bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Management of a neurological lesion involving Canalis Sinuosus: A case report
Authors: Rosano Gabriele , Testori Tiziano , Clauser Tommaso , Del Fabbro Massimo 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThis case report describes the management of a lesion involving the Canalis Sinuosus (CS), that is a bone channel originating from the infraorbital canal below the orbital margin and posterior to the infraorbital foramen and coursing in an anterolateral direction to the anterior wall of the nasal cavity. A female patient, 62y, ASA 1, wearing full mobile dentures, came to our clinic asking for upper jaw rehabilitation. Due to a severe bone atrophy, a graft procedure was performed and the placement of eight implants was planned. One week after implants were positioned, the patient referred pain in the upper right central incisor region, that was compatible with a normal post‐operative healing. After 15 days, since the symptoms worsened and became localized and persistent, a more detailed CBCT analysis was carried out. The images demonstrated that a CS on the right side was compressed by the apex of the implant in position #11. The implant was replaced with a shorter one and adequate pharmacological therapy was prescribed. All the symptoms completely disappeared after 30 days.
The AMPAR antagonist perampanel protects the neurovascular unit against traumatic injury via regulating Sirt3
Authors: Chen Tao , Liu Wen‐Bo , Qian Xiao , Xie Ke‐Liang , Wang Yu‐Hai 
Published: January 2021

AbstractIntroductionPerampanel is a highly selective and noncompetitive α‐amino‐3 ‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazole propionate receptor (AMPAR) antagonist, which has been used as an orally administered antiepileptic drug in more than 55 countries. Recently, perampanel was shown to exert neuroprotective effects in hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke models via regulating blood–brain barrier (BBB) function.AimHere, the protective effects of perampanel were investigated in an in vitro neurovascular unit (NVU) system established using a triple cell co‐culture model (neurons, astrocytes, and brain microvascular endothelial cells) and in an in vivo traumatic brain injury (TBI) model.ResultsNeurons in the NVU system exhibit a more mature morphological phenotype compared with neurons cultured alone, and the co‐culture system mimicked an impermeable barrier in vitro. Perampanel protects the NVU system against traumatic and excitotoxic injury, as evidenced by reduced lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and apoptotic rate. Treatment with perampanel attenuated lipid peroxidation and expression of inflammatory cytokines. In addition, perampanel increased Sirt3 protein expression, enhanced the activities of mitochondrial enzyme IDH2 and SOD2, and preserved BBB function in vitro. Knockdown of Sirt3 using specific siRNA (Si‐Sirt3) partially reserved the effects of perampanel on neuronal injury and BBB function. Treatment with perampanel in vivo attenuated brain edema, preserved neurological function, inhibited apoptosis and microglia activation after TBI. Furthermore, perampanel increased the expression of Sirt3 and preserved BBB function after TBI. The effect of perampanel on BBB function and brain edema was abolished by knockdown of Sirt3 in vivo.ConclusionOur results indicate that the noncompetitive AMPAR antagonist perampanel protects the NVU system and reduces brain damage after TBI via activating the Sirt3 cascades.
Tradeoffs of using place‐based community science for urban biodiversity monitoring
Authors: Jimenez Miguel F. , Pejchar Liba , Reed Sarah E. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractCommunity science, the enlisting of volunteers to collect biodiversity data, is now common and widespread. In theory, the benefits of this model are complementary: community science programs produce useful datasets while engaging the public in conservation. However, in practice there may be tradeoffs regarding data quality, economic cost, and public engagement, which are rarely quantified. To assess program structure and relative outputs, we evaluated the tradeoffs associated with (a) employing paid technicians or (b) recruiting community science volunteers to collect bird and butterfly data for an urban biodiversity project. We found mixed results for data quality; the probability of detecting human‐adapted species was similar between technicians and community scientists, but community scientists were less likely to detect human‐sensitive species and overreported the abundance of human‐adapted birds. Habitat use estimates for four out of five species were comparable between the two datasets, although uncertainty was greater for community science data. Community scientists were more efficient in terms of economic cost, producing one and a half times more bird and two times more butterfly surveys and detections per paid work‐hour. Community scientists improved their ability to identify local species (birds by 16%; butterflies by 31%). Lastly, community scientists reported an increased interest in educational or volunteer programs after participating in monitoring but were less likely to report an increased interest in taking conservation action. To improve data quality, we recommend that training focus on identifying human‐sensitive species and tracking multiple individuals of the same species during surveys. To catalyze changes in attitudes, programs should focus on recruiting members of the public with diverse preexisting attitudes toward conservation. Although we demonstrate some shortcomings, our findings add to a growing body of literature that suggests community science can increase scientific literacy and efficiently produce data of similar quality to technicians, particularly for common species.
Contextualizing single‐arm trials with real‐world data: An emulated target trial comparing therapies for neovascular age‐related macular degeneration
Authors: Thomas Darren S. , Lee Aaron Y. , Müller Philipp L. , Schwartz Roy , Olvera‐Barrios Abraham , Warwick Alasdair N. , Patel Praven J. , Heeren Tjebo F.C. , Egan Catherine , Taylor Paul , Tufail Adnan ,   UK AMD EMR Users Group
Published: January 2021

