bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Does governance matter? Comparing the determinants of Chinese and Western trade with Africa
Authors: Landry David 
Published: March 2024

AbstractIn recent decades, China has risen to prominence in the global economy with breakneck speed. Many have hypothesised that Chinese economic actors undermine the global drive to promote good governance in developing countries, and in Africa in particular, by disproportionately engaging economically with countries that suffer from poor governance outcomes. Using bilateral trade data, this paper explicitly compares how different aspects of African countries' governance levels impact their trade patterns with China and the West. It finds that African countries with better corruption controls and improved democratic development levels export more to the Western countries sampled, though the opposite is true with regard to their exports to China. Interestingly, democratic development is associated with greater imports from both the West and China, but the opposite holds with regard to respect for human rights. Finally, political stability has no significant impact on African trade—with either the West or China. However, when oil exporters are excluded from the sample, the relationship between political stability and African exports strengthens dramatically, which suggests that both Western and Chinese importers are willing to tolerate political instability to secure oil.
Do risk scores improve use of faecal immunochemical testing for haemoglobin in symptomatic patients in primary care?
Authors: Digby Jayne , Fraser Callum G. , Clark Gavin , Mowat Craig , Strachan Judith A. , Steele Robert J. C. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractAimFaecal immunochemical testing (FIT) is used in the detection of colorectal cancer (CRC). FIT is invariably used at a single faecal haemoglobin (f‐Hb) concentration threshold. The aim of this observational study was to explore risk scoring models (RSMs) with f‐Hb and other risk factors for CRC in symptomatic patients attending primary care, potentially speeding diagnosis and saving endoscopy resources.MethodRecords of patients completing FIT were linked with The Scottish Cancer Registry and with other databases with symptoms, full blood count and demographic variables, and randomized into derivation and validation cohorts. Stepwise multivariable logistic regression created RSMs assessed in the validation cohort.ResultsOf 18 805 unique patients, 9374 and 9431 were in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively: f‐Hb, male sex, increasing age, iron deficiency anaemia and raised systemic immune inflammation index created the final RSM. A risk score threshold of ≥2.363, generating the same number of colonoscopies as a f‐Hb threshold of ≥10 μg Hb/g gave improved sensitivity for CRC in both cohorts. A RSM which excluded f‐Hb was used to investigate the effect of raising the f‐Hb threshold from ≥10 to ≥20 μg Hb/g in those with a low risk score. This approach would have generated 234 fewer colonoscopies but missed four CRCs.ConclusionThe RSM conferred no significant benefit to patients with very low f‐Hb and CRC. Alternative strategies combining FIT with other variables may be more appropriate for safety‐netting of symptomatic patients. Further work to develop and investigate the value of RSM for significant bowel disease other than CRC may also be beneficial.
Influence of neoadjuvant treatment strategy on perioperative outcomes in locally advanced rectal cancer
Authors: McFeetors Carson , O'Connell Lauren V. , Choy Megan , Dundon Niamh , Regan Mark , Joyce Myles , Meshkat Babak , Hogan Aisling , Nugent Emmeline 
Published: March 2024

AbstractAimNeoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) in locally advanced rectal cancer facilitates tumour downstaging and complete pathological response (pCR). The goal of neoadjuvant systemic chemotherapy (total neoadjuvant chemotherapy, TNT) is to further improve local and systemic control. While some patients forgo surgery, total mesorectal excision (TME) remains the standard of care. While TNT appears to be noninferior to nCRT with respect to short‐term oncological outcomes few data exist on perioperative outcomes. Perioperative morbidity including anastomotic leaks is associated with a negative effect on oncological outcomes, probably due to a delay in proceeding to adjuvant therapy. Thus, we aimed to compare conversion rates, rates of sphincter‐preserving surgery and anastomosis formation rates in patients undergoing rectal resection after either TNT or standard nCRT.MethodsAn institutional colorectal oncology database was searched from January 2018 to July 2023. Inclusion criteria comprised patients with histologically confirmed rectal cancer who had undergone neoadjuvant therapy and TME. Exclusion criteria comprised patients with a noncolorectal primary, those operated on emergently or who had local excision only. Outcomes evaluated included rates of conversion to open, sphincter‐preserving surgery, anastomosis formation and anastomotic leak.ResultsA total of 119 patients were eligible for inclusion (60 with standard nCRT, 59 with TNT). There were no differences in rates of sphincter preservation or primary anastomosis formation between the groups. However, a significant increase in conversion to open (p = 0.03) and anastomotic leak (p = 0.03) was observed in the TNT cohort.ConclusionIn this series TNT appears to be associated with higher rates of conversion to open surgery and higher anastomotic leak rates. While larger studies will be required to confirm these findings, these factors should be considered alongside oncological benefits when selecting treatment strategies.
