bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Minimally Invasive Spine Lumbar Surgery in Obese Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Othman Yahya A. , Alhammoud Abduljabbar , Aldahamsheh Osama , Vaishnav Avani S. , Gang Catherine Himo , Qureshi Sheeraz A. 
Published: January 2020

Background Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) is the treatment of choice for lumbar spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis. The procedure can be performed through a traditional open approach (O-TLIF) or through minimally invasive techniques (MI-TLIF). Spinal surgeries in obese patients can pose risks, including increased rates of infection and thromboembolic events. Questions/Purposes We sought to systematically review the literature on the differences between MI-TLIF and O-TLIF in the obese patient in terms of complication rate, functional outcomes, blood loss, and length of hospital stay. Methods We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to systematically search PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for studies published through February 2019 and identified those comparing the outcomes of O-TLIF and MI-TLIF in obese patients. The primary outcome was complication rate (total, infections, dural tears); secondary outcomes were blood loss, length of hospital stay, and functional scores. Two authors independently reviewed the studies using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and data were pooled using the Mantel-Haenszel random-effects model. Results In the sample of 430 patients, the average age was 53.5 years, there were 153 men and 203 women, and the average body mass index was 33.6. Complications were significantly higher in O-TLIF than in MI-TLIF (OR = 0.420 [95% CI: 0.199, 0.887]; I2 = 45.20%). No difference was detected between the two groups for visual analog scale back pain scores and Oswestry Disability Index scores between the pre-operative and last follow-up visits (SMD = –0.034 [95% CI –0.695, 0.627]; I2 = 62.14% and SMD = 0.617 [95% CI: –1.082, 2.316]; I2 = 25%, respectively). Blood loss was significantly lower in MI-TLIF compared to O-TLIF (SMD = –426.736 [95% CI: –490.720, –362.752]; I2 = 70.53%), as was the duration of hospital stay (SMD = –1.079 [95% CI: –1.591, –0.208]; I2 = 84.3%). Conclusion MI-TLIF has equivalent efficacy to O-TLIF in obese patients at long-term follow-up. In addition, complication rate, blood loss, and length of hospital stay were lower in MI-TLIF than in O-TLIF.
Investigations into the Structure-Function Relationship of the Naturally-Derived Surfactant Glycyrrhizin: Emulsion Stability
Authors: Ralla Theo , Salminen Hanna , Braun Katharina , Edelmann Matthias , Dawid Corinna , Hofmann Thomas , Weiss Jochen 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThis study describes the emulsion stabilizing properties of the licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabraL.) derived saponin glycyrrhizin and its corresponding aglycone 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid to further increase the understanding between structure and functional behavior. For this, we prepared 10% oil-in-water emulsions and investigated the emulsion stabilizing properties regarding environmental stresses including extreme pH, ionic strength, and temperature. Glycyrrhizin and its aglycone formed nano-sized emulsion droplets at neutral pH that were stable across a broad range of pH-values (pH 5–9), ionic strength (0–200 mM NaCl), and temperature (up to 60 °C). In contrast, emulsions were unstable at low pH (pH <5), as well as high ionic strength (>200 mM NaCl, >5 mM CaCl2) and temperature as well as after a freeze-thaw cycle. Thereby, the observed instability was mainly attributed to the reduction of electrostatic forces caused by the protonation of free carboxylic acid groups at low pH, screening of electrostatic forces at high ionic strengths, and thin interfaces causing coalescence during a freeze-thaw cycle. Overall, both molecules yielded remarkably stable emulsions at very low molecule-to-oil ratios, and therefore our results are relevant for ‘all-natural’ emulsion-based foods and beverages, as well as pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.
Mitral valve flattening and parameter mapping for patient-specific valve diagnosis
Authors: Lichtenberg Nils , Eulzer Pepe , Romano Gabriele , Brčić Andreas , Karck Matthias , Lawonn Kai , De Simone Raffaele , Engelhardt Sandy 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Purpose
Intensive planning and analysis from echocardiography are a crucial step before reconstructive surgeries are applied to malfunctioning mitral valves. Volume visualizations of echocardiographic data are often used in clinical routine. However, they lack a clear visualization of the crucial factors for decision making.

