bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Rectal band ligation as a treatment for chronic radiation proctitis: a feasibility study
Authors: Lamonaca Laura , Auriemma Francesco , Paduano Danilo , Bianchetti Mario , Spatola Federica , Galtieri Piera , Maselli Roberta , Repici Alessandro , Mangiavillano Benedetto 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Background and study aims Chronic radiation proctitis (CRP) occurs in 5 % to 20 % of patients undergoing pelvic radiation therapy and frequently manifests with rectal bleeding. Endoscopic management of more severe and refractory cases can be challenging. Rectal band ligation (RBL) has been shown to be a feasible alternative to current available techniques, especially in extensive CRP. Our aim is to evaluate clinical and technical success of RBL.
Patients and methods We enrolled all consecutive patients treated with RBL for severe or recurrent hemorrhagic CRP. Success was defined as endoscopic evidence of complete rectal healing and/or cessation of bleeding not requiring further treatment or blood transfusion.
Results We enrolled 10 patients (7 males, mean age 75.6 years). Median length of the CRP from the anal verge was 4.5 cm and mean surface area involved was 89 %. Eight patients (80 %) were naïve to endoscopic treatment, while two had undergone argon plasma coagulation (APC). Median follow-up was 136.5 days. Success was achieved in 100 % of patients after a mean number of 1.8 RBL sessions. A mean number of 4.7 bands were released in the first session while a mean of 3.1 and 2 bands were placed in the second and third sessions, respectively. As for adverse events, only one patient reported mild tenesmus and pelvic pain after the procedure.
Conclusions RBL is a safe and effective therapeutic modality for the treatment of hemorrhagic CRP. It could be considered a valid first-line option in case of extensive rectal involvement as well as a viable rescue treatment after failed APC.
Influence of Instrument Lubrication on Properties of Dental Composites
Authors: Kosewski Juliusz , Kosewski Przemysław , Mielczarek Agnieszka 
Published: April 2022

AbstractResin composites are one of the most commonly used materials in restorative dentistry. To improve their handling and facilitate restoration sculpting, clinicians began to lubricate modeling instruments with various substances like alcohol, unfilled resins, or even bonding agents. Although the technique is commonly present in daily clinical practice, it has not been precisely described in the literature and both application methods and lubricating materials vary across the available studies. This study aims to summarize the currently available knowledge about influence of instrument lubrication on properties of dental composites. Literature selection was conducted within MEDLINE, SCOPUS, and EBSCO databases. Instrument lubrication seems not to be indifferent for composite mechanical and optical properties. Moreover, various lubricants can differently affect the composite material, so the choice of lubricating agent should be deliberate and cautious. Available in vitro studies suggest possible incorporation of lubricant into the composite structure. Unfilled resins based on bisphenol A-glycidyl methacrylate (Bis-GMA) seem to be the best choice for the lubricant, as bonding agents containing hydrophilic molecules and alcohols carry a bigger risk of altering the composite properties. Further research is necessary to evaluate lubricants' influence in clinical practice conditions.
Processing Spanish gender in a usage‑based model with special reference to dual‑gendered nouns
Authors: Ellingson Eddington David 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
In an experiment, Spanish speakers assigned gender to nouns. Some nouns had biological referents. Others had a
mismatch between their gender and their final phones (e.g. problema). Nouns with biological referents and nouns
with matching gender and phonology were responded to faster suggesting that gender does not depend solely on a noun’s gender.
Gender was also assigned to dual-gendered nouns, which are feminine nouns that take the masculine article el
(e.g. agua). Most participants assigned them masculine gender.
Dual-gendered nouns are often preceded by masculine modifiers which is due to analogy to el. The
idea is explored that the gender of el, along with all modifiers a noun has been experienced with, explains
gender assignment. Computational simulations were carried out to test this using exemplar, naive Bayes, and decision tree
algorithms. They made accurate predictions without referencing the noun’s gender. In dual-gendered nouns, a shift towards preposed
masculine modifiers was observed. A simulation predicted the gender of bare dual-gendered nouns which mirrored the masculine gender the
experimental participants provided. These results suggest a usage-based model in which a noun’s gender is determined by the
modifiers it has been experienced with.
Microstructure evolution of a drive shaft spline from an aero-engine fuel pump during fretting wear
Authors: Zhang Fengtai , Liang Yilong , Wu Yuzhong , Yin Cunhong , Zhang Juan , Yang Songyun , Huang Xin 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
In the process of transmitting power, the drive shaft splines of an aero-engine fuel pump often cause fretting wear due to the action of high-frequency vibration and torque load, which greatly restricts the service life and reliability of a drive shaft spline. Therefore, to understand the whole process of the fretting wear of a drive shaft spline, the microstructure of the worn surface and subsurface was characterized and analysed. The results show that adhesion, deformation, oxidation and cracking occur on the worn surface of the drive shaft spline. Plastic deformation induces dislocation multiplication that expands into subgrains and transforms into equiaxed nanocrystals. Dislocations generated by these grains in the subsequent plastic deformation will be quickly absorbed by grain boundaries, which reduces the stress concentration caused by dislocation blocks and significantly delays cracking. However, wear cracks tend to form at the interfaces of short rod-like nanocrystals near the worn surface and propagate along grain boundaries, accelerating the spalling of the material. These results provide guidance for the design and use of drive shaft splines.
A predictive model of lymph node metastasis for thymic epithelial tumours
Authors: Wang Zi-Ming , Li Feng , Sarigül Lara , Nachira Dania , Gonzalez-Rivas Diego , Badakhshi Harun , Rückert Jens-C , Ng Calvin S H , Ismail Mahmoud 
Published: April 2022

