bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The self‐assessment of genital anatomy, sexual function, and genital sensation (SAGASF‐M) questionnaire in a Belgian Dutch‐speaking male population: A validating study
Authors: Claeys Wietse , Bronselaer Guy , Lumen Nicolaas , Hoebeke Piet , Spinoit Anne‐Françoise 
Published: November 2022

AbstractIntroductionPenile and genital surgery for congenital or acquired conditions is daily practice in reconstructive urology. These procedures, which carry the risk of disrupting nerves and blood vessels, may impair the genital sensation, and affect the capacity for sexual pleasure. Self‐reported tools are needed to systematically assess the male genitalia before and after reconstructive surgeries in terms of genital sensation and sexual experience.AimThis study validated the Dutch translation of the “self‐assessment of genital anatomy and sexual functioning in male” (SAGASF‐M) questionnaire and investigated the perceptions of healthy men regarding their genital anatomy and sensory function.MethodsEight hundred and eight sexually active men with a median age of 39 years (18–79 years) and no history of genital procedures other than circumcision filled out an online version of the questionnaire. Twenty‐four participants were randomly recruited to confirm the responses of the “self‐assessment of genital anatomy and sexual functioning in male” questionnaire by a clinical evaluation.Main outcome measuresThe “self‐assessment of genital anatomy and sexual functioning in male” questionnaire comprises of multiple‐choice questions and clarifying illustrations asking men to rate their genital appearance, overall sexual sensitivity, and pain perception as well as the intensity and the effort to reach orgasm. Prespecified regions of the glans, penile shaft, scrotum, perineum, and anus are evaluated through this questionnaire.ResultsOnly slight variability in anatomical ratings was observed. Overall discrimination between different genital areas in terms of genital sensation was significant. The bottom of the glans or frenular area was rated the highest contributor to “sexual pleasure,” followed by the other regions of the glans and shaft. The same distribution was found for “orgasm intensity” and “orgasm effort.” The anal region was generally rated the lowest. “Discomfort/pain” was rated lower than any of the other sensory function indicators and the top of the glans and anal region were rated most likely to perceive this unpleasant sensation. Participants reported significantly more sexual pleasure and intense orgasms when stimulated by a sexual partner than self‐stimulation. Homosexual and bisexual men reported a higher contribution of the perineal and anal regions in sexual pleasure and orgasm. No significant difference between circumcised and uncircumcised individuals regarding overall genital sensation could be found.ConclusionThe Dutch translation of the SAGASF‐M questionnaire is a valuable and reliable tool for self‐assessment of genital anatomy and sensation, providing a site‐specific attribution of a patient's perceived sexual function. Further prospective research with this questionnaire could aid in the patient‐centered improvement of genital surgery.
The symptomatic burden of Peyronie's disease at presentation according to patient age: A critical analysis of the Peyronie's disease questionnaire (PDQ) domains
Authors: Cilio Simone , Fallara Giuseppe , Capogrosso Paolo , Candela Luigi , Belladelli Federico , Pozzi Edoardo , Corsini Christian , Raffo Massimiliano , Schifano Nicolò , Boeri Luca , d'Arma Alessia , Imbimbo Ciro , Mirone Vincenzo , Montorsi Francesco , Salonia Andrea 
Published: November 2022

