bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Maintaining A Long‐Term Practice of Daily Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises: What Do Childbearing Women Think?
Authors: Yount‐Tavener Susan M. , Fay Rebecca A. 
Published: March 2024

IntroductionTo be effective, pelvic floor muscle therapy (PFMT) exercises should be intense, be practiced consistently, and include clinical support. Many women do not adhere to a consistent PFMT program, compromising the resolution or prevention of urinary incontinence (UI). This study aimed to answer 2 key questions: What prevents women from performing PFMT long term, and what can health care providers do to support women to perform them?MethodsPostpartum women from 4 sites in the United States completed a questionnaire about experiences with PFMT or Kegel exercises during and after pregnancy. This study focused on one of the 7 open‐ended questions: What would prevent you from performing Kegels lifelong? Thematic analysis was implemented via an inductive approach using Braun and Clarke's 6‐phase process.ResultsThree salient themes emerged that help explain factors that prevent women from adhering to a daily PFMT routine: (1) life gets in the way, (2) inadequate PFMT education and instruction, and (3) disconnect exists about long‐term consequences. The sample included 368 participants.DiscussionThe themes were congruent with the limited body of qualitative literature on experience with PFMT exercises. This study was able to identify areas of need in the US maternal health care system to help childbearing people adopt daily PFMT, such as (1) inadequate parental leave and childcare support, (2) no formalized education related to UI and PFMT and a lack of pelvic health promotion, (3) lacking prioritization of long‐term PFMT, and (4) the need to dispel the acceptance that UI postbirth is normal. Health care providers should prioritize interactive education, emphasizing how to correctly perform PFMT and the importance and effectiveness of integrating clinical support. To adequately encompass pelvic floor health care and education up to one year postbirth, changes are needed to the US perinatal health care system, providing sufficient insurance reimbursement and parental social support programs.
Distribution and characteristics of bacteria on the hand during oropharyngeal swab collection: Which handwashing points are affected?
Authors: Chen Nuo , He Wenbin , Chen Xiaoyan , Li Yan , Cheng Xiaolin , Liu Li , Qian Hua , Qiao Fu , Cheng Fan , Deng Yi , Wu Wenwen , Feng Bilong , Wang Ying 
Published: March 2024

