bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Quality of lumbar paraspinal muscles in patients with chronic low back pain and its relationship to pain duration, pain intensity, and quality of life
Authors: Liu Sihai , Reitmaier Sandra , Mödl Lukas , Yang Daishui , Zhang Tianwei , Becker Luis , Hoehl Bernhard , Schönnagel Lukas , Diekhoff Torsten , Pumberger Matthias , Schmidt Hendrik 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Objectives
To examine the relationship between the quality of paraspinal muscles and pain intensity, duration, and quality of life in patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP).

Methods
Between January 2022 and December 2023, 119 individuals with no-back pain (no-BP) and 136 cLBP patients were enrolled. Both groups underwent health surveys and magnetic resonance imaging. Cross-sectional area (CSA), functional cross-sectional area (FCSA), and fat infiltration (FI) of multifidus (MF) and erector spinae (ES) were measured. Data were analyzed using multiple linear and binary logistic regression.

Results
Compared to the cLBP group, the no-BP group had smaller CSA influenced by FI of ES at L5/S1 (p = 0.01), higher FCSA of ES (p < 0.01) at L4/L5, and lower FI of ES and MF at L4/L5 and L5/S1 (p < 0.01). CSA, FCSA, and FI showed no significant correlation with cLBP intensity except for the CSA (p = 0.02) and FCSA (p = 0.03) of the L2/3 MF. Pain duration positively correlated with FI at L2/3, L3/4, and L4/5 of MF and ES (p < 0.05) and CSA of the L1/2 MF (p = 0.02). CSA (L3/4, L4/5, and L5/S1) and FCSA (L4/5, L5/S1) of MF correlated positively with SF36 scores (p < 0.05), while ES muscles did not (p > 0.05). FI of MF and ES showed no correlation with SF36 scores.

Conclusion
CSA and FI were significantly higher, and FCSA significantly lower in paraspinal muscles of cLBP patients compared to asymptomatic participants. Increased FI correlated with prolonged cLBP duration, indicating FI and FCSA alterations may play a significant role in cLBP development and duration.

Key Points
QuestionWhat is the relationship between paraspinal muscle quality and cLBP, including its intensity, duration, and impact on quality of life?
FindingscLBP patients had increased FI and reduced functional muscle area in paraspinal muscles, with FI correlating with prolonged pain duration.
Clinical relevanceUnderstanding the changes in lumbar paraspinal muscles provides insight into cLBP progression, guiding personalized interventions to improve pain management and patient quality of life.

Graphical Abstract
Arcuate eminence distance to temporal bone outer table in the middle fossa repair of superior canal dehiscence
Authors: Yang Hong-Ho , Yang Isaac , Gopen Quinton S. 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Purpose
To investigate the influence of arcuate eminence’s distance to temporal bone outer table (AE-OT) on surgical outcomes following the middle fossa repair of superior canal dehiscence (SCD).

Methods
We conducted a cohort study of consecutive repairs at a center between 2011 and 2022. AE-OT was measured on temporal bone CT imaging. Surgical outcomes were assessed with established metrics including Symptom Resolution Score (SRS), rate of Overall Symptom Improvement (OSI), and change in low-frequency air–bone gap (ΔLF-ABG) from pre- to post-surgery. Multivariable regression models assessing surgical outcomes were constructed with AE-OT as the primary predictor. Models adjusted for patient demographics, medical and surgical history, and follow-up duration.

Results
A total of 402 repairs were included. Mean AE-OT was 27.1 mm (SD 2.1, range 20.8–33.9). Every mm increase in AE-OT was independently associated with a 14% reduction in odds of OSI (aOR 0.86, 95% C.I. [0.75, 0.98]) and a 4-point decrease in SRS (adj. β − 4.0 [− 6.9, − 1.1]) among frank dehiscences. AE-OT was also not associated with operative duration and ΔLF-ABG among both frank dehiscences and near dehiscences.