AbstractBackgroundPeyronie's disease (PD) has a huge impact on patients’ physical and psychological wellbeing.ObjectivesTo investigate whether patients’ age has an impact on PD symptomatic burden at first presentation.Materials and methodsData from 129 consecutive heterosexual patients seeking first medical attention for PD at a single andrological tertiary‐referral centre were collected. All patients completed the International Index for Erectile Function (IIEF) and the PD questionnaire (PDQ). Descriptive statistics were used to compare clinical features between younger (≤40years) and older (>40 years) patients. Multivariable linear model assessed the impact of age, the degree of penile curvature and their impact on PDQ (total scores and its domains), after adjusting for PD duration and IIEF‐erectile function domain scores.ResultsOf 129, 24 (18.6%) patients were ≤40 years old. Young patients presented with a less severe curvature than older patients (median [interquartile ranges] 20° [15–36] vs. 50° [40–80]; p = 0.04). However, younger age was associated with higher psychological and physical symptoms, PDQ‐penile pain and PDQ‐symptom bother scores (Coeff −0.11, −0.21 and −0.17, respectively) (all p < 0.05). Moreover, the greater the degree of curvature, the higher the PDQ–psychological and physical symptoms and the PDQ‐symptom bother scores (Coeff. 0.21 and 0.22, respectively; all p < 0.05).ConclusionAround one in five men seeking first medical help for PD is younger than 40 years at presentation in the real‐life setting. PD‐related distress varies according to patients’ age, with younger men presenting with a greater risk of penile pain and symptom bother despite lower curvature.
Needlescopic appendectomy versus conventional laparoscopic appendectomy in young patients
Authors: Okamoto Nariaki , Sujishi Ken , Tsugawa Sou , Jin Longxue , Suzuki Tetsutaro , Waseda Masahiro 
Published: November 2022

AbstractIntroductionSeveral studies have reported that needlescopic appendectomy (NA) is a safe and effective procedure for appendicitis because of reduced trocar wounds and tissue trauma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of NA in young patients under 40 years of age whose cosmesis matters with appendicitis by comparing it to conventional laparoscopic appendectomy (CLA).MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed our database looking for patients under 40 years of age diagnosed with appendicitis who underwent NA or CLA from January 2013 to April 2017. Patients were divided into two groups: the NA group, and the CLA group. Data collected from each group included age, gender, body mass index, preoperative C‐reactive protein, emergency or non‐emergency settings, operative time, postoperative length of stay, postoperative complications, and pathological diagnosis.ResultsFifty‐four patients underwent NA and 53 patients underwent CLA. The groups were similar in terms of demographic features. Pathological diagnoses were divided into the following categories: catarrhalis (n = 35), phlegmonous (n = 37), and gangrenous (n = 35). No significant difference was noted regarding the distribution of the three groups (P = .4).NA resulted in significantly shorter operative times (P = .0005), and reduced lengths of hospital stay (P = .03) as compared to CLA. There was no significant difference in the number of complications between the two groups.ConclusionNA might be an effective surgical technique when performing a laparoscopic appendectomy in young patients with appendicitis.
Comparison of outcomes across low‐intensity psychological interventions for depression and anxiety within a stepped‐care setting: A naturalistic cohort study using propensity score modelling
Authors: Palacios Jorge , Adegoke Adedeji , Wogan Rebecca , Duffy Daniel , Earley Caroline , Eilert Nora , Enrique Angel , Sollesse Sarah , Chapman Judith , Richards Derek 
Published: November 2022

AbstractLow‐intensity interventions for common mental disorders (CMD) address issues such as clinician shortages and barriers to accessing care. However, there is a lack of research into their comparative effectiveness in routine care. We aimed to compare treatment effects of three such interventions, utilizing four years' worth of routine clinical data. Users completing a course of guided self‐help bibliotherapy (GSH), internet‐delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) or psychoeducational group therapy (PGT) from a stepped‐care service within the NHS in England were included. Propensity score models (stratification and weighting) were used to control for allocation bias and determine average treatment effect (ATE) between the interventions. 21,215 users comprised the study sample (GSH = 12,896, iCBT = 6862, PGT = 1457). Adherence‐to‐treatment rates were higher in iCBT. All interventions showed significant improvements in depression (PHQ‐9), anxiety (GAD‐7) and functioning (WSAS) scores, with largest effect sizes for iCBT. Both propensity score models showed a significant ATE in favour of iCBT versus GSH and PGT, and in favour of GSH versus PGT. Discernible differences in effectiveness were seen for iCBT in comparison with GSH and PGT. Given variance in delivery mode and human resources between different low‐intensity interventions, building on these findings would be valuable for future service provision and policy decision making.
Examining fentanyl and its analogues in the unregulated drug supply of British Columbia, Canada using drug checking technologies
Authors: Crepeault Hannah , Socias Maria Eugenia , Tobias Samuel , Lysyshyn Mark , Custance Allen , Shapiro Aaron , Ti Lianping 
Published: November 2022

