bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness and prognostic factors of apatinib treatment in patients with recurrent or advanced cervical carcinoma: A retrospective study
Authors: Yang Hui , Chen Min , Mei Zijie , Xie Conghua , Zhou Yunfeng , Qiu Hui 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBackgroundApatinib is an oral anti‐angiogenic drug, its efficacy and prognosis in cervical carcinoma are unclear. This study evaluates the effectiveness and prognostic factors of apatinib in the treatment of recurrent or advanced cervical carcinoma.MethodsPatients with recurrent or advanced cervical cancer, who agreed to take apatinib, were recruited into this single‐center and retrospective study, and administrated apatinib with or without combination of chemo‐ or radio‐therapy until progressive disease (PD) or unacceptable toxicity.ResultsFrom March 2017 to February 2019, 53 patients were reviewed. Among them, 2 (3.77%) patients occurred complete response, 16 (30.19%) patients showed partial response, 27 (50.95%) patients had stable disease, and 8 (15.09%) patients had PD. The objective response rate and disease control rate (DCR) of these patients were 33.96% and 84.91%, respectively. The DCR of patients younger than 50, nonsquamous carcinoma, first‐line apatinib therapy, combined radiotherapy, lesions within radiation field, surgical history, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status score of 0 or 1 were significantly higher than other patients (p < 0.05). The median progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 6.0 months (95% CI: 4.43–7.57) and 8.0 months (95% CI: 6.52–9.48), respectively. The univariable and multivariable analysis showed that the patients with an ECOG performance status score of 2 and further line therapy were associated with poor prognosis in both PFS and OS (PFS: HR =8.35, p = 0.000; HR =6.66, p = 0.001; OS: HR = 7.40, p = 0.000; HR = 3.24, p = 0.039), respectively. The most common adverse effects (AEs) were hand‐foot syndrome (35.58%), hypertension (18.87%) and fatigue (15.09%). No grade 3 AEs and drug‐related death occurred.ConclusionThe efficacy and prognosis of patients who are in good general condition and first‐line apatinib combination therapy may be better than other patients. But further phase III clinical trials should be taken to prove this hypothesis.
Transfer learning‐trained convolutional neural networks identify novel MRI biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease progression
Authors: Li Yi , Haber Annat , Preuss Christoph , John Cai , Uyar Asli , Yang Hongtian Stanley , Logsdon Benjamin A. , Philip Vivek , Karuturi R. Krishna Murthy , Carter Gregory W. ,   The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: May 2021

AbstractIntroductionGenome‐wide association studies (GWAS) for late onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) may miss genetic variants relevant for delineating disease stages when using clinically defined case/control as a phenotype due to its loose definition and heterogeneity.MethodsWe use a transfer learning technique to train three‐dimensional convolutional neural network (CNN) models based on structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from the screening stage in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative consortium to derive image features that reflect AD progression.ResultsCNN‐derived image phenotypes are significantly associated with fasting metabolites related to early lipid metabolic changes as well as insulin resistance and with genetic variants mapped to candidate genes enriched for amyloid beta degradation, tau phosphorylation, calcium ion binding‐dependent synaptic loss, APP‐regulated inflammation response, and insulin resistance.DiscussionThis is the first attempt to show that non‐invasive MRI biomarkers are linked to AD progression characteristics, reinforcing their use in early AD diagnosis and monitoring.
