bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The role of rectal ultrasound in children with functional constipation
Authors: Hamdy Ahmed M , Sakr Hossam M , Boules Ireny S , Awad Yosra M M 
Published: January 2023

AimThe study aimed primarily to compare the transverse rectal diameter in children with functional constipation (FC) and children without constipation in different age groups, and between cases of constipation at baseline and after treatment. Secondary aim was to determine factors that could affect the transverse rectal diameter.MethodsA controlled prospective study, including a total of 100 children between the ages of 2 and 11 years, who were divided into 50 patients suffering from constipation according to Rome IV criteria and 50 age‐ and sex‐matched controls. Transverse rectal diameter was measured at presentation, and after 3 months of laxative therapy and behavioural modification.ResultsInitial rectal diameter was significantly different between cases (3.55 cm (interquartile range, IQR), 3.2–4) and controls (2.3 cm (IQR, 1.8–2.5)), P value < 0.001, and it was also significantly different between those above and below 4 years, so a separate cut‐off point for diagnosis of constipation was suggested being >3 cm for the former and >2.5 cm for the latter. After 3 months of follow‐up, rectal diameter significantly reduced to become 2.6 (IQR, 2‐2.8), P value < 0.001. Duration of symptoms positively correlated with rectal diameter.ConclusionsUltrasound measurement of rectal diameter is an important tool to diagnose and follow‐up functional constipation in children. Different values of rectal diameter are found between those above and below 4 years of age.
Evidence for ecotone speciation across an African rainforest‐savanna gradient
Authors: Freedman Adam H. , Harrigan Ryan J. , Zhen Ying , Hamilton Alison M. , Smith Thomas B. 
Published: January 2023

AbstractAccelerating climate change and habitat loss make it imperative that plans to conserve biodiversity consider species' ability to adapt to changing environments. However, in biomes where biodiversity is highest, the evolutionary mechanisms responsible for generating adaptative variation and, ultimately, new species are frequently poorly understood. African rainforests represent one such biome, as decadal debates continue concerning the mechanisms generating African rainforest biodiversity. These debates hinge on the relative importance of geographic isolation versus divergent natural selection across environmental gradients. Hindering progress is a lack of robust tests of these competing hypotheses. Because African rainforests are severely at‐risk due to climate change and other anthropogenic activities, addressing this long‐standing debate is critical for making informed conservation decisions. We use demographic inference and allele frequency‐environment relationships to investigate mechanisms of diversification in an African rainforest skink,Trachylepis affinis, a species inhabiting the gradient between rainforest and rainforest‐savanna mosaic (ecotone). We provide compelling evidence of ecotone speciation, in which gene flow has all but ceased between rainforest and ecotone populations, at a level consistent with infrequent hybridization between sister species. Parallel patterns of genomic, morphological, and physiological divergence across this environmental gradient and pronounced allele frequency‐environment correlation indicate speciation is mostly probably driven by ecological divergence, supporting a central role for divergent natural selection. Our results provide strong evidence for the importance of ecological gradients in African rainforest speciation and inform conservation strategies that preserve the processes that produce and maintain biodiversity.
Determinants of increased nursing workload in the COVID‐era: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data
Authors: Lucchini Alberto , Villa Marta , Del Sorbo Arianna , Pigato Irene , D'Andrea Luca , Greco Matteo , Chiara Colombo , Cesana Matteo , Rona Roberto , Giani Marco 
Published: January 2023

