bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Performance of the Roche Elecsys® IGRA SARS-CoV-2 test for the detection and quantification of virus-reactive T cells in COVID-19-vaccinated immunosuppressed patients and healthy subjects
Authors: Carretero Diego , Giménez Estela , Albert Eliseo , Colomer Ester , Montomoli Marco , Hernani Rafael , Piñana José Luis , Górriz José Luis , Solano Carlos , Navarro David 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Comparing the performance of commercially available SARS-CoV-2 T-cell immunoassay responses may provide useful information for future observational or intervention studies as well as to their potential customers.

Method
Whole blood was collected from a total of 183 subjects fully vaccinated against COVID-19: 55 healthy controls (Group 1), 50 hematological patients (Group 2), 50 chronic kidney disease patients (Group 3), and 28 elderly nursing home residents (Group 4). Samples were tested with the Roche Elecsys® IGRA (Interferon-gamma release assay) SARS-CoV-2 test (Roche Diagnostics, Rotkreuz, Switzerland), the Euroimmun SARS-CoV-2 test (Euroimmun, Lubeck, Germany), the SARS-CoV-2 T Cell Analysis Kit (Miltenyi Biotec, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany), and a flow-cytometry for intracellular cytokine (IFN-γ) staining-based immunoassay (FC-ICS).

Results
Overall, the Roche Elecsys® assay returned the highest number of positive results (151/179; 84.3%), followed by the Euroimmun test (127/183; 69%), and the FC-ICS (135/179; 75%). The Kappa coefficient of agreement was best between IGRAs (0.64). Most discordant results across assays involved patients from Group 2. Overall, IFN-γ concentrations measured by both IGRAs correlated strongly (rho = 0.78; 95% CI 0.71–0.84; P < 0.001) irrespective of the study group. The frequencies of SARS-CoV-2-reactive IFN-γ T cells and IFN-γ concentrations measured by the IGRAs correlated moderately for CD4+ T cells, however, weakly for CD8+ T cells. SARS-CoV-2-experienced participants displayed stronger responses than SARS-CoV-2-naïve when IGRAs, rather than FC-ICS, were used.

Conclusion
The SARS-CoV-2 immunoassays evaluated in the present study did not return interchangeable qualitative or quantitative results either in seemingly healthy individuals or in immunosuppressed patients.
Tracing Mine Water Flows in a Dolomite Quarry, South Africa, Using Hydrochemistry and Stable Isotopes
Authors: Diamond Roger , van Staden Christel , Dippenaar Matthys 
Published: May 2024

AbstractSouth Africa has a growing population, a relatively dry climate, and abundant mining activity, all of which increase the importance of water management. The Mooiplaas Dolomite Quarry, south east of Pretoria, has been mining metallurgical grade dolomite since 1969, within the productive karst aquifers of the Malmani Subgroup, Transvaal Supergroup. This study was conducted to elucidate the flow of water around the site, including the mine water and groundwater. The site was investigated by sampling precipitation, surface water, groundwater, and mine water for hydrochemical and stable isotope analysis from 2011 to 2017, totalling over 400 samples. Levels of nitrate in groundwater and mine water were marginally above drinking water limits, from explosives residues, and ammonia in the nearby Hennops River was unacceptably high due to municipal sewage outfalls, but otherwise, water quality was very good. Alkalinity from rock weathering, aided by crushing of dolomite, was the main control on water chemistry. Combined analysis of dissolved matter (TDS, nitrate, Mg, etc.) suggested that the dewatering of the mine and resultant recharge from the slimes dams caused an aerated zone of groundwater, which mixed with regional groundwater flowing beneath the site. Stable isotopes, with an evaporated signature from the mine open water bodies, also showed how mine operations cause recharge to groundwater and subsequent seepage back into the pit lakes. The mine appears not to contaminate the regional groundwater; however, mine designs should avoid situations where process water flows via groundwater back into pits, causing excessive dewatering costs.
Food resource partitioning between males and females of Volcano Sunbird (Cinnyris preussi) on Mount Cameroon
Authors: Janeček Štěpán , Uceda-Gómez Guillermo , Janečková Petra , Tropek Robert , Fominka Nestor Tajoacha , Njie Marcus Mokake , Mlíkovský Jiří , Kamga Solange Mekuate , Molua Lucas Lyonga , Ewome Francis Luma 
Published: May 2024

