bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
String-averaging methods for best approximation to common fixed point sets of operators: the finite and infinite cases
Authors: Censor Yair , Nisenbaum Ariel 
Published: April 2021

AbstractString-averaging is an algorithmic structure used when handling a family of operators in situations where the algorithm in hand requires to employ the operators in a specific order. Sequential orderings are well known, and a simultaneous order means that all operators are used simultaneously (in parallel). String-averaging allows to use strings of indices, constructed by subsets of the index set of all operators, to apply the operators along these strings, and then to combine their end-points in some agreed manner to yield the next iterate of the algorithm. String-averaging methods were discussed and used for solving the common fixed point problem or its important special case of the convex feasibility problem. In this paper we propose and investigate string-averaging methods for the problem of best approximation to the common fixed point set of a family of operators. This problem involves finding a point in the common fixed point set of a family of operators that is closest to a given point, called an anchor point, in contrast with the common fixed point problem that seeks any point in the common fixed point set.We construct string-averaging methods for solving the best approximation problem to the common fixed points set of either finite or infinite families of firmly nonexpansive operators in a real Hilbert space. We show that the simultaneous Halpern–Lions–Wittman–Bauschke algorithm, the Halpern–Wittman algorithm, and the Combettes algorithm, which were not labeled as string-averaging methods, are actually special cases of these methods. Some of our string-averaging methods are labeled as “static” because they use a fixed pre-determined set of strings. Others are labeled as “quasi-dynamic” because they allow the choices of strings to vary, between iterations, in a specific manner and belong to a finite fixed pre-determined set of applicable strings. For the problem of best approximation to the common fixed point set of a family of operators, the full dynamic case that would allow strings to unconditionally vary between iterations remains unsolved, although it exists and is validated in the literature for the convex feasibility problem where it is called “dynamic string-averaging”.
Important ecophysiological roles of non-dominant Actinobacteria in plant residue decomposition, especially in less fertile soils
Authors: Bao Yuanyuan , Dolfing Jan , Guo Zhiying , Chen Ruirui , Wu Meng , Li Zhongpei , Lin Xiangui , Feng Youzhi 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Background
Microbial-driven decomposition of plant residues is integral to carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems. Actinobacteria, one of the most widely distributed bacterial phyla in soils, are known for their ability to degrade plant residues in vitro. However, their in situ importance and specific activity across contrasting ecological environments are not known. Here, we conducted three field experiments with buried straw in combination with microcosm experiments with 13C-straw in paddy soils under different soil fertility levels to reveal the ecophysiological roles of Actinobacteria in plant residue decomposition.

Results
While accounting for only 4.6% of the total bacterial abundance, the Actinobacteria encoded 16% of total abundance of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes). The taxonomic and functional compositions of the Actinobacteria were, surprisingly, relatively stable during straw decomposition. Slopes of linear regression models between straw chemical composition and Actinobacterial traits were flatter than those for other taxonomic groups at both local and regional scales due to holding genes encoding for full set of CAZymes, nitrogenases, and antibiotic synthetases. Ecological co-occurrence network and 13C-based metagenomic analyses both indicated that their importance for straw degradation increased in less fertile soils, as both links between Actinobacteria and other community members and relative abundances of their functional genes increased with decreasing soil fertility.

