bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fusion versus decompression alone for lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis and spinal stenosis: a target trial emulation with index trial benchmarking
Authors: Unterfrauner Ines , Muñoz Laguna Javier , Serra-Burriel Miquel , Burgstaller Jakob M. , Uçkay Ilker , Farshad Mazda , Hincapié Cesar A. 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Purpose
The value of adding fusion to decompression surgery for lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis and spinal canal stenosis remains debated. Therefore, the comparative effectiveness and selected healthcare resource utilization of patients undergoing decompression with or without fusion surgery at 3 years follow-up was assessed.

Methods
Using observational data from the Lumbar Stenosis Outcome Study and a target trial emulation with index trial benchmarking approach, our study assessed the comparative effectiveness of the two main surgical interventions for lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis—fusion and decompression alone in patients with lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis and spinal canal stenosis. The primary outcome-measure was change in health-related quality of life (EuroQol Health Related Quality of Life 5-Dimension 3-Level questionnaire [EQ-5D-3L]); secondary outcome measures were change in back/leg pain intensity (Numeric Rating Scale), change in satisfaction (Spinal Stenosis Measure satisfaction subscale), physical therapy and oral analgesic use (healthcare utilization).

Results
153 patients underwent decompression alone and 62 had decompression plus fusion. After inverse probability weighting, 137 patients were included in the decompression alone group (mean age, 73.9 [7.5] years; 77 female [56%]) and 36 in the decompression plus fusion group (mean age, 70.1 [6.7] years; 18 female [50%]). Our findings were compatible with no standardized mean differences in EQ-5D-3L summary index change score at 3 years (EQ-5D-3L German: 0.07 [95% confidence interval (CI), − 0.25 to 0.39]; EQ-5D-3L French: 0.18 [95% CI, − 0.14 to 0.50]). No between-group differences in change in back/leg pain intensity or satisfaction were found. Decompression plus fusion was associated with greater physical therapy utilization at 3 years follow-up.

Conclusion
Decompression alone should be considered the primary option for patients with lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis and spinal stenosis.
Antibiotic susceptibility of orofacial infections in Bratislava: a 10-year retrospective study
Authors: Vavro Michal , Dvoranová Bronislava , Czakó Ladislav , Šimko Kristián , Gális Branislav 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Objectives
Aim of this study was to analyse causal microbiological agents and their bacterial resistance in orofacial infections requiring hospital admission.

Materials and methods
Presented is a 10-year retrospective study of patients hospitalised at a single department in 2014–2023. 744 patients were involved. In the statistical analysis, following data was evaluated: causal microbes and their resistance to Penicillin, Amoxicillin-Clavulanate, Clindamycin and Metronidazole.

Results
Most frequent aetiology was odontogenic with causal tooth in socket (n = 468; 62,9%), followed by odontogenic – post extraction (n = 152; 20.4%), jaw fracture (n = 41; 5.5%), sialadenitis n = 31 (4.2%), osteonecrosis n = 22 (3.0%), oncological diagnosis in head and neck (n = 17; 2.3%), unknown (n = 10; 1.3%) and multiple factors (n = 3; 0.4%). 408 patients (54.8%) underwent extraoral abscess revision, 336 patients (45.2%) patients were treated locally without extraoral revision. In odontogenic group with tooth still present, superior CRP (m = 145.8 mg/l; SD = 117.7) and leukocyte values (m = 13.6*109l; SD = 6.6) were observed in comparison to other groups. There were 698 cultivated bacteria in 362 patients. Most frequent bacteria were Streptococci (n = 162; 23.2%), Prevotella (n = 83; 11.2%) and Parvimonas (n = 65; 9.3%). Clindamycin resistance was highest (n = 180 resistant bacteria; 25.8%), followed by Metronidazole (n = 178; 25.5%), Penicillin (n = 107; 15.3%) and Amoxicillin-Clavulanate (n = 34; 4.9%).