Legacy effects of pre‐crop plant functional group on fungal root symbionts of barley
Authors: Roy Julien , van Duijnen Richard , Leifheit Eva F. , Mbedi Susan , Temperton Vicky M. , Rillig Matthias C. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractArbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, a group of widespread fungal symbionts of crops, could be important in driving crop yield across crop rotations through plant–soil feedbacks (PSF). However, whether preceding crops have a legacy effect on the AM fungi of the subsequent crop is poorly known. We set up an outdoor mesocosm crop rotation experiment that consisted of a first phase growing either one of four pre‐crops establishing AM and/or rhizobial symbiosis or not (spring barley, faba bean, lupine, canola), followed by an AM crop, winter barley. After the pre‐crop harvest, carbon‐rich organic substrates were applied to test whether it attenuated, accentuated or modified the effect of pre‐crops. The pre‐crop mycorrhizal status, but not its rhizobial status, affected the richness and composition of AM fungi, and this difference, in particular community composition, persisted and increased in the roots of winter barley. The effect of a pre‐crop was driven by its single symbiotic group, not its mixed symbiotic group and/or by a crop‐species‐specific effect. This demonstrates that the pre‐crop symbiotic group has lasting legacy effects on the AM fungal communities and may steer the AM fungal community succession across rotation phases. This effect was accentuated by sawdust amendment, but not wheat straw. Based on the previous observation of decreased crop yield after AM pre‐crops, our findings suggest negative PSF at the level of the plant symbiotic group driven by a legacy effect of crop rotation history on AM fungal communities, and that a focus on crop symbiotic group offers additional understanding of PSF.
Spatial analysis of landscape social values in multifunctional landscapes of the Upper Missouri River Basin
Authors: Rastandeh Amin , Carnes Morgan , Jarchow Meghann 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe Upper Missouri River Basin (UMRB) was used as a study region to examine how the spatial distribution of social values (SVs) people hold for their landscapes overlaps with ecoregions of the UMRB and how the results can be interpreted to inform regional‐scale strategic landscape management for optimizing the production of ecosystem services. The methods include a survey of residents about their landscape SVs across the UMRB and a multistage spatial analysis of eleven georeferenced SVs linked to ecosystem services and human activities in the region. The results show agriculture, recreation, and conservation are, respectively, the most significant activities that people value in landscapes of the UMRB. An overlapping area was identified between hotspots of recreation, tourism, and cultural activities on the one hand and conservation on the other hand. A large overlap was found between landscapes of social importance (i.e., landscapes where residents value the land) and ecoregion junctions (i.e., the meeting points of ecoregions). More than one‐fourth of the mapped points were no more than 5 km from the meeting points of ecoregions, meaning ecoregion junctions are highly attractive to residents, and therefore, subject to a variety of human activities. It was also shown that although distance to the place of residence may influence the spatial distribution of mapped points, proximity to ecoregion junctions is a stronger factor for predicting the locations people value on landscapes. These findings have important implications for food and energy production, cultural ecosystem services, and biodiversity across landscapes of the UMRB.
A multigroup extension to piecewise path analysis
Authors: Douma Jacob C. , Shipley Bill 
Published: May 2021

AbstractPath analysis allows one to test the consistency of data to hypothesized causal relationships between variables. Often, interest lies in how the hypothesized dependencies differ between groups. Multigroup comparisons can be made by imposing various constraints: constraints on the topology, the path coefficients, the residual variances, and more. To date, only classical path analysis and structural equation modeling can account for differences between groups. These techniques have assumptions that are often not appropriate for ecological studies. The d‐sep test and the recently developed generalized chi‐squared test relax many of these assumptions for path models that can be represented as directed acyclic graphs (DAGs), but are currently lacking a multigroup test. In this paper, we develop a multigroup extension to the d‐sep test. Furthermore, we show how a recently developed generalized chi‐squared test and AIC for DAGs can be used for multigroup testing. The approaches are illustrated by a worked example and implemented in the commonly used statistical package, R. Practical recommendations for multigroup modeling are made, and advantages and disadvantages of the multigroup d‐sep and the chi‐squared test are discussed.
Outcomes for continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion users in young adults from lower socioeconomic backgrounds
Authors: McKee Alexis M. , Albert Stewart G. , Al‐Hammadi Noor , Hinyard Leslie J. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractObjectiveDiabetes technology is available and its efficacy and safety have been demonstrated; however, there is little evidence as to how this technology is being utilized and its effectiveness in vulnerable populations. This study evaluated differences in outcomes for young adults in the United States (U.S.) from lower socioeconomic (SES) backgrounds with type 1 diabetes (T1D) managed on continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) versus multiple daily injections (MDI) or fixed‐dose insulin (FDI).Research design, methods and participantsUtilizing the Optum® de‐identified Electronic Health Record data set between 2008 and 2018 to perform a retrospective, cohort study, we identified 805 subjects with T1D aged 18–30 years with Medicaid. We evaluated median difference in HbA1c between CSII and MDI/FDI users for 24 months. Predictors of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)‐associated hospitalizations by CSII use were evaluated using logistic regression.ResultsCSII users showed statistically significant lower median HbA1c values at 24 months of follow‐up compared to individuals on MDI/FDI. Non‐white individuals were at lower odds of receiving treatment with CSII. Subjects on CSII were not more likely to be hospitalized for DKA compared to subjects treated with MDI/FDI. Older subjects were at lower odds of being hospitalized for DKA. Males and subjects followed by Endocrinologists were at higher odds of being hospitalized for DKA.ConclusionsYoung adults with T1D from lower SES backgrounds show improved glycaemic control when in CSII compared to MDI/FDI without increases in hospitalizations for DKA.
