bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Periodontitis exacerbates the renal degenerative effects of obesity in rats
Authors: Kurt‐Bayrakdar Sevda , Kose Oğuz , Altin Ahmet , Akyildiz Kerimali , Mercantepe Tolga , Bostan Semih Alperen , Kose Taha Emre , Tumkaya Levent , Yilmaz Adnan 
Published: July 2021

AbstractBackground/objectivesObesity and periodontitis are systemic subclinical inflammatory diseases with established negative renal effects. The aim of this animal study was to thoroughly investigate the possible effects of these two diseases on renal structure and function.MethodsThirty‐two male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into four groups: control (C), obesity (Ob), experimental periodontitis (Ep), and Ob + Ep. The first 16 weeks of the experiment were aimed for the induction of obesity and the last 5 weeks for the induction of periodontitis. Throughout the experimental period, the C and Ep groups were fed standard rat chow, while the Ob groups (Ob and Ob + Ep) were fed high‐fat rat chow. Right after the establishment of obesity, periodontal tissue destruction was achieved by placing 3.0 silk sutures in sub‐paramarginal position around the cervices of mandibular right‐left first molar teeth and preserving them for 5 weeks. On the last day of the 22nd week, following blood collection, all rats were euthanized, and kidneys and mandibles were collected. Alveolar bone loss was measured on microcomputed tomographic slices. Histopathological evaluations (light microscopy, semi‐quantitative analysis of renal corpuscle area, and immunohistochemical analysis of caspase‐3 activity) were done on right kidneys and biochemical evaluations (malonyl‐aldehyde [MDA], glutathione [GSH], total oxidant status [TOS], total antioxidant status [TAS], oxidative stress [OSI], tumor necrosis factor‐α [TNF‐α], interleukin‐1β [IL‐1β], matrix metalloproteinase [MMP]‐8, MMP‐9, and cathepsin D [CtD] levels) were done on left kidneys. Renal functional status was evaluated with levels of serum creatinine, urea, and cystatin C.ResultsPeriodontal bone loss was significantly higher in the Ep and Ob + Ep groups, compared with the C and Ob groups (p < .05). All parameters except TAS and GSH were highest in the Ob + Ep group, and the differences were statistically significant compared with the control group (p < .05). Although the mean TAS and GSH levels were lower in the Ob + Ep group than the other groups, the differences were not statistically significant (p > .05). While the atypical glomeruli score was significantly higher in the Ob + Ep group than in all other groups (p < .05), the acute tubular necrosis and histopathological scores were significantly different only compared with the control group (p < .05).ConclusionThis experimental study showed that the negative effects of the co‐existence of periodontitis and obesity on inflammatory stress and apoptotic changes in the kidneys together with the functional parameters were significantly more severe, compared with the presence of one of these diseases alone. TNF‐α could have a central role in the periodontitis and obesity‐related structural and functional renal changes.
Zonation in NASH – A key paradigm for understanding pathophysiology and clinical outcomes
Authors: Steinman Jonathan B. , Salomao Marcela A. , Pajvani Utpal B. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractNon‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) exists as a spectrum ranging from simple steatosis to histologically defined hepatocyte injury and inflammatory changes that define steatohepatitis (NASH), and increase risk for fibrosis. Although zonal differences in NASH have not been systematically studied, periportal involvement has been associated with worse metabolic outcomes and more hepatic fibrosis as compared to pericentral disease. These data suggest that hepatic zonation of disease may influence the diversity of clinical presentations. Similarly, several randomized clinical trials suggest a differential response based on zonation of disease, with preferential effects on periportal (cysteamine) or pericentral disease (obeticholic acid, pioglitazone). Intriguingly, morphogenic pathways known to affect zonal development and maintenance – WNT/β‐Catenin, Hedgehog, HIPPO/Yap/TAZ and Notch – have been implicated in NASH pathogenesis, and nuclear hormone receptors downstream of potential NASH therapeutics show zonal preferences. In this review, we summarize these data and propose that patient‐specific activation of these pathways may explain the variability in clinical presentation, and the zone‐specific response observed in clinical trials.
