bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Amino acids and RagD potentiate mTORC1 activation in CD8+ T cells to confer antitumor immunity
Authors: Zhang Yiwen , Hu Hongrong , Liu Weiwei , Yan Shu-Mei , Li Yuzhuang , Tan Likai , Chen Yingshi , Liu Jun , Peng Zhilin , Yuan Yaochang , Huang Wenjing , Yu Fei , He Xin , Li Bo , Zhang Hui 
Published: April 2021

BackgroundIn the tumor microenvironment, tumor cells are able to suppress antitumor immunity by competing for essential nutrients, including amino acids. However, whether amino acid depletion modulates the activity of CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is unclear.MethodIn this study, we evaluated the roles of amino acids and the Rag complex in regulating mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling in CD8+ TILs.ResultsWe discovered that the Rag complex, particularly RagD, was crucial for CD8+ T-cell antitumor immunity. RagD expression was positively correlated with the antitumor response of CD8+ TILs in both murine syngeneic tumor xenografts and clinical human colon cancer samples. On RagD deficiency, CD8+ T cells were rendered more dysfunctional, as demonstrated by attenuation of mTORC1 signaling and reductions in proliferation and cytokine secretion. Amino acids maintained RagD-mediated mTORC1 translocation to the lysosome, thereby achieving maximal mTORC1 activity in CD8+ T cells. Moreover, the limited T-cell access to leucine (LEU), overshadowed by tumor cell amino acid consumption, led to impaired RagD-dependent mTORC1 activity. Finally, combined with antiprogrammed cell death protein 1 antibody, LEU supplementation improved T-cell immunity in MC38 tumor-bearing mice in vivo.ConclusionOur results revealed that robust signaling of amino acids by RagD and downstream mTORC1 signaling were crucial for T-cell receptor-initiated antitumor immunity. The characterization the role of RagD and LEU in nutrient mTORC1 signaling in TILs might suggest potential therapeutic strategies based on the manipulation of RagD and its upstream pathway.
Does postoperative cognitive decline after coronary bypass affect quality of life?
Authors: Blokzijl Fredrike , Keus Frederik , Houterman Saskia , Dieperink Willem , van der Horst Iwan C C , Reneman Michiel F , Absalom Anthony R , Mariani Massimo A 
Published: April 2021

ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the influence of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) on both postoperative cognitive dysfunction and quality of life (QoL) and the association between the two patient-related outcomes.MethodsIn a prospective, observational cohort study, patients with elective, isolated CABG were included. Cognitive function was assessed using the Cogstate computerised cognitive test battery preoperatively, 3 days and 6 months after surgery. QoL was measured preoperatively and at 6 months using the RAND-36 questionnaire including the Physical Component Score (PCS) and the Mental Component Score (MCS). Regression analysis, with adjustment for confounders, was used to evaluate the association between postoperative cognitive dysfunction and QoL.ResultsA total of 142 patients were included in the study. Evidence of persistent cognitive dysfunction was observed in 33% of patients after 6 months. At 6 months, the PCS had improved in 59% and decreased in 21% of patients, and the MCS increased in 49% and decreased in 29%. Postoperative cognitive changes were not associated with QoL scores.ConclusionsPostoperative cognitive dysfunction and decreased QoL are common 6 months after surgery, although cognitive function and QoL were found to have improved in many patients at 6 months of follow-up. Impaired cognitive function is not associated with impaired QoL at 6 months.Trial registration numberNCT03774342.
Risk of drug-induced interstitial lung disease in hospitalised patients: a nested case–control study
Authors: Jo Taisuke , Michihata Nobuaki , Yamana Hayato , Morita Kojiro , Ishimaru Miho , Yamauchi Yasuhiro , Hasegawa Wakae , Urushiyama Hirokazu , Uda Kazuaki , Matsui Hiroki , Fushimi Kiyohide , Yasunaga Hideo , Nagase Takahide 
Published: April 2021

