bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Triple Hemisection Percutaneous Achilles Tendon Lengthening for Severe Ankle Joint Deformity
Authors: Zhang Chang‐gui , Zhao Xing‐yu , Cao Jin , Lin Yang‐jing , Yang Liu , Duan Xiao‐jun 
Published: November 2021

ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy of modified percutaneous Achilles tendon lengthening for severe ankle joint deformity.MethodsThis retrospective case series study included 33 patients with an average age of 25.2 years who underwent surgery in our hospital from April 1, 2010 to March 1, 2018. Triple hemisection percutaneous Achilles tendon lengthening was performed. One stage surgery, other soft tissue surgery or bone correction surgery could be performed. After surgery, a plaster cast was used to fix the functional position, and rehabilitation training was carried out as planned. Complications during the perioperative period were recorded. Statistical analysis of the patients' visual analogue scale (VAS) and American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score before and at the last follow‐up was performed. The recurrence rate of Achilles tendon contracture at the last follow‐up and the patients' satisfaction rate were investigated.ResultsAll patients were followed up, with an average follow‐up period of 56.31 months (8–104 months). All achieved good ankle joint function and appearance improvement And there were no infection or skin necrosis complications. In two cases, the incision was poorly healed at non‐Achilles tendon site and was cured by change of dressing. The average VAS score at the last follow‐up was reduced from (2 ± 1.48) points before surgery to (0.26 ± 0.51) points (P = 0.001), and the average AOFAS score was increased from (64.97 ± 13.56) points before surgery to (90.06 ± 10.06) points (P = 0.001). During the follow‐up period, there was no chronic rupture of Achilles tendon. There were two cases of recurrence of foot drop (5.7%), and the patients' satisfaction rate was 93.9%.ConclusionIn the surgical treatment of severe ankle joint deformity, the application of triple hemisection percutaneous Achilles tendon lengthening for Achilles tendon contracture has the advantages of less trauma, beautiful incision, and reliable efficacy. The satisfaction rate of patients with this treatment is high, and it is worth promoting in the clinic.
Associations of maternal weight status with the risk of offspring atopic dermatitis and wheezing by 1 year of age
Authors: Wei Xueling , Huang Peiyuan , Gao Chang , Shen Songying , Tu Si , Guo Yixin , Zhang Lifang , Lu Min‐Shan , Lu Jinhua , Wang Chi Chiu , He Jian‐Rong , Qiu Xiu 
Published: November 2021

