bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exploring the association between dental insurance coverage and dental care utilization and oral health among elderly Ontarians
Authors: Badewy Rana , Aldossri Musfer 
Published: January 2025

AbstractObjectivesThere has been an increasing interest in addressing the equity issue of accessing dental care for low‐income elderly. This study aimed to estimate the marginal effects (ME) of dental insurance coverage for seniors on dental care utilization and oral health status outcomes. We also estimated the ME of dental insurance across income subgroups.MethodsData was sourced from the 2017/18 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)‐Annual component. The ME analysis included individuals aged ≥65 years residing in Ontario (n = 10,030). ME were derived from multivariate probit regression models for dental care utilization and oral health status outcomes.ResultsDental insurance increased the likelihood of reporting excellent/very good oral health and never avoiding foods due to oral problems by 6.9% (ME:6.9, 95% CI: 5.4–8.3) and 3.5% (ME: 3.5, 95% CI: 1.9–5.1), respectively. Dental insurance increased the likelihood of dental visits within the past year by 11.3% (ME: 11.3, 95% CI: 9.8–12.8) and decreased the likelihood of dental visits only for emergencies by 11.2% (ME: −11.2, 95% CI: −12.5 to −9.9). Compared to low‐ and high‐income groups, dental insurance had the highest ME for the middle‐income groups for dental visits within the past year (ME middle: 13.1, 95% CI: 10.5–15.7) and dental visits only for emergencies (ME middle: −14.4, 95% CI: −16.0 to −12.8).ConclusionDental insurance can improve the utilization of dental care and can help mitigate the negative effects of poor oral health in elderly populations.
Accuracy of Capillary Blood for Assessing Vitamin A Nutritional Status Among Children Under 7 Years of Age: A Multicenter Study
Authors: Li Luanluan , Hu Shouxun , Li Xiaonan , Jia Feiyong , Chi Meizhu , Wen Zhihong , Yang Sufei , Li Yuning , Ha Lijun , Yang Ying , Long Xiaoling , Fang Shuanfeng , Xie Lu , Zhang Huifeng , Yu Xiaodan 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTVitamin A deficiency remains a major public health problem worldwide, particularly among young children. Capillary blood has the potential for application in vitamin A assessment. The aim of this study is to validate the accuracy of capillary blood for assessing vitamin A nutritional status among young children. Venous and capillary blood samples were simultaneously collected from 1366 healthy children under 7 years of age across 12 regions in China. Retinol was measured using high‐performance liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (HPLC‐MS/MS). The agreement was assessed with Bland–Altman plot, Kappa, and prevalence‐adjusted and bias‐adjusted kappa (PABAK) values. The sensitivity and specificity were evaluated using the ROC curve method. Venous and capillary retinol levels showed significant differences but were highly correlated with r of 0.93. Ordinary least squares regression was used to characterize (β = 0.913) and correct the systematic bias in capillary data (compared to paired venous). Thereafter, Bland‐Altman analysis demonstrated that the mean bias of corrected capillary retinol compared to venous retinol was 0.01 (95%CI: −0.24, 0.25) μmol/L with no significant difference (p ＞ 0.05). Corrected capillary retinol showed excellent performance for estimating vitamin A status when compared to venous retinol, with Kappa of 0.77–0.83, PABAK of 0.80–0.96, sensitivity of 0.86–0.91 and specificity of 0.87–0.98. Capillary HPLC‐MS/MS method is therefore adequate for assessing vitamin A status of young children after correction for systematic bias.
Circumstances/context: A fifth cause
Authors: Weissman David 
Published: January 2025

