bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effectiveness of balneotherapy on pain, walking, and function in patients with diabetic neuropathy: a prospective observational study
Authors: Dogaru Gabriela , Ciubean Alina Deniza , Marinescu Luminița , Pop Bianca-Maria , Pașca Gabriel-Sorin , Ciumărnean Lorena
Published: January 2025

The treatment of type 2 diabetes patients with diabetic neuropathy using pharmacological and non-pharmacological measures remains a current topic. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of comprehensive medical rehabilitation programs that include natural therapeutic factors (carbonated natural mineral water) on pain, gait, and functional status in these patients. Fifty patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and diabetic neuropathy in the lower limbs participated in the study. Half of them (DZ-PT) underwent treatment consisting of physical exercises, physiotherapy, and terrain cure, while the other half (DZ-CMW) received the same treatment plus baths with carbonated natural mineral water. Patients were evaluated using assessment scales for pain Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the 10-meter walking test (W10m), lower limb muscle strength (FM), Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and Neuropathy Disability Score (NDS). The results showed a statistically significant reduction in pain assessed by VAS at the end of the treatment, persisting for three months (p-values < 0.001 between the two groups), with a greater reduction in the DZ-CMW group. Similarly, a significant improvement in gait, evaluated by W10m, was found both at the end of the treatment and at 3 months after its completion, with greater improvement in the DZ-CMW group. In conclusion, patients with type 2 diabetes with diabetic neuropathy can benefit from comprehensive medical rehabilitation programs periodically, including therapeutic natural factors, at balneoclimacteric resorts, alongside medication, dietary regimen, and physical activity.
The effect of hand and foot exercises on peripheral neuropathy and quality of life in women with breast cancer: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Uysal Neşe , Ünal Toprak Filiz
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Peripheral neuropathy is one of the most devastating symptoms experienced by the patients. Supportive and holistic care interventions are crucial to help these patients. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of hand and foot exercises on chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and quality of life in women with breast cancer.

Methods

The sample of this randomized controlled trial study consisted of 79 women with breast cancer who underwent taxane-group chemotherapy in a hospital. The women diagnosed with grade 1 or higher peripheral neuropathy were included in the study. Women were divided into three groups as exercises with a massage ball, exercises with a stress ball, and control group. Hand and foot exercises last for 8 weeks. Data were collected using the Information Form, the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, and the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire.

Results

The severity of neuropathy decreased significantly in both massage ball and stress ball exercise groups compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The group and time interaction was statistically significant in fatigue, pain, and motor symptoms (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Women with breast cancer who undergo neurotoxic chemotherapy are thought to alleviate neuropathy symptoms and enhance their quality of life through simple home-based exercises. Nonpharmacological, applicable interventions, such as hand-foot exercises, can be integrated into patient education and care practices during the chemotherapy process.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrails.gov (Registration number: NCT06055088. registered on 01 June 2023).
Anämie – nicht immer Eisenmangel …
Authors: Novak Wolfgang , Boztug Kaan , Kager Leo
Published: January 2025

Eisenmangel ist die häufigste Ursache für Anämien im Kindesalter, jedoch können auch zahlreiche andere Pathologien zugrunde liegen. Eine systematische Differenzierung der Ätiologien ist daher von zentraler Bedeutung, um eine präzise Diagnostik zu ermöglichen und eine effektive Therapie zu gewährleisten. Die initiale Klassifikation erfolgt häufig anhand des mittleren Erythrozytenvolumens (MCV), wodurch Anämien in mikrozytäre, normozytäre und makrozytäre Formen unterteilt werden. Eine weitergehende Subklassifizierung berücksichtigt die Retikulozytenzahl (hypo- oder hyperregeneratorisch) sowie den Eisenstatus des Patienten . Insbesondere in der Pädiatrie sind genetisch bedingte Erkrankungen wie die Hämoglobinopathien, die Sphärozytose oder seltene Syndrome wie die Diamond-Blackfan-Anämie wichtige Differenzialdiagnosen. Dieser Artikel soll die Vielfalt der Anämieformen aufzeigen und verdeutlichen, wie essenziell ein strukturiertes diagnostisches Vorgehen ist, um letztlich die richtige Diagnose und Therapie für Betroffene sicherzustellen.
Endovaskuläre Techniken zur Erhaltung der linken Arteria subclavia im Rahmen von TEVAR in Zone 2
Authors: Reutersberg Benedikt , Meuli Lorenz , Menges Anna-Leonie , Zimmermann Alexander
Published: January 2025