The price tag of a potential cure for chronic hepatitis B infection: A cost threshold analysis for USA, China and Australia
Authors: Toy Mehlika , Hutton David , McCulloch Karen , Romero Nicole , Revill Peter A. , Penicaud M‐Capucine , So Samuel , Cowie Benjamin C. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractBackground & AimsWe aim to capture the economic impact of a potential cure for chronic hepatitis B infection (CHB) in three countries (USA, China and Australia) with different health systems and epidemics to estimate the threshold drug prices below which a CHB cure would be cost‐saving and/or highly cost‐effective.MethodsWe simulated patients’ hepatitis B progression, under three scenarios: current long‐term suppressive antiviral therapy, functional cure defined as sustained undetectable HBsAg and HBV DNA, and partial cure defined as sustained undetectable HBV DNA only after a finite, 48‐week treatment.ResultsCompared with current long‐term antiviral therapy, a 30% effective functional cure among patients with and without cirrhosis in the USA, China and Australia would yield 17.50, 17.32 and 20.42 QALYs per patient, and 20.61, 20.42 and 20.62 QALYs per patient respectively. In financial terms, for CHB patients with and without cirrhosis, this would be cost‐saving at a one‐time treatment cost under US$11 944 and US$6694, respectively, in the USA, US$1744 and US$1001 in China, and US$12 063 and US$10 983 in Australia.ConclusionWe show that in purely economic terms, a CHB cure will be highly cost‐effective even if effective in only 30% of treated patients. The threshold price for cure is largely determined by the current antiviral drug costs, since it will replace a daily antiviral pill that is inexpensive and effective, although not curative. The likely need for combination therapies to achieve cure will also present cost challenges. While cost‐effectiveness is important, it cannot be the only consideration, as cure will provide many benefits in addition to reduced liver disease and HCC, including eliminating the need for a long‐term daily pill and reducing stigma often associated with chronic viral infection.
On buybacks, dilutions, dividends, and the pricing of stock‐based claims
Authors: Backwell Alex , McWalter Thomas A. , Ritchken Peter H. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractWe develop a structural model of the firm that accounts for dilutions, resulting from interest payment shortfalls, and allows cash surpluses to be distributed under a payout policy that permits a combination of dividends and buybacks. Since the model tracks the number of outstanding shares, it can distinguish between claims dependent on the price of a share versus claims that depend on total equity. With a further extension of the model to incorporate employee stock grants, we demonstrate how the prices of traded stock options and employee grants are affected by payout policy. The impact of both dilutions and buybacks on traded option prices and employee grants is shown to be material. This magnitude is further illustrated through a case study involving five technology firms.
Mythology, history, and reality: Mythorealism in Yan Lianke’sThe Explosion Chronicles
Authors: Liu Yang , Wang Shouren 
Published: July 2021

Abstract“Miraculous” is a word often used to describe the rapid development of urbanization that have taken place in China in the past 30 years. Yan Lianke’s fictional historiography,The Explosion Chronicles, probes into the stories behind the economic miracles with an eye especially for the aspects that are against the common logic of reality. It is an experiment contrived according to his own theory of mythorealism—a literary attempt to grasp reality that is not in existence, out of sight, and concealed by other superficial realities. This article argues that by constantly challenging the authority of truth, Yan Lianke showcases in this novel a new way of grasping reality that is different from the magical realism’s approach.The Explosion Chroniclescan be read as a development mythology that is framed by important mythological themes from ancient Chinese mythological discourses, not only blurring the distinctions between the rational and the mythical, but also adopting a whole different logic of progress. By assuming the narrative voice of a novelist commissioned to write a historical account for a fast‐developing metropolis, Yan Lianke undertakes the task of revealing the constant historical truth underlying the changing realities, embodying an understanding of the historical progress similar to Walter Benjamin’s visualization of an angel facing the accumulating wreckages of the past.