AbstractCompetition for nectar is expected to result in feeding niche differentiation. Here, we targeted the sexually size-dimorphic Volcano Sunbird (Cinnyris preussi) on Mount Cameroon. We investigated whether males and females feed on different plant species, whether females with shorter bills than males prefer shorter flowers, and whether larger dominant males visit more energetic flowers that produce higher amounts of nectar sugars. We also asked whether feeding niches were spatially separated along the elevation gradient and whether this separation varied between the two contrasting seasons. We collected data on the frequency of visits to individual plant species and analyzed the male-to-female ratios in the mist-netted dataset. In addition, we estimated production of nectar sugar in individual habitats and seasons. Despite the large dataset collected, encompassing 6476 bird–plant interactions, our findings did not provide evidence of differences in the spectra of the visited plant species. In addition, females did not visit flowers with shorter tubes, nor did males visit flowers that produced higher amounts of sugars. However, we observed a sex-specific dispersion of sunbirds during the wet season. During the dry breeding season, both males and females feed mainly in nectar-rich montane and submontane forests. In the wet season, the production of nectar sugar in these habitats decreased dramatically, and females largely disappeared. In contrast, female activity increased in the lowest and highest parts of the altitudinal range. Our findings on elevational movements are important in the current context, in which species face potential threats from habitat destruction and climate change.
Anomaly detection and defense techniques in federated learning: a comprehensive review
Authors: Zhang Chang , Yang Shunkun , Mao Lingfeng , Ning Huansheng 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIn recent years, deep learning methods based on a large amount of data have achieved substantial success in numerous fields. However, with increases in regulations for protecting private user data, access to such data has become restricted. To overcome this limitation, federated learning (FL) has been widely utilized for training deep learning models without centralizing data. However, the inaccessibility of FL data and heterogeneity of the client data render difficulty in providing security and protecting the privacy in FL. In addition, the security and privacy anomalies in the corresponding systems significantly hinder the application of FL. Numerous studies have been proposed aiming to maintain the model security and mitigate the leakage of private training data during the FL training phase. Existing surveys categorize FL attacks from a defensive standpoint, but lack the efficiency of pinpointing attack points and implementing timely defenses. In contrast, our survey comprehensively categorizes and summarizes detected anomalies across client, server, and communication perspectives, facilitating easier identification and timely defense measures. Our survey provides an overview of the FL system and briefly introduces the FL security and privacy anomalies. Next, we detail the existing security and privacy anomalies and the methods of detection and defense from the perspectives of the client, server, and communication process. Finally, we address the security and privacy anomalies in non-independent identically distributed cases during FL and summarize the related research progress. This survey aims to provide a systematic and comprehensive review of security and privacy research in FL to help understand the progress and better apply FL in additional scenarios.
No selection lemma for empty triangles
Authors: Fabila-Monroy R. , Hidalgo-Toscano C. , Perz D. , Vogtenhuber B. 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Let P be a set of n points in general position in the plane.
The Second Selection Lemma states that for any family of $$\Theta(n^3)$$

Θ
(

n
3

)

triangles spanned by P, there exists a point of the plane that lies in a constant fraction of them.
For families of $$\Theta(n^{3-\alpha})$$

Θ
(

n

3
-
α

)

triangles, with $$0\le \alpha \le 1$$

0
≤
α
≤
1

, there might not be a point in more than $$\Theta(n^{3-2\alpha})$$

Θ
(

n

3
-
2
α

)

of those triangles.
An empty triangle of P is a triangle spanned by P
not containing any point of P in its interior. Bárány conjectured that there exists an edge
spanned by P that is incident to a super-constant number of empty triangles of P. The number of empty triangles
of P might be as low as $$\Theta(n^2)$$

