bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Involuntary and patient-initiated delays in medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Bronchetti Erin T , Magenheim Ellen B , Bergmann Ethan K 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
This paper uses data from a new, nationally representative survey to study delays in non–COVID-related medical care among US adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. We expand on prior research by taking a comprehensive look at the many reasons patients may have experienced delays in medical care and by studying the longer-run implications of these delays for patients’ self-reported health, use of telemedicine, feelings of regret, and likelihood of delaying care again in the future. Classifying delays in care broadly as involuntary (those due to availability or “supply-side” constraints) or patient-initiated (those due to patient concerns or “demand-side” constraints), we document important differences across demographic groups in the propensity to delay care for these reasons. In contrast to most prior work on this topic, our analyses can disentangle differences in the likelihood of delaying care from differences in pre-pandemic care-seeking behavior. We also demonstrate that the types of medical care that were delayed during the pandemic differed based on whether the delay was involuntary or patient-initiated, as did the duration of the delays and their associations with self-reported health, telemedicine use, and feelings of regret.
COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy: ambiguity in decision-making
Authors: Jones Emma , Neely Eva 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, pregnant women/people were identified as an at-risk group of severe COVID-19 disease. Consequently, vaccine uptake among this group became a public health priority. However, the relationship between pregnancy and vaccination decision-making is complex, and the heightened uncertainty and anxiety produced through the pandemic further exacerbated this immunization decision. This study explores COVID-19 vaccination decision-making during pregnancy in Aotearoa New Zealand by using an online story completion survey tool. Ninety-five responses were received and analysed using thematic analysis where ambiguity was a core facet within and across stories. Three ambiguities were identified, including who makes the decision (agential), what the risks are (risk) and how immunity to this threat can be best achieved (immunity). We discuss the implications of this ambiguity and how the strong desire to protect the baby persisted across accounts. The recognition of the rather persistent ambiguity in vaccination decision-making helps conceptualize influencing factors taken into account in a more nuanced manner for further research, public health campaigns and health professionals. Future public health campaigns can consider redistributing responsibility for vaccination decision-making in pregnancy, traverse an either/or perspective of ‘natural’ and ‘artificial’ immunity-boosting and consider how risk is perceived through anecdotes and viral immediacy.
Whole genome sequencing of 4,787 individuals identifies gene-based rare variants in age-related macular degeneration
Authors: Kwong Alan , Zawistowski Matthew , Fritsche Lars G , Zhan Xiaowei , Bragg-Gresham Jennifer , Branham Kari E , Advani Jayshree , Othman Mohammad , Ratnapriya Rinki , Teslovich Tanya M , Stambolian Dwight , Chew Emily Y , Abecasis Gonçalo R , Swaroop Anand 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Genome-wide association studies have contributed extensively to the discovery of disease-associated common variants. However, the genetic contribution to complex traits is still largely difficult to interpret. We report a genome-wide association study of 2394 cases and 2393 controls for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) via whole-genome sequencing, with 46.9 million genetic variants. Our study reveals significant single-variant association signals at four loci and independent gene-based signals in CFH, C2, C3, and NRTN. Using data from the Exome Aggregation Consortium (ExAC) for a gene-based test, we demonstrate an enrichment of predicted rare loss-of-function variants in CFH, CFI, and an as-yet unreported gene in AMD, ORMDL2. Our method of using a large variant list without individual-level genotypes as an external reference provides a flexible and convenient approach to leverage the publicly available variant datasets to augment the search for rare variant associations, which can explain additional disease risk in AMD.
An Insight into Patients’ Perspectives of Ulcerative Colitis Flares via Analysis of Online Public Forum Posts
Authors: Rubin David T , Torres Joana , Dotan Iris , Xu Lan Terry , Modesto Irene , Woolcott John C , Gardiner Sean , Sands Bruce E 
Published: November 2023

Abstract

Background
The knowledge of patients’ perceptions of factors contributing to ulcerative colitis (UC) flares is limited; however, online patient communications could offer insight. This analysis aimed to identify the most frequent patient-reported triggers and symptoms of UC flares, which could highlight potential interventions for outcome improvement.

Methods
Online posts written pre- and postflare by patients with UC on 8 public forums in 6 countries between January 1, 2019, and February 14, 2021, were identified using flare-related keywords. Flare-related posts were captured and Netbase Quid™ artificial intelligence text analytics and natural language processing software were used to semantically map and identify commonly discussed themes and topics (subsets of themes).

