bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Behavior of strengthened concrete slab under eccentric compressive load
Authors: Youcef Bouamra , Taouche-Kheloui Fatma , Ait Tahar Kamal 
Published: October 2021

Purpose
The purpose of this study is experimental research of the mechanical behavior of slab reinforced by cork composite patch submitted to an eccentric progressive compressive load applied to on impact rectangle of dimensions 28 × 23 cm2. An analytical model and numerical modeling by finite elements are performed. This study is motivated by the evaluation of the effectiveness of this type of partial reinforcement to improve strength and ductility. The results are given by load-displacement curves, tensile damages cartography and ultimate strength histogram.

Design/methodology/approach
In experimental protocol, the following two parameters have been considered: the dimensions of the patch and the eccentricity of the load. The sections of the patches are calculated so that the ratio (XP/YP) patch is proportional to the ratio (LD/lD), with a step of 6 cm longitudinally and 4 cm transversely. Several dimensions patches are considered: (6 × 4) cm2, (12 × 8) cm2 and (18 × 12) cm2. The eccentric punching loading test was performed with an eccentricity of the load (1/3) L’ and (2/3) L’ compared to the center of gravity of the slab. Taking into account the eccentricity of the load in estimating the rupture strength, the equations are developed. Thus, numerical simulations are carried, to extract tensile damages cartography.

Findings
The results show that the rupture begins with the appearance of cracks in the unreinforced area. For an eccentricity of 1/3L’, the best strength/section ratio is obtained for patch (12 × 8) cm2, whereas for an eccentricity de 2/3L’, the patch (6 × 4) cm2 gives a better resistance. The results highlight the influence of the composite on the ultimate load. The force-displacement relations are little modified in the elastic phase. The experimental results have been compared with the theoretical models showing a good correlation.

Originality/value
The strength and ductility are depended on the dimensions of the patch and the eccentricity of the load. The use of a patch to cover the most stressed area, in the event of an eccentric axial load is a very economical solution compared to the total reinforcement. The damage field shows that the evolution of cracks depends on dimensions and the position of the patch. Indeed, the eccentricity of the vertical load induces an additional bending moment that will influence the fracture surface. The rupture load and ultimate displacement increase with the surface of the patch.
NAMPT reduction‐induced NAD+ insufficiency contributes to the compromised oocyte quality from obese mice
Authors: Wang Hengjie , Zhu Shuai , Wu Xinghan , Liu Yuan , Ge Juan , Wang Qiang , Gu Ling 
Published: October 2021

AbstractMaternal obesity is associated with multiple adverse reproductive outcomes, whereas the underlying molecular mechanisms are still not fully understood. Here, we found the reduced nicotinamide phosphoribosyl transferase (NAMPT) expression and lowered nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) content in oocytes from obese mice. Next, by performing morpholino knockdown assay and pharmacological inhibition, we revealed that NAMPT deficiency not only severely disrupts maturational progression and meiotic apparatus, but also induces the metabolic dysfunction in oocytes. Furthermore, overexpression analysis demonstrated that NAMPT insufficiency induced NAD+ loss contributes to the compromised developmental potential of oocytes and early embryos from obese mice. Importantly, in vitro supplement and in vivo administration of nicotinic acid (NA) was able to ameliorate the obesity‐associated meiotic defects and oxidative stress in oocytes. Our results indicate a role of NAMPT in modulating oocyte meiosis and metabolism, and uncover the beneficial effects of NA treatment on oocyte quality from obese mice.
Protected areas enter a new era of uncertain challenges: extinction of a non‐exigent falcon in Doñana National Park
Authors: Sergio F. , Blas J. , Tanferna A. , Hiraldo F. 
Published: October 2021

