bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Reducing barriers to the hepatitis C care cascade in prison via point‐of‐care RNA testing: a qualitative exploration of men in prison using an integrated framework
Authors: Lafferty Lise , Sheehan Yumi , Cochrane Amanda , Grebely Jason , Lloyd Andrew R. , Treloar Carla 
Published: January 2023

AbstractBackground and AimsHepatitis C virus (HCV) is highly prevalent within the prison setting. Although HCV testing and treatment are available within prisons, system barriers can impede progress along the HCV care cascade for those who are incarcerated. The PIVOT intervention used a ‘one‐stop‐shop‘ model (i.e. point‐of‐care HCV RNA testing, Fibroscan‐based liver disease assessment and treatment) at a reception prison in New South Wales, Australia. This analysis sought to understand the role of point‐of‐care HCV RNA testing at intake in reducing barriers to the HCV care cascade within the male prison setting.Design and SettingQualitative analysis using semi‐structured interviews in a reception prison in Australia.ParticipantsTwenty‐four men enrolled in the PIVOT study; all participants had undergone HCV point‐of‐care testing in the intervention arm.MeasurementsHøj's Integrated Framework informed this analysis.FindingsParticipants widely expressed the view that point‐of‐care HCV RNA testing on entry was beneficial for care engagement. Point‐of‐care testing was perceived as timely (compared with standard pathology) and reduced opportunities for adjudication by correctional officers due to fewer clinic visits for testing and results. Adoption of routine opt‐out testing at prison intake was regarded as an important strategy for normalising HCV testing (and likely to increase pathways to treatment uptake) and fostered patient candidacy (i.e. self‐perceived eligibility to access care).ConclusionTwenty‐four men in prison in New South Wales, Australia, who underwent opt‐out point‐of‐care HCV RNA testing on entry into prison, widely supported the programme as a means of overcoming barriers to HCV testing and treatment in the prison setting, as well as providing public health benefits through early detection of HCV infection among people entering into custody.
Comparing the adult and pre‐pubertal testis: Metabolic transitions and the change in the spermatogonial stem cell metabolic microenvironment
Authors: Voigt Anna Laura , de Lima e Martins Lara Nathalia , Dobrinski Ina 
Published: January 2023

AbstractBackgroundSurvivors of childhood cancer often suffer from infertility. While sperm cryopreservation is not feasible before puberty, the patient's own spermatogonial stem cells could serve as a germ cell reservoir, enabling these patients to father their own children in adulthood through the isolation, in vitro expansion, and subsequent transplantation of spermatogonial stem cells. However, this approach requires large numbers of stem cells, and methods for successfully propagating spermatogonial stem cells in the laboratory are yet to be established for higher mammals and humans. The improvement of spermatogonial stem cell culture requires deeper understanding of their metabolic requirements and the mechanisms that regulate metabolic homeostasis.AimThis review gives a summary on our knowledge of spermatogonial stem cell metabolism during maintenance and differentiation and highlights the potential influence of Sertoli cell and stem cell niche maturation on spermatogonial stem cell metabolic requirements during development.Results and conclusionsFetal human spermatogonial stem cell precursors, or gonocytes, migrate into the seminiferous cords and supposedly mature to adult stem cells within the first year of human development. However, the spermatogonial stem cell niche does not fully differentiate until puberty, when Sertoli cells dramatically rearrange the architecture and microenvironment within the seminiferous epithelium. Consequently, pre‐pubertal and adult spermatogonial stem cells experience two distinct niche environments potentially affecting spermatogonial stem cell metabolism and maturation. Indeed, the metabolic requirements of mouse primordial germ cells and pig gonocytes are distinct from their adult counterparts, and novel single‐cell RNA sequencing analysis of human and porcine spermatogonial stem cells during development confirms this metabolic transition. Knowledge of the metabolic requirements and their changes and regulation during spermatogonial stem cell maturation is necessary to implement laboratory‐based techniques and enable clinical use of spermatogonial stem cells. Based on the advancement in our understanding of germline metabolism circuits and maturation events of niche cells within the testis, we propose a new definition of spermatogonial stem cell maturation and its amendment in the light of metabolic change.
Mental health and loneliness in Scottish schools: A multilevel analysis of data from the health behaviour in school‐aged children study
Authors: Goodfellow Claire , Willis Malachi , Inchley Joanna , Kharicha Kalpa , Leyland Alastair H. , Qualter Pamela , Simpson Sharon , Long Emily 
Published: January 2023

