bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An exploratory clinical trial of apatinib combined with intensity‐modulated radiation therapy for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Qiu Hu , Ke Shaobo , Cai Gaoke , Wu Yong , Wang Jin , Shi Wei , Chen Jiamei , Peng Jin , Yu Baoping , Chen Yongshun 
Published: May 2022

AbstractPurposeTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of apatinib combined with intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC).Materials and methodsOpen‐label, single‐arm, exploratory clinical trial of apatinib combined with IMRT for uHCC patients. Patients aged 18–75 years with adequate hematological, liver, and renal functions and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of ≤2 were enrolled in this study from March 2017 to September 2020. Patients were received IMRT (biological effective dose: 46–60 Gy) and continuous apatinib (250–500 mg/day) oral administration until HCC progression or unacceptable toxic effects. The endpoints included progression‐free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), disease control rate (DCR), objective response rate (ORR), and safety. The trial registration number is ChiCTR‐OPC‐17011890.ResultsA total of 33 patients have taken part in the study. The median age was 58 years old (range 32–77), 27 (81.9%) patients were ECOG PS 0–1, and 28 (84.9%) patients were male. In addition, 25 (75.7%) patients suffered from hepatitis B, 32 cases (97.0%) were in Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) Stages B–C, and eight (24.2%) had portal vein involvement. Moreover, 12 (36.4%) and 21 (63.6%) patients received apatinib as first‐line and second or later‐line therapy, respectively. The average follow‐up was 11.4 months, the median PFS was 7.8 months (95% confidence interval: 3.9–11.7). The OS rates at 6 and 12 months were 96.7% and 66.2%. The ORR and DCR were 15.1% and 81.8%, respectively. Hepatic toxicity was the most common treatment‐related adverse events in Grades 3–4 (12.1%). No radiation‐induced liver disease and Grade 5 toxicity were recorded.ConclusionApatinib combined with IMRT is a safe and effective method to improve PFS and DCR and has good anti‐tumor activity in patients with uHCC.
Outcomes in clients transitioning from in‐person counselling to telehealth counselling with trainees
Authors: Gerton Jessica M. , Aoyagi Keiko , León Gabriel A. , Bludworth James , Spille Sean , Holzapfel Jenny 
Published: May 2022

AbstractThe onset of the 2020 COVID‐19 pandemic necessitated a rapid transition of mental health services from in‐person to telehealth counselling. Despite the far‐reaching impact of this transition, we know little about the impact of this transition on outcomes for clients working with counsellor trainees. The present study utilised longitudinal data collected from a counselling training centre at a major U.S. university to compare client ratings of depression, anxiety and working alliance across 1) in‐person services delivered (i.e. pre‐pandemic) and 2) telehealth services delivered after the pandemic began (i.e. intra‐pandemic) among the same group of clients. Results support our hypothesis that changes in clients' self‐reports would be generally equivalent across in‐person and telehealth services. Depression and anxiety symptoms decreased, and working alliance tended to increase during both in‐person and telehealth care; however, these trends were only statistically significant during telehealth services. Limitations related to sample size (N = 15 clients; up to 17 sessions per client) and low statistical power are discussed. Nonetheless, this study supports the growing body of literature supporting the efficacy of telehealth counselling services. We provide suggestions for future telehealth research and discuss implications for counsellor training.
The strengthening of corporate governance based on applied fuzzy logic
Authors: Barcellos‐Paula Luciano , Agüero‐Olivos Carlos 
Published: May 2022

AbstractDespite advances in research on corporate governance, there are still knowledge gaps. The article aims to broaden the debate on strengthening corporate governance and propose a tool to facilitate decision‐making. The research is novel because of the engagement of 117 master's students from a business school, contributing to competency‐based learning on Good Corporate Governance (GCG). This is applied research with the explanatory objective and quantitative approach through modeling and simulation. The OWA Operator assesses GCG principles' adequacy and reveals a ranking of 28 enterprises listed on the Lima Stock Exchange in corporate governance, increasing transparency and reducing risks. The results indicate that six enterprises would be solid in the GCG, and the corporate governance should consider strategic capability, fair dealing, transparency, and good social responsibility practices. The main contributions are reducing the identified knowledge gaps and proposing actions to strengthen governance. The authors suggest promising lines of research.
