bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of chemotherapy on survival in patients with stage T3‐4N0M0 nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Pan Xin‐Bin , Qu Song , Li Ling , Chen Long , Liang Shi‐Xiong , Zhu Xiao‐Dong 
Published: February 2021

AbstractPurposeTo identify whether chemoradiotherapy improves survival in patients with stage T3‐4N0M0 nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).Materials and methodsThe data of patients with stage T3‐4N0M0 NPC were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database between 2004 and 2016. The patients were divided into radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy groups. Overall survival (OS) and cancer‐specific survival (CSS) were assessed using the Kaplan‐Meier method and propensity score matching (PSM) analyses.ResultsWe examined 496 patients: 88 who received radiotherapy and 408 who received chemoradiotherapy. Before PSM, chemoradiotherapy was associated with a better 5‐year OS (52.58% vs. 38.13%; P = .005) and similar CSS (63.62% vs. 59.26%; P = .196) compared to those associated with radiotherapy. However, chemoradiotherapy was not an independent prognostic factor for OS [hazard ratio (HR)=0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.68‐1.32; P = .760] or CSS (HR = 1.02, 95% CI: 0.66‐1.56; P = .935). After PSM, similar OS (45.15% vs. 42.78%; P = .626) and CSS (58.22% vs. 60.37%; P = .730) were found between the radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy groups.ConclusionRadiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy are associated with similar OS and CSS in patients with stage T3‐4N0M0 NPC.
Understanding public support for Canadian aid to developing countries: The role of information
Authors: Henson Spencer , Davis John‐Michael , Swiss Liam 
Published: February 2021

AbstractMotivationThe public needs to be better informed on the reasons for providing aid, especially that which supports the Sustainable Development Goals. How aid is framed by donors directly affects levels of public support.PurposeThe article investigates support for aid among English‐speaking Canadians, and how this varies by the framing of aid spending, socioeconomic markers, personal values and political engagement.Approach and methodsStatistical analysis is undertaken of data from a representative survey of English‐speaking Canadians on their knowledge and attitudes with respect to aid to developing countries. A particular focus of the analysis is the influence of the framing of aid spending on public support for aid spending, while controlling for the influence of socioeconomic factors.FindingsSupport for increased spending rises when spending is framed relative to the size of the economy, whether in dollar or percentage terms, rather than when framed relative to government taxation or spending. Providing information on the current level of aid spending also raises support for increased aid spending. Overall, when informed about the level of aid spending, most respondents support maintaining or increasing aid. Views on aid vary little by age, education and other socioeconomic markers. People’s values, however, did affect support for aid. Respondents who believe in “Canada first” were considerably more likely to support aid cuts than others. Those who see kindness as part of Canadian identity tend to favour aid, while those who see economic prosperity as part of national identity tend to want aid cuts. While voting intention does not affect views on aid, respondents who have been either politically active or involved in collective action on media/social media are a little more likely to favour increased aid.Policy implicationsThe findings confirm the importance of the framing of aid spending for designing and implementing programmes to inform, engage and elicit support from the public. Given how values influence public support for aid, engagement needs to be tailored to different target audiences.
Building‐up fit muscles for the future
Authors: Beleza Jorge , Stevanović‐Silva Jelena , Coxito Pedro , Costa Rui Carlos , Ascensão António , Torrella Joan Ramon , Magalhães José 
Published: February 2021

Abstract‘Special issue ‐ In Utero and Early Life Programming of Aging and Disease’. Skeletal muscle (SM) adaptations to physical exercise (PE) have been extensively studied due, not only to the relevance of its in situ plasticity, but also to the SM endocrine‐like effects in noncontractile tissues, such as brain, liver or adipocytes. Regular PE has been considered a pleiotropic nonpharmacological strategy to prevent and counteract the deleterious consequences of several metabolic, cardiovascular, oncological and neurodegenerative disorders. Additionally, PE performed by parents seems to have a direct impact in the offspring through the transgenerational programming of different tissues, such as SM. In fact, SM offspring programming mechanisms seems to be orchestrated, at least in part, by epigenetic machinery conditioning transcriptional or post‐transcriptional processes. Ultimately, PE performed in the early in life is also a critical window of opportunity to positively modulate the juvenile and adult phenotype. Parental PE has a positive impact in several health‐related offspring outcomes, such as SM metabolism, differentiation, morphology and ultimately in offspring exercise volition and endurance. Also, early‐life PE counteracts conceptional‐related adverse effects and induces long‐lasting healthy benefits throughout adulthood. Additionally, epigenetics mechanisms seem to play a key role in the PE‐induced SM adaptations. Despite the undoubtedly positive role of parental and early‐life PE on SM phenotype, a strong research effort is still needed to better understand the mechanisms that positively regulate PE‐induced SM programming.
