bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sacubitril/Valsartan Does Not Change the Use and Dose of Loop Diuretics in Patients With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction
Authors: Kido Kazuhiko , Bianco Christopher , Caccamo Marco , Hashiguchi Masayuki , Choo Lyn Yuen , Sokos George 
Published: May 2023

Background: There is no standard approach for managing the use or dose of loop diuretics after initiating sacubitril/valsartan. Objective: To investigate longitudinal trends in loop diuretic therapy use and doses during the initial 6 months following sacubitril/valsartan initiation. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included adult patients who were initiated on sacubitril/valsartan in cardiology clinics. Inclusion criteria were patients diagnosed with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (ejection fraction ≤40%) and initiated on sacubitril/valsartan in an outpatient setting. We investigated longitudinal trends in the prevalence of loop diuretic use and furosemide equivalent dose at baseline, 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 month and 6 months following sacubitril/valsartan initiation. Results: A total of 427 patients were included in the final cohort. Compared to the baseline loop diuretic use and dose, there were no significant longitudinal changes in the prevalence of loop diuretic use or the furosemide equivalent dose over the 6 months following sacubitril/valsartan initiation. The use of sacubitril/valsartan was not significantly associated with reductions in the use or dose of loop diuretics over a 6-month follow-up period. Conclusion: The use of sacubitril/valsartan did not significantly change the use or dose of loop diuretics over 6-month follow-up period. Initiation of sacubitril/valsartan may not need a pre-emptive loop diuretic dose reduction.
An objective and subjective study on global active control of engine noise in a car
Authors: Zhu Liping , Zhong Xu , Wang Hao , Qiu Xiaojun , Wu Sheng , Mao Dongxing 
Published: May 2023

The work tests and analyzes the engine noise distribution in a car with and without active control, where the car’s built-in loudspeakers are used as secondary sources to attenuate the engine noise inside the whole cabin. To analyze the sound field in detail, the noise level at 52 microphones on the passenger ears’ plane is measured and presented. The distributions of the primary overall noise, first four order noise of the engine, and the sound field generated by the subwoofer at engine orders’ frequencies are reported, and the noise reductions corresponding to overall engine noise and each order’s noise are analyzed. Besides, jury test is presented and compared with the calculated loudness of residual noise to evaluate the acoustic comfort improvement of the system. The experiment results show that the overall noise reduction is achieved inside the whole cabin by controlling the first four orders’ engine noise. The average noise reduction of the measurement area inside the cabin is 6.2 dB and 2.9 dBA. Besides, 93% of the participants feel the acoustic comfort is improved with the active noise control system on.
Redispensing of expensive oral anticancer medicines: A practical application
Authors: Akgöl Kübra , van Merendonk Lisanne N , Barkman Hannerieke J , van Balen Dorieke EM , van den Hoek Hester L , Klous Marjolein G , Hendrikx Jeroen JMA , Huitema Alwin DR , Beijnen Jos H , Nuijen Bastiaan 
Published: May 2023

Introduction Increasing use of expensive oral anticancer medicines comes with the downside of a financial and environmental burden, partially caused by unused medication. Returned oral anticancer medicine to the pharmacy could be considered for redispensing providing guaranteed quality. This study aimed to identify and implement quality aspects and criteria for redispensing oral anticancer medicine in daily pharmacy practice. Methods A systematic analysis was conducted to determine the eligibility of oral anticancer medicine for redispensing. Over a one-year period, the number of returned oral anticancer medicine accepted for redispensing was quantified, and the reduction in financial waste and environmental burden calculated based on this assessment. Results Four categories of quality aspects were identified for determining the eligibility of oral anticancer medicine for redispensing: Product presentation suitability (stability characteristics, storage requirements), physical condition (unopened or opened secondary or primary packaging, visual appearance), authentication (Falsified Medicines Directive, confirmation of initial dispense, recall), and additional aspects (remaining shelf life, period of storage in uncontrolled conditions). A standardized procedure for redispensing was implemented in daily pharmacy practice. During the study period, 10,415 oral anticancer medicine dose units out of 13,210 returns (79%) were accepted for redispensing. The total value of oral anticancer medicine accepted for redispensing was €483,301, accounting for 0.9% of the total value dispensed during this period. Furthermore, the potential reduction in environmental burden was estimated at 1132.1 g of potent active pharmaceutical ingredient. Conclusions By implementing strict procedures considering all relevant quality aspects, redispensing of oral anticancer medicine can be successfully implemented into daily pharmacy practice, resulting in a significant reduction in financial waste and environmental burden.
Comparison of topographic outcomes between HPMC based and vitamin E TPGS based riboflavin solutions after corneal cross-linking
Authors: Balıkçı Ayşe Tüfekçi , Ulutaş Hafize Gökben 
Published: May 2023

