bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Five-year outcomes of a randomized controlled trial evaluating a non-adjustable ring in Roux-en-Y gastric bypass
Authors: Okkema Sietske , Boerboom Abel , den Hengst Willem , Aarts Edo , Berends Frits , Hazebroek Eric 
Published: February 2025

Abstract

Background
Several retrospective studies suggest that adding a non-adjustable silicone ring to a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) results in more weight loss and prevents weight regain in the long term. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a banded Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (B-RYGB) on weight loss outcomes in a randomized controlled trial (RCT).

Methods
In this single center RCT, 130 patients were divided into two groups: a standard Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (S-RYGB) or a B-RYGB using a Minimizer® ring. Subsequently, weight loss, morbidity, reduction of obesity-associated medical conditions, quality of life (QoL), and complication rates were measured during a follow-up period of five years. A two-sided p < 0.05 (with 95% confidence interval) indicated statistical significance.

Results
After five years, mean percentage total body weight loss (%TBWL) was 30.5% in the S-RYGB versus 31.8% in the B-RYGB group (p > 0.05). The follow-up percentage was 81%. Overall, no significant differences in complication rates, resolution of obesity-associated medical conditions, and QoL were found between the two groups. In the B-RYGB group, 8 (12%) silicone rings were removed due to symptoms of dysphagia.

Conclusion
B-RYGB is a safe procedure showing similar comorbidity when compared to a S-RYGB. However, B-RYGB led to a higher rate of postoperative dysphagia which poses a risk of ring removal over time. The results from this RCT do not support the hypothesis that implantation of a non-adjustable silicone ring improves long-term weight loss outcomes.

Graphical abstract
Diagnostic accuracy and cut-off values of serum leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein for Crohn’s disease activity in the small bowel
Authors: Okita Muneyori , Takenaka Kento , Hirai Fumihito , Ashizuka Shinya , Iijima Hideki , Bamba Shigeki , Fujii Toshimitsu , Watanabe Kenji , Shimodaira Yosuke , Shiga Hisashi , Hiraoka Sakiko , Inokuchi Toshihiro , Yamamura Takeshi , Emoto Ryo , Matsui Shigeyuki 
Published: February 2025

Abstract

Background
Small bowel (SB) lesions in Crohn’s disease (CD) are often asymptomatic despite being highly active. Fecal calprotectin (FC) is the most widely used biomarker of CD activity, but its drawbacks include a large intra-individual sample variability and the burden of collecting stool samples. Meanwhile, serum leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein (LRG) has recently attracted attention as a biomarker that can address the limitations of FC. This study determined the diagnostic accuracy of LRG and its cut-off values for diagnosing CD activity in SB.

Methods
This was a retrospective, multi-center study of CD patients undergoing retrograde balloon-assisted endoscopy. For ileal- and ileocolonic-type patients with a colon SES-CD score of 0, we estimated the receiver operating characteristic curve of LRG and determined the cut-off value to achieve a target sensitivity level of 80%.

Results
Among 285 patients with SB lesions, LRG had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.72 (95% CI 0.67–0.78) with a sensitivity of 80.2% and specificity of 47.2% for a cut-off value of 10.5 when diagnosing endoscopic remission (modified SES-CD ≤ 3), while it had an AUC of 0.72 (95% CI 0.65–0.78) with a sensitivity of 81.2% and specificity of 46.2% for a cut-off value of 10.1 when diagnosing complete ulcer healing (modified SES-CD ≤ 1).

Conclusion
LRG was effective for diagnosing CD activity in SB, specifically with cut-off values of 10.5 and 10.1 for endoscopic remission and complete ulcer healing, respectively. A future prospective validation study will assess its clinical utility.

