bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of a Ureteral Stent Removal Protocol in Adult Kidney Transplant Recipients
Authors: Krzos Paula M , Nguyen Cynthia T , Kane Brenna , Krishnamoorthy Sambhavi , Kristof Tanya W , Reynolds Luke F , Pisano Jennifer , Josephson Michelle A , Barth Rolf , Owen Derek 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Existing literature on best practices to reduce the risk of infectious complications associated with ureteral stent removal in kidney transplant recipients is limited. Prior to 2021, a formal process surrounding stent removal was not in place at our institution. In June 2021, a stent removal protocol was established. This protocol included the following: obtaining a preprocedure urine culture, prescribing universal culture-directed antimicrobial prophylaxis, earlier stent removal posttransplant, and patient education. We performed a retrospective quasi-experimental study of kidney transplant recipients who had their stents removed between July 2020 and June 2022. The primary outcome was the incidence of infectious complications within 30 days. Infectious complications were defined as urinary tract infection and bacteremia due to urinary source, as well as hospitalization, emergency department visit, or outpatient encounter for possible urinary tract infection. Secondary objectives included infectious and immunologic complications within 30 days to 1 year from transplant. During this study period, 239 adult kidney transplant recipients were included: 88 in the preprotocol group and 151 in the protocol group. The median time to stent removal was shorter in the protocol group (25 vs 36 days, P &lt; .001). More patients in the protocol group received preprocedure antibiotics (99% vs 36%, P &lt; .001). Infectious complications were higher in the preprotocol group (9% vs 3%, P = .035). Overall, the stent removal protocol was associated with fewer infectious complications (odds ratio, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.05–0.73). Further investigation is necessary to determine which individual interventions, if any, drive this benefit.
Rewriting Internal Relocation from a Refugee Perspective - The Lived Experience of Refugees in Afghanistan
Authors: Mohammadi Sitarah , O’Sullivan Maria 
Published: September 2024