AbstractAimsTo identify the contaminated areas of the hand collection and analyse the distribution characteristics of bacteria in the hand after swab collection.DesignThis study used a cross‐sectional design.MethodsA cross‐sectional study sampling 50 pairs of hands (sampling hand and auxiliary hand) of healthcare workers was performed. Ten samples were collected from each participant. The optimal hand hygiene rates and bacterial colony counts of the whole hand and different hand sections without hand hygiene were identified as the primary outcomes.ResultsThe optimal hand hygiene rates of the sampling hand and auxiliary hand were 88.8% (222/250) and 91.6% (229/250), respectively. The lowest optimal hand hygiene rates for the sampling hand and the auxiliary hand were both on the dorsal side of the finger and the dorsum of the hand (86.0%, 86.0% vs. 90.0%, 86.0%); the optimal hand hygiene rates for both sites of the sampling hand were 86.0% (43/50), and the optimal hand hygiene rates for the auxiliary hand were 90.0% (45/50) and 86.0% (43/50). The bacteria colony counts did not differ between the sampling hands and auxiliary hand.ConclusionsThe dorsal side of the finger and dorsum of the hand were the most likely to be contaminated during oropharyngeal swab collection. Therefore, it is essential to pay extra attention to hand hygiene care of these two sites during the collection process to minimize the risk of cross‐contamination.Reporting MethodThe Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines were adopted in this study.
A patient‐specific circle of Willis blood flow model in predicting outcomes of balloon test occlusion
Authors: Li Jianmin , Li Daniel , Alaraj Ali , Du Xinjian , Wang Kezhou , Charbel Fady T. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractBackground and PurposeBalloon test occlusion (BTO) evaluates cerebral ischemic tolerance before internal carotid artery (ICA) sacrifice but carries risks like dissection and thrombosis. This study introduces a new approach using a patient‐specific circle of Willis (COW) blood flow model, based on non‐invasive quantitative MR angiography (qMRA) measurements, to predict the outcomes of BTO.MethodsWe developed individualized COW blood flow models for 43 patients undergoing BTO. These models simulated blood flow and pressure under normal conditions and with the ICA occlusion. We then compared the model's predictions of blood flow changes due to the simulated ICA occlusion to actual qMRA measurements before the BTO.ResultsFor all 31 BTO failures, the ipsilateral hemisphere showed an average flow decrease of 15 ± 10% (mean ± standard deviation), compared to 3 ± 2% in the contralateral hemisphere. In all 12 BTO passes, these figures were 6 ± 3% and 1 ± 0.8%, respectively. Notably, all BTO passes had less than a 10% reduction in the ipsilateral hemisphere. In contrast, 65% of BTO failures and 67% single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) failures exhibited a decrease of 10% or more in the same region.ConclusionBlood flow reduction exceeding 10% in the ipsilateral hemisphere during BTO is a strong predictor of failure in both BTO and SPECT. Our patient‐specific COW blood flow models, incorporating detailed flow and arterial geometry data, offered valuable insights for predicting BTO outcomes. These models are especially beneficial for situations where conducting BTO or SPECT is clinically impractical.
Community social vulnerability and the 340B Drug Pricing Program: Evaluating predictors of 340B participation among critical access hospital
Authors: Owsley Kelsey M. , Karim Saleema A. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractPurposeThe federal 340B Drug Pricing Program allows eligible hospitals, including critical access hospitals (CAHs), to obtain outpatient drugs at a discounted rate. CAHs likely benefit from 340B participation because they are often under‐resourced and serve at‐risk patient populations. The objective of this study was to understand predictors of 340B program participation among CAHs, and how participation varies with community‐level social vulnerability.MethodsWe used a cross‐sectional study design to assess the relationship between 340B participation in 2019 and community vulnerability status using 2018 data from the CDC's social vulnerability index (SVI) among acute care CAHs. Analyses used linear probability models adjusted for hospital‐level characteristics.FindingsIn bivariate analyses, CAHs participating in the 340B program had lower overall social vulnerability scores, relative to nonparticipating, eligible, and ineligible CAHs, respectively (43.8 vs. 48.7 vs. 64.7, p < 0.10). In adjusted regression models, greater community vulnerability rankings due to socioeconomic status (–0.129, p < 0.05) and minority status and language (–0.092, p < 0.05) were associated with decreased 340B participation. Higher hospital operating margin was associated with increased 340B participation (0.163, p < 0.05). Although the number of for‐profit CAHs ineligible for 340B was small, they had the highest community‐level social vulnerability score and lowest hospital operating margin on average.ConclusionsCAHs located in areas of high community vulnerability are less likely to participate in the 340B program. Some vulnerable patient populations served by CAHs may be excluded from 340B program benefits.
Gastrointestinal release site for delayed release and gelatin capsules in healthy dogs
Authors: Stone Charles B. , Rudinsky Adam J. , Urion Rebecca J. , March Simone B. , Winston Jenessa A. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractGelatin capsules deliver their contents to the stomach, while delayed‐release (DR) capsules are designed to allow delivery to the small intestine. This study evaluated the gastrointestinal release site of DR capsules in six healthy adult dogs compared to gelatin capsules. Both gelatin and DR capsules were filled with barium‐impregnated polyethylene spheres (BIPS™), and following enteral administration, release site was assessed using abdominal radiographs at baseline, immediately after ingestion, 15 min post‐ingestion, 30 min post‐ingestion, and then every 30 min thereafter. The evaluated phases included fasted conditions (phase 1, n = 6), increased meal size (phase 2, n = 2), double encapsulation (phase 3, n = 2), and altered capsule size (phase 4, n = 1). The released site was the stomach in all phases for both capsule types. In phase 1, DR capsules had a significantly prolonged time (median 60 min, range 60–90) to release BIPS™ compared to gelatin capsules (15 min, range 15–30; p = .03). In phase 2 (full meal size), 3 (double encapsulation), and 4 (smaller capsule size) pilot studies, release time was prolonged but still occurred in the stomach. This is similar to the release site for gelatin capsules but differs from the release site for DR capsules in people. This has implications for pharmacologic outcomes for products that are affected by gastric physiology (e.g. fecal microbiota transplantation). Based on this pilot data, clinicians and researchers should not assume DR capsules will allow for intestinal delivery of contents in dogs. Future studies should be conducted on larger and varied populations of dogs.
The effects of fire on large‐ and medium‐sized mammal communities: what do we know? A review
Authors: Forney Ronny R. , Peacock Mary M. 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Large‐ and medium‐sized mammals play a unique role in ecosystem dynamics. They can change the physical and biotic landscape by altering the flow of resources among trophic levels, thereby affecting ecosystem functioning.

