bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Letermovir prophylaxis in solid organ transplant—Assessing CMV breakthrough and tacrolimus drug interaction
Authors: Winstead Ryan J. , Kumar Dhiren , Brown Andrew , Yakubu Idris , Song Chelsey , Thacker Leroy , Gupta Gaurav 
Published: January 2021

AbstractBackgroundValganciclovir is the preferred drug for cytomegalovirus (CMV) prophylaxis in solid organ transplantation. A limitation to its use is profound myelosuppression. Letermovir is a new agent approved for CMV prophylaxis in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and is associated with less toxicity. This study aims to assess the effectiveness and safety of letermovir in solid organ transplantation.MethodsA single‐center, matched cohort study was performed on 31 transplant recipients who were converted from valganciclovir to letermovir from November 2017 to June 2020. The primary outcome was the rate of CMV breakthrough infections while on prophylaxis. Secondary outcomes included rate of leukopenia, doses of immunosuppression, rejection, non‐CMV infection, and renal function. Statistical analyses of continuous variables included the student's t‐test, ANOVA test, and Wilcoxon Signed Rank test. Categorical data were analyzed with chi‐square test and Fisher’s Exact test.ResultsThere was no difference in the rate of CMV breakthrough between patients on letermovir (8.7%) and valganciclovir (13.5%), (P = .7097). After conversion to letermovir, patients required lower tacrolimus doses at ‐3.34 mg (SD‐1.3, P = .0273), between conversion and day 7. Transplant Infectious Disease The median difference in tacrolimus trough concentrations from conversion to day seven was 9.1 ng/ml [4.9, 16.95] (P = .0002). Leukopenia improved by 1.8 109/L [1.08, 4.85] (P < .0001).ConclusionsPatients converted from valganciclovir to letermovir did not show an increased rate of CMV breakthrough compared to a historical, matched cohort of patients remaining on valganciclovir. A significant drug interaction was noted with tacrolimus, leading to a recommendation to reduce the dose by 40‐50% upon initiation of letermovir.
Addressing the challenges to skin health of refugees and migrants in the WHO European region
Authors: Bartovic Jozef , Padovese Valeska , Pahlman Kari 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe prevalence of dermatological disease and skin conditions is a significant issue facing refugees and migrants in the WHO European Region. Displaced populations in particular are vulnerable to dermatological diseases, due to the often poor conditions in which they live and transit through at different stages of their journey. Exposure to adverse weather conditions and heightened risk for injuries and violence are also potential causes for skin conditions and abnormalities. Through a review of published literature focusing on refugee and migrant health, this paper outlines the prevalence of skin conditions and dermatological diseases among these populations, and the impact of migration and displacement on susceptibility for them. It then discusses some of the challenges associated with managing skin conditions and highlights key opportunities to strengthen the integration of skin health within health care for migrants and refugees in the WHO European Region.
Feline allergic diseases: introduction and proposed nomenclature
Authors: Halliwell Richard , Pucheu‐Haston Cherie M. , Olivry Thierry , Prost Christine , Jackson Hilary , Banovic Frane , Nuttall Tim , Santoro Domenico , Bizikova Petra , Mueller Ralf S. 
Published: January 2021

BackgroundFeline allergic diseases present as challenging problems for clinicians, not least because of the number of reaction patterns of the feline skin, none of which are specific for allergy. Furthermore, there is some controversy over the nomenclature that should be used in their description.ObjectivesTo review the literature, assess the status of knowledge of the topic and the extent to which these diseases could be categorized as atopic in nature, and make recommendations concerning nomenclature.MethodsAtopic diseases in humans and cats were researched. A comparison then was made of the essential features in the two species.ResultsThere were sufficient similarities between human atopic diseases and the manifestations of feline diseases of presumed allergic aetiology to justify the use of “atopic” to describe some of the feline conditions affecting the skin, respiratory and gastrointestinal tract. However, none of the allergic skin diseases showed features consistent with atopic dermatitis as described in man and the dog.Conclusions and clinical importanceThe term “Feline Atopic Syndrome” (FAS) is proposed to encompass allergic diseases of the skin, gastrointestinal tract and respiratory tract, and “Feline atopic skin syndrome” (FASS) proposed to describe allergic skin disease associated with environmental allergies. We are not aware of any adverse food reactions in cats that are attributable to causes other than immunological reactions against the food itself. We therefore propose an aetiological definition of “Food Allergy” (FA) to describe such cases.
Treatment of the feline atopic syndrome – a systematic review
Authors: Mueller Ralf S. , Nuttall Tim , Prost Christine , Schulz Bianka , Bizikova Petra 
Published: January 2021

