bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Robust TrafficSignNet Algorithm for Enhanced Traffic Sign Recognition in Autonomous Vehicles Under Varying Light Conditions
Authors: Kandasamy Kathiresan , Natarajan Yuvaraj , Sri Preethaa K. R. , Ali Ahmed Abdi Yusuf 
Published: October 2024

AbstractRecent years have witnessed significant advancements in machine perception, particularly in the context of self-driving vehicles. The accurate detection and interpretation of road signs by these vehicles are crucial for enhancing safety, intelligence, and efficiency on the roads. Consequently, there is a growing body of research dedicated to improving traffic sign recognition technologies, a key component of intelligent transportation systems. Annual statistics highlight numerous accidents attributable to factors such as excessive speed, variable lighting conditions, and the misinterpretation of traffic signs. In response to these challenges, a novel approach for the rapid and reliable recognition of traffic signs by moving vehicles has been developed. This approach leverages a custom dataset encompassing twelve object categories and seven subcategories, reflective of road sign diversities encountered in India. A specialized algorithm, TrafficSignNet, was devised to specifically identify signs related to speed, turning, zones, and bumps. This algorithm was trained on a comprehensive dataset comprising 4,962 images, with its performance evaluated using 705 images from real traffic scenarios. The evaluation demonstrates that the model achieves remarkable accuracy across various lighting conditions, processing up to 12 frames per second. This processing rate is compatible with the high-definition standards of contemporary vehicle cameras, which is 1280 × 720 pixels. The model's effectiveness is quantified through accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score, with respective values of 0.985, 0.978, 0.964, and 0.971, showcasing its potential to significantly contribute to the advancement of smart transportation systems.
“Sport Belongs to Everyone… But Not During Pregnancy”: Views of Finnish Sport Stakeholders on Pregnancy in Sport
Authors: Raudasoja Mirjam , Ryba Tatiana V. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractThe social construction of pregnancy emphasizes the mother’s responsibility for the developing fetus. Hence, certain activities, such as participation in competitive sport, are often constructed as inappropriate during pregnancy. While expert opinion tends to stress caution, the diversity of athlete mothers’ experiences challenge these dominant discourses. Less is known about how peers and other stakeholders in sport view the participation of pregnant athletes. Knowledge of such attitudes is essential to understanding the position of women in a specific society and the barriers to their autonomy. Hence, we examined survey responses from different sport stakeholders (N = 540) in Finland. Drawing on relational dialectics theory (Baxter, L. A. (2011). Voicing relationships. Sage.), we used contrapuntal analysis to identify different discourses on the compatibility of pregnancy and sport, and their interplay. Three discourses were identified: an equality discourse, which emphasizes that sport belongs to everyone, and that pregnant people should be accepted and supported in sporting environments; a responsibility discourse, which constructs pregnancy as fragility and sport as potentially dangerous for the athlete and the fetus; and an incompatibility discourse, which constructs pregnancy as a disease and unacceptable in sporting environments. Our analysis shows that medicalized, authoritative knowledge is the master strategy used to keep women out of male social spaces during pregnancy. The findings of our study highlight the ongoing struggle for reproductive justice in a patriarchal world order. To advance women’s position in society and support the autonomy of all individuals, viable professional guidelines and organizational policies must be formulated and applied.
Uncovering mediational pathways behind racial and socioeconomic disparities in brain volumes: insights from the UK Biobank study
Authors: Beydoun May A. , Beydoun Hind A. , Fanelli-Kuczmarski Marie T. , Hu Yi-Han , Shaked Danielle , Weiss Jordan , Waldstein Shari R. , Launer Lenore J. , Evans Michele K. , Zonderman Alan B. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractMediation pathways explaining racial/ethnic and socioeconomic (SES) disparities in structural MRI markers of brain health remain underexplored. We examined racial/ethnic and SES disparities in sMRI markers and tested total, direct, and indirect effects through lifestyle, health-related, and cognition factors using a structural equations modeling approach among 36,184 UK Biobank participants aged 40–70 years at baseline assessment (47% men). Race (non-White vs. White) and lower SES-predicted poorer brain sMRI volumetric outcomes at follow-up, with racial/ethnic disparities in sMRI outcomes involving multiple pathways and SES playing a central role in those pathways. Mediational patterns differed across outcomes, with the SES-sMRI total effect being partially mediated for all outcomes. Over 20% of the total effect (TE) of race/ethnicity on WMH was explained by the indirect effect (IE), by a combination of different pathways going through SES, lifestyle, health-related, and cognition factors. This is in contrast to < 10% for total brain, gray matter (GM), white matter (WM), and frontal GM left/right. Another significant finding is that around 57% of the total effect for SES and the normalized white matter hyperintensity (WMH) was attributed to an indirect effect. This effect encompasses many pathways that involve lifestyle, health-related, and cognitive aspects. Aside from WMH, the percent of TE of SES mediated through various pathways ranged from ~ 5% for WM to > 15% up to 36% for most of the remaining sMRI outcomes, which are composed mainly of GM phenotypes. Race and SES were important determinants of brain volumetric outcomes, with partial mediation of racial/ethnic disparities through SES, lifestyle, health-related, and cognition factors.
Längst überfällig, aber nicht in Sicht?
Authors: Breit Helen , Scherr Albert 
Published: October 2024

