bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of risk-based travel policy for the COVID-19 epidemic in Scotland: a population-based surveillance study
Authors: McLachlan Isobel , Huntley Selene , Leslie Kirstin , Bishop Jennifer , Redman Christopher , Yebra Gonzalo , Shaaban Sharif , Christofidis Nicolaos , Lycett Samantha , Holden Matthew T G , Robertson David L , Smith-Palmer Alison , Hughes Joseph , Nickbakhsh Sema 
Published: November 2024

ObjectivesWe aimed to assess the effects of risk-based travel restrictions on (1) international travel frequency, (2) SARS-CoV-2 case importation risk, (3) national SARS-CoV-2 incidence and (4) importation of SARS-CoV-2 variants into Scotland.DesignPopulation-based surveillance study.SettingThe study utilises SARS-CoV-2 community testing from February 2021 to May 2022 in Scotland, UK and spans the introduction of the UK’s ‘traffic light system’ policy in May 2021.Primary outcome measuresTravel-related cases of COVID-19 were defined as PCR-positive Scottish residents self-reporting international travel within 14 days of booking a postarrival travel test. The Red-Amber-Green (RAG) status of the reported travel destination was determined through data linkage using country and date.ResultsInternational flight passengers arriving into Scotland increased by 754% during the traffic light period. Amber list countries were the most frequently visited and ranked highly for both SARS-CoV-2 importations and contribution to national case incidence. Rates of international travel and associated SARS-CoV-2 case rates varied significantly across age, health board and deprivation groups. Multivariable logistic regression revealed SARS-CoV-2 case detections were less likely through travel-based than community-based surveillance systems, although increased from green-to-amber and amber-to-red lists. When examined according to travel destination, SARS-CoV-2 importation risks did not strictly follow RAG designations, and red lists did not prevent establishment of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that country-specific postarrival screening undertaken in Scotland did not prohibit the public health impact of COVID-19 in Scotland. Travel rates likely contributed to patterns of SARS-CoV-2 case importation and population incidence.
Comparison of seven models for the progression patterns of multiple chronic conditions in longitudinal studies
Authors: Baneshi Mohammad Reza , Mishra Gita , Dobson Annette 
Published: November 2024

IntroductionStudies investigating the relationship between patterns of multimorbidity and risk of a new condition have typically defined the patterns at a baseline time and used Kaplan-Meier (KM) or Cox proportional hazards regression. These methods do not consider the competing risk of death or the changes in the patterns of conditions over time. This study illustrates how these methodological limitations can be overcome in the setting of progression from cardiometabolic conditions to dementia.MethodsData from 11 930 women who participated in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health were used to define patterns of diabetes, heart disease and stroke and estimate the cumulative incidence or HRs of subsequent dementia. Seven methods were compared. For cumulative incidence these were KM method, cumulative incidence function (CIF) (to account for the competing risk of death) and multistate model with Aalen-Johansen estimates (to account also for the progression of conditions over time). For HRs, the corresponding methods were Cox model and Fine and Gray model (for sub-HRs) with the cardiometabolic patterns treated as time-invariant (from baseline) or as time-varying predictors.ResultsThe estimated cumulative incidence of dementia using the KM method declined when the competing risk of death was considered. For example, for women with no cardiometabolic condition at baseline, the KM and CIF estimates were 35.7% (95% CI 34.6%, 36.8%) and 27.3% (26.4%, 28.2%) but these women may have developed cardiometabolic conditions during the study which would increase their risk. The Aalen-Johansen multistate estimate for women with no cardiometabolic condition over the whole study period was 11.0% (10.4%, 11.7%). Comparing models to estimate HRs, the estimates in the Fine and Gray models were lower than those in the Cox models.ConclusionsMultistate and time-varying survival analysis models should be used to study the natural development of multimorbidity.
Change in prevalence of smoking during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic among middle-aged and older adults in Canada: a cohort study of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging
Authors: Khattar Jayati , Erbas Oz Urun , De Rubeis Vanessa , de Groh Margaret , Jiang Ying , Griffith Lauren , Anderson Laura N 
Published: November 2024