BackgroundFeline allergic skin disease and asthma occur regularly in small animal practice.ObjectivesTo provide evidence‐based recommendations for small animal practitioners on the treatment of feline atopic syndrome (FAS).Methods and materialsThe authors reviewed the literature available before February 2020, prepared a detailed evidence‐based literature review and made recommendations based on the evaluated evidence.ResultsSixty‐six papers and abstracts were identified describing treatment interventions for FAS and evaluated to establish treatment recommendations. For many treatment options, the papers were retrospective, open studies or case reports.Conclusion and clinical relevanceIn this review, there was good evidence for the efficacy of systemic glucocorticoids and ciclosporin, and limited evidence for the efficacy of topical glucocorticoids, oclacitinib and allergen‐specific immunotherapy in feline atopic skin syndrome. Evidence pointed to low‐to‐moderate efficacy for antihistamines, fatty acids and palmitoyl ethanolamide. In feline asthma, there was good evidence for the efficacy of oral and inhaled glucocorticoids, and limited evidence of moderate efficacy for allergen‐specific immunotherapy. Evidence supported low‐to‐moderate efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells, inhaled lidocaine and oclacitinib as treatments for feline asthma. For almost all therapeutic options (with the exception of glucocorticoids and ciclosporin), more randomised controlled trials are needed.
Spatial and temporal resolution of the photoreceptors rescue dynamics after treatment with voretigene neparvovec
Authors: Stingl Krunoslav , Kempf Melanie , Bartz-Schmidt Karl U , Dimopoulos Spyridon , Reichel Felix , Jung Ronja , Kelbsch Carina , Kohl Susanne , Kortüm Friederike Charlotte , Nasser Fadi , Peters Tobias , Wilhelm Barbara , Wissinger Bernd , Wozar Fabian , Zrenner Eberhart , Fischer M Dominik , Stingl Katarina 
Published: January 2021

BackgroundVoretigene neparvovec is a gene therapeutic agent for treatment of retinal dystrophies caused by bi-allelic RPE65 mutations. In this study, we report on a novel and objective evaluation of a retinotopic photoreceptor rescue.MethodsSeven eyes of five patients (14, 21, 23, 24, 36 years, 1 male, 4 females) with bi-allelic RPE65 mutations have been treated with voretigene neparvovec. The clinical examinations included visual acuity testing, dark-adapted full-field stimulus threshold (FST), dark-adapted chromatic perimeter (DAC) with a 30-degree grid, and a 30 degrees grid scotopic and photopic chromatic pupil campimetry (CPC). All evaluations and spectral domain optical coherence tomography were performed at baseline, 1 month and 3 months.ResultsAll except the oldest patient had a measurable improvement of the rod function assessed via FST, DAC or scotopic CPC at 1 month. The visual acuity improved slightly or remained stable in all eyes. A cone function improvement as measured by photopic CPC was observed in three eyes. The gain of the dark-adapted threshold with blue FST and the DAC stimuli (cyan) average correlated strongly with age (R2>0.7). The pupil response improvement in the scotopic CPC correlated with the baseline local retinal volume (R2=0.5).ConclusionsThe presented protocols allow evaluating the individual spatial and temporal effects of gene therapy effects. Additionally, we explored parameters that correlated with the success of the therapy. CPC and DAC present new and fast ways to assess functional changes in retinotopic maps of rod and cone function, measuring complementary aspects of retinal function.
Predictors of disease severity in children presenting from the community with febrile illnesses: a systematic review of prognostic studies
Authors: Chandna Arjun , Tan Rainer , Carter Michael , Van Den Bruel Ann , Verbakel Jan , Koshiaris Constantinos , Salim Nahya , Lubell Yoel , Turner Paul , Keitel Kristina 
Published: January 2021

