bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exploring factors for predicting colchicine responsiveness in children with PFAPA
Authors: Özaslan Zeynep , Şen Abdulvahap , Uçar Sıla Atamyıldız , Çakan Mustafa , Sanisoğlu Bengisu , Kaya Feray , Otar Yener Gülçin , Demir Ferhat , Tanatar Ayşe , Özdel Semanur , Öztürk Kübra , Şahin Nihal , Sönmez Hafize Emine , Aktay Ayaz Nuray , Sözeri Betül 
Published: July 2024

AbstractPeriodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and cervical adenitis syndrome (PFAPA) are the most common autoinflammatory syndromes in children. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical and laboratory parameters that may predict colchicine responsiveness.This retrospective, multicenter, cross-sectional study involved nine pediatric rheumatology centers from our country., The patients diagnosed with PFAPA were compared on the basis of their responses to colchicine. In the 806 (42.3% female 57.7% male) patients, the most common clinical findings were fever (100%), exudative tonsillitis (86.5%), pharyngitis (80.9%), and aphthous stomatitis (50.5%). The mean attack frequency was 13.5 ± 6.8 attacks per year lasting for a mean of 3.9 ± 1.1 days. Colchicine treatment was attempted in 519 (64.4%) patients, with 419 (80.7%) showing a favorable response. In patients who underwent MEFV gene analysis (70.8%), the most common variant was M694V heterozygous (16.8%). The presence of pharyngitis (p = 0.03, 95% CI 0.885 to 0.994), the presence of arthralgia (p = 0.04, 95% CI 0.169 to 0.958), and having more frequent attacks (p = 0.001, 95% CI 0.028 to 0.748) were found to be associated with colchicine unresponsiveness, whereas the carriage of the M694V variant (p = 0.001, 95% CI 0.065 to 0.242) was associated with colchicine responsiveness.Conclusion: This study identified the presence of pharyngitis, arthralgia, and increased attack frequency in patients with PFAPA as factors predicting colchicine unresponsiveness, whereas the carriage of the M694V variant emerged as a predictor of colchicine responsiveness. Predicting colchicine response at disease onset may facilitate a more effective management of PFAPA.

What is Known:• Colchicine treatment can be used in the prophylaxis of PFAPA disease.• Having the MEFV variant is the most commonly known factor in predicting response to colchicine.

What is New:• The presence of pharyngitis or arthralgia, and more frequent attacks in PFAPA disease were found to be independently associated with colchicine unresponsiveness. • Carrying the M694V variant was identified as the sole factor predicting colchicine responsiveness.
An analysis of the trends in the usage of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme-subsidised cancer drugs in Australia from 2012 to 2022
Authors: Lee Jasmine , Panagiotelis Anastasios , Cairns Rose , Wheate Nial J. 
Published: July 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Cancer treatment remains a significant and escalating healthcare expense worldwide. Although annual reports on total cancer care costs are available, the potential impact of evolving treatment guidelines and the introduction of new drugs on future budgeting remains largely uncertain. The aim of this study was to examine the trends in the use of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)-subsidised cancer drugs in Australia over the past decade.

Methods
PBS codes for all PBS-subsidised cancer drugs that were listed in government-endorsed treatment protocols were obtained and used to retrieve usage data. Their patterns of use, represented by the number of prescriptions (services) processed by Services Australia, were analysed for the period between 2012 and 2022.

Results
The overall prescribing of cancer drugs is outpacing Australia’s population growth, primarily due to an ageing population and the accelerated rise in cancer diagnoses observed over the past decade. From 846 eviQ protocols, 141 cancer drugs were available on the PBS, of which kinase inhibitor (39 drugs) and monoclonal antibody drugs (24 drugs) had the highest increase in use during the study period; 16% and 23% respectively. Of the 8 drug classes, hormonal agents (20 drugs) were the most prescribed.