Conclusions
This study provided DNA-based evidence that non-dominant Actinobacteria plays a key ecophysiological role in plant residue decomposition as their members possess high proportions of CAZymes and as a group maintain a relatively stable presence during plant residue decomposition both in terms of taxonomic composition and functional roles. Their importance for decomposition was more pronounced in less fertile soils where their possession functional genes and interspecies interactions stood out more. Our work provides new ecophysiological angles for the understanding of the importance of Actinobacteria in global carbon cycling.
Streamlined alpha-synuclein RT-QuIC assay for various biospecimens in Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies
Authors: Bargar Connor , Wang Wen , Gunzler Steven A. , LeFevre Alexandra , Wang Zerui , Lerner Alan J. , Singh Neena , Tatsuoka Curtis , Appleby Brian , Zhu Xiongwei , Xu Rong , Haroutunian Vahram , Zou Wen-Quan , Ma Jiyan , Chen Shu G. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractDefinitive diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) relies on postmortem finding of disease-associated alpha-synuclein (αSynD) as misfolded protein aggregates in the central nervous system (CNS). The recent development of the real-time quaking induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay for ultrasensitive detection of αSynD aggregates has revitalized the diagnostic values of clinically accessible biospecimens, including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and peripheral tissues. However, the current αSyn RT-QuIC assay platforms vary widely and are thus challenging to implement and standardize the measurements of αSynD across a wide range of biospecimens and in different laboratories. We have streamlined αSyn RT-QuIC assay based on a second generation assay platform that was assembled entirely with commercial reagents. The streamlined RT-QuIC method consisted of a simplified protocol requiring minimal hands-on time, and allowing for a uniform analysis of αSynD in different types of biospecimens from PD and DLB. Ultrasensitive and specific RT-QuIC detection of αSynD aggregates was achieved in million-fold diluted brain homogenates and in nanoliters of CSF from PD and DLB cases but not from controls. Comparative analysis revealed higher seeding activity of αSynD in DLB than PD in both brain homogenates and CSF. Our assay was further validated with CSF samples of 214 neuropathologically confirmed cases from tissue repositories (88 PD, 58 DLB, and 68 controls), yielding a sensitivity of 98% and a specificity of 100%. Finally, a single RT-QuIC assay protocol was employed uniformly to detect seeding activity of αSynD in PD samples across different types of tissues including the brain, skin, salivary gland, and colon. We anticipate that our streamlined protocol will enable interested laboratories to easily and rapidly implement the αSyn RT-QuIC assay for various clinical specimens from PD and DLB. The utilization of commercial products for all assay components will improve the robustness and standardization of the RT-QuIC assay for diagnostic applications across different sites. Due to ultralow sample consumption, the ultrasensitive RT-QuIC assay will facilitate efficient use and sharing of scarce resources of biospecimens. Our streamlined RT-QuIC assay is suitable to track the distribution of αSynD in CNS and peripheral tissues of affected patients. The ongoing evaluation of RT-QuIC assay of αSynD as a potential biomarker for PD and DLB in clinically accessible biospecimens has broad implications for understanding disease pathogenesis, improving early and differential diagnosis, and monitoring therapeutic efficacies in clinical trials.
Towards improving community pharmacy-based mental health services in Nigeria
Authors: Bamgboye Adeboye Olakunle , Hassan Ibrahim Adebayo , Adebisi Yusuff Adebayo , Farayola Rachael Oluwatoyosi , Uwizeyimana Theogene 
Published: April 2021

AbstractIn Nigeria, there is a prevalence of aversive life circumstances that frequently assail the mental health and well-being of the citizens, mitigating the impact of which necessitates the institution of psychotherapy and other mental health care methods. These responsibilities, however, appear to be much more for pharmacists in low-resource settings where they are the most accessible healthcare professional. Some of these responsibilities include patient confidentiality as well as counseling patients on medication use, lifestyle as well as other personal matters that may arise in relation to their health. Mental health services including psychotherapy provide a range of therapeutic techniques that enable the patients (individual or groups) to develop effective coping strategies towards emotional and psychological difficulties, via methodic interactions with a mental health expert. In this commentary, we share suggestions on how to improve community pharmacy-based mental health services in Nigeria. With the expanding roles and responsibility for pharmacists beyond medication-related concerns comes the challenge of matching up the training of pharmacists with the broadening scope of practice in Nigeria. However, as pertinent as that might be, there are existing knowledge and competency gaps in keeping up with this trend. To correct these shortfalls, we contend that the training curricula for pharmacists in Nigeria be reviewed and/or expanded to provide adequate knowledge for pharmacy undergraduates and pharmacists about non-drug mental health care which will also impact psychotherapy services during their practice especially in the community settings.
Impact of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors and beta-blockers on dental implant stability
Authors: Saravi Babak , Vollmer Andreas , Lang Gernot , Adolphs Nicholai , Li Zhen , Giers Verena , Stoll Peter 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Background
Current experimental research suggests antihypertensive medication reduces the failure risk of dental implants due to enhanced bone remodeling. However, evidence from clinical studies evaluating the impact of antihypertensive medication on implant stability is lacking.

Methods
We retrospectively analyzed 377 implants in 196 patients (46 implants inserted in antihypertensive drug users (AH) and 331 implants in non-users (NAH)) for implant stability measured by radiofrequency analysis, and we determined the implant stability quotient (ISQ). AH subgroups were stratified by the use of beta-blockers, renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors, and both of the aforementioned. The impact of antihypertensive medication on ISQ values at implant insertion (primary stability) and implant exposure (secondary stability) was analyzed by a linear regression model with a regression coefficient and its 95% confidence interval (95% CI), adjusted for potential confounders.

Results
Time between implant insertion and implant exposure was 117.1 ± 56.6 days. ISQ values at insertion were 71.8 ± 8.7 for NAH and 74.1 ± 5.6 for AH, respectively. ISQ at exposure was 73.7 ± 8.1 for NAH and 75.7 ± 5.9 for AH. Regression analysis revealed that none of the AH subgroups were significantly related to ISQ at implant insertion. However, renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RAS) were significantly associated with higher ISQ values at exposure (reg. coeff. 3.59, 95% CI 0.46–6.71 (p=0.025)).

