bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Concise Review: Fertility Preservation: An Update
Authors: González Clara , Boada Montserrat , Devesa Marta , Veiga Anna 
Published: September 2012

Abstract
Fertility preservation is an emerging field in medicine that enables men, women, and children to maintain reproductive health when it is threatened by gonadotoxic treatment. Patients affected by other nononcologic malignancies that can impair spermatogenesis and ovogenesis can also benefit from fertility preservation treatments. Age-related infertility can also be overcome by cryopreserving gametes or embryos. The only established methods for fertility preservation in male patients are sperm cryopreservation in postpubertal age and experimental testicular tissue cryopreservation in prepubertal age. In adult women, oocyte cryopreservation is the preferred option, whereas ovarian tissue cryopreservation is the only possibility for prepubertal girls. Fertility preservation treatments must be addressed through a multidisciplinary approach that involves gynecologists, urologists, oncologists, pediatricians, and professionals in the field of medically assisted reproduction to work in coordination to provide patients with counseling and comprehensive information about fertility issues.
“We don't exist”: a qualitative study of marginalization experienced by HIV‐positive lesbian, bisexual, queer and transgender women in Toronto, Canada
Authors: Logie Carmen H , James LLana , Tharao Wangari , Loutfy Mona R 
Published: September 2012

BackgroundLesbian, bisexual, queer and transgender (LBQT) women living with HIV have been described as invisible and understudied. Yet, social and structural contexts of violence and discrimination exacerbate the risk of HIV infection among LBQT women. The study objective was to explore challenges in daily life and experiences of accessing HIV services among HIV‐positive LBQT women in Toronto, Canada.MethodsWe used a community‐based qualitative approach guided by an intersectional theoretical framework. We conducted two focus groups; one focus group was conducted with HIV‐positive lesbian, bisexual and queer women (n=7) and the second with HIV‐positive transgender women (n=16). Participants were recruited using purposive sampling. Focus groups were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used for analyzing data to enhance understanding of factors that influence the wellbeing of HIV‐positive LBQT women.ResultsParticipant narratives revealed a trajectory of marginalization. Structural factors such as social exclusion and violence elevated the risk for HIV infection; this risk was exacerbated by inadequate HIV prevention information. Participants described multiple barriers to HIV care and support, including pervasive HIV‐related stigma, heteronormative assumptions in HIV‐positive women's services and discriminatory and incompetent treatment by health professionals. Underrepresentation of LBQT women in HIV research further contributed to marginalization and exclusion. Participants expressed a willingness to participate in HIV research that would be translated into action.ConclusionsStructural factors elevate HIV risk among LBQT women, limit access to HIV prevention and present barriers to HIV care and support. This study's conceptualization of a trajectory of marginalization enriches the discussion of structural factors implicated in the wellbeing of LBQT women and highlights the necessity of addressing LBQT women's needs in HIV prevention, care and research. Interventions that address intersecting forms of marginalization (e.g. sexual stigma, transphobia, HIV‐related stigma) in community and social norms, HIV programming and research are required to promote health equity among LBQT women.
Discovery of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors by Docking into an Inactive Kinase Conformation Generated by Molecular Dynamics
Authors: Zhao Hongtao , Huang Danzhi , Caflisch Amedeo 
Published: September 2012