IntroductionInformation on drug-induced interstitial lung disease (DILD) is limited due to its low incidence. This study investigated the frequencies of drug categories with potential risk in patients developing DILD during hospitalisation and analysed the risk of developing DILD associated with each of these drugs.MethodsUsing a Japanese national inpatient database, we identified patients without interstitial pneumonia on admission who developed DILD and required corticosteroid therapy during hospitalisation from July 2010 to March 2016. We conducted a nested case–control study; four controls from the entire non-DILD patient cohort were matched to each DILD case on age, sex, main diagnosis, admission year and hospital. We defined 42 classified categories of drugs with 216 generic names as drugs with potential risk of DILD, and we identified the use of these drugs during hospitalisation for each patient. We analysed the association between each drug category and DILD development using conditional logistic regression analyses.ResultsWe retrospectively identified 2342 patients who developed DILD. After one-to-four case–control matching, 1541 case patients were matched with 5677 control patients. Six drug categories were significantly associated with the increased occurrence of DILD. These included epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (OR: 16.84, 95% CI 9.32 to 30.41) and class III antiarrhythmic drugs (OR: 7.01, 95% CI 3.86 to 12.73). Statins were associated with reduced risk of DILD (OR: 0.68, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.92).ConclusionsWe demonstrated significant associations between various drug categories and DILD. Our findings provide useful information on drug categories with potential risk to help physicians prevent and treat DILD.
Learning to Ignore
Authors: Kong Ruoyan , Zhu Haiyi , Konstan Joseph A. 
Published: April 2021

Bulk email is a primary communication channel within organizations, with all-company emails and regular newsletters serving as a mechanism for making employees aware of policies and events. Ineffective communication could result in wasted employee time and a lack of compliance or awareness. Previous studies on organizational emails focused mostly on recipients. However, organizational bulk email system is a multi-stakeholder problem including recipients, communicators, and the organization itself.
We studied the effectiveness, practice, and assessments of the organizational bulk email system of a large university from multi-stakeholders' perspectives. We conducted a qualitative study with the university's communicators, recipients, and managers. We delved into the organizational bulk email's distributing mechanisms of the communicators, the reading behaviors of recipients, and the perspectives on emails' values of communicators, managers, and recipients.
We found that the organizational bulk email system as a whole was strained, and communicators are caught in the middle of this multi-stakeholder problem. First, though the communicators had an interest in preserving the effectiveness of channels in reaching employees, they had high-level clients whose interests might outweigh judgment about whether a message deserves widespread circulation. Second, though communicators thought they were sending important information, recipients viewed most of the organizational bulk emails as not relevant to them. Third, this disagreement was amplified by the success metric used by communicators. They viewed their bulk emails as successful if they had a high open rate. But recipients often opened and then rapidly discarded emails without reading the details. Last, while the communicators in general understood the challenge, they had a limited set of targeting and feedback tools to support their task.
National Survey of Patient Factors Associated with Colorectal Cancer Screening Preferences
Authors: Zhu Xuan , Parks Philip D. , Weiser Emily , Fischer Kristin , Griffin Joan M. , Limburg Paul J. , Finney Rutten Lila J. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractRecommended colorectal cancer screening modalities vary with respect to safety, efficacy, and cost. Better understanding of the factors that influence patient preference is, therefore, critical for improving population adherence to colorectal cancer screening. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a panel survey focused on three commonly utilized colorectal cancer screening options [fecal immunochemical test or guaiac-based fecal occult blood test (FIT/gFOBT), multi-target stool DNA (mt-sDNA) test, and colonoscopy] with a national sample of U.S. adults, ages 40–75 years and at average risk of colorectal cancer, in November 2019. Of 5,097 panelists invited to participate, 1,595 completed the survey (completion rate, 31.3%). Our results showed that when presented a choice between two colorectal cancer screening modalities, more respondents preferred mt-sDNA (65.4%) over colonoscopy, FIT/gFOBT (61%) over colonoscopy, and mt-sDNA (66.9%) over FIT/gFOBT. Certain demographic characteristics and awareness of and/or experience with various screening modalities influenced preferences. For example, uninsured people were more likely to prefer stool-based tests over colonoscopy [OR, 2.53; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.22–5.65 and OR, 2.73; 95% CI, 1.13–7.47]. People who had heard of stool-based screening were more likely to prefer mt-sDNA over FIT/gFOBT (OR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.26–3.40). People who previously had a stool-based test were more likely to prefer FIT/gFOBT over colonoscopy (OR, 2.75; 95% CI, 1.74–4.41), while people who previously had a colonoscopy were less likely to prefer mt-sDNA or FIT/gFOBT over colonoscopy (OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.24–0.63 and OR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.26–0.62). Our survey demonstrated broad patient preference for stool-based tests over colonoscopy, contrasting the heavy reliance on colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening in clinical practice and highlighting the importance of considering patient preference in colorectal cancer screening recommendations.Prevention Relevance:Our national survey demonstrated broad patient preference for stool-based tests over colonoscopy, contrasting the heavy reliance on colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening in clinical practice and highlighting the importance of considering patient preference in colorectal screening recommendations.
Sinning in the Rain: Weather Shocks, Church Attendance, and Crime
Authors: Moreno-Medina Jonathan 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThis paper provides evidence of the causal effect of church attendance on petty crime by using quasi-random variation in the number of Sundays when it precipitated at the specific time of most religious services. Using a novel strategy, I find a narrow time window when most individuals attend church. Based on a panel between 1980 and 2016, I find that one more Sunday with precipitation at the time of church increases yearly drug-related, alcohol-related, and white-collar crimes. I do not find an effect for violent or property crimes. These effects are driven by more religious counties. Previous evidence showing negative effects of church attendance on the demand for alcohol and drugs is consistent with a demand-driven interpretation of the results presented.
Collective Reputation in Trade: Evidence from the Chinese Dairy Industry
Authors: Bai Jie , Gazze Ludovica , Wang Yukun 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
The existence of collective reputation implies an important externality. Among firms trading internationally, quality shocks about one firm's products could affect the demand of other firms from the same origin country. We study such a reputation spillover in the context of a large-scale scandal that affected the Chinese dairy industry in 2008. Leveraging detailed firm-product level administrative data and official quality inspection reports, we document sizable reputation spillovers on uncontaminated firms. We further investigate potential mechanisms that could mediate the strength of collective reputation, including information accuracy, observability of the supply chain, and prior export experience.
The TFP Channel of Credit Supply Shocks
Authors: Ben Zeev Nadav 
Published: April 2021

