bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Serum uric acid levels and health outcomes in CKD: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Wu Shijie , Xue Wen , Yu Hanqing , Yu Hanjie , Shi Zhaoqiang , Wang Ling , Peng Ai 
Published: September 2023

ABSTRACT

Background
Hyperuricemia is prevalent in individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Elevated serum uric acid (SUA) concentrations have been considered an independent risk factor for the onset of CKD. However, the relationship between SUA concentrations and long-term health outcomes among patients with CKD remains unclear.

Methods
We performed a prospective cohort study with nationally representative sample to investigate the relationship between SUA concentrations and mortality risk including all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer mortality, among patients with CKD. The weighted restricted cubic spline analyses combined with the multivariate-adjusted Cox proportional hazard models were used to test the nonlinearity of relationship.

Results
The 6642 patients participating in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2018 were enrolled. During 656 885 person-months of follow-up time, 2619 all-cause deaths were recorded, including 1030 CVD deaths and 458 cancer deaths. Our study presented J-shaped non-linear relationships between SUA concentrations and all-cause and CVD mortality with inflection points at 311.65 μmol/L and 392.34 μmol/L, respectively. When SUA concentration was higher than those inflection points, every increase of 50 μmol/L SUA was associated with 11.7% and 17.0% greater multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio of all-cause and CVD mortality, respectively. In addition, a negative linear correlation with cancer mortality was detected.

Conclusion
These findings suggested that maintaining appropriate SUA concentrations may improve long-term health outcomes among CKD patients. The corresponding inflection points of J-shaped non-linear relationships were 311.65 and 392.34 μmol/L for all-cause and CVD mortality. Further clinical trials are required to investigate uric acid–lowering targets.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Treatment Practices for Patients With Early Breast Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study From a Large Cancer Center in Italy
Authors: Girardi Fabio , Marini Sabrina , Porra Francesca , Carpentieri Sonia , Marchet Alberto , Saibene Tania , Lo Mele Marcello , Giarratano Tommaso , Giorgi Carlo Alberto , Mioranza Eleonora , Falci Cristina , Faggioni Giovanni , Caumo Francesca , Griguolo Gaia , Dieci Maria Vittoria , Guarneri Valentina 
Published: September 2023

Abstract

Introduction
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has disrupted health services worldwide. The evidence on the impact of the pandemic on cancer care provision, however, is conflicting. We aimed to audit the management of patients diagnosed with early breast cancer (EBC) during the pandemic in a large, tertiary-level cancer center in Italy.

Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional study to track the route to first treatment for patients diagnosed with EBC during 2019, 2020, and 2021. We abstracted data for all consecutive patients referred to the Veneto Institute of Oncology (Padua, Italy). We defined as point of contact (POC) the date of the first consultation with a breast cancer specialist of the breast unit. First treatment was defined as either upfront surgery or neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT).

Results
We reviewed medical records for 878 patients for whom an MDT report during 2019-2021 (April through June) was available. Of these, 431 (49%) were eligible. The proportion of screen-detected tumors was larger in 2019 and 2021 than in 2020 (59%). Conversely, the proportion of screen-detected tumors was offset by the proportion of palpable tumors in 2020 (P = .004). Distribution of tumor and nodal stage was unchanged over time, but in situ tumors were slightly fewer in 2020 than in 2019 or 2021. The adjusted odds ratio for treatment delay (45 days or more) was 0.87 for 2020 versus 2019 (95% CI, 0.5-1.53) and 0.9 for 2021 versus 2019 (95% CI, 0.52-1.55).

Conclusions
There was no evidence for major changes in the management of patients with EBC during 2019-2021 and no treatment delays were observed. Our findings suggest that more women presented with palpable nodules at diagnosis, but the stage distribution did not change over time. Validation on a larger cohort of patients is warranted to robustly assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on treatment practices for patients with EBC.
Language: the ignored determinant of health
Authors: Mansoor Yasmeen , Wong Tania , Comeau Jeannette L 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Canada is one of the most multicultural countries in the world, with growing numbers of families who do not speak English or French as a first language. However, providing language-concordant services for patients with non-official language preference (NOLP) is not a standardized or measured component of our healthcare system, reflecting the historical marginalization of minority groups in our society. Existing evidence from other countries demonstrates the importance of language as a social determinant of health, and illustrates improved healthcare outcomes for patients with NOLP with the use of medical interpretation. This commentary proposes that a change in our approach to patients with NOLP needs to be accomplished through concerted efforts at the policy, research, and institutional levels in healthcare.
Patient-centeredness and psychometric properties of the Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale 2.0 (DVPRS)
Authors: Costantino Ryan C , Gressler Laura E , Highland Krista B , Oehrlein Elisabeth M , Villalonga-Olives Ester , Perfetto Eleanor M 
Published: September 2023

Abstract

Objective
This study aims to assess the patient-centeredness and psychometric properties of the Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale 2.0 (DVPRS) as a patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) for pain assessment in a military population.

