bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
PEG size effect and its interaction with Fe3O4 nanoparticles synthesized by solvothermal method: morphology and effect of pH on the stability
Authors: Namikuchi Eliane A , Gaspar Rafael D L , da Silva Douglas S , Raimundo Ivo M , Mazali Italo O 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
The synthesis and characterization of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) obtained by the solvothermal method in ethyleneglycol with the addition of polyethyleneglycol (PEG) with molar mass of 4000, 8000 and 20000 g mol−1 are described, aimed at evaluating its effect on the size, morphology and stability of the nanoparticle. The syntheses were carried out by solubilizing the precursors at 85 and 140 °C, providing smaller nanoparticles as well as smaller crystallites at higher temperatures, while the effect of PEG was less evident. Measurements of nanoparticle surface areas synthesized with PEG 4000 and 20000 g mol−1 at 140 °C provided values of 76 and 14 m2 g−1, respectively, indicating that PEG 4000 surrounds the crystallites, while PEG 20000 preferably surrounds the whole MNP. As a consequence, MNP with very dissimilar porosities were obtained. Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) indicated that MNP synthesized with PEG 20000 possesses higher electronic density than those obtained with PEG 4000, in agreement with the surface area results. Infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis demonstrated the presence of PEG in the particles, whose amount increased as the particle size decreased. Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) measurements showed that MNP hydrodynamic radius increases with the PEG size and stability in solution increases from pH 5.0 to 9.0 for smaller NP, while polymer presents slight effect on stability for the larger particles. The results obtained in this work show that properties of MNP can be tuned by the dissolution temperature of the chemical precursors and the PEG molar mass, changing their porosity and stability in solution, that are important variables in processes of adsorption, drug delivery and sensor developing.
Refugees: A Very Short Introduction
Authors: Loescher Gil 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Refugees: A Very Short Introduction explores the causes and impact of today&apos;s refugee crises for receiving states and societies, for global order, and for refugees themselves. Refugees and other forced migrants are one of the great challenges in the world today. All over the globe people leave their home countries to escape war, natural disasters, and cultural and political oppression. Unfortunately, despite many years of experience, the international community struggles to provide an adequate response to this vast population in need. This VSI discusses the need to understand the realities of the contemporary refugee situation in order to best respond to current and future challenges.
Responding to refugee movements
Authors: Loescher Gil 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
This chapter discusses the global refugee system. The fundamental principles are detailed in the 1951 Refugee Convention and the core institution of the system is the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). These instruments are supposed to ensure that refugees have access to key rights. However, today’s global refugee system has often had difficulty in providing effective responses to refugee movements. The chapter examines the principal constraints on responding to refugee movements through international cooperation within the context of a radically changing international political system, an expanding global mobility regime, and a growing and diverse group of displaced people in need of assistance and protection.
Optimizing preoperative antibiotics in patients with β-lactam allergies: A role for pharmacy
Authors: Kwiatkowski Shaina , Mulugeta Surafel , Davis Susan , Kenney Rachel , Kalus James , Walton Leslie , Patel Nisha 
Published: May 2021

AbstractPurposePatients with a reported β-lactam allergy (BLA) are often given alternative perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis, increasing risk of surgical site infections (SSIs), acute kidney injury (AKI), and Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). The purpose of this study was to implement and evaluate a pharmacist-led BLA clarification interview service in the preoperative setting.MethodsA pharmacist performed BLA clarification telephone interviews before elective procedures from November 2018 to March 2019. On the basis of allergy history and a decision algorithm, first-line preoperative antibiotics, alternative antibiotics, or allergy testing referral was recommended. The pharmacist intervention (PI) group was compared to a standard of care (SOC) group who underwent surgery from November 2017 to March 2018.ResultsEighty-seven patients were included, with 50 (57%) and 37 (43%) in the SOC and PI groups, respectively. The most common surgeries included orthopedic surgery in 41 patients (47%) and neurosurgery in 17 patients (20%). In the PI group, all BLA labels were updated after interview. Twenty-three patients were referred for allergy testing, 12 of the 23 (52%) completed BLA testing, and penicillin allergies were removed for 9 of the 12 patients. Overall, 28 of the 37 (76%) pharmacy antibiotic recommendations were accepted. Cefazolin use significantly increased from 28% to 65% after the intervention (P = 0.001). SSI occurred in 5 (10%) patients in the SOC group and no patients in the PI group (P = 0.051). All of these SSIs were associated with alternative antibiotics. Incidence of AKI and CDI was similar between the groups. No allergic reactions occurred in either group.ConclusionImplementation of a pharmacy-driven BLA reconciliation significantly increased β-lactam preoperative use without negative safety outcomes.
Identification of evolutionarily stable functional and immunogenic sites across the SARS-CoV-2 proteome and greater coronavirus family
Authors: Wang Chen , Konecki Daniel M , Marciano David C , Govindarajan Harikumar , Williams Amanda M , Wastuwidyaningtyas Brigitta , Bourquard Thomas , Katsonis Panagiotis , Lichtarge Olivier 
Published: May 2021

