bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The influence of patients’ beliefs about medicines and the relationship with suboptimal medicine use in community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review of quantitative studies
Authors: Rafhi Eman , Al-Juhaishi Malath , Stupans Ieva , Stevens Julie E. , Park Joon Soo , Wang Kate N. 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Background
Medication use in older adults is increasing, therefore, reducing the risk of suboptimal medicine use is imperative in achieving optimal therapeutic outcomes. Research suggests that factors such as personal beliefs and beliefs about medicines may be associated with non-adherence and inappropriate medicine use.

Aim
To systematically review and identify quantitative research on the influence of beliefs about medicines and the relationship with suboptimal medicine use in older adults.

Method
Searches were conducted on PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO for quantitative studies (inception to March 2023). Inclusion criteria: (1) exposure: participants’ beliefs (personal, cultural, and medication-related), (2) outcomes: polypharmacy, potentially inappropriate medicines use, or non-adherence, and (3) participants: community-dwelling adults 65 years or above. Study selection, data extraction and quality appraisal (Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist) were completed independently by two investigators. Data were combined in a narrative synthesis and presented in a summary of findings table.

Results
Nineteen articles were included: 15 cross-sectional and four cohort studies. Outcomes of included papers were as follows; adherence (n = 18) and potentially inappropriate medicine use (n = 1). Ten studies found stronger beliefs in the necessity of medicines and/or fewer concerns led to better adherence, with one paper contradicting these findings. Three studies did not find associations between adherence and beliefs. One study confirmed an association between unnecessary drug use and a lack of belief in a "powerful other" (e.g. doctor).

Conclusion
Further investigation is necessary to (1) ascertain the importance of necessity or concern beliefs in fostering adherence and, (2) examine the influence of beliefs on polypharmacy and inappropriate medicine use.
Outcome Isn’t Everything: Electoral Consequences of Implementing or Withdrawing Unpopular Policies
Authors: Gren Simon , Leuschner Elena 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIncumbents often make unpopular policy decisions. But can they remedy their negative electoral consequences? We extend the wide literature concerning retrospective voting to the case of unpopular policies and examine whether voters reward a responsive withdrawal of an unpopular policy proposal or punish the disclosed policy intention despite the withdrawal. To test this, we use granular data on Swedish local election results from 2002 to 2018 and the case of widely unpopular school closure proposals, some of which were implemented and others not. We exploit within municipality variation in voting over time to causally estimate the consequences for incumbents in the neighborhood surrounding the schools. Our results confirm that even if a school remains open, voters punish the incumbent and consider the initial proposal as informative for their vote. Our findings have implications for the understanding of democratic accountability and which information voters take into account when casting their vote.
Policy and Fertility, a Case Study of the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan
Authors: Laplante Benoît 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIn 2006, the Quebec government implemented a parental leave program more generous than the scheme available through the Canadian federal Employment Insurance (EI) program. It was aimed at maintaining the personal disposable income after a birth, especially for women whose income exceeds the maximum insurable earnings of EI. In this article, we assess whether the implementation of the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) was associated with an increase in the fertility in Quebec, especially for highly educated women. We use data from the rotating panels of the Canadian Labor Force Survey. We test the effect of the implementation of the QPIP on fertility by comparing Quebec and Ontario, which kept the federal EI scheme, before and after the implementation of the QPIP. We adapt the difference in differences method (DiD) to the modeling of the fertility schedule using Poisson regression. We estimate fertility by educational levels within each of the four groups of the DiD design by integrating the estimated fertility schedules. Our results show that the implementation of the QPIP was associated with an increase in fertility in Quebec. The magnitude of the increase varies by educational levels: 17% for women who did not complete secondary education, 46% for those who completed it, and 27% for women who earned a university diploma.
Complementary information concerning the suspected interindividual transmission of GW1516, a substance prohibited in sport, through intimate contact: a case report
Authors: Breuer J. , Garzinsky A. M. , Thomas A. , Nieschlag E. , Kliesch S. , Fedoruk M. , Geyer H. , Thevis M. 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Inadvertent and/or unknowing exposure to drugs and drug residues has been frequently debated in situations of so-called adverse analytical finding (AAF) in the context of sports drug testing programs. Transfer of drug residues via unprotected intercourse is a conceivable scenario but scientific data and authentic case reports are scarce. Herein, investigations into two AAFs with the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARδ) agonist GW1516 are reported and discussed.

