bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A sub‐national HIV epidemic appraisal in Kenya: a new approach for identifying priority geographies, populations and programmes for optimizing coverage for HIV prevention
Authors: Banadakoppa Manjappa Ramesh , Bhattacharjee Parinita , Shaw Souradet Yuh‐Nan , Gitonga Joshua , Kioko Japheth , Songok Franklin , Emmanuel Faran , Arimi Peter , Musyoki Helgar , Masha Ruth Laibon , Blanchard James 
Published: July 2024

AbstractIntroductionThe HIV Prevention 2025 Roadmap, developed by UNAIDS, recommends the adoption of a precision prevention approach focused on priority populations and geographies. With reduction in new HIV acquisitions in many countries, designing a differentiated HIV prevention response, using a Programme Science approach, based on the understanding of the epidemic and transmission dynamics at a sub‐national level, is critical.MethodsTo support strategic planning, an epidemic appraisal at the sub‐national level across 47 counties, with the 2019 population ranging from 0.14 million in Lamu to 4.40 million in Nairobi City, was conducted in Kenya using several existing data sources. Using 2021 Spectrum/EPP/Naomi model estimates of national and sub‐national HIV incidence and prevalence, counties with high HIV incidence and prevalence were identified for geographic prioritization. The size of local key population (KP) networks and HIV prevalence in key and general populations were used to define epidemic typology and prioritize populations for HIV prevention programmes. Analysis of routine programme monitoring data for 2021 was used to assess coverage gaps in HIV prevention programmes, including prevention of vertical transmission, anti‐retroviral therapy, KP programmes, adolescent girls and young women programme, and voluntary male medical circumcision programme.ResultsTen counties with more than 1000 incident acquisitions in 2021 accounted for 57% of new acquisitions. Twenty‐four counties were grouped into the concentrated epidemic type—due to their low prevalence in the general population, high prevalence in KPs and relatively higher density of female sex workers and men who have sex with men populations. Four counties reflected a generalized epidemic, where HIV prevalence was more than 10% and 30%, respectively, among the general and key populations. The remaining 19 counties were classified as having mixed epidemics. Gaps in programmes were identified and counties where these gaps need to be addressed were also prioritized.ConclusionsThe HIV burden in Kenya is unevenly distributed and hence the mix of prevention strategies may vary according to the epidemic typology of the county. Prioritization of programmes based not only on disease burden and epidemic typology, but also on the prevailing gaps in coverage for reducing inequities is a key aspect of this appraisal.
An improved alphaviruses‐specific RT‐qPCR facilitates monitoring and prevention of alphaviruses
Authors: Xie Lyu , Wu YanQin , Jiang JinYong , Zhou HongNing 
Published: July 2024

AbstractMolecular surveillance is vital for monitoring arboviruses, often employing genus‐specific quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR). Despite this, an overlooked chikungunya fever outbreak occurred in Yunnan province, China, in 2019 and false negatives are commonly encountered during alphaviruses screening practice, highlighting the need for improved detection methods. In this study, we developed an improved alphaviruses‐specific RT‐qPCR capable of detecting chikungunya virus, eastern equine encephalitis virus, western equine encephalitis virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, Sindbis virus, Mayaro virus, and Ross River virus with high sensitivity and specificity. The assay identified three chikungunya virus‐positive cases out of 188 sera retrospectively. Later genetic characterization suggested that imported cases from neighboring countries may be responsible for the neglected chikungunya fever outbreak of 2019 in Yunnan. Our findings underscore the value of improved alphaviruses‐specific RT‐qPCR in bolstering alphaviruses surveillance and informing preventive strategies.
The (un)sustainability of rural tourism travel in the Global South: A social practice theory perspective
Authors: Permana Rama , Dickinson Janet , Stoyanova‐Bozhkova Svetla , Smith Angela 
Published: July 2024

