bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Probing Depth Reduction Following Peri‐Implantitis Treatment: A Systematic Review and Component Network Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Liu Yun‐Chen , Sun Yih‐Yun , Simonelli Anna , Farina Roberto , Trombelli Leonardo , Wang Chen‐Ying , Tu Yu‐Kang
Published: February 2025

Objective

In this update of a previous systematic review, we compared the effects of surgical and non‐surgical treatments for peri‐implantitis through the component network meta‐analysis (CNMA) with probing depth (PD) reduction as the outcome.

Materials and Methods

Literature search was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Embase databases from August 2010 to June 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), comparing non‐surgical or surgical treatments for peri‐implantitis with 6–12 months of follow‐up and reported changes in PD, were included. Treatment effects were assessed using a CNMA model based on additivity assumption. We calculated the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) to adjust the standard errors for multiple implants within the same patient.

Results

Our systematic review identified 44 RCTs, which included 46 treatment regimens consisting of 15 components. These RCTs formed a disconnected network consisting of 11 subnetworks. Surgical treatments with bone grafts and membranes generally attained greater PD reduction than non‐surgical treatments, although bone grafts and membranes as components provided moderate benefits. The effect size of antibiotics is greater in non‐surgical than surgical treatments, while there is considerable uncertainty regarding the effect size of implantoplasty. Additionally, the effectiveness of components varied between surgical and non‐surgical treatments.

Conclusion

Current evidence does not yield sufficiently robust estimates for identifying optimal surgical and non‐surgical treatment regimens for peri‐implantitis, so the findings of our study should be interpreted cautiously. A coordinated strategy is required for designing future trials to fill the gaps in our current knowledge and develop more reliable recommendations.
Dynamicity Predicts Inferred Temporal Order in Complex Sentences: Evidence from English, German, and Polish
Authors: Marx Elena , Iwan Oliwia , Wittenberg Eva
Published: February 2025

To build an accurate mental model of complex situations, people infer temporal order from sometimes underspecified linguistic information. The basis on which these inferences are drawn is an open question. While previous literature has focused on the role of linguistic structure and discourse pragmatic strategies as important contributors to temporal inferences, here we argue that, under uncertainty, people also use the dynamic properties of the described situations to derive temporal order from language. In three pre‐registered studies using English, German, and Polish, adult participants used toys to act out complex situations described by main clause‐relative clause structures. We consistently find that non‐dynamic state descriptions are temporally ordered first, if the other clause describes a dynamic event. This pattern arises independently of whether dynamicity differences are lexically encoded, like in English or German, or grammatically encoded, like in Polish. More generally, our findings address an important gap in the discussion on the role of eventuality type for temporal inference. While there is substantial research on the significance of telicity and durativity, a third, much more overlooked feature is dynamicity, a concept rooted in event perception, not language. Our results therefore provide a crucial thread to closely weave together language comprehension and event cognition.
Association between remnant cholesterol and chronic kidney disease: Systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Karakasis Paschalis , Patoulias Dimitrios , Rizzo Manfredi , Fragakis Nikolaos , Mantzoros Christos S.
Published: February 2025

Background and Aims

Adequate lipid control has emerged as a key factor in the prevention and management of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Remnant cholesterol (RC), a lipoprotein with an established association with cardiovascular risk, has been investigated in the context of CKD. Given the conflicting results from recent studies, we performed this meta‐analysis to summarize the existing evidence on the association between RC and CKD.

Methods

Medline, Cochrane Library and Scopus were searched until 16 September 2024. Double‐independent study selection, data extraction and quality assessment were performed. Evidence was pooled using random‐effects meta‐analyses. We set as primary end‐point of interest the association between RC and CKD.

Results

Twelve studies (4 139 674 participants) were included. Participants with RC values in the highest quantile had significantly greater odds of CKD compared to those in the lowest quantile (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.26–1.68). In a sensitivity analysis confined to subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D), those in the higher RC quantile also exhibited significantly increased odds of CKD compared to those in the lowest quantile (OR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.20–1.78). A significant inverse association was observed between RC and estimated glomerular filtration rate (Mean Difference [MD] = −1.43 mL/min/1.73 m2 for each 1 mmol/L increase in RC, 95% CI = [−2.67, −0.19]). Additionally, individuals with T2D‐related CKD had a 24% increased risk of progression to end‐stage renal disease for each 1 standard deviation increase in RC (Hazard Ratio [HR] = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.04–1.47).

