bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Patient and public involvement and engagement in the ASCEND PLUS trial: reflections from the design of a streamlined and decentralised clinical trial
Authors: El-Nayir Muram , Wijesurendra Rohan , Preiss David , Mafham Marion , Tsiotos Leandros , Islam Sadman , Whitehouse Anne , Wilkinson Sophia , Freeman Hannah , Lee Ryonfa , Brudlo Wojciech , Bobby Genna , Jenkins Bryony , Humphrey Robert , Mallorie Amy , Toal Andrew , Barker Elnora C. , Moylan Dianna , Thomson Graeme , Davies Firoza , Khan Hameed , Allotey Ian , Dickie Susan , Roberts John 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Introduction
ASCEND PLUS is a randomised controlled trial assessing the effects of oral semaglutide on the primary prevention of cardiovascular events in around 20,000 individuals with type 2 diabetes in the UK. The trial’s innovative design includes a decentralised direct-to-participant invitation, recruitment, and follow-up model, relying on self-completion of online forms or telephone or video calls with research nurses, with no physical sites. Extensive patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) was essential to the design and conduct of ASCEND PLUS.

Aim
To report the process and conduct of PPIE activity in ASCEND PLUS, evaluate effects on trial design, reflect critically on successes and aspects that could have been improved, and identify themes and learning relevant to implementation of PPIE in future trials.

Methods
PPIE activity was coordinated centrally and included six PPIE focus groups and creation of an ASCEND PLUS public advisory group (PAG) during the design phase. Recruitment to these groups was carefully considered to ensure diversity and inclusion, largely consisting of adults living with type 2 diabetes from across the UK. Two members of the PAG also joined the trial Steering Committee. Steering Committee meetings, focus groups, and PAG meetings were conducted online, with two hybrid workshops to discuss PPIE activity and aspects of the trial.

Results
PPIE activity was critical to shaping the design and conduct of ASCEND PLUS. Key examples included supporting choice for participants to either complete the screening/consent process independently online, or during a telephone or video call interview with a research nurse. A concise ‘initial information leaflet’ was developed to be sent with the initial invitations, with the ‘full’ information leaflet sent later to those interested in joining the trial. The PAG reviewed the content and format of participant- and public-facing materials, including written documents, online screening forms, animated videos, and the trial website, to aid clarity and accessibility, and provided input into the choice of instruments to assess quality of life.

Conclusions
PPIE is integral in ASCEND PLUS and will continue throughout the trial. This involvement has been critical to optimising the trial design, successfully obtaining regulatory and ethical approval, and conducting the trial.
Efficacy of denervation for osteoarthritis in the proximal interphalangeal joint (DOP): protocol of a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Swärd Elin M. , Beckman Jonas , Tabaroj Farnoush , Wilcke Maria K. 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Background
Osteoarthritis (OA) contributes increasingly to disability worldwide. There is ample high-quality research on the treatment of knee and hip OA, whereas research on surgical and non-surgical treatment in hand OA is sparse. Limited evidence suggests that education and exercise may improve pain, function, stiffness, and grip strength in hand OA. The established surgical options in hand OA have disadvantages. Prostheses preserve motion but have a high complication rate, whereas fusions decrease function due to limited movement. There is an unmet need for high-quality research on treatment options for hand OA and a need for the development of effective and safe movement-sparing therapies.
This study aims to compare the effects of a motion-preserving surgical treatment (denervation of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint) with a patient education and exercise program on patient-reported outcomes and objective function in painful PIP OA.

Methods
In this parallel-group, two-armed, randomized, controlled superiority trial (RCT), 90 participants are assigned to surgical PIP joint denervation or education and exercise. Pain on load 1 year after intervention is the primary outcome measure. Secondary outcome measures include pain at rest, Patient-Rated Wrist and Hand Evaluation (PRWHE), HQ8 score, EQ5D-5L, objective physical function, complications, two-point discrimination, Mini Sollerman, consumption of analgesics, and the need for further surgery. Assessments are performed at baseline, 3 and 6 months, and 1 year after intervention.

