bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Weekly hair washing: The recommended solution for women with afro‐textured hair to alleviate dandruff and scalp discomfort
Authors: Fajuyigbe Damilola , Sewraj Poonam , Connétable Sophie , Molamodi Kwezikazi , Clavaud Cecile , Dufour Olivia , Matthews Nasreen , Dlova Ncoza Cordelia 
Published: January 2024

AbstractDandruff and scalp discomfort are common concerns for women and men in Africa. Moreover, women with afro‐textured hair are prone to scalp discomfort owing to irregular hair washing, frequent use of oil‐based products on their scalp, and harsh chemical treatments. Current literature does not, however, provide data on the pathophysiological mechanisms of these conditions in this population. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms behind scalp discomfort and dandruff in women of African descent before and after hair washing. We conducted the in Durban, South Africa, over a 3‐week period with 60 women of African descent aged 20–40 years. The respondents were equally divided into a “dandruff” and a “no dandruff” group, based on clinical grading of adherent dandruff by a dermatologist. Malassezia spp. and bacterial loads were quantified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Evaluations of scalp condition and sample collection were performed at five time points during the 3 weeks. Data on discomfort symptoms were collected via a self‐assessment questionnaire. We observed that the dandruff severity peaked at the end of the first week after hair washing and plateaued from thereon in both groups. Dandruff was associated with higher Malassezia and bacterial load counts and there was a direct correlation between the Malassezia spp. load and dandruff score. Via self‐assessment questionnaire responses submitted by participants, we observed that itching was the most pronounced scalp discomfort, compared with the sensation of tingling and burning at baseline, while an improvement of the scalp symptoms of dandruff and itch was observed in both groups after one hair wash. The study also showed that higher colonization with Malassezia spp. and bacteria is associated with dandruff independently of the time point, confirming a scalp microbiome contribution to the dandruff pathophysiology in the study population. The benefits of washing were, however, not sustained after 1 week and we thus recommend weekly hair washing for long‐term management of dandruff and scalp itchiness in this population.
Functional genomics and co‐occurrence in a diverse tropical tree genus: The roles of drought‐ and defence‐related genes
Authors: Yang Jie , Fan Huan , He Yunyun , Wang Gang , Cao Min , Swenson Nathan G. 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

Tropical tree communities are among the most diverse in the world. A small number of genera often disproportionately contribute to this diversity. How so many species from a single genus can co‐occur represents a major outstanding question in biology. Niche differences are likely to play a major role in promoting congeneric diversity, but the mechanisms of interest are often not well‐characterized by the set of functional traits generally measured by ecologists.

To address this knowledge gap, we used a functional genomic approach to investigate the mechanisms of co‐occurrence in the hyper‐diverse genus Ficus. Our study focused on over 800 genes related to drought and defence, providing detailed information on how these genes may contribute to the diversity of Ficus species.

We find widespread and consistent evidence of the importance of defence gene dissimilarity in co‐occurring species, providing genetic support for what would be expected under the Janzen‐Connell mechanism. We also find that drought‐related gene sequence similarity is related to Ficus co‐occurrence, indicating that similar responses to drought promote co‐occurrence.

Synthesis. We provide the first detailed functional genomic evidence of how drought‐ and defence‐related genes simultaneously contribute to the local co‐occurrence in a hyper‐diverse genus. Our results demonstrate the potential of community transcriptomics to identify the drivers of species co‐occurrence in hyper‐diverse tropical tree genera.
Searching for microbial contribution to micritization of shallow marine sediments
Authors: Garuglieri Elisa , Marasco Ramona , Odobel Charlene , Chandra Viswasanthi , Teillet Thomas , Areias Camila , Sánchez‐Román Mónica , Vahrenkamp Volker , Daffonchio Daniele 
Published: January 2024