Conclusions

RC is directly associated with higher risk for CKD. Beyond traditional lipid markers, greater emphasis should be placed on RC levels in individuals with or at risk for CKD.
How Teacher Efficacy and Receptivity Affect the Perceived Outcomes of Curriculum Reform in Myanmar Basic Education
Authors: Latt Kyaw Min , Wei Gao
Published: February 2025

There are few published studies on teacher efficacy and receptivity in Myanmar basic education curriculum reform. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of teacher efficacy and receptivity to the new curriculum implementation and their impact on perceived outcomes of the curriculum reform, using SEM. A mixed‐method inquiry was applied, and the sample was 800 primary teachers to conduct surveys and eight teachers to interview. The test items were calculated to determine whether there was reliability and validity or not. Results showed that primary teachers feel assured that they have the ability and skills to influence their students' achievement in the new curriculum and they positively perceive the new curriculum reform and are receptive to its implementation. Primary teachers from urban and more experienced teachers are more acceptable the new curriculum rather than those from rural and less‐experienced ones. In examining SEM, teachers with strong self‐efficacy beliefs, the practicality of the new curriculum, feelings in comparison with the previous education system, and behavioural intentions are better able to implement the new curriculum successfully in Myanmar and the correlation of teacher efficacy and receptivity was a novel finding and the relationship between them was very high. With great expectations on Myanmar's educational system, primary teachers encounter the challenges in the implementation of curriculum reform though they can perceive the outcomes of curriculum reform.
Long‐Term Phosphate Addition Changes Soil P Accumulation via phoD‐Harbouring Bacterial Community in Loess Plateau
Authors: He Renyuan , Luo Zhuzhu , Li Lingling , Niu Yining , Zhang Yaoquan , Li Liangliang , Liu Jiahe , Chen Zhiming
Published: February 2025

The bacterial phoD gene encoding alkaline phosphatase (ALP) plays a crucial role in the mineralisation of organic phosphorus (Po) to inorganic phosphorus (Pi). The purpose of this study was to explore the association between soil P fractions and the phoD‐harbouring bacterial community. Based on a long‐term P fertilisation experiment in calcareous soil on the Loess Plateau (started in 2014), this study analysed the results of treatments including four P fertilisation rates: 0, 60, 120 and 180 kg P2O5 ha−1 (denoted as P0, P60, P120 and P180, respectively). The abundance and community structure of the ALP‐encoding gene (phoD) were analysed by PCR amplification and high‐throughput sequencing, and the soil P fractions were measured using Hedley sequential fractionation approach. The majority of soil P was present in the form of HCl‐Pi, and P fertilisation significantly increased the contents of Resin‐P, NaHCO3‐Pi, NaHCO3‐Po, NaOH‐Pi, NaOH‐Po and HCl‐Pi in soil. The ALP activity and phoD gene abundance in the P120 and P180 treatments were significantly less than those in the P0 and P60 treatments: P180 decreased by 14.52% and 46.83% compared with P0, respectively. ALP activity was positively correlated with pH, but negatively correlated with the contents of Resin‐P, NaHCO3‐Pi, NaHCO3‐Po and NaOH‐Pi. P fertilisation decreased the relative abundance of the genera Streptomyces, Bradyrhizobium and Rhizobacter. Sinorhizobium had the highest abundance in low‐P (P60) soil and played an important role in improving ALP activity and bacterial community network stability. P fertilisation significantly affected the community assembly processes of phoD‐harbouring bacteria, with high‐P input promoting stochastic processes in soil. Soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and microbial biomass phosphorus (MBP) contents significantly affected the abundance of phoD, while pH and MBP contents significantly affected the composition of the phoD bacterial community. ALP activity was significantly correlated with phoD gene abundance, which played a key role in promoting Po turnover and improving soil P availability. The decrease in soil pH and the increase of MBC and MBP contents caused by long‐term P fertilisation influenced the activity of ALP by regulating phoD gene abundance and community composition, thereby inhibiting the mineralisation of Po.
UAM‐Net: Robust Deepfake Detection Through Hybrid Attention Into Scalable Convolutional Network
Authors: Sudarshana Kerenalli , Vamsidhar Yendapalli
Published: February 2025

The recent advancements in computer vision have transformed data manipulation detection into a significantly challenging task. Deepfakes are advanced manipulation methods for generating highly convincing synthetic media wherein one digitally forges an individual's visuals. Therefore, safeguarding the authenticity and integrity of digital content against such forgeries and developing robust detection methods is essential. Identifying manipulated regions and channels within deepfake images is especially critical in countering these forgeries. Introducing attention features into the classification pipeline enhances the detection of subtle manipulations. Such subtle manipulations are typical of deepfake content. This study presents a novel feature selection approach, a Unified Attention Mechanism into convolutional networks—the ‘UAM‐Net’. The UAM‐Net framework concurrently integrates spatial and channel attention features into the data‐driven scalable convolutional features. The UAM‐Net was trained and evaluated on the DeepFake Detection Challenge Preview (DFDC‐P) data set. It was then cross‐validated on combined FaceForensics++ and CelebA‐DF data sets. UAM‐Net has achieved outstanding results, including an accuracy of 98.07%, precision of 97.91%, recall of 98.23%, F1 score of 98.07% and an AUC‐ROC score of 99.82%. The UAM‐Net model maintained strong performance on the combined data set and achieved 89.7% accuracy, 85.4% precision, 95.8% recall, 90.3% F1 score, and AUC ROC score of 96.8%. The UAM‐Net also demonstrated robustness to degraded input quality with 96.98% accuracy and 97% AUC‐ROC on the spatially compressed DFDC‐P data set. Thus, the model would adapt to real‐world conditions, as evidenced by a 97% AUC‐ROC on randomly blurred data sets.
Generative AI for Finance: Applications, Case Studies and Challenges
Authors: Sai Siva , Arunakar Keya , Chamola Vinay , Hussain Amir , Bisht Pranav , Kumar Sanjeev
Published: February 2025