A review of knowledge on the mechanisms of action of the rare sugard‐tagatose against phytopathogenic oomycetes
Authors: Chahed Abdessalem , Nesler Andrea , Aziz Aziz , Barka Essaid A. , Pertot Ilaria , Perazzolli Michele 
Published: July 2021

Abstractd‐tagatose is a rare monosaccharide, naturally present at low concentrations in some fruits and dairy products.d‐tagatose is "generally recognized as safe" and is used as a low‐calorie sweetener in the food industry.It is able to inhibit the growth of numerous microorganisms, such as phytopathogenic oomycetes responsible for important crop diseases. Thanks to the negligible effects on human health and the environment,d‐tagatose has been proposed as a sustainable product for crop protection. This review describes the current knowledge on modes of action ofd‐tagatose against phytopathogenic oomycetes and its potential uses in agriculture.d‐tagatose can negatively affect the growth of phytopathogenic oomycetes by inhibiting key enzymes of sugar metabolism, such as β‐glucosidase inPhytophthora infestans, and fructokinase and phosphomannose isomerase inHyaloperonospora arabidopsidis. Moreover,d‐tagatose affects sugar content, causes severe mitochondrial alterations, and inhibits respiration processes with the accumulation of reactive oxygen species inP.infestans, but not inP.cinnamomi. Differential effects ofd‐tagatose are associated with a global gene downregulation inP.infestansand with an efficient transcriptional reprogramming of multiple metabolic processes inP.cinnamomi.d‐tagatose displays possible species‐specific effects inPhytophthoraspp. and nutritional properties on some plant‐associated microorganisms. However, inhibitory effects are reversible andP.infestansgrowth can be restored in the absence ofd‐tagatose. Further functional studies are discussed in this review, in order to promote the use ofd‐tagatose for sustainable crop protection.
Process effects of multistakeholder institutions: Theory and evidence from the Open Government Partnership
Authors: Berliner Daniel , Ingrams Alex , Piotrowski Suzanne J. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractHow does membership in transnational multistakeholder institutions shape states' domestic governance? We complement traditional compliance‐based approaches by developing a process model, focusing on the independent effects of processes associated with institutional membership, but separate from commitments and compliance themselves. These effects can be driven by iterative and participatory institutional features, which are increasingly prevalent in global governance. We apply this model to the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a transnational multistakeholder initiative with nearly 80 member countries, featuring highly flexible commitments and weak enforcement. Although commitments and compliance have generally been limited, a compliance‐focused approach alone cannot account for myriad other consequences globally and domestically, driven by the iterative and participatory features associated with membership. We demonstrate these at work in a case study of Mexico's OGP membership, which contributed to the spread of new norms and policy models, new political resources and opportunities for reformers, and new linkages and coalitions.
Du Châtelet on Sufficient Reason and Empirical Explanation
Authors: Wells Aaron 
Published: July 2021

AbstractFor Émilie Du Châtelet, I argue, a central role of the principle of sufficient reason is to discriminate between better and worse explanations. Her principle of sufficient reason does not play this role for just any conceivable intellect: it specifically enables understanding for minds like ours. She develops this idea in terms of two criteria for the success of our explanations: “understanding how” and “understanding why.” These criteria can respectively be connected to the determinateness and contrastivity of explanations. The crucial role Du Châtelet’s principle of sufficient reason plays in identifying good explanations is often overlooked in the literature, or else run together with questions about the justification and likelihood of explanations. An auxiliary goal of the article is to situate Du Châtelet’s principle of sufficient reason with respect to some of the general epistemological and metaphysical commitments of her Institutions de Physique, clarifying how it fits into the broader project of that work.
