bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Role of intravenous immunoglobulins in the management of systemic lupus erythematosus: a single-centre experience
Authors: Kaya Mehmet Nur , Kılıç Özlem , Canbaş Muhammet , Özgünen Merve Sungur , Güneş Ezgi Çimen , Yılmaz Sedat 
Published: November 2024

ObjectivesSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease of unknown aetiology that can affect almost any organ in the body. Although there are no specific guidelines for the use of intravenous immunoglobulin (IG) in the treatment of patients with SLE, it is thought to be an effective treatment. Our study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of intravenous IG and to describe the possible profile of patients with SLE who are candidates for intravenous IG treatment.MethodsThis study was designed to retrospectively analyse patients with SLE treated with 2 g/kg/month of intravenous IG (divided across 5 consecutive days). We collected demographic, clinical, laboratory and treatment data from the patient files. The side effects of the intravenous IG treatment, changes in the immunosuppressive therapy used and changes in the clinical and laboratory parameters after the intravenous IG treatment were evaluated.ResultsThis study included 31 patients with SLE. The main indication for intravenous IG treatment was haematological involvement (20, 64.5%) and thrombocytopenia in particular (8, 25.8%). Intravenous IG was initiated mainly for refractory disease. At the end of the treatment, the acute phase values, proteinuria, complement levels and anti-double-stranded DNA decreased significantly (p<0.001). In most cases, the side effects were mild and usually manifested as myalgia or a fever.ConclusionDespite its high cost, intravenous IG has demonstrated effectiveness in treating refractory SLE, especially when there is haematological involvement. Specific clinical features at baseline may identify the patients who are more likely to respond to this therapy.
Prevalence and risk factors for chronic postamputation pain requiring analgesia or nerve interventions: a population-based study in East Asia
Authors: Liu Wen-Chih , Su Fu-Wei , Su Sheng-You , Chiang Chen-Hao , Yao Shu-Hsin , Shih Chia-Lung , Eberlin Kyle R 
Published: November 2024

BackgroundPostamputation pain (PAP) is underexplored in East Asian populations, with most data originating from Western countries. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of PAP in East Asian individuals who underwent surgical amputation, particularly those requiring subsequent analgesia or nerve interventions.Materials and methodsThe study used data from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database, encompassing claims from 2 million randomly selected individuals out of 23.5 million enrolled in Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database from 2000 to 2019. The risk factors for PAP were analyzed using multivariable regression, considering criteria such as chronic postamputation pain, symptomatic neuroma treatment, chronic analgesia use, and nerve interventions.ResultsAmong the 7287 amputees (mean age 59.5 years; 65.1% male), 18.1% (95% CI 17.2%, 19.0%) (1318 patients) experienced PAP requiring intervention. Significant risk factors included cancer (OR 2.20 (95% CI 1.27, 3.68)), peripheral artery disease (OR 2.11 (95% CI 1.66, 2.69)), infection (OR 1.93 (95% CI 1.55, 2.40)), diabetes mellitus (OR 1.85 (95% CI 1.45, 2.37)), and a higher Elixhauser Comorbidity Index (OR 1.04 (95% CI 1.02, 1.06)). Prior radiculopathy (OR 1.30 (95% CI 1.13, 1.51)) and myelopathy (OR 1.33 (95% CI 1.14, 1.55)) also increased pain odds, while age showed a slight inverse association (OR 0.99 (95% CI 0.98, 0.99)).ConclusionThe prevalence of PAP requiring subsequent analgesia or nerve interventions in this East Asian population is 18.1%. Identified risk factors include multiple medical comorbidities and pre-existing radiculopathy or myelopathy. These findings highlight the important considerations for both clinical practice and future research directions.
0.23-Tesla MRI to differentiate between ischaemic and haemorrhagic strokes within 24 hours of onset: a combined experimental–clinical study
Authors: Xie Xuewei , Jiang Qianmei , Suo Yue , Han Chong , Wang Zhaobin , Zhang Zhe , Wang Ning , Wang Yihuai , Zhang Chunguang , Xue Bingshan , Liu Tao , Wang David , Jing Jing , Wang Yongjun 
Published: November 2024

