bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of Vascular Growth by Modulation of the Anandamide/Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase Axis
Authors: Rieck Sarah , Kilgus Sofia , Meyer Johanna H. , Huang Hao , Zhao Lan , Matthey Michaela , Wang Xin , Schmitz-Valckenberg Steffen , Fleischmann Bernd K. , Wenzel Daniela 
Published: October 2021

Objective:
Pathological angiogenesis is a hallmark of various diseases characterized by local hypoxia and inflammation. These disorders can be treated with inhibitors of angiogenesis, but current compounds display a variety of side effects and lose efficacy over time. This makes the identification of novel signaling pathways and pharmacological targets involved in angiogenesis a top priority.

Approach and Results:

Here, we show that inactivation of FAAH (fatty acid amide hydrolase), the enzyme responsible for degradation of the endocannabinoid anandamide, strongly impairs angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Both, the pharmacological FAAH inhibitor URB597 and anandamide induce downregulation of gene sets for cell cycle progression and DNA replication in endothelial cells. This is underscored by cell biological experiments, in which both compounds inhibit proliferation and migration and evoke cell cycle exit of endothelial cells. This prominent antiangiogenic effect is also of pathophysiological relevance in vivo, as laser-induced choroidal neovascularization in the eye of

FAAH
−/−

mice is strongly reduced.

Conclusions:
Thus, elevation of endogenous anandamide levels by FAAH inhibition represents a novel antiangiogenic mechanism.
Risk Adjustment Model for Preserved Health Status in Patients With Heart Failure and Reduced Ejection Fraction: The CHAMP-HF Registry
Authors: Tran Andy T. , Fonarow Gregg C. , Arnold Suzanne V. , Jones Philip G. , Thomas Laine E. , Hill C. Larry , DeVore Adam D. , Butler Javed , Albert Nancy M. , Spertus John A. 
Published: October 2021

Background:
Health status outcomes are increasingly being promoted as measures of health care quality, given their importance to patients. In heart failure (HF), an American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force proposed using the proportion of patients with preserved health status as a quality measure but not as a performance measure because risk adjustment methods were not available.

Methods:
We built risk adjustment models for alive with preserved health status and for preserved health status alone in a prospective registry of outpatients with HF with reduced ejection fraction across 146 US centers between December 2015 and October 2017. Preserved health status was defined as not having a ≥5-point decrease in the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire Overall Summary score at 1 year. Using only patient-level characteristics, hierarchical multivariable logistic regression models were developed for 1-year outcomes and validated using data from 1 to 2 years. We examined model calibration, discrimination, and variability in sites’ unadjusted and adjusted rates.

Results:
Among 3932 participants (median age [interquartile range] 68 years [59–75], 29.7% female, 75.4% White), 2703 (68.7%) were alive with preserved health status, 902 (22.9%) were alive without preserved health status, and 327 (8.3%) had died by 1 year. The final risk adjustment model for alive with preserved health status included baseline Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire Overall Summary, age, race, employment status, annual income, body mass index, depression, atrial fibrillation, renal function, number of hospitalizations in the past 1 year, and duration of HF (optimism-corrected C statistic=0.62 with excellent calibration). Similar results were observed when deaths were ignored. The risk standardized proportion of patients alive with preserved health status across the 146 sites ranged from 62% at the 10th percentile to 75% at the 90th percentile. Variability across sites was modest and changed minimally with risk adjustment.

Conclusions:
Through leveraging data from a large, outpatient, observational registry, we identified key factors to risk adjust sites’ proportions of patients with preserved health status. These data lay the foundation for building quality measures that quantify treatment outcomes from patients’ perspectives.
Two‐Thumb Technique Is Superior to Two‐Finger Technique in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation of Simulated Out‐of‐Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Infants
Authors: Cioccari Giani , Sica da Rocha Tais , Piva Jefferson Pedro 
Published: October 2021

Background
To compare the 2‐finger and 2‐thumb chest compression techniques on infant manikins in an out‐of‐hospital setting regarding efficiency of compressions, ventilation, and rescuer pain and fatigue.

