bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal assessment of ROPRO as an early indicator of overall survival in oncology clinical trials: a retrospective analysis
Authors: Loureiro H. , Kolben T. M. , Kiermaier A. , Rüttinger D. , Ahmidi N. , Becker T. , Bauer-Mehren A. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractBackgroundThe gold standard to evaluate treatment efficacy in oncology clinical trials is Overall Survival (OS). Its utility, however, is limited by the need for long trial duration and large sample sizes. Thus methods such as Progression-Free Survival (PFS) are applied to obtain early OS estimates across clinical trial phases, particularly to decide on further development of new molecular entities. Especially for cancer-immunotherapy, these established methods may be less suitable. Therefore, alternative approaches to obtain early OS estimates are required. In this work, we present a first evaluation of a new method, ΔRisk. ΔRisk uses the ROPRO, a state-of-the-art pan-cancer OS prognostic score, or DeepROPRO to predict OS benefit by measuring the patient’s improvement since baseline.Patients and methodsWe modeled the ΔRisk using Joint Models and tested whether a significant ΔRisk decrease correlated with OS improvement. We studied this hypothesis by comparing classical OS analysis against ΔRisk in a retrospective analysis of 12 real-world data emulated clinical trials, and 3 additional recent phase III immunotherapy clinical trials.ResultsOur new ΔRisk method correlated with the final OS readout in 14 out of 15 clinical trials. The ΔRisk, however, identified the treatment benefit up to seven months earlier than the OS log-rank test. Additionally, in two immunotherapy trials where PFS would have failed as an early OS estimate, the ΔRisk correctly predicted the treatment benefit.ConclusionsWe introduced a new method, ΔRisk, and demonstrated its correlation with OS. In retrospective analysis, ΔRisk is able to identify OS benefit earlier than standard methodology, and we show examples of lung cancer trials, where it maintains its predictive relevance whereas PFS does not correlate with OS. ΔRisk may prove useful for early decision support resulting in reduced need of resources. We also show the potential of ΔRisk as a candidate to define surrogate endpoints. To this purpose, more methodological work and further investigation of treatment-specific performance will be done in the future.
Diagnostic Performance of Deep Learning in Infectious Keratitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol
Authors: Ong Zun Zheng , Sadek Youssef , Liu Xiaoxuan , Qureshi Riaz , Liu Su-Hsun , Li Tianjing , Sounderajah Viknesh , Ashrafian Hutan , Ting Daniel S. W. , Said Dalia G. , Mehta Jodhbir S. , Burton Matthew J. , Dua Harminder S. , Ting Darren S. J. 
Published: October 2022

