bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Correlations between H α equivalent width and galaxy properties at z = 0.47: Physical or selection-driven?
Authors: Khostovan A A , Malhotra S , Rhoads J E , Harish S , Jiang C , Wang J , Wold I , Zheng Z-Y , Barrientos L F , Coughlin A , Hu W , Infante L , Perez L A , Pharo J , Valdes F , Walker A R 
Published: March 2021

ABSTRACT
The H α equivalent width (EW) is an observational proxy for specific star formation rate (sSFR) and a tracer of episodic, bursty star-formation activity. Previous assessments show that the H α EW strongly anticorrelates with stellar mass as M−0.25 similar to the sSFR – stellar mass relation. However, such a correlation could be driven or even formed by selection effects. In this study, we investigate how H α EW distributions correlate with physical properties of galaxies and how selection biases could alter such correlations using a z = 0.47 narrow-band-selected sample of 1572 H α emitters from the Ly α Galaxies in the Epoch of Reionization (LAGER) survey as our observational case study. The sample covers a 3 deg2 area of COSMOS with a survey comoving volume of 1.1 × 105 Mpc3. We assume an intrinsic EW distribution to form mock samples of H α emitters and propagate the selection criteria to match observations, giving us control on how selection biases can affect the underlying results. We find that H α EW intrinsically correlates with stellar mass as W0∝M−0.16 ± 0.03 and decreases by a factor of ∼3 from 107 M⊙ to 1010 M⊙, while not correcting for selection effects steepens the correlation as M−0.25 ± 0.04. We find low-mass H α emitters to be ∼320 times more likely to have rest-frame EW&gt;200 Å compared to high-mass H α emitters. Combining the intrinsic W0–stellar mass correlation with an observed stellar mass function correctly reproduces the observed H α luminosity function, while not correcting for selection effects underestimates the number of bright emitters. This suggests that the W0–stellar mass correlation when corrected for selection effects is physically significant and reproduces three statistical distributions of galaxy populations (line luminosity function, stellar mass function, EW distribution). At lower stellar masses, we find there are more high-EW outliers compared to high stellar masses, even after we take into account selection effects. Our results suggest that high sSFR outliers indicative of bursty star formation activity are intrinsically more prevalent in low-mass H α emitters and not a byproduct of selection effects.
Crucial role ofSalmonellagenomic island 1 master activator in the parasitism of IncC plasmids
Authors: Durand Romain , Huguet Kévin T , Rivard Nicolas , Carraro Nicolas , Rodrigue Sébastien , Burrus Vincent 
Published: March 2021

AbstractIncC conjugative plasmids and the multiple variants of Salmonella Genomic Island 1 (SGI1) are two functionally interacting families of mobile genetic elements commonly associated with multidrug resistance in the Gammaproteobacteria. SGI1 and its siblings are specifically mobilised in trans by IncC conjugative plasmids. Conjugative transfer of IncC plasmids is activated by the plasmid-encoded master activator AcaCD. SGI1 carries five AcaCD-responsive promoters that drive the expression of genes involved in its excision, replication, and mobilisation. SGI1 encodes an AcaCD homologue, the transcriptional activator complex SgaCD (also known as FlhDCSGI1) that seems to recognise and activate the same SGI1 promoters. Here, we investigated the relevance of SgaCD in SGI1′s lifecycle. Mating assays revealed the requirement for SgaCD and its IncC-encoded counterpart AcaCD in the mobilisation of SGI1. An integrative approach combining ChIP-exo, Cappable-seq, and RNA-seq confirmed that SgaCD activates each of the 18 AcaCD-responsive promoters driving the expression of the plasmid transfer functions. A comprehensive analysis of the activity of the complete set of AcaCD-responsive promoters of SGI1 and the helper IncC plasmid was performed through reporter assays. qPCR and flow cytometry assays revealed that SgaCD is essential to elicit the excision and replication of SGI1 and destabilise the helper IncC plasmid.
Long-Term Mortality and Active Tuberculosis Disease Among Patients Who Were Lost to Follow-Up During Second-Line Tuberculosis Treatment in 2011–2014: Population-Based Study in the Country of Georgia
Authors: Kuchukhidze Giorgi , Baliashvili Davit , Adamashvili Natalia , Kasradze Ana , Kempker Russell R , Magee Matthew J 
Published: March 2021

Abstract

Background
High rates of loss to follow-up (LFU) exist among patients with multidrug and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (M/XDR TB). We aimed to identify long-term clinical outcomes of patients who were LFU during second-line TB treatment.