Abstract

Motivation
Since the first recognized case of COVID-19, more than 100 million people have been infected worldwide. Global efforts in drug and vaccine development to fight the disease have yielded vaccines and drug candidates to cure COVID-19. However, the spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants threatens the continued efficacy of these treatments. In order to address this, we interrogate the evolutionary history of the entire SARS-CoV-2 proteome to identify evolutionarily conserved functional sites that can inform the search for treatments with broader coverage across the coronavirus family.

Results
Combining coronavirus family sequence information with the mutations observed in the current COVID-19 outbreak, we systematically and comprehensively define evolutionarily stable sites that may provide useful drug and vaccine targets and which are less likely to be compromised by the emergence of new virus strains. Several experimentally validated effective drugs interact with these proposed target sites. In addition, the same evolutionary information can prioritize cross reactive antigens that are useful in directing multi-epitope vaccine strategies to illicit broadly neutralizing immune responses to the betacoronavirus family. Although the results are focused on SARS-CoV-2, these approaches stem from evolutionary principles that are agnostic to the organism or infective agent.

Availability and implementation
The results of this work are made interactively available at http://cov.lichtargelab.org.

Supplementary information
Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Localization of kisspeptin, NKB, and NK3R in the hypothalamus of gilts treated with the progestin altrenogest
Authors: Lindo Ashley N , Thorson Jennifer F , Bedenbaugh Michelle N , McCosh Richard B , Lopez Justin A , Young Samantha A , Meadows Lanny J , Bowdridge Elizabeth C , Fergani Chrysanthi , Freking Bradley A , Lehman Michael N , Hileman Stanley M , Lents Clay A 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Mechanisms in the brain controlling secretion of gonadotropin hormones in pigs, particularly luteinizing hormone (LH), are poorly understood. Kisspeptin is a potent LH stimulant that is essential for fertility in many species, including pigs. Neurokinin B (NKB) acting through neurokinin 3 receptor (NK3R) is involved in kisspeptin-stimulated LH release, but organization of NKB and NK3R within the porcine hypothalamus is unknown. Hypothalamic tissue from ovariectomized (OVX) gilts was used to determine the distribution of immunoreactive kisspeptin, NKB, and NK3R cells in the arcuate nucleus (ARC). Almost all kisspeptin neurons coexpressed NKB in the porcine ARC. Immunostaining for NK3R was distributed throughout the preoptic area (POA) and in several hypothalamic areas including the periventricular and retrochiasmatic areas but was not detected within the ARC. There was no colocalization of NK3R with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), but NK3R-positive fibers in the POA were in close apposition to GnRH neurons. Treating OVX gilts with the progestin altrenogest decreased LH pulse frequency and reduced mean circulating concentrations of LH compared with OVX control gilts (P &lt; 0.01), but the number of kisspeptin and NKB cells in the ARC did not differ between treatments. The neuroanatomical arrangement of kisspeptin, NKB, and NK3R within the porcine hypothalamus confirms they are positioned to stimulate GnRH and LH secretion in gilts, though differences with other species exist. Altrenogest suppression of LH secretion in the OVX gilt does not appear to involve decreased peptide expression of kisspeptin or NKB.
Design Criteria for Process-Based Restoration of Fluvial Systems
Authors: Ciotti Damion C , Mckee Jared , Pope Karen L , Kondolf G Mathias , Pollock Michael M 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Process-based restoration of fluvial systems removes human constraints on nature to promote ecological recovery. By freeing natural processes, a resilient ecosystem may be restored with minimal corrective intervention. However, there is a lack of meaningful design criteria to allow designers to evaluate whether a project is likely to achieve process-based restoration objectives. We describe four design criteria to evaluate a project's potential: the expansion of fluvial process space and connectivity lost because of human alterations, the use of intrinsic natural energy to do the work of restoration, the use of native materials that do not overstabilize project elements, and the explicit incorporation of time and adaptive management into project design to place sites on recovery trajectories as opposed to attempts to “restore” sites via a single intervention. Applications include stream and infrastructure design and low-carbon construction. An example is presented in California's Sierra Nevada foothills.
Prediction of response to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in phantom sounds based on individual brain anatomy