Conclusions
Outcome of the present study indicates enhanced bone remodeling and osseointegration following dental implant insertion in patients taking RAS inhibitors than in non-users. Future randomized prospective studies must confirm these indicative results.
Association between Cardiometabolic risk factor and responsiveness to vitamin D supplementation: a new approach using artificial neural network analysis
Authors: Allahyari Elahe , Hanachi Parichehr , Mirmoosavi Seyed Jamal , A.Ferns Gordon , Bahrami Afsane , Ghayour-Mobarhan Majid 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Background
There are increasing data highlighting the effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation in the treatment of vitamin D deficiency. But individuals vary in their responsiveness to vitamin D supplementation. In this study, the association between several cardiometabolic risk factors and the magnitude of response to vitamin D supplementation (change in vitamin D level) was investigated using a novel artificial neural networks (ANNs) approach.

Methods
Six hundred eight participants aged between 12 to 19 years old were recruited to this prospective interventional study. Nine vitamin D capsules containing 50,000 IU vitamin D/weekly were given to all participants over the 9 week period. The change in serum 25(OH) D level was calculated as the difference between post-supplementation and basal levels. Suitable ANNs model were selected between different algorithms in the hidden and output layers and different numbers of neurons in the hidden layer. The major determinants for predicting the response to vitamin D supplementation were identified.

Results
The sigmoid in both the hidden and output layers with 4 hidden neurons had acceptable sensitivity, specificity and accuracy, assessed as the area under the ROC curve, was determined in our study. Baseline serum vitamin D (30.4%), waist to hip ratio (10.5%), BMI (10.5%), systolic blood pressure (8%), heart rate (6.4%), and waist circumference (6.1%) were the most important factors in predicting the response to serum vitamin D levels.

Conclusion
We provide the first attempt to relate anthropometric specific recommendations to attain serum vitamin D targets. With the exception of cardiometabolic risk factors, the relative importance of other factors and the mechanisms by which these factors may affect the response requires further analysis in future studies (Trial registration: IRCT201509047117N7; 2015-11-25; Retrospectively registered).
Neoplastic lesions in domestic pigs detected at slaughter: literature review and a 20-year review (1998–2018) of carcass inspection in Catalonia
Authors: Morey-Matamalas Antonia , Vidal Enric , Martínez Jorge , Alomar Jaume , Ramis Antonio , Marco Alberto , Domingo Mariano , Segalés Joaquim 
Published: April 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe present paper reviews the occurrence of neoplasms in swine and presents a case series of 56 tumors submitted to the Slaughterhouse Support Network (Servei de Suport a Escorxadors[SESC] IRTA-CReSA]) from slaughtered pigs from 1998 to 2018 (April) in Catalonia (Spain). The aim of the study was to describe the spectrum of spontaneous neoplastic lesions found in slaughtered pigs and to compare the reported tumor cases with previous published data. Lymphoid neoplasms were characterized and classified using the WHO classification adapted for animals.ResultsThe most reported neoplasm during this period was lymphoma (28). Within lymphomas, the B-cell type was the most common, being the diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (15/28) the most represented subtype. Other submitted non-lymphoid neoplasms included melanoma (7), nephroblastoma (3), mast cell tumor (2), liposarcoma (2), osteochondromatosis (2), papillary cystadenocarcinoma (1), peripheral nerve sheath tumor (1), lymphoid leukemia (1), fibropapilloma (1), hemangiosarcoma (1), hepatoma (1), histiocytic sarcoma (1), pheochromocytoma (1) and osteosarcoma (1).ConclusionsThe existence of a well-established Slaughterhouse Support Network allowed the compilation of comprehensive data for further epidemiological and pathological studies, particularly about less commonly reported lesions in livestock such as neoplasms in pigs.
Cultural and linguistic adaptation of the multi-dimensional OXCAP-MH for outcome measurement of mental health among people living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda: the Luganda version
Authors: Katumba Kenneth R. , Laurence Yoko V. , Tenywa Patrick , Ssebunnya Joshua , Laszewska Agata , Simon Judit , Vassall Anna , Kinyanda Eugene , Greco Giulia 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Background
It is rare to find HIV/AIDS care providers in sub-Saharan Africa routinely providing mental health services, yet 8–30% of the people living with HIV have depression. In an ongoing trial to assess integration of collaborative care of depression into routine HIV services in Uganda, we will assess quality of life using the standard EQ-5D-5L, and the capability-based OxCAP-MH which has never been adapted nor used in a low-income setting. We present the results of the translation and validation process for cultural and linguistic appropriateness of the OxCAP-MH tool for people living with HIV/AIDS and depression in Uganda.

Methods
The translation process used the Concept Elaboration document, the source English version of OxCAP-MH, and the Back-Translation Review template as provided during the user registration process of the OxCAP-MH, and adhered to the Translation and Linguistic Validation process of the OxCAP-MH, which was developed following the international principles of good practice for translation as per the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research’s standards.

