bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Porcine ear necrosis in weaned piglets: prevalence and impact on daily weight gain
Authors: Malik Mateusz , Schoos Alexandra , Chantziaras Ilias , Donkers Dries , Croubels Siska , Doupovec Barbara , Maes Dominiek 
Published: December 2021

AbstractBackgroundPorcine ear necrosis (PEN) in pigs is characterized by a blue to black discoloration of the tip or margin of the ear followed by necrosis. The present study investigated the prevalence of PEN in a Belgian pig farm with PEN problems in nursery pigs, the effect of a mycotoxin detoxifier added to the feed on PEN prevalence, and the impact of PEN on the piglets’ growth. Six consecutive batches of weaned piglets [565–751 piglets per batch, (n = 3898)] were included. For each weaning batch, the presence and severity of PEN during the nursery period (3–10 weeks of age) were recorded weekly. Average daily gain (ADG) was calculated by weighing 597 individual piglets divided over the six batches. Additionally different mycotoxins were measured in the feed using LC–MS/MS analysis, and to three randomly selected batches, a mycotoxin detoxifier (Mycofix® Plus 5E, Biomin) was added to the feed.ResultsAt the end of the nursery period, 11.0–32.0% of the piglets in each batch were affected. The prevalence increased with the number of weeks post-weaning, especially from week 4 after weaning onwards. Mild, moderate, severe and very severe lesions represented 84.6%, 14.0%, 1.3% and 0.1% of all lesions, respectively. Different mycotoxins were present in the feed, but all at low concentrations. The mean ADG (± SD) for pigs without (n = 243) and with (n = 158) lesions was 391 g (± 71 g) and 394 g (± 65 g), respectively (P > 0.05). The ADG for mildly affected (387 g ± 68 g) and moderately affected piglets (420 g ± 44 g) was not significantly different (P > 0.05). The PEN prevalence in the batches without or with the mycotoxin detoxifier was 25% and 22%, respectively (P > 0.05).ConclusionsTwenty-three percent of animals showed lesions at the end of the nursery. Affected pigs did not have a lower ADG compared to non-affected animals, which might be explained by the fact that most affected piglets only had mild lesions. The addition of a mycotoxin detoxifier did not influence the prevalence of PEN, possibly because of the low levels of mycotoxin contamination. Further research is warranted to assess the impact of more severe PEN lesions and the effect of control measures.
Effect of short glass fiber on shear capacity for shallow wide reinforced concrete beams
Authors: Moawad Mohamed S. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractShallow wide reinforced concrete beams are used in modern buildings especially in residential building structures. According to current Egyptian Code Practice 203-2018; the characteristic of a shallow wide concrete beam is that the cross-section width (b) over the effective depth (d) ratio is greater than two and the beam depth is less than 250 mm. Without any shear reinforcing contribution, the applied shear stresses in shallow wide beams must be less than the concrete shear strength. And only concrete provides shear strength. An experimental program was conducted to investigate the contribution of short glass fiber polymer reinforcement to shear strength in shallow wide beams under shear stress. The short glass fiber polymer reinforcement ratio was the main parameter in this study. And also, the contribution of web shear stirrups reinforces against shear stresses. The experimental program consisted of five simply supported reinforced shallow wide concrete beams. Test results show that the use of short glass fiber reinforced polymer has a great effect on shear strength capacity, mode of failure, and ductility of shallow wide concrete beams.
Prevalence of common mental disorders and treatment receipt for people from ethnic minority backgrounds in England: repeated cross-sectional surveys of the general population in 2007 and 2014
Authors: Ahmad Gargie , McManus Sally , Cooper Claudia , Hatch Stephani L. , Das-Munshi Jayati 
Published: December 2021