Generative AI (GAI), which has become increasingly popular nowadays, can be considered a brilliant computational machine that can not only assist with simple searching and organising tasks but also possesses the capability to propose new ideas, make decisions on its own and derive better conclusions from complex inputs. Finance comprises various difficult and time‐consuming tasks that require significant human effort and are highly prone to errors, such as creating and managing financial documents and reports. Hence, incorporating GAI to simplify processes and make them hassle‐free will be consequential. Integrating GAI with finance can open new doors of possibility. With its capacity to enhance decision‐making and provide more effective personalised insights, it has the power to optimise financial procedures. In this paper, we address the research gap of the lack of a detailed study exploring the possibilities and advancements of the integration of GAI with finance. We discuss applications that include providing financial consultations to customers, making predictions about the stock market, identifying and addressing fraudulent activities, evaluating risks, and organising unstructured data. We explore real‐world examples of GAI, including Finance generative pre‐trained transformer (GPT), Bloomberg GPT, and so forth. We look closer at how finance professionals work with AI‐integrated systems and tools and how this affects the overall process. We address the challenges presented by comprehensibility, bias, resource demands, and security issues while at the same time emphasising solutions such as GPTs specialised in financial contexts. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive paper dealing with GAI for finance.
Molecular Analysis of the Accuracy of Phenotypic Sex Assessment by Anglers in Norwegian Atlantic Salmon Fisheries
Authors: Robertsen Grethe , Burton Tim , Ugedal Ola , Ulvan Eva M. , Diserud Ola H. , Solem Øyvind , Spets Merethe Hagen , Karlsson Sten , Fiske Peder
Published: February 2025

A management regulation applied in some recreational Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fisheries is a moratorium on harvest of female fish, which can only be effective if recreational anglers can consistently discriminate females from males. We used molecular methods to compare angler‐reported sexes of salmon captured in Norwegian populations with the true sexes of the same individuals. We made this comparison (i) among rivers that were subject to female no‐take policies or not within the same year; and (ii) within rivers before and after a female no‐take regulation was instituted. Sex was misclassified for ca. 25% of salmon that were true females, especially those that were large or captured early in the season. Furthermore, true females were misclassified more often when a female no‐take regulation was in effect. We conclude that a management regulation aimed at protecting female salmon in recreational fisheries may be less effective than expected.
Risk‐averse or altruistic? Board chairs' early‐life experience and debt maturity
Authors: Chen Yong , Chang Yun‐Ching , Huang Guan‐Ying
Published: February 2025

This study investigates the relationship between board chairs' early‐life experiences during the Great Chinese Famine and the debt maturity choices of Chinese listed firms from 2000 to 2017. The findings reveal that board chairs with famine experience demonstrate a stronger preference for long‐term debt usage. Moreover, these board chairs underestimate future corporate earnings, are less prone to overinvestment, adopt more hedging strategies, and ensure higher‐quality accounting information. The results are particularly pronounced in firms with lower asset redeployability, higher financial distress risk, the absence of political affiliations, non‐state ownership, lower market competition, and heightened economic policy uncertainty. These findings suggest that the observed behavior stems from a risk‐averse orientation rather than altruistic motivations among board chairs with famine experience.
Enhancing Adverse Event Reporting With Clinical Language Models: Inpatient Falls
Authors: Cho Insook , Park Hyunchul , Park Byeong Sun , Lee Dong‐geon
Published: February 2025

Aims

To develop a method for computationally detecting fall events using clinical language models to complement existing self‐reporting mechanisms.

Design

Retrospective observational study.

Methods

Text data were collected from the unstructured nursing notes of three hospitals' electronic health records and the Korean national patient safety reports, totalling 34,480 records covering the period from January 2015 to December 2019. Note‐level labelling was conducted by two researchers with 95% agreement. Preprocessing data anonymisation and English translation were followed by semantic validation. Five language models based on pretrained Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) and Generative Pretrained Transformer (GPT)‐4 with prompt programming were explored. Model performance was assessed using F measurements. Error analysis was conducted for the GPT‐4 results.

Results

Fine‐tuned BERT models with the English data set outperformed GPT‐4, with Bio+Clinical BERT achieving the highest F1 score of 0.98. Fine‐tuned Korean BERT with the Korean data set also reached an F1 score of 0.98, while GPT‐4 achieved a competitive F1 score of 0.94. GPT‐4 with prompt programming showed much higher F1 scores than GPT‐4 with a standardised prompt for the English data set (0.85 vs. 0.39) and the Korean data set (0.94 vs. 0.03). The error analysis identified that the common misclassification patterns included fall history and homonyms, causing false positives and implicit expressions and missing contextual information, causing false negatives.

