bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The prognostic significance of T‐wave inversion according to ECG lead group during long‐term follow‐up in the general population
Authors: Istolahti Tiia , Lyytikäinen Leo‐Pekka , Huhtala Heini , Nieminen Tuomo , Kähönen Mika , Lehtimäki Terho , Eskola Markku , Anttila Ismo , Jula Antti , Rissanen Harri , Nikus Kjell , Hernesniemi Jussi 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackgroundInverted T waves in the electrocardiogram (ECG) have been associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) and mortality. The pathophysiology and prognostic significance of T‐wave inversion may differ between different anatomical lead groups, but scientific data related to this issue is scarce.MethodsA representative sample of Finnish subjects (n = 6,354) aged over 30 years underwent a health examination including a 12‐lead ECG in the Health 2000 survey. ECGs with T‐wave inversions were divided into three anatomical lead groups (anterior, lateral, and inferior) and were compared to ECGs with no pathological T‐wave inversions in multivariable‐adjusted Fine–Gray and Cox regression hazard models using CHD and mortality as endpoints.ResultsThe follow‐up for both CHD and mortality lasted approximately fifteen years (median value with interquartile ranges between 14.9 and 15.3). In multivariate‐adjusted models, anterior and lateral (but not inferior) T‐wave inversions associated with increased risk of CHD (HR: 2.37 [95% confidence interval 1.20–4.68] and 1.65 [1.27–2.15], respectively). In multivariable analyses, only lateral T‐wave inversions associated with increased risk of mortality in the entire study population (HR 1.51 [1.26–1.81]) as well as among individuals with no CHD at baseline (HR 1.59 [1.29–1.96]).ConclusionsThe prognostic information of inverted T waves differs between anatomical lead groups. T‐wave inversion in the anterior and lateral lead groups is independently associated with the risk of CHD, and lateral T‐wave inversion is also associated with increased risk of mortality. Inverted T wave in the inferior lead group proved to be a benign phenomenon.
How does thyroidectomy for benign thyroid disease impact upon quality of life? A prospective study
Authors: Chew Carolyn R. , Chin Synn Lynn , Lam Tracey , Drosdowsky Allison , Chan Steven T. F. , Chin‐Lenn Laura 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackgroundChoosing which patients to recommend surgery for benign thyroid conditions can be difficult due to the subjective nature of compressive thyroid and hormonal symptoms. The aim of this prospective study was to analyse changes in quality of life (QOL) following thyroid surgery using a validated disease‐specific assessment tool, the thyroid‐related patient‐reported outcome (ThyPRO) questionnaire.MethodsParticipants undergoing elective thyroid surgery for benign conditions were recruited. Patient demographics and clinical data were collected. ThyPRO consists of 85 questions grouped into 13 physical, mental and social symptom domains. Patients completed a ThyPRO questionnaire pre‐operatively and at 6 weeks and 6 months post‐operatively. ThyPRO items were scored according to protocol to produce 13 subscales. Repeated measures linear models with no random effects were performed using data for each outcome.ResultsResults were available for a total of 72 patients. The sample was predominately female (n = 63, 88%) with average age 49.8 years. The majority of patients underwent surgery for multi‐nodular goitre. At 6 weeks post‐operatively, significant improvement was demonstrated in the goitre, hypothyroid, hyperthyroid and anxiety symptom domains. At 6 months post‐operatively, significant improvement was demonstrated in all but four domains. No domains demonstrated significant increase in impairment post‐operatively.ConclusionPatients had significant improvement in nine of 13 symptom domains following surgery. Patients did not experience a negative impact on QOL following surgery. Further studies with larger patient cohorts may be able to identify potential pre‐operative predictive factors for a post‐operative improvement in QOL for benign thyroid disease.