Design
A critical evaluation of the DVPRS was conducted, considering its fit-for-purpose as a PROM and its patient-centeredness using the National Health Council’s Rubric to Capture the Patient Voice.

Setting
The study focused on the use of the DVPRS within the Department of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Health Administration (VA) healthcare settings.

Subjects
The DVPRS was evaluated based on published studies and information provided by measure developers. The assessment included content validity, reliability, construct validity, and ability to detect change. Patient-centeredness and patient engagement were assessed across multiple domains.

Methods
Two independent reviewers assessed the DVPRS using a tool/checklist/questionnaire, and any rating discrepancies were resolved through consensus. The assessment included an evaluation of psychometric properties and patient-centeredness based on established criteria.

Results
The DVPRS lacked sufficient evidence of content validity, with no patient involvement in its development. Construct validity was not assessed adequately, and confirmatory factor analysis was not performed. Patient-centeredness and patient engagement were also limited, with only a few domains showing meaningful evidence of patient partnership.

Conclusions
The DVPRS as a PROM for pain assessment in the military population falls short in terms of content validity, construct validity, and patient-centeredness. It requires further development and validation, including meaningful patient engagement, to meet current standards and best practices for PROMs.
Electoral Proximity and Issue-Specific Responsiveness
Authors: Pomirchy Michael 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Do elections increase responsiveness of legislators to their constituents? Previous studies that examine the effect of electoral proximity have been unable to hold the roll-call agenda constant and control for differences in unobserved covariates between legislators. This paper utilizes a natural experiment in four state legislatures—Arkansas, Illinois, Florida, and Texas—where term length was randomly assigned. This design compares the responsiveness to constituency opinion of those randomly assigned to a two-year term to those assigned a four-year term on different issue areas, like the economy, environment, and crime. I find no evidence for an electoral proximity effect on responsiveness. In addition, in the Illinois State Senate, the causal effect of electoral proximity on responsiveness is measured on several individual roll-call votes, including the legalization of medical marijuana and gay marriage.
Measuring Growth in Consumer Welfare with Income-Dependent Preferences: Nonparametric Methods and Estimates for the United States
Authors: Jaravel Xavier , Lashkari Danial 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
How should we measure changes in consumer welfare given observed data on prices and expenditures? This article proposes a nonparametric approach that holds under arbitrary preferences that may depend on observable consumer characteristics, for example, when expenditure shares vary with income. Using total expenditures under a constant set of prices as our money metric for real consumption (welfare), we derive a principled measure of real consumption growth featuring a correction term relative to conventional measures. We show that the correction can be nonparametrically estimated with an algorithm leveraging the observed, cross-sectional relationship between household-level price indices and household characteristics such as income. We demonstrate the accuracy of our algorithm in simulations. Applying our approach to data from the United States, we find that the magnitude of the correction can be large because of the combination of fast growth and lower inflation for income-elastic products. Setting reference prices in 2019, we find that (i) the uncorrected measure underestimates average real consumption per household in 1955 by 11.5%, and (ii) the correction reduces the annual growth rate from 1955 to 2019 by 18 basis points, which is larger than the well-known “expenditure-switching bias” over the same time horizon.
Big broad banks: how does cross-selling affect lending?
Authors: Qi Yingjie 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
This article investigates how cross-selling affects relationship lending using internal data from a large bank and the Swedish credit registry. I show that within a bank–firm relationship, profit earned from non-loan products cross-subsidizes loans and increases (1) credit supply and (2) the likelihood of the bank’s pausing or waiving interest payments for delinquent loans (lenience in delinquency). For identification, I exploit the Basel II-induced exogenous variation in products’ profitability while holding constant the firm’s creditworthiness and relationship informativeness. I find that the average affected firm experienced a decrease of 6 percent ($400,000) in credit supply and 30 percent (9.8 pp) in lenience in delinquency. The results highlight the importance of cross-subsidization as a mechanism through which cross-selling affects bank–firm relationships and inform optimal regulatory design for lenders who multi-produce.
A comparison of different detection techniques for 137Cs measurements of cattle in vivo
Authors: Bartusková Miluše , Selivanova Anna , Malátová Irena , Hůlka Jiří , Škrkal Jan , Rosmus Jan , Kapyltsova Alena , Rulík Petr 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Agricultural lands with farm animals (e.g. cattle) can be significantly affected by radioactive contamination following nuclear or radiation accidents. In order to optimise the techniques for measuring 137Cs in contaminated cattle, selected radiation detectors have been tested and calibrated using volumetric radiation sources. In addition, a mathematical phantom of a cow was created within Monte Carlo simulations. The main aim of the research was to propose a method for making rapid measurements of 137Cs in cattle in vivo/in situ and to select the most suitable measurement set-up. Measurements of contaminated cattle in vivo were carried out in Belarus with one selected detector, and were then compared with measurements of meat in a laboratory and with measurements of a control group of cows. The proposed measurement method was also tested on measurements of 137Cs in wild boars in Czechia with higher levels of the 137Cs activity.
Relation of resting brain signal variability to cognitive and socioemotional measures in an adult lifespan sample
