bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparative Effectiveness of Famotidine in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Shoaibi Azza , Fortin Stephen Patrick , Weinstein Rachel , Berlin Jesse A. , Ryan Patrick 
Published: February 2021

INTRODUCTION:
Famotidine has been posited as a potential treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We compared the incidence of COVID-19 outcomes (i.e., death and death or intensive services use) among hospitalized famotidine users vs proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) users, hydroxychloroquine users, or famotidine nonusers separately.

METHODS:
We constructed a retrospective cohort study using data from COVID-19 Premier Hospital electronic health records. The study population was COVID-19 hospitalized patients aged 18 years or older. Famotidine, PPI, and hydroxychloroquine exposure groups were defined as patients dispensed any medication containing 1 of the 3 drugs on the day of admission. The famotidine nonuser group was derived from the same source population with no history of exposure to any drug with famotidine as an active ingredient before or on the day of admission. Time at risk was defined based on the intention-to-treat principle starting 1 day after admission to 30 days after admission. For each study comparison group, we fit a propensity score model through large-scale regularized logistic regression. The outcome was modeled using a survival model.

RESULTS:
We identified 2,193 users of PPI, 5,950 users of the hydroxychloroquine, 1,816 users of famotidine, and 26,820 nonfamotidine users. After propensity score stratification, the hazard ratios (HRs) for death were as follows: famotidine vs no famotidine HR 1.03 (0.89–1.18), vs PPIs: HR 1.14 (0.94–1.39), and vs hydroxychloroquine: 1.03 (0.85–1.24). Similar results were observed for the risk of death or intensive services use.

DISCUSSION:
We found no evidence of a reduced risk of COVID-19 outcomes among hospitalized COVID-19 patients who used famotidine compared with those who did not or compared with PPI or hydroxychloroquine users.
Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors vs Histamine 2 Receptor Antagonists for the Risk of Gastric Cancer: Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Shin Ga-Yeong , Park Jae Myung , Hong Jinhyuk , Cho Yu Kyung , Yim Hyeon Woo , Choi Myung-Gyu 
Published: February 2021

INTRODUCTION:
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are commonly prescribed medications. Long-term use of PPIs has been suspected to have a provocative effect on gastric cancer. This study was to determine the association between PPI vs histamine 2 receptor antagonist (H2RA) use and the risk of gastric cancer in a region where the risk of this malignancy is high.

METHODS:
A population-based cohort study using the Korean National Health Insurance Services Database. The participants with first prescription of PPIs and H2RA with normal esophagogastroduodenoscopy finding from 2004 through 2015 were collected. Among them, 50% of participants were systematic stratified randomly sampled. There were 122,118 users of PPIs or H2RAs who use medication more than cumulative defined daily dose of 180 days. The users were followed up from long-term use threshold until gastric cancer, death from non–gastric cancer cause, gastric surgery, or study end (December 2017).

RESULTS:
After calculating propensity score weights, we included 39,799 PPI and 38,967 H2RA users. Among the new PPI and H2RA users, we identified 411 cases of incident gastric cancer from 182,643 person-years of follow-up observation and 397 cases from 178,846 person-years of follow-up observation, respectively. Compared with H2RA users, PPI users did not experience significantly different gastric cancer incidence (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.01; 95% confidence interval, 0.88–1.16; P = 0.89). Sensitivity analyses confirmed that gastric cancer incidence did not differ between PPI and H2RA users.

