bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Accelerating Progress Towards the 2030 Neglected Tropical Diseases Targets: How Can Quantitative Modeling Support Programmatic Decisions?
Authors: Vasconcelos Andreia , King Jonathan D , Nunes-Alves Cláudio , Anderson Roy , Argaw Daniel , Basáñez Maria-Gloria , Bilal Shakir , Blok David J , Blumberg Seth , Borlase Anna , Brady Oliver J , Browning Raiha , Chitnis Nakul , Coffeng Luc E , Crowley Emily H , Cucunubá Zulma M , Cummings Derek A T , Davis Christopher Neil , Davis Emma Louise , Dixon Matthew , Dobson Andrew , Dyson Louise , French Michael , Fronterre Claudio , Giorgi Emanuele , Huang Ching-I , Jain Saurabh , James Ananthu , Kim Sung Hye , Kura Klodeta , Lucianez Ana , Marks Michael , Mbabazi Pamela Sabina , Medley Graham F , Michael Edwin , Montresor Antonio , Mutono Nyamai , Mwangi Thumbi S , Rock Kat S , Saboyá-Díaz Martha-Idalí , Sasanami Misaki , Schwehm Markus , Spencer Simon E F , Srivathsan Ariktha , Stawski Robert S , Stolk Wilma A , Sutherland Samuel A , Tchuenté Louis-Albert Tchuem , de Vlas Sake J , Walker Martin , Brooker Simon J , Hollingsworth T Déirdre , Solomon Anthony W , Fall Ibrahima Socé 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Over the past decade, considerable progress has been made in the control, elimination, and eradication of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Despite these advances, most NTD programs have recently experienced important setbacks; for example, NTD interventions were some of the most frequently and severely impacted by service disruptions due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Mathematical modeling can help inform selection of interventions to meet the targets set out in the NTD road map 2021–2030, and such studies should prioritize questions that are relevant for decision-makers, especially those designing, implementing, and evaluating national and subnational programs. In September 2022, the World Health Organization hosted a stakeholder meeting to identify such priority modeling questions across a range of NTDs and to consider how modeling could inform local decision making. Here, we summarize the outputs of the meeting, highlight common themes in the questions being asked, and discuss how quantitative modeling can support programmatic decisions that may accelerate progress towards the 2030 targets.
The Hidden Hand of Asymptomatic Infection Hinders Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases: A Modeling Analysis
Authors: Rock Kat S , Chapman Lloyd A C , Dobson Andrew P , Adams Emily R , Hollingsworth T Déirdre 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Background
Neglected tropical diseases are responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality in low-income populations. International efforts have reduced their global burden, but transmission is persistent and case-finding-based interventions rarely target asymptomatic individuals.

Methods
We develop a generic mathematical modeling framework for analyzing the dynamics of visceral leishmaniasis in the Indian sub-continent (VL), gambiense sleeping sickness (gHAT), and Chagas disease and use it to assess the possible contribution of asymptomatics who later develop disease (pre-symptomatics) and those who do not (non-symptomatics) to the maintenance of infection. Plausible interventions, including active screening, vector control, and reduced time to detection, are simulated for the three diseases.

Results
We found that the high asymptomatic contribution to transmission for Chagas and gHAT and the apparently high basic reproductive number of VL may undermine long-term control. However, the ability to treat some asymptomatics for Chagas and gHAT should make them more controllable, albeit over relatively long time periods due to the slow dynamics of these diseases. For VL, the toxicity of available therapeutics means the asymptomatic population cannot currently be treated, but combining treatment of symptomatics and vector control could yield a quick reduction in transmission.

Conclusions
Despite the uncertainty in natural history, it appears there is already a relatively good toolbox of interventions to eliminate gHAT, and it is likely that Chagas will need improvements to diagnostics and their use to better target pre-symptomatics. The situation for VL is less clear, and model predictions could be improved by additional empirical data. However, interventions may have to improve to successfully eliminate this disease.
Reducing the Antigen Prevalence Target Threshold for Stopping and Restarting Mass Drug Administration for Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination: A Model-Based Cost-effectiveness Simulation in Tanzania, India and Haiti
Authors: Antony Oliver Mary Chriselda , Graham Matthew , Gass Katherine M , Medley Graham F , Clark Jessica , Davis Emma L , Reimer Lisa J , King Jonathan D , Pouwels Koen B , Hollingsworth T Déirdre 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Background
The Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) aims to reduce and maintain infection levels through mass drug administration (MDA), but there is evidence of ongoing transmission after MDA in areas where Culex mosquitoes are the main transmission vector, suggesting that a more stringent criterion is required for MDA decision making in these settings.