Conclusion
The utilisation of PBS-listed cancer drugs is increasing faster than population growth, especially for high-cost monoclonal antibody and kinase inhibitor drugs, indicating continued pressure on government spending.
Consensus dynamics under asymmetric interactions in low dimensions
Authors: Bortot Silvia , Marques Pereira Ricardo Alberto , Stamatopoulou Anastasia 
Published: July 2024

AbstractWe consider a set $$N = \{ 1,\ldots ,n \}$$

N
=
{
1
,
…
,
n
}

, $$n\ge 2$$

n
≥
2

, of interacting agents whose individual opinions $$ x_{i}$$

x
i

, with $$i \in N $$

i
∈
N

, take values in some domain $$\mathbb {D}\subseteq \mathbb {R}$$

D
⊆
R

. The interaction among the agents represents the degree of reciprocal influence which the agents exert upon each other and it is expressed by a general asymmetric interaction matrix with null diagonal and off-diagonal coefficients in the open unit interval. The present paper examines the asymmetric generalization of the linear consensus dynamics model discussed in previous publications by the same authors, in which symmetric interaction was assumed. We are mainly interested in determining the form of the asymptotic convergence towards the consensual opinion. In this respect, we present some general results plus the study of three particular versions of the linear consensus dynamics, depending on the relation between the interaction structure and the degrees of proneness to evaluation review of the various individual opinions. In the general asymmetric case, the analytic form of the asymptotic consensual solution $$\tilde{x}$$

x
~

is highly more complex than that under symmetric interaction, and we have obtained it only in two low-dimensional cases. Nonetheless, we are able to write those complex analytic forms arranging the numerous terms in an intelligible way which might provide useful clues to the open quest for the analytic form of the asymptotic consensual solution in higher-dimensional cases.
NeVer2: learning and verification of neural networks
Authors: Demarchi Stefano , Guidotti Dario , Pulina Luca , Tacchella Armando 
Published: July 2024

AbstractNeVer2 is an open-source, cross-platform tool aimed at designing, training, and verifying neural networks. It seamlessly integrates popular learning libraries with our verification backend, offering their functionalities via a graphical interface. Users can design the structure of a neural network by intuitively arranging blocks on a canvas. Subsequently, network training involves specifying dataset sources and hyperparameters through dialog boxes. After training, the verification process entails two steps: (i) incorporating input preconditions and output postconditions via dedicated blocks, and (ii) initiating verification with a simple “push-button” action. To our knowledge, there is currently no other publicly available tool that encompasses all these features. In this paper, we present a comprehensive description of NeVer2, illustrating its complete integration of design, training, and verification through examples. Additionally, we conduct experimental analyses on various verification benchmarks to illustrate the trade-off between completeness and computability using different algorithms. We also include a comparison with state-of-the-art tools such as $$\alpha $$
α
,$$\beta $$
β
-CROWN and NNV for reference.
On zero-divisor graphs of infinite posets
Authors: Halaš Radomír , Pócs Jozef 
Published: July 2024

AbstractIt is known that the so-called Beck’s conjecture, i.e. the equality of the finite clique and chromatic numbers of a zero-divisor graph, holds for partially ordered sets Halaš and Jukl (Discrete Math 309(13):4584–4589, 2009). In this paper we present a simple direct proof of this fact. Also, the case when the finiteness assumption of the clique number is omitted is investigated. We have shown that the conjecture fails in general and a bunch of counterexamples is presented.
Characteristics and outcomes of men with erectile dysfunction as the presenting symptom due to a lactotroph adenoma
Authors: Andereggen Lukas , Tortora Angelo , Schubert Gerrit A. , Musahl Christian , Frey Janine , Stieger Andrea , Kobel Béatrice , Luedi Markus M. , Roethlisberger Michel , Mariani Luigi , Beck Jürgen , Christ Emanuel 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Purpose
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is frequently underreported in men suffering from prolactinomas and can be challenging to manage. Both dopamine agonists (DAs) and transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) correct hyperprolactinemia and restore gonadal function. However, there is scarce data regarding their effectiveness in correcting ED over the long term.

Methods
This study is a retrospective single-center comparative cohort study analyzing men diagnosed with prolactinomas, both with and without confirmed erectile dysfunction (ED) at diagnosis. Independent risk factors for persistent ED over the long term were examined using multivariate logistic regression.