Θ
(

n
2

)

; in such a case, on average, every edge spanned by P is incident to a constant number
of empty triangles. The conjecture of Bárány suggests that for the class of empty triangles the above upper bound
might not hold. In this paper we show that, somewhat surprisingly,
the above upper bound does in fact hold for empty triangles.
Specifically, we show that for any integer n and real number $$0\leq \alpha \leq 1$$

0
≤
α
≤
1

there exists a point set of size n with $$\Theta(n^{3-\alpha})$$

Θ
(

n

3
-
α

)

empty triangles such that any point of the plane is only in $$O(n^{3-2\alpha})$$

O
(

n

3
-
2
α

)

empty triangles.
Backing biodiversity: understanding nature conservation behaviour and policy support in Australia
Authors: Borg Kim , Hatty Melissa , Klebl Christoph , Wibisono Susilo , Smith Liam , Louis Winnifred , Dean Angela J. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractCommunity mobilisation is essential to prevent further biodiversity loss and protect the natural environment. This includes engaging in public- and private-sphere behaviours, and community support of relevant government policies. This purpose of this paper is to explore and compare the factors associated with public- and private-sphere nature conservation behaviour and policy support. We utilised data from a survey of 4,048 Australians, representative for age, gender, and geographic location, which measured engagement in nature conservation behaviours and support for diverse conservation policies. Hierarchical Multiple Regressions were conducted to assess relationships between behaviour and policy support with the key independent variables of awareness (of biodiversity issues), connection (to nature), and concern (about biodiversity issues), and socio-demographic covariates. Overall, community support for nature conservation policies was high, not just for incentive measures but for regulations and penalties. Regression models explained 22.9% of the variance in public-sphere behaviour, 30.2% of the variance in private-sphere behaviour, and 43.5% of the variance in policy support. Concern made one of the strongest contributions for all outcomes, and was substantially stronger for policy support compared to behaviour. Awareness and connection also made independent contributions to all outcomes. Socio-demographic variables explained a smaller proportion of unique variance for policy support (1.0%) compared to behaviour (public-sphere: 9.6%, private-sphere: 6.3%). Notably, for public-sphere behaviour, younger age explained almost as much variance as concern. Implications for practitioners and policymakers seeking to engage the general population in conservation support are discussed.
Echocardiographic monitoring of myocardial function in a female patient with right heart Loeffler endocarditis at thrombotic stage after Epstein-Barr-virus infection
Authors: Kandels Joscha , Pawluczuk J , Stöbe Stephan , Hagendorff Andreas 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Background
Transthoracic echocardiography is usually the first non-invasive imaging modality for the detection of Loeffler endocarditis at thrombotic stage. In the recent decade 3D echocardiography and deformation imaging already proved as a helpful tool for the monitoring of left and right ventricular heart disease.

Case presentation
The present case illustrates the diagnostic role of 3D echocardiography and deformation imaging in the acute stage of right sided Loeffler endocarditis in a 70-year-old Western European (German) woman. This case proves that myocardial involvement due to inflammation can be detected at subclinical stages by speckle tracking echocardiography. Acute deterioration of left and right ventricular function and the early response to prednisolone therapy can objectively be monitored. In addition, alterations of effective stroke volume can quantitatively be assessed by 3D right ventricular volumetry with exclusion of thrombus formation in the volume measurements.