AbstractOne‐in‐four ophthalmology trials are single‐armed, which poses challenges to their interpretation. We demonstrate how real‐world cohorts used as external/synthetic control arms can contextualize such trials. We herein emulated a target trial on the intention‐to‐treat efficacy of off‐label bevacizumab (q6w) pro re nata relative to fixed‐interval aflibercept (q8w) for improving week 54 visual acuity of eyes affected by neovascular age‐related macular degeneration. The bevacizumab arm (n = 65) was taken from the ABC randomized controlled trial. A total of 4,471 aflibercept‐treated eyes aligning with the ABC trial eligibility were identified from electronic health records and synthetic control arms were created by emulating randomization conditional on age, sex, and baseline visual read via exact matching and propensity score methods. We undertook an inferiority analysis on mean difference at 54 weeks; outcomes regression on achieving a change in visual acuity of greater than or equal to 15, greater than or equal to 10, and less than or equal to −15 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) letters at week 54; and a time‐to‐event analysis on achieving a change in visual acuity of greater than or equal to 15, greater than or equal to 10, and less than or equal to −15 ETDRS letters by week 54. The findings suggest off‐label bevacizumab to be neither inferior nor superior to licensed aflibercept. Our study highlights how real‐world cohorts representing the counterfactual intervention could aid the interpretation of single‐armed trials when analyzed in accord to the target trial framework.
Study Highlights

WHAT IS THE CURRENT KNOWLEDGE ON THE TOPIC?

One‐in‐four randomized controlled trials in ophthalmology are single‐armed, which poses challenges for interpreting their efficacy relative to standard of care. Recent conceptual advances in the methods of causal inference and in the emulation of target trials suggests that the standard‐of‐care arms representing the counterfactual intervention can be approximated with observational data.

WHAT QUESTION DID THIS STUDY ADDRESS?
How real‐world cohorts representing the counterfactual intervention can aid the interpretation of single‐armed ophthalmological trials.

WHAT DOES THIS STUDY ADD TO OUR KNOWLEDGE?
Our study highlights how real‐world cohorts representing the counterfactual intervention could aid the interpretation of single‐armed ophthalmological trials when undertaken in accord with the target trial framework.

HOW MIGHT THIS CHANGE CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY OR TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE?
External counterfactual arms could reduce the time and cost to reach potential regulatory approval.
Association of liver enzymes with incident diabetes in US Hispanic/Latino adults
Authors: Hua Simin , Qi Qibin , Kizer Jorge R. , Williams‐Nguyen Jessica , Strickler Howard D. , Thyagarajan Bharat , Daviglus Martha , Talavera Gregory A. , Schneiderman Neil , Cotler Scott J. , Cai Jianwen , Kaplan Robert , Isasi Carmen R. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractIntroductionNon‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been associated with increased risk of incident diabetes. But such evidence is lacking in the Hispanic/Latino population, which has high prevalence of obesity and NAFLD.MethodsWe conducted a prospective cohort study of 6,928 adults of Hispanic/Latino background who had no diabetes, did not report excessive alcohol use, and no hepatitis B and C infection at baseline (2008–2011). We estimated risk ratios (RR) for incident diabetes, identified from visit 2 examination by glucose measurements or antidiabetic medication use, with baseline liver enzymes (alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma‐glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT)).ResultsA total of 738 adults developed diabetes during 6 years of follow‐up. After adjusting for participant characteristics at baseline, versus the lowest quartile, highest quartiles of ALT and GGT were associated with risks for incident diabetes (RR for ALT: 1.51 [95% CI 1.03–2.22], p‐trend = 0.006; RR for GGT: 2.39 [1.60–3.55], p‐trend = 0.001). Higher GGT levels predicted increased risk of incident diabetes even among those with ALT or AST below the median levels. The associations of ALT and GGT with incident diabetes were similar among most Hispanic background but were not seen among Dominicans (p for interaction <0.05). The association of AST with incident diabetes was found only among light‐to‐moderate alcohol drinkers (RR = 1.50 [1.20–1.86]) but not abstainers (RR = 0.91 [0.69–1.20], p for interaction = 0.006).ConclusionHigher ALT and GGT levels are associated with increased risk of developing diabetes among Latinos. Liver enzyme tests might aid in diabetes prevention by identifying high‐risk individuals.
Hybridization of Chinese international development volunteering: Evidence from three state‐funded programmes
Authors: Zhang Qianjin , Lin Junjie , Liu Tianyang , Chen Guang 
Published: January 2021

