bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Combined effects of individual and neighbourhood socioeconomic status on older adults’ mortality: a retrospective follow-up study in Hong Kong
Authors: Guo Yingqi , Chan Kristy Shuk Ting , Chan Chee Hon , Chang Qingsong , Lee Ruby SY , Yip Paul Siu Fai 
Published: April 2021

ObjectivesThis study examined the interaction effects of individual and neighbourhood socioeconomic status (SES) in older adults in Hong Kong, considering all-cause and cause-specific mortality from respiratory disease, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, nonmedical disease and suicide.DesignA retrospective follow-up study.SettingHong Kong Special Administrative Region, a rapidly ageing society with 16.1% residents aged 65 years or older in 2020.Participants43 910 people aged 65 years or older were enrolled at baseline. They had participated in health check-ups during 2000–2003 in one of the Elderly Health Centres. Observation periods started on the date of the participant’s first health check-up, and ended at death, or 31 December 2011, whichever occurred first.Outcome measuresAll-cause and cause-specific mortality over the study timeframe.AnalysisCox’s proportional hazards regression models were applied to estimate the adjusted HRs of mortality, by including covariates at neighbourhood (deprivation) and individual levels (poverty, education and type of housing).ResultsThe ‘double tragedy theory’ (ie, lower SES persons living in lower SES neighbourhoods have worst health outcomes) was more related to cancer, while the ‘psychosocial comparison theory’ (ie, lower SES persons living in higher SES neighbourhoods have poorer health outcomes) was more related to cardiovascular, ischaemic heart disease, and stroke.ConclusionThere were important interaction effects between neighbourhood and individual factors on mortality. Policies based on the interaction between individual and neighbourhood SES should be considered. For instance, for cancer, targeted services (ie, free consultation, relevant treatment information, health check-up, etc) could be allocated in socioeconomically deprived areas to support individuals with low SES. On the other hand, more free public services to reduce psychological stresses (ie, psychological support services, recreational services, health knowledge information, etc) could be provided for those individuals with low SES living in higher SES areas to reduce stroke, cardiovascular and ischaemic heart diseases.
Increasing breast cancer awareness and breast examination practices among women through health education and capacity building of primary healthcare providers: a pre-post intervention study in low socioeconomic area of Mumbai, India
Authors: Prusty Ranjan Kumar , Begum Shahina , Patil Anushree , Naik D D , Pimple Sharmila , Mishra Gauravi 
Published: April 2021

ObjectivesThe present study aimed to improve breast cancer (BC) awareness and practices using Information, Education and Communication (IEC) modules and health educational sessions for women and primary healthcare providers in low socioeconomic community of Mumbai.DesignPre-post quasi-experimental design.SettingThe study was conducted in a lower socioeconomic area of G-South ward of Mumbai, Maharashtra. The baseline and endline survey was conducted using structured interview schedules.Participants410 women were selected, aged between 18 and 55 years who were not pregnant, lactating or diagnosed with BC.InterventionA health education-based intervention module was developed to educate women through group and individual sessions.OutcomesSummative indices were constructed to understand the net mean difference in knowledge of signs, symptoms and risk factors. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and paired t-test were used to check the significant improvement of intervention.ResultsOur results showed statistical significance in difference in mean knowledge scores for both signs and symptoms (mean difference (MD) 4.09, SD 4.05, p<0.00)) and risk factors of BC knowledge (MD 5.64, SD 4.00, p<0.00) among women after intervention. There was a marked improvement in the knowledge of BC among women with low education category. A significant improvement in knowledge of symptoms and risk factors among health workers was also observed. Our interventions resulted in positive change in breast examination practices. The breast self-examination (BSE) practices improved from around 3% to 65% and around 41% additional women went for clinical breast examination after intervention.ConclusionsThis study found a significant improvement in knowledge of BC signs and symptoms, risk factors and BSE practices among study participants following our health education interventions among these subpopulations. This evidence calls for inclusion of similar interventions through health education and capacity building of primary healthcare providers in national programmes.
Bilateral staged magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound thalamotomy for the treatment of essential tremor: a case series study
Authors: Martínez-Fernández Raúl , Mahendran Sujitha , Pineda-Pardo Jose Angel , Imbach Lukas L , Máñez-Miró Jorge U , Büchele Fabian , del Álamo Marta , Rodriguez-Rojas Rafael , Hernández-Fernández Frida , Werner Beat , Matarazzo Michele , Obeso Ignacio , Gonzalez-Quarante Lain H , Deuschl Günther , Stieglitz Lennart , Baumann Christian R , Obeso Jose A 
Published: April 2021

