye. She underwent single-loop fixation of the posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL) and Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) implantation with reduction of intraocular pressure (IOP) in the immediate postoperative period. She sustained second trauma 6 days later resulting in tube retraction and an IOP of 38 mm Hg. An anterior repositioning of the tube–plate complex was performed and IOP remained under control for 5 months. She then developed a tenon cyst and the IOP rose to 24 mm Hg, for which topical timolol and dorzolamide and digital massage were administered. The IOP was in the lower teens, sans medication and aided vision of 0.50 LogMAR at the 1 year follow-up. This case highlights the outcomes of single-loop fixation of IOL with AGV in a post-traumatic setting and subsequent management of complications.
Blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol testing among adults with diabetes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, USA, 2019 vs 2021
Authors: Casagrande Sarah S , Lawrence Jean M
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Regular blood glucose/A1c, blood pressure (BP), and cholesterol (ABC) testing is important for diabetes management. It is unknown whether pandemic-related disruptions in medical care were negatively associated with ABC testing among US adults with diagnosed diabetes.

Research design and methods

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted among adults ≥18 years with diagnosed diabetes who participated in the 2019 or 2021 National Health Interview Survey (n=3355 and n=3127, respectively). Adults with diabetes self-reported sociodemographic and diabetes-related characteristics, ABC testing in the past year, and delays or not getting medical care due to the pandemic (2021 only). Descriptive statistics were used to determine differences in ABC testing in 2019 vs 2021. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association between delays or not getting medical care due to the pandemic and ABC testing, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, diabetes duration, and diabetes medication use.

Results

Overall, the prevalence of having a blood glucose/A1c or a BP test in the past year was high (>90%) but it was significantly lower in 2021 compared with 2019 (A1c: 94.2% vs 96.8%, p<0.001; BP: 96.8% vs 98.4%, p=0.002, respectively). Cholesterol testing remained stable (93.0% in 2021 vs 94.5% in 2019, p=0.053). In logistic regression analysis, after full adjustment, adults who reported delaying or not getting medical care when needed due to the pandemic were 50% less likely to get an ABC test in the past year compared with those who promptly received medical care (A1c: adjusted OR (aOR)=0.44, 95% CI 0.29–0.68; BP: aOR=0.48, 95% CI 0.27–0.85; cholesterol: aOR=0.48, 95% CI 0.31–0.75).

Conclusions

Disruptions in medical care during the pandemic were associated with a decrease in ABC testing. Future research is needed to assess whether blood glucose/A1c and BP testing returns to prepandemic levels and if reductions in these tests result in excess diabetes-related complications.
Physical injuries as triggers for self-harm: a within-individual study of nearly 250 000 injured people with a major psychiatric disorder
Authors: Sariaslan Amir , Larsson Henrik , Hawton Keith , Pitkänen Joonas , Lichtenstein Paul , Martikainen Pekka , Fazel Seena
Published: June 2023

Background

Although there is robust evidence for several factors which may precipitate self-harm, the contributions of different physical injuries are largely unknown.

Objective

To examine whether specific physical injuries are associated with risks of self-harm in people with psychiatric disorders.

Methods

By using population and secondary care registers, we identified all people born in Finland (1955–2000) and Sweden (1948–1993) with schizophrenia-spectrum disorder (n=136 182), bipolar disorder (n=68 437) or depression (n=461 071). Falls, transport-related injury, traumatic brain injury and injury from interpersonal assault were identified within these subsamples. We used conditional logistic regression models adjusted for age and calendar month to compare self-harm risk in the week after each injury to earlier weekly control periods, which allowed us to account for unmeasured confounders, including genetics and early environments.

Findings

A total of 249 210 individuals had been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder and a physical injury during the follow-up. The absolute risk of self-harm after a physical injury ranged between transport-related injury and injury from interpersonal assault (averaging 17.4–37.0 events per 10 000 person-weeks). Risk of self-harm increased by a factor of two to three (adjusted OR: 2.0–2.9) in the week following a physical injury, as compared with earlier, unexposed periods for the same individuals.

Conclusions

Physical injuries are important proximal risk factors for self-harm in people with psychiatric disorders.

