bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cause-of-death diversity trends from a multiple-cause perspective
Authors: Trias-Llimós S , Permanyer I 
Published: October 2021

Abstract

Background
Recent evidence suggests that the diversity in underlying cause-of-death has increased over the last two decades, especially among old age groups. However, current approaches ignore the presence of comorbidities, which are highly prevalent and complicate the assignation of a single cause of death. We contribute to the debate of cause-of-death diversity by proposing and measuring it in the more general ‘Multiple Causes of Death' (MCOD) settings.

Methods
We use individual-level multiple cause of death mortality data for 2003-18 for the US by age group, sex and educational attainment. Causes of death were grouped into 13 main causes. We examine cause of death diversity using a newly developed approach based on the fractionalization index that accounts for the relative importance of the underlying versus the other causes listed in the death certificate for the whole deaths sample and by educational groups.

Results
Cause-of-death diversity increased in the studied period, and especially up to 2012. These trends were driven by increases in ages 65 and over. Compared to the standard single cause-of-death trends, results including MCOD suggested higher increases over time in all age groups except for men aged 85 years and older, where no differences were observed. Results by educational attainment showed lower diversity among the highest educated groups, and similar increases over time across groups. Interestingly, the educational gradient diminished at ages 65-84 and disappeared (men) or got reverted (women) at ages 85 and over.

Conclusions
The observed increases in cause-of-death diversity in the US could raise new concerns regarding the use of health services and the need to tackle specific groups of causes of death. In low mortality settings, cause of death diversity is a topic of growing public health relevance and further research should study the role of specific sets of causes to cause of death diversity dynamics.

Key messages
Cause-of-death diversity increased in the US in 2003-18. Higher diversity is a growing public health issue with potential implications on the healthcare system as well as in life expectancy dynamics.
Midlife Cardiovascular Health and Robust Versus Frail Late-Life Status: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study
Authors: Palta Priya , Griswold Michael , Ranadive Radhikesh , Bandeen-Roche Karen , Folsom Aaron R , Petruski-Ivleva Natalia , Burgard Sheila , Kucharska-Newton Anna , Windham B Gwen 
Published: October 2021

Abstract

Background
We examined the relationship of midlife cardiovascular health (CVH) with late-life robustness among men and women and the impact of survivorship bias on sex differences in robustness.

Methods
Prospective analysis of 15 744 participants aged 45–64 (visit 1 median age: 54 years, 55% female, 27% Black) in 1987–1989 from the population-based Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. CVH was operationalized according to the Life’s Simple 7 (LS7) metric of health behaviors (smoking, weight, physical activity, diet, cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose); each behavior was scored as ideal (2 points), intermediate (1 point), or poor (0 points) and summed. Late-life robust/prefrail/frailty was defined at visit 5 (2011–2013). Multinomial regression estimated relative prevalence ratios (RPRs) of late-life robustness/prefrailty/frailty/death across overall midlife LS7 score and components, for the full visit 1 sample. Separate analyses considered visit 5 survivors-only.

Results
For each 1-unit greater midlife LS7 score, participants had a 37% higher relative prevalence of being robust versus frail (overall RPR = 1.37 [95% confidence interval {CI}: 1.30–1.44]; women = 1.45 [1.36–1.54]; men = 1.24 [1.13–1.36]). Among the full visit 1 sample, women had a similar 1-level higher robustness category prevalence (RPR = 1.35 [95% CI: 1.32–1.39]) than men (RPR = 1.31 [95% CI: 1.27–1.35]) for every 1-unit higher midlife LS7 score. Among survivors, men were more likely to be robust than women at lower LS7 levels; differences were attenuated and not statistically different at higher midlife LS7 levels.

Conclusions
Midlife CVH is positively associated with robustness in late life among men and women. Accounting for mortality in part explains documented sex differences in robustness across all levels of LS7.
Bridging the Gap: A Geroscience Primer for Neuroscientists With Potential Collaborative Applications
Authors: Hoffman Jessica M , Hernandez Caesar M , Hernandez Abbi R , Bizon Jennifer L , Burke Sara N , Carter Christy S , Buford Thomas W 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
While neurodegenerative diseases can strike at any age, the majority of afflicted individuals are diagnosed at older ages. Due to the important impact of age in disease diagnosis, the field of neuroscience could greatly benefit from the many of the theories and ideas from the biology of aging—now commonly referred as geroscience. As discussed in our complementary perspective on the topic, there is often a “silo-ing” between geroscientists who work on understanding the mechanisms underlying aging and neuroscientists who are studying neurodegenerative diseases. While there have been some strong collaborations between the biology of aging and neuroscientists, there is still great potential for enhanced collaborative effort between the 2 fields. To this end, here, we review the state of the geroscience field, discuss how neuroscience could benefit from thinking from a geroscience perspective, and close with a brief discussion on some of the “missing links” between geroscience and neuroscience and how to remedy them. Notably, we have a corresponding, concurrent review from the neuroscience perspective. Our overall goal is to “bridge the gap” between geroscience and neuroscience such that more efficient, reproducible research with translational potential can be conducted.
Music-based environmental therapy and training programme: a qualitative evaluation study, Norway
Authors: Batt-Rawden Kari Bjerke , Vegard Berg Geir , Andersson Anders-Petter 
Published: October 2021