Results
Of &gt;27 000 patient posts, 12 900 were identified as flare related. The most frequent themes were treatment experiences and side effects (28.5% of posts), followed by flare symptoms (22.9% of posts). The most frequent topic was emotional/peer support (9.4% of posts), followed by experiences with mesalamine (and other oral/rectal formulations; 8.0% of posts), and dietary recommendations (6.0% of posts). Stress and anxiety were the most frequently reported flare triggers (37.9% of posts), followed by diet (28.4% of posts). Stress and anxiety were frequently identified as both triggers for, and general symptoms of, flare. Blood in the stool was the most discussed flare indicator (57.8% of posts).

Conclusions
Frequently discussed patient-perceived triggers of UC flares included diet, stress, and anxiety. These results suggest that physicians could incorporate a broader and more holistic approach to UC monitoring and management than is currently practiced.
Treating Autoimmune Diseases With LANCL2 Therapeutics: A Novel Immunoregulatory Mechanism for Patients With Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease
Authors: Tubau-Juni Nuria , Hontecillas Raquel , Leber Andrew J , Alva Sameeksha S , Bassaganya-Riera Josep 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Lanthionine synthetase C-like 2 (LANCL2) therapeutics have gained increasing recognition as a novel treatment modality for a wide range of autoimmune diseases. Genetic ablation of LANCL2 in mice results in severe inflammatory phenotypes in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and lupus. Pharmacological activation of LANCL2 provides therapeutic efficacy in mouse models of intestinal inflammation, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and psoriasis. Mechanistically, LANCL2 activation enhances regulatory CD4 + T cell (Treg) responses and downregulates effector responses in the gut. The stability and suppressive capacities of Treg cells are enhanced by LANCL2 activation through engagement of immunoregulatory mechanisms that favor mitochondrial metabolism and amplify IL-2/CD25 signaling. Omilancor, the most advanced LANCL2 immunoregulatory therapeutic in late-stage clinical development, is a phase 3 ready, first-in-class, gut-restricted, oral, once-daily, small-molecule therapeutic in clinical development for the treatment of UC and CD. In this review, we discuss this novel mechanism of mucosal immunoregulation and how LANCL2-targeting therapeutics could help address the unmet clinical needs of patients with autoimmune diseases, starting with IBD.
Annotating otoliths with a deep generative model
Authors: Bojesen Troels Arnfred , Denechaud Côme , Malde Ketil 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Otoliths are a central information source for fish ecology and stock management, conveying important data about age and other life history for individual fish. Traditionally, interpretation of otoliths has required skilled expert readers, but recently deep learning classification and regression models have been trained to extract fish age from images of otoliths from a variety of species. Despite high accuracy in many cases, the adoption of such models in fisheries management has been slow. One reason may be that the underlying mechanisms the model uses to derive its results from the data are opaque, and this lack of legibility makes it challenging to build sufficient trust in the results. Here, we implement a deep learning model that instead of age predicts the location of annotation marks for each of the annuli. This allows an expert to evaluate the model’s performance in detail. The quality of the annotations was judged by a panel of four expert otolith readers in a double-blinded randomized survey. Using a scale from 1 to 5, the generated marks received an average quality score of 4.22, whereas expert annotations received an average score of 4.33. By counting the marks to determine fish age, we obtained an agreement between expert and model annotations of 64% on our test set, which running the model stochastically increased to 69%. Stochastic sampling yields further benefits, including an explicit measure of the model’s uncertainty, the post hoc likelihood of the different age classes for each otolith, and a set of alternative annotation sequences that highlight the structure of the annuli.
The Transnational Social Contract in the Global South
Authors: Sadiq Kamal , Tsourapas Gerasimos 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
How does labor emigration affect state–society relations across postcolonial states? We argue that the opportunity to pursue employment abroad alters a fundamental component of postcolonial states—the post-independence social contract. Such states’ inability to sustain post-independence levels of welfare provision first leads to the development of “emigration management institutions,” which seek to encourage and regulate citizens’ labor emigration, and second, to the widening of the “remittance-welfare gap,” where labor emigration and remittances outpace state-sponsored welfare provision. These mark the emergence of a “transnational social contract,” as states leverage access to employment abroad in exchange for social and political acquiescence. This de-territorialization of the postcolonial social contract leads to de jure and de facto forms of state coercion toward its citizens/migrants, who are commodified by the market-based logic of transnational neo-patrimonialism. We test this argument through a paired comparison and within-case analysis across two postcolonial states in South Asia and the Middle East: Nepal and Jordan. We offer an interregional, South–South migration analysis and a novel framework of understanding the politics of mobility across non-Western states as “migration from below,” which acts as a corrective to the dominance of South–North migration research in international studies.
