bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Chemometrics-assisted functionalization of boronic acid-derived supramolecules
Authors: Kubo Yuji , Kawaguchi Kaede , Ito Masato 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Chemometrics is a useful technique to analyze large amounts of data collected to generate insights and predict behaviors, being applied to boronate supramolecules. Boronic acid-based dynamic covalent bond with diols and catechols is a great advantage for multivariate analysis, involving calibration and prediction of the % ee of enantiomeric analytes using chiral boronates. Chemometrics-assisted quantitative structure–property relationship analysis has also been applied to room-temperature phosphorescence behavior of boronate assemblies. This review highlights the effectiveness of chemometrics in experimental material chemistry.
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Efficacy and Safety of Fecal Microbiota Transplant for Preventing Recurrent Clostridioides difficile Infection
Authors: Drekonja Dimitri M , Shaukat Aasma , Huang Yuan , Zhang Jane H , Reinink Andrew R , Nugent Sean , Dominitz Jason A , Davis-Karim Anne , Gerding Dale N , Kyriakides Tassos C 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Background
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the most common cause of healthcare–associated infections in US hospitals, with 15%–30% of patients experiencing recurrence. The aim of our randomized, double-blind clinical trial was to assess the efficacy of capsule-delivered fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) versus placebo in reducing recurrent diarrhea and CDI recurrence. The secondary aim was FMT safety assessment.

Methods
Between 2018 and 2022, Veterans across the Veterans Health Administration system with recurrent CDI who responded to antibiotic treatment were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to oral FMT or placebo capsules. Randomization was stratified by number of prior CDI recurrences (1 or ≥2). The primary endpoint was clinical recurrence by day 56, defined as &gt;3 unformed stools daily for ≥2 days with or without laboratory confirmation of C. difficile, or death within 56 days.

Results
The study was stopped due to futility after meeting prespecified criteria. Of 153 participants (76 FMT, 77 placebo) with an average age of 66.5 years, 25 participants (32.9%) in the FMT arm and 23 (29.9%) in the placebo arm experienced the primary endpoint of diarrhea and possible or definite CDI recurrence or death within 56 days of capsule administration (absolute difference, 3.0% [95% confidence interval, −11.7% to 17.7%]). Stratification by number of recurrences revealed no statistically significant differences. There were no clinically important differences in adverse events.

Conclusions
FMT therapy versus placebo did not reduce CDI recurrence or death at 56 days. There were no meaningful differences in adverse events between treatment groups.

Clinical Trials Registration
NCT03005379.
The Unseen ‘Others’: A Framework for Investor Stewardship
Authors: Katelouzou Dionysia 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Institutional investors, as stewards, exercise power on behalf of their clients/beneficiaries, and in doing so, regard a broader spectrum of ‘unseen’ others - end investors, investable assets, and the broader economy, environment, and society. This analytical framework reveals a crucial distinction: the interests of these unseen others may not align with those of the clients/beneficiaries on whose behalf investor stewards act. By introducing multiple stewardship relationships —client stewardship, end-investor stewardship, asset stewardship, and sustainability stewardship—this article develops a model of enlightened stewardship and addresses a key challenge: stewardship beyond client stewardship mainly operates outside the domain of hard law. The article advocates for stewardship codes to ‘crowd in’ enlightened stewardship, complementing regulatory frameworks and leveraging intrinsic motivations for responsible investment. Using the UK Stewardship Code as a case study, it suggests incorporating elements akin to section 172 of the UK Companies Act 2006 to provide essential clarity and guidance in redefining the purpose of stewardship.
Tracking toads from dusk till dawn: linking inter- and intra-individual variation in movement behavior
Authors: Jreidini Nathalie , Green David M 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Animals can differ in their individual movement behaviors during their daily displacements. Studies of animal movement patterns often disregard the need to understand individual variation in these patterns and the role of this variation in shaping population distributions of movements. To assess the link between individual movements and population distributions, we radio-tracked 13 Fowler’s Toads (Anaxyrus fowleri) in Long Point, Ontario, Canada, after their breeding season. We recorded individual coordinates every 30 min, from the moment they emerged from their burrows around dusk until they burrowed in the morning, and obtained a total of 157 movements. We used the resulting series of step lengths and turning angles in a Hidden Markov Model to estimate movement type as “directed” or “non-directed.” We also assigned to each encounter one of 3 space-dependent movement states: “foraging”, “in transit”, or “searching”, and found that movement type and state switched within individuals irrespective of time during a single night. We find that switching between movement types varied throughout the night, leading to stochastic within-individual variation in movements, and the distribution of movement distances differed significantly among individuals. Movement states, however, were time-dependent, suggesting displacement routines were similar across individuals. Variation in movement behavior within individuals scales up to result in variation among individuals which, in turn, was found to shape the distribution of the sampled population. Our findings therefore underline the importance of a multi-scale approach in the study of movement.
RegulaTome: a corpus of typed, directed, and signed relations between biomedical entities in the scientific literature
Authors: Nastou Katerina , Mehryary Farrokh , Ohta Tomoko , Luoma Jouni , Pyysalo Sampo , Jensen Lars Juhl 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
In the field of biomedical text mining, the ability to extract relations from the literature is crucial for advancing both theoretical research and practical applications. There is a notable shortage of corpora designed to enhance the extraction of multiple types of relations, particularly focusing on proteins and protein-containing entities such as complexes and families, as well as chemicals. In this work, we present RegulaTome, a corpus that overcomes the limitations of several existing biomedical relation extraction (RE) corpora, many of which concentrate on single-type relations at the sentence level. RegulaTome stands out by offering 16 961 relations annotated in &gt;2500 documents, making it the most extensive dataset of its kind to date. This corpus is specifically designed to cover a broader spectrum of &gt;40 relation types beyond those traditionally explored, setting a new benchmark in the complexity and depth of biomedical RE tasks. Our corpus both broadens the scope of detected relations and allows for achieving noteworthy accuracy in RE. A transformer-based model trained on this corpus has demonstrated a promising F1-score (66.6%) for a task of this complexity, underscoring the effectiveness of our approach in accurately identifying and categorizing a wide array of biological relations. This achievement highlights RegulaTome’s potential to significantly contribute to the development of more sophisticated, efficient, and accurate RE systems to tackle biomedical tasks. Finally, a run of the trained RE system on all PubMed abstracts and PMC Open Access full-text documents resulted in &gt;18 million relations, extracted from the entire biomedical literature.
Development and validation of a CT-based deep learning radiomics signature to predict lymph node metastasis in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: a multicentre study
Authors: Jiang Tianzi , Wang Hexiang , Li Jie , Wang Tongyu , Zhan Xiaohong , Wang Jingqun , Wang Ning , Nie Pei , Cui Shiyu , Zhao Xindi , Hao Dapeng 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Objectives
Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is a pivotal determinant that influences the treatment strategies and prognosis for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) patients. This study aims to establish and verify a deep learning (DL) radiomics model for the prediction of LNM in OPSCCs using contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT).

