bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Vaccine politics: Law and inequality in the pandemic response to COVID‐19
Authors: Kavanagh Matthew M. , Singh Renu 
Published: March 2023

AbstractInternational mechanisms failed to achieve equitable distribution of COVID‐19 vaccines—prolonging and deepening the pandemic. To understand why, we conduct process tracing of the first year of international policymaking on vaccine equity. We find that, in the absence of a single venue for global negotiation, two competing law and policy paradigms emerged. One focused on demand and voluntary action by states and firms, while the alternative focused on opening knowledge and expanding production through national and international law. While these could have been complementary, power inequalities between key actors kept the second paradigm from gaining traction on the global agenda. The failure of the prevailing policy paradigm to secure equity is explained, not by unforeseen technical and financing challenges as some suggest, but by a fundamental misalignment with the political environment. While norm entrepreneurs encouraged sharing, political incentives pushed governments towards securing and hoarding doses. Firms responded to the latter. Mechanisms like COVAX proved incapable of countering these predictable international and domestic political forces. Earlier funding would not likely have changed the behaviour of states or firms in the absence of legal commitment. Barring significant geopolitical changes, a shift to include open/supply‐focused policies will be necessary to achieve equity in future pandemics.
Influencing factors of efficacy and long‐term use of amrubicin in patients with small cell lung cancer
Authors: Takahara Yutaka , Tanaka Takuya , Ishige Yoko , Shionoya Ikuyo , Yamamura Kouichi , Sakuma Takashi , Nishiki Kazuaki , Nakase Keisuke , Nojiri Masafumi , Kato Ryo , Shinomiya Shohei , Oikawa Taku , Mizuno Shiro 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBackgroundAmrubicin (AMR) has become the standard of care for post‐relapse small cell lung cancer (SCLC). It has also been reported to achieve long‐term disease control in patients with good treatment response. However, the optimal patient population for whom AMR is effective and the factors associated with long‐term disease control are yet to be identified. The aim of the study was to identify the clinical characteristics and factors associated with long‐term disease control in patients with recurrent SCLC who would benefit from AMR therapy.MethodsThe clinical records of 33 patients diagnosed with recurrent SCLC and treated with AMR were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical information was compared between patients who achieved disease control (effective group) and who developed disease progression (noneffective group) on the first efficacy assessment after AMR and between patients who continued AMR for more than seven cycles (maintenance group) and those who terminated treatment after 1–6 cycles (discontinuation group).ResultsThe noneffective group included significantly more patients with AMR dose reductions after the second cycle (p = 0.006). AMR dose reduction was an independent risk factor for disease progression. The maintenance group had significantly lower pretreatment lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels than the discontinuation group (p = 0.046). A high LDH level was an independent risk factor for short AMR discontinuation. Overall survival was significantly longer in the effective group than in the noneffective group (p < 0.001).ConclusionsIn AMR therapy for patients with relapsed SCLC, continuation of AMR without dose reduction after the second cycle may contribute to disease control and prolonged survival.
Rumen microbial composition associated with the non‐glucogenic to glucogenic short‐chain fatty acids ratio in Holstein cows
Authors: Takizawa Shuhei , Shinkai Takumi , Kobayashi Yosuke , Masuda Masahiro , Hashiba Kenji , Uchisawa Kota , Terada Fuminori 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThis study aimed to determine the physiological features and rumen microbial composition associated with the non‐glucogenic‐to‐glucogenic short‐chain fatty acids ratio (NGR). Holstein cows were housed in a free‐stall barn with an automatic milking system and fed a partially mixed ration. Physiological and microbial analyses were performed on 66 datasets collected from 66 cows (50–250 days in milk). NGR was positively correlated with ruminal pH, relative abundances of protozoa and fungi, methane conversion factor, methane intensity, plasma lipids, parity, and milk fat, and negatively correlated with total short‐chain fatty acids. To highlight the differences in bacterial and archaeal compositions between NGRs, low‐NGR cows (N = 22) were compared with medium‐NGR (N = 22) and high‐NGR (N = 22) cows. The low‐NGR group was characterized by a lower abundance of Methanobrevibacter and a higher abundance of operational taxonomic units belonging to the lactate‐producing, such as Intestinibaculum, Kandleria, and Dialister, and the succinate‐producing Prevotella. Our findings indicate that NGR affects the methane conversion factor, methane intensity, and blood and milk compositions. Low NGR is associated with a higher abundance of lactate‐ and succinate‐producing bacteria and lower abundances of protozoa, fungi, and Methanobrevibacter.