AbstractMotivationIn the field of international development assistance, China has been undergoing a transition from being a receiving to a sending country. In addition to growing its foreign aid budget, China has been making great efforts to send volunteers to serve overseas. To date, however, there has been relatively little research on the expansion of China’s international development volunteering (IDV) actions.PurposeThis exploratory study examines the characteristics of IDV programmes initiated and funded by the Chinese government. Specifically, we investigate how various IDV mechanisms have been developed to incorporate specific actors, and analyse how these arrangements serve the sponsors’ interests.Approach and methodsWe use a qualitative case‐study approach and conduct in‐depth analyses on three influential state‐funded IDV programmes. Data were collected from semi‐structured interviews and secondary documentary materials.FindingsResearch findings from three Chinese IDV programmes indicate that the hybridization dynamics of IDV are reflected in their different programme mechanisms, whereby intra‐, non‐ and extra‐state actors from international, central and local levels are connected as contributors. Volunteer resources are transformed, through different mechanisms, into development resources to benefit the hosting countries, and into public diplomacy resources, technical resources, and human capital for the sponsors’ own interests.Policy implicationsThis study highlights the hybrid nature of state‐funded IDV practices and shows the evolution of Chinese IDV from traditional official‐to‐official linkages to more diverse and spontaneous forms involving different non‐state actors.
High fitness levels, frequent sauna bathing and risk of pneumonia in a cohort study: Are there potential implications for COVID‐19?
Authors: Kunutsor Setor K. , Laukkanen Jari A. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractBackgroundThere is an ongoing debate on a potential protective role of habitual physical activity and passive heat therapy on the risk of COVID‐19, a respiratory infectious disease that can manifest as severe pneumonia. To explore these putative roles, we evaluated the independent and joint associations of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and frequency of sauna bathing (FSB) with pneumonia risk in a prospective cohort study of 2275 men aged 42‐61 years at recruitment.Material and MethodsObjectively measured CRF and self‐reported sauna bathing habits were assessed at baseline. CRF was categorized as low and high (median cut‐offs) and FSB as low and high (defined as ≤1 and 2‐7 sessions/wk, respectively). Multivariable‐adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for incident pneumonia.ResultsDuring a median follow‐up of 26.6 years, 529 cases of pneumonia occurred. Comparing high vs low CRF, the multivariable‐adjusted HR (95% CIs) for pneumonia was 0.75 (0.61‐0.91). Comparing high vs low FSB, the corresponding HR was 0.81 (0.68‐0.97). Compared to men with low CRF & low FSB, the multivariable‐adjusted HRs of pneumonia for the following groups: high CRF & low FSB; low CRF & high FSB; and high CRF & high FSB were 0.88 (0.65‐1.20), 0.89 (0.71‐1.13), and 0.62 (0.48‐0.80) respectively.ConclusionsIn a general male Caucasian population, a combination of high fitness levels and frequent sauna baths is associated with a substantially lowered future pneumonia risk compared with each modality alone. The implications of these findings in altering COVID‐19 disease or its severity deserve study.
Resistance evaluation of walnut (Juglans spp.) against Xanthomonas arboricola and the correlation between leaf structure and resistance
Authors: Yang Hanbo , Han Shan , He Dan , Jiang Shijiao , Cao Guangli , Wan Xueqin , Chen Lianghua , Xiao Jiujin , Zhu Peng 
Published: January 2021

