bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A clinical and novel dermoscopic investigation of combined peels as a hand aging treatment
Authors: Yenny Satya Wydya , Julia Dwi Sabtika , Lestari Andriani Fuji , Al Hazmi Auliya , Ilmiawati Cimi 
Published: July 2024

AbstractBackgroundThe hands are one of the areas where skin aging is most noticeable, alongside the face, but limited studies used dermoscopic evaluation on hand aging. The Dermoscopy Photoaging Scale (DPAS) is frequently used to assess face aging but is never used for hand aging. Treating skin aging using chemical peeling is a commonly used method to rejuvenate the skin on the hands, as it is relatively affordable. Using multiple chemical peels may yield more significant results.AimsTo determine the effectiveness of a chemical peeling combination in retarding hand aging and to assess the utility of DPAS in this process.MethodsThis study involved 69 Fitzpatrick skin types III–IV volunteers aged 20–69. One hand of each participant was treated with 20% glycolic acid (GA), while the other received a combination of peels consisting of 20% GA and 15% trichloroacetic acid (TCA). The hands were clinically examined before and after the treatments, and dermoscopic examinations were performed using a modified DPAS.ResultsFour treatments improved clinical and dermoscopic characteristics in both hands. The combined peeling considerably improved pigmentation intensity on the dorsal hand compared to the GA peel (p < 0.001). Post‐chemical peeling patient satisfaction increased significantly.ConclusionsThe modified DPAS is a valuable instrument to assess the signs of hand aging. The combination of GA and TCA effectively improves skin aging of the hands and offers an accessible and economical option for addressing skin aging.
A spatiotemporal comparison of interobserver error in vegetation sampling
Authors: Morrison Lloyd W. , Leis Sherry A. , Short Mary F. , DeBacker Michael D. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractQuestionsWe asked how interobserver error in sampling vegetation (excluding trees) varied over time, space and habitat type; determined whether there were any obvious correlates of observer error; and evaluated evidence of bias among observers.LocationNine national park units in the Midwestern USA.MethodsWe quantified observer error in the context of a long‐term monitoring program employing three observers, evaluating interobserver error across 11 locations in the Midwestern USA over five years. The vegetation (excluding trees) was sampled independently by two teams of observers at prairie and woodland locations (n = 94 plots total).ResultsTotal pseudoturnover ranged between 20.2% and 22.1% at prairie locations, and between 16.8% and 28.6% at woodland locations. The overlooking component of pseudoturnover accounted for 75% or more of total pseudoturnover, with misidentification and cautious components each contributing 19% or less of the total, depending on location. The percentage of comparisons in which both observers recorded the same cover class ranged from 71.3% to 78.5% at the prairie locations and 56.9% to 85.6% at woodland locations. When observers did not agree on cover class, they were off by more than one class less than 6% of the time. Overlooking error was more likely to occur for species with less cover, while estimation error was more likely to occur for species with greater cover. A bias existed among observers, as the least experienced observer recorded 6.2%–11.8% more species than the other two observers. Interobserver bias also existed for rates of estimation error, as one observer consistently recorded higher cover classes.ConclusionsObserver error is a pervasive aspect of vegetation sampling. Continued training and experience yielded limited increases in precision. Elements of the sampling design probably reduced observer error to a certain degree, although some level of interobserver error in vegetation surveys is unavoidable.
Judicial transformation in a competitive authoritarian regime: Evidence from the Turkish case
Authors: Esen Berk 
Published: July 2024

AbstractWhat accounts for the variation in the judiciary's ability to serve as a democratic guardrail under populist rule? This article contends that populist governments use judicial activism against their political agenda to portray courts as institutions that curtail popular sovereignty and subsequently adopt a democratizing discourse to conceal their assault on the judiciary. Based on the Turkish case under the rule of the AKP (Justice and Development Party), it explores how the judiciary's democratic deficits provided a legitimation strategy for the ruling party's gradual capture of the courts. During its initial term, the right‐wing populist AKP government faced staunch opposition from high courts aligned with the secular establishment. In response, it strategically used the Turkish Constitutional Court's counter‐majoritarian decisions to legitimize its actions, paving the way for court‐packing and other forms of judicial manipulation through a series of constitutional amendments. These changes set a dangerous precedent for future clashes with the judiciary, hastening the erosion of Turkish democracy and the subsequent shift toward a competitive authoritarian regime.