Authors: Poeppl Timm B , Schecklmann Martin , Sakreida Katrin , Landgrebe Michael , Langguth Berthold , Eickhoff Simon B 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Non-invasive brain stimulation can reduce the severity of tinnitus phantom sounds beyond the time of stimulation by inducing regional neuroplastic changes. However, there are no good clinical predictors for treatment outcome. We used machine learning to investigate whether brain anatomy can predict therapeutic outcome. Sixty-one chronic tinnitus patients received repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of left dorsolateral prefrontal and temporal cortex. Before repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, a structural magnetic resonance image was obtained from all patients. To predict individual treatment response in new subjects, we employed a support vector machine ensemble for individual out-of-sample prediction. In the cross-validation, the support vector machine ensemble based on stratified sub-sampling and feature selection yielded an area under the curve of 0.87 for prediction of therapy success in new, previously unseen subjects. This corresponded to a balanced accuracy of 83.5%, sensitivity of 77.2% and specificity of 87.2%. Investigating the most selected features showed the involvement of the auditory cortex but also revealed a network of non-auditory brain areas. These findings suggest that idiosyncratic brain patterns accurately predict individual responses to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment for tinnitus. Our findings may hence pave the way for future investigations into the precision treatment of tinnitus, involving automatic identification of the appropriate treatment method for the individual patient.
Techno-economic analysis of the Li-ion batteries and reversible fuel cells as energy-storage systems used in green and energy-efficient buildings
Authors: Mayyas Ahmad , Chadly Assia A , Khaleel Iman , Maalouf Maher 
Published: May 2021

AbstractGreen buildings have become broadly adopted in commercial and residential sectors with the objective of minimizing environmental impacts through reductions in energy usage and water usage and, to a lesser extent, minimizing environmental disturbances from the building site. In this paper, we develop and discuss a techno-economic model for a green commercial building that is 100% powered by a photovoltaic (PV) system in stand-alone configuration. A medium-sized office building in El Paso, TX was modelled to rely on a photovoltaic system to supply all of its electricity needs either directly from the PV system or through an energy-storage system (ESS) using Li-ion batteries (LIBs) or reversible fuel cells (RFCs). Cost results show that a 400-kW PV system can generate electricity at a cost of 2.21 cents/kWh in El Paso, TX and the average levelized cost of energy storage (LCOS) using 450-kW RFC is ~31.3 cents/kWh, while this could reach as low as 25.5 cents/kWh using a small LIB ESS. While the RFC provides the flexibility required to meet building-energy demand, LIBs may not be able to meet building needs unless the storage size is increased substantially, which in turn incurs more energy-storage cost, making LIBs less favourable from an economic perspective. Sensitivity analysis revealed that capital cost, discount rate and expected system lifetime play key roles in shaping the LCOS in both systems.
Female preferences for male golden snub-nosed monkeys vary with male age and social context
Authors: Yang Xi , Berman Carol M , Hu Hanyu , Hou Rong , Huang Kang , Wang Xiaowei , Zhao Haitao , Wang Chengliang , Li Baoguo , Zhang Pei 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Age is a key factor affecting sexual selection, as many physical and social traits are age-related. Although studies of primate mate choice often consider particular age-related traits, few consider the collective effects of male age. We tested the hypothesis that female golden snub-nosed monkeys Rhinopithecus roxellana prefer prime aged males (10–15 years) over younger and older males. We examined a habituated, provisioned troop during a 3-year study in the Qinling Mountains, China. Prime age males were more likely to be resident males of 1-male units (OMUs) than males of other ages. Since females are free to transfer between OMUs, the number of females per OMU can be indicative of female preferences. We examined the number of females per OMU, and found that it increased with resident male age up to 7–8 years, and declined after 12 years, such that prime age resident males had more females than other resident males. Females also initiated extra-unit copulations with high-ranking prime age males at significantly higher rates than with other males. Nevertheless, females tended to transfer from OMUs with high-ranking, older resident males to those with low-ranking, younger resident males. Thus, females appear to use different strategies when choosing social mates and extra-unit mates (i.e., different social contexts). We speculate that females may perceive early signs of aging in males and trade off the benefits and costs of high rank versus male senescence. This study lays the groundwork for future studies that examine possible direct and indirect benefits of such strategies.
Initiation of and persistence with P2Y12 inhibitors in patients with myocardial infarction according to revascularization strategy: a nationwide study
Authors: Tajchman Daniel H , Nabi Hafsah , Aslam Mohsin , Butt Jawad H , Grove Erik L , Engstrøm Thomas , Holmvang Lene , Fosbøl Emil L , Køber Lars , Sørensen Rikke 
Published: May 2021