ABSTRACT
This article is part of a broader project aimed at rewriting refugee law jurisprudence from a lived refugee perspective. The co-authors, one of whom is a refugee from Afghanistan, have chosen internal relocation as the subject of this project as it is a problematic and controversial principle of international refugee law which we believe is frequently applied without due consideration of the practical experience of refugees.
Internal relocation provides that a refugee may be returned to their country of origin if they can relocate to a “safe” part of that state where they would not have a well-founded fear of persecution. This principle is somewhat tempered by the application of a “reasonableness” test in most jurisdictions. That test aims to reflect that, in some cases, it may not be possible to require a refugee to relocate to another part of their country of origin to avoid persecution. However, a “reasonableness” factor is not always considered as part of relocation. Moreover, it aims to bring an “objective” standard of reasonableness, which can be critiqued on a number of bases.
In this article, the authors rewrite an Australian Refugee Review Tribunal decision dealing with an applicant from Afghanistan to reflect the lived experience of refugees better and to encourage readers to think about whether some of the assumptions made in internal relocation jurisprudence have been fully interrogated. Much of internal relocation scholarship focuses on conceptual legal issues, for instance, whether relocation is grounded in the text, context or object of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and whether relocation fits within the “well-founded fear” or “state protection” limb of the refugee definition. While these are important conceptual debates about the treaty basis for internal relocation, we believe these have been well-analysed in the existing literature. Our article seeks to add to these core debates by reconceptualising the application of relocation to authentic refugee experiences and, through this, to highlight some of the weaknesses in the current approach to this complex question.
Predatory DEI: How Racialized Organizations Exacerbate Workplace Racial Stratification through Exploitative Diversity Work
Authors: Alicea Julio Ángel 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
In the wake of the so-called racial reckoning of 2020, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) grew rapidly as an industry and organizational logic. This study examines how DEI work in organizations is not simply performative, but exploitative. Drawing on observations and in-depth interviews from a four-year ethnographic project, this study traces the rollout and racial problematics of DEI programming at a public high school serving Black and Latinx students. It finds that the organization tasked Black women educators with the unsupported role of implementing the school’s vision to become “Pro-Black.” In doing so, it facilitated a process that is termed “predatory DEI.” Building on work theorizing predatory inclusion, “predatory DEI” refers to the organizational approaches to DEI work that purport to empower racially minoritized groups in racialized organizations while exploiting their personal and professional resources, all under the guise of an antiracist alibi that renders the predation opaque. In conceptualizing predatory DEI, three facets are discussed in detail: goal perversion, time theft, and role ambiguity/role conflict. These findings cast a critical eye on the pernicious forms of racism within social justice organizations.
Comparison of Researcher-Led versus Teacher-Led effectiveness and fidelity: A Hybrid Type 1 study of Kids SIPsmartER in Appalachia middle schools
Authors: Zoellner Jamie M , Porter Kathleen J , Reid Annie , Markwalter Theresa , Kirkpatrick Brittany , Brock Donna-Jean P , You Wen 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
The implementation of school-based obesity-prevention programs is understudied. Kids SIPsmartER is a 6-month, school-based, behavioral intervention for Appalachian middle school students and includes a teacher implementation strategy. Kids SIPsmartER effectively reduced students’ sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) when Researcher-Led. However, Teacher-Led effectiveness and fidelity are unknown. To explore the relative SSB effects when Kids SIPsmartER was Researcher-Led versus Teacher-Led and to examine teacher fidelity. This study of secondary outcomes used a quasi-experimental analytic approach of a Hybrid Type 1 effectiveness–implementation and cluster randomized controlled tria (RCT) of Kids SIPsmartER. Student SSB behaviors and teacher self-rated fidelity were assessed, respectively, with the validated Beverage Intake Questionnaire (BEVQ-15) and lesson-specific checklists. Analyses included descriptive statistics and modified two-part models with time-fixed effects and school-year cohort cluster controls. The analytic sample included students from six control schools (n = 220), six Researcher-Led intervention schools (n = 306), and five Teacher-Led intervention schools (n = 218), as well as eight teachers. Teacher-Led intervention students decreased SSB by −14.3 ounces/day (95% confidence interval = −15.4, −13.2; P &lt; .001). Relative to control and to Researcher-Led intervention, the Teacher-Led treatment effect among students was −11.6 ounces SSB/day (P &lt; .001, effect size = 0.75) and −4.3 (P = .004, effect size = 0.25), respectively. Teachers returned fidelity checklists for 90% of planned lessons. Fidelity averaged 94% (SD = 4.0%) among returned forms and 85% (SD = 18.9%) when missing forms were counted as zeros. Teachers can implement Kids SIPsmartER with high fidelity and produce statistically and clinically meaningful improvements in students’ SSB behaviors. Findings have implications for the sustained implementation of Kids SIPsmartER and other school-based obesity-prevention programs.
Clinical Trial information: NCT03740113.
Exploring determinants of engagement with voluntary mathematics assignments in economics education: a correlational study
Authors: Büchele Stefan , Feiste Lisa 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
This article uses data collections from a German university to explore determinants influencing students’ engagement with voluntary weekly mathematics homework assignments tailored for economics. Demographical, social and affective variables were collected from approximately 800 students across several years. Unlike engineering or pure mathematics disciplines in Germany, where homework assignments are often mandatory, homework in economics remains optional. The study aims to provide an exploratory insight into which students opt to tackle these voluntary tasks. For this purpose, the collected data were clustered and analyzed using regression analyses. It was found, among other things, that demographic variables such as gender and age influence the decision to engage in voluntary exercise tasks, but, for example, prior knowledge in mathematics inhibits motivation for optional task. The compulsory nature of homework assignments in other subjects made them unsuitable for comparison due to a lack of heterogeneity. Therefore, this research contributes to the Mathematics for Economists research, underscoring economics students’ unique dynamics and decision-making processes.
Physiological and transcriptomic analyses reveal the molecular mechanism of PsAMT1.2 in salt tolerance
Authors: Zhuang Shuaijun , Yu Zhaoyou , Li Jiayuan , Wang Fan , Zhang Chunxia 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Soil salinization has become a global problem and high salt concentration in soil negatively affects plant growth. In our previous study, we found that overexpression of PsAMT1.2 from Populus simonii could improve the salt tolerance of poplar, but the physiological and molecular mechanism was not well understood. To explore the regulation pathway of PsAMT1.2 in salt tolerance, we investigated the morphological, physiological and transcriptome differences between the PsAMT1.2 overexpression transgenic poplar and the wild type under salt stress. The PsAMT1.2 overexpression transgenic poplar showed better growth with increased net photosynthetic rate and higher chlorophyll content compared with wild type under salt stress. The overexpression of PsAMT1.2 increased the catalase, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase activities, and therefore probably enhanced the reactive oxygen species clearance ability, which also reduced the degree of membrane lipid peroxidation under salt stress. Meanwhile, the PsAMT1.2 overexpression transgenic poplar maintained a relatively high K+/Na+ ratio under salt stress. RNA-seq analysis indicated that PsAMT1.2 might improve plant salt tolerance by regulating pathways related to the photosynthetic system, chloroplast structure, antioxidant activity and anion transport. Among the 1056 differentially expressed genes, genes related to photosystem I and photosystem II were up-regulated and genes related to chloride channel protein-related were down-regulated. The result of the present study would provide new insight into regulation mechanism of PsAMT1.2 in improving salt tolerance of poplar.
Disc Versus Vertebral Body Contribution to Lumbar Lordosis in Asymptomatic Subjects
Authors: Khalifé Marc , Lafage Renaud , Ferrero Emmanuelle , Elysée Jonathan , Assi Ayman , Gille Olivier , Finoco Mikael , Skalli Wafa , Guigui Pierre , Vergari Claudio , Lafage Virginie 
Published: September 2024

Study Design.
Retrospective study of a multicentric prospective database.