BackgroundConcerns persist that some ethnic minority groups experience longstanding mental health inequalities in England. It is unclear if these have changed over time.AimsTo assess the prevalence of common mental disorders (CMDs) and treatment receipt by ethnicity, and changes over time, using data from the nationally representative probability sample in the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Surveys.MethodWe used survey data from 2007 (n = 7187) and 2014 (n = 7413). A Clinical Interview Schedule – Revised score of ≥12 indicated presence of a CMD. Treatment receipt included current antidepressant use; any counselling or therapy; seeing a general practitioner about mental health; or seeing a community psychiatrist, psychologist or psychiatric nurse, in the past 12 months. Multivariable logistic regression assessed CMD prevalence and treatment receipt by ethnicity.ResultsCMD prevalence was highest in the Black group; ethnic variation was explained by demographic and socioeconomic factors. After adjustment for these factors and CMDs, odds ratios for treatment receipt were lower for the Asian (0.62, 95% CI 0.39−1.00) and White Other (0.58, 95% CI 0.38–0.87) groups in 2014, compared with the White British group; for the Black group, this inequality appeared to be widening over time (2007 treatment receipt odds ratio 0.68, 95% CI 0.38−1.23; 2014 treatment receipt odds ratio 0.23, 95% CI 0.13−0.40; survey year interaction P < 0.0001).ConclusionsTreatment receipt was lower for all ethnic minority groups compared with the White British group, and lowest among Black people, for whom inequalities appear to be widening over time. Addressing socioeconomic inequality could reduce ethnic inequalities in mental health problems, but this does not explain pronounced treatment inequalities.
A Maternal Serum Metabolite Ratio Predicts Large for Gestational Age Infants at Term: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Sovio Ulla , Goulding Neil , McBride Nancy , Cook Emma , Gaccioli Francesca , Charnock-Jones D Stephen , Lawlor Deborah A , Smith Gordon C S 
Published: December 2021

Abstract

Context
Excessive birth weight is associated with maternal and neonatal complications. However, ultrasonically estimated large for gestational age (LGA; &gt;90th percentile) predicts these complications poorly.

Objective
To determine whether a maternal serum metabolite ratio developed for fetal growth restriction (FGR) is predictive of birth weight across the whole range, including LGA at birth.

Methods
Metabolites were measured using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy. The 4-metabolite ratio was previously derived from an analysis of FGR cases and a random subcohort from the Pregnancy Outcome Prediction study. Here, we evaluated its relationship at 36 weeks of gestational age (wkGA) with birth weight in the subcohort (n = 281). External validation in the Born in Bradford (BiB) study (n = 2366) used the metabolite ratio at 24 to 28 wkGA.

Results
The inverse of the metabolite ratio at 36 wkGA predicted LGA at term [the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROCC) = 0.82, 95% CI 0.73 to 0.91, P = 6.7 × 10−5]. The ratio was also inversely associated with birth weight z score (linear regression, beta = −0.29 SD, P = 2.1 × 10−8). Analysis in the BiB cohort confirmed that the ratio at 24 to 28 wkGA predicted LGA (AUROCC = 0.60, 95% CI 0.54 to 0.67, P = 8.6 × 10−5) and was inversely associated with birth weight z score (beta = −0.12 SD, P = 1.3 × 10−9).

Conclusions
A metabolite ratio which is strongly predictive of FGR is equally predictive of LGA birth weight and is inversely associated with birth weight across the whole range.
Noninvasive Prenatal Diagnosis of a Paternally Inherited MEN1 Pathogenic Splicing Variant
Authors: Huby Thomas , Le Guillou Edouard , Burin des Roziers Cyril , Pacot Laurence , Briand-Suleau Audrey , Chansavang Albain , Toussaint Aurélie , Duchossoy Véronique , Vaucouleur Nicolas , Benoit Virginie , Lodé Laurence , Molac Clémence , North Marie-Odile , Grotto Sarah , Tsatsaris Vassilis , Jouinot Anne , Cochand-Priollet Béatrix , Paepegaey Anne-Cécile , Nectoux Juliette , Groussin Lionel , Pasmant Eric 
Published: December 2021

Abstract

Context
Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is an autosomal dominant disease caused by mutations in the tumor suppressor gene MEN1. The uncertainty of pathogenicity of MEN1 variants complexifies the selection of the patients likely to benefit from specific care.

