bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Esophageal microbiota composition and outcome of esophageal cancer treatment: a systematic review
Authors: Plat Victor D , van Rossen Tessel M , Daams Freek , de Boer Nanne K , de Meij Tim G J , Budding Andries E , Vandenbroucke-Grauls Christina M J E , van der Peet Donald L 
Published: November 2021

Summary
Background: The role of esophageal microbiota in esophageal cancer treatment is gaining renewed interest, largely driven by novel DNA-based microbiota analysis techniques. The aim of this systematic review is to provide an overview of current literature on the possible association between esophageal microbiota and outcome of esophageal cancer treatment, including tumor response to (neo)adjuvant chemo(radio)therapy, short-term surgery-related complications, and long-term oncological outcome. Methods: A systematic review of literature was performed, bibliographic databases were searched and relevant articles were selected by two independent researchers. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to estimate the quality of included studies. Results: The search yielded 1303 articles, after selection and cross-referencing, five articles were included for qualitative synthesis and four studies were considered of good quality. Two articles addressed tumor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and described a correlation between high intratumoral Fusobacterium nucleatum levels and a poor response. One study assessed surgery-related complications, in which no direct association between esophageal microbiota and occurrence of complications was observed. Three studies described a correlation between shortened survival and high levels of intratumoral F. nucleatum, a low abundance of Proteobacteria and high abundances of Prevotella and Streptococcus species. Conclusions: Current evidence points towards an association between esophageal microbiota and outcome of esophageal cancer treatment and justifies further research. Whether screening of the individual esophageal microbiota can be used to identify and select patients with a predisposition for adverse outcome needs to be further investigated. This could lead to the development of microbiota-based interventions to optimize esophageal microbiota composition, thereby improving outcome of patients with esophageal cancer.
Quantification of left atrial fibrosis by 3D late gadolinium-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in patients with atrial fibrillation: impact of different analysis methods
Authors: Hopman Luuk H G A , Bhagirath Pranav , Mulder Mark J , Eggink Iris N , van Rossum Albert C , Allaart Cornelis P , Götte Marco J W 
Published: November 2021

Abstract

Aims
Various methods and post-processing software packages have been developed to quantify left atrial (LA) fibrosis using 3D late gadolinium-enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (LGE-CMR) images. Currently, it remains unclear how the results of these methods and software packages interrelate.

Methods and results
Forty-seven atrial fibrillation (AF) patients underwent 3D-LGE-CMR imaging prior to their AF ablation. LA fibrotic burden was derived from the images using open-source CEMRG software and commercially available ADAS 3D-LA software. Both packages were used to calculate fibrosis based on the image intensity ratio (IIR)-method. Additionally, CEMRG was used to quantify LA fibrosis using three standard deviations (3SD) above the mean blood pool signal intensity. Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated to compare LA fibrosis quantification methods and different post-processing software outputs. The percentage of LA fibrosis assessed using IIR threshold 1.2 was significantly different from the 3SD-method (29.80 ± 14.15% vs. 8.43 ± 5.42%; P &lt; 0.001). Correlation between the IIR-and SD-method was good (r = 0.85, P &lt; 0.001) although agreement was poor [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.19; P &lt; 0.001]. One-third of the patients were allocated to a different fibrosis category dependent on the used quantification method. Fibrosis assessment using CEMRG and ADAS 3D-LA showed good agreement for the IIR-method (ICC = 0.93; P &lt; 0.001).

