bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Microbiome therapeutics: exploring the present scenario and challenges
Authors: Yadav Monika , Chauhan Nar Singh 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Human gut-microbiome explorations have enriched our understanding of microbial colonization, maturation, and dysbiosis in health-and-disease subsets. The enormous metabolic potential of gut microbes and their role in the maintenance of human health is emerging, with new avenues to use them as therapeutic agents to overcome human disorders. Microbiome therapeutics are aimed at engineering the gut microbiome using additive, subtractive, or modulatory therapy with an application of native or engineered microbes, antibiotics, bacteriophages, and bacteriocins. This approach could overcome the limitation of conventional therapeutics by providing personalized, harmonized, reliable, and sustainable treatment. Its huge economic potential has been shown in the global therapeutics market. Despite the therapeutic and economical potential, microbiome therapeutics is still in the developing stage and is facing various technical and administrative issues that require research attention. This review aims to address the current knowledge and landscape of microbiome therapeutics, provides an overview of existing health-and-disease applications, and discusses the potential future directions of microbiome modulations.
A Geometric Approach to Some Systems of Exponential Equations
Authors: Aslanyan Vahagn , Kirby Jonathan , Mantova Vincenzo 
Published: November 2021

AbstractZilber’s Exponential Algebraic Closedness conjecture (also known as Zilber’s Nullstellensatz) gives conditions under which a complex algebraic variety should intersect the graph of the exponential map of a semiabelian variety. We prove the special case of the conjecture where the variety has dominant projection to the domain of the exponential map, for abelian varieties and for algebraic tori. Furthermore, in the situation where the intersection is 0-dimensional, we exhibit structure in the intersection by parametrizing the sufficiently large points as the images of the period lattice under a (multivalued) analytic map. Our approach is complex geometric, in contrast to a real analytic proof given by Brownawell and Masser just for the case of algebraic tori.
From “Peacekept” to Peacekeeper: Seeking International Status by Narrating New Identities
Authors: Wilén Nina 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
This article examines how post-conflict states attempt to increase international status by transforming their identities from “peacekept” to “peacekeepers.” It focuses on the discursive side of identity construction and increases understanding of how post-conflict troop contributing countries (PCTCC) seek status on the international arena not only by “doing” peacekeeping but also by “narrating” their roles and identities as peacekeepers. A comparative case study of two PCTCC, Burundi and Rwanda, is used to illustrate the argument. By analyzing official discourses from the two cases through a theoretical framework, which combines social identity theory with narrative approaches, it is first argued that PCTCC seek status and a new identity through peacekeeping contribution in part, to underline their sovereignty and safeguard their domestic affairs from outside interference. Second, to successfully seek status, the narratives need to show coherence and be co-constituted by other international actors. The analysis underlines post-conflict states’ agency in identity construction and peacekeeping as an international practice to acquire status and legitimacy in international relations.
Test-retest reliability and validity of the 6 minute stepper test to evaluate functional exercise capacity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis
Authors: Bayram Selin , Oskay Deran , Tore Nurten Gizem , Sari Fulden , Saraç Devrim Can , Pala Gamze Gülsün , Bilici Salman Reyhan , Tufan Abdurrahman 
Published: November 2021

ABSTRACT

Objectives
The 6-minute stepper test (6MST) is a submaximal test that requires little space to assess exercise capacity compared to the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). The study aims to investigate the test-retest reliability and convergent validity of 6MST and to compare physiological responses, dyspnea, fatigue perception with 6MST and 6MWT in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Methods
To test the convergent validity of 6MST, 65 patients performed both 6MWT and 6MST on the first day and correlation between two tests were assessed with Pearson correlation test. In order to investigate the test-retest reliability of the 6MST, 32 of the 65 patients performed 6MST one week later and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated. Dyspnea and fatigue perception were analyzed with using Wilcoxon signed-rank test, physiological responses were analyzed using paired sample t-test.