AbstractMicritization is an early diagenetic process that gradually alters primary carbonate sediment grains through cycles of dissolution and reprecipitation of microcrystalline calcite (micrite). Typically observed in modern shallow marine environments, micritic textures have been recognized as a vital component of storage and flow in hydrocarbon reservoirs, attracting scientific and economic interests. Due to their endolithic activity and the ability to promote nucleation and reprecipitation of carbonate crystals, microorganisms have progressively been shown to be key players in micritization, placing this process at the boundary between the geological and biological realms. However, published research is mainly based on geological and geochemical perspectives, overlooking the biological and ecological complexity of microbial communities of micritized sediments. In this paper, we summarize the state‐of‐the‐art and research gaps in micritization from a microbial ecology perspective. Since a growing body of literature successfully applies in vitro and in situ ‘fishing’ strategies to unveil elusive microorganisms and expand our knowledge of microbial diversity, we encourage their application to the study of micritization. By employing these strategies in micritization research, we advocate promoting an interdisciplinary approach/perspective to identify and understand the overlooked/neglected microbial players and key pathways governing this phenomenon and their ecology/dynamics, reshaping our comprehension of this process.
The fiscal effects of natural resource dependency in sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Taylor Rosemary S. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThis study investigates the fiscal implications of natural resource dependence in resource‐rich sub‐Saharan African economies, particularly focusing on the impact of resource revenues on tax revenues, government spending and national savings to assess the sustainability of natural resource reinvestments. Employing a two‐step system Generalized Method of Moments on a dataset with 672 observations, the study identifies significant reductions in non‐resource tax revenues, government current consumption and overall savings associated with an increase in resource revenues. Conversely, a positive coefficient is noted for public investment. The study underscores the importance of high‐quality institutions in mitigating adverse effects and controlling increased public investments. Recommendations include directing resource revenues towards well‐structured taxation frameworks and investing in efficient institutions to manage current consumption, monitor public investment growth and enhance savings. These measures are crucial for curbing procyclical spending and promoting sustainable development in resource‐rich sub‐Saharan African economies.
Impact of rutin on growth, development and oviposition of Bt‐susceptible and Bt‐resistant pink bollworm
Authors: Wang Ling , Xu Dong , Yang Yi , Liu Weiguo , Cong Shengbo , Li Wenjing , Yang Nina , Yin Haichen , Jin Lirong , Wu Huaiheng , Wan Peng 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe evolution of pest resistance to insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) restricts the sustainable application of transgenic Bt crops, and exploring other ecofriendly insecticides to efficiently suppress Bt‐resistant populations is thus urgently needed. The plant secondary metabolite rutin possesses pest resistance effects and plays an important role in plant resistance to pests, but the effect of rutin on pink bollworms is unclear. We investigated the effects of rutin on two types (Bt‐susceptible and Bt‐resistant) of pink bollworms (Pectinophora gossypiella). Rutin had significant inhibitory effects on the growth, development, and oviposition of both Bt‐susceptible and Bt‐resistant strains. For both strains, rutin ingestion by larvae did not significantly affect larval survival at 7 days after treatment or egg hatching rate but significantly decreased pupation rate, eclosion rate, neonate‐to‐adult survival, pupal weight and eggs per female and significantly prolonged larval developmental periods, and the effect increased with increasing rutin content. The response to rutin ingestion was basically consistent between Bt‐resistant and Bt‐susceptible strains, indicating that the Bt‐resistant strain did not exhibit cross‐resistance to rutin. These results provide a reference basis for green control and resistance management of pink bollworms and may be used as a component of comprehensive management for this pest.
Marine diseases and the Anthropocene: Understanding microbial pathogenesis in a rapidly changing world
Authors: Hudson Jennifer , Egan Suhelen 
Published: January 2024

