bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Association of individual‐socioeconomic variation in quality‐of‐primary care with area‐level service organisation: A multilevel analysis using linked data
Authors: Butler Danielle C. , Larkins Sarah , Korda Rosemary J 
Published: March 2023

AbstractRationale, Aims and ObjectivesEnsuring equitable access to primary care (PC) contributes to reducing differences in health related to people's socioeconomic circumstances. However, there is limited data on system‐level factors associated with equitable access to high‐quality PC. We examine whether individual‐level socioeconomic variation in general practitioner (GP) quality‐of‐care varies by area‐level organisation of PC services.MethodsBaseline data (2006–2009) from the Sax Institute's 45 and Up Study, involving 267,153 adults in New South Wales, Australia, were linked to Medicare Benefits Schedule claims and death data (to December 2012). Small area‐level measures of PC service organisation were GPs per capita, bulk‐billing (i.e., no copayment) rates, out‐of‐pocket costs (OPCs), rates of after‐hours and chronic disease care planning/coordination services. Using multilevel logistic regression with cross‐level interaction terms we quantified the relationship between area‐level PC service characteristics and individual‐level socioeconomic variation in need‐adjusted quality‐of‐care (continuity‐of‐care, long‐consultations, and care planning), separately by remoteness.ResultsIn major cities, more bulk‐billing and chronic disease services and fewer OPCs within areas were associated with an increased odds of continuity‐of‐care—more so among people of high‐ than low education (e.g., bulk‐billing interaction with university vs. no school certificate 1.006 [1.000, 1.011]). While more bulk‐billing, after‐hours services and fewer OPCs were associated with long consultations and care planning across all education levels, in regional locations alone, more after‐hours services were associated with larger increases in the odds of long consultations among people with low‐ than high education (0.970 [0.951, 0.989]). Area GP availability was not associated with outcomes.ConclusionsIn major cities, PC initiatives at the local level, such as bulk‐billing and after‐hours access, were not associated with a relative benefit for low‐ compared with high‐education individuals. In regional locations, policies supporting after‐hours access may improve access to long consultations, more so for people with low‐ compared with high‐education.
Translation rate underpins specific targeting of N‐terminal transmembrane proteins to mitochondria
Authors: Lee Junho , Moon Byeongho , Lee Dong Wook , Hwang Inhwan 
Published: March 2023

ABSTRACTProtein biogenesis is a complex process, and complexity is greatly increased in eukaryotic cells through specific targeting of proteins to different organelles. To direct targeting, organellar proteins carry an organelle‐specific targeting signal for recognition by organelle‐specific import machinery. However, the situation is confusing for transmembrane domain (TMD)‐containing signal‐anchored (SA) proteins of various organelles because TMDs function as an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) targeting signal. Although ER targeting of SA proteins is well understood, how they are targeted to mitochondria and chloroplasts remains elusive. Here, we investigated how the targeting specificity of SA proteins is determined for specific targeting to mitochondria and chloroplasts. Mitochondrial targeting requires multiple motifs around and within TMDs: a basic residue and an arginine‐rich region flanking the N‐ and C‐termini of TMDs, respectively, and an aromatic residue in the C‐terminal side of the TMD that specify mitochondrial targeting in an additive manner. These motifs play a role in slowing down the elongation speed during translation, thereby ensuring mitochondrial targeting in a co‐translational manner. By contrast, the absence of any of these motifs individually or together causes at varying degrees chloroplast targeting that occurs in a post‐translational manner.
Young Leaf White Stripe encodes a P‐type PPR protein required for chloroplast development
Authors: Lan Jie , Lin Qibing , Zhou Chunlei , Liu Xi , Miao Rong , Ma Tengfei , Chen Yaping , Mou Changling , Jing Ruonan , Feng Miao , Nguyen Thanhliem , Ren Yulong , Cheng Zhijun , Zhang Xin , Liu Shijia , Jiang Ling , Wan Jianmin 
Published: March 2023

ABSTRACTPentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins function in post‐transcriptional regulation of organellar gene expression. Although several PPR proteins are known to function in chloroplast development in rice (Oryza sativa), the detailed molecular functions of many PPR proteins remain unclear. Here, we characterized a rice young leaf white stripe (ylws) mutant, which has defective chloroplast development during early seedling growth. Map‐based cloning revealed that YLWS encodes a novel P‐type chloroplast‐targeted PPR protein with 11 PPR motifs. Further expression analyses showed that many nuclear‐ and plastid‐encoded genes in the ylws mutant were significantly changed at the RNA and protein levels. The ylws mutant was impaired in chloroplast ribosome biogenesis and chloroplast development under low‐temperature conditions. The ylws mutation causes defects in the splicing of atpF, ndhA, rpl2, and rps12, and editing of ndhA, ndhB, and rps14 transcripts. YLWS directly binds to specific sites in the atpF, ndhA, and rpl2 pre‐mRNAs. Our results suggest that YLWS participates in chloroplast RNA group II intron splicing and plays an important role in chloroplast development during early leaf development.
Effect of leave‐on cosmetic antimicrobial preservatives on healthy skin resident Staphylococcus epidermidis
Authors: Zhang Wei , Wang Xueshuo , Zhao Linna , Gu Yihai , Chen Yiwen , Liu Na , An Lin , Lu Yong , Cui Shenghui 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBackgroundThe effect of high doses preservatives in the leave‐on cosmetic products to the skin microbiota is not clear. Studies have shown that the preservatives might alter the balance of the skin microbiota.AimIn this study, we aimed to evaluate antimicrobial effect of nine cosmetic chemical preservatives.Material & MethodA total of 77 Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates from 46 healthy zygomatic skin samples were characterized by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Nine preservatives used in leave‐on cosmetics were analyzed by testing the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against S. epidermidis isolates. We also determined the mutant prevention concentration (MPC) and bactericidal kinetics on selected isolates.ResultsMore than 17 sequence types were recognized among 77 S. epidermidis isolates. Our data demonstrated that the maximum permitted doses of 2‐bromo‐2‐nitro‐1,3‐propanediol, ethyl 4‐hydroxybenzoate, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, and imidazolidinyl urea were significantly higher than both their MICs and MPCs. We showed that, at the maximum permitted doses, two preservatives could completely kill 107 CFU/mL S. epidermidis in less than 1 h in MH broth.ConclusionOur data demonstrated that certain preservatives of the leave‐on cosmetics might inhibit or kill S. epidermidis cells and perturb the skin microbiota balance. The determination of the maximum permitted doses of the preservatives should not only be based on the toxicological data, but also antimicrobial susceptibility analysis. This comprehensive evaluation would ensure a balanced and healthy skin microbiota.
A randomised controlled trial to improve the resilience of oesophageal cancer survivors in rural China: A study protocol
Authors: Ge Hui , Wang Haiman , Ma Xuanxuan , Sun Di , Zhang Zonghao , Li Shuwen 
Published: March 2023