Purpose To compare the visual and topographic results between patients who underwent epithelium-off cross-linking using riboflavin solutions compounds hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) 1.1% and D-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene-glycol 1000 succinate (VE-TPGS). Methods In this study, 37 eyes treated with HPMC and 29 eyes treated with VE-TPGS were evaluated retrospectively. Spherical equivalent (SE), refractive cylinder, corrected distance visual acuity tests (CDVA), corneal topography indices (flat and steep meridians’ keratometry (K1 and K2)), maximum keratometry (K max), central, thinnest, and apical corneal thicknesses, the front and back keratoconus vertex index (KVf, KVb), and the surface asymmetry index of the front and back surface (SIf, SIb), and endothelial cell density were compared at baseline and postoperative follow-up visits (1, 3, 6, and 12months). Results At the end of the 12th-month, K1, K2, and Kmax were decreased in both groups. In comparison to baseline, there was a decline in the HPMC group in the 3rd- month Kmax change, an increase was observed in the VE-TPGS group. In the 12th-month KVb change, an increase was observed in the HPMC group compared to the baseline, while a decrease was observed in the VE-TPGS group. The other parameters did not show a statistically significant difference between the groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion At the end of 12 months, both riboflavins were effective in stopping the progression of keratoconus and were safe for endothelium. Although both riboflavins provide a decrease in keratometry values, it can be said that VE-TPGS is superior to HPMC in correcting the ectasia on the posterior corneal surface.
Exploring the Quality of Narrative Feedback Provided to Residents During Ambulatory Patient Care in Medicine and Surgery
Authors: Leclair Rebecca , Ho Jessica S. S. , Braund Heather , Kouzmina Ekaterina , Bruzzese Samantha , Awad Sara , Mann Steve , Zevin Boris 
Published: May 2023

OBJECTIVES The transition to competency-based medical education (CBME) has increased the volume of residents’ assessment data; however, the quality of the narrative feedback is yet to be used as feedback-on-feedback for faculty. Our objectives were (1) to explore and compare the quality and content of narrative feedback provided to residents in medicine and surgery during ambulatory patient care and (2) to use the Deliberately Developmental Organization framework to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities to improve quality of feedback within CBME. METHODS We conducted a mixed convergent methods study with residents from the Departments of Surgery (DoS; n = 7) and Medicine (DoM; n = 9) at Queen's University. We used thematic analysis and the Quality of Assessment for Learning (QuAL) tool to analyze the content and quality of narrative feedback documented in entrustable professional activities (EPAs) assessments for ambulatory care. We also examined the association between the basis of assessment, time to provide feedback, and the quality of narrative feedback. RESULTS Forty-one EPA assessments were included in the analysis. Three major themes arose from thematic analysis: Communication, Diagnostics/Management, and Next Steps. Quality of the narrative feedback varied; 46% had sufficient evidence about residents’ performance; 39% provided a suggestion for improvement; and 11% provided a connection between the suggestion and the evidence. There were significant differences between DoM and DoS in quality of feedback scores for evidence (2.1 [1.3] vs. 1.3 [1.1]; p < 0.01) and connection (0.4 [0.5] vs. 0.1 [0.3]; p  =  0.04) domains of the QuAL tool. Feedback quality was not associated with the basis of assessment or time taken to provide feedback. CONCLUSION The quality of the narrative feedback provided to residents during ambulatory patient care was variable with the greatest gap in providing connections between suggestions and evidence about residents’ performance. There is a need for ongoing faculty development to improve the quality of narrative feedback provided to residents.
Design and Analysis of a Novel Shoulder Exoskeleton Based on a Parallel Mechanism
Authors: Niu Lianzheng , Guo Sheng , Song Majun , Wu Yifan , Qu Haibo 
Published: May 2023

