bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Estimation of the prevalence of anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis of meta-analyses
Authors: Amini-Rarani Mostafa , Azami-Aghdash Saber , Mousavi Isfahani Haleh , Mohseni Mohammad 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Background
Pandemics such as COVID-19, can lead to psychiatric symptoms like anxiety. It seems that meta-analysis of meta-analysis studies can provide more comprehensive information regarding the needs for post-COVID-19 services. Therefore, this umbrella review and meta-analysis of meta-analyses aimed to estimate the precise prevalence of anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods
PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for published meta-analyses using relevant keywords, such as Anxiety, Prevalence, COVID-19, and Meta-analysis up to November 1, 2023. Google Scholar, reference check, citation check, and grey literature were manually searched. A random-effect model was used for the analysis. All analyses were conducted using STATA: 17.

Results
Out of the 4263 records, Finally, 75 meta-analyses were included. The overall prevalence of anxiety was 30.4% [95% CI: 29–31.8] with a high heterogeneity (I2: 86.76%). The highest prevalence of anxiety according to population type was 41.3% in patients and then in students (30.8), pregnant women (30.6%), and health care workers (30.5%). The Result of meta-regression showed that “Time” (based on the time between the start of COVID-19 and the last search date in articles) was not a significant predictor of the prevalence of anxiety (R Coefficient = 0.000149, P = 0.61).

Conclusions
Considering the prevalence of anxiety among patients, students, pregnant women, and healthcare workers, special attention should be paid to these groups in case of the re-occurrence of COVID-19 or occurrence of other pandemics. As quarantine due to pandemics causes reduced social interactions, reduced income, and increased worry about severe illness and death, there is a need for large-scale mobilization of political measures.
Tobacco consumption behavior change during the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with perceived COVID threat
Authors: Loui Hollyann F. , Li Joshua , Jackson Nicholas J. , Romero Ruby , Wisk Lauren E. , Buhr Russell G. 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Rationale
Tobacco use is a risk factor for COVID-19 adverse outcomes. Despite health implications, data conflict regarding COVID-19 and tobacco consumption. We present results from a survey of health behaviors during the pandemic to identify how COVID-19 influenced tobacco behaviors.

Methods
A nationally administered, internet-based survey was deployed between May–September 2020. Of respondents, we analyzed participants who reported current smoking and/or vaping. Our primary outcome of interest was change in tobacco or vape use using measures from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, as well as whether participants reported that these changes were related to COVID-19. Our principal exposures were previously psychometrically evaluated measures of anxiety, depression, and novel perceived COVID-19 threat scale with additional adjustment for age. We employed multinomial logistic regression to determine associations between these factors and tobacco consumption.

Results
We identified 500 respondents who reported ever smoking in their lifetime, 150 of which reported currently smoking at the time of the survey. Of 220 participants who reported any use of vapes, 110 reported currently vaping. Increased perceived threat of COVID-19 was associated with both increased (aRRincrease 1.75, 95% CI [1.07–2.86], P = 0.03) and decreased (aRRdecrease 1.72 [1.04–2.85], P = 0.03) tobacco consumption relative to no change. There were no significant relationships found between perceived threat of COVID-19 and vaping behavior.

Conclusions
As perceived COVID-19 threat increased, people were more likely to increase or decrease their smoking as opposed to continue at the same amount of use, even after controlling for anxiety and depression, both of which are known to affect smoking in either direction. Further study into motivators of changing tobacco consumption behaviors, and how barriers to care from safer-at-home policies and changes in care delivery moderate change in tobacco use will aid planning tobacco reduction interventions during the ongoing and future respiratory viral pandemics.

