bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
On the Variability in Cell and Nucleus Shapes
Authors: Devulapally Anusha , Parekh Varun , Pazhayidam George Clint , Balakrishnan Sreenath 
Published: October 2022

Cell morphology is an important regulator of cell function. Many abnormalities in cellular behavior can be discerned from changes in the shape of the cell and its organelles, typically the nucleus. Two major challenges for developing such phenotypic assays are reconstructing 3D surfaces of individual cells and nuclei from confocal images and developing characterizations of these surfaces for comparisons. We demonstrate two algorithms – 3D active contours and 3D condensed-attention UNet – to segment cells and nuclei from confocal images. The cell and nuclear surfaces are then converted into vectors using a reversible, spherical transform – i.e., shapes can be recovered from the vectors. Typical methods for characterizing shapes using size, shape, and image parameters such as area, volume, shape factor, solidity, and pixel intensities are not amenable to such reverse transformation. Our vector representation’s principal component analysis shows that the significant modes of variability among cell and nucleus shapes are scaling and flattening. We benchmark these modes using a known mechanical model for nucleus morphology. Subsequent modes alter the eccentricity of the nucleus and translate and rotate it with respect to the cell. Our vector-space representation of cell and nucleus shape helps physically interpret the variability sources. It may further help to guide mechanical models and identify molecular mechanisms driving cell and nuclear shape changes.
In-Hospital Virtual Peer-to-Peer Consultation to Increase Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy for Heart Failure: A Pilot Randomized Trial
Authors: Rao Vishal N. , Shah Anand , McDermott Jaime , Barnes Stephanie G. , Murray Evan M. , Kelsey Michelle D. , Greene Stephen J. , Fudim Marat , DeVore Adam D. , Patel Chetan B. , Blazing Michael A. , O’Brien Cara , Mentz Robert J. 
Published: October 2022

Background:
Guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) improves clinical outcomes and quality of life. Optimizing GDMT in the hospital is associated with greater long-term use in HFrEF. This study aimed to describe the efficacy of a multidisciplinary virtual HF intervention on GDMT optimization among patients with HFrEF admitted for any cause.

Methods:
In this pilot randomized, controlled study, consecutive patients with HFrEF admitted to noncardiology medicine services for any cause were identified at a large academic tertiary care hospital between May to September 2021. Major exclusions were end-stage renal disease, hemodynamic instability, concurrent COVID-19 infection, and current enrollment in hospice care. Patients were randomized to a clinician-level virtual peer-to-peer consult intervention providing GDMT recommendations and information on medication costs versus usual care. Primary end points included (1) proportion of patients with new GDMT initiation or use and (2) changes to HF optimal medical therapy scores which included target dosing (range, 0–9).

Results:

Of 242 patients identified, 91 (38%) were eligible and randomized to intervention (N=52) or usual care (N=39). Baseline characteristics were similar between intervention and usual care (mean age 63 versus 67 years, 23% versus 26% female, 46% versus 49% Black, mean ejection fraction 33% versus 31%). GDMT use on admission was also similar. There were greater proportions of patients with GDMT initiation or continuation with the intervention compared with usual care. After adjusting for optimal medical therapy score on admission, changes to optimal medical therapy score at discharge were higher for the intervention group compared with usual care (+0.44 versus −0.31, absolute difference +0.75, adjusted estimate 0.86±0.42;
P
=0.041).

Conclusions:
Among eligible patients with HFrEF hospitalized for any cause on noncardiology services, a multidisciplinary pilot virtual HF consultation increased new GDMT initiation and dose optimization at discharge.
Cardiac Rehabilitation and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Persistent Declines in Cardiac Rehabilitation Participation and Access Among US Medicare Beneficiaries
Authors: Varghese Merilyn S. , Beatty Alexis L. , Song Yang , Xu Jiaman , Sperling Laurence S. , Fonarow Gregg C. , Keteyian Steven J. , McConeghy Kevin W. , Penko Joanne , Yeh Robert W. , Figueroa Jose F. , Wu Wen-Chih , Kazi Dhruv S. 
Published: October 2022

Background:
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on participation in and availability of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is unknown.

