bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exploring the effects of digital technologies in health financing for universal health coverage: a synthesis of country experiences and lessons
Authors: Oranje Maarten , Mathauer Inke 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
The use of digital technologies (DTs) for health financing receives increased attention in policy, practice and research. However, not much robust evidence exists on their effects on the intermediate and final universal health coverage objectives. This paper seeks to contribute to evidence gathering, by synthesizing the findings from nine country case studies which covered diverse applications of DTs and identified their effects on health financing and universal health coverage objectives. This paper also draws on review papers on the use of DTs for health financing. Our synthesis reveals that DTs can support and simplify health financing tasks and thus contribute to enhanced efficiency and transparency and more equitable resource distribution. If well designed, DTs can help overcome challenges inherent in paper-based data systems and enable otherwise hardly implementable policy options, especially options that rely on near real-time exchange of data. Yet, the studies also point to various risks. Caution is for instance required when the use of DTs enhances inequities between population groups due to various digital divides. The findings point to a number of policy orientations. There is need to include the application of DTs for health financing in national digital health strategies and to develop health financing specific guidance and regulation. This is for instance necessary to avoid that DTs negatively affect financial protection. Clear stipulations related to equity will serve to ensure that positive effects accrue to vulnerable population groups. The future research agenda calls for more and methodologically robust evidence generation with a clear universal health coverage orientation.
A Broken Record? A Feminist Exploration of Mary Magdalene in Music
Authors: Jolley Siobhán 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Mary Magdalene has long since been associated with music and musicality for as long as her story has been performed. This chapter explores how she became a byword for female sexuality in reception, focusing specifically on music for a general audience. It takes four case studies—Wagner’s Parsifal, Adamo’s The Gospel of Mary Magdalene, Jesus Christ Superstar and FKA twigs’ MAGDALENE—to analyze how the presence of patriarchal myth regarding the Magdalene became so pervasive. It makes the case that such musical reception for a modern and nonreligious audience need not be in itself a corrective in order to make a constructive contribution to cultural discourse. By offering a new stimulus for revisiting old assumptions, the presence of Mary Magdalene in music can keep critical questions alive beyond the domain of the feminist biblical scholar.
Population-level exploration of alternative splicing and its unique role in controlling agronomic traits of rice
Authors: Zhang Hong , Chen Wu , Zhu De , Zhang Bintao , Xu Qiang , Shi Chuanlin , He Huiying , Dai Xiaofan , Li Yilin , He Wenchuang , Lv Yang , Yang Longbo , Cao Xinglan , Cui Yan , Leng Yue , Wei Hua , Liu Xiangpei , Zhang Bin , Wang Xianmeng , Guo Mingliang , Zhang Zhipeng , Li Xiaoxia , Liu Congcong , Yuan Qiaoling , Wang Tianyi , Yu Xiaoman , Qian Hongge , Zhang Qianqian , Chen Dandan , Hu Guanjing , Qian Qian , Shang Lianguang 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) plays crucial roles in regulating various biological processes in plants. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying AS and its role in controlling important agronomic traits in rice (Oryza sativa) remain poorly understood. In this study, we explored AS in rice leaves and panicles using the rice minicore collection. Our analysis revealed a high level of transcript isoform diversity, with approximately one-fifth of the potential isoforms acting as major transcripts in both tissues. Regarding the genetic mechanism of AS, we found that the splicing of 833 genes in the leaf and 1,230 genes in the panicle was affected by cis-genetic variation. Twenty-one percent of these AS events could only be explained by large structural variations. Approximately 77.5% of genes with significant splicing quantitative trait loci (sGenes) exhibited tissue-specific regulation, and AS can cause 26.9% (leaf) and 23.6% (panicle) of sGenes to have altered, lost, or gained functional domains. Additionally, through splicing-phenotype association analysis, we identified phosphate–starvation-induced RING-type E3 ligase (OsPIE1; LOC_Os01g72480), whose splicing ratio was significantly associated with plant height. In summary, this study provides an understanding of AS in rice and its contribution to the regulation of important agronomic traits.
