bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
MCCGAN: An All-In-One Image Restoration Under Adverse Conditions Using Multidomain Contextual Conditional Gan
Authors: Siddiqua Maria , Akhter Naeem , Zameer Aneela , Khurshid Javaid 
Published: January 2024

Clear images are crucial for the optimal performance of various high-level vision-based tasks. However, some inevitable causes, such as bad weather and underwater conditions degrade scene visibility. The tiny particles present in the air absorb and scatter light, causing severe attenuation that results in unclear, low-brightness, and poor-contrast images. Several techniques have been introduced to restore the degradation. However, no model exists to date that can restore multiple degradations using a single model. Therefore, to improve the scene visibility, a unified model called a Multidomain Contextual Conditional Generative Adversarial Network (MCCGAN) is designed, which uses the same parameters across the domains to restore multiple degradations such as fog, haze, rain streaks, snowflakes, smoke, shadows, underwater, and muddy underwater. The proposed model has a novel addition of multiple [Formula: see text] convolutional context encoding bottleneck layers between a simple lightweight eight-block encoder and decoder with skip connections which learns the context of each input domain thoroughly, thus generating better-restored images. The MCCGAN is qualitatively and quantitatively compared to various state-of-the-art image-to-image translation models and tested on a few real unseen image domains such as smog, dust, and lightning, and the obtained results successfully improved scene visibility, proving the generalizability of MCCGAN. Moreover, the MS-COCO 2017 validation dataset is used for comparing the performance of object detection, instance segmentation, and image captioning on (1) weather-degraded images, (2) restored images by MCCGAN, and (3) ground truth images, and the results demonstrated the success of our model. An ablation study is also carried out to check the significance of the discriminator, skip connections, and bottleneck layers in MCCGAN, and the analysis suggests that MCCGAN performs better by adding a discriminator, skip connections, and four bottleneck layers in the generator architecture.
FPFT-2216, a Novel Anti-lymphoma Compound, Induces Simultaneous Degradation of IKZF1/3 and CK1α to Activate p53 and Inhibit NFκB Signaling
Authors: Kanaoka Daiki , Yamada Mitsuo , Yokoyama Hironori , Nishino Satoko , Kunimura Naoshi , Satoyoshi Hiroshi , Wakabayashi Shota , Urabe Kazunori , Ishii Takafumi , Nakanishi Masato 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

Reducing casein kinase 1α (CK1α) expression inhibits the growth of multiple cancer cell lines, making it a potential therapeutic target for cancer. Herein, we evaluated the antitumor activity of FPFT-2216—a novel low molecular weight compound—in lymphoid tumors and elucidated its molecular mechanism of action. In addition, we determined whether targeting CK1α with FPFT-2216 is useful for treating hematopoietic malignancies. FPFT-2216 strongly degraded CK1α and IKAROS family zinc finger 1/3 (IKZF1/3) via proteasomal degradation. FPFT-2216 exhibited stronger inhibitory effects on human lymphoma cell proliferation than known thalidomide derivatives and induced upregulation of p53 and its transcriptional targets, namely, p21 and MDM2. Combining FPFT-2216 with an MDM2 inhibitor exhibited synergistic antiproliferative activity and induced rapid tumor regression in immunodeficient mice subcutaneously transplanted with a human lymphoma cell line. Nearly all tumors in mice disappeared after 10 days; this was continuously observed in 5 of 7 mice up to 24 days after the final FPFT-2216 administration. FPFT-2216 also enhanced the antitumor activity of rituximab and showed antitumor activity in a patient-derived diffuse large B-cell lymphoma xenograft model. Furthermore, FPFT-2216 decreased the activity of the CARD11/BCL10/MALT1 (CBM) complex and inhibited IκBα and NFκB phosphorylation. These effects were mediated through CK1α degradation and were stronger than those of known IKZF1/3 degraders. In conclusion, FPFT-2216 inhibits tumor growth by activating the p53 signaling pathway and inhibiting the CBM complex/NFκB pathway via CK1α degradation. Therefore, FPFT-2216 may represent an effective therapeutic agent for hematopoietic malignancies, such as lymphoma.