AbstractBackgroundAdolescent loneliness and poor mental health represent dual public health concerns. Yet, associations between loneliness and mental health, and critically, how these associations vary in school settings are less understood.AimsFramed by social‐ecological theory, we aimed to identify key predictors of adolescent mental health and examine school‐level variation in the relationship between loneliness and mental health.SampleCross‐sectional data on adolescents from the 2018 wave of the Health Behaviour in School‐aged Children study (HBSC) in Scotland were used (N = 5286).MethodsMental health was measured as a composite variable containing items assessing nervousness, irritability, sleep difficulties and feeling low. Loneliness was measured via a single item assessing how often adolescents felt ‘left out’. Multilevel models were used to identify social‐ecological predictors of mental health, associations with loneliness and between‐school variation.ResultsLoneliness, as well as demographic, social and school factors, was found to be associated with mental health. Mental health varied across schools, with the between‐school difference greater among adolescents with high levels of loneliness. Additionally, the negative effect of loneliness on mental health was stronger in schools with lower average mental health scores.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that schools can play an important role in shaping adolescent mental health. Our study uniquely identifies that school‐based interventions targeting mental health may be especially necessary among lonely adolescents, and programmes aimed at tackling loneliness may be more beneficial in schools with poorer mental health.
Unconscious integration: Current evidence for integrative processing under subliminal conditions
Authors: Zher‐Wen  , Yu Rongjun 
Published: January 2023

AbstractIntegrative processing is traditionally believed to be dependent on consciousness. While earlier studies within the last decade reported many types of integration under subliminal conditions (i.e. without perceptual awareness), these findings are widely challenged recently. This review evaluates the current evidence for 10 types of subliminal integration that are widely studied: arithmetic processing, object‐context integration, multi‐word processing, same‐different processing, multisensory integration and 5 different types of associative learning. Potential methodological issues concerning awareness measures are also taken into account. It is concluded that while there is currently no reliable evidence for subliminal integration, this does not necessarily refute ‘unconscious’ integration defined through non‐subliminal (e.g. implicit) approaches.
Adversity profiles of children receiving care and support from social services: A latent‐class analysis of school‐aged children in Wales
Authors: Anthony Rebecca , Scourfield Jonathan , Moore Graham , Paranjothy Shantini , Evans Annette , Brophy Sinead , Daniel Rhian , Long Sara 
Published: January 2023