Trial registration
This manuscript is derived from baseline survey data obtained in the “Understanding Community Considerations, Opinions, Values, Impacts, and Decisions in COVID-19” study. ClinicalTrials.gov registration NCT04373135, registered 04/30/2020.
Common pitfalls in drug target Mendelian randomization and how to avoid them
Authors: Gill Dipender , Dib Marie-Joe , Cronjé Héléne T. , Karhunen Ville , Woolf Benjamin , Gagnon Eloi , Daghlas Iyas , Nyberg Michael , Drakeman Donald , Burgess Stephen 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Background

Drug target Mendelian randomization describes the use of genetic variants as instrumental variables for studying the effects of pharmacological agents. The paradigm can be used to inform on all aspects of drug development and has become increasingly popular over the last decade, particularly given the time- and cost-efficiency with which it can be performed even before commencing clinical studies.

Main body
In this review, we describe the recent emergence of drug target Mendelian randomization, its common pitfalls, how best to address them, as well as potential future directions. Throughout, we offer advice based on our experiences on how to approach these types of studies, which we hope will be useful for both practitioners and those translating the findings from such work.

Conclusions
Drug target Mendelian randomization is nuanced and requires a combination of biological, statistical, genetic, epidemiological, clinical, and pharmaceutical expertise to be utilized to its full potential. Unfortunately, these skillsets are relatively infrequently combined in any given study.
Biofuel production: exploring renewable energy solutions for a greener future
Authors: El-Araby R. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractBiofuel production has emerged as a leading contender in the quest for renewable energy solutions, offering a promising path toward a greener future. This comprehensive state-of-the-art review delves into the current landscape of biofuel production, exploring its potential as a viable alternative to conventional fossil fuels. This study extensively examines various feedstock options, encompassing diverse sources such as plants, algae, and agricultural waste, and investigates the technological advancements driving biofuel production processes. This review highlights the environmental benefits of biofuels, emphasizing their capacity to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to those of fossil fuels. Additionally, this study elucidates the role of biofuels in enhancing energy security by decreasing reliance on finite fossil fuel reserves, thereby mitigating vulnerabilities to geopolitical tensions and price fluctuations. The economic prospects associated with biofuel production are also elucidated, encompassing job creation, rural development, and the potential for additional revenue streams for farmers and landowners engaged in biofuel feedstock cultivation. While highlighting the promise of biofuels, the review also addresses the challenges and considerations surrounding their production. Potential issues such as land use competition, resource availability, and sustainability implications are critically evaluated. Responsible implementation, including proper land-use planning, resource management, and adherence to sustainability criteria, is emphasized as critical for the long-term viability of biofuel production. Moreover, the review underscores the importance of ongoing research and development efforts aimed at enhancing biofuel production efficiency, feedstock productivity, and conversion processes. Technological advancements hold the key to increasing biofuel yields, reducing production costs, and improving overall sustainability. This review uniquely synthesizes the latest advancements across the entire spectrum of biofuel production, from feedstock selection to end-use applications. It addresses critical research gaps by providing a comprehensive analysis of emerging technologies, sustainability metrics, and economic viability of various biofuel pathways. Unlike previous reviews, this work offers an integrated perspective on the interplay between technological innovation, environmental impact, and socio-economic factors in biofuel development, thereby providing a holistic framework for future research and policy directions in renewable energy.
Developmental trajectories in infants and pre-school children with Neurofibromatosis 1
Authors: Slevin Hannah , Kehinde Fiona , Begum-Ali Jannath , Ellis Ceri , Burkitt-Wright Emma , Green Jonathan , Johnson Mark H. , Pasco Greg , Charman Tony , Jones Emily J. H. , Garg Shruti ,   the EDEN-STAARS team, Agyapong Mary , Bazelmans Tessel , Dafner Leila , Ersoy Mutluhan , Gliga Teodora , Goodwin Amy , Haartsen Rianne , Halkola Hanna , Hendry Alexandra , Holman Rebecca , Kalwarowsky Sarah , Lloyd-Fox Sarah , Mason Luke , Narvekar Nisha , Pirazzoli Laura , Taylor Chloë , Vassallo Grace , Eelloo Judith , Evans D. Gareth , West Siobhan , Hupton Eileen , Robinson Louise , Lakhani Neeta , Wilson Brian , Osio Deborah , Shaw-Smith Charles , Canham Natalie , Sharif Saba 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Background
Children with Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) show cognitive, behavioural and social differences compared to their peers. However, the age and sequence at which these differences begin to emerge is not fully understood. This prospective cohort study examines the cognitive, behavioural, ADHD trait and autism symptom development in infant and pre-school children with NF1 compared with typically developing (TD) children without a family history of neurodevelopmental conditions.

