bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Determinants of long-term care insurance applications in South Korea
Authors: Park Sunhee , Kim Heejung , Park Chang Gi 
Published: June 2020

Abstract

Background
South Korea established universal long-term care insurance (LTCI) in 2008. However, actual requests for LTCI remain lower than government estimates because some eligible candidates never apply despite their strong care needs. This study aimed to examine factors affecting LTCI applications for older, community-dwelling Koreans.

Methods
Both individual- and community-level data were obtained from a national dataset from the Korea Health Panel Survey and the Korea National Statistical Office (N = 523). Data were analyzed using multilevel modeling.

Results
Only 16.4% of older adults in need of care applied for LTCI. Those who applied were more likely to be older, report poor self-rated health, receive care from non-family caregivers, and have caregivers experiencing high levels of caregiving burden. Regional differences in LTCI applications existed concerning the financial condition of one’s community.

Conclusions
Our study findings emphasize that Korean LTCI should implement both individual and community strategies to better assist older adults in properly acquiring LTCI. The government should make comprehensive efforts to increase access to LTCI in terms of availability, quality, cost, and information by collaborating with local centers.
Diversion in the Criminal Justice System
Authors: Mueller-Smith Michael , T. Schnepel Kevin 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThis article provides the first causal estimates on the popular, cost-saving practice of diversion in the criminal justice system, an intervention that provides offenders with a second chance to avoid a criminal record. We exploit two natural experiments in Harris County, Texas where first-time felony defendants faced abrupt changes in the probability of diversion. Using administrative data and regression discontinuity methods, we find robust evidence across both experiments that diversion cuts reoffending rates in half and grows quarterly employment rates by nearly 50% over 10 years. The change in trajectory persists even 20 years out and is concentrated among young black men. An investigation of mechanisms strongly suggests that stigma associated with a felony conviction plays a key role in generating these results. Other possible mechanisms including changes in incarceration, other universal adjustments in policy or practice, and differences in criminal processing are ruled out empirically.
The impact of empirical hydrocortisone therapy on clinical outcomes in dengue fever: a retrospective chart review
Authors: de Mel Sanjay , Thilakawardana Basuru Uvindu , de Mel Primesh , de Silva Arjuna P , de Mel Chandima , Chandrasena Lal , Seneviratne Suranjith L , Abeysuriya Visula 
Published: June 2020

Abstract

Background
The role of steroids in dengue infection (DI) remains uncertain.

Methods
A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients ≥18 y of age diagnosed with DI based on positivity for dengue non-structural antigen 1 or immunoglobulin M between October 2017 and November 2018.

Results
Hydrocortisone was administered to 106 of 406 patients. DI with warning signs occurred in nine patients (9.5%) in the steroid cohort and eight patients (2.5%) in the non-steroid group. The incidence of severe DI, bleeding and admission duration were similar between the groups.

Conclusions
Our study shows no significant benefit of empirical steroids in DI.
Impact of catheter-tissue contact force on lesion size during right ventricular outflow tract ablation in a swine model
Authors: Jiang Jing-Bo , Li Jin-Yi , Jiang Zhi-Yuan , Wang An , Huang Zheng , Xu Hong-Yuan , Shu Cheng-Lin , Li Gui-Juan , Zheng Yi-Sheng , He Yan , Zhong Guo-Qiang 
Published: June 2020