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Thymic epithelial tumours (TETs) are relatively rare indolent malignancies in the mediastinum. Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is an important prognostic indicator for TETs; however, the pattern of LNM involved in TETs has yet to be elucidated.

METHODS
Patients diagnosed with histologically confirmed thymoma (A–B3), thymic carcinomas and thymic neuroendocrine tumours, between 1988 and 2016 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were applied to identify the predictors for LNM. The predictive nomogram was built from the independent risk factors and measured using the concordance statistic.

RESULTS
The overall proportion of TETs with LNM was 18.5% (200/1048). The rate of LNM in thymoma, thymic carcinomas and thymic neuroendocrine tumours was 6.8% (42/622), 30.2% (100/331) and 61.1% (58/95), respectively. According to the logistic regression analysis, histology type and T stage were independent factors correlated with LNM. A predictive nomogram model was developed with a concordance statistic of 0.807 (95% confidence interval: 0.773–0.841), which was significantly better than the T stage (P &lt; 0.001) while had limited benefit to the histology type (P = 0.047). The calibration curve for the nomogram comparing the predicted and actual probabilities after bias correction showed good agreement.

CONCLUSIONS
Nodal involvement was not uncommon in TETs. Main factors related to LNM in TETs were histology type and T stage. The probability of LNM could be well calculated using the predictive model.
Phylogenetically diverseBradyrhizobiumgenospecies nodulate Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterraneaL. Verdc) and soybean (Glycine maxL. Merril) in the northern savanna zones of Ghana
Authors: Adjei Josephine A , Aserse Aregu A , Yli-Halla Markku , Ahiabor Benjamin D K , Abaidoo Robert C , Lindstrom Kristina 
Published: April 2022