Methods
We build upon patient-specific mitral valve surface models segmented from echocardiography that represent the valve’s geometry, but suffer from self-occlusions due to complex 3D shape. We transfer these to 2D maps by unfolding their geometry, resulting in a novel 2D representation that maintains anatomical resemblance to the 3D geometry. It can be visualized together with color mappings and presented to physicians to diagnose the pathology in one gaze without the need for further scene interaction. Furthermore, it facilitates the computation of a Pathology Score, which can be used for diagnosis support.

Results
Quality and effectiveness of the proposed methods were evaluated through a user survey conducted with domain experts. We assessed pathology detection accuracy using 3D valve models in comparison with the novel visualizations. Classification accuracy increased by 5.3% across all tested valves and by 10.0% for prolapsed valves. Further, the participants’ understanding of the relation between 3D and 2D views was evaluated. The Pathology Score is found to have potential to support discriminating pathologic valves from normal valves.

Conclusions
In summary, our survey shows that pathology detection can be improved in comparison with simple 3D surface visualizations of the mitral valve. The correspondence between the 2D and 3D representations is comprehensible, and color-coded pathophysiological magnitudes further support the clinical assessment.
Variations in the use of simple and context-sensitive grapheme-phoneme correspondences in English and German developing readers
Authors: Schmalz Xenia , Robidoux Serje , Castles Anne , Marinus Eva 
Published: January 2020

AbstractLearning to read in most alphabetic orthographies requires not only the acquisition of simple grapheme-phoneme correspondences (GPCs) but also the acquisition of context-sensitive GPCs, where surrounding letters change a grapheme’s pronunciation. We aimed to explore the use and development of simple GPCs (e.g. a ➔ /æ/) and context-sensitive GPCs (e.g. [w]a ➔ /ɔ/, as in “swan” or a[l][d] ➔ /o:/, as in “bald”) in pseudoword reading. Across three experiments, English- and German-speaking children in grades 2–4 read aloud pseudowords, where vowel graphemes had different pronunciations according to different contexts (e.g. “hact”, “wact”, “hald”). First, we found that children use context-sensitive GPCs from grade 2 onwards, even when they are not explicitly taught. Second, we used a mathematical optimisation procedure to assess whether children’s vowel responses can be described by assuming that they rely on a mix of simple and context-sensitive GPCs. While the approach works well for German adults (Schmalz et al. in Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 26, 831–852, 2014), we found poor model fits for both German- and English-speaking children. Additional analyses using an entropy measure and data from a third experiment showed that children’s pseudoword reading responses are variable and likely affected by random noise. We found a decrease in entropy across grade and reading ability across all conditions in both languages. This suggests that GPC knowledge becomes increasingly refined across grades 2–4.
Career success in the University setting: Examining the role of narcissism facets
Authors: Oflu Cemre , Baluku Martin M. , Otto Kathleen 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe purpose of this research is to examine the association of narcissism facets with subjective and objective career success, as well as the impact of the professional field. Data from 282 employees of a German university – both scientists and administrative staff – who completed an online survey were analysed. Results showed a significant negative relationship between vulnerable narcissism and career success. The associations of the grandiose narcissism subfacets: grandiose exhibitionism and entitlement/exploitativeness, as well as vulnerable narcissism with subjective career success were affected by professional field. However, leadership/authority, the remaining subfacet of grandiose narcissism, was not associated with career success.
The Influence of Adolescent Problem Behaviors on Life Satisfaction: Parent–Child Subsystem Qualities as Mediators
Authors: Zhu Xiaoqin , Shek Daniel T. L. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractResearch studies showed that adolescent problem behaviors were negatively associated with their life satisfaction. However, the negative impact of problem behaviors on life satisfaction has not been sufficiently researched using longitudinal design and the potential mechanisms have not been well examined. The present study attempted to investigate how early adolescents’ externalizing and internalizing behaviors affect their life satisfaction (LS) as well as the mediating effects of parent-child subsystem qualities. Based on a sample of 2669 Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong who were followed up for three years, the present study found that both externalizing and internalizing behavior led to a decrease in LS among adolescents over time. While parental behavioral control and parent-child relational quality mediated the effects of externalizing behavior, parental factors did not mediate the effects of internalizing behavior. More specifically, parents tended to respond to children’s externalizing behavior by reducing parental involvement and warmth, which subsequently resulted in lower LS of adolescents. The findings imply that it is necessary to promote adolescent LS by reducing their problem behaviors. Moreover, parents should develop effective ways to enhance their understanding of children’s emotional and behavioral difficulties.
Variation in ploidy level and genome size of Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. along a latitudinal gradient
Authors: Zhang Jingxue , Wang Miaoli , Guo Zhipeng , Guan Yongzhuo , Guo Yuxia , Yan Xuebing 
Published: January 2020