Authors: Grady Cheryl L , Rieck Jenny R , Baracchini Giulia , DeSouza Brennan 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Temporal variability of the fMRI-derived blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal during cognitive tasks shows important associations with individual differences in age and performance. Less is known about relations between spontaneous BOLD variability measured at rest and relatively stable cognitive measures, such as IQ or socioemotional function. Here, we examined associations among resting BOLD variability, cognitive/socioemotional scores from the NIH Toolbox and optimal time of day for alertness (chronotype) in a sample of 157 adults from 20 to 86 years of age. To investigate individual differences in these associations independently of age, we regressed age out from both behavioral and BOLD variability scores. We hypothesized that greater BOLD variability would be related to higher fluid cognition scores, more positive scores on socioemotional scales and a morningness chronotype. Consistent with this idea, we found positive correlations between resting BOLD variability, positive socioemotional scores (e.g. self-efficacy) and morning chronotype, as well as negative correlations between variability and negative emotional scores (e.g. loneliness). Unexpectedly, we found negative correlations between BOLD variability and fluid cognition. These results suggest that greater resting brain signal variability facilitates optimal socioemotional function and characterizes those with morning-type circadian rhythms, but individuals with greater fluid cognition may be more likely to show less temporal variability in spontaneous measures of BOLD activity.
Partner similarity and social cognitive traits predict social interaction success among strangers
Authors: Dziura Sarah L , Hosangadi Aditi , Shariq Deena , Merchant Junaid S , Redcay Elizabeth 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Social interactions are a ubiquitous part of engaging in the world around us, and determining what makes an interaction successful is necessary for social well-being. This study examined the separate contributions of individual social cognitive ability and partner similarity to social interaction success among strangers, measured by a cooperative communication task and self-reported interaction quality. Sixty participants engaged in a 1-h virtual social interaction with an unfamiliar partner (a laboratory confederate) including a 30-min cooperative ‘mind-reading’ game and then completed several individual tasks and surveys. They then underwent a separate functional MRI session in which they passively viewed video clips that varied in content. The neural responses to these videos were correlated with those of their confederate interaction partners to yield a measure of pairwise neural similarity. We found that trait empathy (assessed by the interpersonal reactivity index) and neural similarity to partner both predicted communication success in the mind-reading game. In contrast, perceived similarity to partner and (to a much lesser extent) trait mind-reading motivation predicted self-reported interaction quality. These results highlight the importance of sharing perspectives in successful communication as well as differences between neurobiological similarity and perceived similarity in supporting different types of interaction success.
Summary Tests of Introgression Are Highly Sensitive to Rate Variation Across Lineages
Authors: Frankel Lauren E , Ané Cécile 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
The evolutionary implications and frequency of hybridization and introgression are increasingly being recognized across the tree of life. To detect hybridization from multi-locus and genome-wide sequence data, a popular class of methods are based on summary statistics from subsets of 3 or 4 taxa. However, these methods often carry the assumption of a constant substitution rate across lineages and genes, which is commonly violated in many groups. In this work, we quantify the effects of rate variation on the D test (also known as ABBA–BABA test), the D3 test, and HyDe. All 3 tests are used widely across a range of taxonomic groups, in part because they are very fast to compute. We consider rate variation across species lineages, across genes, their lineage-by-gene interaction, and rate variation across gene-tree edges. We simulated species networks according to a birth–death-hybridization process, so as to capture a range of realistic species phylogenies. For all 3 methods tested, we found a marked increase in the false discovery of reticulation (type-1 error rate) when there is rate variation across species lineages. The D3 test was the most sensitive, with around 80% type-1 error, such that D3 appears to more sensitive to a departure from the clock than to the presence of reticulation. For all 3 tests, the power to detect hybridization events decreased as the number of hybridization events increased, indicating that multiple hybridization events can obscure one another if they occur within a small subset of taxa. Our study highlights the need to consider rate variation when using site-based summary statistics, and points to the advantages of methods that do not require assumptions on evolutionary rates across lineages or across genes.
Differentiating between metabolic health statuses in Simmental cows and describing related milk fatty acids and relevant associated factors
Authors: Reus Anne M , Hajek Franziska E , Gruber Simone M , Plattner Stefan , Hachenberg Sabrina , Walleser Emil A , Aravamuthan Srikanth R , Mansfeld Rolf , Döpfer Dörte 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
The aim of this observational study was to examine differences in milk fatty acid (FA) concentrations for different metabolic health statuses and for associated factors—specifically to examine with which FA concentrations an increased risk for developing a poor metabolic adaptation syndrome (PMAS) was associated. During weekly visits over 51 wk, blood samples were collected from cows between 5 and 50 days in milk. The farmer collected corresponding milk samples from all voluntary milkings. The analysis was performed on n = 2,432 samples from n = 553 Simmental cows. The observations were assigned to five different cow types (healthy, clever, athletic, hyperketonemic, and PMAS, representing five metabolic health statuses), based on the thresholds of 0.7 mmol/L, 1.2 mmol/L, and 1.4 for the concentrations of β-hydroxybutyrate and nonesterified fatty acids and for the milk fat-to-protein ratio, respectively. Linear regression models using the predictor variables cow type, parity, week of lactation, and milk yield as fixed effects were developed using a stepwise forward selection to test for significant associations of predictor variables regarding FA concentrations in milk. There was a significant interaction term found between PMAS cows and parity compared to healthy cows for C18:1 (P &lt; 0.001) and for C18:0 (P &lt; 0.01). It revealed higher concentrations for PMAS in primiparous and multiparous cows compared to healthy cows, the slope being steeper for primiparous cows. Further, an interaction term was found between PMAS cows and milk yield compared to healthy cows and milk yield for C16:0 (P &lt; 0.05), revealing a steeper slope for the decrease of C16:0 concentrations with increasing milk yield for PMAS compared to healthy cows. The significant associations and interaction terms between cow type, parity, week of lactation, and milk yield as predictor variables and C16:0, C18:0, and C18:1 concentrations suggest excellent opportunities for cow herd health screening during the early postpartum period.
Pediatric sepsis profile in a tertiary-care hospital in Indonesia: a 4-year retrospective study
Authors: Pudjiadi Antonius Hocky , Putri Nina Dwi , Wijaya Stephanie , Alatas Fatima Safira 
Published: September 2023

