bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Labor shortages and agricultural trucking rates
Authors: Richards Timothy J. , Rutledge Zachariah , Castillo Marcelo 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIn the United States, truck rates for perishable food, the per‐mile rate charged for trucking services to move perishable food from farms to stores, rose substantially in the post‐COVID‐19 pandemic era. We argue that rising truck rates is a signal of a broader shortage of truckers, but the connection between labor shortages, rising truck rates, and a lack of trucking services has yet to be established empirically. In this paper, we develop an empirical examination based on an equilibrium job search, matching, and bargaining framework in which we estimate the role of labor shortages in accelerating driver‐wage growth, and truck rates for agricultural products. We estimate the model by combining US Bureau of Census Current Population Survey data on truck driver wages with USDA‐Agricultural Marketing Service Service data on truck rates to establish the linkage between trucker supply and the demand for trucking services. We find that the COVID‐19 pandemic was responsible for a rise in for‐hire trucker wages of some , a rise in average truck rates of nearly and that the gap between trucker‐job openings and successful matches explains a significant, but small, rise in truck rates.
PSA: an effective method for predicting horizontal gene transfers through parsimonious phylogenetic networks
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Wang Juan , Yu Jing 
Published: May 2024

AbstractHorizontal gene transfer (HGT) from one organism to another, according to some researchers, can be abundant in the evolution of species. A phylogenetic network is a network structure that describes the HGTs among species. Several studies have proposed methods to construct phylogenetic networks to predict HGTs based on parsimony values. Existing definitions of parsimony values for a phylogenetic network are based on the assumption that each gene site or segment evolves independently along different trees in the network. However, in the current study, we define a novel parsimony value, denoted the p definition, for phylogenetic networks, considering that a gene as a whole typically evolves along a tree. Using Simulated Annealing, a new method called the Phylogeny with Simulated Annealing (PSA) algorithm is proposed to search for an optimal network based on the p definition. The PSA method is tested on the simulated data. The results reveal that the parsimonious networks constructed using PSA can better represent the evolutionary relationships of species involving HGTs. Additionally, the HGTs predicted using PSA are more accurate than those predicted using other methods. The PSA algorithm is publicly accessible at http://github.com/imustu/sap.
Patients' perspective on their drug therapy after bariatric surgery: A quantitative, cross‐sectional interview study
Authors: Schiek Susanne , Drotleff Melissa , Schueler Dorit , Heinitz Katrin , Frisch Annett , Selig Lars , Remane Yvonne , Dietrich Arne , Blüher Matthias , Bertsche Thilo 
Published: May 2024

