bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Significance of anti‐HBc serological status in primary immune thrombocytopenia
Authors: Wang Lingjun , Li Lizhen , Li Chaoyang , Hou Yu , Xu Miao , Yu Yafei , Ni Xiaofei , Wang Ruting , Wang Haoyi , Wang Lin , Peng Jun , Hou Ming 
Published: December 2021

SummaryThe association of previous hepatitis B virus (HBV) exposure [hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negative, hepatitis B core antibody (anti‐HBc/HBcAb) positive] with disease severity and decision on treatment option in primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) patients remains unclear. Data from 725 patients diagnosed with ITP were analyzed to elucidate the association between anti‐HBc serological status and disease severity. Data from a published prospective study [high‐dose dexamethasone (HD‐DXM), HD‐DXM plus recombinant human thrombopoietin, NCT01734044] and two retrospective studies (standard‐dose and low‐dose rituximab) were rearranged to evaluate the impact of anti‐HBc serological status on the response and outcome to ITP‐specific treatments and the risk of HBV reactivation related to these treatments. The prevalence of HBsAg−HBcAb+ and HBsAg−HBcAb− in ITP patients was 51·03% and 48·97% respectively. Compared to the HBsAg−HBcAb− group, patients in the HBsAg−HBcAb+ group had lower platelet count, higher bleeding score, and longer hospitalization (P = 0·002, 0·033, and 0·008 respectively). Moreover, the initial complete response rate of HBsAg−HBcAb+ patients was lower than that of HBsAg−HBcAb− patients (45·2% vs 59·8%, P = 0·027). In conclusion, previous HBV exposure was correlated with disease severity and hospitalization in ITP patients. Anti‐HBc positivity may be considered as a predictor for poor response to ITP‐specific treatments.
Linking metaphor comprehension with analogical reasoning: Evidence from typical development and autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Morsanyi Kinga , Hamilton Jayne , Stamenković Dušan , Holyoak Keith J. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractWe examined the relationship between metaphor comprehension and verbal analogical reasoning in young adults who were either typically developing (TD) or diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The ASD sample was highly educated and high in verbal ability, and closely matched to a subset of TD participants on age, gender, educational background, and verbal ability. Additional TD participants with a broader range of abilities were also tested. Each participant solved sets of verbal analogies and metaphors in verification formats, allowing measurement of both accuracy and reaction times. Measures of individual differences in vocabulary, verbal working memory, and autistic traits were also obtained. Accuracy for both the verbal analogy and the metaphor task was very similar across the ASD and matched TD groups. However, reaction times on both tasks were longer for the ASD group. Additionally, stronger correlations between verbal analogical reasoning and working memory capacity in the ASD group indicated that processing verbal analogies was more effortful for them. In the case of both groups, accuracy on the metaphor and analogy tasks was correlated. A mediation analysis revealed that after controlling for working memory capacity, the inter‐task correlation could be accounted for by the mediating variable of vocabulary knowledge, suggesting that the primary common mechanisms linking the two tasks involve language skills.
The antibiotic drug trimethoprim suppresses tumour growth and metastasis via targeting Snail
Authors: Ren Bo‐Xue , Li Yang , Li Hong‐Mei , Lu Tao , Wu Zhao‐Qiu , Fu Rong 
Published: December 2021