Methods
Data from standardised tests was gathered at 5, 10, 14, 24 and 36 months of age (NF1 n = 35, TD n = 29). Developmental trajectories of cognitive (Mullen Scales of Early Learning, MSEL) and adaptive behavioural (Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, VABS) development from 5 to 36 months were analysed using linear mixed modelling. Measures of ADHD (Child Behavior Checklist) and autism traits (ADOS-2, BOSA-MV and ADI-R) were assessed at 24 and 36 months.

Results
The developmental trajectory of cognitive skills (all domains of the MSEL) and behavioural skills (four domains of the VABS) differed significantly between NF1 and TD groups. Post-hoc tests demonstrated that the NF1 participants scored significantly lower than TD participants at 24 months on all MSEL and VABS domains. The NF1 cohort demonstrated higher mean autism and ADHD traits at 24 months and 14% of the NF1 cohort met a research diagnostic classification for autism at 36 months.

Limitations
The study has a relatively small sample size due to variable retention and rolling recruitment. Due to limitations imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we utilised the Brief Observation of Symptoms of Autism for Minimally Verbal children (BOSA-MV) for some participants, which was administered online and may not gather as accurate a picture of traits as ADOS-2. The BOSA-MV was utilised for 41% of participants with NF1 at 36 months compared to 11% at 24 months. This may explain the reduction in the percentage of children with NF1 that met autism criteria at 36 months.

Conclusions
By 24 months of age, the NF1 cohort show lower cognitive skills and adaptive behaviour and higher levels of autism and ADHD traits as compared to TD children. This has implications for developmental monitoring and referral for early interventions.

Trial registration
Not applicable.
Assessment of the Potential Impacts of Climate Change on the Hydrology and Canola Yield Using the DRAINMOD Model
Authors: Ndulue Emeka Leonard , Sri Ranjan Ramanathan 
Published: October 2024

HighlightsTotal precipitation and average temperature are projected to increase in the Interlake region of Manitoba.DRAINMOD model results suggest that controlled drainage (CD) would significantly decrease subsurface drainage.Due to dry stress, canola yield is projected to decrease under free drainage (FD) and controlled drainage (CD).Simulation results suggest that capturing, storing, and reusing drainage water could be an adaptive and mitigative strategy for climate change impacts.Abstract.Climate change is a major concern for agricultural production regions like the Canadian Prairies. Therefore, understanding the hydrologic and crop yield response to climate change is important to developing adaptative and mitigative strategies. Downscaled climate model projections from two GCMs for historical (1981-2010), midcentury (2041-2070), and late-century (2071–2100) periods under three representative concentration pathways (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP 8.5) were used as climate inputs to drive a calibrated and validated DRAINMOD model under two water management scenarios: free drainage (FD) and controlled drainage (CD). Field data, including water table depth, was collected for two canola growing seasons at the PESAI (Prairies East Sustainable Agriculture Initiative) research site in Arborg, Manitoba, Canada. The model was calibrated and validated using the 2019 and 2020 water table depth. The projected changes in the climatic variables showed a slight increase in the mean annual precipitation and the mean temperature across the seasons. DRAINMOD simulation results suggest that CD would significantly decrease subsurface drainage, while water loss through evapotranspiration (ET) and surface runoff are projected to increase considerably under CD and FD. Furthermore, results showed that the relative canola yield would decrease under FD and CD. Stressor analysis showed that canola yield reduction was driven by dry stress due to the projected temperature rise, which outweighs the slight increase in precipitation. Simulation results suggest that the capture, storage, and reuse of drainage water could be an adaptive and mitigative strategy to address the predicted impacts. Keywords: Canola yield, Climate change, DRAINMOD model, Subsurface drainage.
Tree-PointNet: A Novel Neural Network for Dormant Apple Trees Using Semi-Circle-Based Point Cloud for Robotic Pruning
Authors: Li Lingfeng , Ma Shaochun , Li Yechen , Huo Peng , Peng Cong , Li Wenzhi 
Published: October 2024