Discussion
There are no previous RCTs comparing surgical and non-surgical treatment in PIP OA. If patient education plus exercise or PIP denervation improve function, these treatments could be implemented as first-line treatment options in PIP OA. However, if denervation does not achieve better results than non-surgical treatment, it is not justified to use in PIP OA.

Trial registration
Prospectively registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05980793) on 8 August 2023. URL https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05980793.
Sand fly blood meal volumes and their relation to female body weight under experimental conditions
Authors: Volfová Věra , Jančářová Magdalena , Volf Petr 
Published: August 2024

﻿Abstract
Background
Sand fly females require a blood meal to develop eggs. The size of the blood meal is crucial for fecundity and affects the dose of pathogens acquired by females when feeding on infected hosts or during experimental membrane-feeding.

Methods
Under standard laboratory conditions, we compared blood meal volumes taken by females of ten sand fly species from four genera: Phlebotomus, Lutzomyia, Migonomyia, and Sergentomyia. The amount of ingested blood was determined using a haemoglobin assay. Additionally, we weighed unfed sand flies to calculate the ratio between body weight and blood meal weight.

Results
The mean blood meal volume ingested by sand fly females ranged from 0.47 to 1.01 µl. Five species, Phlebotomus papatasi, P. duboscqi, Lutzomyia longipalpis, Sergentomyia minuta, and S. schwetzi, consumed about double the blood meal size compared to Migonomyia migonei. The mean body weight of females ranged from 0.183 mg in S. minuta to 0.369 mg in P. duboscqi. In males, the mean body weight ranged from 0.106 mg in M. migonei to 0.242 mg in P. duboscqi. Males were always lighter than females, with the male-to-female weight ratio ranging from 75% (in Phlebotomus argentipes) to 52% (in Phlebotomus tobbi).

Conclusions
Females of most species took a blood meal 2.25–3.05 times their body weight. Notably, the relatively tiny females of P. argentipes consumed blood meals 3.34 times their body weight. The highest (Mbl/Mf) ratios were found in both Sergentomyia species studied; females of S. minuta and S. schwetzi took blood meals 4.5–5 times their body weight. This parameter is substantially higher than that reported for mosquitoes and biting midges.

Graphical Abstract
Climate influences the gut eukaryome of wild rodents in the Great Rift Valley of Jordan
Authors: Khadem Sanaz , Berry David , Al-khlifeh Enas 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Background
The mammalian gut microbiome includes a community of eukaryotes with significant taxonomic and functional diversity termed the eukaryome. The molecular analysis of eukaryotic diversity in microbiomes of wild mammals is still in its early stages due to the recent emergence of interest in this field. This study aimed to fill this knowledge gap by collecting data on eukaryotic species found in the intestines of wild rodents. Because little is known about the influence of climate on the gut eukaryome, we compared the composition of the gut eukaryotes in two rodent species, Mus musculus domesticus and Acomys cahirinus, which inhabit a transect crossing a temperate and tropical zone on the Jordanian side of the Great Rift Valley (GRV).

Methods
We used high-throughput amplicon sequencing targeting the 18S rRNA gene in fecal samples from rodents to identify eukaryotic organisms, their relative abundance, and their potential for pathogenicity.

Results
Nematodes and protozoa were the most prevalent species in the eukaryome communities, whereas fungi made up 6.5% of the total. Sixty percent of the eukaryotic ASVs belonged to taxa that included known pathogens. Eighty percent of the rodents were infected with pinworms, specifically Syphacia obvelata. Eukaryotic species diversity differed significantly between bioclimatic zones (p = 0.001). Nippostrongylus brasiliensis and Aspiculuris tetraptera were found to be present exclusively in the Sudanian zone rodents. This area has not reported any cases of Trichuris infections. Yet, Capillaria infestations were unique to the Mediterranean region, while Trichuris vulpis infestations were also prevalent in the Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian regions.

Conclusions
This study highlights the importance of considering host species diversity and environmental factors when studying eukaryome composition in wild mammals. These data will be valuable as a reference to eukaryome study.