AbstractBackgroundThe catheter-tissue contact force (CF) is one of the significant determinants of lesion size and thus has a considerable impact on the effectiveness of ablation procedures. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of CF on the lesion size during right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) ablation in a swine model.MethodsTwelve Guangxi Bama miniature male pigs weighing 40 to 50 kg were studied. After general anesthesia, a ThermoCool SmartTouch contact-sensing ablation catheter was introduced to the RVOT via the femoral vein under the guidance of the CARTO 3 system. The local ventricular voltage amplitude and impedance were measured using different CF levels. We randomly divided the animals into the following four groups according to the different CF levels: group A (3–9 g); group B (10–19 g); group C (20–29 g); and group D (30–39 g). Radiofrequency ablations were performed at three points in the free wall and septum of the RVOT in power control mode at 30 W for 30 s while maintaining the saline irrigation rate at 17 mL/min. At the end of the procedures, the maximum depth, surface diameter, and lesion volume were measured and recorded. A linear regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship between continuous variables.ResultsA total of 72 ablation lesions were created in the RVOT of the 12 Bama pigs. The maximum depth, surface diameter, and volume of the lesions measured were well correlated with the CF (free wall:β = 0.105,β = 0.162,β = 3.355, respectively,P < 0.001; septum:β = 0.093,β = 0.150,β = 3.712, respectively,P < 0.001). The regional ventricular bipolar voltage amplitude, unipolar voltage amplitude, and impedance were weakly positively associated with the CF (β = 0.065,β = 0.125, andβ = 1.054, respectively,P < 0.001). There was a significant difference in the incidence of steam pops among groups A, B, C, and D (free wall:F = 7.3,P = 0.032; septum:F = 10.5,P = 0.009); and steam pops occurred only when the CF exceeded 20 g. Trans-mural lesions were observed when the CF exceeded 10 g in the free wall, while the lesions in the septum were non-trans-mural even though the CF reached 30 g.ConclusionsCF seems to be a leading predictive factor for the size of formed lesions in RVOT ablation. Maintaining the CF value between 3 and 10 g may be reasonable and effective for creating the necessary lesion size and reducing the risk of complications, such as steam pops and perforations.
The Effect of Early Postoperative Swelling on Change in Upper Eyelid Position After External Levator Resection and Blepharoplasty
Authors: Cohen Liza M. , Katsev Blake , Esfandiari Mahtash , Rootman Daniel B. 
Published: June 2020

Purpose:
To determine if early postoperative swelling has an effect on change in the upper eyelid position after external levator resection (ELR) or blepharoplasty.

Methods:
In this observational cohort study, patients >18 years old who underwent ELR or upper blepharoplasty were identified. Digital photographs in primary position were obtained at the preoperative, early postoperative week one, and late postoperative month 3 visits. Marginal reflex distance 1 (MRD1) was measured digitally. Swelling was graded on a previously validated scale from 0 to 3. Photographs were evaluated by 26 experts/professional image graders. Primary outcome measure was changed in MRD1 from preoperative to late postoperative visits. Secondary outcome measure was change in MRD1 from early to late postoperative visits. The effect of early postoperative swelling on each outcome was assessed using linear regression models.

Results:
The sample contained 54 patients (25 ELR and 29 blepharoplasty). The model regressing change in MRD1 from preoperative to late postoperative visits with early postoperative swelling as the predictor was significant for ELR (R2 = 0.165, p = 0.044) but not blepharoplasty (R2 = 0.016, p = 0.515). However, the model controlling for preoperative MRD1 was not significant for ELR (B = 0.423, p = 0.354). The model regressing change in MRD1 from early to late postoperative follow up utilizing early postoperative swelling as the sole predictor was not significant for ELR (R2 = 0.010, p = 0.627) but was significant for blepharoplasty (R2 = 0.207, p = 0.013), with increased swelling associated with greater change in MRD1.

Conclusions:
Early postoperative swelling does not affect the final MRD1 outcome of ELR or upper blepharoplasty; however, blepharoplasty patients with early postoperative swelling may experience greater increase in MRD1 over follow up.
Risk stratification in patients hospitalized for acute heart failure in Asian population
Authors: Chang Hao-Chih , Cheng Hao-Min , Huang Wei-Ming , Lee Ching-Wei , Guo Chao-Yu , Yu Wen-Chung , Chen Chen-Huan , Sung Shih-Hsien 
Published: June 2020

Background:
The AHEAD (A: atrial fibrillation; H: hemoglobin; E: elderly; A: abnormal renal parameters; D: diabetes mellitus) score may be suboptimal in predicting long-term mortality in Asian patients with acute heart failure (AHF). We aimed to propose and validate a risk score incorporating easily available echocardiographic parameters to improve risk stratification in Asian patients with AHF.

Methods:
A total of 3537 patients hospitalized for AHF were enrolled and divided into generation and validation cohorts. Independent predictors of all-cause mortality were identified by Cox regression analysis and scored by hazard ratios to constitute the model. Model performance was validated and evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and net reclassification improvement (NRI).

