bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Land use drives prokaryotic community composition of directly adjacent grasslands
Authors: Martínez-Cuesta Rubén , Holmer Anna , Buegger Franz , Dannenmann Michael , Schloter Michael , Schulz Stefanie 
Published: October 2024

AbstractUnderstanding the impact of agricultural land use on the soil prokaryotic communities in connected downslope sites is crucial for developing sustainable strategies to preserve ecosystem properties and mitigate agriculture’s environmental impacts. In this study, we investigated topsoil samples collected at three time points in 2022 (March, June, and November) from two adjacent catenas, reaching from hillslope to floodplain. The catenas differed in land use (extensive grassland vs. extensive cropland) at the top and middle parts, while the floodplain remained an extensive grassland due to legal restrictions. Using quantitative real-time PCRs and metabarcoding, we assessed prokaryotic abundance and prokaryotic community composition. Results show higher bacterial abundance in the cropland-influenced floodplain part across all time points compared to the grassland-influenced floodplain part. Temporal dynamics revealed a progressive decrease in the shared prokaryotic communities of the floodplain parts, peaking at the summer sampling time point, indicating a significant influence of the respective management type of the agricultural sites over the bacterial and archaeal communities of the floodplain parts. Differential abundance analyses identified several nitrifying taxa as more abundant in the cropland-influenced floodplain. Upstream land use also influenced the prokaryotic network of the cropland-floodplain, with some cropland taxa becoming keystone taxa and altering network morphology, an effect not observed in the grassland-influenced floodplain. These findings suggest that upstream agricultural land use practices have exerted a long-term influence on the floodplain prokaryotic communities over the past three decades. Moreover, there is evidence suggesting that these prokaryotic communities may undergo a potential reset during winter, which requires further investigation.
Staging Paradox and recurrence pattern among stage IIB, IIC, and IIIA Colon cancers: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Liao Yu-Tso , Huang John , Hung Ji-Shiang , Huang Kai-Wen , Liang Jin-Tung 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Purpose
The survival rates of patients with stage IIB and IIC colon cancer are paradoxically inferior to that of patients with stage IIIA colon cancer. This study aimed to examine the oncological outcomes and investigate the factors that could affect the staging paradox among stage IIB, IIC, and IIIA colon cancers based on a 9-year cancer database.

Methods
Patients with stage IIB (pT4aN0M0), IIC (pT4bN0M0), or IIIA (pT1-2N1M0) colon cancer were retrospectively selected from a prospectively maintained medical database from January 2011 to December 2019. Factors that might influence the staging paradox, including radicality, harvested lymph nodes, and chemotherapy administration, were examined.

Results
A total of 282 patients (stage IIB, n = 59; stage IIC, n = 46; and stage IIIA, n = 177) were enrolled. Patients with stage IIB/C cancer demonstrated higher carcinoembryonic antigen levels, larger tumor size, more frequent tumor obstruction, and higher locoregional recurrence than those with stage IIIA cancer. With respect to 10-year locoregional recurrence-free survival and cancer-specific survival, patients with stage IIB and IIC cancers had significantly lower survival rates than did those with stage IIIA cancer (73.7% vs. 66.3% vs. 91.2%, P = 0.0003; 5.4% vs. 10.9% vs. 11.2%, P = 0.0023). The staging paradox persisted in patients who underwent R0 resection, had harvested lymph nodes ≥ 12, and received chemotherapy, as confirmed by multivariate regression analysis.

Conclusions
Based on the inferior oncological outcomes and higher locoregional recurrence rate, this study highlighted the need for intensified cytotoxic chemotherapy specific to this recurrence pattern for patients with stage IIB/C colon cancer.
Alopecia Areata and malignancies: uncertainties clarified by a large-scale population-based study
Authors: Kridin Khalaf , Laufer-Britva Rimma , Jimenez Francisco , Cohen Arnon D. , Kaplan Baruch , Lyakhovitsky Anna 
Published: October 2024