Neogene history of fluvial to shallow marine successions in the Kendari Basin, SE Sulawesi, Indonesia
Authors: Nugraha Abang Mansyursyah Surya , Hall Robert , BouDagher‐Fadel Marcelle , Todd Jonathan A. , Switzer Adam D. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractCollision between Australia and SE Asia began in Sulawesi, the world's eleventh‐largest island, in the Early Miocene and subsequently Neogene sediments were deposited largely in coastal to shelf environments throughout the island. These sediments have been assigned to the Celebes Molasse, previously considered as a single post‐orogenic unit deposited unconformably on pre‐Neogene sedimentary, metamorphic and ophiolitic rocks. The most complete and extensive sequences of Neogene sediments are in the Kendari Basin, situated at the southern end of the SE Arm of Sulawesi, where an outcrop‐based sedimentological study was undertaken to interpret depositional environments, palaeogeography and stratigraphy. The oldest Neogene sediments are shallow marine carbonates and deltaic siliciclastics of the Bungku Formation. They are unconformably overlain by the Upper Miocene Pandua Formation which consists of sediments deposited in a variety of environments including braided river channels, fluvio‐tidal channels, tidal flats, mouth bar complex and shoreface deposits. A Mio‐Pliocene subaerial unconformity separates the marginal marine serpentinite‐rich sediments of the Pandua Formation from the overlying fluviatile quartz‐rich Langkowala Formation. The sediments of the lower part of the Langkowala Formation include conglomeratic channel fill, while the sediments of the upper part are transgressive deposits decreasing in maximum grain‐size, marked by a reduction in channel/overbank ratio and increasing tidal influence. The transgressive Pliocene Eemoiko Formation is characterised by transgressive lags or onlap shell beds and deposits of a landwards‐backstepping carbonate platform. The improved understanding of the Kendari Basin will aid the interpretation of the sedimentation history of frontier basins surrounding SE Sulawesi, many of which have not yet been drilled.
Risk of unintentional antidoping rule violations by consumption of hemp products
Authors: Mareck Ute , Fusshöller Gregor , Schertel Thomas , Petring Simon , Huestis Marilyn A. , Thevis Mario 
Published: May 2022

AbstractConsumption of hemp products is continuously growing, with an expanding scope of applications. Suppliers operate through different distribution channels, but the Internet is a major retail platform. Hemp products are prepared from cannabis plants and, therefore, might contain a variety of different natural cannabinoids. According to the regulations of the World Anti‐Doping Agency, all natural and synthetic cannabinoids are prohibited in‐competition, with the explicit exemption of cannabidiol. Therefore, an investigation of 23 hemp products for the presence of cannabinoids was performed to determine the likelihood of unintentional violations of anti‐doping regulations. An assay for the detection of 16 cannabinoids in nutritional supplements was developed and validated. The sample preparation consisted of QuEChERS extraction, trimethylsilylation, and analysis by gas chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. All 23 commercially available hemp products were analyzed, and assay characteristics such as selectivity, limit of detection, limit of identification, limit of quantification, linearity, imprecision, recovery, and accuracy were determined. Twenty of 23 hemp products included a variety of cannabinoids at, occasionally, substantial concentrations, with four products covering the entire spectrum of tested cannabinoids. An ethics committee‐approved single‐dose administration study was conducted with the commercially available hemp products, investigating the presence of 16 cannabinoids in urine collected pre‐ and post‐consumption. Variable patterns of cannabinoids or their metabolites in urine were observed. In 30% of the urine samples collected 8 h after ingestion, the presence of a prohibited cannabinoid would have resulted in an unintentional violation of anti‐doping regulations.