AbstractBackgroundMaternal pre‐pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) have been linked to offspring allergic disorders. However, associations observed in previous studies were inconsistent and might be confounded by unmeasured familial factors. We aimed to examine the associations of maternal weight with offspring allergic disorders by using paternal BMI as a negative control exposure.MethodsWe included the data of 10,522 children from the Born in Guangzhou Cohort Study, 2012–2017. Data on maternal weight were obtained from questionnaires and obstetric records, and paternal weight was collected from questionnaires. Atopic dermatitis (AD) and wheezing at the age of 1 year were defined according to parent‐reported physician diagnosis. Risk ratios (RRs) were estimated by log‐binominal regression with mutual adjustment for maternal and paternal weight status.ResultsBy the age of 1 year, 16.2% and 7.9% of children were diagnosed with AD and wheezing, respectively. While maternal pre‐pregnancy BMI as a continuous variable was not associated with offspring AD, infants of pre‐pregnancy overweight/obese women had a higher risk of AD than those born to normal weight women; no such associations were observed for paternal BMI. Both maternal pre‐pregnancy BMI and paternal BMI were positively associated with the risk of offspring wheezing. Maternal GWG was not associated with AD or wheezing.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that maternal pre‐pregnancy overweight/obesity might increase the risk of infant AD via intrauterine mechanisms, whereas the association with wheezing might be confounded by uncontrolled familial factors. These findings may be valuable in early‐life prevention for offspring allergic diseases.
Gender differences in the development of childhood obesity in young teenagers in Murcia, Spain
Authors: Carpena Lucas Pedro J , Jiménez Candel María I , Sánchez‐Cubo Francisco , Ceballos‐Santamaría Guillermo , Vargas Vargas Manuel , Mondéjar Jiménez José 
Published: November 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe number of overweight children is increasing at an alarming rate. This issue requires effective action plans, as childhood obesity has become a problem in which addressing environmental factors is decisive. Significant differences have also been shown in lifestyle habits that determine overweight based on sex. This study therefore aimed to examine these risk factors according to sex.MethodsThe sample included first‐year high school students from Murcia, Spain. Information was collected through the “Questionnaire on Healthy Habits in Adolescents,” validated for this age range, and the weight, height, and waist circumference of the participants were obtained. Data were analyzed through partial least squares structural equation modeling to determine which modifiable risk factors promoted the appearance of excess weight and in what magnitude.ResultsA total of 421 students participated in the study, and 40.6% of overweight patients were detected according to their body mass index. No differences were found between the sexes and weights. The environment and the use of new technologies that do not involve sitting were significant only in girls (P < 0.05). Conversely, physical activity was significantly higher in boys (P < 0.05). Dietary factors and sedentary activities did not differ according to sex.ConclusionsThe social and school environment, the use of new technologies (for girls), and physical activity (for boys) condition nutritional status. Identifying gender disparities in behaviors that involve health should be a priority for new prevention programs. Targeting young people's health from a gender perspective has considerable potential to reduce overweight problems in adulthood.
Significance of miRNA in enhancement of flavonoid biosynthesis
Authors: Yang K. , Han H. , Li Y. , Ye J. , Xu F. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractFlavonoid metabolism shows very strong plasticity in plant development and coping with the changing environment. Flavonoid biosynthesis is regulated by many metabolic pathways, including transcriptional regulation, post‐transcriptional control, post‐translational regulationand epigenetic regulation. miRNA is a form of endogenous noncoding single‐strand small molecule RNA that primarily regulates the expression of target genes horizontally after transcription through splicing and translational suppression. It also plays an important role in regulating plant growth and development, secondary metabolism and biotic and abiotic stress. miRNA can regulate the formation of flavonoids by acting on structural genes or indirectly by using an MBW transcription complex comprising MYB‐bHLH‐WD40. This study summarizes the biosynthesis and mechanisms of miRNA, and provides a summary of the mechanisms of miRNAs involved in production of flavonoids, in order to elucidate the biosynthesis pathway and complex regulatory network of plant flavonoids. We aim to provide new insights into improving the content of flavonoid active ingredients in plants.
Altitudinal gradient drives regional and local diversity and composition patterns of epiphyllous bryophytes in ecological refuges
Authors: Araújo F. M. S. , Costa L. E. N. , Souza J. P. S. , Batista W. V. S. M. , Silva M. P. P. 
Published: November 2021

Abstract

‘Brejos de altitude’ is an ecosystem that has been subjected to severe exploitation, leading to an intense reduction in Brazil. Understanding the patterns of bryophyte diversity and composition, particularly of specialized species such as the epiphylls, to anthropic and abiotic variables is crucial for implementing protection measures.

We investigated the relationship between composition and diversity of epiphyllous bryophytes and anthropic (edge effects) and abiotic (altitude) variables at local (within each ‘Brejo’) and regional (set of three ‘Brejos’) scale. Abiotic and anthropic variables were correlated with alpha and beta diversity (decomposed into species replacement and richness differences) using GLM. Their effects on species composition were evaluated using PERMANOVA.

The localities at higher elevations harboured a richer bryoflora and overall beta diversity patterns were associated with altitude and locality, which acted over different scales. Regionally, the contribution of richness differences was limited with increasing altitude. Yet, dissimilarities among localities were associated with richness differences and replacement, denoting the importance of local factors. The composition was explained by local factors interacting with the regional altitudinal gradient. Anthropic activity was significant only when interacting with local factors and altitudinal gradient.

