bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Management of urinary incontinence in females by primary care providers: a systematic review
Authors: Charette Marylène , Pacheco‐Brousseau Lissa , Poitras Stéphane , Ashton Rosalind , McLean Linda 
Published: December 2023

ObjectiveTo describe primary care provider (PCP) practices for the assessment and management of females with urinary incontinence (UI), and appraise these practices relative to recommendations made in high‐quality clinical guidelines.MethodsStudies were searched in four databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science) from their respective inception dates to 6 March 2023. All studies describing UI evaluation and management practices used by PCPs for female patients were eligible. Two reviewers independently selected studies assessed their quality and extracted data. A narrative synthesis of included studies was performed to describe practices. Relevant evaluation and management practices were then compared to recommendations that were consistent across current high‐quality UI guidelines. Pharmacotherapy, referrals, and follow‐ups were reported descriptively only.ResultsA total of 3475 articles were retrieved and, among those, 31 were included in the review. The majority reported a poor–moderate adherence to performing a pelvic examination (reported adherence range: 23–76%; based on eight studies), abdominal examination (0–87%; three studies), pelvic floor muscle assessment (9–36%; two studies), and bladder diary (0–92%; nine studies), while there was high adherence to urine analysis (40–97%; nine studies). For the conservative management of UI, studies revealed a poor–moderate adherence to recommendations for pelvic floor muscle training (5–82%; nine studies), bladder training (2–53%; eight studies) and lifestyle interventions (1–71%; six studies). Regarding pharmacotherapy, PCPs predominantly prescribed antimuscarinics (2–46%; nine studies) and oestrogen (2–77%; seven studies). Lastly, PCPs referred those reporting UI to medical specialists (5–37%; 14 studies). Referrals were generally made <30 days after diagnosis with urologists being the most sought out professional to assess and treat UI.ConclusionThis review revealed poor–moderate adherence to clinical practice guideline recommendations. While these findings reflect high variability in reporting, the key message is that most aspects of patient care for female UI provided by PCPs needs to improve.
Conceptualizing adverse childhood experiences as a latent factor: Tests of measurement invariance across five racial and ethnic groups
Authors: Jensen Todd M. , Bernard Donte , Lanier Paul 
Published: December 2023

AbstractAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are conventionally measured using a cumulative‐risk index without consideration of distinct measurement properties across racial and ethnic groups. Drawing from the 2018–2020 National Survey of Children's Health (N = 93,759; 48% female; average age: 9.52 years), we assess the measurement invariance of a latent‐factor ACE model across five groups: Hispanic children (14%) and non‐Hispanic White (73%), Black (7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5%), and American Indian/Alaskan Native (1%) children. Results support configural and full metric invariance across groups. However, several ACE item thresholds differed across groups. Findings highlight the potential utility of a latent factor approach and underscore the need to assess differences across racial and ethnic groups in terms of the optimal conceptualization and measurement of ACEs.
Adequacy of thyroid hormone replacement for people with hypothyroidism in real‐world settings: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of observational studies
Authors: Efthymiadis Agathoklis , Henry Matthew , Spinos Dimitrios , Bourlaki Marianthi , Tsikopoulos Alexandros , Bourazana Angeliki , Bastounis Anastasios , Tsikopoulos Konstantinos 
Published: December 2023