Results
Among the 39 men with lactotroph adenomas, ED was one of the presenting symptoms in 22 (56%). The mean age at diagnosis was 45 ± 12 years. Surgery was the primary treatment in 6 (27%) ED patients and 8 (47%) non-ED patients. After a mean follow-up of 74 ± 48 months, remission from hyperprolactinemia was achieved in the majority (76%) of men: 71% in the non-ED cohort and 81% in the ED group (p = 0.70), regardless of the primary treatment strategy (surgical 84% versus medical 72%, p = 0.46). Long-term remission of ED was noted in 16 (73%) patients. Interestingly, high baseline BMI levels emerged as potential risk factors for persistent ED over the long term (OR 1.4, 95%CI 1.0–1.9; p = 0.04), while neither the initial adenoma size nor the primary treatment strategy (i.e., TSS vs. DAs) reached statistical significance.

Conclusions
Correcting hyperprolactinemia and its associated hypogonadism significantly improves ED in the majority of men with prolactinomas over the long term, regardless of the primary treatment strategy employed. In addition to addressing endocrine deficiencies, the early initiation of weight control programs may be considered for men with lactotroph adenomas and ED. Although our study suggests an association between BMI and the risk of persistent ED, further research is needed to establish any causal relationships.
The Spider: a visual, multisystemic symptom impact questionnaire for people with hypermobility-related disorders—validation in adults
Authors: Ewer E. R. , De Pauw R. , Kazkazk H. , Ninis N. , Rowe P. , Simmonds J. V. , De Wandele I. 
Published: July 2024

Abstract
Introduction
Hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) are often accompanied by varied and complex multisystemic comorbid symptoms/conditions. The Spider questionnaire was developed to evaluate the presence and impact of eight common multisystemic comorbidities. Thirty-one questions across eight symptom domains assess neuromusculoskeletal, pain, fatigue, cardiac dysautonomia, urogenital, gastrointestinal, anxiety, and depression symptoms. This study aimed to evaluate the Spider’s construct validity in adults.

Method
A cross-sectional observational study was conducted over four stages. Three international patient charities aided recruitment of participants through social media and website advertisements. Adults aged 18 to 65 years, with and without HSD/hEDS, were invited to participate. Validated, frequently used comparator questionnaires were used to establish convergent validity of Spider symptom domains. A control group was recruited for known-group validity analysis. Participants answered each Spider domain and the corresponding comparator questionnaire via surveys hosted by REDCap. Anonymous data were analysed using SPSS. Convergent validity was assessed through Spearman’s correlational analysis and known-group validity through Mann–Whitney U analysis.

Results
A total of 11,151 participants were recruited across the four stages. Statistically significant, moderate-to-strong correlations were found between all Spider domains and their comparators (p < 0.001, r = 0.63 to 0.80). Known-group validity analysis showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.001) between the hypermobile and control groups in all eight domains.

Conclusions
Convergent and known-group validity of the Spider was established with adults. These results suggest the Spider can measure the presence and impact of multisystemic comorbid symptoms/conditions in adults with HSD/hEDS, providing a tool which guides multidisciplinary management.

Key Points• The Spider questionnaire is a novel tool assessing the presence and impact of the multisystemic comorbid symptoms/conditions associated with HSD/hEDS.• Convergent and known-group validity of the Spider questionnaire was established in adults aged 18 to 65.• This tool provides a quick and easy method to visualise the symptom profile of those with HSD/hEDS to guide symptom management.
The progress and future of corneal endothelial transplantation
Authors: Shimizu Toshiki , Yamagami Satoru , Hayashi Takahiko 
Published: July 2024

