bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Immune functions of C‐type lectins in medical arthropods
Authors: Ming Zhihao , Chen Zhiqiang , Tong Hao , Zhou Xia , Feng Tingting , Dai Jianfeng 
Published: January 2023

AbstractC‐type lectins (CTLs) are a family of proteins that contain 1 or more carbohydrate‐recognition domains (CRDs) and bind to a broad repertoire of ligands in the presence of calcium ions. CTLs play important roles in innate immune defenses against microorganisms by acting as pattern‐recognition receptors (PRRs) for invading pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites. After binding to pathogen‐associated ligands, CTLs mediate immune responses, such as agglutination, phagocytosis, and the activation of phenol oxidase progenitors, thereby clearing pathogens. CTLs are an evolutionarily conserved family found in almost all vertebrates and invertebrates. Medical arthropods can acquire and transmit a range pathogens through various approaches, such as bloodsucking, lancing, and parasitism, thus infecting humans and animals with related diseases, some of which can be life‐threatening. Recent studies have shown that lectins are important components of the arthropod immune system and are essential for the immune responses of arthropods to arthropod‐borne pathogens. This article reviews the current understanding of the structure, function, and signaling pathways involved in CTLs derived from important medical arthropods.
Community care emergency room use and specialty care leakage from Veterans Health Administration hospitals
Authors: Palani Sivagaminathan , Garrido Melissa M. , Tenso Kertu , Pizer Steven D. 
Published: January 2023

AbstractBackgroundCare leakage from health systems can affect quality and cost of health care delivery. Identifying modifiable predictors of care leakage may help health systems avoid adverse consequences. Out‐of‐system emergency department (ED) use may be one modifiable cause of care leakage. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between out‐of‐system ED use and subsequent specialty care leakage.MethodsWe used the Veterans Health Administration's (VA) Corporate Data Warehouse data from January 2021 to July 2021. A total of 330,547 patients who had at least one ED visit (in‐house or community care [CC]) in the index period (January 2021–March 2021) were included. Outcomes were the proportions of specialty care visits in the community within 30, 60, 90, and 120 days from the index ED visit. Instrumental‐variables regressions, using VA ED physician capacity as an instrument for Veterans' CC ED use, were utilized to estimate the proportions of subsequent specialty care visits in the community. Estimates were adjusted for patient and facility characteristics.ResultsA CC ED visit was associated with increases in the proportions of specialty care visits in the community within 30, 60, 90, and 120 days from index visit. Within 30 days from index visit, CC ED patients were estimated to have a 45‐percentage‐point (pp; 95% confidence interval [CI], 43–47 pp) higher proportion of CC specialty care visits than patients with an in‐house ED visit (p < 0.001). We observed similar, though slightly attenuated, results over long time periods since the index visit.ConclusionsVeterans who have a CC ED visit have a greater proportion of subsequent specialty care visits in CC hospitals and clinics than Veterans with a VA ED visit. This relationship persists when we examine Veterans whose decision to go to a CC ED is influenced by VA ED physician capacity rather than general preferences for CC.
Corporate codes of ethics and cash holdings: International evidence
Authors: Gotti Giorgio , Kang Tony , Wolfe Michael C. , Yoo Yong Keun 
Published: January 2023

AbstractIn the presence of agency costs, managers retain cash for their own benefit at the expense of shareholder wealth. Extending prior literature on the role of corporate governance in mitigating the effects of agency conflicts on corporate cash holdings, we study a governance mechanism that has largely been overlooked, namely, corporate codes of ethics. We find a negative association between code of ethics quality and cash holdings, which suggests that managers hold less cash when the firm has a strong code of ethics in place. The effect is greater when agency costs are elevated due to weaker country‐level investor protections. We also find that payouts and the marginal value of cash holdings to investors are increasing in code quality. Overall, our results are consistent with codes of ethics helping to limit opportunistic behaviour from managers when determining the firm's level of cash holdings.
Competition and the life table of cladocerans from a tropical shallow lake
Authors: Ferreira Tania Cristina dos Santos , Arcifa Marlene Sofia 
Published: January 2023