SummaryDrug therapy in patients who have undergone bariatric surgery is challenging. We aimed to investigate the patients' perspective on their drug therapy. This should allow deriving tailored measures to better support patients and their healthcare professionals with drug therapy after bariatric surgery. We conducted a quantitative telephone‐based interview study with patients who have undergone bariatric surgery. The interview consisted of assessments in three parts: (i) current drug therapy: prescription, administration and adherence, (ii) changes after bariatric surgery and (iii) adverse events. (i) The 105 enrolled patients were taking a median of 10 (range: 3–30) drugs. In 1017 of 1080 drugs (94%), expectations in drug effectiveness were (rather) met. Of the 105 patients, 27% reported difficulties in drug administration, 44% forgot to take their drugs at least one time and 20% reported deviations from the prescription. (ii) Sixteen percent of the patients observed changes in drug effectiveness or tolerability—additionally to therapy adjustment by physicians. (iii) Seventy‐four percent recognised at least one adverse event right before and/or after bariatric surgery, most frequently in gastrointestinal disorders. Patients who have undergone bariatric surgery have to deal with many difficulties in drug handling and adverse events. Our study emphasises the need for better and more individual support for patients with their drug therapy after bariatric surgery and, therefore, suggests a multidisciplinary approach that includes pharmacists. The stronger involvement of the patients' perspective seems to be a valuable source in research and practice.
Disposable grasper‐integrated flexible cystoscope for ureteral stent removal in transplanted patients; focus on feasibility, safety, and patient experience. Results and micro‐cost analysis from a tertiary referral center
Authors: Bosio Andrea , Alessandria Eugenio , Gozzo Claudia , Vercelli Eugenia , Micai Luca , Bertello Glauco , Pasquale Giovanni , Sedigh Omidreza , Oderda Marco , Biancone Luigi , Gontero Paolo 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIntroduction & objectivesTo evaluate ureteral stent removal (SR) using a grasper‐integrated disposable flexible cystoscope (giFC—Isiris ®, Coloplast ®) after kidney transplantation (KT), with a focus on feasibility, safety, patient experience, and costs.Material and methodsAll consecutive KT undergoing SR through giFC were prospectively enrolled from January 2020 to June 2023. Patient characteristics, KT and SR details, urine culture results, antimicrobial prescriptions, and the incidence of urinary tract infections (UTI) within 1 month were recorded. A micro‐cost analysis was conducted, making a comparison with the costs of SR with a reusable FC and grasper.ResultsA total of 136 KT patients were enrolled, including both single and double KT, with 148 stents removed in total. The median indwelling time was 34 days [26, 47]. SR was successfully performed in all cases. The median preparation and procedure times were 4 min [3,5]. and 45 s[30, 60], respectively. The median Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score was 3 [1, 5], and 98.2% of patients expressed willingness to undergo the procedure again. Only one episode of UTI involving the graft (0.7%) was recorded. Overall, the estimated cost per SR procedure with Isiris ® and the reusable FC was 289.2€ and 151,4€, respectively.ConclusionsThis prospective series evaluated the use of Isiris ® for SR in a cohort of KT patients, demonstrating feasibility and high tolerance. The UTI incidence was 0.7% within 1 month. Based on the micro‐cost analysis, estimated cost per procedure favored the reusable FC.
Hepatitis C viremic lung transplantation to aviremic recipients: Comprehensive outcomes and post‐transplant viremia
Authors: Khan Sarah , Mazumder Ritika , Wang Xiaofeng , Wang Yifan , Sims Omar T , Budev Marie , Carey William 
Published: May 2024

AbstractBackground/aimsDirect‐acting antiviral (DAA) therapy has revolutionized solid organ transplantation by providing an opportunity to utilize organs from HCV‐viremic donors. Though transplantation of HCV‐viremic donor organs into aviremic recipients is safe in the short term, midterm data on survival and post‐transplant complications is lacking. We provide a midterm assessment of complications of lung transplantation (LT) up to 2 years post‐transplant, including patient and graft survival between HCV‐viremic transplantation (D+) and HCV‐aviremic transplantation (D‐).MethodsThis is a retrospective cohort study including 500 patients from 2018 to 2022 who underwent LT at our quaternary care institution. Outcomes of patients receiving D+ grafts were compared to those receiving D‐ grafts. Recipients of HCV antibody+ but PCR‐ grafts were treated as D‐ recipients.ResultsWe identified 470 D‐ and 30 D+ patients meeting inclusion criteria. Crude mortality did not differ between groups (p = .43). Patient survival at years 1 and 2 did not differ between D+ and D‐ patients (p = .89, p = .87, respectively), and graft survival at years 1 and 2 did not differ between the two groups (p = .90, p = .88, respectively). No extrahepatic manifestations or fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis (FCH) occurred among D+ recipients. D+ and D‐ patients had similar rates of post‐transplant chronic lung allograft rejection (CLAD) (p = 6.7% vs. 12.8%, p = .3), acute cellular rejection (60.0% vs. 58.0%, p = .8) and antibody‐mediated rejection (16.7% vs. 14.2%, p = .7).ConclusionThere is no difference in midterm patient or graft survival between D+ and D‐LT. No extrahepatic manifestations of HCV occurred. No differences in any type of rejection including CLAD were observed, though follow‐up for CLAD was limited. These results provide additional support for the use of HCV‐viremic organs in selected recipients in LT.
Optimal policies for nutrition administration to very low birth weight infants
Authors: Sengul Orgut Irem , Falciglia Gustave H. , Smilowitz Karen 
Published: May 2024