Results:
In the generation cohort of 1775 patients (74.3±13.0 years, 69.9% men), there were 870 deaths (49.0%) during a mean follow-up of 24.7±13.8 months. Age, anemia, estimated glomerular filtration rate <50 ml/min/1.73 m2, hyperuricemia, left ventricular ejection fraction <50% and right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) >40 mmHg were independently related to mortality, which constituted “UR-HEARt” (U: uric acid, R: renal function, H: hemoglobin, E: ejection fraction of left ventricle, A: age, Rt: RVSP) score. Model performance was evaluated in the validation cohort (n = 1762), which outperformed AHEAD score by comparison of ROC curves in predicting all-cause mortality (area under curve [AUC] of UR-HEARt vs. AHEAD: 0.66 [95% CI 0.62–0.70] vs. 0.58 [95% CI 0.54–0.62]; p < 0.001), with NRI by 10.9% for all-cause mortality (p < 0.001) and 18.4% for cardiovascular death (p < 0.001).

Conclusion:
UR-HEARt score, an easily accessible racial-specific risk score with integration of echocardiographic indices, improved risk stratification in Asian patients hospitalized for AHF.
Thyroid Nodule Malignancy Risk Stratification Using a Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Stib Matthew T. , Pan Ian , Merck Derek , Middleton William D. , Beland Michael D. 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
This study evaluates the performance of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in risk stratifying the malignant potential of thyroid nodules alongside traditional methods such as American College of Radiology Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (ACR TIRADS). The data set consisted of 651 pathology-proven thyroid nodules (500 benign, 151 malignant) from 571 patients collected at a single tertiary academic medical center. Each thyroid nodule consisted of two orthogonal views (sagittal and transverse) for a total of 1,302 grayscale images. A CNN classifier was developed to identify malignancy versus benign thyroid nodules, and a nested double cross validation scheme was applied to allow for both model parameter selection and for model accuracy evaluation. All thyroid nodules were classified according to ACR TIRADS criteria and were compared with their respective CNN-generated malignancy scores. The best performing model was the MobileNet CNN ensemble with an area under the curve of 0.86 (95% confidence interval, 0.83–0.90). Thyroid nodules within the highest and lowest CNN risk strata had malignancy rates of 81.4% and 5.9%, respectively. The rate of malignancy for ACR TIRADS ranged from 0% for TR1 nodules to 60% for TR5 nodules. Convolutional neural network malignancy scores correlated well with TIRADS levels, as malignancy scores ranged from 0.194 for TR1 nodules and 0.519 for TR5 nodules. Convolutional neural networks can be trained to generate accurate malignancy risk scores for thyroid nodules. These predictive models can aid in risk stratifying thyroid nodules alongside traditional professional guidelines such as TIRADS and can function as an adjunct tool for the radiologist when identifying those patients requiring further histopathologic workup.
Inhibition of CAMKK2 impairs autophagy and castration-resistant prostate cancer via suppression of AMPK-ULK1 signaling
Authors: Lin Chenchu , Blessing Alicia M. , Pulliam Thomas L. , Shi Yan , Wilkenfeld Sandi R. , Han Jenny J. , Murray Mollianne M. , Pham Alexander H. , Duong Kevin , Brun Sonja N. , Shaw Reuben J. , Ittmann Michael M. , Frigo Daniel E. 
Published: June 2020