Die thorakale endovaskuläre Aortenreparatur (TEVAR) ist die Standardtherapie für Pathologien im distalen Aortenbogen und der Aorta descendens. In bis zu 50 % der Fälle ist eine Landung in der Ischimaru-Zone 2 notwendig, um eine sichere Abdichtung zu erreichen, wobei die Perfusion der linken A. subclavia (LSA) erhalten bleiben sollte, um Schlaganfälle und Ischämien zu vermeiden. Zur Revaskularisierung der LSA stehen offene chirurgische Verfahren wie der karotidosubklaviale/axilläre Bypass und die LSA-Transposition sowie endovaskuläre Ansätze wie gebranchte (bTEVAR) und fenestrierte Endoprothesen (fTEVAR) zur Verfügung. Endovaskuläre Techniken umfassen „custom-made“ (CMD), Off-the-Shelf- und Physician-modified-Devices (PMD), wobei letztere in Ex- und In-situ-Modifikationen unterteilt werden. Eine weitere Methode ist die Parallelgrafttechnik. Die Wahl der Technik hängt von der Anatomie des Patienten, den technischen Möglichkeiten und der Expertise des Behandlers ab.

bTEVAR-Prothesen sind technisch anspruchsvoll und erfordern oft zusätzliche Manipulationen. fTEVAR benötigen eine engere Lagebeziehung zur Aortenwand und erfordert daher einen größeren Abstand zur Aortenpathologie. CMD-Prothesen bieten höchste Präzision, sind jedoch teuer und nicht immer verfügbar. Off-the-Shelf- und PMD-Prothesen bieten mehr Flexibilität, wobei PMDs spezielle Expertise erfordern. Die Parallelgraft-Technik wird als Bailout-Strategie eingesetzt.

Zukünftige Entwicklungen zielen auf standardisierte, kostengünstigere Lösungen ab, jedoch fehlen noch Langzeitergebnisse. Größere Studien sind notwendig, um die optimale Technik zu bestimmen.

Der Artikel gibt einen Überblick über die aktuellen endovaskulären Debranching-Techniken der LSA und diskutiert deren Vor- und Nachteile.
IntraJ: an on-demand framework for intraprocedural Java code analysis
Authors: Riouak Idriss , Fors Niklas , Hedin Görel , Reichenbach Christoph
Published: January 2025

Static analysis tools play a crucial role in software development by detecting bugs and vulnerabilities. However, running these tools separately from the code editing process often causes developers to switch contexts, which can reduce productivity. Previous work has shown how Reference Attribute Grammars (RAGs) can be used for declarative implementation of competitive tooling for intraprocedural control-flow and dataflow analysis of Java source code, embodied in the tool IntraJ. In this paper, we demonstrate how IntraJ can be leveraged to provide interactive analysis results directly in the editor, similar to compile-time error detection, relying on automatic on-demand evaluation of RAGs. We discuss the architecture of IntraJ, and demonstrate how it can be integrated into the development process in three different ways: in the command line, in an editor integration based on the Language Server Protocol, and in an integration with the debugging tool CodeProber. We showcase the extensibility of IntraJ by illustrating how new client analyzes and language constructs can be added to the framework through RAG specifications. Finally, we evaluate the interactive performance of IntraJ on a set of real-world Java benchmarks, demonstrating that IntraJ can provide interactive feedback to developers, achieving a response time of under 0.1 seconds for most compilation units.
Evaluating the Implementation of Home-Based Sexual Health Care Among Men Who Have Sex with Men: Limburg4zero
Authors: Goense Cornelia Johanna Dorothy , Evers Ymke J. , Manait Jonas , Hoebe Christian J. P. A. , van Loo Inge H. M. , Posthouwer Dirk , Ackens Robin , van Hooren Roland , Theuerzeit Rocxanne , Crutzen Rik , Stutterheim Sarah E. , Dukers-Muijrers Nicole H. T. M.
Published: January 2025

Home-based sexual health care (including self-sampling testing) could reduce barriers to clinic-based testing. This study systematically evaluated the implementation of home-based sexual health care (‘Limburg4Zero’) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in a mixed urban–rural region of the Netherlands. We systematically assessed implementation outcomes (contextual domains, population reached, effectiveness, adoption by health care providers (HCP), implementation fidelity, and maintenance) using the practical, robust implementation and sustainability model. We used a mixed-methods research design that combined survey and in-depth interview data from our priority population (MSM) and implementers with insights from our community advisory board and field notes from monthly meetings with the implementers. Of 1076 requested tests, 906 MSM received a (self-sampling STI/HIV) test kit and sexual health information. Most participants (median age 31) had a university or college degree and had a Western ethnicity. The return rate for laboratory testing was 67%. Home-based care participants more often never tested HIV before (39%) compared to STI clinic attendees (28%). Adoption by HCP was highly acceptable, although perceived pragmatic and technical challenges were experienced. Key elements of the home-based care service were implemented as designed, with co-created adjustments for optimization during the implementation. Maintaining the innovation in the long term was desirable, although future recommendations for efficient continuation should be considered. Implementation of home-based sexual health care has demonstrably increased care accessibility for MSM who had never previously been tested. Therefore, a systematic approach is crucial to foster the impact of home-based sexual health care.
Marital and living status and biological ageing trajectories: a longitudinal cohort study with a 20-year follow-up
Authors: Yin Weiyao , Li Xia , Chen Ruoqing , Zhan Yiqiang , Jylhävä Juulia , Fang Fang , Hägg Sara
Published: January 2025