ABSTRACTIntroductionInfectious keratitis (IK) represents the 5thleading cause of blindness worldwide. A delay in diagnosis is often a major factor in progression to irreversible visual impairment and/or blindness from IK. The diagnostic challenge is further compounded by low microbiological culture yield, long turnaround time, poorly differentiated clinical features, and polymicrobial infections. In recent years, deep learning (DL), a subfield of artificial intelligence, has rapidly emerged as a promising tool in assisting automated medical diagnosis, clinical triage and decision making, and improving workflow efficiency in healthcare services. Recent studies have demonstrated the potential of using DL in assisting the diagnosis of IK, though the accuracy remains to be elucidated. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to critically examine and compare the performance of various DL models with clinical experts and/or microbiological results (the current “gold standard”) in diagnosing IK, with an aim to inform practice on the clinical applicability and deployment of DL-assisted diagnostic models.Methods and analysisThis review will consider studies that included application of any DL models to diagnose patients with suspected IK, encompassing bacterial, fungal, protozoal and/or viral origins. We will search various electronic databases, including EMBASE and MEDLINE. There will be no restriction to the language and publication date. Two independent reviewers will assess the titles, abstracts and full-text articles. Extracted data will include details of each primary studies, including title, year of publication, authors, types of DL models used, populations, sample size, decision threshold, and diagnostic performance. We will perform meta-analyses for the included primary studies when there are sufficient similarities in outcome reporting.Ethics and disseminationNo ethical approval is required for this systematic review. We plan to disseminate our findings via presentation/publication in a peer-reviewed journal.Protocol registrationThis systematic review protocol will be registered with the PROSPERO after peer review.STRENGTH AND LIMITATIONS OF THIS STUDY- This study will serve as the most up-to-date systematic review and meta-analysis specifically evaluating the diagnostic performance of deep learning in infectious keratitis.- The quality of the study will depend on the quality of the available published literature related to this topic.- This study will help identify the gaps in the current clinical evidence, which may be related to study design, quality of the research methodologies, setting of reference standard, risk of bias, and outcome reporting.
Timing matters: Sex differences in acute and chronic outcomes following repetitive blast mild traumatic brain injury
Authors: Baskin Britahny M. , Logsdon Aric F. , Lee Suhjung Janet , Foresi Brian D. , Peskind Elaine , Banks William A. , Cook David G. , Schindler Abigail G. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractBackgroundRepetitive blast-related mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) caused by exposure to high explosives is increasingly common among warfighters as well as civilians. While women have been serving in military positions with increased risk of blast exposure since 2016, there are few published reports examining sex as a biological variable in models of blast mTBI, greatly limiting diagnosis and treatment capabilities. As such, here we examined acute and chronic outcomes of repetitive blast trauma in female and male mice in relation to potential behavioral, inflammatory, microbiome, and vascular dysfunction.MethodsIn this study we utilized a well-established blast overpressure model to induce repetitive (3x) blast-mTBI in both female and male mice. Acutely following repetitive exposure, we measured serum and brain cytokine levels, blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, fecal microbial abundance, and locomotion and anxiety-like behavior in the open field assay. Chronically, in female and male mice we assessed behavioral correlates of mTBI and PTSD-related symptoms commonly reported by Veterans with a history of blast-mTBI using the elevated zero maze, acoustic startle, and conditioned odorant aversion paradigms.ResultsRepetitive blast exposure resulted in both similar and disparate patterns of acute serum and brain cytokine as well as gut microbiome changes in female and male mice. Acute BBB disruption following repetitive blast exposure was apparent in both sexes. While female and male blast mice both exhibited acute locomotor and anxiety-like deficits in the open field assay, only male mice exhibited chronic adverse behavioral outcomes.DiscussionRepresenting a novel survey of potential sex differences following repetitive blast trauma, our results demonstrate unique similar yet divergent patterns of blast-induced dysfunction in female vs. male mice and highlight novel targets for future diagnosis and therapeutic development.
Comparative effectiveness of natalizumab and fingolimod and injectable therapies in patients with pediatric multiple sclerosis: A registry-based retrospective cohort study
Authors: Spelman Tim , Simoneau Gabrielle , Hyde Robert , Kuhelj Robert , Alroughani Raed , Ozakbas Serkan , Karabudak Rana , Yamout Bassem , Khoury Samia J. , Terzi Murat , Boz Cavit , Horakova Dana , Havrdova Eva Kubala , Weinstock-Guttman Bianca , Patti Francesco , Altintas Ayse , Mrabet Saloua , Inshasi Jihad , Butzkueven Helmut 
Published: October 2022