ObjectiveThe primary objective was to evaluate the change in the prevalence of daily or occasional tobacco smoking during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and to assess if socioeconomic factors were associated with changes in smoking. The secondary objective was to evaluate the association of smoking with adherence to public health measures.MethodsIn this prospective cohort study, using Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging data (44 139 middle-aged and older-aged adults), the prevalence of smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020) and prepandemic (2011–2018) was estimated using weighted generalised estimating equations. ORs and 95% CIs for the association between smoking and adherence to public health measures (a derived score) were estimated using multinomial logistic regression.ResultsTime (during vs prepandemic) was a significant predictor of smoking (adjusted OR (aOR) 1.12; 95% CI 1.07, 1.17). The adjusted prevalence of smoking during the beginning of the pandemic was 11.2% (95% CI 10.1%, 12.4%), compared with the prepandemic prevalence of 10.1% (95% CI 9.1%, 11.2%), with p<0.001. Factors associated with an increase in smoking were male sex, being aged 55 to 74 years, residing in Ontario or British Columbia, immigrant background, belonging to a racialised group, higher income and being married/common-law relationship. Smoking was associated with increased odds of high adherence to public health measures (aOR 1.53; 95% CI 1.31, 1.78).ConclusionAmong middle-aged and older adults in Canada, there was a small increase in the adjusted prevalence of smoking early in the pandemic. Daily or occasional smoking was associated with greater adherence to public health measures.
Prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection and treatment eligibility in Lesotho, Southern Africa: a population-based cross-sectional study with case-based follow-up
Authors: Firima Emmanuel , Ntsoaki Rameno , Lukau Blaise , Tlahali Mosa , Gonzalez Fernandez Lucia , Manthabiseng Molulela , Sematle Mamoronts’ane P , Bane Matumaole , Khomolishoele Makhebe , Ikhetheleng Leisa , Retselisitsoe Lefokosane , Gupta Ravi , McCrosky Stephen , Lee Tristan , Chammartin Frederique , Weisser Maja , Labhardt Niklaus D , Amstutz Alain 
Published: November 2024

Background and aimsThere is no data on hepatitis B virus (HBV) prevalence and treatment eligibility among the general population in Lesotho. We aimed to determine the prevalence of HBV infection in a large-scale cross-sectional survey among the general population in Lesotho, assess determinants of seropositivity, and evaluate treatment eligibility according to the 2024 WHO guidelines.Approach and resultsWe conducted a household-based, cross-sectional survey among participants≥10 years old in 120 randomly sampled village clusters in two districts. From participants screened positive for HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), we collected dried blood spots for HBV DNA measurement and referred the participants to health facilities for clinical assessment and treatment eligibility evaluation.Out of 6709 participants screened, 6705 had a valid HBsAg test result (3509 (52.3%) female, median age 33 years (IQR: 20–53)), which was positive in 78 participants, yielding a prevalence of 1.2% (95% CI: 0.9 to 1.4). Being≥18 years old, male, living in urban areas, living with HIV, consuming tobacco and belonging to higher wealth index quintiles, were associated with increasing odds of HBV infection. Of the 78 participants with HBV infection, 62 (79.5%) linked to care. Among these, 25/62 (40.3%) were also living with HIV and 23/25 (92%) already taking antiretroviral treatment active against HBV. Among the remaining, 10/37 (27.0%) were eligible for antiviral treatment based on HBV DNA, Aspartate aminotransferase to Platelet Ratio Index or alanine aminotransferase levels.ConclusionsWe observed a low prevalence of HBV infection among Basotho. Treatment eligibility was high mostly due to the presence of HIV co-infection. However, nearly one-third of HBV mono-infected participants were eligible for treatment, suggesting a testing and treatment gap in this population.
Psychological distress as a driver of early COVID-19 pandemic fatigue: a longitudinal analysis of the time-varying relationship between distress and physical distancing adherence among families with children and older adults
Authors: Morris Keeley J , Ashida Sato , Ramirez Marizen R , Tarr Gillian A M 
Published: November 2024