Background and PurposeThe zinc finger transcription factor Snail is aberrantly activated in many human cancers and strongly associated with poor prognosis. As a transcription factor, Snail has been traditionally considered an ‘undruggable’ target. Here, we identified a potent small‐molecule inhibitor of Snail, namely trimethoprim, and investigated its potential antitumour effects and the underlying mechanisms.Experimental ApproachThe inhibitory action of trimethoprim on Snail protein and the related molecular mechanisms were revealed by molecular docking, biolayer interferometry, immunoblotting, immunoprecipitation, qRT‐PCR, pull‐down and cycloheximide pulse‐chase assays. The anti‐proliferative and anti‐metastatic effects of trimethoprim via targeting Snail were tested in multiple cell‐based assays and animal models.Key ResultsThis study identified trimethoprim, an antimicrobial drug, as a potent antitumour agent via targeting Snail. Molecular modelling analysis predicted that trimethoprim directly binds to the arginine‐174 pocket of Snail protein. We further discovered that trimethoprim strongly interrupts the interaction of Snail with CREB‐binding protein (CBP)/p300, which consequently suppresses Snail acetylation and promotes Snail degradation through the ubiquitin‐proteasome pathway. Furthermore, trimethoprim sufficiently inhibited the proliferation, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and migration of cancer cells in vitro via specifically targeting Snail. More importantly, trimethoprim effectively reduced Snail‐driven tumour growth and metastasis to vital organs such as lung, bone and liver.Conclusions and ImplicationsThese findings indicate, for the first time, that trimethoprim suppresses tumour growth and metastasis via targeting Snail. This study provides insights for a better understanding of the anticancer effects of trimethoprim and offers a potential anticancer therapeutic agent for clinical treatment.
Population pharmacokinetics and exposure‐response modeling analyses of guselkumab in patients with psoriatic arthritis
Authors: Chen Yang , Miao Xin , Hsu Chyi‐Hung , Zhuang Yanli , Kollmeier Alexa , Xu Zhenhua , Zhou Honghui , Sharma Amarnath 
Published: December 2021

AbstractGuselkumab is an anti‐interleukin‐23 human monoclonal antibody effective in treating psoriatic arthritis (PsA). To characterize the pharmacokinetics (PKs) and exposure‐response relationship of guselkumab in PsA, population PKs, and exposure‐response modeling, analyses were conducted using data from pivotal phase III studies of subcutaneous guselkumab in patients with PsA. The observed serum concentration‐time data of guselkumab were adequately described by a one‐compartment linear PK model with first‐order absorption and elimination. Covariates identified as contributing to the observed guselkumab PK variability were body weight and diabetes comorbidity; however, the magnitude of the effects of these covariates was not considered clinically relevant, and dose adjustment was not warranted for the patient population investigated. Positive exposure‐response relationships were demonstrated with landmark and longitudinal exposure‐response analyses between guselkumab exposure and clinical efficacy end points (American College of Rheumatology [ACR] 20%, 50%, and 70% improvement criteria and Investigator’s Global Assessment [IGA] of psoriasis) at weeks 20 and/or 24, with no clinically relevant differences observed in improvement of PsA signs and symptoms between the two guselkumab treatment regimens evaluated (100 mg every 4 weeks or 100 mg at weeks 0 and 4, then every 8 weeks). Baseline Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28), Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score, and/or C‐reactive protein level were identified as influencing covariates on guselkumab exposure‐response model parameters. These results provide a comprehensive evaluation of subcutaneous guselkumab PKs and exposure‐response relationship that supports the dose regimen of 100 mg at weeks 0 and 4, then every 8 weeks in patients with PsA.
Markedly elevated serum preoperative thyroglobulin predicts radioiodine‐refractory thyroid cancer
Authors: Cheng Xian , Xu Shichen , Zhu Yun , Wu Jing , Bao Jiandong , Yu Huixin , Zhang Li 
Published: December 2021