Conclusions
Both, the IIR1.2 and 3SD-method quantify atrial fibrotic burden based on atrial wall signal intensity differences. The discrepancy in the amount of LA fibrosis between these methods may have clinical implications when patients are classified according to their fibrotic burden. There was no difference in results between post-processing software packages to quantify LA fibrosis if an identical quantification method including the threshold was used.
A Colonial Celebrity in the New Attention Economy: Cecil Rhodes’s Cape-to-Cairo Telegraph and Railway Negotiations in 1899
Authors: van Waarden Betto 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
In 1899, the British colonialist Cecil Rhodes went to Berlin to negotiate about his fantastical ‘Cape-to-Cairo’ telegraph and railway scheme with his former nemesis, the German emperor Wilhelm II. Why did this initiative of Rhodes, who was held responsible for the disastrous Jameson Raid and no longer occupied any official position, receive so much coverage and legitimacy in the international press? Despite the vast scholarship on Rhodes, there is strikingly little analysis of these negotiations, considering that they were hailed as marking the rehabilitation of Rhodes and the troubled Anglo-German relationship, signalled that Germany would not support the Boers in their conflict with Britain, and led to Germany’s inclusion in the prestigious Rhodes Scholarships scheme. This article analyses the reporting of the negotiations and shows that Rhodes overshadowed other political figures in the competitive ‘attention economy’ of the emerging mass press. Building on the notion of ‘celebrity politics’, it argues that the press attention for him resulted from three interconnected logics: a political logic of agenda-setting and ideological loyalties, a journalistic logic in which scarce access to Rhodes fostered his mythologising, and a mass media logic that increasingly superseded ideological divides. This mass media logic dictated a focus on Rhodes’s personal narrative (infused with literary and colonial themes), personifying politics, and performing these politics in a novel business-like style. This press attention gained Rhodes informal power and shows how, by the end of the nineteenth century, successful politics required the new ability of political figures to attract and leverage media attention. Moreover, it constituted the precondition for the growing cult of Rhodes in the twentieth century, and the subsequent criticism of this cult and its representation of racism in recent times.
Patient-reported diagnostic intervals to colorectal cancer diagnosis in the Midland region of New Zealand: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Blackmore Tania , Chepulis Lynne , Rawiri Keenan , Kidd Jacquie , Stokes Tim , Firth Melissa , Elwood Mark , Weller David , Emery Jon , Lawrenson Ross 
Published: November 2021

Abstract

Background and objectives
New Zealand (NZ) has high rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) but low rates of early detection. The majority of CRC is diagnosed through general practice, where lengthy diagnostic intervals are common. We investigated factors contributing to diagnostic delay in a cohort of patients newly diagnosed with CRC.

Methods
Patients were recruited from the Midland region and interviewed about their diagnostic experience using a questionnaire based on a modified Model of Pathways to Treatment framework and SYMPTOM questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the population characteristics. Chi-square analysis and logistic regression were used to analyse factors influencing diagnostic intervals.

Results
Data from 176 patients were analysed, of which 65 (36.9%) experienced a general practitioner (GP) diagnostic interval of &gt;120 days and 96 (54.5%) experienced a total diagnostic interval (TDI) &gt; 120 days. Patients reporting rectal bleeding were less likely to experience a long TDI (odds ratio [OR] 0.34, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.14–0.78) and appraisal/help-seeking interval (OR, 0.19, 95% CI: 0.06–0.59). Patients &lt;60 were more likely to report a longer appraisal/help-seeking interval (OR, 3.32, 95% CI: 1.17–9.46). Female (OR, 2.19, 95% CI: 1.08–4.44) and Māori patients (OR, 3.18, 95% CI: 1.04–9.78) were more likely to experience a long GP diagnostic interval.

Conclusion
NZ patients with CRC can experience long diagnostic intervals, attributed to patient and health system factors. Young patients, Māori, females, and patients experiencing change of bowel habit may be at particular risk. We need to increase symptom awareness of CRC for patients and GPs. Concentrated efforts are needed to ensure equity for Māori in access to screening, diagnostics, and treatment.
Albumin-Corrected Fructosamine Predicts All-Cause and Non-CVD Mortality Among the Very Elderly Aged 80 Years or Older Without Diabetes
Authors: Zhou Jinhui , Lv Yuebin , Zhao Feng , Wei Yuan , Gao Xiang , Chen Chen , Lu Feng , Liu Yingchun , Li Chengcheng , Wang Jiaonan , Zhang Xiaochang , Gu Heng , Yin Zhaoxue , Cao Zhaojin , Kraus Virginia B , Mao Chen , Shi Xiaoming 
Published: November 2021

Abstract

Background
Several guidelines have suggested alternative glycemic markers for hemoglobin A1c among older adults with limited life expectancy or multiple coexisting chronic illnesses. We evaluated associations between fructosamine, albumin-corrected fructosamine (AlbF), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and mortality in the diabetic and nondiabetic subpopulations, and compared which marker better predicts mortality among participants aged 80 and older.