AbstractLaboratory experiments were carried out to investigate the influence of competition for food, with different combinations of species, using life table data. In Experiment 1, the cultivated chlorophycean Desmodesmus spinosus (Chodat) Hegewald, at a low concentration (0.25 mg C L−1), was used to feed the cladocerans Daphnia gessneri Herbst and Diaphanosoma birgei Kořínek; in Experiment 2, the same alga was used in an even lower concentration (0.15 mg C L−1) to feed three species, D. gessneri, D. birgei, and Ceriodaphnia richardi Sars, in pairs. Three treatments were set up in Experiment 1 (four replicates each): a. control with the species alone; and b. in shared cultures. For Experiment 2, six treatments were set up (three replicates each): a. control with the species alone; and b. pairs of species in shared cultures. Competition for the chlorophycean occurred in Experiment 1, when D. birgei significantly reduced the average life span of D. gessneri, and D. gessneri significantly reduced the gross and net reproductive rates of D. birgei, despite the greater efficiency in all parameters, of survival and reproduction, of the second species. D. birgei was the only species that reproduced under extreme food limitation; in Experiment 2, despite gross and net reproductive rates, generation time, population growth rate and reproductive effort negatively influenced by C. richardi and D. gessneri, in addition to the average life span, also affected by D. gessneri. D. birgei was competitively superior to the other two species being able to reproduce and grow at very low food concentrations.
Retrospective review of safety and efficacy of anlotinib in advanced osteosarcoma with metastases after failure of standard multimodal therapy
Authors: Li Hanqing , Li Yang , Song Lei , Ai Qiuchi , Zhang Shuai 
Published: January 2023

AbstractAimTo study the safety and efficacy of anlotinib, a multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in the treatment of advanced osteosarcoma (OSS) with metastases.MethodsWe retrospectively studied patients with advanced OSS and metastases who received anlotinib treatment in our hospital from June 2018 to April 2020. All patients had received standard multimodal therapies, before taking anlotinib. Therapeutic doses of anlotinib were 12 mg for adults and 10 mg for children and adolescents once a day for 2 consecutive weeks, followed by a week of withdrawal. This 3‐week cycle of treatment was continued until the tumor progressed rapidly or the patients failed to tolerate the side effects. Adverse drug reactions were recorded, and therapeutic efficacy was evaluated based on progression‐free survival (PFS), disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), and objective response rate (ORR).ResultsThe median PFS was 9.8 ± .9 months, and the 6‐ and 10‐month PFS rates were 73% and 33%, respectively. The median OS was 11.4 ± .6 months. No patients achieved complete response. After 6 months of treatment, the DCR and ORR were 80% and 13%, respectively. No drug‐related deaths or Grade 4 adverse events occurred in the patients. Five patients (33%) had Grade 3 adverse events. The most common drug‐related adverse events were hand‐food syndrome, fatigue, high blood pressure, anorexia, and pneumothorax.ConclusionsAnlotinib had a modest therapeutic effect in patients with advanced OSS after the failure of standard treatment. The adverse events were mostly tolerable or relieved after treatment.
Fremantle protocol: Multicenter clinical outcomes for a pragmatic protocol for intravesical bacillus Calmette–Guerin
Authors: Tan Kuok Liang , Viswambaram Pravin , McCombie Stephen , Moe Andrew , Goodwin Robert , Kuan Melvyn , Ha Tanya , Lozinskiy Mikhail , Dyer John , Hayne Dickon 
Published: January 2023