DISCUSSION:
In this large study, long-term treatment with PPIs vs H2RAs did not show higher risk of gastric cancer even in a high-risk region.
Antibiotic susceptibility of bacterial strains isolated from urinary tract infections inPakistan
Authors: Zahoor Sarmad , Shehzad Ahmad Naveed , Asif Sadia , Muhammad Sajid Jehangir Hafiz , Ali Asad , Sohail Afzal Muhammad , Mohsin Ali Muhammad , Zahoor Saroosh 
Published: February 2021

Background: Urinary track infection (UTI) is a common infection in Pakistan. Poor knowledge about personal hygiene and lack of awareness are major reasons of this infection. All over the world and in Pakistan E. coli and K. pneumonia are main causative agents of UTI.Objectives:To analyze Antibiotic susceptibility pattern of bacterial strains isolated from urinary tract infections.Methods: In present study total 227 samples from Genomic Research Lab and Diagnostic Center Rawalpindi, Pakistan were tested for presence of different microbial infectious agents and their antibiotic resistance and susceptibility pattern. Biochemical test such as Gram staining, Lactose fermentation test, Motility test, Catalase test and Colony formation on MacConkey agar, Indole test, and Citrate utilization test were applied. The antibiotic susceptibility and resistance pattern was evaluated by using fourteen different antibiotics on MullarHigton agar. Top ten antibiotics were selected at a cut off value of 100 samples for E. coli and 20 samples for Klebsiella.Results: Against E. coli and K. species the most susceptible antibiotic was Imipenam with 97.5% and Amikacin with 94.9% susceptibility respectively. Moreover, against E. coli and K. species the most resistance antibiotic was Ciprofloxacin 81.7% and Tobramycin with 76.1% resistance respectively. The comparison of present study with pervious studies had shown an increase in resistance against various antibiotics.Conclusion: It is concluded from the present study that antibiotic resistance is on raise in Pakistan and the effect of each antibiotic was different with respect to type of infectious agent so it is recommended that the doctor should determine the dominant type of infectious agent and its susceptibility response before prescription of any antibiotic.Â Â Â
Identification of leaf rust resistance genesLr34andLr46in common wheat (Triticum aestivumL. ssp.aestivum) lines of different origin using multiplex PCR
Authors: Tomkowiak Agnieszka , Skowrońska Roksana , Kwiatek Michał , Spychała Julia , Weigt Dorota , Kurasiak-Popowska Danuta , Niemann Janetta , Mikołajczyk Sylwia , Nawracała Jerzy , Kowalczewski Przemysław Łukasz , Khan Kinza 
Published: February 2021