AbstractObjectiveThyroid hormone under‐replacement and over‐replacement are associated with adverse health outcomes. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the extent of thyroid hormone replacement adequacy for patients with known hypothyroidism in real‐word settings, excluding those receiving thyroid hormone suppressive therapy as thyroid cancer treatment.DesignFour electronic databases (Embase [Ovid], Medline [Ovid], PubMed and SCOPUS) were searched for published and unpublished observational studies until 12 December 2022. The results of the studies were meta‐analysed to calculate pooled prevalence estimates for thyroid hormone supplementation adequacy, over‐replacement and under‐replacement. Quality assessment of studies was performed using the Joanna‐Briggs appraisal tool for prevalence studies.ResultsSeven studies with a total of 4230 patients were eligible for quantitative synthesis. The pooled prevalence estimates of adequate thyroid replacement, over‐replacement and under‐replacement were 0.55 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.49–0.60, p = .001), 0.20 (95% CI: 0.14–0.27, p = .001) and 0.24 (95% CI: 0.13–0.36, p = .001), respectively. Four studies subclassified hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism into overt and subclinical. The pooled prevalence of overt and subclinical hyperthyroidism was 0.04 (95% CI: 0.00–0.11, p = .01) and 0.17 (95% CI: 0.09–0.27 p = .001), respectively. For overt and subclinical hypothyroidism, the pooled prevalence was 0.02 (95% CI: 0.01–0.03, p = .001) and 0.20 (95% CI: 0.12–0.29, p = .001), respectively.ConclusionsOn average, approximately half of patients with hypothyroidism are only treated to target euthyroidism. In real‐world practice, a significant number of patients are over‐treated or under‐treated, leading to adverse healthcare outcomes. It is imperative that more effective thyroid monitoring strategies be implemented, with an emphasis on primary care thyroid function monitoring, to minimise inappropriate thyroid replacement treatments and optimise healthcare outcomes at a population level.
Chemotherapy reduces long‐term quality of life in recurrence‐free colon cancer survivors (LaTE study)—a nationwide inverse probability of treatment‐weighted registry‐based cohort study and survey
Authors: Malik Yasir G. , Benth Jūratė Šaltytė , Hamre Hanne M. , Færden Arne E. , Ignjatovic Dejan , Schultz Johannes K. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractAimStage III colon cancer is routinely treated with adjuvant chemotherapy, which causes significant short‐term morbidity. Its effect on long‐term quality of life (QoL) is poorly investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate long‐term QoL after curative treatment for colon cancer and explore the impact of chemotherapy on general and disease‐specific QoL.MethodAll patients aged under 75 years operated on for colon cancer between 30 September 2007 and 1 October 2019 were identified by the Cancer Registry of Norway. Exclusion criteria were distant metastasis, recurrence, dementia and rectal/rectosigmoid cancer operation. The primary outcome measure was Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI). Secondary outcome measures included the Short Form Health Survey (SF‐36). To achieve balanced groups when assessing differences in outcome measures the analyses were weighted by inverse probability weights based on a multiple logistic regression model with prechosen confounders.ResultsA total of 8627 patients were invited and 3109 responded (36% response rate). After exclusions 3025 patients were included, of whom 1148 (38%) had received adjuvant chemotherapy and 1877 (62%) had surgery alone, with mean follow‐up of 75.5 versus 74.5 months, respectively. The GIQLI differed significantly between the groups [mean 111.0 (SD 18.4) vs. 115.6 (SD 17.8), respectively; mean difference: −4.6 (95% CI −5.9; −3.2); p < 0.001]. Those with the highest neurotoxicity exhibited the lowest GIQLI. The adjuvant chemotherapy group scored significantly lower in six of eight SF‐36 domains compared with the surgery alone group. The main differences were found in social, physical and emotional function.ConclusionLong‐term QoL was significantly lower in patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy than in patients who did not. Neurotoxicity was closely related to reduced QoL in these patients. The low response rate limits the generalizability of the results.
Does phasic dopamine release cause policy updates?
Authors: Carter Francis , Cossette Marie‐Pierre , Trujillo‐Pisanty Ivan , Pallikaras Vasilios , Breton Yannick‐André , Conover Kent , Caplan Jill , Solis Pavel , Voisard Jacques , Yaksich Alexandra , Shizgal Peter 
Published: December 2023