ABSTRACTBackground and ObjectivesPatients with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) typically experience higher levels of inflammation with more frequent relapses and reach irreversible disability at a younger age than adult-onset patients. There have been few randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials of multiple sclerosis (MS) disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in patients with POMS, and most available data are based on observational studies of off-label use of DMTs approved for adults. We assessed the effectiveness of natalizumab compared with fingolimod using injectable platform therapies as a reference in pediatric patients in the global MSBase registry.MethodsThis retrospective study included patients with POMS who initiated treatment with an injectable DMT, natalizumab, or fingolimod between January 1, 2006, and May 3, 2021 (N=1218). The primary outcome was the time to first relapse from index therapy initiation. Secondary study outcomes included annualized relapse rate; proportions of relapse-free patients at 1, 2, and 5 years post baseline; time to treatment discontinuation; and times to 24-week confirmed disability worsening and confirmed disability improvement.ResultsPatients treated with fingolimod had a significantly lower risk of relapse than patients treated with injectable DMT (hazard ratio [HR], 0.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.29–0.83;P=0.008). After adjustment for prior DMT experience in the unmatched sample, patients treated with natalizumab had a significantly lower risk of relapse than patients treated either with injectable DMT (HR, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.07–0.31;P<0.001) or fingolimod (HR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.14–1.00;P=0.049). The adjusted secondary study outcomes were generally consistent with the primary outcome or with previous observations. The findings in the inverse probability treatment weighting–adjusted patient populations were confirmed in multiple sensitivity analyses.DiscussionOur results suggest that natalizumab and fingolimod have broadly equivalent therapeutic efficacies in patients with POMS, consistent with previous studies of natalizumab and fingolimod in adult-onset patients and POMS. However, analyses of relapse outcomes suggest natalizumab is superior to fingolimod in the control of relapses in this population with high rates of new inflammatory activity.Classification of EvidenceThis study provides Class III evidence that natalizumab may provide better disease control than fingolimod in patients with POMS.
Longitudinal Hierarchical Bayesian models of covariate effects on airway and alveolar nitric oxide
Authors: Weng Jingying , Molshatzki Noa , Marjoram Paul , Gauderman W. James , Gilliland Frank D. , Eckel Sandrah P. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractBiomarkers such as exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), a marker of airway inflammation, have applications in the study of chronic respiratory disease where longitudinal studies of within-participant changes in the biomarker are particularly relevant. A cutting-edge approach to assessing FeNO, called multiple flow FeNO, repeatedly assesses FeNO across a range of expiratory flow rates at a single visit and combines these data with a deterministic model of lower respiratory tract NO to estimate parameters quantifying airway wall and alveolar NO sources. Previous methodological work for multiple flow FeNO has focused on methods for data from a single participant or from cross-sectional studies. Performance of existingad hoctwo-stage methods for longitudinal multiple flow FeNO in cohort or panel studies has not been evaluated. In this paper, we present a novel longitudinal extension to a unified hierarchical Bayesian (L_U_HB) model relating longitudinally assessed multiple flow FeNO to covariates. In several simulation study scenarios, we compare the L_U_HB method to other unified and two-stage frequentist methods. In general, L_U_HB produced unbiased estimates, had good power, and its performance was not sensitive to the magnitude of the association with a covariate and correlations between NO parameters. In an application relating height to longitudinal multiple flow FeNO in schoolchildren without asthma, unified analysis methods estimated positive, statistically significant associations of height with airway and alveolar NO concentrations and negative associations with airway wall diffusivity while estimates from two-stage methods were smaller in magnitude and sometimes non-significant.
The kleisin subunit controls the function of meiotic cohesins by determining the mode of DNA binding and differential regulation by SCC-2 and WAPL-1
Authors: Castellano-Pozo Maikel , Sioutas Georgios , Barroso Consuelo , Lopez-Jimenez Pablo , Jaso-Tamame Angel Luis , Crawley Oliver , Shao Nan , Page Jesus , Martinez-Perez Enrique 
Published: October 2022