HighlightsTree-PointNet, a novel neural network, integrates geometric down-sampling for efficient pruning.A Semi-Circle-Based point cloud dataset of apple trees was collected to aid in automated pruning.Enhanced algorithm performance was investigated, showing significant improvements in model accuracy. Abstract. Pruning during the dormant season is one of the most costly and labor-intensive operations in the production of specialty crops. In winter, many trained seasonal workers have to carefully remove branches from hundreds of trees according to pre-defined rules. The aim of automated pruning is to reduce this reliance on the large amount of labor currently required for the operation. The first step in the automatic application of pruning rules is the acquisition of point cloud data from trees. To match the optical vision system of an ideal automatic pruning robot, a brand new and challenging apple tree dataset was collected in which the point clouds were all based on semicircular shapes, rather than the carefully crafted point clouds of complete apple trees. 1000 Semi-Circle-Based point clouds of apple trees were used. For the brand-new structure of point cloud part segmentation, a neural network model (namely Tree-PointNet) was proposed. A Semi-Circle-Based point cloud of apple tree was segmented by the Tree-PointNet with the segmentation result consisting of a trunk and primary branches. With a weight size of only 7.9% of PointStack, the best OA of 95.6% was obtained by the Tree-PointNet network proposed in this paper. The GDS was also used, which could obtain more key points in the Branch-to-Trunk connection region as input to the proposed network. On the other hand, the OA and mIoU of the model improved by 10.2% and 7.98%, respectively, compared to the PointNet++. Keywords: Dormant apple trees, Part segmentation, PointNet++, Semi-circle-based point cloud.
Prediabetes increases the risk of pancreatic cancer: A meta-analysis of longitudinal observational studies
Authors: Huang Xuefang , Li Huan , Zhao Lisha , Xu Lingli , Long Hui 
Published: October 2024

Background
Glycemic disorder is closely related to the risk of pancreatic cancer, but previous studies focused on the influence of diabetes. The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate the influence of prediabetes, an intermediate state between normoglycemia and diabetes, on the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Methods
Relevant longitudinal observational studies were identified through a search of Medline, Embase, and Web of Science databases. To minimize the influence of between-study heterogeneity, a randomized-effects model was used to pool the results.

Results
Nine cohort studies including 26,444,624 subjects were available for the meta-analysis. Among them, 2,052,986 (7.8%) had prediabetes at baseline, and the participants were followed for a mean duration of 5.9 years. It was found that, compared to people with normoglycemia, those with prediabetes had a higher incidence of pancreatic cancer (risk ratio [RR]: 1.42, 95% confidence interval: 1.36 to 1.49, p<0.001) with no statistical heterogeneity (I2 = 0%). Sensitivity analysis performed by excluding one dataset at a time did not significantly change the results (RR: 1.38 to 1.45, p all <0.05). Subgroup analyses indicated that the association between prediabetes and increased risk of pancreatic cancer was not significantly impacted by study characteristics such as study design, location, age, and sex of participants, definition of prediabetes, duration of follow-up, or adjustment for alcohol intake (p for subgroup difference all >0.05).

