bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A global perspective in second‐line treatment patterns for patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Jaffe Dena H. , Gricar Joseph , DeCongelio Marc , Mackie deMauri S.
Published: March 2022

Background

Esophageal cancer is a highly prevalent cancer associated with low survival, especially among those with advanced disease. Second‐line (2L) treatment patterns and related clinical outcomes of patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (advESCC) treated in routine clinical care were examined globally and regionally.

Methods

A retrospective, noninterventional study collected physician‐provided chart data of patients aged ≥20 years receiving either 2L active systemic therapy or BSC following first‐line active therapy for advESCC from 11 countries in Asian and Western regions (September–October 2018). Bivariate analyses examined treatment and outcomes by region.

Results

AdvESCC patients (Asia = 192; West = 195) were examined, of which 58.1% (Asia n = 101; West n = 124) received active systemic therapy. While regional differences in tumor classification and staging at diagnosis were observed with less advanced tumors in Asia, no regional differences for these characteristics at 2L initiation were reported. Both taxane‐ and nontaxane‐based therapies were used as 2L therapy among Asian and Western patients, although more western than Asian patients received immuno‐ or targeted therapies (17.0% vs. 3.0%; p = 0.001). Alopecia (10.7%), neutropenia (9.3%), and fatigue (9.3%) were the most‐commonly reported adverse events (AEs) in both regions. Significantly higher 2L AE‐related emergency room visits (Asia = 22.5% vs. West = 8.0%; p < 0.001) and hospitalizations (Asia = 25.9 ± 31.2 vs. West = 4.7 ± 7.0, p < 0.001) were observed in Asian than in Western patients. No regional differences were reported for response to 2L treatment or the percent of patients who received third‐line treatment/died.

Conclusions

While regional variations were observed throughout the course of a patient's advESCC journey, disease response and treatment outcomes were similar.
Segmented financial risk tolerances within the standardised initial public offering regulatory environment of the Australian Securities Exchange
Authors: Gilbey Kylie J. , Purchase Sharon
Published: March 2022

This study examines differentiated financial risk tolerance attitudes between three listing branches within the Australian Securities Exchange’s (ASX) standardised listing environment. Western Australia’s (WA) concentration of earlier‐stage IPOs (51% of all ASX small, (predominately mining) initial public offerings (IPOs)) appears to reflect a localised ‘entrepreneurial’ risk attitude towards smaller, higher‐risk transactions, comparative to New South Wales and Victoria . Our mixed method approach identifies that the concentration of small‐cap, capital raising experiences that are (in)/formally shared through key ‘gatekeepers’, shape locally adopted funding capabilities, business processes, and risk attitudes. Underlying risk attitudes were influenced by the shared confidence in the recognition and management of risk, thereby increasing the propensity to participate in more speculative opportunities, and WA’s presumptive higher risk tolerance.
Genetic and environmental correlational structure among metabolic syndrome endophenotypes
Authors: Cherny Stacey S. , Williams Frances M. K. , Livshits Gregory
Published: March 2022

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is diagnosed by the presence of high scores on three or more metabolic traits, including systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP), glucose and insulin levels, cholesterol and triglyceride (TG) levels, and central obesity. A diagnosis of MetS is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The components of MetS have long been demonstrated to have substantial genetic components, but their genetic overlap is less well understood. The present paper takes a multi‐prong approach to examining the extent of this genetic overlap. This includes the quantitative genetic and additive Bayesian network modeling of the large TwinsUK project and examination of the results of genome‐wide association study (GWAS) of UK Biobank data through use of LD score regression and examination of the number of genes and pathways identified in the GWASes which overlap across MetS traits. Results demonstrate a modest genetic overlap, and the genetic correlations obtained from TwinsUK and UK Biobank are nearly identical. However, these correlations imply more genetic dissimilarity than similarity. Furthermore, examination of the extent of overlap in significant GWAS hits, both at the gene and pathway level, again demonstrates only modest but significant genetic overlap. This lends support to the idea that in clinical treatment of MetS, treating each of the components individually may be an important way to address MetS.
‘Kookaburras, kangaroos and my frilly‐necked lizard’: The value of wildlife, nature and companion animals for older community‐dwelling Australians
Authors: Dendle Kelli , Miller Evonne , Buys Laurie , Vine Desley
Published: March 2022

Objective

With little research investigating older Australians' experience of companion animal (pet) ownership or wildlife encounters, this paper focuses on the value of animals in their lives.

Methods

Three online focus groups explored 103 older adults' lived experience of home and community, with this paper focused on interactions with animals—companion animals and wildlife.

Results

Most (60%) had at least one pet, which brought love and joy into their lives. Reflexive thematic analysis identified three themes: pets as family; challenges of pet ownership; and connection to everyday wildlife and nature.