AbstractHealthy marine ecosystems are paramount for Earth's biodiversity and are key to sustaining the global economy and human health. The effects of anthropogenic activity represent a pervasive threat to the productivity of marine ecosystems, with intensifying environmental stressors such as climate change and pollution driving the occurrence and severity of microbial diseases that can devastate marine ecosystems and jeopardise food security. Despite the potentially catastrophic outcomes of marine diseases, our understanding of host‐pathogen interactions remains an understudied aspect of both microbiology and environmental research, especially when compared to the depth of information available for human and agricultural systems. Here, we identify three avenues of research in which we can advance our understanding of marine disease in the context of global change, and make positive steps towards safeguarding marine communities for future generations.
A very rare case of spontaneous regression of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the lung
Authors: Koike Sachie , Shiina Takayuki , Takasuna Keiichiro , Kato Akane , Atagi Takuma , Nakamura Toshitsugu 
Published: January 2024

AbstractSpontaneous regression of non‐small cell lung cancer is relatively rare. Here, we present a very rare case of spontaneous regression of lung cancer which occurred in a patient with basaloid squamous cell lung cancer. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of such a case. A 76‐year old man was referred to our hospital with nodules in the right upper lobe determined by chest computed tomography. The nodules spontaneously regressed during follow‐up. Two years later, the tumor had regrown and the patient subsequently underwent surgery. The pathological findings showed basaloid squamous cell carcinoma. Stimulation of the immune system was considered to be the cause of the spontaneous regression and CD‐8 positive and CD‐4 positive lymphocytes might play an important role.
Following the crowd? Peer influence on voluntary bank audits
Authors: Beck Matthew J. , Lundstrom Nathan G. , Stuber Sarah B. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractWe examine whether peer audit choices influence a bank's decision to obtain an audit voluntarily. We find that the likelihood of a bank voluntarily obtaining an audit is significantly associated with the audit decisions of peers. The relation is stronger when the peers are more salient due to closer geographic proximity, similarity in loan portfolio, and similarity in size. In addition, we find that peer influence on a bank's audit decision is moderated by the bank's existing level of assurance. Specifically, banks already obtaining a lower level of assurance are less likely to begin an audit in response to peer influence. We also find no evidence that peer influence extends to banks' decisions to cease obtaining an audit. Overall, our findings are consistent with peer influence significantly influencing banks' decisions to begin obtaining an audit.
Stroke in the very old: A study from the Philippine Neurological Association One Database
Authors: Cañete Maria Teresa , Im Sofia , Pascual Jose Leonard , Gan Robert ,   PNA1DB‐Stroke Collaborators
Published: January 2024

