bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Long-term clinical outcomes in patients with CIS treated with interferon beta-1b: results from the 15-year follow up of the BENEFIT trial
Authors: Kappos Ludwig , Edan Gilles , Freedman Mark S. , Hartung Hans-Peter , Montalbán Xavier , Barkhof Frederik , Koelbach Ralf , MacManus David G. , Wicklein Eva-Maria ,   for the BENEFIT and BENEFIT 15 Study Groups
Published: May 2024

AbstractMultiple sclerosis (MS) treatment intervention with immunomodulating therapy at early disease stage improves short term clinical outcomes. The objective of this study is to describe the long-term outcomes and healthcare utilization of patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) included in the Betaferon®/Betaseron® in Newly Emerging MS for Initial Treatment (BENEFIT) randomized, parallel group trial. In BENEFIT patients were assigned to “early” IFNB-1b treatment or placebo (“delayed” treatment). After 2 years or conversion to clinically definite multiple sclerosis (CDMS), all patients were offered IFNB-1b and were reassessed 15 years later. Of 468 patients, 261 (55.8%) were enrolled into BENEFIT 15 (161 [55.1%] from the early, 100 [56.8%] from the delayed treatment arm). In the full BENEFIT analysis set, risk of conversion to CDMS remained lower in the early treatment group ( – 30.5%; hazard ratio 0.695 [95% CI, 0.547–0.883]; p = 0.0029) with a 15.7% lower risk of relapse than in the delayed treatment group (p = 0.1008). Overall, 25 patients (9.6%; 9.9% early, 9.0% delayed) converted to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. Disability remained low and stable with no significant difference between groups in Expanded Disability Status Scale score or MRI metrics. Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task-3 scores were better in the early treatment group (p = 0.0036 for treatment effect over 15 years). 66.3% of patients were still employed at Year 15 versus 74.7% at baseline. In conclusion, results 15 years from initial randomization support long-term benefits of early treatment with IFNB-1b.
Digital twin of surface acoustic wave transceivers for a computational design of an optimal wave guiding layer thickness
Authors: Baler Ufuk Tan , Okyar Ali Fethi , Abali Bilen Emek 
Published: May 2024

AbstractDetection of biomarkers is exploited in lab-on-a-chip devices by means of Love type Surface Acoustic Waves (SAW). Finger type arrangement of electrodes, used for InterDigital-Transducers (IDT), perform well to create and detect SAW by using electro-mechanical coupling. Efficiency of such a transceiver depends on design parameters such as chosen material orientation, thickness, placement of electrodes. An optimized design reduces production costs, hence, we need a digital twin of the device with multiphysics simulations that compute deformation and electric field. In this study, we develop a framework with the open-source package called FEniCS for modal and transient analyses of IDTs by using the Finite Element Method (FEM). Specifically, we discuss all possible sensor design parameters and propose a computational design guideline that determines the “best” thickness parameter by maximizing mass sensitivity, thus, efficiency for a Love surface acoustic wave sensor.
Passive intervertebral restraint is different in patients with treatment-resistant chronic nonspecific low back pain: a retrospective cohort study and control comparison
Authors: Breen Alan , Nematimoez Mehdi , Branney Jonathan , Breen Alexander 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Purpose
In vivo studies of continuous lumbar sagittal plane motion have found passive intervertebral motion to be more uneven in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNSLBP) than healthy controls, but the mechanisms are unclear. This study aimed to compare patients with CNSLBP with a matched group of pain-free controls for intervertebral restraint during passive recumbent bending.

Methods
Seventeen patients with CNSLBP and minimal disc degeneration who had quantitative fluoroscopy investigations were matched to 17 healthy controls from a database acquired using the same imaging protocol. The entire database (n = 136) was examined for clustering of peaking times, magnitudes and ROM of the first derivatives of the intervertebral angle/motion curves (PTFD, PMFD and ROM) during flexion and return that might introduce confounding. The groups were then compared for differences in these variables.