Conclusions

In addition to valuing companion animals (typically cats and dogs), this research is among the first to show that some older people also develop ongoing relationships with local Australian wildlife, such as kookaburras, kangaroos, lizards and birds, which raises the possibility that fostering connections with wildlife may enhance well‐being.
Olaparib maintenance monotherapy in Chinese patients with platinum‐sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer: China cohort from the phase III SOLO2 trial
Authors: Liu Jihong , Yin Rutie , Wu Lingying , Zhu Jianqing , Lou Ge , Wu Xiaohua , Zhou Qi , Gao Yunong , Kong Beihua , Lu Xin , Wang Jing , Chen Youguo , Cheng Ying , Wang Yueling , Lu Weiguo , Li Wei , Ma Xin , Hsu Kate
Published: March 2022

Aim

The phase III SOLO2 global study demonstrated the efficacy and safety of maintenance olaparib, a poly(adenosine diphosphate‐ribose) polymerase inhibitor, in platinum‐sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer patients with a BRCA mutation. This separate China cohort of SOLO2 investigated the efficacy and safety of maintenance olaparib in Chinese patients.

Methods

Patients received olaparib (300 mg twice daily, oral, tablets) or matched placebo. Primary endpoint was investigator‐assessed progression‐free survival (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1). Safety and tolerability were also assessed.

Results

Thirty‐two patients were treated. Olaparib treatment led to an improvement in progression‐free survival compared with placebo (hazard ratio = 0.44, 95% confidence interval: 0.17–1.19; median = 13.8 vs. 5.5 months). Results of secondary efficacy endpoints of time to first subsequent treatment/death and time to treatment discontinuation/death were consistent with progression‐free survival results. Time to second progression/death and time to second subsequent treatment/death data were immature at data cutoff. The most common adverse events in the olaparib arm were nausea (81.8%), anemia (45.5%), and decreased appetite (36.4%). Grade ≥3 adverse events were experienced by 36.4% of olaparib and 10.0% of placebo patients. No adverse events led to discontinuation of treatment. There were six deaths (olaparib, five; placebo, one); one death in the olaparib arm was due to an unknown cause, all others were related to disease progression.

Conclusions

Efficacy and safety findings in the China SOLO2 cohort support the use of olaparib (300 mg twice daily) as maintenance treatment for Chinese patients with platinum‐sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer and a BRCA mutation.
The Mediating Effect of Internal Control for the Impact of Institutional Shareholding on Corporate Financial Performance*
Authors: Li Xiao
Published: March 2022

This study analyzes the mediating effect of internal control (IC) on corporate financial performance from an information economics perspective. The results show that effective IC has a significant mediating effect for institutional shareholding to improve financial performance. The mediating mechanism of IC is not reflected for institutional holdings other than Pressure‐resistant institutions. In addition, the magnitude of the mediating effect of IC for Stable long‐term institutional shareholding to improve financial performance is higher than that for Transactional short‐term institutional shareholding. Finally, this study provides some recommendations regarding strengthening the synergistic mechanism of external and internal governance on improving financial performance.
Castration and emasculation in the Middle Age. The andrological conundrum of Peter Abelard
Authors: Sansone Andrea , Jannini Tommaso B. , Dolci Susanna , Jannini Emmanuele A.
Published: March 2022

Peter Abelard (1079–1142) is still considered one of the giants of philosophy, theology, and psychology, and the unsurpassed master of dialectical debate. Born in Le Pallet, near Nantes, Abelard became an academic and wandering cleric of great fame, founder of several schools that attracted students from all countries, arousing the admiration of his contemporaries and the profound envy of his colleagues. Around 1115, Abelard became master of the school of the Cathedral of Notre‐Dame. Shortly after, the canon Fulbert asked him to take his niece, the equally famous and highly cultured Héloïse d'Argenteuil (1092–1164), as a pupil. Thus a relationship began, celebrated for centuries to come, characterized by burning sexual and intellectual passion, by the famous correspondence, which will be the archetype of sentimental education and the template of romantic love letters, bythe birth of a son and consequent marriage, and by the cowardly revenge of Fulbert, who, together with a band of servants, mutilated “those parts of my body with which I had done what was the cause of their pain,” as Abelard wrote. While this unclear self‐description has suggested to contemporaries and to posterity that Abelard was castrated, we aim to question this belief by analyzing in‐depth this historical‐andrological clinical case to understand if there is any evidence that could suggest that Abelard was instead the victim of an even more brutal punishment: penectomy. Signs and symptoms gleaned from the personal writings and historical perspectives of Abelard and his time are used here to provide a possible answer to a thousand‐year‐old question: what makes a man … a man?
Inhabiting Dispossession in the Post‐Socialist City: Race, Class, and the Plan, in Bucharest, Romania
Authors: Lancione Michele
Published: March 2022

The paper explores the racialised geography of a series of socialist blocs located in the southern periphery of Bucharest, labelled as a contemporary Romanian “ghetto”. Through extensive ethnographic and archival work, it expands on contemporary Western race‐aware urban scholarship, advancing an expansive reading of the “plan” as a key element to account for the endurance of foundational dispossession in the context of Bucharest. The goal is to trace how the social segmentations of “class” and “race” have been diagrammed through discontinuous city‐making in the last hundred years, refuting a reading of these complex processes as a matter of evolutionary stages between economic regimes, which ends up reproducing a stereotypical representation of the Eastern “other”. The paper contributes to a situated approach to racial urbanism, offering the basis for a trans‐Atlantic dialogue around the makings and unmakings of urban dispossession.
Decolonisation is a Political Project: Overcoming Impasses between Indigenous Sovereignty and Abolition
Authors: Curley Andrew , Gupta Pallavi , Lookabaugh Lara , Neubert Christopher , Smith Sara
Published: March 2022