AbstractProtected areas are supposed to maintain viable populations of plant and animal taxa and shield them from anthropogenic threats, but this role is increasingly under scrutiny. Here, we document the alarming extinction of a small falcon, the Eurasian hobby Falco subbuteo, in Doñana National Park, an iconic protected area renowned for its rich predator community. Hobbies were originally abundant at 50–60 pairs and acted as unique specialist hunters of swifts and dragonflies. This diet implies a unique niche within the raptor assemblage and frequent ranging over agricultural areas surrounding the park. The high density of other raptors likely constrained habitat availability. Predation was the main cause of breeding failure, and hatching and breeding success were always low, especially in drought years, and declined progressively through time. The extinction occurred rapidly after 2000 with several clues suggesting the synergistic contribution of prey depletion, farmland intensification, chemical contamination, predation and climate warming. Lack of detailed monitoring prevented a clear assessment of the relative role of these factors, but most of them seemed traceable to farming practices and climate change, i.e. large‐scale drivers generated outside the Park. The documented extinction is alarming because this species is not particularly exigent, it may imply widespread declines of other species, and because this loss adds to the imminent local extinction of another raptor with profoundly different requirements, suggesting mounting, broad‐level pressures affecting the whole ecosystem. This unforseen, rapid extinction in a Park that dedicates much effort to raptor management offers broad‐scale reflections. Climate change and growing anthropogenic pressures will make unexpected species losses increasingly common in protected areas, which will face growing difficulties in identifying decline‐drivers and in performing their protective task. Increased knowledge, quality monitoring and rapid management action will be needed for protected areas to deliver their role, but this will require increased funding.
Online shopping and the healthfulness of grocery purchases
Authors: Harris‐Lagoudakis Katherine 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThis paper utilizes novel household panel data to analyze the effect of online grocery shopping on the healthfulness of grocery purchases. We utilize variation in the timing that an online shopping service was introduced as a source of exogenous variation in the decision to shop online. Relative to pre‐online service averages, our estimates indicate that online shopping baskets allocate 10.2 (21.7)% more of the total spending (calories) toward healthful product categories and are 10.1% more nutrient dense. We also evaluate the effect of online shopping on the monthly aggregate (in‐store and online) basket. Average treatment effects for the treated (ATT) indicate a 2.3% decline in the sugar/sweet/candy budget share upon the introduction of the online shopping service; however, summary measures of healthfulness do not illustrate robust changes at the monthly level.
National analysis of the Modified Monash Model, population distribution and a socio‐economic index to inform rural health workforce planning
Authors: Versace Vincent L. , Skinner Timothy C. , Bourke Lisa , Harvey Pam , Barnett Tony 
Published: October 2021

AbstractAimsTo describe the population distribution and socio‐economic position of residents across all states and territories of Australia, stratified using the 7 Modified Monash Model classifications. The numerical summary, and the methods described, can be applied by a variety of end users including workforce planners, researchers, policy‐makers and funding bodies for guiding future investment under different scenarios, and aid in evaluating geographically focused programs.ContextThe Commonwealth Department of Health is transitioning to the Modified Monash Model to objectively describe geographical access. This change applies to the Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training Program, one of the Australian Government's key policies to address the maldistribution of the rural health workforce. Unlike the previously applied Australian Statistical Geography Standard‐Remoteness Areas, a summary of the population in each Modified Monash Model classification is not available, nor is a socio‐economic overview of the communities within these areas.ApproachSpatial analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics data (Modified Monash Model, population data and the Index of Relative Socio‐economic Advantage and Disadvantage collected or derived from the 2016 census) at the Statistical Area 1—the smallest unit for the release of census data.ConclusionLinking the Modified Monash Model, a socio‐economic index and granular population data at the national level highlights the disadvantage of many residents in small rural towns (Modified Monash 5). The Modified Monash Model does not exhibit a continuum of the largest population residing in the most accessible classification and the smallest population residing in the least accessible classification that is seen in the Australian Statistical Geography Standard‐Remoteness Areas. Coupled with policy relevance, the advantage of using the Modified Monash Model as the basis for analysis is that it highlights areas that have both a critical mass of residents and differing levels of socio‐economic advantage and disadvantage. This will help end users to target funding to those regions where there is potential to improve access to services for the greatest number of rural residents.
Ecosystem duties, green infrastructure, and environmental injustice in Los Angeles
Authors: Randle Sayd 
Published: October 2021