AbstractSeveral small molecules that bind to the inactive DFG‐out conformation of tyrosine kinases (called type II inhibitors) have shown a good selectivity profile over other kinase targets. To obtain a set of DFG‐out structures, we performed an explicit solvent molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of the complex of the catalytic domain of a tyrosine kinase receptor, ephrin type‐A receptor 3 (EphA3), and a manually docked type II inhibitor. Automatic docking of four previously reported type II inhibitors was used to select a single snapshot from the MD trajectory for virtual screening. High‐throughput docking of a pharmacophore‐tailored library of 175 000 molecules resulted in about 4 million poses, which were further filtered by van der Waals efficiency and ranked according to a force‐field‐based energy function. Notably, around 20 % of the compounds with predicted binding energy smaller than −10 kcal mol−1 are known type II inhibitors. Moreover, a series of 5‐(piperazine‐1‐yl)isoquinoline derivatives was identified as a novel class of low‐micromolar inhibitors of EphA3 and unphosphorylated Abelson tyrosine kinase (Abl1). The in silico predicted binding mode of the new inhibitors suggested a similar affinity to the gatekeeper mutant T315I of Abl1, which was verified in vitro by using a competition binding assay. Additional evidence for the type II binding mode was obtained by two 300 ns MD simulations of the complex between N‐(3‐chloro‐4‐(difluoromethoxy)phenyl)‐2‐(4‐(8‐nitroisoquinolin‐5‐yl)piperazin‐1‐yl)acetamide and EphA3.
Daily Energy Expenditure and Water-Turnover Rate of Adult European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) during the Nesting Cycle
Authors: Ricklefs Robert E. , Williams Joseph B. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractWe measured rates of carbon-dioxide production and water turnover in adult starlings by the doubly-labeled water technique. CO2 production of females was 4.23 cm3·g−1·h−1 during the incubation period, 4.86 cm3·g−1·h−1 during the early part of the nestling period, and 6.86 cm3·g−1·h−1 during the middle of the nestling period, the time of greatest food requirement by the brood. During the last period, the rate of CO2 production by males was 5.50 cm3·g−1·h−1. CO2 production was independent of brood size (3-7, approximately a two-fold range of brood mass) during both the early and middle parts of the nestling period. Water-turnover rates paralleled CO2 production over the nesting cycle, the average values for each sample varying between 0.048 and 0.070 per h. Within each of the samples, water-turnover rates were independent of CO2 production but appeared to be influenced by weather conditions. During the middle of the nestling period, water-turnover rates were higher on 2 cold, rainy days than on 2 milder days. The maximum daily energy expenditure for females was about four times predicted BMR, similar to values reported in other studies.
Partitioning of Food and Niche Characteristics of Coexisting Accipiter During Breeding
Authors: Reynolds Richard T. , Meslow E. Charles 
Published: September 2012

AbstractThe abundance of resources and their use by Accipiter in two areas within Oregon from 1969 through 1974 are presented. In the coastal mountains of northwestern Oregon only Sharp-shinned Hawks (Accipiter striatus) and Cooper's Hawks (A. cooperii) nested. In the remainder of the state, A. striatus, A. cooperii, and Northern Goshawks (A. gentilis) were syntopic during the nesting season. The number of species and the total density of birds in eastern Oregon were about one-half those in northwestern Oregon. Mean prey size of A. striatus in northwestern Oregon (12.8 g) was significantly smaller than that of the same species in eastern Oregon (28.4 g). Accipiter striatus diets in both areas were composed almost entirely of birds (<5% mammals). Mean prey size of A. cooperii in both areas was nearly the same (134.7 g vs. 136.3 g) and was significantly larger than mean prey size of A. striatus. The frequency of occurrence and the size of prey taxa in A. cooperii diets, however, varied between areas: 74% birds (x̄ = 79.2 g) and 25% mammals (x̄ = 296.4 g) in northwestern Oregon versus 47% birds (x̄ = 123.7 g) and 53% mammals (x̄ = 147.5 g) in eastern Oregon. Mean prey size of A. gentilis in eastern Oregon (306.6 g) was significantly larger than that of A. cooperii and consisted of 55% birds (x̄ = 195.5 g) and 45% mammals (x̄ = 445.2 g). An analysis of prey sizes, prey taxa, and foraging heights indicated that, in general, food was partitioned in both areas primarily according to prey size. In eastern Oregon, however, where A. cooperii and A. gentilis overlapped broadly in prey size, these species tended to take different prey taxa. Both A. cooperii and A. gentilis foraged primarily in the lower zones (ground-shrub and shrub-canopy), whereas A. striatus foraged in the upper canopy.
Clutch Initiation Dates, Clutch Size, and Egg Size of the American Oystercatcher in Virginia
Authors: Nol Erica , Baker Allan J. , Cadman Michael D. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractThe timing of egg laying, clutch size, and egg size of the American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) were studied over six consecutive breeding seasons in Virginia. Synchrony of laying dates occurred in each of five localities of the study area in at least one year. Mean clutch size was 2.8 eggs (mode = 3) in first clutches and 2.4 eggs (mode = 2) in replacement clutches. Individual females laid replacement clutches of the same size and laid eggs of similar average volume in all years. A change in mate had little effect on the date on which females initiated their first clutches in successive years. The average egg size in a clutch was correlated with the size of the laying female. Egg-size ordering occurred within clutches, the first-laid egg being smaller than the second egg and about equal in volume to the third. We propose that the second egg is largest because it has the highest probability of hatching, and the resulting sibling hierarchy reduces the frequency of sibling competition.
Traumatic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury and Income and Employment Status
Authors: Jaffe Rachael H. , Coyte Peter C. , Chan Brian C.-F. , Hancock-Howard Rebecca L. , Malhotra Armaan K. , Ladha Karim , Wilson Jefferson R. , Witiw Christopher D. 
Published: June 2024