AbstractPhasic dopamine activity is believed to both encode reward‐prediction errors (RPEs) and to cause the adaptations that these errors engender. If so, a rat working for optogenetic stimulation of dopamine neurons will repeatedly update its policy and/or action values, thus iteratively increasing its work rate. Here, we challenge this view by demonstrating stable, non‐maximal work rates in the face of repeated optogenetic stimulation of midbrain dopamine neurons. Furthermore, we show that rats learn to discriminate between world states distinguished only by their history of dopamine activation. Comparison of these results to reinforcement learning simulations suggests that the induced dopamine transients acted more as rewards than RPEs. However, pursuit of dopaminergic stimulation drifted upwards over a time scale of days and weeks, despite its stability within trials. To reconcile the results with prior findings, we consider multiple roles for dopamine signalling.
Mechanisms of infantile epileptic spasms syndrome: What have we learned from animal models?
Authors: Ng Andy Cheuk‐Him , Choudhary Anamika , Barrett Karlene T. , Gavrilovici Cezar , Scantlebury Morris H. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe devastating developmental and epileptic encephalopathy of infantile epileptic spasms syndrome (IESS) has numerous causes, including, but not limited to, brain injury, metabolic, and genetic conditions. Given the stereotyped electrophysiologic, age‐dependent, and clinical findings, there likely exists one or more final common pathways in the development of IESS. The identity of this final common pathway is unknown, but it may represent a novel therapeutic target for infantile spasms. Previous research on IESS has focused largely on identifying the neuroanatomic substrate using specialized neuroimaging techniques and cerebrospinal fluid analysis in human patients. Over the past three decades, several animal models of IESS were created with an aim to interrogate the underlying pathogenesis of IESS, to identify novel therapeutic targets, and to test various treatments. Each of these models have been successful at recapitulating multiple aspects of the human IESS condition. These animal models have implicated several different molecular pathways in the development of infantile spasms. In this review we outline the progress that has been made thus far using these animal models and discuss future directions to help researchers identify novel treatments for drug‐resistant IESS.
Maternal separation early in life induces excessive activity of the central amygdala related to abnormal aggression
Authors: Ohta Ken‐ichi , Araki Chihiro , Ujihara Hidetoshi , Iseki Keizo , Suzuki Shingo , Otabi Hikari , Kumei Haruki , Warita Katsuhiko , Kusaka Takashi , Miki Takanori 
Published: December 2023

AbstractEpidemiological studies have indicated that child maltreatment, such as neglect, is a risk factor of escalated aggression, potentially leading to delinquency and violent crime in the future. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which an early adverse environment may later cause violent behavior. In this study, we aimed to thoroughly examine the association between aggression against conspecific animals and the activity of amygdala subnuclei using the maternal separation (MS) model, which is a common model of early life stress. In the MS group, pups of Sprague–Dawley rats were separated from their dam during postnatal days 2–20 (twice a day, 3 h each). We only included 9‐week‐old male offspring for each analysis and compared the MS group with the mother‐reared control group; both groups were raised by the same dam during postnatal days 2–20. The results revealed that the MS group exhibited higher aggression and excessive activity of only the central amygdala (CeA) among the amygdala subnuclei during the aggressive behavior test. Moreover, a significant positive correlation was observed between higher aggression and CeA activation. While CeA activity is known to be involved in hunting behavior for prey, some previous studies have also indicated a relationship between CeA and intraspecific aggression. It remains unclear, however, whether excessive CeA activity directly induces intraspecific aggression. Therefore, we stimulated the CeA using optogenetics with 8‐week‐old rats to clarify the relationship between intraspecific aggression and CeA activity. Notably, CeA activation resulted in higher aggression, even when the opponent was a conspecific animal. In particular, bilateral CeA activation resulted in more severe displays of aggressive behavior than necessary, such as biting a surrendered opponent. These findings suggest that an adverse environment during early development intensifies aggression through excessive CeA activation, which can increase the risk of escalating to violent behavior in the future.
Fundamental Neurochemistry Review: The role of enteroendocrine cells in visceral pain
Authors: Londregan Annie , Alexander Tyler D. , Covarrubias Manuel , Waldman Scott A. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractWhile visceral pain is commonly associated with disorders of the gut–brain axis, underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons innervate visceral structures and undergo hypersensitization in inflammatory models. The characterization of peripheral DRG neuron terminals is an active area of research, but recent work suggests that they communicate with enteroendocrine cells (EECs) in the gut. EECs sense stimuli in the intestinal lumen and communicate information to the brain through hormonal and electrical signaling. In that context, EECs are a target for developing therapeutics to treat visceral pain. Linaclotide is an FDA‐approved treatment for chronic constipation that activates the intestinal membrane receptor guanylyl cyclase C (GUCY2C). Clinical trials revealed that linaclotide relieves both constipation and visceral pain. We recently demonstrated that the analgesic effect of linaclotide reflects the overexpression of GUCY2C on neuropod cells, a specialized subtype of EECs. While this brings some clarity to the relationship between linaclotide and visceral analgesia, questions remain about the intracellular signaling mechanisms and neurotransmitters mediating this communication. In this Fundamental Neurochemistry Review, we discuss what is currently known about visceral nociceptors, enteroendocrine cells, and the gut‐brain axis, and ongoing areas of research regarding that axis and visceral pain.
Reduced expression of GluN2A induces a delay in neuron maturation
Authors: Acutain María Florencia , Baez María Verónica 
Published: December 2023

