bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Learning and Dynamic Decision Making
Authors: Gonzalez Cleotilde 
Published: November 2021

AbstractHumans make decisions in dynamic environments (increasingly complex, highly uncertain, and changing situations) by searching for potential alternatives sequentially over time, to determine the best option at a precise moment. Surprisingly, the field of behavioral decision making has little to offer in terms of theoretical principles and practical guidelines on how people make decisions in dynamic situations. My research program aims to fill in this gap by developing theoretical understandings of decision processes as well as practical demonstrations of how these theoretical developments can improve human dynamic decision making. Throughout my research career, I have helped create, test, and improve a general theory of dynamic decision making, instance‐based learning theory, IBLT. The methods I have used to contribute to IBLT are (1) laboratory experiments that rely on dynamic games in which humans make choices over time and space, individually and in teams, and from which we extrapolate robust phenomena and behavioral insights; and (2) computational, actionable cognitive models, which specify the decision‐making process and the cognitive mechanisms involved into a computational algorithm. The combination of these methods spawned novel applications in areas such as cybersecurity, phishing, climate change, and human–machine interactions. In this paper, I will take you through my own intellectual exploratory experience of computational modeling of human decision processes, and how the integration of experimental work and cognitive modeling helped in discovering and uncovering the field of dynamic decision making.
Search for evolutionary roots of land plant arabinogalactan‐proteins in charophytes: presence of a rhamnogalactan‐protein in Spirogyra pratensis (Zygnematophyceae)
Authors: Pfeifer Lukas , Utermöhlen Jon , Happ Kathrin , Permann Charlotte , Holzinger Andreas , von Schwartzenberg Klaus , Classen Birgit 
Published: November 2021

SUMMARYCharophyte green algae (CGA) are assigned to be the closest relatives of land plants and therefore enlighten processes in the colonization of terrestrial habitats. For the transition from water to land, plants needed significant physiological and structural changes, as well as with regard to cell wall composition. Sequential extraction of cell walls of Nitellopsis obtusa (Charophyceae) and Spirogyra pratensis (Zygnematophyceae) offered a comparative overview on cell wall composition of late branching CGA. Because arabinogalactan‐proteins (AGPs) are considered common for all land plant cell walls, we were interested in whether these special glycoproteins are present in CGA. Therefore, we investigated both species with regard to characteristic features of AGPs. In the cell wall of Nitellopsis, no hydroxyproline was present and no AGP was precipitable with the β‐glucosyl Yariv’s reagent (βGlcY). By contrast, βGlcY precipitation of the water‐soluble cell wall fraction of Spirogyra yielded a glycoprotein fraction rich in hydroxyproline, indicating the presence of AGPs. Putative AGPs in the cell walls of non‐conjugating Spirogyra filaments, especially in the area of transverse walls, were detected by staining with βGlcY. Labelling increased strongly in generative growth stages, especially during zygospore development. Investigations of the fine structure of the glycan part of βGlcY‐precipitated molecules revealed that the galactan backbone resembled that of AGPs with 1,3‐ 1,6‐ and 1,3,6‐linked Galp moieties. Araf was present only in small amounts and the terminating sugars consisted predominantly of pyranosidic terminal and 1,3‐linked rhamnose residues. We introduce the term ‘rhamnogalactan‐protein’ for this special AGP‐modification present in S. pratensis.
Symbiotic responses of Lotus japonicus to two isogenic lines of a mycorrhizal fungus differing in the presence/absence of an endobacterium
Authors: Venice Francesco , Chialva Matteo , Domingo Guido , Novero Mara , Carpentieri Andrea , Salvioli di Fossalunga Alessandra , Ghignone Stefano , Amoresano Angela , Vannini Candida , Lanfranco Luisa , Bonfante Paola 
Published: November 2021