Conclusions
Longer AE-OT predicted poorer symptomatic response but similar operative duration and audiometric improvement among frank SCD cases.
Novel neural pathways targeted by GLP-1R agonists and bariatric surgery
Authors: Hankir Mohammed K. , Lutz Thomas A. 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
The glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist semaglutide has revolutionized the treatment of obesity, with other gut hormone-based drugs lined up that show even greater weight-lowering ability in obese patients. Nevertheless, bariatric surgery remains the mainstay treatment for severe obesity and achieves unparalleled weight loss that generally stands the test of time. While their underlying mechanisms of action remain incompletely understood, it is clear that the common denominator between GLP-1R agonists and bariatric surgery is that they suppress food intake by targeting the brain. In this Review, we highlight recent preclinical studies using contemporary neuroscientific techniques that provide novel concepts in the neural control of food intake and body weight with reference to endogenous GLP-1, GLP-1R agonists, and bariatric surgery. We start in the periphery with vagal, intestinofugal, and spinal sensory nerves and then progress through the brainstem up to the hypothalamus and finish at non-canonical brain feeding centers such as the zona incerta and lateral septum. Further defining the commonalities and differences between GLP-1R agonists and bariatric surgery in terms of how they target the brain may not only help bridge the gap between pharmacological and surgical interventions for weight loss but also provide a neural basis for their combined use when each individually fails.
Unraveling the interplay between phylogeny and chemical niches in epiphytic macrolichens
Authors: Gauslaa Yngvar , Hollinger Jason , Goward Trevor , Asplund Johan 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
This study aims to elucidate the connection between the phylogeny of epiphytic macrolichens and their chemical niches. We analyzed published floristic and environmental data from 90 canopies of Picea glauca x engelmannii across various forest settings in British Columbia. To explore the concordance between a principal coordinates analysis of the cladistic distance matrix and a global non-metric multidimensional scaling of the ecological distance matrix, we used Procrustean randomization tests. The findings uncover a robust association between large-scale macrolichen phylogeny and canopy throughfall chemistry. The high calcium-scores of the studied species effectively distinguished members of the Peltigerales from those of the Lecanorales, although parameters linked with Ca such as Mn, Mg, K, bark-, and soil-pH, may contribute to the niche partitioning along the oligotrophic—mesotrophic gradient. The substantial large-scale phylogenetic variation in the macrolichens’ Ca-scores is consistent with an ancient adaptation to specialized chemical environments. Conversely, the minor variation in Ca-scores within families and genera likely stems from more recent adaptation. This study highlights crucial functional and chemical differences between members of the Lecanorales and Peltigerales. The deep phylogenetic connection to the chemical environment underscores the value of lichens as transferable bioindicators for the chemical environment and emphasizes the importance of elucidating the intricate interplay between chemical factors and lichen evolution.
An unobserved lava fountain deciphered in real-time by high-precision borehole strainmeter and contribution to hazard evaluation: the Etna 21 May 2023 eruption
Authors: Bonaccorso Alessandro , Carleo Luigi , Currenti Gilda , Sicali Antonino 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
A powerful lava fountain took place on 21 May 2023 at Mt. Etna after a year of repose, preceded a few days earlier by a shallow seismic swarm. The main critical issue with the eruption was the difficulty to track this eruptive event with conventional remote sensing devices, such as webcams and satellite instruments, due to the bad weather conditions and especially the dense cloud cover. Despite the sophisticated monitoring available at the volcano, the eruption effectively remained “hidden”. It was here that the borehole dilatometers excelled: as with all recent lava fountains at Etna, these high-precision instruments detected significant strain changes and proved a valuable contribution to real-time monitoring of the event. Through recently implemented approaches, the analysis of the strain data allowed us to decipher the eruption: namely identify the timing of the events, evaluate the “size” of the fountain (i.e. its eruptive intensity), and also estimate the erupted volumes in near real-time. This provided a useful support during the Civil Protection emergency meeting at the Prefecture of Catania, where these results were presented and jointly discussed. Overall, the 21 May 2023 lava fountain was an important showcase, demonstrating the strategic contribution that real-time high-precision strain signals may have in defining and assessing the hazard associated with an eruptive event even in adverse weather conditions, when remote sensing systems may be unable to furnish direct information on the ongoing phenomenon.
Vanadium exposure and kidney markers in a pediatric population: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Rojas-Lima Elodia , Ortega-Romero Manolo , Aztatzi-Aguilar Octavio Gamaliel , Rubio-Gutiérrez Juan Carlos , Narváez-Morales Juana , Esparza-García Mariela , Méndez-Hernández Pablo , Medeiros Mara , Barbier Olivier Christophe 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Background
Anthropogenic vanadium (V) emissions and exposure in the general population have recently increased. Experimental studies have shown that V is a nephrotoxic agent, but little is known about its effects on human kidney health. This work evaluated the association between urinary V concentrations with early kidney damage biomarkers and function in a pediatric population without any disease diagnosed.