AbstractBackgroundRepeated radiotherapy brings limited benefits and significant side effects for differentiated thyroid cancer patients (DTC) with radioiodine refractory (RAIR). However, the prognostic role of preoperative thyroglobulin (pre‐Tg) in predicting RAIR is unclear.MethodsIn the present study, data were retrospectively reviewed from 5173 patients who underwent radiotherapy in the Jiangyuan Hospital from January 2006 to December 2020.ResultsA total of 1,102 patients with or without repeated radiotherapy were compared (repeated vs. single radiotherapy; n = 199 vs. n = 903). Pre‐Tg was significantly elevated in patients with repeated radiotherapy. After the classification of RAIR (non‐RAIR, n = 786 vs. RAIR, n = 90), elevated pre‐Tg was also correlated with RAIR after univariate and multivariate analyses. According to the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, elevated pre‐Tg well predicted RAIR (AUC = 0.76, CI: 0.71–0.82, p < 0.0001). To control the selection bias, the propensity score matching was used. Pre‐Tg level was found to be an independent predictor of RAIR (p < 0.001, HR = 7.25, CI: 2.55–20.62).ConclusionOur results indicate that markedly elevated pre‐Tg level can be served as an independent predictor of RAIR‐DTC, which can guide a more precise treatment strategy and/or an active surveillance during surgery and follow‐ups.
Biodiversity promotes ecosystem functioning despite environmental change
Authors: Hong Pubin , Schmid Bernhard , De Laender Frederik , Eisenhauer Nico , Zhang Xingwen , Chen Haozhen , Craven Dylan , De Boeck Hans J. , Hautier Yann , Petchey Owen L. , Reich Peter B. , Steudel Bastian , Striebel Maren , Thakur Madhav P. , Wang Shaopeng 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThree decades of research have demonstrated that biodiversity can promote the functioning of ecosystems. Yet, it is unclear whether the positive effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning will persist under various types of global environmental change drivers. We conducted a meta‐analysis of 46 factorial experiments manipulating both species richness and the environment to test how global change drivers (i.e. warming, drought, nutrient addition or CO2 enrichment) modulated the effect of biodiversity on multiple ecosystem functions across three taxonomic groups (microbes, phytoplankton and plants). We found that biodiversity increased ecosystem functioning in both ambient and manipulated environments, but often not to the same degree. In particular, biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning were larger in stressful environments induced by global change drivers, indicating that high‐diversity communities were more resistant to environmental change. Using a subset of studies, we also found that the positive effects of biodiversity were mainly driven by interspecific complementarity and that these effects increased over time in both ambient and manipulated environments. Our findings support biodiversity conservation as a key strategy for sustainable ecosystem management in the face of global environmental change.
Development of a Family‐Based Nutrition Program Rooted in Food Parenting Literature
Authors: Chiong Reah , Gray Virginia B. , Roy Roudi N. 
Published: December 2021

Family‐based nutrition programs have been used to support healthy eating; however, few programs emphasize parental roles in regard to food. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a family‐based curriculum with a parenting focus aimed at influencing child obesity risk. Qualitative data in the pilot implementation (cohort 1, n = 6 families with elementary‐aged children) suggested parent value for the following: positive messages, hands‐on learning, and group sharing. However, Family Nutrition and Physical Activity scores for cohorts 2–6 (n = 18 families) did not change significantly from pre‐ to postprogram. Future implementations will consider more robust ways of assessing change and recruiting participants at various stages of change.
Trophic interactions of vampire catfishes (Siluriformes: Vandelliinae) revealed by metabarcoding analysis of stomach contents
Authors: Bonato Karine Orlandi , Silva Priscilla Caroline , Carvalho Fernando Rogério , Malabarba Luiz Roberto 
Published: December 2021

Abstract

The trichomycterid catfishes of the subfamily Vandelliinae, the candirus, are parasite fishes that feed on blood. Therefore, the trophic interactions and dynamics of food webs in aquatic systems involving these catfishes cannot be determined through visual analysis of stomach contents, and the parasite–host interactions in this group of fishes are mostly unknown, except for a few anecdotal or experimental observations.

We used DNA analysis of stomach contents of these fluid‐feeding fishes to identify hosts and study the ecological interactions of the haematophagous species Paravandellia oxyptera. Specifically, we used sequences of the cytochrome oxidase I gene collected from the gut contents of the catfish and compared them to data from GenBank to identify the host species.