Methods
Included were 2 238 subjects from the Healthy Ageing and Biomarkers Cohort Study (2012–2018) and 207 participants had diabetes at baseline. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models investigated the associations of fructosamine, AlbF, FPG, and all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and non-CVD mortality in the diabetic and nondiabetic subpopulations. Restricted cubic splines explored potential nonlinear relations. C-statistic, integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), and net reclassification improvement (NRI) evaluated the additive value of different glycemic markers to predict mortality.

Results
Overall, 1 191 deaths were documented during 6 793 person-years of follow-up. In the linear model, per unit increases of fructosamine, AlbF, and FPG were associated with a higher risk of mortality in nondiabetic participants, with hazard ratios of 1.02 (1.00, 1.05), 1.27 (1.14, 1.42), and 1.04 (0.98, 1.11) for all-cause mortality, and 1.04 (1.00, 1.07), 1.38 (1.19, 1.59), and 1.10 (1.01, 1.19) for non-CVD mortality, respectively. Comparisons indicated that AlbF better predicts all-cause and non-CVD mortality in nondiabetic participants with significant improvement in IDI and NRI.

Conclusions
Higher concentrations of fructosamine, AlbF, and FPG were associated with a higher risk of all-cause or non-CVD mortality among the very elderly where AlbF may constitute an alternative prospective glycemic predictor of mortality.
Midlife Work Limitations are Associated with Lower Odds of Survival and Healthy Aging
Authors: Jajtner Katie M , Brucker Debra L , Mitra Sophie 
Published: November 2021

Abstract

Objectives
Health conditions that limit work are associated with myriad socioeconomic disadvantages and around half of Americans could face a work limitation at some point in their working career. Our study examines the relationship between midlife work limitations and two aging outcomes: longevity and healthy aging.

Methods
Using longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and restricted mortality data, multivariate logistic regressions estimate the odds of desirable aging outcomes around age 65 for individuals with various midlife work limitation histories in samples of around 2,000 individuals.

Results
Midlife work limitations are consistently linked with a lower likelihood of desirable aging outcomes. Temporary limitations are associated with 59% and 69% lower survival and healthy aging odds, respectively. Chronic limitations are associated with approximately 80% lower survival odds and 90% lower healthy aging odds at age 65.

Discussion
Even temporary work limitations can be highly disadvantageous for aging outcomes, emphasizing the need to understand different work limitation histories. Future research should identify underlying mechanisms linking midlife work limitations and less desirable aging outcomes.
Effects of Lamotrigine and Topiramate on Glial Properties in an Astrocyte-Microglia Co-Culture Model of Inflammation
Authors: Faustmann Timo Jendrik , Corvace Franco , Faustmann Pedro M , Ismail Fatme Seval 
Published: November 2021

Abstract

Background
Astrocytes and microglia are involved in the pathophysiology of epilepsy and bipolar disorder with a link to inflammation. We aimed to investigate the effects of the antiepileptic and mood-stabilizing drugs lamotrigine (LTG) and topiramate (TPM) on glial viability, microglial activation, cytokine release, and expression of gap-junctional protein connexin 43 (Cx43) in different set-ups of an in vitro astrocyte-microglia co-culture model of inflammation.

Methods
Primary rat co-cultures of astrocytes containing 5% (M5, representing “physiological” conditions) or 30% (M30, representing “pathological, inflammatory” conditions) of microglia were treated with different concentrations of LTG and TPM for 24 hours. An 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was performed to measure the glial cell viability. The microglial activation state was analyzed by immunocytochemistry. The pro-inflammatory tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and anti-inflammatory transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) cytokine levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The astroglial Cx43 expression was quantified by western blot.