In this article we seek to intervene in conversations that frame Black abolition and decolonisation as antagonistic political projects. We respond to Garba and Sorentino’s (2020) “Slavery is a metaphor”, which critiques Tuck and Yang (2012; “Decolonization is not a metaphor”) and decolonisation. Our concern is that scholarship in this vein denies Indigenous sovereignty and futurity while unnecessarily characterising decolonisation as antiblack. We contend that ontological, epistemological, and disciplinary traps lead to this problem: reductions, conflations, and taking settler‐enslavers’ word as truth. We suggest that critiques of settler colonial studies shouldn’t be confused with the aims of Indigenous decolonisation, where the former is largely driven by white scholarship and the latter is an Indigenous‐led project rooted in Indigenous epistemologies. We focus on questions of land and sovereignty, gesturing toward framings that are inclusive of Black, Native, and immigrant communities.
Birthweight z‐score and fat‐free mass at birth predict body composition at 3 years in Danish children born from obese mothers
Authors: Berglund Nanna R. , Lewis Jack I. , Michaelsen Kim F. , Mølgaard Christian , Renault Kristina M. , Carlsen Emma M.
Published: March 2022

Aim

We investigated associations between newborn body composition and anthropometry and body composition at 3 years in Danish children born from obese mothers.

Methods

Analyses are based on data from the observational cohort study SKOT II (SKOT; small children's diet and well‐being (Danish)). Body composition at birth and at 3 years was assessed by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), respectively. Multiple linear regression models were applied to determine associations between newborn body composition and anthropometry and body composition at 3 years.

Results

Birthweight z‐score (BWZ) was positively associated with fat‐free mass (FFM), height, fat‐free mass index (FFMI), fat mass (FM) and fat mass index (FMI) at 3 years. Newborn FFM was positively associated with FFM, height, FFMI and FM at 3 years, and positive trends were seen between newborn FM and FM and FMI at 3 years.

Conclusion

We showed that infants born with a higher BWZ go on to be taller at 3 years. They also grow to be heavier, to which FM and FFM both contribute, independently of linear growth. Additionally, it seems that FFM tracks into early childhood, thus supporting intrauterine programming of later health.
Economic contact in service encounters between groups in protracted conflict
Authors: Kushnirovich Nonna , Lissitsa Sabina
Published: March 2022

The study examines whether qualitative and quantitative characteristics of intercultural service encounters (ISEs) between majority customers and ethnic minority service providers are associated with better attitudes toward the entire minority group. The study was conducted in Israel through an online survey of 402 respondents. The study revealed that the customers derived pleasure from high perceived value of services and from taking advantage of a good deal. This pleasure, in turn, was positively related to attitudes toward the outgroup. High perceived value of service was associated with higher frequency of ISE that may be interpreted as repurchasing behavior. Overall, the total effect of perceived value of services between majority population and ethnic minority on attitudes toward this minority was significant and positive. Thus, economic beneficiality, which is a very important component of ISE, may contribute to improving relationships between groups in deep conflict.
Patients with XLP type 1 have variable numbers of NKT cells
Authors: Ralph Elizabeth , Evans Josie , Booth Claire , Gilmour Kimberly
Published: March 2022

X‐linked lymphoproliferative disease (XLP1) is a rare primary immunodeficiency that usually presents in early childhood. Patients with XLP1 have been reported to have absent NKT cells, and it has been suggested that this can be diagnostic for the disorder. Whilst NKT frequency in adults is variable, little is known about their frequency in children. Therefore, we established a paediatric reference range for these cells. In contrast to previous reports, in our cohort of XLP1 patients, NKT cell numbers were found to be variable, and we would advise against using the finding of NKT cells to exclude a diagnosis of XLP1.
Systems model identifies baseline cytokine concentrations as potential predictors of rheumatoid arthritis inflammatory response to biologics
Authors: Nakada Tomohisa , Mager Donald E.
Published: March 2022

Background and Purpose

Circulating cytokines are central pathological mediators of inflammatory autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Immunological diversity in patients might contribute to inadequate responses to biological drugs. To address this therapeutic challenge, we developed a mathematical model that simultaneously describes temporal patterns of drug disposition for several biologics and their corresponding targeted cytokines, which were linked to triggering inflammatory responses.

Experimental Approach

A modelling framework was applied to rheumatoid arthritis‐relevant cytokines regulating C‐reactive protein (CRP) as an inflammatory marker. Clinical data were extracted from the literature for anakinra, canakinumab, infliximab, secukinumab and tocilizumab, along with their corresponding cytokines, interleukin‐1 receptor antagonist, IL‐1β, tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα), IL‐17A and IL‐6 receptor (IL‐6R). Based on prior knowledge of regulatory mechanisms, cytokines were integrated with CRP profiles.