AbstractLeaf rust caused by the fungusPuccinia reconditaf. sp.triticiis one of the most dangerous diseases of common wheat. Infections caused by fungal pathogens reduce the quantity and quality of yields of many cereal species. The most effective method to limit plant infection is to use cultivars that show rust resistance. Genetically conditioned horizontal-type resistance (racial-nonspecific) is a desirable trait because it is characterized by more stable expression compared to major (R) genes that induce racially specific resistance, often overcome by pathogens. Horizontal resistance is conditioned by the presence of slow rust genes, which include genesLr34andLr46. This study aimed to identify markers linked to both genes in 64 common wheat lines and to develop multiplex PCR reaction conditions that were applied to identify both genes simultaneously. The degree of infestation of the analyzed lines was also assessed in field conditions during the growing season of 2017 and 2018. Simple sequence repeat anchored-polymerase chain reaction (SSR-PCR) markercsLVwas identified during analysis in line PHR 4947. The presence of a specific sequence has also been confirmed in multiplex PCR analyses. In addition to geneLr34, geneLr46was identified in this genotype. Lines PHR 4947 and PHR 4819 were characterized by the highest leaf rust resistance in field conditions. During STS-PCR analyses, the markerwmc44of geneLr46was identified in most of the analyzed lines. This marker was not present in the following genotypes: PHR 4670, PHR 4800, PHR 4859, PHR 4907, PHR 4922, PHR 4949, PHR 4957, PHR 4995, and PHR 4997. The presence of a specific sequence has also been confirmed in multiplex PCR analyses. Genotypes carrying the markers of the analyzed gene showed good resistance to leaf rust in field conditions in both 2017 and 2018. Research has demonstrated that marker assisted selection (MAS) and multiplex PCR techniques are excellent tools for selecting genotypes resistant to leaf rust.
Composition and Qualifications of Credit Institutions’ Board of Directors: European Requirements and the Principle of Proportionality
Authors: D. Tountopoulos Vassilios 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
The aim of this article is to illustrate the importance of the EU principle of proportionality for the application of the rules governing the composition and qualifications of credit institutions’ Board of Directors. The view taken is that the principle of proportionality as enshrined in the EU legislation and the case law can safeguard both the private and the public interests in favour of the smooth functioning of the banks and the stability of the financial system. Under this perspective, this article discusses special issues such as conditional approval, informal assessment, allocation of the burden of proof and judicial review.
What is the optimal luteal support in assisted reproductive technology?
Authors: Wang Nathalie F. , Bungum Leif , Skouby Sven O. 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
The need for luteal phase support in IVF/ICSI is well established. A large effort has been made in the attempt to identify the optimal type, start, route, dosage and duration of luteal phase support for IVF/ICSI and frozen embryo transfer. These questions are further complicated by the different types of stimulation protocols and ovulation triggers used in ART. The aim of this review is to supply a comprehensive overview of the available types of luteal phase support, and the indications for their use.
A review of the literature was carried out in the effort to find the optimal luteal phase support regimen with regards to pregnancy related outcomes and short and long term safety.
The results demonstrate that vaginal, intramuscular, subcutaneous and rectal progesterone are equally effective as luteal phase support in IVF/ICSI. GnRH agonists and oral dydrogesterone are new and promising treatment modalities but more research is needed. hCG and estradiol are not recommended for luteal phase support. More research is needed to establish the most optimal luteal phase support in frozen embryo transfer cycles, but progesterone has been shown to improve live birth rate in some studies. Luteal phase support should be commenced between the evening of the day of oocyte retrieval, and day three after oocyte retrieval and it should be continued at least until the day of positive pregnancy test.
So, in conclusion still more large and well-designed RCT’s are needed to establish the most optimal luteal phase support in each stimulation protocol, and especially in frozen embryo transfer.
Diversity in osteopathic medical school admissions and the COMPASS program
Authors: Dady Nadege , Mungroo Kelly Ann , Young Ta’Loria , Akinsanya Jemima , Forstein David 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
In the United States, the 37 colleges of osteopathic medicine and 154 schools of allopathic medicine face challenges in recruiting underrepresented minority (URM) applicants, and gaps in racial disparity appear to be widening. In this Special Communication, the authors describe a URM recruitment and support strategy undertaken in 2015 through a special interest group called Creating Osteopathic Minority Physicians who Achieve Scholastic Success (COMPASS) at the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine—New York.
Effect of occipitoatlantal decompression on cerebral blood flow dynamics as evaluated by Doppler ultrasonography
Authors: Roberts Bryan , Makar Andrew E. , Canaan Ryan , Pazdernik Vanessa , Kondrashova Tatyana 
Published: February 2021

Abstract

Context
Osteopathic manipulative treatment reduces symptoms in patients with headache disorders, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear.

Objective
To evaluate blood flow in the intracranial and extracranial vasculature before and after occipitoatlantal decompression (OAD) using Doppler ultrasonography.

Methods
Healthy, first-year osteopathic medical students from A.T. Still University’s Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine participated in a randomized, single-blinded, two-period, two-treatment crossover study. The participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatment interventions: OAD or sham touch. After one week, participants returned to have the other intervention performed. Blood flow parameters—peak systolic velocity (PSV) and end-diastolic velocity (EDV)—in the middle cerebral artery (MCA), internal carotid artery (ICA), and vertebral artery (VA) were evaluated before, immediately after, 5 minutes after, and 10 minutes after treatment. Differences in PSV, EDV, heart rate (HR), and blood pressure (BP) for both interventions were analyzed for the four time points using mixed-effects models.

Results
Thirty healthy medical students (11 men, 19 women; mean age, 24 years) participated in this study. EDV increased after OAD in the MCA, ICA, and VA (all p<0.001); no change occurred after sham touch (all p>0.05). EDV was greater for all post-treatment timepoints after OAD in the MCA, ICA, and VA than after sham touch (all p<0.001). Although baseline PSV in the MCA measured before treatment was different between treatment interventions (p=0.01), no difference was found between interventions at any post-treatment time point (all p>0.59). Changes in PSV in the ICA and VA and for HR and BP did not depend on treatment intervention (p>0.06).