AbstractObjectiveThe very old, although a minority in many populations, experience stroke with distinct risk factors and more complications. We sought to understand the profile, stroke subtypes, risk factors and outcomes among the very old compared to younger stroke patients in our population in the Philippine Neurological Association One Database—Stroke (PNA1DB‐Stroke).MethodsThe PNA1DB‐Stroke registry (clinicaltrial.gov NCT04972058) is a multi‐centre, prospective database of all patients hospitalised for transient ischaemic attack or acute stroke in 11 neurology residency training institutions.ResultsOf the 6314 patients with stroke, 463 (7%) were 80 years or older, and among them, 320 (69%) were women. Traditional risk factors were more frequent in the very old compared to the younger group (hypertension 76% vs. 66%, diabetes mellitus 26% vs. 19%, previous stroke 14% vs. 10%, atrial fibrillation 13% vs. 3%; p ≤ .005), while current smoking (5%) and excess alcohol consumption (4%) were less common than in younger stroke patients (p < .001). Overall, in‐hospital fatality was not remarkably increased in our very old compared to younger stroke patients, with comparable rates between cases of ischaemic stroke (18%) and intracerebral haemorrhage (20%). However, they had longer hospital stay (mean 13.4 ± 17.2 days vs. 10.9 ± 15.4 days, p = .001), had more medical complications (p < .001) and were more functionally dependent at discharge (p < .0001).ConclusionsVery old stroke patients have relatively more risk factors for stroke. In‐hospital fatality rates are comparable between ischaemic and haemorrhagic strokes. Risk factor modification, prevention of medical complications and optimisation of functional recovery are potential strategies in managing stroke in the very old.
Monitoring falls in residential aged care facilities: Agreement between falls incident reports and progress notes
Authors: Dawson Rik , Feng Annie , Oliveira Juliana S. , Hassett Leanne , Sherrington Catherine , Pinheiro Marina B. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractObjectivesAccurate fall reporting is essential for assessing the effectiveness of fall prevention strategies. This study aimed to investigate the level of agreement between incident reports and resident progress notes as data sources for falls monitoring in residential aged care facilities.MethodsA retrospective observational study was conducted involving 46 older people from six residential aged care facilities who had consented to join the broader TOP UP trial. Fall events documented in the incident report system and resident progress notes over 12 months before randomisation were extracted by two independent reviewers using a standardised Excel form. Agreement between the two data collection methods was calculated using Cohen's kappa coefficient.ResultsA total of 75 falls were recorded from 27 (59%) of the 46 participants who were 65% female, with an average age of 83 [SD 9] years. The incident reports captured 68 (90.7%) falls, while the progress notes captured 73 (97.3%) falls. Overall, there was a 75% agreement between falls recorded in progress notes and incident reports. Perfect agreement was identified for five facilities (n = 35), while one facility had a lower agreement rate of 29% (n = 11), which appeared to be attributable to staff shortages linked to the COVID‐19 pandemic.ConclusionsThere was substantial agreement between incident reports and progress records. These findings support the use of incident reports for identifying falls in research or to investigate the effectiveness of fall prevention strategies in residential aged care facilities.
High relational mobility is associated with perceiving more economic inequality in everyday life
Authors: Willis Guillermo B. , Uchida Yukiko , García‐Castro Juan Diego , Takemura Kosuke 
Published: January 2024

AbstractIn this paper, we argue that one of the variables that may influence perceived inequality in everyday life is cultural differences in relational mobility. We examined this research question across two cross‐cultural studies in Japan (Study 1, N = 196; Study 2, N = 214) and Spain (Study 1, N = 199; Study 2, 199), two countries that differ in their relational mobility levels. In Study 1, we contrasted two competing hypotheses: On the one hand, it could be predicted that individuals in countries with high relational mobility perceive greater inequality due to increased exposure to diverse social networks. On the other hand, it is also plausible that in contexts of high relational mobility, people perceive less inequality as they selectively choose to interact with individuals who share similar social backgrounds. Results supported the former hypotheses and showed that people in a country high in relational mobility (i.e. Spain) tend to perceive more economic inequality (vs. Japan, a country low in relational mobility). Moreover, we found an indirect effect of this cross‐cultural difference through the cultural affordances for meeting new people (i.e. one of the dimensions of relational mobility). In Study 2, we preregistered and replicated these results.
Knockdown of programmed cell death factor 4 restores erectile function by attenuating apoptosis in rats with bilateral cavernous nerve crush injury
Authors: Ge Yunlong , Xia Tian , Feng Zejia , Xi Yuhang , Hu Daoyuan , Hong Yude , Tang Bowen , Wu Jianjie , Chen Jialiang , Xiao Hengjun 
Published: January 2024

