bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
C‐reactive protein levels in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A systematic review
Authors: Kharel Sanjeev , Ojha Rajeev , Preethish‐Kumar Veeramani , Bhagat Riwaj 
Published: February 2022

AbstractIntroductionAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting cortical and spinal motor neurons. There is a lack of optimal biomarkers to diagnose and prognosticate the ALS patients. C‐reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory marker, has shown promising results in ALS patients.Materials and methodsPubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar databases were searched from 2000 to June 1, 2021 for suitable studies showing the relationship between CRP and ALS. The concentration of CRP levels was assessed between ALS patients and controls. Further, end outcomes like ALS functional rating scale (ALSFRS‐R), survival status, and mortality risks were assessed in relation to CRP levels.ResultsEleven studies including five case–control, five cohorts, and one randomized control study were assessed. There were 2785 ALS patients and 3446 healthy controls. A significant increment in CRP levels among ALS patients in comparison with healthy controls were seen in most of the studies. ALSFRS‐R and disease progression were found to be significantly correlated with CRP levels. Overall accuracy of CRP in CSF was 62% described in a single study.ConclusionAlthough CRP has shown promise as a prognostic biomarker, extensive cohort studies are required to assess its prognostic value and accuracy in diagnosing ALS taking into account the confounding factors.
Venous thromboembolism and radiation therapy: The final radiation‐induced thrombosis study analysis
Authors: Daguenet Elisabeth , Maison Mathilde , Tinquaut Fabien , Giroux Eric‐Alban , Bertoletti Laurent , Suchaud Jean‐Philippe , Rancoule Chloé , Guy Jean‐Baptiste , Magné Nicolas 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBackgroundThromboembolic events frequently complicate the course of malignancy and represent a major cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients. In contrast to chemotherapy and other systemic therapies, little is known about the impact of ionizing radiations on the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in cancer patients.MethodsIn the present prospective study, we aimed to investigate the incidence, management, and outcome of VTE in newly diagnosed cancer patients who received curative radiotherapy.ResultsVTE was found in 8 patients, out of 401 patients at a median time of 80 days after radiotherapy initiation. The incidence rate of VTE at 6 months post‐treatment was 2% (95% CI, 0.9–3.7), with 50% of cases occurring during the radiotherapy course and 50% of cases in patients who received or were receiving chemotherapy. As none of the patients harbored a personal history of VTE, no prophylactic measure was initiated during cancer therapy. Most patients received monotherapy with low‐molecular‐weight heparin and were still on surveillance at the end of the study. No specific clinical risk factor was identified that might systematically indicate the need of thromboprophylaxis in the context of curative radiotherapy.ConclusionsAlthough this pan‐cancer descriptive study did not relate an increased risk of short‐term thrombosis following ionizing radiation, it provides important insight as a basis for future studies with subcategories of cancer, in order to in fine guide further recommendations in frail patients.Clinical trial registration numberNCT02696447.
Selective Display of a Chemoattractant Agonist on Cancer Cells Activates the Formyl Peptide Receptor 1 on Immune Cells**
Authors: Sikorski Eden L. , Wehr Janessa , Ferraro Noel J. , Rizzo Sophia M. , Pires Marcos M. , Thévenin Damien 
Published: February 2022

AbstractCurrent immunotherapeutics often work by directing components of the immune system to recognize biomarkers on the surface of cancer cells to generate an immune response. However, variable changes in biomarker distribution and expression can result in inconsistent patient response. The development of a more universal tumor‐homing strategy has the potential to improve selectivity and extend therapy to cancers with decreased expression or absence of specific biomarkers. Here, we designed a bifunctional agent that exploits the inherent acidic microenvironment of most solid tumors to selectively graft the surface of cancer cells with a formyl peptide receptor ligand (FPRL). Our approach is based on the pH(Low) insertion peptide (pHLIP), a unique peptide that selectively targets tumors in vivo by anchoring to cancer cells in a pH‐dependent manner. We establish that selectively remodeling cancer cells with a pHLIP‐based FPRL activates formyl peptide receptors on recruited immune cells, potentially initiating an immune response towards tumors.
