bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Medicaid expansion, chemotherapy delays, and racial disparities among women with early-stage breast cancer
Authors: Chavez-MacGregor Mariana , Lei Xiudong , Malinowski Catalina , Zhao Hui , Shih Ya-Chen , Giordano Sharon H 
Published: February 2023

Abstract

Background
Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act extends eligibility for participating states and has been associated with improved outcomes by facilitating access to care. Delayed initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy is associated with worse outcomes among patients with early-stage breast cancer (BC). The impact of Medicaid expansion in narrowing delays by race and ethnicity has not been studied, to our knowledge.

Methods
This was a population-based study using the National Cancer Database. Patients diagnosed with primary early-stage BC between 2007 and 2017 residing in states that underwent Medicaid expansion in January 2014 were included. Time to chemotherapy initiation and proportion of patients experiencing chemotherapy delays (&gt;60 days) were evaluated using difference-in-difference and Cox proportional hazards models in preexpansion and postexpansion periods according to race and ethnicity.

Results
A total 100 643 patients were included (63 313 preexpansion and 37 330 postexpansion). After Medicaid expansion, the proportion of patients experiencing chemotherapy initiation delay decreased from 23.4% to 19.4%. The absolute decrease was 3.2, 5.3, 6.4, and 4.8 percentage points (ppt) for Black, Hispanic, White, and Other patients. Compared with White patients, statistically significant adjusted difference-in-differences were observed for Black (−2.1 ppt, 95% confidence interval [CI] = −3.7% to −0.5%) and Hispanic patients (−3.2 ppt, 95% CI = −5.6% to −0.9%). Statistically significant reductions in time to chemotherapy between expansion periods were observed among White patients (adjusted hazard ratio = .11, 95% CI = 1.09 to 1.12) and those belonging to racialized groups (adjusted hazard ratio  = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.11 to 1.17).

Conclusions
Among patients with early-stage BC, Medicaid expansion was associated with a reduction in racial disparities by decreasing the gap in the proportion of Black and Hispanic patients experiencing delays in adjuvant chemotherapy initiation.
A systematic review on pharmacist-led pharmaceutical care optimization through virtual platforms
Authors: Karattuthodi Mohammed Salim , Krishnan Gopika , Aiswarya A V , Sarath Chandran C , Nair Sujith S , Thorakkatil Shabeer Ali , Arain Savera 
Published: February 2023

AbstractObjectivesTo display virtual pharmaceutical care programs implemented by pharmacists across the world. Accordingly, a search in PubMed, Scopus and Embase with keywords such as ‘'Pharmacist', ‘Pharmaceutical care’, ‘Virtual platform’ and its associated medical subject headings retrieved appropriate articles. The quality of each filtered article were assessed with the Critical Appraisal Skills Program checklist.Key findingsA total of 2 14 841 articles were identified through database screening and 16 articles were extracted and finalized. Twelve papers presented different forms of electronic medical record-based virtual pharmacy systems that had significantly contributed to patient care; minimizing medication errors, rectifying adverse events, modifying drug administration patterns to reduce the fatality of drug–drug interaction and further promoting medication counselling. Nevertheless, few studies had social media platforms for providing clinical pharmacy services that depicted good patient satisfaction. Additionally, we were also able to portray community pharmacies that transformed themselves to provide better and easily accessible pharmaceutical care to their society.SummaryThere are limited numbers of peer-reviewed articles on pharmacist-operated virtual systems. However, owing to the benefits imparted to patient safety and care by the virtual pharmacy in the era of pandemic, it is highly recommended that more pharmacy professionals contribute and implement such programs in their settings.Prospero Registration IDCRD42022307175.
Estimating means of bounded random variables by betting
Authors: Waudby-Smith Ian , Ramdas Aaditya 
Published: February 2023