Objective.
This study aimed at describing the relative contribution of vertebral bodies versus discs to lumbar lordosis, and its variation with age and pelvic incidence.

Summary of Background Data.
While studies sought to determine the physiological magnitude and distribution of lumbar lordosis, data regarding its anatomical composition is lacking.

Methods.
This study included healthy volunteers with full-body stereoradiographs in free-standing position, without lumbosacral transitional vertebra or age under 18. The following parameters were analyzed: age, sex, pelvic incidence (PI), lumbar lordosis (LL). Posterior heights and sagittal Cobb angles between upper and lower endplate for each lumbar disc and each vertebral body were measured from L1 to S1. Ratios of contribution to LL were calculated for each disc and vertebral body. The cohort was divided into four age groups and four PI groups.

Results.
645 subjects were included, mean age was 37.6±16.3, 51% of females. There was a significant decrease in total lumbar disc lordosis with age (−48.9±9.7° to −42.9±10.2°), occurring in lower LL. Vertebral bodies were significantly more kyphotic in Seniors than Youngs (−8.9±8.4° vs. −5.0±9.4°, P=0.03), driven by a significant increase in kyphosis of L1 and L2 bodies. Vertebral body contribution to LL significantly increased between groups as PI increased, from a median of 8.0% to 20.5% (P<0.001). This decrease in disc contribution in favor of vertebral bodies mainly took place in lower LL.

Conclusion.
This study highlights the importance of vertebral contribution to lumbar lordosis, ranging from 8 to 21% among PI groups. Lumbar lordosis decreased with aging through decreased disc lordosis in the lower lumbar spine and increased body kyphosis in the upper lumbar spine. These results may help surgeons in the assessment of sagittal alignment and the selection of operative technique to achieve surgical correction.
The role of international renal disaster preparedness working groups in difficult settings: bridge over troubled water
Authors: Yoo Kyung Don , Chao Chia-Ter , Lee Jung Pyo , Abu-Alfa Ali K. 
Published: September 2024

Purpose of review
Disasters, natural and man-made, are rising in frequency and pose significant challenges to the provision of renal care worldwide. Patients with kidney disease, particularly those on dialysis, are extremely vulnerable during disasters. This timely review summarizes the potential roles international renal disaster preparedness working groups have in addressing these challenges.

Recent findings
The vulnerability of kidney patients has galvanized the evolution of global response mechanisms and the contemporary efforts of various organizations. In this review, the importance of preparedness, networking, and collaborations at all levels are highlighted, citing recent crises. It will also note key areas for improvement, including an enhanced engagement with global health organizations. Finally, it is imperative to urge the international community to recognize that individuals with kidney disease are often among the first patient groups to suffer in disaster zones. These messages are intended to persuade global stakeholders that kidney patients, including pediatric ones, should be prioritized as requiring immediate support during disasters.

Summary
The unique and life-threatening challenges faced by individuals with kidney disease in natural disaster- or war-torn areas demand special consideration in humanitarian efforts and international crisis response strategies. International organizations can play a major role in this regard.
The Impact of Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior on Mortality in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors: Yuan Lindong , Zhang Lihai , Wang Yan , Zhao Peige , Xie Xiang , Cao Dongming 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Objective
This study sought to examine the association between inactive time, leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), and mortality in individuals diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Design
This study utilized a nationally representative sample of patients with COPD from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) survey (n = 1817; weighted population, 23,698,840). Mortality was tracked from the date of interview and examination. LTPA and sedentary time were assessed using a Global Physical Activity Questionnaire.

Results
The study found that only 28% of patients with COPD achieved sufficient LTPA (LTPA ≥150 min/week), while 58% reported no physical activity and 47% sat for over six hours per day. Over a nine-year follow-up period, 501 deaths occurred, with 101 due to heart diseases. Adequate LTPA levels were associated with a decreased risk of mortality from any cause. Moreover, patients who engaged in sufficient LTPA and reduced sitting time had a lower risk of mortality from any cause compared to those who did not engage in sufficient LTPA.

Conclusion
Participating in an adequate amount of LTPA was linked to a reduced risk of death from any cause in patients with COPD. However, irrespective of the extent of the LTPA, there was no significant correlation between sedentary behavior and the risk of mortality.
Optimizing Quantum Iterative Reconstruction for Ultra–high-resolution Photon-counting Computed Tomography of the Lung
Authors: Tóth Adrienn , Chamberlin Jordan H. , Puthoff Gregory , Baruah Dhiraj , O’Doherty Jim , Maisuria Dhruw , McGuire Aaron M. , Schoepf U. Joseph , Munden Reginald F. , Kabakus Ismail M. 
Published: September 2024

Purpose:
The aim of this study was to find the optimal strength level of QIR for ultra–high-resolution (UHR) PCCT of the lung.