Manganese Oxides (Mn3O4 & α‐MnO2) as Co‐catalysts in Pd‐Based Nanomaterials for the Ethylene Glycol Electro‐Oxidation.
Authors: Arjona Noé , Espinosa‐Magaña Francisco , Bañuelos Jennifer A. , Álvarez‐Contreras Lorena , Guerra‐Balcázar Minerva 
Published: February 2022

AbstractIncorporation of α‐MnO2 and Mn3O4 during the synthesis of Pd nanoparticles promoted better particle anchoring. Especially the Mn single spinel (Mn3O4) decreased the Pd particle size from ∼10 nm (obtained for Pd/C and Pd/α‐MnO2) to 4.4 nm. HR‐TEM and XPS analysis confirmed electronic changes from a better interaction between Pd and Mn3O4, decreasing the energy barriers for alcohol oxidation, obtaining the lowest apparent activation energy (15.54 kJ mol−1) and resistance to charge transfer (1.44 Ω cm2). The Pd/Mn3O4/C electrocatalyst displayed a current density of 334.74 mA cm−2 at 2 M EG+2 M KOH with an onset potential of −0.32 V vs. NHE. This current density was 2.2 and 3.6‐fold higher than that obtained using Pd/C and Pd/α‐MnO2/C. Further tests using sorbitol and glycerol as fuels revealed that maximum current densities of 255.2 and 472.9 mA cm−2 can be achieved.
Penalized likelihood ratio test for a biomarker threshold effect in clinical trials based on generalized linear models
Authors: Gavanji Parisa , Jiang Wenyu , Chen Bingshu E. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractIn a clinical trial, the responses to the new treatment may vary among patient subsets with different characteristics in a biomarker. It is often necessary to examine whether there is a cutpoint for the biomarker that divides the patients into two subsets of those with more favourable and less favourable responses. More generally, we approach this problem as a test of homogeneity in the effects of a set of covariates in generalized linear regression models. The unknown cutpoint results in a model with nonidentifiability and a nonsmooth likelihood function to which the ordinary likelihood methods do not apply. We first use a smooth continuous function to approximate the indicator function defining the patient subsets. We then propose a penalized likelihood ratio test to overcome the model irregularities. Under the null hypothesis, we prove that the asymptotic distribution of the proposed test statistic is a mixture of chi‐squared distributions. Our method is based on established asymptotic theory, is simple to use, and works in a general framework that includes logistic, Poisson, and linear regression models. In extensive simulation studies, we find that the proposed test works well in terms of size and power. We further demonstrate the use of the proposed method by applying it to clinical trial data from the Digitalis Investigation Group (DIG) on heart failure.
Hemangiopericytoma: Conducts and perioperative management of an extent sinonasal tumor in a Jehovah's Witnesses patient ‐ Case report
Authors: Amorim Filho Francisco S. , Gripp Flávio M. , Faria Guilherme S. , Capuzzo Gonçalves Mateus , Miyahira Lincoln 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBackgroundHemangiopericytomas (HPCs) are rare tumors derived from mesenchymal cells with pericyte differentiation. About 5% of head and neck HPCs occur in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. Due to its rarity, rich vascularity and variable biological behavior, its management is a challenge in itself.CaseWe report a case of sinonasal HPC in a Jehovah's Witness patient and discuss the obstacles and care related to the restrictions and therapeutic challenges involved in the approach to the patient. The patient was successfully treated by endoscopic endonasal approach with all per‐operative care and restrictions being respected and attended.ConclusionsThe management of HPC by itself involves challenges and when associated with other restrictive conditions attention and care are required.