Skeletal muscle estimation: A review of techniques and their applications
Authors: Rodriguez Christian , Mota Jacob D. , Palmer Ty B. , Heymsfield Steven B. , Tinsley Grant M. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractQuantifying skeletal muscle size is necessary to identify those at risk for conditions that increase frailty, morbidity, and mortality, as well as decrease quality of life. Although muscle strength, muscle quality, and physical performance have been suggested as important assessments in the screening, prevention, and management of sarcopenic and cachexic individuals, skeletal muscle size is still a critical objective marker. Several techniques exist for estimating skeletal muscle size; however, each technique presents with unique characteristics regarding simplicity/complexity, cost, radiation dose, accessibility, and portability that are important factors for assessors to consider before applying these modalities in practice. This narrative review presents a discussion centred on the theory and applications of current non‐invasive techniques for estimating skeletal muscle size in diverse populations. Common instruments for skeletal muscle assessment include imaging techniques such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, peripheral quantitative computed tomography, dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry, and Brightness‐mode ultrasound, and non‐imaging techniques like bioelectrical impedance analysis and anthropometry. Skeletal muscle size can be acquired from these methods using whole‐body and/or regional assessments, as well as prediction equations. Notable concerns when conducting assessments include the absence of standardised image acquisition/processing protocols and the variation in cut‐off thresholds used to define low skeletal muscle size by clinicians and researchers, which could affect the accuracy and prevalence of diagnoses. Given the importance of evaluating skeletal muscle size, it is imperative practitioners are informed of each technique and their respective strengths and weaknesses.
Using environmental education to nurture positive human–wildlife interactions in India
Authors: Salazar Gabby , Satheesh Nitya , Ramakrishna Ishika , Monroe Martha C. , Mills Morena , Karanth Krithi K. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractEnvironmental education has the potential to help reduce negative human–wildlife interactions by increasing positive attitudes toward wildlife and providing participants with knowledge and skills that can help mitigate conflict situations and promote safety. To promote positive human–wildlife relationships, effective programs could be implemented widely in areas near remote wildlife reserves and protected areas. We created and evaluated a new environmental education program for 10‐ to 13‐year‐old students in rural schools in India where human–wildlife conflicts with large mammals frequently occur. Between July 2019 and March 2020, we tested the program at 129 schools, reaching 4331 students. The program, which was iteratively designed to fit the local context, is both cost‐effective and scalable. We found that participation in the program resulted in a significant positive increase in local environmental knowledge, in knowledge of safe behaviors, and in some measures of environmental attitudes. This paper reports on the lessons learned while creating this program that may help other organizations interested in using environmental education in regions where negative human–wildlife interactions frequently occur.