Fatal recurrent disseminated Lomentospora prolificans infection during autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A case report and review, and discussion on the importance of prolonged neutropenia
Authors: Gow‐Lee Vanessa J. , Moyers Justin T. , Rogstad Daniel K. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractInfections with Scedosporium and Lomentospora species, in particular Lomentospora (previously Scedosporium) prolificans, are nearly universally fatal and rapidly‐progressive in the transplant population. We report a case of a patient with diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma undergoing myelosuppressive chemotherapy who developed disseminated L. prolificans infection which afterward persisted in his knee joint. The infection was treated with early empiric triple antifungal therapy tailored to synergy studies, growth factors to quickly resolve neutropenia, and aggressive debridement (where possible) of infection sites, including amputation. He achieved an 11‐month remission until undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with deep myelosuppression, wherein recrudescent L. prolificans infection occurred, causing death. We highlight the importance of early treatment, synergy studies, and especially recovery of neutropenia in treating this devastating condition.
Measurements of Static and Dynamic Load Performance of a 102 MM Carbon-Graphite Porous Surface Tilting-Pad Gas Journal Bearing
Authors: San Andrés Luis , Yang Jing , McGowan Ryan 
Published: July 2021

Abstract
Aerostatic journal bearings with porous tilting pads enable shaft support with minute drag power losses. To date archival information on the static and dynamic load performance of this bearing type is scant. Thus, the paper presents measurements conducted with an air lubricated bearing with diameter d = 102 mm and comprising four tilting pads made of porous carbon-graphite, each with length L = 76 mm. Two nested Belleville washers resting on spherical pivots support each pad. At ambient temperature of ∼ 21 °C, as the air supply pressure into the bearing pads increases, so does the bearing aerostatic specific load (F/(L·d)) that reaches 58% of the pressure difference, supply minus ambient. With an air supply pressure of 7.8 bar(a), the test bearing static stiffness KS = 13.1 MN/m, is independent of both shaft speed and static load. KS is just 63% of the washers' stiffness KP = 20.6 MN/m (during loading). While operating with shaft speeds equal to 6 krpm and 9 krpm (150 Hz) and under specific loads to 115 kPa and 101 kPa, respectively, dynamic load experiments with excitation frequencies up to 342 Hz show the test bearing supplied with air at 7.8 bar(a) has frequency independent stiffness (K) and damping (C) coefficients. For rotor speeds equaling 0, 6 and 9 krpm, the bearing direct stiffnesses KXX ∼ KYY range from 13.6 MN/m to 32.7 MN/m as the specific load increases from 0 kPa to 115 kPa. The direct damping coefficients CXX ∼ CYY are as large as 5.8 kN·s/m, though having a large experimental uncertainty. Bearing cross-coupled force coefficients are insignificant. The test porous gas bearing reached its intended load capacity, demonstrated a dynamically stable operation and produced force coefficients mainly affected by the pads' pivot supports and the magnitude of air supply pressurization.
Developing a core outcome set for traumatic brachial plexus injuries: a systematic review of outcomes
Authors: Miller Caroline , Cross Jane , O'Sullivan Joel , Power Dominic M , Kyte Derek , Jerosch-Herold Christina 
Published: July 2021

ObjectiveTo identify what outcomes have been assessed in traumatic brachial plexus injury (TBPI) research to inform the development of a core outcome set for TBPI.DesignSystematic review.MethodMedline (OVID), EMBASE, CINAHL and AMED were systematically searched for studies evaluating the clinical effectiveness of interventions in adult TBPIs from January 2013 to September 2018 updated in May 2021. Two authors independently screened papers. Outcome reporting bias was assessed. All outcomes were extracted verbatim from studies. Patient-reported outcomes or performance outcome measures were extracted directly from the instrument. Variation in outcome reporting was determined by assessing the number of unique outcomes reported across all included studies. Outcomes were categorised into domains using a prespecified taxonomy.ResultsVerbatim outcomes (n=1491) were extracted from 138 studies including 32 questionnaires. Unique outcomes (n=157) were structured into 4 core areas and 11 domains. Outcomes within the musculoskeletal domain were measured in 86% of studies, physical functioning in 25%, emotional functioning in 25% and adverse events in 33%. We identified 63 different methods for measuring muscle strength, 16 studies for range of movement and 63 studies did not define how they measured movement. More than two-thirds of the outcomes were incompletely reported in prospective studies.ConclusionThis review of outcome reporting in TBPI research demonstrated an impairment focus and heterogeneity. A core outcome set would ensure standardised and relevant outcomes are reported to facilitate future systematic review and meta-analysis.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42018109843.