AbstractIndividualism dominates Western ontologies: atoms and molecules; substances, minds, and agents. Each is said to embody conditions sufficient to establish its nature and existence. Ontologies spawned by Descartes's cogito and Kantian world‐making are, nevertheless, false to all we know of reality and ourselves. This paper suggests an alternative: entities and events are generated by the material circumstances in which they emerge and evolve; nothing at any scale is exempt from the discovery that its existence and character derive from and are sustained by circumstances additional to those it embodies. All are embedded in the context that has been their source.
Biallelic Variant in the AGXT Gene in a Family Segregating Primary Hyperoxaluria; Accurate Genetic Diagnosis and Carrier Detection
Authors: Hashmi Jamil A. , Afzal Sibtan , Balahmar Reham M. , Latif Muhammad , Basit Sulman 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTAimAutosomal recessive primary hyperoxalurias (PH) are genetic disorders characterised by elevated oxalate production. Mutations in genes involved in glycoxylate metabolism are the underlying cause of PH. Type 1 PH (PH1) results in malfunctioning of alanine‐glyoxylate aminotransferase enzymes of liver due to a change in the genetic sequence of alanine‐glyoxylate aminotransferase (AGXT) gene. We encountered a large family segregating genetic disease of high oxalate kidney stones. A genetic analysis was carried out with the aim to identify underlying genetic defect.MethodsA large family with multiple affected individuals was recruited for this study. An extensive clinical evaluation, followed by genetic analysis, was carried out. Due to the heterogeneous nature of the disease, two members of the family having disease symptoms were subjected to whole exome sequencing (WES). Variants were annotated, filtered, and prioritised using various bioinformatic tools to detect disease associated genetic defects.ResultsUnbiased and hypothesis‐free WES data analysis was performed. Raw reads (fastq files) were mapped to the reference genome and duplicates were removed. Variants were annotated, filtered, and prioritised. A low‐frequency missense variant (c. 1049G>A) in the AGXT gene was considered the candidate variant. This variant replaces the highly conserved glycine amino acid with aspartate (p.Gly350Asp). The variant is destabilising for protein–protein interaction based on predicted change in binding free energy (ΔΔG). All members having disease phenotype were found homozygous to the mutation. Both parents and unaffected individuals in a family are heterozygous for the variant.ConclusionIdentification of pathogenic variant in the AGXT gene, in this family, provides genotype–phenotype correlation and permits accurate clinical diagnosis as well as carrier detection. Moreover, this variant extends the AGXT mutation spectrum in a different population and highlights the clinical significance and diagnostic relevance of the variant.
Classification of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Using Brain Functional Connectivity Strength and Machine Learning
Authors: Zhang Qi , Xu Yue , Guo Dingbo , He Hua , Zhang Zhen , Wang Xiaowan , Yu Siyi 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTBackgroundIrritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a prevalent condition characterized by dysregulated brain–gut interactions. Despite its widespread impact, the brain mechanism of IBS remains incompletely understood, and there is a lack of objective diagnostic criteria and biomarkers. This study aims to investigate brain network alterations in IBS patients using the functional connectivity strength (FCS) method and to develop a support vector machine (SVM) classifier for distinguishing IBS patients from healthy controls (HCs).MethodsThirty‐one patients with IBS and thirty age and sex‐matched HCs were enrolled in this study and underwent resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans. We applied FCS to assess global brain functional connectivity changes in IBS patients. An SVM‐based machine ‐ learning approach was then used to evaluate whether the altered FCS regions could serve as fMRI‐based markers for classifying IBS patients and HCs.ResultsCompared to the HCs, patients with IBS showed significantly increased FCS in the left medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) and decreased FCS in the bilateral cingulate cortex/precuneus (PCC/Pcu) and middle cingulate cortex (MCC). The machine‐learning model achieved a classification accuracy of 91.9% in differentiating IBS patients from HCs.ConclusionThese findings reveal a unique pattern of FCS alterations in brain areas governing pain regulation and emotional processing in IBS patients. The identified abnormal FCS features have the potential to serve as effective biomarkers for IBS classification. This study may contribute to a deeper understanding of the neural mechanisms of IBS and aid in its diagnosis in clinical practice.
C4 photosynthesis and hydraulics in grasses
Authors: Zhou Haoran , Akçay Erol , Edwards Erika J. , Ho Che‐Ling , Abdullahi Adam , Zheng Yunpu , Helliker Brent R. 
Published: January 2025

Summary

The anatomical reorganization required for C4 photosynthesis should also impact plant hydraulics. Most C4 plants possess large bundle sheath cells and high vein density, which should also lead to higher leaf capacitance and hydraulic conductance (Kleaf). Paradoxically, the C4 pathway reduces water demand and increases water use efficiency, creating a potential mismatch between supply capacity and demand in C4 plant water relations.

Here, we use phylogenetic analyses, physiological measurements, and models to examine the reorganization of hydraulics in closely related C4 and C3 grasses.