Telencephalic eversion in embryos and early larvae of four teleost species
Authors: Folgueira Mónica , Clarke Jonathan D. W. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe telencephalon of ray‐finned fishes undergoes eversion, which is very different to the evagination that occurs in most other vertebrates. Ventricle morphogenesis is key to build an everted telencephalon. Thus, here we use the apical marker zona occludens 1 to understand ventricle morphology, extension of the tela choroidea and the eversion process during early telencephalon development of four teleost species: giant danio (Devario aequipinnatus), blind cavefish (Astyanax mexicanus), medaka (Oryzias latipes), and paradise fish (Macroposus opercularis). In addition, by using immunohistochemistry against tubulin and calcium‐binding proteins, we analyze the general morphology of the telencephalon, showing changes in the location and extension of the olfactory bulb and other telencephalic regions from 2 to 5 days of development. We also analyze the impact of abnormal eye and telencephalon morphogenesis on eversion, showing that cyclops mutants do undergo eversion despite very dramatic abnormal eye morphology. We discuss how the formation of the telencephalic ventricle in teleost fish, with its characteristic shape, is a crucial event during eversion.
The neuropeptide pigment‐dispersing factor signals independently of Bruchpilot‐labelled active zones in daily remodelled terminals of Drosophila clock neurons
Authors: Hofbauer Benedikt , Zandawala Meet , Reinhard Nils , Rieger Dirk , Werner Christian , Evers Jan Felix , Wegener Christian 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe small ventrolateral neurons (sLNvs) are key components of the central clock in the Drosophila brain. They signal via the neuropeptide pigment‐dispersing factor (PDF) to align the molecular clockwork of different central clock neurons and to modulate downstream circuits. The dorsal terminals of the sLNvs undergo daily morphological changes that affect presynaptic sites organised by the active zone protein Bruchpilot (BRP), a homolog of mammalian ELKS proteins. However, the role of these presynaptic sites for PDF release is ill‐defined.Here, we combined expansion microscopy with labelling of active zones by endogenously tagged BRP to examine the spatial correlation between PDF‐containing dense‐core vesicles and BRP‐labelled active zones. We found that the number of BRP‐labelled puncta in the sLNv terminals was similar while their density differed between Zeitgeber time (ZT) 2 and 14. The relative distance between BRP‐ and PDF‐labelled puncta was increased in the morning, around the reported time of PDF release. Spontaneous dense‐core vesicle release profiles of sLNvs in a publicly available ssTEM dataset (FAFB) consistently lacked spatial correlation to BRP‐organised active zones. RNAi‐mediated downregulation of brp and other active zone proteins expressed by the sLNvs did not affect PDF‐dependent locomotor rhythmicity. In contrast, down‐regulation of genes encoding proteins of the canonical vesicle release machinery, the dense‐core vesicle‐related protein CADPS, as well as PDF impaired locomotor rhythmicity.Taken together, our study suggests that PDF release from the sLNvs is independent of BRP‐organised active zones, while BRP may be redistributed to active zones in a time‐dependent manner.
International family justice as collaborative justice
Authors: Menon Sundaresh 
Published: March 2024

AbstractGlobalization has fueled the rise of international family disputes, which raise difficult legal issues that cannot be addressed by any court or jurisdiction working alone. These challenges require a considered and coherent response on the international front, supported by the willingness of individual family judges to communicate and cooperate to identify and implement practical solutions. To meet these new challenges, this paper proposes a vision of international family justice as collaborative justice. There are three aspects or phases to the proposed endeavor: (a) the articulation of common aspirations and values; (b) continuing cooperation and communication between family courts and institutions; and (c) convergence in the substantive norms and practice of international family law.
Skin and mucosal manifestations of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in people living with HIV: a review
Authors: Górecka Aleksandra , Majewski Sławomir , Szymańska Elżbieta , Walecka Irena 
Published: March 2024

AbstractOpportunistic infections have significantly decreased in individuals living with human immunodeficiency virus and receiving antiretroviral therapy. However, in approximately 10%–25% of patients, severe skin reactions during immune reconstruction are constantly increasing. This may manifest as either an exacerbation of a chronic disease or the development of a new disorder, referred to as immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. This review focuses on the current knowledge regarding the dermatological symptoms of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome observed in recent years. These symptoms encompass various pathogens, neoplasms, and certain autoimmune diseases. In addition to the most common skin reactions, attention is directed towards conditions not previously described in any review, such as psoriasis.