Environmental filtering associated with altitude played a more important role in shaping the diversity and composition of epiphyllous bryophytes, at both regional and local scales. Each ‘Brejo’ acts as an ecological refuge, harbouring part of the whole environmental gradient, and presents a unique floristic composition. Moreover, partitioning beta diversity highlighted the interplay of local and regional forces shaping diversity patterns.
Learning acquired from a computer game‐based early algebra intervention
Authors: Engledowl Christopher , Al‐younes Mohammad , Chamberlin Barbara , Stanford Ted 
Published: November 2021

AbstractAlgebra has long been a gatekeeper to more advanced mathematics and to tertiary education. International assessments, such as PISA, have also shown that this trend extends beyond borders, making the topic of when algebra should be learned quite political. Many reforms have been instituted since the early 1990s to infuse algebraic thinking into elementary grade levels—a domain of learning that has since been termed early algebra. In this study, we draw on Rasch Analysis results to report on the levels of sophistication that 457 upper elementary students across 10 schools and 28 classrooms exhibited on an early algebra assessment after completing a computer game‐based early algebra intervention. Findings indicate that half of the students improved by at least one level of sophistication, and about ¼ were observed to improve from largely thinking of quantity from a numeric standpoint to being able to think about a generalized quantity in the form of variable expressions. Despite the small change in students engaging in thinking about generalized quantity, the relatively short intervention period implies promising results to support a long‐term intervention in future research. Further research is also needed on the influence of student contextual factors, including teacher and school effects.
Reference Fixing and the Contingent A Priori
Authors: Stalnaker Robert 
Published: November 2021

AbstractKripke's arguments in Naming and Necessity that there are necessary truths that are knowable only a posteriori are convincing, but his examples that purport to be cases of contingent truths that can be known a priori are more problematic. These examples bring out something important about reference and meaning, but this paper argues that the knowledge of speakers who fix the reference of a name or word by stipulation is not appropriately classified as a priori knowledge. The paper discusses the factual presuppositions required for the success of the acts that establish semantic connections between both simple names and theoretical terms and the objects, properties, and relations to which they refer.
A simplified CT‐volumetry method for the canine liver
Authors: Israeliantz Nicolas , Lodzinska Joanna , Woods Glynn , Pontes Joana , Parys Maciej , Schwarz Tobias 
Published: November 2021

AbstractComputed tomographic (CT) liver volumetry using the slice addition technique is an accurate, but a time‐consuming method. Commonly used DICOM‐viewing software only allows contouring of one area per image, which can be troublesome in the transverse plane as different lobes are separated. In this prospective, experimental, methods comparison study, we aimed to determine if hepatic contouring using sagittal reformatting and a reduced number of images would yield accurate results. Computed tomographic studies were performed in five canine cadavers and reviewed using sagittal reformatting. For each dog, the number of images that included the liver was used to create four stacks with progressively fewer images in which the liver would be contoured, each with the following median number of images: A: 60, B: 31, C: 16, and D: 9. Liver volume was calculated by three observers using the different stacks of images. After CT examination, the cadavers were dissected, the liver was removed, and its volume was determined by water displacement. Single score intraclass correlation coefficient was calculated to assess interobserver agreement. Kruskal‐Wallis test was used to compare water displacement and CT‐based volumes. There was excellent agreement between observers (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.957; 95% confidence interval, 0.908‐0.982, P < 0.0001). No significant difference was found between the volumes obtained by CT‐volumetry using each of the stacks and the volumes obtained by water displacement. Using sagittally reformatted images and hepatic contouring in as few as nine images can be an accurate and simple method for CT‐volumetry of the canine liver.
Consumption of dietary fat causes loss of olfactory sensory neurons and associated circuitry that is not mitigated by voluntary exercise in mice
Authors: Chelette Brandon M. , Loeven Ashley M. , Gatlin Destinee N. , Landi Conde Daniel R. , Huffstetler Carley M. , Qi Meizhu , Fadool Debra Ann 
Published: November 2021