Background and purposeThe low-field MRI is a promising tool to accurately diagnose strokes. We here report our study on the accuracy of a 0.23-Tesla (0.23-T) MRI using the haematoma enhanced inversion recovery (HEIR) sequence to detect acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) and intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) within 24 hours of symptom onset.MethodsA novel HEIR sequence based on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery T1-weighted, with a scanning time of 1 min and 17 s, was developed using an ICH and AIS pig model on a 0.23-T MRI. Images of the pig model were obtained hourly for 24 hours in order to monitor value changes on T1/T2 and verify the differential diagnosis of AIS and ICH. Then, 30 patients with AIS and 30 patients with ICH with confirmed diagnoses by 3T-MRI/CT were included. Diagnostic criteria on a 0.23-T MRI for ICH was the hyperintensity signal on both the diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and HEIR sequence, while for AIS was the hyperintensity on DWI and isointensity on the HEIR sequence. Two blinded raters independently assessed the images obtained by the 0.23-T MRI for the presence of ICH/AIS.ResultsIn the pig model, setting the inversion time to 800 ms enabled clear differentiation of ICH from brain parenchymal tissue and AIS. In real patients, a correct 0.23-T MRI diagnosis of either an AIS or ICH was made in all 60 patients within 24 hours of symptom onset (100% overall accuracy). No adverse events occurred.ConclusionsThe 0.23-T MRI may have the potential to differentiate cerebral haemorrhage from cerebral infarction with both speed and accuracy, making brain MRI scans easier, faster and cheaper. It might be possible to improve the screening imaging process for strokes in the emergency room. Further multicentre studies are needed to validate our findings.
Can Bell inequalities be tested via scattering cross-section at colliders ?
Authors: Li Song , Shen Wei , Yang Jin Min 
Published: November 2024

AbstractIn current studies for testing Bell inequalities at colliders, the reconstruction of spin correlations from scattering cross-sections relies on the bilinear form of the spin correlations, but not all local hidden variable models (LHVMs) have such a property. To demonstrate that a general LHVM cannot be rule out via scattering cross-section data, we propose a specific LHVM, which can exactly duplicate the same scattering cross-section for particle production and decay as the standard quantum theory, making it indistinguishable at colliders in principle. Despite of this, we find that reconstructing spin correlations through scattering cross-sections can still exclude a broad class of LHVMs, e.g., those models employing classical spin correlations as a surrogate for quantum spin correlations.
Generalized Chern–Pontryagin models
Authors: Nascimento J. R. , Petrov A. Yu. , Porfírio P. J. , da Silva Ramires N. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractWe formulate a new class of modified gravity models, that is, generalized four-dimensional Chern–Pontryagin models, whose action is characterized by an arbitrary function of the Ricci scalar R and the Chern–Pontryagin topological term $$ ^*RR$$

∗

R
R

, i.e., $$f(R, ^*RR)$$

f
(
R

,
∗

R
R
)

. Within this framework, we derive the gravitational field equations and solve them for the particular models, $$f(R, ^*RR)=R+\beta ( ^*RR)^2$$

f

(
R

,
∗

R
R
)

=
R
+
β

(
∗

R
R
)

2

and $$f(R, ^*RR)=R+\alpha R^2+\beta ( ^*RR)^2$$

f

(
R

,
∗

R
R
)

=
R
+
α

R
2

+
β

(
∗

R
R
)

2

, considering two ansatzes: the slowly rotating Schwarzschild metric and first-order perturbations of Gödel-type metrics. For the former, we find a first-order correction to the frame-dragging effect boosted by the parameter L, which characterizes the departures from general relativity results. For the latter, Gödel-type metrics hold unperturbed, for specific sort of perturbed metric functions. We conclude this paper by displaying that generalized four-dimensional Chern–Pontryagin models admit a scalar-tensor representation, whose explicit form presents two scalar fields: $$\Phi $$
Φ
, a dynamical degree of freedom, while the second, $$\vartheta $$
ϑ
, a non-dynamical degree of freedom. In particular, the scalar field $$\vartheta $$
ϑ
emerges coupled with the Chern–Pontryagin topological term $$ ^*RR$$