Conclusion

The clinical language model approach, if used alongside the existing self‐reporting, promises to increase the chance of identifying the majority of factual falls without the need for additional chart reviews.

Impact

Inpatient falls are often underreported, with up to 91% of incidents missed in self‐reports. Using language models, we identified a significant portion of these unreported falls, improving the accuracy of adverse event tracking while reducing the self‐reporting burden on nurses.

Patient or Public Contribution

Not applicable.
Response to high ambient temperatures in short‐distance and trans‐Saharan migratory species
Authors: Hasenbichler Julian , Bittermann Flora , Hafner Gilbert , Zechmeister Thomas , Maggini Ivan
Published: February 2025

In consideration of current global climate change, ecophysiological research on wild birds has increased its emphasis on approaches related to thermal tolerance. Many studies have investigated how desert specialists are adapted physiologically to the hot and xeric conditions they live in. Our aim was to test whether migratory passerines from temperate areas also have physiological adaptations to cope with heat stress and whether such adaptations may be related to habitat or migration distance. Using video recording and flow‐through respirometry, we measured temperatures of panting onset (TPANT) of 113 individuals of 14 different species, exposed to increasing ambient temperature. Our study species differed in size, migration type (short‐distance migrants vs. trans‐Saharan migrants) and habitat preferences (woodland, farmland, reeds). We found that trans‐Saharan migrants started panting at higher ambient temperatures (TA) than short‐distance migrants of similar size, but no difference between species from different habitats. This finding suggests that migrants facing a desert crossing may have adaptations to decrease the risk of dehydration while maintaining body temperature below the critical range. According to this, we suggest that there may be selection on traits related to the modulation of respiratory water loss in birds that cross the Sahara Desert during migration. Flexibility in these traits will be of crucial importance in a warmer future.
Impact of Spatial Distribution Methods for Rainfall on Flash Floods Modelling Using a Hydrodynamic Model
Authors: Sun Nan , Huang Wei , Creed Maggie , Sun Xihuan
Published: February 2025

In small mountain catchments, the spatial and temporal resolution of rainfall can vary significantly across the catchment. However, rainfall gauging stations can be sparse in these regions, and collected data may not reflect the real rainfall distribution across the catchment. When modelling flash floods, finding a suitable approach to estimate the actual rainfall distribution is nontrivial. In this study, the effectiveness of different methods for obtaining a spatial and temporal rainfall distribution for use in numerical modelling of flash floods was investigated using a full two‐dimensional depth‐averaged shallow‐water hydrodynamic model. It was demonstrated that the Thiessen polygon method and the inverse distance weighted interpolation method (IDW), with appropriate empirical coefficients, produce results in agreement with observed stage and discharge hydrographs. We show that the uniform distribution method cannot be used to represent realistic spatial and temporal variability of rainfall for flash flood events in small mountain catchments. By combining available data with the common IDW method, missing rainfall timeseries data in a small catchment can be estimated, even for short‐duration time scales, such as a single flash flood event.
Among common neuropsychological tests, the Paced auditory serial addition test is the strongest predictor of trait fatigue in patients with traumatic brain injury
Authors: Berginström Nils , Thelander Johan , Nordström Peter , Nordström Anna
Published: February 2025

Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Despite its prevalence, fatigue remains a challenging concept to define and measure. The aim of the present study was to explore potential relationships between self‐rated fatigue in patients with TBI and performance on several widely used neuropsychological tests. In a cross‐sectional design, patients with TBI (n = 68) and healthy controls (n = 27) underwent a comprehensive battery of commonly used neuropsychological tests and completed two self‐assessment fatigue scales, the Fatigue Severity Scale and the Mental Fatigue Scale. Patients with TBI performed worse on neuropsychological tests of short‐term memory, processing speed and executive functioning (inhibition) compared to healthy controls. Within the TBI group, only the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT) and the Stroop—Inhibition task showed significant correlations with measures of fatigue. However, after adjusting for relevant demographic variables, including age, gender, education and TBI severity, only PASAT remained significantly associated with the Mental Fatigue Scale (r = .45, p = .005). Within the healthy control group, no such associations were found. These results highlight an interesting relationship between PASAT performance and self‐assessed fatigue. With further research, PASAT, modifications of it or similar measures could potentially help clinicians in evaluating fatigue in patients with TBI.
Self‐Determination and Community Inclusion: Exploring Policy Reform in Day Services for Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in the Republic of Ireland
Authors: Maxwell Nicola
Published: February 2025