AbstractExcess nutrition causes loss of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) and reduces odour discrimination and odour perception in mice. To separate diet‐induced obesity from the consumption of dietary fat, we designed pair‐feeding experiments whereby mice were maintained on isocaloric diets for 5 months, which prevented increased fat storage. To test our hypothesis that adiposity was not a prerequisite for loss of OSNs and bulbar projections, we used male and female mice with an odorant receptor‐linked genetic reporter (M72tauLacZ; Olfr160) to visualize neural circuitry changes resulting from elevated fat in the diet. Simultaneously we monitored glucose clearance (diagnostic for prediabetes), body fat deposition, ingestive behaviours, select inflammatory markers and energy metabolism. Axonal projections to defined olfactory glomeruli were visualized in whole‐mount brains, and the number of OSNs was manually counted across whole olfactory epithelia. After being pair fed a moderately high‐fat (MHF) diet, mice of both sexes had body weight, adipose deposits, energy expenditure, respiratory exchange ratios and locomotor activity that were unchanged from control‐fed mice. Despite this, they were still found to lose OSNs and associated bulbar projections. Even with unchanged adipocyte storage, pair‐fed animals had an elevation in TNF cytokines and an intermediate ability for glucose clearance. Albeit improving health metrics, access to voluntary running while consuming an ad libitum fatty diet still precipitated a loss of OSNs and associated axonal projections for male mice. Our results support that long‐term macronutrient imbalance can drive anatomical loss in the olfactory system regardless of total energy expenditure.
imageKey points
Obesity can disrupt the structure and function of organ systems, including the olfactory system that is important for food selection and satiety.
We designed dietary treatments in mice such that mice received fat, but the total calories provided were the same as in control diets so that they would not gain weight or increase adipose tissue.
Mice that were not obese but consumed isocaloric fatty diets still lost olfactory neuronal circuits, had fewer numbers of olfactory neurons, had an elevation in inflammatory signals and had an intermediate ability to clear glucose (prediabetes).
Mice were allowed access to running wheels while consuming fatty diets, yet still lost olfactory structures.
We conclude that a long‐term imbalance in nutrition that favours fat in the diet disrupts the olfactory system of mice in the absence of obesity.
Diagnostic of Injury Risk in the Anterior Cruciate Ligament Based on Shape Context Description of the Intercondylar Notch Curvature
Authors: Dias João Paulo , Bhuiyan Ariful , Shamim Nabila 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
An estimated number of 300,000 new anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur each year in the United States. Recent studies have pointed out a correlation between the curvature of the femur intercondylar notch and the risk of noncontact ACL injury. Although several magnetic resonance (MR) imaging-based ACL diagnostics methods have already been proposed in the literature, most of them are based on machine learning or deep learning strategies, which are computationally expensive. In this paper, we propose a diagnostics framework for the risk of injury in the ACL based on the application of the inner-distance shape context (IDSC) to describe the curvature of the intercondylar notch from MR images. First, the contours of the intercondylar notch curvature from 91 MR images of the distal end of the femur (70 healthy and 21 with confirmed ACL injury) were extracted manually using standard image processing tools. Next, the IDSC was applied to calculate the similarity factor between the extracted contours and reference standard curvatures. Finally, probability density functions of the similarity factor data were obtained through parametric statistical inference, and the accuracy of the ACL injury risk diagnostics framework was assessed using receiver operating characteristic analysis (ROC). The overall results for the area under the curve (AUC) showed that the method reached a maximum accuracy of about 66%. Furthermore, the sensitivity and specificity results showed that an optimum discrimination threshold value for the similarity factor can be pursued that minimizes the incidence of false positives and false negatives simultaneously.
Thirty-Second Single-Leg Stance Identifies Impaired Postural Control in Children After Concussion: A Preliminary Report
Authors: Saleem Ghazala T. , Slomine Beth S. , Suskauer Stacy J. 
Published: November 2021