IntroductionEarly identification of children at risk of severe febrile illness can optimise referral, admission and treatment decisions, particularly in resource-limited settings. We aimed to identify prognostic clinical and laboratory factors that predict progression to severe disease in febrile children presenting from the community.MethodsWe systematically reviewed publications retrieved from MEDLINE, Web of Science and Embase between 31 May 1999 and 30 April 2020, supplemented by hand search of reference lists and consultation with an expert Technical Advisory Panel. Studies evaluating prognostic factors or clinical prediction models in children presenting from the community with febrile illnesses were eligible. The primary outcome was any objective measure of disease severity ascertained within 30 days of enrolment. We calculated unadjusted likelihood ratios (LRs) for comparison of prognostic factors, and compared clinical prediction models using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs). Risk of bias and applicability of studies were assessed using the Prediction Model Risk of Bias Assessment Tool and the Quality In Prognosis Studies tool.ResultsOf 5949 articles identified, 18 studies evaluating 200 prognostic factors and 25 clinical prediction models in 24 530 children were included. Heterogeneity between studies precluded formal meta-analysis. Malnutrition (positive LR range 1.56–11.13), hypoxia (2.10–8.11), altered consciousness (1.24–14.02), and markers of acidosis (1.36–7.71) and poor peripheral perfusion (1.78–17.38) were the most common predictors of severe disease. Clinical prediction model performance varied widely (AUROC range 0.49–0.97). Concerns regarding applicability were identified and most studies were at high risk of bias.ConclusionsFew studies address this important public health question. We identified prognostic factors from a wide range of geographic contexts that can help clinicians assess febrile children at risk of progressing to severe disease. Multicentre studies that include outpatients are required to explore generalisability and develop data-driven tools to support patient prioritisation and triage at the community level.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42019140542.
Conference equity in global health: a systematic review of factors impacting LMIC representation at global health conferences
Authors: Velin Lotta , Lartigue Jean-Wilguens , Johnson Samantha Ann , Zorigtbaatar Anudari , Kanmounye Ulrick Sidney , Truche Paul , Joseph Michelle Nyah 
Published: January 2021

IntroductionGlobal health conferences are important platforms for knowledge exchange, decision-making and personal and professional growth for attendees. Neocolonial patterns in global health at large and recent opinion reports indicate that stakeholders from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) may be under-represented at such conferences. This study aims to describe the factors that impact LMIC representation at global health conferences.MethodsA systematic review of articles reporting factors determining global health conference attendance was performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Articles presenting conference demographics and data on the barriers and/or facilitators to attendance were included. Articles were screened at title and abstract level by four independent reviewers. Eligible articles were read in full text, analysed and evaluated with a risk of bias assessment.ResultsAmong 8765 articles screened, 46 articles met inclusion criteria. Thematic analysis yielded two themes: ‘barriers to conference attendance’ and ‘facilitators to conference attendance’. In total, 112 conferences with 254 601 attendees were described, of which 4% of the conferences were hosted in low-income countries. Of the 98 302 conference attendees, for whom affiliation was disclosed, 38 167 (39%) were from LMICs.Conclusion‘Conference inequity’ is common in global health, with LMIC attendees under-represented at global health conferences. LMIC attendance is limited by systemic barriers including high travel costs, visa restrictions and lower acceptance rates for research presentations. This may be mitigated by relocating conferences to visa-friendly countries, providing travel scholarships and developing mentorship programmes to enable LMIC researchers to participate in global conferences.
Improving the neonatal team handoff process in a level IV NICU: reducing interruptions and handoff duration
Authors: Quinones Cardona Vilmaris , LaBadie Alison , Cooperberg David B , Zubrow Alan , Touch Suzanne M 
Published: January 2021