SummaryVarious authors have emphasized music’s value as beneficial intervention, with few or hardly any side effects. Further studies are called for on how music-based environmental treatment in nursing homes works in practice. The aims of the study are first to explore the subjective experiences, opinions and attitudes of health personnel from nursing homes participating in the ‘music-based environmental therapy programme (MB programme); and second, to examine why and how this programme impacts on patients and staff, and how it works in practice. It is the first qualitative study to evaluate the impact of the programme on health personnel’s daily practice in nursing homes. The sample was strategically selected by means of convenience sampling, and consisted of 26 (n = 26) nurses, managers, physiotherapists, social workers and carers from 11 nursing homes in the south-east of Norway. Data were collected in autumn 2019 using a methodological triangulation of in-depth interviews, focus groups and passive observation, and the data were analyzed using systematic text condensation. With systematic use of music in daily activities in the nursing homes, users became calmer and less outspoken, and the use of psychotropic drugs was greatly reduced. The MB programme seems to be a successful intervention that provides a unique opportunity to improve patients’ health and well-being with minimal adverse effects. This new focus on non-pharmacological approaches makes investigation of alternatives to medication vital.
The Personality Traits of Populist Leaders and Their Foreign Policies: Hugo Chávez and Donald Trump
Authors: Thiers Consuelo , Wehner Leslie E 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
This paper seeks to advance the study of the nexus of populism and foreign policy by showing the connection between the personality traits of the leader and the foreign policy behavior of the state that they represent. It focuses on the political personality profiles of two populist leaders who can be characterized as antiplural, Hugo Chávez and Donald Trump, as a way to empirically further substantiate the recent research agenda on populism in world politics. The paper builds the two populist leaders’ political profiles through the use of the leader trait analysis approach. It contends that there are patterns in populist leaders’ personalities that can act as key drivers of their noncooperative and conflict-inducing behavior in foreign policy. The results show the characteristics that appear as the strongest predictors of their behavior in the international arena are their low task orientation and high focus on relationships.
It's Ordered Chaos: What Really Makes Polycentrism Work
Authors: Koinova Maria , Deloffre Maryam Zarnegar , Gadinger Frank , Mencutek Zeynep Sahin , Scholte Jan Aart , Steffek Jens 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThis forum reimagines polycentric governance. It develops ideas of “ordered polycentrism” that can help international relations scholarship make fuller sense of contemporary governance of global affairs. How can we theorize the implicit bonding forces that bring deeper order to the surface disorganization of polycentric governance? We offer a key corrective to actor-focused institutionalist understandings by showing how polycentrism also involves deeper relations and structures. Six contributions offer various avenues to theorize deeper order in polycentric governance, each with reference to a substantive issue area. Jens Steffek draws upon constructivist theory of “norms” to argue that standards acquire autonomous ordering power in polycentric governance of global business. Maryam Deloffre adopts a “metagovernance” perspective to identify norms as aspirational visions structuring the regulation of humanitarian assistance. Next, Frank Gadinger explores polycentrism through the lens of “practices” that organize the everyday activities by multiple actors such as negotiating as well as the objects, technologies and expertise they use in these governance efforts. Zeynep Mencutek highlights “techniques” as micro-carriers of ordering practices in polycentric governance of irregular migration, stretching the limits of institutional rules. Maria Koinova discusses “informality” as a deeper structuring force in the governance of transit migration and diasporas, and how it is shaped by state capacities, political regimes, and regional dynamics. Finally, Jan Aart Scholte adds “underlying order” through macro-frameworks and, with illustrations from Internet governance, suggests that polycentrism is structured through a threefold combination of norms, practices, and underlying orders. Together, the six commentaries offer a menu of ways that future research can explore order in what institutionalism has depicted as chaos.
The ongoing French BaMaRa-BNDMR cohort: implementation and deployment of a nationwide information system on rare disease
Authors: Jannot Anne-Sophie , Messiaen Claude , Khatim Ahlem , Pichon Thibaut , Sandrin Arnaud ,   the BNDMR infrastructure team
Published: October 2021