NIN-LIKE PROTEIN3.2 inhibits repressor Aux/IAA14 expression and enhances root biomass in maize seedlings under low nitrogen
Authors: Wang Ruifeng , Zhong Yanting , Han Jienan , Huang Liangliang , Wang Yongqi , Shi Xionggao , Li Mengfei , Zhuang Yao , Ren Wei , Liu Xiaoting , Cao Huairong , Xin Beibei , Lai Jinsheng , Chen Limei , Chen Fanjun , Yuan Lixing , Wang Yi , Li Xuexian 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Plants generally enhance their root growth in the form of greater biomass and/or root length to boost nutrient uptake in response to short-term low nitrogen (LN). However, the underlying mechanisms of short-term LN-mediated root growth remain largely elusive. Our genome-wide association study, haplotype analysis, and phenotyping of transgenic plants showed that the crucial nitrate signaling component NIN-LIKE PROTEIN3.2 (ZmNLP3.2), a positive regulator of root biomass, is associated with natural variations in root biomass of maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings under LN. The monocot-specific gene AUXIN/INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID14 (ZmAux/IAA14) exhibited opposite expression patterns to ZmNLP3.2 in ZmNLP3.2 knockout and overexpression lines, suggesting that ZmNLP3.2 hampers ZmAux/IAA14 transcription. Importantly, ZmAux/IAA14 knockout seedlings showed a greater root dry weight (RDW), whereas ZmAux/IAA14 overexpression reduced RDW under LN compared with wild-type plants, indicating that ZmAux/IAA14 negatively regulates the RDW of LN-grown seedlings. Moreover, in vitro and vivo assays indicated that AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR19 (ZmARF19) binds to and transcriptionally activates ZmAux/IAA14, which was weakened by the ZmNLP3.2–ZmARF19 interaction. The zmnlp3.2 ZmAux/IAA14-OE seedlings exhibited further reduced RDW compared with ZmAux/IAA14 overexpression lines when subjected to LN treatment, corroborating the ZmNLP3.2–ZmAux/IAA14 interaction. Thus, our study reveals a ZmNLP3.2–ZmARF19–ZmAux/IAA14 module regulating root biomass in response to nitrogen limitation in maize.
Pistil-derived lipids influence pollen tube growth and male fertility in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Song Jingpu , Mavraganis Ioannis , Shen Wenyun , Yang Hui , Patterson Nii , Wang Liping , Xiang Daoquan , Cui Yuhai , Zou Jitao 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Pollen germination and pollen tube elongation require rapid phospholipid production and remodeling in membrane systems that involve both de novo synthesis and turnover. Phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase (PAH) and lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase (LPCAT) are 2 key enzymes in membrane lipid maintenance. PAH generates diacylglycerol (DAG), a necessary precursor for the de novo synthesis of phosphatidylcholine (PC), while LPCAT reacylates lysophosphatidylcholine to PC and plays an essential role in the remodeling of membrane lipids. In this study, we investigated the synthetic defects of pah and lpcat mutations in sexual reproduction of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and explored the prospect of pistil lipid provision to pollen tube growth. The combined deficiencies of lpcat and pah led to decreased pollen tube growth in the pistil and reduced male transmission. Interestingly, pistils of the lipid mutant dgat1 ameliorated the male transmission deficiencies of pah lpcat pollen. In contrast, pollination with a nonspecific phospholipase C (NPC) mutant exacerbated the fertilization impairment of the pah lpcat pollen. Given the importance of DAG in lipid metabolism and its contrasting changes in the dgat1 and npc mutants, we further investigated whether DAG supplement in synthetic media could influence pollen performance. DAG was incorporated into phospholipids of germinating pollen and stimulated pollen tube growth. Our study provides evidence that pistil-derived lipids contribute to membrane lipid synthesis in pollen tube growth, a hitherto unknown role in synergistic pollen–pistil interactions.