Objective
MEN1-mutated patients should be offered tailored tumor screening and genetic counseling. We present a patient with hyperparathyroidism for whom genetic analysis identified a variant of uncertain significance in the MEN1 gene (NM_130799.2): c.654G &gt; T p.(Arg218=). Additional functional genetic tests were performed to classify the variant as pathogenic and allowed prenatal testing.

Design
Targeted next generation sequencing identified a synonymous variant in the MEN1 gene in a 26-year-old male with symptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism. In silico and in vitro genetic tests were performed to assess variant pathogenicity.

Results
Genetic testing of the proband’s unaffected parents showed the variant occurred de novo. Transcript study showed a splicing defect leading to an in-frame deletion. The classification of the MEN1 variant as pathogenic confirmed the diagnosis of MEN1 and recommended an adapted medical care and follow-up. Pathogenic classification also allowed to propose a genetic counseling to the proband and his wife. Noninvasive prenatal diagnosis was performed with a personalized medicine-based protocol by detection of the paternally inherited variant in maternal plasmatic cell free DNA, using digital PCR.

Conclusion
We showed that functional genetic analysis can help to assess the pathogenicity of a MEN1 variant with crucial consequences for medical care and genetic counseling decisions.
Cohort, Policy, and Process: The Implications for Migrant Fertility in West Germany
Authors: Erman Jeylan 
Published: December 2021

AbstractAlthough a growing literature explores the relationship between migration and fertility, far less scholarship has examined how migrant childbearing varies over time, including across migrant cohorts. I extend previous research by exploring migrant-cohort differences in fertility and the role of changing composition by education and type of family migration. Using 1984–2016 German Socio-Economic Panel data, I investigate the transition into first, second, and third birth among foreign-born women in West Germany. Results from an event-history analysis reveal that education and type of family migration—including marriage migration and family reunions—contribute to differences in first birth across migrant cohorts. Specifically, more rapid entry into first birth among recent migrants from Turkey stems from a greater representation of marriage migrants across arrival cohorts, while increasing education is associated with reduced first birth propensities among recent migrants from Southern Europe. I also find variation in the risk of higher parity transitions across migrant cohorts, particularly lower third birth risks among recent arrivals from Turkey, likely a result of changing exposures within origin and destination contexts. These findings suggest that as political and socioeconomic circumstances vary within origin and destination contexts, selection, adaptation, and socialization processes jointly shape childbearing behavior.
Blood Biomarkers and Structural Imaging Correlations Post-Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review
Authors: Whitehouse Daniel P. , Vile Alexander R. , Adatia Krishma , Herlekar Rahul , Roy Akangsha Sur , Mondello Stefania , Czeiter Endre , Amrein Krisztina , Büki András , Maas Andrew I. R. , Menon David K. , Newcombe Virginia F. J. 
Published: December 2021

BACKGROUND:
Blood biomarkers are of increasing importance in the diagnosis and assessment of traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the relationship between them and lesions seen on imaging remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE:
To perform a systematic review of the relationship between blood biomarkers and intracranial lesion types, intracranial lesion injury patterns, volume/number of intracranial lesions, and imaging classification systems.

METHODS:
We searched Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Excerpta Medica dataBASE, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature from inception to May 2021, and the references of included studies were also screened. Heterogeneity in study design, biomarker types, imaging modalities, and analyses inhibited quantitative analysis, with a qualitative synthesis presented.

RESULTS:
Fifty-nine papers were included assessing one or more biomarker to imaging comparisons per paper: 30 assessed imaging classifications or injury patterns, 28 assessed lesion type, and 11 assessed lesion volume or number. Biomarker concentrations were associated with the burden of brain injury, as assessed by increasing intracranial lesion volume, increasing numbers of traumatic intracranial lesions, and positive correlations with imaging classification scores. There were inconsistent findings associating different biomarkers with specific imaging phenotypes including diffuse axonal injury, cerebral edema, and intracranial hemorrhage.