AbstractWalnut blight caused by Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis (Xaj) is one of the most detrimental diseases affecting walnut quality and production. A screen of 18 walnut genotypes for leaf resistance to Xaj suggested species independent variation and revealed four highly resistant (HR) cultivars (‘96’, ‘91’, ‘Chuanzao2’ and ‘Qingxiang’), while ‘Yanyuanzao’ and ‘Xiangling’ were highly susceptible (HS). Further correlation analyses were carried out on the 18 genotypes. Stomata length (SL) (r = .686, p < .05) and stomatal area (SA) (r = .596, p < .05) had significant positive correlations with disease severity index (DSI), suggesting that the length and density of stomata affected the speed and number of pathogens invading the leaves. The highly susceptible genotypes had a significantly lower thickness ratio of spongy to palisade tissue (P/S) (1.50). When compared to resistant genotypes (1.69), the P/S value had a significant negative correlation with the DSI (r = −.631, p < .05). Denser spongy tissue and more developed palisade tissue were indicative of higher resistance for the genotype. The stomata breadth (SB), stomata density (SD) and wax content (WC) each had no correlation with resistance. Maximum SW, SD and TU and minimum WC were found in HS genotypes, such as ‘Xiangling’ and ‘Yanyuanzao’. The leaf thickness (LT), the thickness of the abaxial epidermis (TL), the thickness of stratum corneum (LCT), the tissue structure tense ratio (CTR) and tissue structure loose ratio (SR) did not correlate with resistance. These findings not only provide information to facilitate our understanding of Xaj resistance but also lay the foundation for breeding Xaj‐resistant walnut in the future.
Effects of COVID‐19 pandemic on mental health outcomes in a cohort of early psychosis patients
Authors: Szmulewicz Alejandro G. , Benson Nicole M. , Hsu John , Hernán Miguel A. , Öngür Dost 
Published: January 2021

AbstractAimTo evaluate the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on clinical outcomes, we used data from Electronic Health Records from 128 patients receiving care at a First Episode Psychosis clinic.MethodsRates of admission or emergency room (ER) visits from January 2020 to July 2020 were analysed using difference‐in‐difference regression. We used the same weeks in 2019 to control for seasonality.ResultsWe found 17 hospitalizations or ER visits between 1 January 2020 and 13 March 2020 (incidence rate: 71.4 events/1000 person‐weeks) and 6 between 14 March 2020 and 20 June 2020 (incidence rate: 18.5 events/1000 person‐weeks) for an incidence rate ratio of 0.26. The severity of presentation worsened after transition to telemedicine. No signs of significant interruptions of care were found.ConclusionsWe report that patients have avoided accessing higher levels of care, except in extreme cases. We argue that this is not a sustainable trajectory and that public health actions are required.
Myelomonocytic skewing in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia: phenotypic, molecular and biologic features and impact on survival
Authors: Geissler Klaus , Jäger Eva , Barna Agnes , Graf Temeida , Graf Elmir , Öhler Leopold , Hoermann Gregor , Valent Peter 
Published: January 2021