A potyvirus provides an efficient viral vector for gene expression and functional studies in Asteraceae plants
Authors: Yang Yi-Zhou , Xie Liang , Gao Qiang , Nie Zhang-Yao , Zhang Ding-Liang , Wang Xian-Bing , Han Cheng-Gui , Wang Ying 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Plant virus-derived vectors are rapid and cost-effective for protein expression and gene functional studies in plants, particularly for species that are difficult to genetically transform. However, few efficient viral vectors are available for functional studies in Asteraceae plants. Here, we identified a potyvirus named zinnia mild mottle virus (ZiMMV) from common zinnia (Zinnia elegans Jacq.) through next-generation sequencing. Using a yeast homologous recombination strategy, we established a full-length infectious cDNA clone of ZiMMV under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. Furthermore, we developed an efficient expression vector based on ZiMMV for the persistent and abundant expression of foreign proteins in the leaf, stem, root, and flower tissues with mild symptoms during viral infection in common zinnia. We showed that the ZiMMV-based vector can express ZeMYB9, which encodes a transcript factor inducing dark red speckles in leaves and flowers. Additionally, the expression of a gibberellic acid (GA) biosynthesis gene from the ZiMMV vector substantially accelerated plant height growth, offering a rapid and cost-effective method. In summary, our work provides a powerful tool for gene expression, functional studies, and genetic improvement of horticultural traits in Asteraceae plant hosts.
Association of TyG index with aortic valve calcification in valvular heart disease patients
Authors: Wang Peiyu , Zeng Yiyao , Wang Li , Jiang Yufeng , Shen Jinsheng , Jin Fulu , Zhou Yafeng , Zhao Liangping 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Background
In recent years, triglyceride glucose (TyG) index, as a popular metabolic index, has been proposed as an alternative index of insulin resistance, and it has been proved to be associated with many cardiovascular diseases, but the relationship between it and aortic valve calcification is still unknown.

Methods
A total of 450 aortic valve disease patients were enrolled in this study, including 361 patients with aortic valve calcification (AVC) (calcification group) and 89 patients without (control group). According to the severity of AVC, patients with AVC included severe calcification, moderate calcification and low calcification. The TyG index was calculated based on fasting triglyceride and fasting blood glucose levels.

Results
The TyG index in the calcification group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P &lt; .05), and with the increase of the degree of calcification, the TyG index showed an increasing trend. The univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed TyG index has a high predictive value for the presence of AVC (OR (95% CI): 1.743 (1.036–2.933)) and severe AVC (OR (95% CI): 1.608 (1.143–2.262)). In assessing the predictive value of the TyG index distribution width for AVC, with the first quartile as a reference, the last quartile of the TyG index had significant predictive value for the presence of AVC and severe AVC.

Conclusions
TyG index was significantly associated with the presence and severity of AVC, suggesting that TyG index may be a valid predictor of AVC.
Lentivirus-modified hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy for advanced symptomatic juvenile metachromatic leukodystrophy: a long-term follow-up pilot study
Authors: Zhang Zhao , Jiang Hua , Huang Li , Liu Sixi , Zhou Xiaoya , Cai Yun , Li Ming , Gao Fei , Liang Xiaoting , Tsang Kam-Sze , Chen Guangfu , Ma Chui-Yan , Chai Yuet-Hung , Liu Hongsheng , Yang Chen , Yang Mo , Zhang Xiaoling , Han Shuo , Du Xin , Chen Ling , Hwu Wuh-Liang , Zhuo Jiacai , Lian Qizhou 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is an inherited disease caused by a deficiency of the enzyme arylsulfatase A (ARSA). Lentivirus-modified autologous hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy (HSCGT) has recently been approved for clinical use in pre and early symptomatic children with MLD to increase ARSA activity. Unfortunately, this advanced therapy is not available for most patients with MLD who have progressed to more advanced symptomatic stages at diagnosis. Patients with late-onset juvenile MLD typically present with a slower neurological progression of symptoms and represent a significant burden to the economy and healthcare system, whereas those with early onset infantile MLD die within a few years of symptom onset. We conducted a pilot study to determine the safety and benefit of HSCGT in patients with postsymptomatic juvenile MLD and report preliminary results. The safety profile of HSCGT was favorable in this long-term follow-up over 9 years. The most common adverse events (AEs) within 2 months of HSCGT were related to busulfan conditioning, and all AEs resolved. No HSCGT-related AEs and no evidence of distorted hematopoietic differentiation during long-term follow-up for up to 9.6 years. Importantly, to date, patients have maintained remarkably improved ARSA activity with a stable disease state, including increased Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score and decreased magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesion score. This long-term follow-up pilot study suggests that HSCGT is safe and provides clinical benefit to patients with postsymptomatic juvenile MLD.