Clinical implications

Mechanisms underlying the associations could provide treatment targets. When treating patients with psychiatric illnesses, emergency and trauma medical services should actively work in liaison with psychiatric services to implement self-harm prevention strategies.
Risk factors associated with contrast-associated acute kidney injury in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Ye Jiahao , Liu Chaoyun , Deng Zhanyu , Zhu Youfeng , Zhang Shaoheng
Published: June 2023

Objective

The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the risk factors for contrast-associated acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) in ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Design

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data sources

We searched the databases of PubMed, Embase and Ovid, up to February 2022, for observational studies that investigated the association between risk factors and CA-AKI.

Results

A total of 21 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Of the total 22 015 participants, 2728 developed CA-AKI. Pooled incidence was 11.91% (95% CI 9.69%, 14.14%). Patients with CA-AKI were more likely to be older, female, also had comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, previous heart failure). Smoking (OR: 0.60; 95% CI 0.52, 0.69) and family history of CAD (coronary artery disease) (OR: 0.76; 95% CI 0.60, 0.95) were associated with lower risk of CA-AKI. Left anterior descending (LAD) artery occlusion (OR: 1.39; 95% CI 1.21, 1.59), left main disease (OR: 4.62; 95% CI 2.24, 9.53) and multivessel coronary disease (OR: 1.33; 95% CI 1.11, 1.60) were risk factors for CA-AKI. Contrast volume (weighted mean difference: 20.40; 95% CI 11.02, 29.79) was associated with increased risk in patients receiving iso-osmolar or low-osmolar non-ionic contrast.

Conclusions

In addition to the known risk factors, LAD artery infarction, left main disease and multivessel disease are risk factors for CA-AKI. The unexpected favourable association between smoking, as well as family history of CAD, and CA-AKI requires further investigation.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42021289868.
Chinese herbal medicine as adjuvant treatment for postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Ha Na-Yeon , Park Mu-Jin , Kim Jinsung
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a distressing symptom that patients often complain of even after less invasive surgery such as laparoscopic surgery (LS). If PONV is not well managed, patient recovery and postoperative quality of life are adversely affected. Although various drugs have been administered to prevent PONV, their effectiveness is limited, and adverse effects are numerous. Although herbal medicines have been widely used to manage various gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea and vomiting, scientific evidence of their effects is lacking. This protocol is intended for a systematic review to analyse the efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicines for PONV after LS through a meta-analysis.

Methods and analysis

Randomised controlled trials, reported until June 2022, will be retrieved from electronic databases such as Medline, EMBASE and Cochrane Library. We will compare the effects of herbal medicine in patients presenting with PONV after LS with those of Western medicine, placebo and no treatment. If sufficient studies are identified, we will evaluate the combined effects of herbal and Western medicine. The incidence of nausea and vomiting will be considered the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes will include the intensity of complaints, quality of life and incidence of adverse events. Two independent reviewers will collect data based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses statement, evaluate the quality of each study using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool and synthesise the results via meta-analysis, if possible.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval is not required for this review. The results of this study will be disseminated to peer-reviewed journals and posters.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42022345749.
Optimal quantum state tomography with noisy gates
Authors: Ivanova-Rohling Violeta N. , Rohling Niklas , Burkard Guido
Published: June 2023

Quantum state tomography (QST) represents an essential tool for the characterization, verification, and validation (QCVV) of quantum processors. Only for a few idealized scenarios, there are analytic results for the optimal measurement set for QST. E.g., in a setting of non-degenerate measurements, an optimal minimal set of measurement operators for QST has eigenbases which are mutually unbiased. However, in other set-ups, dependent on the rank of the projection operators and the size of the quantum system, the optimal choice of measurements for efficient QST needs to be numerically approximated. We have generalized this problem by introducing the framework of customized efficient QST. Here we extend customized QST and look for the optimal measurement set for QST in the case where some of the quantum gates applied in the measurement process are noisy. To achieve this, we use two distinct noise models: first, the depolarizing channel, and second, over- and under-rotation in single-qubit and to two-qubit gates (for further information, please see Methods). We demonstrate the benefit of using entangling gates for the efficient QST measurement schemes for two qubits at realistic noise levels, by comparing the fidelity of reconstruction of our optimized QST measurement set to the state-of-the-art scheme using only product bases.
Pro-poor Growth and Pro-growth Poverty Reduction: Meaning, Evidence, and Policy Implications
Authors: Eastwood Robert , Lipton Michael
Published: June 2023