AbstractIn Los Angeles, water managers and environmentalist NGOs champion green infrastructure retrofits, installations intended to maximize the water‐absorbing capacity of the urban landscape. In such arrangements, the work of water management is necessarily spread among a more‐than‐human community, including (but certainly not limited to) humans, plants, soils, and gravels. This article analyzes the human labor within these collaborations, tracking when and how this work gets enrolled in networks of water management and circuits of value. I develop the term ecosystem duties to characterize these exertions and as a useful analytic for assessing emergent dynamics of environmental justice.
Between privileges and precariousness: Remaking whiteness in China's teaching English as a second language industry
Authors: Lan Shanshan 
Published: October 2021

Abstract This research examines the multiple and contradictory racialization of white identities in China's booming ESL (English as a second language) industry. China represents a new geography of whiteness studies beyond Euro‐America due to the transformation of corporeal whiteness into a minority identity as a result of international migration. This research makes distinctions between white privilege as a form of structural domination in Western societies and white‐skin privilege as a form of embodied racial capital in China, which can be easily transformed into white‐skin vulnerability. It interprets the tension between white‐skin privilege and precariousness as a concurrent and mutually constitutive process that foregrounds the open‐ended nature of white racial formation in China. By focusing on the intersections between global white supremacist ideologies and local Chinese constructions of self/Other relations, this project explores new forms of racialization beyond the Black/white, superiority/inferiority binaries in the Western context.
Use of contraceptives and risk of inflammatory bowel disease: a nested case–control study
Authors: Pasvol Thomas Joshua , Bloom Stuart , Segal Anthony Walter , Rait Greta , Horsfall Laura 
Published: October 2021

SummaryBackgroundHow contraceptive formulation, dose, duration of therapy and mode of delivery affects the risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is poorly described.AimTo examine associations between types of hormonal contraception and development of IBD.MethodsThis was a nested case–control study using IQVIA Medical Research Data. Women aged 15‐49 years with a new diagnosis of IBD were matched with up to six controls by age, practice and year. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for incident IBD and use of contraception were calculated.Results4932 incident cases of IBD were matched to 29 340 controls. Use of combined oral contraceptive pills (COCPs) was associated with the development of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (OR 1.60 [1.41‐1.82] and 1.30 [1.15‐1.45], respectively). Each additional month of COCP exposure per year of follow‐up increased risk of Crohn's disease by 6.4% (5.1%‐7.7%) and ulcerative colitis by 3.3% (2.1%‐4.4%). Progestogen‐only pills had no effect on Crohn's disease risk (OR 1.09 [0.84‐1.40]) but there was a modest association with ulcerative colitis (OR 1.35 [1.12‐1.64]). Parenteral contraception was not associated with the development of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis (OR 1.15 [0.99‐1.47] and 1.17 [0.98‐1.39], respectively).ConclusionsWe observed an increase in the risk of IBD with increasing duration of exposure to COCPs. Progestogen‐only pills were not associated with Crohn's disease but there was a modest association with ulcerative colitis. There was no association between parenteral progestogen‐only contraception and IBD. These findings are broadly consistent with a hypothesis that the oestrogen component of contraception may drive IBD pathogenesis.
Patient‐reported outcomes in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma treated with melflufen plus dexamethasone: analyses from the Phase II HORIZON study
Authors: Larocca Alessandra , Leleu Xavier , Touzeau Cyrille , Bladé Joan , Paner Agne , Mateos María‐Victoria , Cavo Michele , Maisel Christopher , Alegre Adrían , Oriol Albert , Raptis Anastasios , Rodriguez‐Otero Paula , Mazumder Amitabha , Laubach Jacob , Nadeem Omar , Sandberg Anna , Orre Marie , Torrång Anna , Bakker Nicolaas A. , Richardson Paul G. 
Published: October 2021

SummaryRelapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) is known to have a high burden of disease and complications associated with refractoriness to prior lines of therapy. Severe pain and fatigue symptoms and impairments in physical and emotional functioning have been strongly linked to reduced health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with RRMM. Assessment of patient reported‐outcome measures from the pivotal, Phase II HORIZON study (OP‐106; NCT02963493) in patients with RRMM (n = 64) demonstrated that melphalan flufenamide (melflufen) plus dexamethasone treatment preserved HRQoL. Patients had clinically meaningful improvements, even after eight treatment cycles, in relevant scales such as global health status/QoL, physical functioning, emotional functioning, pain, and fatigue. Patients with triple‐class–refractory disease (n = 50) displayed similar improvements. Patient‐reported outcome deterioration was delayed for a substantial amount of time in patients who experienced a response to melflufen plus dexamethasone treatment relative to patients who did not experience a response. These findings support the notion that treatment with melflufen plus dexamethasone may sustain or improve HRQoL over time in patients with RRMM, including in patients with triple‐class–refractory disease for whom outcomes are generally worse. The clinical benefits observed in patients from the HORIZON trial are encouraging and supportive of translation into real‐world practice.
Tracking the evolution of untreated high‐intermediate/high‐risk diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma by circulating tumour DNA
Authors: Zhang Sicong , Zhang Tingting , Liu Hengqi , Zhao Jing , Zhou Haifei , Su Xiaoxing , Liu Xianming , Li Lanfang , Qiu Lihua , Qian Zhengzi , Zhou Shiyong , Gong Wenchen , Meng Bin , Ren Xiubao , He Jin , Wang Xianhuo , Zhang Huilai 
Published: October 2021

SummaryDiffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a highly heterogenous malignancy, early identification of patients for relapse remains challenging. The potential to non‐invasively monitor tumour evolutionary dynamics of DLBCL needs to be further established. In the present study, 17 tumour biopsy and 38 plasma samples from 38 patients with high‐intermediate/high‐risk DLBCL were evaluated at baseline. Longitudinal blood samples were also collected during therapy. Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) was analysed using targeted sequencing based on a gene panel via a recently developed methodology, circulating single‐molecule amplification and re‐sequencing technology (cSMART). We found that the most frequently mutated genes were tumour protein p53 (TP53; 42·1%), histone‐lysine N‐methyltransferase 2D (KMT2D; 28·9%), caspase recruitment domain family member 11 (CARD11; 21·1%), cAMP response element‐binding protein binding protein (CREBBP; 15·8%), β2‐microglobulin (B2M; 15·8%), and tumour necrosis factor alpha‐induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3; 15·8%). The mutation profiles between ctDNA and matched tumour tissue showed good concordance; however, more mutation sites were detected in ctDNA samples. Either TP53 or B2M mutations before treatment predicted poor prognosis. Analysis of dynamic blood samples confirmed the utility of ctDNA for the real‐time assessment of treatment response and revealed that the increases in ctDNA levels and changes in KMT2D mutation status could be useful predictors of disease progression. Our present results suggest that ctDNA is a promising method for the detection of mutation spectrum and serves as a biomarker for disease monitoring and predicting clinical recurrence.
Use of medical exome sequencing for identification of underlying genetic defects in NICU: Experience in a cohort of 2303 neonates in China
Authors: Yang Lin , Wei Zejun , Chen Xiang , Hu Liyuan , Peng Xiaomin , Wang Jin , Lu Chunmei , Kong Yanting , Dong Xinran , Ni Qi , Lu Yulan , Wu Bingbing , Wang Huijun , Meirelles Katia , Tian Xia , Zhang Jing , Chang Fengqi , Liu Liu , Li Changhua , You Wesley , Cheng Guoqiang , Wang Laishuan , Cao Yun , Chen Chao , Fang Ping , Tang Sha , Zhou Wenhao 
Published: October 2021