Schwinger–Dyson Equation on the Complex Plane: A Four-Fermion Interaction Model at Finite Temperature
Authors: Tanaka Hidekazu , Sasagawa Shuji 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
We extend the Schwinger–Dyson equation (SDE) on the complex plane, which was treated in our previous research, to finite temperature. As a simple example, we solve the SDE for a model with four-fermion interactions in (1+1) space-time dimensions in the strong coupling region. We investigate the properties of the effective mass and energy for the fermions, especially near the phase transition temperature.
Stock Market Participation, Inequality, and Monetary Policy
Authors: Melcangi Davide , Sterk Vincent 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Recent literature has shown that the fraction of liquidity-constrained households in the population critically determines the mix of transmission channels of monetary policy. In this article, we bring a different but important dimension of heterogeneity to the forefront: stock market participation. We show that the stock market participation rate not only shapes the mix of policy channels but also heavily affects the aggregate responses. This happens as direct rebalancing effects and indirect equilibrium effects into investment are both increasing in the number of stock market participants, reinforcing each other. We show this in a quantitative New Keynesian model designed to account for the population share of stock market participants, their position in the income and wealth distribution, and their saving rates. The model implies that, as stock market participation has increased since the 1980s, the power of monetary policy on the real economy has strengthened considerably.
Normativity vs. uniqueness: effects of social relationship strength on neural representations of others
Authors: Guthrie Taylor D , Chavez Robert S 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Understanding others involves inferring traits and intentions, a process complicated by our reliance on stereotypes and generalized information when we lack personal information. Yet, as relationships are formed, we shift toward nuanced and individualized perceptions of others. This study addresses how relationship strength influences the creation of unique or normative representations of others in key regions known to be involved in social cognition. Employing a round-robin interpersonal perception paradigm (N = 111, 20 groups of five to six people), we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine whether the strength of social relationships modulated the degree to which multivoxel patterns of activity that represented a specific other were similar to a normative average of all others in the study. Behaviorally, stronger social relationships were associated with more normative trait endorsements. Neural findings reveal that closer relationships lead to more unique representations in the medial prefrontal cortex and anterior insula, areas associated with mentalizing and person perception. Conversely, more generalized representations emerge in posterior regions like the posterior cingulate cortex, indicating a complex interplay between individuated and generalized processing of social information in the brain. These findings suggest that cortical regions typically associated with social cognition may compute different kinds of information when representing the distinctiveness of others.
Executive dysfunction and cortical variations among intimate partner violence perpetrators and the association with sexism
Authors: Romero-Martínez Ángel , Beser-Robles María , Cerdá-Alberich Leonor , Aparici Fernando , Martí-Bonmatí Luis , Sarrate-Costa Carolina , Lila Marisol , Moya-Albiol Luis 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Malfunctioning in executive functioning has been proposed as a risk factor for intimate partner violence (IPV). This is not only due to its effects on behavioral regulation but also because of its association with other variables such as sexism. Executive dysfunctions have been associated with frontal and prefrontal cortical thickness. Therefore, our first aim was to assess differences in cortical thickness in frontal and prefrontal regions, as well as levels of sexism, between two groups of IPV perpetrators (with and without executive dysfunctions) and a control group of non-violent men. Second, we analyzed whether the cortical thickness in the frontal and prefrontal regions would explain sexism scores. Our results indicate that IPV perpetrators classified as dysexecutive exhibited a lower cortical thickness in the right rostral anterior cingulate superior frontal bilaterally, caudal middle frontal bilaterally, right medial orbitofrontal, right paracentral, and precentral bilaterally when compared with controls. Furthermore, they exhibited higher levels of sexism than the rest of the groups. Most importantly, in the brain structures that distinguished between groups, lower thickness was associated with higher sexism scores. This research emphasizes the need to incorporate neuroimaging techniques to develop accurate IPV profiles or subtypes based on neuropsychological functioning.
