bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Wildlife corridor degradation and human‐wildlife conflict: A case study from Tanzania
Authors: Elisa Manase , Caro Tim , Yon Lisa , Hardy Ian C. W. , Roberts Simon , Symeonakis Elias 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIn many African countries, anthropogenic pressure and poor governance have led to the degradation of wildlife corridors, which are important for the long‐term viability of wildlife populations. Yet the nature of such degradation is poorly understood, hindering our ability to reverse these trends. We studied a deteriorating wildlife corridor between Katavi and Mahale National Parks in western Tanzania. Using satellite imagery, we found that the corridor still contains large areas of natural vegetation, diverse terrain and numerous water sources. There has nonetheless been increasing encroachment of the corridor by people between 1990 and 2017, exemplified by a 9% reduction in the area covered by miombo woodlands and a fourfold increase in the area covered by settlements and agricultural land. We used three additional methods to assess deterioration over the last three decades: elephants' movement routes, peoples' perception of animal populations and incidents of human–wildlife conflicts. Elephants were primarily found only in the parts of the corridor adjacent to the two national parks. Tracking of elephant spoor revealed a much‐diminished corridor use, suggesting that seemingly ‘healthy’ habitat within a wildlife corridor will not necessarily predict the presence of elephants or perhaps of other species. Other factors particularly the increasing presence of humans in the area are possibly more important for predicting elephant use of a corridor. Interviews with local residents and conservation experts suggested that, although use by some animal species has declined, many ungulates were still seen in the corridor and neighbouring villages, some of which were associated with human–wildlife conflict. All villages around the corridor were affected by the human–wildlife conflict; this comprised crop damage, livestock injury or killing and attacks on humans. We conclude that corridors could be restored if people were restricted from settling, but this would require governments to enact policies that balance the conservation of Natural Capital with survival of human populations; the latter may involve internal migration in response to growing population pressures.
Non‐invasive neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NIV‐NAVA) reduces extubation failures in preterm neonates—A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Kuitunen Ilari , Räsänen Kati 
Published: May 2024

AbstractAimTo analyse the evidence of non‐invasive neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NIV‐NAVA) in preterm neonates compared to nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) or nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV).MethodsWe performed a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomised controlled trials and included studies where NIV‐NAVA was analysed in preterm (<37 gestational weeks) born neonates. Our main outcomes were the need for endotracheal intubation, the need for surfactant therapy, and reintubation rates. Risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.ResultsA total of five studies were included. The endotracheal intubation rate was 25% in the NIV‐NAVA group and 26% in the nCPAP group (RR 0.91, CI: 0.56–1.48). The respective rates for surfactant therapy were 30% and 35% (RR 0.85, CI: 0.56–1.29). The reintubation rate in neonates previously invasively ventilated was 8% in the NIV‐NAVA group and 29% in the nCPAP/NIPPV group (RR 0.29, 95%CI: 0.10–0.81). Evidence certainty was rated as low for all outcomes.ConclusionsNIV‐NAVA as the primary respiratory support did not reduce the need for endotracheal intubation or surfactant therapy. NIV‐NAVA seemed to reduce the reintubation rate after extubation in pre‐term neonates.
Diagnosis of systemic mastocytosis with cryptic deletion of TET2 and DNMT3A resulting from unbalanced translocation
Authors: Chow Signy , Lee Stephanie , Lin August , Craddock Kenneth J. , Smith Adam C. , Tsui Hubert 
Published: May 2024

SummarySystemic mastocytosis (SM) is a rare haematological neoplasm associated with the gain of function mutation KIT D816V in 90% of adult patients. Classically, cytogenetic aberrations are not common except in cases of SM associated with another haematological neoplasm. We highlight here an unusual clinical presentation of SM and demonstrate the utility of advanced cytogenetic analysis (optical genome mapping, OGM) in detecting a novel cytogenetic abnormality resulting in an unusual mechanism of DNMT3A and TET2 loss of function.
