bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A prolonged hiatus in postmenopausal HRT, does not nullify the therapy’s positive impact on ageing related sarcopenia
Authors: Onambélé-Pearson Gladys L. , Tomlinson David J. , Morse Christopher I. , Degens Hans 
Published: May 2021

Background
Previous work suggest a positive skeletal muscle effect of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on skeletal muscle characteristics This study aimed to quantify any continued positive effect of HRT even after a sustained hiatus in treatment, controlling for two key muscle modulation hormones: Estradiol (E2) and Tri-iodo-thyronine (T3).

Method and findings
In 61 untrained women (18-78yrs) stratified as pre-menopausal, post-menopausal without (No_HRT) and post-menopausal with (Used_HRT) HRT history, body composition, physical activity, serum E2 and T3 were assessed by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, Baecke questionnaire and ELISA. Gastrocnemius medialis (GM) and tibialis anterior (TA) electromyographic profiles (mean power frequency (mPowerF)), isometric plantar-flexion (PF) and dorsi-flexion (DF) maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), rate of torque development (RTD), isokinetic MVC and muscle volume, were assessed using surface electromyography, dynamometry and ultrasonography. Muscle quality was quantified as MVC per unit muscle size. E2 and E2:T3 ratio were significantly lower in postmenopausal participants, and were positively correlated with RTD even after controlling for adiposity and/or age. Pre-menopausal females had greater MVC in 8/8 PF and 2/5 DF (23.7–98.1%; P<0.001–0.049) strength measures compared to No_HRT, but only 6/8 PF (17.4–42.3%; P<0.001–0.046) strength measures compared to Used_HRT. Notably, Used_HRT had significant higher MVC in 7 PF MVC (30.0%-37.7%; P = 0.006–0.031) measures than No_HRT, while premenopausal and Used_HRT had similar uncorrected muscle size or quality. In addition, this cross-sectional data suggest an annual reduction in GM muscle volume corrected for intra-muscular fat by 1.3% in No_HRT and only 0.5% in Used_HRT.

Conclusion
Even years after cessation of the therapy, a history of HRT is positively associated with negating the expected post-menopausal drop in muscle quantity and quality. Whilst mPowerF did not differ between groups, our work highlights positive associations between RTD against E2 and E2:T3. Notwithstanding our study limitation of single time point for blood sampling, our work is the first to illustrate an HRT attenuation of ageing-related decline in RTD. We infer from these data that high E2, even in the absence of high T3, may help maintain muscle contractile speed and quality. Thus our work is the first to points to markedly larger physiological reserves in women with a past history of HRT.
Health knowledge and care seeking behaviour in resource-limited settings amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study in Ghana
Authors: Saah Farrukh Ishaque , Amu Hubert , Seidu Abdul-Aziz , Bain Luchuo Engelbert 
Published: May 2021

BackgroundThe emergence of a pandemic presents challenges and opportunities for healthcare, health promotion interventions, and overall improvement in healthcare seeking behaviour. This study explored the impact of COVID-19 on health knowledge, lifestyle, and healthcare seeking behaviour among residents of a resource-limited setting in Ghana.MethodsThis qualitative study adopted an exploratory design to collect data from 20 adult residents in the Cape Coast Metropolis using face-to-face in-depth interviews. Data collected were analysed thematically and statements from participants presented verbatim to illustrate the themes realised.ResultsHealth knowledge has improved due to COVID–19 in terms of access to health information and increased understanding of health issues. There were reductions in risky health-related lifestyles (alcohol intake, sharing of personal items, and consumption of junk foods) while improvements were observed in healthy lifestyles such as regular physical exercise and increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. COVID–19 also positively impacted health seeking behaviour through increased health consciousness and regular check-ups. However, reduced healthcare utilization was prevalent.ConclusionThe COVID–19 pandemic has presented a positive cue to action and helped improved health knowledge, lifestyle, and care seeking behaviour although existing health system constrains and low economic status reduced healthcare utilization. To improve health systems, health-related lifestyles and healthcare seeking behaviour as well as overall health outcomes even after the pandemic wades off, COVID–19 associated conscious and unconscious reforms should be systematically harnessed.
Poor sleep quality and its associated factors among pregnant women in Northern Ethiopia, 2020: A cross sectional study
Authors: Jemere Tadeg , Getahun Berhanu , Tadele Fitalew , Kefale Belayneh , Walle Gashaw 
Published: May 2021