AbstractThe association of AA with malignancies has been a scope of controversy as the current literature is highly inconsistent in this regard. To evaluate the association between AA and hematological malignancies (HMs) and solid malignancies (SMs) using a large-scale, real-life computerized database. A cross-sectional study was conducted to compare the prevalence of HMs and SMs among patients with AA relative to age-, sex-, and ethnicity-matched control subjects. Chi-square and t-tests were used for univariate analysis, and a logistic regression model was used for multivariate analysis. The study included 51,561 patients with AA and 51,410 controls. AA was significantly associated with HMs (adjusted OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.07–1.51; P = 0.006). This association was more robust among patients with late-onset AA (≥ 50 years; OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.04–1.71; P = 0.025). On the other hand, AA was not found to be significantly associated with SM (adjusted OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.88–1.06; P = 0.487), excluding among patients with alopecia totalis and universalis (OR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.03–4.27; P = 0.036). In a granular analysis including 5 HMs and 18 SMs, non-Hodgkin lymphoma was the only malignancy that proved positively associated with AA (adjusted OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.03–1.69; P = 0.028). AA is associated with HMs but not SMs. Further research is warranted to validate our observations in other study cohorts.
Hyperspectral imaging of human liver allografts for prediction of initial graft function
Authors: Vogt Franziska , Wagner Tristan , Katou Shadi , Kneifel Felicia , Vogel Thomas , Morgül Haluk , Houben Philipp , Wahl Philip , Pascher Andreas , Radunz Sonia 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Ischemia reperfusion injury represents a significant yet difficult to assess risk factor for short- and long-term graft impairment in human liver transplantation (LT). As a non-invasive, non-ionizing tool, hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is capable of correlating optical properties with organ microperfusion. Hence, we here performed a study of human liver allografts assessed by HSI for microperfusion and prediction of initial graft function.

Methods
Images of liver parenchyma of 37 human liver allografts were acquired at bench preparation, during normothermic machine perfusion (NMP), if applicable, and after reperfusion in the recipient. A specialized HSI acquisition software computed oxygen saturation (StO2), tissue hemoglobin indices (THI), near infrared perfusion indices (NIR), and tissue water indices (TWI). HSI parameters were analyzed for differences with regard to preservation technique, reperfusion sequence and presence of early allograft dysfunction (EAD).

Results
Organ preservation was performed by means of NMP (n = 31) or static cold storage (SCS; n = 6). Patients’ demographics, donor characteristics, presence of EAD (NMP 36.7% vs. SCS 50%, p = 0.6582), and HSI parameters were comparable between both groups of preservation method. In organs developing EAD, NIR at 1, 2, and 4 h NMP and after reperfusion in the recipient was significantly lower (1 h NMP: 18.6 [8.6–27.6] vs. 28.3 [22.5–39.4], p = 0.0468; 2 h NMP: 19.4 [8.7–30.4] vs. 37.1 [27.5–44.6], p = 0.0011; 4 h NMP: 26.0 [6.8–37.1] vs. 40.3 [32.3–49.9], p = 0.0080; reperfusion: 13.0 [11.5–34.3] vs. 30.6 [19.3–44.0], p = 0.0212).

Conclusion
HSI assessment of human liver allografts is feasible during organ preservation and in the recipient. NIR during NMP and after reperfusion might predict the onset of EAD. Larger trials are warranted for assessment of this novel technique in human LT.
Elevated fibrinogen-albumin ratio is an adverse prognostic factor for patients with primarily resected gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Jomrich Gerd , Yan Winny , Kollmann Dagmar , Kristo Ivan , Winkler Daniel , Puhr Hannah , lhan-Mutlu Aysegül , Hollenstein Marlene , Asari Reza , Schoppmann Sebastian F. 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Serum fibrinogen and albumin play important roles in systemic inflammation and are implicated in tumor progression. The fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR) has shown a prognostic impact in several malignancies. This study aims to assess the prognostic value of the pretherapeutic FAR in patients with adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction (AEG) who underwent upfront resection.

Methods
Consecutive patients who underwent surgical resection at the Department of Surgery at the Medical University of Vienna between 1992 and 2014 were included into this study. Optimal cut-off values were determined with the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve, uni- and multivariate analyzes were calculated by the Cox proportional hazard regression model for overall survival (OS).

Results
Among 135 included patients, the majority were male (79.26%), with a mean age of 66.53 years. Elevated FAR correlated significantly (p = 0.002) with shorter OS in univariate analysis, also confirmed as independent prognostic factor (p = 0.005) in multivariable analysis. The ROC curve of FAR (AUC = 0.744) outperformed fibrinogen (AUC = 0.738) and albumin (AUC = 0.378) in predicting OS for AEG patients.