Methods:
Among eligible Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries, we evaluated, by month, the number of CR sessions attended per 100 000 beneficiaries, individuals eligible to initiate CR, and centers offering in-person CR between January 2019 and December 2021. We compared these outcomes between 2 periods: December 1, 2019 through February 28, 2020 (period 1, before declaration of the pandemic-related national emergency) and October 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021 (period 2, the latest period for which data are currently available).

Results:

In period 1, Medicare beneficiaries participated in (mean±SD) 895±84 CR sessions per 100 000 beneficiaries each month. After the national emergency was declared, CR participation sharply declined to 56 CR sessions per 100 000 beneficiaries in April 2020. CR participation recovered gradually through December 2021 but remained lower than prepandemic levels (period 2: 698±29 CR sessions per month per 100 000 beneficiaries,
P
=0.02). Declines in CR participation were most marked among dual Medicare and Medicaid enrollees and patients residing in rural areas or socially vulnerable communities. There was no statistically significant change in CR eligibility between the 2 periods. Compared with 2618±5 CR centers in period 1, there were 2464±7 in period 2 (
P
<0.01). Compared with CR centers that survived the pandemic, 220 CR centers that closed were more likely to be affiliated with public hospitals, located in rural areas, and serve the most socially vulnerable communities.

Conclusions:
The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a persistent decline in CR participation and the closure of CR centers, which disproportionately affected rural and low-income patients and the most socially vulnerable communities. Innovation in CR financing and delivery is urgently needed to equitably enhance CR participation among Medicare beneficiaries.
Myotubularin‐Related Protein14 Prevents Neointima Formation and Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation by Inhibiting Polo‐Like Kinase1
Authors: Kong Ling‐Yao , Liang Cui , Li Peng‐Cheng , Zhang Yi‐Wei , Feng Sheng‐Dong , Zhang Dian‐Hong , Yao Rui , Yang Lu‐Lu , Hao Zheng‐Yang , Zhang Hao , Tian Xiao‐Xu , Guo Chen‐Ran , Du Bin‐Bin , Dong Jian‐Zeng , Zhang Yan‐Zhou 
Published: October 2022