AbstractWe derive confidence intervals (CIs) and confidence sequences (CSs) for the classical problem of estimating a bounded mean. Our approach generalizes and improves on the celebrated Chernoff method, yielding the best closed-form "empirical-Bernstein" CSs and CIs (converging exactly to the oracle Bernstein width) as well as non-closed-form "betting" CSs and CIs. Our method combines new composite nonnegative (super)martingales with Ville's maximal inequality, with strong connections to testing by betting and the method of mixtures. We also show how these ideas can be extended to sampling without replacement. In all cases, our bounds are adaptive to the unknown variance, and empirically vastly outperform prior approaches, establishing a new state-of-the-art for four fundamental problems: CSs and CIs for bounded means, when sampling with and without replacement.
Redox-mediated responses to high temperature in plants
Authors: Hendrix Sophie , Dard Avilien , Meyer Andreas J , Reichheld Jean-Philippe 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
As sessile organisms, plants are particularly affected by climate change and will face more frequent and extreme temperature variations in the future. Plants have developed a diverse range of mechanisms allowing them to perceive and respond to these environmental constraints, which requires sophisticated signalling mechanisms. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated in plants exposed to various stress conditions including high temperatures and are presumed to be involved in stress response reactions. The diversity of ROS-generating pathways and the ability of ROS to propagate from cell to cell and to diffuse through cellular compartments and even across membranes between subcellular compartments put them at the centre of signalling pathways. In addition, their capacity to modify the cellular redox status and to modulate functions of target proteins, notably through cysteine oxidation, show their involvement in major stress response transduction pathways. ROS scavenging and thiol reductase systems also participate in the transmission of oxidation-dependent stress signals. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on the functions of ROS and oxidoreductase systems in integrating high temperature signals, towards the activation of stress responses and developmental acclimation mechanisms.
Asexual reproduction through seeds: the complex case of diplosporous apomixis
Authors: Cornaro Letizia , Banfi Camilla , Cucinotta Mara , Colombo Lucia , van Dijk Peter J 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Apomixis is considered a potentially revolutionary tool to generate high-quality food at a lower cost and shorter developmental time due to clonal seed production through apomeiosis and parthenogenesis. In the diplosporous type of apomixis, meiotic recombination and reduction are circumvented either by avoiding or failing meiosis or by a mitotic-like division. Here, we review the literature on diplospory, from early cytological studies dating back to the late 19th century to recent genetic findings. We discuss diplosporous developmental mechanisms, including their inheritance. Furthermore, we compare the strategies adopted to isolate the genes controlling diplospory with those to produce mutants forming unreduced gametes. Nowadays, the dramatically improved technologies of long-read sequencing and targeted CRISPR/Cas mutagenesis justify the expectation that natural diplospory genes will soon be identified. Their identification will answer questions such as how the apomictic phenotype can be superimposed upon the sexual pathway and how diplospory genes have evolved. This knowledge will contribute to the application of apomixis in agriculture.
General relativistic stream crossing in tidal disruption events
Authors: Batra Gauri , Lu Wenbin , Bonnerot Clément , Phinney E Sterl 
Published: February 2023

ABSTRACTA star is tidally stretched into an elongated stream after being disrupted by a supermassive black hole (BH). Using an approximate tidal equation, we calculate the stream’s thickness evolution along its geodesic, during which we treat the effect of nozzle shocks as a perfect bounce. Self-intersection occurs when the closest approach separation is smaller than the stream thickness. We explore a wide parameter space of orbital angular momenta, inclinations, and BH spins to obtain the properties of stream intersection. Two collision modes are identified: in ∼half of the cases, the collision occurs near the pericentre at an angle close to 0o (‘rear-end’ mode) and the other half have collisions far from the pericentre with collision angles close to 180o (‘head-on’ mode). The intersection typically occurs between consecutive half-orbits with a delay time that spans a wide range (from months up to a decade). The intersection radius generally increases with the orbital angular momentum and depends less strongly on the inclination and BH spin. The thickness ratio of the two colliding ends is of order unity and the transverse separation is a small fraction of the sum of the two thicknesses, so a large fraction of the stream’s mass is shock heated in an offset collision. Many of the numerical results can be analytically understood in a post-Newtonian picture, where we find the reason for stream collision to be a geometric one. Future hydrodynamic simulations including recombination are needed to understand the long-term effects of pressure forces which are neglected here.
What if youngz&gt; 9JWSTgalaxies hosted massive black holes?
Authors: Volonteri Marta , Habouzit Mélanie , Colpi Monica 
Published: February 2023

