bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Distension‐contraction profile of peristalsis in patients with nutcracker esophagus
Authors: Zifan Ali , Muta Kazumasa , Mittal Ravinder K. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractIntroductionHigh amplitude peristaltic esophageal contractions, that is, nutcracker esophagus, were originally described in association with “angina‐like pain” of esophageal origin. However, significant number of nutcracker patients also suffer from dysphagia. High‐resolution esophageal manometry (HRM) assesses only the contraction phase of peristalsis. The degree of esophageal distension during peristalsis is a surrogate of relaxation and can be measured from the intraluminal esophageal impedance measurements.AimsDetermine the amplitude of distension and temporal relationship between distension and contraction during swallow‐induced peristalsis in nutcracker patients.MethodsHRM impedance (HRMZ) studies were performed and analyzed in 24 nutcracker and 30 normal subjects in the Trendelenburg position. A custom‐built software calculated the numerical data of the amplitudes of distension and contraction, the area under the curve (AUC) of distension and contraction, and the temporal relationship between distension and contraction.ResultsIn normal subjects, the distension peaks similar to contraction traverse sequentially the esophagus. The amplitude of contraction is greater in the nutcracker esophagus but the amplitude of distension and area under the curve of distension are smaller in patients compared to controls. Distension peaks are aligned closely with contraction in normal subjects, but in patients, the bolus travels faster to the distal esophagus, resulting in a smaller time interval between the onset of swallow and distension peak. Receiver operative characteristics (ROC) curve reveals high sensitivity and specificity of the above parameters in patients.ConclusionAbnormalities in the distension phase of peristalsis are a possible mechanism of dysphagia in patients with nutcracker esophagus.
Healthcare spending and utilization for pediatric Irritable Bowel Syndrome in a commercially insured population
Authors: Beinvogl Beate , Palmer Nathan , Kohane Isaac , Nurko Samuel 
Published: April 2021

AbstractBackgroundPediatric Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is common and can be associated with disabling gastrointestinal symptoms. Comprehensive data regarding utilization and cost of pediatric IBS are lacking. Our aim was to determine the annual all‐cause spending and healthcare utilization in pediatric IBS.MethodsCross‐sectional cohort study using a national claims database of commercially insured individuals. 932,592 members, age 8–18 years, were included. Members were selected based on PheWas codes and continuous enrollment in 2014. Linear and binomial regression models were used to calculate healthcare spending and compare comorbidities between IBS subjects and controls.Key Results1215 members with claims for IBS (68.4% female) and 931,377 controls (55.7% female) were included. Mean age was 15.03 ± 2.83 (median 16) years in the IBS group and 13.14 ± 3.12 (median 13) years in controls. Mental health and chronic pain comorbidities were more prevalent in the IBS cohort. Healthcare spending: The mean annual all‐cause incremental spending of members with IBS was $6,364.60 compared to controls when adjusting for age and gender. Healthcare utilization: Members with IBS had increased healthcare utilization including higher rates of inpatient, outpatient, and emergency room visits, and higher rates of health service utilization including medical care, radiology/laboratory services, surgery, anesthesia, mental health, and physical therapy. General pediatrics was more frequently consulted by controls. All subspecialty consultations, with the exception of dental medicine and endocrinology, were sought more frequently by IBS patients.ConclusionPatients with IBS incur significant annual spending through increased healthcare utilization.
Heat stress response mechanisms in pollen development
Authors: Chaturvedi Palak , Wiese Anna J. , Ghatak Arindam , Záveská Drábková Lenka , Weckwerth Wolfram , Honys David 
Published: April 2021