AbstractBackgroundBaMaRa allows the secure collection and deidentified centralization of medical data from all patients followed-up in a rare disease expert network in France, based on a minimum data set (SDM-MR). The present article describes BaMaRa information system implementation and development across the whole national territory as well as data access requests through BNDMR, the data warehouse which centralizes all BaMaRa data, during the 2015–2020 period.Materials and MethodsSDM-MR is made up of 60 interoperable items and is routinely collected through BaMaRa in rare disease centers as part of care and discharged into BNDMR after deidentification and data reconciliation. Data access is regulated by a scientific committee.ResultsIn total, 668 002 affected patients had an SDM-MR recorded in BNDMR by the end of 2020 with a mean value of 3.4 activities per patients. Data access was provided for 66 projects.ConclusionThe BaMaRa-BNDMR infrastructure provides an administrative and epidemiological resources for rare diseases in France.
Site-specific seismic hazard levels at the economic zone of Duqm, Oman
Authors: Deif Ahmed , Mohamed Adel M E , El-Hussain Issa , Al-Shijbi Yousuf , El-Hady Sherif , Al Habsi Zaid 
Published: October 2021

AbstractA site-specific probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA) was achieved in the area of special economic zone authority of Duqm, involving hazard evaluation at the bedrock conditions and assurance of potential site influence on seismic ground motion at the bedrock. Appropriate source and ground-motion prediction models were selected and seismic hazards were identified by means of 5% damped Uniform Hazard Spectra (UHS) for three return periods of 475, 975, and 2475 years. A logic-tree algorithm was used to study the influence of the epistemic uncertainties on the source models, earthquake recurrency and maximum magnitude, along with ground-motion prediction equations (GMPEs). The local geology effects were characterized by fundamental resonance frequency (Fo) using the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio technique and the soil amplification factors. The effects of soil were assessed using SHAKE91 for soil parameters defined by 55 geotechnical boreholes in conjunction with surveys of 2D multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) at 90 sites. Scaling was performed for selected strong-motion applying spectral matching technique to be used at the soil column bottom. Selection of such records is based on scenarios characterized by deaggregation of the PSHA results on the bedrock tops. The Duqm area mostly features low amplifications, below 1.3 for the considered spectrum. Surface ground-motion maps show low hazard values with Peak Ground Accelerations (PGA) vary between about 2 and 5% g for a 475-year return period. Although several sites are assessed to be susceptible to liquefy, liquefaction analyses indicate that surface ground motions for a 475-year return period are insufficient to produce liquefaction.
Assessing Genomic Diversity, Connectivity, and Riverscape Genetics Hypotheses in the Endangered Rough Hornsnail,Pleurocera Foremani, Following Habitat Disruption
Authors: Redak Caitlin A , Williams Ashantye’ S , Garner Jeffrey T , Halanych Kenneth M , Whelan Nathan V 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe southeastern United States is home to some of the richest biodiversity in the world. Over the last 200 years, however, rapid industrialization and urbanization have threatened many natural areas, including freshwater habitats. River impoundments have also rapidly altered freshwater habitats, often resulting in species extirpation or extinction. The Coosa River in Alabama experienced one of the largest faunal declines in modern history after impoundment, making it an ideal system for studying how invertebrate species are affected by reservoir creation. One such species, the Rough Hornsnail, Pleurocera foremani, is an endangered freshwater snail in the family Pleuroceridae. We sampled all known localities of P. foremani and used 2bRAD-seq to measure genetic diversity. We assessed riverscape genomic patterns across the current range of P. foremani and measured gene flow within and between impoundments. We also investigated the degree to which P. foremani displays an isolation by distance pattern and conforms to broad hypotheses that have been put forth for population genetics of riverine species like the Mighty Headwater Hypothesis that predicts greater genetic diversity in headwater reaches compared with mainstem populations. Like most other freshwater species, a pattern of isolation by distance was observed in P. foremani. We also found that Coosa River dams are a barrier to gene flow, and genetic fragmentation of P. foremani is likely to increase. However, gene flow appeared common within reservoirs and tributaries. Additionally, we found that spatial genetic structure of P. foremani deviates from what is expected under the Mighty Headwaters Hypothesis, adding to a growing body of research suggesting that the majority of genetic diversity in low-dispersing gastropods is found in mainstem populations.
Transcriptomic characteristics and impaired immune function of patients who retest positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA
Authors: Wang Dongyao , Wang Dong , Huang Min , Zheng Xiaohu , Shen Yiqing , Fu Binqing , Zhao Hong , Chen Xianxiang , Peng Peng , Zhu Qi , Zhou Yonggang , Zhang Jinghe , Tian Zhigang , Guan Wuxiang , Wang Guiqiang , Wei Haiming 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, has become a global public health crisis. Some patients who have recovered from COVID-19 subsequently test positive again for SARS-CoV-2 RNA after discharge from hospital. How such retest-positive (RTP) patients become infected again is not known. In this study, 30 RTP patients, 20 convalescent patients, and 20 healthy controls were enrolled for the analysis of immunological characteristics of their peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We found that absolute numbers of CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and natural killer cells were not substantially decreased in RTP patients, but the expression of activation markers on these cells was significantly reduced. The percentage of granzyme B-producing T cells was also lower in RTP patients than in convalescent patients. Through transcriptome sequencing, we demonstrated that high expression of inhibitor of differentiation 1 (ID1) and low expression of interferon-induced transmembrane protein 10 (IFITM10) were associated with insufficient activation of immune cells and the occurrence of RTP. These findings provide insight into the impaired immune function associated with COVID-19 and the pathogenesis of RTP, which may contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying RTP.
Plague Hospitals, Poverty and the Provision of Medical Care in France, c.1450–c.1650
Authors: Murphy Neil 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
This article examines the expansion of plague hospitals in early modern France. It shows that the development of these institutions was an urban initiative and that there was only limited involvement from the crown before the mid-seventeenth century. While there is a typically highly negative view of French plague hospitals, with these institutions being seen as death traps where the infected were simply sent to die, they played a vital role in providing the poor with access to specialist care. Plague hospitals were staffed by physicians, surgeons, nurses, and apothecaries, who provided a range of important medical treatments to the infected. Municipal governments developed these specialist hospitals for the plague sick—and only the plague sick—and sought to provide them with the type of environment early modern medical experts believed to be the most conducive for healing. The article situates the development of these hospitals within the wider context of health care provision in early modern France. Overall, it shows that the development of plague hospitals was a key manifestation of the drive toward providing professional medical care to the poor.
Biomechanics of tendrils and adhesive pads of the climbing passion flowerPassiflora discophora
Authors: Klimm Frederike , Schmier Stefanie , Bohn Holger F , Kleiser Svenja , Thielen Marc , Speck Thomas 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe climbing passion flower Passiflora discophora features branched tendrils with multiple adhesive pads at their tips allowing it to attach to large-diameter supports and to flat surfaces. We conducted tensile tests to quantify the performance of this attachment system. We found that the force at failure varies with substrate, ontogenetic state (turgescent or senescent), and tendril size (i.e. tendril cross-sectional area and pad area). The tendrils proved to be well balanced in size and to attach firmly to a variety of substrates (force at failure up to 2N). Pull-off tests performed with tendrils grown on either epoxy, plywood, or beech bark revealed that senescent tendrils could still bear 24, 64, or 100% of the force measured for turgescent tendrils, respectively, thus providing long-lasting attachment at minimal physiological costs. The tendril main axis was typically the weakest part of the adhesive system, whereas the pad–substrate interface never failed. This suggests that the plants use the slight oversizing of adhesive pads as a strategy to cope with ‘unpredictable’ substrates. The pads, together with the spring-like main axis, which can, as shown, dissipate a large amount of energy when straightened, thus constitute a fail-safe attachment system.
The Battalion Aid Station—The Forgotten Frontier of the Army Health System During the Global War on Terrorism
Authors: Fisher Andrew D , April Michael D , Naylor Jason F , Kotwal Russ S , Schauer Steven G 
Published: October 2021

