bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Future of biomedical, agricultural, and biological systems research using domesticated animals
Authors: Spencer Thomas E , Wells Kevin D , Lee Kiho , Telugu Bhanu P , Hansen Peter J , Bartol Frank F , Blomberg LeAnn , Schook Lawrence B , Dawson Harry , Lunney Joan K , Driver John P , Davis Teresa A , Donovan Sharon M , Dilger Ryan N , Saif Linda J , Moeser Adam , McGill Jodi L , Smith George , Ireland James J 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Increased knowledge of reproduction and health of domesticated animals is integral to sustain and improve global competitiveness of U.S. animal agriculture, understand and resolve complex animal and human diseases, and advance fundamental research in sciences that are critical to understanding mechanisms of action and identifying future targets for interventions. Historically, federal and state budgets have dwindled and funding for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) competitive grants programs remained relatively stagnant from 1985 through 2010. This shortage in critical financial support for basic and applied research, coupled with the underappreciated knowledge of the utility of non-rodent species for biomedical research, hindered funding opportunities for research involving livestock and limited improvements in both animal agriculture and animal and human health. In 2010, the National Institutes of Health and USDA NIFA established an interagency partnership to promote the use of agriculturally important animal species in basic and translational research relevant to both biomedicine and agriculture. This interagency program supported 61 grants totaling over $107 million with 23 awards to new or early-stage investigators. This article will review the success of the 9-year Dual Purpose effort and highlight opportunities for utilizing domesticated agricultural animals in research.
The interleukin-6 trans-signaling promotes progesterone production in human granulosa-lutein cells
Authors: Li Sai-Jiao , Chang Hsun-Ming , Wang Jeremy H , Yang Jing , Leung Peter C K 
Published: January 2022

AbstractAs a critical paracrine regulator of multiple reproductive functions, the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) is expressed in human granulosa cells and can be detected in follicular fluid. At present, the functional role of IL-6 in the regulation of ovarian steroidogenesis is controversial. Moreover, the detailed molecular mechanisms by which IL-6 regulates the production of progesterone in human granulosa cells remain to be elucidated. In the present study, we used primary and immortalized human granulosa-lutein (hGL) cells to investigate the effects of IL-6 on progesterone synthesis and the underlying molecular mechanisms. We found that IL-6 trans-signaling by the combined addition of IL-6 and soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6Rα)-induced steroidogenic acute regulatory expression and progesterone production in hGL cells. Additionally, IL-6/sIL-6Rα activated the phosphorylation of Janus activated kinase 2 (JAK2) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), and the cellular effects were abolished by AG490 (JAK2 inhibitor), C188-9 (STAT3 inhibitor), or siRNA-mediated knockdown of STAT3. IL-6 trans-signaling-induced activation of JAK2/STAT3 also upregulated the expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling 3, which, in turn, negatively regulated the JAK2/STAT3 pathway by suppressing STAT3 activation and its downstream effects. Our findings provide insight into the molecular mechanisms by which IL-6 trans-signaling modulates steroidogenesis in hGL cells.
Blocking serine protease activity prevents semenogelin degradation leading to hyperviscous semen in humans
Authors: Anamthathmakula Prashanth , Erickson Jeffery A , Winuthayanon Wipawee 
Published: January 2022