SummaryBeing rooted in place, plants are faced with the challenge of responding to unfavourable local conditions. One such condition, heat stress, contributes massively to crop losses globally. Heatwaves are predicted to increase, and it is of vital importance to generate crops that are tolerant to not only heat stress but also to several other abiotic stresses (e.g. drought stress, salinity stress) to ensure that global food security is protected. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie the temperature stress response in pollen will be a significant step towards developing effective breeding strategies for high and stable production in crop plants. While most studies have focused on the vegetative phase of plant growth to understand heat stress tolerance, it is the reproductive phase that requires more attention as it is more sensitive to elevated temperatures. Every phase of reproductive development is affected by environmental challenges, including pollen and ovule development, pollen tube growth, male–female cross‐talk, fertilization, and embryo development. In this review we summarize how pollen is affected by heat stress and the molecular mechanisms employed during the stress period, as revealed by classical and ‐omics experiments.
Zinc import mediated by AdcABC is critical for colonization of the dental biofilm by Streptococcus mutans in an animal model
Authors: Ganguly T. , Peterson A.M. , Kajfasz J.K. , Abranches J. , Lemos J.A. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractTrace metals are essential to all domains of life but toxic when found at high concentrations. Although the importance of iron in host–pathogen interactions is firmly established, contemporary studies indicate that other trace metals, including manganese and zinc, are also critical to the infectious process. In this study, we sought to identify and characterize the zinc uptake system(s) of Streptococcus mutans, a keystone pathogen in dental caries and a causative agent of bacterial endocarditis. Different than other pathogenic bacteria, including several streptococci, that encode multiple zinc import systems, bioinformatic analysis indicated that the S. mutans core genome encodes a single, highly conserved, zinc importer commonly known as AdcABC. Inactivation of the genes coding for the metal‐binding AdcA (ΔadcA) or both AdcC ATPase and AdcB permease (ΔadcCB) severely impaired the ability of S. mutans to grow under zinc‐depleted conditions. Intracellular metal quantifications revealed that both mutants accumulated less zinc when grown in the presence of a subinhibitory concentration of a zinc‐specific chelator. Notably, the ΔadcCB strain displayed a severe colonization defect in a rat oral infection model. Both Δadc strains were hypersensitive to high concentrations of manganese, showed reduced peroxide tolerance, and formed less biofilm in sucrose‐containing media when cultivated in the presence of the lowest amount of zinc that support their growth, but not when zinc was supplied in excess. Collectively, this study identifies AdcABC as the major high affinity zinc importer of S. mutans and provides preliminary evidence that zinc is a growth‐limiting factor within the dental biofilm.
Energy market dynamics and the role of fiscal policy in oil‐exporting countries: a TVAR approach
Authors: Shaheen Rozina 
Published: April 2021

AbstractWhile realising the macroeconomic significance of oil price fluctuations, this research examines the role of fiscal policy under changing dynamics of energy market for selected oil‐exporting countries. We specify a non‐linear threshold structural vector autoregression model which constitutes policy variables such as general government expenditures and primary fiscal balance and macroeconomic indicators such as real GDP growth and the inflation rate. To capture the energy market dynamics, this research selects Brent crude oil price as threshold variable and segregates the sample period 1991‐2019 as ‘high’ and ‘low’ oil price regimes. While using non‐linear generalised impulse response functions, we find that under higher oil price regime, an increase in government expenditures and reduction in fiscal deficit have larger multiplier effect to enhance output growth in most of the sampled countries. In addition, this research identifies larger inflationary effects of an increase in government expenditures and fiscal deficit under higher oil price regime for all countries except Canada. However, under a higher oil price regime, a fiscal deficit induced output growth, and under a lower oil price regime, a reduction in government expenditure brings inflation in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, this research provides an alternative measure of threshold crude oil price for the sampled countries to their accounting‐based concept of fiscal break‐even price.
Achieve Closed Reduction of Irreducible, Unilateral Vertically Displaced Pelvic Ring Disruption with an Unlocking Closed Reduction Technique
Authors: Chen Hua , Zhang Qun , Wu Yan , Chang Zuhao , Zhu Zhengguo , Zhang Wei , Tang Peifu 
Published: April 2021