Although the effects of fire on some ungulates have been well studied, data gaps exist for many species, including canids, felids, mustelids and ursids among others.

To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a literature review to synthesize what is known about large and medium mammal responses to fire, including communities, species richness and species interactions in connection with fire.

Twenty‐seven large and medium mammal species were studied. Fifty percent of the studies examined ungulates, far exceeding studies of other trophic levels. Eighty‐six percent were conducted on large mammals with significantly fewer studies on medium‐sized mammals. Only four studies examined multiple species responses to fire.

Results indicated that fire had a largely positive effect on large‐ and medium‐sized mammals. However, considerable heterogeneity exists within and among taxa.

Most fire research has been conducted on focal species rather than on biodiversity, and a large data gap exists on the interactions within or among large‐ and medium‐sized mammals.

Forest management focus is changing from fire suppression to reinstating natural fire regimes. Effectiveness monitoring programmes will be needed to test the efficacy of restoration strategies in mammalian communities.
A micro‐founded comparison of fiscal policies between indirect and direct job creation
Authors: Ohtake Kensuke 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to provide a micro‐economic foundation for an argument that the direct employment by the government is more desirable than the government purchase of private goods to eliminate unemployment. A general equilibrium model with monopolistic competition is devised, and the effects of policies (government purchase, tax rate operation, and government employment) on macroeconomic variables (consumption, price, and profit) are investigated. It is shown that (1) the government purchase is inflationary in the sense that additional effective demand by the government not only increases private employment but also raises prices; (2) the government employment can achieve full employment without causing a rise in prices.
A Controlled Variable Study of the Biomechanical Properties of the Proximal Femur before and after Cancellous Bone Removal
Authors: Wang Haicheng , Ding Kai , Zhang Yifan , Ren Chuan , Huo Haoyu , Zhu Yanbin , Zhang Qi , Chen Wei 
Published: March 2024