Graphical abstract
A note on Weyl’s equidistribution theorem
Authors: Yifrach Yuval 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
H. Weyl proved in Weyl (Eins Math Ann 77(3):313–352, 1916) that integer evaluations of polynomials are equidistributed mod 1 whenever at least one of the non-free coefficients (namely a coefficient of a monomial of degree at least 1) is irrational. We use Weyl’s result to prove a higher dimensional analogue of this fact. Namely, we prove that evaluations of polynomials on lattice points are equidistributed mod 1 whenever at least one of the non-free coefficients is irrational. This result improves the main result of Arhipov et al. (Mat Zametki 25(1):3–14, 157, 1979). We prove this analogue as a corollary of a theorem that guarantees equidistribution of grid evaluations mod 1 for all functions which satisfy some restraints on their derivatives. Another corollary we prove is that for

$$p\in (1,\infty )$$

p
∈
(
1
,
∞
)

the

$$\ell ^p$$

ℓ
p

norms of integer vectors are equidistributed mod 1.
Untersuchung des Einflusses von virtuellem Training auf den kurz- und mittelfristigen Lernerfolg in der gefäßchirurgischen Ausbildung
Authors: Bonietzki Alexandra , Bürger Matthias , Hoffmann Grischa , Rusch Melanie , Rusch René , Berndt Rouven 
Published: February 2025

Zusammenfassung

Hintergrund und Fragestellung
Aufgrund von begrenzten operativen Trainingsmöglichkeiten in der gefäßchirurgischen Ausbildung besteht die Notwendigkeit für innovative Lehrkonzepte. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht daher den Lernerfolg nach virtuellen Trainingseinheiten zum Erlernen von mikrochirurgischen Techniken.

Material und Methoden
Innerhalb von 11 Monaten nahmen 10 Proband*innen an einem standardisierten mikrochirurgischen Training teil. Fünf der zehn Proband*innen absolvierten ein virtuelles Trainingsmodul. Fünf Proband*innen absolvierten stattdessen eine klassische theoretische Lerneinheit mit einem Senior-Instructor aus der Gefäßchirurgie. Anschließend erfolgte das identische mikrochirurgische Training im mikrochirurgischen „wet lab“. Der kurz- und mittelfristigen Lernerfolg wurde anhand von drei Lernkontrollen (Tag 1, Woche 1, Woche 4) untersucht.

Ergebnisse
Die VT-Gruppe zeigte eine signifikant (p < 0,05) höhere Erfolgsrate (98,48 %) bei der Durchführung der praktischen Übung im mikrochirurgischen „wet lab“ gegenüber der Non-VT-Gruppe (90,28 %). Bei der Untersuchung des kurz- und mittelfristigen Lernerfolges repetierte die VT-Gruppe nach 4 Wochen die erlernten Inhalte mit einer Erfolgsrate von 95 % im Gegensatz zu 82,5 % in der Non-VT-Gruppe. Bei der benötigen Zeit zur Durchführung der praktischen Übungen konnten keine signifikanten Unterschiede festgestellt werden.

Diskussion
Es konnte ein möglicher positiver Einfluss des selbstständig durchgeführten virtuellen Trainings auf den kurz- und mittelfristigen Lernerfolg von praktischen und theoretischen Inhalten gezeigt werden. Bei der praktischen Durchführung der Übungen konnte möglicherweise durch das virtuelle Training das Einhalten der korrekten Operationsabläufe positiv beeinflusst werden.

Graphic abstract
Co-designing critical thinking in health professional education: a 360 immersive environment case study
Authors: Stretton T. , Cochrane T. , Sevigny C. , Stander J. , Merolli Mark 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
Critical thinking is essential in health disciplines though is reportedly underdeveloped in student health professionals. Immersive mobile extended reality (mXR) may facilitate critical thinking in health education though has not yet been fully explored. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of co-designing a virtual environment on the facilitation of critical thinking in health education students. Second-year graduate-entry Doctor of Physiotherapy students (n = 25) co-designed health-related case scenarios over six weeks in a web-based 360-degree immersive environment. This included embedding exercise prescription videos that incorporated prompts for critical thinking of a target population. The evaluation included pre- and post-evaluation surveys, the Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT-N) and the System Usability Scale (SUS). The results of this study demonstrated a positive effect on critical thinking skills- particularly in analysis, interpretation, inference, deduction, numeracy and overall (p < .05). Participants reported favourable perceptions of mXR usability and the learning experience, although challenges such as cybersickness and technical complexities were noted. Peer feedback suggested that the virtual environment promoted engagement and authenticity in learning. Recommendations for future iterations include enhancing population representation, addressing challenges in system usability, and refining instructional design elements. Overall, the study demonstrates the potential of mobile immersive reality to enhance critical thinking and foster authentic learning experiences in health education. Further design principles and implications for research design are proposed in the study.
Haptoglobin as a novel predictor of visceral involvement and relapse in adult IgAV patients
Authors: Bajželj Matija , Visočnik Nina , Poljšak Katjuša Mrak , Hladnik Matjaž , Lakota Katja , Hočevar Alojzija 
Published: February 2025