Sociocultural determinants of children's oral health among immigrants in Canada
Authors: Dahlan Rana , Bohlouli Babak , Saltaji Humam , Salami Bukola , Amin Maryam 
Published: May 2024

AbstractObjectiveA conceptual model was designed and tested to predict immigrant children's oral health in Canada by examining parental acculturation and perceived social support (PSS) using structural equation modelling.MethodsA convenience sample of first‐generation immigrant parents and their children aged 2–12 years were recruited by multilingual community workers in Edmonton, Canada. Parents completed a validated questionnaire on demographics, child's oral health (OH) behaviours, parental acculturation and PSS. Dental examinations determined children's dental caries rate using DMFT/dmft index. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data.ResultsA total of 336 families participated in this study. The average parental acculturation level was 10.46 with a maximum of 15, and the average PSS was 63.27 with a maximum of 75. SEM showed that 77% of the variance of DMFT/dmft scores in children was explained by parental PSS, acculturation level, immigration‐related variables, socioeconomic variables and children's OH behaviours. The direct effect of parental PSS was associated with a significantly reduced rate of dental caries (β = −.076, p‐value = .008) and lower sugar consumption (β = −.17, p‐value = .04). While the mediation effect of parental acculturation on PSS was associated with positive OH behaviours of children (e.g., toothbrushing frequency and dental care utilization), the indirect effect was negatively associated with caries rate (β = .77, p‐value = .00).ConclusionsThe direct effect of Parental Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was associated with more favourable oral health behaviours and a lower prevalence of dental caries, while the mediation effect of acculturation was linked to a higher prevalence of dental caries.
Plasma exosomes impair microglial degradation of α‐synuclein through V‐ATPase subunit V1G1
Authors: Li Yunna , Wang Yiming , Kou Liang , Yin Sijia , Chi Xiaosa , Sun Yadi , Wu Jiawei , Jin Zongjie , Zhou Qiulu , Zou Wenkai , Wang Tao , Xia Yun 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIntroductionMicroglia are the main phagocytes in the brain and can induce neuroinflammation. Moreover, they are critical to alpha‐synuclein (α‐syn) aggregation and propagation. Plasma exosomes derived from patients diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD‐exo) reportedly evoked α‐syn aggregation and inflammation in microglia. In turn, microglia internalized and released exosomal α‐syn, enhancing α‐syn propagation. However, the specific mechanism through which PD‐exo influences α‐syn degradation remains unknown.MethodsExosomes were extracted from the plasma of patients with PD by differential ultracentrifugation, analyzed using electron microscopy (EM) and nanoparticle flow cytometry, and stereotaxically injected into the unilateral striatum of the mice. Transmission EM was employed to visualize lysosomes and autophagosomes in BV2 cells, and lysosome pH was measured with LysoSensor Yellow/Blue DND‐160. Cathepsin B and D, lysosomal‐associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1), ATP6V1G1, tumor susceptibility gene 101 protein, calnexin, α‐syn, ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1, and NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 were evaluated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction or western blotting, and α‐syn, LAMP1, and ATP6V1G1 were also observed by immunofluorescence. Small interfering ribonucleic acid against V1G1 was transfected into BV2 cells and primary microglia using Lipofectamine® 3000. A PD mouse model was established via injection with 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) into mice. A lentiviral‐mediated strategy to overexpress ATP6V1G1 in the brain of MPTP‐treated mice was employed. Motor coordination was assessed using rotarod and pole tests, and neurodegeneration in the mouse substantia nigra and striatum tissues was determined using immunofluorescence histochemical and western blotting of tyrosine hydroxylase.ResultsPD‐exo decreased the expression of V1G1, responsible for the acidification of intra‐ and extracellular milieu. This impairment of lysosomal acidification resulted in the accumulation of abnormally swollen lysosomes and decreased lysosomal enzyme activities, impairing lysosomal protein degradation and causing α‐syn accumulation. Additionally, V1G1 overexpression conferred the mice neuroprotection during MPTP exposure.ConclusionPathogenic protein accumulation is a key feature of PD, and compromised V‐type ATPase dysfunction might participate in PD pathogenesis. Moreover, V1G1 overexpression protects against neuronal toxicity in an MPTP‐based PD mouse model, which may provide opportunities to develop novel therapeutic interventions for PD treatment.