AbstractRural tourism transport provision makes sustainable travel challenging as evidenced by studies in the Global North. However, the nature of socio‐environmental challenges is different in the Global South, necessitating attention on resolving these different problems. Social practice theory (SPT) allows greater understanding of travel by considering the interplay between transport form and availability, the tourists' competences to make use of the provision, and the meanings associated with using it. Drawing from 31 semi‐structured interviews with tourists and destination stakeholders, this paper aims to explore and understand tourists' rural travel practices in Bali through a SPT lens to identify sustainable travel opportunities. Destination transport provision has evolved to meet residents' needs for travel and income generation, shaping the options for tourists. Motorbike and car‐rental allow tourists to achieve holiday needs and overcome travel limitations. Regional authorities need to address rural tourism provision deficiencies to tackle socio‐environmental sustainability in rural travel.
Drop in survivorship 13 years after AMIC procedures in aligned knees: A long‐term follow‐up
Authors: Barrera Uso Marc , Boillat Romane , Blümel Stefan , Schwab Joseph M. , Tannast Moritz , Petek Daniel 
Published: July 2024

AbstractPurposeAutologous matrix‐induced chondrogenesis (AMIC) showed promising short‐term results comparable to microfracture. This study aims to assess the 19‐year outcomes of AMIC, addressing the lack of long‐term data.MethodsRetrospective cohort of 34 knees treated with AMIC underwent a 19‐year follow‐up. The primary outcome was AMIC survival, considering total knee arthroplasty as a failure event. Survival analysis for factors that were associated with longer survival of the AMIC was also performed. Clinical and radiological outcome scores were analysed for the AMIC group.ResultsTwenty‐three knees were available for follow‐up analysis. Of these, 14 (61%) underwent revision surgery for total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The mean time was 13.3 ± 2.5 years (range: 9–17 years). Secondary outcomes showed that increased age at surgery (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.05; p = 0.021) and larger defect size (HR: 1.95; p = 0.018) were risk factors for failure. Concomitant proximal tibial osteotomy (HR: 0.22; p = 0.019) was associated with longer survival. The remaining nine knees (39%) were analysed as a single group. The mean clinical score at follow‐up of 18.6 ± 0.9 SD years was 79.5 ± 19.7 SD for the Lysholm score, 1.8 ± 1.5 SD for the visual analog scale score, 74.2 ± 22.4 SD for the KOOS score and a median of 3 (range: 3–4) for the Tegner activity scale.ConclusionsThe mean survival time of 13.3 years indicates the durability of AMIC in properly aligned knees. Nonetheless, despite a 61% conversion to TKA, the knees that persisted until the 19‐year follow‐up remained stable, underscoring the procedure's longevity and consistent clinical outcomes.Level of EvidenceLevel IV.
Safety of a Novel Upper Esophageal Sphincter Balloon Dilator
Authors: Wandell Grace M. , Swartwood Janeth Garcia , Brar Ashar Singh , Postma Gregory N. , Belafsky Peter C. 
Published: July 2024

ObjectiveThe shape of esophageal dilators has not changed in over 350 years. Clinical and animal research suggests that the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) is not round but approximates a kidney shape and that cylindrical dilators may be suboptimal. The Infinity UES Dilation System has been developed specifically for the anatomic configuration of the UES. This study evaluates the safety of the UES‐specific Infinity Dilation System.MethodsAll patients undergoing dilation of the UES between January 1, 2022 and September 1, 2023 were included. Demographics, procedure indication, dilator type, minor adverse events, and major complications were abstracted. Minor adverse events, complications, and maximum dilation dimension (mm) were compared between groups.ResultsA total of 477 patients were included. Eight hundred and seventy‐three total UES dilations were performed. The primary indications for UES dilation were cricopharyngeus muscle dysfunction (43%) and stenosis from radiation toxicity (40%). Twenty‐three percent (202/873) of dilations were performed with an Infinity balloon, 31% (270/873) were performed using two conventional balloons placed side by side, and 46% (401/873) were performed with one singleton conventional balloon. The average maximum dilation dimension was 33 (±4.7) mm for Infinity balloons, 32 (±3.8) mm for two side‐by‐side balloons, and 18 (±3.4) mm for singleton balloons. There were three major complications with conventional balloons and none with Infinity balloons. There were no significant differences in minor adverse events between groups.ConclusionsA UES‐specific esophageal dilator provides a greater maximum dilation dimension and appears to be at least as safe as dilation with a single cylindrical balloon designed to dilate the esophagus.Level of EvidenceLevel 3 Laryngoscope, 2024
A web‐based operational tool for the identification of best practices in European agricultural systems
Authors: Bancheri Marialaura , Basile Angelo , Terribile Fabio , Langella Giuliano , Botta Marco , Lezzi Daniele , Cavaliere Federica , Colandrea Marco , Marotta Luigi , De Mascellis Roberto , Manna Piero , Agrillo Antonietta , Mileti Florindo Antonio , Acutis Marco , Perego Alessia 
Published: July 2024