Methods
A retrospective analysis included 279 OPSCC patients from 3 institutions. CECT images were used for handcrafted (HCR) and DL feature extraction. Dimensionality reduction for HCR features used recursive feature elimination (RFE) and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithms, whereas DL feature dimensionality reduction used variance-threshold and RFE algorithms. Radiomics signatures were constructed using six machine learning classifiers. A combined model was then constructed using the screened DL, HCR, and clinical features. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) served to quantify the model’s performance, and calibration curves were utilized to assess its calibration.

Results
The combined model exhibited robust performance, achieving AUC values of 0.909 (95% CI, 0.861-0.957) in the training cohort, 0.884 (95% CI, 0.800-0.968) in the internal validation cohort, and 0.865 (95% CI, 0.791-0.939) in the external validation cohort. It outperformed both the clinical model and best-performing radiomics model. Moreover, calibration was deemed satisfactory.

Conclusions
The combined model based on CECT demonstrates the potential to predict LNM in OPSCCs preoperatively, offering a valuable tool for more precise and tailored treatment strategies.

Advances in knowledge
This study presents a novel combined model integrating clinical factors with DL radiomics, significantly enhancing preoperative LNM prediction in OPSCC.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy in patients with borderline stenosis of the left anterior descending artery and vasospastic angina: to stent or not to stent? A case report
Authors: Bernacik Anna , Niewiara Łukasz , Szolc Piotr , Legutko Jacek , Guzik Bartłomiej 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Background
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) is a complex disease that resembles the clinical presentation of acute myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries. The aetiology remains elusive despite the comprehensive nature of current guidelines meticulously detailing the diagnostic process.

Case summary
We present the case of a 64-year-old female who presented with a clinical profile consistent with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction, confirmed by elevated cardiac enzyme levels. Echocardiography raised suspicions of TCM. Angiography presented a challenge, revealing a 65% stenosis of the left anterior descending artery (LAD). Based on the collected evidence, we decided to delay and ultimately forgo LAD revascularization while identifying epicardial vasospasm through a provocation test as a possible cause underlying TCM.

Discussion
Conducting an acetylcholine provocation test, as recommended by the European Society of Cardiology guidelines for patients with ischaemia and no obstructive coronary artery disease unveiled severe diffuse vasospasm affecting both the LAD and circumflex arteries. The intricate interplay of pathophysiological mechanisms and clinical presentations necessitates ongoing exploration to uncover the mysteries and refine our diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Successful use of point-of-care ultrasound for an elderly patient with heart failure in a primary care setting: a case report
Authors: Kato Naoko P , Svantesson Josefine , Johansson Peter , Strömberg Anna , Jaarsma Tiny 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Background
Appropriate assessment of fluid status of patients with heart failure (HF) is challenging in outpatient settings, e.g. primary care, especially among elderly HF patients with multiple comorbidities. The use of handheld ultrasound devices for point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has increased.