Results
The final official Luganda version of the OxCAP-MH was obtained following a systematic iterative process, and is equivalent to the English version in content, but key concepts were translated to ensure cultural acceptability, feasibility and comprehension by Luganda-speaking people.

Conclusion
The newly developed Luganda version of the OxCAP-MH can be used both as an alternative or as an addition to health-related quality of life patient-reported outcome measures in research about people living with HIV with comorbid depression, as well as more broadly for mental health research.
Osteoporotic fractures in rheumatoid arthritis patients in Argentina: a matched retrospective cohort study
Authors: Pierini Florencia S. , Brom Martin , Scolnik Marina , Scaglioni Valeria , Rosa Javier E. , Soriano Enrique R. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractBackgroundTo compare the incidence of osteoporotic fractures in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with matched controls from a university hospital.MethodsConsecutive RA patients (n = 100) were matched (age and sex) with controls (1:2). The follow-up period began at the index date, defined as the date of diagnosis for RA patients and the date of the first medical claim at the Health Management Organization (HMO) for non-RA patients. Fracture incidence rates per 1000 persons-years (PY) for distinct types of fractures were calculated. Multivariate cox regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with fractures.ResultsOne hundred RA patients were followed for a total of 975.1 patients-years and 200 controls for 1485.7 patients-years. No difference was found in the overall fracture incidence rate per 1000 PY between RA and controls (19.5, 95% CI 12.7–28.6 vs 12.1, 95% CI 7.7–18.7,p = 0.07). In the Cox regression analysis, only age (HR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02–1.11,p = 0.006) and history of a prior fracture (HR 9.85, 95% CI 2.97–32.64,p <  0.001) were associated with fractures after the index date. The stratified analysis of the fractures by location showed that only the vertebral fractures were more frequent in RA patients compared with controls (12.9 per 1000 PY, 95% CI 8.9–25.8, vs. 3.4, 95% CI 1.4–8.1, respectively,p = 0.01).ConclusionPatients with RA didn’t show an overall increased risk of osteoporotic fractures compared with matched controls, but vertebral fractures were more frequently observed in patients with RA.
Pathogenesis of Reproductive and Metabolic PCOS Traits in a Mouse Model
Authors: Rodriguez Paris Valentina , Edwards Melissa C , Aflatounian Ali , Bertoldo Michael J , Ledger William L , Handelsman David J , Gilchrist Robert B , Walters Kirsty A 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common and heterogeneous disorder; however, the etiology and pathogenesis of PCOS are poorly understood and current management is symptom-based. Defining the pathogenesis of PCOS traits is important for developing early PCOS detection markers and new treatment strategies. Hyperandrogenism is a defining characteristic of PCOS, and studies support a role for androgen-driven actions in the development of PCOS. Therefore, we aimed to determine the temporal pattern of development of PCOS features in a well-characterized dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-induced PCOS mouse model after 2, 4, and 8 weeks of DHT exposure. Following 2 weeks of treatment, DHT induced the key PCOS reproductive features of acyclicity, anovulation, and multifollicular ovaries as well as a decrease in large antral follicle health. DHT-treated mice displayed the metabolic PCOS characteristics of increased body weight and exhibited increased visceral adiposity after 8 weeks of DHT treatment. DHT treatment also led to an increase in circulating cholesterol after 2 weeks of exposure and had an overall effect on fasting glucose levels, but not triglycerides, aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) levels, or hepatic steatosis. These data reveal that in this experimental PCOS mouse model, acyclicity, anovulation, and increased body weight are early features of a developing PCOS phenotype whereas adiposity, impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia, and hepatic steatosis are later developing features of PCOS. These findings provide insights into the likely sequence of PCOS trait development and support the addition of body weight criteria to the early diagnosis of PCOS.
Cover-aware Steganalysis
Authors: Bunzel Niklas , Steinebach Martin , Liu Huajian 
Published: April 2021

The increasing digitization offers new ways, possibilities and needs for a secure transmission of information. Steganography and its analysis constitute an essential part of IT-Security. In this work we show how methods of blind-steganalysis can be improved to work in cover-aware scenarios, we will call this non-blind steganalysis. The main objective was to examine how to take advantage of the knowledge of reference images to maximize the accuracy-rate of the analysis.
Therefore we evaluated common stego-tools and their embedding algorithms and established a dataset of 353110 images. The images have been applied to test the potency of the improved methods of the non-blind steganalysis. The results show that the accuray can be significantly improved by using cover-images to produce reference images. Also the aggregation of the outcomes has shown to have a positive impact on the accuracy. Particularly noteworthy is the correlation between the qualities of the stego- and coverimages. Only by consindering both, the accuracy could strongly be improved. Interestingly the difference between both qualities also has a deep impact on the results.