Conclusion
The FAR serves as an independent prognostic factor for OS in patients undergoing primarily resection for AEG. Given its routine availability and ease of calculation, FAR could help in diagnosis and treatment selection for AEG patients. Further validation studies are warranted to confirm these findings conclusively.
Esophageal tortuosity in achalasia: increased length-to-height ratio predicts inferior symptom relief and esophageal emptying following myotomy
Authors: Barron John O. , Jain Nethra , Toth Andrew J. , Moon Soon , Blackstone Eugene H. , Tasnim Sadia , Sanaka Madhusudhan , Sudarshan Monisha , Baker Mark E. , Murthy Sudish C. , Raja Siva 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Background
Current classification of achalasia does not account for variability in esophageal tortuosity. The esophageal length-to-height ratio (LHR) was developed to objectively quantify tortuosity, based on the premise that the esophagus must elongate to become tortuous. Hence, we assess the relationship of esophageal tortuosity, measured by LHR, to preoperative patient characteristics and post-myotomy outcomes, including longitudinal symptom relief and esophageal emptying.

Methods
From 01/2014 to 01/2020, 420 eligible adult patients underwent myotomy for achalasia at our institution, 216 (51%) Heller myotomy and 204 (49%) per-oral endoscopic myotomy. LHR was measured on pre- and first postoperative timed barium esophagram (TBE), with larger values signifying greater tortuosity. Variable predictiveness and risk-adjusted longitudinal estimates of symptom relief (Eckardt score ≤ 3) and complete emptying, in relation to LHR and manometric subtype, were estimated.

Results
Median [15th, 85th percentile] preoperative LHR was 1.04 [1.01, 1.10]. Preoperative esophageal width > 3 cm and age > 68 years were most predictive of increased LHR. Increased LHR corresponded with decreases in longitudinal postoperative symptom relief and complete esophageal emptying, with a 4% difference in symptom relief and 20% difference in complete emptying, as LHR increased from 1.0 to 1.16. After adjusting for patient factors, including LHR, manometric subtype was less predictive of symptom relief, with estimated symptom relief occurring in 4% fewer patients with Type III achalasia, compared to Types I and II. Overall, LHR decreased following myotomy in patients with an initially tortuous esophagus.

Conclusion
Length-to-height ratio was the only variable highly predictive of both longitudinal post-myotomy symptom relief and complete esophageal emptying, whereas manometric subtype was less predictive. These findings highlight the importance of tortuosity in the treatment of patients with achalasia, suggesting that inclusion of esophageal morphology in future iterations of achalasia classification is warranted.

Graphical abstract
Symplectic Grassmannians and cyclic quivers
Authors: Feigin Evgeny , Lanini Martina , Micheli Matteo , Pütz Alexander 
Published: October 2024

AbstractThe goal of this paper is to extend the quiver Grassmannian description of certain degenerations of Grassmann varieties to the symplectic case. We introduce a symplectic version of quiver Grassmannians studied in our previous papers and prove a number of results on these projective algebraic varieties. First, we construct a cellular decomposition of the symplectic quiver Grassmannians in question and develop combinatorics needed to compute Euler characteristics and Poincaré polynomials. Second, we show that the number of irreducible components of our varieties coincides with the Euler characteristic of the classical symplectic Grassmannians. Third, we describe the automorphism groups of the underlying symplectic quiver representations and show that the cells are the orbits of this group. Lastly, we provide an embedding into the affine flag varieties for the affine symplectic group.
Approximation of $$L^\infty $$ functionals with generalized Orlicz norms
Authors: Bertazzoni Giacomo , Eleuteri Michela , Zappale Elvira 
Published: October 2024

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to deal with the asymptotics of generalized Orlicz norms when the lower growth rate tends to infinity. We generalize results proven by Bertazzoni, Harjulehto and Hästö in Journ. of Math. Anal. and Appl. (2024) for integral type energies (in generalized Orlicz spaces), considering milder convexity assumptions. $$\Gamma $$
Γ
-convergence results and related representation theorems in terms of $$L^\infty $$