Case summary
An 80-year-old male had HF with preserved ejection fraction with New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification II. He had multiple comorbidities including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and been followed up in both a nurse-led HF clinic and a nurse-led chronic obstructive pulmonary disease clinic in primary care. During a scheduled visit to the nurse-led HF clinic in primary care, he exhibited orthopnoea and moderate leg oedema. A HF nurse, using a handheld ultrasound device (Vscan, GE Healthcare), detected B-lines in the left lung, indicating the presence of fluid in the left lung, and an enlarged and non-varying inferior vena cava (IVC) during the POCUS examination. Based on these results, the HF nurse concluded that the patient was experiencing decompensated HF, rather than a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation. As a result, his loop diuretics were promptly increased. The patient and his wife received advice on self-care from the HF nurse and the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease nurses. At a follow-up visit 2 weeks later, his breathlessness and swelling were reduced, with no B-lines or dilated IVC found during the POCUS examination.

Discussion
The POCUS can be a good decision support tool for not only physicians but also other healthcare professionals to identify worsening HF and to monitor treatment responses in HF patients in primary care settings.
Marital status, educational level, and mid-term mortality risk in 5924 patients after transcatheter aortic valve implantation
Authors: Lachonius Maria , Giang Kok Wai , Pétursson Pétur , Angerås Oskar , Skoglund Kristofer , Jeppsson Anders , Nielsen Susanne J 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Aims
There is scarce knowledge about the association between social factors and mid-term outcome in older patients undergoing transaortic valve implantation (TAVI). Our aim in this study is to explore associations between marital status, educational level, and mortality risk in patients after TAVI.

Methods and results
Patients aged ≥65 who underwent TAVI in Sweden during 2014–2020 were identified from the SWEDEHEART registry. Social factors and comorbidities were collected from mandatory national registries. Cox regression models adjusted for baseline comorbidities, age, sex, year of TAVI, social factors, and smoking were used to estimate mortality risk. Median follow-up was 1.9 years (interquartile range: 0.9–3.3). Overall, 5924 patients were included (47.3% women), with a mean age of 82.1 years (standard deviation: 6.1). Of the 1410 (23.8%) deaths during follow-up, 721 (51.2%) were related to cardiovascular causes. Patients with low education (&lt;10 years) had a higher risk of mortality than patients with the highest education level [&gt;12 years; adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 1.20, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03–1.41]. Never being married/cohabiting was associated with an increased risk of mortality in comparison with being married/cohabiting (aHR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.05–1.65). A separate analysis of men and women showed an increased risk among never-married men (aHR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.23–2.14) but not among never-married women (aHR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.56–1.30).

Conclusion
Disadvantage in social factors was associated with an increased mortality risk after TAVI in older patients. These findings emphasize the importance of developing strategies to increase health literacy and social support after TAVI in older patients with unfavourable social factors.
Exploring clinical factors to predict the survival of patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer with neoadjuvant immunotherapy
Authors: Zhang Mengzhe , Yan Meng , Xiao Zengtuan , Li Yue , Liu Zuo , Zhang Pengpeng , Wang Xiaofei , Zhang Lianmin , Zhang Zhenfa 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The goal was to explore clinical factors and build a predictive model for the disease-free and overall survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

METHODS
Inclusion criteria for patients in this multicentre study were as follows: (i) Patients who were diagnosed with stages I–III NSCLC after a bronchoscopy biopsy or puncture; (ii) patients who were examined with computed tomography/positron emission tomography-computed tomography before treatment and surgery; (iii) patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors for 2 to 6 cycles preoperatively; (iv) patients whose peripheral blood indicators and tumour markers were assessed before treatment and preoperatively; (v) patients who underwent radical lung cancer surgery after neoadjuvant therapy. Cases were divided into high- and low-risk groups according to 78 clinical indicators based on a 10-fold Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator selection. We used Cox proportional hazards models to predict disease-free and overall survival. Then, we used time-dependent area under the curve and decision curve analyses to examine the accuracy of the results.