Methods
We conducted a follow-up study among adults who received second-line TB treatment in the country of Georgia during 2011–2014 with a final outcome of LFU. We attempted to interview all LFU patients, administered a structured questionnaire, and obtained sputum samples. Active TB at follow-up was defined by positive sputum Xpert-TB/RIF or culture.

Results
Follow-up information was obtained for 461 patients. Among these patients, 107 (23%) died and 177 (38%) were contacted. Of those contacted, 123 (69%) consented to participate and 92 provided sputum samples. Thirteen (14%) had active TB with an estimated infectious time period for transmitting drug-resistant TB in the community of 480 days (interquartile range = 803). In multivariable analysis, positive culture at the time of LFU was associated with active TB at the time of our study (adjusted risk ratio = 13.3; 95% confidence interval, 4.2–42.2)

Conclusions
Approximately one quarter of patients on second-line TB treatment who were LFU died. Among those LFU evaluated in our study, 1 in 7 remained in the community with positive sputum cultures. To reduce death and transmission of disease, additional strategies are needed to encourage patients to complete treatment.
The Dynamics of Infectious Diseases Associated With Injection Drug Use in Lawrence and Lowell, Massachusetts
Authors: Gonsalves Gregg S , David Paltiel A , Thornhill Thomas , Iloglu Suzan , DeMaria Alfred , Cranston Kevin , Monina Klevens R , Walensky Rochelle P , Warren Joshua L 
Published: March 2021

Abstract

Background
There are a wide variety of infectious complications of injection drug use. Understanding the trajectory of these complications might inform the development of an early warning system for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) outbreaks that occur regularly among people who inject drugs (PWID).

Methods
A distributed lag Poisson regression model in the Bayesian setting was used to examine temporal patterns in the incidence of injection-associated infectious diseases and their association with HIV cases in Lawrence and Lowell, Massachusetts between 2005 and 2018.

Results
Current-month HIV counts are associated with fatal overdoses approximately 8 months prior, cases of infective endocarditis 10 months prior, and cases of skin and soft tissue infections and incision and drainage procedures associated with these infections 12 months prior.

Conclusions
Collecting data on these other complications associated with injection drug use by public health departments may be important to consider because these complications may serve as input to a sentinel system to trigger early intervention and avert potential outbreaks of HIV.
The Law of Monetary Finance under Unconventional Monetary Policy
Authors: Bateman Will 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Monetary finance (money creation by central banks to fund public expenditure) is a high-profile part of economic, political and policy debates concerning the legitimacy of central banks in liberal economies and democracies. This article makes a distinctively legal contribution to those debates by analysing the legal frameworks governing monetary finance in three prominent central banking systems between 2008 and 2020: the Federal Reserve System, the Eurosystem and the Bank of England. It begins by explaining the law governing central bank and national treasury relations in the United States, the EU and the UK. It then examines how that law operated under the unconventional monetary policies adopted by central banks in response to the financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. The article concludes by reflecting on the challenges monetary finance presents to the sui generis position of central banks in the liberal constitutional order.
Restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movements in 86 patients with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Sparasci Davide , Ferri Raffaele , Castelnovo Anna , Miano Silvia , Tanioka Kosuke , Tachibana Naoko , Carelli Chiara , Riccitelli Gianna , Disanto Giulio , Zecca Chiara , Gobbi Claudio , Manconi Mauro 
Published: March 2021

Abstract

Study Objectives
To assess the frequency of restless legs syndrome (RLS), periodic limb movements during sleep (PLMS), and their overlap in a large sample of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). To compare clinical and paraclinical findings among four subgroups of patients: RLS−/PLMS− (patients without RLS and PLMS), RLS+/PLMS− (patients with RLS and without PLMS), RLS−/PLMS (patients without RLS and with PLMS), and RLS+/PLMS+ (patients with both RLS and PLMS).