Visible‐Light‐Triggered Actuators Based on the Molecular Crystals of Anthracenecarbonitrile Undergoing Reversible [4+4] Cycloaddition
Authors: Shu Yuanhong , Sun Jingbo , Yue Yuan , Ye Kaiqi , Lu Ran 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe photomechanical effects of crystals of halogen‐substituted 9‐anthracenecarbonitrile were investigated. The needle‐like crystals of 10‐fluoroanthracene‐9‐carbonitrile (FCNA) bend rapidly under irradiation with 365 nm, 410 nm light and even white light, and the bent crystal could almost recover to its original shape upon exposure to 254 nm light or heating. The reversible photo‐induced mechanical behaviors originated from [4+4] cycloaddition and the reverse reaction. This type of photoactuator, in response to light irradiation over a broad wavelength range from UV to the visible region, might have important applications in biomimetic systems, biomedicine, artificial muscles, and smart microrobotics. The rapid photo‐induced mechanical movements of the crystals inspired us to fabricate a hybrid polymer film of polyvinylidene difluoride incorporated with the microcrystals of FCNA, which not only showed bending toward or away from the light source depending on the initial bending direction of the film, but also could lift small objects induced by remote light.
Mesoporosity and nitrogen doping: The leading effect in oxygen reduction reaction activity and selectivity at nitrogen‐doped carbons prepared by using polyethylene oxide‐block‐polystyrene as a sacrificial template
Authors: Mazzucato Marco , Daniel Giorgia , Perazzolo Valentina , Brandiele Riccardo , Rizzi Gian Andrea , Isse Abdirisak Ahmed , Gennaro Armando , Durante Christian 
Published: February 2022

AbstractFour mesoporous carbons (MCs) with tunable pore size were synthesized by soft template synthesis, employing a resorcinol‐formaldehyde resin as a carbon precursor and a polyethylene oxide‐block‐polystyrene block copolymer as a sacrificial template in which the length of the polystyrene block (165, 300, 500, and 1150 units) allowed the modulation of the surface area of MCs (567, 582, 718 and 840 m2 g−1, respectively). The complete set of MCs was also doped with nitrogen by ball milling in the presence of cyanamide and stabilized in a second thermal treatment at 750°C, leading to nitrogen content of ∼2.65% in all samples. The two sets of MCs were used for evaluating both the effect of textural properties and nitrogen doping in the electrochemical reduction of oxygen in acid electrolytes. Each catalyst was characterized by means of elemental analysis and N2 physisorption analysis, whereas the selected series of samples were also characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray photoemission spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP‐MS), and Raman analysis. Voltammetric rotating ring‐disk measurements in 0.5 M H2SO4 demonstrated that the catalytic activity for the O2 reduction scales with the surface area in the non‐doped series, and also the selectivity for the two‐electron process leading to H2O2 increases in the samples having wider pores and higher surface area, even if the leading mechanism is the tetraelectronic process leading to H2O. The doping with nitrogen leads to a general increase of the catalytic activity with a shift of the O2 peak potential to more positive values of 75–150 mV. In the doped series, nitrogen doping prevails on the textural properties for guiding the selectivity toward the two‐ or four‐electron process, since a similar H2O2 yield was observed for all N‐MC samples. The possible presence of FeNx sites derived from the ball milling fixation of nitrogen was evaluated by using the NO‐stripping technique.
Evolution of the analytical signal in electrochemistry from electrocapillary curve to a digital electrochemical pattern of a multicomponent sample
Authors: Sokolkov Sergey Volodarovich 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe number of publications on the electrochemical analysis of liquids increases year by year. The growth of publication activity is largely due to the development of new biosensors and the introduction of nanomaterials into the practice of electrochemical analysis. It is not the task of the author to review the entire array of publications, since the basic principles of electrochemical analysis in most publications remain practically unchanged. The purpose of this critical review is to find answers to two important questions for the development of electroanalysis. First, are all of the used electrochemical methods providing a measurement in the strict metrological sense of this term? That is, do they provide the necessary accuracy, validity, reliability, and reproducibility of the measurement results? Secondly, is electroanalytics capable of meeting the challenge of the information revolution by significantly increasing the information efficiency of each individual measurement? To answer these questions, we will identify the main sources of sensor signal noise by considering the electrochemical sensor as the primary decoder of “chemical information” into an analytical signal. Then we will evaluate the information efficiency of various measurement methods by using the approach of thermodynamics of information processes and considering a sensor as an open thermodynamic system.