∗

R
R

, i.e., $$\vartheta ^*RR$$

ϑ
∗

R
R

, which is nothing more than Chern–Simons term.
Genetic Programming-based Feature Selection for Symbolic Regression on Incomplete Data
Authors: Al-Helali Baligh , Chen Qi , Xue Bing , Zhang Mengjie 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
High-dimensionality is one of the serious real-world data challenges in symbolic regression and it is more challenging if the data are incomplete. Genetic programming has been successfully utilised for high-dimensional tasks due to its natural feature selection ability, but it is not directly applicable to incomplete data. Commonly, it needs to impute the missing values first and then perform genetic programming on the imputed complete data. However, in the case of having many irrelevant features being incomplete, intuitively, it is not necessary to perform costly imputations on such features. For this purpose, this work proposes a genetic programming-based approach to select features directly from incomplete high-dimensional data to improve symbolic regression performance. We extend the concept of identity/neutral elements from mathematics into the function operators of genetic programming, thus they can handle the missing values in incomplete data. Experiments have been conducted on a number of data sets considering different missingness ratios in high-dimensional symbolic regression tasks. The results show that the proposed method leads to better symbolic regression results when compared with state-of-the-art methods that can select features directly from incomplete data. Further results show that our approach not only leads to better symbolic regression accuracy but also selects a smaller number of relevant features, and consequently improves both the effectiveness and the efficiency of the learning process.
Interactive Machine Teaching by Labeling Rules and Instances
Authors: Karamanolakis Giannis , Hsu Daniel , Gravaano Luis 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
Weakly supervised learning aims to reduce the cost of labeling data by using expert-designed labeling rules. However, existing methods require experts to design effective rules in a single shot, which is difficult in the absence of proper guidance and tooling. Therefore, it is still an open question whether experts should spend their limited time writing rules or instead providing instance labels via active learning. In this paper, we investigate how to exploit an expert’s limited time to create effective supervision. First, to develop practical guidelines for rule creation, we conduct an exploratory analysis of diverse collections of existing expert-designed rules and find that rule precision is more important than coverage across datasets. Second, we compare rule creation to individual instance labeling via active learning and demonstrate the importance of both across 6 datasets. Third, we propose an interactive learning framework, INTERVAL, that achieves efficiency by automatically extracting candidate rules based on rich patterns (e.g., by prompting a language model), and effectiveness by soliciting expert feedback on both candidate rules and individual instances. Across 6 datasets, INTERVAL outperforms state-of-the-art weakly supervised approaches by 7% in F1. Furthermore, it requires as few as 10 queries for expert feedback to reach F1 values that existing active learning methods cannot match even with 100 queries.
FINCH: Prompt-guided Key-Value Cache Compression for Large Language Models
Authors: Corallo Giulio , Papotti Paolo 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
Recent large language model applications, such as Retrieval-Augmented Generation and chatbots, have led to an increased need to process longer input contexts. However, this requirement is hampered by inherent limitations. Architecturally, models are constrained by a context window defined during training. Additionally, processing extensive texts requires substantial GPU memory. We propose a novel approach, Finch, to compress the input context by leveraging the pre-trained model weights of the self-attention. Given a prompt and a long text, Finch iteratively identifies the most relevant Key (K) and Value (V) pairs over chunks of the text conditioned on the prompt. Only such pairs are stored in the KV cache, which, within the space constrained by the context window, ultimately contains a compressed version of the long text. Our proposal enables models to consume large inputs even with high compression (up to 93x) while preserving semantic integrity without the need for fine-tuning.
The monusco Force Intervention Brigade at 10 and the Quest for Fair UN Peacekeeping Involvement in Non-International Armed Conflicts
Authors: Longobardo Marco 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
This article aims at assessing the fairness of peacekeeping involvement in non-international armed conflicts in light of ten years of practice of the monusco Force Intervention Brigade (2013–2023). The article posits that respect for the three principles of peacekeeping, namely non-use of armed force except for self-defence, neutrality/impartiality, and consent of the belligerents, can be used to measure the fairness of a peacekeeping mission. Reference to procedural fairness as legitimacy, following the work of Thomas Franck, is employed here. The article describes the mandate of the monusco Force Intervention Brigade in light of ten years of the UN Security Council’s resolutions and practice in the field to conclude that the mission does not comply with the principles of peacekeeping and, thus, it cannot be seen as a fair UN involvement in a non-international armed conflict.
The state of robotic surgery in Spain: Results of a national survey on robotic surgery
Authors: Azcárraga Aranegui Gonzalo , Campos Sañudo Jose Antonio , Benejam Cual Joan , Ballestero Diego Roberto 
Published: November 2024