Optimization and implementation of four duplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays for gene doping control in horseracing
Authors: Cheung Hiu Wing , Wong Kin‐Sing , Lin Venus Y. C. , Farrington Adrian F. , Bond Amanda J. , Wan Terence S. M. , Ho Emmie N. M. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractThe concern about gene doping has remained high in horseracing and other equestrian competitions. Our laboratory has previously developed a duplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay capable of detecting in equine blood the human erythropoietin (hEPO) transgene and equine tubulin α 4a (TUBA4A) gene as an internal control the latter providing quality control over DNA extraction and qPCR. This study aimed to optimize the method for routine testing of regulatory samples. The use of an automated DNA extraction system has increased the sample throughput, consistency of DNA extraction, and recovery of reference materials. The use of reduced concentration of primers and hydrolysis probe for internal control minimized their competition with transgene amplification and improved the assay sensitivity. Spike‐in of an exogenous internal control at low concentration for plasma analysis has also been validated. Using the new workflow, four duplex qPCR assays have been developed for the detection of transgenes, namely, hEPO, human growth hormone (hGH), insulin‐like growth factor 1 (hIGF‐1), and equine EPO (eEPO). The estimated limits of detection (LODs) of each transgene were 2000 copies/mL of blood and 200 copies/mL of plasma. This method could detect the presence of transgene in blood and plasma collected from a horse administered intramuscularly (IM) with recombinant adeno‐associated virus (rAAV) carrying the hEPO transgene. A longer detection time was observed in blood than in plasma. The methods have been applied to the screening of over a thousand official racehorse samples since June 2020 for the presence of these transgenes.
Generation of Sigmar1 conditional knockout mouse using CRISPR‐Cas9 gene targeting
Authors: Huang Liang , Xiao Haiyan , Xie Xiaoling , Hu Fang , Tang Fulei , Smith Sylvia B. , Gan Lin 
Published: May 2022

SummaryThe Sigma 1 receptor (SIGMAR1) is a transmembrane protein located in the mitochondria‐associated endoplasmic reticulum membrane, and plays an important role in cell survival as a pluripotent modulator of a variety of signaling pathways related to neurodegeneration. Though SIGMAR1 is a potential target for neurodegenerative diseases, the specific role of SIGMAR1 in different tissue and cell types remains unclear. Here we reported the generation of Sigmar1 conditional knockout (Sigmar1loxP) mice using CRISPR‐Cas9 method to insert loxP sites into the 5′‐ and 3′‐untranslated regions of Sigmar1. We showed that the insertion of loxP sequences did not affect the expression of Sigmar1 and that Sigmar1loxP/loxP mice exhibited no detectable visual defects compared with wild‐type mice at the early adult stage. By crossing Sigmar1loxP mice with retina‐specific Six3‐Cre and ubiquitous CMV‐Cre mice, we confirmed the deletion of Sigmar1 coding regions of exons 1–4, and the retina‐specific and global loss of SIGMAR1 expression, respectively. Thus, Sigmar1loxP mice provide a valuable tool for unraveling the tissue and cell‐type‐specific role of Sigmar1.
N and P constrain C in ecosystems under climate change: Role of nutrient redistribution, accumulation, and stoichiometry
Authors: Rastetter Edward B. , Kwiatkowski Bonnie L. , Kicklighter David W. , Barker Plotkin Audrey , Genet Helene , Nippert Jesse B. , O'Keefe Kimberly , Perakis Steven S. , Porder Stephen , Roley Sarah S. , Ruess Roger W. , Thompson Jonathan R. , Wieder William R. , Wilcox Kevin , Yanai Ruth D. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractWe use the Multiple Element Limitation (MEL) model to examine responses of 12 ecosystems to elevated carbon dioxide (CO2), warming, and 20% decreases or increases in precipitation. Ecosystems respond synergistically to elevated CO2, warming, and decreased precipitation combined because higher water‐use efficiency with elevated CO2 and higher fertility with warming compensate for responses to drought. Response to elevated CO2, warming, and increased precipitation combined is additive. We analyze changes in ecosystem carbon (C) based on four nitrogen (N) and four phosphorus (P) attribution factors: (1) changes in total ecosystem N and P, (2) changes in N and P distribution between vegetation and soil, (3) changes in vegetation C:N and C:P ratios, and (4) changes in soil C:N and C:P ratios. In the combined CO2 and climate change simulations, all ecosystems gain C. The contributions of these four attribution factors to changes in ecosystem C storage varies among ecosystems because of differences in the initial distributions of N and P between vegetation and soil and the openness of the ecosystem N and P cycles. The net transfer of N and P from soil to vegetation dominates the C response of forests. For tundra and grasslands, the C gain is also associated with increased soil C:N and C:P. In ecosystems with symbiotic N fixation, C gains resulted from N accumulation. Because of differences in N versus P cycle openness and the distribution of organic matter between vegetation and soil, changes in the N and P attribution factors do not always parallel one another. Differences among ecosystems in C‐nutrient interactions and the amount of woody biomass interact to shape ecosystem C sequestration under simulated global change. We suggest that future studies quantify the openness of the N and P cycles and changes in the distribution of C, N, and P among ecosystem components, which currently limit understanding of nutrient effects on C sequestration and responses to elevated CO2 and climate change.