Methods
A cross-sectional study was carried out and included 914 healthy subjects and determined urinary V concentrations, glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), albumin–creatinine ratio (ACR), and the presence of kidney injury molecule 1 (KIM-1) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in urine. We evaluated the V effect using linear and logistic regression models adjusted by confounders.

Results
Subjects found in the second and third tertiles of V showed an increase in urinary log-NGAL levels (βT2 vs. T1 = 0.39; 95% CI 0.14, 0.64, and βT3 vs. T1 = 1.04; 95% CI 0.75, 1.34) and log-KIM-1(βT2 vs. T1 = 0.25; 95% CI 0.04, 0.45 and βT3 vs. T1 = 0.39; 95% CI 0.15, 0.63); in addition, subjects in the third tertile had a positive and significant association with ACR (ORT3 vs. T1 = 1.96; 95% CI 1.29, 2.97) and increased in eGFR (βT3 vs. T1 = 3.98, 95% CI 0.39, 7.58), compared with subjects in the first tertile.

Conclusions
Our study reports the effect of V on kidney markers in a healthy pediatric population. It could be related to tubulointerstitial lesions and function abnormalities.

Graphical Abstract
The effect of workload on primary care doctors on referral rates and prescription patterns: evidence from English NHS
Authors: Pilvar Hanifa , Watt Toby 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThis paper investigates the impact of workload pressure on primary care outcomes using a unique dataset from English general practices. Leveraging the absence of General Practitioner (GP) colleagues as an instrumental variable, we find that increased workload leads to an increase in prescription rates of antibiotics as well as in the share of assessment referrals. On the other hand, the quantity and frequency of psychotropics decreases. When there is an absence, workload is intensified mostly on GP partners, and the mode of consultation shifts toward remote interactions as a response to higher workload pressure. The effects are more pronounced for patients above 65 years-old and those in Short-staffed practices. Our study sheds light on the intricate relationship between workload pressure and patient care decisions in primary care settings.
Discrete, recurrent, and scalable patterns in non-operant judgement underlie affective picture ratings
Authors: Stefanopoulos Leandros , Kim Byoung-Woo , Sheppard John , Azcona Emanuel A. , Vike Nicole L. , Bari Sumra , Lalvani Shamal , Woodward Sean , Maglaveras Nicos , Block Martin , Katsaggelos Aggelos K. , Breiter Hans C. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractOperant keypress tasks in a reinforcement-reward framework where behavior is shaped by its consequence, show lawful relationships in human preference behavior (i.e., approach/avoidance) and have been analogized to “wanting”. However, they take 20–40 min as opposed to short non-operant rating tasks, which can be as short as 3 min and unsupervised, thus more readily applied to internet research. It is unknown if non-operant rating tasks where each action does not have a consequence, analogous to “liking”, show similar lawful relationships. We studied non-operant, picture-rating data from three independent population cohorts (N = 501, 506, and 4019 participants) using the same 7-point Likert scale for negative to positive preferences, and the same categories of images from the International Affective Picture System. Non-operant picture ratings were used to compute location, dispersion, and pattern (entropy) variables, that in turn produced similar value, limit, and trade-off functions to those reported for operant keypress tasks, all with individual R2 > 0.80. For all three datasets, the individual functions were discrete in mathematical formulation. They were also recurrent or consistent across the cohorts and scaled between individual and group curves. Behavioral features such as risk aversion and other interpretable features of the graphs were also consistent across cohorts. Together, these observations argue for lawfulness in the modeling of the ratings. This picture rating task demonstrates a simple, quick, and low-cost framework for quantitatively assessing human preference without forced choice decisions, games of chance, or operant keypressing. This framework can be easily deployed on any digital device worldwide.
Morphological and Mechanical Property Differences in Trapeziometacarpal Ligaments of Healthy and Osteoarthritic Female Joints
Authors: Walker Lizzie , Gordon Daniel , Chiaramonti Alexander , Wang Shangping , Meng Zhaoxu , Daley Dane , Slate Elizabeth , Yao Hai , Pellegrini Vincent D. , Wu Yongren 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Purpose
To identify changes in morphological and mechanical properties in the volar ligament complex (VLC), dorsoradial ligaments (DRL), and posterior oblique ligaments (POL) in healthy and osteoarthritic female trapeziometacarpal (TMC) joints.