Conclusions
Orofacial infections in head and neck region are mostly of odontogenic origin with causal tooth still in socket. Causal bacteria show a high antibiotic resistance rate, especially to Clindamycin and Metronidazole.

Clinical Relevance
Acquired data will be used to determine guidelines for empirical antibiotic prescription in cases of orofacial infections.
Hyperhardness and hypersoftness of atoms and their ions
Authors: Zaklika Jarosław , Ordon Piotr , Komorowski Ludwik 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Context
The theory of reactivity based on cDFT has been supplemented with the new method of calculating the atomic and local indices. With the use of previously derived relationship of the electron density gradient to the softness kernel and to the linear response function, we deliver theoretical analysis to obtain significant reactivity indices—the electron density derivatives: local softness and local hypersoftness together with the global hyperhardness index and the derivative of the global softness with respect to the number of electrons. The local derivatives have been applied in the calculation of responses of atoms to perturbation by an external potential by the alchemical approach. The vital role of the local softness has been confirmed; the potential role of the hypersoftness has been indicated.

Method
Our original theoretical scheme has been numerically illustrated with the results obtained with electron density calculations with B3LYP method implemented in Gaussian 16 package. The aug-cc-pvqz basis set has been routinely applied, except for the Ca atom (cc-pvqz). Using the pVTZ basis set recommended by Sadlej was necessary for the potassium atom.

Graphical Abstract
Surgical practices in emergency umbilical hernia repair and implications for trial design
Authors: Walshaw Josephine , Smart Neil J. , Blencowe Natalie S. , Lee Matthew J. 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Introduction
There is variation in the investigation, management, and surgical technique of acutely symptomatic umbilical hernias and optimal strategies remain to be established. This survey aimed to identify key variables influencing decision-making and preferred surgical techniques in emergency umbilical hernia care to help inform trial design and understand potential challenges to trial delivery.

Methods
A survey was distributed to surgeons through social media, personal contacts, and ASGBI lists. It comprised five sections: (i) performer of repair, (ii) repair preferences, (iii) important outcomes, (iv) perioperative antibiotic use, and (v) potential future trial design.

Results
There were 105 respondents, of which 49 (46.6%) were consultants. The median largest defect surgeons would attempt to repair with sutures alone was 2 cm (IQR 2–4 cm). In the acute setting, the most common mesh preferences are preperitoneal plane placement (n = 61, 58.1%), with synthetic non-absorbable mesh (n = 72, 68.6%), in clean (n = 41, 39.0%) or clean-contaminated (n = 52, 49.5%) wounds. Respondents believed suture repair to be associated with better short-term outcomes, and mesh repair with better long-term outcomes. Pre-/intra-operative antibiotics were very frequently given (n = 48, 45.7%) whilst post-operative antibiotics were rarely (n = 41, 39%) or very rarely (n = 28, 26.7%) given. The trial design felt to most likely influence practice is comparing mesh and suture repair, and post-operative antibiotics versus no post-operative antibiotics. Respondents indicated that to change their practice, the median difference in surgical site infection rate and recurrence rate would both need to be 5%.

Conclusion
This survey provides insight into surgical preferences in emergency umbilical hernia management, offering guidance for the design of future trials.
A $$\mu $$-mode approach for exponential integrators: actions of $$\varphi $$-functions of Kronecker sums
Authors: Caliari Marco , Cassini Fabio , Zivcovich Franco 
Published: September 2024

AbstractWe present a method for computing actions of the exponential-like $$\varphi $$
φ
-functions for a Kronecker sum K of d arbitrary matrices $$A_\mu $$

A
μ

. It is based on the approximation of the integral representation of the $$\varphi $$
φ
-functions by Gaussian quadrature formulas combined with a scaling and squaring technique. The resulting algorithm, which we call phiks, evaluates the required actions by means of $$\mu $$
μ
-mode products involving exponentials of the small sized matrices $$A_\mu $$