BackgroundEarly in the COVID-19 pandemic, adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions is especially critical to controlling disease spread. Understanding the factors that influence the initial demotivation to comply with public health guidance can enable the design of more effective interventions for future epidemics.MethodsWe collected participant-reported data on psychological distress and the number of weekly contacts with non-household members across six surveys administered between April and September 2020 among two cohorts: (1) families with children and (2) adults aged 50 years and older. We then used marginal structural models to examine the time-varying effect of distress on future interactions with non-household members as a measure of pandemic fatigue.ResultsAmong families with children, each unit increase in distress at the beginning of the study resulted in a 9% increase in non-household contacts (RR: 1.09; 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.16), but the effect declined with each additional week by 1.8% (ratio of RR: 0.982; 95% CI: 0.971 to 0.993). For adults over age 50, the relationship was reversed. Increasing distress led to a 7.2% decline in contacts (RR: 0.928; 95% CI: 0.863, 0.998) at the beginning of the study, but this effect increased by 1.0% with each additional week (ratio of RR: 1.01; 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.02).ConclusionsWe observed that the initial effect of psychological distress on adherence to recommendations to reduce non-household contacts and the change in the effect of distress over time (pandemic fatigue) differed between our two cohorts. Response strategies among younger/lower risk populations may be more effective when focused on broader implications of community transmission, while response strategies among older/higher risk populations may be more effective if they focus on increasing resilience and fostering safe coping strategies.
Engineered oncolytic virus expressing B7H3-targeting BiTE enhances antitumor T-cell immune response
Authors: Zhu Haoran , Zhang Wanrong , Guo Qingguo , Fan Ruoyue , Luo Guangzuo , Liu Ying 
Published: November 2024

BackgroundBispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs) are recombinant bispecific proteins designed to stimulate polyclonal T-cell immunity. In recent years, B7H3, a pan-cancer antigen, has been considered a promising target for future immunotherapy. However, the B7H3-targeting BiTE faces the challenge of systemic toxicity. Oncolytic viruses (OVs) represent a new class of cancer immunotherapeutics and serve as an appropriate platform for locoregional delivery of therapeutic genes. In this study, we designed an oncolytic adenovirus (OAd) encoding BiTE targeting human B7H3. We hypothesized that OVs encoding B7H3 BiTE deliver this molecule persistently to the tumor site while mediating polyclonal T-cell activation and redirecting it to tumor cells.MethodsB7H3-targeting BiTE was constructed by linking a single-chain variable fragment (scFv) that recognizes human B7H3 to an scFv that recognizes human CD3. B7H3 BiTE was inserted into OAd to construct OAd-B7H3-BiTE. The function of the OV-delivered B7H3 BiTE was detected via co-culturing B7H3+target cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. A humanized immune system mouse model was used to evaluate the therapeutic effects in vivo.ResultsB7H3 is highly expressed in a high proportion of human malignancies. OV-delivered BiTEs bind to T cells and target cells. We observed a series of phenomena reflecting T-cell activation induced by OAd-B7H3-BiTE, including cell clustering, cell size, activation markers, cytokine secretion, and proliferation. Furthermore, T-cell activation was mirrored by the corresponding cytotoxicity against B7H3+tumor cells. In vivo, B7H3 BiTE was persistently expressed in tumors and enhanced the antitumor T-cell immune response.ConclusionsUsing an OV for the local expression of B7H3 BiTE maximizes the local concentration of BiTE while reducing systemic exposure. OV also provides a relatively “hot” T-cell immune environment for the function of BiTE. Because of its capacity to activate polyclonal T cells, BiTE has the potential to redirect virus-specific T cells to tumors. Our study provides new opportunities for the exploitation of B7H3-BiTE-armed OVs as therapeutic agents for the treatment of B7H3-positive malignancies.
The Stock and Option Market Response to Negative ESG News
Authors: Orpiszewski Tomasz , Thompson Mark James , Schwendner Peter 
Published: November 2024