Biomarkers of ageing (BA) can predict health risks beyond chronological age, but little is known about how marital/living status affects longitudinal changes in BA. We examined the association between marital/living status and BA over time using the-Swedish-Adoption/Twin-Study-of-Aging (SATSA) cohort. Four BAs were analyzed: telomere length (TL) (638 individuals; 1603 measurements), DNAmAge (535 individuals; 1392 measurements), cognition (823 individuals; 3218 measurements), and frailty index (FI) (1828 individuals; 9502 measurements). Individuals were born between 1900 and 1948, and data on marital/living status, BAs, and covariates were collected through nine waves of questionnaires and in-person testing from 1986 to 2014. Mixed linear regression with random effects at twin-pair and individual levels were used to assess BA changes for constant marital/living status. Conditional generalized estimating equation assessed within-individual BA changes for varying marital/living status. Results showed that individuals who were consistently unmarried/non-cohabiting (β = 0.291, 95%CI = 0.189–0.393) or living alone (β = 0.203, 95%CI = 0.090–0.316) were more frail, and experienced accelerated frailty (p-for-interaction with age < 0.001 for marital status; p-for-interaction = 0.002 for living status) and cognitive decline (p-for-interaction < 0.001), compared to those married/cohabiting or living with someone Among individuals whose marital/living status changed, frailty was higher when living alone (β = 0.089, 95%CI = 0.017–0.162) and frailty accelerated when they became unmarried/non-cohabiting or were living alone (p-for-interaction < 0.001). Cognitive decline also accelerated when living alone (p-for-interaction = 0.020). No associations were observed for TL and DNAmAge. In conclusion, being unmarried/non-cohabiting or living alone from mid-to-old age is linked to accelerated cognitive decline and frailty. These findings highlight the potential importance of social support networks and living arrangements for healthy ageing.
Surface Roughness in Stratified Turbulent Ekman Flow
Authors: Kostelecky Jonathan , Ansorge Cedrick
Published: January 2025

The interplay of surface roughness and stable stratification is investigated by direct numerical simulation of Ekman flow. Our setup is well within the turbulent regime, reaching a friction Reynolds number of

$$Re_\tau \approx 2700$$

R

e
τ

≈
2700

. Further, we reach the verge of the fully rough regime under neutral conditions with a non-dimensional obstacle height

$$H^+\approx 40$$

H
+

≈
40

, corresponding to a z-nought parameter in viscous units

$$z_0^+\approx 2$$

z
0
+

≈
2

. Stability is imposed via a gradual decrease of surface buoyancy from neutral (no stratification) to very strong stratification. The reduced Reynolds number (

$$Re_\tau $$

R

e
τ

) in comparison to atmospheric problems warrants consideration of viscous effects on our results, and we demonstrate a correction method that consistently incorporates viscous effects, thus reducing the spread of data from our numerical results. The weakly stable regime is maintained at higher stability due to efficient production of turbulence kinetic energy which counteracts buoyant restoring forces in the presence of roughness. When scaled according to Monin–Obukhov similarity theory (MOST) our results for weak stability compares excellent to known formulations based on atmospheric observations. The coefficients of the stability correction functions for momentum and heat are estimated as

$$\beta _\textrm{m}=3.45$$

β
m

=
3.45

,

$$\beta _\textrm{h}=5.21$$

β
h

=
5.21

respectively, and we observe a slight but significant increase of the turbulent Prandtl number with stability. In the very stable regime, global flow properties (e.g. friction velocity, Obukhov length) oscillate with a decaying amplitude and global intermittency, i.e. the co-occurrence of turbulent/laminar fluid at large scale, is observed in the presence of roughness. In such very stable conditions, a strong veering of the surface wind with respect to the large-scale forcing (

$$<90^\circ $$

<

90
∘

) is observed.
Effect of magnetic field strength and segmentation variability on the reproducibility and repeatability of radiomic texture features in cardiovascular magnetic resonance parametric mapping
Authors: Yamlome Pascal , Jordan Jennifer H.
Published: January 2025

Our study aims to assess the robustness of myocardial radiomic texture features (RTF) to segmentation variability and variations across scanners with different field strengths, addressing concerns about reliability in clinical practices. We conducted a retrospective analysis on 45 pairs of CMR T1 maps from 15 healthy volunteers using 1.5 T and 3 T Siemens scanners. Manual left ventricular myocardium segmentation and a deep learning-based model with Monte Carlo Dropout generated masks with different levels of variability and 1023 RTFs extracted from each region of interest (ROI). Reproducibility: the extent to which RTFs extracted from 1.5 T and 3 T images are consistent, and repeatability: the extent to which RTFs extracted from multiple segmentation runs at the same field strength agree with each other, were measured by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). We categorized ICC values as excellent, good, moderate, and poor. We reported the proportion of RTFs that fell in each category. The proportion of RTFs with excellent repeatability decreased as the proportion of ROI pixels in congruence across segmentation runs decreased. Up to 31% of RTFs showed excellent repeatability, while 35% showed good repeatability across segmentation runs from the manually generated masks. Across scanners (i.e., 1.5 T vs 3 T), only 7% exhibited good reproducibility. While our results demonstrate RTF sensitivity to differences in field strength and segmentation variability, we identified certain preprocessing filters and feature classes that are less sensitive to these variations and, as such, may be good candidates for imaging biomarkers or building machine-learning models.
Exploring the potential of the ketogenic diet in autism spectrum disorder: metabolic, genetic, and therapeutic insights
Authors: Schrickel Alexa , Groeneweg Jop , Dekeyster Eline
Published: January 2025