ZusammenfassungDie strafrechtlichen Ermittlungen gegen Mitarbeiter*innen des Fanprojekts Karlsruhe haben zu einer erneuten Debatte über die Notwendigkeit eines Zeugnisverweigerungsrechts für Sozialarbeiter*innen geführt. Der Beitrag gibt einen Einblick in die exemplarische Bedeutung des Karlsruher Falls für die Soziale Arbeit und zeigt den Stand der Diskussion über das Zeugnisverweigerungsrecht auf.
The Current Landscape of Artificial Intelligence in Imaging for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement
Authors: Sun Shawn , Yeh Leslie , Imanzadeh Amir , Kooraki Soheil , Kheradvar Arash , Bedayat Arash 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Purpose
This review explores the current landscape of AI applications in imaging for TAVR, emphasizing the potential and limitations of these tools for (1) automating the image analysis and reporting process, (2) improving procedural planning, and (3) offering additional insight into post-TAVR outcomes. Finally, the direction of future research necessary to bridge these tools towards clinical integration is discussed.

Recent Findings
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become a pivotal treatment option for select patients with severe aortic stenosis, and its indication for use continues to broaden. Noninvasive imaging techniques such as CTA and MRA have become routine for patient selection, preprocedural planning, and predicting the risk of complications. As the current methods for pre-TAVR image analysis are labor-intensive and have significant inter-operator variability, experts are looking towards artificial intelligence (AI) as a potential solution.

Summary
AI has the potential to significantly enhance the planning, execution, and post-procedural follow up of TAVR. While AI tools are promising, the irreplaceable value of nuanced clinical judgment by skilled physician teams must not be overlooked. With continued research, collaboration, and careful implementation, AI can become an integral part in imaging for TAVR, ultimately improving patient care and outcomes.
Reflexivity in Teaching Interculturality in China: An Autoethnography of a Teacher’s Multifaceted Transformations
Authors: Tan Huiyu 
Published: October 2024

AbstractStandard approaches to studying intercultural communication empirically include pedagogical interventions, interview-based studies, and questionnaire research on teachers’ and students’ experiences with intercultural communication. Such studies assume standard positivist or post-positivist epistemologies and research methods. The present article takes a different, more personal and emic approach to understanding intercultural communication. I conducted an autoethnographic inquiry regarding my 20 years of teaching interculturality in the context of Chinese higher education. Autoethnography provides space to be reflexive on one’s own being(s) and becoming(s) as a teacher-researcher over time. It also facilitates accounting for my gradual but nonlinear transformation from understanding intercultural communication from a traditional (intercultural competence-oriented, ideologies of culturalism, differentialism, and essentialism) perspective to one influenced by postmodernist critical theory. However, my autoethnography is not only about myself because, as an intercultural communication teacher-researcher in a Chinese university, I am a member of a community of such researchers. My story therefore inevitably reflects the shared experience of my community as well as my personal, and to some degree of course idiosyncratic, experience.
The uncertain correlation of ANCAs in patients with lupus nephritis and crescents, an experience from Chinese centers
Authors: Zhang Qiong , Zhou Fei , Zhao Yan , Luo Congjuan , Luo Yankun , Zhou Yun 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Background
The precise role of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) in the pathologic course of crescentic lupus nephritis (LN) remains unclear. Our study aimed to assess whether ANCA-positive serology in patients with LN and crescents is associated with different clinicopathologic features and outcomes.