Synopsis The research problem This study investigates the response of stock prices and equity options to negative environmental, social, and governmental (ESG) incidents. Motivation Despite the growing significance of ESG news and the prominent role of equity options in portfolio management, empirical research on the relationship between options and ESG news remains notably scarce. Yet, the bulk of active asset managers, hedge funds, and investment banks continuously analyze stock prices and option prices simultaneously, to improve strategy performance and risk management and to search for information signals. The test hypotheses We hypothesize that negative ESG news events tend to negatively impact stock prices and trigger an increase in implied volatility (IV). We also postulate that the magnitude of market response is driven by the event characteristics, that is, “severity,” “novelty,” and “reach,” as well as the financial materiality. Target population Active asset managers, investment banks, regulators. Adopted methodology We employed a two-stage approach to analyze the effect of ESG events on stocks and option IVs. We estimated expected returns and expected change in IV using regression techniques. First, we used these to calculate abnormal returns (AR) and abnormal implied volatility (AIV). We then summed up the ARs and AIVs over several days to obtain cumulative abnormal returns (CAR) and cumulative abnormal changes in volatility (CAIV). Second, we used the CARs and CAIVs as dependent variables for fixed effect panel regressions. Analyses We created a large dataset of daily stock and options data on the companies from the S&P 500 index between 2006 and 2021. Most importantly, we use two unique datasets — one on negative ESG news from RepRisk and the other on options prices from OptionMetrics. Out of nearly 3 billion option prices, we extracted option implied volatilities for each stock, applied Bayesian imputation, and obtained daily average IV per stock. Findings Results of event studies indicate that, on average, option IV exhibits a minimal day-to-day reaction to ESG incidents. However, more severe incidents and those reported by major business sources result in a more pronounced increase in IV within 10 days following the event. Additionally, our empirical analysis highlights the influence of financial materiality on asset prices, as financially material ESG incidents lead to significant declines in stock prices and an upward surge in IV. Notably, this effect is particularly prominent for incidents related to natural capital. In conclusion, the options market incorporates information regarding ESG events, while stock prices exhibit comparatively lower and less systematic reactivity.
KIT V560D‐Mutated Systemic Mastocytosis Associated With High‐Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome: A Unique Case of Systemic Mastocytosis–Associated Hematologic Neoplasm
Authors: Medawar Georgio , Sakalabaktula Krishna , Magri Jenna , Rinker Elizabeth , Baratam Praneeth 
Published: November 2024

Systemic mastocytosis (SM) is a rare hematologic disorder characterized by clonal proliferation of mast cells in the bone marrow and/or other organs. SM‐associated hematologic neoplasm (SM‐AHN) is one of the advanced SM variants that usually confer a poor prognosis. We present a case of a 75‐year‐old female patient with SM‐AHN, specifically myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), that harbored a unique KIT mutation KIT V560D, not previously described in the literature in this setting. We describe the clinical course and the outcome with the use of avapritinib, midostaurin, and decitabine‐cedazuridine.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00782067
Associations Between Childhood Neglect and Depressive Symptoms: The Mediating Effect of Avoidant Coping
Authors: Eggert Laura , Kenntemich Laura , von Hülsen Leonie , Gallinat Jürgen , Schäfer Ingo , Lotzin Annett 
Published: November 2024