Nail involvement in connective tissue diseases: an epidemiological, clinical, and dermoscopic study
Authors: Ghannem Azza , Zaouak Anissa , Aydi Zohra , Somai Mehdi , Hammami Houda , Boussema Fatma , Fenniche Samy 
Published: March 2024

AbstractBackgroundThe assessment of nail changes in connective tissue diseases (CTD) has been rarely explored in previous studies. The use of dermoscopy to study vascular changes in nailfolds is an interesting diagnostic technique. The aim of the study was to describe the epidemiological, clinical, and dermoscopic features of nail lesions in CTD.MethodsA prospective study was performed at the Dermatology Department of Habib Thameur Hospital (Tunis, Tunisia) in collaboration with the Internal Medicine Department over a period of 15 months, from July 2020 to September 2021, including patients diagnosed with systemic sclerosis (SS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and dermatomyositis (DM).ResultsOur study included 48 patients. Nail involvement was found in 44 cases. Dermoscopic nailfold abnormalities were identified in 37 cases. The most common clinical features were ragged cuticle, nailfold erythema, and onycholysis. Additionally, splinter hemorrhage, longitudinal ridging, lunula abnormalities, melanonychia, trachyonychia, leukonychia, increase in transverse curvature, parrot beak nail, half and half nails, and onychorrhexis were described. Nailfold dermoscopy showed a normal pattern in 10 cases, a nonspecific pattern in nine cases (SLE), and a scleroderma pattern in 29 cases (SS and DM). The scleroderma pattern was further categorized into an early pattern (6), an active pattern (14), and a late pattern (9). Normal pattern was observed solely in patients in remission. The late scleroderma pattern was associated with disease duration and systemic involvement. In SLE, disease activity correlated with onycholysis, nailfold erythema, and pathologic pattern in dermoscopy. However, patients with DM displayed a positive correlation between pulmonary involvement and scleroderma pattern.ConclusionNail involvement in CTD includes a diverse range of abnormalities. Despite being nonspecific, it can provide crucial clues for establishing a diagnosis. Nailfold dermoscopy serves as a mirror for microangiopathy, enabling the detection of changes at an initial stage, and thus, it becomes a diagnostic and prognostic tool.
Paradoxical leadership on firm performance: What role can guanxi HRD practices play?
Authors: Chang Yi‐Ying , Hu Qilin , Hughes Mathew , Chang Taiwei , Chang Che‐Yuan 
Published: March 2024

AbstractResearch shows that paradoxical leadership has a strong positive but inconsistent relationship with firm performance. Drawing on leadership contingency theory, we provide a theoretical model explaining how business unit level (BU‐level) paradoxical leadership positively impacts BU‐level performance mediated by BU‐level corporate entrepreneurship (CE). However, we also show that this relationship can turn negative when the degree of firm‐level Guanxi on human resource development (Guanxi HRD) practices is high. By relying on the responses from 276 BUs and performance archival data from the Taiwan Economic Journal database, we found that BU‐level CE mediates the relationship between BU‐level paradoxical leadership and BU‐level performance. Firm‐level Guanxi HRD practices diminish this effect and turn the positive relationship between BU‐level paradoxical leadership and BU‐level performance through BU‐level CE negative. Our study reveals the dark side of firm‐level Guanxi HRD practices and provides new theoretical and empirical insights that reconcile the relationship between paradoxical leadership and firm performance.