Racial disparities in access to minimally invasive proctectomy for rectal cancer—a National Surgical Quality Improvement Program study
Authors: Nasseri Yosef Y. , La Kristina H.‐T. , Oka Kimberly , Solis‐Pazmino Paola , Smiley Abbas , Langenfeld Sean , Cohen Jason , Barnajian Moshe 
Published: May 2024

AbstractAimThe aim of this work was to determine racial disparities in access to minimally invasive proctectomy using a national database.MethodA retrospective review of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program evaluated for surgical approach (robotic, laparoscopic or open), demographics and comorbidity, and then compared by race.ResultsA total of 3511 patients (325 Asian, 2925 White, 261 African American/Black) with cancer who underwent a proctectomy between 2016 and 2020 were included. Both Asians and Whites had significantly higher rates of laparoscopic proctectomy relative to African Americans (38.5%, 33.8% and 28.7%, respectively; p = 0.0001). Asians had the highest rate of robotic proctectomy (38.2%, p = 0.0001). Conversely, Black patients had significantly higher rates of open proctectomy followed by Whites and then Asians (42.1%, 35.4% and 23.4%, respectively; p = 0.0001). In multivariable logistic regression with backward elimination, African Americans were 0.7 times as likely to undergo laparoscopic proctectomy and 1.4 times more likely to undergo open proctectomy than Whites (p = 0.043). Compared with Whites, Asians were 1.8, 1.7 and 1.9 times more likely to undergo minimally invasive, laparoscopic proctectomy and robotic proctectomy, respectively (p = 0.0001, p = 0.001, p = 0.0001).ConclusionAsians had the highest rate of laparoscopic and robotic proctectomy, while Blacks had the highest rate of open proctectomy. African Americans were least likely to undergo laparoscopic proctectomy compared with all races. Race is an independent risk factor for access to minimally invasive proctectomy.
Substratifying the risk of covert malignancy in significant rectal polyps: Outcomes from a specialist multidisciplinary team (MDT)
Authors: Penman Douglas , Keogh Ashley , Ahmed Shakil , Ahmed Suhail , Farrell Catriona , Andrews Timothy , Javed Ahsan , Sarkar Sanchoy 
Published: May 2024

AbstractAimA treatment strategy for patients with a significant polyp or early colon cancer (SPECC) of the rectum presents a challenge due to the significant rate of covert malignancy and lack of standardized assessment. For this reason, NICE recommends multidisciplinary meetings to improve outcomes. The primary aim of the present study was to report the performance of our specialist early rectal cancer (SERC) multidisciplinary team (MDT) in correctly substratifying the risk of cancer and to discuss the limitations of staging investigations in those patients with “poor outcomes”.MethodThis was a retrospective review of patients referred to our SERC MDT from 2014 to 2019. Lesions were assigned by the MDT to three pre‐resection categories (low, intermediate, high) according to the risk of covert malignancy. Resection method and final histology were compared to the pre‐resection categories.ResultsOf 350 SPECC lesions, 174 were assessed as low‐risk, 108 intermediate‐risk and 68 high‐risk. The cancer incidence was 4.8%, 8.3% and 53%, respectively (15.5% overall). Eight lesions were categorized as low‐risk but following piecemeal resection were found to be malignant. Five lesions, three of which were categorized as high‐risk, were ultimately benign following conventional surgery. One pT1sm1 cancer, removed by anterior resection, may have been treated by local excision.ConclusionA total of 83% of malignant polyps were triaged to an en bloc resection technique and surgical resection avoided for nearly all benign lesions. However, 12 patients from this cohort were deemed to have a poor outcome because of miscategorization. Further comparative research is needed to establish the optimum strategy for rectal SPECC lesion assessment.Originality statementThere is currently no consensus for staging significant polyps of the rectum. This paper reports the effectiveness of a specialist early rectal cancer MDT to correctly risk‐stratify significant rectal polyps. It underscores the importance of accurate categorization for treatment decision‐making, while acknowledging the limitations of current staging modalities.