AbstractA total of 102 bacterial strains isolated from nodules of three Bambara groundnut and one soybean cultivars grown in nineteen soil samples collected from northern Ghana were characterized using multilocus gene sequence analysis. Based on a concatenated sequence analysis (glnII-rpoB-recA-gyrB-atpD-dnaK), 54 representative strains were distributed in 12 distinct lineages, many of which were placed mainly in the Bradyrhizobium japonicum and Bradyrhizobium elkanii supergroups. Twenty-four of the 54 representative strains belonged to seven putative novel species, while 30 were conspecific with four recognized Bradyrhizobium species. The nodA phylogeny placed all the representative strains in the cosmopolitan nodA clade III. The strains were further separated in seven nodA subclusters with reference strains mainly of African origin. The nifH phylogeny was somewhat congruent with the nodA phylogeny, but both symbiotic genes were mostly incongruent with the core housekeeping gene phylogeny indicating that the strains acquired their symbiotic genes horizontally from distantly related Bradyrhizobium species. Using redundancy analysis, the distribution of genospecies was found to be influenced by the edaphic factors of the respective sampling sites. In general, these results mainly underscore the high genetic diversity of Bambara groundnut-nodulating bradyrhizobia in Ghanaian soils and suggest a possible vast resource of adapted inoculant strains.
A high-quality genome assembly and annotation of the dark-eyed junco Junco hyemalis, a recently diversified songbird
Authors: Friis Guillermo , Vizueta Joel , Ketterson Ellen D , Milá Borja 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
The dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) is one of the most common passerines of North America, and has served as a model organism in studies related to ecophysiology, behavior, and evolutionary biology for over a century. It is composed of at least 6 distinct, geographically structured forms of recent evolutionary origin, presenting remarkable variation in phenotypic traits, migratory behavior, and habitat. Here, we report a high-quality genome assembly and annotation of the dark-eyed junco generated using a combination of shotgun libraries and proximity ligation Chicago and Dovetail Hi-C libraries. The final assembly is ∼1.03 Gb in size, with 98.3% of the sequence located in 30 full or nearly full chromosome scaffolds, and with a N50/L50 of 71.3 Mb/5 scaffolds. We identified 19,026 functional genes combining gene prediction and similarity approaches, of which 15,967 were associated to GO terms. The genome assembly and the set of annotated genes yielded 95.4% and 96.2% completeness scores, respectively when compared with the BUSCO avian dataset. This new assembly for J. hyemalis provides a valuable resource for genome evolution analysis, and for identifying functional genes involved in adaptive processes and speciation.
Response to a Serogroup B Meningococcal Disease Case Among Military Trainees
Authors: Marcus Joseph E , Bennett William N , Frankel Dianne N , Kieffer John W , Casey Theresa M , Huston Amanda E , Hintz Courtney N , Keller Alexander P , Smolka Michael T , Sikorski Cynthia S , Yun Heather C , Dolan Matthew J , Kiley John L 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
We describe the public health response to a military trainee who developed serogroup B meningococcal disease while sharing underwater breathing equipment. Despite high transmission risk, with rapid isolation and postexposure prophylaxis administration, there were no secondary cases. This case supports carefully weighing serogroup B meningococcal vaccination in high-risk settings.
Reconstruction of the origin and dispersal of the worldwide dominant Hepatitis B Virus subgenotype D1
Authors: Trovão Nídia Sequeira , Thijssen Marijn , Vrancken Bram , Pineda-Peña Andrea-Clemencia , Mina Thomas , Amini-Bavil-Olyaee Samad , Lemey Philippe , Baele Guy , Pourkarim Mahmoud Reza 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Hepatitis B is a potentially life-threatening liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). HBV-D1 is the dominant subgenotype in the Mediterranean basin, Eastern Europe, and Asia. However, little is currently known about its evolutionary history and spatio-temporal dynamics. We use Bayesian phylodynamic inference to investigate the temporal history of HBV-D1, for which we calibrate the molecular clock using ancient sequences, and reconstruct the viral global spatial dynamics based, for the first time, on full-length publicly available HBV-D1 genomes from a wide range of sampling dates. We pinpoint the origin of HBV subgenotype D1 before the current era (BCE) in Turkey/Anatolia. The spatial reconstructions reveal global viral transmission with a high degree of mixing. By combining modern-day and ancient sequences, we ensure sufficient temporal signal in HBV-D1 data to enable Bayesian phylodynamic inference using a molecular clock for time calibration. Our results shed light on the worldwide HBV-D1 epidemics and suggest that this originally Middle Eastern virus significantly affects more distant countries, such as those in mainland Europe.
CE: Environments & Health: Chemicals in the Home That Can Exacerbate Asthma
Authors: Polivka Barbara J. , Huntington-Moskos Luz , Folz Rodney , Barnett Russel 
Published: April 2022