Methods
In this cross-sectional, observational, instrumental study, 86 patients (M/F: 27/59; mean age 48.0 ± 10.8 years) with a diagnosis of MS underwent a telephone interview assessing the five standard diagnostic criteria for RLS. Seventy-six participants underwent polysomnography (PSG) and maintenance of wakefulness test (MWT). Instrumental and clinical findings were subsequently statistically compared to investigate their association with RLS and PLMS index (PLMSI).

Results
RLS and PLMS (PLMSI ≥15/h) frequency in patients with MS were of 31.4% and 31.6%, respectively. Among patients with RLS, 37.5% had a PLMSI of at least 15/h. RLS−/PLMS+ group showed higher wake after sleep onset (p = 0.01), stage shifts per hour (p = 0.03), increased stage N1 (p = 0.03), and reduction in stage N3 (p = 0.01) compared to RLS−/PLMS−. RLS had no influence on clinical and PSG parameters (p = 0.45).

Conclusions
RLS is highly frequent in patients with MS. The frequency of PLMS is comparable to the general population. The low percentage of patients with RLS having a high PLMSI, together with the absence of correlation between RLS and female gender and older age, supports the existence of a distinct symptomatic form of RLS in MS.
Gamification in the study of anatomy: The use of artificial intelligence to improve learning
Authors: Bracaccio Rafael , Hojaij Flavio , Notargiacomo Pollyana 
Published: March 2021

In medicine, the study of anatomy is of utmost importance since this fundamental course is relevant to all medical careers. Every single medical student must learn anatomy regardless of which specialization they choose to follow. Technology‐assisted learning is a growing topic not only in medicine, but in each and every area of study. There is a large number of possible approaches to teach/learn assisted by technology such as educative and serious games, the use of virtual and augmented reality, hardware and software created specifically for training a certain skill and many more. Based on this approach, in this research we developed a gamified mobile application to help both the students and the professor at anatomy classes to understand and develop knowledge in this field based on different kinds of media such as videos, texts, images, audios, quizzes and so on. Gamification consists in the use of game elements in different contexts outside games. This involves presenting aspects such as ranking, badges, quests, etc. to promote engagement and institutes an immersion and flow in faculty education. In order to do that, it was applied the Marczewski's Gamification Design Framework, which involves the definition of the problem, users, success to project and building the user journey to attain some specific behaviours, actions and emotion which can be refined to complete the process and promote learning. This framework was combined with Artificial Intelligence techniques to recognize the difficulties of each individual student and is then able to provide targeted content based on the student performance.Support or Funding InformationThe authors thank Mackpesquisa for the financial support.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Changes in the therapeutic landscape of oesophago-gastric cancers
Authors: Fokter Dovnik Nina , Smyth Elizabeth C. 
Published: March 2021

Purpose of review
This article reviews recent randomised clinical trials on systemic treatment of oesophago-gastric cancers in the perioperative and metastatic setting.

Recent findings
Adding nivolumab to first-line chemotherapy improved survival in patients with metastatic gastric/gastro-oesophageal junction/oesophageal adenocarcinoma with PD-L1 combined positive score (CPS) ≥ five in a global trial and progression-free survival in metastatic gastric/gastro-oesophageal junction cancers in an Asian trial. The addition of pembrolizumab to first-line chemotherapy improved survival in metastatic oesophageal cancer patients, with the most benefit in oesophageal squamous cancer and tumours with high PD-L1 expression (CPS ≥ 10). Adjuvant nivolumab improved disease-free survival (DFS) in resectable oesophageal cancer patients with residual pathologic disease after neoadjuvant chemoradiation. In human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive oesophago-gastric adenocarcinoma, a phase II trial showed improved DFS when pertuzumab and trastuzumab were added to perioperative FLOT (5-fluorouracil/leucovorin, oxaliplatin, docetaxel). Another phase II trial showed improved response rates and survival in pretreated metastatic HER2-positive gastric and gastrooesophageal junction cancer patients who received the antibody-drug conjugate trastuzumab deruxtecan compared to physician's choice of chemotherapy.