Key Results

The model well captured all serum concentration–time profiles of cytokines and CRP ratios to respective baselines following drug treatment with good precision. On external validation, reasonable model performance on CRP dynamics, including rebound effects, was confirmed with clinical data not used in model development. Model‐based simulations demonstrated that serum infliximab concentrations were accurately recapitulated in both a dose‐ and baseline TNFα‐dependent manner. Furthermore, high baseline profiles of both IL‐1β and/or targeted cytokines could be predictors of poor responses to biologics targeting TNFα and IL‐6R, although the impact of IL‐1β must be carefully interpreted.

Conclusions and Implication

Our model provides a quantitative platform to guide targeting and dosing strategies, including combination and/or sequential therapy, according to distinct baseline cytokine patterns in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
Incidental superficial soft tissue epithelioid angioleiomyoma
Authors: Val‐Bernal José‐Fernando , Fontanil Natalia , García‐Montesinos Belén , Martino María
Published: March 2022

Epithelioid angioleiomyoma (EALM) is rare in the skin and subcutaneous tissues. To the best of our knowledge, only two previous cases of this tumor have been reported. We document here the case of an 83‐year‐old woman who underwent complete removal of a squamous cell carcinoma of the retromolar trigone and lymph node dissection of the neck. An incidental EALM was observed in the adipose tissue. The tumor formed a unilocular, poorly demarcated neoplasm measuring 0.3 cm, and showed cavernous angiomatous spaces with villiform growth of large epithelioid cells arranged in clusters. Besides the epithelioid cells of muscular origin, bundles of well‐differentiated smooth muscle cells were observed. Epithelioid cells accounted for 70% of the total. The neoplasm originated in the wall of a medium‐sized vein. Epithelioid and spindle cells were positive for alpha‐smooth muscle actin, calponin, h‐caldesmon, and muscle‐specific actin. The endothelial cells lining the vascular spaces showed intense and diffuse positivity for CD31 and ERG. The main differential diagnosis includes metastatic carcinoma, melanoma, perivascular epithelioid cell neoplasm, myopericytoma, glomangiomyoma, epithelioid glomus tumor, and epithelioid leiomyosarcoma. This report expands the morphological spectrum of the EALM. Awareness of this uncommon morphologic variant of angioleiomyoma and the use of adequate techniques can avoid misdiagnosis.
Invasion of water hyacinth and water lettuce inhibits the abundance of epiphytic algae
Authors: Lv Tian , Fan Shufeng , Wang Huiyuan , Li Dexiang , Wang Qiuyue , Lei Xinyi , Liu Chunhua , Yu Dan
Published: March 2022

Aim

The invasion of exotic macrophytes causes native biodiversity loss in aquatic ecosystems of China. However, the influence of invasive free‐floating macrophytes on epiphytic algal communities has rarely been reported, especially in comparison with those of native free‐floating macrophytes.

Region

Southern China.

Methods

We investigated the interrelationship between epiphytic algal communities on the roots of three free‐floating macrophytes [two invasive species (Eichhornia crassipes and Pistia stratiotes) and one native species (Hydrocharis dubia)] and environmental factors in 40 natural freshwater ecosystems throughout southern China. We also tested the relationship between allelochemicals from the macrophytes and epiphytic algae. A mesocosm experiment was conducted to verify the discoveries of the field investigation.

Results

The abundance of epiphytic algae on the invasive macrophytes was lower than that on the native species in the field investigation and mesocosm experiment. Macrophyte traits were the main factor explaining the epiphytic algal abundance in both the field investigation and mesocosm experiment. In linear models, the slopes of epiphytic algal abundance were lower across gradients of native macrophyte biomass and coverage than across gradients of invasive macrophyte biomass and coverage. The allelochemical contents secreted by the invasive macrophytes were significantly higher than those secreted by the native species. The composition of allelochemicals was another factor that drove the decrease in epiphytic algal abundance. Among the allelochemicals, organic acids and alkaloids were abundant.

Main Conclusions

The inhibitory effect of two invasive free‐floating macrophytes on epiphytic algae is stronger than that of the native macrophyte H. dubia. The main reason for this finding is that the invasive macrophytes have greater biomass and occupied more space, resulting in greater limitations on spatial niches and resources. Moreover, invasive macrophytes release more allelochemicals than native macrophytes, leading to stronger inhibitory effects on epiphytic algae.
The Pro‐Diab Melbourne Perioperative Study: A structured pre‐admission perioperative diabetes management plan to improve medication usage in elective surgery
Authors: Qi Qi Yang Damien , Kyi Mervyn , Pemberton Elizabeth , Colman Peter Grahame , Fourlanos Spiros
Published: March 2022

Background

Perioperative diabetes management has become increasingly complex; management is often inconsistent resulting in dysglycaemia and associated morbidity.

Aim

To evaluate a structured pre‐admission perioperative diabetes management plan (PDMP) for safe and appropriate recommendation, prescription and administration of diabetes medications in the perioperative period for people with diabetes undergoing elective, non‐cardiac surgery.

Methods

A multidisciplinary team developed the intervention, a structured PDMP (including diabetes medication reconciliation, management guide, individualised plan) to standardise optimal perioperative diabetes management. A single centre prospective pre‐ and post‐intervention pilot study was performed, including all individuals with diabetes medications attending the pre‐admissions clinic during two 4‐month periods (February to May) in 2016 (control period) and 2017 (intervention period). The primary outcome was appropriate recommendation, prescription and administration of diabetes medications (including insulin), according to the PDMP, in the perioperative period. Secondary outcomes measures were glycaemia. Analysis was by intention to treat.