Abstract

Aim
This study aimed to explore the factors contributing to mortality and its management among pediatric sepsis patients at a single center in Indonesia.

Method
We conducted a retrospective study of children admitted due to sepsis from January 2015 to December 2019 in an Indonesian tertiary hospital.

Results
The mortality rate of pediatric sepsis in our study was 76.1% among 176 records with outcome identified. Mortality was significantly associated with septic shock at triage, number of organ failure, intensive care unit admission, inotropic use, septic shock and severe sepsis during hospitalization. Timing of antibiotic use did not affect mortality. Death within the first 24 h occurred in 41.8% of subjects, mostly due to septic shock.

Conclusion
This study illuminates the current state of pediatric sepsis management in our Indonesian hospital, revealing it as inadequate. Findings highlight the need for improved pre-hospital systems and sepsis recognition tools, and wider use of mechanical ventilators and advanced monitoring due to limited pediatric intensive care unit beds. Future research should focus on hospital-specific sepsis protocols to reduce pediatric sepsis mortality rates.
Integrative taxonomy of theIphisa elegansspecies complex (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) leads to the description of five new species
Authors: Albano de Mello Anna V , Recoder Renato S , Fouquet Antoine , Rodrigues Miguel T , Nunes Pedro M S 
Published: September 2023

AbstractWe reassessed the taxonomic status of lizards of the Iphisa elegans complex, a monotypic genus of Gymnophthalmidae, based on the congruence between mitochondrial DNA (Cytb) and nuclear DNA (c-mos and prlr) and characters of internal and external morphology, both quantitative and qualitative (meristic, morphometric and hemipenial), throughout its wide Amazonian distribution. The congruence of three species delimitation analyses (mPTP, bGMYC and ASAP), nuclear DNA topology and morphological evidence resulted in nine operational taxonomic units in the genus Iphisa. Besides being recovered as monophyletic groups in mitochondrial and nuclear phylogenetic trees, these nine operational taxonomic units can be distinguished by external and hemipenial morphology. Finally, we propose a new taxonomic rearrangement of the genus, whereby we: (i) restrict I. elegans to north-east Amazonia in the Guiana Shield and southwards, west from the Purus–Madeira interfluvium, on the right bank of the Amazon River; (ii) elevate Iphisa elegans soinii Dixon, 1974 to the specific level Iphisa soinii Dixon, 1974 comb. nov.; and (iii) name and describe five new species.