AbstractBackgroundChildren receive care and support from social services due to the risk of harm or impeded development or because of disability. This study aimed to identify typologies of adversity experienced by children receiving care and support from social services and to explore how typologies differ by sociodemographic characteristics.MethodsThis is a cross‐sectional study of ‘Children Receiving Care and Support’ (N = 12 792) during 2017/2018 in Wales, UK. We sought to (1) examine the prevalence of household adversities experienced by children in receipt of care and support from social services; (2) identify typologies of household adversities; and (3) explore how typologies of household adversities differ by family characteristics (demographics, measures of social disadvantage, perinatal and care factors).ResultsWe found evidence for multiple risk factor constellations. The four‐class solution suggested four distinct classes of adversities: child disability (50.0%), low adversities (20.3%), family poor health (6.7%) and multiple risks (23.0%). Children in the ‘multiple risk’ class were significantly more likely to be younger, more deprived and ‘looked after’ by the local authority compared with those in the ‘low adversities’ class.ConclusionsGiven the presence of different constellations of household adversities, policies and interventions that address multiple risk factors simultaneously may be more effective and have longer‐lasting benefits.
Further delineation of dosage‐sensitive K/L mediated Xq28 duplication syndrome includes incomplete penetrance
Authors: Leffler Melanie , Christie Louise , Hackett Anna , Bennetts Bruce , Goel Himanshu , Amor David J. , Peters Greg B. , Field Michael , Dudding‐Byth Tracy 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThe low copy tandem repeat area at Xq28 is prone to recurrent copy number gains, including the K/L mediated duplications of 300 kb size (herein described as the K/L mediated Xq28 duplication syndrome). We describe five families, including nine males with K/L mediated Xq28 duplications, some with regions of greater copy number variation (CNV). We summarise findings in 25 affected males reported to date. Within the five families, males were variably affected by seizures, intellectual disability, and neurological features; however, one male with a familial K/L mediated Xq28 duplication has normal intelligence, suggesting that this CNV is not 100% penetrant. Including our five families, 13 carrier females have been identified, with nine presenting phenotypically normal. Three carrier females reported mild learning difficulties, and all of them had duplications containing regions with at least four copies. Delineation of the spectrum of K/L mediated Xq28 duplication syndrome highlights GDI1 as the most likely candidate gene contributing to the phenotype. For patients identified with CNVs in this region, high‐resolution microarray is required to define copy number gains and provide families with accurate information.
Diversity, abundance, and conservation status of woody species in a West African dry forest
Authors: Yilangai Rahila M. , Onoja Joseph Daniel , Saha Sonali , Elisha Emmanuel Barde , Manu Shiiwua A. , Barshep Yahkat , Molokwu‐Odozi Mary 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThis study presents data on woody plant species richness and diversity of an inaccessible dry forest of Tula Mountains Woodland (TMW) located in the northeast of Nigeria. TMW supports a minimally disturbed mosaic of dry forest‐woodland. We sampled woody species in 190 plots of size 0.01‐ha, spaced 50 m apart on series of line transects. We found a total of 133 woody species belonging to 88 genera and 39 families in 1.9 ha area sampled in total. Out of 133 species, 120 were identified to species level, and 113 were recorded as trees, shrubs and lianas with diameter at breast height (dbh) ≥ 5 cm. Species accumulation curve was non‐asymptotic. Fisher's logseries model suggests that the plots sampled in the dry forest communities of TMW are represented by a high number of rare species. Of 120 identified species, 46 (38%) lacked evaluation on conservation status by IUCN. Out of 74 (62%) evaluated species, 2 were listed as critically endangered, 3 were vulnerable, and 69 were of least concern. In the TMW, 27% of woody species were restricted to Sudanian savannah biome, 61% occurred in Sudanian and Zambezian savannah biome. TMW serves as refugia for native plant species and plant communities in northeastern Nigeria.
Metabarcoding reveals seasonal and spatial patterns of arthropod community assemblages in two contrasting habitats: Desert and oasis of the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico
Authors: Klimova Anastasia , Rodríguez‐Estrella Ricardo , Meng Guanliang , Gutiérrez‐Rivera Jesús Neftalí , Jimenez‐Jimenez María Luisa , Liu Shanlin 
Published: January 2023

AbstractAimDesert springs or oases are the only permanent mesic environments in highly water‐limited arid regions. Oases have immense cultural, evolutionary and ecological importance for people and a high number of endemic and relic species. Nevertheless, they are also highly vulnerable ecosystems, with invasive species, overexploitation and climate change being the primary threats. We used the arthropod communities' spatiotemporal diversity and distribution patterns as a proxy to understand biodiversity dynamics in two geographically close but ecologically contrasting and highly threatened ecosystems: deserts and oases.LocationBaja California Peninsula, Mexico.MethodsArthropod communities at five oases and surrounding desert scrub areas were sampled in two seasons. Using DNA metabarcoding and traditional taxonomic surveys, we tried to identify what biotic and abiotic characteristics of the habitat are important drivers of arthropod diversity and how these characteristics can change across spatial and temporal scales.ResultsOver 6200 individuals representing 23 orders were collected. In oasis samples, the community composition fluctuated more in space (i.e. among sites) than in time (i.e. seasons). Thus, seasonal changes did not affect oasis community diversity and composition, but the dissimilarity among sites increased with geographic distance. Moreover, anthropic activities negatively correlated with arthropod diversity in oases. On the other hand, the season, geography (e.g. latitude) and biotic characteristics of the habitat (e.g. sampled scrub species) significantly affected the diversity and composition of the desert arthropod communities.Main ConclusionsNeutral dynamics (e.g. historical climatic events, dispersal limitation and spatial component) and human impact significantly influenced the biodiversity patterns of each oasis. In contrast, the habitat's seasonal variation and biotic characteristics were the most important variables influencing the diversity of the desert communities. Baja California oases harbour distinct invertebrate communities; therefore, each oasis should be conserved individually to preserve these unique assemblages.
Diagnostic accuracy of the Hammersmith Neonatal Neurological Examination in predicting motor outcome at 12 months for infants born very preterm
Authors: Howard Grace T. , Baque Emmah , Colditz Paul B. , Chatfield Mark D. , Ware Robert S. , Boyd Roslyn N. , George Joanne M. 
Published: January 2023