L
∞

functionals are proven. The convexity hypotheses are completely removed in the variable exponent setting, thus extending the results in Eleuteri-Prinari in Nonlinear Anal. Real. World Appl. (2021) and Prinari-Zappale in JOTA (2020).
Low-degree gravity field coefficients based on inverse GNSS method: insights into hydrological and ice mass change studies
Authors: Nowak Adrian , Zajdel Radosław , Gałdyn Filip , Sośnica Krzysztof 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
The relative displacements of stations from a global network of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sites provide information on global mass transport. In this study, we use 19 years of global GNSS station displacements from the 3rd International GNSS Service reprocessing campaign to estimate the coefficients of the spherical harmonics of the Earth’s gravity field up to degree and order 8 using the inverse GNSS method based on elastic loading theory. The results indicate that the C30 coefficient can be derived based on GNSS station displacements as an alternative to solutions provided by Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE). GNSS may support GRACE solutions that face the problems of deriving C30, which has fundamental meaning in estimating ice mass changes in polar regions. The recovery of Antarctic ice sheet mass change from January 2007 to December 2020 based on coefficients replaced by GNSS estimates results in a linear trend of − 152 ± 4 Gt/year, in comparison to − 149 ± 2 Gt/year for the replacement based on SLR from GRACE Technical Note #14. The results indicate that the spatial and seasonal patterns of terrestrial water storage changes derived from GNSS are consistent with those estimated using GRACE/GRACE Follow-On and SLR at a few-millimeter level in the Amazon and Brahmaputra River basin regions.
Blutungsstörungen unter hormonellen Kontrazeptiva
Authors: Niggli Angela , Merki-Feld Gabriele Susanne 
Published: October 2024

ZusammenfassungHormonelle Kontrazeptiva wie Pillen und intrauterine Systeme (IUS) gehören zu den meistverwendeten Verhütungsmethoden. Rein gestagenhaltige Methoden wie Progestin-only-Pillen, Injektionen, Implantate oder IUS stellen für fast alle Frauen eine zuverlässige Option der Kontrazeption dar. Als häufige Nebenwirkung von hormonellen Kontrazeptiva treten Blutungsstörungen auf, deren genaue Ursachen noch ungeklärt sind und die je nach kontrazeptiver Methode variieren können. Unakzeptable Blutungen sind für die Nutzerin belastend und einer der häufigsten Gründe für das Absetzen einer kontrazeptiven Methode. Therapieoptionen bei Blutungsstörungen umfassen unter anderem die Gabe von Östrogenen, Gestagenen oder nichtsteroidalen Antirheumatika.
Does social capital enhance political participation in older adults? Multi-level evidence from the European Quality of Life Survey
Authors: Nyqvist Fredrica , Serrat Rodrigo , Nygård Mikael , Näsman Marina 
Published: October 2024

AbstractThis study explored the role of social capital for non-institutionalised and institutionalised political participation among older adults compared to younger age groups using European Quality of Life Survey data (EQLS) from 2016 and 33 countries (n = 36,908). Multilevel logistic regression analysis was employed to assess the association between individual- and country-level social capital and political participation. Findings revealed that, at the individual level, active associational engagement was positively related to both forms of political participation, while social trust and political trust were linked only to non-institutionalised participation—higher social trust and lower political trust were associated with a greater likelihood of participation. Country-level associational engagement was related to non-institutionalised political participation and country-level political trust with institutionalised participation. For older adults, active associational engagement had stronger individual and contextual effects on non-institutionalised political participation. These results enrich our understanding of political engagement in later life and highlight the unexplored potential for civic involvement among older adults.
Willingness to Pay for Nature Protection: Crowdfunding as a Payment Mechanism
Authors: Cunha-e-Sá Maria A. , Dietrich Til , Faria Ana , Nunes Luis Catela , Ortigão Margarida , Rosa Renato , Vieira-da-Silva Carina 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
In this study, we use a discrete choice experiment to elicit the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for preventing and mitigating the effects of oil spills on marine and coastal ecosystem services, along a particularly vulnerable coastal region of mainland Portugal. We used a split-sample design to analyze the differences between two payment vehicles (PV): a mandatory extra income tax and a voluntary contribution collected by a crowdfunding campaign with a provision point mechanism and a money-back guarantee. The difference between the two PVs is examined in a setting where the local population has a negative perception of the quality of institutions. We find that respondents are more willing to contribute when presented with the crowdfunding version. Also, regardless of the payment vehicle, respondents who express a mistrust in institutions are more likely to choose the status quo. These results suggest the potential of using crowdfunding to support ecosystem services’ conservation initiatives.
The action of mapping class groups on de Rham quasimorphisms
Authors: Bargagnati Giuseppe , Bertolotti Federica , Capovilla Pietro , Milizia Francesco 
Published: October 2024