Results

Control and intervention groups included 131 and 133 participants, respectively; they were well matched in clinical characteristics. The PDMP was completed correctly in 100 (75%) individuals in the intervention group. The appropriate use of diabetes medications increased from 30% in the control group to 71% in the intervention group (p < 0.001). Following the PDMP implementations, glycaemia improved in the overall perioperative period (8.7 ± 2.9 vs. 9.8 ± 3.3 mmol/L, p = 0.005) and at all time points (from admission and over entire hospital stay).

Conclusion

A structured pre‐admission perioperative diabetes management plan for elective surgery improved safe and appropriate diabetes medication use and glycaemia in the perioperative period.
Developing a resist‐accept‐direct (RAD) framework for managing freshwater fish species shifting in and out of political jurisdictions
Authors: Alofs Karen M. , Wehrly Kevin E.
Published: March 2022

Factors including human dispersal, climate change and varied environmental stressors are altering fish species distributions. Range expansions are producing new records of freshwater species which were rare or previously absent from regional jurisdictions (states, provinces and territories). Simultaneously, species are facing declines and local extirpations in some areas of their distribution. The Resist‐Accept‐Direct (RAD) framework can provide guiding principles for how declining, newly arrived, or range expanding freshwater fishes should be managed and how range‐wide trends can be considered in local management and conservation decisions. We examine the principles of the framework and provide an example decision tree which is applied to examples ranging from resisting the establishment of potentially harmful non‐native fishes, to accepting and providing refuge to those species threatened in other parts of their ranges, to directing the migration of fishes which improve ecosystem services. Applying this framework may improve coordination between agencies aiming to improve the resilience of freshwater ecosystems.
Feasibility of magnetic resonance imaging‐ultrasound guided high‐dose‐rate brachytherapy for localized prostate cancer: Preliminary results from a prospective study
Authors: Kamitani Nobuhiko , Miyaji Yoshiyuki , Tamada Tsutomu , Yoden Eisaku , Kawata Yujiro , Watanabe Kenta , Tokiya Ryouji , Nagai Atsushi , Katsui Kuniaki
Published: March 2022

Objective

This study aimed to investigate preliminary outcomes of a prospective trial of magnetic resonance imaging‐ultrasound fusion‐guided ultrafocal high‐dose‐rate brachytherapy in localized prostate cancer.

Methods

In our prospective study, data from patients who underwent this treatment between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021 were analyzed. In the procedure, the applicator needle was inserted through the perineum to target the lesion on the multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging, which was fused onto the transrectal ultrasound image. The prescription dose was set at a single fraction of 19 Gy. Data from patients who received whole‐gland high‐dose‐rate brachytherapy were extracted and compared with data from patients who received ultrafocal high‐dose‐rate brachytherapy, to evaluate the frequency of acute adverse events.

Results

Eight patients underwent ultrafocal high‐dose‐rate brachytherapy with a median observation period of 7.75 months (range 5.96–15.36 months). No acute genitourinary or gastrointestinal adverse events were observed in this cohort. The planned procedure was completed in all patients, and no unexpected adverse events were observed; however, prostate‐specific antigen failure was detected in one patient. In the 25 patients who underwent whole‐gland high‐dose‐rate brachytherapy, acute genitourinary and gastrointestinal adverse events were observed in 88% and 20% of the patients, respectively. Ultrafocal high‐dose‐rate brachytherapy was a significant factor in avoiding acute adverse genitourinary events in univariate and multivariate analyses (P < 0.001 and P = 0.032, respectively).

Conclusions

Magnetic resonance imaging‐ultrasound fusion‐guided ultrafocal high‐dose‐rate brachytherapy in localized prostate cancer is a safe and feasible treatment without acute genitourinary and gastrointestinal adverse events. Long‐term observation and further investigation are warranted.
Doubly heterogeneous monetary spillovers
Authors: Shah Nihar
Published: March 2022

Monetary spillovers are heterogeneous in two ways: how central banks generate them and how countries receive them. First, the Fed is mostly unique in its ability to affect other countries' financial markets, among ten developed central banks. This is noteworthy given the lack of data on other central banks' spillovers. This paper makes public a novel data set of these ten central banks' monetary shocks to support future research. Second, the Fed affects recipient countries in different ways, with the bonds and currencies of countries with high‐interest rates reacting differently than those of low‐rate countries. This can help shed light on theories around the Fed's spillovers, and this paper demonstrates how the exact pattern is inconsistent with models in which developed central banks react to the Fed.
Costs of seasonal influenza vaccination in South Africa
Authors: Fraser Heather , Tombe‐Mdewa Winfrida , Kohli‐Lynch Ciaran , Hofman Karen , Tempia Stefano , McMorrow Meredith , Lambach Philipp , Ramkrishna Wayne , Cohen Cheryl , Hutubessy Raymond , Edoka Ijeoma
Published: March 2022

Background

Influenza accounts for a substantial number of deaths and hospitalisations annually in South Africa. To address this disease burden, the South African National Department of Health introduced a trivalent inactivated influenza vaccination programme in 2010.