Graphical Abstract
Gut microbiome structure and function in asymptomatic diverticulosis
Authors: Hua Xinwei , McGoldrick Jessica , Nakrour Nour , Staller Kyle , Chung Daniel Chulyong , Xavier Ramnik Joseph , Khalili Hamed 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Background
Colonic diverticulosis, the most common lesion found in routine colonoscopy, affects more than 50% of individuals aged ≥ 60 years. Emerging evidence suggest that dysbiosis of gut microbiota may play an important role in the pathophysiology of diverticular disease. However, specific changes in microbial species and metabolic functions in asymptomatic diverticulosis remain unknown.

Methods
In a cohort of US adults undergoing screening colonoscopy, we analyzed the gut microbiota using shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Demographic factors, lifestyle, and medication use were assessed using a baseline questionnaire administered prior to colonoscopy. Taxonomic structures and metabolic pathway abundances were determined using MetaPhlAn3 and HUMAnN3. We used multivariate association with linear models to identify microbial species and metabolic pathways that were significantly different between asymptomatic diverticulosis and controls, while adjusting for confounders selected a priori including age at colonoscopy, sex, body mass index (BMI), and dietary pattern.

Results
Among 684 individuals undergoing a screening colonoscopy, 284 (42%) had diverticulosis. Gut microbiome composition explained 1.9% variation in the disease status of asymptomatic diverticulosis. We observed no significant differences in the overall diversity of gut microbiome between asymptomatic diverticulosis and controls. However, microbial species Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum and Prevotella copri were significantly enriched in controls (q value = 0.19 and 0.14, respectively), whereas Roseburia intestinalis, Dorea sp. CAG:317, and Clostridium sp. CAG: 299 were more abundant in those with diverticulosis (q values = 0.17, 0.24, and 0.10, respectively). We observed that the relationship between BMI and diverticulosis appeared to be limited to carriers of Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum and Roseburia intestinalis (Pinteraction = 0.09).

Conclusions
Our study provides the first large-scale evidence supporting taxonomic and functional shifts of the gut microbiome in individuals with asymptomatic diverticulosis. The suggestive interaction between gut microbiota and BMI on prevalent diverticulosis deserves future investigations.
Assessing Scotland’s self-sufficiency of major food commodities
Authors: Rathnayaka Shashika D. , Revoredo-Giha Cesar , de Roos Baukje 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Background
Analysis of food self-sufficiency at the regional level helps to better understand its dependency on, and vulnerability to, the food system. Moreover, achieving food self-sufficiency has gained prominence in the present policy agenda to increase resilience to adverse events and lower food resource footprint. Using a novel method, we estimated the food balance sheets of Scotland, the second-largest region in the United Kingdom, and assessed the self-sufficiency of major food commodities for the first time.

Methods
Data from 2003 to 2019 were obtained from Economic Reports on Scottish Agriculture and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)’s family food statistics. Food import and export data are not readily available for Scotland. Therefore, we developed a consumption-based approach to estimate the net trade values of each commodity. We also assessed the contribution of domestic production toward nutrient security.

Results
According to our estimates, Scotland is a net exporter of beef, exporting an average of 51.3 thousand tons per year. It is also a net exporter of cereal (wheat, barley, oats) and potatoes, although this was not always the case between 2003 and 2019. Scotland has a strong level of self-sufficiency in cereals, potatoes, lamb, beef, dairy, and eggs. However, there is room for improvement in achieving self-sufficiency in poultry and pork, where the self-sufficiency ratio is relatively low. Our analysis of nutrient security indicates that wheat and dairy sourced from Scotland play crucial roles in the food supply chain, markedly influencing total energy, dietary protein, and primary dietary fat sources.