AbstractAimTo evaluate the predictive validity of the Hammersmith Neonatal Neurological Examination (HNNE) performed early (at 32 weeks postmenstrual age) and at term‐equivalent age (TEA) for 12‐month motor outcomes in infants born very preterm.MethodThis was a diagnostic study using data from a prospective birth cohort. A total of 104 infants born preterm at less than 31 weeks gestational age (males n = 61; mean = 28 weeks 1 day [SD 1 week 6 days], range 23 weeks 1 day–30 weeks 6 days) underwent HNNE early and at TEA, which were scored by comparison with term data. Motor outcomes at 12 months corrected age were determined using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (scores ≤85). Cut‐off points were determined using receiver operating characteristic curves.ResultsSixteen (15%) infants born preterm had motor impairment at 12 months corrected age. The HNNE total score cut‐off points with the best combination of sensitivity and specificity at early and TEA assessments were 15.2 or lower (sensitivity 77%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 46%–95%; specificity 74%, 95% CI = 63%–83%) and 23.5 or lower (sensitivity 67%, 95% CI = 38%–88%; specificity 66%, 95% CI = 54%–76%) respectively. The most predictive subscale at the early assessment was reflexes (sensitivity 86%, 95% CI = 57%–98%; specificity 62%, 95% CI = 51%–72%; cut‐off point ≤3); at TEA, it was spontaneous movements (sensitivity 73%, 95% CI = 45%–92%; specificity 60%, 95% CI = 48%–70%; cut‐off point ≤2).InterpretationThe HNNE provides moderate predictive accuracy for motor outcome at 12 months corrected age in infants born very preterm. Although modest at both time points, early assessment had stronger predictive ability for motor outcomes than TEA when scored using term data, highlighting the value of performing the HNNE earlier in the neonatal period. Performing HNNE earlier may assist risk stratification when planning follow‐up services.
The Middle‐Eastern marriage pattern? Malthusian dynamics in nineteenth‐century Egypt
Authors: Kumon Yuzuru , Saleh Mohamed 
Published: January 2023

AbstractMalthus predicted that fertility rises with income and that people regulate fertility via regulating marriage. However, evidence on the Malthusian equilibrium has been mostly confined to Europe and East Asia. We employ Egypt's population censuses of 1848 and 1868 to provide the first evidence on the preindustrial Malthusian dynamics in the Middle East and North Africa. At the aggregate level, we document rural Egyptian women having a high fertility rate that is close to the Western European level, combined with low age at marriage and low celibacy rate, that are closer to the East Asian levels. This resulted in a uniquely high fertility regime that was probably offset by the high child mortality. Next, we provide individual‐level evidence on the positive correlation between fertility and income (occupation). We find that the higher fertility of rural white‐collar men is attributed to their marriage behaviour, and not to marital fertility. Specifically, white‐collar men's higher polygyny explains 45 per cent of their fertility advantage, whereas their higher marriage rate and lower wife's age at marriage explains 55 per cent. Therefore, polygyny was an additional factor that led to a steeper income–fertility curve than in Western Europe by enabling the rural middle class to out‐breed the poor.
Cross‐sectional and longitudinal associations between cardiometabolic measures and clinical stage in young people accessing early intervention mental health services
Authors: Wilson Chloe E. , Carpenter Joanne S. , Crouse Jacob J. , Park Shin , Koethe Dagmar , Scott Elizabeth M. , Hickie Ian B. 
Published: January 2023