Materials and Methods:
This retrospective study included 24 patients who had unenhanced chest CT with the novel UHR scan protocol on the PCCT scanner between March 24, 2023 and May 18, 2023. Two sets of reconstructions were made using different slice thicknesses: standard resolution (SR, 1 mm) and ultra–high-resolution (UHR, 0.2 mm), reconstructed with all strength levels of QIR (0 to 4). Attenuation of the lung parenchyma, noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were assessed as objective criteria of image quality. Two fellowship-trained radiologists compared image quality and noise level, sharpness of the images, and the airway details using a 5-point Likert scale. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for statistical analysis of reader scores, and one-way repeated measures analysis of variance for comparing the objective image quality scores.

Results:
Objective image quality linearly improved with higher strength levels of QIR, reducing image noise by 66% from QIR-0 to QIR-4 (P<0.001). Subjective image noise was best for QIR-4 (P<0.001). Readers rated QIR-1 and QIR-2 best for SR, and QIR-2 and QIR-3 best for UHR in terms of subjective image sharpness and airway detail, without significant differences between them (P=0.48 and 0.56, respectively).

Conclusions:
Higher levels of QIR provided excellent objective image quality, but readers’ preference was for intermediate levels. Considering all metrics, we recommend QIR-3 for ultra–high-resolution PCCT of the lung.
Clinicopathological Heterogeneity of Lewy Body Diseases: The Profound Influence of Comorbid Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Beach Thomas G. , Serrano Geidy E. , Zhang Nan , Driver-Dunckley Erika D. , Sue Lucia I. , Shill Holly A. , Mehta Shyamal H. , Belden Christine , Tremblay Cecilia , Choudhury Parichita , Atri Alireza , Adler Charles H. 
Published: September 2024

ABSTRACTIn recent years, proposals have been advanced to redefine or reclassify Lewy body disorders by merging the long-established entities of Parkinson’s disease (PD), Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). These proposals reject the International DLB Consortium classification system that has evolved over three decades of consensus collaborations between neurologists, neuropsychologists and neuropathologists. While the Consortium’s “one year rule” for separating PD and DLB has been criticized as arbitrary, it has been a pragmatic and effective tool for splitting the continuum between the two entities. In addition to the decades of literature supporting the non-homogeneity of PD and DLB, it has become increasingly apparent that Lewy body disorders may fundamentally differ in their etiology. Most PD subjects, as well as most clinically-presenting DLB subjects, might best be classified as having a “primary synucleinopathy” while most clinically-unidentified DLB subjects, who also have concurrent neuropathology-criteria AD (AD/DLB), as well as those with neuropathological AD and amygdala-predominant LBD insufficient for a DLB diagnosis, may best be classified as having a “secondary synucleinopathy. Importantly, the DLB Consortium recognized the importance of comorbid AD pathology by defining “Low”, “Intermediate” and “High” subdivisions of DLB based on the relative brain stages of both Lewy body and AD pathology. If the one-year rule for separating PD from DLB, and for then dividing DLB into subtypes based on the presence and severity of comorbid AD pathology, is effective, then the divided groups should statistically differ in important ways. In this study we used the comprehensive clinicopathological database of the Arizona Study of Aging and Neurodegenerative Disorders (AZSAND) to empirically test this hypothesis. Furthermore, we used multivariable statistical models to test the hypothesis that comorbid AD neuropathology is a major predictor of the presence and severity of postmortem Lewy synucleinopathy. The results confirm the clinicopathological heterogeneity of Lewy body disorders as well as the profound influence of comorbid AD pathology.
Biological sex affects functional variation across the human genome
Authors: Jones Angela G. , Connelly Guinevere G. , Dalapati Trisha , Wang Liuyang , Schott Benjamin H. , San Roman Adrianna K. , Ko Dennis C. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractHumans display sexual dimorphism across many traits, but little is known about underlying genetic mechanisms and impacts on disease. We utilized single-cell RNA-seq of 480 lymphoblastoid cell lines to reveal that the vast majority (79%) of sex-biased genes are targets of transcription factors that display sex-biased expression. Further, we developed a two-step regression method that identified sex-biased expression quantitative trait loci (sb-eQTL) across the genome. In contrast to previous work, these sb-eQTL are abundant (n=10,754; FDR 5%) and reproducible (replication up to π1=0.56). These sb-eQTL are enriched in over 600 GWAS phenotypes, including 120 sb-eQTL associated with the female-biased autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis. Our results demonstrate widespread genetic impacts on sexual dimorphism and identify possible mechanisms and clinical targets for sex differences in diverse diseases.