bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
XIV—Existence ‘in’ the Mind
Authors: Sethi Umrao 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
We often speak of an entity existing only in the mind, but what exactly do we mean when we speak this way? In this paper, I look at different accounts of what it is for something to exist in the mind. I argue that none of these accounts do justice to a specific set of cases involving sensory phenomena like after-images, phosphenes and hallucinations. When a subject experiences a green after-image, we may say that the greenness that the subject sees exists only in her mind, but if I am right, we have no good account of what this amounts to. I then offer a diagnosis for why standard accounts fail in the case of sensory experience, and outline a more promising approach.
Ultraviolet-induced controlled radical polymerization using titanium dioxide nanoparticles via the reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer process
Authors: Zenke Shuji , Tanaka Tomonari 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Herein, we report the ultraviolet (UV)-induced controlled radical polymerization facilitated by titanium dioxide nanoparticles and trithiocarbonate derivatives, serving as photocatalysts and chain transfer agents, respectively. The polymerization proceeded through a reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) process. The resulting polymers exhibited well-controlled molecular weights and relatively low polydispersity. Additionally, the chain extension reaction via UV-induced RAFT polymerization using titanium dioxide nanoparticles yielded higher molecular weight polymer products.
Kidney transplantation and gut microbiota
Authors: Chen Zehuan , Chang Xinhua , Ye Qianyu , Gao Yifang , Deng Ronghai 
Published: August 2024

ABSTRACT
Kidney transplantation is an effective way to improve the condition of patients with end-stage renal disease. However, maintaining long-term graft function and improving patient survival remain a key challenge after kidney transplantation. Dysbiosis of intestinal flora has been reported to be associated with complications in renal transplant recipients. The commensal microbiota plays an important role in the immunomodulation of the transplant recipient responses. However, several processes, such as the use of perioperative antibiotics and high-dose immunosuppressants in renal transplant recipients, can lead to gut dysbiosis and disrupt the interaction between the microbiota and the host immune responses, which in turn can lead to complications such as infection and rejection in organ recipients. In this review, we summarize and discuss the changes in intestinal flora and their influencing factors in patients after renal transplantation as well as the evidence related to the impact of intestinal dysbiosis on the prognosis of renal transplantation from in vivo and clinical studies, and conclude with a discussion of the use of microbial therapy in the transplant population. Hopefully, a deeper understanding of the function and composition of the microbiota in patients after renal transplantation may assist in the development of clinical strategies to restore a normal microbiota and facilitate the clinical management of grafts in the future.
Effects of SGLT2 inhibitors on parameters of renal venous congestion in intrarenal Doppler ultrasonography
Authors: Wallbach Manuel , Ajrab Jamil , Bayram Bilgin , Pieper Dennis , Schäfer Ann-Kathrin , Lüders Stephan , Delistefani Fani , Müller Dieter , Koziolek Michael 
Published: August 2024

ABSTRACT

Background
Cardiorenal syndrome is a common condition in clinical practice in which renal venous congestion (VC) plays an important role. Intrarenal Doppler ultrasound (IRD) is a non-invasive method to assess and quantify renal VC. The current study aims to investigate the effects of SGLT2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) therapy on IRD parameters of renal VC.

Methods
This prospective observational study included patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus and/or heart failure (HF) with reduced and preserved ejection fraction who had an indication for standard of care SGLT2i therapy. IRD, assessing venous impedance index (VII), and intrarenal venous flow pattern (IRVF) analysis were performed within the interlobar vessels of the right kidney before and 6 months after initiation of SGLT2i therapy.

Results
A number of 64 patients with CKD and a cardiorenal risk profile were included (mean eGFR 42.9 ml/min/1.73 m2; 56% with HF, and 38% with type 2 diabetes mellitus). 17 patients exhibited signs of VC in the IRD. VII was significantly correlated with levels of NT-proBNP, female gender, NYHA class, and was significantly negative correlated with body mass index. After 6 months, a notable decrease in the mean VII of the right interlobar veins by 0.13 (P &lt; .01) was observed. Stratification according to IRVF pattern showed a significant shift towards reduced renal VC pattern after 6 months (P = .03).