ObjectiveTo be able to treat irreducible unilateral vertically displaced pelvic ring disruption (UVDPRD) using closed reduction, we introduced a technique named Unlocking Closed Reduction Technique (UCRT) and evaluated its effectiveness with improved pelvic closed reduction system (PCRS).MethodsA retrospective study was performed in our department. Between January 2014 and December 2017, 43 patients whose UVDPRD were not successfully reduced using transcondylar traction. Subsequently, they were treated with UCRT using improved PCRS. The study included 19 male and 24 female patients, with a mean age at the time of the operation of 46.2 years. During surgery, operation time and blood loss were recorded. Post‐surgical reduction quality was evaluated using Matta scoring criteria and patient lower‐extremity functional outcome was evaluated using Majeed functional scoring criteria.ResultsWhen used with improved PCRS, UCRT achieved pelvic reduction in all 43 cases of irreducible UVDPRD with postoperative pelvic reduction quality rated excellent and good for 42/43 (97.6%) patients according to the Matta scoring criteria (Matta Score < 10 mm). While no post‐surgical complications emerged as the direct result of UCRT in this cohort of patients, 8/37 patients who were treated with subcutaneous supra‐acetabular pedicle screw internal fixation (INFIX) for anterior ring fixation developed lateral femoral cutaneous nerve injury but recovered 6 months postoperatively. No revision surgery was performed on any of the recruited patients. All patients' lower‐extremity functionality was rated excellent with an average Majeed function score of 94.3 during the last follow‐up at an average of 41.6 months postoperatively.ConclusionWith excellent surgical and functional outcomes in patients with irreducible UVDPRD, improved PCRS‐assisted UCRT proved to be a safe and effective method for the treatment of irreducible UVDPRD.
Risk Factors and Outcomes for Preoperative Asymptomatic Pulmonary Embolism in Patients Aged 60 Years and Over with Hip Fracture
Authors: Zhou Fang‐lun , Wang Li‐hong , Dai Cheng‐qian , Shentu Guo‐jian , Xu Guo‐hong 
Published: April 2021

ObjectiveTo investigate the risk factors for, and outcomes of, preoperative asymptomatic pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients ≥60 years old following delayed operation for hip fracture.MethodsFrom March 2017 to December 2018, 90 patients aged ≥60 years with hip fracture who suffered a delay in surgery were recruited to this prospective study following admission to our hospital. Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) was used to detect preoperative asymptomatic PE and calculated its incidence. Time from injury to admission, baseline characteristics, medical comorbidities, and blood biomarker levels were evaluated as potential risk factors. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors. Mortality and major bleeding events were recorded and compared between individuals with PE and without. Data were analyzed by t‐test, Mann–Whitney U test, χ2 test, Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression analysis.ResultsThe incidence of preoperative asymptomatic PE was 18.9% (17/90 patients). In the univariate analysis, the risk factors for preoperative asymptomatic PE were male sex, hypertension, cerebrovascular accident, smoking, plasma D‐dimer level, potassium level, urea level, creatinine level, and cysteine level. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of preoperative asymptomatic PE was higher in patients with hypertension (odds ratio [OR] = 10.048; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.118–90.333), cerebrovascular accident (OR = 20.135; 95% CI, 1.875–216.164), smoking (OR = 48.741; 95% CI, 4.155–571.788), high plasma D‐dimer levels (OR = 1.200; 95% CI, 1.062–157.300), and high plasma potassium levels (OR = 12.928; 95% CI, 1.062–157.300). All patients were followed up for 21.0 months (range, 2 to 36 months). Mortality within the first year postoperatively was higher in patients with PE (29.41% vs 9.59%, P = 0.046).ConclusionsIn view of the high incidence of preoperative asymptomatic PE and the inferior prognosis in individuals with PE, routine CTPA examination for preoperative asymptomatic PE could be useful for patients aged ≥60 years with hip fracture for whom surgery is delayed.
Pragmatic Skepticism
Authors: Rinard Susanna 
Published: April 2021