BackgroundRestenosis is one of the main bottlenecks in restricting the further development of cardiovascular interventional therapy. New signaling molecules involved in the progress have continuously been discovered; however, the specific molecular mechanisms remain unclear. MTMR14 (myotubularin‐related protein 14) is a novel phosphoinositide phosphatase that has a variety of biological functions and is involved in diverse biological processes. However, the role of MTMR14 in vascular biology remains unclear. Herein, we addressed the role of MTMR14 in neointima formation and vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation after vessel injury.Methods and ResultsVessel injury models were established using SMC‐specific conditional MTMR14‐knockout and ‐transgenic mice. Neointima formation was assessed by histopathological methods, and VSMC proliferation and migration were assessed using fluorescence ubiquitination‐based cell cycle indicator, transwell, and scratch wound assay. Neointima formation and the expression of MTMR14 was increased after injury. MTMR14 deficiency accelerated neointima formation and promoted VSMC proliferation after injury, whereas MTMR14 overexpression remarkably attenuated this process. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that MTMR14 suppressed the activation of PLK1 (polo‐like kinase 1) by interacting with it, which further leads to the inhibition of the activation of MEK/ERK/AKT (mitogen‐activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular‐signal‐regulated kinase/protein kinase B), thereby inhibiting the proliferation of VSMC from the medial to the intima and thus preventing neointima formation.ConclusionsMTMR14 prevents neointima formation and VSMC proliferation by inhibiting PLK1. Our findings reveal that MTMR14 serves as an inhibitor of VSMC proliferation and establish a link between MTMR14 and PLK1 in regulating VSMC proliferation. MTMR14 may become a novel potential therapeutic target in the treatment of restenosis.
How Much Risk Should the United States Run in the South China Sea?
Authors: Fravel M. Taylor , Glaser Charles L. 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
How strenuously, and at what risk, should the United States resist China's efforts to dominate the South China Sea? An identification of three options along a continuum—from increased resistance to China's assertive policies on one end to a partial South China Sea retrenchment on the other, with current U.S. policy in the middle—captures the choices facing the United States. An analysis of China's claims and behavior in the South China Sea and of the threat that China poses to U.S. interests concludes that the United States' best option is to maintain its current level of resistance to China's efforts to dominate the South China Sea. China has been cautious in pursuing its goals, which makes the risks of current policy acceptable. Because U.S. security interests are quite limited, a significantly firmer policy, which would generate an increased risk of a high-intensity war with China, is unwarranted. If future China's actions indicate its determination has significantly increased, the United State should, reluctantly, end its military resistance to Chinese pursuit of peacetime control of the South China Sea and adopt a policy of partial South China Sea retrenchment.
Small Satellites, Big Data: Uncovering the Invisible in Maritime Security
Authors: Pekkanen Saadia M. , Aoki Setsuko , Mittleman John 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
Data from small satellites are rapidly converging with high-speed, high-volume computational analytics. “Small satellites, big data” (SSBD) changes the ability of decision-makers to persistently see and address an array of international security challenges. An analysis of these technologies shows how they can support decisions to protect or advance national and commercial interests by detecting, attributing, and classifying harmful, hostile, or unlawful maritime activities. How might the military, law enforcement, and intelligence communities respond to maritime threats if these new technologies eliminate anonymity at sea? The emerging evidence presented on maritime activities is intertwined with national security (e.g., territorial and resource claims, sanctions violations, and terrorist attacks), legal and illicit businesses (e.g., illegal fishing, trafficking, and piracy), and other concerns (e.g., shipping and transit, chokepoints, and environmental damage). The ability of SSBD technologies to observe and catch wrongdoing is important for governments as well as the commercial, academic, and nongovernmental sectors that have vested interests in maritime security, sustainable oceans, and the rule of law at sea. But findings indicate that transparency alone is unlikely to deter misconduct or change the behavior of powerful states.
Recent Increase of Spring Precipitation over the Three-River Headwaters Region—Water Budget Analysis Based on Global Reanalysis (ERA5) and ET-Tagging Extended Regional Climate Modeling
Authors: Shang Shasha , Arnault Joël , Zhu Gaofeng , Chen Huiling , Wei Jianhui , Zhang Kun , Zhang Zhenyu , Laux Patrick , Kunstmann Harald 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
Precipitation change is critical for the Three-River Headwaters (TRH) region, which serves downstream communities in East Asia. The spring (March–May) precipitation over the TRH region shows an increasing trend from 1979 to 2018, as revealed by a Chinese gridded precipitation product (CN05.1). However, the physical processes responsible for this precipitation change are still unclear. This study investigated the characteristics of spring precipitation and the water budget over the TRH region using the ERA5 global reanalysis and the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) Model. The WRF version employed in this study includes online calculations of the atmospheric water budget and an evapotranspiration (ET) tagging procedure to trace evapotranspired water in the atmosphere. Both ERA5 and WRF reproduce the spring precipitation increase. Moreover, WRFD02 (with a 3-km domain) reduces the wet bias by around 60% and 77% compared to WRFD01 (9 km) and ERA5 (30 km). Both ERA5 and WRF demonstrate that the increase of spring precipitation is dominated by moisture convergence, especially the atmospheric water fluxes from the southern boundary. The enhanced moisture inflow is sustained by enhanced mass flux while the enhanced moisture outflow is sustained by increased moisture. The ET-tagging results further demonstrate the weakened precipitation recycling process because of the significant increase of precipitation produced by external moisture. Compared to ERA5, the reduced wet bias with WRF is attributed to a better spatial resolution of orographic barrier effects, which reduce the southerly water fluxes. The results highlight the potential of regional climate downscaling to better represent the atmospheric water budget in complex terrain.
Defining Key Performance Indicators for the California COVID-19 Exposure Notification System (CA Notify)
Authors: Aronoff-Spencer Eliah , Nebeker Camille , Wenzel Alexander T. , Nguyen Kevin , Kunowski Rachel , Zhu Mingjia , Adamos Gary , Goyal Ravi , Mazrouee Sepideh , Reyes Aaron , May Nicole , Howard Holly , Longhurst Christopher A. , Malekinejad Mohsen 
Published: October 2022