Significance:
We found potential vulnerability to CK1α degradation in certain lymphoma cells refractory to IKZF1/3 degraders. Targeting CK1α with FPFT-2216 could inhibit the growth of these cells by activating p53 signaling. Our study demonstrates the potential therapeutic application of CK1α degraders, such as FPFT-2216, for treating lymphoma.
Prospective Multicenter International Registry of Ultrasound-Facilitated Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis in Intermediate-High and High-Risk Pulmonary Embolism (KNOCOUT PE)
Authors: Sterling Keith M. , Goldhaber Samuel Z. , Sharp Andrew S.P. , Kucher Nils , Jones Noah , Maholic Robert , Meneveau Nicolas , Zlotnick David , Sayfo Sameh , Konstantinides Stavros V. , Piazza Gregory 
Published: January 2024

BACKGROUND:
Prior clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of ultrasound-facilitated catheter-directed thrombolysis (USCDT) for the treatment of acute intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) using reduced thrombolytic doses and shorter infusion durations. However, utilization and safety of such strategies in broader PE populations remain unclear. The KNOCOUT PE (The EKoSoNic Registry of the Treatment and Clinical Outcomes of Patients With Pulmonary Embolism) registry is a multicenter international registry designed to study the treatment of acute PE with USCDT, with focus on safety outcomes.

METHODS:
The KNOCOUT PE prospective cohort included 489 patients (64 sites internationally) with acute intermediate-high or high-risk PE treated with USCDT between March 2018 and June 2020. Principal safety outcomes were independently adjudicated International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis major bleeding at 72 hours post-treatment and mortality within 12 months of treatment. Additional outcomes included change in right ventricular/left ventricular ratio and quality of life measures over 12 months.

RESULTS:
Mean alteplase (r-tPA [recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator]) infusion duration was 10.5 hours. Mean total r-tPA dose was 18.1 mg, with 31.0% of patients receiving ≤12 mg. Major bleeding events within 72 hours occurred in 1.6% (8/489) of patients. One patient experienced worsening of a preexisting subdural hematoma after USCDT and therapeutic anticoagulation, which ultimately required surgery. All-cause mortality at 30 days was 1.0% (5/489). Improvement in PE quality of life score was observed with a 41.1% (243/489, 49.7%) and 44.2% (153/489, 31.3%) mean relative reduction by 3 and 12 months, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS:
In a prospective observational cohort study of patients with intermediate-high and high-risk PE undergoing USCDT, mean r-tPA dose was 18 mg, and the rates of major bleeding and mortality were low.

REGISTRATION:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT03426124.
The Effect of Students with Special Needs on Their Peers’ Cognitive Outcomes: Results from Student-level Population Data in the Netherlands
Authors: de Croes Laurens , Cornelisz Ilja , van Klaveren Chris , Ruijs Nienke 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
This paper presents evidence that students with special needs (SN) have no impact on the academic achievement of their peers in primary and secondary schools in the Netherlands. Administrative data are used on all Dutch students who are in their final grade of primary and secondary education in the years 2015–18 and student and school fixed effect models are estimated to find this null finding. To establish if the results truly represent a null finding a conceptual framework for learning from null results is applied. These results support that the inclusion on students without SN has no impact: Point estimates are precise and coefficients are generally insignificant and inconsistent in sign. Our results nuance recent empirical findings, and provide further evidence that, depending on the educational context, inclusive education can be implemented without harming the academic achievement of students without special needs.
The Advanced Placement Program and Educational Inequality
Authors: Owen Stephanie 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
The Advanced Placement (AP) program is widely offered in American high schools and has been touted as a way to close racial and socioeconomic gaps in educational outcomes. Using administrative data from Michigan, I exploit variation within high schools across time in AP course offerings to identify the relationship between AP course availability, AP participation, and postsecondary outcomes. I find that students from non economically disadvantaged families, White and Asian students, and higher-achieving students are more likely to take advantage of additional AP courses when they are offered, thus widening existing gaps in course-taking. I find little evidence that additional AP availability is related to improved college outcomes for any students, with the exception of the most academically prepared students. Expanding access to AP courses without additional incentives or support for disadvantaged students to succeed is unlikely to address educational inequality.
Outsourcing in the Public Sector and Its Negative Effects on Service Delivery in Zambia
Authors: Wamunyima Nayunda A. , Madimutsa Clever , Shikabi Penzi , Hang’andu Michelo , Nyirenda Tambulani C. 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
The 21st century has seen the public sector in Africa adopting the strategy of outsourcing so that public resources can be distributed using market mechanisms. However, the involvement of the private sector in the delivery of public goods and services has been associated with poor performance. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the nature of outsourcing in the public sector, and its negative effects on service delivery in Zambia. In Zambia, outsourcing of public goods and services has mainly assumed four forms: 1) joint venture, 2) supply, 3) build-operate-transfer, and 4) management contracts. The paper argues that, the outsourcing of public goods and services in Zambia has resulted in overpriced goods and services, non-delivery of paid for goods and services, delays in the delivery of goods and services, delivery of substandard goods and services, and manipulation of procedures. The paper asserts that, these negative effects are as a result of the desire by non-state actors (mainly private companies), engaged by the Zambian government to deliver public goods and services, to maximise their profits. Consequently, outsourcing of public goods and services in Zambia does not benefit the public and government.
Immunoglobulin A Vasculitis With Intussusception in Children
Authors: Liu Chang , Du Li-Na , Zhao Qian , Wang Xin-Tai , Feng Kai , Yang Yang , Yang Yan 
Published: January 2024