Results
Excellent test-retest reliability was observed for 6MST (ICC: 0.988). There was a significant correlation between 6MST and 6MWT (r: 0.725, p &lt; 0.001). Dyspnea and leg fatigue perception were significantly higher in 6MST (p &lt; 0.05). Physiological responses and fatigue perception were similar in both 6MST and 6MWT (p &gt; 0.05).

Conclusion
This study demonstrated that the 6MST is reliable and valid method to evaluate exercise capacity in patients with AS. 6MST can be used to evaluate exercise capacity of patients with AS.
Identifying Active Ingredients, Working Mechanisms, and Fidelity Characteristics Reported in Smoking Cessation Interventions in Dutch Primary Care: A Systematic Review
Authors: de Ruijter Dennis , Mergelsberg Enrique , Crone Matty , Smit Eline , Hoving Ciska 
Published: November 2021

Abstract

Background
Evidence-based smoking cessation interventions provided by healthcare professionals can be successful in helping citizens to quit smoking. Yet, evidence is needed about the active ingredients of these interventions, how these ingredients work and how they are implemented in practice. Such knowledge is required to effectively support healthcare professionals to optimally put evidence-based smoking cessation interventions to (inter)national practice.

Objective
To identify active ingredients (including behavior change techniques), mechanisms of action and implementation fidelity reported in smoking cessation interventions in Dutch primary care settings and to relate these to intervention effectiveness.

Methods
A systematic review was conducted by searching nine national intervention or funding databases, five international scientific databases and consulting 17 national smoking cessation experts. Out of 1066 identified manuscripts, 40 interventions were eligible for this review. Based on published protocols, information regarding behavior change techniques and mechanisms of action was systematically abstracted. Additionally, information regarding study characteristics and other active ingredients, effects on smoking behavior and implementation fidelity was abstracted. Comparative effectiveness concerning abstracted intervention characteristics was qualitatively explored.

Results
Active ingredients, mechanisms of action and implementation fidelity were moderately to poorly reported. Interventions applying behavior change techniques and interventions with a single behavioral target (i.e. smoking-only versus multiple behaviors) seemed to provide stronger evidence for successfully changing smoking behavior.

Conclusion
Attention to and reporting on interventions’ active ingredients (e.g. behavior change techniques), mechanisms of action and implementation fidelity are prerequisites for developing more effective evidence-based smoking cessation interventions to be successfully implemented in primary healthcare.