Adult day services are central to service provision for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in Ireland. Policy reform, in the guise of New Directions, has sought to address the segregated and institutionalized nature of these specialist services. New Directions aims to reorient services toward providing supports to enable users to make self‐directed choices and decisions and to be included in their communities, reflecting the values of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Yet, segregated day service provision is increasing and people with IDD continue to be structurally excluded from other opportunities and to have their choices circumscribed. This paper focuses on the interview narratives of staff employed in a day service in Ireland. It explores the disjuncture between, on the one hand, New Directions policy descriptions of day services as supports for self‐determination and community inclusion and, on the other, the actualities of day service provision. The findings show that New Directions is understood as a means of providing individualized supports to make choices in inclusive mainstream settings but is not perceived as a clearly articulated policy. The research illustrates that the conditions and opportunities to support self‐determination and community inclusion are lacking within day services and several challenges inhibit the aspirations of New Directions. The study recommends that the Irish state meets its human rights obligations to ensure that rights to self‐determination and community inclusion for people with IDD are upheld. This requires critical excavation of current service provision and targeted policy resources to ensure that the fundamental rights of people with IDD are upheld.
Upstream Approaches for Suicide Prevention Using Search‐Based Advertising: A Pilot Study
Authors: Ono Satoshi , Sueki Hajime , Nakahara Tai , Takahashi Asumi , Koda Akiko , Sakai Akito , Saito Maiko , Ito Jiro
Published: February 2025

This study aims to describe the pilot operation of upstream approaches for suicide prevention using search‐based advertising. Outreach was conducted to Internet users who searched for keywords related to the six life issues with risk factors for suicide (perinatal women, domestic violence, addiction, depression, sexual minorities, and child abuse). Search‐based advertisements were displayed 1,481,025 times and clicked on 62,884 times (click rate: 4.25%). Since the mental health status of those in the five areas of life issues, except for addiction, was considered serious, outreach using search‐based advertising could expedite effective support information to those with serious mental health conditions. In the addiction area, outreach to those with gambling and alcohol addiction was considered effective, but effective outreach to those with drug addiction was found to be difficult within the framework of this study. In conclusion, this study shows that upstream approaches for suicide prevention using search‐based advertising can reach Internet users with specific life issues and deteriorating mental health.
Prevalence and incidence of periodic limb movements during sleep in São Paulo, Brazil: results from the EPISONO cohort
Authors: Cavalcante‐Silva Vanessa , Morelhão Priscila Kalil , de Pires Gabriel Natan , Tempaku Priscila Farias , D'Almeida Vânia , Tufik Sergio , Andersen Monica L.
Published: February 2025

Periodic limb movements in sleep (PLMS) are characterised by repetitive and involuntary movements of the limbs during sleep. When these movements exceed 15 events/h, they are considered clinically significant and can disrupt sleep quality and contribute to various health risks. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, incidence, and remission of PLMS in a representative sample from São Paulo, Brazil. Data from the 2007 (and its 2015 follow‐up) and 2018 editions of the São Paulo Epidemiologic Sleep Study (EPISONO) study were used. PLMS prevalence rates were determined for 2007 and 2018, while incidence and remission rates were evaluated between 2007 and 2015. In 2007, the prevalence of PLMS was 9.02% (95% confidence interval [CI] 7.28–10.76%), which increased to 15.60% (95% CI 13.04–18.17%) by 2018. The incidence of new PLMS cases from 2007 to 2015 was 6.54% (95% CI 4.60–8.4%), with a remission rate of 50.82% (95% CI 38.27–63.37%). Ageing significantly influenced the increase in both the prevalence and severity of PLMS over time. Individuals with African ancestry had lower odds of PLMS compared to those of Caucasian ancestry (odds ratio 0.25, 95% CI 0.10–0.60; p = 0.002). Our study revealed that the prevalence of PLMS in São Paulo, a city with a racially mixed population, was significantly lower than in population samples with Caucasian ancestry. The observed increase in PLMS prevalence over a decade was potentially linked to population ageing and lifestyle changes. These findings highlight the importance of ongoing research into the long‐term health implications of PLMS and its role in sleep disorders.
Validation of manually scored multichannel frontal electroencephalography against polysomnography in a paediatric cohort
Authors: Sigurdardottir Sigridur , Pitkänen Henna , Korkalainen Henri , Kainulainen Samu , Serwatko Marta , Olafsdottir Kristin A. , Sigurðardóttir Sigurveig Þ. , Clausen Michael , Somaskandhan Pranavan , Stražišar Barbara G. , Leppänen Timo , Arnardottir Erna Sif
Published: February 2025