Relative effects of sample size, detection probability, and study duration on estimation in integrated population models
Authors: Ross Beth E. , Weegman Mitch D. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractUnderstanding mechanistic causes of population change is critical for managing and conserving species. Integrated population models (IPMs) allow for quantifying population changes while directly relating environmental drivers to vital rates, but power of IPMs to detect trends and environmental effects on vital rates remains understudied. We simulated data for an IPM fewer than 41 scenarios to determine the power to detect trends and environmental effects on vital rates based on study duration, sample size, detection probability, and effect size. Our results indicated that temporal duration of a study and effect size, rather than sample size of each individual data set or detection probability, had the greatest influence on the power to identify trends in adult survival and fecundity. When using only 10 years of data, we were unable to identify a 50% increase in adult survival but were able to identify this increase with 22 years of data. When using only capture–recapture data in a traditional Cormack–Jolly–Seber analysis, we lacked sufficient power to identify trends in survival, and power of the Cormack–Jolly–Seber model was always less than the IPM. The IPM had greater power to identify trends and environmental effects on fecundity (e.g., we detected a 58% change in fecundity using 12 years of data). Models with effects of environmental variables on vital rates had less power than trends, likely to be due to increased annual variation in the vital rate when modeling responses to environmental effects that varied by year. Lack of power in the Cormack–Jolly–Seber analysis could be due to the relatively small variability in adult survival compared with fecundity, given the life history of our simulated species. As interannual variation in environmental conditions will probably increase with climate change, this type of analysis can help to inform the study duration needed, which may be a shifting target given future climate uncertainty and the complex nature of environmental correlations with demography.
Modeling spatiotemporal abundance and movement dynamics using an integrated spatial capture–recapture movement model
Authors: Hostetter Nathan J. , Regehr Eric V. , Wilson Ryan R. , Royle J. Andrew , Converse Sarah J. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractAnimal movement is a fundamental ecological process affecting the survival and reproduction of individuals, the structure of populations, and the dynamics of communities. Methods to quantify animal movement and spatiotemporal abundances, however, are generally separate and therefore omit linkages between individual‐level and population‐level processes. We describe an integrated spatial capture–recapture (SCR) movement model to jointly estimate (1) the number and distribution of individuals in a defined spatial region and (2) movement of those individuals through time. We applied our model to a study of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in a 28,125 km2 survey area of the eastern Chukchi Sea, USA in 2015 that incorporated capture–recapture and telemetry data. In simulation studies, the model provided unbiased estimates of movement, abundance, and detection parameters using a bivariate normal random walk and correlated random walk movement process. Our case study provided detailed evidence of directional movement persistence for both male and female bears, where individuals regularly traversed areas larger than the survey area during the 36‐day study period. Scaling from individual‐ to population‐level inferences, we found that densities varied from <0.75 bears/625 km2 grid cell/day in nearshore cells to 1.6–2.5 bears/grid cell/day for cells surrounded by sea ice. Daily abundance estimates ranged from 53 to 69 bears, with no trend across days. The cumulative number of unique bears that used the survey area increased through time due to movements into and out of the area, resulting in an estimated 171 individuals using the survey area during the study (95% credible interval 124–250). Abundance estimates were similar to a previous multiyear integrated population model using capture–recapture and telemetry data (2008–2016; Regehr et al., Scientific Reports 8:16780, 2018). Overall, the SCR–movement model successfully quantified both individual‐ and population‐level space use, including the effects of landscape characteristics on movement, abundance, and detection, while linking the movement and abundance processes to directly estimate density within a prescribed spatial region and temporal period. Integrated SCR–movement models provide a generalizable approach to incorporate greater movement realism into population dynamics and link movement to emergent properties including spatiotemporal densities and abundances.