ObjectiveThe biomechanical characteristics of proximal femoral trabeculae are closely related to the occurrence and treatment of proximal femoral fractures. Therefore, it is of great significance to study its biomechanical effects of cancellous bone in the proximal femur. This study examines the biomechanical effects of the cancellous bone in the proximal femur using a controlled variable method, which provide a foundation for further research into the mechanical properties of the proximal femur.MethodsSeventeen proximal femoral specimens were selected to scan by quantitative computed tomography (QCT), and the gray values of nine regions were measure to evaluated bone mineral density (BMD) using Mimics software. Then, an intact femur was fixed simulating unilateral standing position. Vertical compression experiments were then performed again after removing cancellous bone in the femoral head, femoral neck, and intertrochanteric region, and data were recorded. According to the controlled variable method, the femoral head, femoral neck, and intertrochanteric trabeculae were sequentially removed based on the axial loading of the intact femur, and the displacement and strain changes of the femur samples under axial loading were recorded. Gom software was used to measure and record displacement and strain maps of the femoral surface.ResultsThere was a statistically significant difference in anteroposterior displacement of cancellous bone destruction in the proximal femur (p < 0.001). Proximal femoral bone mass explained 77.5% of the strength variation, in addition proximal femoral strength was mainly affected by bone mass at the level of the upper outer, lower inner, lower greater trochanter, and lesser trochanter of the femoral head. The normal stress conduction of the proximal femur was destroyed after removing cancellous bone, the stress was concentrated in the femoral head and lateral femoral neck, and the femoral head showed a tendency to subside after destroying cancellous bone.ConclusionThe trabecular removal significantly altered the strain distribution and biomechanical strength of the proximal femur, demonstrating an important role in supporting and transforming bending moment under the vertical load. In addition, the strength of the proximal femur mainly depends on the bone density of the femoral head and intertrochanteric region.
Development of a next generation SNP genotyping array for wheat
Authors: Burridge Amanda J. , Winfield Mark , Przewieslik‐Allen Alexandra , Edwards Keith J. , Siddique Imteaz , Barral‐Arca Ruth , Griffiths Simon , Cheng Shifeng , Huang Zejian , Feng Cong , Dreisigacker Susanne , Bentley Alison R. , Brown‐Guedira Gina , Barker Gary L. 
Published: March 2024

SummaryHigh‐throughput genotyping arrays have provided a cost‐effective, reliable and interoperable system for genotyping hexaploid wheat and its relatives. Existing, highly cited arrays including our 35K Wheat Breeder's array and the Illumina 90K array were designed based on a limited amount of varietal sequence diversity and with imperfect knowledge of SNP positions. Recent progress in wheat sequencing has given us access to a vast pool of SNP diversity, whilst technological improvements have allowed us to fit significantly more probes onto a 384‐well format Axiom array than previously possible. Here we describe a novel Axiom genotyping array, the ‘Triticum aestivum Next Generation’ array (TaNG), largely derived from whole genome skim sequencing of 204 elite wheat lines and 111 wheat landraces taken from the Watkins ‘Core Collection’. We used a novel haplotype optimization approach to select SNPs with the highest combined varietal discrimination and a design iteration step to test and replace SNPs which failed to convert to reliable markers. The final design with 43 372 SNPs contains a combination of haplotype‐optimized novel SNPs and legacy cross‐platform markers. We show that this design has an improved distribution of SNPs compared to previous arrays and can be used to generate genetic maps with a significantly higher number of distinct bins than our previous array. We also demonstrate the improved performance of TaNGv1.1 for Genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) and its utility for Copy Number Variation (CNV) analysis. The array is commercially available with supporting marker annotations and initial genotyping results freely available.
Deciphering miRNA‐lncRNA‐mRNA interaction through experimental validation of miRNAs, lncRNAs, and miRNA targets on mRNAs in Cajanus cajan
Authors: Chowdhury M. R. , Chatterjee C. , Ghosh D. , Mukherjee J. , Shaw S. , Basak J. 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) is widely cultivated for its nutritional and medicinal value yet remains an orphan crop as productivity has not been improved because of a lack of genome and non‐coding genome information. Non‐coding RNAs, like miRNAs and long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs), are involved in regulation of growth, metabolism, development, and stress response, and have a critical role in post‐transcriptional gene regulation (PTGR).

We attempted to elucidate the roles of miRNAs and lncRNAs in pigeon pea through experimental validation of computationally predicted miRNAs and lncRNAs and targets of miRNAs on mRNAs.

We experimentally validated 20 miRNAs and 11 lncRNAs. We predicted cleavage sites of three miRNA targets: serine/threonine‐protein kinase, polygalacturonase, beta‐galactosidase. We identified 469 targets of 265 miRNAs and their functional annotations using computational methods. We built a miRNA‐mRNA‐lncRNA network model, with the miRNAs targeting both mRNAs and lncRNAs, to obtain information on the interplay of these three molecules.