Conclusion
This case underlines the importance of 3D echocardiography and deformation imaging as a helpful diagnostic tool in disease management in the acute phase of Loeffler endocarditis at thrombotic stage.
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Impairment and Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents with Anxiety Disorders
Authors: Dickson Sophie J. , Oar Ella L. , Kangas Maria , Johnco Carly J. , Lavell Cassie H. , Seaton Ashleigh H. , McLellan Lauren F. , Wuthrich Viviana M. , Rapee Ronald M. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractAnxiety disorders are common, emerge during childhood, and pose a significant burden to society and individuals. Research evaluating the impact of anxiety on functional impairment and quality of life (QoL) is increasing; however, there is yet to be a systematic review and meta-analysis of these relationships in pediatric samples. This systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to determine the extent of impairments in functioning and QoL that young people with anxiety disorders experience relative to their healthy peers, as well as sociodemographic and clinical moderators of these relationships. Studies were included when they compared young people (mean age range within studies 7–17 years) with a primary clinical anxiety disorder to a healthy comparison group and measured impairment and/or QoL via a validated instrument. A total of 12 studies met criteria for this review (N = 3,129 participants). A majority of studies (K = 9) assessed impairment as an outcome measure, and three assessed QoL outcomes. Meta-analysis of nine studies (N = 1,457 children) showed large relationships between clinical anxiety and life impairment (g = 3.23) with the strongest effects seen for clinician report (g = 5.00), followed by caregiver (g = 2.15) and child (g = 1.58) report. The small number of studies and diversity in methodology prevented quantitative investigation of moderating factors. In the systematic review of QoL outcomes, all three studies reported significantly poorer QoL for youth with anxiety disorders relative to unaffected peers. Findings support the importance of measuring functioning and QoL as outcomes in clinical research and practice among anxious young people.This study is registered with PROSPERO under the identification number CRD42023439040.
Space–time exploration of the east–west gap in economic development and digital financial inclusion: evidence from China pre and post-COVID-19
Authors: Li Jiaqi 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe East–West imbalance in China’s economic development has profoundly affected all aspects of society, but the emergence of digital financial inclusion offers potential opportunities to address this issue. This study examines 31 provinces in China from 2011 to 2020, and Exploratory Space–time Data Analysis is employed to specify the temporal and spatial changes in the East–West disparity in economic development and digital financial inclusion. The main findings are: First, inequality in economic development is associated with a decline in spatial autocorrelation. With the acute exacerbation of inequalities after the pandemic, enhancing spatial dependence through regional cooperation would be conducive to reducing disparities. Second, economic development, digital financial inclusion, and its components (usage and coverage) have hot spots in the East and cold spots in the West. Before the pandemic, significant advancements in the West mitigated the East–West gap, but the East–West divergence in economic development worsened after the COVID-19 explosion. Third, distinct from economic development, digital financial inclusion and its key elements (usage) not only have a growing regional dependence, but also that the pandemic has not disrupted improvements in the West. More importantly, there is a significant regional overlap between digital financial inclusion, usage, and economic development, implying spatial and attributable connections among them. Consequently, governments should consider digital financial inclusion as a policy tool to relieve the worsening inequality in economic development between the East and West during the post-pandemic stage.
Nickel-doped silver nanoclusters as a mechanism to capture photons
Authors: Ahmed Abdallah Y. A. , Hamed Mohammed S. G. , Ike Jude N. , Mola Genene Tessema 
Published: May 2024