AbstractVery low birth weight (VLBW) infants (birth weight 1500 grams) are at risk of postnatal growth restriction. Understanding how nutrition is associated with growth and how these associations vary based on infant characteristics and comorbidities is important to reduce postnatal growth restriction. We propose a three‐step analytical framework: (i) We use unsupervised Clustering techniques to identify subgroups within a cohort of VLBW infants based on infant characteristics, diagnoses, and treatments. (ii) For each cluster, we use Multilevel Modeling to explore the associations between calorie or protein intake and growth velocity (GV) for varying time windows. (iii) We build Mixed‐Integer Programming Models to achieve simple rule‐based policies that physicians can use to classify infants into one of the identified subgroups. We use electronic health records from VLBW infants at Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago, IL, born between 2011 and 2014. We find that clustering separates infants into two clusters, with Cluster 1 having smaller infants with more comorbidities than Cluster 2. Initial clustering on only sex and birth weight provides results similar to clustering on later‐life diagnoses and treatments. Multilevel models with Clustering provide better model fit than models without clustering. For Cluster 1, there is a significant association between GV and protein but not calories. For Cluster 2, both protein and calories are individually associated with growth. We develop accurate and sparse scoring systems to help clinicians identify infants at higher risk of growth restriction and consider nutrition regimens accordingly.
Pork barrel in Türkiye: Distributive politics in the allocation of public investments into Turkish electorates
Authors: Ulubaşoğlu Mehmet Ali , Yaraşır Tülümce Sevinç 
Published: May 2024

AbstractWe investigate the political factors involved in the allocation of public investments into Turkish electoral districts. Using a unique data set covering detailed individual characteristics of approximately 2000 Turkish MPs over five legislative periods during 1987–2004, we show that the composition of several legislator characteristics in an electorate, such as the level of education, area of tertiary degree, and former profession, matters in the way pork barrel occurs across electorates. The findings also indicate a strong presence of partisan motivations and targeted support for opposition groups and ideological strongholds in public investment allocations. We also document evidence that a stronger right‐wing tendency in the cabinet, a single‐party government, fractionalized voter preferences, and higher voter turnout in the electorate are all associated with increased public investments into specific geographic constituencies.
Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) rearing and growth optimization as a sustainable food source using various larval diets under laboratory conditions
Authors: Shah Azaz Ali , Usman Amjad , Khan Sarzamin , Khan Faheem , Ahmed Nazeer , Al‐Mekhlafi Fahd A. , Wadaan Muhammad A. , Malook Saif ul , Iqbal Toheed , Ullah Misbah , Sohail Kamran , Ali Hamid , Ali Ijaz 
Published: May 2024

AbstractA new approach to supplying foods and feeds that are high in protein has emerged in the form of insect farming. Insect‐farmed food may also serve as part of a sustainable diet for humans. The mealworm Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) is the most widely consumed insect worldwide. In this study, 10 larval diets were tested in the laboratory to determine their suitability for mass‐feeding mealworms at 28 °C and 60–65% r.h., in a completely randomized design. Various larval diets had a significant impact on the biological features of T. molitor. The larvae, pupae, and adults were greater on diets containing wheat bran alone and wheat bran in combination with maize and porridge. Larval mortality was significantly higher (60.7%) on a diet with porridge alone, compared to a control diet, followed by diets with porridge in combination with barley (55.6%) or maize (50.6%). Sex ratio was also affected by the tested larval diets. Female hatch (65%) was higher than male hatch (35%) on diet containing wheat bran alone as compared to all other diets. The findings contribute to optimizing mealworm rearing practices for sustainable food production and promote the potential use of mealworms as a viable protein source – especially livestock diets based on mealworm reared on wheat bran show promise.
Are osseous cyst‐like lesions in the subchondral bone of the proximal phalanx a precursor to fracture and how are they best managed?
Authors: Smith Matthew R. W. 
Published: May 2024