Current treatment approaches for Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) primarily focus on symptom management rather than addressing underlying dysfunctions. The ketogenic diet (KD), a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet inducing nutritional ketosis, has shown promise in treating epilepsy and may offer therapeutic benefits for ASD by modulating metabolic and neuroprotective pathways. This review examined the potential impact of KD on underlying mechanisms in ASD. While evidence from human studies on underlying mechanisms is limited, animal research has shown a large overlap of mechanisms modulated by KD and dysfunctions in ASD. As such, targeting multiple disrupted pathways at once, KD presents a potential multifaceted treatment approach for ASD. However, more evidence from human studies is needed on the effectiveness of KD in the modulation of underlying dysfunctions in ASD. Additionally, precision medicine approaches could help identify individuals who would benefit most from the intervention, potentially extending its use to other psychiatric conditions with similar metabolic patterns. Consequently, KD interventions might show the potential to induce a drastic paradigm shift in understanding and treating ASD.
Proportionality in the Aggregate
Authors: Uzan Elad
Published: January 2025

Much of revisionist just war theory is individualistic in nature: morality in war is just an extension of morality in interpersonal circumstances, so that killing in war is subject to the same moral principles that govern personal self-defense and defense of others. Recent work in the ethics of self-defense suggests that this individualism leads to a puzzle, which I call the puzzle of aggregation, when many threateners contribute to a single threatened harm. In this paper, I investigate the moral problems posed by the puzzle of aggregation and develop a novel account recently proposed by Jeff McMahan, which he calls “proportionality in the aggregate”. I argue that accepting proportionality in the aggregate as a moral constraint on the use of force has significant implications for the ethics of war and self-defense.
Exploring the potential of seed inoculation with microbial consortia to mitigate drought stress in maize plants under greenhouse conditions
Authors: Yim Bunlong , Heider Marie Amelie , Bloem Elke , Vetterlein Doris , Behr Jan Helge , Babin Doreen , Smalla Kornelia
Published: January 2025

Background and aims

Plant-beneficial microbes may attenuate climate change-induced stresses on plants such as drought. We investigated the potential of beneficial microbial consortia (BMc) on plant growth and rhizosphere bacterial/archaeal community under drought.

Methods

Seeds of Zea mays B73 were inoculated with six plant-beneficial bacterial isolates either alone or combined in two three-member consortia (BMc1, BMc2) before sowing in loamy or sandy substrates in the greenhouse. A known effective consortium (BMc3) was included as positive control. Drought treatment was established with the BMc treatments by omitting watering in the last of the five weeks growth period. The maize growth in single and BMc treatments was determined. Colony-forming units (CFUs) of inoculants were evaluated by selective plating, and effects of BMc treatments on the native rhizosphere bacterial/archaeal community were assessed using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of basal root and root tip rhizosphere of plants grown in loam.

Results

In both substrates and water conditions, CFUs of single and BMc inoculations were higher at rhizosphere basal roots than root tips. Under well-watered conditions, seed inoculation with a single bacterial isolate had no effect on maize growth in both substrates. BMc treatment resulted in higher shoot (but not root) growth compared to non-inoculated controls in both water conditions in loam. The root zone was the most important driver for bacterial/archaeal beta-diversity, followed by water conditions, while BMc treatments showed no effect.

Conclusion

Our study suggests that BMc seed inoculation has the potential to attenuate drought stress during maize growth.
An analysis of country-by-country data for EU banks: an investigation of bank performance and risk
Authors: Cordina Renzo , Kourtzidis Stavros , Power David M. , Tzeremes Nickolaos G.
Published: January 2025

One of the biggest changes to financial reporting within the European Union over the last decade has been the growth of country-by-country (CbC) reporting. European legislation has required companies in certain sectors such as banking to publish information either about their performance or their payments to governments for each country where they operate. Our research explores the relevance of disclosures that have been mandated by the Capital Requirement Directive IV for the banking industry. We construct a composite performance indicator using a Benefit-of-the-Doubt model to explore how this information can be employed by stakeholders to evaluate the operational performance of European banks. Data for 39 of the 50 largest European banks over the period 2015–2019 are included in the study, with four major findings. Firstly, the results suggest that the risk of underperformance can be sizeable; there are a large number of low performing and a small number of high performing bank establishments. Secondly, both the bank-level gap (BLG) and the jurisdiction-level gap (JLG) are important sources of low performance. Thirdly, the path for improvement varies for different banks; while some need to enhance performance within specific jurisdictions compared to the other jurisdictions of the same bank, others must improve their performance relative to other banks. Finally, there is heterogeneity in the results at a country level, and the best performing establishments are often located in countries considered as tax-havens under certain taxonomies.
Exploring Effective Diffusion Coefficients in Water-Saturated Reservoir Rocks via the Pressure Decay Technique: Implications for Underground Hydrogen Storage
Authors: Khajooie Saeed , Gaus Garri , Seemann Timo , Ahrens Benedikt , Hua Tian , Littke Ralf
Published: January 2025