BackgroundUnilateral magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (FUS) thalamotomy is efficacious for the treatment of medically refractory essential tremor (ET). Viability of bilateral FUS ablation is unexplored.MethodsPatients diagnosed with medically refractory ET and previously treated with unilateral FUS thalamotomy at least 5 months before underwent bilateral treatment. The timepoints were baseline (before first thalamotomy) and FUS1 and FUS2 (4 weeks before and 6 months after second thalamotomy, respectively). The primary endpoint was safety. Efficacy was assessed through the Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor (CRST), which includes subscales for tremor examination (part A), task performance (part B) and tremor-related disability (part C).ResultsNine patients were treated. No permanent adverse events were registered. Six patients presented mild gait instability and one dysarthria, all resolving within the first few weeks. Three patients reported perioral hypoesthesia, resolving in one case. Total CRST score improved by 71% from baseline to FUS2 (from 52.3±12 to 15.5±9.4, p<0.001), conveying a 67% reduction in bilateral upper limb A+B (from 32.3±7.8 to 10.8±7.3, p=0.001). Part C decreased by 81% (from 16.4±3.6 to 3.1±2.9, p<0.001). Reduction in head and voice tremor was 66% (from 1.2±0.44 to 0.4±0.54, p=0.01) and 45% (from 1.8±1.1 to 1±0.8, p=0.02), respectively.ConclusionBilateral staged FUS thalamotomy for ET is feasible and might be safe and effective. Voice and head tremor might also improve. A controlled study is warranted.
Endovascular treatment of vertebral artery dissecting aneurysms : a 20-year institutional experience
Authors: Catapano Joshua S , Ducruet Andrew F , Cadigan Megan S , Farhadi Dara S , Majmundar Neil , Nguyen Candice L , Baranoski Jacob F , Cole Tyler S , Wilkinson D Andrew , Fredrickson Vance L , Srinivasan Visish M , Albuquerque Felipe C 
Published: April 2021

BackgroundThe ideal treatment for unruptured vertebral artery dissecting aneurysms (VADAs) and ruptured dominant VADAs remains controversial. We report our experience in the management and endovascular treatment of patients with VADAs.MethodsPatients treated endovascularly for intradural VADAs at a single institution from January 1, 1999, to December 31, 2019, were retrospectively reviewed. Primary neurological outcomes were assessed using modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores, with mRS >2 considered a poor neurological outcome. Additionally, any worsening (increase) in the mRS score from the preoperative neurological examination was considered a poor outcome.ResultsNinety-one patients of mean (SD) age 53 (11.6) years (48 (53%) men) underwent endovascular treatment for VADAs. Fifty-four patients (59%) presented with ruptured VADAs and 44 VADAs (48%) involved the dominant vertebral artery. Forty-seven patients (51%) were treated with vessel sacrifice of the parent artery, 29 (32%) with flow diversion devices (FDDs), and 15 (17%) with stent-assisted coil embolization (stent/coil). Rates of procedural complications and retreatment were significantly higher with stent/coil treatment (complications 4/15; retreatment 6/15) than with vessel sacrifice (complications 1/47; retreatment 2/47) or FDD (complications 2/29; retreatment 4/29) (p=0.008 and p=0.002, respectively). Of 37 patients with unruptured VADAs treated, only two (5%) had mRS scores >2 on follow-up.ConclusionEndovascular FDD treatment of VADAs appears to be associated with lower retreatment and complication rates than stenting/coiling, although further study is required for confirmation. Endovascular treatment of unruptured VADAs was safe and was associated with favorable angiographic and neurological outcomes.
The influence of the methionine residue on the dissociation mechanisms of photoionized methionine-enkephalin probed by VUV action spectroscopy
Authors: Dörner Simon , Schwob Lucas , Schubert Kaja , Girod Marion , MacAleese Luke , Pieterse Cornelius L. , Schlathölter Thomas , Techert Simone , Bari Sadia 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
VUV action spectroscopy has recently gained interest for the study of peptides and proteins. However, numerous aspects of the fundamental processes involved in the photodissociation are yet to be understood. It can, for example, be expected that sulfur-containing amino-acid residues have a significant impact on the dissociation processes following photoionization because of their potential involvement in the transport of electron holes in proteins. In order to investigate the influence of the sulfur-containing methionine residue on the VUV photodissociation of a small peptide a VUV action spectroscopy study of gas-phase protonated methionine-enkephalin and leucine-enkephalin in the photon energy range of 6–35 eV was performed. The results show that upon non-ionizing photoexcitation, the fragmentation patterns of the two peptides are nearly identical, whereas significant differences were observed upon photoionization. The differences between the fragment yields and the identified specific dissociation channels for methionine-enkephalin could be explained by the high electron hole affinity of sulfur, which efficiently directs the radical to the methionine side chain. Additionally, for both peptides the presence of the intact photoionized precursor ions was confirmed by their isotopic patterns and the stability of these species could be evaluated.