Our analysis indicated that examined specimens of Paravandellia oxyptera were exclusively fish parasites, and we identified genetic markers from eight host species from five families and three orders based on stomach contents.

Paravandellia oxyptera does not exhibit host specificity. Unlike mucophagous trichomycterids, host species of haematophagous P. oxyptera belong to different trophic levels, showing a wide spectrum of interactions in the food web. A comparison of the host species with the accompanying fauna collected during sampling allowed an association between host preference and host size. Barcode analysis of stomach contents further produced a secondary source of information on the diversity of fish in the study area.

This is the first study to identify host species of haematophagous parasitic fishes through the analysis of gut contents, demonstrating that specimens obtained in natural environments show much larger spectra of ecological interactions than previously reported from anecdotal or laboratory observations. This research is of broad interest, and exemplifies how DNA barcoding analysis of stomach contents provides new and relevant information on parasite/host interactions, with results not obtained by traditional methods of stomach content analysis.
Effects of consecutive dry and wet days on the forest–savanna boundary in north‐west South America
Authors: Hoyos Natalia , Correa‐Metrio Alex , Jaramillo Carlos , Villegas Juan Camilo , Escobar Jaime 
Published: December 2021

AbstractAimMultiple abiotic and biotic factors, mainly the amount and seasonality of precipitation, fire regime, soil properties and species adaptation strategies, have been invoked to explain the existence of the tropical savanna–humid forest transition. We explored the rainfall variables that influence the probability of forest or savanna occurring in north‐west South America, specifically monthly precipitation and the mean and maximum duration of wet and dry spells, defined as the number of consecutive wet (dry) days.LocationNorth‐west South America.Time period1980–2017.Major taxa studiedSavanna and humid forest.MethodsWe used a set of logistic generalized linear models to assess the effect of multiple variables on the probability of occurrence of forest. Predictor variables included monthly precipitation, mean monthly dry and wet spells and maximum monthly dry and wet spells.ResultsThe probability of forest (savanna) occurrence depends mostly on the average duration of dry and wet spells and the interaction between these two variables, whereas the effect of total monthly precipitation is marginal. Dry spell duration had the largest effect on the probability of forest occurrence, which decreased by 7.5% for each additional consecutive dry day. For wet spells, the probability of forest occurrence increased by 4.1% for each additional consecutive wet day. Our model shows that the savanna–forest transition takes place under an average combination of dry spells lasting 8–10 days and wet spells lasting 1–3 days during the dry season (December–February). This combination changes to dry spells lasting 1–3 days and wet spells lasting 4–6 days during the wet season (May–July).Main conclusionsThis study reveals the importance of using precipitation data with a fine temporal scale to investigate forest–savanna distribution and indicates the limited explanatory power of aggregated precipitation variables (e.g., monthly and annual values). Models that assess the effect of climate change should therefore incorporate precipitation variables acquired at finer temporal resolution.
Association of vision and hearing impairments with quality of life among older adults: Mediation by psychosocial factors
Authors: Phua June , Visaria Abhijit , Østbye Truls , Malhotra Rahul 
Published: December 2021

AimVision impairment (VI) and hearing impairment (HI), alone or in combination (dual sensory impairment [DSI]), are common in older adults. We determined (i) the association of vision and hearing, and of VI only, HI only and DSI, with three psychosocial variables (social network, loneliness, depressive symptoms) and with quality of life (QoL), and (ii) whether the considered psychosocial variables mediate the association of VI only, HI only and DSI with QoL among older adults.MethodsCross‐sectional survey data for 4077 older adults (≥60 years) from Singapore were analyzed. Those with self‐reported fair or poor vision and hearing were considered to have an impairment in that sense. Standard scales were used to assess the psychosocial variables and QoL. Regression and mediation models were used.ResultsThose with fair and poor vs. good, vision and hearing generally had poorer psychosocial outcomes and lower QoL. VI only, HI only and DSI were all associated with lower social network, more depressive symptoms and lower QoL. VI only and DSI were associated with more loneliness. Social network, loneliness and depressive symptoms partially mediated the association of VI only, HI only and DSI with QoL, with depressive symptoms being the strongest mediator.ConclusionsVI and HI, particularly in combination, are associated with poorer psychosocial status and QoL among older adults. Older adults with VI or HI should be screened for depressive symptoms and social risks. Improving social network, loneliness and depressive symptoms among older adults with sensory impairments may enhance their QoL. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2022; 22: 56–62.
The production of difference and “becoming Black”: The experiences of female Nigerian doctors and nurses working in the National Health Service
Authors: Edeh Nkechinyelu Ann , Riley Sarah , Kokot‐Blamey Patrizia 
Published: December 2021