Focal adhesion kinase–related pathways may be suppressed by metformin in vascular smooth muscle cells in high glucose conditions
Authors: Soleimani Ali Akbar , Ghasmpour Ghasem , Mohammadi Asghar , Gholizadeh Masoomeh , Abkenar Borhan Rahimi , Najafi Mohammad 
Published: May 2022

AbstractIntroductionCardiovascular diseases are known as one of the important causes of death in patients with diabetes mellitus. Metformin is used as an oral medication for reducing blood sugar. In this study, the effects of metformin were investigated on the FAK gene expression levels, pFAK protein values, cell viability and migration rate of VSMCs in high glucose conditions.Materials and methodsThe FAK gene expression levels and pFAK protein values were evaluated in VSMCs treated with different doses of metformin (1, 5 and 7 mM), based on cell viability using RT‐qPCR, western blotting and MTT techniques. The cellular migration was evaluated by scratch assay.ResultsThe FAK gene expression levels reduced significantly in metformin‐treated VSMCs at 24 h and 48 h periods (p < .0008 and p < .0001, respectively). The pFAK protein values reduced significantly at 24 h (5 mM and 7 mM metformin doses) and 48 h periods (p < .001). In agreement with pFAK protein values, cellular migration reduced significantly at 24 h and 48 h periods (p < .001).ConclusionThe results showed that metformin may suppress the proliferation and migration of VSMCs via FAK‐related pathways and may retard the progression of vessel stenosis in diabetes.
Improving strategies for the molecular structure of organic anode/cathode materials in potassium‐ion batteries
Authors: Li Changgang , Wang Shengping 
Published: May 2022

AbstractPotassium‐ion batteries (KIBs) with many technical advantages have attracted much attention. However, it is difficult to find a host material with a large interlayer spacing and stable framework to accommodate K+ with a large radius, resulting in the slower development of inorganic electrode materials for KIBs. Organic electrode materials have the advantages of structural diversity and adjustability, and their electrochemical performance depends on the conversion reaction between K+ and active functional groups, which ignores the steric hindrance effect caused by the large radius of K+. The research progress of organic KIBs is summarized from four aspects: organic cathode materials, organic anode materials, electrolyte optimization, and full batteries. The compositions, structures, reaction mechanisms, electrochemical performances, and development strategies of organic materials with various functional groups are presented. This paper can provide inspiration for researchers to develop high‐performance organic KIBs and realize the application of organic KIBs.image
Design of coil parameters for inductive type wireless power transfer system in electric vehicles
Authors: Sakthi Balasubramaniam Brindha , Sundari Parvathysankar Deiva 
Published: May 2022

SummaryWireless power transmission (WPT) is becoming a more viable idea and creative solution, particularly for the battery charging of electric vehicles (EVs). Inductive power transfer (IPT) is a widely used wireless charging technology. Here, the energy transformation takes place between two coils that are magnetically coupled. WPT has recently increased the interest of researchers because it is such a secure, easy, and dependable method of recharging EVs. This article gives an idea to design the charging coils using WPT system by using resonant inductive coupling and also optimizes the coupling coefficient using rain optimization algorithm (ROA). Wireless power transfer based on inductive coupling may perhaps potentially be applied in many real‐world applications. This article uses ANSYS MAXWELL and FEMM 4.1 software tools to analyze the results for 2D and 3D coil WPT systems. From these software simulation results, it has been illustrated that the distribution of flux between Tx and Rx is analyzed for spiral and rectangular coil shapes. The selected coupling coefficient is 0.08. At 95 kHz, the inductance is 34.76 , the mutual inductance is 9.16 and the coupling coefficient is 0.2635.Highlights
Design an efficient circuit to enhance the whole performance of WPT system.
Self‐inductance, mutual inductance, and coefficient of coupling parameter are analyzed.
Rain optimization algorithm is designed to optimize the parameter for enhancing the efficiency.