Methods

We adapted and populated the WHO Seasonal Influenza Immunization Costing Tool (WHO SIICT) with country‐specific data to estimate the cost of the influenza vaccination programme in South Africa. Data were obtained through key‐informant interviews at different levels of the health system and through a review of existing secondary data sources. Costs were estimated from a public provider perspective and expressed in 2018 prices. We conducted scenario analyses to assess the impact of different levels of programme expansion and the use of quadrivalent vaccines on total programme costs.

Results

Total financial and economic costs were estimated at approximately USD 2.93 million and USD 7.91 million, respectively, while financial and economic cost per person immunised was estimated at USD 3.29 and USD 8.88, respectively. Expanding the programme by 5% and 10% increased economic cost per person immunised to USD 9.36 and USD 9.52 in the two scenarios, respectively. Finally, replacing trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) with quadrivalent vaccine increased financial and economic costs to USD 4.89 and USD 10.48 per person immunised, respectively.

Conclusion

We adapted the WHO SIICT and provide estimates of the total costs of the seasonal influenza vaccination programme in South Africa. These estimates provide a basis for planning future programme expansion and may serve as inputs for cost‐effectiveness analyses of seasonal influenza vaccination programmes.
Long‐term monitoring in endangered woodlands shows effects of multi‐scale drivers on bird occupancy
Authors: Hingee Kassel L. , Westgate Martin J. , Lindenmayer David B.
Published: March 2022

Aims

The effect of spatial scale on the location and abundance of species has long been a major topic of interest in ecology. Accounting for key drivers at multiple scales is critical for rigorous description of patterns of species distribution and biodiversity change. We quantified the effects of potential drivers of bird occupancy across a geographically dispersed, but heavily disturbed and fragmented ecosystem.

Location

Threatened Box‐Gum Grassy Woodlands in south‐eastern Australia, which stretch across 9° of latitude (~900 km).

Taxon

Birds (Class Aves).

Methods

We grouped data from four monitoring studies of birds that spanned 10–22 years in Box‐Gum Grassy Woodlands. We then employed joint species distribution modelling to investigate multi‐species responses to environmental drivers measured at patch, landscape and regional scales, and selected combinations of all three.

Results

We show that in Box‐Gum Grassy Woodlands: vegetation structure influences bird occupancy beyond the presence of the despotic Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala); woodland cover is more important than vegetation productivity and topographic position; bird occupancy is sensitive to a combination of average climate, seasonality, and summer and winter extremes; and there is limited redundancy between drivers of bird occupancy at different scales. Species differ most in their response to presence of the Noisy Miner, high summer temperatures and nearby woodland cover.

Main Conclusions

Quantifying the influence of environmental drivers that act at different spatial scales is valuable for understanding patterns of bird species occurrence. Fine‐scale studies can benefit from considering the climate and biogeographical context in which the research occurs. Conversely, large‐scale studies should recognise that downscaling species occupancy projections from continental to patch scales requires careful consideration of the role of patch‐scale vegetation.
Phosphorus (P) in animal diets as a driver of embodied P in animal products and net anthropogenic P inputs
Authors: Algren Mikaela , Costello Christine , Landis Amy E.
Published: March 2022

One approach to address both the environmental and scarcity issues that occur with phosphorus (P) losses from human systems is to improve understanding of the P demands of bio‐based products. Most P demand in the United States is driven by production of crops for animal feed and mineral P feed supplements for animals. In this research, we used the Commodity‐Specific Net Anthropogenic Phosphorus and Nitrogen Inputs (CSNAPNI) model to (1) assess the contributions of individual feed products such as corn, soy, and mineral P supplements to the embodied P of animal products and (2) estimate net anthropogenic phosphorus inputs (NAPIs) for the contiguous United States for two animal P‐intake scenarios. Results show that P supplements may contribute up to 30% of embodied P in pork and dairy products, up to 60% in chicken, and up to 75% in turkey. Other major contributors to animal product‐embodied P are grains, which are responsible for around 60% of embodied P in pork and dairy products, at least 30% in chicken, and at least 20% in turkey products. Results also show that animal P intake is such a significant driver of anthropogenic phosphorus that a reduction of animal P intake by 25% could reduce NAPI to the contiguous United States by 30%. Considering promising research on methods to improve digestibility of both mineral P supplements and grain P in animal diets, these results are encouraging.
Role of radiosurgery in the treatment of Cushing's disease
Authors: Losa Marco , Albano Luigi , Bailo Michele , Barzaghi Lina Raffaella , Mortini Pietro
Published: March 2022