AbstractProstate-specific antigen (PSA) is a prostate-specific serine protease enzyme that hydrolyzes gel-forming proteins (semenogelins) and changes the semen from gel-like to watery viscosity, a process called semen liquefaction. Highly viscous semen and abnormal liquefaction reduce sperm motility and contribute to infertility. Previously, we showed that nonspecific serine protease inhibitor (AEBSF) prevented proteolytic degradation of semenogelin in mice. However, it is unclear whether similar effect could be recapitulated in fresh human ejaculates. Therefore, in this study we evaluated the effect of AEBSF on the degradation of semenogelin (SEMG1) and its subsequent impact on semen liquefaction and sperm motility in fresh semen ejaculates collected from healthy men. We found that AEBSF showed a dual contraceptive action where it effectively 1) prevented degradation of SEMG1 resulting in viscous semen and 2) decreased sperm motility in human semen samples. However, the impact of AEBSF on sperm motility and viability could be due to its inhibitory activity toward other serine proteases or simply due to its toxicity. Therefore, to determine whether inhibition of PSA activity alone could disrupt SEMG1 degradation and contribute to hyperviscous semen, a neutralizing PSA antibody was used. We found that PSA antibody effectively prevented SEMG1 degradation with a subtle impact on sperm motility. These findings suggest that the target inhibition of PSA activity can prevent proteolytic degradation of SEMG1 and block liquefaction process, resulting in hyperviscous semen. As it is currently unknown if blocking semen liquefaction alone could prevent pregnancy, it needs further extensive studies before drawing any translational conclusions.
The Coronavirus Act’s Easements to the Care Act 2014: A Pragmatic Response or a Red Herring?
Authors: Baginsky Mary , Thomas Emily , Manthorpe Jill 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Easements to the Care Act 2014 were introduced in England in Spring 2020 to support local authorities (LAs) who were dealing with the impact of COVID-19 on adult social care. They were adopted by a small number of LAs that only kept them in place for a very short period. This article draws on the limited literature covering easements and on a synthesis of the views of twenty key informants with professional experiences of social care policy, advocacy, practice and law. It covers the way they were introduced and the opposition which they attracted, as well as contrasting views on the nature and necessity of easements. It also records the perceptions of interviewees on the rationale for the decisions taken to adopt or not adopt them. The article examines the reasons why government thought they should be in place and the concerns of some of those in the voluntary, human rights and legal sectors who challenged their introduction and operation. Whilst the findings contain messages for how to approach the management of a similar crisis in the future, the study identified a lack of evidence of the impact of easements on those using social care as well as their carers.
Devolved Budgets in Children’s Social Care: A Logic Model Based on Three Pilot Evaluations
Authors: Westlake David , Corliss Cindy , Thompson Sarah , Meindl Melissa , Diaz Clive , Talwar Ria , Folkes Louise 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
A lack of basic resources and financial difficulties affect many families and increase risks to children. Social workers’ ability to help is limited by scarce resources, and managers usually control the financial and material help that is available, making it difficult to access directly. This article reports on a mixed methods evaluation of ‘devolved budgets’ (DBs), an intervention where social workers could use up to £10,000 to help families directly and reduce the need for children to enter care. The devolution of decision making to workers was a key feature of the intervention, and many needed encouragement and support to use DBs, exercised caution and spent less than expected. Resources were used to access additional help quickly, though often in circumstances where there was no immediate likelihood of a child entering care. We present a logic model which delineates two pathways through which we theorise DBs to operate: by (1) resources being dedicated to a family’s needs and (2) improved worker–family relationships. By illustrating the erosion of practical support within the social work role, our findings substantiate critiques of managerialism. As a way forward, we argue for greater trust in social workers’ judgement.
Preliminary studies on variation in the micromorphology of the seed coat inHabenaria s.l.(Orchidaceae) and relatives
Authors: Rewicz Agnieszka , Kolanowska Marta , Kras Marta , Szlachetko Dariusz L 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThere are many studies on the biology, ecology and infrageneric classification of the cosmopolitan orchid genus Habenaria. However, there are few data on the seed morphology of species in this genus. The aim of this study was to analyse the seed morphology of Habenaria and related taxa (111 species in total). The species of Habenaria s.l. studied are mostly characterized by a scobiform seed, but the form of individual seed coat cells varies between and among some species. In most of the species analysed, the cell walls are arranged mostly along the main axis of a seed. The size of the embryos and the volume of seeds and embryos also varied in Habenaria. The periclinal wall of the cells in the seed coat of most of the taxa examined is smooth, but there are several species with distinct ornamentation on this wall (slanting ridges, transverse ridges, reticulate ridges). The periclinal wall could be used in taxonomic delimitations, especially when combined with additional features such as seed size, shape and arrangement of the cells in the seed coat. Although many of the morphological groups in Habenaria s.l. were included in this study, no qualitative seed characters that could be helpful in establishing an alternative infrageneric division of this taxon were previously recognized.
Alpha oscillations in left perisylvian cortices support semantic processing and predict performance
Authors: Rempe Maggie P , Spooner Rachel K , Taylor Brittany K , Eastman Jacob A , Schantell Mikki , Embury Christine M , Heinrichs-Graham Elizabeth , Wilson Tony W 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Semantic processing is the ability to discern and maintain conceptual relationships among words and objects. While the neural circuits serving semantic representation and controlled retrieval are well established, the neuronal dynamics underlying these processes are poorly understood. Herein, we examined 25 healthy young adults who completed a semantic relation word-matching task during magnetoencephalography (MEG). MEG data were examined in the time–frequency domain and significant oscillatory responses were imaged using a beamformer. Whole-brain statistical analyses were conducted to compare semantic-related to length-related neural oscillatory responses. Time series were extracted to visualize the dynamics and were linked to task performance using structural equation modeling. The results indicated that participants had significantly longer reaction times in semantic compared to length trials. Robust MEG responses in the theta (3–6 Hz), alpha (10–16 Hz), and gamma (64–76 Hz and 64–94 Hz) bands were observed in parieto-occipital and frontal cortices. Whole-brain analyses revealed stronger alpha oscillations in a left-lateralized network during semantically related relative to length trials. Importantly, stronger alpha oscillations in the left superior temporal gyrus during semantic trials predicted faster responses. These data reinforce existing literature and add novel temporal evidence supporting the executive role of the semantic control network in behavior.
Categorising Endoscopic Severity of Crohn’s Disease Using the Modified Multiplier SES-CD [MM-SES-CD]
Authors: Narula Neeraj , Pray Cara , Wong Emily C L , Colombel Jean-Frederic , Marshall John K , Daperno Marco , Reinisch Walter , Dulai Parambir S 
Published: January 2022