AbstractBackgroundCOVID‐19 is associated with increased nursing workload, therefore a high nurse‐to‐patient ratio would be required.AimTo analyse difference in nursing workload, as expressed with the Nursing Activities Score (NAS), between COVID‐19 patients versus control patients without COVID‐19 disease (NCOVID‐19 group) in an Italian Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) centre.Study DesignRetrospective analysis of prospectively collected data, enrolling consecutive patients admitted to a general Intensive Care Unit, between 1st May 2019 and 28th February 2021. A multivariate analysis was then performed to assess if COVID‐19 disease was an independent predictor of higher NAS and to assess which other factors and procedures are independently associated with increased workload.ResultsWe enrolled 574 patients, of which 135 (24%) were in the COVID‐19 group and 439 (76%) in the NCOVID‐19 group. The average NAS was higher in the COVID‐19 group (79 ± 11 vs. 65 ± 15, T = −10.026; p < 0.001). Prone positioning, continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) and ECMO were used more frequently in the COVID‐19 group. A higher fraction of patients in the COVID group showed colonization from multidrug resistant bacteria. COVID‐19 group had a higher duration of mechanical ventilation and longer ICU stay. The COVID‐19 diagnosis was independently associated with a higher NAS. Other independent predictors of higher NAS were the use of prone positioning and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Colonization from multidrug resistant bacteria and ECMO support were not independently associated with higher NAS.ConclusionsThe higher nursing workload in COVID‐19 patients is mainly due to specific procedures required to treat the most hypoxemic patients, such as prone positioning. Colonization with multidrug resistant bacteria and ECMO support were not independently associated with a higher NAS.Relevance to Clinical PracticeHigher workload in COVID‐19 patients was due to specific interventions, such as prone positioning and CRRT, with the related nursing activities, as continuous presence at patient's bed, mobilization, positioning and complex hygienic procedures.
Protocol and application of basal erythrocyte transketolase activity to improve assessment of thiamine status
Authors: Jones Kerry S. , Parkington Damon A. , Bourassa Megan W. , Cerami Carla , Koulman Albert 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThiamine (vitamin B1) is an essential micronutrient required as a cofactor in many metabolic processes. Clinical symptoms of thiamine deficiency are poorly defined, hence biomarkers of thiamine status are important. The erythrocyte transketolase activity coefficient (ETKac) is a sensitive measure of thiamine status, but its interpretation may be confounded where the availability of the transketolase enzyme is limited. Basal ETK activity per gram of hemoglobin provides a complementary biomarker of thiamine status; however, its measurement and calculation are poorly described. Here, we describe in detail the assessment of basal ETK activity, including the calculation of path length in microplates and the molar absorption coefficient of NADH specific to the assay, and the measurement of hemoglobin in sample hemolysates. To illustrate the application of the methods, we present ETKac and basal ETK activity from women in The Gambia and UK. In conclusion, we present a clear protocol for the measurement of basal ETK activity that will permit the harmonization of methods to improve replication between laboratories.
Exploring the genetics of rhythmic perception and musical engagement in the Vanderbilt Online Musicality Study
Authors: Gustavson Daniel E. , Coleman Peyton L. , Wang Youjia , Nitin Rachana , Petty Lauren E. , Bush Catherine T. , Mosing Miriam A. , Wesseldijk Laura W. , Ullén Fredrik ,   23 and Me Research Team, Below Jennifer E. , Cox Nancy J. , Gordon Reyna L. 
Published: January 2023

AbstractUncovering the genetic underpinnings of musical ability and engagement is a foundational step for exploring their wide‐ranging associations with cognition, health, and neurodevelopment. Prior studies have focused on using twin and family designs, demonstrating moderate heritability of musical phenotypes. The current study used genome‐wide complex trait analysis and polygenic score (PGS) approaches utilizing genotype data to examine genetic influences on two musicality traits (rhythmic perception and music engagement) in N = 1792 unrelated adults in the Vanderbilt Online Musicality Study. Meta‐analyzed heritability estimates (including a replication sample of Swedish individuals) were 31% for rhythmic perception and 12% for self‐reported music engagement. A PGS derived from a recent study on beat synchronization ability predicted both rhythmic perception (β = 0.11) and music engagement (β = 0.19) in our sample, suggesting that genetic influences underlying self‐reported beat synchronization ability also influence individuals’ rhythmic discrimination aptitude and the degree to which they engage in music. Cross‐trait analyses revealed a modest contribution of PGSs from several nonmusical traits (from the cognitive, personality, and circadian chronotype domains) to individual differences in musicality (β = −0.06 to 0.07). This work sheds light on the complex relationship between the genetic architecture of musical rhythm processing, beat synchronization, music engagement, and other nonmusical traits.
Approaching literary connectivity: Early reflections on a Shared Reading intervention in the light of postcritical thought
Authors: Pihl Marie‐Elisabeth Lei , Kristensen Mette Marie , Folker Anna Paldam , Simonsen Peter 
Published: January 2023