Background and aims To assess the present state of robotic surgery and the surgical approaches employed by urology departments utilizing robotic systems in Spain. Methods and results An email invitation was sent to heads of urology departments in public and private hospitals with surgical robots. A 78-question online questionnaire was distributed, and data were collected over 3 months. Of 82 invitations, 57.31% responded, mostly male (95.7%) urologists over 50 years old, with 77.8% having more than 20 years of practice. About 45.7% worked in both public and private settings. Most units use robots 1–3 days per week, with 56.1% of these units having 1–3 surgeons trained. 92.3% of respondents had laparoscopic experience, and 71.1% received robotic surgery training from the robot company. Radical prostatectomy, pyeloplasty, and cystectomy are mainly performed robotically, while other surgeries vary in approach. Conclusion Robotic surgery has been firmly established in Spain, although the percentage of surgeries in robotic units remains low. Radical prostatectomy, pyeloplasty, and radical cystectomy with diversion are the most commonly performed techniques using robotic approaches.
Incidence of Thrombocytopenia With Different Continuous Renal Replacement Systems and Modalities in a Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Brumit Jessica C. , Caputo Ryan A. , Chucta Sheila M. , Smith Rachel M. , Warren Samantha , Kissling Kevin T. 
Published: November 2024

Background: Thrombocytopenia is due to multifactorial causes in critically ill patients. One etiology is continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT); however, it is unknown if different modalities impact the incidence. Objectives: To compare the incidence of thrombocytopenia with the NxStage CRRT system using continuous venovenous hemodialysis (CVVHD) compared to the Prismaflex system using continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF). Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study at a large academic medical center in the United States. Individuals aged 18 or older admitted to the cardiovascular ICU between June 1, 2016 and September 30, 2022, and received CRRT for at least 48 hours were identified. Results: One hundred and forty-seven patients met inclusion criteria. Sixty-one patients received CVVHD with the NxStage system, while 86 received CVVHDF with the Prismaflex system. Thrombocytopenia occurred in 57.4% of patients treated with NxStage vs 19.8% treated with Prismaflex (OR 5.46; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.62-11.39). These results were consistent in an adjusted model (OR 5.57; 95% CI, 2.34-13.28). There was no difference in the time to thrombocytopenia between groups. Patients treated with the NxStage system had lower platelet nadirs, more heparin-induced thrombocytopenia testing, more direct thrombin inhibitor use, and more blood transfusions. Conclusions: A greater incidence of thrombocytopenia occurred in cardiovascular ICU patients treated with CVVHD using the NxStage system vs CVVHDF with the Prismaflex system.
A descriptive analysis of Aboriginal adolescents admitted to a regional inpatient mental health unit: Was culture considered?
Authors: Watt Hilary , Morgan (Kamilaroi) Kali , Stanley (Gunggari Umbie) Donna , Luscombe Georgina , Srikanth Radha 
Published: November 2024