Abstract

Background and Aims
Current endoscopic scoring indices such as the Simple Endoscopic Score for Crohn’s Disease [SES-CD] quantify the degree of mucosal inflammation in Crohn’s disease [CD] but lack prognostic potential. The Modified Multiplier of the SES-CD [MM-SES-CD] quantifies the endoscopic burden of CD and can be accessed online [https://www.mcmasteribd.com/mm-ses-cd]. This analysis aims to establish MM-SES-CD thresholds that classify CD endoscopic burden into inactive/very mild, mild, moderate, and severe disease based on the probability of achieving endoscopic remission [ER] on active therapy at 1 year.

Methods
This post-hoc analysis included pooled data from three CD clinical trials [n = 350 patients, baseline SES-CD ≥3 with ulceration]. Disease category severity was determined using the maximum Youden Index. Achievement of ER between severity categories was compared using chi square tests. Time to clinical remission [CR] was compared using Kaplan-Meier survival curves.

Results
MM-SES-CD severity categories were established as very mild/remission [score &lt;14], mild [≥14 to &lt;31], moderate [≥31 to &lt;45], and severe [≥45], which were predictive of 1-year ER [50%, 30.3%, 21.7%, 8.8%, respectively, p &lt;0.001]. Lower MM-SES-CD scores had numerically higher rates of 1-year clinical remission [CR], and time to 1-year CR was superior to those with higher scores [p = 0.0492]. MM-SES-CD thresholds for achieving 1-year ileal ER among 75 patients with isolated ileal disease were established as mild [score &lt;14], moderate [≥14 to &lt;33], and severe [≥33], which were predictive of 1-year ER [66.7%, 33.3%, 13.3%, respectively, p = 0.027].

Conclusions
We have established numerical MM-SES-CD cut-offs that categorise endoscopic disease severity and have demonstrated that they are prognostic for 1-year ER and CR.
Financial Frictions and Firm Informality: A General Equilibrium Perspective
Authors: Franjo Luis , Pouokam Nathalie , Turino Francesco 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThis paper assesses the extent to which financial development and informality are related, and how this relation translates into differences in GDP and TFP across countries. To this end, we develop a quantitative life-cycle general equilibrium model of occupational choice with imperfect tax enforcement, in which informal entrepreneurs have no access to credit and face an endogenous probability of being caught for tax evasion. Our quantitative analysis shows that the degree of financial frictions of a country is crucial in shaping the firm’s incentives to evade taxation, a feature that, in the aggregate, results into a non-linear relationship between financial development and both the size of informality and GDP per capita. We test these model’s predictions with cross-country data and find supporting evidence in favour of both non-linearities.
Pulmonary metastasectomy for metastatic head and neck cancer prolongs survival significantly compared to non-surgical therapy
Authors: Schlachtenberger Georg , Doerr Fabian , Menghesha Hruy , Heldwein Matthias B , Lauinger Patrick , Wolber Philipp , Klussmann Jens Peter , Wahlers Thorsten , Hekmat Khosro 
Published: January 2022

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Pulmonary metastasectomy (PM) is an established procedure for selected patients with metastatic head and neck cancer (HNC). Non-surgical therapy in the form of chemo- and immunotherapy and checkpoint inhibitors and radiation therapy are also treatment options. There are no randomized controlled trials comparing PM with non-surgical therapy. Here, we retrospectively compare the long-term survival of patients, undergoing PM with patients receiving non-surgical therapy.

METHODS
All HNC patients with pulmonary metastases were included, if the primary HNC was treated curatively and distant metastases, apart from the lungs were excluded. The pulmonary metastases were confirmed by biopsy as metastases of the HNC primary tumour in the non-surgical therapy group. To further clarify that PM prolonged survival, a propensity score-matched analysis was performed.

RESULTS
Between January 2010 and December 2020, 62 HNC patients with isolated pulmonary metastases were included in our analysis. Thirty-three underwent PM and 29 received non-surgical therapy. Histology, tumour stage and localization of the primary HNC did not differ between groups. The number of metastases, age and ASA classification did also not differ between the groups. Patients undergoing PM showed significantly better 1- (n = 31; 93.5% vs n = 19; 65.5%; P = 0.006), 3- (n = 17; 72.2% vs n = 9; 30.4%; P = 0.004) and 5-year (n = 10; 53.4% vs n = 4; 20.0%; P = 0.001) survival rates, compared to patients receiving non-surgical therapy.