AbstractObjectivesTo examine the utility and efficacy of a multifaceted protocol for the administration of intravesical bacillus Calmette–Guerin (BCG) for non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).Subjects and methodsA multicenter retrospective review was conducted among 83 patients undergoing Fremantle protocol intravesical BCG for NMIBC within 4 major hospitals in Western Australia between January 2016 and December 2018. The Fremantle protocol consists of weekly BCG instillations for 6 weeks during the induction phase, followed by monthly BCG instillations for 10 months during the maintenance phase with integrated clearance‐to‐proceed algorithms for urine MSU checks, flexible cystoscopies performed at 3 monthly intervals during maintenance BCG, and repeat GA cystoscopies with four quadrant bladder biopsies routinely obtained following the completion of induction and maintenance treatment.ResultsFor patients undergoing Fremantle protocol BCG, 98.8% (82/83) and 75.9% (63/83) of patients completed their induction and maintenance courses of BCG, respectively. Induction BCG was delivered over a median duration of 35 days (range 34–84 days), and maintenance BCG was delivered over a median duration of 266 days (range 1–682 days). The tumor recurrence rate was 10.8% (9/83) at the time of post‐induction biopsies, 2.4% (2/83) during maintenance treatment, 0% (0/60) at the time of post‐maintenance biopsies, and 8.8% (5/57) after a median further follow‐up of 16 months (range 0–51 months).ConclusionThe Fremantle protocol appears to be a safe and effective BCG regimen with several advantages over other BCG protocols, including high completion rates, low recurrence rates, and being highly pragmatic.
Relationship between selection criteria and trainee performance in medical specialty training: A retrospective longitudinal study
Authors: Jiang Chali , O'Neill Brett , Bennett Haley , Yazdabadi Anosha 
Published: January 2023

AbstractBackgroundInvestigation of tools used for candidate selection as predictors of future performance in medical education has been primarily undertaken within the undergraduate setting, but little is known about the selection to medical specialist programs. This retrospective longitudinal study aims to explore correlations between selection tools and the performance of trainees enrolled in the Australasian College of Dermatologists (ACD), the accredited specialist medical college for training in dermatology in Australia.MethodsData were collected from consecutive cohorts of ACD trainees commencing from 2007 to 2015. Predictive variables were trainee demographics and selection tools (prior academic qualification; research experience; clinical experience; curriculum vitae [CV] rating; interview scores). The outcome variables were exam performance. First Year ([Pharmacology and Clinical Sciences] and Fellowship Exam [Written, Clinical, and Overall Score]). Statistical analyses included: descriptive statistics summaries; bivariate correlation of selection criteria and demographic data with exam performance; and linear regression analysis to identify predictors of exam performance.ResultsDemographic analysis (N = 172) showed that 64% of trainees were female, the average age was 30.5 years (± 3.47) and trainees living in high socioeconomic status (SES) areas were over‐represented. Using Pearson correlation analysis, interview scores were significantly positively correlated with First Year Pharmacology results (p = 0.018), Fellowship Written results (p = 0.002), and Fellowship Overall Scores (p = 0.006). First Year Pharmacology Exam performance was most highly correlated with Fellowship Exam performance (p = 0.000). No association was identified between exam performance and gender, SES, prior academic qualification, research experience or CV rating. Linear regression analysis showed that interview score (p = 0.012), entry age (p = 0.026) and First Year Pharmacology score (p = 0.002) were predictors of Fellowship exam performance.ConclusionThese results suggest that the comprehensive selection tools used by ACD are effective, with interviews being a highly valid tool linked to exam performance. These findings have important practical implications for assessing the selection process in specialist dermatology training.
Does Relative Deprivation Condition the Effects of Social Protection Programs on Political Support? Experimental Evidence from Pakistan
Authors: Kosec Katrina , Mo Cecilia Hyunjung 
Published: January 2023

AbstractCould perceived relative economic standing affect citizens’ support for political leaders and institutions? We explore this question by examining Pakistan's national unconditional cash transfer program, the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP). Leveraging a regression discontinuity approach using BISP's administrative data and an original survey experiment, we find that perceptions of relative deprivation color citizen reactions to social protection. When citizens do not feel relatively deprived, receiving cash transfers has little sustained effect on individuals’ reported level of support for their political system and its leaders. However, when citizens feel relatively worse off, those receiving cash transfers become more politically satisfied while those denied transfers become more politically disgruntled. Moreover, the magnitude of the reduction in political support among non‐beneficiaries is larger than the magnitude of the increase in political support among beneficiaries. This has important implications for our understanding of the political ramifications of rising perceived inequality.
Autologous fat graft injections for the treatment of perianal fistulas in Crohn's disease: a systematic review and single‐arm meta‐analysis
Authors: De Gregorio Michael , Tiang Thomas , Lee Tanya , Stellingwerf Merel E. , Singh Siddharth , Thompson Alexander J. , D'Souza Basil , Ding Nik S. ,   SVHM IBD Collaborative Group
Published: January 2023