ABSTRACT:
Although chemical exposures from cleaning and disinfectant products often go unnoticed or unrecognized, such exposures have been associated with asthma-related symptoms and exacerbations. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) website provides consumer information on a wide range of issues and products related to human health and the environment, including the use of cleaning and disinfectant products, 2,500 of which it has rated in terms of their effects on respiratory function and asthma. In discussing how the use of cleaning and disinfectant products and the frequency of their use may affect asthma control, the authors use the EWG ratings as well as data collected for a study they conducted on older adults with asthma.
e-Cigarette Use and Combustible Cigarette Smoking Initiation Among Youth: Accounting for Time-Varying Exposure and Time-Dependent Confounding
Authors: Harlow Alyssa F. , Stokes Andrew C. , Brooks Daniel R. , Benjamin Emelia J. , Barrington-Trimis Jessica L. , Ross Craig S. 
Published: April 2022

Background:
Youth e-cigarette use is associated with the initiation of combustible cigarette smoking, but prior studies have rarely accounted for time-varying measures of e-cigarette exposure or time-dependent confounding of e-cigarette use and smoking initiation.

Methods:
Using five waves of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (2013–2019), we estimated marginal structural models with inverse probability of treatment and censoring weights to examine the association between time-varying e-cigarette initiation and subsequent cigarette smoking initiation among e-cigarette– and cigarette-naïve youth (12–17 years) at baseline. Time-dependent confounders used as predictors in inverse probability weights included tobacco-related attitudes or beliefs, mental health symptoms, substance use, and tobacco-marketing exposure.

Results:
Among 9,584 youth at baseline, those who initiated e-cigarettes were 2.4 times as likely to subsequently initiate cigarette smoking as youth who did not initiate e-cigarettes (risk ratio = 2.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.1, 2.7), after accounting for time-dependent confounding and selection bias. Among youth who initiated e-cigarettes, more frequent vaping was associated with greater risk of smoking initiation (risk ratio ≥3 days/month = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.4, 2.2; 1–2 days/month = 1.2; 95% CI = 0.93, 1.6 vs. 0 days/month). Weighted marginal structural model estimates were moderately attenuated compared with unweighted estimates adjusted for baseline-only confounders. At the US population level, we estimated over half a million youth initiated cigarette smoking because of prior e-cigarette use over follow-up.

Conclusions:
The association between youth vaping and combustible cigarette smoking persisted after accounting for time-dependent confounding. We estimate that e-cigarette use accounts for a considerable share of cigarette initiation among US youth. See video abstract at, http://links.lww.com/EDE/B937.
Hemoglobin Video Imaging Detects Differences in Aqueous Outflow Between Eyes With and Without Glaucoma During the Water Drinking Test
Authors: Lusthaus Jed A. , Meyer Paul A.R. , McCluskey Peter J. , Martin Keith R. 
Published: April 2022

Précis:
Hemoglobin video imaging (HVI) demonstrates increased aqueous outflow (AO) in response to the water drinking test (WDT) in patients with and without glaucoma. In glaucomatous eyes, increased AO was not sustained, and characteristic flow patterns were seen.

Purpose:
To observe how variations in intraocular pressure (IOP) correlate with the flow of aqueous in episcleral veins.

Design:
Prospective observational cohort study.

Participants:
The WDT increased AO into the episcleral venous system in 30 eyes recruited from Sydney Eye Hospital. A comparison was made between glaucomatous (n=20) and nonglaucomatous eyes (n=10).

Methods:
Each patient had baseline IOP and HVI before drinking 10 mL/kg body weight of water. IOP and HVI were then repeated every 15 minutes for 1 hour. Aqueous column cross-sectional area (AqCA) of the most prominent nasal and temporal aqueous veins was used to semi-quantify conventional AO.

Main Outcome Measures:
Change in IOP and AqCA from baseline during the WDT. Aqueous flow characteristics were also observed.

Results:
Peak IOP elevation above baseline was significantly higher in the glaucoma group, with an average IOP rise of 39.7% on 1.6

1.1 medications, compared with 22.9% in the control group (P=0.04). AqCA significantly increased for glaucomatous and nonglaucomatous eyes in response to water ingestion (P<0.05). AqCA fell by 50% in glaucomatous eyes (P=0.003) and 33% in nonglaucomatous eyes (P=0.08) at study completion compared with the peak measurement. IOP remained >30% elevated in 8 glaucomatous eyes (40%) after 60 minutes and no control eyes. Variations in qualitative aqueous flow patterns were observed in glaucomatous eyes but not in controls.