AbstractIntroductionThe emergence of fentanyl and its analogues have contributed to a drastic rise in overdose‐related mortality in recent years. The objective of this study was to determine the number of drug checking samples containing fentanyl and fentanyl analogues using both point of care and confirmatory drug checking technologies.MethodsPoint‐of‐care drug checking data, using a combination of fentanyl immunoassay strips and Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), were collected at harm reduction sites in Vancouver and Surrey, British Columbia. Based on current recommendations from the British Columbia Centre on Substance Use Drug Checking Project, a subset of these samples was sent for confirmatory analysis using quantitative nuclear resonance spectroscopy, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and/or liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry.ResultsA total of 22,916 samples were tested using FTIR and fentanyl immunoassay strips, of which 6125 (29%) were positive for fentanyl and/or fentanyl analogues. FTIR identified a fentanyl analogue in five samples (all carfentanil). Of the 1467 samples sent for confirmatory analysis, fentanyl was identified in 855 (58%) and fentanyl analogues in 85 (6%), including: carfentanil (n = 56), acetyl fentanyl (n = 15), furanyl fentanyl (n = 9) and cyclopropyl fentanyl (n = 5).Discussion and ConclusionOur research found that FTIR does not consistently distinguish between fentanyl and its analogues at point of care and that highly sensitive confirmatory drug checking technologies are needed to identify fentanyl analogues. These findings underscore the limitations of current drug checking technologies and the importance of using both point of care and confirmatory drug checking initiatives for monitoring changes in the drug supply.
Relationship between obesity severity, metabolic status and cardiovascular disease in obese adults
Authors: Liu Yingxin , Douglas Pamela S. , Lip Gregory Y. H. , Thabane Lehana , Li Likang , Ye Zebing , Li Guowei 
Published: November 2022

AbstractBackgroundEvidence about the associations between obesity severity, metabolic status and risk of incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adults with obesity remains limited.MethodsThe study included 109,301 adults with obesity free of prior CVD based on the UK Biobank cohort. Metabolic status was categorized into metabolically healthy obesity (MHO; free of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes) and metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO). Obesity severity was classified into three levels: class I (body mass index of 30.0–34.9 kg/m2), II (35.0–39.9) and III (≥40.0). Cox proportional hazards models were used for analyses.ResultsThere were 8059 incident CVD events during a median follow‐up of 8.1 years. MUO was significantly associated with a 74% increased CVD risk compared with MHO (HR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.62–1.83). There was a significant interaction between obesity severity and metabolic status on an additive scale regarding CVD risk. When taking class I obesity as reference, class II was nonsignificantly associated with an increased risk of CVD in the MHO group (HR = 1.07, 95% CI: 0.90–1.27), while class III was significantly related to increased risks of CVD (HR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.12–1.96). In the MUO group, both classes II and III were significantly related to increased risks of CVD. Significant subgroup effects of age (p = .009) and sex (p = .047) were observed among participants with MUO but not in the MHO group.ConclusionsBoth elevated obesity severity and MUO were significantly associated with increased risks of CVD in adults with obesity, while metabolic status could modify the relationship between obesity severity and CVD risk. More research is needed to further clarify the relationship.
Adherence, safety and potential effectiveness of a home‐based Radio‐Taiso exercise program in older adults with frailty: A pilot randomized controlled trial
Authors: Osuka Yosuke , Sasai Hiroyuki , Kojima Narumi , Sugie Masamitsu , Motokawa Keiko , Maruo Kazushi , Ono Risa , Aoyama Toshihiko , Inoue Shigeru , Kim Hunkyung 
Published: November 2022