The evolution of C4 disrupts the expected positive correlation between maximal assimilation rate (Amax) and Kleaf, decoupling a canonical relationship between hydraulics and photosynthesis generally observed in vascular plants. Evolutionarily young C4 lineages have higher Kleaf, capacitance, turgor loss point, and lower stomatal conductance than their C3 relatives. By contrast, species from older C4 lineages show decreased Kleaf and capacitance. The decline of Kleaf through the evolution of C4 lineages was likely controlled by the reduction in outside‐xylem hydraulic conductance, for example the reorganization of leaf intercellular airspace.

These results indicate that, over time, C4 plants have evolved to optimize hydraulic investments while maintaining the anatomical requirements for the C4 carbon‐concentrating mechanism.
Do pollinators play a role in shaping the essential amino acids found in nectar?
Authors: Parkinson Rachel H. , Power Eileen F. , Walter Kieran , McDermott‐Roberts Alex E. , Pattrick Jonathan G. , Wright Geraldine A. 
Published: January 2025

Summary
Plants produce floral nectar as a reward for pollinators, which contains carbohydrates and amino acids (AAs). We designed experiments to test whether pollinators could exert selection pressure on the profiles of AAs in nectar.
We used HPLC to measure the free AAs and sugars in the nectar of 102 UK plant species. Six distinct profiles of essential amino acids (EAAs) were defined using the relative proportions of AAs with a clustering algorithm; we then tested bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) preferences for the EAA profiles and proline using a two‐choice assay.
We found a phylogenetic signal for the proportions of phenylalanine, methionine and proline as well as the total concentrations of essential and nonessential amino acids. However, there was no phylogenetic signal for EAA profile. Bumblebees did not exhibit a preference for any of the six EAA nectar profiles; however, four of the EAA profiles stimulated feeding. By contrast, bumblebees avoided proline in an inverse concentration‐dependent manner.
Our data indicate that bees are likely to have mechanisms for the postingestive evaluation of free AAs in solution but are unlikely to taste EAAs at nectar‐relevant quantities. We predict that EAAs increase nectar value to bumblebees postingestively.
« …quand l'être humain s'exprime, le monde s'exprime… » : Inger Christensen et l’animalité
Authors: Pedersen Christian Bank 
Published: January 2025

RésuméDans ce travail, je considère le bestiaire que met en scène l'œuvre d'Inger Christensen et ce, afin de circonscrire la vision de l'animal – ou de l'animalité – qu’elle propose. À travers l'histoire, l'animal a souvent, voire toujours été défini par son « défaut » vis‐à‐vis de l'être humain : il manque quelque chose à l'animal, que cette chose soit l'âme, la raison, le langage… L'animal est « weltarm », « pauvre en monde », signale par exemple Martin Heidegger. C'est peut‐être vrai, dans le sens où l'être humain est seul à mettre en mots un « monde ». L'animal diffère donc de l'être humain. C'est l'être humain qui le dit, étant donné que les animaux, par définition, ne se penchent pas sur le sujet. Pourquoi cette différence constituerait‐elle chez eux un « défaut » ou une « pauvreté » ? Voilà une question importante chez Inger Christensen.
Self‐Learning Videos in Focused Transthoracic Echocardiography Training
Authors: Morales Castro Diana , Wong Irene , Panisko Danny , Najeeb Umberin , Douflé Ghislaine 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTBackgroundFocused transthoracic echocardiography (FOTE) is crucial for patients' bedside management. However, limited opportunities exist for practical FOTE training, prompting the use of simulation and self‐learning videos to overcome this constraint. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of incorporating self‐learning videos into a simulation FOTE training course.ApproachThis was a prospective, randomized study involving University of Toronto internal medicine residents, who participated in a 2‐h didactic and simulation FOTE training course before being randomized to a control group receiving written learning materials or an intervention group with additional self‐directed learning videos.EvaluationTwenty‐eight participants were randomized, and twenty‐one (75%) completed the 1‐month follow‐up. Participants were assessed using a written test on image acquisition techniques and structure identification, scanning time and image quality on a simulator and self‐reported scanning comfort, both pre‐intervention and 1‐month post‐intervention. The groups had no significant difference in the time spent reviewing the material (1.5 vs. 1.4 h, p = 0.76). A significant increase in post‐course scores was observed in all evaluations except for the control group's written test (p = 0.07). There were no significant between‐group differences across the written test (p = 0.7), image quality (p = 0.6) and comfort level (p = 0.7). Compared to the control group, the intervention group exhibited a greater reduction in the scanning time (38 vs. 72 s, p = 0.02).ImplicationsFOTE training effectively increases theoretical knowledge and practical skills in a simulated setting. However, limited video utilization by participants precluded the inference of definitive conclusions on the impact of self‐learning videos.
Critical Overview of Coach Education Programs in Botswana
Authors: Tshube Tshepang , Dipeba Justice , Sechaba Abednico Mishingo , Tsamai Katlego Tsholofelo 
Published: January 2025