AbstractThe cohesin complex plays essential roles in chromosome segregation, 3D genome organisation, and DNA damage repair through its ability to modify DNA topology. In higher eukaryotes, meiotic chromosome function, and therefore fertility, requires cohesin complexes containing meiosis-specific kleisin subunits: REC8 and RAD21L in mammals and REC-8 and COH-3/4 inC. elegans. How these complexes perform the multiple functions of cohesin during meiosis and whether this involves different modes of DNA binding or dynamic association with chromosomes is poorly understood. Combining time-resolved methods of protein removal with live imaging and exploiting the temporospatial organisation of theC. elegansgermline, we show that REC-8 complexes provide sister chromatid cohesion (SCC) and DNA repair, while COH-3/4 complexes control higher-order chromosome structure. High-abundance COH-3/4 complexes associate dynamically with individual chromatids in a manner dependent on cohesin loading (SCC-2) and removal (WAPL-1) factors. In contrast, low-abundance REC-8 complexes associate stably with chromosomes, tethering sister chromatids from S-phase until the meiotic divisions. Our results reveal that kleisin identity determines the function of meiotic cohesin by controlling the mode and regulation of cohesin-DNA association, and are consistent with a model in which SCC and DNA looping are performed by variant cohesin complexes that coexist on chromosomes.
Succession management and corporate sustainability in Ghana: a leadership succession paradox
Authors: Kpinpuo Stephen Debar , Antwi John , Akparep John Yaw 
Published: October 2022

Purpose
A core responsibility of organizational leaders in a world of increasing competition for best talents is positioning right persons and plans for sustainable growth and progress of their respective organizations. However, attracting top talents for key positions is meaningless if it is not backed by winning retention or succession strategies. This paper aims to assess succession management techniques in the Nzema East District (NED) of Ghana to determine incumbent reliability on its own succession knowledge, practice and sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach
Through a cross-organizational investigation, this study used qualitative approaches to explore succession knowledge and practice as they relate to effective management and sustainability of selected NED organizations. In all, 60 purposively selected participants were involved in the study.

Findings
This study revealed not only that most NED organizational leaders have no succession plans but also that some senior management officials of these organizations, much as their subordinates, lack knowledge and practice of the concept altogether. It also emerged that a leadership succession paradox, where management expressed profound interest in succession planning (SP) learning and practice, adopting SP as a strategic tool and in using SP as insurance for sustainability of NED firms, but presides over the contrary, characterized much of NED management activity.

Research limitations/implications
As a case study, this research is limited in terms of generalizability, but its implications are quite limitless.

Originality/value
The originality of this study lies in an emerging leadership succession paradox where business executives advocate what, in practice and theory, they are themselves opposed to. Contrary to the logic that we practice what we learn, succession management in NED organizations is not only unethical but also paradoxical. This study has not been published and is not being considered for publication anywhere else.
Collateral imposition and financial inclusion: a case study among Islamic banks and MSMEs in Indonesia
Authors: Saifurrahman Adi , Kassim Salina 
Published: October 2022

PurposeThe primary objective of this paper is to identify and compare the collateral imposition practices among Islamic banks in Indonesia to serve micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) clients and explore the experiences and perceptions of MSME entrepreneurs pertaining to collateralisation in MSME financing.Design/methodology/approachThis study was carried out by implementing a case study research strategy. The data was gathered primarily through the interview by utilising purposive uncontrolled quota sampling. The interview was conducted using semi-structured interview questions by targeting the two sides of Islamic financial inclusion: the Islamic banking industry (supply-side) and the MSME segment (demand-side).FindingsThis paper implies that the collateral provision is indeed an obligatory requirement for MSME to access regular financing in an Islamic bank, preferably the immovable type that consists of land and property. Subsequently, although the Islamic banks offer non-collateralised financing, their disbursement is still relatively scant and limited. Furthermore, despite the collateral issues, most MSME entrepreneurs positively perceive the bank’s collateralisation practice, indicating their awareness and understanding of the collateral purpose and function to access the financing facility.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper merely observed six Islamic bank institutions and 22 MSME units in urban and rural areas in Indonesia using a case study approach. Therefore, the empirical findings and case discussions were limited to those around the corresponding Islamic banks and MSME participants.Practical implicationsBy referring to the several disclosed issues associated with the collateral imposition practices, this paper presents several recommendations that might be considered by the policymakers and the Islamic banking industry to enhance the realisation of MSME Islamic financial inclusion from the collateral implementation aspect, and thereby, facilitating more inclusive growth for the MSME industry.Originality/valueThis paper is unique since the paper attempts to analyse and compare the collateral imposition practices and its perception from the two distinct sides of Islamic financial inclusion that were represented by Islamic banks and MSMEs in Indonesia by including different types of Islamic banks and different segments of MSME in their diverse business sector within the urban and rural locations.
Racial/ethnic differences in mobile payment usage: what do we know, and what do we need to know?
Authors: Nam Youngwon , Lee Sunwoo Tessa , Kim Kyoung Tae 
Published: October 2022