Methods
To probe for a contamination scenario involving sexual intercourse, two assays were used to determine semenogelin in human urine, with one employing an immunochromatographic lateral flow approach and another based on liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Further, drug-residue testing using patients’ ejaculate was conducted by utilizing liquid chromatography in conjunction with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, followed by re-analysis of suspect samples (i.e., samples indicating the presence of relevant compounds) using high resolution/high mass accuracy mass spectrometry.

Results
In one case, but not the other, the possibility of intimate contact as the source of the AAF was confirmed after a thorough investigation of potential contamination scenarios. Subsequent research revealed analytical evidence for the presence of seminal fluid in one of the female athlete’s doping control urine samples, and the analysis of clinical ejaculate specimens provided first data on an authentic concentration level of GW1516 and its metabolites in human seminal fluid.

Conclusions
The combined facts substantiate the possibility of an AAF caused by unprotected sexual intercourse and the plausibility of the case-related arguments.
A theoretical framework for improved fire suppression by linking management models with smart early fire detection and suppression technologies
Authors: Meng Li , O’Hehir Jim , Gao Jing , Peters Stefan , Hay Anthony 
Published: May 2024

AbstractBushfires are devastating to forest managers, owners, residents, and the natural environment. Recent technological advances indicate a potential for faster response times in terms of detecting and suppressing fires. However, to date, all these technologies have been applied in isolation. This paper introduces the latest fire detection and suppression technologies from ground to space. An operations research method was used to assemble these technologies into a theoretical framework for fire detection and suppression. The framework harnesses the advantages of satellite-based, drone, sensor, and human reporting technologies as well as image processing and artificial intelligence machine learning. The study concludes that, if a system is designed to maximise the use of available technologies and carefully adopts them through complementary arrangements, a fire detection and resource suppression system can achieve the ultimate aim: to reduce the risk of fire hazards and the damage they may cause.
The creative–destructive force of hurricanes: evidence from technological adoption in colonial Jamaican sugar estates
Authors: Huesler Joel , Strobl Eric 
Published: May 2024

AbstractWhile in the early part of the nineteenth-century Jamaica was one of the world’s leading sugar producers, the abolition of slavery, the flooding of sugar markets with cheap European beet sugar, and the equalization and finally elimination of sugar import duties across the British empire led to a need for more efficient ways to produce sugar. However, it has been widely noted that Jamaica sugar estates were late in adopting more efficient production techniques, arguably due to inadequate financing. This paper investigates what role the destructive forces of hurricanes may have played in inducing Jamaica to finally modernize its sugar production. To this end, we combine a geo-referenced exhaustive data set of Jamaican sugar estates with a measure of localized hurricane damage constructed from historical hurricane tracks over the period 1882 to 1930. Our econometric analysis shows that hurricane strikes increased the probability that a surviving estate upgraded its sugar processing technology, particularly when the price of sugar was high and the price of the other main exporting crop (bananas) was low. Additionally, while a government hurricane loan programme working through local loan banks did help plantations to adopt new machinery, this depended on the damage not being too large.
Simultaneous integrated boost intensity-modulated radiotherapy post breast-conserving surgery: clinical efficacy, adverse effects, and cosmetic outcomes in breast cancer patients
Authors: Bao Yong-qiang , Yu Teng-hua , Huang Wei , Mao Qing-feng , Tu Gan-jie , Li Bin , Yi An , Li Jin-gao , Rao Jun , Zhang Huai-wen , Jiang Chun-ling 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Background
Simultaneous integrated boost intensity-modulated radiotherapy (SIB-IMRT) is an innovative technique delivering a higher dose to the tumor bed while irradiating the entire breast. This study aims to assess the clinical outcomes, adverse effects, and cosmetic results of SIB-IMRT following breast-conserving surgery in breast cancer patients.

