bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cross-cultural adaption and validation of the Swedish version of the Core Outcome Measures Index for low-back pain
Authors: Granström Hannah , Langborg Anna , Mannion Anne F. , Rasmussen-Barr Eva 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Purpose
There is a wide selection of instruments and questionnaires available, but many are time consuming in their administration, for patients, practitioners and researchers alike. The Core Outcome Measures Index (COMI) is a short, self-administrated, multidimensional instrument translated into several languages that covers five domains recommended in the assessment of outcome in patients with low-back pain. The purpose of this study was to cross-culturally adapt the COMI from English to Swedish and to test the face and construct validity and reproducibility of its results in patients with low-back pain.

Methods
Participants (n = 102) were included from primary and secondary care. The participants reported moderate pain and disability levels. All participants filled in the COMI, the Oswestry Disability Index and the EQ5D at baseline. Forty-nine filled in the COMI again after 7 days for the reproducibility part of the study.

Results
The instrument was successfully forward and back-translated. In the validation process, there were low floor/ceiling effects, with the exception of the symptom-specific well-being (floor) and work disability (ceiling) items. The specific COMI domains and whole score correlated significantly with the chosen reference scale scores to the hypothesised extent (Rho 0.30–0.60 and > 0.60 respectively). COMI reached ICC 0.63 (95% CI 0.42–0.77) in the reproducibility test and the separate items, ICC 0.41–0.78.

Conclusions
The Swedish COMI shows acceptable psychometric properties and is thus suitable to use as a short instrument for measuring important domains in patients with low-back pain. A future study should investigate the instrument's sensitivity to measure change after treatment.

Graphic abstract
These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.
Surgery for herniated lumbar disc in private vs public hospitals: A pragmatic comparative effectiveness study
Authors: Madsbu Mattis A. , Salvesen Øyvind , Carlsen Sven M. , Westin Steinar , Onarheim Kristian , Nygaard Øystein P. , Solberg Tore K. , Gulati Sasha 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Background
There is limited evidence on the comparative performance of private and public healthcare. Our aim was to compare outcomes following surgery for lumbar disc herniation (LDH) in private versus public hospitals.

Methods
Data were obtained from the Norwegian registry for spine surgery. Primary outcome was change in Oswestry disability index (ODI) 1 year after surgery. Secondary endpoints were quality of life (EuroQol EQ-5D), back and leg pain, complications, and duration of surgery and hospital stays.

Results
Among 5221 patients, 1728 in the private group and 3493 in the public group, 3624 (69.4%) completed 1-year follow-up. In the private group, mean improvement in ODI was 28.8 points vs 32.3 points in the public group (mean difference − 3.5, 95% CI − 5.0 to − 1.9; P for equivalence < 0.001). Equivalence was confirmed in a propensity-matched cohort and following mixed linear model analyses. There were differences in mean change between the groups for EQ-5D (mean difference − 0.05, 95% CI − 0.08 to − 0.02; P = 0.002) and back pain (mean difference − 0.2, 95% CI − 0.2, − 0.4 to − 0.004; P = 0.046), but after propensity matching, the groups did not differ. No difference was found between the two groups for leg pain. Complication rates was lower in the private group (4.5% vs 7.2%; P < 0.001), but after propensity matching, there was no difference. Patients operated in private clinics had shorter duration of surgery (48.4 vs 61.8 min) and hospital stay (0.7 vs 2.2 days).