ImportanceSpinal cord injury (SCI) causes drastic changes to an individual’s physical health that may be associated with the ability to work.ObjectiveTo estimate the association of SCI with individual earnings and employment status using national administrative health databases linked to income tax data.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis was a retrospective, national, population-based cohort study of adults who were hospitalized with cervical SCI in Canada between January 2005 and December 2017. All acute care hospitalizations for SCI of adults ages 18 to 64 years were included. A comparison group was constructed by sampling from individuals in the injured cohort. Fiscal information from their preinjury years was used for comparison. The injured cohort was matched with the comparison group based on age, sex, marital status, province of residence, self-employment status, earnings, and employment status in the year prior to injury. Data were analyzed from August 2022 to January 2023.Main outcomes and MeasuresThe first outcome was the change in individual annual earnings up to 5 years after injury. The change in mean yearly earnings was assessed using a linear mixed-effects differences-in-differences regression. Income values are reported in 2022 Canadian dollars (CAD $1.00 = US $0.73). The second outcome was the change in employment status up to 5 years after injury. A multivariable probit regression model was used to compare proportions of individuals employed among those who had experienced SCI and the paired comparison group of participants.ResultsA total of 1630 patients with SCI (mean [SD] age, 47 [13] years; 1304 male [80.0%]) were matched to patients in a preinjury comparison group (resampled from the same 1630 patients in the SCI group). The mean (SD) of preinjury wage earnings was CAD $46 000 ($48 252). The annual decline in individual earnings was CAD $20 275 (95% CI, −$24 455 to −$16 095) in the first year after injury and CAD $20 348 (95% CI, −$24 710 to −$15 985) in the fifth year after injury. At 5 years after injury, 52% of individuals who had an injury were working compared with 79% individuals in the preinjury comparison group. SCI survivors had a decrease in employment of 17.1 percentage points (95% CI, 14.5 to 19.7 percentage points) in the first year after injury and 17.8 percentage points (14.5 to 21.1 percentage points) in the fifth year after injury.Conclusions and RelevanceIn this study, SCI was associated with a decline in earnings and employment up to 5 years after injury for adults aged 18 to 64 years in Canada.
Clinical Outcomes for BRCA Pathogenic Variant Carriers With Breast Cancer Undergoing Breast Conservation
Authors: Wanis Kerollos Nashat , Kuerer Henry M. , Sun Susie X. , Hunt Kelly K. , Glencer Alexa C. , Teshome Mediget , Lucci Anthony , Weiser Roi , Johnson Helen , Smith Benjamin D. , Gutierrez Angelica M. , Shaitelman Simona F. , Arun Banu K. 
Published: June 2024