The interplay between insomnia symptoms and Alzheimer’s disease across three main brain networks
Authors: Elberse Jorik D , Saberi Amin , Ahmadi Reihaneh , Changizi Monir , Bi Hanwen , Hoffstaedter Felix , Mander Bryce A , Eickhoff Simon B , Tahmasian Masoud , Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative  
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Study Objectives
Insomnia symptoms are prevalent along the trajectory of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but the neurobiological underpinning of their interaction is poorly understood. Here, we assessed structural and functional brain measures within and between the default mode network (DMN), salience network, and central executive network (CEN).

Methods
We selected 320 participants from the ADNI database and divided them by their diagnosis: cognitively normal (CN), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and AD, with and without self-reported insomnia symptoms. We measured the gray matter volume (GMV), structural covariance (SC), degrees centrality (DC), and functional connectivity (FC), testing the effect and interaction of insomnia symptoms and diagnosis on each index. Subsequently, we performed a within-group linear regression across each network and ROI. Finally, we correlated observed abnormalities with changes in cognitive and affective scores.

Results
Insomnia symptoms were associated with FC alterations across all groups. The AD group also demonstrated an interaction between insomnia and diagnosis. Within-group analyses revealed that in CN and MCI, insomnia symptoms were characterized by within-network hyperconnectivity, while in AD, within- and between-network hypoconnectivity was ubiquitous. SC and GMV alterations were nonsignificant in the presence of insomnia symptoms, and DC indices only showed network-level alterations in the CEN of AD individuals. Abnormal FC within and between DMN and CEN hubs was additionally associated with reduced cognitive function across all groups, and increased depressive symptoms in AD.

Conclusions
We conclude that patients with clinical AD present with a unique pattern of insomnia-related functional alterations, highlighting the profound interaction between both conditions.
Improving tobacco cessation interventions in hospitals: Pre–post evaluation of an innovative health systems intervention in Catalonia (Spain)
Authors: Martínez Cristina , Feliu Ariadna , Enriquez Marta , Antón Laura , Castellano Yolanda , Company Assumpta , Romero Olga , Ripoll Ruth , Ruz Angels , Papadakis Sophia , Fernández Esteve 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
This study measured changes in healthcare professionals’ (HCPs) performance in tobacco cessation intervention before and 6 months after a health system intervention. The intervention involved exposure to online training for staff and the implementation of a structured organizational change-level practice model that included some strategies, comprising establishing tobacco cessation steering groups with champions in each hospital, developing tailored protocols and guidelines within each organization, conducting on-site workshops for clinicians, and creating posters and pocket materials summarizing the intervention. Pre–post evaluation in four hospitals in Barcelona province (Catalonia, Spain). We assessed the knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and organizational factors (KABO) and the performance of each of the components of the 5As Model for Treating Tobacco Use according to a scale from 0 (“Never”) to 10 (“Always”) among HCPs. We performed Wilcoxon signed-rank tests for paired samples and assessed changes in performance by performing linear regression. A total of 255 HCPs completed the pre–post evaluation. All components of the 5As Model increased, with “Assist” and “Arrange a follow-up” showing the greatest improvement. Several KABO dimensions significantly increased, including individual skills (mean score: 3.3–5.7, P &lt; .001), attitudes and beliefs (4.8–5.4, P &lt; .001), individual commitment (5.9–6.6, P &lt; .001), and perception of having positive organizational support (4.3–4.7, P &lt; .001). An increase in each point in individual skills and support of the organization was associated with increased rates of 5As delivery, with the greatest associations found for “Assist” (0.60 and 0.17, respectively) and “Arrange a follow-up” (0.71 and 0.18, respectively). The intervention was successful in increasing HCPs individual skills, attitudes and beliefs, individual commitment, and perception of having positive organizational support and the performance of all components of the 5As. Future research should focus on strategies that promote organizational support, a dimension that is essential to increasing Assist and Arrange, which were less implemented at baseline.