SummaryOsseous cyst‐like lesions (OCLL) in the proximal subchondral bone of the proximal phalanx have been seen in association with fractures of the proximal phalanx and other bone abnormalities consistent with prodromal fracture pathology. There is reasonable circumstantial evidence to support that OCLL in this location can be a precursor to fracture. Repair of short incomplete sagittal fractures of the proximal phalanx with cortical bone screws placed in lag fashion has been associated with good clinical and variable radiographic outcomes. Stabilisation of OCLL by placement of a cortical screw in lag fashion appears a logical approach, but the outcome following surgery should be critically evaluated before a wider recommendation is made.
Doc‐KG: Unstructured documents to knowledge graph construction, identification and validation with Wikidata
Authors: Salman Muhammad , Haller Armin , Méndez Sergio J. Rodríguez , Naseem Usman 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe exponential growth of textual data in the digital era underlines the pivotal role of Knowledge Graphs (KGs) in effectively storing, managing, and utilizing this vast reservoir of information. Despite the copious amounts of text available on the web, a significant portion remains unstructured, presenting a substantial barrier to the automatic construction and enrichment of KGs. To address this issue, we introduce an enhanced Doc‐KG model, a sophisticated approach designed to transform unstructured documents into structured knowledge by generating local KGs and mapping these to a target KG, such as Wikidata. Our model innovatively leverages syntactic information to extract entities and predicates efficiently, integrating them into triples with improved accuracy. Furthermore, the Doc‐KG model's performance surpasses existing methodologies by utilizing advanced algorithms for both the extraction of triples and their subsequent identification within Wikidata, employing Wikidata's Unified Resource Identifiers for precise mapping. This dual capability not only facilitates the construction of KGs directly from unstructured texts but also enhances the process of identifying triple mentions within Wikidata, marking a significant advancement in the domain. Our comprehensive evaluation, conducted using the renowned WebNLG benchmark dataset, reveals the Doc‐KG model's superior performance in triple extraction tasks, achieving an unprecedented accuracy rate of 86.64%. In the domain of triple identification, the model demonstrated exceptional efficacy by mapping 61.35% of the local KG to Wikidata, thereby contributing 38.65% of novel information for KG enrichment. A qualitative analysis based on a manually annotated dataset further confirms the model's excellence, outshining baseline methods in extracting high‐fidelity triples. This research embodies a novel contribution to the field of knowledge extraction and management, offering a robust framework for the semantic structuring of unstructured data and paving the way for the next generation of KGs.
Oral frailty, appetite and dietary variety in late‐stage older adults: A cross‐sectional study (the STudy of lAte‐stage oldeR adulTs in Tottori; START Tottori)
Authors: Nakagawa Sayuri , Miura Kazuhito , Arai Eri , Taira Kenshu , Watanabe Yutaka , Shirobe Maki , Motokawa Keiko , Ohara Yuki , Iwasaki Masanori , Hirano Hirohiko , Ono Takahiro , Adachi Akira , Watanabe Takao , Yamazaki Yutaka 
Published: May 2024

AimEfforts to combat frailty and preserve good health in older adults have highlighted oral frailty as an early indicator of overall frailty. Individuals showing oral frailty are at an elevated risk of insufficient nutritional intake compared with those without oral frailty; however, underlying mechanisms remain poorly explored. In this cross‐sectional study, we aimed to examine the link between oral frailty and undernutrition, especially regarding poor appetite and low dietary diversity.MethodsThe analysis included 2727 late‐stage older adults (mean age 79.9 ± 4.3 years) who underwent dental checkups in a prefecture in Japan from 2016 to 2020. The examination involved a questionnaire survey (covering basic information, frailty screening index, appetite index: Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire; and dietary variety: Dietary Variety Score) and a measurement survey (including intraoral confirmation, oral diadochokinesis and masticatory efficiency test). Individuals with three or more indications of poor oral function, identified through oral function assessment, were defined as showing oral frailty. Binomial logistic regression and path analyses examined associations among oral frailty, Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire and Dietary Variety Score.ResultsAmong those analyzed, 1208 (44.3%) participants were categorized into the oral frailty group. Binomial logistic regression analysis showed that Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (odds ratio for oral frailty per 1‐point increase 0.88, 95% confidence interval 0.84–0.93) and Dietary Variety Score (odds ratio 0.95, 95% confidence interval 0.92–0.98) were significantly associated with oral frailty. The path analysis showed individual associations between each examined factor.ConclusionsOral frailty was associated with decreased appetite and dietary variety in late‐stage older adults. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 626–633.
Rcn1, the fission yeast homolog of human DSCR1, regulates arsenite tolerance independently from calcineurin
Authors: Takasaki Teruaki , Bamba Asuka , Kukita Yuka , Nishida Aiko , Kanbayashi Daiki , Hagihara Kanako , Satoh Ryosuke , Ishihara Keiichi , Sugiura Reiko 
Published: May 2024