AbstractUnder the same perspective of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15.3 aiming to restore degraded land and soil, one of the current priorities of the new Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) is to overcome the serious environmental problems raised by intensive agriculture. Despite the steps forward guaranteed by new technologies and innovations (e.g., IoT, precision agriculture), the availability of real operational tools, which could help the member states fulfil the high requirements and expectations of the new CAP and SDGs, is still lacking. To fill this gap, in the H2020 LandSupport project, the web‐based best practice tool was developed to identify, on‐the‐fly, optimized agronomic solutions to help achieve land‐degradation neutrality. The tool's core is the ARMOSA process‐based model, which dynamically simulates the continuum soil–plant–atmosphere, combining several cropping systems, crops, nitrogen fertilization rates, tillage solutions, and crop residue management for specific regions of interest. It provides a synthetic “Best Practice index” to identify the optimized local solutions, which combines the production, nitrate leaching, and SOC_change, according to the end‐user dynamic requests. The tool was implemented for three case studies: Marchfeld Region in Austria, Zala County in Hungary, and Campania Region in Italy, which are representative of a variety of different pedoclimatic conditions. In the present work, we report three possible cases of use in supporting best practices aiming toward soil and water conservation: (i) crop production optimization; (ii) impact of management practices (i.e., cover crops) over soil carbon; (iii) lowering the impact of nitrate leaching.
Insights from land sparing and land sharing frameworks for land productivity degradation governance in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, China
Authors: Qian Jiacheng , Zhao Huafu , Wang Xiaoxiao , Wang Tao , Liu Bingrui , Feng Zhe , Xue Chenli 
Published: July 2024

AbstractLand degradation due to mismanagement is widespread globally and may threaten the achievement of several UN Sustainable Development Goals. Yet the differences in land productivity degradation under various land management patterns (land sparing vs. land sharing) are poorly known. In this research, we used remote sensing data to develop a machine learning model for assessing the risk of land productivity degradation and interpreted the model using state‐of‐the‐art interpretable artificial intelligence techniques. In 2018, the risk level of land productivity degradation in the agricultural production space of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration (YRD) was 0.230. More than half of the area was at low risk (68.19% of the area), mainly in mountainous and hilly areas. The degradation risk of the land sharing management pattern is lower than that of the land sparing pattern, but there are significant differences among provinces/municipalities. The four most influential factors for land productivity degradation in YRD were Normalized Vegetation Difference Index, nighttime light, elevation, and nitrogen deposition, which together explained 72.75% of the degradation risk. This study provides a methodological framework for land degradation governance in emerging urban agglomerations. It strongly recommends that policymakers explore locally appropriate land management patterns based on regional contexts.
Topological Laser in Anomalous Quadrupole Topological Phases
Authors: Lu Guangtai , Ota Yasutomo , Iwamoto Satoshi 
Published: July 2024