AbstractWe study the action of the mapping class group on the subspace of de Rham classes in the degree-two bounded cohomology of a hyperbolic surface. In particular, we show that the only fixed nontrivial finite-dimensional subspace is the one generated by the Euler class. As a consequence, we get that the action of the mapping class group on the space of de Rham quasimorphisms has no fixed points.
Non-degenerate metrics, hypersurface deformation algebra, non-anomalous representations and density weights in quantum gravity
Authors: Thiemann T. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractClassical General Relativity is a dynamical theory of spacetime metrics of Lorentzian signature. In particular the classical metric field is nowhere degenerate in spacetime. In its initial value formulation with respect to a Cauchy surface the induced metric is of Euclidian signature and nowhere degenerate on it. It is only under this assumption of non-degeneracy of the induced metric that one can derive the hypersurface deformation algebra between the initial value constraints which is absolutely transparent from the fact that the inverse of the induced metric is needed to close the algebra. This statement is independent of the density weight that one may want to equip the spatial metric with. Accordingly, the very definition of a non-anomalous representation of the hypersurface deformation algebra in quantum gravity has to address the issue of non-degeneracy of the induced metric that is needed in the classical theory. In the Hilbert space representation employed in Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG) most emphasis has been laid to define an inverse metric operator on the dense domain of spin network states although they represent induced quantum geometries which are degenerate almost everywhere. It is no surprise that demonstration of closure of the constraint algebra on this domain meets difficulties because it is a sector of the quantum theory which is classically forbidden and which lies outside the domain of definition of the classical hypersurface deformation algebra. Various suggestions for addressing the issue such as non-standard operator topologies, dual spaces (habitats) and density weights have been proposed to address this issue with respect to the quantum dynamics of LQG. In this article we summarise these developments and argue that insisting on a dense domain of non-degenerate states within the LQG representation may provide a natural resolution of the issue thereby possibly avoiding the above mentioned non-standard constructions.
Differential Treatment Responses of Maltreated and Neglected Children and Adolescents Following an Evidence-based Multisystemic Intervention
Authors: Buderer Corinna , Kirsch Tom , Pérez Tania , Swenson Cynthia Cupit , Schmid Marc 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Limited studies have investigated differential treatment responses to family-based treatment programs and subgroup trajectories in youth in a high-risk context. This study pioneered an examination of Multisystemic Therapy for Child Abuse and Neglect (MST-CAN) and built on prior research that identified subgroups with different psychopathologies. Participants included 208 parent–child dyads enrolled in the MST-CAN evaluation in Switzerland. Parents reported their children’s (M
age = 10.27 years, SD
age = 3.5, 44.2% girls, 55.8% boys, 98.6% White) emotional and behavioral problems. Longitudinal data were examined to analyze the differential changes within the pre- and post-treatment (T1 and T2) subgroups. The T1 cluster and T2 cluster were cross-tabulated to examine changes in the symptom class over time. Overall, the treatment proved to be highly beneficial. Subgroup analyses revealed that four out of the five subgroups (80%) showed positive changes in at least two outcome measures. The treatment was most successful for children with externalizing symptoms. Children with multiple symptoms also showed improvements across different symptoms. Regarding specific symptoms, children with anxious-avoidant symptoms benefited from the treatment. Additionally, the treatment was beneficial for children with normative emotions and behavior. Meanwhile, the treatment did not have any significant effects for children with internalizing symptoms. Notably, child neglect was reduced in three (60%) subgroups. The symptom class remained stable across time for children with externalizing and multiple symptoms. Ultimately, MST-CAN reduced emotional and behavioral problems and child neglect in most families. Understanding children’s differential treatment responses to complex treatment programs is essential to adequately address different needs.