Abstract

Introduction
IgA vasculitis (IgAV) can present as skin-limited or systemic disease, which can be severe in adults. Predictive markers for visceral involvement are suboptimal. Considering haptoglobin’s role as an acute phase reactant, we evaluated whether its differential expression in IgAV patients’ skin and leukocytes is also reflected systemically in a larger cohort of adult IgAV patients. Additionally, soluble form of haptoglobin scavenger receptor CD163 was measured in IgAV patient serum.

Methods
We re-analyzed RNA sequencing data from leukocytes and skin biopsies of treatment-naïve adult IgAV patients: (1) IgAV nephritis (n = 3), (2) skin-limited IgAV (n = 3), and healthy controls (n = 3). Haptoglobin serum level was measured in 178, and haptoglobin genotyping was performed in 91 treatment-naïve adult IgAV patients. Serum sCD163 was measured in 60 IgAV patients and 22 HC.

Results
Transcriptomic data of leukocytes and skin of IgAV nephritis patients identified haptoglobin as a hub gene, based on protein–protein interaction network. Haptoglobin serum level was elevated in IgAV patients with nephritis or gastrointestinal involvement compared to other IgAV patients. Patients who relapsed during follow-up had decreased haptoglobin serum level at disease presentation compared to non-relapsing patients. Haptoglobin genotyping did not show differences between genotype groups regarding clinical presentation and laboratory parameters. Serum sCD163 was significantly higher in IgAV nephritis patients compared to HC.

Conclusion
We identified haptoglobin as a novel marker of visceral involvement and relapse in adult IgAV, while sCD163 is linked to renal involvement. Further studies will confirm the clinical utility of haptoglobin as biomarker in IgAV.

Key Points• Haptoglobin expression is upregulated in leukocytes and skin of adult IgAV with renal involvement.• Haptoglobin serum level is elevated in IgAV patients with visceral involvement.• Patients with IgAV relapse have lower haptoglobin at disease presentation.
Neurologic features in hospitalized patients with COVID-19: a prospective cohort in a catalan hospital
Authors: Barrachina-Esteve Oriol , Anguita A. , Reverter A. , Espinosa J. , Lafuente C. , Rubio-Roy M. , Crosas M. , Vila-Sala C. , Acero C. , Navarro M. , Cánovas D. , Ribera G. , Jodar M. , Estela J. 
Published: February 2025

Abstract

Objectives
To study the prevalence and timing of neurological manifestations, including cognitive involvement, in patients hospitalized for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To analyze the pathogenic mechanisms and any association they have with disease severity.

Methods
Longitudinal cohort study with prospective follow-up of patients who required hospitalization. Patients under 65 who had no pre-existing cognitive impairment and did not require an ICU stay were evaluated 3 and 12 months after discharge using a battery of neuropsychological tests.

Results
Of 205 patients hospitalized for COVID-19, 153 (74.6%) presented with neurological manifestations. The most frequent were myalgia (32.7%), headache (31.7%), dysgeusia (29.2%), and anosmia (24.9%). Patients with more severe illness at the time of hospitalization presented fewer neurological manifestations. Of the 62 patients who underwent neuropsychological examination 3 months after discharge, 22.6% had impaired attention, 19.4% impaired working memory, 16.1% impaired learning and retrieval, 9.7% impaired executive functions, and 8.2% impaired processing speed. Patients with anosmia also presented with more headache (OR 5.45; p < 0.001) and greater risk of working memory impairment (OR 5.87; p 0.03). At follow-up 12 months after hospital discharge, 14.3% of patients still showed impaired attention, 2.4% impaired working memory, 2.5% impaired executive functions, and 2.5% impaired processing speed.