Conclusion
Increases in EDV occurred in major cranial arteries after OAD but not after sham touch, indicating that OAD improves blood flow to the brain. The exact mechanism of this increase is unknown; however, it can be explained by either parasympathetic stimulation through the secretion of vasodilating neurotransmitters or by a decrease in external tissue pressure on ICA and VA, with the resulting flow causing further dilation in the MCA.
Judith and the Elders of 1 Clement
Authors: Peters Janelle 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
While Judith was used with Esther and other books with female protagonists to promote the reign of Queen Shelamzion Alexandra and the activities of female Pharisees, as Tal Ilan has argued, the role of Judith in the historical examples of 1 Clement presents Judith as needing to seek the permission of the elders of her besieged city in order to go to the enemy camp and behead Holofernes. This article argues that such an interpretive move preserves the authority of Judith in Hasmonean and Pharisaic interpretations.
Classification and Determination Model of Resistance Training Status
Authors: Santos Junior Evaldo Rui T. , de Salles Belmiro F. , Dias Ingrid , Ribeiro Alex S. , Simão Roberto , Willardson Jeffrey M. 
Published: February 2021

ABSTRACT
An individual's training status is a key factor used to determine the volume, the intensity, and the selection of exercises for resistance training prescription. Interestingly, there are no objective parameters to assess training status, so there is ambiguity in determining the appropriate volume and other resistance training variables in this regard. Thus, the objective of this study was to propose a strategy for classification and determination of resistance training status. The following five parameters were identified and used: (a) current uninterrupted training time, (b) time of detraining, (c) previous training experience, (d) exercise technique, and (e) strength level. Moreover, 4 classification levels are proposed: beginner, intermediate, advanced, and highly advanced, which are determined by the mean score of the parameters used. The proposed model represents an important advancement in training status classification and can be used as a valid tool for training prescription and for researchers to better characterize a sample and reproduce results under the same conditions in future studies.
Postnatal Fluoxetine Treatment Alters Perineuronal Net Formation and Maintenance in the Hippocampus
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Sourish , Chatterjee Ashmita , Tiwari Praachi , Ghai Utkarsha , Vaidya Vidita A. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractElevation of serotonin via postnatal fluoxetine (PNFlx) treatment during critical temporal windows is hypothesized to perturb the development of limbic circuits thus establishing a substratum for persistent disruption of mood-related behavior. We examined the impact of PNFlx treatment on the formation and maintenance of perineuronal nets (PNNs), extracellular matrix (ECM) structures that deposit primarily around inhibitory interneurons, and mark the closure of critical period plasticity. PNFlx treatment evoked a significant decline in PNN number, with a robust reduction in PNNs deposited around parvalbumin (PV) interneurons, within the CA1 and CA3 hippocampal subfields at postnatal day (P)21 in Sprague Dawley rat pups. While the reduction in CA1 subfield PNN number was still observed in adulthood, we observed no change in colocalization of PV-positive interneurons with PNNs in the hippocampi of adult PNFlx animals. PNFlx treatment did not alter hippocampal PV, calretinin (CalR), or Reelin-positive neuron numbers in PNFlx animals at P21 or in adulthood. We did observe a small, but significant increase in somatostatin (SST)-positive interneurons in the DG subfield of PNFlx-treated animals in adulthood. This was accompanied by altered GABA-A receptor subunit composition, increased dendritic complexity of apical dendrites of CA1 pyramidal neurons, and enhanced neuronal activation revealed by increased c-Fos-positive cell numbers within hippocampi of PNFlx-treated animals in adulthood. These results indicate that PNFlx treatment alters the formation of PNNs within the hippocampus, raising the possibility of a disruption of excitation-inhibition (E/I) balance within this key limbic brain region.
Dynamics of Heading and Choice-Related Signals in the Parieto-Insular Vestibular Cortex of Macaque Monkeys
Authors: Chen Aihua , Zeng Fu , DeAngelis Gregory C. , Angelaki Dora E. 
Published: February 2021