Methods and Results

In a randomized crossover design, 78 medical students performed 2 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation with mouth‐to‐nose ventilation at a 30:2 rate on a Resusci Baby QCPR infant manikin (Laerdal, Stavanger, Norway), using a barrier device and the 2‐finger and 2‐thumb compression techniques. Frequency and depth of chest compressions, proper hand position, complete chest recoil at each compression, hands‐off time, tidal volume, and number of ventilations were evaluated through manikin‐embedded SkillReporting software. After the interventions, standard Likert questionnaires and analog scales for pain and fatigue were applied. The variables were compared by a paired
t
‐test or Wilcoxon test as suitable. Seventy‐eight students participated in the study and performed 156 complete interventions. The 2‐thumb technique resulted in a greater depth of chest compressions (42 versus 39.7 mm;
P
<0.01), and a higher percentage of chest compressions with adequate depth (89.5% versus 77%;
P
<0.01). There were no differences in ventilatory parameters or hands‐off time between techniques. Pain and fatigue scores were higher for the 2‐finger technique (5.2 versus 1.8 and 3.8 versus 2.6, respectively;
P
<0.01).

Conclusions
In a simulation of out‐of‐hospital, single‐rescuer infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the 2‐thumb technique achieves better quality of chest compressions without interfering with ventilation and causes less rescuer pain and fatigue.
China-Taiwan Threats of Force and the Paradox of the ‘Nuclear Weapons Principle’
Authors: Helmersen Sondre Torp 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
The People’s Republic of China (‘China’) has adopted legislation threatening to invade the Republic of China (‘Taiwan’) if the latter declares independence. Threats of force are prohibited by the UN Charter Article 2(4) and equivalent customary international law. This article proceeds along two apparently contradictory strands. On the one hand, the prohibition probably does not apply to non-State entities such as the Republic of China. One the other hand, the ICJ stated in the Nuclear Weapons opinion that ‘if the use of force itself in a given case is illegal […] the threat to use such force will likewise be illegal’. If the Republic of China declares independence it will become a State, making a PRC invasion illegal. Therefore, the PRC’s current threats should also be illegal. The best way to resolve this apparent paradox is to say that the ICJ’s ‘Nuclear Weapons principle’ must be nuanced.
China’s Humanistic Zhong-Yong Approach to Educational Partnerships for International Development in Post-Covid-19: Confucian and Ubuntu Perspectives on Confucius Institutes and Classrooms in Africa
Authors: Li Jun 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
Based on broad observations of the development of Confucius Institutes and Classrooms in Africa over a decade, this article focuses on educational partnerships between Chinese and African educational institutions and their implications for international development, as they relate to international development in the era of post-Covid-19. The author identifies the Confucian Zhong-Yong approach to educational partnerships through Confucius Institutes and Classrooms in Africa, a pragmatic model for educational development centered on Confucianism. Three core characteristics of Confucian educational partnerships – demand-driven, ethics-based and pragmatic – are seen as the key to the success of such partnerships. Reflecting on Ubuntu from a Confucian perspective, the author concludes that China’s humanistic Zhong-Yong approach to partnerships has a unique potential to re-envision education for international development in ways that may be of interest to such international developmental agencies as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the World Bank, and the United Nations.
The End of the Middle East’s Unipolar Era
Authors: Mousavian Seyed Hossein , Ameri Salman 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
This Policy Insight article argues that a growing security partnership between Russia, Iran, China, Turkey, Iraq, and Syria (rictis) will push the Middle East into an era of bipolarity. The paper demonstrates that rictis has significant convergence on regional security issues, and that these interests are distinct from those held by the American Security Camp, a collection of states that include the United States, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates. The paper also argues that rictis has military and energy advantages that allow it to confront the American Camp’s regional dominance. Our analysis demonstrates how rictis might help deter unilateralism and democratize regional decision-making.
On the diurnal cycle of rainfall and convection over Lake Victoria and its catchment. Part 1: Rainfall and Mesoscale Convective Systems
Authors: Nicholson Sharon E. , Hartman Adam T. , Klotter Douglas A. 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThis article examines the diurnal cycle of lake-effect rains over Lake Victoria and of rainfall in the surrounding catchment. The analysis focuses on four months, which represent the two wet seasons (April and November) and the two dry seasons (February and July). Lake-effect rains are strongest in April, weakest in July. In all cases there is a nocturnal rainfall maximum over the lake and a daytime maximum over the catchment, with the transition between rainfall over the lake and over the catchment occurring between 1200 and 1500 LST. During the night the surrounding catchment is mostly dry. Conversely, little to no rain falls over the lake during the afternoon and early evening. In most cases the maximum over the lake occurs at either 0600 or 0900 LST and the maximum over the catchment occurs around 1500 to 1800 LST. The diurnal cycle of Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCSs) parallels that of over-lake rainfall. MCS initiation generally begins over the catchment around 1500 LST and increases at 1800 LST. MCS initiation over the lake begins around 0300 LST and continues until 1200 LST. While some MCSs originate over the highlands to the east of the lake, most originate in situ over the lake. Maximum MCS activity over the lake occurs at 0600 LST and is associated with the systems that initiate in situ.
The Digital Dilemma: Perspectives From Otolaryngology Residency Applicants on Social Media
Authors: Patro Ankita , Landeen Kelly C. , Stevens Madelyn N. , Cass Nathan D. , Haynes David S. 
Published: October 2021