AbstractPower-assisted upper-limb exoskeletons are primarily used to improve the handling efficiency and load capacity. However, kinematic mismatch between the kinematics and biological joints is a major problem in most existing exoskeletons, because it reduces the boosting effect and causes pain and long-term joint damage in humans. In this study, a shoulder augmentation exoskeleton was designed based on a parallel mechanism that solves the shoulder dislocation problem using the upper arm as a passive limb. Consequently, the human–machine synergy and wearability of the exoskeleton system were improved without increasing the volume and weight of the system. A parallel mechanism was used as the structural body of the shoulder joint exoskeleton, and its workspace, dexterity, and stiffness were analyzed. Additionally, an ergonomic model was developed using the principle of virtual work, and a case analysis was performed considering the lifting of heavy objects. The results show that the upper arm reduces the driving force requirement in coordinated motion, enhances the load capacity of the system, and achieves excellent assistance.
The temporal trend of placebo response in migraine prevention from 1990 to 2021: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis with regression
Authors: Tepper Stewart J. , Cirillo Jessica , Kim Edward , L’Italien Gil , Tweedie Julie M. , Lodaya Kunal , Riley Dushon , Pathan Farah , Antaki Nicholas , Nathanson Brian H. , McAllister Peter 
Published: May 2023

Abstract
Background
Migraine affects 1.1 billion people globally and is the second leading cause of disability worldwide. In clinical trials, treatment efficacy is evaluated by comparing the differential responses in the treatment and placebo arms. Although placebo response in preventive migraine trials has been studied, there is limited research examining temporal trends. This study evaluates the trend of placebo response over thirty years in migraine prevention trials and investigates the association of potential confounders, such as patient, treatment, and study characteristics on placebo response using meta-analysis with regression.

Methods
We conducted literature searches from January 1990 to August 2021 in bibliographical databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE). Studies were selected according to PICOS criteria and included randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials evaluating preventive migraine treatments in adult patients diagnosed with episodic or chronic migraine, with or without aura. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021271732). Migraine efficacy outcomes included were either continuous (e.g., monthly migraine days) or dichotomous (e.g., ≥ 50% responder rate (yes/no)). We assessed the correlation of the change in outcome from baseline in the placebo arm, with the year of publication. The relationship between placebo response and year of publication was also assessed after accounting to confounders.

Results
A total of 907 studies were identified, and 83 were found eligible. For the continuous outcomes, the change from baseline in mean placebo response showed an increase over the years (rho = 0.32, p = 0.006). The multivariable regression analysis also showed an overall increase in placebo response over the years. The correlation analysis of dichotomous responses showed no significant linear trend between publication year and mean placebo response (rho = 0.08, p = 0.596). Placebo response also varied by route of administration.