ABSTRACTJWST is discovering star-forming ‘candidate’ galaxies with photometric redshifts z &gt; 9 and little attenuation. We model presumptive massive black holes (MBHs) in such galaxies and find that their unobscured emission is fainter than the galaxy starlight in JWST filters, and difficult to be detected via colour–colour selection, and X-ray and radio observations. Only MBHs overmassive relative to expected galaxy scaling relations, accreting at high Eddington rates, would be detectable. Their discovery would point to the presence of heavy MBH seeds, but care is needed to exclude the existence of lighter seeds as only overmassive MBHs are detectable in this type of galaxies. Conversely, if no overmassive MBHs are hosted in these galaxies, either there are no heavy seeds or they are rare. The most massive/highest redshift candidate galaxies can attain stellar masses in excess of $5\times 10^{10}\, {\rm M_\odot }$ by z ∼ 6 if they grow along the star formation rate–mass sequence, and can nurse an MBH growing from ${\sim}10^5 \, {\rm M_\odot }$ up to ${\gt}3\times 10^7\, {\rm M_\odot }$ by z ∼ 6, to become hosts of some z &gt; 6 quasars. Candidate galaxies of $\log (M_{\rm gal}/\, {\rm M_\odot })\sim 8$ cannot grow their putative seeds fast, unless seeds are ${\gtrsim}10^6\, {\rm M_\odot }$. The number density of the JWST candidate galaxies far outnumbers that of the highest z quasar hosts and this allows for about only one bright z ∼ 6–7 quasar every 1000 of these galaxies.
Hidden Cooling Flows in clusters of Galaxies II: a wider sample
Authors: Fabian A C , Sanders J S , Ferland G J , McNamara B R , Pinto C , Walker S A 
Published: February 2023

ABSTRACT
We have recently uncovered Hidden Cooling Flows (HCFs) in the XMM Reflection Grating Spectrometer spectra of three clusters of galaxies; Centaurus, Perseus, and A1835. Here, we search for them in a wider sample of objects: the X-ray brightest group NGC 5044; four moderate X-ray luminosity clusters Sersic 159, A262, A2052, and RX J0821; and three high X-ray luminosity clusters RX J1532, MACS 1931, and the Phoenix cluster. Finally, we examine two Virgo elliptical galaxies, M49 and M84. All statistically allow the addition of an HCF. We find a significant detection of an HCF in six clusters and two elliptical galaxies. The hidden mass cooling rates are $5{\!-\!}40\hbox{$\hbox{$\rm \, {\rm M}_{\odot }$}{\rm \, yr}^{-1}\, $}$ for the normal clusters, $1000\hbox{$\hbox{$\rm \, {\rm M}_{\odot }$}{\rm \, yr}^{-1}\, $}$ or more for the extreme clusters, and $1{\!-\!}2\hbox{$\hbox{$\rm \, {\rm M}_{\odot }$}{\rm \, yr}^{-1}\, $}$ for the elliptical galaxies. We discuss the implications of the results for the composition of the innermost parts of the massive host galaxies and look forward to future observations.
Probing the baryon mass fraction in IGM and its redshift evolution with fast radio bursts using Bayesian inference method
Authors: Lin Hai-Nan , Zou Rui 
Published: February 2023

ABSTRACT
We investigate the fraction of baryon mass in intergalactic medium (fIGM), using 18 well-localized fast radio bursts (FRBs) in the redshift range z ∈ (0.0039, 0.66). We construct a five-parameter Bayesian inference model, with the probability distributions of dispersion measures (DMs) of IGM and host galaxy properly taken into account. To check the possible redshift evolution, we parametrize fIGM as a mildly evolving function of redshift, fIGM = fIGM,0[1 + αz/(1 + z)]. By simultaneously constraining five parameters, we get $f_\mathrm{IGM,0} = 0.92^{+0.06}_{-0.12}$ and $\alpha = 0.49^{+0.59}_{-0.47}$, and the median value of DM of host galaxy is $\exp (\mu)=72.49^{+33.31}_{-25.62}~{\rm pc ~ cm ^ {-3}}$. By fixing two parameters that can be constrained independently with other observations, we obtain $\alpha =0.11^{+0.24}_{-0.27}$ in the three-parameter fit, which is consistent with zero within 1σ uncertainty. Monte Carlo simulations show that even 300 FRBs are not enough to tightly constrain five parameters simultaneously. This is mainly caused by the correlation between parameters. Only if two parameters are fixed, 100 FRBs are necessary to achieve unbiased constraints on the remaining parameters.
Measuring line-of-sight shear with Einstein rings: a proof of concept
Authors: Hogg Natalie B , Fleury Pierre , Larena Julien , Martinelli Matteo 
Published: February 2023