Objectives: Toward common methods for system monitoring and evaluation, we proposed a key performance indicator framework and discussed lessons learned while implementing a statewide exposure notification (EN) system in California during the COVID-19 epidemic. Materials and Methods: California deployed the Google Apple Exposure Notification framework, branded CA Notify, on December 10, 2020, to supplement traditional COVID-19 contact tracing programs. For system evaluation, we defined 6 key performance indicators: adoption, retention, sharing of unique codes, identification of potential contacts, behavior change, and impact. We aggregated and analyzed data from December 10, 2020, to July 1, 2021, in compliance with the CA Notify privacy policy. Results: We estimated CA Notify adoption at nearly 11 million smartphone activations during the study period. Among 1 654 201 CA Notify users who received a positive test result for SARS-CoV-2, 446 634 (27%) shared their unique code, leading to ENs for other CA Notify users who were in close proximity to the SARS-CoV-2–positive individual. We identified at least 122 970 CA Notify users as contacts through this process. Contact identification occurred a median of 4 days after symptom onset or specimen collection date of the user who received a positive test result for SARS-CoV-2. Practice Implications: Smartphone-based EN systems are promising new tools to supplement traditional contact tracing and public health interventions, particularly when efficient scaling is not feasible for other approaches. Methods to collect and interpret appropriate measures of system performance must be refined while maintaining trust and privacy.
Long-Term Results of a Multimodal Treatment Regimen in Patients With Auricular Keloids
Authors: Häussler Daniel , Hüttemann Stefanie , Brom Jörn , Rotter Nicole , Sadick Haneen 
Published: October 2022

Objectives: The treatment of auricular keloids is challenging, as they tend to recur; further, the treatment may impact quality of life and implies cosmetic and functional impairment for each patient. There is no standardized therapeutic concept established, and the literature is lacking long-term results of available treatment modalities. Methods: Patients suffering from auricular keloids were included in the study. All patients had undergone surgical resection, intralesional injection of triamcinolone acetonide (TAC), and the application of an individual pressure splint. Quality of life (QoL) was assessed using the keloid intervention benefit inventory 21 (KIBI-21). Further analysis was carried out for patients without (group 1) and with (group 2) recurrence of the keloid. Results: In total, 50 keloids with a mean follow-up period of 59 months (range 6–137 months) could be analyzed. In nine cases (18%), a keloid recurrence was found during the observation period. The assessment of QoL differed significantly between study groups at P = 0.04, as well as for the subcategories General Health (GH) and Physical Health (PH). No differences were found for the categories Social Impact (SI) and Self-Esteem (SE). Conclusions: The multimodal subsequent treatment regimen consisting of surgical resection, intralesional TAC injection, and the application of an individual magnetic pressure splint shows good results concerning long-term recurrence rates. The treatment method shows positive effects on the QoL, especially in the measured categories GH and PH.
Single-port laparoscopy versus conventional laparoscopy of benign adnexal masses during pregnancy: a retrospective case–control study
Authors: Chen Sishi , Zhang Ganrong , Hua Keqin , Ding Jingxin 
Published: October 2022