Background
Sleep is a physiologic necessity for all humankind. Pregnant women, in particular, need adequate sleep to develop their fetuses as well as save energy required for delivery. A change in sleep quality and quantity is the most common phenomena during pregnancy due to mechanical and hormonal factors. However, there is a scarcity of data about poor sleep quality and its associated factors among pregnant mothers in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aims to determine the prevalence of poor sleep quality and its associated factors among pregnant mothers at Wadila primary hospital, Ethiopia.

Methods
Institution based cross-sectional study design was employed on 411 pregnant mothers. Data were collected using a pre-tested interviewer administered questionnaire. SPSS Version 23 for Windows software was used for data analyses. Bivariate analysis was conducted to detect the association between dependent and independent variables, and to choose candidate variables (p < 0.25) for multivariate logistic regression. Statistical significance was set at p-value <0.05.

Results
A total of 411 participants were included in the study making a response rate of 97.4%. Overall, 68.4% of participants found to have poor sleep quality (PSQI>5). Age of the mother [age 20–30 years; AOR = 4.3 CI (1.8, 9.9), p = 0.001, and age >30 years; AOR = 4.7 CI (1.6, 13.9) p = 0.005], gestational age [second trimester, AOR = 2.46, CI (1.2, 4.9), p = 0.01 and third trimester, AOR = 7.5, CI (3.2, 17.8), p = 0.000] and parity [multiparous women; AOR = 2.1(1.24, 3.6) p = 0.006] were predictor variables for poor sleep quality among pregnant mothers.

Conclusion
More than two-third of pregnant mothers had poor sleep quality. Advanced maternal age, increased gestational age and multiparty are found to be predictors of poor sleep quality in pregnant women.
Do women prefer caesarean sections? A qualitative evidence synthesis of their views and experiences
Authors: Colomar Mercedes , Opiyo Newton , Kingdon Carol , Long Qian , Nion Soledad , Bohren Meghan A. , Betran Ana Pilar 
Published: May 2021

Background
Caesarean sections (CS) continue to increase worldwide. Multiple and complex factors are contributing to the increase, including non-clinical factors related to individual women, families and their interactions with health providers. This global qualitative evidence synthesis explores women’s preferences for mode of birth and factors underlying preferences for CS.

Methods
Systematic database searches (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO) were conducted in December 2016 and updated in May 2019 and February 2021. Studies conducted across all resource settings were eligible for inclusion, except those from China and Taiwan which have been reported in a companion publication. Phenomena of interest were opinions, views and perspectives of women regarding preferences for mode of birth, attributes of CS, societal and cultural beliefs about modes of birth, and right to choose mode of birth. Thematic synthesis of data was conducted. Confidence in findings was assessed using GRADE-CERQual.

Results
We included 52 studies, from 28 countries, encompassing the views and perspectives of pregnant women, non-pregnant women, women with previous CS, postpartum women, and women’s partners. Most of the studies were conducted in high-income countries and published between 2011 and 2021.
Factors underlying women preferences for CS had to do mainly with strong fear of pain and injuries to the mother and child during labour or birth (High confidence), uncertainty regarding vaginal birth (High confidence), and positive views or perceived advantages of CS (High confidence).
Women who preferred CS expressed resoluteness about it, but there were also many women who had a clear preference for vaginal birth and those who even developed strategies to keep their birth plans in environments that were not supportive of vaginal births (High confidence). The findings also identified that social, cultural and personal factors as well as attributes related to health systems impact on the reasons underlying women preferences for various modes of birth (High confidence).