ABSTRACTLine-of-sight effects in strong gravitational lensing have long been treated as a nuisance. However, it was recently proposed that the line-of-sight shear could be a cosmological observable in its own right, if it is not degenerate with lens model parameters. We first demonstrate that the line-of-sight shear can be accurately measured from a simple simulated strong lensing image with per cent precision. We then extend our analysis to more complex simulated images and stress test the recovery of the line-of-sight shear when using deficient fitting models, finding that it escapes from degeneracies with lens model parameters, albeit at the expense of the precision. Lastly, we check the validity of the tidal approximation by simulating and fitting an image generated in the presence of many line-of-sight dark matter haloes, finding that an explicit violation of the tidal approximation does not necessarily prevent one from measuring the line-of-sight shear.
A new versatile code for gamma-ray Monte-Carlo radiative transfer
Authors: Leung Shing-Chi 
Published: February 2023

ABSTRACT
Ongoing MeV telescopes such as INTEGRAL/SPI and Fermi/GBM, and proposed telescopes including the recently accepted COSI and the e-ASTROGAM and AMEGO missions, provide another window in understanding transients. Their signals contain information about the stellar explosion mechanisms and their corresponding nucleosynthesis of short-lived radioactive isotopes. This raises the need of a radiative transfer code which may efficiently explore different types of astrophysical γ-ray sources and their dependence on model parameters and input physics. In view of this, we present our new Monte-Carlo Radiative Transfer code in python. The code synthesizes the γ-ray spectra and light curves suitable for modelling supernova ejecta, including C+O novae, O+Ne novae, Type Ia and core-collapse supernovae. We test the code extensively for reproducing results consistent with analytic models. We also compare our results with similar models in the literature and discuss how our code depends on selected input physics and setting.
Revising the properties of low mass eclipsing binary stars using TESS light curves
Authors: Jennings Z , Southworth J , Maxted P F L , Mancini L 
Published: February 2023

ABSTRACT
Precise measurements of stellar parameters are required in order to develop our theoretical understanding of stellar structure. These measurements enable errors and uncertainties to be quantified in theoretical models and constrain the physical interpretation of observed phenomena, such as the inflated radii of low-mass stars.
We use newly-available TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Satellite Survey) light curves combined with published radial velocity measurements to improve the characterization of 12 low mass eclipsing binaries composed of an M dwarf accompanied by a brighter F/G star. We present and analyse ground-based simultaneous four-colour photometry for two targets. Our results include the first measurements of the fundamental properties of two of the systems. Light curve and radial velocity information were converted into the physical parameters of each component of the systems using an isochrone fitting method. We also derive the effective temperatures of the M dwarfs, almost tripling the number of such measurements.
The results are discussed in the context of radius inflation. We find that exquisite precision in the age estimation of young objects is required to determine their inflation status. However, all but three of the objects are securely located among the main sequence, demonstrating radius inflation and the necessity to develop our understanding of the complex physical processes governing the evolution of low-mass stars. We investigated the hypothesis that luminosity is unaffected by the inflation problem but the findings were not conclusive.
Lagrangian statistics of a shock-driven turbulent dynamo in decaying turbulence
Authors: Hew Justin Kin Jun , Federrath Christoph 
Published: February 2023