AbstractRecent work stresses a potentially important relation between credit supply shocks and aggregate TFP based on factor misallocation. I take three steps to examine this relation. First, using state-of-the-art credit supply shock and aggregate TFP measures, I show that an adverse credit supply shock has a weak and very short-lived effect on aggregate TFP. Second, using firm-level data, I show that firm-level capital stock responses to an adverse credit supply shock produce an insignificant and negligible capital-misallocation–induced TFP response. Third, using employment data by fine firm-size category classification, I also find a negligible labor-misallocation–induced TFP response. These findings suggest that the TFP channel of credit supply shocks has a limited role in their transmission to the real economy.
Assessment of a Ground-Based Lightning Detection and Near-Real-Time Warning System in the Rural Community of Swayimane, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Authors: Mahomed Maqsooda , Clulow Alistair D. , Strydom Sheldon , Mabhaudhi Tafadzwanashe , Savage Michael J. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractClimate change projections of increases in lightning activity are an added concern for lightning-prone countries such as South Africa. South Africa’s high levels of poverty, lack of education, and awareness, as well as a poorly developed infrastructure, increase the vulnerability of rural communities to the threat of lightning. Despite the existence of national lightning networks, lightning alerts and warnings are not disseminated well to such rural communities. We therefore developed a community-based early warning system (EWS) to detect and disseminate lightning threats and alerts in a timely and comprehensible manner within Swayimane, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The system is composed of an electrical field meter and a lightning flash sensor with warnings disseminated via audible and visible alarms on site and with a remote server issuing short message services (SMSs) and email alerts. Twelve months of data (February 2018–February 2019) were utilized to evaluate the performance of the EWS’s detection and warning capabilities. Diurnal variations in lightning activity indicated the influence of solar radiation, causing convective conditions with peaks in lightning activity occurring during the late afternoon and early evening (between 1400 and 2100) coinciding with students being released from school and when most workers return home. In addition to detecting the threat of lightning, the EWS was beneficial in identifying periods that exhibited above-normal lightning activity, with two specific lightning events examined in detail. Poor network signals in rural communities presented an initial challenge, delaying data transmission to the central server until rectified using multiple network providers. Overall, the EWS was found to disseminate reliable warnings in a timely manner.
Does psychological empowerment condition the impact of public service motivation on perceived organizational performance? Evidence from the US federal government
Authors: Lim Jae Young , Moon Kuk-Kyoung , Christensen Robert K. 
Published: April 2021

Although the relationships between public service motivation and work-related outcomes are contingent on an employee’s psychological state, little empirical evidence exists on whether psychological empowerment conditions the relationship between public service motivation and perceived organizational performance in public organizations. This study addresses this gap by examining data from the 2010 US Merit Principles Survey on psychological empowerment’s moderating role between public service motivation and the perceived achievement of organizational goals, as well as the perceived quality of work-unit products and services in the US federal government. First, the findings indicate that public service motivation and psychological empowerment improve both of these perceived organizational performance measures. Second, the findings indicate that the link between public service motivation and perceived organizational performance is slightly enhanced when public employees feel more psychologically empowered. Points for practitioners This article offers practical lessons for practitioners who are concerned about improving organizational performance. Emphasizing the importance of psychological empowerment in strengthening the link between public service motivation and perceived organizational performance, the article suggests a critical need to cultivate psychological empowerment in the public sector, which has been under heavy pressure to do more with less in a rapidly changing environment.
Access to information technology of households and secondary school students in Turkey
Authors: İra Nejat , Yıldız Mehmet , Yıldız Gamze , Yalçınkaya-Önder Eylem , Aksu Ali 
Published: April 2021