Background Immunoglobulin A (IgA) vasculitis with intussusception is acute and severe vasculitis combined with acute abdomen in children. The diagnosis of the disease depends on the results of imaging examinations, and its treatment mainly includes enema and surgery. The literature summarized the detailed diagnosis and treatment data in previous literature reports. Methods We described the clinical manifestations, ultrasonic features, and treatment of patients admitted to a single center and reviewed previous literature regarding cases with detailed clinical data in the PubMed database within the past 20 years. Results The review included 36 patients, including 22 boys and 14 girls. A total of 32 patients were diagnosed using ultrasound (88.9%). The main sites of intussusception were the ileum and ileocolon in 16 (44.4%) and 11 (30.6%) cases, respectively. Thirteen patients (36.1%) were treated with enema, with 6 responding to the treatment. 26 patients (72.2%) underwent surgical treatment. Patients with ileal intussusception were more likely to be treated with surgery than those with colonic intussusception ( P < .05). The single-center clinical data of 23 patients showed that there was no significant difference in laboratory test findings between patients with and without surgical treatment ( P > .05). Patients with long insertion lengths were more likely to require surgery and resection ( P < .05). Conclusions Ultrasonography is the first-line investigation for diagnosis. The main sites of intussusception were ileum and ileocolon. The length of intubation was related to surgery; treatment is according to the intussusception site. Air enema is not suitable for intussusception of the small intestine.
Pan-cancer analysis revealing the multidimensional expression and prognostic and immunologic roles of TGFB1 in cancer
Authors: Chen Zhitao , Ding Chenchen , Chen Jun , Zheng Shusen , Li Qiyong 
Published: January 2024

Objective This study aimed to perform an integrated pan-cancer analysis to characterize the expression patterns, prognostic value, genetic alterations, and immunologic roles of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFB1) across diverse human cancer types. Methods Bioinformatics analyses were conducted using multiple public databases including The Cancer Genome Atlas, Genotype-Tissue Expression, Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium, TIMER2, GEPIA2, cBioPortal, StringDB, and others. Differential expression, survival, immune correlation, and protein interaction network analyses were performed. Results TGFB1 was overexpressed in several tumor types compared with that in normal tissues. High TGFB1 expression was associated with an advanced stage and poorer prognosis in certain cancers. TGFB1 mutations occurred in 1.3% of 10,967 cases surveyed. TGFB1 expression correlated with tumor-infiltrating immune cells and immunotherapy-related genes. Conclusions This comprehensive multi-omics analysis revealed the complex expression and prognostic landscape of TGFB1 across cancers. TGFB1 is emerging as a potential immunotherapeutic target in certain contexts. Further research should elucidate its multifaceted tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressive mechanisms. Our pan-cancer analysis provides new insights into TGFB1 as a prognostic biomarker and immunotherapeutic target in human cancers, and our findings may guide future preclinical and clinical investigations of TGFB1-directed therapies.
The Utah Pharmacy Summit: Collaborating to Optimize Patient Care
Authors: Schmutz Weston , Hejazi Andre , Brixner Diana , Arnwine Caitlin , Magness Jonathan 
Published: January 2024