AbstractBackgroundMyelomonocytic skewing is considered as a key pathophysiologic phenomenon in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), but its prevalence and potential correlation with phenotypic, genotypic, and clinical features are poorly defined.MethodsSkewed differentiation toward the myelomonocytic over erythroid commitment as indicated by an inverse ratio of myelomonocytic/erythroid colonies was investigated in 146 patients with CMML by semisolid in vitro cultures.ResultsThere was a high prevalence of myelomonocytic skewing in patients with CMML (120/146, 82%); whereas, this phenomenon was rare in normal individuals (1/98, 1%). Patients with CMML with myelomonocytic skewing had higher white blood cell and peripheral blast cell counts, and lower platelet values. The number of mutations in genes of the epigenetic and/or splicing category was higher in CMML patients with as compared with patients without skewing. Patients with myelomonocytic skewing had more frequently mutations in RASopathy genes and higher growth factor independent myeloid colony formation. Interestingly, the lack of myelomonocytic skewing discriminated patients with CMML with a particularly favorable prognosis (60 vs 19 months, P = .003) and a minimal risk of transformation.ConclusionMyelomonocytic skewing as determined by semisolid cultures can discriminate subgroups of patients with CMML with a different phenotype, a different genotype, and a different prognosis.
Chronic migraine: Genetics or environment?
Authors: Chalmer Mona Ameri , Rasmussen Andreas Høiberg ,   International Headache Genetics Consortium,   23andme Research Team, Kogelman Lisette J. A. , Olesen Jes , Hansen Thomas Folkmann 
Published: January 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe transition from episodic migraine to chronic migraine, migraine chronification, is usually a gradual process, which involves multiple risk factors. To date, studies of the genetic risk factors for chronic migraine have focused primarily on candidate‐gene approaches using healthy individuals as controls.Aims and methodsIn this study, we used a large cohort of migraine families and unrelated migraine patients (n > 2200) with supporting genotype and whole‐genome sequencing data. We evaluated whether there are any genetic variants, common or rare, with a specific association to chronic migraine compared with episodic migraine.ResultsWe found no aggregation of chronic migraine in families with a clustering of migraine. No specific rare variants gave rise to migraine chronification, and migraine chronification was not associated with a higher polygenic risk score. Migraine chronification was not associated with allelic associations with an odds ratio above 2.65. Assessment of effect sizes with genome‐wide significance below an odds ratio of 2.65 requires a genome‐wide association study of at least 7500 chronic migraine patients.ConclusionOur results suggest that migraine chronification is caused by environmental factors rather than genetic factors.
A corpus‐driven, curriculum‐based Chinese elicited imitation test in US universities
Authors: Yan Xun , Lei Yuyun , Shih Chilin 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThis two‐phased study explored a corpus‐driven, curriculum‐based approach to assessing proficiency development of Mandarin Chinese in US universities. In Phase I, we developed an elicited imitation (EI) test based on the Chinese curriculum at a large US university. This test demonstrated higher psychometric qualities to (1) place L2 learners into three curricular levels, and (2) assess learners' production of key vocabulary and grammatical items, providing useful information for placement, diagnosis, and achievement purposes as compared with a non‐curriculum‐based EI test. In Phase II, we revised the EI test to make it applicable across university contexts. We identified a lexico‐grammar core from a corpus‐driven analysis of 36 widely‐used Chinese textbooks in US universities and incorporated this core in EI item development. The revised EI test showed improved psychometric qualities. This study has broad methodological implications for the assessment of Chinese as well as other less commonly taught languages in university contexts.
Prediction of aboveground biomass and dry‐matter content in Brachiaria pastures by combining meteorological data and satellite imagery
Authors: Bretas Igor L. , Valente Domingos S.M. , Silva Fabyano F. , Chizzotti Mario L. , Paulino Mário F. , D’Áurea André P. , Paciullo Domingos S.C. , Pedreira Bruno C. , Chizzotti Fernanda H.M. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractAboveground biomass (AGB) data are important for profitable and sustainable pasture management. In this study, we hypothesized that vegetation indexes (VIs) obtained through analysis of moderate spatial resolution satellite data (Landsat‐8 and Sentinel‐2) and meteorological data can accurately predict the AGB of Brachiaria (syn. Urochloa) pastures in Brazil. We used AGB field data obtained from pastures between 2015 and 2019 in four distinct regions of Brazil to evaluate (i) the relationship between three different VIs—normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), enhanced vegetation index 2 (EVI2) and optimized soil adjusted vegetation index (OSAVI)—and meteorological data with pasture aboveground fresh biomass (AFB), aboveground dry biomass (ADB) and dry‐matter content (DMC); and (ii) the performance of simple linear regression (SLR), multiple linear regression (MLR) and random forest (RF) algorithms for the prediction of pasture AGB based on VIs obtained through satellite imagery combined with meteorological data. The results highlight a strong correlation (r) between VIs and AGB, particularly NDVI (r = 0.52 to 0.84). The MLR and RF algorithms demonstrated high potential to predict AFB (R2 = 0.76 to 0.85) and DMC (R2 = 0.78 to 0.85). We conclude that both MLR and RF algorithms improved the biomass prediction accuracy using satellite imagery combined with meteorological data to determine AFB and DMC, and can be used for Brachiaria (syn. Urochloa) AGB prediction. Additional research on tropical grasses is needed to evaluate different VIs to improve the accuracy of ADB prediction, thereby supporting pasture management in Brazil.