AbstractTopological photonics shows considerable promise in revolutionizing photonic devices through the use of topological phases, leading to innovations like topological lasers that enhance light control. One of the recent breakthroughs is reducing the size of these systems by utilizing lower‐dimensional boundary states, notably via higher‐order topological phases. This paper presents the experimental demonstration of a topological laser in an anomalous quadrupole topological phase, an instance of higher‐order phases. To facilitate this, a topological nanocavity with a quality factor near 6000 is engineered through a twisting operation. The topological nature of this system is validated by the calculation of nested Wannier centers and the emergency condition of corner states. The experimental observations reveal the manifestation of corner states and the achievement of single‐mode pulsed laser, driven by an optical gain from multiple quantum wells at telecommunication wavelengths and a temperature of 4 K. A lasing threshold of 23 µW and a cold quality factor of 1500 are deduced through rate equation. This work gives a new potential in the application of topological principles to advance nanophotonic technologies.
Light‐Guided Genetic Scissors Based on Phosphorene Quantum Dot
Authors: Chen Zhi , Huang Hao , Deng Jiefeng , Meng Changle , Zhang Yule , Fan Taojian , Wang Lude , Sun Shuo , Liu Yi , Lin Huiling , Li Shuang , Bai Yunpeng , Gao Lingfeng , Qu Junle , Fan Dianyuan , Zhang Xueji , Zhang Han 
Published: July 2024

AbstractGenetic engineering faces persistent challenges in achieving precise Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) cleavage, especially with the limitations associated with current enzyme‐based methods, exemplified by issues in CRISPR technologies. This study introduces a groundbreaking approach: utilizing reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by Multiphoton Absorption (MPA)‐excited Black Phosphorus Quantum Dots (BPQDs) under femto‐second laser irradiation. This innovative method not only allows excitation with lower energy but also enhances overall efficiency. The integration of complementary RNA sequences facilitates high‐efficiency, site‐selective DNA cleavage in the system, named “TADPOLE” (Targeted DNA Precision Oriented Laser Excision). Beyond its precision in targeting arbitrary DNA sequences using quantum dots, TADPOLE harnesses the unique multiphoton absorption property of BPQDs, enabling excitation with lower‐energy light sources suitable for in vivo applications in the future. Moreover, the approach integrates guiding RNA and ultrafast laser technology to provide precise control over local ROS generation and minimal heat production. This guarantees site‐specific DNA cleavage while mitigating the risk of damage to non‐targeted sequences. In summary, this study catalyzes advancements in enzyme‐free DNA cleavage technologies, with transformative implications for genetic engineering, biotechnology, and medicine. The holistic precision, versatility, and endurance presented by TADPOLE open new avenues for targeted gene therapies and transformative applications in related fields.
Tissue‐engineered vascular grafts for cardiovascular disease management: Current strategies, challenges, and future perspectives
Authors: Das Kuntal Kumar , Tiwari Ruchi Mishra , Shankar Om , Maiti Pralay , Dubey Ashutosh Kumar 
Published: July 2024

AbstractCardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality which primarily occurs due to the blood vessel obstruction or narrowing. Surgical procedures such as, coronary artery and peripheral artery bypass grafting frequently require vascular grafts for long‐term revascularization. However, using autogenous vessels, such as the internal thoracic artery and saphenous vein, especially for vessels with diameters less than 6 mm, are associated with number of concerns due to limited availability, invasive retrieval procedures, and aptness. To overcome these limitations, the development of tissue‐engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) is in continuous thrust. This review comprehensively provides the potentiality of a range of artificial and naturally occurring biopolymers and their fabrication techniques, cell sources and seeding techniques to realize the state‐of‐the‐art TEVGs. Moreover, this review article presents a synopsis of insights obtained from a variety of in vitro and in vivo studies, including human clinical trials. It underscores the need for further exploration into key areas such as optimal cell sources, seeding techniques, mechanical properties, hemodynamics, graft integration, the impact of patient conditions, optimum burst pressure, sufficient suture strength, hydrophilicity, biodegradability, and related factors. In summary, the review offers insights into the current strategies, challenges, and future perspectives of TEVG.
Refining the PROMETHEE‐scoring method: Propositions and an economic freedom assessment
Authors: Matos Igor Danilo Costa , Gomes Costa Helder , Roboredo Marcos , Lima Diogo 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThe recent PROMETHEE‐Scoring approach offers a method for generating cardinal scores through an outranking procedure utilizing Stochastic Multicriteria Acceptability and – analysis. In this paper, we illustrate some undesirable effects of this method and explore possible approaches to address them. First, we modify the original LP by inserting a new constraint that limits negative impacts caused by alternatives with low flow mean and standard deviation. Also, clustering is used to identify outliers in the decision matrix that may induce undesirable effects. A toy example demonstrates the issues and explores the proposed implementations. In addition, a numerical application is presented where a set of countries is ordered based on criteria from an economic freedom assessment. Both the numerical application and the toy example show that the propositions can improve the consistency of the results and prevent inconsistent outputs. The results include comparisons between the rank of alternatives when using purely the PROMETHEE‐Scoring method, the proposed improvements, and the expected results from SMAA‐PROMETHEE.
Technical note: Can photon‐counting CT improve PET/CT's quantitative accuracy?
Authors: Hamill James , Birge Noah , O'Doherty Jim , Nye Jonathon , Elojeimy Saeed 
Published: July 2024

AbstractBackgroundLinear attenuation coefficients (LACs) in positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (PET/CT) are derived from CT scans that utilize energy‐integrating detectors (EID‐CT). These LACs are inaccurate when iodine contrast has been injected. Photon counting detector CT (PCD‐CT) may be able to improve the accuracy.PurposeTo investigate whether PCD‐CT can improve PET/CT quantitative accuracy.MethodsTwo experiments were performed: one with CT only and one that combined PET and CT. The first experiment used an electron density phantom whose inserts were imaged with EID‐CT and PCD‐CT. The inserts simulated normal human tissues, including bone and iodinated blood. In the case of PCD‐CT, virtual‐monoenergetic images at 190 keV were created. LACs were derived in each case and compared against known values. For inserts with iodine, more accurate LACs were expected with PCD‐CT. The second experiment involved a custom PET phantom with various materials simulating human tissues (blood, iodinated blood, and bone) and 18F radioactivity. Data were first acquired with an EID‐CT‐based PET/CT system and then separately in a PCD‐CT system without PET. PET images were reconstructed using LAC from EID‐CT and PCD‐CT. PET image values were compared against known activity values using recovery coefficients (RC).ResultsIn the first experiment, LAC based on EID‐CT were in error by as much as 18%, whereas the corresponding PCD‐CT based measurements were within 3%. In the second experiment, minimum, maximum, and mean RC were (96.1%, 115.4%, and 103.8%) for the EID‐CT method, and (95.8%, 105.5%, and 101.0%) for the PCD‐CT method. The consistency of PET images in body and head orientations was improved.ConclusionsPCD‐CT can acquire the information needed for accurate LAC for PET reconstruction in a single spiral acquisition.
Solving a class of infinite‐dimensional tensor eigenvalue problems by translational invariant tensor ring approximations
Authors: Van Beeumen Roel , Periša Lana , Kressner Daniel , Yang Chao 
Published: July 2024

AbstractWe examine a method for solving an infinite‐dimensional tensor eigenvalue problem , where the infinite‐dimensional symmetric matrix exhibits a translational invariant structure. We provide a formulation of this type of problem from a numerical linear algebra point of view and describe how a power method applied to is used to obtain an approximation to the desired eigenvector. This infinite‐dimensional eigenvector is represented in a compact way by a translational invariant infinite Tensor Ring (iTR). Low rank approximation is used to keep the cost of subsequent power iterations bounded while preserving the iTR structure of the approximate eigenvector. We show how the averaged Rayleigh quotient of an iTR eigenvector approximation can be efficiently computed and introduce a projected residual to monitor its convergence. In the numerical examples, we illustrate that the norm of this projected iTR residual can also be used to automatically modify the time step to ensure accurate and rapid convergence of the power method.