AbstractDuring recent decades, numerous studies have examined uses of art and literature in the context of health care and preventive interventions. In a recent, large‐scale review of current evidence within the field, the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that art and culture are vital resources for health promotion, and should be included in health care programs and initiatives to a greater extent than is the case today (Fancourt & Finn, 2019). This article zooms in on “Shared Reading,” a literature‐based intervention developed by the Reader Organization. More specifically, we look at a Danish Shared Reading project for male seniors—“Read, Man!”—that aims to reduce loneliness and isolation among men in the age group of 65–75 in view of the fact that men of this age range have increased risk of developing depressive symptoms in connection with retirement (Noh, Kwon, Lee, Oh, & Kim, 2019). A systematic analysis of the project's data has yet to be undertaken. During this early stage, however, we describe the project and tentatively approach its data and potential health benefits while drawing on the affordances of postcritical thinking and an analysis centered on what we call literary connectivity.
Mother–child relationship quality from preschool to adolescence: Variation by maternal education
Authors: Nomaguchi Kei , Allen Amira 
Published: January 2023

AbstractUsing longitudinal data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (N = 1088), we examine changes in maternal perception of closeness and conflict in the mother–child relationship from the child's preschool to adolescent years, with attention to variation by maternal education. Analyses using individual growth models show that mother–child closeness increases, while mother–child conflict decreases, from preschool to first grade. From first grade to age 15, mother–child closeness decreases, while mother–child conflict increases, both gradually. The decrease in mother–child conflict from preschool to first grade and the increases in mother–child conflict from first to fifth grade, sixth grade, and age 15 are less steep for mothers with a college degree than for mothers without a college degree. These findings underscore the importance of examining changes in parent–child relationships using longitudinal data across children's developmental stages and their variations by parental social and economic status.
Minimum spanning tree dynamic programming stereo‐matching method based on superpixels
Authors: Wang Jingxue , Xu Zhenghui 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThe minimum spanning tree (MST) stereo‐matching method is an information‐infiltration process. The difference in edge attributes of an MST can cause the edge‐expansion phenomenon, which affects the matching accuracy. To accurately recover image‐depth information, a dynamic‐programming stereo‐matching method based on the MST was proposed. First, the colour Birchfield Tomasi cost‐calculation method based on image adaptive colour information was proposed to obtain stable initial cost values. Second, the image was segmented into superpixel regions using the simple linear iterative clustering algorithm. The pixel‐ and region‐level MSTs were then constructed. Next, combined with the idea of dynamic programming, the MST cost‐aggregation process was re‐deduced. On this basis, the aggregate cost values of the two MSTs were obtained. Finally, the aggregate cost values were combined adaptively to acquire the high‐precision smooth disparity map. The Middlebury 2014 dataset was used for the experiments. The experimental results indicate that the proposed method can effectively improve the accuracy of stereo‐matching.
Molecular Effects of Silicon on Arabidopsis thaliana Seedlings under UV‐B Stress
Authors: Celayir Tuğçe , Yeni Oğuzhan , Yeşildirek Yağmur Vecide , Arıkan Burcu , Kara Neslihan Turgut 
Published: January 2023