Methods
We conducted a retrospective analysis of 308 patients with stage 0–III breast cancer who underwent breast-conserving surgery and SIB-IMRT from January 2016 to December 2020. The prescribed doses included 1.85 Gy/27 fractions to the whole breast and 2.22 Gy/27 fractions or 2.20 Gy/27 fractions to the tumor bed. Primary endpoints included overall survival (OS), local–regional control (LRC), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), acute and late toxicities, and cosmetic outcomes.

Results
The median follow-up time was 36 months. The 3-year OS, LRC, and DMFS rates were 100%, 99.6%, and 99.2%, respectively. Five patients (1.8%) experienced local recurrence or distant metastasis, and one patient succumbed to distant metastasis. The most common acute toxicity was grade 1–2 skin reactions (91.6%). The most common late toxicity was grade 0–1 skin and subcutaneous tissue reactions (96.7%). Five patients (1.8%) developed grade 1–2 upper limb lymphedema, and three patients (1.1%) had grade 1 radiation pneumonitis. Among the 262 patients evaluated for cosmetic outcomes at least 2 years post-radiotherapy, 96.9% achieved excellent or good results, while 3.1% had fair or poor outcomes.

Conclusions
SIB-IMRT after breast-conserving surgery in breast cancer patients demonstrated excellent clinical efficacy, mild acute and late toxicities, and satisfactory cosmetic outcomes in our study. SIB-IMRT appears to be a feasible and effective option for breast cancer patients suitable for breast-conserving surgery.
ChatGPT Needs SPADE (Sustainability, PrivAcy, Digital divide, and Ethics) Evaluation: A Review
Authors: Khowaja Sunder Ali , Khuwaja Parus , Dev Kapal , Wang Weizheng , Nkenyereye Lewis 
Published: May 2024

AbstractChatGPT is another large language model (LLM) vastly available for the consumers on their devices but due to its performance and ability to converse effectively, it has gained a huge popularity amongst research as well as industrial community. Recently, many studies have been published to show the effectiveness, efficiency, integration, and sentiments of chatGPT and other LLMs. In contrast, this study focuses on the important aspects that are mostly overlooked, i.e. sustainability, privacy, digital divide, and ethics and suggests that not only chatGPT but every subsequent entry in the category of conversational bots should undergo Sustainability, PrivAcy, Digital divide, and Ethics (SPADE) evaluation. This paper discusses in detail the issues and concerns raised over chatGPT in line with aforementioned characteristics. We also discuss the recent EU AI Act briefly in accordance with the SPADE evaluation. We support our hypothesis by some preliminary data collection and visualizations along with hypothesized facts. We also suggest mitigations and recommendations for each of the concerns. Furthermore, we also suggest some policies and recommendations for EU AI policy act concerning ethics, digital divide, and sustainability.
Sliced Wasserstein adversarial training for improving adversarial robustness
Authors: Lee Woojin , Lee Sungyoon , Kim Hoki , Lee Jaewook 
Published: May 2024