Landscape responses to intraplate deformation in the Kalahari constrained by sediment provenance and chronology in the Okavango Basin
Authors: Vainer Shlomy , Matmon Ari , Erel Yigal , Hidy Alan J. , Crouvi Onn , De Wit Mike , Geller Yona ,   ASTER Team
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe structural depression that occupies the Okavango Basin in southern Africa comprises a depo‐centre within the intracratonic Kalahari Basin where sediments of the Cenozoic Kalahari Group have accumulated. The Okavango Basin has been formed due to stretching and subsidence at an area of diffused deformation, southwestwards to the main East African Rift System (EARS). Sediments from two full Kalahari Group sequences, located on opposite sides of the Gumare Fault that forms a major fault within the Okavango Basin, were studied to determine their provenance and chronology. Terrestrial Cosmogenic Nuclide (TCN) 26Al/10Be burial dating was used to constrain a chronostratigraphical framework, and Pb, Sr, and Nd isotopic ratios combined with geochemical and sedimentological analyses were applied to track the source areas of the sediments.Results indicate the following sequence of basin filling: (a) Accumulation between ca. 4–3 Ma during which the currently downthrown (southern) block received a mixture of sediments mostly from the Choma‐Kalomo, Ghanzi‐Chobe, and Damara terranes, and possibly from the Lufilian Belt and/or Karoo basalts during earlier stages of deposition. Simultaneously, the upthrown (northern) block received sediments from more distant Archean sources in the Zimbabwe and/or Kasai cratons, (b) Hiatus in sedimentation occurred at both sites between ca. 3–2 Ma, (c) Sediments on both sides of the Gumare Fault share a similar source (Angolan Shield) with minor distinct contributions to the downthrown block from the Kasai Craton and local sources input to the upthrown block, and (d) Regional distribution of aeolian sand since at least 1 Ma. The change in source areas is attributed to rearrangements of the drainage systems that were probably linked to vertical crustal movements on the margins of the Okavango Basin. The tectonically induced morphodynamics controlled the landscape evolution of the endorheic basin where vast lakes, wetlands and salt pans have developed through time.
Combined effects of occupational exposure to hazardous operations and lifestyle‐related factors on cancer incidence
Authors: Fukai Kota , Kojimahara Noriko , Hoshi Keika , Toyota Akihiro , Tatemichi Masayuki 
Published: September 2020

AbstractWe aimed to examine whether the number of types of hazardous operations at work experienced through a lifetime is associated with cancer incidence, and additionally examined the combined effects with lifestyle‐related factors. Using a nationwide, multicenter, hospital inpatient dataset (2005‐2015), we conducted a matched case‐control study with 1 149 296 study subjects. We classified the participants into those with none, 1, or 2 or more types of hazardous operation experience, based on information of special medical examinations taken, mandatory in Japan for workers engaged in hazardous operations. Using those with no experience as the reference group, we estimated the odds ratios for cancer incidence (all sites, lung, stomach, colon and rectum, liver, pancreas, bile duct, and bladder) by conditional logistic regression with multiple imputations. We also examined the effects of the combination with hazardous operations and lifestyle‐related factors. We observed increased risks for cancer of all sites, and lung, pancreas, and bladder cancer associated with the experience of hazardous operations. Multivariable‐adjusted ORs (95% CIs) of cancer incidence of all sites were 1 (reference), 1.16 (1.12, 1.21), and 1.17 (1.08, 1.27) for none, 1, and 2 or more types of hazardous operation experience, respectively (P for trend <.001). Potential combined associations of hazardous operations with smoking were observed for lung, pancreas, and bladder cancer, and with diabetes for pancreas cancer. Engaging in hazardous operations at work and in combination with lifestyle‐related factors may increase the risk of cancer. We highlight the potential for those engaged in hazardous work to avoid preventable cancers.