The assessment of gas diffusion in water-saturated rocks is essential for quantifying gas loss and determining the amount of gas that could trigger abiotic and biotic processes, potentially altering fluid and rock properties. Additionally, estimating diffusion coefficients is critical for evaluating the balance between hydrogen generation and dissipation in radioactive waste repositories. This investigation involved experimental determination of diffusion coefficients for various gases both in water and in water-saturated Bentheim, Oberkirchner, Grey Weser, and Red Weser sandstones. Experimental conditions included pressures ranging from 0.2 to 1.0 MPa, consistently maintained at a temperature of 35 °C. The diffusion coefficients of hydrogen, helium, and methane in water were determined to be 6.7·10–9, 9.6·10–9, and 2.8·10–9 m2/s, respectively, consistent with literature values obtained through gas concentration measurements without pressure gradients. However, the diffusivity of carbon dioxide and argon in water was measured at 10.9·10–9 and 44.6·10–9 m2/s, significantly exceeding their corresponding literature values by an order of magnitude. This discrepancy is attributed to the significant solubility of these gases in water, resulting in density-driven convection as the primary transport mechanism. Furthermore, the effective diffusion coefficients for hydrogen within the analyzed rock specimens varied from 0.8·10–9 to 2.9·10–9 m2/s, which are higher than those for methane and carbon dioxide, both ranging from 0.3·10–9 to 0.9·10–9 m2/s. This yielded diffusive tortuosity values ranging from 2.6 to 8.2. The observed effective diffusivity values were positively correlated with porosity, permeability, and mean pore size, while exhibiting a negative correlation with tortuosity. Given that the gas–liquid mass transfer coefficient is directly proportional to the effective gas diffusivity in water, the determined values for H2 are essential for studying the impact of pore characteristics on microbial activity.
Specific staining and precise killing of cancer cells through fusion of pharmaceutical chemistry and π-bridge effect design philosophy
Authors: Liu Qiong , Deng Qiyun , Zhu Changxu , Chen Kongqi , Chen Lidan , Sun Zhaohui , Tang Ben Zhong , Wang Zhiming
Published: January 2025

The development of an advanced phototheranostic platform that combines imaging and therapy in a single agent is an appealing yet challenging task. In this study, we successfully constructed three novel fluorescent probes by leveraging pharmaceutical chemistry and the design philosophy of the π-bridge effect. Through a systematic comparative analysis of their fluorescence properties, water solubility, molecular conformation, and electrostatic potential, we revealed the fundamental principles governing the optical behavior and biological selectivity of these probes. Notably, the probe TPhIQ-CNTh demonstrated extended fluorescence in the near-infrared region, a significant aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effect, and the ability to distinguish tumor cells from normal cells. Moreover, it efficiently generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) and specifically labeled lipid droplets, enabling the precise staining and killing of cancer cells. This study presents a practical strategy for designing precise tumor treatments that integrate efficient imaging-guided photodynamic therapy (PDT) by harnessing the unique properties of AIE materials.
Comparison of active learning algorithms in classifying head computed tomography reports using bidirectional encoder representations from transformers
Authors: Wataya Tomohiro , Miura Azusa , Sakisuka Takahisa , Fujiwara Masahiro , Tanaka Hisashi , Hiraoka Yu , Sato Junya , Tomiyama Miyuki , Nishigaki Daiki , Kita Kosuke , Suzuki Yuki , Kido Shoji , Tomiyama Noriyuki
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Systems equipped with natural language (NLP) processing can reduce missed radiological findings by physicians, but the annotation costs are burden in the development. This study aimed to compare the effects of active learning (AL) algorithms in NLP for estimating the significance of head computed tomography (CT) reports using bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT).

Methods

A total of 3728 head CT reports annotated with five categories of importance were used and UTH-BERT was adopted as the pre-trained BERT model. We assumed that 64% (2385 reports) of the data were initially in the unlabeled data pool (UDP), while the labeled data set (LD) used to train the model was empty. Twenty-five reports were repeatedly selected from the UDP and added to the LD, based on seven metrices: random sampling (RS: control), four uncertainty sampling (US) methods (least confidence (LC), margin sampling (MS), ratio of confidence (RC), and entropy sampling (ES)), and two distance-based sampling (DS) methods (cosine distance (CD) and Euclidian distance (ED)). The transition of accuracy of the model was evaluated using the test dataset.