Methods
We reviewed the records of 658 patients diagnosed with LN between 2010 and 2022. Among them, 64 (9.7%) patients who had complete follow-up and clinical data were reclassified as crescentic glomerulonephritis. Of these, 11 patients with incomplete ANCA data and 7 patients with less than 10 glomeruli under light microscopy were excluded; ultimately, 46 patients were enrolled: 12 with ANCA positivity and 34 with ANCA negativity. Clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes were analysed and compared.

Results
Our data did not reveal any differences in clinical or laboratory parameters or histopathological features except for a significantly higher level of proteinuria or proportion of nephrotic syndrome (p < 0.05) at presentation before biopsy in the ANCA-negative group than in the ANCA-positive group,and a lower level of serum albumin (p < 0.05) in the ANCA-negative group than in the ANCA-positive group. No significant differences in complete remission or partial response were detected between the two groups based on the 2021 KDIGO criterion.

Conclusion
Short-term follow-up (average follow-up time of less than 3 years) did not reveal any difference in outcomes between ANCA-positive and ANCA-negative crescentic LN. However, the role of ANCAs in the pathological course of crescentic lupus nephropathy and the effect of ANCAs on long-term outcomes remain to be determined.

Graphical abstract
Effect of Cu Alloying and Heat Treatment Parameters on NiTi Alloy Phase Stability and Constitutive Behavior
Authors: Cai S. , Schaffer J. E. , Shi T. , Gao J. , Kadeřávek L. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractNiTiCu alloys with Cu-content up to 20 at.% were successfully made into fine wire with cold-drawn area reduction of 70%. These materials were heat treated and tested at different conditions to study phase transformation and constitutive behavior. It is found that: (1) At Cu-content less than 7.5 at.%, increasing Cu stabilizes the B2 austenite, suppresses R-phase, and slightly decreases B19’ transformation temperatures. At higher level, Cu suppresses B19’-phase, but promotes B19 martensitic phase. (2) Increasing Cu decreases thermal temperature hysteresis and lattice strains during phase transformation. (3) The effect of Cu on stress hysteresis depends on test conditions. A continuous increase in Cu does not guarantee a continuously decreased stress hysteresis. (4) Heat treatment affects Ti2(Ni,Cu)3 precipitation. The highest phase transformation temperatures were obtained after annealing at ~ 600 °C. (5) The $${\left\{102\right\}}_{\text{B}19}$$

102

B
19

and $${\left\{120\right\}}_{\text{B}19}$$

120

B
19

martensite texture comes from the $${\left\{111\right\}}_{\text{B}2}$$

111

B
2

austenite texture after phase transformation through {111} and/or {011} martensite twins. These texture patterns explain the relatively short transformation strains and suggest potential for large improvement through processing-induced texture optimization. (6) The combined effects of Cu addition and cold work strengthening largely increase thermal cycling stabilities of NiTiCu alloys and make them promising candidates for actuator applications.
On concerns with cause-specific incidence and subdistribution hazard
Authors: Nakamura Tsuyoshi , Yamada Tomomi 
Published: October 2024