Artificial intelligence methods for a Bayesian epistemology‐powered evidence evaluation
Authors: De Pretis Francesco , Landes Jürgen , Peden William 
Published: February 2021

AbstractRationale, aims and objectivesThe diversity of types of evidence (eg, case reports, animal studies and observational studies) makes the assessment of a drug's safety profile into a formidable challenge. While frequentist uncertain inference struggles in aggregating these signals, the more flexible Bayesian approaches seem better suited for this quest. Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers great promise to these approaches for information retrieval, decision support, and learning probabilities from data.MethodsE‐Synthesis is a Bayesian framework for drug safety assessments built on philosophical principles and considerations. It aims to aggregate all the available information, in order to provide a Bayesian probability of a drug causing an adverse reaction. AI systems are being developed for evidence aggregation in medicine, which increasingly are automated.ResultsWe find that AI can help E‐Synthesis with information retrieval, usability (graphical decision‐making aids), learning Bayes factors from historical data, assessing quality of information and determining conditional probabilities for the so‐called ‘indicators’ of causation for E‐Synthesis. Vice versa, E‐Synthesis offers a solid methodological basis for (semi‐)automated evidence aggregation with AI systems.ConclusionsProperly applied, AI can help the transition of philosophical principles and considerations concerning evidence aggregation for drug safety to a tool that can be used in practice.
Elevated river discharge enhances the immigration of juvenile catadromous and amphidromous fishes into temperate coastal rivers
Authors: Amtstaetter Frank , Yen Jian D.L. , Hale Robin , Koster Wayne , O'Connor Justin , Stuart Ivor , Tonkin Zeb 
Published: February 2021

AbstractAnthropogenic alterations to river flow regimes threaten freshwater biodiversity globally, with potentially disproportionate impacts on species that rely on flow cues to trigger critical life history processes, such as migration for diadromous fishes. This study investigates the influence of river discharge on the abundance of juvenile fish moving into rivers by four temperate catadromous or amphidromous species (common galaxias Galaxias maculatus, spotted galaxias Galaxias truttaceus, climbing galaxias Galaxias brevipinnis and the threatened Australian grayling Prototroctes maraena). Fyke netting or fishway trapping was used to catch juvenile fish moving from estuaries into freshwater in five coastal waterways in south‐eastern Australia during the spring migratory period. There was a positive relationship between the probability of high catch rates and mean discharge in September. We also found a positive relationship between discharge and the number of recruits captured 22–30 days later in a flow stressed system. In addition, day‐of‐year had a strong influence on catch rates, with the peak abundance of juveniles for three species most likely to occur midway through the sampling period (spotted galaxias in October, climbing galaxias in late October and Australian grayling in late October and early November). Our study shows that higher magnitudes of river discharge were associated with increased catches of juvenile catadromous and amphidromous fishes. With a limited supply of environmental water, environmental flows used to enhance immigration of these fishes may be best targeted to maintain small amounts of immigration into freshwater populations in waterways or years when discharges are low and stable. When there are natural, large discharge volumes, relatively large numbers of juvenile fish can be expected to enter coastal waterways and during these times environmental flows may not be required to promote immigration.