AbstractEmerging evidence demonstrates the clinical utility of genomic applications in newborn intensive care unit (NICU) patients with strong indications of Mendelian etiology. However, such applications' diagnostic yield and utility remain unclear for NICU cohorts with minimal phenotype selection. In this study, focused medical exome sequencing was used as a first‐tier, singleton‐focused diagnostic tool for 2303 unrelated sick neonates. Integrated analysis of single nucleotide variants (SNVs), small insertions and deletions (Indels), and large copy number variants (CNVs) was performed. The diagnostic rate in this NICU cohort is 12.3% (284/2303), with 190 probands with molecular diagnoses made from SNV/Indel analyses (66.9%), 93 patients with diagnostic aneuploidy/CNVs findings (32.8%), and 1 patient with both SNV and CNV (0.4%). In addition, 54 (2.3%) of patients had a reportable incidental finding. Multiple organ involvements, craniofacial abnormalities, and dermatologic abnormalities were the strongest positive predictors for a molecular diagnosis. Among the 190 cases with SNV/Indel defects, direct impacts on medical management were observed in 46.8% of patients after the results were reported. In this study, we demonstrate that focused medical exome sequencing is a powerful first‐line diagnostic tool for NICU patients. Significant number of diagnosed NICU patients can benefit from more focused medical management and long‐term care.
Inflammatory effects of individualized abutments bonded onto titanium base on peri‐implant tissue health: A randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Rathe Florian , Junker Rüdiger , Gröger Sabine , Meyle Jörg , Schlee Markus 
Published: October 2021

AbstractBackgroundIn implant prosthodontics, computer‐assisted design and computer‐assisted manufacturing (CAD/CAM) zirconia abutments bonded onto titanium bases are frequently used in prosthetic dentistry. Unpolymerized monomer of the bonding material or the adhesive gap itself may have a negative effect on peri‐implant tissue health. However, evidence addressing this problem is not available.PurposeThe aim of the current trial was to study inflammatory effects of individualized abutments bonded onto titanium bases.Material and MethodA total of 24 patients with one test abutment and one control abutment each participated in this prospective, double‐blind, randomized controlled clinical trial. Thereby, test abutments were CAD/CAM titanium abutments bonded onto titanium abutments (Ti‐Base). As control abutments individualized, one‐piece CAD/CAM titanium abutments were used. At abutment installation as well as 6 and 12 months thereafter bone level changes, clinical parameters as well as Il‐1β levels were assessed.ResultsNeither for bone level or clinical parameters nor for Il‐1β levels, significant differences between test and control abutments could be found. However, in both groups Il‐1β levels were significantly elevated at both the 6 and 12 months follow‐up compared to baseline.ConclusionWithin the limits of this RCT, it can be concluded that effects on the inflammatory state of peri‐implant tissues do not differ between individualized abutments bonded onto Ti‐Bases and individualized one‐piece abutments.
Pharmacokinetics and safety of a novel influenza treatment (baloxavir marboxil) in Korean subjects compared with Japanese subjects
Authors: Kim Yun , Lee Sangwon , Kim Yohan , Jang In‐Jin , Lee SeungHwan 
Published: October 2021

AbstractBaloxavir marboxil, a novel influenza therapeutic agent, is a prodrug rapidly metabolized into its active form, baloxavir acid, which inhibits cap‐dependent endonuclease. This study evaluated the pharmacokinetics (PKs) and safety of baloxavir acid in healthy Korean subjects and compared them with published data in Japanese subjects. This open‐label and single‐ascending dose study was conducted in 30 Korean male subjects, with a single oral dose of baloxavir marboxil (20, 40, or 80 mg) administered to eight subjects each; additionally, 80 mg was administered to six subjects (body weight >80 kg). Noncompartmental and population PK analyses were performed, and results were compared with those of Japanese subjects. Appropriateness of the body weight‐based dosing regimen was evaluated by simulation. PK profiles of baloxavir acid revealed multicompartment behavior with a long half‐life (80.8–98.3 h), demonstrating a dose‐proportional increase. Baloxavir acid reached peak plasma concentration from 3.5 to 4.0 h postdosing. Body weight was identified as a significant covariate of apparent oral clearance and apparent volume of distribution, which was similar to that observed in Japanese subjects. Body weight‐adjusted analysis revealed that exposure to baloxavir acid did not significantly differ between Korean and Japanese subjects. Simulated exposures to baloxavir acid demonstrated that the body weight‐based dosing regimen for baloxavir marboxil was appropriate. Based on a PK study, clinical data including dosing regimen developed in Japan were adequately extrapolated to Korea, supporting the approval of baloxavir marboxil in Korean as a new treatment option for influenza.