Results

The accuracy of the models with US was significantly higher than RS when reports in LD were < 1800, whereas DS methods were significantly lower than RS. Among the US methods, MS and RC were even better than the others. With the US methods, the required labeled data decreased by 15.4–40.5%, and most efficient in RC. In addition, in the US methods, data for minor categories tended to be added to LD earlier than RS and DS.

Conclusions

In the classification task for the importance of head CT reports, US methods, especially RC and MS can lead to the effective fine-tuning of BERT models and reduce the imbalance of categories. AL can contribute to other studies on larger datasets by providing effective annotation.
The Democratic Deficit of the Global Dominance of Producer-Driven Society
Authors: Buckley Peter
Published: January 2025

The argument of this paper is sequential. Democracy is associated with openness in trade, investment, and entrepreneurship. This is because of its support of property rights, contract enforcement, open governance, and civil society operational freedoms. However, these institutions are potentially open to capture by producer-driven interests. Institutions and political processes are not fixed but change over time and are the products of political contestation including the global projection of national producer interests. It is essential to see the world economy as a complex system that evolves under pressures of political, economic, technological, and societal changes. Democratic control of powerful producer-driven interests is not a given. Addressing the potential democratic deficit is one of global society’s “Grand Challenges”.
Rapid automatic detection of collapsed buildings with single period LiDAR data after an earthquake
Authors: Canözü Ömer , Acar Hayrettin
Published: January 2025

Earthquakes are natural disasters that cannot be determined precisely where and when they will occur. In cases where precautions are insufficient, large losses of life and property can occur. Minimizing the loss of life after an earthquake depends on the rapid identification of collapsed structures and the urgent delivery of rescue teams to heavily damaged structures. Within the scope of the study, damaged and destroyed buildings were automatically detected in a very short time after the earthquake by using the LiDAR point cloud data obtained with a single period flight and the cadastral map of the region. With the algorithm produced, the robust, damaged and destroyed building classes were detected with 98.98% and 98.56% accuracy rates by considering 3D geometric changes in two different study areas. After obtaining LiDAR data, the detection of damaged and collapsed buildings can be performed within two hours. These findings demonstrate the potential of the proposed approach to effectively detect damaged and destroyed buildings after a disaster. The map of damaged and collapsed buildings after the earthquake is produced without being dependent on radiometric changes. This process is carried out in a very short time with a high accuracy rate, which reveals the superiority of the study compared to the literature. The studies conducted with satellite images without 3D analysis capabilities, it is not possible to detect collapsed buildings with undamaged roofs. In contrast, the proposed LiDAR-based method can detect such damaged structures with high accuracy. The method accelerates the planning and implementation of post-earthquake rescue and relief operations. In addition, the fact that it can prevent loss of life due to late interventions increases the importance of the proposed study.
Utilization of the Total Error Allowance Rule to Determine the Clinical Acceptability of Complete Blood Counts in the Blood Samples Collected via Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters in Cancer Patients
Authors: Xue Xiaojing , Tang Jie , Yang Yuwei , Yang Lijuan , Zhang Siqi , Du Xiaobo , Feng Gang , Guo Chao , Chen Rong , Yang Yalan
Published: January 2025

Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are widely used in oncology patients for drug infusion and nutritional support; however, their usefulness for blood sample collection has not been clarified. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical acceptability of complete blood count (CBC) measurements in blood samples drawn from PICC lines in oncology patients. Blood samples were drawn twice successively from the PICC lines (PICC0 and PICC1 samples, respectively), and a peripheral blood collected from the contralateral limb was used as reference sample. Significant differences and sources of bias in the CBC measurements in two PICC samples were analyzed. Clinical acceptability was determined based on the total error allowance (TEa) rules. Except for hemoglobin and erythrocyte, no significant differences were observed in the other parameters between PICC1 and reference samples (all P > 0.05), including leukocyte, hematocrit, platelet, erythrocyte parameters and leukocyte differential counts. Deviations of erythrocyte and hemoglobin in PICC1 samples was only attributed to random error, whereas proportional bias were also observed in PICC0 samples. According to the given TEa, erythrocyte, leukocyte, hemoglobin, and platelet of the PICC1 samples met the 1/2 TEa criteria and had favorable clinical acceptability. However, the hematocrit and the three erythrocyte parameters failed to meet the 1/2 TEa criteria. Adherence to the TEa criteria may provide higher clinical acceptability for CBC results. Satisfactory results in oncology patients may be involve discarding the first 2 mL of blood samples during sample collection using PICC lines.
Academic course planning recommendation and students’ performance prediction multi-modal based on educational data mining techniques
Authors: Kord Ahmed , Aboelfetouh Ahmed , Shohieb Samaa M.
Published: January 2025