Conclusions
In this study, SGLT2i therapy resulted in a reduction in renal VC as assessed by IRD. These findings underscore the potential haemodynamic benefits of SGLT2 inhibitors in cardiorenal syndrome and warrant further investigation into their clinical implications.
Constrictive pericarditis requiring pericardiectomy: an unusual first presentation of extra-articular rheumatoid arthritis—a case report
Authors: Egwu Chinelo , Scullion Malo , Gingles Christopher , Kerrigan Sean 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
We report an unusual case of rheumatoid arthritis presenting for the first time with pericardial constriction and bilateral pleural calcification, in the absence of prior articular disease.

Case summary
A 46-year-old Caucasian male, who initially presented with shortness of breath, intermittent chest tightness and general malaise, underwent extensive diagnostic workup over a period of six months involving multiple hospital admissions. He was found to have pericardial constriction on echocardiogram and ultimately required surgical pericardiectomy due to decompensation. After multiple diagnostic tests and specialist opinion, the aetiology of pericardial disease was ultimately confirmed to be extra-articular rheumatoid disease without synovitis.

Discussion
Significant pericardial constriction can occur as the initial presentation of rheumatoid disease and anti-CCP is a highly specific confirmatory test. Pericardial pathological specimen can be unhelpful in determining this aetiology, and constrictive physiology can occur due to chronic inflammation/fibrosis in the absence of significant calcification.
Escherichia coli in urban marine sediments: interpreting virulence, biofilm formation, halotolerance, and antibiotic resistance to infer contamination or naturalization
Authors: Erb Isabel K , Suarez Carolina , Frank Ellinor M , Bengtsson-Palme Johan , Lindberg Elisabet , Paul Catherine J 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Marine sediments have been suggested as a reservoir for pathogenic bacteria, including Escherichia coli. The origins, and properties promoting survival of E. coli in marine sediments (including osmotolerance, biofilm formation capacity, and antibiotic resistance), have not been well-characterized. Phenotypes and genotypes of 37 E. coli isolates from coastal marine sediments were characterized. The isolates were diverse: 30 sequence types were identified that have been previously documented in humans, livestock, and other animals. Virulence genes were found in all isolates, with more virulence genes found in isolates sampled from sediment closer to the effluent discharge point of a wastewater treatment plant. Antibiotic resistance was demonstrated phenotypically for one isolate, which also carried tetracycline resistance genes on a plasmid. Biofilm formation capacity varied for the different isolates, with most biofilm formed by phylogroup B1 isolates. All isolates were halotolerant, growing at 3.5% NaCl. This suggests that the properties of some isolates may facilitate survival in marine environments and can explain in part how marine sediments can be a reservoir for pathogenic E. coli. As disturbance of sediment could resuspend bacteria, this should be considered as a potential contributor to compromised bathing water quality at nearby beaches.
Disentangling cobionts and contamination in long-read genomic data using sequence composition
Authors: Weber Claudia C 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
The recent acceleration in genome sequencing targeting previously unexplored parts of the tree of life presents computational challenges. Samples collected from the wild often contain sequences from several organisms, including the target, its cobionts, and contaminants. Effective methods are therefore needed to separate sequences. Though advances in sequencing technology make this task easier, it remains difficult to taxonomically assign sequences from eukaryotic taxa that are not well represented in databases. Therefore, reference-based methods alone are insufficient. Here, I examine how we can take advantage of differences in sequence composition between organisms to identify symbionts, parasites, and contaminants in samples, with minimal reliance on reference data. To this end, I explore data from the Darwin Tree of Life project, including hundreds of high-quality HiFi read sets from insects. Visualizing two-dimensional representations of read tetranucleotide composition learned by a variational autoencoder can reveal distinct components of a sample. Annotating the embeddings with additional information, such as coding density, estimated coverage, or taxonomic labels allows rapid assessment of the contents of a dataset. The approach scales to millions of sequences, making it possible to explore unassembled read sets, even for large genomes. Combined with interactive visualization tools, it allows a large fraction of cobionts reported by reference-based screening to be identified. Crucially, it also facilitates retrieving genomes for which suitable reference data are absent.