Conclusion
Placebo response increased over the past 30 years in migraine preventive trials. This phenomenon should be considered when designing clinical trials and conducting meta-analyses.
Genetic Diversity and Breeding Signatures for Regional Indica Rice Improvement in Guangdong of Southern China
Authors: Hang Yu , Yue Liu , Bingrui Sun , Qing Liu , Xingxue Mao , Liqun Jiang , Shuwei Lyu , Jing Zhang , Pingli Chen , Dajian Pan , Wenfeng Chen , Zhilan Fan , Chen Li 
Published: May 2023

AbstractAs the pioneer of the Green Revolution in China, Guangdong province witnessed the improvement and spread of semi-dwarf Xian/Indica rice cultivars and possessed diverse rice germplasm of landrace and cultivars. A total of 517 accessions containing a core germplasm of 479 newly sequenced landraces and modern cultivars were used to reveal breeding signatures and key variations for regional genetic improvement of indica rice from Guangdong. Four subpopulations were identified in the collection, which including Ind IV as a novel subpopulation that not covered by previously released accessions. Modern cultivars of subpopulation Ind II were inferred to have less deleterious variations, especially in yield related genes. About 15 Mb genomic segments were identified as potential breeding signatures by cross-population likelihood method (XP-CLR) of modern cultivars and landraces. The selected regions spanning multiple yield related QTLs (quantitative trait locus) which identified by GWAS (genome-wide association studies) of the same population, and specific variations that fixed in modern cultivars of Ind II were characterized. This study highlights genetic differences between traditional landraces and modern cultivars, which revealed the potential molecular basis of regional genetic improvement for Guangdong indica rice from southern China.
Drug repurposing and prediction of multiple interaction types via graph embedding
Authors: Amiri Souri E. , Chenoweth A. , Karagiannis S. N. , Tsoka S. 
Published: May 2023

Abstract
Background
Finding drugs that can interact with a specific target to induce a desired therapeutic outcome is key deliverable in drug discovery for targeted treatment. Therefore, both identifying new drug–target links, as well as delineating the type of drug interaction, are important in drug repurposing studies.

Results
A computational drug repurposing approach was proposed to predict novel drug–target interactions (DTIs), as well as to predict the type of interaction induced. The methodology is based on mining a heterogeneous graph that integrates drug–drug and protein–protein similarity networks, together with verified drug-disease and protein-disease associations. In order to extract appropriate features, the three-layer heterogeneous graph was mapped to low dimensional vectors using node embedding principles. The DTI prediction problem was formulated as a multi-label, multi-class classification task, aiming to determine drug modes of action. DTIs were defined by concatenating pairs of drug and target vectors extracted from graph embedding, which were used as input to classification via gradient boosted trees, where a model is trained to predict the type of interaction. After validating the prediction ability of DT2Vec+, a comprehensive analysis of all unknown DTIs was conducted to predict the degree and type of interaction. Finally, the model was applied to propose potential approved drugs to target cancer-specific biomarkers.

Conclusion
DT2Vec+ showed promising results in predicting type of DTI, which was achieved via integrating and mapping triplet drug–target–disease association graphs into low-dimensional dense vectors. To our knowledge, this is the first approach that addresses prediction between drugs and targets across six interaction types.
Colony-level aggression escalates with the value of food resources
Authors: Han Shaolin , Phillips Ben L. , Elgar Mark A. 
Published: May 2023

Abstract
Background
Theory predicts that the level of escalation in animal contests is associated with the value of the contested resource. This fundamental prediction has been empirically confirmed by studies of dyadic contests but has not been tested experimentally in the collective context of group-living animals. Here, we used the Australian meat ant Iridomyrmex purpureus as a model and employed a novel field experimental manipulation of the value of food that removes the potentially confounding effects of nutritional status of the competing individual workers. We draw on insights from the Geometric Framework for nutrition to investigate whether group contests between neighbouring colonies escalate according to the value to the colony of a contested food resource.

Results
First, we show that colonies of I. purpureus value protein according to their past nutritional intake, deploying more foragers to collect protein if their previous diet had been supplemented with carbohydrate rather than with protein. Using this insight, we show that colonies contesting more highly valued food escalated the contest, by deploying more workers and engaging in lethal ‘grappling’ behaviour.