Perceptual decision-making is increasingly being understood to involve an interaction between bottom-up sensory-driven signals and top-down choice-driven signals, but how these signals interact to mediate perception is not well understood. The parieto-insular vestibular cortex (PIVC) is an area with prominent vestibular responsiveness, and previous work has shown that inactivating PIVC impairs vestibular heading judgments. To investigate the nature of PIVC's contribution to heading perception, we recorded extracellularly from PIVC neurons in two male rhesus macaques during a heading discrimination task, and compared findings with data from previous studies of dorsal medial superior temporal (MSTd) and ventral intraparietal (VIP) areas using identical stimuli. By computing partial correlations between neural responses, heading, and choice, we find that PIVC activity reflects a dynamically changing combination of sensory and choice signals. In addition, the sensory and choice signals are more balanced in PIVC, in contrast to the sensory dominance in MSTd and choice dominance in VIP. Interestingly, heading and choice signals in PIVC are negatively correlated during the middle portion of the stimulus epoch, reflecting a mismatch in the polarity of heading and choice signals. We anticipate that these results will help unravel the mechanisms of interaction between bottom-up sensory signals and top-down choice signals in perceptual decision-making, leading to more comprehensive models of self-motion perception.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTVestibular information is important for our perception of self-motion, and various cortical regions in primates show vestibular heading selectivity. Inactivation of the macaque vestibular cortex substantially impairs the precision of vestibular heading discrimination, more so than inactivation of other multisensory areas. Here, we record for the first time from the vestibular cortex while monkeys perform a forced-choice heading discrimination task, and we compare results with data collected previously from other multisensory cortical areas. We find that vestibular cortex activity reflects a dynamically changing combination of sensory and choice signals, with both similarities and notable differences with other multisensory areas.
Possible protective role of metformin therapy on colonic polyps in acromegaly: an exploratory cross-sectional study
Authors: Albertelli M , Nazzari E , Dotto A , Grasso L F , Sciallero S , Pirchio R , Rebora A , Boschetti M , Pivonello R , Ricci Bitti S , Colao A A L , Ferone D 
Published: February 2021

Context
Colonic polyps occur in 30–40% of acromegalic patients, increasing the risk of colon carcinoma. Although debated, there is emerging evidence that metformin may play a protective role in diabetic and non-diabetic patients with colonic polyps and its use in chemoprevention is currently explored.

Objective
Evaluate the prevalence of colonic polyps in acromegalic patients treated or not with metformin and explore its possible protective role.

Design
Exploratory cross-sectional study in two tertiary Italian referral centres.

Met
hods: Out of 153 acromegalic patients, we selected 58 patients (36–82 years; f: 33) who had at least one colonoscopy performed within the first 2 years of diagnosis. Presence of colonic polyps/cancer and related risk factors, current metformin and acetylsalicylic acid intake, disease duration, therapies for acromegaly, hormonal and metabolic parameters were assessed.

Results
An overall prevalence of 36% polyps was found. Based on the presence of polyps, we identified two groups, comparable for age, BMI, disease duration, glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, HbA1c, GH and IGF-I levels. Of the patients with polyps (including three adenocarcinomas) only 24% were treated with metformin vs 57% of patients without polyps. Multivariate analysis confirmed a significant negative association between colonic polyps and metformin intake (OR: 0.22, 95% CI: 0.06-0.77, P = 0.01), whereas no significant association was found between polyps and age (P = 0.10), overweight/obesity (P = 0.54), smoking (P = 0.15), acetylsalicylic acid intake (P = 0.99), disease duration (P = 0.96), somatostatin analogues treatment (P = 0.70).

Conclusions
These findings, though deriving from an exploratory study, could suggest a protective role of metformin on the development of colonic polyps in acromegaly, and need to be confirmed in an extended study population.