Radiotherapy is a useful adjuvant treatment for patients with Cushing's disease that is not cured by surgery. In particular, Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) has been increasingly used worldwide as the preferred radiation technique in patients with persistent or recurrent Cushing's disease. The most widely accepted criterion for hormonal remission after GKRS is normalization of urinary free cortisol (UFC) levels. When a clear biological target is not identified, irradiation of the whole pituitary gland can be considered. The 5‐year probability of remission is 65%–75%. Normalization of hypercortisolism usually occurs within 3 years from GKRS treatment and control of tumor growth is optimal, approaching more than 90%. No clear predictor of a favorable outcome has emerged up to now, except for the experience of the treating team. In the largest series, development of partial or complete hypopituitarism occurred between 15% and 36%. Severe side effects of GKRS, such as optic neuropathy and oculomotor palsy, are uncommon but have been documented in patients previously exposed to radiation. Recurrence of disease has been reported in as high as 16%–18% of the patients who achieved normalization of UFC levels in the two largest series, whereas smaller series did not describe late failure of GKRS. The reason for this discrepancy is unclear, as is the relationship between hormonal and tumoral recurrence. Another unresolved issue is whether treatment with adrenal blocking drugs can jeopardize the results of GKRS. GKRS is an effective second‐line treatment in patients with Cushing's disease not cured by surgery. Hypopituitarism is the most frequent side effect of GKRS, whereas severe neurologic complications are uncommon in radiation‐naïve patients.
Clinical efficacy evaluation of 595‐nm pulsed dye lasers, microwave tissue coagulation, and liquid nitrogen cryotherapy in the treatment of verruca vulgaris in children
Authors: Zhuang Binyu , You Yan , Zhang Liang , Zhao Fangqing , Guo Yanping
Published: March 2022

Objective

To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of 595‐nm pulsed dye laser in the treatment of verruca vulgaris in children and to compare the efficacy of this method against two other methods, microwave tissue coagulation and liquid nitrogen cryotherapy.

Methods

A total of 90 children being treated in the dermatology outpatient department of our hospital from 2019 to 2021 were selected and divided into three groups: the treatment group A (n = 30, treated with a 595‐nm pulsed dye laser), treatment group B (n = 30, treated with microwave tissue coagulation), and treatment group C (n = 30, treated with liquid nitrogen cryotherapy). All the patients in the treatment group A, treatment group B, and treatment group C were treated once every two weeks, with a maximum of six treatments.

Results

The response rate of the treatment group A was 93.3%, which was higher than the 83.3% rate of treatment group B and the 66.7% rate of treatment group C. The average treatment times of the treatment group A (2.45 ± 1.10) were lower than group B (3.51 ± 0.98) and group C (4.63 ± 0.96). The adverse reaction rate in the treatment group A (16.7%) was significantly lower than that in treatment group B (56.7%) and treatment group C (63.3%). The differences were statistically significant (all p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The 595‐nm pulsed dye laser is safe and seems to be the most effective treatment for verruca vulgaris in children. Further high‐level clinical trial is warranted to verify our results.
Frontal medial cortex and angular gyrus functional connectivity is related to sex and age differences in odor sensitivity
Authors: Takatsuru Yusuke , Motegi Shunichi , Nishikata Tatsuya , Sato Hideyasu , Yonemochi Keita
Published: March 2022

Background and Purpose

Odor preference is one of the key factors for the rehabilitation of the swallowing function. On the other hand, sensitivity to odor differs between sexes and decreases with age. These factors rely on brain neuronal circuits. However, it remains not fully clarified which neuronal circuit determines the sex and age differences in odor sensitivity. In this study, we carried out both the odor sensitivity test and functional MRI (fMRI) to find the key neuronal circuits determining sex and age differences in odor sensitivity.

Methods

Healthy volunteers (28 males, aged 27‐62 years, and 30 females, aged 21‐59 years) participated in this study. Some of them (seven males and seven females) underwent fMRI. We prepared five odorous test substances and presented each substance at 1 minute intervals. After 5 minutes of questioning about food intake, the subjects were asked to recall each of the test substances presented from the list. In the fMRI study, all the subjects underwent 15 minutes of the prestimulation, stimulation with peppermint odor, and poststimulation sessions.

Results

The odor test score was significantly higher in females than in males and showed an age‐dependent decrease. We found four functional connectivities whose degrees were significantly different between males and females. One of them, the functional connectivity between the frontal medial cortex (MedFC) and the left angular gyrus (AG. l), showed an age‐dependent change.

Conclusions

The functional MedFC‐AG.l connectivity is one of the important neuronal circuits that affect the sex‐ and age‐dependent odor sensitivity.
Updated epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infections and implications for hepatitis C virus elimination in Germany
Authors: Tergast Tammo L. , Blach Sarah , Tacke Frank , Berg Thomas , Cornberg Markus , Kautz Achim , Manns Michael , Razavi Homie , Sarrazin Christoph , Serfert Yvonne , van Thiel Ingo , Zeuzem Stefan , Wedemeyer Heiner
Published: March 2022

In 2014, an analysis was conducted to evaluate the hepatitis C virus (HCV) epidemiology and disease burden in Germany. Since then, there have been considerable developments in HCV management such as the implementation of direct acting antivirals. The aim of this analysis was to assess the recent data available for Germany, establish an updated 2020 HCV prevalence and cascade of care and evaluate the impact of what‐if scenarios on the future burden of disease using modelling analysis. A dynamic Markov model was used to forecast the HCV disease burden in Germany. Model inputs were retrieved through literature review, unpublished sources and expert input. Next, three “what‐if” scenarios were developed to evaluate the status quo, COVID‐19 pandemic, and steps needed to achieve the WHO targets for elimination. At the beginning of 2020, there were 189,000 (95% UI: 76,700–295,000) viremic infections in Germany, a decline of more than 85,000 viremic infections since 2012. Annual treatment starts went down since 2015. Compared with 2019, the COVID‐19 pandemic resulted in a further 11% decline in 2020. If this continues for two years, it could result in 110 excess HCC cases and 200 excess liver related deaths by 2030. To achieve the WHO targets, 81,200 people need to be diagnosed, with 118,600 initiated on treatment by 2030. This could also avert 1,020 deaths and 720 HCC cases between 2021 and 2030. Germany has made strides towards HCV elimination, but more efforts are needed to achieve the WHO targets by 2030.
Formation of chondrule fine‐grained rims from local nebular reservoirs
Authors: Pinto Gabriel A. , Marrocchi Yves , Jacquet Emmanuel , Olivares Felipe
Published: March 2022

