bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Response to glecaprevir/pibrentasvir in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients in clinical practice
Authors: Gonzalez-Serna Alejandro , Corma-Gomez Anaïs , Tellez Francisco , Corona-Mata Diana , Rios-Villegas María Jose , Merino Dolores , Galera Carlos , Collado-Romacho Antonio Ramon , De Los Santos Ignacio , Cucurull Josep , Santos Marta , García-Martín Sofía , Rivero Antonio , Real Luis Miguel , Macias Juan 
Published: September 2023

Abstract

Objectives
HIV infection has been associated with lower rates of sustained viral response (SVR) with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). There are few data on glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (G/P) in HIV/HCV coinfection outside clinical trials.

Methods
The HEPAVIR-DAA cohort, which recruits HIV/HCV-coinfected patients (NCT02057003) and the GEHEP-MONO cohort (NCT02333292), including HCV-monoinfected individuals, are two concurrent ongoing multicentre cohorts of patients receiving anti-HCV treatment. Patients starting G/P included in those cohorts were analysed. Overall SVR (ITT), discontinuations due to adverse effects, and dropouts were evaluated and compared between both cohorts.

Results
Of the 644 patients who started G/P with evaluable SVR, 132 were HIV/HCV coinfected. Overall SVR rates were 487/512 (95.1%) in HCV-monoinfected patients versus 126/132 (95.5%) in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients (P = 1.000). One patient (0.8%) relapsed, and another (0.8%) discontinued treatment due to side effects. SVR to 8 or 12 weeks of treatment with G/P was similar in HIV/HCV-coinfected versus HCV-monoinfected patients. The main reason for not reaching SVR among HIV/HCV-coinfected patients was premature dropout linked to active drug use.

Conclusions
G/P in HIV/HCV coinfection was highly effective and tolerable in clinical practice. SVR to 8 or 12 weeks of treatment with G/P was similar in HIV/HCV-coinfected compared with HCV-monoinfected patients but active drug use is still a barrier to reach HCV microelimination.
Clostridioides difficile infection in a skilled nursing facility (SNF): cost savings of an automated, standardized probiotic antimicrobial stewardship programme (ASP) policy
Authors: Olson Bridget , Ship Noam , Butera Michael L , Warm Kenneth , Oen Roger , Howard John 
Published: September 2023

Abstract

Background
With multiple comorbidities and frequent exposures to antibiotics, patients in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are much more vulnerable to healthcare-acquired infections. We conducted a quality-improvement, retrospective analysis of all patients with Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) from 2009 to 2021 at an SNF. Probiotics were initially added to a bundle of antimicrobial stewardship programme (ASP) CDI prevention strategies. Formulations and durations of probiotics were standardized for both oral and enteral administration. To reach all eligible patients, an ASP probiotic policy provided probiotics with every antibiotic course.

Objectives
To assess the value of providing probiotic therapy to SNF patients at risk for CDI.

Patients and methods
Patients receiving oral or enteral feeding with antibiotics ordered were eligible to receive probiotics. The incremental cost of CDI prevention, treatment and related care were calculated and compared for each phase of probiotic policy change and feeding type. ASP records for the oral probiotic and level of treatment were used in modelling the cost-effectiveness.

Results
From quality improvement initiatives aimed at preventing facility-onset (FO) CDI, to ASP policies, probiotic formulations and delegation of ordering authority, the days of acute care treatment required was significantly reduced over the different phases of implementation [152 to 48, OR = 0.22 (0.16–0.31) to 4, OR = 0.08 (0.03–0.23)] after reducing total CDI from 5.8 to 0.3 cases per 10 000 patient-days. The annual cost of oral probiotics increased from $6019 to $14 652 but the modelled net annual savings for the facility was $72 544–$154 085.