Polysomnography is the only internationally recognized method to diagnose paediatric obstructive sleep apnea, thus, simpler and more cost‐effective diagnostic tools are urgently needed. This study aimed to validate the manual scoring of frontal self‐applicable electroencephalography against polysomnography in a paediatric cohort. The polysomnography and the frontal electroencephalography were simultaneously recorded for 1 night (n = 102) in 10–13‐year‐old children. Scoring was performed according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine rules, with minor adjustments to the frontal electroencephalography. Manual scorings of sleep stages were compared in an epoch‐by‐epoch manner using Cohen's kappa (κ) and confusion matrices using three different models: the three‐stage (wake/non‐rapid eye movement/rapid eye movement), the four‐stage (wake/sleep stage 1 + sleep stage 2/deep sleep Stage 3/rapid eye movement) and the five‐stage model (wake/sleep stage 1/sleep stage 2/deep sleep Stage 3/rapid eye movement). The inter‐scorer agreements were assessed, and the intraclass correlation coefficient was used for common sleep variables: total sleep time, wake after sleep onset, sleep efficiency, sleep‐onset latency and arousal index. Cohen's κ values for the three‐stage, four‐stage and five‐stage models were 0.85, 0.73 and 0.70, respectively. The agreement for the sleep variables studied ranged from 0.87 to 0.99. The inter‐rater agreement (n = 10) was κ = 0.78 for the polysomnography and κ = 0.70 for the frontal electroencephalography. Sleep staging from the frontal electroencephalography was comparable to that of a standard polysomnography in a paediatric cohort, and showed promising results in estimating sleep time and sleep architecture.
Continuous Record Asymptotics for Change‐Point Models
Authors: Casini Alessandro , Perron Pierre
Published: February 2025

In the context of a linear regression model with a single break point, we develop a continuous record asymptotic framework to build inference methods for the break date. We have observations with a sampling frequency over a fixed‐time horizon and let with while keeping the time span fixed. We consider the least‐squares estimate of the break date and establish consistency and convergence rate. We provide a limit theory for shrinking magnitudes of shifts and locally increasing variances. The asymptotic distribution corresponds to the location of the extremum of a function of the quadratic variation of the regressors and of a Gaussian‐centered martingale process over a certain time interval. We can account for the asymmetric informational content provided by the pre‐ and post‐break regimes and show how the location of the break and shift magnitude are key ingredients in shaping the distribution. We consider a feasible version based on plug‐in estimates, which provides a very good approximation to the finite sample distribution. We use the concept of the Highest Density Region to construct confidence sets. Overall, our method is reliable and delivers accurate coverage probabilities and the relatively short average length of the confidence sets. Importantly, it does so irrespective of the size of the break.
Public Debt and the Income Share of the Top One Percent: The Italian Case, 1974–2019
Authors: Papadopoulou Aggela
Published: February 2025

This paper provides evidence that government debt is associated with increases in the income share of the top 1% in Italy between 1974 and 2019. The main argument of this study is that public debt ownership is highly concentrated at the top and interest payments on sovereign bonds are received by the wealthy bondholders. As the tax burden of financing interest payments falls on the entire population, public debt often entails a redistribution of income within a country. On top of that, modern bondholders rarely keep government bonds until maturity; rather they regularly trade in secondary markets to receive capital gains. This paper explores both historically and econometrically the two mechanisms and highlights the relevant importance of coupon payments on the Italian sovereign bonds for rising income inequality. Finally, this is the first paper to examine the drivers of the income share of the top 1% in Italy.
Healthy Landscapes; Communities of Peace
Authors: Hinojosa Vivian Tatiana Camacho
Published: February 2025

Bolivian Health Vice‐Minister Vivian Camacho delivered the rousing closing presentation of IPRA's 29th Biennial General Conference, held in Trinidad & Tobago. It opened with an Indigenous Quechua fire ritual, included an informative and artistic slide show, and concluded with Camacho reading the poem “No Once Can Stop the Rain” by Black Liberation Army leader Assata Shakur from the We Still Charge Genocide program of the 2021 International Tribunal on US Human Rights Abuses Against Black, Brown, and Indigenous Peoples. This excerpt of Camacho's inspiring multi‐faceted presentation hopefully contains some of the important content and character of her historic talk.
Speech Detection via Respiratory Inductance Plethysmography, Thoracic Impedance, Accelerometers, and Gyroscopes: A Machine Learning‐Informed Comparative Study
Authors: Saygin Melisa , Schoenmakers Myrte , Gevonden Martin , de Geus Eco
Published: February 2025