AbstractNMDA receptors (NMDARs) play an important role in synaptic plasticity both in physiological and pathological conditions. GluN2A and GluN2B are the most expressed NMDAR regulatory subunits, in the hippocampus and other cognitive‐related brain structures. GluN2B is characteristic of immature structures and GluN2A of mature ones. Changes in GluN2A expression were associated with complex phenotypes that led to complex neurodevelopmental disorders, including the occurrence of seizures. However, little is known about the role of GluN2A in these phenotypes. In this work, we reduced GluN2A expression in mature neuronal cultures and observed an altered GluN2A/GluN2B ratio. Furthermore, those neurons exhibit an increase in immature dendritic spines and dendritic branching, as well as an increased response to glutamate stimulus. This phenotype (considering GluN2A/GluN2B ratio, index branching and glutamate response) resembles those observed at immature neuronal stages in vitro. We propose that this immature phenotype led to a higher response to glutamate stimulus which, in vivo, would be the basis of reduced threshold for seizure onset in GluN2A‐pathological conditions.image
Globalisation and carbon dioxide emissions inequality in OECD countries
Authors: Fang Jianchun , Gozgor Giray , Mahalik Mantu Kumar , Patel Gupteswar , Song Xueyin 
Published: December 2023

AbstractEconomic growth has been crucial in contributing to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the Industrial Revolution, and it affects CO2 emissions heterogeneously with different income levels. Therefore, studying the role of economic growth on inequality in carbon emissions is imperative. This paper analyses the determinants of CO2 emissions inequality in the panel dataset of 37 Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) countries from 1990 to 2019. Age dependency, globalisation, and institutional quality reduce CO2 inequality in the OECD economies. However, gross domestic product per capita increases CO2 inequality. The results are robust to utilise different panel data estimation techniques. This paper provides the first evidence in the literature of determinants of CO2 inequality across the OECD countries. It is suggested that governments in the OECD economies offer a blueprint for a sustainable society of green economic growth. Other potential policy implications are also discussed.
Non‐autonomous double phase eigenvalue problems with indefinite weight and lack of compactness
Authors: Gou Tianxiang , Rădulescu Vicenţiu D. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractIn this paper, we consider eigenvalues to the following double phase problem with unbalanced growth and indefinite weight,
where , , , , and is an indefinite sign weight which may admit non‐trivial positive and negative parts. Here, is the ‐Laplacian operator and is the weighted ‐Laplace operator defined by . The problem can be degenerate, in the sense that the infimum of in may be zero. Our main results distinguish between the cases and . In the first case, we establish the existence of a continuous family of eigenvalues, starting from the principal frequency of a suitable single phase eigenvalue problem. In the latter case, we prove the existence of a discrete family of positive eigenvalues, which diverges to infinity.
Almost sure behavior of the critical points of random polynomials
Authors: Angst Jürgen , Malicet Dominique , Poly Guillaume 
Published: December 2023