AbstractAimThis retrospective cohort study aimed to identify the cardiometabolic characteristics, cross‐sectionally and longitudinally, associated with clinical stage in youth accessing early intervention mental health services.MethodsCardiometabolic data we collected in 511 young people (aged 12–25 years at entry) receiving mental health care at the early intervention services in Sydney, Australia.ResultsThe majority of young people (N = 448, 87.67%) were classified in stage 1a or 1b at entry. At entry to care, there was no cross‐sectional relationship between clinical stage and age, gender, fasting insulin, fasting glucose, updated homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA2‐IR) score, BMI or waist circumference. Of the 111 (21.7%) young people initially classified at stage 1a (‘non‐specific symptoms’) and the 337 (65.9%) classified in stage 1b (‘attenuated syndromes’), 40 individuals transitioned to stage 2+ (7.8%) (“full‐threshold disorders”) longitudinally. No cardiometabolic factors predicted clinical stage transitions. However, those with an increase in BMI over the course of care (n = 54) were 1.46 (OR; 95% CI: 1.02–2.17) times more likely to progress to stage 2+ at follow up.ConclusionsWhilst no relationships were found between demographic or cardiometabolic variables and clinical stage at entry to care, an increased BMI over time was associated with clinical stage transition longitudinally. Further longitudinal research is needed to understand the demographic, clinical, illness progression or treatment factors associated with changes in cardiometabolic status.
Implementing a combined individual placement and support and vocational peer work program in integrated youth mental health settings
Authors: Simmons Magenta B. , Chinnery Gina , Whitson Sarah , Bostock Sarah , Braybrook Joshua , Hamilton Matthew , Killackey Eóin , Brushe Mary 
Published: January 2023

AbstractAimTo describe the implementation and outcomes of a combined individual placement and support (IPS) and vocational peer work program for young people with mental ill‐health.MethodsThis uncontrolled pilot study co‐located IPS workers and vocational peer workers within two integrated youth mental health services (provided to clients aged 15–25 years old). Employment outcomes included job placements (working 15 hours or more per week in a paid competitive job in the open employment market) and sustained employment (employed for at least 26 weeks). Participants who required additional assistance also received peer work.ResultsOf the 326 young people enrolled, 195 (59.8%) achieved competitive employment, including 157 (48.2%) in funder‐approved placements. Among those in approved placements, 87 (55.4%) achieved sustained employment. For the 116 participants additionally receiving vocational peer work, 54 (46.6%) worked in funder‐approved placements, of whom 27 (50.0%) achieved sustained employment. Among 210 participants who did not receive peer work, 103 (49.0%) worked in funder‐approved placements, of whom 60 (58.3%) achieved sustained employment.ConclusionsThe program achieved positive vocational outcomes and good fidelity to the IPS model. Approximately half of young people had employment placements, with a relatively high proportion maintained over time. The similar proportion of placements for those who did and did not receive peer work was encouraging given the IPS team determined that the former group needed additional support.Recommendations include upskilling the workforce, a data linkage system to obtain placement evidence, and using implementation science methodologies to understand how IPS programs are successfully embedded. This demands a coordinated effort between governments and funders, policymakers, services, and professional bodies.
Use of an exotic host plant reduces viral burden in a native insect herbivore
Authors: Muchoney Nadya D. , Bowers M. Deane , Carper Adrian L. , Teglas Mike B. , Smilanich Angela M. 
Published: January 2023

AbstractIncorporation of exotic plants into the diets of native herbivores is a common phenomenon, influencing interactions with natural enemies and providing insight into the tritrophic costs and benefits of dietary expansion. We evaluated how use of an exotic plant, Plantago lanceolata, impacted immune performance, development and susceptibility to pathogen infection in the neotropical herbivore Anartia jatrophae (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). Caterpillars were reared on P. lanceolata or a native plant, Bacopa monnieri, and experimentally infected with a pathogenic virus, Junonia coenia densovirus. We found that virus‐challenged herbivores exhibited higher survival rates and lower viral burdens when reared on P. lanceolata compared to B. monnieri, though immune performance and development time were largely similar on the two plants. These findings reveal that use of an exotic plant can impact the vulnerability of a native herbivore to pathogen infection, suggesting diet‐mediated protection against disease as a potential mechanism facilitating the incorporation of novel resources.