Mannose‐6‐phosphate complex and improvement in biomechanical properties of the skin
Authors: Meunier Marie , Chapuis Emilie , Lapierre Laura , Auriol Pascale , Paulus Chantal , Elbaum Boris , Don Simoni Eglantine , Sandré Jérôme , Auriol Daniel , Scandolera Amandine , Reynaud Romain 
Published: February 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe dermis is composed of a tangle of macromolecules that provides the skin its biomechanical properties. During chronological aging, fibroblasts lose their ability to synthesize collagen and an accumulation of matrix metalloproteinases leads to an increase in collagen degradation. As a result, there is a decline in the biomechanical properties of the skin. Skin aging is accelerated by external factors such as UV radiation and pollution, which induce accumulation of oxidants, and so of oxidized proteins in the skin.AimsAtomic force microscopy (AFM) has emerged as an alternative method for studying the biomechanical properties of skin cells and tissues.Methods/ResultsThus, we identified mannose‐6‐phosphate complex as a new powerful molecule capable of reversing the visible signs of aging by reorganizing the collagen network of the dermis and by improving the skin biomechanical properties. This effect was correlated with clinical studies that showed a marked antiaging effect through a reduction in the number of crow's feet and in the depth and size of neck wrinkles.ConclusionMannose‐6‐phosphate complex appeared to be able to protect proteins in the dermis scaffold against oxidation and degradation, allowing an improvement in the skin biomechanical properties.
Institutionalization or interaction: Which organizational factors help community‐based initiatives acquire government support?
Authors: Igalla Malika , Edelenbos Jurian , van Meerkerk Ingmar 
Published: February 2021

AbstractIncreasingly, Western local governments are dealing with community‐based initiatives (CBIs) of citizens providing public services. Municipalities possess critical resources CBIs generally lack, including subsidies, buildings, and exposure. There is still little knowledge on CBIs' factors for government support. Therefore, this study adopts an organizational perspective distinguishing among institutionalization (intraorganizational, e.g., organizational size and democratic legitimacy) and interaction (interorganizational, e.g., boundary spanning leadership [BSL]) factors for the support CBIs obtain from local government. Analyzing large N data (N = 2331) from CBIs in six countries by using structural equation modeling, we found that interaction factors are related to more government support, whereas institutionalization factors are less significant. More specifically, we found stronger relationships for BSL and linking social capital than for the factors related to the formalization and development of organizational infrastructure, including the much‐discussed democratic legitimacy of CBIs, suggesting a limited interest of governments in this topic as a factor for support.
Chronic non‐medical prescription opioid use and empathy for pain: Does pain make the difference?
Authors: Kroll Sara L. , Thayer Julian F. , Williams DeWayne P. , Pfabigan Daniela M. , Baumgartner Markus R. , Lamm Claus , Quednow Boris B. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractNon‐medical prescription opioid use (NMPOU) is at the heart of the opioid epidemic in the United States. Although chronic opioid use is commonly accompanied by deficits in social functioning, little is known about the impact of chronic NMPOU on social cognitive functions. Social neuroscience models suggest that empathy activates similar or even equivalent neural structures as those underpinning the first‐hand experience in that emotional state (e.g., pain). Therefore, we measured subjective and psychophysiological responses during an empathy‐for‐pain task in 23 individuals with NMPOU, objectively confirmed by hair and urine testing, and compared them with 29 opioid‐naïve healthy controls. NMPOU individuals showed lower other‐related and self‐related unpleasantness ratings when seeing others in pain than controls. No differences between the control and NMPOU group were found in skin conductance responses and heart rate variability (HRV) assessed by root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) in response to the task. However, RMSSD‐HRV was strongly negatively correlated with self‐related unpleasantness and craving in the NMPOU group. A subsequent mediation analysis showed a total effect of RMSSD‐HRV on self‐related unpleasantness with no mediation of craving. This indicates that stronger emotion regulation indexed by high RMSSD‐HRV might have downregulating effects on sharing others’ pain in NMPOU individuals but not in healthy controls, which was further accompanied by decreased ratings ofpersonal distressandempathetic concern. These results contribute to a better understanding of social functioning in chronic opioid users, suggesting adequate emotion regulation and empathy trainings as therapeutic targets for future interventions of opioid use disorders and long‐term pain treatment with opioids.