Superficial skin necrosis as a rare complication of inferior alveolar nerve block in Egyptian child: A case report
Authors: Abd‐Elsabour Mennat Allah Ashraf , Khattab Nagwa Mohamed Ali 
Published: July 2024

AbstractAimThe aim of the presented case report was to report a rare complication of Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block (IANB) in a 5‐year‐and‐4‐month‐old child and to discuss the possible complications.Materials and MethodsFive years and four months old Egyptian male child presented in paediatric dentistry practice complaining of pain in the lower right primary molars that kept him awake all night. Examination revealed decayed lower right primary first and second molars and the treatment plan was designed to include a pulpectomy procedure for tooth 85 and a pulpotomy procedure for tooth 84. Administration of 1 mL of arctician 4% with 1:100,000 epinephrine anaesthetic solution using the inferior alveolar nerve block technique was done uneventfully. Then, the dental procedure was done as usual. The next morning, the child presented to the dental practice with a non‐painful change in colour in the lower part of the child's right cheek, with small scanty blisters.ResultsThe possible causes of such a complication and the proper management are discussed in this article with a confirmation of the superficial skin necrosis as the most possible cause.ConclusionAlthough proper awareness of the anatomical structures of the orofacial region along with meticulous administration technique of local anaesthesia is mandatory for the everyday dental practice, the dentist may face possible, sometimes rare complications of local anaesthesia and he should be able to manage them probably.
Does Inequality Have Momentum? The Implications of Convex Inequality Regimes for Mortality Dynamics
Authors: Hendi Arun S. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractFor decades, educational inequalities in mortality have widened and mortality among the least educated has stalled, even as overall mortality has improved, and an increasing proportion of young people have completed secondary and tertiary education. While researchers recognize that these trends are in part related to changing selection into education groups, there has been no unifying framework for understanding why the trends may be related. This article provides a unifying framework by introducing a concept called the “convex inequality regime,” a diminishing returns relationship between relative education and mortality. In populations where convex inequality regimes prevail, even without any changes in the institutions governing inequality or any changes in overall mortality conditions, education transitions result in an increase in mortality for the less educated and an increase in mortality inequality between education groups. The model also shows that lifespan variation increases for lower education groups because convex inequality regimes tend to increase relative mortality more rapidly at younger ages during an education transition. Even after an education transition is complete, inequality between education groups will continue to increase for decades due to the momentum of inequality, a cohort replacement phenomenon where younger more unequal cohorts replace older more equal cohorts.
The promise of public sociology in India: Looking at Burawoy and beyond
Authors: Sinha Anushka , Raj Aditya 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThe trajectory of the academic discipline of sociology is an attestation to the quest for civility and sociability. We believe that the promise of public sociology will rejuvenate scholars to commit to better engagement with one another and with the public. We situate and draw from the scholarly contributions of Michael Burawoy to reflect on sociology's longstanding critical imagination, hoping that the world could be different. We place ourselves on the continuum of what is and what ought to be for better lived experiences and a sustainable planet. We draw from the work of sociologists in India, which continues to guide us to amplify the voices of the unheard and the issues of public concern. To be inclusive, sustainable, democratic, and humane, we need to move beyond structurally ingrained processes within academia and make bridges that are open to all. The deliberation furthered in this paper will encourage young scholars to be more concerned for engaging multiple publics and, thereby, help the discipline of sociology itself.