Methods
We use a transmission model to investigate how a lower prevalence threshold (&lt;1% antigenemia [Ag] prevalence compared with &lt;2% Ag prevalence) for MDA decision making would affect the probability of local elimination, health outcomes, the number of MDA rounds, including restarts, and program costs associated with MDA and surveys across different scenarios. To determine the cost-effectiveness of switching to a lower threshold, we simulated 65% and 80% MDA coverage of the total population for different willingness to pay per disability-adjusted life-year averted for India ($446.07), Tanzania ($389.83), and Haiti ($219.84).

Results
Our results suggest that with a lower Ag threshold, there is a small proportion of simulations where extra rounds are required to reach the target, but this also reduces the need to restart MDA later in the program. For 80% coverage, the lower threshold is cost-effective across all baseline prevalences for India, Tanzania, and Haiti. For 65% MDA coverage, the lower threshold is not cost-effective due to additional MDA rounds, although it increases the probability of local elimination. Valuing the benefits of elimination to align with the GPELF goals, we find that a willingness to pay per capita government expenditure of approximately $1000–$4000 for 1% increase in the probability of local elimination would be required to make a lower threshold cost-effective.

Conclusions
Lower Ag thresholds for stopping MDAs generally mean a higher probability of local elimination, reducing long-term costs and health impacts. However, they may also lead to an increased number of MDA rounds required to reach the lower threshold and, therefore, increased short-term costs. Collectively, our analyses highlight that lower target Ag thresholds have the potential to assist programs in achieving lymphatic filariasis goals.
The Growing Threat of NDM-Producing E. coli With Penicillin-Binding Protein 3 Mutations in the United States—Is There a Potential Role for Durlobactam?
Authors: Aitken Samuel L , Pierce Virginia M , Pogue Jason M , Kline Ellen G , Tverdek Frank P , Shields Ryan K 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
We report identification of 5 patients with infections caused by NDM-5-producing Escherichia coli harboring PBP3 mutations that showed reduced susceptibility to aztreonam-avibactam and cefiderocol. Durlobactam, a novel diazabicyclooctane β-lactamase inhibitor, demonstrated minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 2 µg/mL supporting future investigations into a potential role in clinical management.
Social inequality in admission chances for prestigious higher education programs in Germany: do application patterns matter?
Authors: Finger Claudia , Solga Heike , Elbers Benjamin 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Research has shown that admission to prestigious higher education programs varies by students' socio-economic status (SES). Access to these programs is characterized by high competition and often rather complex admission procedures. Thus, access may depend not only on students’ performance and decisions to apply but also on their application patterns: Where and how they apply, which may vary by social background due to differences in educational achievement, aspirations, and constraints. Using applications to highly prestigious medical programs in Germany, we examine whether admission chances are socially selective even among the positively selected group of applicants, and whether this is due to SES differences in application patterns or performance. Based on complete application register data, we identify application patterns through cluster analysis. We then used the resulting cluster model to predict cluster membership in the 2018 applicant cohort, for which we collected survey data with information on applicants’ SES, preferences, and motivations. We find that application patterns vary primarily by applicants’ performance (grades and test scores) and SES-specific geographic constraints. However, our multivariate analyses on admission chances show that application patterns do not mediate SES differences in admission chances. Instead, these differences are entirely due to SES differences in applicants’ performance.
‘The Russians are Coming!’ Entangled Peripheries and Cold War Competition in Motorcycle Speedway
Authors: Mills Richard 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
In its heyday, motorcycle speedway packed stadiums on both sides of the Iron Curtain. Via archival research, oral history, and fieldwork in multiple states this essay argues that speedway is uniquely placed to complicate tired Cold War binaries. Regardless of prevailing political systems, it thrived in provincial settings, as tours, itinerant riders, and machinery ensured regular interactions between speedway’s ‘entangled peripheries’. When small-town Swedes and aspirant Soviets challenged the British Commonwealth’s on-track dominance, this sport born at the imperial margins thrust Muslim riders from the Russian step into the limelight, and Australasian world champions harnessed superior Czechoslovak engineering.
By What Jurisdiction? Law, Settler Colonialism, and the Geographical Assumptions of IR Theory
Authors: Irani Freya 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
In this article, I consider critical writings on territory in International Relations, focusing on recent work on U.S. practices of extraterritorial jurisdiction. I suggest that, while such work has importantly traced the multiple ways in which U.S. authority often exceeds the supposed territorial boundaries of the United States, it has nonetheless failed to reckon with the contested and uneven nature of U.S. authority within such supposed boundaries. In particular, IR scholarship has failed to engage with the ways in which U.S. authority has been, and continued to be, contested by Indigenous people and nations. This failure is the product of an assumption that lies at the heart of the discipline—the assumption that Indigenous people are internal to colonizing or settler states. I suggest that the internalization of Indigenous people and Indigenous political organization that is at play in much IR scholarship is not simply a product of a generalized “state-centrism” or a product of histories of settler colonialism, writ large. Rather, at the heart of the territorial assignations and allotments of IR scholarship are assumptions about legal authority or jurisdiction—about who has jurisdiction to define and assign land, about who does not, and what law means at all. Critiquing these assumptions and their political implications, I show the importance of asking: “by what jurisdiction”? That is, what is the legal authority that we implicitly accept and assert when we designate territory in particular ways? The question insists that there are multiple laws (including multiple international laws) at play in global politics and opens up space for critical and postcolonial IR scholars to better take responsibility for their (often implicit) choices between multiple laws.
Detection of drug-resistant malaria in resource-limited settings: efficient and high-throughput surveillance of artemisinin and partner drug resistance
Authors: Fukuda Naoyuki , Yoshida Naoko , Balikagala Betty , Tsuru Ibuki , Ikeda Mie , Hirai Makoto , Anywar Denis A , Odongo-Aginya Emannuel I , Mita Toshihiro 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Objectives
Artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria is currently spreading globally, including in Africa. Artemisinin resistance also leads to resistance to partner drugs used in artemisinin-based combination therapies. Sequencing of kelch13, which is associated with artemisinin resistance, culture-based partner drug susceptibility tests, and ELISA-based growth measurement are conventionally used to monitor resistance; however, their application is challenging in resource-limited settings.