Population-level variation in parasite resistance due to differences in immune initiation and rate of response
Authors: Hund Amanda K. , Fuess Lauren E. , Kenney Mariah L. , Maciejewski Meghan F. , Marini Joseph M. , Shim Kum Chuan , Bolnick Daniel I. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractClosely related populations often differ in resistance to a given parasite, as measured by infection success or failure. Yet, the immunological mechanisms of these evolved differences are rarely specified. Does resistance evolve via changes to the host's ability to recognize that an infection exists, actuate an effective immune response, or attenuate that response? We tested whether each of these phases of the host response contributed to threespine sticklebacks’ recently evolved resistance to their tapeworm Schistocephalus solidus. Although marine stickleback and some susceptible lake fish permit fast-growing tapeworms, other lake populations are resistant and suppress tapeworm growth via a fibrosis response. We subjected lab-raised fish from three populations (susceptible marine “ancestors,” a susceptible lake population, and a resistant lake population) to a novel immune challenge using an injection of (1) a saline control, (2) alum, a generalized pro-inflammatory adjuvant that causes fibrosis, (3) a tapeworm protein extract, or (4) a combination of alum and tapeworm protein. With enough time, all three populations generated a robust fibrosis response to the alum treatments. Yet, only the resistant population exhibited a fibrosis response to the tapeworm protein alone. Thus, these populations differed in their ability to respond to the tapeworm protein but shared an intact fibrosis pathway. The resistant population also initiated fibrosis faster in response to alum, and was able to attenuate fibrosis, unlike the susceptible populations’ slow but longer lasting response to alum. As fibrosis has pathological side effects that reduce fecundity, the faster recovery by the resistant population may reflect an adaptation to mitigate the costs of immunity. Broadly, our results confirm that parasite detection and immune initiation, activation speed, and immune attenuation simultaneously contribute to the evolution of parasite resistance and adaptations to infection in natural populations.
From genotype to phenotype: Genetic redundancy and the maintenance of an adaptive polymorphism in the context of high gene flow
Authors: Bataillon Thomas , Gauthier Perrine , Villesen Palle , Santoni Sylvain , Thompson John D. , Ehlers Bodil K. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractA central question in evolution is how several adaptive phenotypes are maintained within a species. Theory predicts that the genetic determination of a trait, and in particular the amounts of redundancy in the mapping of genotypes to phenotypes, mediates evolutionary outcomes of phenotypic selection. In Mediterranean wild thyme, numerous discrete chemical phenotypes (chemotypes) occur in close geographic proximity. Chemotypes are defined by the predominant monoterpene produced by individual plants in their essential oil. In this study, we analyze the ecological genetics of six chemotypes nested within two well-established chemical families (hereafter ecotypes). Ecotypes, and chemotypes within ecotypes, are spatially segregated, and their distributions track local differences in the abiotic environment. By combining population genomic, phenotypic, and environmental data from 700 individuals, we show how the genetics of ecotype determination mediates this evolutionary response. Variation in three terpene-synthase loci explains variation in ecotype identity, with one single locus accounting for as much as 78% of this variation. Phenotypic selection combined with low segregating genotypic redundancy of ecotypes leaves a clear footprint at the genomic level: alleles associated with ecotype identity track environmental variation despite extensive gene flow. Different chemotypes within each ecotype differentially track environmental variation. Their identity is determined by multiple loci and displays a wider range of genotypic redundancy that dilutes phenotypic selection on their characteristic alleles. Our study thus provides a novel illustration of how genetic redundancy of a phenotype modulates the ability of selection to maintain adaptive differentiation. Identifying the precise genetics of the chemical polymorphism in thyme is the next crucial step for our understanding of the origin and maintenance of a polymorphism that is present in many aromatic plants.