SummaryAs other arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Gigaspora margarita contains unculturable endobacteria in its cytoplasm. A cured fungal line has been obtained and showed it was capable of establishing a successful mycorrhizal colonization. However, previous OMICs and physiological analyses have demonstrated that the cured fungus is impaired in some functions during the pre‐symbiotic phase, leading to a lower respiration activity, lower ATP, and antioxidant production. Here, by combining deep dual‐mRNA sequencing and proteomics applied to Lotus japonicus roots colonized by the fungal line with bacteria (B+) and by the cured line (B−), we tested the hypothesis that L. japonicus (i) activates its symbiotic pathways irrespective of the presence or absence of the endobacterium, but (ii) perceives the two fungal lines as different physiological entities. Morphological observations confirmed the absence of clear endobacteria‐dependent changes in the mycorrhizal phenotype of L. japonicus, while transcript and proteomic datasets revealed activation of the most important symbiotic pathways. They included the iconic nutrient transport and some less‐investigated pathways, such as phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. However, significant differences between the mycorrhizal B+/B− plants emerged in the respiratory pathways and lipid biosynthesis. In both cases, the roots colonized by the cured line revealed a reduced capacity to activate genes involved in antioxidant metabolism, as well as the early biosynthetic steps of the symbiotic lipids, which are directed towards the fungus. Similar to its pre‐symbiotic phase, the intraradical fungus revealed transcripts related to mitochondrial activity, which were downregulated in the cured line, as well as perturbation in lipid biosynthesis.
Population-based study on the prevalence, clinical characteristics and vision-related quality of life in patients with corneal opacity resulting from infectious keratitis: results from the Corneal Opacity Rural Epidemiological study
Authors: Raj Nimmy , Gupta Noopur , Kumar Deepak , Vashist Praveen , Tandon Radhika 
Published: November 2021

AimTo estimate prevalence and characterise clinical features and vision-related quality of life (VR-QoL) of corneal opacities (COs) resulting from infectious keratitis in a rural North Indian population.MethodsThe Corneal Opacity Rural Epidemiological study was a cross-sectional study conducted in 25 randomly selected clusters of rural Gurgaon, Haryana, India to determine prevalence of corneal disease across all age groups. During house-to-house visits, sociodemographic details, presence, type and clinical characteristics of corneal disease, laterality and resultant visual impairment (VI) was noted. Subgroup analysis of data was performed to understand the prevalence, clinical characteristics, VR-QoL in patients with CO due to infectious keratitis. VR-QoL scores were compared with healthy controls.ResultsOverall, 65 of 12 113 participants had evidence of infectious keratitis-related CO with a mean age of 63.3 (±14.7 SD) years. Prevalence of infectious keratitis-related CO, including both bilateral (12/65) and unilateral (53/65) cases was 0.54% (95% CI 0.41 to 0.66) seen in a total of 77 eyes of 65 participants. Mean visual acuity was 1.18±0.80 with 30/77 (38.9%) eyes having a presenting visual acuity <3/60. Most of the CO due to infectious keratitis was <3 mm in size (61.03%; 47/77), nebular (42.85%; 33/77) and central (49.35%; 38/77) in location. These participants had significantly higher VR-QoL scores and hence poorer VR-QoL across all three domains of vision function (scores of 28 vs 22, 7.5 vs 5 and 15.5 vs 9, respectively; p<0.0001) when compared with healthy controls.ConclusionThe data from this study give an insight into the burden and clinical characteristics of COs resulting from infectious keratitis. VR-QoL is significantly impaired in patients with CO resulting from infectious keratitis, both in bilateral and unilateral cases.
Pregnancy anaemia, child health and development: a cohort study in rural India
Authors: Heesemann Esther , Mähler Claudia , Subramanyam Malavika A , Vollmer Sebastian 
Published: November 2021