Phytochemicals: Do they belong on our plate for sustaining healthspan?
Authors: Fahey Jed W. , Kensler Thomas W. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThat phytochemicals are a critical part of enhancing healthspan is in our minds a linchpin of responsible public health messaging, yet, recent dietary guidelines and strategies for implementing precision nutrition largely ignore roles of phytochemicals. Epidemiological evidence points strongly to beneficial effects of phytochemical‐rich foods on the prevention of essentially all chronic diseases. An extraordinary multitude of phytochemicals have been shown in preclinical settings to be potent allies in our fight against the entire spectrum of chronic diseases and many acute conditions such as infections. Yet unequivocal proof of this concept is problematic due to the nature of the clinical trials that must be part of such a proof. More rigor in the design and implementation of such trials is essential. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, metabolomics, microbiomics, proteomics, and other high‐powered data processing modalities, may inform the phyto‐dynamic actions on very specific metabolic pathways. As phytochemical abundance appears to be declining in our food supply, the need for better and more strategically focused science is great.
Energy and exergy analyses of fabricated solar drying system with smooth and rough surfaces at different conditions: A case study
Authors: Geete Ankur , Singh Yashwant , Rathore Santosh 
Published: May 2021

AbstractFor this experimental work, the solar dryer system has been fabricated. Various experiments have been performed to evaluate the performance of the fabricated dryer system. Energy and exergy concepts have been used for the assessment. And comparative analyses have also been done with smooth and rough surfaces: Grade 150 and Grade 300. This experimental work has been concluded as the maximum collector (i.e., 74°C) and cabinet temperatures (i.e., 66°C) are attained at 13:00 p.m. with Grade 300 surface. Maximum moisture loss (i.e., 35 g) and percentage moisture loss (i.e., 7.53%) are recorded at 13:00 p.m. again with a rough surface. Minimum exergy destruction rate (i.e., 0.294 W) but minimum exergy efficiency (i.e., 20.82%) are found at 17:00 p.m. with a black painted surface, which is not an acceptable condition. Maximum energy efficiency (i.e., 35.98%) and heat removal factor (i.e., 0.56) are obtained at 13:00 p.m. with a rough surface. The best performance from the fabricated solar system is received between 12:00 and 14:00 p.m. This study recommends rough surfaces and 12:00–13:00 p.m. timings for the solar drying system as the performance of the system is better in terms of energy–exergy.
Lovastatin reduces PEL cell survival by phosphorylating ERK1/2 that blocks the autophagic flux and engages a cross‐talk with p53 to activate p21
Authors: Santarelli Roberta , Pompili Chiara , Gilardini Montani Maria Saveria , Romeo Maria Anele , Gonnella Roberta , D'Orazi Gabriella , Cirone Mara 
Published: May 2021

AbstractStatins are inhibitors of the mevalonate pathway that besides being cholesterol lowering agents, display anti‐cancer properties. This is because cholesterol is an essential component of cell membranes but also because the mevalonate pathway controls protein farnesylation and geranylation, processes essential for the activity of GTPase family proteins. In this study, we found that Lovastatin exerted a dose‐ and time‐dependent cytotoxic effect against PEL cells, an aggressive B cell lymphoma strictly associated with the gammaherpesvirus KSHV and characterized by a poor response to conventional chemotherapies. At molecular level, Lovastatin by dephosphorylating STAT3, induced ERK1/2 activation that inhibited autophagy and phosphorylated p53ser15 that in turn maintained ERK1/2 activated and up‐regulated p21. However, p21 played a pro‐survival role in this setting, as its inhibition by UC2288 further reduced cell survival in PEL cells undergoing Lovastatin treatment. In conclusion, this study suggests that Lovastatin may represent a valid therapeutic alternative against PEL cells, especially if used in combination with p21 inhibitors.