CONCLUSION:
Blood-based biomarker concentrations after TBI are consistently demonstrated to correlate burden of intracranial disease. The relation with specific injury types is unclear suggesting a lack of diagnostic specificity and/or is the result of the complex and heterogeneous nature of TBI.
Comparative analysis of vertebrates reveals that mouse primordial oocytes do not contain a Balbiani body
Authors: Dhandapani Laasya , Salzer Marion C. , Duran Juan M. , Zaffagnini Gabriele , De Guirior Cristian , Martínez-Zamora Maria Angeles , Böke Elvan 
Published: December 2021

ABSTRACT
Oocytes spend the majority of their lifetime in a primordial state. The cellular and molecular biology of primordial oocytes is largely unexplored; yet, it is necessary to study them to understand the mechanisms through which oocytes maintain cellular fitness for decades, and why they eventually fail with age. Here, we develop enabling methods for live-imaging-based comparative characterization of Xenopus, mouse and human primordial oocytes. We show that primordial oocytes in all three vertebrate species contain active mitochondria, Golgi and lysosomes. We further demonstrate that human and Xenopus oocytes have a Balbiani body characterized by a dense accumulation of mitochondria in their cytoplasm. However, despite previous reports, we did not find a Balbiani body in mouse oocytes. Instead, we demonstrate that what was previously used as a marker for the Balbiani body in mouse primordial oocytes is in fact a ring-shaped Golgi that is not functionally associated with oocyte dormancy. This study provides the first insights into the organization of the cytoplasm in mammalian primordial oocytes, and clarifies the relative advantages and limitations of choosing different model organisms for studying oocyte dormancy.
The relationship between head shape, head musculature and bite force in caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona)
Authors: Lowie Aurélien , De Kegel Barbara , Wilkinson Mark , Measey John , O'Reilly James C. , Kley Nathan J. , Gaucher Philippe , Brecko Jonathan , Kleinteich Thomas , Adriaens Dominique , Herrel Anthony 
Published: December 2021

ABSTRACT
Caecilians are enigmatic limbless amphibians that, with a few exceptions, all have an at least partly burrowing lifestyle. Although it has been suggested that caecilian evolution resulted in sturdy and compact skulls as an adaptation to their head-first burrowing habits, no relationship between skull shape and burrowing performance has been demonstrated to date. However, the unique dual jaw-closing mechanism and the osteological variability of their temporal region suggest a potential relationship between skull shape and feeding mechanics. Here, we explored the relationships between skull shape, head musculature and in vivo bite forces. Although there is a correlation between bite force and external head shape, no relationship between bite force and skull shape could be detected. Whereas our data suggest that muscles are the principal drivers of variation in bite force, the shape of the skull is constrained by factors other than demands for bite force generation. However, a strong covariation between the cranium and mandible exists. Moreover, both cranium and mandible shape covary with jaw muscle architecture. Caecilians show a gradient between species with a long retroarticular process associated with a large and pennate-fibered m. interhyoideus posterior and species with a short process but long and parallel-fibered jaw adductors. Our results demonstrate the complexity of the relationship between form and function of this jaw system. Further studies that focus on factors such as gape distance or jaw velocity will be needed in order to fully understand the evolution of feeding mechanics in caecilians.
Paediatric diagnostic reference levels for common radiological examinations using the European guidelines
Authors: Almén Anja , Guðjónsdóttir Jónína , Heimland Nils , Højgaard Britta , Waltenburg Hanne , Widmark Anders 
Published: December 2021

Objective:
The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility to determine regional diagnostic reference levels (RDRLs) for paediatric conventional and CT examinations using the European guidelines and to compare RDRLs derived from weight and age groups, respectively.

Methods:
Data were collected from 31 hospitals in 4 countries, for 7 examination types for a total of 2978 patients. RDRLs were derived for each weight and age group, respectively, when the total number of patients exceeded 15.

Results:
It was possible to derive RDRLs for most, but not all, weight-based and age-based groups for the seven examinations. The result using weight-based and age-based groups differed substantially. The RDRLs were lower than or equal to the European and recently published national DRLs.

Conclusion:
It is feasible to derive RDRLs. However, a thorough review of the clinical indications and methodologies has to be performed previous to data collection. This study does not support the notion that DRLs derived using age and weight groups are exchangeable.