Pharmacy has evolved significantly over the past 20 years, despite advances in pharmacotherapy and the expanding scope of pharmacy practice, pharmacists have struggled to collaborate across disciplines to create improved processes that enable the best outcomes from these innovations. A lack of innovation at any part of the healthcare system could inhibit the progress of practice innovations thereby leading to suboptimal patient medication and health outcomes. The Utah Pharmacy Summit was held in late 2022 with the goal of promoting pharmacist collaboration and a unified pharmacist voice within the state. The success of the Summit leads us to encourage collaborative forums across the Globe.
Influence of Medical Practitioners’ Attitude on the Prescription Behaviour for Generic Medicines
Authors: Madan Sunil , Juyal Som Aditya 
Published: January 2024

The study is an attempt to find out vital areas related to doctors’ attitude towards generic medicines limiting its mass use. Attitude of medical practitioners, one factor amongst several, was chosen to evaluate doctors’ behaviour towards generic medicines. Most of the countries in the world, rich or poor, are taking more interest in generic medicines due to rising healthcare costs. In India, out of pocket expenses towards healthcare costs are one of the highest in the world besides affordability issue due to its demographics. Generic medicines offer as an alternative to expensive medicines. Government is promoting use of generic medicines; doctors are being advised to write prescription in generic names; however, there are several challenges in its mass use. The study is of national importance as it addresses the issue of low generic prescriptions despite unaffordable access to expensive branded medicines. A questionnaire constructed descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in North India in 2020 amongst 228 medical practitioners at primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare centres. Spearman’s rank correlation computed to assess the association between attitude and prescription of generic medicines was found to be positively correlated between the two variables indicating a significant moderate association between them. Attitude of doctors towards generic medicines has been found to be playing a significant role in influencing doctors in prescribing generic medicines which explains limited use of generic drugs.
Crisis Faced by a B-School
Authors: Saldanha Avil Terrance , Aranha Rekha 
Published: January 2024

This article discusses the marketing missteps made by a prestigious B-school, exploring key concepts such as improper positioning and the imperative for repositioning. It provides an in-depth analysis of the decline in admissions at this well-established institution, culminating in a crisis. Additionally, the article explores a range of strategies available to the B-school’s founder and top management team to enhance the institution’s visibility and bolster its brand. Furthermore, it sheds light on the challenges the B-school faces, including inadequate infrastructure and other weaknesses, such as subpar research output, moderate placement offers and a low ranking in national B-school surveys. The case meticulously examines the errors made by the B-school’s leadership team, such as discontinuing advertising and the ill-advised decision to withdraw from B-school surveys. Ultimately, this article epitomizes the predicament faced by an institution that relied on its historical strengths and failed to adapt to the evolving demands of its environment. It concludes by presenting short-term and long-term strategies available to decision-makers for crisis mitigation. It highlights digital marketing as one of the short-term solutions earnestly considered by the B-school’s management to enhance brand awareness among its target audience.
Incidence and severity of hand-foot syndrome in cancer patients receiving infusional 5-fluorouracil or oral capecitabine-containing chemotherapy regimens
Authors: Abdul Kareem Sulaikha , Joseph Simi Grace , Wilson Aneena , Kareem Shahnaz Abdul , Kunjumon Vilapurathu Jobin 
Published: January 2024