ObjectiveTo assess how pregnancy anaemia affects the offspring’s early childhood development, child haemoglobin (Hb) levels child growth and diseases incidence 2 years after birth in a low-income setting. Furthermore, we investigate the mediating role of childhood Hb levels with disease incidences and skills.DesignProspective cohort study.Setting and participantsThe study participants are 941-999 mother–child dyads from rural Madhepura in Bihar, India. In 2015, the women were recruited during pregnancy from registers in mother–child centres of 140 villages for the first wave of data collection. At the time of the second wave in 2017, the children were 22–32 months old.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe recruited women were visited at home for a household survey and the measurement of the women’s and child’s Hb level, child weight and height. Data on the incidence of diarrhoea and respiratory diseases or fever were collected from interviews with the mothers. To test motor, cognitive, language and socioemotional skills of the children, we used an adapted version of the child development assessment FREDI.ResultsThe average Hb during pregnancy was 10.2 g/dL and 69% of the women had pregnancy anaemia. At the age of 22–32 months, a 1 g/dL increase in Hb during pregnancy was associated with a 0.17 g/dL (95% CI: 0.11 to 0.23) increase in Hb levels of the child. Children of moderately or severely anaemic women during pregnancy showed 0.57 g/dL (95% CI: −0.78 to −0.36) lower Hb than children of non-anaemic women. We find no association between the maternal Hb during pregnancy and early skills, stunting, wasting, underweight or disease incidence. While childhood anaemia does not correlate with childhood diseases, we find an association of a 1 g/dl increase in the child's Hb with 0.04 SDs higher test scores.ConclusionsWhile pregnancy anaemia is a risk factor for anaemia during childhood, we do not find evidence for an increased risk of infectious diseases or early childhood development delays.
Nomogram to predict risk of incident chronic kidney disease in high-risk population of cardiovascular disease in China: community-based cohort study
Authors: Zhang Qiuxia , Zhang Jingyi , Lei Li , Liang Hongbin , Li Yun , Lu Junyan , Zhou Shiyu , Li Guodong , Zhang Xinlu , Chen Yaode , Pan Jiazhi , Lu Xiangqi , Chen Yejia , Lin Xinxin , Li Xiaobo , An Shengli , Xiu Jiancheng 
Published: November 2021

AimsTo develop a nomogram for incident chronic kidney disease (CKD) risk evaluation among community residents with high cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, 5730 non-CKD residents with high CVD risk participating the National Basic Public Health Service between January 2015 and December 2020 in Guangzhou were included. Endpoint was incident CKD defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m2during the follow-up period. The entire cohorts were randomly (2:1) assigned to a development cohort and a validation cohort. Predictors of incident CKD were selected by multivariable Cox regression and stepwise approach. A nomogram based on these predictors was developed and evaluated with concordance index (C-index) and area under curve (AUC).ResultsDuring the median follow-up period of 4.22 years, the incidence of CKD was 19.09% (n=1094) in the entire cohort, 19.03% (727 patients) in the development cohort and 19.21% (367 patients) in the validation cohort. Age, body mass index, eGFR 60–89 mL/min/1.73 m2, diabetes and hypertension were selected as predictors. The nomogram demonstrated a good discriminative power with C-index of 0.778 and 0.785 in the development and validation cohort. The 3-year, 4-year and 5-year AUCs were 0.817, 0.814 and 0.834 in the development cohort, and 0.830, 0.847 and 0.839 in the validation cohort.ConclusionOur nomogram based on five readily available predictors is a reliable tool to identify high-CVD risk patients at risk of incident CKD. This prediction model may help improving the healthcare strategies in primary care.
Protocol for ‘Resilient Caregivers’: a randomised trial of a resilience-based intervention for psychologically distressed partner caregivers of patients with cancer
Authors: Genter Peter , Høeg Beverley Lim , Hamre Camilla Jensen , Andersen Elisabeth Anne Wreford , Dalton Susanne Oksbjerg , Ribers Bjørn , Bidstrup Pernille Envold 
Published: November 2021

IntroductionIntimate partners of patients with cancer often experience significant distress, but there is a lack of psychological interventions that specifically target this population. ‘Resilient Caregivers’ is a novel resilience-based intervention for distressed partner cancer caregivers. The intervention was developed according to a resilience framework focusing on meta-reflective skills, coping strategies and value clarification. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention in a randomised trial.Methods and analysisEighty participants will be invited through the Oncology Department at Herlev Hospital, Denmark and randomised to either the intervention or usual care. Participants are eligible if they are partners (married or unmarried) of patients diagnosed with cancer and experience distress (>4 on the distress thermometer). ‘Resilient Caregivers’ consists of seven manualised group sessions (2.5 hours each), focusing on resilience in relation to being a partner caregiver of a patient with cancer. The primary outcome is symptoms of anxiety, while secondary outcomes include distress, depression, quality of life, sleep quality and resilience. Data will be collected at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months follow-up using validated scales, and analysed using mixed models for repeated measures.Ethics and disseminationThis study will follow the ethical principles in the Declaration of Helsinki and has been reviewed by the Ethics Committee of the Capital Region of Denmark (Journal no. 18055373). Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants. Results will be reported through scientific peer-reviewed journals and relevant conferences.Trial registration numberNCT04610034.
Factors that influence clinicians’ decisions to decrease active surveillance monitoring frequency or transition to watchful waiting for localised prostate cancer: a qualitative study
Authors: Lowenstein Lisa M , Choi Noah J , Hoffman Karen E , Volk Robert J , Loeb Stacy 
Published: November 2021