AbstractLet be a sequence of independent and identically distributed complex random variables with common distribution and let be the associated random polynomial in . Kabluchko established the conjecture stated by Pemantle and Rivin that the empirical measure associated with the critical points of converges weakly in probability to the base measure . In this note, we establish that the convergence, in fact, holds in the almost sure sense. Our result positively answers a question raised by Kabluchko and formalized as a conjecture in the recent paper (Michelen and Vu [arXiv:2212.11867]).
NSGA-II Algorithm-Based Structural Parameters of Electric Pulse Rock-Breaking Electrode Bit Multi-Objective Optimization
Authors: Wang Xiaohui , Yang Siqi , Li Changping , He Xin 
Published: December 2023

AbstractHigh-voltage electric pulse (HVEP) electrode bit has a considerable influence on the drilling and rock-breaking (RB) efficiency. HVEP electrode bit was systematically studied to optimize the structural parameters in order to improve RB efficiency. This paper analyzed the impact of main structural parameters on electric field strength (EFS) and depth of penetration (DOP) during high-voltage electric pulse drilling. A structural optimization method integrating back propagation (BP) neural network and genetic algorithm for HVEP electrode bit was proposed. The method mapped the complex nonlinear relationships among electrode distance, electrode cone angle, electrode grounding span, etc., and EFS and DOP by establishing a BP neural network model, and adopted the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II) to optimize the main structural parameters. The simulation data showed that the combined BP neural network/non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (BP-NSGA-II) was an effective tool for optimizing the injection molding process. The multi-objective optimization of the structural parameters of the HVEP electrode bit based on the NSGA-II algorithm was crucial to direct the choice of the process parameters of the HVEP electrode bit, boost the RB efficiency, and lower the energy loss during drilling.
Numerical Investigation of the Influence of Cavitation on the Runner Speed at Speed-No-Load and Runaway for a Francis Turbine of Low Specific Speed
Authors: Fortin Mélissa , Nennemann Bernd , Houde Sébastien 
Published: December 2023

AbstractStudies have shown that the runner speed of hydraulic turbines at no-load conditions is affected by cavitation. However, those studies did not provide explanations relating the variation of the no-load runner speed to cavitation. Understanding why cavitation affects the runner speed is crucial because the maximum runner speed is reached in no-load condition, and this speed must remain below a limit to ensure the generator's safety. This paper uses numerical simulations to investigate the effect of cavitation on two no-load conditions, the runaway and the speed-no-load, for a low specific speed Francis turbine at model scale. The study is based on unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes simulations with and without cavitation and focuses on averaged quantities. At no-load, the regions over the blades producing a motor torque, i.e., oriented with the turbine rotating direction, must be balanced by regions producing a braking torque, opposed to the turbine rotation, to achieve a zero-torque condition. At runaway, cavitation mainly affects regions where a motor torque is produced. However, the zones affected by cavitation have a small contribution to the total motor torque. Therefore, for the runaway condition studied, the torque balance over the blade is hardly affected by cavitation, and the impact of cavitation on the runaway speed is negligible. At speed-no-load, comparisons between cavitating and noncavitating simulations indicated that cavitation affects mainly the braking torque regions. Those regions result from an interaction between the runner blades and a backflow extending from the draft tube cone to the runner outlet. In that case, cavitation strongly affects the torque balance over the blades, and consequently, the runner speed will adapt to find another zero torque condition.