AbstractEndothelial transplantation has recently been accepted worldwide, in the long history of corneal transplantation. The introduction of endothelial keratoplasty (Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty and Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty) has enabled us to expand the surgical indications owing to the low incidence of rejection and quick recovery of visual function. New technologies have been developed to ensure stable postoperative outcomes with a shorter learning curve, such as transplantation using cultured human endothelial cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) or new devices such as artificial endothelium. This review discusses the history and characteristics of corneal transplantation alongside new treatment options that may offer hope for patients with endothelial disease in the future.
Pharmacologic Drug Detection and Self-Reported Adherence in the HPTN069/ACTG5305 Phase II PrEP Trial
Authors: Cooper Stanley E. , Zhang Shuaiqi , Haines Daniel , Mayer Kenneth H. , Amico K. Rivet , Landovitz Raphael J. , Hendrix Craig W. , Marzinke Mark A. , Chege Wairimu , McCauley Marybeth , Gulick Roy M. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractAdherence drives efficacy in PrEP clinical trials. We compared drug concentrations and self-reported adherence in HPTN069/ACTG5305, a double-blinded, randomized trial of the safety and tolerability of candidate PrEP regimens that included maraviroc (MVC), tenofovir (TDF), and emtricitabine (FTC). Plasma drug concentrations and self-reported adherence by computer-assisted self-interview (CASI) were assessed at study weeks 24 and 48. Descriptive statistics and a generalized linear model were used to assess the association between selected demographic factors, self-report of daily medication adherence and plasma drug concentrations consistent with daily adherence. Among 718 paired observations from 370 participants, 43% (306/718) reported daily adherence by CASI, 65% (467/718) had drug concentrations consistent with daily adherence and 11% (81/718) had CASI responses that reported daily adherence despite having drug concentrations consistent with less-than-daily adherence. In adjusted analyses, participants who were assigned male at birth (aOR 1.42 [95% CI 1.02, 1.97]), older (5-year increments aOR 1.10 [95% CI 1.09, 1.11]), White (aOR 2.2 [95% CI 1.88, 2.56]), had advanced education (aOR 3.89 [95% CI 2.97, 5.09]), were employed (aOR 1.89 [95% CI 1.50, 2.40]), or partnered/married (aOR 2 [95% CI 1.72, 2.32]) were more likely to have drug concentrations consistent with daily adherence. Participants who were not employed (aOR 2.7 [95% CI 1.31, 5.55]) or who were single/not partnered (aOR 2.33 [CI 95% 1.25, 4.34]) were more likely to have drug concentrations that did not reflect daily adherence despite self-reported PrEP adherence. These findings support the need for ongoing adherence counseling in clinical trials of new PrEP regimens.
The effects of using hydrolyzed feather meal, amino acids, and probiotics in the diet of juvenile rainbow trout on growth, digestibility, and expression of growth-related genes
Authors: Metin Ömer , Yildiz Mustafa , Eldem Vahap , Adabi Shahram Golzar 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThe study investigated the effect of replacing fishmeal by varying levels of hydrolyzed feather meal (HFM) as well as dietary probiotic supplementation on growth performance, digestibility, histology, and gene expression of juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Five iso-nitrogenous (average of 50.60% crude protein), iso-energetic (average of 21.79 kJ/g), and iso-lipidic (average of 21.86% crude lipid) diets were formulated and fed to triplicate groups of juvenile rainbow trout weighing 29.65 ± 0.39 g (mean ± SD) for 75 days. Dietary treatments included one control (50% fishmeal) and four experimental diets, each containing 2 g/kg probiotics (Lactobacillus plantarum and Bacillus subtilis). The experimental diets included HFM30 (150 g/kg HFM, 9 g/kg lysine, and 4 g/kg methionine), HFM35 (175 g/kg HFM, 11 g/kg lysine, and 5 g/kg methionine), HFM40 (200 g/kg HFM, 13 g/kg lysine, and 6 g/kg methionine), and HFM45 (225 g/kg HFM, 15 g/kg lysine, and 7 g/kg methionine). Up to 40% replacement of fishmeal with HFM showed no significant difference compared to control group in growth performance (P > 0.05). Feed utilization of HFM45 was slightly lower than control and all the other experimental groups. There was no statistically significant difference in FCR value between HFM40 and control groups (P > 0.05). The apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) for protein and amino acids were very high in all groups (P < 0.05). Intestinal mucosa and sub‐mucosa layers of experimental fish showed general tissue integrity with no signs of tissue necrosis. For intestinal morphology, where 45% HFM replacement was applied, villus length to crypt depth (VL to CD) and villus surface area (SA) decreased by 46.01% and 44.44%, respectively, compared to the control group (P < 0.05). This situation shows that intestinal morphology can be damaged when the highest level (HFM45) of feather meal is used. Dietary HFM upregulated growth-related genes such as IGF-II, IGFBP-1b, IGFr1a, GDF9, and FGF2 and downregulated GHR-I and IGF-I. Overall, inclusion of HFM at 40% showed similar results to control group in juvenile rainbow trout feeding.
Chegg’s Growth, Response Rate, and Prevalence as a Cheating Tool: Insights From an Audit within an Australian Engineering School
Authors: Pickering Edmund , Schuller Clancy 
Published: July 2024