Advances in knowledge:
Paediatric DRLs should be derived using weight-based groups with access to the actual weight of the patients. DRLs developed using weight differ markedly from those developed with the use of age. There is still a need to harmonize the method to derive solid DRLs for paediatric radiological examinations.
Bimodal Characteristic Returns and Predictability Enhancement via Machine Learning
Authors: Han Chulwoo 
Published: December 2021

This paper documents the bimodality of momentum stocks: both high- and low-momentum stocks have nontrivial probabilities for both high and low returns. The bimodality makes the momentum strategy fundamentally risky and can cause a large loss. To alleviate the bimodality and improve return predictability, this paper develops a novel cross-sectional prediction model via machine learning. By reclassifying stocks based on their predicted financial performance, the model significantly outperforms off-the-shelf machine learning models. Tested on the U.S. market, a value-weighted long-short portfolio earns a monthly alpha of 2.4% (t-statistic = 6.63) when regressed against the Fama–French five factors plus the momentum and short-term reversal factors. This paper was accepted by Kay Giesecke, finance.
Inside the Velvet Glove: Sustaining Private Regulatory Institutions Through Hollowing and Fortifying
Authors: Buchanan Sean , Barnett Michael L. 
Published: December 2021

The forces that threaten to break apart private regulatory institutions are well known, but the forces that sustain them are not. Through a longitudinal inductive study of the Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) program in the Canadian mining industry, we demonstrate how private regulatory institutions are sustained by strategically manipulating different aspects of an institution’s stringency. Our findings show how shifts in external conditions decreased benefits of participation for firms, triggering institutional destabilization. We demonstrate how the interdependent mechanisms of hollowing—actions that ratchet down aspects of stringency associated with high compliance costs—and fortifying—actions that ratchet up aspects of stringency associated with low compliance costs—worked together to stabilize the institution by rebalancing the competing pressures that underpin it. However, these same mechanisms can hinder the ability of these institutions to substantively address the targeted issues, even as they become more stringent in some areas. Our study advances research on private regulation by showing how different aspects of stringency can be simultaneously ratcheted up and ratcheted down to sustain private regulatory institutions. Further, in positioning institutional stability as an ongoing negotiation, we elucidate the key custodial role of governing organizations like trade associations in institutional maintenance.Funding: Financial support fromthe Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada [Grant 752-2012-2294] is gratefully acknowledged.
What is the appropriate extended duration of antibiotic prophylaxis after two-stage revision for chronic PJI?
Authors: Fang Xinyu , Wang Qiaojie , Yang Xurong , Zhang Feiyang , Huang Changyu , Huang Zida , Shen Hao , Zhang Wenming 
Published: December 2021

Aims To explore the effect of different durations of antibiotics after stage II reimplantation on the prognosis of two-stage revision for chronic periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Methods This study involved a retrospective collection of patients who underwent two-stage revision for chronic PJI and continued to use extended antibiotic prophylaxis in two regional medical centres from January 2010 to June 2018. The patients were divided into a short (≤ one month) or a long (> one month) course of treatment based on the duration of antibiotics following stage II reimplantation. The difference in the infection control rate between the two groups was compared, and prognostic factors for recurrence were analyzed. Results A total of 105 patients with chronic PJI were enrolled: 64 patients in the short course group and 41 patients in the long course group. For 99 of the patients, the infection was under control during a follow-up period of at least 24 months after two-stage revision. For the short course group, the mean duration of antibiotic prophylaxis after stage II reimplantation was 20.17 days (SD 5.30) and the infection control rate was 95.3%; for the long course group these were 45.02 days (SD 15.03) and 92.7%, respectively. There was no significant difference in infection control rates between the two groups (p = 0.676). Cox regression analysis found that methicillin-resistant staphylococcus infection (p = 0.015) was an independent prognostic factor for recurrence. Conclusion After stage II reimplantation surgery of two-stage revision for chronic PJI, extended antibiotic prophylaxis for less than one month can achieve good infection control rate. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2021;10(12):790–796.