Results
A significant reduction of the glial cell viability after incubation with LTG or TPM was observed in a concentration-dependent manner under all conditions. LTG caused no significant alterations of the microglial phenotypes. Under pathological conditions, TPM led to a significant concentration-dependent reduction of microglial activation. This correlated with increased astroglial Cx43 expression. TNF-α levels were not affected by LTG and TPM. Treatment with higher concentrations of LTG, but not with TPM, led to a significant increase in TGF-ß1 levels in M5 and M30 co-cultures.

Conclusions
Despite the possible glial toxicity of LTG and TPM, both drugs reduced inflammatory activity, suggesting potential positive effects on the neuroinflammatory components of the pathogenesis of epilepsy and bipolar disorder.
Supporting research, protecting data: one institution’s approach to clinical data warehouse governance
Authors: Walters Kellie M , Jojic Anna , Pfaff Emily R , Rape Marie , Spencer Donald C , Shaheen Nicholas J , Lamm Brent , Carey Timothy S 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Institutions must decide how to manage the use of clinical data to support research while ensuring appropriate protections are in place. Questions about data use and sharing often go beyond what the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) considers. In this article, we describe our institution’s governance model and approach. Common questions we consider include (1) Is a request limited to the minimum data necessary to carry the research forward? (2) What plans are there for sharing data externally?, and (3) What impact will the proposed use of data have on patients and the institution? In 2020, 302 of the 319 requests reviewed were approved. The majority of requests were approved in less than 2 weeks, with few or no stipulations. For the remaining requests, the governance committee works with researchers to find solutions to meet their needs while also addressing our collective goal of protecting patients.
Balancing Bees and Pest Management: Projected Costs of Proposed Bee-Protective Neonicotinoid Regulation in California
Authors: Mace Kevi , Rudder Jessica , Goodhue Rachael , Tolhurst Tor , Tregeagle Daniel , Wei Hanlin , Grafton-Cardwell Beth , Grettenberger Ian , Wilson Houston , Van Steenwyk Robert , Zalom Frank , Steggall John 
Published: November 2021

AbstractNeonicotinoid insecticides are widely used in agriculture, including in many California specialty crops. With mounting evidence that these insecticides are harmful to bees, state and national governments have increasingly regulated their use. The European Union, Canada, and United States have imposed use restrictions on several neonicotinoids, such as on the timing of applications. In 2020, California proposed a draft regulation to mitigate harm to managed pollinators from four nitroguanidine-substituted neonicotinoids (NGNs): clothianidin, dinotefuran, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam. We use data on California pesticide use from 2015 to 2017 to analyze the economic and pest management implications of the 2020 draft proposed regulation for seven crops: almond, cherry, citrus, cotton, grape, strawberry, and tomato. From 2015 to 2017, these crops accounted for approximately 85% of total hectares treated with NGNs and 87% of NGN use by kilograms of active ingredient applied in treatments that would have been affected by the proposed regulation. These insecticides often primarily target Hemipteran insect pests. In most cases there are alternatives; however, these are often more expensive per hectare and do not have the same residual effectiveness as the NGNs, which are systemic insecticides. Overall, we estimate that pest management costs for these crops would have increased an estimated $13.6 million in 2015, $12.8 million in 2016, and $11.1 million in 2017 if the 2020 draft proposed regulation had been in effect, representing a 61% to 72% increase in the cost of managing the target pests.
The Attractiveness of α-Copaene to Members of theEuwallacea fornicatus(Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Species Complex in California and Taiwan
Authors: Liu Fang-Ling , Rugman-Jones Paul , Liao Yi-Chang , Fernandez Veronica , Chien Iris , Dodge Christine , Cooperband Miriam F , Tuan Shu-Jen , Stouthamer Richard 
Published: November 2021