AbstractPragmatic responses to skepticism have been overlooked in recent decades. This paper explores one such response by developing a character called the Pragmatic Skeptic. The Pragmatic Skeptic accepts skeptical arguments for the claim that we lack evidence for our ordinary beliefs, and that they do not constitute knowledge. However, they do not think we should give up our beliefs in light of these skeptical conclusions. Rather, we should retain them, since we have good practical reasons for doing so. This takes the sting out of skepticism: we can be skeptics, of a kind, without thereby succumbing to practical or intellectual disaster. I respond to objections, and compare the position of the Pragmatic Skeptic to views found in the work of (among others) David Hume, William James, David Lewis, Berislav Marušić, and Robert Pasnau.
Expansion and population structure of transplanted Aristida beyrichiana (wiregrass) tussocks: results of a 37‐year study
Authors: Laucevicius Anthony M. , Robertson Kevin M. , Means D. Bruce , Mitchell Trina R. , Taylor Porter B. 
Published: April 2021

Aristida beyrichiana (wiregrass) is a foundation bunchgrass species in many southeastern U.S. native pine communities, but it has been dramatically reduced in extent. The potential for reintroduced wiregrass to reproduce and spread is not well studied because of its slow growth and limited conditions for successful reproduction. We present a case study where tussocks of wiregrass were transplanted and recensused 18 and 37 years later to study their population dynamics. We remeasured a subset of tussocks to estimate diameter growth over 2 years. With frequent prescribed fires (1–3 year intervals, about half in April–July when flowering is induced), the initial population of 160 tussocks increased to 1,199 through seed dispersal and clonal fragmentation, and the total basal area approximately tripled. Relationships among tussock density, diameter, and basal area per m2 and their changes over time suggest density‐dependent regulation of population structure, possibly from intraspecific competition and competitive exclusion. Tussock diameter growth averaged 0.9 cm per year over a 2‐year period and was independent of initial diameter. This study, the longest of a wiregrass population to date, suggests that a low‐density population established in native soil types has a slow but robust tendency to reproduce by seed and expand if provided frequent fire, including April–July burns, in a high light environment without soil disturbance. Wiregrass can be characterized as a competitive, late‐successional, dominant species in stable, climax‐like native savannas, promising long‐term success under appropriate conditions as part of restoration efforts.
Technology adoption and the middle‐income trap: Lessons from the Middle East and East Asia
Authors: Arezki Rabah , Fan Rachel Yuting , Nguyen Ha 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThis paper documents the existence of a “middle‐income trap” for the Middle East and North Africa region and contrasts the evidence with that of the East Asia and Pacific region. The results are twofold. First, nonparametric regressions show that the average rate of economic growth in the Middle East and North Africa has not only been significantly lower than that in the East Asia and Pacific region, but has also tended to drop at an earlier level of income. Second, econometric results point to the Middle East and North Africa having experienced a relatively slow pace of technology adoption in general‐purpose technologies and that a slower adoption pace of technology is associated with significantly lower economic growth. The paper concludes that barriers to the adoption of general‐purpose technologies related to the lack of contestability in key sectors constitute an important channel of transmission for the middle‐income trap.
Variable Selection with ABC Bayesian Forests
Authors: Liu Yi , Ročková Veronika , Wang Yuexi 
Published: April 2021