Educational Data Mining (EDM) has recently received significant attention, leading to the development of various Data Mining (DM) methodologies for extracting hidden knowledge within educational data. This knowledge is crucial for enhancing teaching methods and improving student learning experiences, ultimately contributing to better student performance and overall educational outcomes. Students confront difficulties in selecting appropriate courses and suitable departments, which is regarded as the most important factor in avoiding career failure. Predicting students’ academic performance is vital for evaluating the success of educational institutions. In this study, eleven Machine Learning (ML) algorithms and three Deep Learning (DL) algorithms namely Support Vector Classification (SVC), K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), Logistic regression (LR), Decision tree (DT), Linear discriminant analysis (LDA), Quadratic Discriminant Analysis (QDA), Random Forest (RF), Gradient Boosting (GB), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Light Gradient Boosting Machine (Light GBM), Extra Trees, Deep Artificial Neural Network (DANN), Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU), and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), were evaluated using real dataset from the Faculty of Computers and Information Sciences (FCIS) at Mansoura University (MU). A prediction model was developed to predict students’ academic grades in upcoming courses based on their past performance, alongside a recommendation model for guiding students towards suitable courses and departments. The results demonstrate that the Support Vector Classification (SVC) model outperformed others, achieving a 78.04% multi-classification accuracy and a 75.37% F1-Score. This study underscores the potential of individual ML and DL models to predict students’ academic performance based on real dataset features.
Factors Regulating the Potential for Freshwater Mineral Soil Wetlands to Function as Natural Climate Solutions
Authors: Ma Shizhou , Mistry Purbasha , Badiou Pascal , Bansal Sheel , Creed Irena F.
Published: January 2025

There are increasing global efforts and initiatives aiming to tackle climate change and mitigate its impacts via natural climate solutions (NCS). Wetlands have been considered effective NCS given their capacity to sequester and retain atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) while also providing a myriad of other ecosystem functions that can assist in mitigating the impacts of climate change. However, wetlands have a dual impact on climate, influencing the atmospheric concentrations of both CO2 and methane (CH4). The cooling effect associated with wetland CO2 sequestration can be counterbalanced by the warming effect caused by CH4 emissions from wetlands. The relative ability of wetlands to sequester CO2 versus emit CH4 is dependent on a suite of interacting physical, chemical, and biological factors, making it difficult to determine if/which wetlands are considered important NCS. The fact that wetlands are embedded in landscapes with surface and subsurface hydrological connections to other wetlands (i.e., wetlandscapes) that flow over and through geochemically active soils and sediments adds a new layer of complexity and poses further challenges to understanding wetland carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas fluxes at large spatial scales. Our review demonstrates how additional scientific advances are required to understand the driving mechanisms associated with wetland carbon cycling under different environmental conditions. It is vital to understand wetland functionality at both wetland and wetlandscape scales to effectively implement wetlands as NCS to maximize ecological, social, and economic benefits.
Recycling of lithium-ion batteries: cobalt recovery with supercritical fluids
Authors: Morales Ibarra Rodolfo , Goto Motonobu , García Montes Saida Mayela , López Cuellar Enrique Manuel , Martínez de la Cruz Azael
Published: January 2025

A long-term recycling strategy integrated into the circular economy of materials will be the only feasible option going forward on the use of lithium-ion batteries; the development of such a technology is critical to achieving a sustainable state of energy and waste management. Supercritical fluids are great technological candidates for recycling lithium-ion batteries and recovering cobalt which can be then integrated into a circular economy through the industrialization of an efficient recycling process. Cobalt recovery is feasible using supercritical CO2, supercritical and subcritical water with organic acids with up to 99% efficiency.
Adam Smith’s Pluralism and the Limits of Science
Authors: Sturn Richard
Published: January 2025

In recent decades, scholarly work on Adam Smith clarified important aspects of his multi-faceted account of human agency. However, the relevance of his view of knowledge and agency for political economy as science of the legislator has not been clarified sufficiently. It is contended here that Smith’s view of human agency in socio-economic contexts is linked to a kind of pragmatic pluralism, emphasizing the role of the knowledge made available by scientific “systems”, but also their limitations and incompleteness. Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments, his discussions of the mercantile system and honesty in commerce are considered as examples of pragmatic pluralism reflecting such limitations, while opening up horizons of reasonable disagreement and problem-responsive reform avoiding technocratic fallacies and reckless experimentation.
The origin and flow of a Bronze Age urban population in ancient China: an investigation based on the craniometric study
Authors: Han Tao , Liu Yaxiong , Zhang Wenxin
Published: January 2025

The Dahekou cemetery in southern Shanxi Province is an important archaeological site dating to the Western Zhou period (1046 BC-771 BC). Based on the inscriptions on funerary artefacts, the cemetery is believed to belong to a local enfeoffed state named Ba (霸), which was not mentioned in historical records. Previous archaeological studies failed to reach any definite conclusion on the origin and flow direction of the Dahekou people, which was one of the research questions of concern, waiting to be interpreted. In this paper, we assessed the biological affinity between the Dahekou people and the populations that lived before and after them in the surrounding area by conducting a cluster analysis of their craniometric data. The results show that the earlier Youyao group, the later Shangma and Taosibei groups have the closest affinity to the Dahekou population. This paper thus argues that the Dahekou people were most likely descendants of a branch of a nomadic civilization named Di (狄) who came from north-central Shanxi. After the demise of the Ba state, the Dahekou people were incorporated into the people of the Jin (晋) state represented by two nearby cemeteries. This study also shows that craniometry could assist in the addressing of some research questions which failed to be answered by historical records, like where the people of a newly enfeoffed state of a Bronze Age dynasty came from.
Feasibility within-subject RCT of neuromuscular electrical stimulation; an Intervention to Maintain and improve neuroMuscular function during period of Immobility (IMMI)
Authors: Alqurashi Helal B. , Masud Tahir , Gordon Adam Lee , Piasecki Mathew , O’Connor Dominic , Robinson Katie , Gladman John R. F.
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is a potentially effective intervention to improve outcomes after a fragility fracture, but its feasibility in this group has not been established.