Background: Individuals with a history of childhood neglect may be vulnerable to develop depression, as they may more often use avoidant strategies to cope with the stressors. This study examined (1) whether a history of childhood neglect was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms and (2) whether avoidant coping behaviors mediated this association.Methods: In total, N = 2245 German adults (mean age = 41.1 years, age range = 18–82 years, 70.2% female) were recruited from the general population between June and September 2020 during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Childhood neglect (Adverse Childhood Experience Questionnaire [ACE]), depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ‐9]), and three avoidant coping behaviors (substance use, behavioral disengagement, and self‐blame; Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced [COPE]) were assessed. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), we examined the direct pathway from childhood neglect to depressive symptoms in a simultaneous parallel multiple mediation model and the possible mediating paths of avoidant coping behaviors.Results: Childhood neglect was positively and significantly associated with depressive symptoms (β = 0.24, p < 0.01) while controlling for the presence of childhood abuse. The three avoidant coping behaviors significantly mediated this association (substance use: bias‐corrected 95% confidence intervals [BC 95% CI], 0.02, 0.05; behavioral disengagement: BC 95% CI, 0.04, 0.12; and self‐blame: BC 95% CI, 0.16, 0.19). Post hoc contrasts between the mediators showed that self‐blame had a significantly stronger indirect effect than substance use (BC 95% CI, −0.12, −0.01).Conclusions: This study provides evidence that avoidant coping behaviors mediate the association between childhood neglect and depressive symptoms in adults. Avoidance coping behaviors may be a promising target for psychological interventions to reduce depressive symptoms.
From Body to Substance: Islamic Menstruation Laws in the Shadow of Late Antiquity?
Authors: Scheunchen Tobias 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
This essay traces the development of the Islamic legal discourse on menstruation (ḥayd) in the formative and classical periods of Islamic law (until approximately 1200 ce). I argue that, unlike their late antique predecessors and contemporaries, Muslim jurists parsed menstrual blood, with its perceived ability to travel and pollute other bodies and substances, as a generically polluting substance (the “substance-thesis”). This development marked a noteworthy departure from rabbinic law, in which the menstruating female body was regarded as inherently impure. The complex and sophisticated conceptual shift in Islamic legal discourse involved the participation of Muslim jurists, exegetes, theologians, and grammarians, who constructed and justified the new social boundaries between men and menstruant women in their respective disciplines. By treating menstruation laws as part of a comprehensive cultural regime governing the body, I seek to understand the nexus between Islamic menstruation laws and the social worlds they constituted, historically examining the conceptual shifts in the logic of making such laws. The essay puts sociological and anthropological theories in conversation with a wide array of Islamic legal and quasi-legal sources, offering a model for understanding the legal and cultural process by which Islamic (menstruation) laws became codified against the backdrop of much older late antique legal epistemologies.
In vitro efficacy of the skin peptide Brevinin-1Da against two isolates of the Global Pandemic Lineage of the amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
Authors: Ujszegi János , Vörös Judit , Hettyey Attila 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
The fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), causing chytridiomycosis, continues to threaten the existence of hundreds of amphibian species worldwide. It has remained difficult to predict the sensitivity of species to the disease, but skin-secreted antimicrobial peptides have been proposed to provide effective defences. In this study we tested this hypothesis by assessing in vitro the bioactivity of the antimicrobial peptide Brevinin-1Da, which is known to be synthesized in the skin of agile frogs (Rana dalmatina), against two isolates (IA042 and Hung_2014) of the highly virulent Global Pandemic Lineage (GPL) of Bd. Our results showed for the first time that Brevinin-1Da can inhibit the growth of Bd, and its efficacy appeared to be similar to that of other members of the Brevinin-1 peptide family isolated from other Ranid frogs. Finally, efficacy of Brevinin-1Da appeared to be higher against the Bd isolate Hung_2014, which was isolated in the core area of Rana dalmatina’s geographic distribution, and lower against IA042, which was isolated from outside the current distribution of this frog species. These results show that the efficacy of Brevinin-1Da may contribute to the previously documented resistance of agile frogs and that the sensitivity of Bd to the chemical defence of hosts can vary depending on the isolate.