Methods
An experimental package for field studies with minimum human/material requirements was developed.

Results
First, qPCR-based SNP assay was applied in artemisinin resistance screening, which can detect mutations within 1 h and facilitate sample selection for subsequent processes. It had 100% sensitivity and specificity compared with DNA sequencing in the detection of the two common artemisinin resistance mutations in Uganda, C469Y and A675V. Moreover, in the partner drug susceptibility test, the cultured samples were dry-preserved on a 96-well filter paper plate and shipped to the central laboratory. Parasite growth was measured by ELISA using redissolved samples. It well reproduced the results of direct ELISA, reducing significant workload in the field (Pearson correlation coefficient: 0.984; 95% CI: 0.975–0.990).

Conclusions
Large-scale and sustainable monitoring is required urgently to track rapidly spreading drug-resistant malaria. In malaria-endemic areas, where research resources are often limited, simplicity and feasibility of the procedure is especially important. Our approach combines a qPCR-based rapid test, which is also applicable to point-of-care diagnosis of artemisinin resistance and centralized analysis of ex vivo culture. The approach could improve efficiency of field experiments and accelerate global drug resistance surveillance.
A detailed analysis of the interpretability of Convolutional Neural Networks for text classification
Authors: Giménez Maite , Fabregat-Hernández Ares , Fabra-Boluda Raül , Palanca Javier , Botti Vicent 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have become ubiquitous in many NLP tasks. However, understanding its process is still an area with much to be done. In this paper, we introduce a method to study the interpretability of CNNs when used for text classification. More specifically, we work on the interpretability of the convolutional filters in the context of sentiment analysis. The framework used in this paper has allowed the understanding of the mechanics of the network when applied to the task of sentiment analysis. The results of the experiments reveal how certain parts of speech (POS) tags are more relevant than others to the classification of a sentence. Furthermore, we also observed a preference for shorter $n$-grams when classifying negative sentiment sequences. Additionally, we detected a certain amount of redundancy among the convolutional filters, thus allowing us to conclude that smaller architectures would have worked for this particular task. This was achieved by computing the relevant metrics to measure the influence of the pertinent property on the desired class. In our case, the concepts treated were POS tags that carry semantic information and properties were related to the convolutional filters.
CD226 promotes renal fibrosis by regulating macrophage activation and migration
Authors: Song Yun , Wang Yazhen , Li Juan , Shen Yuting , Hou Yongli , Fu Zhaoyue , Fang Liang , Jin Boquan , Chen Lihua 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
It has been found that CD226 plays an important role in regulating macrophage function, but its expression and function in macrophages during renal fibrogenesis have not been studied. Our data demonstrated that CD226 expression in macrophages was obviously upregulated in the unilateral ureteral obstruction model, while CD226 deficiency attenuated collagen deposition in renal interstitium along with fewer M1 within renal cortex and renal medulla and a lower level of proinflammatory factors compared to that of control littermates. Further studies demonstrated that Cd226−/− bone marrow–derived macrophages transferring could significantly reduce the tubular injury, collagen deposition, and proinflammatory cytokine secretion compared with that of Cd226+/+ bone marrow–derived macrophages transferring in the unilateral ureteral obstruction model. Mechanistic investigations revealed that CD226 promoted proinflammatory M1 macrophage accumulation in the kidney via suppressing KLF4 expression in macrophages. Therefore, our results uncovered a pathogenic role of CD226 during the development of chronic kidney disease by promoting monocyte infiltration from peripheral blood into the kidney and enhancing macrophage activation toward the inflammatory phenotype by suppressing KLF4 expression.
Growing the global cancer care system: success stories from around the world and lessons for the future