Methods
Twenty-four fresh-frozen female cadaveric TMCs were separated into (1) younger healthy/early-stage osteoarthritic, (2) elder healthy/early-stage osteoarthritic, and (3) advanced-stage osteoarthritic groups based on age and Eaton-Littler grading. Stress relaxation and load-to-failure testing were performed to characterize mechanical tensile properties. Light imaging and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were performed to further assess enthesis structural integrity.

Results
The VLC in advanced-stage osteoarthritic TMCs had attenuated mechanical properties in stress relaxation experiments compared to the elder healthy/early-stage osteoarthritic specimens: Young’s modulus at 20% strain (P = 0.044), instantaneous (P = 0.023), relaxed (P = 0.017) moduli. VLCs in advanced-stage osteoarthritic TMCs also had significantly lower properties in the load-to-failure experiments compared to the younger healthy/early-stage osteoarthritic specimens: stiffness (P = 0.048), ultimate load (P = 0.017), toughness (P = 0.003). Light and SEM/EDS imaging revealed partial detachment and loss of enthesis mineral gradient at VLC metacarpal insertion in advanced-stage osteoarthritic specimens. There were no mechanical or structural changes in the DRL and POL between experiment groups.

Conclusion
VLC morphological and mechanical properties deteriorate across progressively severe osteoarthritis classifications while the DRL and POL remain unchanged. The attenuated mechanical properties of VLCs in advanced-stage osteoarthritic TMCs can be explained by ligament degradation as evidenced by partial detachment and loss of mineral gradient at the metacarpal insertion.
Flat Quasi-coherent Sheaves as Directed Colimits, and Quasi-coherent Cotorsion Periodicity
Authors: Positselski Leonid , Šťovíček Jan 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
We show that every flat quasi-coherent sheaf on a quasi-compact quasi-separated scheme is a directed colimit of locally countably presentable flat quasi-coherent sheaves. More generally, the same assertion holds for any countably quasi-compact, countably quasi-separated scheme. Moreover, for three categories of complexes of flat quasi-coherent sheaves, we show that all complexes in the category can be obtained as directed colimits of complexes of locally countably presentable flat quasi-coherent sheaves from the same category. In particular, on a quasi-compact semi-separated scheme, every flat quasi-coherent sheaf is a directed colimit of flat quasi-coherent sheaves of finite projective dimension. In the second part of the paper, we discuss cotorsion periodicity in category-theoretic context, generalizing an argument of Bazzoni, Cortés-Izurdiaga, and Estrada. As the main application, we deduce the assertion that any cotorsion-periodic quasi-coherent sheaf on a quasi-compact semi-separated scheme is cotorsion.
Incidence of herbivory of the invasive crab Percnon gibbesi on the endemic Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica
Authors: Puentes Daniel , Anton Andrea 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Seagrasses are one of the most productive marine ecosystems in the world. Posidonia oceanica, an endemic Mediterranean seagrass, is under high and constant anthropogenic and natural pressures, including climate change and the introduction of invasive species. Percnon gibbesi, a small crab with a tropical and subtropical distribution, was first reported in the Mediterranean Sea in 1999, and today is established across the entire Mediterranean Basin, inhabiting the shallow rocky infra-littoral zone. Given that P. gibbesi and P. oceanica can co-occur in the same environments, an experiment was set up to study their plant–herbivore interaction. Using two experiments at two different temperatures (19 °C and 25 °C), the incidence of herbivory on the seagrass tissues (fruits, leaves, rhizome, and whole shoot) by the invasive crab was assessed. The fruits along with the rhizome were the most consumed tissues, and the leaves of P. oceanica were the least consumed, which could be a consequence of tissue structure characteristics and/or nutrient quality. The incidence of herbivory on the leaves of P. oceanica was not affected by temperature. The herbivory pressure of the exotic crab P. gibbesi on native seagrass P. oceanica will likely be limited to a shallow bathymetric range; however, given the large scale of the invasion, the consumption of P. oceanica could become a relevant ecological issue in the Mediterranean Sea.
The Role of Shared Decision-Making in Promoting Family Participation in Treatment for Adolescents and Young Adults with First-Episode Psychosis