ImportanceAlthough most women with BRCA-associated breast cancer choose bilateral mastectomy, current guidelines support breast-conserving therapy as an option. As the indications for genetic testing expand and targeted therapies emerge, understanding the outcomes of breast-conserving therapy in the population of patients choosing breast conservation is important.ObjectiveTo describe the clinical outcomes of women with BRCA-associated breast cancer who were treated with breast-conserving therapy, including the risks of ipsilateral and contralateral cancer events and bilateral mastectomy-free survival.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis cohort study conducted at a single-institution academic national comprehensive cancer center included 172 women identified from a prospectively maintained database who had pathogenic BRCA1/2 variants and were treated with breast-conserving therapy from January 1, 1977, to December 31, 2021.Main Outcomes and MeasuresClinical and pathologic characteristics for patients with BRCA1 and BRCA2 were compared, and estimates of overall survival, bilateral mastectomy-free survival, distant disease-free survival, risk of ipsilateral breast cancer, and risk of contralateral cancer were computed.ResultsThe cohort included 172 women (mean [SD] age, 47.1 [11.7] years), with 42 (24.4%) receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer prior to 40 years of age. Compared with BRCA2 variant carriers (80 [46.5%]), women with BRCA1 variants (92 [53.5%]) were younger at breast cancer diagnosis and tended to have more advanced tumors, which were more likely to be hormone receptor negative and higher grade. At a median follow-up of 11.8 years (IQR, 5.7-18.2 years), estimates of 10-year survival and risk were: overall survival, 88.5% (95% CI, 83.1%-94.2%); bilateral mastectomy-free survival, 70.7% (95% CI, 63.3%-78.9%); risk of an ipsilateral breast cancer event, 12.2% (95% CI, 5.8%-18.2%); and risk of contralateral cancer, 21.3% (95% CI, 13.3%-28.6%). Risks continued to increase after 10 years of follow-up.Conclusions and RelevanceIn this cohort study, although women with breast cancer and pathogenic BRCA1/2 variants treated with breast-conserving therapy had above-average risks of ipsilateral and contralateral breast cancer events, most did not have another cancer event and remained bilateral mastectomy free. These findings may be useful for informing patients with BRCA variants choosing breast conservation.
Review of source models for reproducing and predicting strong motions by empirical Green's function method
Authors: Dan Kazuo 
Published: June 2024

AbstractShort‐period ground motions from earthquakes are calculated by semiempirical methods such as the empirical Green's function method or the stochastic Green's function method. In this review paper, I summarized source models developed for reproducing and predicting ground motions in the theoretical methods at first, and then reviewed the source models applied to reproducing and predicting ground motions in the empirical Green's function method in these about 40 years. Finally, I showed some issues to be solved about source modeling in order to predict accurate short‐period motions in the near‐fault regions.
Real-time triplex loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) using a turbidimeter for detection of shrimp infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV)
Authors: Arunrut Narong , Jitrakorn Sarocha , Tondee Benyatip , Saksmerprome Vanvimon , Kiatpathomchai Wansika 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Objective
The World Organization for Animal Health still regulates the infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV) in shrimp. The existing disease identification approach is time consuming, necessitates expensive equipment, and requires specialized expertise, thereby limiting the accessibility of shrimp disease screening on farms. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is recognized for its ability to detect inhibitory substances with high sensitivity and specificity.

Methods
We developed a real-time triplex LAMP assay that combines the simplicity of point-of-care testing with the accuracy of a turbidimeter. Using a set of three LAMP primers, our technology enables rapid DNA amplification in a single reaction within 45 min and with a low detection limit (10 copies/reaction).

Result
We tested 192 shrimp samples from different sources and demonstrated the clinical utility of our method, achieving 100% specificity (95% confidence interval = 93.40–100.00%), 100% sensitivity (97.36–100.00%), and 100% accuracy (98.10–100.00%) in detecting IHHNV DNA, with a high Cohen's kappa value (1) compared to the standard quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay.

