bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Feasibility and acceptability of a parent‐toddler programme to support the development of executive functions in children at elevated likelihood of autism or ADHD: Pilot findings
Authors: Hulks Victoria , Scerif Gaia , Rhodes Sinead , Smith Sally , Charman Tony , Mathers Sandra , Hendry Alexandra 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThis study reports feasibility, fidelity and acceptability of a pilot of START; a 12‐week parent‐toddler, group‐based, neurodiversity‐affirming programme aiming to support executive function development in toddlers at elevated likelihood of autism or ADHD. After 4 days' training, community early years practitioner pairs delivered START to 13 UK families with a toddler showing elevated autistic traits, or with a parent or sibling with autism or ADHD, in groups of 6 and 7. Sessions were audio‐recorded and rated by practitioners and researchers regarding the extent to which programme and session aims were met. Practitioners' reflections on strengths and challenges in session delivery, adaptations to the session plan and researchers' observations from the audio recordings were probed in weekly debrief calls, and one‐to‐one interviews at programme end‐point. Recruitment and retention were monitored. Parent participants were asked to complete a feedback questionnaire after each session. Results show recruitment to the programme is feasible, but a large minority of parents experience barriers to regular attendance, which is a challenge for achieving exposure targets. Practitioners delivered the programme to a high quality and at least partially met programme and session‐specific aims in every session. The most significant barrier to fully meeting session aims was families' late arrival. Parents reported regularly engaging with the suggested activities at home and found the sessions useful, although not all parents responded each week. Overall, the results of this small‐scale pilot indicate START is feasible and acceptable as a parent‐mediated programme to support toddlers at elevated likelihood of autism or ADHD to thrive.
“We weren't listened to”: Practitioners views of navigating challenges and opportunities in special education settings through COVID‐19
Authors: Gaona Carolina , Mahmud Arif , Castro‐Kemp Susana 
Published: May 2024

AbstractWith the increase of special schools in UK and around the world, this study seeked to explore in‐depth the reality of practitioners working with children with SEND in specialist settings throughout the COVID‐19 pandemic. Utilising semi‐structured interviews with 11 special school teachers and leaders, this study found that professionals working in specialist settings experienced parental conflict, challenges related to personal life and working arrangements during this time, and highlighted concerns and opportunities for the future and sustainability of the SEND system. The professionals highlighted some essential components needed to support the development of meaningful careers and the reduction of attrition in the sector such as an increase in pay and greater appreciation of the role. This study has implications for policy and practice in a time of uncertainty pre‐election and during national crises such as high teacher turnover coupled with low teacher recruitment.
Mutualistic interactions of lactate‐producing lactobacilli and lactate‐utilizing Veillonella dispar: Lactate and glutamate cross‐feeding for the enhanced growth and short‐chain fatty acid production
Authors: Zhang Shi‐Min , Hung Jia‐He , Yen Tran Ngoc , Huang Shir‐Ly 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe human gut hosts numerous ecological niches for microbe–microbe and host–microbe interactions. Gut lactate homeostasis in humans is crucial and relies on various bacteria. Veillonella spp., gut lactate‐utilizing bacteria, and lactate‐producing bacteria were frequently co‐isolated. A recent clinical trial has revealed that lactate‐producing bacteria in humans cross‐feed lactate to Veillonella spp.; however, their interspecies interaction mechanisms remain unclear. Veillonella dispar, an obligate anaerobe commonly found in the human gut and oral cavity, ferments lactate into acetate and propionate. In our study, we investigated the interaction between V. dispar ATCC 17748T and three representative phylogenetically distant strains of lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356T, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei ATCC 27216T, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ATCC 10241. Bacterial growth, viability, metabolism and gene level adaptations during bacterial interaction were examined. V. dispar exhibited the highest degree of mutualism with L. acidophilus. During co‐culture of V. dispar with L. acidophilus, both bacteria exhibited enhanced growth and increased viability. V. dispar demonstrated an upregulation of amino acid biosynthesis pathways and the aspartate catabolic pathway. L. acidophilus also showed a considerable number of upregulated genes related to growth and lactate fermentation. Our results support that V. dispar is able to enhance the fermentative capability of L. acidophilus by presumably consuming the produced lactate, and that L. acidophilus cross‐feed not only lactate, but also glutamate, to V. dispar during co‐culture. The cross‐fed glutamate enters the central carbon metabolism in V. dispar. These findings highlight an intricate metabolic relationship characterized by cross‐feeding of lactate and glutamate in parallel with considerable gene regulation within both L. acidophilus (lactate‐producing) and V. dispar (lactate‐utilizing). The mechanisms of mutualistic interactions between a traditional probiotic bacterium and a potential next‐generation probiotic bacterium were elucidated in the production of short‐chain fatty acids.