HIF‐1α ameliorates tubular injury in diabetic nephropathy via HO‐1–mediated control of mitochondrial dynamics
Authors: Jiang Na , Zhao Hao , Han Yachun , Li Li , Xiong Shan , Zeng Lingfeng , Xiao Ying , Wei Ling , Xiong Xiaofen , Gao Peng , Yang Ming , Liu Yu , Sun Lin 
Published: September 2020

AbstractObjectivesIn diabetic nephropathy (DN), hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α (HIF‐1α) activation in tubular cells plays an important protective role against kidney injury. The effects may occur via the target genes of HIF‐1α, such as haem oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1), but the exact mechanisms are incompletely understood.Materials and methodsMice with proximal tubule‐specific knockout of HIF‐1α (PT‐HIF‐1α−/− mice) were generated, and diabetes was induced in these mice by streptozotocin (STZ) injection. In addition, to mimic a hypoxic state, cobaltous chloride (CoCl2) was applied to HK‐2 cells.ResultsOur study first verified that conditional knockout of HIF‐1α worsened tubular injury in DN; additionally, aggravated kidney dysfunction, renal histopathological alterations, mitochondrial fragmentation, ROS accumulation and apoptosis were observed in diabetic PT‐HIF‐1α−/− mice. In vitro study showed that compared to control group, HK‐2 cells cultured under hypoxic ambiance displayed increased mitochondrial fragmentation, ROS production, mitochondrial membrane potential loss and apoptosis. These increases were reversed by overexpression of HIF‐1α or treatment with a HO‐1 agonist. Importantly, cotreatment with a HIF‐1α inhibitor and a HO‐1 agonist rescued the HK‐2 cells from the negative impacts of the HIF‐1α inhibitor.ConclusionsThese data revealed that HIF‐1α exerted a protective effect against tubular injury in DN, which could be mediated via modulation of mitochondrial dynamics through HO‐1 upregulation.
Social Reproduction, Ecological Dispossession and Dependency: Life Beside the Río Santiago in Mexico
Authors: Greene Joshua C. , Morvant‐Roux Solène 
Published: September 2020

ABSTRACTThis article uses an integrated social reproduction theory (SRT) framework to highlight the interrelation between all non‐wage forms of survival, such as debt, community and the environment. The analysis demonstrates how Mexico's unregulated industrialization and social housing policies have created new forms of poverty and market dependency. The article relies on a comprehensive literature review and extensive fieldwork carried out in El Salto, one of Mexico's industrial peripheries, and shows how vulnerable populations become trapped, in this case on the banks of the Río Santiago, one of Mexico's most contaminated rivers. Parallel developments of industrial and housing policies contextualize the conditions unfolding throughout Mexico where populations are relocated to areas without adequate water and where drinking water is supplied by bottled water companies. This contribution highlights why an expanded SRT framework is valuable for understanding the relationship between ecological dispossession and the forced reliance on markets and debt.
A constructive Christian theology for the pluralistic world: Author's introduction of the project and a response to reviewers
Authors: Kärkkäinen Veli‐Matti 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe author of the five‐volume a Christian theology for the pluralistic world (Eerdmans, 2013–2017), Veli‐Matti Kärkkäinen, introduces the nature, distinctive features, and methodology of the project and also responds to the reviewers whose reviews have been included in this issue.
Clinical supervisors’ reflections on their role, training needs and overall experience as dental educators
Authors: Bartle Emma K. , McGowan Kelly M. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractObjectivesThe aims of this study were to understand the views of clinical supervisors overseeing final year dental students and investigate their perceived role, level of support and training available, and ways to improve the supervisory experience.MethodsClinical supervisors who oversaw fifth‐year dental students in 2019 were invited to participate in an online survey. Respondents who indicated their willingness to participate were contacted for a semi‐structured interview which were analysed using Constant Comparative Methodology.ResultsSixteen supervisors completed the survey, with a response rate of 73%. Respondents reported low levels of formal training in clinical supervision (38%) and most (75%) felt further training would be beneficial for their role. While nearly all (94%) reported they had developed as a dental professional through supervision, most (63%) were not positively encouraged to develop a career as a supervisor, with tensions between health service delivery and academia identified as a key challenge. The driving motivator to supervise was a desire to teach (62.5%). Seven (44%) participants completed the semi‐structured interview. Participants’ perception of their role varied depending on career stage and clinic location. Lack of recognition and defined career pathways were the biggest challenges reported by participants.ConclusionRetention and morale of supervisors may increase with better‐defined career pathways and meaningful professional development opportunities. There is a need to develop tailored training programs for supervisors that enable them to teach critical thinking and clinical judgement while ensuring patient safety.