Evaluation of biochemical assays and optimization of LC–MS-MS analysis for the detection of synthetic urine
Authors: Franke Laura , Fuczik Christian , Hubig Michael , Peters Frank T , Wissenbach Dirk K 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Ensuring specimen validity is an essential aspect of toxicological laboratories. In recent years, substituting authentic urine specimens for synthetic urine (SU) has become increasingly popular. Such SU products consist of components expected in normal urine and show physiological values for specific gravity and pH. Thus, standard specimen validity testing may fail in revealing adulteration by SU. The present study investigated three methods to distinguish authentic and SU specimens: enzymatic detection of uric acid, the commercially available Axiom Test True SU and liquid chromatography coupled with (tandem) mass spectrometry (LC–MS-MS) analysis of 10 endogenous biomolecules. Additionally, novel direct markers of SU were investigated. Two specimen sets were analyzed by each method. Specimen set A consisted of eight SU products purchased from the Austrian/German market and 43 urine specimens from volunteers of known authenticity, which underwent double-blind analysis. Specimen set B consisted of 137 real urine specimens submitted for drug testing, which were selected due to initial suspicious test results in adulteration testing and reanalyzed by all three methods. Uric acid and LC–MS-MS-based endogenous biomolecule testing showed 100% sensitivity and specificity for set A. The commercial test had 87.5% sensitivity and 97.7% specificity for set A. For set B, uric acid and LC–MS-MS analysis showed almost similar results, even if uric acid was missing one presumptive authentic urine specimen according to LC–MS-MS findings. Nearly half of the SU assignments for the commercial test were presumptive false positives. New SU markers were observed for SU products from the Austrian/German market. One specimen in set B had both an endogenous biomolecule pattern and SU markers suggesting urine dilution with SU. In conclusion, several analytes or methods should be used rather than one, and the most reliable results are achieved if both indirect and direct markers of urine substitution are analyzed.
Using National Agricultural Statistics Service pest management practices survey to assess IPM adoption in California
Authors: Farrar James J 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Data from the pest management practices survey conducted annually by the National Agriculture Statistics Service were used to estimate the adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) in California. Surveys indicate 75% or greater use rates by acreage of 11 pest management practices in vegetable crop production in 2022 and 7 pest management practices in fruit and nut crop production in 2021. Agronomic crops have fewer pest management practices used on 75% or more of the acreage, with 4 in cotton in 2019, 6 in rice in 2021, 4 in wheat in 2022, and none in barley in 2019. Scouting for diseases, insects and mites, and weeds is the most widely used pest management practice in all the crops. Differences between use rates measured by acreage and use rates measured by farming operations suggest that large and small operations use different pest management practices. Trends indicate flat to increasing use of many pest management practices in general but decreasing use of some pest management practices in small grain crops. Changes in pest management practices and use rates are influenced by many factors, including University of California IPM efforts, changes in pesticide regulations, changes in crop production practices, and consumer pressures. The information from these surveys will support the development of Extension IPM outreach materials by the University of California Statewide IPM Program.
The ubiquity of long-tail lie distributions: seven studies from five continents
Authors: Serota Kim B , Levine Timothy R , Zvi Liza , Markowitz David M , Docan-Morgan Tony 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Truth-default theory (TDT), a theory of human deception and deception detection, has two propositions that focus on the overall rate of lying and individual variation in the frequency of lying behavior. The distribution of lie prevalence is specified to exhibit a non-normal, positively skewed distribution in which the majority of people are normatively honest, and most lies are told by a few prolific liars. Together, these predictions form the few prolific liars modules in TDT. Although the findings of prior research align with TDT predictions, the pan-cultural scope of TDT warrants testing such predictions with new and diverse samples. The current studies (total N = 3,463) sampled participants from China, Germany, Mexico, Israel, Kenya, Russia, and Brazil. Similar long-tail distributions were observed in each of the seven locations, and in language and cultural subsamples. These findings add to a growing empirical literature providing pan-cultural evidence consistent with TDT.
Pharmaceutical co-crystals: A green way to enhance drug stability and solubility for improved therapeutic efficacy
Authors: Chettri Anisha , Subba Ankita , Singh Govind P , Bag Partha Pratim 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Pharmaceutical co-crystals have gained significant attention in recent years as a promising green and sustainable method for poorly soluble drugs to improve their solubility, stability, and bioavailability. In the drug development research field, it is an extremely useful technique as it does not require a large number of synthetic steps as well a minimum amount of solvent is utilized or sometimes without solvent. This review presents a comprehensive investigation into the design, synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of pharmaceutical co-crystals. The study focuses on exploring different strategies for co-crystal formation, including co-grinding, solvent evaporation, and liquid-assisted grinding. Various characterization techniques such as SCXRD, PXRD, FTIR, and DSC were employed to confirm the formation and structural features of the co-crystals. The article also highlights the significance of understanding the intermolecular interactions within co-crystals and their influence on physicochemical properties. Furthermore, the article discusses the potential applications of pharmaceutical co-crystals in enhancing drug solubility, dissolution rate, and oral bioavailability, leading to improved therapeutic efficacy. Overall, this review provides valuable insights into the design and development of pharmaceutical co-crystals, offering a promising avenue for overcoming the difficulties brought on by poorly soluble drugs.