Genome-wide Studies Reveal Genetic Risk Factors for Hepatic Fat Content
Authors: Li Yanni , van den Berg Eline H , Kurilshikov Alexander , Zhernakova Dasha V , Gacesa Ranko , Hu Shixian , Lopera-Maya Esteban A , Zhernakova Alexandra ,   Lifelines Cohort Study, Aguirre-Gamboa Raul , Deelen Patrick , Franke Lude , Kuivenhoven Jan A , Lopera-Maya Esteban A , Nolte Ilja M , Sanna Serena , Snieder Harold , Swertz Morris A , Visscher Peter M , Vonk Judith M , Wijmenga Cisca , de Meijer Vincent E , Sanna Serena , Dullaart Robin P F , Blokzijl Hans , Festen Eleonora A M , Fu Jingyuan , Weersma Rinse K 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Genetic susceptibility to metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is complex and poorly characterized. Accurate characterization of the genetic background of hepatic fat content would provide insights into disease etiology and causality of risk factors. We performed genome-wide association study (GWAS) on two noninvasive definitions of hepatic fat content: magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) in 16,050 participants and fatty liver index (FLI) in 388,701 participants from the United Kingdom (UK) Biobank (UKBB). Heritability, genetic overlap, and similarity between hepatic fat content phenotypes were analyzed, and replicated in 10,398 participants from the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) Genetics Lifelines Initiative (UGLI). Meta-analysis of GWASs of MRI-PDFF in UKBB revealed five statistically significant loci, including two novel genomic loci harboring CREB3L1 (rs72910057-T, P = 5.40E−09) and GCM1 (rs1491489378-T, P = 3.16E−09), respectively, as well as three previously reported loci: PNPLA3, TM6SF2, and APOE. GWAS of FLI in UKBB identified 196 genome-wide significant loci, of which 49 were replicated in UGLI, with top signals in ZPR1 (P = 3.35E−13) and FTO (P = 2.11E−09). Statistically significant genetic correlation (rg) between MRI-PDFF (UKBB) and FLI (UGLI) GWAS results was found (rg = 0.5276, P = 1.45E−03). Novel MRI-PDFF genetic signals (CREB3L1 and GCM1) were replicated in the FLI GWAS. We identified two novel genes for MRI-PDFF and 49 replicable loci for FLI. Despite a difference in hepatic fat content assessment between MRI-PDFF and FLI, a substantial similar genetic architecture was found. FLI is identified as an easy and reliable approach to study hepatic fat content at the population level.
Improved theoretical guarantee for rank aggregation via spectral method
Authors: Samuel Zhong Ziliang , Ling Shuyang 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Given pairwise comparisons between multiple items, how to rank them so that the ranking matches the observations? This problem, known as rank aggregation, has found many applications in sports, recommendation systems and other web applications. We focus on the ranking problem under the Erdös–Rényi outliers model: only a subset of pairwise comparisons is observed, being either clean or corrupted copies of the true score differences. We investigate the spectral ranking algorithms that are based on unnormalized and normalized data matrices. The key is to understand their performance in recovering the underlying scores of each item from the observed data. This reduces to deriving an entry-wise perturbation error bound between the top eigenvectors of the unnormalized/normalized data matrix and its population counterpart. By using the leave-one-out technique, we provide a sharper $\ell _{\infty }$-norm perturbation bound of the eigenvectors and derive an error bound on the maximum displacement for each item, with only $O(n\log n)$ samples. In addition, we also derive the sample complexity to perform top-$K$ ranking under mild assumptions. Our theoretical analysis improves upon the state-of-the-art results in terms of sample complexity, and our numerical experiments confirm these theoretical findings.
Serial Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography (18FDG-PET-CT) in Assessing Treatment Response in Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis
Authors: Sehgal Inderpaul Singh , Arora Kajal , Agarwal Ritesh , Kumar Rajender , Rana Nivedita , Dhooria Sahajal , Muthu Valliappan , Prasad Kuruswamy Thurai , Garg Mandeep , Rudramurthy Shivaprakash M , Aggarwal Ashutosh Nath , Chakrabarti Arunaloke 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
The role of 2-deoxy-2-18(F) fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)-computed tomography (CT) in assessing treatment response in chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) remains to be determined. The study objective was to compare FDG-PET/CT parameters in persons with CPA achieving treatment success or failure after 6 months of oral itraconazole.