A
μ

, without forming the large sized matrix K itself. phiks, which profits from the highly efficient level 3 BLAS, is designed to compute different $$\varphi $$
φ
-functions applied on the same vector or a linear combination of actions of $$\varphi $$
φ
-functions applied on different vectors. In addition, thanks to the underlying scaling and squaring techniques, the desired quantities are available simultaneously at suitable time scales. All these features allow the effective usage of phiks in the exponential integration context. In fact, our newly designed method has been tested in popular exponential Runge–Kutta integrators of stiff order from one to four, in comparison with state-of-the-art algorithms for computing actions of $$\varphi $$
φ
-functions. The numerical experiments with discretized semilinear evolutionary 2D or 3D advection–diffusion–reaction, Allen–Cahn, and Brusselator equations show the superiority of the proposed $$\mu $$
μ
-mode approach.
Treatment outcomes and their predictors in children hospitalized with varicella complicated by bacterial superinfections after pandemic of COVID-19 – a retrospective multicenter analysis of real-life data in Poland
Authors: Pokorska-Śpiewak Maria , Szenborn Leszek , Pietrzak Maja , Marczyńska Magdalena , Mania Anna , Stopyra Lidia , Moppert Justyna , Toczyłowski Kacper , Sulik Artur , Szenborn Filip , Jasonek Jolanta , Barańska-Nowicka Inga , Buciak Adrianna , Majda-Stanisławska Ewa , Ciechanowski Przemysław , Karny Katarzyna , Kuchar Ernest , Figlerowicz Magdalena , Pawłowska Małgorzata 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study was to analyze treatment outcomes and their predictors in children hospitalized due to varicella complicated by bacterial superinfections after pandemic of COVID-19.

Methods
This retrospective study analyzed data collected in a multicenter, nationwide, observational database dedicated for children aged 0–17 years hospitalized due to bacterial complications of varicella in 9 Polish tertiary healthcare inpatient centers. The primary endpoint of this study was the treatment outcome established after the end of hospital management assessed at a 4-point scale. The secondary endpoint was defined as the necessity of surgical intervention.

Results
There were 458 patients with a median age of 4 (IQR 2–6) years. After the completed treatment, 319 (69%) participants were found fully recovered; 132 (29%) had transient complications; 2 (0.5%) had persistent complications; and 1 child (0.5%) died. Multivariate analysis revealed that implementation of ibuprofen in pre-treatment management of a child with varicella was associated with a 4.07-fold (2.50–6.60) increase in risk of complications after the treatment and it was associated with 2.87 times (1.39–5.89) higher risk of surgical intervention necessity. For other pre-hospital interventions (implementation of acyclovir, antibiotics or antihistaminics) no significant impact was observed. GAS infection increased the necessity of surgical intervention by 7.51 (3.64–15.49) times.

Conclusions
One-third of patients treated for bacterial complications of varicella have post-treatment complications, most of them transient. GAS infection increases the need for surgical intervention. The use of ibuprofen in the treatment of varicella significantly increases the risk of complications and the need for surgical intervention.
Critical stages in pea photosynthesis impaired by tetracycline as an environmental contaminant
Authors: Krupka Magdalena , Michalczyk Dariusz J. , Piotrowicz-Cieślak Agnieszka I. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe widespread use of antibiotics in intensive animal husbandry, and the agricultural utilization of manure from such farms, imposes a significant burden on the environment. Consequently, the effects of antibiotics should be studied not only in animals and humans but also in all components of biocenoses and agrocenoses. In our study, we analyze the impact of four different concentrations of tetracycline present in soil (0, 5, 50, and 500 mg/kg of soil) on the growth and key photosynthesis parameters of pea seedlings: chlorophyll concentration, aminolevulinic acid concentration, aminolevulinic acid dehydrogenase activity, and ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase (RuBisCO) activity. At the lowest tetracycline concentration, chlorophyll content decreased by 13% compared to the control (0 tetracycline), while at the highest antibiotic concentration, it decreased by as much as 27%. Similarly, the decrease in aminolevulinic acid (a chlorophyll precursor) concentration was significant, amounting to 34%. However, the activity of the dehydrogenase enzyme, which consumes this precursor, decreased even more drastically by 51%, indicating significant disturbances in the light phase of photosynthesis. However, the activity of RuBisCO in pea plants subjected to tetracycline was even more severely affected, dropping by 58%, 69%, and 70% in soils with increasing concentrations of tetracycline. The reduction in enzyme activity could only partially be explained by a less pronounced decrease in the quantity of RuBisCO (large subunit) protein, which amounted to 6.5%, 11%, and 35% for tetracycline concentrations of 5, 50, and 500 mg/kg of soil, respectively.
Modelling drought in South Africa: meteorological insights and predictive parameters
Authors: Onyeuwaoma Nnaemeka , Sivakumar Venkataraman , Bade Mahesh 
Published: September 2024