AbstractAimTo design a protocol based on the experiences of long‐term survivors to facilitate resilience for oesophageal cancer patients in rural China.BackgroundAccording to the latest Global Cancer Statistics Report, 604,000 new cases of oesophageal cancer were reported, of which over 60% of the disease burden is distributed in China. The incidence of oesophageal cancer in rural China (15.95/100,000) is twice as high as those in urban areas (7.59/100,000). To be sure, resilience can help patients better adapt to post‐cancer life. But universal interventions involving improving the resilience of oesophageal cancer patients have much less been explored, especially for rural patients.MethodsThe two‐arm, parallel design, non‐blinded, randomised controlled trial will be implemented in 86 adults diagnosed with oesophageal cancer and will be randomly assigned to the control group or the intervention group via the blocked randomisation. The intervention group will undergo an intervention with one‐on‐one guidance from a nurse while viewing a CD of the experiences of long‐term survivors with oesophageal cancer in rural areas. Every 2 weeks, a theme session will be introduced, and the entire intervention will continue for 12 weeks. Psychosocial variables (resilience, self‐efficacy, coping mode and family support) will be surveyed at baseline, post‐intervention and 3 months after the intervention. The paper complies with the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Intervention Trials 2013 and Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials guidelines for study protocols adapted for designing and reporting parallel group randomised trials.ConclusionThe intervention programme transitions from hospitalisation to discharge, which includes one‐on‐one interventions by medical personnel and a portable CD describing the experiences of long‐term survivors with rural oesophageal cancer. Once the intervention's effectiveness is proven, this protocol will provide psychological support for massive oesophageal cancer patients.Relevance to clinical practiceThe intervention programme may be used as an auxiliary therapy to promote patients' postoperative psychological rehabilitation. This programme has the advantages of being cost‐effective, flexible, accessible, and convenient and can be implemented without the limitation of time, place and clinical medical staff.Trial registrationThe Chinese Clinical Trial Registration number is ChiCTR2100050047. Registered on 16 August 2021.
Grass trait–abundance relationships and the role of the functional composition of the neighboring community
Authors: Griffin‐Nolan Robert J. , Sandel Brody 
Published: March 2023

AbstractQuestionsPlant traits can predict a species‘ relative abundance and its influence on ecosystem processes. However, trait expression and the relative abundance of a species are also influenced by its abiotic and biotic environment. Here, we ask whether the relationship between plant traits and relative abundance is modified by abiotic (e.g., climate and topography) and biotic factors (e.g., community taxonomic and functional diversity) across Californian grasslands.LocationSan Francisco Bay Area.MethodsWe measured specific leaf area (SLA; leaf area/dry mass) and plant height of 19 grass species (family: Poaceae) across 117 plots. We also quantified the relative abundance of each species as well as several biotic attributes of the neighboring grass community including total plant cover, species richness and evenness, community‐weighted mean (CWM) traits, and functional diversity. Using multiple linear regression, we assessed whether abundance could be predicted from traits and the interactions between traits and both biotic and abiotic factors. We fit similar models predicting traits from relative abundance.ResultsGrass species had higher relative abundance in plots where they were taller and had higher SLA. They were also more abundant in communities with low functional richness (FRic) and high functional evenness (FEve), perhaps because of the low resource‐use efficiency of their neighbors and a lack of dominant grasses. Neither abundance nor plant height were associated with abiotic variables, although SLA responded predictably to precipitation according to a bell‐shaped curve. Grasses were taller where they were more abundant, but the impact of abundance on SLA depended on community FEve. Finally, we show strong evidence for community trait similarity, whereby an individual‘s trait expression was positively correlated with the traits of its grass neighbors.ConclusionsTaken together, these results imply that traits are predictive of abundance and vice versa, and these relationships depend on biotic interactions more than climate.
Are all benefits equal? An exploratory analysis of coastal perspectives of seafood farming expansion in the United States
Authors: Shaughnessy Brianna K. , Almada Amalia , Thompson Kimberly , Marvier Michelle , Kareiva Peter 
Published: March 2023

AbstractSeafood farming is heralded for its economic opportunities and its potential to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with food production. Yet the persistent lack of awareness among the US public about these potential benefits of seafood farming is often cited as a barrier to social acceptance and industry growth. We employed two exploratory online surveys of residents of western and northeastern US coastal states and a unique message‐testing approach to explore: (1) how existing opinions about seafood farming vary across sociodemographic attributes, geography, and prior familiarity with aquaculture; (2) the malleability of opinions about seafood farming; and (3) what benefits of marine aquaculture broadly and of seaweed farming specifically were viewed as the strongest reasons to support industry expansion, and what messengers are most trusted to share that information. We found that baseline attitudes about seafood farming strongly correlate with prior familiarity and that opinions about both marine aquaculture and seaweed farming were highly malleable, at least in the short term. If confirmed by further studies, our results suggest that messages emphasizing benefits in terms of environmental sustainability, as opposed to economic benefits or social benefits, may be an important tool to better engage residents of western and northeastern US coastal states with seafood farming expansion.
Sweepstakes reproduction facilitates rapid adaptation in highly fecund populations
Authors: Eldon Bjarki , Stephan Wolfgang 
Published: March 2023