Conclusions
With optimization, the use of probiotics for CDI prevention at an SNF was safe, efficacious and cost-effective.
The practice of non-recognition and economic sanctions: The case study of Ukraine, Manchuria and South Africa
Authors: Nguyen Quoc Tan Trung 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine again proves the essential role of collective non-recognition against unlawful situations, despite contentious debates concerning the status of the principle of non-recognition in the international legal system. However, an old but unsettled question also resurfaces: How should we perceive the relationship between the practice of non-recognition and economic sanctions? Some scholars contend that the practice of non-recognition must entail economic punishments and isolation and be ‘as oppressive as possible’. For quite some time, the economic language has dominated as the only language that matters facing any unlawful situations. Unfortunately, this tendency also undermines a long history of innovative development of other forms of declaratory and institutional non-recognition. This article, by examining the current non-recognition campaign in the case of Ukraine, together with case studies of Manchuria and of the South African apartheid regime, endeavours to provide more perspectives concerning the relationship between non-recognition and economic sanctions. The article argues that, compared to other forms of non-recognition, economic sanctions have never been a reliable factor in demonstrating international attitudes and the legal beliefs of the international community.
The Life-Cycle Effects of Pension Reforms: A Structural Approach
Authors: Daminato Claudio , Padula Mario 
Published: September 2023

AbstractTo assess the life-cycle welfare effects of pension reforms, we provide a dynamic stochastic model of saving, portfolio choice, and retirement featuring a rich characterisation of the pension system. Relying on the exogenous variation from a sequence of Italian pension reforms, we identify and estimate the model, which is then used to draw implications of alternative pension policies. The validated model predicts substantial social security wealth effects on retirement, with the offset between public pension wealth and private savings softened when households can adjust their retirement decisions. We further find important distributional effects of pension reforms, with households’ welfare decreasing more the later in the working life they face the reform. Our findings have implications for the design of pension policies and the support they might generate.
Risk, Contract Terms, and Maturity in the Sovereign Debt Market
Authors: Bradley Michael , De Lira Salvatierra Irving Arturo , Gulati Mitu , Panizza Ugo 
Published: September 2023

ABSTRACT
In this article, we examine the relations between risk, the choice of foreign or local contract terms (parameters), and maturity in the sovereign debt market. Our primary finding is that the maturities of bonds that carry a meaningful degree of risk are greater when the bonds are written under foreign parameters. This finding is consistent with the Credible Commitment Theory. Relinquishing certain key contractual parameters (governing law, jurisdiction, currency, listing) precludes the issuing sovereign from taking actions that would diminish the wealth of its bondholders after the bonds have been issued. Correspondingly, the yield on lower-grade bonds, written under foreign parameters, is less than the yield on bonds written under local parameters. Investors are willing to pay a premium for lower-grade bonds if they are written in foreign parameters. Finally, we find a positive relation between maturity and S&P ratings for the subsample of lower-grade bonds. However, we find no such relation for the subset of high-grade bonds.
On the relationships between some meta-mathematical properties of arithmetical theories
Authors: Cheng Yong 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
In this work, we aim at understanding incompleteness in an abstract way via metamathematical properties of formal theories. We systematically examine the relationships between the following twelve important metamathematical properties of arithmetical theories: Rosser, EI (effectively inseparable), RI (recursively inseparable), TP (Turing persistent), EHU (essentially hereditarily undecidable), EU (essentially undecidable), Creative, $\textbf{0}^{\prime }$ (theories with Turing degree $\textbf{0}^{\prime }$), REW (all RE sets are weakly representable), RFD (all recursive functions are definable), RSS (all recursive sets are strongly representable), RSW (all recursive sets are weakly representable). Given any two properties $P$ and $Q$ in the above list, we examine whether $P$ implies $Q$.
Streptomyces lividans 66 produces a protease inhibitor via a tRNA-utilizing enzyme interacting with a C-minus NRPS
Authors: Aguilar César , Verdel-Aranda Karina , Ramos-Aboites Hilda E , Licona-Cassani Cuauhtémoc , Barona-Gómez Francisco 
Published: September 2023