ABSTRACT

Background
The battalion aid station (BAS) has historically served as the first stop during which combat casualties would receive care beyond a combat medic. Since the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, many combat casualties have bypassed the BAS for treatment facilities capable of surgery. We describe the care provided at these treatment facilities during 2007–2020.

Methods
This is a secondary analysis of previously described data from the Department of Defense Trauma Registry. We included encounters with the documentation of an assessment or intervention at a BAS or forward operating base from January 1, 2007 to March 17, 2020. We utilized descriptive statistics to characterize these encounters.

Results
There were 28,950 encounters in our original dataset, of which 3.1% (884) had the documentation of a prehospital visit to a BAS. The BAS cohort was older (25 vs. 24, P &lt; .001) The non-BAS cohort saw a larger portion of pediatric (&lt;18 years) patients (10.7% vs. 5.7%, P &lt; .001). A higher proportion of BAS patients had nonbattle injuries (40% vs. 20.7%, P &lt; .001). The mean injury severity score was higher in the non-BAS cohort (9 vs. 5, P &lt; .001). A higher proportion of the non-BAS cohort had more serious extremity injuries (25.1% vs. 18.4%, P &lt; .001), although the non-BAS cohort had a trend toward serious injuries to the abdomen (P = .051) and thorax (P = .069). There was no difference in survival.

Conclusions
The BAS was once a critical point in casualty evacuation and treatment. Within our dataset, the overall number of encounters that involved a stop at a BAS facility was low. For both the asymmetric battlefield and multidomain operations/large-scale combat operations, the current model would benefit from a more robust capability to include storage of blood, ventilators, and monitoring and hold patients for an undetermined amount of time.