Summary
Chemo-immunotherapy combinations will become the new standard of care for some patients with metastatic oesophago-gastric cancers. Adjuvant nivolumab is a new option for oesophageal cancer patients with poor response after neoadjuvant chemoradiation.
The role of the tumor matrix environment in progression of head and neck cancer
Authors: Saint Angélique , Van Obberghen-Schilling Ellen 
Published: March 2021

Purpose of review
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tissue is composed of multiple cell types embedded in an extracellular matrix (ECM) that actively participates in disease progression, spread and treatment response. In this review, we provide an update of our current knowledge about the ECM landscape of HNSCC, its functions, methods of analysis, and nonimmunological stromal targeting strategies that modify the tumor ECM to improve conventional and emerging therapies.

Recent findings
The tumor ECM differs significantly from that of normal tissue in abundance, composition, organization and mechanical properties. In HNSCC, signaling between malignant epithelial cells and stromal cells prompts the upregulation of a set of ECM components that serve as substrates for carcinoma cell migration, modulate the cytokine environment and promote immune evasion in these tumors. Advanced imaging techniques and molecular profiling at the single-cell level have provided valuable insights into our understanding of the tumor ECM and its role in malignancy, and opened new avenues for predictive and potentially actionable biomarker discovery for more effective management of the disease.

Summary
ECM components upregulated in HNSCC can impact several cancer hallmarks by sustaining proliferative signaling, promoting angiogenesis, facilitating invasion and metastasis, modulating growth suppressor activity, and suppressing antitumoral immunity. The tumor ECM is also involved in treatment resistance, making it a potential therapeutic target.
Are the current evaluation tools for advanced therapies biased?
Authors: Givens Raymond C. 
Published: March 2021

Purpose of review
Despite attention to racial disparities in outcomes for heart failure (HF) and other chronic diseases, progress against these inequities has been gradual at best. The disparities of COVID-19 and police brutality have highlighted the pervasiveness of systemic racism in health outcomes. Whether racial bias impacts patient access to advanced HF therapies is unclear.

Recent findings
As documented in other settings, racial bias appears to operate in HF providers’ consideration of patients for advanced therapy. Multiple medical and psychosocial elements of the evaluation process are particularly vulnerable to bias.

Summary
Reducing gaps in access to advanced therapies will require commitments at multiple levels to reduce barriers to healthcare access, standardize clinical operations, research the determinants of patient success and increase diversity among providers and researchers. Progress is achievable but likely requires as disruptive and investment of immense resources as in the battle against COVID-19.
Patient-Reported Efficacy of the University of California, San Francisco, Custom Pectus Carinatum Orthosis
Authors: Stauffer Samantha , Shirley Corin , Fortson Benjamin , Henry Nicole , Irolla Chrysta , Padilla Benjamin 
Published: March 2021

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Pectus carinatum is a bony deformity of the anterior chest wall and has a strong negative impact on patient self-esteem and quality of life. During adolescence, the deformity is often flexible and can be treated with a compressive orthosis. Compliance with orthoses yields deformity correction and self-esteem improvement (J Pediatr Surg. 2013;48:1055-1059). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the compliance to and patient satisfaction with the custom University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Pectus Carinatum Orthosis (PCO) design.

Materials and Methods
This was a cross-sectional survey of the patients who received orthotic treatment for pectus carinatum at UCSF between August 2012 and June 2018. Potential subjects were contacted and asked to complete the Pectus Carinatum Evaluation Questionnaire (PCEQ), which was administered online via Research Electronic Data Capture. The PCEQ measures compliance as well as the physical and psychosocial impact of orthotic treatment for pectus carinatum. Results were compiled and summarized using nonparametric descriptive statistics.