Klumpy: A tool to evaluate the integrity of long‐read genome assemblies and illusive sequence motifs
Authors: Madrigal Giovanni , Minhas Bushra Fazal , Catchen Julian 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe improvement and decreasing costs of third‐generation sequencing technologies has widened the scope of biological questions researchers can address with de novo genome assemblies. With the increasing number of reference genomes, validating their integrity with minimal overhead is vital for establishing confident results in their applications. Here, we present Klumpy, a tool for detecting and visualizing both misassembled regions in a genome assembly and genetic elements (e.g. genes) of interest in a set of sequences. By leveraging the initial raw reads in combination with their respective genome assembly, we illustrate Klumpy's utility by investigating antifreeze glycoprotein (afgp) loci across two icefishes, by searching for a reported absent gene in the northern snakehead fish, and by scanning the reference genomes of a mudskipper and bumblebee for misassembled regions. In the two former cases, we were able to provide support for the noncanonical placement of an afgp locus in the icefishes and locate the missing snakehead gene. Furthermore, our genome scans were able identify an unmappable locus in the mudskipper reference genome and identify a putative repetitive element shared among several species of bees.
Long‐term competition for product awareness with learning from friends
Authors: Gong Qiang , Xu Yujing , Yang Huanxing 
Published: May 2024

AbstractWe study a dynamic model of price competition with differentiated products in which new generations of consumers acquire information about available products from their friends of previous generations. The social network, which links consumers across generations, affects the evolution of consumers' awareness of products and firms' long‐term (steady‐state) market shares. Focusing on steady‐state equilibria, we examine how the structure of the social network—including connectivity and homophily—influences market shares, pricing, and welfare.
Early life interventions metformin and trodusquemine metabolically reprogram the developing mouse liver through transcriptomic alterations
Authors: Ashiqueali Sarah A. , Schneider Augusto , Zhu Xiang , Juszczyk Ewelina , Mansoor Mishfak A. M. , Zhu Yun , Fang Yimin , Zanini Bianka M. , Garcia Driele N. , Hayslip Natalie , Medina David , McFadden Samuel , Stockwell Robert , Yuan Rong , Bartke Andrzej , Zasloff Michael , Siddiqi Shadab , Masternak Michal M. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractRecent studies have demonstrated the remarkable potential of early life intervention strategies at influencing the course of postnatal development, thereby offering exciting possibilities for enhancing longevity and improving overall health. Metformin (MF), an FDA‐approved medication for type II diabetes mellitus, has recently gained attention for its promising anti‐aging properties, acting as a calorie restriction mimetic, and delaying precocious puberty. Additionally, trodusquemine (MSI‐1436), an investigational drug, has been shown to combat obesity and metabolic disorders by inhibiting the enzyme protein tyrosine phosphatase 1b (Ptp1b), consequently reducing hepatic lipogenesis and counteracting insulin and leptin resistance. In this study, we aimed to further explore the effects of these compounds on young, developing mice to uncover biomolecular signatures that are central to liver metabolic processes. We found that MSI‐1436 more potently alters mRNA and miRNA expression in the liver compared with MF, with bioinformatic analysis suggesting that cohorts of differentially expressed miRNAs inhibit the action of phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (Pi3k), protein kinase B (Akt), and mammalian target of rapamycin (Mtor) to regulate the downstream processes of de novo lipogenesis, fatty acid oxidation, very‐low‐density lipoprotein transport, and cholesterol biosynthesis and efflux. In summary, our study demonstrates that administering these compounds during the postnatal window metabolically reprograms the liver through induction of potent epigenetic changes in the transcriptome, potentially forestalling the onset of age‐related diseases and enhancing longevity. Future studies are necessary to determine the impacts on lifespan and overall quality of life.