AbstractKnowledge of ploidy level and genome size in a germplasm collection is critical before studying genetic diversification of different environmental range in grasses and other plants. We assessed the geographic patterns in ploidy level and genome size of 216 individuals ofCynodon dactylon(L.) Pers. (common bermudagrass) by flow cytometry of accessions sampled from 16 geographic sites along a latitudinal gradient from 22°35′ N to 36°18′ N across China. Flow cytometry histograms combined with mitotic chromosome observations results show that tetraploids were the most frequent ploidy level, constituting 44.91% of all individuals. Nuclear DNA contents were 2.384, 2.419, 2.437, 2.873 and 3.288 pg/2C for the diploid, triploid, tetraploid, pentaploid and hexaploid, respectively. Higher proportions of polyploid individuals were observed within populations at the highest and lowest latitudes. In addition, monoploid genome size ofC. dactylonprogressively increased with increasing ploidy level. Temperature and precipitation had the influence on ploidy level for all the sites. The relationship between ploidy level and geographic distribution forC. dactylonwill facilitate the utilization of this species for biological and genetic research.
Reflections on the term Micoquian in Western and Central Europe. Change in criteria, changed deductions, change in meaning, and its significance for current research
Authors: Frick Jens Axel 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe primary objective of this contribution is to show the intricate ways of over 100 years of research concerning the term Micoquian and its multiple shifts in meaning. A detailed analysis of the course of the research history has made it possible to identify several tendencies of shifting meaning. This concerned both its position within the chronology, its spatial extent, and decisive assemblage components. The term Micoquian has been used to describe complexes with very different characteristics. Chronologically, both assemblages dating before, during, and after the last interglacial period were referred to as Micoquian. To avoid difficulties in understanding the term, different names for the generic units of the respective assemblage units have been proposed from time to time. Due to the reflections on the research history, it is possible to investigate the question of whether and to what extent the term Micoquian should continue to be used and what significance is attached to it today, and to what extent it appears necessary to pursue other approaches to the classification of the Middle Paleolithic record. In conclusion, a multidisciplinary approach is proposed (including lithic, faunal, radiometric, site catchment, and/or settlement dynamic analysis) to build a multifaceted framework that is able to form clusters of similarities. The formerly defined generic units (called technocomplexes, facies, groups, space–time units, and so on) are seen purely as umbrella terms to structure the Paleolithic record, without claiming to reflect the former Paleolithic reality. With the addition of a tight chronological corset, the definitions of technocomplexes (by using lithic, faunal, and possibly floral data) could allow small, manageable space–time units to be formed and then compared with one another.
Livestock faecal indicators for animal management, penning, foddering and dung use in early agricultural built environments in the Konya Plain, Central Anatolia
Authors: Portillo Marta , García-Suárez Aroa , Matthews Wendy 
Published: January 2020