Graphic abstract
Ensuring Data Readiness for Quality Requirements with Help from Procedure Reuse
Authors: Chirkova Rada , Doyle Jon , Reutter Juan 
Published: April 2021

Assessing and improving the quality of data are fundamental challenges in Big-Data applications. These challenges have given rise to numerous solutions targeting transformation, integration, and cleaning of data. However, while schema design, data cleaning, and data migration are nowadays reasonably well understood in isolation, not much attention has been given to the interplay between standalone tools in these areas. In this article, we focus on the problem of determining whether the available data-transforming procedures can be used together to bring about the desired quality characteristics of the data in business or analytics processes. For example, to help an organization avoid building a data-quality solution from scratch when facing a new analytics task, we ask whether the data quality can be improved by reusing the tools that are already available, and if so, which tools to apply, and in which order, all without presuming knowledge of the internals of the tools, which may be external or proprietary.
Toward addressing this problem, we conduct a formal study in which individual data cleaning, data migration, or other data-transforming tools are abstracted as black-box procedures with only some of the properties exposed, such as their applicability requirements, the parts of the data that the procedure modifies, and the conditions that the data satisfy once the procedure has been applied. As a proof of concept, we provide foundational results on sequential applications of procedures abstracted in this way, to achieve prespecified data-quality objectives, for the use case of relational data and for procedures described by standard relational constraints. We show that, while reasoning in this framework may be computationally infeasible in general, there exist well-behaved cases in which these foundational results can be applied in practice for achieving desired data-quality results on Big Data.
Tumor-Associated Neutrophils Drive B-cell Recruitment and Their Differentiation to Plasma Cells
Authors: Shaul Merav E. , Zlotnik Asaf , Tidhar Einat , Schwartz Asaf , Arpinati Ludovica , Kaisar-Iluz Naomi , Mahroum Sojod , Mishalian Inbal , Fridlender Zvi G. 
Published: April 2021

Abstract

A major mechanism through which neutrophils have been suggested to modulate tumor progression involves the interaction and subsequent modulation of other infiltrating immune cells. B cells have been found to infiltrate various cancer types and play a role in tumor immunity, offering new immunotherapy opportunities. Nevertheless, the specific impact of tumor-associated neutrophils (TAN) on B cells has largely been overlooked. In the current study, we aimed to characterize the role of TANs in the recruitment and modulation of B cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). We showed that TANs actively participate in the recruitment of B cells to the TME and identified TNFα as the major cytokine mediating B-cell chemotaxis by TANs. The recruitment of CD45+B220+CD138− splenic B cells by TANs in vitro resulted in B-cell phenotypic modulation, with 68.6% ± 2.1% of the total migrated B cells displaying a CD45−B220+CD138+ phenotype, which is typical for plasma cells. This phenotype mirrored the large proportion (54.0% ± 6.1%) of CD45−B220+CD138+ intratumoral B cells (i.e., plasma cells) in Lewis lung carcinoma tumors. We next confirmed that the differentiation of CD45+B220+CD138− B cells to functionally active CD45−B220+CD138+ plasma cells required contact with TANs, was independent of T cells, and resulted in IgG production. We further identified membranal B-cell activating factor (BAFF) on TANs as a potential contact mechanism mediating B-cell differentiation, as blocking BAFF-receptor (BAFF-R) significantly reduced IgG production by 20%. Our study, therefore, demonstrates that TANs drive the recruitment and modulation of B cells into plasma cells in the TME, hence opening new avenues in the targeting of the immune system in cancer.
Status, abundance, and seasonality of butterfly fauna at Kuvempu University Campus, Karnataka, India
Authors: Harisha M.N. , Hosetti B.B. 
Published: April 2021