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the racial/ethnic differences in mobile payment use and to explore the contributing factors to the differences.Design/methodology/approachThis study used the 2018 National Financial Capability Study (NFCS) dataset to examine racial/ethnic disparities in mobile payment use. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to confirm racial/ethnic differences, and Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition analyses were performed to identify which factors explain the differences among the groups.FindingsThe authors discovered that Whites use mobile payment less than Blacks, Hispanics and Asians/others. The results revealed that prior experiences with mobile financial services, including transfer, banking and budgeting applications, all play considerable roles in explaining the disparities between Whites and other racial/ethnic groups.Originality/valueThis is one of the few studies to examine racial/ethnic disparities in mobile payment use with a particular focus on the influence of users' past experience with technology. The results provide insights for researchers, professionals, educators and policymakers into ways to promote future use of mobile payment.
Time to tell a different story? Positive and negative follower perceptions of their leaders' storytelling
Authors: Stark Johannes , Reif Julia A.M. 
Published: October 2022

PurposeDefying conventional wisdom, leaders' storytelling may have ambiguous and even negative effects on followers. Built upon transformational leadership and leader -member exchange theory, the intention-perception model of storytelling in leadership provides a framework to systematically explain when and why unintended effects of storytelling happen. Despite its theoretical and practical relevance, a quantitative evaluation of the model's main assumptions, and particularly of followers' perceptions of leader storytelling, is still pending.Design/methodology/approachThe authors developed a scale to assess followers' story perceptions in study 1 (N = 79) and confirmed the scale's structure in study 2, an online cross-sectional field study (N = 60). In study 2, the authors also tested a main assumption of the intention-perception model of storytelling, that is, the relationship between followers' story perceptions and story effects, mediated via followers' affective arousal.FindingsData revealed that story effects indeed depend on followers' perception of the story. In particular, the better a leader's story met followers' needs (need-supply fit), the more adequate the input load transported by the story (story load), the more positive followers' appraisal of their leader's story (story appraisal) and the more positive affective reactions and positive effects of storytelling (transformation, leader -member exchange quality, and trust in the leader) followers perceived.Practical implicationsThe authors provide practical insights into how leaders may improve their storytelling by tailoring their stories to the expectations and needs of their followers.Originality/valueTaking a follower-centric perspective on a common leadership practice (i.e. storytelling), the present research provides first support for the intention-perception model of storytelling in leadership.
Mediation as an Alternative Dispute Resolution to resolve interpersonal conflicts in Hong Kong universities
Authors: Lau Aaron C.K. 
Published: October 2022

PurposeThis paper aims to provide insight into mediation as an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to resolve interpersonal conflicts for undergraduate students in Hong Kong.Design/methodology/approachMixed methods research approach was utilised to examine university students' understanding of dispute resolution at their respective universities in Hong Kong, and factors that may influence their decision to utilize ADR on campus.FindingsThe tendency for university students in Hong Kong to voice criticisms was low due to: (1) unawareness of proper grievance channels; and (2) fear of potential academic retribution from the institution. This may be the result of inadequate promotion and transparency in the existing higher education dispute resolution framework. Academic staff acknowledged the limitation of the existing closed-door dispute resolution system and the need for an alternative conflict management system which emphasises on restoration of harmony in the university community.Originality/valueAs there is a lack of study focusing on ADR practices in Hong Kong universities, this paper provides insight into the feasibility of integrating ADR into the existing dispute resolution processes in resolving interpersonal conflicts at universities in Hong Kong.