Longitudinal alcohol‐related brain changes in older adults: The Sydney Memory and Ageing Study
Authors: Mewton Louise , Visontay Rachel , Hughes Gerard , Browning Catherine , Wen Wei , Topiwala Anya , Draper Brian , Crawford John D. , Brodaty Henry , Sachdev Perminder S. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIncreases in harmful drinking among older adults indicate the need for a more thorough understanding of the relationship between later‐life alcohol use and brain health. The current study investigated the relationships between alcohol use and progressive grey and white matter changes in older adults using longitudinal data. A total of 530 participants (aged 70 to 90 years; 46.0% male) were included. Brain outcomes assessed over 6 years included total grey and white matter volume, as well as volume of the hippocampus, thalamus, amygdala, corpus callosum, orbitofrontal cortex and insula. White matter integrity was also investigated. Average alcohol use across the study period was the main exposure of interest. Past‐year binge drinking and reduction in drinking from pre‐baseline were additional exposures of interest. Within the context of low‐level average drinking (averaging 11.7 g per day), higher average amount of alcohol consumed was associated with less atrophy in the left (B = 7.50, pFDR = 0.010) and right (B = 5.98, pFDR = 0.004) thalamus. Past‐year binge‐drinking was associated with poorer white matter integrity (B = −0.013, pFDR = 0.024). Consuming alcohol more heavily in the past was associated with greater atrophy in anterior (B = −12.73, pFDR = 0.048) and posterior (B = −17.88, pFDR = 0.004) callosal volumes over time. Across alcohol exposures and neuroimaging markers, no other relationships were statistically significant. Within the context of low‐level drinking, very few relationships between alcohol use and brain macrostructure were identified. Meanwhile, heavier drinking was negatively associated with white matter integrity.
Is liquidity provision informative? Evidence from agricultural futures markets
Authors: Ma Richie R. , Serra Teresa 
Published: May 2024

AbstractElectronic commodity trading witnesses a massive volume of order messages every trading day, but little is known about their informativeness. We examine limit order dynamics and their role in price discovery in the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) corn, soybean, and wheat futures markets from January 2019 to June 2020, using order‐level data. Between 75% and 79% of the large number of limit orders submitted are then deleted, which contrasts with the much smaller proportion getting executed or revised. Aggressive trades and limit orders substantially contribute to price discovery, whereas nonaggressive trades and limit orders, representing most market events, play a minor role. Following public information releases, there is a shift in trading strategies, with trades contributing more to price discovery and aggressive limit orders contributing less, compared to nonrelease days. Our findings suggest that most limit orders in agricultural futures markets continue to play the traditional role of uninformed liquidity provision.
Hospital and out‐of‐hospital services provided by public geriatric medicine departments in Australia and New Zealand
Authors: Azarias Eleni , Thillainadesan Janani , Hanger Carl , Scott John , Boudville Amanda , Moran Chris , O'Sullivan Robert , Maddison John , Eagar Kathy , Harvey Gillian , King Alison , Kearney Leanne , Naganathan Vasi 
Published: May 2024

AbstractObjectiveTo describe the types of hospital and out‐of‐hospital services provided by public geriatric medicine departments in Australia and New Zealand, and to explore head of department (HOD) views on issues in current and future service provision.MethodsAn electronic survey was sent to HODs of public geriatric medicine departments.ResultsSeventy‐six (89%) of 85 identified HODs completed the survey. Seventy‐one (93%) departments admit inpatients and 51 (67%) admit acute inpatients, with variable admission criteria. Sixty‐four (84%) have hospitals with an inpatient general medicine service, and 58 (91%) of these admit older patients with acute geriatric issues. Sixty (79%) departments provide inpatient rehabilitation. Forty (53%) have beds for behavioural symptoms of dementia and/or delirium. Seventy (92%) provide a proactive orthogeriatric service. In terms of out‐of‐hospital services, 74 (97%) departments have outpatient clinics, 59 (78%) have telehealth and 68 (89%) perform home visits. Forty‐five (59%) provide an inreach/outreach service to nursing homes. The most frequent gaps in service provision identified by HODs were acute geriatrics, surgical liaison, a designated dementia/delirium behavioural management unit, geriatricians in Emergency, outreach/inreach to residential care and shared care with some medical specialities. Increasing staff numbers and government policy change were the most frequently identified ways to address these gaps.ConclusionsGeriatric medicine service provision is variable across Australia and New Zealand, with key gaps identified. These findings will inform future directions in implementation of geriatric medicine models of care and discussions with various levels of government about the ongoing development of geriatric medicine services.