AbstractRecently, deep-learning-based models have achieved impressive performance on tasks that were previously considered to be extremely challenging. However, recent works have shown that various deep learning models are susceptible to adversarial data samples. In this paper, we propose the sliced Wasserstein adversarial training method to encourage the logit distributions of clean and adversarial data to be similar to each other. We capture the dissimilarity between two distributions using the Wasserstein metric and then align distributions using an end-to-end training process. We present the theoretical background of the motivation for our study by providing generalization error bounds for adversarial data samples. We performed experiments on three standard datasets and the results demonstrate that our method is more robust against white box attacks compared to previous methods.
circ_WASF2 regulates ferroptosis by miR-634/ GPX4 signaling in pancreatic cancer
Authors: Liu Tao , Xie Xing-ming , He Ya-peng , Zhang Jia-yao , Mou Jun-ying 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most lethal malignant gastrointestinal tumors (GI) characterized by a poor prognosis. Ferroptosis is an emerging programmed cell death that plays an essential role in the progression of various cancers. Ferroptosis is driven by iron-dependent phospholipid peroxidation and is regulated by mitochondrial activity, lipid peroxidation, and reactive oxygen species (ROS). The function and mechanism of ferroptosis in PC need more research.

Methods
The levels of circRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Western blot was used for protein detection. CCK8 assays were used to detect cell proliferation. Cell death, lipid peroxidation, ROS, and Fe2+ were detected by indicted kits. Dual-luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assays were conducted to confirm the interaction between circRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs.

Results
In this research, we found that circular RNA hsa_circ_0000003(circ_WASF2) was upregulated in pancreatic cancer cells. The silence of circ_WASF2 inhibited cancer proliferation and increased cell death by increasing ferroptosis accompanied by up-regulation of lipid peroxidation, ROS, and Fe2+. Further studies showed that circ_WASF2 could attenuate ferroptosis by targeting miR-634 and the downstream glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). GPX4 has been well-reported as a central factor in ferroptosis. Our research revealed a new pathway for regulating ferroptosis in PC.

Conclusion
In summary, we have determined that circ_WASF2/miR-634/GPX4 contributed to ferroptosis-induced cell death, and provided a possible therapeutic target in PC.
Cohesion measurements between variables and methods using component-based software systems
Authors: Shipra  
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe practice of leveraging previously created software components to progress new software is identified as component-based software engineering (CBSE). Good software engineering design is the foundation of CBSE principles. The black box approach that underpins CBSE hides the execution of components in nature, and the components communicate with one another using strictly delineated interfaces. Component platforms are shared, which lowers the price of creation. To ascertain a system's complexity, various software metrics are employed. For superiority in software intricacy, coupling would be minimal, and cohesiveness must be high. It is predetermined that coupling should be low and cohesion should be increased for refinement in software complexity. We are identifying the combination of different software systems and improving the methods for doing so with our approach. Proposed: Cohm (cohesion of methods) and Cohv (cohesion of variables) are two cohesion metrics that have been proposed. The cohesiveness metrics in this study have been analytically and empirically evaluated, and a comparison has been made between them. Additionally, an effort was made to give the outcomes of an empirical estimation based on the case study. The T-test is used to determine the consequences of the metrics, and Python is used to validate the metrics. Python or R programming and the Matlab tool are used to determine the relationship between various variables and metrics. Findings: The consequence of the current investigation is very encouraging and might be used to estimate the involvedness of the parts. The proportional analysis of the proposed metrics and various cohesion metrics reveals that the suggested metrics are more cohesive than the present metrics, increasing the likelihood that they can be reused when creating new applications.
Basic Red 46 adsorption studies onto pyrolyzed by-product biomass
Authors: Sahnoun A. Y. , Selatnia A. , Mitu L. , Ayeche R. , Daoud N. , Dahoun-Tchoulak Y. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIn this study, the objective was to examine the utilization of the pyrolyzed by-products biomass as an adsorbent for extracting the dye Basic Red 46 (BR 46) from a solution. The pyrolyzed by-product containing Pleurotus mutilus biomass was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), FTIR and µXRF. Different parameters effects such as, adsorbent dose, solution pH, contact time, temperature and initial dye concentration on the adsorption capacity of the pyrolyzed by-product biomass were examined. The solution was analyzed before and after the adsorption studies. With adsorbent dose of 1 g/L, contact time of 14 min, and solution pH of 7.5, the optimum yield of 88% was achieved. In order to fit the equilibrium data, the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Khan isotherm models were used, and in order to fit the kinetics data, the pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, Elovich, and Ritchie models were employed. Statistical analysis such as R2, RMSE,$${\chi }^{2}$$