Skeletal responses to romosozumab after 12 months of denosumab
Authors: McClung Michael R. , Bolognese Michael A. , Brown Jacques P. , Reginster Jean‐Yves , Langdahl Bente L. , Shi Yifei , Timoshanko Jen , Libanati Cesar , Chines Arkadi , Oates Mary K. 
Published: May 2021

ABSTRACTRomosozumab, a monoclonal anti‐sclerostin antibody that has the dual effect of increasing bone formation and decreasing bone resorption, reduces fracture risk within 12 months. In a post hoc, exploratory analysis, we evaluated the effects of romosozumab after 12 months of denosumab in postmenopausal women with low bone mass who had not received previous osteoporosis therapy. This phase 2 trial (NCT00896532) enrolled postmenopausal women with a lumbar spine, total hip, or femoral neck T‐score ≤ −2.0 and ≥ −3.5. Individuals were randomized to placebo or various romosozumab dosing regimens from baseline to month 24, were re‐randomized to 12 months of denosumab or placebo (months 24–36), and then all received romosozumab 210 mg monthly for 12 months (months 36–48). Results for the overall population have been previously published. Here, we present results for changes in bone mineral density (BMD) and levels of procollagen type I N‐terminal propeptide (P1NP) and β‐isomer of the C‐terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (β‐CTX) from a subset of women who were randomized to placebo for 24 months, were re‐randomized to receive denosumab (n = 16) or placebo (n = 12) for 12 months, and then received romosozumab for 12 months. In women who were randomized to placebo followed by denosumab, romosozumab treatment for 12 months maintained BMD gained during denosumab treatment at the total hip (mean change from end of denosumab treatment of 0.9%) and further increased BMD gains at the lumbar spine (mean change from end of denosumab treatment of 5.3%). Upon transition to romosozumab (months 36–48), P1NP and β‐CTX levels gradually returned to baseline from their reduced values during denosumab administration. Transitioning to romosozumab after 12 months of denosumab appears to improve lumbar spine BMD and maintain total hip BMD while possibly preventing the rapid increase in levels of bone turnover markers above baseline expected upon denosumab discontinuation. © 2021 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Impact of Applying a Skin Compression With the Ultrasound Probe on Carotid Artery Strain Elastography
Authors: Chayer Boris , Roy Cardinal Marie‐Hélène , Biron Vicky , Cloutier Noémie , Petit Clara , Dubord Samuel , Allard Louise , Cloutier Guy 
Published: May 2021

ObjectiveTo study the impact of varying the external compression exerted by the ultrasound probe when performing a carotid strain elastography exam.MethodsNine healthy volunteers (mean age 43 years ±13 years; 6 men) underwent a vascular ultrasound elastography exam using a custom made sound feedback handle embedding the probe, and allowing the sonographer to adjust the applied compression. A clinical standard practice (SP) force was first recorded, and then predetermined compression (PDC) forces were applied, ranging from 0 to 5 N for the left common carotid artery (CCA) or 2–12 N for the left internal carotid artery (ICA). Six carotid elastography features, namely maximum and cumulated axial strains, maximum and cumulated shear strains, cumulated axial translation, and cumulated lateral translation were assessed with noninvasive vascular elastography (NIVE) on near and far walls of carotids. The carotid intima media thickness (IMT) and diameter were also measured.ResultsAll elastography features on the near wall of both CCA and ICA decreased statistically significantly as the PDC force increased; this association was also observed for half of the features on the far wall. Three NIVE features at the lowest PDC force (out of 72 that were tested) were statistically significantly different than values at the SP force. Overall, NIVE showed some variance to probe compression with linear regression slopes revealing changes of 10.1%–45.6% in magnitude over the whole compression range on both walls. The maximum IMT for the ICA near wall, and carotid lumen diameters of both CCA and ICA were statistically significantly associated with PDC forces; these features underwent a decrease of 10.2%, 36.2%, and 17.6%, respectively, over the whole range of PDC force increase. Other IMT measurements were not statistically significantly associated with applied PDC forces.ConclusionThese results suggest the need of technical guidelines for carotid strain elastography. Using the lowest probe compression while allowing a good B‐mode image quality is recommended to improve the robustness of NIVE measurements.