Biochar and zeolites did not improve phosphorus uptake or crop productivity in a field trial performed in an irrigated intensive farming system
Authors: Arrobas Margarida , Decker João V. , Feix Bruna L. , Godoy Wilson I. , Casali Carlos A. , Correia Carlos M. , Ângelo Rodrigues Manuel 
Published: February 2021

AbstractSoil conditioners, such as biochar and zeolites, may play an important role in agriculture if they increase nutrient use efficiency, in particular, that of phosphorus (P), due to the depletion of phosphate rocks from which P‐fertilizers are manufactured. This study report results from a field trial, where maize was grown in summer and oats in winter, and from a pot experiment with maize. In the field, the use of biochar and zeolites, along with an untreated control in combination with various P rates (0, 50, 100 and 200 kg P2O5 ha−1), was tested. In the pot experiment, six treatments were included, biochar, zeolites and a non‐amended control with and without P application. Soil conditioners did not significantly influence tissue elemental composition or the dry matter (DM) yield of maize and oats in the field trial, nor the DM yield of maize in the pots. In the field trial, average maize DM yields varied from 14.3 to 15.6 t ha−1 and 11.8 to 13.7 t ha−1 and average oats DM yields from 2.1 to 2.4 t ha−1 and 3.0 to 3.2 t ha−1, respectively, in 2018 and 2019. Biochar only significantly increased total organic carbon (C); and zeolites the levels of potassium (K) in the soil, a result of their initial composition. P application increased DM yield of maize in the second year and oats in the two years of the field trial and also the DM yield of potted maize. In the pots, P application also influenced the concentration of P and several other nutrients in plant tissues and increased the labile soil P fraction. This study showed that the biochar and zeolite soil conditioners applied may not be suitable for short‐term increase of crop production in soil with high agricultural potential and under intensive irrigated farming systems.
Influence of laboratory procedures on postthawing cell viability and hematopoietic engraftment after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation
Authors: Belisário André Rolim , da Costa Funes Ana Paula , Luz Junio Rocha , de Almeida Costa Luciana , Furtado Marina Dos Santos Brito Silva , Martins Maurício Colombini , Cruz Nathália Gomide , Pederzoli Paula Renata Machado Passos , de Andrade Roberta Kelly , Libânio Marcia Regina Issa Salomão , de Lima Prata Karen 
Published: February 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe kinetics of hematopoietic recovery after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) may be affected by laboratory procedures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of characteristics of the cryopreserved units of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) on postthawing cell viability and engraftment outcomes after ASCT.Study Design and MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study including individuals referred for ASCT. Cryopreservation was conducted at a single processing facility between 2014 and 2019, and patients received clinical care at six transplant centers. Covariates and outcome data were retrieved from participants’ records.ResultsThe study population comprised 619 patients (345 [55.7%] male). Median age was 53 years. Multiple myeloma was the most common diagnosis (62.7%). Higher preapheresis CD34+ cell count, lower nucleated cell (NC) concentration per cryobag, and composition of the cryoprotectant solution (5% dimethyl sulfoxide [DMSO] and 6% hydroxyethyl starch) were statistically significantly associated with higher postthawing cell viability. The linear regression model for time to neutrophil and platelet engraftment included the infused CD34+ cell dose and the composition of the cryoprotectant solution. Patients who had PBSC cryopreserved using 10% DMSO solution presented six times higher odds (odds ratio [OR] = 6.9; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.2‐21.1; p = .001) of delayed neutrophil engraftment (>14 days) and two times higher odds (OR = 2.3, 95%CI: 1.4‐3.7; p = .001) of prolonged hospitalization (>18 days).DiscussionThe study showed that mobilization efficacy, NC concentration, and the composition of the cryoprotectant solution significantly affected postthawing cell viability. In addition, the composition of the cryoprotectant solution significantly impacted engraftment outcomes and time of hospitalization after ASCT.