Discussion
Neurological manifestations are common in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 regardless of severity. The high prevalence of anosmia and its association with headache and working memory impairment at 3 months, suggest potential direct or indirect damage to the prefrontal cortex via invasion of the olfactory bulb by COVID-19.
Transanal repair of anastomotic leakage after oncologic low anterior resection: a prospective cohort
Authors: Lossius W. , Stornes T. , Bernstein T. E. , Wibe A. 
Published: February 2025

Abstract

Background
Anastomotic leakage is a common complication after low anterior resection for rectal cancer, often resulting in a permanent stoma. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of early detection, sepsis control, and transanal repair in managing anastomotic leakage.

Methods
In this prospective cohort study conducted from January 2018 to June 2022 at a Norwegian university hospital, patients undergoing resectional surgery for rectal cancer were assessed for anastomotic leaks. Early detection involved CT with rectal contrast and flexible endoscopy. Repair eligibility required involvement of less than half the anastomotic circumference and no ischemia or retraction of the colon. The cavity outside the anastomotic defect was cleaned using a catheter for intermittent irrigation or endoluminal vacuum therapy. A diverting stoma was created, and a transabdominal pelvic drain was inserted if not already present. Once sepsis was controlled and the cavity was clean, the defect was sutured using a transanal minimally invasive surgery access platform or an open transanal technique, based on anastomosis level. Healing was confirmed via computed tomography (CT) with rectal contrast and rigid proctoscopy before reversing diverting stomas, and again at 12 months. A supplementary video demonstrates the technique.

Results
Of 22 identified anastomotic leaks, 11 underwent transanal repair, resulting in healed anastomosis for nine patients and restored bowel continuity for eight. Among these, five reported major low anterior resection syndrome. Median hospital stay was 20 days, with no 90-day mortality.

Conclusions
This anastomosis-preserving approach for treating anastomotic leakage shows promise, potentially preserving bowel function and reducing permanent stoma rates.
Speeding-up fuzzing through directional seeds
Authors: Koffi Koffi Anderson , Kampourakis Vyron , Kolias Constantinos , Song Jia , Ivans Robert C. 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
Fuzzing is an automated process for discovering inputs in a program that may trigger unexpected behavior. Today, fuzzing has become a standard practice for the discovery of bugs and security vulnerabilities. However, the main issue with such practices is that the exploration of the input space of programs can often be prohibitively expensive. Therefore, several alternative fuzzing strategies have been introduced during the last few years. Some fuzzing techniques rely on human expertise to provide a plausible set of initial input examples, namely, seeds. However, the process of handcrafting seeds for fuzzing purposes often becomes strenuous for humans as it requires a deeper understanding of the Program-Under-Test (PUT). Also, the use of known inputs to programs often does not trigger vulnerable program behavior or may not reach potentially vulnerable code locations. To address those issues, we propose a seed generation framework that enables Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) directed fuzzing where the human assumes a more active role in the creation of seeds that can penetrate and assess desired locations of the PUT. Our proposed framework uses Symbolic Execution (SE) to generate seeds that exercise paths to target program locations. Moreover, our framework enables the visualization of the explored execution paths in the binary of the PUT for the generated seeds. We evaluated our approach on a set of 12 carefully designed C programs with diverse characteristics that mimic real-world programs. The experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach in improving the performance of standard fuzzing tools such as the American Fuzzy Lop ("Image missing"). Specifically, our solution can generate seeds that substantially enhance the performance of the fuzzer, achieving speedups ranging from

$$1.46\times $$

1.46
×

to

$$68.53\times $$

68.53
×

for branch conditions,

$$1.39\times $$

1.39
×

to

$$254.62\times $$

254.62
×

for branch depths,

$$14,879.59\times $$

14
,
879.59
×

to

$$30,295.88\times $$

30
,
295.88
×

for branch widths over traditional seeds. Additionally, the speedup increases with the number of target function ranging from