No COVID‐19 pandemic impact on incidence and clinical presentation of celiac disease in Italian children
Authors: Guacci Pietro , Ballabio Claudia , Folegatti Alice , Giancotti Laura , Scordo Alessia , Pensabene Licia , Parma Barbara , Selicorni Angelo , Luini Chiara , Agosti Massimo , Salvatore Silvia 
Published: May 2024

AbstractAimWe aimed to evaluate the impact of Coronavirus Disease‐19 (COVID‐19) pandemic on the incidence and clinical presentation of celiac disease (CD) in children.MethodsThe diagnoses of CD were compared between the COVID‐19 pandemic (from April 2020 to March 2022) and the pre‐pandemic period (from April 2018 to March 2020) in three Italian Paediatric Gastroenterology centres (Varese, Como, Catanzaro). Electronic patient records were reviewed and additional information were collected through parental interview. The diagnosis of CD was made according to ESPGHAN criteria. SARS‐CoV‐2 infection was diagnosed based on pre‐vaccination positive serum antibodies or nasopharyngeal swabs. Z test and chi‐square were used for statistical analysis.ResultsThe overall number of paediatric diagnosis of CD did not differ between the two years pre‐pandemic and pandemic periods (177 and 172 cases) in the three Italian participating centres. Clinical presentation of CD was also similar throughout the study periods. SARS‐CoV‐2 infection has been documented in 10.6% of children but only in 5.8% of these occurred before CD diagnosis.ConclusionDifferent to what reported for other autoimmune diseases, the incidence and presenting symptoms of CD in our paediatric population did not change during the COVID‐19 pandemic compared to the previous 2 years.
The Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia score: A predictive model for bronchopulmonary dysplasia or death in high‐risk preterm infants
Authors: Chioma Roberto , Healy David B. , Finn Daragh , Walsh Brian H. , Reynolds Cole , O'Sullivan Deirdre , Livingstone Vicki , Bussmann Neidin , Dempsey Eugene M. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractAimProgressive respiratory deterioration in infants at high risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is associated with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) exposure. This study aimed to design an early predictive model for BPD or death in preterm infants using early echocardiographic markers and clinical data.MethodsInfants born with gestational age (GA) ≤ 29 weeks and/or birth weight (BW) < 1500 g at Cork University Maternity Hospital, Ireland were retrospectively evaluated. Those with echocardiography performed between 36 h and 7 days of life were eligible for inclusion. Exclusion criteria were pulmonary hypertension and major congenital anomalies. The primary outcome was a composite of BPD and death before discharge.ResultsThe study included 99 infants. A predictive model for the primary outcome was developed, which included three variables (BW, Respiratory Severity Score and flow pattern across the PDA), and yielding an area under the curve of 0.98 (95% CI 0.96–1.00, p < 0.001). Higher scores were predictive of the primary outcome. A cut‐off of −1.0 had positive and negative predictive values of 89% and 98%, and sensitivity and specificity of 98% and 88%, respectively.ConclusionOur prediction model is an accessible bedside tool that predicts BPD or death in premature infants.