One‐Shot Preparation of Thermoresponsive Comb Polyurethane Hydrogel for Both Excellent Toughness and Large Volume Switching
Authors: Aoki Daisuke , Ajiro Hiroharu 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThermoresponsive degradable polyurethane (PU) hydrogels are expected as the next‐generation biomedical devices, although they have an important trade‐off relationship between toughness and thermoresponsive properties. Tough and thermoresponsive comb PU hydrogels are prepared by one‐shot poly‐addition between hexamethylene diisocyanate, triethylene glycol tartrate ester, poly(ethylene glycol) 300 (PEG300), and glycerol. The swelling ratio change between 4 and 40 °C decreases as the proportion of PEG300 increases and is maintained at 600% switching within 30% PEG300. Moreover, the one‐shot preparation of comb PU hydrogel with PEG300 improves toughness up to 100 times compared to the original comb PU hydrogel. Rheological analysis suggests that the bimodal toughening phenomenon for the proportion of PEG300 is due to the network structure and the hydrophobic aggregation domain. This simple toughening method using a heteronetwork based on the kinetic difference of step‐growth PU is expected to apply to other chemical structures.
Computational and experimental investigation on mechanical behavior of zirconia toughened alumina and nickel powder reinforced EN31 based composite material
Authors: Saxena A. , Dwivedi S.P. , Dixit A. , Sharma S. , Srivastava A.K. , Maurya N.K. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIn the present investigation, EN31 steel alloy based composite material has been developed using zirconia toughened alumina as primary reinforcement material and Ni powder as secondary reinforcement material. The weight percent of zirconia toughened alumina varied from 1.25 % to 10 %. While Ni powder weight percent has been kept uniform (2.5 %). The microstructure of the composite material developed showed uniform distribution of reinforcement particles. Results showed that wettability of zirconia toughened alumina particles improved by adding the nickel particles in EN31 steel alloy. Tensile strength and hardness after the heat treatment were found to be 899 MPa and 120.12 BHN respectively for EN31/6.25 wt.% zirconia toughened alumina/2.5 wt.% nickel composite material. Results showed that tensile strength and hardness of EN31 steel alloy improved about 46.17 % and 100.20 % respectively after adding 6.25 % zirconia toughened alumina and 2.5 % nickel powder. However, ductility reduced by adding the zirconia toughened alumina and nickel powder in EN31 steel alloy. The Finite element analysis has also been carried out to predict the deformation and damage behavior of investigated material during tensile test process. In addition, Brinell hardness test process finite element analysis model is also developed. The finite element analysis results are in good agreement with experimental results with 5 % of percentage difference.
Depression, anxiety and stress among undergraduate students during COVID‐19 outbreak and "home‐quarantine"
Authors: Hamaideh Shaher H. , Al‐Modallal Hanan , Tanash Mu'ath , Hamdan‐Mansour3 Ayman 
Published: May 2021

AbstractAimMany people including students affected physically and psychologically by coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) outbreak and "home‐quarantine." This study aimed at assessing the prevalence and predictors of depression, anxiety and stress among university students in Jordan during "home‐quarantine" due to the outbreak of COVID‐19.DesignThis is a cross‐sectional descriptive study.MethodsData were collected from a convenience sample of 1,380 Jordanian university students. A web‐based survey was used to collect data from the participants using the DASS‐21.ResultsThe prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress in different levels was 78.7%, 67.9% and 58.7%, respectively, which are higher during “home‐quarantine.” The mean scores of depression, anxiety and stress were at moderate levels. Strong correlations were found between depression, stress and anxiety, with demographic, health‐related, lifestyle variables. Several variables also predicted depression, stress and anxiety.