AbstractIn this article, we combine theory from cultural theorist Stuart Hall with phenomenological psychology to analyze the experiences of female Nigerian doctors and nurses working in the National Health Service (NHS). Drawing on 32 interviews with 24 nurses and doctors, our empirical analysis demonstrates how encounters with patients, colleagues and the structures of the NHS collapsed these health care professionals' identities into a single category of Black that produced them as racially different and inferior – a process we describe as “becoming Black.” In this analysis, we emphasize the utility of Hall's legacy to organizational analyses of experience, and the importance of centering race in such works, thereby adding to the wider literature on discrimination and identity. Hall's contributions offer us a framework for conceptualizing identity as in process, as arising in dialog with another, and framed in a historical context shaped by colonialism. Through a phenomenological lens we explore these identity processes, drawing out racialized experiences, and demonstrating “becoming Black” as a form of symbolic violence with real effects related to psychological distress and workplace precarity.
Codesigning person‐centred quality indicators with diverse communities: A qualitative patient engagement study
Authors: Manalili Kimberly , Siad Fartoon M. , Antonio Marichu , Lashewicz Bonnie , Santana Maria J. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractIntroductionEffective engagement of underrepresented communities in health research and policy remains a challenge due to barriers that hinder participation. Our study had two objectives: (1) identify themes of person‐centred care (PCC) from perspectives of diverse patients/caregivers that would inform the development of person‐centred quality indicators (PC‐QIs) for evaluating the quality of PCC and initiatives to improve PCC and (2) explore innovative participatory approaches to engage ethnocultural communities in qualitative research.MethodsDrawing on participatory action research methods, we partnered with a community‐based organization to train six ‘Community Brokers’ from the Chinese, Filipino, South Asian, Latino‐Hispanic, East African and Syrian communities, who were engaged throughout the study. We also partnered with the provincial health organization to engage their Patient and Family Advisory, who represented further aspects of diversity. We conducted focus group discussions with patients/caregivers to obtain their perspectives on their values, preferences and needs regarding PCC. We identified themes through our study and engaged provincial stakeholders to prioritize these themes for informing the development of PC‐QIs and codesign initiatives for improving PCC.ResultsEight focus groups were conducted with 66 diverse participants. Ethnocultural communities highlighted themes related to access and cost of care, language barriers and culture, while the Patient and Family Advisory emphasized patient and caregiver engagement. Together with provincial stakeholders, initiatives were identified to improve PCC, such as codesigning innovative models of training and evaluation of healthcare providers.ConclusionIncorporating patient and community voices requires addressing issues related to equity and understanding barriers to effective and meaningful engagement.Patient or Public ContributionPatient and public engagement was central to our research study. This included partnership with a community‐based organization, with a broad network of ethnocultural communities, as well as the provincial health service delivery organization, who both facilitated the ongoing engagement of diverse patients/caregiver communities throughout our study including designing the study, recruiting participants, collecting and organizing data, interpreting findings and mobilizing knowledge. Drawing from participatory action research methods, patients and the public were involved in the codesign of the PC‐QIs and initiatives to improve PCC in the province based on the findings from our study.