ABSTRACT
Small-scale fluctuating magnetic fields of order nG are observed in supernova shocks and galaxy clusters, where its amplification is likely caused by the Biermann battery mechanism. However, these fields cannot be amplified further without the turbulent dynamo, which generates magnetic energy through the stretch-twist-fold (STF) mechanism. Thus, we present here novel 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of a laser-driven shock propagating into a stratified, multiphase medium, to investigate the post-shock turbulent magnetic field amplification via the turbulent dynamo. The configuration used here is currently being tested in the shock tunnel at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). In order to probe the statistical properties of the post-shock turbulent region, we use 384 × 512 × 384 tracers to track its evolution through the Lagrangian framework, thus providing a high-fidelity analysis of the shocked medium. Our simulations indicate that the growth of the magnetic field, which accompanies the near-Saffman kinetic energy decay (Ekin ∝ t−1.15) without turbulence driving, exhibits slightly different characteristics as compared to periodic box simulations. Seemingly no distinct phases exist in its evolution because the shock passage and time to observe the magnetic field amplification during the turbulence decay are very short (∼0.3 of a turbulent turnover time). Yet, the growth rate is still consistent with those expected for compressive (curl-free) turbulence driving in subsonic, compressible turbulence. Phenomenological understanding of the dynamics of the magnetic and velocity fields are also elucidated via Lagrangian frequency spectra, which are consistent with the expected inertial range scalings in the Eulerian–Lagrangian bridge.
Bioinformatics Analysis of Mutations Sheds Light on the Evolution of Dengue NS1 Protein With Implications in the Identification of Potential Functional and Druggable Sites
Authors: Sharma Abhishek , Krishna Sudhir , Sowdhamini Ramanathan 
Published: February 2023

AbstractNon-structural protein (NS1) is a 350 amino acid long conserved protein in the dengue virus. Conservation of NS1 is expected due to its importance in dengue pathogenesis. The protein is known to exist in dimeric and hexameric states. The dimeric state is involved in its interaction with host proteins and viral replication, and the hexameric state is involved in viral invasion. In this work, we performed extensive structure and sequence analysis of NS1 protein, and uncovered the role of NS1 quaternary states in its evolution. A three-dimensional modeling of unresolved loop regions in NS1 structure is performed. “Conserved” and “Variable” regions within NS1 protein were identified from sequences obtained from patient samples and the role of compensatory mutations in selecting destabilizing mutations were identified. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to extensively study the effect of a few mutations on NS1 structure stability and compensatory mutations. Virtual saturation mutagenesis, predicting the effect of every individual amino acid substitution on NS1 stability sequentially, revealed virtual-conserved and variable sites. The increase in number of observed and virtual-conserved regions across NS1 quaternary states suggest the role of higher order structure formation in its evolutionary conservation. Our sequence and structure analysis could enable in identifying possible protein–protein interfaces and druggable sites. Virtual screening of nearly 10,000 small molecules, including FDA-approved drugs, permitted us to recognize six drug-like molecules targeting the dimeric sites. These molecules could be promising due to their stable interactions with NS1 throughout the simulation.
Genes Vary Greatly in Their Propensity for Collateral Fitness Effects of Mutations
Authors: Mehlhoff Jacob D , Ostermeier Marc 
Published: February 2023

AbstractMutations can have deleterious fitness effects when they decrease protein specific activity or decrease active protein abundance. Mutations will also be deleterious when they cause misfolding or misinteractions that are toxic to the cell (i.e., independent of whether the mutations affect specific activity and abundance). The extent to which protein evolution is shaped by these and other collateral fitness effects is unclear in part because little is known of their frequency and magnitude. Using deep mutational scanning (DMS), we previously found at least 42% of missense mutations in the TEM-1 β-lactamase antibiotic resistance gene cause deleterious collateral fitness effects. Here, we used DMS to comprehensively determine the collateral fitness effects of missense mutations in three genes encoding the antibiotic resistance proteins New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM-1), chloramphenicol acetyltransferase I (CAT-I), and 2″-aminoglycoside nucleotidyltransferase (AadB). AadB (20%), CAT-I (0.9%), and NDM-1 (0.2%) were less susceptible to deleterious collateral fitness effects than TEM-1 (42%) indicating that genes have different propensities for these effects. As was observed with TEM-1, all the studied deleterious aadB mutants increased aggregation. However, aggregation did not correlate with collateral fitness effects for many of the deleterious mutants of CAT-I and NDM-1. Select deleterious mutants caused unexpected phenotypes to emerge. The introduction of internal start codons in CAT-1 caused loss of the episome and a mutation in aadB made its cognate antibiotic essential for growth. Our study illustrates how the complexity of the cell provides a rich environment for collateral fitness effects and new phenotypes to emerge.