RESULTS
Data were collected continuously, and 212 and 85 cases were randomly assigned to training and testing sets, respectively. The area under the curve for the prediction of disease-free survival (training: 1 year, 0.83; 2 years, 0.81; 3 years, 0.83 versus testing: 1 year, 0.65; 2 years, 0.66; 3 years, 0.70), overall survival (training: 1 year, 0.86; 2 years, 0.85; 3 years, 0.86 versus testing: 1 year, 0.66; 2 years, 0.57; 3 years, 0.70) were determined. The coefficient factors including pathological response; preoperative tumour maximum diameter; preoperative lymph shorter diameter; preoperative tumour and lymph maximum standardized uptake value; change in tumour standardized uptake value preoperatively; and blood-related risk factors were favourably associated with prognosis (P &lt; 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS
Our prediction model, which integrated data from preoperative positron emission tomography-CT, preoperative blood parameters and pathological response, was able to make highly accurate predictions for disease-free and overall survival in patients with NSCLC receiving neoadjuvant immunity with chemical therapy.
Clinical trials in-a-dish for cardiovascular medicine
Authors: Wu Xuekun , Swanson Kyle , Yildirim Zehra , Liu Wenqiang , Liao Ronglih , Wu Joseph C 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases persist as a global health challenge that requires methodological innovation for effective drug development. Conventional pipelines relying on animal models suffer from high failure rates due to significant interspecies variation between humans and animal models. In response, the recently enacted Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act 2.0 encourages alternative approaches including induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Human iPSCs provide a patient-specific, precise, and screenable platform for drug testing, paving the way for cardiovascular precision medicine. This review discusses milestones in iPSC differentiation and their applications from disease modelling to drug discovery in cardiovascular medicine. It then explores challenges and emerging opportunities for the implementation of ‘clinical trials in-a-dish’. Concluding, this review proposes a framework for future clinical trial design with strategic incorporations of iPSC technology, microphysiological systems, clinical pan-omics, and artificial intelligence to improve success rates and advance cardiovascular healthcare.
Dual-chamber vs. single-chamber pacemaker in patients in sinus rhythm with an atrioventricular block: a nationwide cohort study
Authors: Bodin Alexandre , Texier Ivann , Bisson Arnaud , Pierre Bertrand , Herbert Julien , Jacobs Mathieu , Nasarre Mathieu , Bernard Anne , Fauchier Laurent 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Aims
In complete atrioventricular block (AVB) with underlying sinus rhythm, it is recommended to implant a dual-chamber pacemaker rather than a single-chamber pacemaker. However, no large-scale study has been able to demonstrate the superiority of this choice on hard clinical criteria such as morbimortality.

Methods and results
This retrospective observational study included all patients who received a primary pacemaker implantation in the indication of complete AVB with underlying sinus rhythm in France, based on the national administrative database between January 2013 and December 2022. After propensity score matching, we obtained two groups containing 19 219 patients each. The incidence of all-cause mortality was 9.22%/year for the dual-chamber pacemaker group, compared with 11.48%/year for the single-chamber pacemaker group (hazard ratio (HR) 0.807, P &lt; 0.0001]. Similarly, there was a lower incidence of cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.766, P &lt; 0.0001), heart failure (HR 0.908, P &lt; 0.0001), atrial fibrillation (HR 0.778, P &lt; 0.0001), and ischaemic stroke (HR 0.873, P = 0.008) in the dual-chamber pacemaker group than in the single-chamber pacemaker group. Regarding re-interventions and complications, there were fewer upgrades (addition of atrial lead or left ventricular lead) in the dual-chamber group (HR 0.210, P &lt; 0.0001), but more haematomas (HR 1.179, P = 0.006) and lead repositioning (HR 1.123, P = 0.04).

Conclusion
In the indication of complete AVB with underlying sinus rhythm, our results are consistent with current recommendations to prefer implantation of a dual-chamber pacemaker rather than a single-chamber pacemaker for these patients. Implantation of a dual-chamber pacemaker is associated with a lower risk of mortality, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and stroke during follow-up.
Causative genes of intrinsic hybrid incompatibility in animals and plants: what we have learned about speciation from the molecular perspective
Authors: Kitano Jun , Okude Genta 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Intrinsic hybrid incompatibility is one of the important reproductive isolating barriers between species. Several genes causing intrinsic hybrid incompatibilities have been identified over the last few decades. Information on these causative genes and mutations of intrinsic hybrid incompatibilities helps us answer several important evolutionary questions regarding the plausibility of classic theoretical models of intrinsic hybrid incompatibilities, the evolutionary driving forces involved, and the repeatability of molecular mechanisms across taxa. Here, we provide an updated list of the causative genes of intrinsic hybrid incompatibilities in animals and plants. Although several empirical cases are consistent with the classic two-locus Dobzhansky–Muller incompatibility model, there are many cases in which epistatic interactions are more complex. Animals and plants appear to share several molecular mechanisms of intrinsic hybrid incompatibility. In both animals and plants, many causative genes evolve under genomic conflicts. Some taxonomic differences may result from inherent physiological differences. As most studies are biased toward a limited number of model organisms, further studies on natural systems across diverse taxa are necessary for the quantitative assessment of these patterns in nature.