The aim of the study was to investigate secondary school students’ and teachers’ access to information technologies in Turkey by making interregional comparisons. Document analysis of the qualitative research methods was employed to analyze the reports issued by the Turkish Ministry of National Education, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK), and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). The results of the research revealed the importance of access to information and communication technologies for both students and teachers: 67.9% of the participating students were found to have Internet connection and 69.1% a computer in their homes, while 80.3% of the students were observed to use a computer outside the school, but 19.7% were not. The results also showed that 64.6% of the students have Internet connection in their classrooms, but 29.2% of these students do not use the Internet in the classroom, whereas 8.9% use it in the classroom all the time. The rate of students using a digital device for reading is 38.1%, while that of those not using one is 61.9%. Some 32.1% of secondary school students were revealed not to have Internet connection at home. Additionally, 77% of teachers were not trained in online teaching prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the findings, teachers can be suggested to develop projects – i.e., of TUBITAK, E-twinning, and Erasmus – which potentially encourage students to use information and communication technologies so that both teachers and students can benefit from them. It is also suggested that the Ministry of National Education should work on improving the information communication technology competencies of teachers and students. Besides, policies should be developed to eliminate regional differences in terms of access to digital resources and technology in terms of equal opportunities and opportunities.
Clinical significance of blood platelets and mean platelet volume in patients with ulcerative colitis
Authors: Chen Zhitao , Lu Yaqi , Wu Jie , Zhang Heng 
Published: April 2021

Objectives This retrospective study aimed to investigate and analyze the clinical significance of blood platelets (PLTs) and mean platelet volume (MPV) in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Methods A total of 132 patients with UC and 208 healthy subjects were enrolled. PLTs, MPV, platelet-large cell rate (P-LCR), C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen (FIB) and D-dimer were analyzed. Correlations were calculated between disease activity/extent of disease and MPV, PLT, and CRP levels in patients with UC. Results PLT levels were significantly higher while MPV and P-LCR were lower in patients with UC compared with controls. Disease activity was positive correlated with CRP (r = 0.564) and PLT (r = 0.307) but negatively correlated with MPV (r = −0.351). Extent of disease was positively correlated with CRP (r = 0.312) but showed no correlation with PLTs and MPV. FIB and D-dimer were higher in patients with UC, but the difference in FIB levels was not statistically significant. Conclusions PLTs and MPV are potential biomarkers for UC disease activity. These data may help clinicians to attain a more comprehensive judgment of the general condition of patients with UC.
Additional Inferior Extensor Retinaculum Augmentation After All-Inside Arthroscopic Anterior Talofibular Ligament Repair for Chronic Ankle Instability Is Not Necessary
Authors: Lee Sung Hyun , Cho Hyung Gyu , Yang Je Heon 
Published: April 2021

Background: Although several arthroscopic surgical techniques for the treatment of chronic ankle instability (CAI) have been introduced recently, the effect of inferior extensor retinaculum (IER) augmentation remains unclear. Purpose: To compare the clinical outcomes after arthroscopic anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) repair according to whether additional IER augmentation was performed or not. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of consecutive patients who underwent arthroscopic ATFL repair surgery for CAI between 2016 and 2018. The mean age of the patients was 35.2 years (range, 19-51 years), and the mean follow-up period was 32.6 months (range, 24-48 months). Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the surgical technique used for CAI: arthroscopic ATFL repair (group A; n = 37) and arthroscopic ATFL repair with additional IER augmentation (group R; n = 45). The pain visual analog scale, American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society score, Foot and Ankle Outcome Score, and the Karlsson Ankle Function Score were measured as subjective outcomes, and posturographic analysis was performed using a Tetrax device as an objective outcome. Radiologic outcome evaluations were performed preoperatively and at 2 years postoperatively using stress radiographs and axial view magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Results: Out of 101 patients, 19 (18.5%) were excluded per the exclusion criteria, and 82 were evaluated. We identified 6 retears (7.3%) based on postoperative MRI evaluation. All patients who had ATFL retear on MRI (8.1% [3/37] in group A and 6.7% [3/45] in group R) demonstrated recurrent CAI with functional discomfort and anterior displacement >3 mm as compared with the intact contralateral ankle. All clinical scores and posturography results were improved after surgery in both groups ( P < .001). However, there were no significant differences in the clinical results and radiologic findings between the groups. Conclusion: The clinical and radiologic outcomes of patients with CAI improved after all-inside arthroscopic ATFL repair. However, additional IER augmentation after arthroscopic ATFL repair did not guarantee better clinical outcomes.