A confirmed interaction through experimental validation was established between miRNA, namely cca‐miR1535a targeting the mRNA for beta‐galactosidase, as well as the lncRNA cca‐lnc‐020033. Our findings increase knowledge of the non‐coding genome of pigeon pea and their roles in PTGR and in improving agronomic traits of this pulse crop.
Natural history of periodontal disease: The original Sri Lanka and Oslo studies
Authors: Lang Niklaus P. , Schätzle Marc , Ramseier Christoph A. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractSusceptibility to periodontal disease depends on individual factors within the host response to the bacterial challenge. The study of these factors requires longitudinal studies of an undisturbed development of the disease process. On the basis of the original longitudinal studies on the natural histology of periodontal disease staged in Sri Lanka and Oslo/Norway, several analyses of periodontal parameters and tooth status have been performed. The main findings were that in the first 20 years of complete absence of oral hygiene practices or preventive services attachment was lost at various rates. Three groups of subjects could be identified: rapidly progressing (RP) (8%), moderately progressing (MP) (81%), and subjects with no disease progression (NP) (11%). In the second two decades, the RP subjects have lost most of their teeth and no NP patients were identified anymore. The progression rate in these two decades was much slower, and the tooth mortality decreased. It could be predicted that subjects who had lost more than 2 mm at age 30 would not maintain a functional dentition at age 60. The corresponding control population in Oslo was used to study the influence of gingival inflammation on the initiation and progression of periodontal disease. The pattern and rates of attachment loss were identified in a population that was exposed to optimal and regular preventive services from age 3 onward. In the observation period of 26 years, it could be demonstrated that gingival inflammation varied little throughout adult life and always bleeding sites occurred consistently in 10% to 20%. The role of ongoing gingivitis in the pathogenesis of attachment loss was identified and also reflected stability whenever it was absent. Tooth mortality was only found in subjects with ongoing gingivitis. After 50 years of tooth age, 63% of the teeth were still maintained, while 99.8% were maintained after 50 years when gingival inflammation had been absent. Consequently, continuous gingivitis represented a risk factor for tooth loss.
Pilot study of the effectiveness and acceptability of an automatic toothbrush among residents in long‐term care
Authors: Howell Britteny M. , Trammell Shellea , Livingston Marin , Royer Royann 
Published: March 2024

AbstractAimsReduced mobility and/or low cognitive functioning may make it difficult for residents with special care needs in long‐term care homes to brush their own teeth every day. Demands on caregiving staff in these homes may also result in skipping essential toothbrushing tasks, resulting in poor oral health.Methods and ResultsThis article provides the results of a 6‐week pilot study that tested the effectiveness and acceptability of the Willo automatic toothbrush “robot” used among residents in long‐term care compared to their regular toothbrush. Using a non‐randomized delayed‐start design with a convenience sample (age 38–82 years, mean = 66.9), each study participant underwent biofilm assessments at three timepoints: (1) baseline as the study began (mean = 2.33), (2) after using their regular toothbrush daily for 3 weeks (mean = 2.21), and (3) after using the Willo automatic toothbrush daily for 3 weeks (mean = 0.31). Using t‐tests and repeated measures ANOVA, the Willo was significantly more effective than regular toothbrushing at reducing biofilm (p = .00004) and gingivitis (p = .002) over time. Participants also responded to brief weekly satisfaction surveys about their experiences using the two different brushes. The Willo was generally tolerated among participants, who largely reported that the brush was easy to use, not uncomfortable, and did not cause pain or bleeding. While approximately half of the study participants reported liking the Willo, the remainder did not want to replace their regular brush with the Willo, for a variety of reasons.ConclusionWe recommend more research on the effectiveness and acceptability of automatic toothbrushes with long‐term care residents, caregivers, and others who may benefit from their use.