AbstractSilicon‐plant interaction studies have shown that silicon reduces the harmful effects of stress in plants. Ultraviolet‐B (UV‐B) radiation, one of the abiotic stress affecting plants, poses a severe problem due to global warming. In this context, it is crucial to examine silicon's effects on UV‐B radiation stress at the molecular level. The experiments were carried out on 17 days old Arabidopsis seedlings that were treated with 800 μWatt cm−2 doses of UV‐B for 60 min and harvested on the 28th day. 1 mM orthosilicic acid was applied to the in vitro plant tissue culture for experimental groups. According to the results of the osmolyte accumulation analyses, silicon has been shown to play a role in the osmotic stress response. Gene expression levels of DGK2, CHS, FLC, RAD51, and UVR8 were measured via qPCR, and it has been shown that silicon interacts with these genes under UV‐B radiation stress. The result of genomic DNA methylation analysis demonstrated that silicon might affect DNA methylation levels by increasing the 5‐mC percentage compared with the control group. This study focused on the molecular effects of silicon application. It supports silicon–plant interaction research by demonstrating that silicon might affect UV‐B response at the molecular level.
Frailty and polypharmacy in the community‐dwelling elderly with multiple chronic diseases
Authors: Chuang Yuan N. , Chen Chia C. , Wang Chin J. , Chang Yu S. , Liu Yi H. 
Published: January 2023

AbstractBackgroundBoth multi‐morbidity (MM) and polypharmacy (PP) are common in the elderly and pose a challenge for health and social care systems. However, high‐quality patient‐centred care requires context‐bound understanding of the patterns and use of medications in those with MM. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of PP in community‐dwelling elderly, and the factors associated with MM, PP, excessive polypharmacy (EPP), and the types of drugs used.MethodsWe analysed data of 164 community‐dwelling subjects aged ≥60 years from January to December 2020 at a general hospital in a rural area of Taiwan. MM was defined as >4 diagnoses of chronic health conditions. Non‐polypharmacy (NP), PP, and EPP were defined as <5, 5–8, and >8 prescriptions, respectively. Other variables including basic activities of daily living (BADL), severity of frailty, depressive mood, screening for intellectual impairment, and nutritional status were also analysed.ResultsOf the 164 participants, 34.8% had >4 diagnoses, 66.5% had PP, and 26.2% had EPP. The patients with >4 diagnoses had worse performance in BADL, higher levels of frailty, and more prescriptions than those with fewer diagnoses. The EPP group had worse performance in BADL, a higher level of frailty, more comorbidities, and higher prevalences of diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease compared to the NP and PP groups. After adjusting for covariates, we further found a higher number of medications associated with having more comorbidities, and a higher level of frailty associated with having a greater number of medications.ConclusionWe found relationships between frailty and PP, and between PP and MM, but frailty did not associate with MM. Since frailty, PP, and MM may be viewed as an inevitable trinity of ageing, reducing PP could be a method to both prevent frailty and disentangle this trinity in the elderly.
Running red lights: Risk recognition versus follow‐up implementation in the case of Germany's pandemic preparation
Authors: Beck Matthias , Sheppard Gail 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThe discrepancy between formal arrangements to ensure health security, as assessed in the Global Health Security Index, and COVID‐19 outcomes points to a broader problem where formal risk recognition is de‐coupled from potentially resource‐intensive follow‐up policy implementation. Germany is an extreme example of this. Pre‐COVID‐19, Germany's Federal Office of Civilian Protection conducted two pandemic preparation exercises based on scenarios which closely mirrored the current COVID‐19 pandemic: (a) a multi‐jurisdictional, multi‐agency crisis management exercise assuming a global influenza pandemic and (b) a joint federal and expert‐agency based risk‐analysis assuming the outbreak of a modified severe acute respiratory symptom virus. While informing legal and institutional reforms, key recommendations on storing personal protective equipment (PPE) and disinfectants for front‐line staff were subsequently ignored. PPE shortages initially put staff at risk, led to export restrictions on PPE, and later on hampered the country's ability to address a second wave of the pandemic. This short paper calls for a fuller exploration of factors which hinder ‘‘implementation post‐cognition.’’
Psychometric evaluation of the Telenursing Interaction and Satisfaction Scale
Authors: Mattisson Marie , Börjeson Sussanne , Lindberg Malou , Årestedt Kristofer 
Published: January 2023