Objective: To evaluate the impact of otolaryngology programs’ social media on residency candidates in the 2020 to 2021 application cycle. Methods: An anonymous survey was distributed via Otomatch, Headmirror, and word of mouth to otolaryngology residency applicants in the 2021 Match. Survey items included demographics, social media usage, and impact of programs’ social media on applicant perception and ranking. Descriptive statistics were performed, and responses based on demographic variables were compared using Fisher’s exact and Mann-Whitney U tests. Results: Of 64 included respondents, nearly all (61/64, 95%) used Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter for personal and/or professional purposes. Applicants (59/64, 92%) most commonly researched otolaryngology residency programs on Instagram (55/59, 93%) and Twitter (36/59, 61%), with younger ( P = .023) and female ( P = .043) applicants being more likely to engage with programs on Instagram. Program accounts were most helpful in showcasing program culture (50/59, 85%) and highlighting its location (34/59, 58%). Nearly one third (19/59, 32%) reported that social media impacted their rank list. Age, gender, reapplication, home program status, or time taken off before and/or during medical school did not significantly influence social media’s usefulness in the application cycle. Conclusion: Social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter are frequently used by applicants to assess otolaryngology residency programs. Programs’ social media accounts effectively demonstrate program culture and affect applicants’ rank lists. As social media usage continues to rise in the medical community, these findings can help otolaryngology residency programs craft a beneficial online presence that aids in recruitment, networking, and education.
Changes of color and antibacterial characteristics of knitted fabrics dyed with reactive dyes after treatment with a nanocomposition of silver and carboxymethyl starch
Authors: Bektursunova Ainur , Botabayev Nurzhan , Yerkebay Gani , Nabiev Donyor 
Published: October 2021