Abstract

Background
We aimed to analyse initiation of and persistence with P2Y12 inhibitors after first-time myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods and results
Using Danish nationwide registries, we identified patients ≥30 years with first-time MI during 1 January 2005–30 June 2016 and subsequent prescriptions of P2Y12 inhibitors. Independent factors related to initiation of and persistence with P2Y12 inhibitors were analysed by multivariable logistic regression and a Cox proportional hazards model. Patients were stratified by revascularization strategy: percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), or medical therapy alone (MTA). Overall, 79 597 MI patients were included with 39 172 undergoing PCI, 2619 CABG, and 16 640 MTA, showing initiation of P2Y12 inhibitors of 93.4%, 49.0%, and 51.5%, respectively. Congestive heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, cardiac dysrhythmias, renal failure, previous bleeding, and oral anticoagulants were associated with less initiation of P2Y12 inhibitors. Female sex was associated with less initiation of P2Y12 inhibitors following MTA. MTA, coronary angiography, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes with complications, previous bleeding, antidiabetics, and ticagrelor as P2Y12 inhibitor were associated with non-persistence, whereas female sex, advanced age, and concomitant pharmacotherapy with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, beta-blockers, statins, oral anticoagulants, and aspirin were associated with high persistence.

Conclusion
Initiation of P2Y12 inhibitors in PCI-treated MI patients was high in contrast to those treated with CABG or MTA and patients with certain comorbidities. Further studies on the benefit–risk ratio of P2Y12 inhibitors in CABG-treated or MTA-treated patients and patients with comorbidities after first-time MI are warranted, as is focus on persistence among patients receiving MTA, patients with comorbidities, and users of ticagrelor.
The Indigenous South American Tsimane Exhibit Relatively Modest Decrease in Brain Volume With Age Despite High Systemic Inflammation
Authors: Irimia Andrei , Chaudhari Nikhil N , Robles David J , Rostowsky Kenneth A , Maher Alexander S , Chowdhury Nahian F , Calvillo Maria , Ngo Van , Gatz Margaret , Mack Wendy J , Law E Meng , Sutherland M Linda , Sutherland James D , Rowan Christopher J , Wann L Samuel , Allam Adel H , Thompson Randall C , Michalik David E , Cummings Daniel K , Seabright Edmond , Alami Sarah , Garcia Angela R , Hooper Paul L , Stieglitz Jonathan , Trumble Benjamin C , Gurven Michael D , Thomas Gregory S , Finch Caleb E , Kaplan Hillard 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBrain atrophy is correlated with risk of cognitive impairment, functional decline, and dementia. Despite a high infectious disease burden, Tsimane forager-horticulturists of Bolivia have the lowest prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis of any studied population and present few cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors despite a high burden of infections and therefore inflammation. This study (a) examines the statistical association between brain volume (BV) and age for Tsimane and (b) compares this association to that of 3 industrialized populations in the United States and Europe. This cohort-based panel study enrolled 746 participants aged 40–94 (396 males), from whom computed tomography (CT) head scans were acquired. BV and intracranial volume (ICV) were calculated from automatic head CT segmentations. The linear regression coefficient estimate β^T of the Tsimane (T), describing the relationship between age (predictor) and BV (response, as a percentage of ICV), was calculated for the pooled sample (including both sexes) and for each sex. β^T was compared to the corresponding regression coefficient estimate β^R of samples from the industrialized reference (R) countries. For all comparisons, the null hypothesis β T = β R was rejected both for the combined samples of males and females, as well as separately for each sex. Our results indicate that the Tsimane exhibit a significantly slower decrease in BV with age than populations in the United States and Europe. Such reduced rates of BV decrease, together with a subsistence lifestyle and low CVD risk, may protect brain health despite considerable chronic inflammation related to infectious burden.