Results
Of the 35 consented subjects, 12 (11 male patients and 1 female patient aged 12–17 years) completed the survey. Subjects reported an average wear time of 12.7 hours per day, 5 days a week. Seven reported no symptoms, three experienced chest pain, two reported difficulty breathing, and one had back pain. Eight reported happiness with the results of their orthotic treatment.

Conclusion
Wear times reported by the subjects were comparable with those reported in other studies looking at prefabricated pectus orthoses. However, there were lower reports of pain associated with the UCSF treatment than in other studies. Further research is necessary to determine the benefit of custom fabricated versus prefabricated PCOs.
The Influence of Load Carriage on Knee Joint Loading and Metabolic Cost on Walking with Lower-Limb Amputation: A Preliminary Modeling Study
Authors: Templin Tylan N. , Klute Glenn K. , Neptune Richard R. 
Published: March 2021

ABSTRACT

Introduction
For able-bodied individuals, the mechanical output from the ankle muscles is modulated to meet the altered demands of load carriage. However, for individuals with a lower-limb amputation, the stiffness properties of standard-of-care prosthetic feet do not change with varying load conditions. Thus, individuals with amputation often develop gait asymmetries during load carriage that increase their risk for developing overuse injuries such as in the intact knee and increase the metabolic cost of walking relative to able-bodied individuals. The purpose of this preliminary study was to assess the influence of load carriage technique on knee joint loading and metabolic cost during gait of an individual with a below-knee amputation using a forward dynamics simulation framework.

Methods
Simulations were generated to track the experimental walking data of individuals with amputation for 3 loading conditions (unloaded, front load, and back load).

Results
These simulations showed that individuals with amputation rely on their intact limb as a compensatory strategy to meet the increased demands of carrying a load. Carrying a back load was found to increase intact knee joint loading relative to carrying a front load but reduced metabolic cost.

Conclusion
The tradeoff between joint loading and metabolic cost should be considered when determining the appropriate load carriage technique. Future work should focus on improving prosthetic foot designs to help reduce joint loading asymmetry and elevated metabolic cost during different loading conditions for individuals with lower-limb amputation.
Use of a Comprehensive 66-Gene Cholestasis Sequencing Panel in 2171 Cholestatic Infants, Children, and Young Adults
Authors: Karpen Saul J. , Kamath Binita M. , Alexander John J. , Ichetovkin Ilia , Rosenthal Philip , Sokol Ronald J. , Dunn Shelley , Thompson Richard J. , Heubi James E. 
Published: March 2021

ABSTRACT

Objectives:
Cholestasis is caused by a wide variety of etiologies, often genetic in origin. Broad overlap in clinical presentations, particularly in newborns, renders prioritizing diagnostic investigations challenging. In this setting, a timely, comprehensive assessment using a multigene panel by a clinical diagnostic laboratory would likely prove useful. We summarize initial findings from a testing program designed to discover genetic causes of cholestasis.

Methods:
A neonatal/adult sequencing panel containing 66 genes (originally 57; nine added March 2017) relevant to cholestasis was used. A broad range of eligible patients were enrolled with current/history of cholestasis without an identified cause, or unexplained chronic liver disease. DNA sequencing utilized a custom-designed capture library, and variants were classified and reported as benign, likely benign, variant of unknown significance (VOUS), likely pathogenic (LP), or pathogenic (P), according to the clinical interpretation workflow at EGL Genetics (Tucker, GA).

Results:
A total of 2433 samples were submitted between February 2016 and December 2017; 2171 results were reported. Median turnaround time was 21 days. Results from the 2171 subjects (57% <1 year old) included 583 P variants, 79 LP variants, and 3117 VOUS; 166 P/LP variants and 415 VOUS were novel. The panel's overall diagnostic yield was 12% (n = 265/2171) representing 32 genes. The top five genetic diagnoses for the group, in order: JAG1 + NOTCH2 (Alagille syndrome), ABCB11, SERPINA1, ABCB4, and POLG.

Conclusions:
These findings support the utility of comprehensive rapid multigene testing in diagnosing cholestasis and highlight the evolving understanding of genetic variants contributing to the pathogenesis of cholestasis.