AbstractAdaptation enables natural populations to survive in a changing environment. Understanding the mechanics of adaptation is therefore crucial for learning about the evolution and ecology of natural populations. We focus on the impact of random sweepstakes on selection in highly fecund haploid and diploid populations partitioned into two genetic types, with one type conferring selective advantage. For the diploid populations, we incorporate various dominance mechanisms. We assume that the populations may experience recurrent bottlenecks. In random sweepstakes, the distribution of individual recruitment success is highly skewed, resulting in a huge variance in the number of offspring contributed by the individuals present in any given generation. Using computer simulations, we investigate the joint effects of random sweepstakes, recurrent bottlenecks and dominance mechanisms on selection. In our framework, bottlenecks allow random sweepstakes to have an effect on the time to fixation, and in diploid populations, the effect of random sweepstakes depends on the dominance mechanism. We describe selective sweepstakes that are approximated by recurrent sweeps of strongly beneficial allelic types arising by mutation. We demonstrate that both types of sweepstakes reproduction may facilitate rapid adaptation (as defined based on the average time to fixation of a type conferring selective advantage conditioned on fixation of the type). However, whether random sweepstakes cause rapid adaptation depends also on their interactions with bottlenecks and dominance mechanisms. Finally, we review a case study in which a model of recurrent sweeps is shown to essentially explain population genomic data from Atlantic cod.
Shifts in functional traits and interactions patterns of soil methane‐cycling communities following forest‐to‐pasture conversion in the Amazon Basin
Authors: Obregon Alvarez Dasiel , Fonseca de Souza Leandro , Mendes Lucas William , de Moraes Moacir Tuzzin , Tosi Micaela , Venturini Andressa Monteiro , Meyer Kyle M. , Barbosa de Camargo Plínio , Bohannan Brendan J. M. , Mazza Rodrigues Jorge L. , Dunfield Kari E. , Tsai Siu Mui 
Published: March 2023