Implications
This systematic review provides an overview of smoking cessation interventions in Dutch primary care settings, identified since the year 2000. Smoking cessation support is offered in various forms, but our qualitative findings show that interventions including more behavior change techniques and interventions targeting only smoking cessation (compared to multiple behaviors) might be more effective. Results also show that—based on available intervention reports—it is difficult to distinguish patterns of active ingredients (such as behavior change techniques), mechanisms of action and fidelity of implementation in relation to interventions’ effectiveness. This means (quality of) reporting on these intervention characteristics should improve.
Shortages, high-demand occupations, and the post-Brexit UK immigration system
Authors: Sumption Madeleine 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
One of the key questions facing immigration policy-makers is which jobs should be eligible for work visas. This question has dominated discussions about the post-Brexit immigration system, which has focused in particular on the issue of shortages. While the UK government resisted calls to open labour migration routes in low-wage or low-skilled jobs with high demand for foreign workers, workers in middle- and high-skilled jobs that are deemed to face a labour market shortage can qualify with significantly lower wages. This paper examines the arguments for and against using immigration policy to prioritize labour migration in ‘shortage occupations’. It argues that the idea is politically appealing but problematic in practice. Shortages are more difficult to measure satisfactorily than policy-makers may imagine, and different methodologies produce different results. This makes it unwise to develop an immigration policy that depends too heavily on the notion that the shortage list is an accurate reflection of what is really happening in the labour market.
Exploring the binding of rationally engineered tandem-repeat proteins to E3 ubiquitin ligase Keap1
Authors: Madden Sarah K , Itzhaki Laura S 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe process of displaying functional peptides by ‘grafting’ them onto loops of a stable protein scaffold can be used to impart binding affinity for a target, but it can be difficult to predict the affinity of the grafted peptide and the effect of grafting on scaffold stability. In this study, we show that a series of peptides that bind to the E3 ubiquitin ligase Keap1 can be grafted into the inter-repeat loop of a consensus-designed tetratricopeptide repeat (CTPR) protein resulting in proteins with high stability. We found that these CTPR-grafted peptides had similar affinities to their free peptide counterparts and achieved a low nanomolar range. This result is likely due to a good structural match between the inter-repeat loop of the CTPR and the Keap1-binding peptide. The grafting process led to the discovery of a new Keap1-binding peptide, Ac-LDPETGELL-NH2, with low nanomolar affinity for Keap1, highlighting the potential of the repeat-protein class for application in peptide display.
Characterizing the Variance Risk Premium: The Role of the Leverage Effect
Authors: Hu Guanglian , Jacobs Kris , Seo Sang Byung 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
The conditional covariance between the market return and its variance, which we refer to as the leverage effect, is positively related to the variance risk premium. It contains incremental information about the variance risk premium after controlling for other return moments and additional variables suggested by the literature as determinants of the variance risk premium. This empirical finding is supported by theory: the pricing of volatility risk is the economic channel behind the strong positive relation between the two variables. We use this relation to construct a time series of the variance risk premium dating back to 1926. (JEL G12, G13)
Received February 7, 2020; editorial decision September 01, 2021.
Sharing R&D Risk in Healthcare via FDA Hedges
Authors: Jørring Adam , Lo Andrew W , Philipson Tomas J , Singh Manita , Thakor Richard T 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Biomedical innovation suffers from a “funding gap” between the needs of drug development firms and the availability of funds. The requirement of large investments for drug development projects and the high pipeline risk associated with FDA approval causes this funding gap in part. In this paper, we propose a new financial instrument—the “FDA hedge”—that pays off upon FDA approval failure. We develop a theory to show that the FDA hedge can help eliminate the funding gap. Using novel project-level data, we establish empirically that FDA hedge risk is idiosyncratic, and show how better sharing this risk can spur welfare-enhancing R&D. (JEL G11, G13, G22, I11, L65, O32
Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix, which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online.
The Motherhood Penalty in Spain: The Effect of Full- and Part-Time Parental Leave on Women’s Earnings
Authors: Dominguez-Folgueras Marta , González M José , Lapuerta Irene 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe persistence of a wage gap between mothers and non-mothers has been widely analyzed. However, we know little about the impact of family policies on this relative motherhood penalty. This study investigates the extent to which unpaid leave granted for longer-term care of young children after an initial spell of maternity leave affects the motherhood wage gap, and whether full-time leave and part-time leave differ in this respect. We use panel data from the Continuous Sample of Working Lives and rely on a sample consisting of 959,359 women aged twenty-five to forty-seven between 2005 and 2012. We find first a negative association between use and duration of unpaid parental leave and mothers’ wages, and second that a full-time unpaid leave carries higher wage penalties than a part-time unpaid leave of the same duration. This study has major implications for policymaking.
Preoperative Radiation Performed at a Nonsarcoma Center May Lead to Increased Wound Complications Following Resection in Patients With Soft Tissue Sarcomas
Authors: Ellison Ciani , King David M. , Neilson John C. , Wooldridge Adam , Charlson John A. , Hackbarth Donald A. , Johnstone Candice , Bedi Meena 
Published: November 2021

Objectives:
Preoperative radiation therapy (RT) followed by wide-local excision with or without chemotherapy is widely accepted as management for soft tissue sarcomas (STS). Although studies have demonstrated excellent local control with this technique, there can be significant morbidity with the development of wound complications. It has been shown that sarcoma resections performed at a high-volume center lead to improved survival and functional outcomes. It is unclear, however, if radiation performed in a high-volume center leads to improved outcomes especially related to morbidity. The goal of this study was to determine whether preoperative RT performed at an academic cancer center have lower rates of wound complication compared with RT performed in community cancer centers.