Where the bee sucks: a dynamic Bayesian network approach to decision support for pollinator abundance strategies
Authors: Barons Martine J , Shenvi Aditi 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
For policymakers wishing to make evidence-based decisions, one of the challenges is how to combine the relevant information and evidence in a coherent and defensible manner in order to formulate and evaluate candidate policies. Policymakers often need to rely on experts with disparate fields of expertise when making policy choices in complex, multi-faceted, dynamic environments such as those dealing with ecosystem services. The pressures affecting the survival and pollination capabilities of honey bees (Apis mellifera), wild bees, and other pollinators is well documented, but incomplete. In order to estimate the potential effectiveness of various candidate policies to support pollination services, there is an urgent need to quantify the effect of various combinations of variables on the pollination ecosystem service, utilising available information, models and expert judgement. In this paper, we present a new application of the integrating decision support system methodology, using dynamic Bayesian networks, for combining inputs from multiple panels of experts to evaluate policies to support an abundant pollinator population.
Late diagnosis of a giant, pedunculated, cutaneous melanoma: a rare case study in an Australian tertiary centre
Authors: Ganko Annabelle G , Copertino Nicolas 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Giant melanomas are uncommon tumours that still occur in Australia despite extensive public health messaging on the importance of early detection of skin cancers. We present the case of a 49-year-old female with a giant melanoma of her left arm measuring 101 × 71 × 22 mm, which had been growing for over 1 year and was metastatic on presentation. In this interesting case, we identify reasons for delayed presentation and highlight the importance of multi-disciplinary care in the management of such large tumours, with reference to other cases in the literature.
Coccidioidesspp. exposure among military working dogs in endemic regions of the United States
Authors: Rozier Lege S , Mullaney Sara B , Thompson III George R , Moore Gerald D , Ajufoh Chiweta O , Gerardo Angelina A , Sykes Jane E 
Published: November 2023

AbstractCoccidioidomycosis is a fungal disease in arid regions of the United States that is predicted to expand with climate change. Cases in military personnel and military working dogs (MWDs) impact personnel readiness and result in healthcare costs. To examine Coccidioides exposure among MWDs, 276 banked serum samples were retrieved from dogs housed in California, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah. Using gel immunodiffusion, six (2.1%) specimens were IgG-positive and three (1.1%) were equivocally IgM-positive. The IgG-positive samples were from Arizona (2 [prevalence 8.0%]) and California (4 [3.7%]). These data will guide future efforts to study MWDs as sentinels for human coccidioidomycosis.
Relativistic X-ray reflection and highly ionized absorption in the spectrum of NS LMXB 1A 1744−361
Authors: Mondal Aditya S , Raychaudhuri B , Dewangan G C 
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACT
We present the results from the spectral and timing analysis of the accreting neutron star (NS) 1A 1744−361 from the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope ARray observation performed in its 2022 outbursts. The unabsorbed bolometric X-ray luminosity during this observation in the energy band 0.1–100 keV is 3.9 × 1037 erg s−1, assuming a distance of 9 kpc. During this observation, the source was in the banana branch of the atoll track. The source spectrum exhibits relativistic disc reflection and clear absorption features when an absorbed blackbody and cut-off power-law model describes the continuum emission. The 3–50 keV source spectrum is well fitted using a model combination consisting of an absorbed single-temperature blackbody and a reflection model along with the addition of a warm absorber component. The inner-disc radius, Rin, obtained from the reflection fit is ∼(1.61–2.86)RISCO = (8.4–14.9)Rg (17.6–31.2 km for a 1.4 M⊙ NS). This measurement allowed us to further constrain the magnetic field strength to B ≲ 0.94 × 109 G. The strong absorption features ∼6.91 keV and ∼7.99 keV imply the presence of highly ionized absorbing material with a column density NH of ∼3 × 1022 cm−2, emanating from the accretion disc in the form of disc wind with an outflow velocity of vout ≃ 0.021c ≃ 6300 km s−1.