AbstractLivestock dung is a valuable material for reconstructing human and animal inter-relations and activity within open areas and built environments. This paper examines the identification and multi-disciplinary analysis of dung remains from three neighbouring sites in the Konya Plain of Central Anatolia, Turkey: Boncuklu (ninth–eighth millennium cal BC), the Çatalhöyük East Mound (eighth–sixth millennium cal BC), and the Late Neolithic occupation at the Pınarbaşı rockshelter (seventh millennium cal BC). It presents and evaluates data on animal management strategies and husbandry practices through the simultaneous examination of plant and faecal microfossils and biomarkers with thin-section micromorphology and integrated phytolith, dung spherulite, and biomolecular analyses, together with comparative reference geo-ethnoarchaeological assemblages. Herbivore dung and other coprogenic materials have been identified predominantly in open areas, pens and midden deposits through micromorphology and the chemical signatures of their depositional contexts and composition. Accumulations of herbivore faecal material and burnt remains containing calcitic spherulites and phytoliths have provided new information on animal diet, fodder and dung fuel. Evidence from phytoliths from in situ penning deposits at early Neolithic Çatalhöyük have provided new insights into foddering/grazing practices by identifying highly variable herbivorous regimes including both dicotyledonous and grass-based diets. This review illustrates the variability of dung deposits within early agricultural settlements and their potential for tracing continuity and change in ecological diversity, herd management strategies and foddering, health, energy and dung use, as well as the complexity of interactions between people and animals in this key region during the early Holocene.
Active and Incremental Learning with Weak Supervision
Authors: Brust Clemens-Alexander , Käding Christoph , Denzler Joachim 
Published: January 2020