Materials and Methods:
A total of 204 patients with STS were treated with preoperative RT±chemotherapy followed by limb-sparing resection. Of these, 150 patients had preoperative RT performed at an academic sarcoma center. wound complication were defined as those requiring secondary operations or prolonged wound care for 4 months following surgery. Predictors for wound complication were evaluated using a Fisher exact test for univariate analysis and logistic regression for multivariate analysis.

Results:
The overall incidence of wound complication was 28.3%. Significant predictors for wound complication include tumor location and radiation delivered at a community hospital. The postoperative incidence of wound complication was 21% when the preoperative RT was performed at an academic cancer center versus 39% when performed at a community cancer center (P=0.009). On multivariate analysis, both tumor location (P=0.0012, 95% confidence interval: 0.03-0.45, odds ratio: 0.13) and RT performed at a community cancer center (P=0.02, 95% confidence interval: 1.13-4.48, odds ratio: 2.25) remained significant in correlation with postoperative wound complication.

Conclusions:
Preoperative RT performed at an academic cancer center led to lower rates of postoperative wound complication. This may support the recommendation that preoperative RT and resection of STS be performed at an experienced sarcoma center.
Socioeconomic Determinants of the Use of Molecular Testing in Stage IV Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Punekar Salman R. , Griffin Megan M. , Masri Lena , Roman Stefanie D. , Makarov Danil V. , Sherman Scott E. , Becker Daniel J. 
Published: November 2021

Objectives:
Treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibodies extends life for patients with advanced colorectal cancers (CRCs) whose tumors exhibit wild-type KRAS, but KRAS testing may be underused. We studied the role of socioeconomic factors in the application of KRAS testing.

Materials and Methods:
We identified subjects with stage IV colorectal adenocarcinoma diagnosed 2010-2015 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. We used multivariable logistic regression models to evaluate associations between clinical/demographic factors and the rate of KRAS testing. We used multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models to assess survival.

Results:
We identified 37,676 patients with stage IV CRC, 31.1% of whom were tested for KRAS mutations, of those who had documented KRAS testing, 44% were KRAS mutant. Patients were more likely to be tested if they were younger (odds ratio [OR]=5.10 for age 20 to 29 vs. 80+, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.99-6.54, P<0.01), diagnosed more recently (OR=1.92 for 2015 vs. 2010, 95% CI: 1.77-2.08, P<0.01), or lived in an area of high median household income (OR=1.24 for median household income of >$69,311 vs. <$49,265, 95% CI: 1.14-1.35, P<0.01). Patients were less likely to be tested if they had Medicaid (OR=0.83, 95% CI: 0.77-0.88, P<0.01) or were unmarried (OR=0.78, 95% CI: 0.75-0.82, P<0.0001). The risk of death was decreased in patients who received KRAS testing (hazard ratio=0.77, 95% CI: 0.75-0.80, P<0.01).

Conclusions:
We found a low rate of KRAS testing in CRC patients with those living in low-income areas less likely to be tested, even after controlling for Medicaid insurance. Our study suggests that socioeconomic disparities persist despite Medicaid insurance.
Safety and Experience With Combined Antiretroviral Prophylaxis in Newborn at High-risk of Perinatal HIV Infection, in a Cohort of Mother Living With HIV-infant Pairs
Authors: Illán Ramos Marta , Soto Sánchez Beatriz , Mazariegos Orellana Diana , Prieto Tato Luis Manuel , Guillén Martín Sara , Navarro Gómez Mª Luisa , del Rosal Rabes Teresa , Escosa García Luis , Roa Francia Miguel Ángel , Beceiro Mosquera José , Olabarrieta Arnal Iciar , Muñoz Gálligo Eloy , Viñuela Beneitez Mª Carmen , Regidor Sáez Francisco Javier , Serrano García Irene , Berzosa Sánchez Arantxa , Callejas Caballero Ignacio , Ramos Amador José Tomás 
Published: November 2021