Speech production interferes with the measurement of changes in cardiac vagal activity during acute stress by attenuating the expected drop in heart rate variability. Speech also induces cardiac sympathetic changes similar to those induced by psychological stress. In the laboratory, confounding of physiological stress reactivity by speech may be controlled experimentally. In ambulatory assessments, however, detection of speech episodes would be necessary to separate the physiological effects of psychosocial stress from those of speech. Using machine learning (https://osf.io/bk9nf), we trained and tested speech classification models on data from 56 participants (ages 18–39) under controlled laboratory conditions. They were equipped with privacy‐secure wearables measuring thoracoabdominal respiratory inductance plethysmography (RIP from a single and a dual‐band set‐up), thoracic impedance pneumography, and an upper sternum positioned unit with triaxial accelerometers and gyroscopes. Following an 80/20 train‐test split, nested cross‐validations were run with the machine learning algorithms XGBoost, gradient boosting, random forest, and logistic regression on the training set to get generalized performance estimates. Speech classification by the best model per method was then validated in the test set. Speech versus no‐speech classification performance (AUC) for both nested cross‐validation and test set predictions was excellent for thorax–abdomen RIP (nested cross‐validation: 96.6%, test set prediction: 98.5%), thorax‐only RIP (97.5%, 99.1%), impedance (97.0%, 97.8%), and accelerometry (99.3%, 99.6%). The sternal accelerometer method outperformed others. These open‐access models leveraging biosignals have the potential to also work in daily life settings. This could enhance the trustworthiness of ambulatory psychophysiology, by enabling detection of speech and controlling for its confounding effects on physiology.
Traditional Versus Improved Varieties of Seed: Is There a Trade‐Off Between Productivity and Risk?
Authors: Bezabih Mintewab , Tarp Finn , Teklewold Hailemariam , Mekonnen Alemu , Gebrehiwot Tagel
Published: February 2025

We examine how the choice of seed technology—between traditional and improved varieties—impacts crop revenue and the cost of risk in a setting characterized by high uncertainty. The methodological approach combines computation of crop revenue and cost of risk based on moment‐based approximation of a stochastic production function, with a selection‐bias correcting endogenous switching regression estimation. The analysis employs plot level panel data from Ethiopia collected in the years 2021 and 2023. We find that improved seed technology adoption increases crop revenue (Br. 2209/ha) and the cost of risk (Br. 609/ha), overall, compared with traditional seeds adoption. This implies potential tradeoffs between revenue and risk in seed‐ adoption at plot level. Further, in instances where each of the two seed types are adopted, the overall farm income from the technologies would total Br 1600 (for improved seeds) and Br. 485 (for traditional seeds) indicating complementarity in the use of the two sources of seeds at farm level. The results are robust to the number of crops used in the analysis, and disaggregation by farm size. The findings provide useful information in the design of policies that strive to design efficient seed systems that have simultaneous provision of improved and traditional seeds.
Rarefaction Wave Interaction and Existence of a Global Smooth Solution in the Blood Flow Model With Time‐Dependent Body Force
Authors: Mondal Rakib , Minhajul
Published: February 2025

This paper presents the collision between two rarefaction waves for the one‐dimensional blood flow model with non‐constant body force. We establish the Riemann solutions using phase plane analysis, which are no longer self‐similar. By employing Riemann invariants, we transform the system into a non‐reducible diagonal system in Riemann invariant coordinates. This interaction problem then becomes a Goursat boundary value problem (GBVP) within the interaction region. We demonstrate that no vacuum forms within the interaction domain if the boundary data on characteristics is vacuum‐free, and a vacuum only appears if the two rarefaction waves fail to penetrate each other within a finite time. Furthermore, we prove the existence and uniqueness of the solution to the GBVP throughout the entire interaction region using bounds. Finally, we present the results of the interaction, showing that either the rarefaction waves completely penetrate each other or form a vacuum in the solution at a sufficiently large time during the process of penetration.
Breather and Rogue Wave Solutions on the Different Periodic Backgrounds in the Focusing Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation
Authors: Fan Fang‐Cheng , Tang Wang , Yu Guo‐Fu
Published: February 2025

In this paper, we construct breather and rogue wave solutions on the different periodic backgrounds in the focusing nonlinear Schrödinger equation by using the Darboux transformation. First, we present solutions of the Lax pair related to the periodic seed solutions with trivial and nontrivial phases. In this process, different from the previous approaches of employing the nonlinearization of the Lax pair or the traveling wave transformation, we mainly combine the proper assumption with the method of separation of variables. This strategy is more direct and simpler and can be extended to other nonlinear integrable equations. Second, we construct the Kuznetsov–Ma breather and the spatiotemporally periodic breather on the periodic background. Their asymptotic expressions are obtained, which can be used to show that the related nonlinear waves appear on the periodic background. The corresponding dynamical properties and evolution states are illustrated graphically. Finally, at branch points of breathers, the rogue waves on the periodic background are derived and their characteristics are analyzed. For breather and rogue wave solutions, we both investigate the relationship between parameters and solutions' structures and the limits when the elliptic modulus approach to 0 and 1. All the results in this paper might be helpful for us to understand the dynamics of breathers and rogue waves on the periodic background.
A note on bayesian nonparametric survival function estimators for combined cohort data
Authors: Erick Emily , McVittie James H.
Published: February 2025

The availability of both right‐censored and left‐truncated right‐censored failure time data commonly occurs when failure/censoring times are collected by cross‐sectioning the population and acquiring new failure/censoring times during a follow‐up period. Under a frequentist paradigm, the Kaplan‐Meier estimator can be adjusted to account for both types of data separately when estimating the failure time survival function. In this note, we review the analogous Bayesian nonparametric survival function estimators that are applicable to the individual types of data, separately, and propose two Bayesian nonparametric survival function estimators using both the right‐censored and left‐truncated right‐censored failure time data, simultaneously.
How to … Co‐design Education With Healthcare Consumers
Authors: Brand Gabrielle , Sheers Carli , Hansen Alison , Stephens Georgie , Dart Janeane , Shannon Brendan , Bonnamy James
Published: February 2025