Conclusions
Our assessment can serve as a foundation for evidence-based decision-making in Scotland's agricultural and food policy. It offers insights into where investments and support may be needed to enhance domestic production and promote a resilient and sustainable food system. Estimated self-sufficiency ratios provide a more accurate assessment of the extent of food localization in Scotland. The method we developed in this study has the potential to be a valuable tool for future research studies, allowing for the estimation of regional-level food self-sufficiency even when trade data and food balance sheets are unavailable.
Attributional style in Borderline personality disorder is associated with self-esteem and loneliness
Authors: Schulze Anna , Rommelfanger Berit , Schendel Elisabeth , Schott Hannah , Lerchl Aimée , Vonderlin Ruben , Lis Stefanie 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Background
Attributions are the processes by which individuals explain the causes of positive and negative events. A maladaptive attributional style has been associated with reduced self-esteem, psychosocial functioning, and mental health. Although many psychosocial interventions target an individual’s attributional style in mental disorders, studies of its alterations in Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) are sparse. This study aimed to investigate the attributional style in patients with BPD in comparison to healthy control individuals (HC) and its association with self-esteem and psychosocial functioning.

Methods
The participants (32 patients with a diagnosis of BPD, 32 HC, groups were balanced for sex, age and education) assessed their attributional style in regard to locus of control, stability and globality for positive and negative scenarios. Attributional style was compared between groups and linked to self-reports of self-esteem, loneliness and psychosocial functioning in different social domains while controlling for BPD and depressive symptom severity.

Results
Individuals diagnosed with BPD reported a maladaptive attributional style for both positive and negative events. This was found to be strongly related with lower self-esteem and higher levels of loneliness, but not with psychosocial dysfunctions assessed in different social domains. The severity of BPD and depressive symptoms did not fully explain the association of attributional style with self-esteem and loneliness. In contrast, correcting for acute psychopathology actually strengthened the relationship between self-esteem and maladaptive inferring causality for positive events.

Conclusion
The differential association of attributional style for positive and negative events with self-esteem and psychosocial functioning highlights the importance of considering the different facets of inferring causality during psychosocial interventions. Our findings suggest that the significance of cognitive alterations may change with remission of acute BPD and depressive psychopathology, depending on the valence of an event.
Association between dichotomized VASARI feature and overall survival in glioblastoma patients: a single-institution propensity score matching analysis
Authors: Han Yu , Wang Yu-yao , Yang Yang , Qiao Shu-qi , Liu Zhi-cheng , Cui Guang-bin , Yan Lin-feng 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Objectives
This study aimed to investigate the intra- and inter-observer consistency of the Visually Accessible Rembrandt Images (VASARI) feature set before and after dichotomization, and the association between dichotomous VASARI features and the overall survival (OS) in glioblastoma (GBM) patients.

Methods
This retrospective study included 351 patients with pathologically confirmed IDH1 wild-type GBM between January 2016 and June 2022. Firstly, VASARI features were assessed by four radiologists with varying levels of experience before and after dichotomization. Cohen’s kappa coefficient (κ) was calculated to measure the intra- and inter-observer consistency. Then, after adjustment for confounders using propensity score matching, Kaplan-Meier curves were used to compare OS differences for each dichotomous VASARI feature. Next, patients were randomly stratified into a training set (n = 211) and a test set (n = 140) in a 3:2 ratio. Based on the training set, Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was adopted to develop combined and clinical models to predict OS, and the performance of the models was evaluated with the test set.

Results
Eleven VASARI features with κ value of 0.61–0.8 demonstrated almost perfect agreement after dichotomization, with the range of κ values across all readers being 0.874–1.000. Seven VASARI features were correlated with GBM patient OS. For OS prediction, the combined model outperformed the clinical model in both training set (C-index, 0.762 vs. 0.723) and test set (C-index, 0.812 vs. 0.702).

Conclusion
The dichotomous VASARI features exhibited excellent inter- and intra-observer consistency. The combined model outperformed the clinical model for OS prediction.
HyEpiSeiD: a hybrid convolutional neural network and gated recurrent unit model for epileptic seizure detection from electroencephalogram signals
Authors: Bhadra Rajdeep , Singh Pawan Kumar , Mahmud Mufti 
Published: August 2024