AbstractSpecies belonging to the Euwallacea fornicatus Eichhoff (Coleoptera: Scolytinae) species complex have invaded the continental U.S. since at least 2003. Three species of this complex are known to have established, two in California (E. fornicatus; and Euwallacea kuroshio), and a third in Florida (Euwallacea perbrevis). Their native ranges are spread across southern and southeast Asia. In Taiwan, all three species occur in sympatry. They attack healthy trees of widely varied species and cause severe damage and death to the trees. The attractant quercivorol is commonly used to promote their detection by passive trapping. Recent studies in Florida have shown that trapping of E. perbrevis can be further improved by adding a synergist, α-copaene, alongside the quercivorol lure. Thus, we were interested in testing the effectiveness of α-copaene for trapping the other invasive members of the complex in California and in an area of Taiwan where all three species co-occur. We found that α-copaene marginally enhanced the trapping of E. perbrevis in Taiwan, but had no effect on the trapping of E. fornicatus or E. kuroshio in either California or Taiwan. We conclude that any enhancing effect of α-copaene is specific to E. perbrevis. This highlights the economic importance of accurate species identification in developing and implementing an efficient, and yet cost-effective, monitoring program for the management of E. fornicatus and E. kuroshio in California and elsewhere.
Structural and environmental predictors of tricolored bat presence and abundance in Texas caves
Authors: Meierhofer Melissa B , Leivers Samantha J , Pierce Brian L , Powers Garrett W , Evans Jonah W , Morrison Michael L 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe identification of bat colonies is essential to conserve and manage these globally threatened mammals. Caves offer potential roosting locations (hibernacula) to hibernating bat species; however, identifying regions where bat-occupied caves exist can be time-consuming. In Texas, caves are often on privately owned land, creating difficulties for accessing and managing potential hibernacula. The tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus), a species susceptible to white-nose syndrome, hibernates in caves in the winter in Texas. We sought to identify and quantify site-specific structural and environmental features that influence the presence and abundance of overwintering tricolored bats. We surveyed caves for bats and recorded environmental and structural features of 116 caves January–February 2016, December–February 2016–2017, January–February 2018, and December–February 2018–2019. We used a zero-inflated Poisson regression to identify which features best explained the presence and abundance of tricolored bats. We found that bat presence increased as cave length decreased, and as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and external vapor pressure deficit increased. Bat abundance increased as number of portals, cave length, NDVI, and external temperature increased. Combining surface data with subsurface features can assist with identifying specific karst regions and known caves within those regions for survey and management efforts.
Radiotherapy Patterns of Care for Locally-advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer in the Pre- and Post-durvalumab Era: A Region-wide Survey in a Japanese Prefecture
Authors: Kubo Nobuteru , Kobayashi Daijiro , Iwanaga Mototaro , Matsuura Masana , Higuchi Keiko , Eishima Jun , Muramatsu Hiroyuki , Okano Naoko , Shioya Mariko , Onishi Masahiro , Aoki Tetsuya , Oike Takahiro , Ohno Tatsuya ,   Gunma Society for Radiation Oncology (GUSTRO)
Published: November 2021

Abstract
The promising results of the PACIFIC study led to the approval of consolidation durvalumab for coverage by the National Health Insurance (NHI) in 2018 for patients with locally-advanced unresectable non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) treated with definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). However, the effect of NHI coverage on the patterns of care for this population remains unclear. Here, we conducted a questionnaire-based survey to determine the patterns of care for patients with stage II–III NSCLC treated with definitive radiotherapy in 2017 (pre-durvalumab era) or in 2019 (post-durvalumab era). Data were obtained from 11 radiotherapy facilities in Gunma prefecture, which has a population of 1.94 million. We identified 80 and 83 patients with stage II–III NSCLC who received definitive radiotherapy in Gunma in 2017 and 2019, respectively. At a given facility, CCRT was the treatment of choice in a significantly greater proportion of patients in 2019 than in 2017 (66% ± 20% vs 51% ± 29%, P = 0.041). Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) was more frequent in 2019 than in 2017 (24% vs 1.2%). Carboplatin plus paclitaxel was used for CCRT at higher rate in 2019 than in 2017 (73% vs 44%). Consolidation durvalumab was performed in 73% (40/55) of CCRT-treated patients in 2019, and the treatment was performed for the planned 12 months in 45% (18/40) of patients. These data indicate that NHI coverage of durvalumab might be a possible reason for choosing CCRT in patients with stage II–III NSCLC in the real-world setting.