AimRadio‐Taiso, a traditional exercise program in Japan, may serve as a coping strategy for older adults with frailty during the COVID‐19 pandemic. This phase II trial tested program adherence and safety and explored the potential effectiveness of a home‐based Radio‐Taiso.MethodsThis assessor‐blind parallel randomized controlled trial included community‐dwelling Jolder Japanese adults with frailty and pre‐frailty. Fifty‐eight eligible participants were randomly allocated to intervention and control groups. Intervention participants performed 3–5‐min sessions of Radio‐Taiso one to four times per day for 12 weeks. Feasibility criteria were set at practice and retention rates of ≥75%. Safety was monitored by assessing all adverse events reported by participants during the intervention period, irrespective of causality. Potential effectiveness was exploratorily assessed using items that allow clinical interpretation of changes: mobility and health‐related quality of life (HR‐QoL), assessed using the modified short physical performance battery (SPPB) and the SF‐36, respectively.ResultsBoth practice (83%) and retention rates (100%) met the predetermined feasibility criteria. Eleven adverse events were reported but were supposedly unrelated to the intervention. In the intention‐to‐treat analysis, there was no clinically significant difference in the change in SPPB score between groups (−0.4 points, 95% confidence interval [CI], −1.2, 0.3); however, the intervention group scored higher in the mental component of HR‐QoL than did the control group (3.4 points, 95% CI: −1.1, 7.8).ConclusionsThe preliminary data indicate that a phase III trial is feasible, focusing on the mental aspect of HR‐QoL as the primary outcome. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2023; 23: 32–37.
Additional income support buffers the demand for child protection services at the municipality level
Authors: Toikko Timo , Seppälä Piia , McLaughlin Thomas Chalmers 
Published: November 2022

AbstractThis study explored in the Finnish context whether additional income support for economically insecure households reduces the demand for child protection services at the municipality level. The data were retrieved from the Official Statistics of Finland from 294 municipalities in 2017–2019. Mediation and moderation analyses were used for testing the hypotheses. According to the results, household economic insecurity was associated with the demand for child protection services. The more economically insecure households there were in a municipality, the greater the demand for child protection services. On the other hand, additional income support has a buffering effect between household economic insecurity and the demand for child protection services. However, the effect of additional income support depends on the proportion of economically insecure households in a municipality. The degree of buffering effect was increasing when the proportion of household economic insecurity was also increasing.
Work, Justice, and Collective Capital Institutions: Revisiting Rudolf Meidner and the Case for Wage‐Earner Funds
Authors: Furendal Markus , O'Neill Martin 
Published: November 2022

ABSTRACTThis article makes the case for a specific variety of what we call Collective Capital Institutions (CCIs), by returning to the idea of Wage‐Earner Funds (WEFs) – a 1970s Swedish policy proposal designed gradually to shift ownership and control over parts of the economy to democratically controlled institutions. We identify two attractive rationales in favour of such a scheme and argue that both can fruitfully be transposed to the current worldwide economic situation. The egalitarian rationale is that WEFs could help in the pursuit of equality by giving a wider set of people a stake in collectively owned companies and a right to their profits. The democratic rationale is that WEFs redistribute not only these profits, but also the power over economic decisions made within companies. We then contrast such schemes for collective capital ownership with the similar but much more privatised proposals set out in, for instance, John Rawls's idea of a ‘property‐owning democracy’. We argue that CCIs ultimately are more likely to contribute to the development of the ‘sense of justice’ within society that is needed for a stable just society. We conclude that CCIs deserve a great deal more exploration in academic and political discussions of egalitarian economic systems.
Assessing banks’ resilience: A complementary approach to stress testing using fair values from banks’ financial statements
Authors: Dao Trang H. , Pugliese Amedeo , Ronen Joshua 
Published: November 2022