AbstractBackgroundCrohn's perianal fistulas are often refractory to standard management. Fat graft injections are hypothesised to improve fistula healing rates. We evaluated the treatment efficacy of fat graft injections for Crohn's perianal fistulas in a systematic review (PRISMA).MethodsWe completed database searches of MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, and PubMed.All studies published in English in full text or abstract, from January 2001 to August 2021, evaluating fat graft injections for Crohn's perianal fistulas were selected. Included randomized controlled trials, single‐arm intervention trials, cohort studies, and case series; excluded single case reports. Primary outcome was pooled clinical healing, defined as non‐draining treated fistulas, or closure, defined as closure of treated fistulas. Secondary outcomes were clinical healing, clinical closure, radiologic response, and adverse events.ResultsOf 1258 publications identified, 891 articles were assessed for eligibility, and 107 relevant for manuscript review. Forty‐nine patients received fat graft injections for Crohn's perianal fistulas across four single‐arm intervention trials. Clinical healing or closure was achieved in 74% in a pooled single‐arm meta‐analysis (95% confidence interval: 57%, 85%), with moderate heterogeneity between studies. Clinical healing was achieved in 20% and 60% at 3 and 12 months, respectively. Clinical closure was achieved in 83% at 6 months. Variable parameters were used to define radiologic response, with success rates from 20% to 67%. Minimal adverse events were reported.ConclusionFat graft injections show promise as a novel treatment for Crohn's perianal fistulas in this systematic review and meta‐analysis. Assessment in controlled matched studies is warranted.
A ‘needle in a haystack’: Drug‐induced thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura—Association or causality?
Authors: Scully Marie 
Published: January 2023

The risk of a drug associated with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) demonstrating causality is rare, but it is important to keep an open mind of possible associations. Use of criteria to ascertain causality of drugs that may be related to thrombotic microangiopathies and exclude TTP, may be a useful resource.Commentary on: Schofield et al. Drug‐induced thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: A systematic review and review of European and North American pharmacovigilance data. Br J Haematol 2023;200:766‐773.
Development of an osteosarcoma model with MYCN amplification and TP53 mutation in hiPS cell‐derived neural crest cells
Authors: Mukae Kyosuke , Takenobu Hisanori , Endo Yuki , Haruta Masayuki , Shi Tianyuan , Satoh Shunpei , Ohira Miki , Funato Michinori , Toguchida Junya , Osafune Kenji , Nakahata Tatsutoshi , Kanda Hiroaki , Kamijo Takehiko 
Published: January 2023