Risk and protective factors in the training‐employment trajectory of young adult migrants who have left the guardianship system
Authors: Díaz‐Esterri Jorge , De‐Juanas Ángel , Goig‐Martínez Rosa M. , García‐Castilla Francisco Javier 
Published: March 2024

AbstractIn recent years, young people's economic and employment possibilities have been compromised, especially in the case of vulnerable populations such as unaccompanied foreign minors who migrate to Spain and enter the guardianship system. The aim of this study was to identify this group's most representative training trajectories, and determine the risk and protective factors involved in their insertion to the labour market. To this end, 16 semi‐structured interviews were conducted with young adult migrants who had left the system and 15 with professionals involved in their socio‐educational intervention. The results highlight various factors that hinder the inclusion of young adult migrants in the formal education system, which has a negative impact on their subsequent insertion to the labour market. Actions and proposals were collected that aim to foster the educational inclusion of young adult migrants and promote their labour market insertion; an area considered essential in the transition to adulthood.
Comparison of the perioperative outcomes of using the Firefly system with indocyanine green during robotic‐assisted cystectomy with urinary diversion
Authors: Fu Hangcheng , Hillman Emily , Talluri Sriharsha , Liang Lifan , Mohammed Said , Messer Jamie 
Published: March 2024

IntroductionUse of indocyanine green (ICG) with near‐infrared fluorescence (NIRF) has been demonstrated to be an effective tool for intraoperative assessment of bowel and ureteric vascularity. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of ICG on postsurgical outcomes such as anastomotic bowel leak and uretero‐enteric stricture formation during robot‐assisted cystectomy (RAC) and intracorporeal urinary diversion (ICUD).MethodsWe identified 238 patients who underwent RAC at the University of Louisville between September 2012 and August 2021. Patients were divided into two groups based on the utilization of ICG. Demographic, perioperative outcomes, and rate of anastomotic bowel leak were compared.ResultsIn total, 138 patients were in the ICG group and 100 patients were in the non‐ICG group. More intracorporeal urinary diversions and more simple cystectomies were observed in the ICG group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.015, respectively). The ICG group patients initiated an oral diet sooner than the control group (4.9 vs. 7.1 days, p < 0.001). The mean length of stay of the ICG group was shorter than the non‐ICG group (8.3 vs. 12.8 days, p < 0.001). The rate of postoperative ileus was not significantly different between cohorts. No patients in the ICG group experienced a bowel leak compared with five patients in the non‐ICG group (p = 0.008).ConclusionsIn our study, the use of ICG for intraoperative assessment of bowel and ureteric vascularity was associated with earlier bowel recovery and a shorter length of stay. It was also significantly correlated with a lower rate of anastomotic bowel leak.
The Listening Guide: Illustrating an underused voice‐centred methodology to foreground underrepresented research populations
Authors: Morgan Brianna E. , Hodgson Nancy A. , Massimo Lauren M. , Ravitch Sharon M. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractAimTo highlight the value of utilizing the Listening Guide methodology for nursing research and provide an exemplar applying this methodology to explore a novel concept in an underrepresented group—inner strength in persons newly diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment along with their care partners.DesignMethodology discussion paper.MethodsThe exemplar study used the Listening Guide methods for data elicitation and analysis. Methods included adaptations for the study population and novice qualitative researchers.ResultsThe Listening Guide methodology with adaptations enabled the research team to centre the voices of persons living with mild cognitive impairment, highlight an abstract phenomenon and attend to the influences of the sociopolitical context. Further, this methodology helped address common challenges emerging qualitative researchers encounter, including understanding methods of application, engaging reflexively and immersing in the data.ConclusionThe Listening Guide is a voice‐centred qualitative methodology that is well suited to foreground the experiences of groups underrepresented in research and explore emerging phenomena.Implications for NursingNurses are central to striving for health equity. The Listening Guide methodology offers a valuable and accessible research tool to understand the experiences and needs of underrepresented groups and shape healthcare in response.ImpactThe Listening Guide methodology can be broadly applied to research with persons with mild cognitive impairment, and other underrepresented groups, to explore other phenomena beyond inner strength and move the science forward in representing the perspectives of groups underrepresented by research.Patient or Public ContributionPersons living with cognitive impairment and their care partners participated in study conceptualization, interview guide development, methods development and dissemination plans.