Single‐leg exercise training augments in vivo skeletal muscle oxidative flux and vascular content and function in adults with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Scalzo Rebecca L. , Schauer Irene E. , Rafferty Deirdre , Knaub Leslie A. , Kvaratskhelia Nina , Johnson Taro Kaelix , Pott Gregory B. , Abushamat Layla A. , Whipple Mary O. , Huebschmann Amy G. , Cree‐Green Melanie , Reusch Jane E. B. , Regensteiner Judith G. 
Published: February 2021

Key points
People with type 2 diabetes (T2D) have impaired skeletal muscle oxidative flux due to limited oxygen delivery.
In the current study, this impairment in oxidative flux in people with T2D was abrogated with a single‐leg exercise training protocol.
Additionally, single‐leg exercise training increased skeletal muscle CD31 content, calf blood flow and state 4 mitochondrial respiration in all participants.
AbstractCardiorespiratory fitness is impaired in type 2 diabetes (T2D), conferring significant cardiovascular risk in this population; interventions are needed. Previously, we reported that a T2D‐associated decrement in skeletal muscle oxidative flux is ameliorated with acute use of supplemental oxygen, suggesting that skeletal muscle oxygenation is rate‐limiting to in vivo mitochondrial oxidative flux during exercise in T2D. We hypothesized that single‐leg exercise training (SLET) would improve the T2D‐specific impairment in in vivo mitochondrial oxidative flux during exercise. Adults with (n = 19) and without T2D (n = 22) with similar body mass indexes and levels of physical activity participated in two weeks of SLET. Following SLET, in vivo oxidative flux measured by 31P‐MRS increased in participants with T2D, but not people without T2D, measured by the increase in initial phosphocreatine synthesis (P = 0.0455 for the group × exercise interaction) and maximum rate of oxidative ATP synthesis (P = 0.0286 for the interaction). Additionally, oxidative phosphorylation increased in all participants with SLET (P = 0.0209). After SLET, there was no effect of supplemental oxygen on any of the in vivo oxidative flux measurements in either group (P > 0.02), consistent with resolution of the T2D‐associated oxygen limitation previously observed at baseline in subjects with T2D. State 4 mitochondrial respiration also improved in muscle fibres ex vivo. Skeletal muscle vasculature content and calf blood flow increased in all participants with SLET (P < 0.0040); oxygen extraction in the calf increased only in T2D (P = 0.0461). SLET resolves the T2D‐associated impairment of skeletal muscle in vivo mitochondrial oxidative flux potentially through improved effective blood flow/oxygen delivery.
Active Catalogs: Integrated Support for Component Engineering
Authors: Coutinho Murilo , Eleish Ragy , Kim Jihie , Kumar Vished , Ling S. Ringo , Neches Robert , Will Peter 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
A recent National Academy of Sciences study shows that design and manufacturing is dominated by three “eighty percent” rules. Eighty percent of the cost of a product typically is the purchase cost of its components. Eighty percent of the manufacturing costs are determined in the first twenty percent of the design phase. And eighty percent of an engineer’s time is spent not on design, but on communications: obtaining information about components comprising the design and coordinating with other engineers about design issues. Thus, the speed and quality of product development is heavily dependent on a designer’s ability to perform component engineering — to configure a set of components that work well together with respect to performance, reliability, cost and delivery schedule. This paper describes services provided in the Active Catalogs system that support the component engineering process. These services enable a designer not only to find candidate parts to serve as individual components in a design, but to explore and assess interactions between candidate parts for sets of components. These services include mechanisms for: (1) creating queries for parts based on their intended use rather than merely parametric specifications; (2) refining those queries to take account of constraints imposed by other components; (3) providing multi-modal information to help designers assess and compare candidate parts; and (4) generating simulation models of candidate parts and integrating them to provide simulation models of candidate systems.