Abstract

Small peptide aldehydes (SPAs) with protease inhibitory activity are naturally occurring compounds shown to be synthesized by non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS). SPAs are widely used in biotechnology and have been utilized as therapeutic agents. They are also physiologically relevant and have been postulated to regulate the development of their producing microorganisms. Previously, we identified an NRPS-like biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) in Streptomyces lividans 66 that lacked a condensation (C) domain but included a tRNA-utilizing enzyme (tRUE) belonging to the leucyl/phenylalanyl (L/F) transferase family. This system was predicted to direct the synthesis of a novel SPA, which we named livipeptin. Using evolutionary genome mining approaches, here, we confirm the presence of L/F transferase tRUEs within the genomes of diverse Streptomyces and related organisms, including fusions with the anticipated C-minus NRPS-like protein. We then demonstrate genetic functional cooperation between the identified L/F-transferase divergent tRUE homolog with the C-minus NRPS, leading to the synthesis of a metabolic fraction with protease inhibitory activity. Semisynthetic assays in the presence of RNAse revealed that the productive interaction between the tRUE and the C-minus NRPS enzymes is indeed tRNA dependent. We expect our findings to boost the discovery of SPAs, as well as the development of protease-mediated biotechnologies, by exploiting the uncovered genetic basis for synthesizing putative acetyl-leu/phe-arginine protease inhibitors. Furthermore, these results will facilitate the purification and structural elucidation of livipeptin, which has proven difficult to chemically characterize.