AbstractPrevious work has suggested androgen receptor (AR) signaling mediates cancer progression in part through the modulation of autophagy. Accordingly, we demonstrate that chloroquine, an inhibitor of autophagy, can inhibit tumor growth in preclinical mouse models of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). However, clinical trials testing chloroquine derivatives in men with CRPC have yet to yield promising results, potentially due to side effects. We hypothesized that identification of the upstream activators of autophagy in prostate cancer could highlight alternative, context-dependent targets for blocking this important cellular process during disease progression. Here, we used molecular (inducible overexpression and shRNA-mediated knockdown), genetic (CRISPR/Cas9), and pharmacological approaches to elucidate an AR-mediated autophagy cascade involving Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 (CAMKK2; a kinase with a restricted expression profile), 5’-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and Unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1 (ULK1). These findings are consistent with data indicating CAMKK2-AMPK-ULK1 signaling correlates with disease progression in genetic mouse models and patient tumor samples. Importantly,CAMKK2disruption impaired tumor growth and prolonged survival in multiple CRPC preclinical mouse models. Finally, we demonstrate that, similar to CAMKK2 inhibition, a recently described inhibitor of AMPK-ULK1 signaling blocked autophagy, cell growth and colony formation in prostate cancer cells. Taken together, our findings converge to demonstrate that AR signaling can co-opt the CAMKK2-AMPK-ULK1 signaling cascade to promote prostate cancer by increasing autophagy. Further, we propose that an inhibitor of this signaling cascade could serve as an alternative, more specific therapeutic compared to existing inhibitors of autophagy that, to date, have demonstrated limited efficacy in clinical trials due to their toxicity and poor pharmacokinetics.
DRD2/ANKK1 Taq1A but not COMT single nucleotide polymorphisms contribute to the link between temporal impulsivity and obesity in men
Authors: Morys Filip , Simmank Jakob , Horstmann Annette 
Published: June 2020

AbstractTemporal impulsivity, the tendency to choose a smaller, sooner over a larger, delayed reward, is associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in COMT and DRD2-related ANKK1 genes, whose products regulate dopaminergic transmission in the brain. Temporal impulsivity is also consistently associated with obesity, sometimes in a genderdependent fashion. Further, there seems to be no direct association between these SNPs and obesity. In this study, we investigated an interaction between BMI, COMT, and DRD2/ANKK1 SNPs, and temporal impulsivity. We tested three plausible models of associations between those variables: (1) genetic variability influencing BMI through temporal impulsivity and gender interactions, (2) genetic variability interacting with temporal impulsivity to influence BMI, (3) interaction of BMI and genetic variability influencing temporal impulsivity. We found evidence for the second model: in men, BMI was dependent on temporal impulsivity and the DRD2/ANKK1 SNP. It shows that increased temporal impulsivity combined with a disadvantageous DRD2/ANKK1 genotype might be a vulnerability factor for the development of obesity. Our study, even though cross-sectional, adds to the body of literature regarding the influence of the dopaminergic system on obesity measures. Our results point to a factor explaining discrepancies in results regarding associations of temporal impulsivity and BMI in women and men.
Balancing signal and photoperturbation in multiphoton light-sheet microscopy by optimizing laser pulse frequency
Authors: Maioli Vincent , Boniface Antoine , Mahou Pierre , Ortas Júlia Ferrer , Abdeladim Lamiae , Beaurepaire Emmanuel , Supatto Willy 
Published: June 2020

AbstractImproving the imaging speed of multiphoton microscopy is an active research field. Among recent strategies, light-sheet illumination holds distinctive advantages for achieving fast imagingin vivo. However, photoperturbation in multiphoton light-sheet microscopy remains poorly investigated. We show here that the heart beat rate of zebrafish embryos is a sensitive probe of linear and nonlinear photoperturbations. By analyzing its behavior with respect to laser power, pulse frequency and wavelength, we derive guidelines to balance signal and photoperturbation. We then demonstrate one order-of-magnitude signal enhancement over previous implementations by optimizing the laser pulse frequency. These results open new opportunities for fast live tissue imaging.
Divergent evolution of mutation rates and biases in the long-term evolution experiment withEscherichia coli
Authors: Maddamsetti Rohan , Grant Nkrumah A. 
Published: June 2020

ABSTRACTAll organisms encode enzymes that replicate, maintain, pack, recombine, and repair their genetic material. For this reason, mutation rates and biases also evolve by mutation, variation, and natural selection. By examining metagenomic time series of the Lenski long-term evolution experiment (LTEE) withEscherichia coli(Good, et al. 2017), we find that local mutation rate variation has evolved during the LTEE. Each LTEE population has evolved idiosyncratic differences in their rates of point mutations, indels, and mobile element insertions, due to the fixation of various hypermutator and antimutator alleles. One LTEE population, called Ara+3, shows a strong, symmetric wave pattern in its density of point mutations, radiating from the origin of replication. This pattern is largely missing from the other LTEE populations, most of which evolved missense, indel, or structural mutations intopA,fis, anddusB— loci that all affect DNA topology. The distribution of mutations in those genes over time suggests epistasis and historical contingency in the evolution of DNA topology, which may have in turn affected local mutation rates. Overall, the replicate populations of the LTEE have largely diverged in their mutation rates and biases, even though they have adapted to identical abiotic conditions.
The hidden variable in the dynamics of transmission of COVID-19: A Henon map approach
Authors: Pal Akshay , Bhattacharjee Jayanta K 
Published: June 2020