Magnification loupes in dentistry: A qualitative study of dental students’ perspectives
Authors: Wajngarten Danielle , Botta Ana Carolina , Garcia Patrícia Petromilli Nordi Sasso 
Published: September 2020

AbstractIntroductionThe nature of the oral operating field makes it a challenge for dentists to work while maintaining musculoskeletal health. Strategies have been studied in recent years to improve visualisation of the operating field, and the use of magnification systems has been recommended for providing additional benefits. Despite the growing body of evidence suggesting that the use of magnification improves visual acuity, the dentist's posture and the quality of dental procedures, few studies have analysed users’ perspectives on these devices in terms of their adaptation process. These types of studies are important because they provide insight into the reality of the adaptation process required by magnification systems so that adjustments and improvements can be made to adapt these systems to the users’ reality. Thus, we sought to explore the perspectives held by second‐year students in an undergraduate dental program on the use of dental loupes during pre‐clinical laboratory activities.Materials and MethodsA total of 24 second‐year dental students participated in semi‐structured interviews exploring their perspectives of wearing dental loupes during their pre‐clinical activities. Data collection and analysis were consistent with the qualitative content analysis methodology. All interview data were analysed using version 10 of the NVivo® analytical software.ResultsParticipants described that magnification can lead to the improvement of their work postures, hand skills and quality of dental procedures. Nevertheless, they reported a need for an adaptation period and for adjustments to the technical features of the magnification system.ConclusionThe students had positive perspectives on the use of magnification in their dentistry training program, including improvements in posture, hand skills and procedure quality.
Do you want to perform endovascular therapy? Perspectives from neurology trainees across Europe
Authors: Schreier D. R. , Di Lorenzo F. , Iodice F. , Shribman S. ,   the RRFS National Representatives Network
Published: September 2020

Background and purposeEndovascular therapy (EVT) has become standard care for acute ischaemic stroke caused by large‐vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation. However, access to this treatment in Europe remains poor. The lack of operators is a contributing factor and there is on‐going discussion as to whether other specialists, including neurologists, could contribute to the EVT workforce. The question remains whether the next generation of neurologists want to become ‘interventional neurologists’. The aim of this study was to address this question.MethodsWe conducted a short survey within the National Representatives Network (a division of the Resident and Research Fellow Section, European Academy of Neurology) in order to determine the interest of future neurologists in performing EVT.ResultsA total of 1218 responses from 27 European countries were received, with some variation in the number of respondents and results among individual countries. In total, 568 neurology trainees (47%) stated that they would want to be an ‘interventional neurologist’.ConclusionOur findings suggest that neurologists could make a significant contribution to the workforce performing EVT and have important implications for the development and uptake of training programmes in Europe.
Sex differences in quality of life after stroke were explained by patient factors, not clinical care: evidence from the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry
Authors: Phan H. T. , Gall S. L. , Blizzard C. L. , Lannin N. A. , Thrift A. G. , Anderson C. S. , Kim J. , Grimley R. S. , Castley H. C. , Kilkenny M. F. , Cadilhac D. A. ,   the AuSCR Consortium, Stroke123 Investigators
Published: September 2020

Background and purposeWomen may receive stroke care less often than men. We examined the contribution of clinical care on sex differences and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) after stroke.MethodsWe included first‐ever strokes registered in the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry (2010–2014) with HRQoL assessed between 90 and 180 days after onset (EQ‐5D‐3L instrument) that were linked to hospital administrative data (up to 2013). Study factors included sociodemographics, comorbidities, walking ability on admission (stroke severity proxy) and clinical care (e.g. stroke unit care). Responses to the EQ‐5D‐3L were transformed into a total utility value (−0.516 ‘worse than death’ to 1 ‘best’ health). Quantile regression models, adjusted for confounding factors, were used to determine median differences (MD) in utility scores by sex.ResultsApproximately 60% (6852/11 418) of stroke survivors had an EQ‐5D‐3L assessment (median 139 days; 44% female). Compared with men, women were older (median age 77.1 years vs. men 71.2 years) and fewer could walk on admission (37.9% vs. men 46.1%, P < 0.001). Women had lower utility values than men, and the difference was explained by age and stroke severity, but not clinical care [MDadjusted = −0.039, 95% confidence interval: −0.056, −0.021]. Poorer HRQoL was observed in younger men (aged <65 years), particularly those with more comorbidities, and in older women (aged ≥75 years).ConclusionsStroke severity and comorbidities contribute to the poorer HRQoL in young men and older women. Further studies are needed to understand age–sex interaction to better inform treatments for different subgroups and ensure evidence‐based treatments to reduce the severity of stroke are prioritized.