Framing resilience linked to parental ethnic‐racial socialization as hidden: A hidden resilience conceptual framework
Authors: Del Toro Juan , Bernard Donte , Lee Richard M. , Adam Emma K. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractParental ethnic‐racial socialization is a source of adolescents' resilience against ethnic‐racial discrimination. Recent meta‐analyses have documented the promotive aspects of ethnic‐racial socialization (i.e., how ethnic‐racial socialization is directly related with adolescents' adjustment regardless of their discrimination experiences). However, extant empirical studies have produced conflicting results about the protection or moderating role of ethnic‐racial socialization, with studies suggesting that ethnic‐racial socialization buffers, exacerbates, or does not moderate the impacts of ethnic‐racial discrimination. We offer a reconceptualization of existing studies' findings and draw from existing theories to propose Hidden Resilience as a new conceptual framework that highlights how resilience and the positive benefits linked to ethnic‐racial socialization may not be noticeable when studies use psychosocial measures but is rather hidden “underneath the skin.” Conversations about racism may momentarily feel uncomfortable, upsetting, or stressful for youth, but such conversations can help youth learn how to cope with ethnic‐racial discrimination in the long term. Following a review of studies supporting our conceptual framework, we provide suggestions for future research to expand the field's understanding of resilience linked to ethnic‐racial socialization.
A smartphone application for personalized facial aesthetic monitoring
Authors: Hashimoto Wataru , Kaneda Shohei 
Published: July 2024

AbstractBackgroundMethods available at home for capturing facial images to track changes in skin quality and evaluate skincare treatments are limited. In this study, we developed a smartphone camera application (app) for personalized facial aesthetic monitoring.Materials and MethodsA face alignment indicators (FAIN) system utilizing facial landmark detection, an artificial intelligence technique, to estimate key facial parts, was implemented into the app to maintain a consistent facial appearance during image capture. The FAIN system is composed of a fixed target indicator and an alignment indicator that dynamically changes its shape according to the user's face position, size, and orientation. Users align their faces to match the alignment indicator with the fixed target indicator, and the image is automatically captured when alignment is achieved.ResultsWe investigated the app's effectiveness in ensuring a consistent facial appearance by analyzing both geometric and colorimetric data. Geometric information from captured faces and colorimetric data from stickers applied to the faces were utilized. The coefficients of variation (CVs) for the L*, a*, and b* values of the stickers were higher compared to those measured by a colorimeter, with CVs of 14.9 times, 8.14 times, and 4.41 times for L*, a*, and b*, respectively. To assess the feasibility of the app for facial aesthetic monitoring, we tracked changes in pseudo‐skin color on the cheek of a participant using skin‐colored stickers. As a result, we observed the smallest color difference ∆Eab of 1.901, which can be considered as the experimentally validated detection limit using images acquired by the app.ConclusionWhile the current monitoring method is a relative quantification approach, it contributes to evidence‐based evaluations of skincare treatments.
Ameliorating effects of adropin on letrozole‐induced polycystic ovary syndrome via regulating steroidogenesis and the microbiota inflammatory axis in rats
Authors: Rizk Fatma H. , El Saadany Amira A. , Elshamy Amira Mostafa , Abd Ellatif Rasha A. , El‐Guindy Dina M. , Helal Duaa S. , Hamama Mohamed G. , El‐Sharnoby Jehan Abd El‐Hameed , Abdel Ghafar Muhammad T. , Faheem Heba 
Published: July 2024

AbstractGrowing evidence supports the role of gut microbiota in chronic inflammation, insulin resistance (IR) and sex hormone production in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Adropin plays a pivotal role in the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism and is negatively correlated with IR, which affects intestinal microbiota and sex hormones. However, the effect of adropin administration in PCOS has yet to be investigated. The present study aimed to assess the effects of adropin on letrozole (LTZ)‐induced PCOS in rats and the potential underlying mechanisms. The experimental groups were normal, adropin, letrozole and LTZ + adropin. At the end of the experiment, adropin significantly ameliorated PCOS, as evidenced by restoring the normal ovarian structure, decreasing the theca cell thickness in antral follicles, as well as serum testosterone and luteinizing hormone levels and luteinizing hormone/follicle‐stimulating hormone ratios, at the same time as increasing granulosa cell thickness in antral follicles, oestradiol and follicle‐stimulating hormone levels. The ameliorating effect could be attributed to its effect on sex hormone‐binding globulin, key steroidogenic genes STAR and CYP11A1, IR, lipid profile, gut microbiota metabolites–brain–ovary axis components (short chain fatty acids, free fatty acid receptor 3 and peptide YY), intestinal permeability marker (zonulin and tight junction protein claudin‐1), lipopolysaccharides/Toll‐like receptor 4/nuclear factor kappa B inflammatory pathway and oxidative stress makers (malondialdehyde and total antioxidant capacity). In conclusion, adropin has a promising therapeutic effect on PCOS by regulating steroidogenesis, IR, lipid profile, the gut microbiota inflammatory axis and redox homeostasis.