BackgroundNeonatal intensive care unit (NICU) patients are at increased risk for handoff communication failures due to complexity and prolonged length of stay. We report a quality initiative aimed at reducing avoidable interruptions during neonatal handoffs while monitoring handoff duration and provider satisfaction.MethodsObservational time series between August 2015 and March 2018 in an academic level IV NICU. NICU I-PASS and process changes were implemented using plan–do–study–act cycle, and statistical process control charts were used in the analysis. Unmatched preintervention and postintervention satisfaction surveys were compared using Mann-Whitney U tests.ResultsThere was special cause variation in the mean number of avoidable interruptions per handoff from 4 to 0.3 (92% reduction). The mean duration of handoff was reduced ~1 min/patient. Provider satisfaction with the quality of handoffs also improved from a mean of 3.36 to 3.75 on a 1–5 Likert scale (p=0.049).ConclusionsStandardisation of NICU handoff with NICU I-PASS and process changes led to the sustained reduction in avoidable interruptions with the added benefit of reduced handoff length and improved provider satisfaction.
Impacts of coarse-resolution soil maps and high-resolution digital-elevation-model-generated attributes on modelling forest soil zinc and copper
Authors: Zhao Zhengyong , Yang Qi , Ding Xiaogang , Xing Zisheng 
Published: January 2021

The depth-specific zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) maps with high resolution (i.e., ≤10 m) are important for soil and forest management and conservation. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of easily accessible model inputs, i.e., existing coarse-resolution parent material, pH, and soil texture maps with 1:1 800 000–2 800 000 scale and nine digital elevation model (DEM)-generated terrain attributes with 10 m resolution, on modelling Zn and Cu distributions of forest soil over a large area (e.g., thousands of km2). A total of 511 artificial neural network (ANN) models for each depth (20 cm increments to 100 cm) were built and evaluated by a 10-fold cross-validation with 385 soil profiles from the Yunfu forest, South China, about 4915 km2 areas. The results indicated that the optimal models for five depths engaged five to seven DEM-generated attributes together with three coarse-resolution soil attributes as inputs, respectively, and accuracies for estimating Zn and Cu varied with R2 of 0.76–0.85 and relative overall accuracy ±10% of 74%–86%. The produced maps showed that DEM-generated sediment delivery ratio, topographic position index (TPI), and aspect were the most important attributes for predicting Cu, but flow length, TPI, and slope were for Zn, which heavily affected Zn and Cu distributions in detail. Boundaries of three coarse-resolution maps were still visible in the generated maps indicated that the maps affected the distributions of Zn and Cu in large scales. Thus, the modelling method, i.e., developing ANN models with k-fold cross-validation, can be used to map high-resolution Zn and Cu over a large area.
Residual effects of papermill biosolids and forest-derived alkaline materials on crop yield and plant metal accumulation
Authors: Gagnon Bernard , Ziadi Noura 
Published: January 2021

Combined papermill biosolids (PB) and forest-derived alkaline by-products are known for their direct benefits to agricultural crops, but their residual effects after several years of application have received little attention. A 10 yr field study was initiated on a loamy soil at Yamachiche, QC, to assess the residual effects of PB application after nine consecutive years, either alone or with several liming by-products, on nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and metal accumulation in plant and crop yield. The treatments consisted of PB at 0, 30, 60, and 90 Mg wet·ha−1, three liming by-products (calcitic lime, lime mud, and wood ash), each at 3 Mg wet·ha−1 with 30 Mg wet PB·ha−1, and a mineral N fertilizer (MIN). During the residual years, only the MIN treatment was carried out every year according to crop needs. Grain yield and total plant N and P accumulation were evaluated each year, whereas metal accumulation was determined on a 3 yr cycle. The residual effects of PB applications increased crop yields in some years, but the effects were generally lower than with MIN. Plant N recovery in the first three residual years was half of that recorded during years of application (15% vs. 30%), whereas P recovery was at 6%. Residual PB applications had little effect on metal accumulation in grain. Soil liming decreased zinc and cadmium concentrations in grain but increased molybdenum. This study showed that repeated applications of PB and alkaline materials continued to have a positive effect on field crops 3–5 yr after their cessation.
Cosmological perturbations in modified teleparallel gravity models: boundary term extension
Authors: Bahamonde Sebastian , Gakis Viktor , Kiorpelidi Stella , Koivisto Tomi , Levi Said Jackson , Saridakis Emmanuel N. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractTeleparallel gravity offers a new avenue in which to construct gravitational models beyond general relativity. While teleparallel gravity can be framed in a way to be dynamically equivalent to general relativity, its modifications are mostly not equivalent to the traditional route to modified gravity. f(T, B) gravity is one such gravitational theory where the second and fourth order contributions to the field equations are decoupled. In this work, we explore the all important cosmological perturbations of this new framework of gravity. We derive the gravitational propagation equation, its vector perturbation stability conditions, and its scalar perturbations. Together with the matter perturbations, we derive the effective gravitational constant in this framework, and find an interesting branching behaviour that depends on the particular gravitational models being probed. We close with a discussion on the relation of these results with other gravitational theories.
Radiative $$p_{\perp }$$-broadening of fast partons in an expanding quark–gluon plasma
Authors: Zakharov B. G. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractWe study contribution of radiative processes to $$p_{\perp }$$