Conclusion
The high technology readiness level of our method makes it a versatile platform for any real-time LAMP assay, and its low cost and simplicity make it well suited for fast deployment and use in shrimp farming.
Abstract
Impact statement Introducing our real-time triplex LAMP assay, a game-changer in shrimp disease detection. Combining simplicity with precision, our technology delivers results in under 45 min, enabling timely disease management. With high sensitivity and specificity, it outperforms quantitative polymerase chain reaction, offering a cost-effective and versatile solution for shrimp farming.
A robust index for metal artifact quantification in computed tomography
Authors: Cammin Jochen 
Published: June 2024

AbstractBackgroundObjective assessment of metal artifact strength and the effectiveness of metal artifact reduction algorithms in computed tomography requires a quantitative metric. Metrics described in the literature are typically employed to compare the artifact strength in images reconstructed from the same raw data, but their robustness against varying scan conditions and repeated scans over time as it occurs in periodic quality assurance has not been investigated.PurposeA new robust metric for quantifying metal artifacts in computed‐tomography images is proposed and compared to other commonly used metrics.MethodsThe proposed artifact metric is based on the location parameter of the Gumbel distribution, described previously in the literature, but normalized to the location parameter in a background region‐of‐interest to obtain a noise‐independent artifact metric. The metric was compared to three other quantitative metal artifact metrics (artifact‐index, contrast‐to‐noise ratio, Gumbel‐evaluation method) by evaluating metals artifacts in phantom scans and in clinical images. Robustness of the artifact metrics was evaluated using repeated scans with varying noise and against small variations in the selected regions‐of‐interest.ResultsThe proposed artifact metric was independent of the underlying image noise and could be reproduced more consistently under slight changes of the region‐of‐interest within the artifact than the other investigated methods. The coefficient‐of‐variation was 5.7% on average with varying regions‐of‐interest in phantom scans and 2.5% in patient scans compared to 9.2% in phantoms scans and 9.9% in patient scans for the next‐best performing noise‐independent metric. Setup reproducibility was better than 5% and was comparable to the other metrics. The new metric correlated linearly with the artifact strength. The contrast‐to‐noise ratio, although often used in artifact quantification, was found to be an inadequate metric due to its lack of robustness against minute changes in the position, size, and pixel values of the region‐of‐interest chosen for calculating the metric and because it showed no correlation with the artifact strength.ConclusionsA new metal artifact metric has been proposed that is robust under changing scan conditions and less sensitive to user‐dependent choices of the region‐of‐interest than other metrics. The new metric is straightforward to calculate and simple to implement in software commonly used for evaluation of medical imaging systems.
Perspective of Dutch Patients with Gout on Continuation or Discontinuation of Urate‐Lowering Therapy During Remission: A Mixed‐Methods Study
Authors: Peeters Iris Rose , Veenstra Frouwke , Wanten Sophie A. C. , Vriezekolk Johanna E. , van den Ende Cornelia H. , den Broeder Alfons A. , van Herwaarden Noortje , Verhoef Lise M. , Flendrie Marcel 
Published: June 2024

ObjectiveLong‐term gout management is based on reducing serum urate by using urate‐lowering therapy (ULT). A lifelong treat‐to‐target approach is advocated, although a ULT (taper to) stop attempt can be considered (treat‐to‐avoid symptoms approach) during remission. Exploring the beliefs of patients with gout on long‐term ULT strategies during remission is important for optimizing gout management. We aimed to identify factors that influence the decision for continuation or discontinuation of ULT and to determine their relative importance according to patients with gout in remission.MethodsA mixed‐methods design was used. First, semistructured interviews (substudy 1) were conducted to identify barriers and facilitators for the (dis)continuation of ULT using inductive thematic analysis. Afterwards, these barriers/facilitators were summarized into neutrally phrased items and used in a maximum difference scaling study (substudy 2) to determine their relative importance using the rescaled probability score.ResultsSubstudies 1 and 2 included 18 and 156 patients, respectively. Substudy 1 yielded 22 items within 10 overarching themes. Substudy 2 revealed that the perceived risk of joint damage and gout flares and that ULT use gives some assurance were the most important items. The costs, ease of receiving ULT, and its practical use were the least important items.ConclusionThese results can aid shared decision‐making and provide input for what is important to discuss with patients with gout in remission when they consider ULT discontinuation. The emphasis should be on the risk of having gout flares and joint damage, not so much on facilitating how easily medication is received.