Consideration of antimicrobial resistance and contextual factors in infectious disease guidelines: a systematic survey
Authors: Stalteri Mastrangelo Rosa , Santesso Nancy , Bognanni Antonio , Darzi Andrea , Karam Samer , Piggott Thomas , Baldeh Tejan , Schünemann Finn , Ventresca Matthew , Morgano Gian Paolo , Moja Lorenzo , Loeb Mark , Schunemann Holger 
Published: July 2021

ObjectivesGuidelines that include antimicrobial recommendations should explicitly consider contextual factors that influence antimicrobial resistance and their downstream effects on resistance selection. The objectives were to analyse (1) how, and to what extent, tuberculosis, gonorrhoea and respiratory tract infection guidelines are considering antimicrobial resistance; (2) are of acceptable quality and (3) if they can be easily contextualised to fit the needs of specific populations and health systems.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review and searched Ovid MEDLINE and Embase from 1 January 2007 to 7 June 2019 for tuberculosis, gonorrhoea and respiratory tract infection guidelines published in English. We also searched guideline databases, key websites and reference lists. We identified guidelines and recommendations that considered contextual factors including antimicrobial resistance, values, resource use, equity, acceptability and feasibility. We assessed quality of the guidelines using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II tool focusing on the domains scope and purpose, rigour of development, and editorial independence.ResultsWe screened 10 365 records, of which 74 guidelines met inclusion criteria. Of these guidelines, 39% (n=29/74) met acceptable quality scores. Approximately two-thirds of recommendations considered antimicrobial resistance at the population and/or outcome level. Five of the 29 guidelines reported all factors required for recommendation contextualisation. Equity was the least considered across guidelines.DiscussionRelatively few guidelines for highly prevalent infectious diseases are considering resistance at a local level, and many do not consider contextual factors necessary for appropriate antimicrobial use. Improving the quality of guidelines targeting specific regional areas is required.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020145235.
Self-management challenges following hospital discharge for patients with multimorbidity: a longitudinal qualitative study of a motivational interviewing intervention
Authors: Brandberg Carina , Ekstedt Mirjam , Flink Maria 
Published: July 2021

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to describe challenges in self-management activities among people with multimorbidity during a 4-week post-discharge period.DesignThis is a longitudinal qualitative study using data from a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of motivational interviewing (MI) sessions.SettingThe RCT was conducted at six wards in two hospitals—one university hospital and one general hospital in Stockholm, Sweden, during 2016–2018.ParticipantsSixteen participants from the intervention group, diagnosed with heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and at least one other chronic condition, were purposively selected for this study.InterventionsEach participant had four or five post-discharge MI sessions with a trained social worker during a period of approximately 4 weeks. The sessions were recorded digitally and analysed using content analysis. Altogether, 70 recorded sessions were analysed.ResultsSelf-management after hospital discharge was a dynamic process with several shifting features that evolved gradually over time. Patients with multimorbidity experienced two major challenges with self-management in the first 4 weeks following hospital discharge: ‘Managing a system-centred care’ and ‘Handling the burden of living with multiple illnesses at home post-discharge’.ConclusionsSelf-management for patients with multimorbidity in the first post-discharge period does not equate to a fixed set of tasks, but varies over the post-discharge period. Self-management challenges include not only the burden of the disease itself, but also that of navigating and understanding the healthcare system. Hence, self-management support post-discharge involves both aiding patients with care coordination and meeting their gradually shifting disease-related needs.Trial registration numberNCT02823795.