Authors: Dee Edward Christopher , Pramesh C S , Booth Christopher M , Rubagumya Fidel , Mutebi Miriam , Feliciano Erin Jay G , Eala Michelle Ann B , Cerri Giovanni G , Ginsburg Ophira , Gyawali Bishal , Moraes Fabio Ynoe 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Despite major biomedical advancements in various realms of oncology, the benefits of these developments are not equitably distributed, particularly in underresourced settings. Although much work has described the challenges and systemic barriers in global cancer control, in this article we focus on success stories. This article describes clinical care delivered at Rwanda’s Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence, the cancer research collaborations under India’s National Cancer Grid, and the efforts of Latin America’s Institute of Cancer of São Paulo in advancing cancer care and training. These examples highlight the potential of strategic collaborations and resource allocation strategies in improving cancer care globally. We emphasize the critical role of partnerships between physicians and allied health professionals, funders, and policy makers in enhancing access to treatment and infrastructure, advancing contextualized research and national guidelines, and establishing regional and global collaborations. We also draw attention to challenges faced in diverse global settings and outline benchmarks to measure success in the fight against cancer.
Phenotypic plasticity variations in Phragmites australis under different plant–plant interactions influenced by salinity
Authors: Song Huijia , Guo Xiao , Yang Jingcheng , Liu Lele , Li Mingyan , Wang Jingfeng , Guo Weihua 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Coastal wetland ecosystems are increasingly threatened by escalating salinity levels, subjecting plants to salinity stress coupled with interactions in the community. Abiotic factors can disrupt the balance between competition and facilitation among plant species. Investigating the effects of different neighboring species and trait plasticity could extend the stress gradient hypothesis and enhance understanding of vegetation distribution and diversity in salt marshes. We conducted a greenhouse experiment and investigated the plastic response of wetland grass Phragmites australis to seven neighboring plants of three functional types (conspecifics, graminoids and forbs) under soil salinity (0 and 10 g/L). Plant height, base diameter, density, leaf thickness, specific leaf area and total and part biomasses were measured. Additionally, the relative interaction index (based on biomass) and the relative distance plasticity index (RDPI) were calculated. Salinity significantly reduced the biomass, height, density and diameter of P. australis. The functional types of neighboring plants also significantly affected these growth parameters. The influence of graminoids on P. australis was negative under 0 g/L, but this negative effect shifted to positive facilitation under 10 g/L. The facilitation effect of forbs was amplified under salinity, both supporting the stress gradient hypothesis. The growth traits of P. australis had a plastic response to salinity and competition, such as increasing belowground biomass to obtain more water and resources. The RDPI was higher under salt conditions than in competitive conditions. The plant–plant interaction response to stress varies with plant functional types and trait plasticity.
Cecal volvulus as a rare complication of internal hernia after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: a case report and literature review
Authors: Heck Marvin , Kensing Benjamin C , Ismael Hishaam N 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
This case report describes a rare instance of cecal volvulus resulting from an internal hernia through Petersen’s space, occurring 20 years after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, marking it as the second such case in English literature. An 81-year-old female presented with symptoms of bowel obstruction, and imaging findings concerning for cecal volvulus. Emergency surgery revealed necrotic bowel due to an internal hernia, necessitating a right hemicolectomy, with subsequent successful anastomosis and hernia defect closure. The incidence of internal hernias post-gastric bypass is notable, emphasizing the critical need for surgical vigilance. This case underscores the importance of considering internal hernias in differential diagnoses for bowel obstruction in post-bariatric surgery patients, highlighting the life-saving role of prompt surgical intervention in the management of cecal volvulus complications.
Sigmoid stenosis caused by diverticulosis mimicking advanced colorectal cancer
Authors: Shumarova Svetlana , Koichev Anton , Sokolov Manol 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Stenosis is a rare complication of acute diverticulitis, difficult to differentiate from colon cancer. We present a 63-year-old woman with right lumbar pain radiating to the back. A sigmoid stenosis was detected by magnetic resonance imaging. Three biopsies were performed, all of which were negative for malignancy. From CT images with data of circumferentially thickened intestinal wall along 6 cm, stenosing the lumen enlarged regional lymph nodes. A sigmoid resection was performed and the results of histological examination showed complicated diverticulitis of the large intestine with exacerbation, abscending and spread of the inflammatory process with involvement of the pericolic tissues. Given the high risk of developing a malignant process in patients with acute diverticulitis and the slightest doubt should be followed by surgical treatment.