Oral azacitidine modulates the bone marrow microenvironment in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia in remission: A subanalysis from the QUAZAR AML‐001 trial
Authors: Menezes Daniel L. , See Wendy L. , Risueño Alberto , Tsai Kao Tai , Lee Jae K. , Ma Johnny , Khan Rida , Prebet Thomas , Skikne Barry , Beach C. L. , Thakurta Anjan , Gandhi Anita 
Published: March 2023

SummaryOral azacitidine (Oral‐AZA) maintenance therapy improved relapse‐free (RFS) and overall survival (OS) significantly versus placebo for AML patients in remission after intensive chemotherapy (IC) in the phase 3 QUAZAR AML‐001 study. Immune profiling was performed on the bone marrow (BM) at remission and on‐treatment in a subset of patients with the aim of identifying prognostic immune features and evaluating associations of on‐treatment immune effects by Oral‐AZA with clinical outcomes. Post‐IC, increased levels of lymphocytes, monocytes, T cells and CD34 + CD117+ BM cells were prognostically favourable for RFS. CD3+ T‐cell counts were significantly prognostic for RFS in both treatment arms. At baseline, high expression of the PD‐L1 checkpoint marker was identified on a subset of CD34 + CD117+ BM cells; many of which were PD‐L2+. High co‐expression of T‐cell exhaustion markers PD‐1 and TIM‐3 was associated with inferior outcomes. Oral‐AZA augmented T‐cell numbers during early treatment, increased CD4+:CD8+ ratios and reversed T‐cell exhaustion. Unsupervised clustering analysis identified two patient subsets defined by T‐cell content and expression of T‐cell exhaustion markers that were enriched for MRD negativity. These results indicate that Oral‐AZA modulates T‐cell activity in the maintenance setting of AML, and these immune‐mediated responses are associated with clinical outcomes.
Müllerian mimicry among bees and wasps: a review of current knowledge and future avenues of research
Authors: Chatelain Paul , Elias Marianne , Fontaine Colin , Villemant Claire , Dajoz Isabelle , Perrard Adrien 
Published: March 2023

ABSTRACTMany bees and stinging wasps, or aculeates, exhibit striking colour patterns or conspicuous coloration, such as black and yellow stripes. Such coloration is often interpreted as an aposematic signal advertising aculeate defences: the venomous sting. Aposematism can lead to Müllerian mimicry, the convergence of signals among different species unpalatable to predators. Müllerian mimicry has been extensively studied, notably on Neotropical butterflies and poison frogs. However, although a very high number of aculeate species harbour putative aposematic signals, aculeates are under‐represented in mimicry studies. Here, we review the literature on mimicry rings that include bee and stinging wasp species. We report over a hundred described mimicry rings, involving a thousand species that belong to 19 aculeate families. These mimicry rings are found all throughout the world. Most importantly, we identify remaining knowledge gaps and unanswered questions related to the study of Müllerian mimicry in aculeates. Some of these questions are specific to aculeate models, such as the impact of sociality and of sexual dimorphism in defence levels on mimicry dynamics. Our review shows that aculeates may be one of the most diverse groups of organisms engaging in Müllerian mimicry and that the diversity of aculeate Müllerian mimetic interactions is currently under‐explored. Thus, aculeates represent a new and major model system to study the evolution of Müllerian mimicry. Finally, aculeates are important pollinators and the global decline of pollinating insects raises considerable concern. In this context, a better understanding of the impact of Müllerian mimicry on aculeate communities may help design strategies for pollinator conservation, thereby providing future directions for evolutionary research.