Authors: Davies Nicole L. , Cervantes Paige E. , Acri Mary C. , Hoagwood Kimberly E. 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
We aimed to examine the role of shared decision-making (SDM) in family participation in the treatment of adolescents and young adults with first-episode psychosis (FEP). Based on responses of 144 family members of OnTrackNY (OTNY) participants, we divided the sample into low participators and high participators. We calculated the total SDM score for each participant by summing the ratings across items inquiring about SDM and assessed the extent to which loved ones encouraged family participation in their care. Our results indicated that the level of loved ones’ encouragement was significantly related to family participation. When controlling for loved ones’ encouragement, we found that the total SDM score was significantly higher in the high participator group. These findings suggest that SDM may be influenced by loved ones’ attitudes towards family involvement in treatment and SDM may play a role in promoting family participation in care for individuals with FEP.
A study on $$k$$-$$walk$$ generation algorithm to prevent the tottering in graph edit distance heuristic algorithms
Authors: Yoon SeongCheol , Seo Daehee , Kim Su-Hyun , Lee Im-Yeong 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Graph edit distance is usually used for graph similarity checking due to its low information loss and flexibility advantages. However, graph edit distance can’t be used efficiently because it is an NP-Hard problem. Many graph edit distance heuristic algorithms have been proposed to solve this problem. However, some heuristic algorithms for generating

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generate unnecessary sequences because of the tottering, which leads to many problems. Because of this, various problems arise, like a decrease in approximation accuracy and an increase in execution time. In this paper, we propose an accurate and efficient graph edit distance heuristic algorithm that prevents tottering when generating

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. When generating

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, the traversed node‘s information is saved into the queue and then proceeds to traverse the next node. Then, it is possible to prevent the tottering by comparing an existing traversed node with an enqueued one. Through this, we propose a new

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generation algorithm that prevents generating unnecessary

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and applies it to existing algorithms to prevent the tottering.
The expansive language access framework: an integrated approach to addressing oppression in language education
Authors: Cioè-Peña María , Linares Rebecca E. , Kangas Sara E. N. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractWhile language education programs were created with an equity stance in mind—with the goals of increasing access and facilitating academic success for ethnically and linguistically marginalized students—the larger educational context has compromised access for multiply marginalized students. Recognizing a need for more complex understandings of language access, scholars have turned to intersectionality; however, intersectional theory is often applied to individual encounters rather than systemic issues. In this conceptual paper, we showcase how this unitary and unidimensional approach manifests in policies, programs, and conceptualizations of languages and language practices that perpetuate the systematic marginalization of multilingual learners with disabilities (MLwDs). We illustrate how policy and programming have centered language while omitting critical perspectives of race and disability. By focusing on MLwDs, we demonstrate how MLs who are racialized and pathologized through language have been systematically ignored in ways that sustain systems of oppression. The expansive language access framework provides a structure for understanding what it would mean to attend to race, language, and dis/ability at the policy, program, and practice levels, and can thus serve as a tool for stakeholders (e.g., scholars, policymakers, educators) to critically examine, evaluate, and rethink their role in perpetuating and disrupting institutional oppressions that multiply marginalized students encounter. Ultimately, we hope the framework empowers stakeholders to identify opportunities for growth and expansion to increase access to more holistically responsive language programming.