AbstractOnline tools are increasingly being used by students to cheat. File-sharing and homework-helper websites offer to aid students in their studies, but are vulnerable to misuse, and are increasingly reported as a major source of academic misconduct. Chegg.com is the largest such website. Despite this, there is little public information about the use of Chegg as a cheating tool. This is a critical omission, as for institutions to effectively tackle this threat, they must have a sophisticated understanding of their use. To address this gap, this work reports on a comprehensive audit of Chegg usage conducted within an Australian university engineering school. We provide a detailed analysis of the growth of Chegg, its use within an Australian university engineering school, and the wait time to receive solutions. Alarmingly, we found over half of audit units had cheating content on Chegg is broadly used to cheat and 50% of questions asked on Chegg are answered within 1.5 h. This makes Chegg an appealing tool for academic misconduct in both assignment tasks and online exams. We further investigate the growth of Chegg and show its use is above pre-pandemic levels. This work provides valuable insights to educators and institutions looking to improve the integrity of their courses through assessment and policy development. Finally, to better understand and tackle this form of misconduct, we call on education institutions to be more transparent in reporting misconduct data and for homework-helper websites to improve defences against misuse.
Effects of the Human Presence among Robots in the ARIAC 2023 Industrial Automation Competition
Authors: Buss Becker Leandro , Downs Anthony , Schlenoff Craig , Albrecht Justin , Kootbally Zeid , Ferrando Angelo , Cardoso Rafael , Fisher Michael 
Published: July 2024

AbstractARIAC is a robotic simulation competition promoted by NIST annually since 2017, aiming to present competitors’ with contemporary industry problems to be solved using agile robotics. For the 2023 competition, ARIAC competitors must perform assembly and kitting tasks by controlling four autonomous ground vehicles (AGVs), one floor-based robot, and one ceiling-based (Gantry) robot in an attempt to overcome a range of agility challenges in the supplied simulated environment, itself based on the Robot Operating System (ROS 2) and Gazebo. The 2023 competition also included a “human” agility challenge, comprising a (simulated) human operator working among robots on the factory floor. This development was motivated by the fact that, while robots and automation play an increasingly significant role in modern manufacturing, there still remains a close relationship between machines and humans. They should complement each other’s strengths and cover each other’s limitations while also observing any required safety rules. For example, the ISO standard “Robots and Robotic Devices – Collaborative robots” (ISO 15066:2016) prescribes the distances required between humans and robots. Within the ARIAC simulation environment, each human operator is controlled using autonomous Belief-Desire-Intention (BDI) agents. At the same time, competitors can monitor the position of each human operator at any time by subscribing to the relevant ROS topic. In this article, we analyse the effects of this (simulated) human presence in the 2023 ARIAC competition and perform a detailed analysis of how the three different human personalities that were implemented affect the assembly tasks undertaken at the four different locations of the assembly stations. Given how the system is currently implemented, it appears that the influence of each encoded personality on the competitors is not as predictable as anticipated. We expand on why this may be a problem when addressing real collaborative spaces involving humans and industrial robots and the improvements that can be undertaken to mitigate the ensuing problems.
Keeping Verticals’ Sovereignty During Application Migration in Continuum
Authors: Kotulski Zbigniew , Nowak Tomasz , Sepczuk Mariusz , Bocianiak Krzysztof , Pawlikowski Tomasz , Podlasek Aleksandra , Wary Jean-Philippe 
Published: July 2024

AbstractCompeting service providers in the cloud environment ensure services are delivered under the promised security requirements. It is crucial for mobile services where user’s movement results in the service’s migration between edge servers or clouds in the Continuum. Maintaining service sovereignty before, during, and after the migration is a real challenge, especially when the service provider has committed to ensuring its quality following the Service Level Agreement. In this paper, we present the main challenges mobile service providers face in a cloud environment to guarantee the required level of security and digital sovereignty as described in the Security Service Level Agreement, with emphasis on challenges resulting from the service migration between the old and new locations. We present the security and sovereignty context intended for migration and the steps of the migration algorithm. We also analyze three specific service migration cases for three vertical industries with different service quality requirements.