Flood risk mapping in southwestern Nova Scotia: Perceptions and concerns
Authors: Howard Samantha C. , Sherren Kate 
Published: March 2023

AbstractFlood risk mapping allows for informed decision making regarding personal and community planning. Resistance to flood risk mapping can be driven by potential decline of property values. This paper explores resistance to flood risk mapping through the lens of climax thinking. Climax thinking is a novel theory guiding explorations of resistance to proposed land use changes. The aim of this study was to understand flood experiences, the presence of resistance to flood risk mapping, and whether climax thinking could help explain this resistance. To address this, surveys were administered to residents in the Nova Scotian towns of Liverpool and Bridgewater. We found that one third of respondents have experienced flooding, yet the majority have not seen a flood risk map, nor were they concerned about the potential impacts of flooding. Only one sixth of respondents exhibited resistance to flood risk mapping because of potential loss to property value. Dimensions of climax thinking were predictive of this resistance, specifically ignorance of an individual's own ability to adapt and inability to recognize the impact of their adaptation decisions on others, which together quadrupled the predictive power of the ordinal regression model. These insights can be applied to support the acceptance of flood risk mapping.
Effect of gamma irradiation on F1 generation and competitive ability of Phyllocnistis citrella and Ostrinia nubilalis, and evaluation of the sterile insect release ratio on plant infestation in field cages
Authors: Osouli Shiva , Atapour Maryam , Ahmadi Mehrdad 
Published: March 2023

AbstractCitrus leafminer (CLM), Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), and European corn borer (ECB), Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), are two key pests of young citrus and maize plants in Iran, respectively. In this study, the effects of sub‐sterilizing doses of gamma radiation (100–250 Gy for CLM, 90–180 Gy for ECB) on the biological and reproductive parameters of F1 progeny from irradiated males were determined. The results indicated that males irradiated at doses of ≥200 and ≥150 Gy produced highly sterile F1 descents for CLM and ECB, respectively. No adverse effects of radiation doses applied to males were observed on the F1 pupal emergence for both species, nor on the adult longevity of male and female ECB moths. However, the life span of CLM F1 male and female adults decreased with increasing doses. The sex ratio of emerged adults of F1 progeny from irradiated males was skewed towards males with increasing doses; the proportion of males to all emerged adults reached 0.52 and 0.54 at doses of 250 and 150 Gy for CLM and ECB, compared to 0.44 and 0.49 in the controls, respectively. The competitiveness index of irradiated and F1 males of both species fluctuated in acceptable ranges and in general F1 males were stronger competitors than their irradiated male parents. The results of the field cage experiments showed that the larval infestation in all cages including the released irradiated CLM and ECB moths decreased compared to the control treatment – the percentage of damaged leaves and stems in the cages with ratios of 20:1 and 7:1 irradiated‐to‐normal insects (highest ratios assayed) reached half and one‐third of the control for CLM and ECB, respectively.
Legal origins of corporate governance: Choice of law in Egypt, 1887–1914
Authors: Artunç Cihan 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThis paper revisits the classic question of legal origins: whether laws originating from common or civil law traditions are more effective in promoting governance rules with stronger shareholder and investor protection. But corporate governance cannot be easily disentangled from other sources that can influence firm outcomes. This paper disentangles these effects by assembling a new dataset of corporations in Egypt between 1887 and 1914. Egypt had an unusual system of incorporation. The main legal system was a close French transplant but entrepreneurs – Europeans and Egyptians alike – had the option of incorporating under any European law. This practice allowed extraordinary legal flexibility in choice of law, governance provisions, and board composition. The new findings show that companies incorporated under British law provided weaker shareholder protection than companies incorporated under French laws, especially in giving weaker voting rights to minority shareholders, preventing oversight over directors' borrowing powers, and limiting director rotation. These rules mattered for firm performance. Corporations with weaker investor protection had higher failure risk, were less profitable, and had lower firm value.
Board gender diversity and firm solvency: Evidence from Scandinavia
Authors: Garcia‐Blandon Josep , Argilés‐Bosch Josep Maria , Ravenda Diego 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThe implementation of a board gender quota in Norway in 2006 resulted in an extraordinary increase in the number of female directors over a short period of time. As a result, previous studies have used this unique scenario to examine the effects of appointing female directors on various corporate outcomes, such as the cost of debt. Extending this line of research, this study explores whether the appointment of female directors to the boardroom has a significant impact on a firm's solvency. The empirical analysis draws on a sample of firms from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden and implements difference‐in‐differences estimations. The extant evidence is scarce and inconclusive and, more importantly, has been obtained without controlling for endogeneity. Our findings strongly suggest that the solvency of Norwegian firms did not change significantly after the appointment of a large number of female directors. This result is robust to a battery of sensitivity checks.