Increasing Prevalence and Stable Incidence Rates of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Among First Nations: Population-Based Evidence From a Western Canadian Province
Authors: Peña-Sánchez Juan Nicolás , Osei Jessica Amankwah , Marques Santos Jose Diego , Jennings Derek , Andkhoie Mustafa , Brass Colten , Bukassa-Kazadi Germain , Lu Xinya , Johnson-Jennings Michelle , Porter Linda , Porter Rob , Quintin Carol-Lynne , Sanderson Rhonda , Teucher Ulrich , Fowler Sharyle 
Published: May 2021

Abstract

Background
There is limited to no evidence of the prevalence and incidence rates of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) among Indigenous peoples. In partnership with Indigenous patients and family advocates, we aimed to estimate the prevalence, incidence, and trends over time of IBD among First Nations (FNs) since 1999 in the Western Canadian province of Saskatchewan.

Methods
We conducted a retrospective population-based study linking provincial administrative health data from the 1999-2000 to 2016-2017 fiscal years. An IBD case definition requiring multiple health care contacts was used. The prevalence and incidence data were modeled using generalized linear models and a negative binomial distribution. Models considered the effect of age groups, sex, diagnosis type (ulcerative colitis [UC], Crohn disease [CD]), and fiscal years to estimate prevalence and incidence rates and trends over time.

Results
The prevalence of IBD among FNs increased from 64/100,000 (95% confidence interval [CI], 62-66) in 1999-2000 to 142/100,000 (95% CI, 140-144) people in 2016-2017, with an annual average increase of 4.2% (95% CI, 3.2%-5.2%). Similarly, the prevalence of UC and CD, respectively, increased by 3.4% (95% CI, 2.3%-4.6%) and 4.1% (95% CI, 3.3%-4.9%) per year. In contrast, the incidence rates of IBD, UC, and CD among FNs depicted stable trends over time; no statistically significant changes were observed in the annual change trend tests. The ratio of UC to CD was 1.71.

Conclusions
We provided population-based evidence of the increasing prevalence and stable incidence rates of IBD among FNs. Further studies are needed in other regions to continue understanding the patterns of IBD among Indigenous peoples.
Coronavirus and sports leagues: obtaining a fair ranking when the season cannot resume
Authors: Csató László 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Many sports leagues are played in a tightly scheduled round-robin format, leaving a limited time window to postpone matches. If the season cannot resume due to an external shock such as the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the ranking of the teams becomes non-trivial: it is necessary to account for schedule imbalances and possibly for the different number of matches played. First in the literature, we identify a set of desired axioms for ranking in these incomplete tournaments. It is verified that the generalized row sum, a parametric family of scoring rules, satisfies all of them. In particular, the well-established least-squares method maximizes the influence of the strength of opponents on the ranking. Our approach is applied for six major premier European soccer competitions, where the rankings are found to be robust concerning the weight of adjustment for the strength of the opponents. Some methodologically simpler alternative policies are also discussed.