AbstractBackgroundApoptosis is an important pathologic mechanism of erectile dysfunction after radical prostatectomy. Studies have shown that programmed cell death factor 4 is connected to the modulation of apoptosis in many cells. However, the programmed cell death factor 4 function in the cavernous nerve injury erectile dysfunction is unclear.ObjectiveThis investigation aimed to explore the programmed cell death factor 4 function in erectile dysfunction in rats with bilateral cavernous nerve crush.Materials and methodsThe experiment used 30 male Sprague Dawley rats (18 months old) that were screened for normal erectile function by the apomorphine test. Ten rats were randomized into Sham and bilateral cavernous nerve crush groups to detect changes in programmed cell death factor 4 expression. The remaining 20 rats were distributed at random to four groups: the Sham group treated by sham surgery, the phosphate‐buffered saline group, the lentivirus containing negative control short hairpin RNA group, and the lentivirus containing short hairpin RNA targeting programmed cell death factor 4 group underwent bilateral cavernous nerve crush and were afterward administered intracavernous injections of phosphate‐buffered saline, lentivirus containing negative control short hairpin RNA, or lentivirus containing short hairpin RNA targeting programmed cell death factor 4. Electrical stimulation of the cavernous nerve was conducted 2 weeks later for penile erectile function assessment. The cavernous tissue was collected for histological analysis and western blotting.ResultsThe apoptosis level in rat corpus cavernosum was elevated, and programmed cell death factor 4 expression was increased after bilateral cavernous nerve crush. Knockdown of programmed cell death factor 4 significantly improved erectile function in bilateral cavernous nerve crush rats. Furthermore, lentivirus containing short hairpin RNA targeting programmed cell death factor 4 treatment raised smooth muscle content and attenuated cavernous fibrosis and apoptotic levels. Additionally, programmed cell death factor 4 was found to mediate the PI3K/AKT pathway.Discussion and conclusionElevated programmed cell death factor 4 expression may be an important pathogenetic mechanism for erectile dysfunction after bilateral cavernous nerve crush, and the knockdown of programmed cell death factor 4 enhanced erectile function in 18‐month‐old rats after cavernous nerve damage. The potential mechanism may be the stimulation of the PI3K/AKT pathway to attenuate the cavernous apoptosis level.
The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine had a sustained effect on Swedish children 8 years after its introduction
Authors: Alfvén Tobias , Bennet Rutger , Granath Anna , Dennison Sofia Hultman , Eriksson Margareta 
Published: January 2024

AbstractAimThe pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, which covered seven serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae (PCV7), was introduced in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2007. It was replaced by a 13‐valent vaccine (PCV13) in 2011. We previously reported a decreased incidence of pneumonia and sinusitis among young children 4 years after the introduction of the PCV7. This study followed the incidence of pneumonia, sinusitis, mastoiditis and meningitis for four more years.MethodsWe studied validated hospital registry data covering children up to 17 years of age, who were hospitalised in the Stockholm region from 2003 to 2016, when the child population peaked at 485 687. All 11 115 cases diagnosed with pneumonia, coded as bacterial pneumonia, sinusitis, mastoiditis, bacterial meningitis or empyema, were identified. The controls had viral pneumonia or pyelonephritis.ResultsThe incidence rates for children under 2 years of age hospitalised for sinusitis, mastoiditis and meningitis decreased significantly by 61%–79% during the eight‐year post‐vaccination period. Hospitalisations for bacterial pneumonia decreased by 19%–25% in the same age group. These changes were probably due to both the vaccines and changes in diagnosis routines.ConclusionThe effect of vaccination on children under 2 years of age was sustained 8 years after the introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines.
Voice notes in the car: capturing immediate emotions from fieldwork with Sri Lankan refugees
Authors: Ratnam Charishma 
Published: January 2024

AbstractAs researchers, we are trained to publish the most polished versions of our core findings. Yet, what is hidden away when we do so are the raw and sometimes messy accounts of what we see, feel, hear, and experience during fieldwork. Integrating fieldwork challenges into research outputs is still uncommon in human geography. In this paper, I present an excerpt of field notes from research that examined the (re)creations of home by Sri Lankan refugees resettling in Sydney, Australia that were made using the ‘Voice Memos’ application on a smartphone. I reflect on the process of capturing voice field notes using a smartphone, the emotional aspects of fieldwork, and the benefits of documenting fieldwork experiences and challenges at different times and places. This paper champions digital technologies as useful tools to capture immediate emotions felt during fieldwork.