Objective To compare operative outcomes between single-port laparoscopy (SPL) and conventional laparoscopy (CL) to remove adnexal masses during pregnancy. Methods This retrospective case–control study included all patients who had undergone laparoscopic removal of benign adnexal masses during pregnancy between October 2010 and January 2020. Multiple clinical characteristics and operative outcomes were retrospectively analysed and compared between patients who had undergone SPL versus CL, including cosmetic satisfaction with the scar, measured on a 10-point scale (10 indicating very satisfied). Results A total of 64 patients were included (SPL, n = 22; and CL, n = 42). Overall scar satisfaction scores significantly favoured SPL versus CL (9.1 ± 1.7 versus 8.1 ± 1.3, respectively), however, surgery duration was significantly longer for SPL than CL (69.2 ± 21.0 min versus 54.7 ± 20.7 min). No incisional hernia was detected in the study. Operative blood loss, decrease in estimated haemoglobin level, length of hospital stay, and hospitalization expenses were comparable between the two groups. Pregnancy and fetal outcomes were not remarkably different. Conclusion For removal of benign adnexal masses during pregnancy, SPL may offer superior cosmetic satisfaction versus CL, and was not associated with additional perioperative danger, economic burden, or adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes.
Disclosure policy choice, stock returns and information asymmetry: Evidence from capital expenditure announcements
Authors: Chen Jianguo , Smith David 
Published: October 2022

This article investigates whether firms commit ex-ante to higher levels of investment transparency and the impact of transparency on stock returns and information asymmetry. We construct a novel measure of investment transparency based upon the extensiveness of profitability forecasts and cost disclosures in new project-level capital investment announcements. Using cross-sectional regression, we find that prior to announcement greater investment transparency is associated with lower information asymmetry. We further show that rather than reporting information strategically on a project-by-project basis, managers commit ex-ante to a disclosure policy that influences the disclosure level of new project announcements, and that a firm-level commitment to fuller disclosure reduces information asymmetry in the days surrounding the announcement. Using event study methodology, we also find that investors react more positively to announcements displaying greater investment transparency. JEL Classification: G14, D83, G31, G30, G38
From Yu–suf al-Bas.r to Judah Halevi: The Sadduceean Myth of the Origins of Karaism in Medieval Rabbanite Sources Revisited
Authors: Zawanowska Marzena 
Published: October 2022

Two main historiographic motifs invented in the Middle Ages have dominated all later Jewish historical reconstructions of the origins of Karaism. One connects it with the activity of ‘Anan ben David, while the other associates the Karaites with the Sadducees. The aim of the article is to revisit the question of the origins of the Sadduceean motif and Halevi’s role in its creation. Accordingly, its purpose is not to explore the actual relationship between the Karaites and the Sadducees, but the way in which medieval Jews imagined this relationship, especially in terms of the Karaites’ past and the beginnings of their movement. It argues that against his explicit statements to the contrary, Halevi contributed to the establishment of a direct, historical link between the Karaites and the Sadducees. In addition, the article demonstrates that when creating his narrative on the emergence of Karaism, Halevi might have been inspired by Karaite sources such as Yūsuf al-Baṣīr’s Book of Precepts. It offers an analysis of a relevant passage of this legal Code through an attempt to reconstruct a complex process of cross-sectoral interchanges and transfers of ideas behind the creation of the Sadduceean myth of the origins of Karaism.
Development and Validation of Yoga Protocol for Patients with Depression
Authors: K.S. Dhamodhini , K. Maheshkumar , Silambanan Santhi , Kantipudi Suvarna Jyothi , Sathianathan R. , R. Padmavathi 
Published: October 2022

Background: Scientific evidence suggests that yoga is beneficial for treating mental health disorders. To the best of our knowledge, minimal studies have been done on the development of a yoga module for the specific clinical aspects of depression and there is no particular study on yoga protocol development for mild depression and moderate depression. Purpose: The primary aim of this study is to develop specific yoga protocol modules for treating patients affected with mild and moderate depression. Methods: Yoga protocols for treating mild and moderate depression were developed using classical yoga texts, previous literature, and with the help of yoga experts. 26 practices for mild depression and 35 practices for moderate depression were identified, each of which was scored as (a) not essential, (b) useful but not essential, and (c) essential, and content validity ratio (CVR) determined using Lawshe’s formula for the validation. Results: Expert’s opinion revealed that 13 out of 28 practices and 12 out of 35 practices showed significant CVR (>0.60) for mild and moderate depression. Conclusions: The yoga practices developed based on experts’ opinion is the first step toward the development of a validated protocol for mild and moderate depression. This will be assessed for its effectiveness through a randomized controlled study to confirm the module’s efficiency.