AbstractNarrow width of optical absorption of conducting polymers and photons energy losses have been the challenges for fabricating highly efficient thin-film organic solar cell. Nickel-doped silver nanoclusters (Ni/Ag NCs) are employed here to capture more photons using polymers blend solar absorber medium to improve solar cell performances. The poly-3-hexylthiophene and (6-6)phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester molecules blend were used a solar absorber layer in this investigation. The solar cells fabricated with NCs exhibited enhanced opt-electronic properties compared to the reference solar cell. Consequently, the experimental results suggest that the power conversion efficiency (PCE) has substantially increased with the incorporations of NCs in absorber layer, which is dependent on the concentrations of NCs in the medium. The maximum PCE achieved, in this work, is $$\eta $$
η
= 6.2% at 2% of NCs by weight, which has exhibited to the lowest energy losses compared to other doping levels. This improvement in PCE is attributed to the occurrence of local surface plasmon resonance effect due to the inclusion of Ni/Ag NCs in polymer matrix. The results provide valuable insights on the use of Ni/Ag NCs for efficient photons capture in thin-film polymers blend medium.
Back to the Roots: Reconstructing Large and Complex Cranial Defects using an Image-based Statistical Shape Model
Authors: Li Jianning , Ellis David G. , Pepe Antonio , Gsaxner Christina , Aizenberg Michele R. , Kleesiek Jens , Egger Jan 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Designing implants for large and complex cranial defects is a challenging task, even for professional designers. Current efforts on automating the design process focused mainly on convolutional neural networks (CNN), which have produced state-of-the-art results on reconstructing synthetic defects. However, existing CNN-based methods have been difficult to translate to clinical practice in cranioplasty, as their performance on large and complex cranial defects remains unsatisfactory. In this paper, we present a statistical shape model (SSM) built directly on the segmentation masks of the skulls represented as binary voxel occupancy grids and evaluate it on several cranial implant design datasets. Results show that, while CNN-based approaches outperform the SSM on synthetic defects, they are inferior to SSM when it comes to large, complex and real-world defects. Experienced neurosurgeons evaluate the implants generated by the SSM to be feasible for clinical use after minor manual corrections. Datasets and the SSM model are publicly available at https://github.com/Jianningli/ssm.
A comparative approach for estimating microstructural characteristics of BaTi1−xZrxO3 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.3) nanoparticles via X-ray diffraction patterns
Authors: Ateia Ebtesam E. , Reda Mahasen , El-Dek S. I. , Arman M. M. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractBarium titanate materials are currently a special topic for scientific research due to their effective technological applications. The tetragonal BaTi1-xZrxO3 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.3) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized using a modified citrate technique. The current work provides a comparative approach for the calculation of crystallite size, stress, strain, and elastic characteristics based on X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. Various models have been developed to analyze XRD data; these models differ in their assumptions, mathematical approaches, and the type of information they provide. The Scherrer model ignores lattice micro-structures that develop in nanostructures, such as intrinsic strain. To overcome such drawbacks, three Williamson-Hall models, (the uniform deformation model (UDM)), the uniform stress deformation model (USDM), and the uniform deformation energy density model (UDEDM) have been discussed. According to the USDM model, with increasing Zr ion concentrations, interplanar space increases, causing a drop in Young’s modulus. All the previous approaches take into account the diffraction angle (2θ)-dependent peak broadening, which is thought to represent a combination of size and strain-driven induced broadening.
Graphical Abstract
Derivation of optical solitons for perturbed highly dispersive conformable fractional nonlinear Schrödinger equation with sextic-power law refractive index
Authors: Rabie Wafaa B. , Ahmed Hamdy M. , Akgül Ali 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIn this article, the modified extended direct algebraic method is applied for the perturbed highly dispersive nonlinear Schrödinger equation with conformable fractional derivative and sextic-power law refractive index. Various types of solutions are extracted such as bright solitons, dark solitons, combo bright-dark solitons, singular solitons, singular periodic wave solutions, exponential wave solutions and rational solutions. The impact of the fractional derivative is illustrated graphically using examples of some of the retrieved solutions with various values of fractional order.
Challenges, progress, and future perspectives for cyanobacterial polyhydroxyalkanoate production
Authors: Rueda Estel , Gonzalez-Flo Eva , Mondal Soumila , Forchhammer Karl , Arias Dulce María , Ludwig Katharina , Drosg Bernhard , Fritz Ines , Gonzalez-Esquer C. Raul , Pacheco Sara , García Joan 
Published: May 2024

AbstractPolyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are a promising bio-based alternative to traditional plastics derived from petroleum. Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic organisms that produce PHA from CO2 and sunlight, which can potentially reduce production costs and environmental footprint in comparison to heterotrophic bacteria cultures because (1) they utilize inorganic carbon sources for growth and (2) they do not require intensive aeration for oxygenation. Moreover, supplementing precursors such as propionate, acetate, valerate, etc., can be used to obtain various copolymers with plastic customizable properties in comparison to the classical homopolymers, such as polyhydroxybutyrate, PHB. This critical review covers the latest advances in PHA production, including recent discoveries in the metabolism interplay between PHA and glycogen production, and new insights into cultivation strategies that enhance PHA accumulation, and purification processes. This review also addresses the challenges and suggests potential solutions for a viable industrial PHAs production process.