Background Hand-foot syndrome is a common adverse effect of 5-fluorouracil infusion or oral capecitabine. Several types of research have shown that clinical presentations of hand-foot syndrome vary by ethnicity, so we tried to look at the incidence and severity of hand-foot syndrome in individuals receiving infusional 5-fluorouracil or oral capecitabine at a tertiary care hospital in central Kerala, India. Aim To determine the incidence and severity of hand-foot syndrome in cancer patients receiving infusional 5-fluorouracil or oral capecitabine chemotherapy regimen. Methodology A prospective cohort study was conducted at the oncology department of a tertiary care hospital in Kerala, India. Our study subjects were those who underwent chemotherapy with infusional 5-fluorouracil or oral capecitabine and later developed hand-foot syndrome. The patients who developed hand-foot syndrome after chemotherapy were assessed to determine the incidence of hand-foot syndrome. Also, the severity of hand-foot syndrome among cancer patients was estimated using CTCAE version 5.0. Results Out of 104 study participants, 76.90% ( N = 80) of the patients had hand-foot syndrome, whereas 23.07% ( N = 24) did not. The onset of hand-foot syndrome symptoms varied depending on the patient. Most patients (60%) displayed grade-one symptoms in their third cycle. The remaining patients showed grade-one symptoms in cycle one (3.75%), cycle two (17.5%), and cycle four (18.75%). The study also showed t no association between the incidence of hand-foot syndrome and the type of regimen. Conclusion The majority of the patients suffered from hand-foot syndrome. As well, most of the patients were afflicted by grade one hand-foot syndrome.
Transcriptome Analysis of Choroidal Endothelium Links Androgen Receptor Role to Central Serous Chorioretinopathy
Authors: Künzel Sandrine H , Pohlmann Dominika , Bonsen Lynn zur , Krappitz Matteus , Zeitz Oliver , Joussen Antonia M , Dubrac Alexandre , Künzel Steffen E 
Published: January 2024

Background Central Serous Chorioretinopathy (CSCR) manifests as fluid accumulation between the neurosensory retina and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Elevated levels of steroid hormones have been implicated in CSCR pathogenesis. This investigation aims to delineate the gene expression patterns of CSCR-associated risk and steroid receptors across human choroidal cell types and RPE cells to discern potential underlying mechanisms. Methods This study utilized a comprehensive query of transcriptomic data derived from non-pathological human choroid and RPE cells. Findings CSCR-associated genes such as PTPRB, CFH, and others are predominantly expressed in the choroidal endothelium as opposed to the RPE. The androgen receptor, encoded by the AR gene, demonstrates heightened expression in the macular endothelium compared to peripheral regions, unlike other steroid receptor genes. AR-expressing endothelial cells display an augmented responsiveness to Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), indicating a propensity towards endothelial to mesenchymal transition (endMT) transcriptional profiling. Interpretation These results highlight the proclivity of CSCR to manifest primarily within the choroidal vasculature rather than the RPE, suggesting its categorization as a vascular eye disorder. This study accentuates the pivotal role of androgenic steroids, in addition to glucocorticoids. The observed linkage to TGF-β-mediated endMT provides a potential mechanistic insight into the disease's etiology.
Aortic Origin of a Branch Pulmonary Artery: Early and Mid-Term Single Center Outcomes
Authors: Patel Herin , Malhotra Pulkit , Patel Kartik , Patel Mrinal , Gajjar Trushar , Mishra Amit , Sheth Megha 
Published: January 2024

Background Anomalous origin of pulmonary artery (AOPA) is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly. It requires early surgical intervention (<6 months) to prevent irreversible pulmonary vaso-occlusive disease. This study was conducted to determine the surgical outcomes of this rare and intriguing anomaly. Methods From January 2015 to 2022, we have studied, 20 patients who underwent surgical correction for this anomaly with a mean age of 6.25 ± 3.7 months. There were 12 patients of <6 months of age. Their preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative data were collected. They were followed up at every three months for the first year, every six months for two years, and then annually. Results Among three early mortalities, two were operated before six months of age and one was older than six months (ten months). Those patients presented after six months had longer ventilation time ( P = .001). There was no difference in their pulmonary artery pressure ( P = .06), right ventricle systolic pressure (RVSP) ( P = .85), postoperative saturation ( P = .51), inotropic score ( P = .06), hospital and intensive care unit stay ( P > .05), or mortality ( P = .79). There was no late mortality at mean follow-up of 51.31 ± 20.27 months with Kaplan-Meier survival of 85% at 1, 5, and ten years. All patients were asymptomatic, with normal biventricular function and RVSP. One patient required balloon dilatation of the anastomotic site, with Kaplan-Meier event-free survival of 100% at one year, 92% at five and ten years. Conclusion Surgical correction of AOPA in patients beyond six months is still feasible with a higher early morbidity and comparable mortality with good clinical and echocardiographical outcomes at mid-term follow-up.