Changes in the color characteristics of knitted fabrics after bactericidal finishes were studied by the colorimetric method. Antibacterial activity was tested with regard to gram-negative bacterium E. coli and gram-positive bacterium S. aureus. The strongest color changes due to the presence of Ag NPs were observed on samples dyed with lighter shades, where the color difference was mainly caused by the change in lightness and brightness. After treatment with silver NPs, the colors in samples dyed with Navy K-EN and Black NN are deepened, that is, the color intensity increases many times and the reflection coefficient decreases. Due to this effect, darker color tones can be achieved using less dye. The dyed knitted fabrics modified with Ag-carboxymethyl starch (AgCMS) NPs exhibited excellent antibacterial properties regardless of the dye color used. The dyeing did not affect the antibacterial activity of fabrics modified with AgCMS nanocomposites. The research on the resistance of the dyed knitted fabrics treated with nanocomposite AgCMS solution to washing showed the preservation of a sufficiently high antimicrobial activity, slightly decreasing only after the 10th wash in a washing solution. This is proved by exceptional resistance to washing of knitted fabrics modified with AgCMS. The results of the research allow one to solve the problem of expanding the range of antibacterial products and special clothes by treating textile materials with silver and carboxymethyl starch NPs.
Insufficiency of ventral hippocampus to medial prefrontal cortex transmission explains antidepressant non-response
Authors: Papp Mariusz , Gruca Piotr , Lason Magdalena , Litwa Ewa , Solecki Wojciech , Willner Paul 
Published: October 2021

Background: There is extensive evidence that antidepressant drugs restore normal brain function by repairing damage to ventral hippocampus (vHPC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). While the damage is more extensive in hippocampus, the evidence of treatments, such as deep brain stimulation, suggests that functional changes in prefrontal cortex may be more critical. We hypothesized that antidepressant non-response may result from an insufficiency of transmission from vHPC to mPFC. Method: Antidepressant non-responsive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats were subjected to chronic mild stress (CMS), then treated with chronic daily administration of the antidepressant drug venlafaxine (VEN) and/or repeated weekly optogenetic stimulation (OGS) of afferents to mPFC originating from vHPC or dorsal HPC (dHPC). Results: As in many previous studies, CMS decreased sucrose intake, open-arm entries on the elevated plus maze (EPM), and novel object recognition (NOR). Neither VEN nor vHPC–mPFC OGS alone was effective in reversing the effects of CMS, but the combination of chronic VEN and repeated OGS restored normal behaviour on all three measures. dHPC–mPFC OGS restored normal behaviour in the EPM and NOR test irrespective of concomitant VEN treatment, and had no effect on sucrose intake. Conclusions: The synergism between VEN and vHPC–mPFC OGS supports the hypothesis that the antidepressant non-responsiveness of WKY rats results from a failure of antidepressant treatment fully to restore transmission in the vHPC–mPFC pathway.
Lesion human leukocyte antigen-E is associated with favourable prognosis for patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Xu Yong-Fu , Du Xue-Feng , Li Zhen-Yu , Fang Zhe-Ping , Zhang Fa-Biao 
Published: October 2021

Objective To investigate the clinical significance of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-E levels in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods The levels of HLA-E immunostaining in ESCC lesions and 47 corresponding adjacent normal tissues were measured using immunohistochemistry. The correlation between the levels of immunostaining and clinical parameters was analysed. Results This study analysed 110 paraffin-embedded primary tumour lesions and 47 case–controlled paracancerous tissues that were surgically resected from 110 patients with ESCC. Positive immunostaining for HLA-E was observed in 88.2% (97 of 110) of ESCC lesions and 29.8% (14 of 47) of normal oesophageal tissues. There was no correlation between HLA-E immunostaining in ESCC lesions and clinicopathological characteristics such as lymph node metastasis, tumour–node–metastasis stage and differentiation grade. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis revealed a significantly better prognosis in patients with higher levels of HLA-E immunostaining than in those with lower levels of HLA-E immunostaining; overall survival was 28.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 23.2, 34.0) versus 15.3 months (95% CI, 11.5, 19.1), respectively. Furthermore, multivariate analysis showed that the HLA-E level was an independent prognostic factor in patients with ESCC. Conclusion A higher level of HLA-E immunostaining was associated with favourable survival in patients with ESCC.
A High-Sensitivity International Knee Documentation Committee Survey Index From the PROMIS System: The Next-Generation Patient-Reported Outcome for a Knee Injury Population
Authors: Tenan Matthew S. , Robins Richard J. , Sheean Andrew J. , Dekker Travis J. ,   MOTION Collaborative, Bailey James R. , Bharmal Husain M. , Bradley Matthew W. , Cameron Kenneth L. , Burns Travis C. , Freedman Brett A. , Galvin Joseph W. , Grenier Eric S. , Haley Chad A. , Hurvitz Andrew P. , LeClere Lance E. , Lee Ian , Mauntel Timothy , McDonald Lucas S. , Nesti Leon J. , Owens Brett D. , Posner Matthew A. , Potter Benjamin K. , Provencher Matthew T. , Rhon Daniel I. , Roach Christopher J. , Ryan Paul M. , Schmitz Matthew R. , Slabaugh Mark A. , Tucker Christopher J. , Volk William R. , Dickens Jonathan F. 
Published: October 2021