Ventricular arrhythmias in patients with prior aortic valve intervention: Characteristics, ablation and outcomes
Authors: Khalil Fouad , Toya Takumi , Ahmad Ali , Siontis Konstantinos C. , Mulpuru Siva K. , Del‐Carpio Munoz Freddy , Cha Yong‐Mei , Friedman Paul A. , Munger Thomas , Asirvatham Samuel J. , Killu Ammar M. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractIntroductionData regarding ventricular tachycardia (VT) or premature ventricular complex (PVC) ablation in patients with aortic valve (AV) intervention (AVI) is limited. Catheter ablation (CA) can be challenging given perivalvular substrate in the setting of prosthetic valves. We sought to investigate the characteristics, safety, and outcomes of CA in patients with prior AVI and ventricular arrhythmias (VA).MethodsWe identified consecutive patients with prior AVI (replacement or repair) who underwent CA for VT or PVC between 2013 and 2018. We investigated the mechanism of arrhythmia, ablation approach, perioperative complications, and outcomes.ResultsWe included 34 patients (88% men, mean age 64 ± 10.4 years, left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction 35.2 ± 15.0%) with prior AVI who underwent CA (22 VT; 12 PVC). LV access was obtained through trans‐septal approach in all patients except one patient who had percutaneous transapical access. One patient had combined retrograde aortic and trans‐septal approach. Scar‐related reentry was the dominant mechanism of induced VTs. Two patients had bundle branch reentry VTs. In the VT group, substrate mapping demonstrated heterogeneous scar that involved the peri‐AV area in 95%. Despite that, the site of successful ablation included the periaortic region only in 6 (27%) patients. In the PVC group, signal abnormalities consistent with scar in the periaortic area were noted in 4 (33%) patients. In 8 (67%) patients, the successful site of ablation was unrelated to the periaortic area. No procedure‐related complications occurred. The survival and recurrence‐free survival rate at 1 year tended to be lower in VT group than in PVC group (p = .06 and p = .05, respectively) with a 1‐year recurrence‐free survival rate of 52.8% and 91.7%, respectively. No arrhythmia‐related death was documented on long‐term follow‐up.ConclusionCA of VAs can be performed safely and effectively in patients with prior AVI.
Associations of HIV and iron status with gut microbiota composition, gut inflammation and gut integrity in South African school‐age children: a two‐way factorial case–control study
Authors: Goosen Charlene , Proost Sebastian , Baumgartner Jeannine , Mallick Kashish , Tito Raul Y. , Barnabas Shaun L. , Cotton Mark F. , Zimmermann Michael B. , Raes Jeroen , Blaauw Renée 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBackgroundHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and iron deficiency (ID) affect many African children. Both HIV and iron status interact with gut microbiota composition and related biomarkers. The study's aim was to determine the associations of HIV and iron status with gut microbiota composition, gut inflammation and gut integrity in South African school‐age children.MethodsIn this two‐way factorial case–control study, 8‐ to 13‐year‐old children were enrolled into four groups based on their HIV and iron status: (1) With HIV (HIV+) and ID (n = 43), (2) HIV+ and iron‐sufficient nonanaemic (n = 41), (3) without HIV (HIV−) and ID (n = 44) and (4) HIV− and iron‐sufficient nonanaemic (n = 38). HIV+ children were virally suppressed (<50 HIV RNA copies/ml) on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Microbial composition of faecal samples (16S rRNA sequencing) and markers of gut inflammation (faecal calprotectin) and gut integrity (plasma intestinal fatty acid–binding protein [I‐FABP]) were assessed.ResultsFaecal calprotectin was higher in ID versus iron‐sufficient nonanaemic children (p = 0.007). I‐FABP did not significantly differ by HIV or iron status. ART‐treated HIV (redundancy analysis [RDA] R2 = 0.009, p = 0.029) and age (RDA R2 = 0.013 p = 0.004) explained the variance in the gut microbiota across the four groups. Probabilistic models showed that the relative abundance of the butyrate‐producing genera Anaerostipes and Anaerotruncus was lower in ID versus iron‐sufficient children. Fusicatenibacter was lower in HIV+ and in ID children versus their respective counterparts. The prevalence of the inflammation‐associated genus Megamonas was 42% higher in children with both HIV and ID versus HIV− and iron‐sufficient nonanaemic counterparts.ConclusionsIn our sample of 8‐ to 13‐year‐old virally suppressed HIV+ and HIV− children with or without ID, ID was associated with increased gut inflammation and changes in the relative abundance of specific microbiota. Moreover, in HIV+ children, ID had a cumulative effect that further shifted the gut microbiota to an unfavourable composition.