Methods
We performed PET-CT at baseline and after 6 months of oral itraconazole therapy. FDG uptake similar to the background uptake or ≥13 units decline in Z-score was considered a complete metabolic response (CMR). A &gt;25%, &gt;30%, and &gt; 45% decline in standardised uptake value (SUVmax), SUVpeak, and total glycolytic activity (TLG) was labelled as a partial metabolic response (PMR). A &gt;30%, &gt;30%, or &gt;75% increase in the SUVmax, SUVpeak, and TLG represented progressive metabolic disease.

Results
We included 94 persons with CPA (63 male) with a mean age of 46.2 years. A follow-up PET-CT was performed on 77 participants. We recorded treatment success and failure in 43 and 34 patients. CMR was seen in 18.6% of those with treatment success and none with treatment failure. A higher proportion of patients with treatment success achieved PMR; 19% of the patients with treatment success had progressive metabolic disease.

Conclusions
Most PET-CT parameters improved with treatment; however, PET-CT misclassified one-fifth of the participants.
On some computational properties of open sets
Authors: Normann Dag , Sanders Sam 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Open sets are central to mathematics, especially analysis and topology, in ways few notions are. In most, if not all, computational approaches to mathematics, open sets are only studied indirectly via their ‘codes’ or ‘representations’. In this paper, we study how hard it is to compute, given an arbitrary open set of reals, the most common representation, i.e. a countable set of open intervals. We work in Kleene’s higher order computability theory, in particular its equivalent lambda calculus formulation due to Platek. We establish many computational equivalences between on one hand the ‘structure’ functional that converts open sets to the aforementioned representation, and on the other hand functionals arising from mainstream mathematics, like basic properties of semi-continuous functions, the Urysohn lemma and the Tietze extension theorem. We also compare these functionals with known operations on regulated and bounded variation functions, and the Lebesgue measure restricted to closed sets. We obtain a number of natural computational equivalences for the latter involving theorems from mainstream mathematics.
Effect of the cyano group in the HAVA mechanism for PAHs formation: a reaction force analysis for the reaction between benzonitrile (C6H5CN) and vinylacetylene
Authors: Misad Saide Alessandra C , Gutiérrez-Oliva Soledad 
Published: August 2024