Conclusions
A wide variety of factors underlie women’s preferences for CS in the absence of medical indications. Major factors contributing to perceptions of CS as preferable include fear of pain, uncertainty with vaginal birth and positive views on CS. Interventions need to address these factors to reduce unnecessary CS.
Alphabetical ordering of author surnames in academic publishing: A detriment to teamwork
Authors: Joanis Steven T. , Patil Vivek H. 
Published: May 2021

Introduction
In academia, many institutions use journal article publication productivity for making decisions on tenure and promotion, funding grants, and rewarding stellar scholars. Although non-alphabetical sequencing of article coauthoring by the spelling of surnames signals the extent to which a scholar has contributed to a project, many disciplines in academia follow the norm of alphabetical ordering of coauthors in journal publications. By assessing business academic publications, this study investigates the hypothesis that author alphabetical ordering disincentivizes teamwork and reduces the overall quality of scholarship.

Methods
To address our objectives, we accessed data from 21,353 articles published over a 20-year period across the four main business subdisciplines. The articles selected are all those published by the four highest-ranked journals (in each year) and four lower-ranked journals (in each year) for accounting, business technology, marketing, and organizational behavior. Poisson regression and binary logistic regression were utilized for hypothesis testing.

Results
This study finds that, although team size among business scholars is increasing over time, alphabetical ordering as a convention in journal article publishing disincentivizes author teamwork. This disincentive results in fewer authors per publication than for publications using contribution-based ordering of authors. Importantly, article authoring teamwork is related to article quality. Specifically, articles written by a single author typically are of lesser quality than articles published by coauthors, but the number of coauthors exhibits decreasing returns to scale—coauthoring teams of one to three are positively related to high-quality articles, but larger teams are not. Alphabetical ordering itself, however, is positively associated with quality even though it inhibits teamwork, but journal article coauthoring has a greater impact on article quality than does alphabetical ordering.

Conclusions
These findings have important implications for academia. Scholars respond to incentives, yet alphabetical ordering of journal article authors conflicts with what is beneficial for the progress of academic disciplines. Based on these findings, we recommend that, to drive the highest-quality research, teamwork should be incentivized—all fields should adopt a contribution-based journal article author-ordering convention and avoid author ordering based upon the spelling of surnames. Although this study was undertaken using articles from business journals, its findings should generalize across all academia.
Prospective estimation of the age of initiation of cigarettes among young adults (18–24 years old): Findings from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) waves 1–4 (2013–2017)
Authors: Pérez Adriana , Kuk Arnold E. , Bluestein Meagan A. , Penedo Elena , N’hpang Roi San , Chen Baojiang , Perry Cheryl L. , Sterling Kymberly L. , Harrell Melissa B. 
Published: May 2021

ObjectivesTo prospectively estimate the age of cigarette initiation among young adults (18–24 years old) who were never cigarette users at their first wave of adult study participation overall, by sex, and by race/ethnicity given recent increases in cigarette initiation occurring in young adulthood.MethodsSecondary analyses were conducted using the PATH restricted-use adult datasets among young adult never users of cigarettes in waves 1–3 (2013–2016) with outcomes followed-up in waves 2–4 (2014–2017). Interval censoring survival methods were used to estimate the age of initiation of (i) ever, (ii) past 30-day, and (iii) fairly regular cigarette use. Among never cigarette users when they first entered the adult study, interval censoring Cox proportional hazard models were used to explore differences in the estimated age of initiation of the three cigarette use outcomes by sex and by race/ethnicity, controlling for the effect of previous e-cigarette use and the total number of other tobacco products ever used (0–5 products) before cigarette initiation outcomes.ResultsAmong the young adults who were never cigarette users at their first wave of adult participation, the highest increase in cigarette initiation occurred between 18 and 19 years old. By age 21, 10.6% (95% CI: 9.5–11.7) initiated ever cigarette use, 7.7% (95% CI: 6.1–8.1) initiated past 30-day of cigarette use, and 1.9% (95% CI: 1.4–2.5) initiated fairly regular cigarette use. After controlling for other tobacco products: (a) males were 83% more likely to initiate past 30-day cigarette use at earlier ages than females; (b) Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Black young adults had increased risk to initiate past 30-day cigarette use at earlier ages than Non-Hispanic White young adults (62% and 34%, respectively).ConclusionsThe substantial amount of cigarette initiation among young adults reinforces the need for prevention strategies among this population. Although, interventions are needed for all young adult populations, strategies should target 18-21-year-olds, with potentially differential prevention targets by sex and by race/ethnicity.
The Keefektifan Bakteri Asal Lahan Gambut Sebagai Agens Pengendalian Penyakit Kresek dan Pupuk Hayati pada Tanaman Padi
Authors: Giyanto Giyanto , Nurmansyah Ali 
Published: May 2021