AbstractFor more than a decade, supervisory banking authorities in Europe and the United States have sought to assess the resilience of banks to adverse economic episodes to safeguard the financial system's stability. They rely on regulatory capital measures like Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) relative to risk‐weighted assets in the aftermath of potential economic crises. We propose a new measure of banks' resilience based on financial statements. The fair value margin (FVM) is estimated as the difference between the fair value of assets and the book value of liabilities, scaled by the book value of equity. We find that FVM is positively associated with the surplus or shortfall of CET1 resulting from the stress testing results from 2014, 2016 and 2018. To corroborate the relevance of FVM for supervisory authorities, we compare the ability of the loan component of FVM to predict future credit losses with the capital surplus/shortfall metric derived from the stress test. The findings indicate that the fair value of loans predicts net charge‐offs better than stress test outcomes. Therefore, we suggest that FVM could be used as a readily available and relatively low‐cost tool to assess bank resilience, thus complementing the stress test exercises.
Artificial Hotspot Occurrence Inventory (AHOI)
Authors: Park Daniel S. , Xie Yingying , Thammavong Hanna T. , Tulaiha Rima , Feng Xiao 
Published: November 2022

AbstractAimSpecies occurrence records are essential to understanding Earth's biodiversity and addressing global environmental issues, but do not always reflect actual locations of occurrence. Certain geographical coordinates are assigned repeatedly to thousands of observation/collection records. This may result from imperfect data management and georeferencing practices, and can greatly bias the inferred distribution of biodiversity and associated environmental conditions. Nonetheless, these ‘biodiverse’ coordinates are often overlooked in taxon‐centric studies, as they are identifiable only in aggregate across taxa and datasets, and it is difficult to determine their true circumstance without in‐depth, focused investigation. Here we assess highly recurring coordinates in biodiversity data to determine artificial hotspots of occurrences.LocationGlobal.TaxonLand plants, birds, mammals, insects.MethodsWe identified highly recurring coordinates across plant, bird, insect and mammal records in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, the largest aggregator of biodiversity data. We determined which are likely artificial hotspots by examining metadata from over 40 million records, assessing spatial distributions of associated datasets, contacting data managers and reviewing literature. These results were compiled into the Artificial Hotspot Occurrence Inventory (AHOI).ResultsArtificial biodiversity hotspots generally comprised geopolitical and grid centroids. The associated uncertainty ranged from several square kilometres to millions. Such artificial biodiversity hotspots were most prevalent in plant records. For instance, over 100,000 plant occurrence records were assigned the centroid coordinates of Brazil, and points that have at least 1000 associated occurrences comprised over 9 million records. In contrast, highly recurring coordinates in animal data more often reflected actual sites of observation.Main conclusionsAHOI can be used to (i) improve accuracy of biodiversity assessments; (ii) estimate uncertainty associated with records from artificial hotspots and make informed decisions on whether to include them in scientific studies; and (iii) identify problems in biodiversity informatics workflows and priorities for improvement.
Major histocompatibility complex I‐induced endoplasmic reticulum stress mediates the secretion of pro‐inflammatory muscle‐derived cytokines
Authors: Thoma Anastasia , Earl Kate E. , Goljanek‐Whysall Katarzyna , Lightfoot Adam P. 
Published: November 2022

AbstractMajor histocompatibility complex (MHC) I is an important component of intracellular antigen presentation. However, improper expression of MHC I upon the cell surface has been associated with several autoimmune diseases. Myositis is a rare acquired autoimmune disease which targets skeletal muscle, and MHC I overexpression on the surface of muscle fibres and immune cell infiltration are clinical hallmarks. MHC I overexpression may have an important pathogenic role, mediated by the activation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response. Given the evidence that muscle is a diverse source of cytokines, we aimed to investigate whether MHC I overexpression can modify the profile of muscle‐derived cytokines and what role the ER stress pathway may play. Using C2C12 myoblasts we overexpressed MHC I with a H‐2kb vector in the presence or absence of salubrinal an ER stress pathway modifying compound. MHC I overexpression induced ER stress pathway activation and elevated cytokine gene expression. MHC I overexpression caused significant release of cytokines and chemokines, which was attenuated in the presence of salubrinal. Conditioned media from MHC I overexpressing cells induced in vitro T‐cell chemotaxis, atrophy of healthy myotubes and modified mitochondrial function, features which were attenuated in the presence of salubrinal. Collectively, these data suggest that MHC I overexpression can induce pro‐inflammatory cytokine/chemokine release from C2C12 myoblasts, a process which appears to be mediated in‐part by the ER stress pathway.