Health professions education cultures and practices are changing, with increasing calls to actively partner with healthcare consumers across the education continuum, including informing health professions education content, curriculum design and pedagogical approaches. This movement towards valuing and foregrounding lived experience expertise in health professions and clinical education has clear benefits for learners, including developing more humanistic, person‐centred health professionals and practice. For healthcare consumers, it offers an opportunity to shift traditional power relations in health professions education through meaningful partnership and increased agency to improve education and the outcomes of healthcare. This paper outlines how to establish and sustain collaborative and successful partnerships with healthcare consumers to co‐design health professions education. Here, we provide applied examples and lessons learned from four co‐designed projects across four healthcare disciplines and learning contexts to advance clinical educators' skills, capacity and confidence to partner with healthcare consumers in health professions education.
Prevalence of anaemia among blood donors in eastern Morocco: The need for pre‐donation haemoglobin assessment
Authors: Belmokhtar Ihab , Belmokhtar Karam Yahya , Lhousni Saida , Boulouiz Redouane , Sidqi Zaina , Choukri Mohammed , Seddik Rachid , Bellaoui Mohammed
Published: February 2025

Background

Anaemia remains the main cause of deferral in blood donation. However, in Morocco, pre‐donation haemoglobin measurement is not systematic.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anaemia and associated factors such as sex, age and iron deficiency among blood donors in eastern Morocco in order to improve donor management practices.

Methods/Materials

The study involved 2013 blood donors from the BRO Biobank. Blood samples were analysed using an automatic blood cell analyser for complete blood counts. Serum ferritin was measured by chemical and immunological analyser. Anaemia was defined as haemoglobin levels less than 13 g/dL in men and 12 g/dL in women, according to the WHO recommendation.

Results

The overall prevalence of anaemia in eastern Morocco was 9.84% and it varied significantly by region. The majority of anaemic individuals were iron‐deprived (88.64%). Anaemia was much higher in females (14.74%) than in males (5.46%). The highest prevalence of anaemia among females was in the age group of 18–20 years (25.2%), while among males it was in the age group of 61–65 years (18.52%).

Conclusions

The high prevalence of anaemia among blood donors in eastern Morocco highlights the need to implement pre‐donation haemoglobin assessment in donor selection guidelines and to consider optional ferritin testing for at‐risk populations. Moreover, educating donors about iron deficiency and iron‐rich diets is essential for sustaining donor health and eligibility.
How do we implement a prehospital whole blood administration program for shock trauma patients on a statewide basis?
Authors: Rosenbaum Robert A. , Dworkin Mollee , Eisenman Justin , Cowan Paul , Burch Kyle , Dattoli Jordan , Aber David , Starr‐Leach Kelli , Wright John , Mauch Robert , Nichols Michael , Logemann Mark , Johnson Christopher , Huss Britany , Jones Michelle E. , Shane Dawn , Kappers Sydney , Sachais Bruce S. , Frederick Kristin M.
Published: February 2025

Background

Since bleeding is a major cause of early mortality in trauma, there is continued interest in providing transfusion support as early as possible to trauma patients. Various approaches have been taken to accomplish this, including the rapid provision of blood products upon arrival at the hospital, as well as a variety of prehospital approaches. However, implementing prehospital blood availability statewide for use in all populations has been limited.

Study Design and Methods

The program described for prehospital transfusion identifies a direct partnership between state EMS providers and the local blood center. Predictive modeling is compared to early outcome data of the first 100 patients who received whole blood from this program. Additional discussion contains key elements of the program, including planning, validation, and implementation.

Results

Between May 2023 and July 2024, an average of 11 prehospital whole blood units were transfused per month against the projected average of 10–16 units administered per month, with the median time to transfusion of 29.2 min. The leading reason for blood administration was due to blunt trauma. Of the patients who were not in prehospital cardiac arrest prior to paramedic arrival or excluded for other reasons, approximately 95% survived to hospital discharge.

Discussion

Implementation of prehospital whole blood across the state has demonstrated effectiveness early within the first year of the program. Continued process improvements will be implemented with statewide ground paramedic agency utilization of whole blood as well as expansion into aviation divisions for more expedient whole blood administration times.
Successful bacteriophage therapy of pyoderma caused by methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius in a dog
Authors: Mota Sá Cátia , Rodrigues Cláudia , Silva Vanessa , Azeredo Joana , Melo Luís D. R.
Published: February 2025

Pyoderma caused by methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius poses significant challenges to canine health. Successful therapy requires an integrated approach to prudent antimicrobial use. This report describes the successful treatment of a dog with generalised superficial pyoderma using a topical formulation of S. pseudintermedius phage applied once daily for a period of 30 days.