CONCLUSIONS
Patients with pulmonary metastatic HNC undergoing PM had a significantly better overall survival compared to patients receiving non-surgical therapy. Therefore, selected patients should undergo PM to improve survival.
Heart–brain interactions in cardiac and brain diseases: why sex matters
Authors: Rossi Alexia , Mikail Nidaa , Bengs Susan , Haider Ahmed , Treyer Valerie , Buechel Ronny Ralf , Wegener Susanne , Rauen Katrin , Tawakol Ahmed , Bairey Merz C Noel , Regitz-Zagrosek Vera , Gebhard Catherine 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Cardiovascular disease and brain disorders, such as depression and cognitive dysfunction, are highly prevalent conditions and are among the leading causes limiting patient’s quality of life. A growing body of evidence has shown an intimate crosstalk between the heart and the brain, resulting from a complex network of several physiological and neurohumoral circuits. From a pathophysiological perspective, both organs share common risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes, smoking or dyslipidaemia, and are similarly affected by systemic inflammation, atherosclerosis, and dysfunction of the neuroendocrine system. In addition, there is an increasing awareness that physiological interactions between the two organs play important roles in potentiating disease and that sex- and gender-related differences modify those interactions between the heart and the brain over the entire lifespan. The present review summarizes contemporary evidence of the effect of sex on heart–brain interactions and how these influence pathogenesis, clinical manifestation, and treatment responses of specific heart and brain diseases.
Comparisons ofin situ Vp/Vs ratios and seismic characteristics between northern and southern California
Authors: Lin Guoqing , Peng Zhigang , Neves Miguel 
Published: January 2022

SUMMARYWe present our estimations and comparisons of the in situ Vp/Vs ratios and seismicity characteristics for the Parkfield segment of the San Andreas fault in northern California and the San Jacinto Fault Zone and its adjacent regions in southern California. Our results show that the high-resolution in situ Vp/Vs ratios are much more complex than the tomographic Vp/Vs models. They show similar variation patterns to those in the tomographic Vp models, indicating that Vp/Vs ratios are controlled by material properties but are also strongly influenced by fluid contents. In Parkfield, we observe velocity contrasts between the creeping and locked sections. In southern California, we see small-scale anomalous Vp/Vs variation patterns, especially where fault segments intersect, terminate and change orientations. In addition, our investigation confirms that the seismicity in Parkfield is more repeatable than in southern California. However, the earthquakes in the southernmost portion of the San Andreas fault, the trifurcation area of the San Jacinto Fault Zone and the Imperial fault are as much likely falling into clusters as those in Parkfield. The correlation of highly similar events with anomalous in situ Vp/Vs ratios supports the important role of fluids in the occurrence of repeating earthquakes. The high-resolution Vp/Vs ratio estimation method and the corresponding results are helpful for revealing roles of fluids in driving earthquake, fault interaction and stress distribution in fault zones.
Breastfeeding Patterns in Mothers with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Pilot Prospective Longitudinal Study
Authors: Tandon Parul , Lee Eugenia , Jogendran Rohit , Kroeker Karen I , Dieleman Levinus A , Halloran Brendan , Wong Karen , Berga Keri-Ann , Huang Vivian 
Published: January 2022

Abstract

Background
Breastfeeding practices in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remain unknown. We aimed to characterize these practices and describe factors that may lead to early discontinuation.

Methods
This was a pilot, prospective, longitudinal study enrolling mothers with IBD from 2014 to 2017. Patients completed surveys on breastfeeding at time of delivery and up to 12 months postpartum. Breastfeeding discontinuation rates were reported for all patients with IBD and compared between patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Reproductive knowledge was defined using the Crohn’s and Colitis Pregnancy Knowledge score. The Mann-Whitney U test assessed for differences between continuous variables, whereas categorical variables were compared using the chi-square test.

Results
A total of 74 mothers with IBD were included, 47 with ulcerative colitis and 27 with Crohn’s disease. Breastfeeding rates in mothers with IBD was 94.6% at delivery, 73.9% at 3 months postpartum, 55.2% at 6 months postpartum, and 30.1% at 12 months postpartum. The most common reasons for discontinuing breastfeeding before 6 months postpartum included perceived insufficient milk production and concerns of infant medication exposure through breast milk. Compared with those who continued breastfeeding beyond 6 months postpartum, those who discontinued had lower median Crohn’s and Colitis Pregnancy Knowledge scores (14.0 vs 9.0; P = .04).

Conclusions
Though most mothers with IBD initiate breastfeeding at time of delivery, about half continue beyond 6 months postpartum. Common reasons for this include perceived insufficient milk production and medication concerns. Larger studies are required to validate our findings in more generalizable settings such as primary and secondary care.