Objectives To describe the characteristics of Aboriginal adolescents admitted to a Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) inpatient unit and assess if cultural identity was acknowledged, and what proportion received cultural support. Method A retrospective chart review of adolescents who identified as Aboriginal and were admitted to a regional CAMH Unit over 10 years. Medical records were reviewed for demographics, diagnosis, details of admission, acknowledgement of Aboriginal identity, cultural information and cultural support provided. Results A total of 172 patients who identified as Aboriginal were admitted during this period, comprising a total of 266 admissions. Most frequent admission reason was suicidal ideation or self-harm (66%), then psychosis (14%) and 49% were admitted involuntarily. Most frequent discharge diagnosis was a stress-related disorder (23%) followed by post-traumatic stress disorder (18%). A referral for Aboriginal clinician cultural support was made for 30%. Thirty patients (23%) had any detail regarding cultural identity documented. Conclusions Amongst young Aboriginal people admitted to a psychiatric inpatient unit, the minority had cultural identity acknowledged or were provided cultural support. There is a need for increased access to Aboriginal Mental Health Clinicians and improved training for the broader workforce in the provision of culturally considered care.
Maintaining health-related quality of life and sense of belonging for pediatric patients with chronic illnesses by using a telepresence robot
Authors: Zillner Clarissa , Rockenbauer Gerda , Turner Agnes , Röhsner Martin , Klebermass-Schrehof Katrin , Pletschko Thomas 
Published: November 2024

Children with chronic illnesses often miss school, leading to negative outcomes like diminished health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and sense of belonging. Telepresence robots are suggested to keep these children connected to peers and education, yet little research has explored their impact. This study assessed effects of a telepresence system on HRQoL and sense of belonging in 29 patients with chronic illnesses aged 6 to 18 years, who were absent from school. Using a one-group pre-posttest design, participants completed questionnaires before and 6 months after receiving the robot. It was expected that HRQoL and sense of belonging would remain stable due to the robot. Wilcoxon tests indicated no decline in HRQoL (Z = −.958, 95% CI [–3.1, 8.3]) or sense of belonging (Z = −1.409, 95% CI [–0.3, 0.8]). Spearman correlations revealed a significant correlation between age and changes in school (rs = 0.621, 95% CI [0.200, 0.848]) and friends’ subscales (rs = 0.579, 95% CI [–0.136, 829]), suggesting adolescents benefit particularly from the robot. Consistent with prior research, this study shows no change in psychosocial factors, indicating a stabilizing effect of telepresence robots and contributing to sustainable psychosocial care for pediatric patients.
Minimum two-year follow-up of a reverse total shoulder arthroplasty using a wedged baseplate
Authors: Parker Simon J M , Bell Simon N , Wiemer Féoline , Coghlan Jennifer A , Clitherow Harry D , Rayment Helen M 
Published: November 2024

Background Avoiding inclination of the glenoid baseplate in reverse shoulder arthroplasty often requires considerable glenoid reaming. It is proposed that the use of a metal wedged baseplate in all patients can achieve neutral inclination with reduced glenoid reaming. Materials and Methods A prospective clinical single-centre study with minimum two-year follow-up was carried out. Glenoid deformity was classified on CT and surgery planned using BluePrintTM. The Tornier Perform® Reversed Wedged Augmented Glenoid was used in all cases. Clinical outcome scores and radiographs were assessed. Results Seventy-three patients, mean age 76.6 years. Twenty-eight demonstrated no glenoid deformity and 19 demonstrated marked retroversion. Seventy completed two-year follow-up. Mean pain scores fell from 6 to 0.7. All Patient Reported Outcome Meaures (PROMS) were significantly improved. Active elevation increased by 62° and external rotation by 28.7° ( p < 0.001). In patients with no glenoid wear (E0/A1), correction of inferior inclination was achievable with a 15° full-wedge baseplate in all cases, reducing the reaming depth by 4.4 mm ( p < 0.001). In patients with severe glenoid wear, a 35° half wedge baseplate was often necessary to correct the deformity. The most common complications were stress reactions/fractures. Conclusion A metal wedged baseplate can achieve neutral inclination in all patients, minimising bone reaming and preserving lateralisation with good two-year outcomes. Level of evidence IV (case series with no comparison group).