ObjectiveLittle is known about clinicians’ decision-making about decreasing active surveillance (AS) testing/converting patients to watchful waiting (WW), nor are there any guidelines. The objective of this study was to identify factors that clinicians consider when decreasing AS testing/converting to WW for men with prostate cancer.DesignExploratory qualitative study.SettingAll participants practiced in various institutions in the USA.ParticipantsEligible clinicians had to provide clinical care for patients with prostate cancer in the USA and speak English. Clinicians could be either urologists or radiation oncologists. Of the 24 clinicians, 83% were urologists representing 11 states, 92% were men and 62% were white.MethodsThis qualitative study used data from semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling was used to ensure geographical variation in the USA. Data collection continued until thematic saturation was achieved. Framework analysis guided coding and identification of themes. Two researchers coded all transcripts independently, met to discuss and reached consensus.ResultsInterviews with clinicians demonstrated that testing or monitoring for AS or transitioning to WW is happening in practice, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Decisions to decrease AS were personalised and tailored to patients’ health status. Life expectancy was the dominant factor that influenced decision, but clinicians were generally hesitant to specify an age when they would decrease AS or transition to WW. Fear that poor adherence could lead to missed progression and concerns about the medico-legal issue of not doing enough were cited as barriers to decreasing AS.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that in certain situations, AS frequency is reduced or transitioned to WW, yet decisions appear to be inconsistent and there are no significant barriers. These findings could inform further areas to explore when drafting recommendations that consider patients’ values and preferences when making decisions about decreasing AS/converting to WW.
Acupuncture for retinitis pigmentosa: study protocol for a randomised, sham-controlled trial
Authors: Huang Hui , Wang Jing , Li Haoran , Lei Ruxue , Zou Weiwen , Huang Qun , Gao Na , Zheng Yanlin 
Published: November 2021

IntroductionPrimary retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a common hereditary retinal disease in ophthalmology that has a considerable impact on quality of life, but there are few effective therapeutic strategies. This trial aims to determine the efficacy and safety of acupuncture versus sham acupuncture (SA) for RP.Methods and analysisThis is a study protocol for a randomised, participant-blind, sham-controlled trial. 64 eligible patients with RP will randomly be divided into acupuncture group and SA group. All groups will receive 48 sessions over 3 months. Participants will complete the trial by visiting the research centre in month 6/9 for a follow-up assessment. The primary outcome is visual field mean sensitivity and visual field mean deviation at month 3/6/9 compared with baseline. Secondary outcomes include the best-corrected visual acuity, central macular thickness, subfoveal choroidal thicknes, traditional Chinese medicine syndrome score and the scale of life quality for diseases with visual impairment at month 3/6/9 compared with baseline. Adverse events and safety indexes will be recorded throughout the study. SPSS V.25.0 statistical software was used for analysis, and measurement data were expressed as mean±SD.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (approval no: ChiECRCT20200460). The results of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal, and trial participants will be informed via email and/or phone calls.Trial registration numberChiCTR2000041090.
Radiotherapy for head and neck tumours using an oral fixation and parameter acquisition device and TOMO technology: a randomised controlled study
Authors: Zhang Xiaofang , Wang Tianlu , Xiao Xinyan , Li Xia , Wang Chen Yu , Huang Bo , He Lei , Song Yingqiu 
Published: November 2021