Significance
The discovery of natural products biosynthetic genes marks a significant advancement in our understanding of these metabolites, for example of their evolution, activity, and biosynthesis, but also opens biotechnological opportunities and knowledge to advance genome mining approaches. We made this possible by uncovering a new biosynthetic pathway in Streptomyces lividans 66 shown to direct the synthesis of a strong protease inhibitor, termed livipeptin, following unprecedented biosynthetic rules and genes. Thus, by shedding light on the genetic mechanisms predicted to govern the production of acetyl-leu/phe-arginine protease inhibitors, including the elusive livipeptin, this study enables novel protease-mediated biotechnologies as well as approaches for discovering protease inhibitors from genome data.
Remote Work and City Decline: Lessons From the Garment District
Authors: Gillette Clayton P 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
The dramatic rise of remote work threatens the traditional source of urban growth—the unique ability of dense cities to provide a setting in which firms and employees share productive resources, match needs with skills, and transmit knowledge at low cost. These “agglomeration benefits” have induced cities to pursue clusters of related firms that have served as the basis for local economic development and technological innovation. Remote work reduces the necessity for related firms to co-locate, and its popularity has led commentators to predict significant decrease in city business activity, tax revenues, and services as traditional clusters dissipate. It remains unclear how cities will react to the remote work phenomenon. Prior episodes of cluster decline, however, reveal that cities have difficulty pivoting to new economic models when outmoded ones threaten local decay. Instead, cities tend to support existing clusters, notwithstanding that the impending decline is a function of external forces rather than of local policies. This article addresses the potential mismatch between cluster decline that may flow from remote work and city responses. The article theorizes that continued municipal efforts to support a declining cluster emerge from the ability of affected firms to coalesce, exercise political influence, and exploit fragmented municipal decision making to preserve the status quo, maintain or increase municipal subsidies for the cluster, and deter entry by competitors for city resources. Those strategies impede the city’s transition to a more productive economy in the face of looming cluster decline. The article then turns to the history of the garment industry in New York City to illustrate the theory. That history provides a cautionary tale about how cities should and should not respond to the threats they face from remote work.
Welcome to Waco! The impact of judge shopping on litigation
Authors: Helmers Christian , Love Brian J 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
We analyze the effect of judge shopping in patent litigation following the appointment of a former patent litigator as the sole district judge assigned to the Waco Division of the US District Court for the Western District of Texas (WDTX). We find that patent enforcers’ ability to select, with certainty, a judge widely regarded as patentee-friendly increased the number of cases filed, especially by non-practicing entities. We show that the increase in litigation was driven by both an influx of cases that would not have been filed but for the judge’s appointment and a geographic reallocation of cases that would have been filed regardless. Overall, judge shopping in the WDTX induced over a 33-month period an increase of around 460 patent cases that otherwise would not have been filed. (JEL: K41, O34).
A new species of Simulium (Asiosimulium) (Diptera: Simuliidae) from northeastern Thailand, with its phylogenetic relationships with related species in the subgenus Asiosimulium
Authors: Aupalee Kittipat , Srisuka Wichai , Taai Kritsana , Takaoka Hiroyuki , Saeung Atiporn 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Simulium (Asiosimulium) khongchiamense sp. nov. is described based on females, males, pupae, and mature larvae collected from Khong Chiam District, Ubon Ratchathani Province, northeastern Thailand. It is characterized in the female by the medium-long sensory vesicle, scutum with 3 dark longitudinal vittae and elongate cercus; in the male by the number of upper-eye (large) facets in 17 or 18 vertical rows and 18 or 19 horizontal rows, hind basitarsus moderately enlarged and ventral plate with the posterior margin moderately concave medially; in the pupa by the head and thoracic integument sparsely covered with tubercles and gill of arborescent type with 32 or 33 filaments; and in the larva by the postgenal cleft deep, reaching the posterior margin of the hypostoma and sheath of the subesophageal ganglion dark pigmented. DNA analysis based on COI gene of all known species of the subgenus Asiosimulium, except for S. shanense and S. suchitrae, indicated that this new species can be clearly differentiated from all other related species (S. phurueaense, S. oblongum, S. saeungae, S. furvum, and S. wanchaii) with interspecific genetic distances ranging between 4.79% and 19.18%. This is the eighth species of the subgenus Asiosimulium. Taxonomic notes are given to distinguish this new species from the 7 known species members in its same subgenus. Additionally, keys to species of all members in the subgenus Asiosimulium are provided.
Migration aspirations in forced transnational families: the case of Syrians in Turkey
Authors: Schiefer David , Düvell Franck , Sağıroğlu Ali Zafer 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Increasingly high numbers of migrants around the globe have led migration scholars attempting to understand determinants of migration aspirations for many years. This study specifically looks at migration aspirations from two angles, (1) migration under conditions of a continuum of crises, in this case the (civil) war in Syria and precarious lives in Turkey, highlighting uncertainty and temporality entailed in crisis and (2) the role of family in migration aspirations. So far, scholarship primarily focuses on individuals in countries of origin and on voluntary migrants. Migration aspirations of forced migrants who have found refuge in another country are far less studied. Their situation, however, differs from voluntary migrants in distinct ways. Second, although the literature emphasizes the role of family for migration aspirations deep-level empirical inquiries are rare. Based on a survey among around 1,900 Syrian refugees in Turkey, this article addresses these gaps and explores the role family plays for migration aspirations among forced migrants. We take a close look by exploring how geographical family networks relate to migration aspirations and interact with other characteristics. We find that staying in Turkey seems to be the most likely option for participants at the time of the survey, but we also identify a substantial degree of uncertainty regarding migration aspirations. Furthermore, participants’ aspired places of living depend on the location of family members, above and beyond other characteristics. Moreover, (trans-)national family networks enhance or diminish effects of other determinants of migration aspirations such as perceived living conditions in Turkey.
The stellar thermal wind as a consequence of oblateness
Authors: Matilsky Loren I 
Published: September 2023

ABSTRACT
In many rotating fluids, the lowest order force balance is between gravity, pressure, and rotational acceleration (‘GPR’ balance). Terrestrial GPR balance takes the form of geostrophy and hydrostasy, which together yield the terrestrial thermal wind equation. By contrast, stellar GPR balance is an oblateness equation, which determines the departures of the thermal variables from spherical symmetry; its curl yields the ‘stellar thermal wind equation’. In this sense, the stellar thermal wind should be viewed not as a consequence of geostrophy, but of baroclinicity in the oblateness. Here, we treat the full stellar oblateness, including the thermal wind, using pressure coordinates. We derive the generalized stellar thermal wind equation and identify the parameter regime for which it holds. In the case of the Sun, not considering the full oblateness has resulted in conflicting calculations of the theoretical aspherical temperature anomaly. We provide new calculation here and find that the baroclinic anomaly is ∼3–60 times smaller than the barotropic anomaly. Thus, the anomaly from the thermal wind may not be measurable helioseismically, but if measurement were possible, this would potentially yield a new way to bracket the depth of the solar tachocline.
Artificial intelligence, explainability, and the scientific method: A proof-of-concept study on novel retinal biomarker discovery
Authors: Delavari Parsa , Ozturan Gulcenur , Yuan Lei , Yilmaz Özgür , Oruc Ipek 
Published: September 2023