Estimation of moisture content in dry‐cured beef ham by measuring the impedance of the surface
Authors: Yamaguchi Aoto , Muramoto Takayuki 
Published: May 2024

AbstractDry‐cured beef ham quality is determined by moisture content; however, it is hard to do non‐destructive monitoring. We investigated whether the internal moisture content of dry‐cured beef ham could be determined from the impedance of the surface, which is removed at the time of eating. Supraspinatus muscle samples from Japanese Shorthorn steers were dried for different periods. The samples were then divided into the parts to be removed (surface) and edible parts. Their respective impedance and moisture content were measured, and the correlation between these two parameters was investigated. A negative correlation was observed between the impedance and moisture content of the surface and the shallow and deep sections of the edible part. There was also a negative correlation between the impedance of the surface and the moisture content of the shallow and deep sections of the edible part. Therefore, the results of this study indicate that during drying, the moisture content in the shallow and deep sections of dry‐cured hams can be estimated by measuring the impedance of the surface. This non‐destructive method of measuring the moisture content of dry‐cured hams can help in regulating the moisture content during drying to produce high‐quality dry‐cured hams.
Reaction‐norm animal model analysis of average daily gain heat tolerance in purebred Duroc pigs
Authors: Fukuzawa Yo , Ogawa Shinichiro , Okamura Toshihiro , Nishio Motohide , Ishii Kazuo , Takahashi Hiroshi , Satoh Masahiro 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe present study aimed to genetically improve growth performance under high‐heat environments by specifically designing a reaction‐norm animal model (RNAM) for purebred Duroc pigs in Japan. A total of 54,750 records of average daily gain (ADG) measured for pigs reared at four farms in different prefectures were analyzed. Estimated maximum daily temperatures at the respective farm locations were used to calculate the average cumulative thermal load (TL). The TL values served as an indicator of high‐heat environments for pigs. The plausible cumulative period length and threshold temperature for calculating TL were determined to be 8 weeks until just before shipping and 25°C, respectively. Variance components were estimated via RNAM analysis using TL as a linear covariate. The estimated additive genetic variances under both responsive and non‐responsive to TL were found to be significant. Moreover, the estimated heritability of ADG ranged from 0.38 to 0.73 for TL values of 0–8. These results suggest that the RNAM developed holds the potential for improving the genetic ability of growth under high‐heat environments in pigs.
Parent‐identified gaps in preparation for the postpartum period in the United States: An integrative review
Authors: Nazarenko Danielle N. , Daniel Ariel L. , Durfee Stephanie , Agbemenu Kafuli 
Published: May 2024

AbstractBackgroundIn the United States, 35% of all pregnancy‐related deaths occur between 24 h and 6 weeks after delivery, yet the first outpatient visit is not typically scheduled until 6 weeks postpartum. Thus, the ability to independently navigate this period is critical to maternal well‐being and safety. However, previous research suggests that many women feel unprepared to manage the challenges they encounter during this time, and there is a current need to synthesize the existing evidence. Therefore, the purpose of this integrative review is to describe parent‐identified gaps in preparation for the postpartum period in the United States.MethodsUsing the Integrative Review framework by Whittemore and Knafl, a systematic search of Medline, CINAHL, PsychInfo, Web of Science, and a hand‐search was conducted for peer‐reviewed articles published in English between 1995 and 2023. Results were reported according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Studies that met eligibility criteria were synthesized in a literature matrix.ResultsTwenty‐two studies met inclusion criteria. Four themes were identified: Mental Health Concerns, Physical Concerns, Infant Feeding and Care Concerns, and General Concerns and Recommendations. Many women, regardless of parity, reported feeling unprepared for numerous postpartum experiences, including depression, anxiety, physical recovery, breastfeeding, and infant care. Parents reported difficulty differentiating normal postpartum symptoms from complications. Hospital discharge teaching was viewed as simultaneously overwhelming and inadequate. Parent recommendations included the need for earlier and more comprehensive postpartum preparation during pregnancy, delivered in multiple formats and settings. Parents also reported the need for earlier postpartum visits and improved outpatient support.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that many parents in the United States feel unprepared to navigate a wide variety of emotional, physical, breastfeeding, and infant‐care experiences. Future research should explore innovative educational approaches to postpartum preparation during pregnancy as well as outpatient programs to bridge the current gaps in postpartum care.