IntroductionRadiotherapy has become one of the main methods used for the treatment of malignant tumours of the head and neck. Spiral tomographic intensity-modulated radiotherapy has the many advantages of precision radiotherapy, which puts forward high requirements for postural reproducibility and accuracy. We will aim to ensure that the accurate positioning of the tumour will reduce the side effects of radiotherapy caused by positioning errors. We will design and implement this clinical trial using the patent of ‘a radiotherapy oral fixation and parameter acquisition device (patent number: ZL201921877986.5)’.Methods and analysisThis will be a randomised, controlled, prospective study with 120 patients with head and neck tumours. Using the random number table method, a random number sequence will be generated, and the patients will be enrolled in the experimental group (oral fixation device) and the control group (conventional fixation) in a 2:1 ratio. The primary outcome will be the progression-free survival time after the treatment. Secondary outcomes will include the oral mucosal reaction and the quality of life. Follow-ups will be carried out according to the plan. This is V.1.0 of protocol on 1 April 2021. The recruitment process for this clinical trial commenced on 1 May 2021, and will end on 1 October 2022.Ethics and disseminationThe trial received ethical approval from Medical Ethics Committee of Liaoning Provincial Cancer Hospital (number 20210131X). The final results will be presented at a scientific conference and published in a peer-reviewed journal in accordance with the journal’s guidelines.Trial registration numberChiCTR2100045096.
Sleep-disordered breathing and ventilatory chemosensitivity in first ischaemic stroke patients: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Baillieul Sébastien , Bailly Sébastien , Detante Olivier , Alexandre Sarah , Destors Marie , Clin Rita , Dole Marjorie , Pépin Jean-Louis , Tamisier Renaud 
Published: November 2021

RationaleSleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is highly prevalent after stroke. The clinical and ventilatory chemosensitivity characteristics of SDB, namely obstructive, central and coexisting obstructive and central sleep apnoea (coexisting sleep apnoea) following stroke are poorly described.ObjectiveTo determine the respective clinical and ventilatory chemosensitivity characteristics of SDB at least 3 months after a first ischaemic stroke.MethodsCross-sectional analysis of a prospective, monocentric cohort conducted in a university hospital. 380 consecutive stroke or transient ischaemic attack patients were screened between December 2016 and December 2019.Measurements and main resultsFull-night polysomnography, and hypercapnic ventilatory response were performed at a median (Q1; Q3) time from stroke onset of 134.5 (97.0; 227.3) days. 185 first-time stroke patients were included in the analysis. 94 (50.8%) patients presented no or mild SDB (Apnoea-Hypopnoea Index <15 events/hour of sleep) and 91 (49.2%) moderate to severe SDB, of which 52 (57.1%) presented obstructive sleep apnoea and 39 (42.9%) coexisting or central sleep apnoea. Obstructive sleep apnoea patients significantly differed regarding their clinical presentation from patients with no or mild SDB, whereas there was no difference with coexisting and central sleep apnoea patients. The latter presented a higher frequency of cerebellar lesions along with a heightened hypercapnic ventilatory response compared with no or mild SDB patients.ConclusionSDB in first-time stroke patients differ in their presentation by their respective clinical traits and ventilatory chemosensitivity characteristics. The heightened hypercapnic ventilatory response in coexisting and central sleep apnoea stroke patients may orientate them to specific ventilatory support.
Nonextensive Tsallis statistics in Unruh effect for Dirac neutrinos
Authors: Luciano Giuseppe Gaetano , Blasone Massimo 
Published: November 2021

AbstractFlavor mixing of quantum fields was found to be responsible for the breakdown of the thermality of Unruh effect. Recently, this result was revisited in the context of nonextensive Tsallis thermostatistics, showing that the emergent vacuum condensate can still be featured as a thermal-like bath, provided that the underlying statistics is assumed to obey Tsallis prescription. This was analyzed explicitly for bosons. Here we extend this study to Dirac fermions and in particular to neutrinos. Working in the relativistic approximation, we provide an effective description of the modified Unruh spectrum in terms of the q-generalized Tsallis statistics, the q-entropic index being dependent on the mixing parameters $$\sin \theta $$

sin
θ

and $$\Delta m$$

Δ
m

. As opposed to bosons, we find $$q>1$$

q
>
1

, which is indicative of the subadditivity regime of Tsallis entropy. An intuitive understanding of this result is discussed in relation to the nontrivial entangled structure exhibited by the quantum vacuum for mixed fields, combined with the Pauli exclusion principle.