Conclusion
Our data confirm that a key prediction of contest theory, initially intended for dyadic contests, is similarly applicable to group contests. Specifically, we demonstrate, through a novel experimental procedure, that the contest behaviour of individual workers reflects the nutritional requirements of the colony, rather than that of individual workers.
Magnesium chelatase subunit D is not only required for chlorophyll biosynthesis and photosynthesis, but also affecting starch accumulation in Manihot esculenta Crantz
Authors: Yang Xingai , Cai Jie , Xue Jingjing , Luo Xiuqin , Zhu Wenli , Xiao Xinhui , Xue Maofu , An Feifei , Li Kaimian , Chen Songbi 
Published: May 2023

Abstract
Background
Magnesium chelatase plays an important role in photosynthesis, but only a few subunits have been functionally characterized in cassava.

Results
Herein, MeChlD was successfully cloned and characterized. MeChlD encodes a magnesium chelatase subunit D, which has ATPase and vWA conservative domains. MeChlD was highly expressed in the leaves. Subcellular localization suggested that MeChlD:GFP was a chloroplast-localized protein. Furthermore, the yeast two-hybrid system and BiFC analysis indicated that MeChlD interacts with MeChlM and MePrxQ, respectively. VIGS-induce silencing of MeChlD resulted in significantly decreased chlorophyll content and reduction the expression of photosynthesis-related nuclear genes. Furthermore, the storage root numbers, fresh weight and the total starch content in cassava storage roots of VIGS-MeChlD plants was significantly reduced.

Conclusion
Taken together, MeChlD located at the chloroplast is not only required for chlorophyll biosynthesis and photosynthesis, but also affecting the starch accumulation in cassava. This study expands our understanding of the biological functions of ChlD proteins.
Effects of N and P additions on twig traits of wild apple (Malus sieversii) saplings
Authors: Zhang Yuan-Yuan , Yan Jing-Ming , Zhou Xiao-Bing , Zhang Yuan-Ming , Tao Ye 
Published: May 2023

Abstract
Background
Wild apple (Malus sieversii) is under second-class national protection in China and one of the lineal ancestors of cultivated apples worldwide. In recent decades, the natural habitation area of wild apple trees has been seriously declining, resulting in a lack of saplings and difficulty in population regeneration. Artificial near-natural breeding is crucial for protecting and restoring wild apple populations, and adding nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) is one of the important measures to improve the growth performance of saplings. In this study, field experiments using N (CK, N1, N2, and N3: 0, 10, 20, and 40 g m− 2 yr− 1, respectively), P (CK, P1, P2, and P3: 0, 2, 4, and 8 g m− 2 yr− 1, respectively), N20Px (CK, N2P1, N2P2, and N2P3: N20P2, N20P4 and N20P8 g m− 2 yr− 1, respectively), and NxP4 (CK, N1P2, N2P2, and N3P2: N10P4, N20P4, and N40P4 g m− 2 yr− 1, respectively) treatments (totaling 12 levels, including one CK) were conducted in four consecutive years. The twig traits (including four current-year stem, 10 leaf, and three ratio traits) and comprehensive growth performance of wild apple saplings were analyzed under different nutrient treatments.

Results
N addition had a significantly positive effect on stem length, basal diameter, leaf area, and leaf dry mass, whereas P addition had a significantly positive effect on stem length and basal diameter only. The combination of N and P (NxP4 and N20Px) treatments evidently promoted stem growth at moderate concentrations; however, the N20Px treatment showed a markedly negative effect at low concentrations and a positive effect at moderate and high concentrations. The ratio traits (leaf intensity, leaf area ratio, and leaf to stem mass ratio) decreased with the increase in nutrient concentration under each treatment. In the plant trait network, basal diameter, stem mass, and twig mass were tightly connected to other traits after nutrient treatments, indicating that stem traits play an important role in twig growth. The membership function revealed that the greatest comprehensive growth performance of saplings was achieved after N addition alone, followed by that under the NxP4 treatment (except for N40P4).

Conclusions
Consequently, artificial nutrient treatments for four years significantly but differentially altered the growth status of wild apple saplings, and the use of appropriate N fertilizer promoted sapling growth. These results can provide scientific basis for the conservation and management of wild apple populations.