Climate‐induced nonlinearity in pelagic communities and non‐stationary relationships with physical drivers in the Kuroshio ecosystem
Authors: Ma Shuyang , Tian Yongjun , Fu Caihong , Yu Haiqing , Li Jianchao , Liu Yang , Cheng Jiahua , Wan Rong , Watanabe Yoshiro 
Published: September 2020

AbstractClimate‐induced nonlinearity in biological variability and non‐stationary relationships with physical drivers are crucial to understand responses of marine organisms to climate variability. These phenomena have raised concerns in the northeastern North Pacific, but are out of the spotlight in the northwestern North Pacific in spite of potential implications for this productive system under increased climate variability. Pelagic communities in the Kuroshio ecosystem have both ecological and economic importance. However, patterns of climate‐induced nonlinearity in pelagic communities are not well understood, and existence of non‐stationarity in their relationships with physical drivers remains obscure. Here, we compile large numbers of climatic, oceanic and biological long‐term time‐series data and employ diverse statistical techniques to reveal such climate‐induced nonlinearity and non‐stationarity. Results show that pelagic communities in the Tsushima and Pacific areas (major areas in the Kuroshio ecosystem) had regime shifts in the late 1990s and late 1980s, respectively. Winter sea surface temperatures in the Kuroshio Current path and in the eastern part of East China Sea, which are respectively affected by the Kuroshio Current and Siberian High, correlate with dominant variability patterns in their pelagic communities. Furthermore, non‐stationarity was identified with threshold years in the 1990s in the Tsushima area and in the 1980s in the Pacific area as a possible result of the declined variances in the Siberian High and Aleutian Low, respectively. Our findings provide insights on spatial differentiation of climate‐induced nonlinearity and non‐stationarity, which are valuable for the management of pelagic communities in the northwestern North Pacific under changing climatic conditions.
Superfrogs in the city: 150 year impact of urbanization and agriculture on the European Common Frog
Authors: Niemeier Stephanie , Müller Johannes , Struck Ulrich , Rödel Mark‐Oliver 
Published: September 2020

AbstractDespite growing pressure on biodiversity deriving from increasing anthropogenic disturbances, some species successfully persist in altered ecosystems. However, these species' characteristics and thresholds, as well as the environmental frame behind that process are usually unknown. We collected data on body size, fluctuating asymmetry (FA), as well as nitrogen stable isotopes (δ15N) from museum specimens of the European Common Frog, Rana temporaria, all originating from the Berlin–Brandenburg area, Germany, in order to test: (a) if specimens have changed over the last 150 years (1868–2018); and (b) if changes could be attributed to increasing urbanization and agricultural intensity. We detected that after the Second World War, frogs were larger than in pre‐war Berlin. In rural Brandenburg, we observed no such size change. FA analysis revealed a similar tendency with lower levels in Berlin after the war and higher levels in Brandenburg. Enrichment of δ15N decreased over time in both regions but was generally higher and less variable in sites with agricultural land use. Frogs thus seem to encounter favorable habitat conditions after pollution in postwar Berlin improved, but no such tendencies were observable in the predominantly agricultural landscape of Brandenburg. Urbanization, characterized by the proportion of built‐up area, was not the main associated factor for the observed trait changes. However, we detected a relationship with the amount of urban greenspace. Our study exemplifies that increasing urbanization must not necessarily worsen conditions for species living in urban habitats. The Berlin example demonstrates that public parks and other urban greenspaces have the potential to serve as suitable refuges for some species. These findings underline the urgency of establishing, maintaining, and connecting such habitats, and generally consider their importance for future urban planning.