AbstractAims and ObjectivesInteraction between caller and telenurse in telenursing is important for caller satisfaction and subsequent compliance. Despite this, satisfaction measures with focus on interaction in telenursing are scarce and rarely anchored in nursing theory. The aim was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Telenursing Interaction and Satisfaction Scale (TISS) with focus on data quality, factor structure, convergent validity, and reliability.Methodological Design and JustificationThis psychometric study was based on cross‐sectional data.Research Methods, Instruments, and/or InterventionsCallers to the National Medical Advisory Service in Sweden (n = 616) completed the 60‐item Telenursing Interaction and Satisfaction Questionnaire based on Cox's Interaction Model of Client Health Behavior. Twenty‐five of these items were selected to form the TISS in four subscales according to the model. Data quality was evaluated in terms of missing data patterns and score distributions. The factor structure was evaluated with confirmatory factor analysis for ordinal data, convergent validity with Spearman correlations, internal consistency with ordinal alpha, scale reliability with composite reliability coefficients, and test–retest reliability with intraclass correlations.ResultsThe amount of missing data was acceptable and equally distributed. Data deviated significantly from a normal distribution. All response options were endorsed. The factor analysis confirmed the hypothesised four‐factor structure; factor loadings ranged from 0.56 to 0.97 and factor correlations were high (0.88–0.96). Internal consistency (ordinal alpha = 0.82–0.97), scale reliability (0.88–0.99), and test–retest reliability (ICC = 0.77–0.86) were satisfactory for all scales.Study LimitationsThe study design did not allow drop‐out analysis.ConclusionsThe TISS showed satisfactory psychometric properties in the study sample. It provides a measure that enables quantitative measurement of caller satisfaction with interaction in telenursing.
Advancing a qualitative turn in news media trust research
Authors: Garusi Diego , Splendore Sergio 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThe contemporary media environment represents the greatest challenge ever to journalism's legitimacy. Surveys conducted in different parts of the world highlight a decline in trust in news media. Due to the numerous changes in the news media environment, different investigative tools are required to grasp the mechanisms underlying news media trust from those adopted so far. This article provides a review of existing media trust research and argues that it is necessary to investigate news media trust (also) from a qualitative perspective because today understanding media trust is as crucial as measuring it.
Discourse‐Feature‐Driven Movement in Spanish and the Revised PGU*
Authors: Yang Jiahui 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThis paper aims to reconsider the purpose of movement and its Last‐Resort nature. In conformity with Chomsky (2008) and Jiménez‐Fernández (2020), the apparent optional movement in Spanish is not free at base, but related to the discourse‐feature inheritance. However, I depart from the latter by arguing that these discourse features do notwork in tandemwith the EF in T in order to attract the relevant constituent to [Spec,TP]; rather, movement may be required by the need to preserve the functional relations established through Agree, i.e., probe‐goal union (PGU) formulated in Miyagawa (2010). Furthermore, in light of Last Resort, I propose that PGU should be revised in a way that the goal moves into the probe if andonlyif no other more economical alternative is available to manifest the established functional relations. We shall see that Contrastive Focus and DOM constructions in Spanish empirically evidence the Revised PGU approach, and some self‐evident predictions based on it also prove the advantage of the current proposal.
Students with access to 3D study materials are better able to translate spatial relationships between abdominal organs and correctly interpret abnormal radiographic images
Authors: Means Kari , Voges Andra , Ritter Nicola L. 
Published: January 2023

AbstractPrevious studies have demonstrated evidence that three‐dimensional (3D) visualization techniques can be helpful as learning tools. This prospective randomized control study was designed to test the hypothesis that 3D learning tools would have improved translation into interpreting normal and abnormal canine abdominal radiographic images over traditional learning tools. Sagittal and dorsal plane 3D image scenes were created from CT scans, with canine abdominal organs labeled using virtual reality and 3D visualization software tools. Eighty students from the first‐ and second‐year veterinary classes at a single institution participated in the study. The control group studied canine abdominal anatomy from a textbook and the experimental group studied canine abdominal anatomy using the 3D learning tools for a set time. Each participant then took a three‐part written examination to assess their learning for the following categories: 3D anatomy organ identification, radiographic anatomy organ identification of normal structures and radiographic anatomy organ identification of abnormal structures. All participants were also asked to identify the sex of the test patient from the 3D study. Participants from the experimental group performed statistically better than participants in the control group for all parts of the examination, with the exception of normal radiographic anatomy.