imageKey points
Adropin treatment reversed endocrine and ovarian morphology disorders in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Adropin regulated the ovarian steroidogenesis and sex hormone‐binding globulin in PCOS.
Adropin improved lipid profile and decreased insulin resistance in PCOS.
Adropin modulated the components of the gut–brain–ovary axis (short chain fatty acids, free fatty acid receptor 3 and peptide YY) in PCOS.
Adropin improved intestinal barrier integrity, suppressed of lipopolysaccharides/Toll‐like receptor 4/nuclear factor kappa B signalling pathway and oxidative stress in PCOS.
A Mathematical Model for Postimplant Collagen Remodeling in an Autologous Engineered Pulmonary Arterial Conduit
Authors: Sacks Michael S. 
Published: July 2024

Abstract
This study was undertaken to develop a mathematical model of the long-term in vivo remodeling processes in postimplanted pulmonary artery (PA) conduits. Experimental results from two extant ovine in vivo studies, wherein polyglycolic-acid (PGA)/poly-L-lactic acid tubular conduits were constructed, cell seeded, incubated for 4 weeks, and then implanted in mature sheep to obtain the remodeling data for up to two years. Explanted conduit analysis included detailed novel structural and mechanical studies. Results in both studies indicated that the in vivo conduits remained dimensionally stable up to 80 weeks, so that the conduits maintained a constant in vivo stress and deformation state. In contrast, continued remodeling of the constituent collagen fiber network as evidenced by an increase in effective tissue uniaxial tangent modulus, which then stabilized by one year postimplant. A mesostructural constitute model was then applied to extant planar biaxial mechanical data and revealed several interesting features, including an initial pronounced increase in effective collagen fiber modulus, paralleled by a simultaneous shift toward longer, more uniformly length-distributed collagen fibers. Thus, while the conduit remained dimensionally stable, its internal collagen fibrous structure and resultant mechanical behaviors underwent continued remodeling that stabilized by one year. A time-evolving structural mixture-based mathematical model specialized for this unique form of tissue remodeling was developed, with a focus on time-evolving collagen fiber stiffness as the driver for tissue-level remodeling. The remodeling model was able to fully reproduce (1) the observed tissue-level increases in stiffness by time-evolving simultaneous increases in collagen fiber modulus and lengths, (2) maintenance of the constant collagen fiber angular dispersion, and (3) stabilization of the remodeling processes at one year. Collagen fiber remodeling geometry was directly verified experimentally by histological analysis of the time-evolving collagen fiber crimp, which matches model predictions very closely. Interestingly, the remodeling model indicated that the basis for tissue homeostasis was maintenance of the collagen fiber ensemble stress for all orientations, and not individual collagen fiber stresses. Unlike other growth and remodeling models that traditionally treat changes in the external boundary conditions (e.g., changes in blood pressure) as the primary input stimuli, the driver herein is changes to the internal constituent collagen fiber themselves due to cellular mediated cross-linking.