Coaches play a pivotal role in elite athlete talent identification and development. Coach education programs should, therefore, be contextualized to national sports federation’s athletic needs and national cultures. Botswana and several developing countries still rely on formal and informal coach education programs developed in industrialized countries. The development and training of coaches have been conceptualized in several broad areas including formal, nonformal, informal, directed, and self-directed programs. National, regional, and continental sports federations still run parallel athlete and coach development programs that heavily rely on consultants from outside their respective countries. Collaboration with local institutions of higher learning and experts in Africa is still in the infancy stage, which undermines athlete and coach development. This article will first provide a brief background on the Botswana sports system. The second section presents a critical overview of coach education in Botswana with emphasis on Botswana Football Association and Botswana Athletics Association Coach Education Programs. The authors examine coaches’ education programs’ context and culture consistent with Wang et al.’s three crucial factors of coach educator pedagogy, learning design, and course content. Finally, the paper will provide a conclusion and future directions.
Randomized Controlled Trials of Exercise Training and Its Health Benefits: Integrating the NIH Stage Model of Intervention Development With Research Design Approaches for Avoiding a Crisis
Authors: Motl Robert W. 
Published: January 2025

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the gold standard of research design and therefore provide the bedrock of evidence for claims regarding the health benefits of exercise training across the human lifespan. Nevertheless, there is substantial heterogeneity between RCTs regarding the outcomes of exercise training, as RCTs sometimes provide null or negative results regarding changes in outcomes, and positive results might even suffer from a lack of reproducibility by other scientists. This paper reviews the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Stage Model of Intervention Development and then identifies aligning research approaches and design considerations for informing and conducting RCTs of exercise training and its health benefits. The primary goal is the provision of a thoughtful and deliberate approach for designing RCTs that yield strong and reproducible research results regarding the health benefits of exercise training. This is necessary for strengthening the science behind the implementation and dissemination of evidence-based exercise training programs.
Properties of the wormhole model in de Rham–Gabadadze–Tolley like massive gravity with specific matter density
Authors: Bhar Piyali 
Published: January 2025

AbstractIn the conventional method of studying wormhole (WH) geometry, traversability requires the presence of exotic matter, which also provides negative gravity effects to keep the wormhole throat open. In de Rham–Gabadadze–Tolley (dRGT) massive gravity theory, we produce two types of WH solutions in our present paper. We obtain the field equations for exact WH solutions by selecting a static and spherically symmetric metric for the background geometry. We derive the WH geometry completely for the two different choices of redshift functions. The obtained WH solutions violate all the energy conditions, including the null energy condition (NEC). Various plots are used to illustrate the behavior of the wormhole for a suitable range of $$m^2c_1$$

m
2

c
1

, where m is the graviton mass. It is observed that the photon deflection angle becomes negative for all values of $$m^2c_1$$

m
2

c
1

as a result of the repulsive action of gravity. It is also shown that the repulsive impact of massive gravitons pushes the spacetime geometry so strongly that the asymptotic flatness is affected. The volume integral quantifier (VIQ) is computed to determine the amounts of matter that violate the null energy condition. The complexity factor of the proposed model is also discussed.
Rapid and Portable Detection of Pb(II) and Cd(II) Ions Using a Screen-Printed Graphene Electrode Enhanced with Alkalized MXene and Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: Tao Huajin , Wang Nan , Ma Yitian , Xu Ahua , Huang Baoyu , Li Xiaogan 
Published: January 2025