Chondrules are commonly surrounded by fine‐grained rims (FGRs) whose origin remains highly debated; both nebular and parent body settings are generally proposed. Deciphering their origin, however, is of fundamental importance as they could clarify the matrix–chondrule relationship and thus constrain the formation and transport conditions of chondrules in the circumsolar disk. Here, we report a systematic survey of FGRs in CO, CM, CV, and CR chondrites; we compare (i) the thickness of FGRs to the size of their host chondrules and (ii) the frequency of FGRs to the modal abundance of matrix in the respective host chondrites. Although FGRs show textural variations depending on the petrologic type of the considered chondrites, our data show a positive correlation between apparent rim thickness and the radius of the host chondrule in all chondrite groups. We also found a positive correlation between the evaluated percentages of rimmed chondrules and the modal abundance of matrix material in the chondrites. We show that this relationship could not result from parent body processes, whether matrix compaction or FGR fragmentation. Therefore, we propose that FGRs were accreted under warm conditions at the end of chondrule‐forming events. Our results thus support (i) a nebular origin for FGR, whose abundances are directly related to the abundance of available dust in regions of chondrite accretion; and (ii) the accretion of chondrites from locally formed chondrules and matrix, suggesting limited radial transport in the protoplanetary disk.
Representing root physiological traits in the root economic space framework
Authors: Yaffar Daniela , Cabugao Kristine G. , Meier Ina C.
Published: March 2022

This article is a Commentary on Han et al. (2022), 234: 837–849.
The Role of Global and Domestic Shocks for Inflation Dynamics: Evidence from Asia*
Authors: Finck David , Tillmann Peter
Published: March 2022

This article studies inflation dynamics and the output–inflation trade‐off in small open economies. We estimate a series of VAR models for a set of six Asian emerging market economies, in which we identify a battery of domestic and global shocks using sign restrictions. We find that global shocks explain large parts of inflation and output dynamics. A series of counterfactuals support these findings and suggest that the role of monetary policy is limited. We estimate reduced‐form Phillips curve regressions based on alternative decompositions of output into global and domestic components. For most countries, we find a positive and significant correlation between inflation and the fraction of GDP driven by domestic shocks only. While including the output component driven by oil prices seems to ‘flatten’ the Phillips curve, though the effect is not significant, the component driven by global demand shocks ‘steepens’ the inflation–output nexus.
Visual functions associated with on‐road performance by older drivers evaluated by a certified driving rehabilitation specialist
Authors: Swain Thomas A. , McGwin Gerald , Owsley Cynthia
Published: March 2022

Purpose

To assess associations between visual function and on‐road driving performance evaluated by a certified driving rehabilitation specialist (CDRS).

Methods

Adults aged 70 and older enrolled and completed assessments of visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, visual processing speed, visual field sensitivity, motion perception and spatial ability. At follow‐up, on‐road driving performance was evaluated on a 15‐mile route. Age‐adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used to associate worse CDRS composite score and CDRS global rating for those with poorer visual function compared to those with better scores and ratings.

Results

For the 144 participants who enrolled, completed vision testing and the on‐road driving evaluation, the mean age was 79.2 (5.1) and 45.8% were female. The odds of worse CDRS global rating and composite score were significantly associated with moderately and severely impaired visual processing speed under divided attention (all p < 0.05). Those with poorer motion perception were at greater odds of a worse CDRS composite score (OR: 2.67, 95% CI: 1.14–6.26).

Conclusions

The CDRS composite score of on‐road driving performance by older adults was associated with slowed visual processing and impaired motion perception, suggesting that older driver performance, as rated by a CDRS, relies on visual skills. The CDRS global rating was also associated with impaired visual processing speed. The literature suggests impairments in these same visual functions elevate crash risk. While the results provide additional evidence suggesting these functional measures are associated with driving, further work is needed to identify and assess visual measures most closely related to driving safety and performance among older adults to better inform interventions, policy and future research.
Conradi–Hünermann–Happle syndrome associated with severe hypocalcemia in a newborn
Authors: Dykman Morgan , Voller Lindsey Marie , Boull Christina
Published: March 2022

Conradi–Hünermann–Happle syndrome is rare X‐linked dominant syndrome associated with stippled epiphyseal calcifications, congenital cataracts, Blaschkoid ichthyosiform scaling, and follicular atrophoderma. This case describes a novel finding of hypocalcemia and hypoparathyroidism in an infant with Conradi–Hünermann–Happle syndrome.