AbstractSouth Africa has grappled with recurring drought scenarios for over two decades, leading to substantial economic losses. Droughts in the Western Cape between 2015 and 2018, especially in Cape Town was declared a national disaster, resulting in the strict water rationing and the “day zero” effect. This study presents a set of simulations for predicting drought over South Africa using Artificial Neural Network (ANN), using Standard Precipitation Index (SPI) as the drought indicator in line with the recommendations of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Furthermore, different meteorological variables and an aerosol parameter were used to develop the drought set in four distinct locations in South Africa for a 21-year period. That data used include relative humidity (rh), temperature (tp), soil wetness (sw), evapotranspiration (et), evaporation (ev) sea surface temperature (st), and aerosol optical depth (aa). The obtained R2 values for SPI3 ranged from 0.49 to 0.84 and from 0.22 to 0.84 for SPI6 at Spring Bok, Umtata 0.83 to 0.95 for SPI3, and 0.61 to 0.87 for SPI6; Cape Town displayed R2 values from 0.78 to 0.94 for SPI3 and 0.57 to 0.95 for SPI6, while Upington had 0.77–0.95 for SPI3, and 0.78–0.92 for SPI6. These findings underscore the significance of evapotranspiration (et) as a pivotal parameter in drought simulation. Additionally, the predictive accuracy of these parameter combinations varied distinctly across different locations, even for the same set of parameters. This implies that there is no single universal scheme for drought prediction. Hence, the results are important for simulating future drought scenarios at different parts of South Africa. Finally, this study shows that ANN is an effective tool that can be utilized for drought studies and simulations.
A Proposal for a Metaphysics of Self-Subsisting Structures. II. Quantum Physics
Authors: Vassallo Antonio , Naranjo Pedro , Koslowski Tim 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe paper presents an extension of the metaphysics of self-subsisting structures set out in a companion paper to the realm of non-relativistic quantum physics. The discussion is centered around a Pure Shape Dynamics model representing a relational implementation of a de Broglie-Bohm N-body system. An interpretation of this model in terms of self-subsisting structures is proposed and assessed against the background of the debate on the metaphysics of quantum physics, with a particular emphasis on the nature of the wave function. The analysis shows that elaborating an appropriate Leibnizian/Machian metaphysics of the quantum world requires a substantial revision of the notion of world-building relation.
A Review of Sand Aging: Mechanisms and Impacts
Authors: Castilla-Barbosa Miguel , Ocampo-Terreros Manuel , Rincón-Arango Orlando 
Published: September 2024

AbstractSand aging, defined by time-dependent increases in stiffness and strength over periods ranging from days to months, poses significant challenges in geotechnical engineering and soil science. Despite its relevant implications, the mechanisms driving sand aging remain understood. This review systematically examines sand aging, emphasizing the classification of chemical and mechanical processes involved. Key advancements in chemical aging understanding, particularly the influence of surface chemistry and electrokinetic forces, are discussed. Additionally, the review underscores the critical role of micromechanical modeling, especially discrete element methods, in elucidating particle interactions and aging phenomena. The review also identifies essential directions for future research, notably incorporating particle shape and surface texture into aging models. Hence, this comprehensive resource aims to enhance the understanding of sand aging.
Automated model selection for multivariate anomaly detection in manufacturing systems
Authors: Engbers Hendrik , Freitag Michael 
Published: September 2024