Methods

A feasibility study was conducted in two phases: 1) in the hospital only, and 2) hospital, rehabilitation centres, and participants’ homes. Patients with fragility fracture were randomised to receive NMES for 6 weeks/discharge either to the right or left leg, with the other leg serving as control. Patients who had no mobility issues had contraindications to NMES and were unable to give consent were excluded. NMES was applied to quadriceps and tibialis anterior muscles for 30 min, 3 days/week. Sessions were progressed to achieve 60 min, 5–7 days/week. Feasibility outcomes included participant characteristics, recruitment rate, tolerability, and number of NMES sessions. Clinical outcomes included muscle strength, and ADL at six months.

Results

Overall, 1052 patients were identified, of whom 113 (11%) were eligible, and 29 (3%) were recruited (median Clinical Frailty Score 3, median Barthel ADL score 93/100). The recruitment rate was 0.45/week in phase 1 and 0.9/week in phase 2. Fifty-three percent achieved the target of 24 NMES sessions. However, 5/29 withdrew due to intolerance of NMES. Leg muscle strength improved in both treated and untreated legs, with marginally greater improvement observed in the tibialis anterior of treated legs.

Conclusion

Although it would be feasible to evaluate the specific effect of NMES in fragility fracture patients in a multi-centre trial using home-based NMES, this would be possible only in a minority of mildly frail fragility fracture patients with little premorbid disability.
Patient-reported outcomes, provider-reported outcomes, and physiologic parameters after gender-affirming hormone treatment in Canada: a systematic review
Authors: Jackman Liam , Chan Cynthia , Garvilles Micon , Kamran Rakhshan
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Canada has experienced a ten-fold increase in referrals for gender-affirming care. Clinical guidelines emphasize the importance of a comprehensive and systematic approach to outcome measurement for gender-affirming hormonal care. However, research is lacking on the investigation of outcomes of Canadian gender-affirming hormonal treatments.

Methods

In total, five databases were searched, as follows: MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Scopus, and CINAHL on December 26, 2023. To meet inclusion criteria, each study needed to be an original article including patients identifying as transgender or gender diverse (TGD) who were receiving gender-affirming hormonal care in Canada. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) and Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tools were used to assess the methodological quality of the study. Descriptive frequencies were calculated for demographic information and a narrative synthesis was conducted to summarize outcomes organized for different treatments.

Results

A total of 3315 articles were identified, with 34 articles being included, representing 3990 patients. Physiologic parameters were reported in 62% of the studies and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in 50%, although only 32% utilized standardized patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). In studies reporting quantitative results, testosterone treatments showed 80% effectiveness in achieving desired physical changes, while several studies demonstrated that estrogen and antiandrogen treatments improved mental health in 85% of patients. The narrative synthesis of the results reveals positive outcomes and limited adverse effects of gender-affirming hormone therapy; however, it also underscores the need for standardized, consistent outcome measurement tools, particularly PROMs.

Conclusion

The present systematic review highlights the need for standardized outcome reporting in gender-affirming hormone therapy, underscoring the need for measurement of the patient’s perspective through PROMs. Resolving these issues can improve evidence-based practices and support high-quality, patient-centered gender-affirming hormone care.
“It Takes a Village”: Parental Experiences with Cooperation to Overcome Cyberbullying in Norwegian Schools
Authors: Bell Martyna , Fandrem Hildegunn
Published: January 2025

This study investigated parental beliefs and experiences with cooperation among adults to overcome cyberbullying in Norwegian schools. Data comprised 17 semi-structured interviews conducted with parents of adolescents enrolled in primary or lower secondary schools in Norway. Reflexive thematic analysis revealed four themes: (1) individual and (2) organizational aspects influencing cooperation, (3) cyberbullying as a form of aggression, and (4) interactional dimensions of cooperation. These findings highlight the complexity of cyberbullying characteristics and mesosystemic cooperation, which require expertise in various fields. The viral and covert nature of cyberbullying requires adults to create spaces, online or offline, where children may safely report unwanted behaviors without the fear of retaliation. Any barriers to cooperation, such as language, lack of technological knowledge, and resource allocation, must be addressed. Immigrant parents contributed insights regarding barriers to cooperation due to cultural and linguistic differences. Attitudes, behaviors, and outcomes need to be addressed before cooperation based on trust, support, and realistic goals can be implemented.