This study introduces the development of a portable electrochemical sensor for the detection of Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions based on a screen-printed graphene electrode (SPGE) enhanced with alkalized MXene and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Experimental results reveal that the Au@Alk-MXene/SPGE electrode exhibits excellent electrical conductivity, enlarged active surface area, and efficient electron transfer capability, which enhances the electrochemical detection of Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions. Under optimal experimental conditions, the sensor demonstrates good electrochemical response and distinct stripping peaks for both ions. The linear detection range of the sensor is 5–130 μg l−1 for both Pb(II) and Cd(II), with detection limits of 0.198 μg l−1 for Pb(II) and 0.106 μg l−1 for Cd(II). Furthermore, the sensor shows excellent repeatability with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 1.16% (n = 10) for Pb(II) and 1.25% (n = 10) for Cd(II), as well as remarkable reproducibility with RSD values of 1.56% for Pb(II) and 1.57% for Cd(II). The sensor was successfully applied to analyze tap water and lake water samples, demonstrating satisfactory recovery rates. This research shows the use of MXene and AuNPs to modify SPGE electrodes, offering a rapid and portable electrochemical sensor for detecting Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions in water.
Chemical Reduction of Cu(OH)2/Cu(O,S) Bilayers Fabricated by Chemical Bath Deposition to Form Adhesive and Low-Resistive Metallic Cu Layers on Glass Substrates
Authors: Kuwahara Haruka , Nakanishi Kota , Khoo Pei Loon , Fujita Naoyuki , Izaki Masanobu 
Published: January 2025

Chemical reductions of Cu(OH)2/Cu(O,S) and Cu(O,S)/Cu(O,S) bilayers fabricated on glass substrates by chemical bath deposition (CBD) was investigated through electrochemical measurements, X-ray diffraction, and evaluations of the electrical properties and adhesion strength by a tape-peeling test. The potential change during the chemical reduction in NaBH4 aqueous solutions was measured and discussed based on a mixed potential theory using the equilibrium potential calculated with chemical thermodynamics. The sheet resistance decreased from over 1 × 108 W/□ to 0.24 W/□, mainly due to the increase in the thickness, with the resistivity estimated to be 4.8 × 10–6 W cm. The metallic Cu layer showed adhesion strengths of 6.4 and 4.4 N cm−1 for maximum and average values respectively by tape-peeling test, without any detachment, but the Cu sheet peeled off from the glass substrate after the complete chemical reduction of the Cu(OH)2/Cu(O,S) bilayer. The Cu fragments formed by the chemical reduction of the Cu(O,S)/Cu(O,S) bilayer peeled off from the glass substrate, but the Cu(O,S)/Cu(O,S) bilayer showed the adhesion strengths of 6.7 and 4.0 N cm−1 for maximum and average values, respectively, by the tape-peeling test. Both the Cu(OH)2 and Cu(O,S) layers were indispensable to secure the Cu layer on the glass substrate.
MWCNT-PMB Modified Electrode for Enhanced Detection of Methiocarb Insecticide
Authors: El Fazdoune Mina , Bakirhan Nurgul K. , Bahend Khadija , Bazzaoui El Arbi , Bazzaoui Mohammed 
Published: January 2025

A glassy carbon electrode modified with multi-walled carbon nanotubes poly (methylene blue) (MWCNT-PMB/GCE) was developed as a promising electrode for the electrochemical sensing of Methiocarb (MTC). The electrode was prepared by synthesizing a PMB layer using cyclic voltammetry at an optimized cycle number of 30, followed by the deposition of MWCNT on the surface. The resulting MWCNT-PMB film has been characterized using scanning electron microscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. The results show enhanced electrochemical properties, including an increased active surface area (1.35 mm2) and improved conductivity (Rct = 15 Ω). These features contributed to improved sensitivity, selectivity, and a lower oxidation potential for detecting MTC. The electrochemical detection of MTC was carried out in Britton-Robinson buffer at an optimized pH of 5, using the differential pulse voltammetry method. The calibration plot exhibited linearity between 10 and 100 μM (R2 = 0.99) in the standard solution. The detection limit for MTC was determined to be 2.72 μM. Furthermore, the fabricated sensor was successfully applied to quantify MTC in human serum within the concentration range of 10–70 μM (R2 = 0.97), with a detection limit of 9.98 μM. The sensor demonstrated reliable performance with acceptable recovery results.