Context: Objective and expedient assessments of standing postural control incorporating static and dynamic tasks are necessary for identifying subtle motor deficits and clearing children to return to high-risk activities after concussion. The Revised Physical and Neurological Examination for Subtle Signs (PANESS) gaits and stations tasks evaluate both static and dynamic aspects of postural control. While the PANESS gaits and stations subscale is sensitive to concussion in youth, the benefit of each specific task for this purpose is unknown. Purpose: This study evaluated whether specific PANESS tasks identify postural impairments after youth concussion. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Academicallyaffiliated research laboratory. Participants: Sixty youth, ages 10–17 years, comprised 3 groups: (1) youth symptomatic from concussion (4–14 d postinjury [n = 18]), (2) clinically-recovered youth (27–122 d postinjury [n = 15]), and (3) age- and gender-matched never-concussed controls (n = 27). Main Outcome Measure: PANESS gaits and stations tasks (6 dynamic and 3 static) at the time of the initial research visit. Results: Kruskal–Wallis statistic identified a significant main effect of group on standing on one foot (a 30-s task). Both symptomatic and clinically-recovered youth showed deficits on standing on one foot relative to controls. Conclusions: Single-leg tasks of longer duration may maximize the ability to detect residual postural deficits after concussion and can be readily incorporated in targeted sport rehabilitation protocols.
Solid as a rock: Tectonic control of graben extension and dike propagation
Authors: Kolzenburg S. , Kubanek J. , Dirscherl M. , Hamilton C.W. , Hauber E. , Scheidt S.P. , Münzer U. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe 2014–2015 CE rift event associated with the Bárðarbunga eruption at Holuhraun, Iceland, offers a unique opportunity to study the spatial and temporal evolution of a rift graben. We present the first four-dimensional (three-dimensional plus time) monitoring of the formation and evolution of a graben during active magma transport using a suite of digital elevation models spanning from shortly before the eruption throughout 6 months of magma transport and up to 4.5 years after the eruption. This multiscale data set enables investigations of how magma supply and eruption dynamics affect tectonic structures that feed eruptions. After formation (time scale of a few days), the graben is remarkably stable throughout the eruption and for years beyond. It is unaffected by large changes in eruptive activity and effusion and seismicity rates within the plumbing system. These data document that (1) there was no direct feedback between eruptive dynamics and graben topography, and (2) graben formation is near instantaneous on tectonic time scales. These results challenge the overarching role ascribed to magma transport in recent studies of tectonomagmatic relationships in rift events, favoring regional tectonics as the fundamental driving force.
Income support for parents of children with chronic conditions and disability: where do we draw the line? A policy review
Authors: Chua Clara , Bull Claudia , Callander Emily Joy 
Published: November 2021

ObjectiveThe aim of this review was to identify and describe whether parents who have had to stop paid employment to care for a child with a chronic condition or disability are eligible for unemployment, family and children, and disability and carer government-provided financial benefits.DesignPolicy review.SettingGroup of seven high-income countries.Main outcome measuresAll policies related to unemployment, family and children, and disability and carer benefits were included. Information regarding the policy type and description, parent/carer qualification, amount of financial support payable, eligibility criteria and information source were extracted. Payment schedules were converted into 2020 US dollars, using Purchasing Power Parities. Maximum monthly benefit payments were compared with standardised per capita monthly costs of living to determine payment support suitability.ResultsFifty-eight policies relevant to unemployment, family and children, and disability and carer benefit supports were identified. Germany had the highest number of welfare policies for individuals not in employment (n=11), followed by the USA (n=6). Parents or carers of children with chronic conditions or disability who were not in employment qualified for 31 of the 58 policies (53.4%). Most policies required a child to have an impaired ability to function, not just a chronic condition or disability.ConclusionsGreater support for parents and carers to continue their paid employment alongside caring responsibilities is necessary. Graded benefit schedules will also be critical to supporting the spectrum of childhood chronic conditions and disability, and the subsequent spectrum of caring responsibility.