Conclusions:
AO volume, estimated by AqCA, increases in response to IOP elevation induced by an ingested water bolus in patients with and without glaucoma. The increase in aqueous drainage was not sustained in glaucomatous eyes and may have led to incomplete recovery of IOP. Using HVI in combination with the WDT may assist with clinical decision-making and facilitate the monitoring of responses to treatment.
HLA Homozygosity and Likelihood of Sensitization in Kidney Transplant Candidates
Authors: Rushakoff Joshua A. , Gragert Loren , Pando Marcelo J. , Stewart Darren , Huang Edmund , Kim Irene , Jordan Stanley , Lindblad Kelsi , Zhang Xiaohai , Lalli Peter , Patel Jignesh K. , Kobashigawa Jon A. , Kransdorf Evan P. 
Published: April 2022

Background.
Homozygosity for HLAs has been associated with adverse outcomes after viral infection as well as pregnancy-induced HLA sensitization. We sought to assess the relationship between HLA locus homozygosity and the level of HLA antibody sensitization.

Methods.
We measured sensitization using the calculated panel reactive antibody value for a large cohort of 147 461 patients added to the US OPTN/United Network for Organ Sharing kidney transplant waitlist between December 2014 and December 2019. We used multinomial logistic modeling to compare 62 510 sensitized patients to 84 955 unsensitized controls.

Results.
We found that the number of homozygous HLA loci was strongly associated with the level of sensitization. Within mildly, highly, or extremely sensitized candidates, women displayed a higher relative abundance of HLA homozygosity at multiple HLA loci as compared with men, with attenuation of this effect in Black candidates. In a multivariable logistic model, the number of homozygous HLA loci interacted with female sex but not with other factors associated with sensitization, including recipient ethnicity and a history of prior kidney transplant.

Conclusions.
This study shows that HLA homozygosity is an innate genetic factor that affects the likelihood of HLA sensitization. Further research is needed to identify the immunologic mechanisms that underlie this observation.
Distinct cellular dynamics associated with response to CAR-T therapy for refractory B-cell lymphoma
Authors: Haradhvala Nicholas J. , Leick Mark B. , Maurer Katie , Gohil Satyen H. , Larson Rebecca C. , Yao Ning , Gallagher Kathleen M. E. , Katsis Katelin , Frigault Matthew J. , Southard Jackson , Li Shuqiang , Kann Michael C. , Silva Harrison , Jan Max , Rhrissorrakrai Kahn , Utro Filippo , Levovitz Chaya , Jacobs Raquel A. , Slowik Kara , Danysh Brian P. , Livak Kenneth J. , Parida Laxmi , Ferry Judith , Jacobson Caron , Wu Catherine J. , Getz Gad , Maus Marcela V. 
Published: April 2022

AbstractChimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy has revolutionized the treatment of hematologic malignancies. Approximately half of patients with refractory large B-cell lymphomas achieve durable responses from CD19-targeting CAR-T treatment; however, failure mechanisms are identified in only a fraction of cases. To gain novel insights into the basis of clinical response, we performed single-cell transcriptome sequencing of 105 pre- and post-treatment peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples, and infusion products collected from 32 individuals with high-grade B cell lymphoma treated with either of two CD19 CAR-T products: axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) or tisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel). Expansion of proliferative memory-like CD8 clones was a hallmark of tisa-cel response, whereas axi-cel responders displayed more heterogeneous populations. Elevations in CAR-T regulatory cells (CAR-Tregs) among non-responders to axi-cel were detected, and these populations were capable of suppressing conventional CAR-T cell expansion and driving late relapses in an in vivo model. Our analyses reveal the temporal dynamics of effective responses to CAR-T therapy, the distinct molecular phenotypes of CAR-T cells with differing designs, and the capacity for even small increases in CAR-Tregs to drive relapse.