AbstractLarge amounts of labeled training data are one of the main contributors to the great success that deep models have achieved in the past. Label acquisition for tasks other than benchmarks can pose a challenge due to requirements of both funding and expertise. By selecting unlabeled examples that are promising in terms of model improvement and only asking for respective labels, active learning can increase the efficiency of the labeling process in terms of time and cost. In this work, we describe combinations of an incremental learning scheme and methods of active learning. These allow for continuous exploration of newly observed unlabeled data. We describe selection criteria based on model uncertainty as well as expected model output change (EMOC). An object detection task is evaluated in a continuous exploration context on the PASCAL VOC dataset. We also validate a weakly supervised system based on active and incremental learning in a real-world biodiversity application where images from camera traps are analyzed. Labeling only 32 images by accepting or rejecting proposals generated by our method yields an increase in accuracy from 25.4 to 42.6%.
Status and trends of tundra birds across the circumpolar Arctic
Authors: Smith Paul A. , McKinnon Laura , Meltofte Hans , Lanctot Richard B. , Fox Anthony D. , Leafloor James O. , Soloviev Mikhail , Franke Alastair , Falk Knud , Golovatin Mikhail , Sokolov Vasiliy , Sokolov Aleksandr , Smith Adam C. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractTundra-breeding birds face diverse conservation challenges, from accelerated rates of Arctic climate change to threats associated with highly migratory life histories. Here we summarise the status and trends of Arctic terrestrial birds (88 species, 228 subspecies or distinct flyway populations) across guilds/regions, derived from published sources, raw data or, in rare cases, expert opinion. We report long-term trends in vital rates (survival, reproduction) for the handful of species and regions for which these are available. Over half of all circumpolar Arctic wader taxa are declining (51% of 91 taxa with known trends) and almost half of all waterfowl are increasing (49% of 61 taxa); these opposing trends have fostered a shift in community composition in some locations. Declines were least prevalent in the African-Eurasian Flyway (29%), but similarly prevalent in the remaining three global flyways (44–54%). Widespread, and in some cases accelerating, declines underscore the urgent conservation needs faced by many Arctic terrestrial bird species.
High Arctic ecosystem states: Conceptual models of vegetation change to guide long-term monitoring and research
Authors: Ravolainen Virve , Soininen Eeva M. , Jónsdóttir Ingibjörg Svala , Eischeid Isabell , Forchhammer Mads , van der Wal René , Pedersen Åshild Ø. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractVegetation change has consequences for terrestrial ecosystem structure and functioning and may involve climate feedbacks. Hence, when monitoring ecosystem states and changes thereof, the vegetation is often a primary monitoring target. Here, we summarize current understanding of vegetation change in the High Arctic—the World’s most rapidly warming region—in the context of ecosystem monitoring. To foster development of deployable monitoring strategies, we categorize different kinds of drivers (disturbances or stresses) of vegetation change either as pulse (i.e. drivers that occur as sudden and short events, though their effects may be long lasting) or press (i.e. drivers where change in conditions remains in place for a prolonged period, or slowly increases in pressure). To account for the great heterogeneity in vegetation responses to climate change and other drivers, we stress the need for increased use of ecosystem-specific conceptual models to guide monitoring and ecological studies in the Arctic. We discuss a conceptual model with three hypothesized alternative vegetation states characterized by mosses, herbaceous plants, and bare ground patches, respectively. We use moss-graminoid tundra of Svalbard as a case study to discuss the documented and potential impacts of different drivers on the possible transitions between those states. Our current understanding points to likely additive effects of herbivores and a warming climate, driving this ecosystem from a moss-dominated state with cool soils, shallow active layer and slow nutrient cycling to an ecosystem with warmer soil, deeper permafrost thaw, and faster nutrient cycling. Herbaceous-dominated vegetation and (patchy) bare ground would present two states in response to those drivers. Conceptual models are an operational tool to focus monitoring efforts towards management needs and identify the most pressing scientific questions. We promote greater use of conceptual models in conjunction with a state-and-transition framework in monitoring to ensure fit for purpose approaches. Defined expectations of the focal systems’ responses to different drivers also facilitate linking local and regional monitoring efforts to international initiatives, such as the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program.
The Role of the Oral Healthcare Team in Identification of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review
Authors: Yonel Zehra , Batt Joanna , Jane Rosemarie , Cerullo Enzo , Gray Laura J , Dietrich Thomas , Chapple Iain 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Purpose of Review
Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) presents a growing global health and economic burden. Dental settings have been employed to identify individuals who may be at high risk of diabetes, who exhibit non-diabetic hyperglycaemia (NDH – also termed “prediabetes”) and who already unknowingly have the condition, through the use of targeted risk-assessments. This review aims to synthesize the existing literature supporting dental teams’ identification of individuals at an increased risk of or suffering from undiagnosed NDH or T2DM in dental specialist care settings.

Recent Findings
Electronic databases were searched for studies reporting the identification of NDH and or T2DM, in specialist care dental settings. Screening of returned articles and data extraction were completed by two independent reviewers (RJ, ZY). A descriptive synthesis of the included articles was undertaken. Due to heterogeneity of the literature, a meta-analysis could not be performed. The search yielded 52 eligible studies, of which 12 focused primarily on stakeholder opinions. Opinions of patients, dentists, dental hygienists, dental students and physicians on case identification of T2DM by oral health professionals were generally positive. The main barriers cited were time, cost, inadequate training and low follow-up of participants by primary care physicians. The risk assessment processes varied, with most studies using a combination of methods consisting of a questionnaire followed by a chairside blood sample. Methods utilizing questionnaires, gingival crevicular blood (GCB), fingerstick blood (FSB) and urine samples have all been evaluated.

Summary
This review demonstrates that there may be benefit in engaging the dental workforce to identify cases of NDH and undiagnosed T2DM and that such a care pathway has the support of multiple stakeholders. Further high-quality research is required to assess both the clinical and cost-effectiveness of such practice in order to optimize protocols and patient care pathways. Studies should include a comparison of methods, health economic analyses and protocols to ensure those identified as high-risk go on to receive appropriate follow-up care.