χ

2

and ARE was used to assess which model has the best fit with the experimental data. The results demonstrated that the experimental equilibrium data are well described by the Langmuir model, and the kinetic studies indicated that the adsorption of BR46 followed the Ritchie model. The greatest BR 46 adsorption capacity determined from experimental equilibrium data was around 135 mg/g at pH = 7.5, adsorbent dosage of 1 g/L. Moreover, thermodynamic analysis has demonstrated that the adsorption process was physical, exothermic, and spontaneous in nature. These results indicated that pyrolyzed by-product biomass might be used as a cheap material to extract textile colors out of aqueous effluents.
Monitoring the spatial evolution of groundwater quality during its diversion in the drinking water supply network in arid areas, case of Bechar city (Algeria Sahara)
Authors: Mebarki Saliha , Kendouci Mohammed Amin , Bendida Ali 
Published: May 2024

AbstractClimate change has clearly affected the desert city of Bechar, located in southern Algeria, and this miserable situation for the supply of drinking water prompted the authorities to provide capabilities and funds to bring groundwater located 250 km away and transfer it to the city of Bechar. The characterization of these underground waters presents a bicarbonate-magnesian facies according to the diagram of Schöeller and Berkaloff; the representation of the data on the triangular Piper diagram shows that Boussir ground water has the magnesium bicarbonate facies. The calculation of the quality index (GWQI) shows that all samples taken from the boreholes belong to the good quality category. The long distance of diversion of this underground water and the quality of the materials used in the project under a dry desert climate made us carry out the process of monitoring and tracking the quality of the water from the well until it reaches the consumer. The results revealed that all the levels of the physic-chemical parameters do not exceed the WHO portability standards, except that a variation of certain values was observed at the level of the storage tank, this variation due to the mode of filling and the mixing of water in tubular form, without eliminating the effect of water stagnation. If we technically know how to produce high-quality drinking water, we cannot always ensure a safe and sustainable water supply of the same quality in distribution networks and reservoirs; it is from this principle that our article is based in order to reinforce the monitoring role.
Groundwater recharge potential zone modeling in the Wadi Al-Lith Basin, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Kawara Atef Q. , Elsebaie Ibrahim H. , Alnahit Ali O. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe management of groundwater resources is crucial in arid and semi-arid regions such as Al-Lith Basin, and therefore, the identification of suitable areas for groundwater recharge is important in solving the problem of water scarcity and ensuring the long-term sustainability of aquifers. In this study, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique, in conjunction with GIS, was applied to locate potential zones for groundwater recharge in the Al-Lith basin. The research methodology includes collecting the essential data, including lineament density, slope, rainfall, drainage density, LU/LC, soil, elevation, and TWI. AHP is used to assign relative weights to different qualities, considering their significance in influencing groundwater recharge. The ArcGIS was employed to process and analyze the weighted layers, which resulted in the creation of a comprehensive map illustrating the potential for groundwater recharge. The study results suggested that the Al-Lith Subbasin has several zones that exhibit different levels of groundwater recharge capability. The results obtained from this study indicated that 12.83% of the basin area has significant groundwater recharge potential zones (GWPZ), ranging from high to very high levels. The groundwater recharge potential zones in the basin are categorized as very poor to poor, covering 19.4% of the area, while the moderate groundwater recharge potential zones represent 67.77% of the basin area. The groundwater protection zones were validated using 19 wells distributed across the basin. The validation findings indicate there is an overlap between the GWPZ classes and the wells in the specified location. Overall, the findings of this study can enhance groundwater resource management and inform policy development for targeted interventions aimed at enhancing groundwater recharge.