AbstractAn event that hinders or changes the possibility of observing the event of interest is called a competing risk. For instance, clinical studies for those with multimorbidity or critically severe illnesses often require consideration of competing risks, as the occurrence of other events may preclude the primary event of interest. Since the one-to-one correspondence between the cause-specific hazard and the cause-specific incidence is lost in the classical competing risk model (Andersen et al., International Journal of Epidemiology 41:861–870, 2012), the Fine-Gray hazard was developed. The cause-specific incidence and the Fine-Gray hazard have been widely used and have become the default methods in competing risk analysis. The cause-specific incidence, however, often fails to represent treatment effects properly due to failures of the competing causes, particularly when the hazards of the competing causes are considerably different between the control and treatment arms. This study introduces a new incidence termed, cause-distinct incidence, which has a one-to-one correspondence with the cause-specific hazard and is less affected by competing causes than the cause-specific incidence. Whilst, recent studies have found unexpected effects of censors on the Fine-Gray hazard analysis. For instance, the estimation of the censoring distribution can affect the accuracy or censoring can complicate the estimation. The root cause of these unexpected phenomena has been uninvestigated. The basic requirement for the hazard is that it be independent of the distribution of independent censoring. Nevertheless, this study verifies mathematically and also numerically that the Fine-Gray hazard depends on the distribution of independent censoring.
On Small-Amplitude Asymmetric Water Waves
Authors: Svensson Seth Douglas 
Published: October 2024