Targeting translation: A review of preclinical animal models in the development of treatments for chemotherapy‐induced peripheral neuropathy
Authors: White Daniel , Abdulla Munawwar , Park Susanna B. , Goldstein David , Moalem‐Taylor Gila , Lees Justin G. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBackground and AimsThe expanding use of chemotherapy in curative cancer treatment has simultaneously resulted in a substantial and growing cohort of cancer survivors with prolonged disability from chemotherapy‐induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). CIPN is associated with several commonly prescribed chemotherapeutics, including taxanes, platinum‐based drugs, vinca alkaloids, bortezomib and thalidomide. These distinct classes of chemotherapeutics, with their varied neurotoxic mechanisms, often cause patients to suffer from a broad profile of neuropathic symptoms including chronic numbness, paraesthesia, loss of proprioception or vibration sensation and neuropathic pain. Decades of investigation by numerous research groups have provided substantial insights describing this disease. Despite these advances, there is currently no effective curative or preventative treatment option for CIPN and only the dual serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor Duloxetine is recommended by clinical guidelines for the symptomatic treatment of painful CIPN.MethodsIn this review, we examine current preclinical models, with our analysis focused on translational relevance and value.ResultsAnimal models have been pivotal in achieving a better understanding of the pathogenesis of CIPN. However, it has been challenging for researchers to develop appropriate preclinical models that are effective vehicles for the discovery of translatable treatment options.InterpretationFurther development of preclinical models targeting translational relevance will promote value for preclinical outcomes in CIPN studies.
Evaluation of the normalgastrointestinaltract in cats using dual‐phasecomputed tomography
Authors: Holle H. M. , Ghilagaber G. , Drees R. 
Published: March 2023

ObjectivesIn cats, although ultrasonography remains the preferred modality to evaluate the gastrointestinal tract, computed tomographic (CT) examination of the abdomen is commonly performed. However, a normal description of the gastrointestinal tract is lacking. This study describes the conspicuity and contrast enhancement pattern of the normal gastrointestinal tract in cats using dual‐phase CT.Materials and MethodsPre‐ and dual‐phase postcontrast (early scan at 30 seconds and late scan mean at 84 seconds) abdominal CT exams of 39 cats without history, clinical signs or diagnosis of gastrointestinal disease were reviewed. The gastrointestinal tract was examined for conspicuity and enhancement pattern using commercially available viewing software (Osirix, v.6.5.2), and diameters of 16 gastrointestinal segments were recorded and compared with published radiographic and ultrasonographic reference values.ResultsOf the 624 gastrointestinal segments, 530 (84.9%) were identified on precontrast studies and 545 (87.3%) segments on postcontrast studies. Of the gastrointestinal wall segments, 257 (41.2%) were identified on precontrast studies and 314 (50.3%) on postcontrast studies. Gastrointestinal segment diameters correlated well with published normal values, whereas wall thickness measurements usually were smaller compared with sonographic normal values. Early mucosal surface enhancement was frequently seen in the gastric cardia and fundus and ileocolic junction, and a mainly transmural wall enhancement in other gastrointestinal segments.Clinical SignificanceDual‐phase CT allows for the identification of gastrointestinal tract segments and walls in cats. Contrast enhancement improves conspicuity and demonstrates wall layering in the cardia, fundus and ileocolic junction.