Conclusions
Prediabetes may be associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer compared to normoglycemia.
Healthcare professionals’ perceptions on providing support to informal carers within stroke care
Authors: Jammal Melissa , Kolt Gregory S. , Liu Karen P. Y. , Dennaoui Nariman , George Emma S. 
Published: October 2024

Background
The sudden nature of stroke onset does not provide carers with sufficient time to prepare for the demands associated with caring. Healthcare professionals can have a vital role in providing carers with support and training, which may reduce carer stress and strain, and allow for better health and rehabilitation outcomes for the stroke survivor. The experiences of healthcare professionals on supporting carers in stroke care, however, remain unclear.

Objective
To understand the experiences and perceptions of healthcare professionals working in stroke care on implementing resources and support to informal stroke carers.

Methods
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 healthcare professionals (5 occupational therapists, 5 physiotherapists, 1 psychologist) with at least 12 months’ experience in working with stroke survivors. Interviews ranged from 25–70 minutes in duration, and were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using thematic analysis.

Results
Three overarching categories that were explored were: (1) Experiences of working in stroke care and supporting carers; (2) Recommendations for a program designed for carers; and (3) Future priorities in stroke care. Participants discussed a variety of strategies they utilised to support carers including collaborating with other healthcare professionals and utilising skills and experience. Healthcare professionals highlighted the need for additional resources that are designed specifically for carers and explored key topics including carer stress and fatigue, support services, stroke education, and how to look after oneself. Participants identified priorities for stroke care including additional professional training and resource availability.

Conclusion
This study provided a unique insight from the perspectives of healthcare professionals on supporting carers. Participants identified the need for additional training and resources to equip healthcare professionals to better support carers. Future programs designed for carers should be informed by the needs and experiences of both informal carers and healthcare professionals.
Online examinations: Factors that impact student experience and perceptions of academic performance
Authors: Henderson Michael , Awdry Rebecca , Chung Jennifer , Bryant Mike , Patel Sweta Vijaykumar , Yu Alice Shihua , Mundy Matthew , Ryan Kris , Ashford Cliff 
Published: October 2024

Online examinations are an increasingly common feature of higher education. Research in this area often focuses on academic integrity without exploring student experience in online examinations more broadly. With increasing use of online examinations and associated security measures, there is a plausible risk that the platform, examination conditions and measures to achieve assessment security may have a negative impact on student experience, well-being and performance. This paper reports on a large-scale survey conducted in 2021 and 2022 at a large metropolitan university in Australia. Analysis of 13,751 completed surveys revealed that the majority of students perceived their overall online exam experience positively. However, a thematic analysis of 5,213 optional open-ended responses provided a more detailed understanding of the range of positive and negative influencing factors and their consequences. Many of the issues negatively impacting student experience were related to the assessment design, rather than the assessment platform or exam security. The findings also revealed implications relating to platform functionality, personal technology and exam conditions, including location of exam, and preparation and support.

Implications for practice or policy:

Academics need to consider the quality and appropriateness of assessment design, as these affect the extent to which students experience online exams positively and are largely independent of the exam and security systems.
Institutions can reduce the wide range of negative impacts through improved communication and in-exam support.
System developers can iteratively ameliorate negative impacts through investigating student experience and involvement of students in the co-design of assessment platforms.
Hegel’s Answer to the ‘Academy’ Question: Is it Permissible to Deceive a People?
Authors: Novakovic Andreja 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
In 1780 Frederick II pushed the Prussian Academy to put forward a controversial question for a public essay contest: “Is it useful for the people to be deceived, be it by leading it into new errors or by confirming it in those which it upholds?” Although Hegel would have been too young to participate in the contest, he took two later opportunities to provide what would have been his answer. Whereas the Phenomenology of Spirit evaluates Enlightenment’s charge that religious faith is based on deception, the Philosophy of Right suggests that public opinion formation tends to lead to collective self-deception. In both versions of his answer, however, Hegel argues that it is impossible to deceive a people about its essence. In this paper I clarify what Hegel means by a people’s essence and why he thinks it impossible to deceive a people about it.