AbstractDeforestation threatens the integrity of the Amazon biome and the ecosystem services it provides, including greenhouse gas mitigation. Forest‐to‐pasture conversion has been shown to alter the flux of methane gas (CH4) in Amazonian soils, driving a switch from acting as a sink to a source of atmospheric CH4. This study aimed to better understand this phenomenon by investigating soil microbial metagenomes, focusing on the taxonomic and functional structure of methane‐cycling communities. Metagenomic data from forest and pasture soils were combined with measurements of in situ CH4 fluxes and soil edaphic factors and analysed using multivariate statistical approaches. We found a significantly higher abundance and diversity of methanogens in pasture soils. As inferred by co‐occurrence networks, these microorganisms seem to be less interconnected within the soil microbiota in pasture soils. Metabolic traits were also different between land uses, with increased hydrogenotrophic and methylotrophic pathways of methanogenesis in pasture soils. Land‐use change also induced shifts in taxonomic and functional traits of methanotrophs, with bacteria harbouring genes encoding the soluble form of methane monooxygenase enzyme (sMMO) depleted in pasture soils. Redundancy analysis and multimodel inference revealed that the shift in methane‐cycling communities was associated with high pH, organic matter, soil porosity and micronutrients in pasture soils. These results comprehensively characterize the effect of forest‐to‐pasture conversion on the microbial communities driving the methane‐cycling microorganisms in the Amazon rainforest, which will contribute to the efforts to preserve this important biome.
Estimator for generalization performance of machine learning model trained by biased data collected from multiple references
Authors: Okazaki Yuriko , Okazaki Shinichiro , Asamoto Shingo , Yamaji Toru , Ishige Minoru 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThe data acquired in civil engineering tasks often involve high acquisition costs, and the available datasets tend to have a limited number of samples and are highly biased. To estimate the performance of machine learning models, k‐fold cross‐validation (k‐CV) is widely used. However, if only limited data are available and the data distribution is biased, k‐CV tends to overestimate the performance for practical applications. This study proposed a new estimator, leave one reference out and k‐CV (LORO‐k‐CV), to determine the practical performance of machine learning models, that is, the generalization performance for population data in the target task, in case data are collected by multiple references resulting in biased data. LORO‐k‐CV is a combination of a new concept, LORO‐CV, that estimates the performance in the extrapolation region of the training data without human intervention and k‐CV, considering the ratio of the interpolation and extrapolation regions. The efficacy of LORO‐k‐CV was validated with its application to the regression task for the chloride‐ion concentration of concrete structures. To more specifically demonstrate the advantages of LORO‐k‐CV in model construction, the feature selections were conducted using both k‐CV and LORO‐k‐CV methods. These results revealed that LORO‐k‐CV can effectively construct a model with improved generalization performance even from the same data in cases where data are collected by multiple references, resulting in biased data.
Chunky yarn sign: A screening marker for brachial plexus hypertrophy on axial cervical spine MRI
Authors: Komagamine Tomoko , Aoki‐Kawabata Reika , Hamaguchi Mai , Suzuki Keisuke , Kokubun Norito 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBackgroundNerve hypertrophy is one of the characteristic features of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP). The brachial plexus runs along the gap between the anterior and medial scalene muscles (interscalene gap), and its enlargement sometimes appears as widening of the interscalene gap on conventional axial cervical spine MRI.MethodsTo determine whether the screening of nerve hypertrophy in CIDP is available via conventional cervical spine MRI, we reviewed the medical records of 29 patients with CIDP who underwent cervical MRI, and imaging features were compared with 50 patients with cervical spondylosis who underwent nerve conduction study and were confirmed to have no neuropathies. The maximum diameter of the interscalene gap at the 6th or 7th cervical vertebra level on axial‐slice T2 weighted imaging was measured by two observers independently.ResultsThe maximum diameter of the interscalene gap was significantly larger in the CIDP patients (range, 1.7–11.58; median, 3.64 mm; interquartile range [IQR], 1.79) than in the cervical spondylosis patients (range, 0.87–4.71; median, 1.96 mm; IQR, 0.88) (p < 0.001).ConclusionThe enlarged interscalene gaps were analogous to chunky yarn, with a continuous thick structure along the gaps. Attention to interscalene gaps on routine MRI can contribute to the screening of hypertrophic neuropathies without additional costs or procedures.
The future of clinical trials of myopia control
Authors: Bullimore Mark A. , Brennan Noel A. , Flitcroft Daniel Ian 
Published: March 2023

AbstractIn the field of myopia control, effective optical or pharmaceutical therapies are now available to patients in many markets. This creates challenges for the conduct of placebo‐controlled, randomised clinical trials, including ethics, recruitment, retention, selective loss of faster progressors and non‐protocol treatments:

Ethics: It is valid to question whether withholding treatment in control subjects is ethical.
Recruitment: Availability of treatments is making recruitment into clinical trials more difficult.
Retention: If masking is not possible, parents may immediately withdraw their child if randomised to no treatment.
Selective loss: Withdrawal of fast progressors in the control group leading to a control group biased towards low progression.
Non‐protocol treatment: Parents may access other myopia treatments in addition to those within the trial.
We propose that future trials may adopt one of the following designs:

Non‐inferiority trials using an approved drug or device as the control. The choice will depend on whether a regulatory agency has approved the drug or device.
Short conventional efficacy trials where data are subsequently entered into a model created from previous clinical trials, which allows robust prediction of long‐term treatment efficacy from the initial efficacy.
Virtual control group trials based on data relating to axial elongation, myopia progression or both, accounting for subject's age and race.
Short‐term control data from a cohort, for example, 1 year or less, and applying an appropriate, proportional annual reduction in axial elongation to that population and extrapolating to subsequent years.
Time‐to‐treatment‐failure trials using survival analysis; once a treated or control subject progresses or elongates by a given amount, they exit the study and can be offered treatment.
In summary, the future development of new treatments in myopia control will be hampered if significant changes are not made to the design of clinical trials in this area.