Viroporin-like activity of the hairpin transmembrane domain of African swine fever virus B169L protein
Authors: Gladue Douglas P. , Gomez-Lucas Lidia , Largo Eneko , Ramirez-Medina Elizabeth , Torralba Johana , Queralt-Martín Maria , Alcaraz Antonio , Velazquez-Salinas Lauro , Nieva Jose L. , Borca Manuel V. 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is the causative agent of a contagious disease affecting wild and domestic swine. The function of B169L protein, as a potential integral structural membrane protein, remains to be experimentally characterized. Using state-of-the-art bioinformatics tools, we confirm here earlier predictions indicating the presence of an integral membrane helical hairpin, and further suggest anchoring of this protein to the ER membrane, with both terminal ends facing the lumen of the organelle. Our evolutionary analysis confirmed the importance of purifying selection in the preservation of the identified domains during the evolution of B169L in nature. Also, we address the possible function of this hairpin transmembrane domain (HTMD) as a class IIA viroporin. Expression of GFP fusion proteins in the absence of a signal peptide supported B169L insertion into the ER as a Type III membrane protein and the formation of oligomers therein. Overlapping peptides that spanned the B169L HTMD were reconstituted into ER-like membranes and the adopted structures analyzed by infrared spectroscopy. Consistent with the predictions, B169L transmembrane sequences adopted α-helical conformations in lipid bilayers. Moreover, single vesicle permeability assays demonstrated the assembly of lytic pores in ER-like membranes by B169L transmembrane helices, a capacity confirmed by ion-channel activity measurements in planar bilayers. Emphasizing the relevance of these observations, pore-forming activities were not observed in the case of transmembrane helices derived from EP84R, another ASFV protein predicted to anchor to membranes through a α-helical HTMD. Overall, our results support predictions of viroporin-like function for the B169L HTMD.

IMPORTANCE
African swine fever (ASF), a devastating disease affecting domestic swine, is widely spread in Eurasia, producing significant economic problems in the pork industry. Approaches to prevent/cure the disease are mainly restricted to the limited information concerning the role of most of the genes encoded by the large (160–170 kba) virus genome. In this report, we present the experimental data on the functional characterization of the African swine fever virus (ASFV) gene B169L. Data presented here indicates that the B169L gene encodes for an essential membrane-associated protein with a viroporin function.
TB PCR in BAL and EBUS-TBNA samples for the diagnosis of pulmonary and mediastinal lymph node TB: retrospective TRiBE study
Authors: Park Mirae , Kumar Kartik , Coleman Meg , Martin Laura , Russell Georgina , Scheelbeek Pauline , Lalvani Ajit , Satta Giovanni , Kon Onn Min 
Published: July 2024

IntroductionThe role of Xpert Ultra in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) samples for pulmonary and mediastinal lymph node tuberculosis (TB) remains unclear.MethodsThis was a retrospective observational service evaluation at a tertiary TB centre in a low-incidence setting. The diagnostic indices of Xpert Ultra, smear and culture (with cytology for EBUS-TBNA samples) were compared with culture positivity or a composite reference standard of clinical TB diagnosis. Trace readouts, a new category of results for Xpert Ultra indicating low bacillary load, were analysed in two ways as a true positive or true negative result. 282 BAL and 139 EBUS-TBNA samples were included in the analysis.ResultsBAL: sensitivity with 95% CI against culture-confirmed pulmonary TB from BAL samples for Xpert Ultra (trace as positive) was 0.91 (0.82 to 0.98), Xpert Ultra (trace as negative) was 0.76 (0.69 to 0.83), smear was 0.38 (p=0.0009) and culture was 1.00 (0.91 to 1.00). Specificities for all the tests were ≥0.99 (0.98 to 1.00). The addition of smear to Xpert Ultra did not improve the diagnostic accuracy.EBUS-TBNA: sensitivity against culture-confirmed TB from EBUS-TBNA samples for Xpert Ultra (trace as positive) was 0.71 (0.63 to 0.78), Xpert Ultra (trace as negative) was 0.59 (0.54 to 0.63), smear was 0.12 (p=0.002), culture was 1.00 (0.89 to 1.00), cytology was 0.87 (0.76 to 0.98) and rapid on-site evaluation of cytology (ROSE) was 0.92 (0.78 to 1.00). Specificities were 0.99 (0.97 to 1.00), 0.99 (0.97 to 1.00), 1.00 (0.98 to 1.00), 1.00 (0.98 to 1.00), 0.67 (0.67 to 0.68) and 0.42, respectively.ConclusionXpert Ultra had a significantly higher sensitivity compared with smear in both BAL and EBUS-TBNA samples. Xpert Ultra had a lower sensitivity compared with culture but comparable specificity with results being available within <24 hours. Trace readings in our low-incidence setting were associated with culture positivity in all BAL samples.