AbstractAs machine learning is widely applied to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of manufacturing systems, the automated selection of appropriate algorithms and hyperparameters becomes increasingly important. This paper presents a model selection approach to multivariate anomaly detection for applications in manufacturing systems using a multi-output regression-based meta-learning method. The proposed method exploits the capabilities of meta-learning to explore and learn the intricate relationships within multivariate data sets in order to select the best anomaly detection model. It also facilitates the construction of an ensemble of algorithms with dynamically assigned weights based on their respective performance levels. In addition to the framework, new meta-features for the application domain are presented and evaluated. Experiments show the proposed method can be successfully applied to achieve significantly better results than benchmark approaches. This enables an automated selection of algorithms that can be used for enhanced anomaly detection under changing operating conditions.
Identifying the psychological effects of nocebo education: results from two pre-registered experiments
Authors: Görner Kim J. , Spotts Emily K. , Geers Andrew L. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractProviding treatment side effect information to patients increases the risk of harm due to the nocebo effect. Nocebo education, in which patients learn about nocebo effects, is a novel strategy that can be used across a variety of situations and individuals to decrease unpleasant treatment side effects. It is currently unclear which psychological changes are induced by nocebo education, which is information required to maximize this intervention. Two pre-registered studies investigated the effects of nocebo education on side effect expectations, side effect control beliefs, feelings toward treatments, intentions to avoid or seek side effect information, and perceptions of treatment efficacy. In Study 1 (N = 220), adult participants either watched or did not watch a nocebo education intervention video prior to reading vignettes about receiving a surgical treatment for pain and a medication for pain. Study 2 (N = 252) was similar to Study 1, with the inclusion of a health behavior video control group and participants only reading about a medication treatment for pain. In both experiments, nocebo education reduced global side effect expectations and increased side effect self-efficacy beliefs. Nocebo education also increased intentions to avoid side effect information and decreased intentions to seek more side effect information. Evidence was inconclusive on whether nocebo education changes affective associations with the treatments. The findings demonstrate that nocebo education has a multi-faceted influence with the potential to change patient behavior. The results can be used to improve the management of adverse treatment side effects.
Efficient branch-and-bound algorithms for finding triangle-constrained 2-clubs
Authors: Grüttemeier Niels , Keßler Philipp Heinrich , Komusiewicz Christian , Sommer Frank 
Published: September 2024

AbstractIn the Vertex Triangle 2-Club problem, we are given an undirected graph G and aim to find a maximum-vertex subgraph of G that has diameter at most 2 and in which every vertex is contained in at least $$\ell $$
ℓ
triangles in the subgraph. So far, the only algorithm for solving Vertex Triangle 2-Club relies on an ILP formulation (Almeida and Brás in Comput Oper Res 111:258–270, 2019). In this work, we develop a combinatorial branch-and-bound algorithm that, coupled with a set of data reduction rules, outperforms the existing implementation and is able to find optimal solutions on sparse real-world graphs with more than 100,000 vertices in a few minutes. We also extend our algorithm to the Edge Triangle 2-Club problem where the triangle constraint is imposed on all edges of the subgraph.
Validation of a Virtual Ray Tracing Instrument for Dimensional X-Ray CT Measurements
Authors: Sloth Steffen , Quagliotti Danilo , Chiffre Leonardo De , Christensen Morten , Poulsen Henning Friis 
Published: September 2024

AbstractA new Forward Ray Tracing Instrument (FRTI) for simulating X-ray CT scanners is presented. The FRTI enables the modelling of various detector geometries to optimise instrument designs. The FRTI is demonstrated by comparing experimentally measured sphere centre-to-centre distances from two material measures with digital clones. The measured length deviations were smaller than the reconstructed grid spacing for both the experimental and simulated acquisitions. As expected the experimentally measured length deviations were larger than the simulated measurements. The results demonstrate the FRII’s capability of simulating an X-ray CT scanner and performing length measurements.