AbstractMesenchymal stem cell‐ or osteoblast‐derived osteosarcoma is the most common malignant bone tumor. Its highly metastatic malignant phenotypes, which are often associated with a poor prognosis, have been correlated with the modulation of TP53‐ and cell‐cycle‐related pathways. MYC, which regulates the transcription of cell‐cycle modulating genes, is used as a representative prognostic marker for osteosarcoma. Another member of the MYC oncoprotein family, MYCN, is highly expressed in a subset of osteosarcoma, however its roles in osteosarcoma have not been fully elucidated. Here, we attempted to create an in vitro tumorigenesis model using hiPSC‐derived neural crest cells, which are precursors of mesenchymal stem cells, by overexpressing MYCN on a heterozygous TP53 hotspot mutation (c.733G>A; p.G245S) background. MYCN‐expressing TP53 mutated transformed clones were isolated by soft agar colony formation, and administered subcutaneously into the periadrenal adipose tissue of immunodeficient mice, resulting in the development of chondroblastic osteosarcoma. MYCN suppression decreased the proliferation of MYCN‐induced osteosarcoma cells, suggesting MYCN as a potential target for a subset of osteosarcoma treatment. Further, comprehensive analysis of gene expression and exome sequencing of MYCN‐induced clones indicated osteosarcoma‐specific molecular features, such as the activation of TGF‐β signaling and DNA copy number amplification of GLI1. The model of MYCN‐expressing chondroblastic osteosarcoma was developed from hiPSC‐derived neural crest cells, providing a useful tool for the development of new tumor models using hiPSC‐derived progenitor cells with gene modifications and in vitro transformation.
Frontiers in mass spectrometry–based clinical proteomics for cancer diagnosis and treatment
Authors: Haga Yoshimi , Minegishi Yuriko , Ueda Koji 
Published: January 2023

AbstractNumerous omics studies, primarily genomics analyses, have been conducted to fully understand the molecular biological characteristics of cancer. In recent years, the depth of proteomic analysis, which comprehensively analyzes proteins and molecules that function directly in vivo, has increased dramatically. Proteomics using mass spectrometry (MS) is a promising technology to directly examine proteoforms, including post‐translational modifications and variants originating from genomic aberrations. Recent advances in MS‐based proteomics have enabled direct, in depth, and quantitative analysis of the expression levels of various cancer‐related proteins, as well as their cancer‐specific proteoforms, and proteins that fluctuate with cancer initiation and progression in cell lines and tissue samples. Additionally, the integration of proteomic data with genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptomic data has formed the growing field of proteogenomics, which is already yielding new biological and diagnostic knowledge. Deep proteomic profiling provides clinically useful information in various aspects, including understanding the mechanisms of cancer development and progression and discovering targets for diagnosis and drug development. Furthermore, it is expected to make a significant contribution to the promotion of personalized medicine. In this review, recent advances and impacts in MS‐based clinical proteomics are highlighted with a focus on oncology.
Validating graph‐based connectivity models with independent presence–absence and genetic data sets
Authors: Daniel Alexandrine , Savary Paul , Foltête Jean‐Christophe , Khimoun Aurélie , Faivre Bruno , Ollivier Anthony , Éraud Cyril , Moal Hervé , Vuidel Gilles , Garnier Stéphane 
Published: January 2023

AbstractHabitat connectivity is a key objective of current conservation policies and is commonly modeled by landscape graphs (i.e., sets of habitat patches [nodes] connected by potential dispersal paths [links]). These graphs are often built based on expert opinion or species distribution models (SDMs) and therefore lack empirical validation from data more closely reflecting functional connectivity. Accordingly, we tested whether landscape graphs reflect how habitat connectivity influences gene flow, which is one of the main ecoevolutionary processes. To that purpose, we modeled the habitat network of a forest bird (plumbeous warbler [Setophaga plumbea]) on Guadeloupe with graphs based on expert opinion, Jacobs’ specialization indices, and an SDM. We used genetic data (712 birds from 27 populations) to compute local genetic indices and pairwise genetic distances. Finally, we assessed the relationships between genetic distances or indices and cost distances or connectivity metrics with maximum‐likelihood population‐effects distance models and Spearman correlations between metrics. Overall, the landscape graphs reliably reflected the influence of connectivity on population genetic structure; validation R2 was up to 0.30 and correlation coefficients were up to 0.71. Yet, the relationship among graph ecological relevance, data requirements, and construction and analysis methods was not straightforward because the graph based on the most complex construction method (species distribution modeling) sometimes had less ecological relevance than the others. Cross‐validation methods and sensitivity analyzes allowed us to make the advantages and limitations of each construction method spatially explicit. We confirmed the relevance of landscape graphs for conservation modeling but recommend a case‐specific consideration of the cost‐effectiveness of their construction methods. We hope the replication of independent validation approaches across species and landscapes will strengthen the ecological relevance of connectivity models.