ABSTRACT
Due to the importance and fascination that arises from processes involving Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAHs) in the interstellar medium (ISM), in this work quantum calculations were used to study the HAVA mechanism (Hydrogen Abstraction Vinylacetylene Addition) involved in the PAHs formation from the benzonitrile (${\rm C_6H_5CN}$), molecule recently discovered in the ISM, and vinylacetylene (${\rm C_4H_4}$). The reaction force analysis was used to obtain information about the mechanisms in terms of structural and electronic rearrangements presents in the formation of naphthalene, 1-naphthonitrile, 2-naphthonitrile, and 3-ethynylisoquinoline. Due to the presence of the cyano group on the aromatic ring for the formation of 1-naphthonitrile and 2-naphthonitrile, these reactions: (a) follow the HAVA mechanism, showing the same structural nature of the submerged energy barriers and (b) result consistent with the fact that both molecules have recently been found in TMC-1, where benzonitrile and vinylacetylene are also present. The mesomeric and inductive effect of the cyano group on the aromatic ring contributes to lowering the energy barrier when the radical is in the ortho position on the aromatic ring with respect to the cyano group. This decrease contributes greatly to the work of electronic reordering. Although the formation of 3-ethynylisoquinoline (N-Heterocycle) does not follow the HAVA mechanism and involves positive barriers at the conditions of TMC-1, important astrochemical and astrobiological implications can be derived from this result, since N-containing heterocycles, have been detected in carbonaceous chondrites would be providing interesting connection between chemistry in space and the origin of life on Earth.
Electronic Nicotine Delivery Devices Function as a Complement for Cigarillos in Sexual and Gender Minority Young Adult Women
Authors: Quisenberry Amanda J , Osborn Catherine C , Moore Stephanie Pike , Schneller Liane , John Lovina , Klein Elizabeth G , Trapl Erika 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Introduction
Cigarillos are the second most used tobacco product among younger populations. The highest prevalence of the use of cigars is among sexual and gender minority (SGM) women. Policy interventions like flavor bans and the availability of alternative tobacco products may have a disparate effect.

Aims and Methods
The current study utilized an online store analog, The experimental tobacco marketplace, to investigate the effects of cigarillo and electronic nicotine delivery devices (ENDS) flavor bans on tobacco product purchasing. SGM (n = 72) and cisgender heterosexual (CisHet; n = 46) women viewed conditions in which cigarillo flavors were available or unavailable and ENDS flavors available or unavailable and the interaction between the two. Mixed models were conducted on each dependent variable with condition, price, and SGM identity as predictors and nicotine dependence, annual income, and race/ethnicity as covariates. Simple linear regressions were performed to determine the substitution profile for each tobacco product. Condition showed no effect.

Results
We found a main effect of price on cigarillo purchasing and a main effect of SGM identity in which SGM women purchased more ENDS than CisHet women. A complementary association between cigarillos and ENDS in which ENDS purchasing decreased as cigarillo purchasing decreased was found. This association was irrespective of flavor ban conditions and among SGM women only.

Conclusions
These results suggest that flavor availability of cigarillos and ENDS may not influence women who use cigarillos to move to another tobacco product and that women SGM cigarillo users are not likely to substitute their cigarillo smoking behavior with ENDS.

Implications
The results of this study suggest that SGM women are not likely to quit using cigarillos if flavors are removed from the market and instead will use unflavored products. Substituting their cigarillo use with ENDS does not appear likely given the complementary relation found between cigarillos and ENDS. The substitution patterns found for cigarettes and ENDS are not found for cigarillos and ENDS among young adult women who use cigarillos, further demonstrating the need for research on the conditions in which people who use cigarillos will decrease consumption or switch to a potentially less harmful product.
How do banks respond to limits on maturity transformation?
Authors: Bologna Pierluigi , Galardo Maddalena 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
We study the response of banks to the removal of a limit on maturity transformation, similar to the Net Stable Funding Ratio. We formalize the testable hypotheses using a simple banking model where the profitability function depends on the level of maturity transformation and the risk profile. We show that after the regulatory change, banks rebalanced the composition of their assets and liabilities. They increased their exposure to interest rate risk, while we find no effect on credit risk. Our evidence supports the common theoretical view that banks have an incentive to engage in maturity transformation and that this implies higher interest rate risk exposure. We also show that bank profitability is not affected. However, banks take advantage of the greater flexibility provided by deregulation to engage in some cross-selling associated with the increased supply of mortgages, which is consistent with the theory emphasizing the importance of increasing market power.