Background:
Perinatal transmission of HIV has dramatically decreased in high-income countries in the last few years with current rates below 1%, but it still occurs in high-risk situations, mainly pregnant women with late diagnosis of infection, poor antiretroviral adherence and a high viral load (VL). In these high-risk situations, many providers recommend combined neonatal prophylaxis (CNP). Our aim was to evaluate the safety and toxicity of CNP in infants deemed at high-risk of HIV infection among mother-infant pairs in the Madrid Cohort.

Materials and Methods:
Prospective, multicenter, observational cohort study between years 2000 and 2019. The subgroup of newborns on CNP and their mothers were retrospectively selected (cohort A) and compared with those who received monotherapy with zidovudine (cohort B). Infants with monotherapy were classified according to treatment regimes in long (6 weeks) and short (4 weeks) course.

Results:
We identified 227 newborns (33.3% preterm and 7 sets of twins) with CNP. A maternal diagnosis of HIV-1 infection was established during the current pregnancy in 72 cases (36.4%) and intrapartum or postpartum in 31 cases (15.7%). Most infants received triple combination antiretroviral therapy (65.6%; n = 149). The perinatal transmission rate in cohort A was 3.5% (95% confidence interval: 1.13%–5.92%). Infants from cohort A developed anemia (26.1% vs. 19.4%, P = 0.14) and neutropenia more frequently at 50–120 days (21.4% vs. 10.9%, P < 0.01), without significant differences in grade 3 and 4 anemia or neutropenia between the two cohorts. There were no differences in increased alanine aminotransferase. Neutropenia was more common in the long zidovudine regimes.

Conclusions:
Our findings provide further evidence of the safety of CNP in infants with high-risk of HIV-1 perinatal transmission.
Self-rated quality of vision and optical phenomena intensity of diffractive presbyopia-correcting IOLs: EDoF, trifocal vs panfocal
Authors: Böhm Myriam , Hemkeppler Eva , Kohnen Thomas 
Published: November 2021

Purpose:
To investigate the self-rated quality of vision (SQV) and optical phenomena intensity of 3 diffractive multifocal intraocular lenses (mIOLs).

Setting:
Department of Ophthalmology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany.

Design:
Prospective comparative case series.

Methods:
Patients who had bilateral implantation of a diffractive extended depth-of-focus (EDoF), trifocal, or panfocal mIOL were assessed. Outcome parameters were SQV, symptom intensity of optical phenomena under 3 lighting conditions, quality of everyday lifestyle activities, spectacle independence (SI), and contrast sensitivity (CS).

Results:
The study comprised 108 eyes. The 3 lenses provided good total SQV under all lighting conditions. EDoF patients reported a slightly better total SQV (EDoF: 9.8 ± 6.67, trifocal: 22.2 ± 7.09, panfocal: 19.6 ± 16.25 visual analog scale, P = .041). A similar percentage of patients reported the presence of optical phenomena with no difference between mIOLs (P > .05). EDoF, trifocal, and panfocal patients rated symptom intensity of optical phenomena mild to moderate under all lighting conditions; however, EDoF patients reported a lower symptom intensity of halos (P < .05). Reported quality of everyday lifestyle activities and CS were comparable (P < .05). All panfocal and trifocal patients (100%) achieved complete SI, whereas almost half (44%) of the EDoF patients used reading spectacles.

Conclusions:
Diffractive EDoF, trifocal, and panfocal mIOLs provided good total SQV with mild to moderate intensity of optical phenomena under all lighting conditions. EDoF patients experienced the same percentage of optical phenomena but reported a weaker symptom intensity of halos and better night-driving ability. EDoF patients would all choose the same IOL, although a significant number of them needed reading spectacles, indicating that SI is not the main factor that determines patient selection of IOLs.