AbstractEpileptic seizure (ES) detection is an active research area, that aims at patient-specific ES detection with high accuracy from electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. The early detection of seizure is crucial for timely medical intervention and prevention of further injuries of the patients. This work proposes a robust deep learning framework called HyEpiSeiD that extracts self-trained features from the pre-processed EEG signals using a hybrid combination of convolutional neural network followed by two gated recurrent unit layers and performs prediction based on those extracted features. The proposed HyEpiSeiD framework is evaluated on two public datasets, the UCI Epilepsy and Mendeley datasets. The proposed HyEpiSeiD model achieved 99.01% and 97.50% classification accuracy, respectively, outperforming most of the state-of-the-art methods in epilepsy detection domain.
Assessment of ganglion cell complex thickness and its correlation with retinal sensitivity using microperimetry 6 months after epiretinal membrane surgery
Authors: Cunha Leonardo Provetti , Matos Aline Mota Freitas , Defina Raphael Lucas Sampaio , Costa-Cunha Luciana Virgínia Ferreira , Zacharias Leandro Cabral , Preti Rony Carlos , Monteiro Mário Luiz Ribeiro 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Purpose
To verify the correlation between the full-macular and the ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness measurements and retinal sensitivity (RS) assessed by microperimetry (MP) 6 months after surgical peeling for idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM).

Methods
Forty-three were submitted to pars-plana posterior vitrectomy (PPV) with concomitant peeling of internal limiting membrane (ILM) for idiopathic ERM treatment. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and 3D volumetric high-definition optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging were preoperatively acquired. Six months after the surgery, BCVA, OCT imaging, and RS measured by MP were assessed. For the OCT parameters, we analyzed both the full-macular and the ganglion cell layer complex (GCC) thicknesses. The MP parameters tested were 44 points covering 20 central degrees (6 mm), with direct correspondence with the nine sectors of the OCT-ETDRS map. This approach enables the direct topographic correlation between the structure and functional measurements. The OCT and MP exam measurements were also performed in 43 eyes of age-matched healthy controls. Correlations between BCVA, RS, and OCT parameters were examined.

Results
All patients exhibited a substantial improvement in visual acuity following surgery. The RS parameters were significantly lower in patients compared to the controls. The full-macular thickness measurements were thicker than controls preoperatively and significantly reduced postoperatively; however, remaining significantly higher than controls, in the 4 inner sectors, at the fovea and for the average macular thickness. Preoperative GCC measurements were higher than those in controls. There was a significant reduction in GCC thickness in all sectors postoperatively, especially in the outer sectors, as well as in the average macular thickness. A positive correlation was found between full-macular and GCC thickness and RS postoperatively in several sectors.

Conclusions
Our results demonstrate that ERM peeling can improve visual acuity in the postoperative period. However, RS may not fully restore, remaining significantly lower when compared to the controls. Both full-macular and GCC thickness measurements were reduced 6 months after surgery. However, significant thinning of the GCC thickness was observed when compared to the normal control eyes, indicating the occurrence of some degree of ganglion cell layer atrophy. We have demonstrated significant correlations among various OCT thickness parameters, particularly for GCC measurements. We believe that GCC integrity may play an important role in visual function after ERM surgery, and that MP may help better understand the correlations between structural and functional findings following ERM surgery.
A female advantage in asylum application decisions? A gendered analysis of decisions on asylum applications in Italy from 2008 to 2022
Authors: Ortensi Livia Elisa , Piccitto Giorgio , Morlotti Sara 
Published: August 2024

AbstractWomen constitute over half of the global refugee population, yet they are underrepresented among asylum-seeker applicants in Europe. In this study, we analyse asylum application decisions in Italy between 2008 and 2022 using Eurostat data and a comprehensive set of indicators to assess political conditions and gender discrimination in the applicants’ countries of origin. Our analysis unveils a limited ‘female advantage’ in asylum applications, revealing a complex relationship between gender, country of origin characteristics, and the asylum decision process. Interestingly, the observed advantage for women is contingent on the applicant's country of origin. In countries marked by war, autocracy, or severe discrimination towards women, the gender of the applicants does not significantly correlate with asylum decisions, as recognition rates are high for both men and women. Conversely, women from countries with moderate political and discrimination issues have higher chances of success than men in their asylum applications. The understanding of how gender intersects with other factors in asylum decisions is imperative for developing more equitable asylum policies and practices.