Penggunaan mikrob untuk pengendalian penyakit dan pupuk hayati telah dikembangkan sebagai alternatif bagi pengembangan pertanian ramah lingkungan. Upaya mendapatkan mikrob tersebut terus dilakukan dengan eksplorasi mikrob dari berbagai tipe habitat ekologi untuk mendapatkan yang diinginkan. Lahan gambut diduga mengandung banyak jenis mikrob khususnya bakteri yang berpotensi sebagai agens antagonis sekaligus pupuk hayati yang bermanfaat bagi tanaman. Penelitian ini bertujuan mendapatkan galur bakteri yang berpotensi mengendalikan penyakit kresek atau hawar daun bakteri yang disebabkan oleh Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae sekaligus sebagai pupuk hayati. Tahapan penelitian mencakup pengambilan sampel, isolasi bakteri asal lahan gambut serta uji potensinya sebagai agens hayati terhadap X. oryzae pv. oryzae, uji keamanan hayati, karakterisasi galur potensial, uji keefektifan bakteri sebagai agens antagonis sekaligus pupuk hayati in planta. Bakteri yang diisolasi dari tanah hutan gambut dan sawah bekas lahan gambut ialah sebanyak 134 isolat bakteri dan 40 di antaranya memiliki karakteristik morfologi yang berbeda. Sebanyak 14 galur bakteri asal tanah gambut mampu menekan perkembangan X. oryzae pv. oryzae. Karakterisasi 14 galur bakteri terhadap uji hypersensitive response, hemolisis agar-agar darah, kemampuan menambat nitrogen, siderofor yang dihasilkan, pelarut fosfat serta degradasi selulosa menghasilkan empat galur bakteri potensial. Keempat galur ini tidak berpotensi sebagai patogen terhadap tanaman maupun mamalia serta memiliki karakter sebagai pupuk hayati. Uji in planta empat galur bakteri ini menunjukkan bahwa bakteri tersebut mampu menekan keparahan penyakit hawar daun pada padi serta meningkatkan pertumbuhan padi pada fase vegetatif.
A Critical Investigation on the Human Resources Innovation Practices in National Survey Authority (NSA)-Oman
Authors: Matriano Maria Teresa 
Published: May 2021

Purpose: In any organization around the world, the Human Resources Department is considered to be an important division because it is responsible for personnel affairs in the organization through the practices of staff in the Human Resources Department. So much so that it is regarded as a police force that works for stability and security as well as human resources working for the stability of staff in the organization. Because of the importance of the Human Resources Department, the organization should periodically evaluate and verify the processes of innovation and development of the Section if it is consistent with the latest practices of the developed organizations and if the innovation practices are implemented in the required manner or not.
Methodology: The survey questionnaire was developed and disseminated among the staff of the National Survey Authority. There were personal interviews with some officials of the National Survey Authority where they were asked questions about innovation practices.
Findings: The tests conducted by the NSA in hiring staff was easy. This of course gives the opportunity to those with simple qualification to be qualified and this serves as an innovation for employment in the NSA. NSA randomly identifies the employee's department to work in, more than relying on qualifications and experience. This leads to the appointment of those who lack experience and eligibility and put the employee in an inappropriate place and this affects the productivity and causes a failure or weakness in the system of innovation.
Research Implications: The decline in the level of HR practices will lead to a decline in the level of productivity and also to the resignation of many aspiring employees who were looking for an environment that motivates them.
Novelty : Technology as in the case of NSA, has driven hugely human resource innovation practices in an organization. NSA to motivate staff to innovate and help officials in NSA to reach a deeper understanding of the practices of innovation in their practices of human resources which will facilitate the decision-making process in motivating the employee of the organization.
Spinoza’s Infinite Shortcut to the Contingent Appearance of Things
Authors: Särman Sanja 
Published: May 2021