GARCH pricing and hedging of VIX options
Authors: Liu Qiang , Jiao Yuhan , Guo Shuxin 
Published: February 2022

AbstractWe are the first to study the pricing and hedging of VIX options via Monte Carlo (MC) under GARCH(1,1) and Glosten–Jagannathan–Runkle GARCH(1,1) models. Our pricing is ab initio and out‐of‐sample and can be implemented in real time. Importantly, we propose the so‐called single‐option hedge error, a better measure than that of Bakshi et al., and suggest several techniques to expedite MC by over 1000 times, which rivals the potential speedup of quantum computers. Empirically, our proposed approach outperforms two types of benchmarks; further, the asymmetric Glosten–Jagannathan–Runkle outperforms the symmetric GARCH. Overall, our paper has both theoretical and practical implications.
Resale options and heterogeneous beliefs
Authors: Huang Kai‐Min , Kuo I‐Doun , Wang Rong‐Tsorng 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe resale option theory states investors buy an asset containing a resale option where the value is tied to differences in opinion and short‐sale constraints. This study tests the validity of the resale option theory using warrants sold by individuals to other individuals in Taiwan. The findings of this study support the resale option theory. First, heterogeneous beliefs concerning warrant fundamentals and the fluctuation of heterogeneous beliefs are positively related to resale options. Second, when the estimation accounts for the float, risk‐bearing ratio, and floats relative to risk‐bearing capacity, the theory is valid. Third, the theory holds under the convergence of opinion differences around earnings announcements because resale options have a stronger link before the announcements than after the events. Finally, the holding‐period returns over the short‐term horizon are positive under an increase in opinion differences, consistent with the theory of resale options.
Impacts of urbanization on chloride and stream invertebrates: A 10-year citizen science field study of road salt in stormwater runoff
Authors: Haake Danelle M. , Krchma Stephen , Meyners Claire W. , Virag Robert 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
The use of deicing agents during the winter months is one of many stressors that impact stream ecosystems in urban and urbanizing watersheds. In this study, a long-term data set collected by citizen scientists with the Missouri Stream Team was used to evaluate the relationships between watershed urbanization metrics and chloride metrics. Further, these data were used to explore the effects of elevated chloride concentrations on stream invertebrate communities using quantile regression. While the amount of road surface in a watershed was a dominant factor in predicting the maximum chloride measurement, the median chloride concentration was also strongly related to the amount of medium-to-high density development in the watershed, suggesting that nonmunicipal salt use is an important contributor to increases in base flow chloride concentrations. Additionally, chloride concentration appears to be one of the many factors that impact invertebrate density and diversity measurements, with decreases in invertebrate diversity corresponding with the US Environmental Protection Agency water quality criteria. Our findings suggest that the use of chloride-based road salt on municipal roads as well as on nonmunicipal settings is contributing to a loss of diversity and density of aquatic invertebrate communities in urban regions. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:1667–1677. © 2022 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).
KEY POINTS
The amount of road in a watershed is an important factor in predicting the maximum chloride concentration in a stream, while both road area and medium-to-high density development in the watershed are important in predicting median chloride concentrations. Chloride concentrations in urban streams are a limiting factor to the diversity and density of aquatic invertebrates, with decreases in invertebrate measures as chloride concentrations increase. While municipal salt use on roadways is an important contributing factor to chloride loads in streams, contributions from nonmunicipal sources (e.g., sidewalks and parking lots) are also a driver of chloride loads and are in need of further study.