AbstractFew problems in statistics are as perplexing as variable selection in the presence of very many redundant covariates. The variable selection problem is most familiar in parametric environments such as the linear model or additive variants thereof. In this work, we abandon the linear model framework, which can be quite detrimental when the covariates impact the outcome in a non-linear way, and turn to tree-based methods for variable selection. Such variable screening is traditionally done by pruning down large trees or by ranking variables based on some importance measure. Despite heavily used in practice, these ad hoc selection rules are not yet well understood from a theoretical point of view. In this work, we devise a Bayesian tree-based probabilistic method and show that it is consistent for variable selection when the regression surface is a smooth mix of p &gt; n covariates. These results are the first model selection consistency results for Bayesian forest priors. Probabilistic assessment of variable importance is made feasible by a spike-and-slab wrapper around sum-of-trees priors. Sampling from posterior distributions over trees is inherently very difficult. As an alternative to Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC), we propose approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) Bayesian forests, a new ABC sampling method based on data-splitting that achieves higher ABC acceptance rate. We show that the method is robust and successful at finding variables with high marginal inclusion probabilities. Our ABC algorithm provides a new avenue towards approximating the median probability model in non-parametric setups where the marginal likelihood is intractable.
Ethnic Diversity and Local Economies
Authors: Dinku Yonatan , Regasa Dereje 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe effect on economic outcomes of ethnic diversity remains debatable. Some view ethnic diversity as a deterrent of development, whereas others consider it a source of innovation and productivity, which can be translated into a higher level of development. This study aims to shed further light on the issue. Applying instrumental variables estimation to district‐level data, we find that ethnic diversity has a significant positive association with nighttime light intensity, which is used as a proxy for level of economic activity. The finding is robust to alternative specifications. Our finding suggests that centuries of interethnic contacts and coexistence may have helped ethnically diverse communities to gain experimental knowledge of the diverse beliefs and social practices and transition it into better economic outcomes.
Phylogeny of true ladybird beetles (Coccinellidae: Coccinellini) reveals pervasive convergent evolution and a rapid Cenozoic radiation
Authors: Tomaszewska Wioletta , Escalona Hermes E. , Hartley Diana , Li Jiahui , Wang Xingmin , Li Hao‐Sen , Pang Hong , Ślipiński Adam , Zwick Andreas 
Published: April 2021

AbstractCoccinellini, the ‘true ladybirds’, is a large, cosmopolitan tribe of lady beetles with immense variability in colour and form that include many commonly recognized species and major biocontrol agents, as well as some ubiquitous invasive species. In this study, we performed phylogenetic analyses of molecular and morphological data. For the molecular analysis, we gathered DNA sequence data from 164 species in 57 genera (and outgroups) from five nuclear genes [CAD (two fragments), TOPO, WGL, 3059fin] and one mitochondrial (COI) gene. The morphological analyses comprised 301 terminals and 61 discrete characters that were analysed by parsimony (MP). Our phylogenetic analyses indicate a monophyletic Coccinellini (former Coccinellinae) containing previously recognized tribes [Coccinellini, Discotomini, Halyziini, Singhikaliini and Tytthaspidini (incl. Bulaeini)]. Coccinellini is further divided into four main clades as follows: the Coccinella group (Clade A; incl. former Tytthaspidini), the Cycloneda group (Clade B), the Hippodamia group (Clade C) and the Synonycha group (Clade D; incl. former Halyziini, Singhikaliini and Discotomini). The phylogenetic relationships between them are: (A, (B, (C, D))). Our analyses also indicate that several currently recognized genera of Coccinellini are para‐ or polyphyletic. Based on our phylogenetic results, new generic groups are defined for Coccinellini, and new generic amendments are proposed as follows: Micraspis Chevrolat sensu n. (Oriental and Australian species), Microcaria Crotch sensu n. (=Bothrocalvia Crotch) (incl. Coelophora Mulsant species) and Phrynocaria Timberlake sensu n. (incl. Coelophora species). Further possible synonyms are discussed, for example, Coccinella Linnaeus (incl. Lioadalia Crotch), Psyllobora Chevrolat (including Oxytella Weise) and Xanthadalia Crotch (incl. Declivitata Fürsch and the African species of Micraspis). The large Clade D, the Synonycha group, with 26 predominant Old World genera, contains the two notable, large and non monophyletic genera Calvia Mulsant and Coelophora that confound the relationships throughout the clade. Additionally, we performed ancestral state reconstruction of selected morphological characters traditionally used in the classification of this group, revealing their homoplastic nature. We also found that the traditional synapomorphy of the tribe, that is, female colleterial glands, closely resemble structures used in symbiotic relationships in other beetles. We used the results of our phylogenetic inferences to estimate divergence times of the tribe and major clades of Coccinellini.