AbstractSpinoza’s own words seem to commit him to necessitarianism. Nonetheless attempts have been made to make room for contingency in Spinozism. Two impressive arguments of this kind are Curley 1969 and Newlands 2010. Both these arguments appeal to Spinoza’s claim that all finite things are locked in an infinite nexus of causal relations (1p28). The question central to this paper is whether contingency can indeed be derived from an infinity of causal ancestors. The goal of the paper is twofold. First, I aim to present an alternative reading of the relation between infinity and Spinoza’s concept of contingency. On my reading, while the infinity of the causal ancestry of finite things does not ground any objective metaphysical contingency on their part, it is a condition which must obtain if they are to appear as contingent. Second, I aim to challenge the derivations of contingency from infinity mentioned above. I will do so by targeting Curley’s assumption that propositions rather than things are the main bearers of modality. On Newlands’ interpretation, the conceivability of things as either contingent or necessary makes the world more perfect than it would otherwise have been. By drawing upon Spinoza’s analysis of “negative” properties (such as evil), I question whether beliefs about contingency contribute to the perfection of the world in virtue of truly attributing the property of objective contingency to things.
The assessment of circulating cell-free DNA as a diagnostic tool for breast cancer: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of quantitative and qualitative ssays
Authors: Guo Qingfeng , Hua Yuming 
Published: May 2021

Abstract

Objectives
This updated meta-analysis aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in breast cancer (BC).

Content
An extensive systematic search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Science Direct databases to retrieve all related literature. Various diagnostic estimates, including sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP), likelihood ratios (LRs), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under the curve (AUC) of summary receiver operating characteristic (sROC) curve, were also calculated using bivariate linear mixed models.

Summary
In this meta-analysis, 57 unique articles (130 assays) on 4246 BC patients and 2,952 controls, were enrolled. For quantitative approaches, pooled SE, SP, PLR, NLR, DOR, and AUC were obtained as 0.80, 0.88, 6.7, 0.23, 29, and 0.91, respectively. Moreover, for qualitative approaches, pooled SE and SP for diagnostic performance were obtained as 0.36 and 0.98, respectively. In addition, PLR was 14.9 and NLR was 0.66. As well, the combined DOR was 23, and the AUC was 0.79.

Outlook
Regardless of promising SE and SP, analysis of LRs suggested that quantitative assays are not robust enough neither for BC confirmation nor for its exclusion. On the other hand, qualitative assays showed satisfying performance only for confirming the diagnosis of BC, but not for its exclusion. Furthermore, qualitative cfDNA assays showed a better diagnostic performance in patients at the advanced stage of cancer, which represented no remarkable clinical significance as a biomarker for early detection.
Alternations emerge and disappear: the network of dispossession constructions in the history of English
Authors: Zehentner Eva 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
This paper focuses on two main issues regarding syntactic alternations and their development over time. On the one hand, it discusses the diachronic implications of alternations as involving multiple (rather than binary) choices. On the other hand, it shows that while studies are typically interested in the emergence of alternation relationships, there are also cases of diachronic loss of such. This is illustrated by zooming in on the history of a particular set of ditransitive verbs, viz. dispossession verbs such as steal or rob, and their connection to the well-known English dative alternation. Based on a quantitative analysis of different dispossession-constructions in corpora of Middle, Early Modern and Late Modern English, I demonstrate that the network of dispossession constructions has changed considerably over time — from a complex interaction between three overlapping patterns to a clear differentiation of two non-alternating constructions.