Patterns of spontaneous neural activity associated with social communication abilities among infants and toddlers showing signs of autism
Authors: Cohenour Torrey , Dickinson Abigail , Jeste Shafali , Gulsrud Amanda , Kasari Connie 
Published: May 2024

AbstractEarly disruptions to social communication development, including delays in joint attention and language, are among the earliest markers of autism spectrum disorder (autism, henceforth). Although social communication differences are a core feature of autism, there is marked heterogeneity in social communication‐related development among infants and toddlers exhibiting autism symptoms. Neural markers of individual differences in joint attention and language abilities may provide important insight into heterogeneity in autism symptom expression during infancy and toddlerhood. This study examined patterns of spontaneous electroencephalography (EEG) activity associated with joint attention and language skills in 70 community‐referred 12‐ to 23‐month‐olds with autism symptoms and elevated scores on an autism diagnostic instrument. Data‐driven cluster‐based permutation analyses revealed significant positive associations between relative alpha power (6–9 Hz) and concurrent response to joint attention skills, receptive language, and expressive language abilities. Exploratory analyses also revealed significant negative associations between relative alpha power and measures of core autism features (i.e., social communication difficulties and restricted/repetitive behaviors). These findings shed light on the neural mechanisms underlying typical and atypical social communication development in emerging autism and provide a foundation for future work examining neural predictors of social communication growth and markers of intervention response.
Estimation of contemporary effective population size in plant populations: Limitations of genomic datasets
Authors: Gargiulo Roberta , Decroocq Véronique , González‐Martínez Santiago C. , Paz‐Vinas Ivan , Aury Jean‐Marc , Lesur Kupin Isabelle , Plomion Christophe , Schmitt Sylvain , Scotti Ivan , Heuertz Myriam 
Published: May 2024

AbstractEffective population size (Ne) is a pivotal evolutionary parameter with crucial implications in conservation practice and policy. Genetic methods to estimate Ne have been preferred over demographic methods because they rely on genetic data rather than time‐consuming ecological monitoring. Methods based on linkage disequilibrium (LD), in particular, have become popular in conservation as they require a single sampling and provide estimates that refer to recent generations. A software program based on the LD method, GONE, looks particularly promising to estimate contemporary and recent‐historical Ne (up to 200 generations in the past). Genomic datasets from non‐model species, especially plants, may present some constraints to the use of GONE, as linkage maps and reference genomes are seldom available, and SNP genotyping is usually based on reduced‐representation methods. In this study, we use empirical datasets from four plant species to explore the limitations of plant genomic datasets when estimating Ne using the algorithm implemented in GONE, in addition to exploring some typical biological limitations that may affect Ne estimation using the LD method, such as the occurrence of population structure. We show how accuracy and precision of Ne estimates potentially change with the following factors: occurrence of missing data, limited number of SNPs/individuals sampled, and lack of information about the location of SNPs on chromosomes, with the latter producing a significant bias, previously unexplored with empirical data. We finally compare the Ne estimates obtained with GONE for the last generations with the contemporary Ne estimates obtained with the programs currentNe and NeEstimator.
Genomic prediction of resistance to Hymenoscyphus fraxineus in common ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) populations
Authors: Meger Joanna , Ulaszewski Bartosz , Pałucka Małgorzata , Kozioł Czesław , Burczyk Jarosław 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe increase in introduced insect pests and pathogens due to anthropogenic environmental changes has become a major concern for tree species worldwide. Common ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) is one of such species facing a significant threat from the invasive fungal pathogen Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. Some studies have indicated that the susceptibility of ash to the pathogen is genetically determined, providing some hope for accelerated breeding programs that are aimed at increasing the resistance of ash populations. To address this challenge, we used a genomic selection strategy to identify potential genetic markers that are associated with resistance to the pathogen causing ash dieback. Through genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) of 300 common ash individuals from 30 populations across Poland (ddRAD, dataset A), we identified six significant SNP loci with a p‐value ≤1 × 10−4 associated with health status. To further evaluate the effectiveness of GWAS markers in predicting health status, we considered two genomic prediction scenarios. Firstly, we conducted cross‐validation on dataset A. Secondly, we trained markers on dataset A and tested them on dataset B, which involved whole‐genome sequencing of 20 individuals from two populations. Genomic prediction analysis revealed that the top SNPs identified via GWAS exhibited notably higher prediction accuracies compared to randomly selected SNPs, particularly with a larger number of SNPs. Cross‐validation analyses using dataset A showcased high genomic prediction accuracy, predicting tree health status with over 90% accuracy across the top SNP sets ranging from 500 to 10,000 SNPs from the GWAS datasets. However, no significant results emerged for health status when the model trained on dataset A was tested on dataset B. Our findings illuminate potential genetic markers associated with resistance to ash dieback, offering support for future breeding programs in Poland aimed at combating ash dieback and bolstering conservation efforts for this invaluable tree species.