p
⊥

-broadening of fast partons in an expanding quark–gluon plasma. It is shown that the radiative correction to $$\langle p_{\perp }^2\rangle $$

⟨

p

⊥

2

⟩

for the QGP produced in AA-collisions at RHIC and LHC may be negative, and comparable in absolute value with the non-radiative contribution. We have found that the QGP expansion enhances the radiative suppression of $$p_\perp $$

p
⊥

-broadening as compared to the static medium.
Charged anisotropic spherical collapse with heat flow
Authors: Charan Kali , Yadav Om Prakash , Tewari B. C. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractIn this article, we study the shear-free gravitational collapse of a charged radiating star. The Einstein field equations of gravitational collapse for the charged stars are known to give rise to a high degree of non-linearity in the ordinary differential equation coming from junction conditions. The attempts to solve it analytically proved to be unfortunate. Numerical methods have been suggested in the past. However, the high degree of non-linearity tends to introduce fluctuations and large round off errors in the numerical calculation. A new ansatz is proposed in the present work to reduce the degree of non-linearity. An ordinary differential equation is derived by satisfying junction conditions, and its numerical solution is demonstrated. Physical quantities associated with the collapse process are plotted to observe the effect of charge on these quantities. It is concluded that the charge can delay the collapse of a star and can even prevent it depending upon the amount of charge. It is also verified that the solution satisfies all the energy conditions.
Modeling the spectrum and composition of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays with two populations of extragalactic sources
Authors: Das Saikat , Razzaque Soebur , Gupta Nayantara 
Published: January 2021

AbstractWe fit the ultrahigh-energy cosmic-ray (UHECR,$$E\gtrsim 0.1$$E≳0.1EeV) spectrum and composition data from the Pierre Auger Observatory at energies$$E\gtrsim 5\cdot 10^{18}$$E≳5·1018eV, i.e., beyond the ankle using two populations of astrophysical sources. One population, accelerating dominantly protons ($$^1$$1H), extends up to the highest observed energies with maximum energy close to the GZK cutoff and injection spectral index near the Fermi acceleration model; while another population accelerates light-to-heavy nuclei ($$^4$$4He,$$^{14}$$14N,$$^{28}$$28Si,$$^{56}$$56Fe) with a relatively low rigidity cutoff and hard injection spectrum. A significant improvement in the combined fit is noted as we go from a one-population to two-population model. For the latter, we constrain the maximum allowed proton fraction at the highest-energy bin within 3.5$$\sigma $$σstatistical significance. In the single-population model, low-luminosity gamma-ray bursts turn out to match the best-fit evolution parameter. In the two-population model, the active galactic nuclei is consistent with the best-fit redshift evolution parameter of the pure proton-emitting sources, while the tidal disruption events could be responsible for emitting heavier nuclei. We also compute expected cosmogenic neutrino flux in such a hybrid source population scenario and discuss possibilities to detect these neutrinos by upcoming detectors to shed light on the sources of UHECRs.