The paper addresses two questions. First, what do regressions reveal about the link from growth to poverty reduction, with differing (i) initial conditions, such as the degree of inequality; and (ii) types of growth, e.g., sectoral balance? Growth on average appears not to redistribute income, pro-poor or antipoor. More interesting is the large cross-country variation; there are hints in a sample of 23 developing countries that: (i) growth may be relatively antipoor in countries that start with high inequality: and (ii) in those countries, agricultural growth may be especially antipoor, a paradoxical finding rejected in country-level studies. The second question is, are there reverse links from asset and income distribution and redistribution lo growth? The nature of inequality might matter, ascribed inequality being antigrowth but some achieved inequality pro-growth. Reductions in severe inequality may be particularly pro-growth. High inequality is associated with low elasticity of poverty to growth. In poor countries, pro-poor growth is best stimulated by policies encouraging appropriate technical progress in agriculture, land redistribution, and fertility reduction.
Fostering Capital Markets in a Bank-based Financial System: A Review of Major Conceptual Issues
Authors: Takagi Shinji
Published: June 2023

The paper presents a review of major conceptual issues as a framework in which to conceptualize the rationales and strategies for fostering capital markets in a largely bank-based financial system. As elsewhere in the developing world, the relative underdevelopment of capital markets in developing Asia can be attributed to inadequate market and legal infrastructure, which, in the presence of informational problems, raises the cost of external finance. In such an environment, bank finance is often a less costly means of external finance because it can minimize informational problems by establishing a long-term monitoring relationship with borrowers. On the other hand, the benefits of capital market finance rise with economic development, which tends to increase the complexity and dispersion of information held in the economy. Price signals provided by market finance can lead to a better allocation of resources by allowing better investment and saving decisions. With the passage of time, an equity market will become particularly beneficial as a means of financing new and complex economic activities, as equity finance does not require fixed assets and can better reward risk taking activities. The paper concludes by discussing several conceptual issues that are important in designing an optimal financial structure.
Aggregate Investment in People’s Republic of China: Some Empirical Evidence
Authors: HE XINHUA , QIN DUO
Published: June 2023

Aggregate domestic investment in People’s Republic of China is empirically modeled using quarterly data for the period 1994-2001. The total investment is disaggregated into two parts: business sector investment and government direct investment. The dynamic specification approach is adopted and the equilibrium-correction model form is used. Business sector investment is found to follow closely the standard capital input demand theory in the long run, but to respond positively to changes in government direct investment in the short run. It is found that government investment is driven, additionally to the revenue constraint, by the policy targets of maintaining steady economic growth and reducing unemployment. The resulting investment equations provide a sound model base for policy simulation and forecasting.
Rice Production, Land Use Dynamics, and Infrastructure Development in Viet Nam’s Mekong River Delta
Authors: EDMONDS CHRISTOPHER
Published: June 2023

This study examines the role of infrastructure development and technical change in explaining increases in agricultural production and changes in land use in the Mekong Delta Region of Viet Nam during the 1990s. The study analyzes longitudinal farm survey data from eight villages. A model is developed that combines spatial factors in a neoclassical production framework to examine changes in land use and agricultural technology. Major findings are that the transportation costs involved in moving agricultural input and output between farms and markets significantly affect farmland use and production decisions. Greater transport costs reduced the likelihood that farms would adopt intensive cropping patterns or cultivate nonrice crops. Results also suggest that quality of local water management infrastructure is more important than transport costs in explaining the increased intensity of land use and level of production observed in the Mekong Delta during the 1990s. A simulation model is developed to highlight the implications of findings for future policy aimed at increasing rice production or altering land use in the Mekong Delta.
Development Lessons for Asia from Non-Asian Countries
Authors: Rodrik Dani
Published: June 2023

The disappointments of the Washington Consensus have led to the search for a new paradigm to replace it. The chief failing of the Washington Consensus was that it represented an approach based on “rules of thumb.” As such it was not well grounded either in economic theory or in the reality of actual countries. I discuss several strands of new thinking that have appeared following the demise of the Washington Consensus, and argue in favor of an explicitly diagnostic approach.
Asia’s Race to Capture Post-MFA Markets: A Snapshot of Labor Standards, Compliance, and Impacts on Competitiveness
Authors: van der Meulen Rodgers Yana , Berik Günseli
Published: June 2023