Conclusion
At 1 year, the effectiveness of surgery for LDH was equivalent in private and public hospitals.
A comparison of individual and collective decision making for standard gamble and time trade-off
Authors: Attema Arthur E. , Bleichrodt Han , l’Haridon Olivier , Lipman Stefan A. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractQuality-Adjusted Life-Years (QALYs) are typically derived from individual preferences over health episodes. This paper reports the first experimental investigation into the effects of collective decision making on health valuations, using both time trade-off (TTO) and standard gamble (SG) tasks. We investigated collective decision making in dyads, by means of a mixed-subjects design where we control for learning effects. Our data suggest that collective decision making has little effect on decision quality, as no effects were observed on decision consistency and monotonicity for both methods. Furthermore, QALY weights remained similar between individual and collective decisions, and the typical difference in elicited weights between TTO and SG was not affected. These findings suggest that consulting with others has little effect on health state valuation, although learning may have. Additionally, our findings add to the literature of the effect of collective decision making, suggesting that no such effect occurs for TTO and SG.
Landslide susceptibility assessment in complex geological settings: sensitivity to geological information and insights on its parameterization
Authors: Segoni Samuele , Pappafico Giulio , Luti Tania , Catani Filippo 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe literature about landslide susceptibility mapping is rich of works focusing on improving or comparing the algorithms used for the modeling, but to our knowledge, a sensitivity analysis on the use of geological information has never been performed, and a standard method to input geological maps into susceptibility assessments has never been established. This point is crucial, especially when working on wide and complex areas, in which a detailed geological map needs to be reclassified according to more general criteria. In a study area in Italy, we tested different configurations of a random forest–based landslide susceptibility model, accounting for geological information with the use of lithologic, chronologic, structural, paleogeographic, and genetic units. Different susceptibility maps were obtained, and a validation procedure based on AUC (area under receiver-operator characteristic curve) and OOBE (out of bag error) allowed us to get to some conclusions that could be of help for in future landslide susceptibility assessments. Different parameters can be derived from a detailed geological map by aggregating the mapped elements into broader units, and the results of the susceptibility assessment are very sensitive to these geology-derived parameters; thus, it is of paramount importance to understand properly the nature and the meaning of the information provided by geology-related maps before using them in susceptibility assessment. Regarding the model configurations making use of only one parameter, the best results were obtained using the genetic approach, while lithology, which is commonly used in the current literature, was ranked only second. However, in our case study, the best prediction was obtained when all the geological parameters were used together. Geological maps provide a very complex and multifaceted information; in wide and complex area, this information cannot be represented by a single parameter: more geology-based parameters can perform better than one, because each of them can account for specific features connected to landslide predisposition.
Assessing coastal artificial light and potential exposure of wildlife at a national scale: the case of marine turtles in Brazil
Authors: Colman Liliana P. , Lara Paulo H. , Bennie Jonathan , Broderick Annette C. , de Freitas Juliana R. , Marcondes Ana , Witt Matthew J. , Godley Brendan J. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractCoastal areas provide critical nesting habitat for marine turtles. Understanding how artificial light might impact populations is key to guide management strategies. Here we assess the extent to which nesting populations of four marine turtle species—leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and two subpopulations of loggerhead (Caretta caretta) turtles—are exposed to light pollution across 604 km of the Brazilian coast. We used yearly night-time satellite images from two 5-year periods (1992–1996 and 2008–2012) from the US Air Force Defense Meteorological Satellite Programme (DMSP) to determine the proportion of nesting areas that are exposed to detectable levels of artificial light and identify how this has changed over time. Over the monitored time-frame, 63.7% of the nesting beaches experienced an increase in night light levels. Based on nest densities, we identified 54 reproductive hotspots: 62.9% were located in areas potentially exposed to light pollution. Light levels appeared to have a significant effect on nest densities of hawksbills and the northern loggerhead turtle stock, however high nest densities were also seen in lit areas. The status of all species/subpopulations has improved across the time period despite increased light levels. These findings suggest that (1) nest site selection is likely primarily determined by variables other than light and (2) conservation strategies in Brazil appear to have been successful in contributing to reducing impacts on nesting beaches. There is, however, the possibility that light also affects hatchlings in coastal waters, and impacts on population recruitment may take longer to fully manifest in nesting numbers. Recommendations are made to further this work to provide deeper insights into the impacts of anthropogenic light on marine turtles.
Insights into the prenatal origin of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Hein Daniel , Borkhardt Arndt , Fischer Ute 
Published: January 2020

AbstractPediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is defined by recurrent chromosomal aberrations including hyperdiploidy and chromosomal translocations. Many of these aberrations originatein uteroand the cells transform in early childhood through acquired secondary mutations. In this review, we will discuss the most common prenatal lesions that can lead to childhood ALL, with a special emphasis on the most common translocation in childhood ALL, t(12;21), which results in theETV6-RUNX1gene fusion. TheETV6-RUNX1fusion arises prenatally and at a 500-fold higher frequency than the corresponding ALL. Even though the findings regarding the frequency ofETV6-RUNX1were originally challenged, newer studies have confirmed the higher frequency. The prenatal origin has also been proven for other gene fusions, includingKMT2A, the translocations t(1;19) and t(9;22) leading toTCF3-PBX1andBCR-ABL1, respectively, as well as high hyperdiploidy. For most of these aberrations, there is evidence for more frequent occurrence than the corresponding leukemia incidences. We will briefly discuss what is known about the cells of origin, the mechanisms of leukemic transformation through lack of immunosurveillance, and why only a part of the carriers develops ALL.
Micronutrient deficiencies in African soils and the human nutritional nexus: opportunities with staple crops
Authors: Kihara J. , Bolo P. , Kinyua M. , Rurinda J. , Piikki K. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractA synthesis of available agronomic datasets and peer-reviewed scientific literature was conducted to: (1) assess the status of micronutrients in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) arable soils, (2) improve the understanding of the relations between soil quality/management and crop nutritional quality and (3) evaluate the potential profitability of application of secondary and micronutrients to key food crops in SSA, namely maize (Zea maysL.), beans (Phaseolusspp. andVicia fabaL.), wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) and rice (Oryza sativaL.). We found that there is evidence of widespread but varying micronutrient deficiencies in SSA arable soils and that simultaneous deficiencies of multiple elements (co-occurrence) are prevalent. Zinc (Zn) predominates the list of micronutrients that are deficient in SSA arable soils. Boron (B), iron (Fe), molybdenum (Mo) and copper (Cu) deficiencies are also common. Micronutrient fertilization/agronomic biofortification increases micronutrient concentrations in edible plant organs, and it was profitable to apply fertilizers containing micronutrient elements in 60–80% of the cases. However, both the plant nutritional quality and profit had large variations. Possible causes of this variation may be differences in crop species and cultivars, fertilizer type and application methods, climate and initial soil conditions, and soil chemistry effects on nutrient availability for crop uptake. Therefore, micronutrient use efficiency can be improved by adapting the rates and types of fertilizers to site-specific soil and management conditions. To make region-wide nutritional changes using agronomic biofortification, major policy interventions are needed.
Airborne fungi spores distribution in various locations in Lagos, Nigeria
Authors: Odebode Adeyinka , Adekunle Adedotun , Stajich Jason , Adeonipekun Peter 
Published: January 2020

AbstractExposure to outside air microorganisms especially fungi has been linked with illness such as allergic respiratory symptoms, rhinitis, asthma, and infection such as mycosis. Airborne fungal composition was sampled from five locations in Lagos State, Nigeria, between May 2014 and April 2016. Fungi spores were collected using the sedimentation plate method with the Petri dishes of dichloran-glycerol 18 (DG-18) and potato dextrose agar (PDA) media. Fungi sporulated faster on DG-18 agar plate as compared with PDA. The abundances of fungal spores collected monthly at the locations varied. The most abundant spores came from the fungi wereAspergillus niger(14.47%),Aspergillus sydowii(10.37%), andAspergillus flavus(7.93%). Additional species were present in the collections including Ascomycetes:Penicillium funiculosum(5.49%),Neurospora crassa(5.32%),Penicillium oxalicum(4.71%),Penicillium pinophilum(2.88%),Fusarium verticillioides(3.05%),Penicillium simplicissimum(1.83%),Aphaderanumsp. (0.22%),Curvulariasp. (0.22%),Aspergillus oryzae(0.22%), andPaecilomycessp. (0.61%) and the Mucoromycotina Zygomycetes:Rhizopus oryzae(4.10%) andMucorsp. (3.44%). Fungal concentrations were significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) during the rainy season compared with the dry season.AspergillusandPenicilliumwere the most predominant airborne fungal genera whileMucor,Alternaria, andCladosporiumwere some of the least observed. Generally, abundance of fungi was significantly high during the wet season in all the studied locations.
Changes in the functional features of macrophyte communities and driving factors across a 70-year period
Authors: Lindholm Marja , Alahuhta Janne , Heino Jani , Hjort Jan , Toivonen Heikki 
Published: January 2020