$$12,260\times $$

12
,
260
×

to

$$22,856.07\times $$

22
,
856.07
×

over traditional seeds while only requiring less than 15 seconds on average for the seed generation step.
The Formal Structure(s) of Analogical Inference
Authors: Gebharter Alexander , Osimani Barbara 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
Recently, Dardashti et al. (Stud Hist Philos Sci Part B Stud Hist Philos Mod Phys 67:1–11, 2019) proposed a Bayesian model for establishing Hawking radiation by analogical inference. In this paper we investigate whether their model would work as a general model for analogical inference. We study how it performs when varying the believed degree of similarity between the source and the target system. We show that there are circumstances in which the degree of confirmation for the hypothesis about the target system obtained by collecting evidence from the source system goes down when increasing the believed degree of similarity between the two systems. We then develop an alternative model in which the direction of the variation of the degree of confirmation always coincides with the direction of the believed degree of similarity. Finally, we argue that the two models capture different types of analogical inference.
Tail classification using non-linear regression on model plots
Authors: Beirlant Jan , Bladt Martin 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
Selecting an appropriate statistical model is a crucial initial step in various statistical analyses, particularly when estimating extreme values. Empirical plots, such as Pareto, log-normal, and Weibull plots, serve as valuable tools for visualising the data and identifying patterns that can suggest a suitable model. Focusing on probability plots, we apply non-linear regression so as to enable the visualisation of extreme data in terms of their compatibility with widely accepted tail models. We further develop asymptotic theory for the non-linearity parameter, which, in turn, allows us to formalise classification procedures to distinguish between specific sets of tail models. The finite sample behaviour is investigated with simulations and illustrated on real data comprised of weekly maxima of hourly precipitation measures at different weather stations in France.
State-Level Spending on Children Associated with Unequal Benefits to School Readiness
Authors: Morrissey Taryn W. , Engel Katherine , Jackson Margot I. 
Published: February 2025

Abstract

Objectives
To examine associations between state-level public investments in programming for children and parents’ reports of their children’s kindergarten readiness.

Methods
We use regression approaches with publicly available, nationally representative data to examine how time and state variation in public spending on children relates to parents’ concerns about children’s development. We link data on annual state-level spending on health and early learning from the Urban Institute’s State-by-State Spending on Kids Dataset and the National Institute for Early Education Research to child-level data from the 2003/2004, 2007/2008, and 2011/2012 waves of the National Survey of Children’s Health (NCHS), focusing on a subsample of parents with one or more children under age six (N = 56,736).

Results
Child-related public spending on both health and early education is associated with decreases in parents’ concerns about their children’s physical health and motor development. A 15% increase in average health spending and early education spending per child per year is associated with a reduction in parents’ concerns about children’s health and motor development of about 3% and 2% of a standard deviation (SD), respectively. Associations between spending and concerns about early learning and social-emotional development are negative but not significant. Among socioeconomically disadvantaged or racial and ethnic minority parents, spending is associated with smaller reductions in concerns.

Conclusions for Practice
Public spending on children is associated with fewer parents’ concerns about their children’s development, but less so among disadvantaged families. It is possible that public spending levels are not adequate to narrow disparities in early opportunity and outcomes.
Riding with strangers: profiling potential users and refusers of shared autonomous vehicles in Swedish cities
Authors: Dolins Sigma , Karlsson MariAnne , Smith Göran , Strömberg Helena 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
In exploring the societal readiness for shared autonomous vehicles (SAVs) in Swedish cities, this study profiles two distinct user groups—potential users and refusers—based on their willingness to share rides with strangers. By analyzing responses from a significant sample in Stockholm and Gothenburg, the study reveals key traits of these groups: potential users tend to be progressive, environmentally conscious men with public transport habits and positive experiences with AVs, while refusers are often women with traditional values, less formal education, and a preference for private cars, exhibiting concerns about safety and privacy. The research underscores the necessity of addressing the unique concerns of refusers to foster broader acceptance of SAVs. It highlights the potential of SAVs to revolutionize urban transport if societal concerns are aptly managed through policy and education, leveraging positive public transport experiences as a gateway to shared autonomous mobility.
Role of Public Justification in pledge to policy linkage: Evidence from India’s Uniform Civil Code
Authors: Mariam Sania 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
The paper examines the public justifications regarding the contentious pledge of the Uniform Civil Code versus Personal Laws in India, from its historical evolution to the deliberative processes followed in the transition from pledge to policy. Using a Habermasian framework of deliberative democracy, the study empirically maps the public reasons provided by various stakeholders, including political parties, religious organizations, and civil society groups, spanning the period from 1947 to 2023. The findings reveal diverse arguments for and against the UCC, mostly anchored in shared constitutional values. While proponents emphasize national integration and gender equality, opponents advocate for cultural diversity and religious freedom. The contentious nature of the pledge highlights the broader ideological conflicts and the necessity for consensus-building through public deliberation to achieve democratic legitimacy.