Labor regulations designed to protect workers, promote workplace equality, and improve working conditions achieve social objectives and affect international competitiveness. Considering these dual outcomes has taken on added urgency as Asian economies adjust to an increase in global competition in textiles and clothing following the end of the Multi-Fiber Agreement, with large projected gains for the People’s Republic of China and potential losses for other Asian producers. Countries that stand to lose from the MFA phase-out face low cost and high quality production from the People’s Republic of China, whose competitive threat lies in its extremely poor compliance record with its own and international labor standards. Yet empirical evidence generally supports the argument that the costs of raising and enforcing labor standards are offset by dynamic efficiency gains and macroeconomic effects. This evidence supports the case for Asian economies to pursue the “high road” in their race to capture post-MFA markets in textiles and clothing.
Measuring Sustainable Development: Theory and Application
Authors: Dasgupta Partha
Published: June 2023

The paper applies the notion of social well-being to show that “sustainable development” should mean the maintenance of the productive base of an economy relative to its population. It is shown that the concept is operational. Crude data from the world’s poorest countries are used to study whether those countries had experienced sustainable development during the period 1970–2000. The findings are then compared to the experiences of the United Kingdom and the United States.
Measuring Inclusive Growth
Authors: Ali Ifzal , Son Hyun Hwa
Published: June 2023

This study proposes an approach to measuring inclusive growth. It draws from the idea of a social opportunity function akin to a social welfare function. In this context, growth is defined as inclusive if it increases the social opportunity function, which depends on two factors: (i) average opportunities available to the population, and (ii) how opportunities are shared among the population. In part, the inclusiveness of growth can be captured by means of an opportunity curve, which has a one-to-one relationship with the social opportunity function. To complement the shortcoming of the opportunity curve particularly partial ranking, the study also develops the opportunity index to provide a complete ranking. These tools are applied to the Philippines to analyze the access to and equity of opportunities in education and health. More importantly, the empirical application illustrates how these tools can be useful in the dynamic analysis of inclusive growth, as they evaluate changes in opportunities over time.
Institutions and Policies for Growth and Poverty Reduction: The Role of Private Sector Development
Authors: Hasan Rana , Mitra Devashish , Ulubasoglu Mehmet
Published: June 2023

This paper goes over some of the recent discussions on the effects on growth and poverty of institutions and policies, especially those that relate to the functioning of the private sector. It examines the empirical relationship between various measures of institutional quality and regulatory policies, and economic growth and poverty. The results suggest that good governance, as measured by a strong commitment to the rule of law, among other things, matters for poverty reduction largely through its effect on economic growth. In terms of business regulations, the paper finds that less restrictive regulations pertaining to starting a business are associated with higher economic growth as well as lower rates of $2-a-day poverty. Political freedom is not associated with either higher growth or lower poverty. Taken together, the evidence here seems to suggest that the delivery of good governance and policies that facilitate the creation of new enterprises are more relevant for growth and poverty reduction than the nature of the political system per se.
Priority Integration Sectors in ASEAN: Supply-side Implications and Options
Authors: Wattanapruttipaisan Thitapha
Published: June 2023

There are 12 priority integration sectors of strategic importance for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Exports from the nine largely goods sectors, with almost three quarters of merchandise export value, are dominated by electronics-related equipment and products. Priority goods have diverse supply and trade characteristics but among the common performance issues and development options for attention in ASEAN are the high levels of trade and nontrade costs and complications. These are mainly caused and compounded by inadequate transport connectivity, cross-border clearance problems, and diverse and exacting trade rules and technical regulations. Meanwhile, greater supply linkages have yet to be achieved for enhanced collective efficiency in textiles and clothing within the region and/or across ASEAN, People’s Republic of China, and South Asia. Higher levels of product and process creativity and innovation, moreover, are needed to lift local value addition and to upgrade to high-premium, more sophisticated activities and services, especially in electronics-related sectors. All these issues and options have become more pressing against the backdrop of People’s Republic of China’s speedy progress in competence building, technology catch-up, and manufacturing competitiveness. The extensive and complex agenda for further research and information dissemination concerning regional integration and competitive globalization in ASEAN, and more generally East Asia, is thus well highlighted.