AbstractFunctional homogenisation occurs across many areas and organism groups, thereby seriously affecting biodiversity loss and ecosystem functioning. In this study, we examined how functional features of aquatic macrophytes have changed during a 70-year period at community and species levels in a boreal lake district. At the community level, we examined if aquatic macrophyte communities showed different spatial patterns in functional composition and functional richness in relation to main environmental drivers between the time periods. We also observed each species in functional space to assess if species with certain sets of traits have become more common or rare in the 70-year study period. We found changes in the relationship between functional community composition and the environment. The aquatic macrophyte communities showed different patterns in functional composition between the two time periods, and the main environmental drivers for these changes were partly different. Temporal changes in functional richness were only partially linked to concomitant changes in the environment, while stable factors were more important. Species’ functional traits were not associated with commonness or rarity patterns. Our findings revealed that functional homogenisation has not occurred across these boreal lakes, ranging from small oligotrophic forest lakes to larger lakes affected by human impacts.
Terahertz Spectroscopy for Characterization of Hydrogen Bonding and Cross-linked Structure Dynamics in Polyurethane
Authors: Hoshina Hiromichi , Saito Yuichi , Furuhashi Takumi , Shimazaki Tomomi , Sawada Manabu , Hioki Yasunori , Otani Chiko 
Published: January 2020

AbstractTerahertz (THz) absorption spectra of cross-linked polyurethane films were observed at 30–180 °C. The obtained spectra displayed characteristic absorption bands. A band observed at 2.6 THz was assigned to the C=O···N-H hydrogen bond vibration using previously reported data. DFT calculation results confirmed that a band at 7.5 THz arises owing to the torsional vibration of cross-linked molecules containing urethane bonds. The slight changes in the temperature-dependent spectra were analyzed by the first derivative of absorption intensity with temperature. The thermal behavior of absorption intensities indicates the dynamics of hydrogen bonds and cross-linked structures in polyurethane films.
Voluntary disclosure schemes for offshore tax evasion
Authors: Gould Matthew , Rablen Matthew D. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractTax authorities worldwide are implementing voluntary disclosure schemes to recover tax on offshore investments. The US and UK, in particular, have implemented such schemes in response to bulk acquisitions of information on offshore holdings, recent examples of which are the “Paradise” and “Panama” papers. Schemes offer affected investors the opportunity to make a voluntary disclosure, with reduced fine rates for truthful disclosure. Might such incentives, once anticipated by investors, simply encourage evasion in the first place? We characterize the investor/tax authority game with and without a scheme, allowing for the possibility that some offshore investment has legitimate economic motives. We show that a scheme increases net expected tax revenue, decreases illegal offshore investment and increases onshore investment, but could either increase or decrease legal offshore investment. The optimal disclosure scheme offers maximal incentives for truthful disclosure by imposing the minimum allowable rate of fine.
High rates of aneuploidy, mosaicism and abnormal morphokinetic development in cases with low sperm concentration
Authors: Kahraman Semra , Sahin Yucel , Yelke Hakan , Kumtepe Yesim , Tufekci Mehmet A. , Yapan Cigdem C. , Yesil Mesut , Cetinkaya Murat 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Purpose
The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of severe male infertility (SMF) on the chromosomal status of embryos and any possible correlation between chromosomal status and embryo morphokinetics in younger women using data obtained from comprehensive preimplantation genetic tests.