A survey was conducted to record the diversity, status, and occurrence of butterfly species in the Kuvempu University Campus, Jnana Sahyadri, Shivamogga District, Karnataka during February 2010 to January 2011. A total of 115 species of butterflies in 77 genera, belonging to five families were recorded. Nymphalidae comprised the highest number of species, followed by Lycaenidae, Pieridae, Papilionidae, and Hesperiidae. The study area hosts 14 species of butterflies protected under various schedules of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Nine species recorded are endemic to the Western Ghats of peninsular India and Sri Lanka. Hence there is an urgent need to protect this habitat by adapting long-term monitoring programs to manage and conserve the butterfly diversity.
cAMP Imaging at Ryanodine Receptors Reveals β
2
-Adrenoceptor Driven Arrhythmias
Authors: Berisha Filip , Götz Konrad R. , Wegener Jörg W. , Brandenburg Sören , Subramanian Hariharan , Molina Cristina E. , Rüffer André , Petersen Johannes , Bernhardt Alexander , Girdauskas Evaldas , Jungen Christiane , Pape Ulrike , Kraft Axel E. , Warnke Svenja , Lindner Diana , Westermann Dirk , Blankenberg Stefan , Meyer Christian , Hasenfuß Gerd , Lehnart Stephan E. , Nikolaev Viacheslav O. 
Published: April 2021

Rationale:
3′,5′-cAMP is a ubiquitous second messenger which, upon β-AR (β-adrenergic receptor) stimulation, acts in microdomains to regulate cardiac excitation-contraction coupling by activating phosphorylation of calcium handling proteins. One crucial microdomain is in vicinity of the cardiac RyR2 (ryanodine receptor type 2) which is associated with arrhythmogenic diastolic calcium leak from the sarcoplasmic reticulum often occurring in heart failure.

Objective:
We sought to establish a real-time live-cell imaging approach capable of directly visualizing cAMP in the vicinity of mouse and human RyR2 and to analyze its pathological changes in failing cardiomyocytes under β-AR stimulation.

Methods and Results:

We generated a novel targeted fluorescent biosensor Epac1 (exchange protein directly activated by cAMP 1)-JNC (junctin) for RyR2-associated cAMP and expressed it in transgenic mouse hearts as well in human ventricular myocytes using adenoviral gene transfer. In healthy cardiomyocytes, β
1
-AR but not β
2
-AR stimulation strongly increased local RyR2-associated cAMP levels. However, already in cardiac hypertrophy induced by aortic banding, there was a marked subcellular redistribution of PDEs (phosphodiesterases) 2, 3, and 4, which included a dramatic loss of the local pool of PDE4. This was also accompanied by measurable β
2
-AR/AMP signals in the vicinity of RyR2 in failing mouse and human myocytes, increased β
2
-AR–dependent RyR2 phosphorylation, sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium leak, and arrhythmia susceptibility.

Conclusions:

Our new imaging approach could visualize cAMP levels in the direct vicinity of cardiac RyR2. Unexpectedly, in mouse and human failing myocytes, it could uncover functionally relevant local arrhythmogenic β
2
-AR/cAMP signals which might be an interesting antiarrhythmic target for heart failure.
Can the Earth–Moon Distance Influence the Accuracy of Lunar Irradiance with the Plane-Parallel Assumption in Atmospheric Radiative Transfer at Night?
Authors: Min Min , Zhang Lu , Zhang Peng , Yao Zhigang 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe plane-parallel atmosphere as an underlying assumption in physics is appropriately used in the rigorous numerical simulation of the atmospheric radiative transfer model (RTM) with incident solar light. The solar irradiance is a constant with the plane-parallel assumption, which is attributed to the small difference in the distance between any point on Earth’s surface to the sun. However, at night, atmospheric RTMs use the moon as a unique incident light source in the sky. The Earth–moon distance is approximately 1/400 of the Earth–sun distance. Thus, the varying Earth–moon distance on Earth’s surface can influence the top of atmosphere (TOA) lunar irradiance for the plane-parallel atmosphere assumption. In this investigation, we observe that the maximum biases in Earth–moon distance and day/night band lunar irradiance at the TOA are ±1.7% and ±3.3%, respectively, with the plane-parallel assumption. According to our calculations, this bias effect on the Earth–moon distance and lunar irradiance shows a noticeable spatiotemporal variation on a global scale that can impact the computational accuracy of an RTM at night. In addition, we also developed a fast and portable correction algorithm for the Earth–moon distance within a maximum bias of 18 km or ±0.05%, because of the relatively low computational efficiency and the large storage space necessary for the standard ephemeris computational software. This novel correction algorithm can be easily used or integrated into the atmospheric RTM at night.
A Climatological Study of National Weather Service Watches, Warnings, and Advisories and Landfalling Atmospheric Rivers in the Western United States 2006–18
Authors: Bartlett Samuel M. , Cordeira Jason M. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractAtmospheric rivers (ARs) are synoptic-scale phenomena associated with long, narrow corridors of enhanced low-level water vapor transport. Landfalling ARs may produce numerous beneficial (e.g., drought amelioration and watershed recharge) and hazardous (e.g., flash flooding and heavy snow) impacts that may require the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue watches, warnings, and advisories (WWAs). Prior research on WWAs and ARs in California found that 50%–70% of days with flood-related and 60%–80% of days with winter weather–related WWAs occurred on days with landfalling ARs in California. The present study further investigates this relationship for landfalling ARs and WWAs during the cool seasons of 2006–18 across the entire western United States and considers additional dimensions of AR intensity and duration. Across the western United States, regional maxima of 70%–90% of days with WWAs issued for any hazard type were associated with landfalling ARs. In the Pacific Northwest and central regions, flood-related and wind-related WWAs were also more frequently associated with more intense and longer-duration ARs. While a large majority of days with WWAs were associated with landfalling ARs, not all landfalling ARs were necessarily associated with WWAs (i.e., not all ARs are hazardous). For example, regional maxima of only 50%–70% of AR days were associated with WWAs issued for any hazard type. However, as landfalling AR intensity and duration increased, the association with a WWA and the “hazard footprint” of WWAs increased quasi-exponentially across the western United States.
Assessment of the Implementation of AUC Dosing and Monitoring Practices With Vancomycin at Hospitals Across the United States
Authors: Bradley Nicole , Lee Yuman , Sadeia Muaz 
Published: April 2021

Introduction: The latest vancomycin therapeutic drug monitoring guidelines for serious MRSA infections have made a pivotal change in dosing, switching from targeting trough levels to AUC dosing. Because of these new recommendations, antimicrobial stewardship programs across the country are tasked with implementing AUC based dosing. Objectives: To assess plans for institutional adoption of vancomycin AUC dosing programs and perceptions of currently used programs in hospitals across the US. Methods: An electronic survey was distributed to members of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy IDprn Listserv and American Society of Health-System Pharmacists between May and June 2020 to assess current institutional vancomycin dosing. Institutional program use and multiple software user parameters were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Two hundred two pharmacists responded to the survey with the majority practicing in institutions with 251-500 beds. Most respondents have yet to implement AUC dosing (142/202, 70.3%) with many of them planning to do so in the next year (81/142, 57.0%). Of those that already implemented AUC dosing programs, purchased Bayesian software (23/60, 38.3%) and homemade software (21/60, 35.0%) were the 2 methods most frequently utilized. Purchased Bayesian software users were more likely to recommend their software to other institutions and ranked user friendliness higher compared to non-purchased software. Conclusion: Most respondents have not made the switch to vancomycin AUC dosing, but there is a growing interest with many institutions looking to adopt a program within the next year.