AbstractCalcineurin (CN) is a conserved Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent phosphoprotein phosphatase that plays a key role in Ca2+ signaling. Regulator of calcineurin 1 (RCAN1), also known as Down syndrome critical region gene 1 (DSCR1), interacts with calcineurin and inhibits calcineurin‐dependent signaling in various organisms. Ppb1, the fission yeast calcineurin regulates Cl−‐homeostasis, and Ppb1 deletion induces MgCl2 hypersensitivity. Here, we characterize the conserved and novel roles of the fission yeast RCAN1 homolog rcn1+. Consistent with its role as an endogenous calcineurin inhibitor, Rcn1 overproduction reproduced the calcineurin‐null phenotypes, including MgCl2 hypersensitivity and inhibition of calcineurin signaling upon extracellular Ca2+ stimuli as evaluated by the nuclear translocation and transcriptional activation of the calcineurin substrate Prz1. Notably, overexpression of rcn1+ causes hypersensitivity to arsenite, whereas calcineurin deletion induces arsenite tolerance, showing a phenotypic discrepancy between Rcn1 overexpression and calcineurin deletion. Importantly, although Rcn1 deletion induces modest sensitivities to arsenite and MgCl2 in wild‐type cells, the arsenite tolerance, but not MgCl2 sensitivity, associated with Ppb1 deletion was markedly suppressed by Rcn1 deletion. Collectively, our findings reveal a previously unrecognized functional collaboration between Rcn1 and calcineurin, wherein Rcn1 not only negatively regulates calcineurin in the Cl− homeostasis, but also Rcn1 mediates calcineurin signaling to modulate arsenite cytotoxicity.
Assessing joint health in haemophilia patients: The combined value of physical examination and ultrasound imaging
Authors: Gualtierotti Roberta , Giachi Andrea , Truma Addolorata , Arcudi Sara , Ciavarella Alessandro , Bucciarelli Paolo , Consonni Dario , Boccalandro Elena , Begnozzi Valentina , Solimeno Luigi Piero , Siboni Simona Maria , Peyvandi Flora 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIntroductionEarly diagnosis of joint damage is pivotal in haemophilia to prevent the occurrence and progression of haemophilic arthropathy thus providing optimal personalised management. The haemophilia joint health score version 2.1 (HJHS) is based on a physical examination of the mainly affected joints. Musculoskeletal ultrasound has demonstrated the capability to detect early changes in terms of synovitis and osteochondral damage. The haemophilia early detection with ultrasound (HEAD‐US) score has been proposed as a simple and reliable evaluation tool.AimThis study aims to investigate the correlation between the HJHS and the HEAD‐US scores performed by two independent operators (physical therapist and musculoskeletal ultrasound expert) for the evaluation of the joint health status of patients with haemophilia.MethodsConsecutive adult patients independent of the severity degree were included. Elbows, knees and ankles were evaluated by a physical therapist by HJHS and by a musculoskeletal ultrasound expert following the HEAD‐US protocol.ResultsWe observed a good positive correlation between HJHS and HEAD‐US (Spearman's rho 0.72). The main discrepancy in conceptually similar domains was found between the HJHS swelling and the HEAD‐US synovitis (rho 0.17), as ultrasound was able to detect even mild synovitis when HJHS swelling was scored 0 in up to 40% of cases.ConclusionsThe HJHS and HEAD‐US correlate well even when performed by two independent operators. Musculoskeletal ultrasound is particularly useful for the early detection of synovitis. The routine assessment of both scores helps clinicians define the stage and extension of joint involvement and set up a personalised treatment.