DASC‐21 score and the risk of in‐hospital death in elderly patients with heart failure
Authors: Shimizu Ruri , Ishikawa Joji , Jyubishi Chihiro , Futami Shutaro , Morozumi Ai , Saito Yoshihiro , Komatsu Shunsuke , Toba Ayumi , Ishiyama Taizo , Fujimoto Hajime , Usui Shinichi , Tuboko Yusuke , Awata Shuichi , Harada Kazumasa 
Published: May 2024

AimWe investigated whether the Dementia Assessment Sheet for Community‐based Integrated Care System‐21 Items (DASC‐21), a questionnaire that assesses cognitive function, including activities of daily living (ADL), was predictive of in‐hospital death and prolonged hospital stay in elderly patients hospitalized for heart failure.MethodsWe retrospectively assessed the DASC‐21 score at the time of admission, in‐hospital death, length of hospital stay, and change in the Barthel index in 399 patients hospitalized for heart failure between 2016 and 2019.ResultsThe mean patient age was 85.8 ± 7.7 years (61.3% women). The median DASC‐21 score was 38 (64.7% higher than 31). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, a higher DASC‐21 score was associated with an increased risk of in‐hospital death (odds ratio [OR] = 1.045 per 1 point increase, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.010–1.081, P = 0.012), even after adjusting for confounding factors, including atrial fibrillation, ejection fraction, and B‐type natriuretic peptide. Difficulties (3 or 4) with the self‐management of medication in instrumental ADL inside the home (OR = 3.28, 95% CI: 1.05–10.28, P = 0.042), toileting (OR = 3.66, 95% CI: 1.19–11.29, P = 0.024), grooming (OR = 6.47, 95% CI: 2.00–20.96, P = 0.002), eating (OR = 7.96, 95% CI: 2.49–25.45, P < 0.001), and mobility in physical ADL (OR = 5.99, 95% CI: 1.85–19.35, P = 0.003) were identified as risk factors for in‐hospital death. Patients in the highest tertile of the DASC‐21 score had a significantly longer hospital stay (P = 0.006) and a greater reduction in the Barthel index (P < 0.001).ConclusionsIn elderly patients hospitalized for heart failure, higher DASC‐21 scores were associated with an increased risk of in‐hospital death, prolonged hospital stay, and impaired ADL. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 546–553.
Prosody outweighs statistics in 6‐month‐old German‐learning infants' speech segmentation
Authors: Marimon Mireia , Langus Alan , Höhle Barbara 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIt is well established that infants use various cues to find words within fluent speech from about 7 to 8 months of age. Research suggests that two main mechanisms support infants' speech segmentation: prosodic cues like the word stress patterns, and distributional cues like transitional probabilities (TPs). We tested 6‐month‐old German‐learning infants' use of prosodic and statistical cues for speech segmentation in three experiments. In Experiment 1, infants were familiarized with an artificial language string where TPs signaled either word boundaries or iambic words—a stress pattern that is disfavored in German. Experiment 2 was a control and only the test phase was presented. In Experiment 3, prosodic cues were absent in the string and only TPs signaled word boundaries. All experiments included the same conditions at test: disyllabic words with high TPs in the string, words with low TPs and words with non‐co‐occurring syllables. Results showed that infants relied more strongly on prosodic cues than on TPs for word segmentation. Notably, no segmentation evidence emerged when prosodic cues were absent in the string. This finding underlines early impacts of language‐specific structural properties on segmentation mechanisms.