AbstractWe present a structured approach to combine explainability of artificial intelligence (AI) with the scientific method for scientific discovery. We demonstrate the utility of this approach in a proof-of-concept study where we uncover biomarkers from a convolutional neural network (CNN) model trained to classify patient sex in retinal images. This is a trait that is not currently recognized by diagnosticians in retinal images, yet, one successfully classified by CNNs. Our methodology consists of four phases: In Phase 1, CNN development, we train a visual geometry group (VGG) model to recognize patient sex in retinal images. In Phase 2, Inspiration, we review visualizations obtained from post hoc interpretability tools to make observations, and articulate exploratory hypotheses. Here, we listed 14 hypotheses retinal sex differences. In Phase 3, Exploration, we test all exploratory hypotheses on an independent dataset. Out of 14 exploratory hypotheses, nine revealed significant differences. In Phase 4, Verification, we re-tested the nine flagged hypotheses on a new dataset. Five were verified, revealing (i) significantly greater length, (ii) more nodes, and (iii) more branches of retinal vasculature, (iv) greater retinal area covered by the vessels in the superior temporal quadrant, and (v) darker peripapillary region in male eyes. Finally, we trained a group of ophthalmologists (N=26) to recognize the novel retinal features for sex classification. While their pretraining performance was not different from chance level or the performance of a nonexpert group (N=31), after training, their performance increased significantly (p&lt;0.001, d=2.63). These findings showcase the potential for retinal biomarker discovery through CNN applications, with the added utility of empowering medical practitioners with new diagnostic capabilities to enhance their clinical toolkit.
Outcomes in progressive systemic sclerosis treated with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation compared with combination therapy
Authors: Keret Shiri , Henig Israel , Zuckerman Tsila , Kaly Lisa , Shouval Aniela , Awisat Abid , Rosner Itzhak , Rozenbaum Michael , Boulman Nina , Dortort Lazar Ariela , Molad Yair , Sabbah Firas , Naffaa Mohammad E , Hardak Emilia , Slobodin Gleb , Rimar Doron 
Published: September 2023

Abstract

Objectives
Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) has been shown to improve long-term survival for early diffuse progressive SSc compared with CYC. CYC, however, does not provide a long-term benefit in SSc. The combination of MMF and rituximab is a potent alternative regimen. We aimed to retrospectively compare the outcomes of SSc patients who underwent AHSCT to patients who met the eligibility criteria for AHSCT but received upfront combination therapy with MMF and rituximab.

Methods
Repeated assessments of modified Rodnan Skin Score (mRSS), forced vital capacity (FVC), and diffusing capacity (DLCO) values were conducted. Clinical improvement was defined as an mRSS decrease &gt;25% or an FVC increase &gt;10%. Event-free survival (EFS) was defined in the absence of persistent major organ failure or death.

Results
Twenty-one SSc patients in the combination therapy group were compared with 16 in the AHSCT group. Age, sex and disease duration were similar between the two groups. Clinical improvement at 12 months was seen in 18 (86%) patients in the combination group compared with 13 (81%) in the AHSCT group (P = 0.7). The hazard ratio for EFS at 24 months favoured the combination group (HR = 0.09, P = 0.04). During follow-up, both groups exhibited a significant and comparable reduction in mRSS and an increase in FVC values at each time interval up to 24 months.

Conclusion
MMF and rituximab compared with AHSCT in SSc patients eligible for AHSCT resulted in similar skin and lung clinical improvement with a better safety profile at 24 months.