Methods
The trial was conducted in an ART and Reproductive Genetics Centre between 2011 and 2018. A total of 326 cycles in cases with SMF where the female partner’s age was ≤ 35 years were evaluated. SMF is defined as sperm concentration below 5 mil/ml (million per milliliter) and divided into three subgroups according to sperm concentrations: 1–5 mil/ml, < 1mil/ml and testicular sperm. The control group of 190 cycles had normal sperm parameters.

Results
Significantly lower chromosomal euploidy rates were found in the testicular sperm group compared with the normal sperm controls when the female age was ≤ 35 years. In SMF, statistically significantly affected chromosomes were 2, 10, 11, 17, 21 and sex chromosomes. The mosaicism and abnormal morphokinetic development rates were higher in the SMF group than in control group, and this difference was significant when testicular sperm was used.

Conclusion
Lower euploidy rates, higher mosaicism rates and a higher incidence of abnormal morphokinetic development were observed in cases with testicular sperm with female partners ≤ 35 years compared with normal sperm controls. These findings suggest that PGT-A may be advisable in severe male infertility cases. Furthermore, the correlation between morphokinetics and chromosomal status was greatly reduced or absent in these most severe forms of male infertility, thus the need for new morphokinetic models.
Live births after oocyte in vitro maturation with a prematuration step in women with polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Vuong Lan N. , Le Anh H. , Ho Vu N. A. , Pham Toan D. , Sanchez Flor , Romero Sergio , De Vos Michel , Ho Tuong M. , Gilchrist Robert B. , Smitz Johan 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Purpose
Standard oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM) usually results in lower pregnancy rates than in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVM preceded by a prematuration step improves the acquisition of oocyte developmental competence and can enhance embryo quality (EQ). This study evaluated the effectiveness of a biphasic culture system incorporating prematuration and IVM steps (CAPA-IVM) versus standard IVM in women with polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM).

Methods
Eighty women (age < 38 years, ≥ 25 follicles of 2–9 mm in both ovaries, no major uterine abnormalities) were randomized to undergo CAPA-IVM (n = 40) or standard IVM (n = 40). CAPA-IVM uses two steps: a 24-h prematuration step with C-type natriuretic peptide-supplemented medium, then 30 h of culture in IVM media supplemented with follicle-stimulating hormone and amphiregulin. Standard IVM was performed using routine protocols.

Results
A significantly higher proportion of oocytes reached metaphase II at 30 h after CAPA-IVM versus standard IVM (63.6 vs 49.0; p < 0.001) and the number of good quality embryos per cumulus-oocyte complex tended to be higher (18.9 vs 12.7; p = 0.11). Clinical pregnancy rate per embryo transfer was 63.2% in the CAPA-IVM versus 38.5% in the standard IVM group (p = 0.04). Live birth rate per embryo transfer was not statistically different between the CAPA-IVM and standard IVM groups (50.0 vs 33.3% [p = 0.17]). No malformations were reported and birth weight was similar in the two treatment groups.

Conclusions
Use of the CAPA-IVM system significantly improved maturation and clinical pregnancy rates versus standard IVM in patients with PCOM. Furthermore, live births after CAPA-IVM are reported for the first time.
Stochastic Integration with Respect to Cylindrical Lévy Processes by p-Summing Operators
Authors: Kosmala Tomasz , Riedle Markus 
Published: January 2020

AbstractWe introduce a stochastic integral with respect to cylindrical Lévy processes with finitep-th weak moment for$$p\in [1,2]$$p∈[1,2]. The space of integrands consists ofp-summing operators between Banach spaces of martingale typep. We apply the developed integration theory to establish the existence of a solution for a stochastic evolution equation driven by a cylindrical Lévy process.