Background: Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) measure progression and quality of care. While legacy PROs such as the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) survey are well-validated, a lengthy PRO creates a time burden on patients, decreasing adherence. In recent years, PROs such as the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Physical Function and Pain Interference surveys were developed as computer adaptive tests, reducing time to completion. Previous studies have examined correlation between legacy PROs and PROMIS; however, no studies have developed effective prediction models utilizing PROMIS to create an IKDC index. While the IKDC is the standard knee PRO, computer adaptive PROs offer numerous practical advantages. Purpose: To develop a nonlinear predictive model utilizing PROMIS Physical Function and Pain Interference to estimate IKDC survey scores and examine algorithm sensitivity and validity. Study Design: Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 3. Methods: The MOTION (Military Orthopaedics Tracking Injuries and Outcomes Network) database is a prospectively collected repository of PROs and intraoperative variables. Patients undergoing knee surgery completed the IKDC and PROMIS surveys at varying time points. Nonlinear multivariable predictive models using Gaussian and beta distributions were created to establish an IKDC index score, which was then validated using leave-one-out techniques and minimal clinically important difference analysis. Results: A total of 1011 patients completed the IKDC and PROMIS Physical Function and Pain Interference, providing 1618 complete observations. The algorithms for the Gaussian and beta distribution were validated to predict the IKDC (Pearson = 0.84-0.86; R2 = 0.71-0.74; root mean square error = 9.3-10.0). Conclusion: The publicly available predictive models can approximate the IKDC score. The results can be used to compare PROMIS Physical Function and Pain Interference against historical IKDC scores by creating an IKDC index score. Serial use of the IKDC index allows for a lower minimal clinically important difference than the conventional IKDC. PROMIS can be substituted to reduce patient burden, increase completion rates, and produce orthopaedic-specific survey analogs.
Cost of Cleft Team Care at an Academic Children’s Hospital
Authors: Lee Jennifer , Skolnick Gary B. , Naidoo Sybill D. , Scheve Sibyl , Grellner Cheryl , Snyder-Warwick Alison , Patel Kamlesh B. 
Published: October 2021

Background The financial burden of cleft-craniofacial team care is substantial, and high costs can hinder successful completion of team care. Solution Collaboration with multiple stakeholders including providers, insurers, and patient guardians, as well as hospital administrators, is critical to increase patient retention and improve final clinical outcomes. What We Do That is New At our cleft and craniofacial center, charges for a team care visit fall into one of three categories—hospital fees, professional fees, or external fees. There are four types of hospital fees depending on (1) whether the patient is new or returning, and (2) whether the patient saw ≤4 or ≥5 providers. To further elucidate the financial burden (out-of-pocket costs) directly borne by families of children with cleft lip and/or palate, we conducted a retrospective review of billing records of team care visits made between September 2019 and March 2020. Out-of-pocket costs for a single team care visit (on a commercial insurance plan) ranged from $4 to approximately $1220 and had a median (IQR) of $445 ($118, $749).