AbstractWe generalize the method used by Mæhlen and Seth (Asymmetric traveling wave solutions of the capillary–gravity Whitham equation, 2023, arxiv:2312.15343) used to prove the existence of small-amplitude asymmetric solutions to the capillary–gravity Whitham equation, so that it can be applied directly to a class of similar equations. The purpose is to prove or disprove the existence of asymmetric waves for the water wave problem or other model equations for water waves. Our main result in this paper is a theorem that gives both necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of small-amplitude periodic asymmetric solutions for this class of equations. The result is then applied to an infinite depth capillary–gravity Whitham equation and an infinite depth capillary–gravity Babenko equation to show a nonexistence result of small-amplitude waves for these equations. This example also highlights the similarities between these equations suggesting the potential existence of small-amplitude asymmetric waves for the finite depth capillary–gravity Babenko equation.
Tuning Optical and Electrochemical Properties of Nb2O5 Thin Films via WO3 Doping
Authors: Sultana Rezwana , Islam Karimul , Chakraborty Supratic 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
WO3-doping significantly enhances the optical and electrochemical properties of Nb2O5 thin films, making them ideal for optoelectronic applications. This study investigates WO3-doped Nb2O5 thin films deposited via reactive co-sputtering of niobium and tungsten metal targets at room temperature. WO3 concentration was controlled by adjusting the power to the tungsten target. The microstructure, surface morphology, optical, and electrochemical properties of the deposited films were analyzed. X-ray diffraction revealed that the films are polycrystalline, with improved crystallinity as WO3 content increased. Higher doping reduced microstrain and increased grain size. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed chemical composition and doping levels. Atomic force microscopy showed uniform surface morphology in pristine films, with increased surface roughness at higher WO3 concentrations. The optical parameters of the thin films were evaluated by measuring their transmittance and reflectance spectra across a wavelength range of 300 to 800 nm. Optical analysis revealed reduced transmittance and reflectance but higher absorption at a 41% WO3 concentration. The absorption coefficient exhibits a redshift in the absorption edge accompanied by a reduction in the energy band gap from 3.75 eV to 3.10 eV as the doping concentration increases. The film with 41% WO3 demonstrated high absorption, low transmittance, and enhanced optical and electrical conductivity. This balance between high conductivity and low transmittance ensures that WO3 doped Nb2O5 thin films can be a suitable material for sensor and solar cell applications. Cyclic voltammetry measurements showed the impact of WO3 doping on cathode current density and total charge density. Remarkably, the best performance was observed for the 41% WO3 doped thin film. Overall, WO3 doping strongly influences the optical and electrochemical properties, indicating that a specific concentration of WO3 in WO3-Nb2O5 mixed oxide thin films holds great potential for electrochromic devices, while also being suitable for use in sensors and solar cells.
The application of quality improvement concepts, strategies, and tools to enhance participation in clinical trials among Latino families
Authors: Malke Keanaan , Hemler Jennifer R. , Lima Daniel , Colon Pablo , Mendoza Caroline , Azcona Naomy , Devine Katie A. , Mackie Thomas I. , Ramachandran Usha , Forbes Darlene , Lucas Michael , Hudson Shawna V. , Jimenez Manuel E. 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Underrepresentation of people from racial and ethnic minoritized groups in clinical trials threatens external validity of clinical and translational science, diminishes uptake of innovations into practice, and restricts access to the potential benefits of participation. Despite efforts to increase diversity in clinical trials, children and adults from Latino backgrounds remain underrepresented. Quality improvement concepts, strategies, and tools demonstrate promise in enhancing recruitment and enrollment in clinical trials. To demonstrate this promise, we draw upon our team’s experience conducting a randomized clinical trial that tests three behavioral interventions designed to promote equity in language and social-emotional skill acquisition among Latino parent–infant dyads from under-resourced communities. The recruitment activities took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, which intensified the need for responsive strategies and procedures. We used the Model for Improvement to achieve our recruitment goals. Across study stages, we engaged strategies such as (1) intentional team formation, (2) participatory approaches to setting goals, monitoring achievement, selecting change strategies, and (3) small iterative tests that informed additional efforts. These strategies helped our team overcome several barriers. These strategies may help other researchers apply quality improvement tools to increase participation in clinical and translational research among people from minoritized groups.
Dilution dysfunction: evaluation of automated disinfectant dispenser systems in 10 hospitals demonstrates a need for improved monitoring to ensure that correct disinfectant concentrations are delivered
Authors: Cadnum Jennifer L. , Kaple Claire E. , Eckstein Elizabeth C. , Saade Elie A. , Ray Amy J. , Zabarsky Trina F. , Guerrero Bernardino J. , Yassin Mohamed H. , Donskey Curtis J. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractAutomated dispensers that dilute concentrated disinfectants with water are commonly used in healthcare facilities. In a point-prevalence product evaluation, 9 of 10 (90%) hospitals using dilutable disinfectants had 1 or more malfunctioning dispensers. Twenty-nine of 107 (27.1%) systems dispensed product with lower-than-expected concentrations, including 15 (14.0%) with no detectable disinfectant.
Risk of rehospitalization due to Clostridioides difficile infection among hospitalized patients with Clostridioides difficile: a cohort study
Authors: Drwiega Emily N. , Johnson Stuart , Danziger Larry H. , Skinner Andrew M. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractBackground:Reducing rehospitalization has been a primary focus of hospitals and payors. Recurrence of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is common and often results in rehospitalization. Factors that influence rehospitalization for CDI are not well understood.Objective:To determine the risk factors that influence rehospitalization caused by CDI.Design:A retrospective cohort study from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2018, of patients aged ≥18 who tested positive for C. difficile while hospitalized.Setting:Academic hospital.Methods:The risk of rehospitalization was assessed across exposures during and after the index hospitalization using a Cox proportional hazards model. The primary outcome of this study was 60-day CDI-related rehospitalization.Results:There were 559 hospitalized patients with a positive CD test during the study period, and 408 patients were included for analysis. All-cause rehospitalization was 46.1% within 60 days of the index hospital discharge. Within 60 days of discharge, 68 patients developed CDI, of which 72.5% (49 of 68) were rehospitalized specifically for the management of CDI. The risk of rehospitalization in patients with CDI was higher among patients who were exposed to systemic antibiotics ([adjusted hazard ratio] aHR: 2.78; 95% CI, 1.36–5.64) and lower among patients who had post-discharge follow-up addressing C. difficile (aHR: 0.53; 95% CI, 0.28–0.98).Conclusions:Exposure to systemic antibiotics increased the risk of rehospitalization due to CDI, while post-discharge follow-up decreased the risk of rehospitalization due to CDI. Comprehensive transitions of care for hospitalized patients with C. difficile may reduce the risk of CDI-related rehospitalization.