ABSTRACTWe consider the transmission dynamics of COVID-19 which is characterized by two distinct features. One is the existence of asymptomatic carriers which is the hidden variable in the problem. The other is the issue of latency which means that among the symptomatic carriers there could be a fraction whose symptoms develop after a couple of days. We write down a Henon-like map to take these effects into account and find that the map has an unusual fixed point which corresponds to a very high ratio of asymptomatic to symptomatic infected persons. This fixed point has its own stability zone and influences the dynamics overall. Although a rather elementary model, we show that it is not totally devoid of reality.
Lipidomic and metabolomic profiles ofCoffea canephoraL. beans cultivated in South-western Nigeria
Authors: Anagbogu Chinyere F. , Zhou Jiaqi , Olasupo Festus O. , Baba-Nitsa Mohammed , Beckles Diane M. 
Published: June 2020

AbstractCoffee (Coffeaspp.) is one of the most popular refreshments globally. Coffee lipid diversity has untapped potential for improving coffee marketability because lipids contribute significantly to both the health benefits and cup quality of coffee. However, there have not been extensive studies of lipids ofC. canephoragenotypes. In this study, Ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS) profiling of lipid molecules was performed for 30 genotypes consisting of 15 cultivated and 15 conserved genotypes ofC. canephorain Southwestern Nigeria. We identified nine classes of lipids in the 30 genotypes which belong to the ‘Niaouli’, ‘Kouillou’ and ‘Java Robusta’ group: among these, the most abundant lipid class was the triacylglycerols, followed by the fatty acyls group. Although ‘Niaouli’ diverged from the ‘Kouillou’ and ‘Java Robusta’ genotypes when their lipid profiles were compared, there was greater similarity in their lipid composition by multivariate analysis, compared to that observed when their primary metabolites and especially their secondary metabolite profiles were examined. However, distinctions could be made among genotypes. Members of the fatty acyls group had the greatest power to discriminate among genotypes, however, lipids that were low in abundance e.g. a cholesterol ester (20:3), and phosphotidylethanolamine (34:0) were also helpful to understand the relationships amongC. canephoragenotypes. The lipid diversity identified among theC. canephoragenotypes examined correlated with their overall Single Nucleotide Polymorphism diversity assessed by genotype-by-sequencing, supporting the relevance of this study to coffee cup quality improvement.
Lactoferrin retargets adenoviruses to TLR4 to induce an abortive NLRP3-associated pyroptotic response in human dendritic cells
Authors: Chéneau Coraline , Eichholz Karsten , Tran Tuan Hiep , Tran Thi Thu Phuong , Paris Océane , Henriquet Corinne , Pugniere Martine , Kremer Eric J 
Published: June 2020

AbstractDespite decades of investigations, we still poorly grasp the immunogenicity of human adenovirus (HAdV)-based vaccines in humans. In this study, we explored the role of lactoferrin, which belong to the alarmin subset of antimicrobial peptides that provide immediate direct and indirect activity against a range of pathogens following a breach in tissue homeostasis. Lactoferrin is a globular, iron-sequestering, glycoprotein that can increase HAdV infection and maturation of antigen-presenting cells. However, the mechanism by which HAdV-lactoferrin complexes induce maturation is unknown. We show that lactoferrin redirects HAdVs from species B, C, and D to toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) complexes on human mononuclear phagocyte. TLR4-mediated internalization induces an abortive NLRP3-associated pyroptotic response inducing pro-inflammatory cytokine release and disrupting plasma membrane integrity without cell death. These data impact our understanding of the immunogenicity of HAdV-based vaccines and may provide ways to increase their efficacy.