Results
There were significant segmental ROM differences among clusters in the database when PMFD and ROM were used as clustering variables, indicating heterogeneity. However, in the patient–control study, it was PTFD (velocity) that differentiated the groups. At L5-S1, this was at 10.82% of the motion path compared with 25.06% in the controls (p = 0.0002). For L4-5, PTFD was at 23.42% of the motion path in patients and 16.33% in controls (p = 0.0694) suggesting a reduced initial bending moment there. There were no significant differences for PMFD or ROM.

Conclusion
Peaking time of passive intervertebral velocity occurs early at L5-S1 in patients with CNSLBP; however, these findings should be treated with caution pending their replication. Future studies should explore relationships with altered disc pressures and biochemistry. Usefulness for monitoring regenerative disc therapies should be considered.
Monitoring of singlet oxygen generation of a novel Schiff-base substituted silicon phthalocyanines by sono-photochemical studies and in vitro activities on prostate cancer cell
Authors: Messaoudi Hiba , Yaşa Atmaca Göknur , Türkkol Ayşegül , Bilgin Mehmet Dinçer , Erdoğmuş Ali 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThis study demonstrates the potential of sono-photodynamic therapy as an effective approach for enhancing singlet oxygen generation using the synthesized Schiff-base diaxially substituted silicon phthalocyanines. In photochemical studies, the singlet oxygen quantum yields (Φ∆) were determined as 0.43 for Si1a, 0.94 for Q-Si1a, 0.58 for S-Si1a, and 0.49 for B-Sia1. In sono-photochemical studies, the Φ∆ values were reached to 0.67 for Si1a, 1.06 for Q-Si1a, 0.65 for S-Si1a, and 0.67 for B-Sia1. In addition, this study demonstrates the therapeutic efficacy of phthalocyanines synthesized as sensitizers on the PC3 prostate cancer cell line through in vitro experiments. The application of these treatment modalities exhibited notable outcomes, leading to a substantial decrease in cell viability within the PC3 prostate cancer cell line. These findings highlight the potential of utilizing these synthesized phthalocyanines as promising therapeutic agents for prostate cancer treatment.
Graphical Abstract
Costs associated with insufficient physical activity in Germany: cross-sectional results from the baseline examination of the German national cohort (NAKO)
Authors: Gottschalk Sophie , König Hans-Helmut , Weber Andrea , Leitzmann Michael F. , Stein Michael J. , Peters Annette , Flexeder Claudia , Krist Lilian , Willich Stefan N. , Nimptsch Katharina , Pischon Tobias , Gastell Sylvia , Steindorf Karen , Herbolsheimer Florian , Ebert Nina , Michels Karin B. , Dorrn Anja , Harth Volker , Obi Nadia , Karch André , Teismann Henning , Völzke Henry , Meinke-Franze Claudia , Klimeck Leon , Seum Teresa L. , Dams Judith 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Background
Insufficient physical activity (PA) is a leading risk factor for non-communicable diseases posing a significant economic burden to healthcare systems and societies. The study aimed to examine the differences in healthcare and indirect costs between sufficient and insufficient PA and the cost differences between PA intensity groups.

Methods
The cross-sectional analysis was based on data from 157,648 participants in the baseline examination of the German National Cohort (NAKO) study. Healthcare and indirect costs were calculated based on self-reported information on health-related resource use and productivity losses. PA in the domains leisure, transport, and work was assessed by the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire and categorized into sufficient/insufficient and intensity levels (very low/low/medium/high) based on PA recommendations of the World Health Organization. Two-part models adjusted for relevant covariates were used to estimate mean costs for PA groups.

Results and conclusion
Insufficiently active people had higher average annual healthcare costs (Δ €188, 95% CI [64, 311]) and healthcare plus indirect costs (Δ €482, 95% CI [262, 702]) compared to sufficiently active people. The difference was especially evident in the population aged 60 + years and when considering only leisure PA. An inverse association was observed between leisure PA and costs, whereas a direct association was found between PA at work and costs. Adjusting for the number of comorbidities reduced the differences between activity groups, but the trend persisted. The association between PA and costs differed in direction between PA domains. Future research may provide further insight into the temporal relationship between PA and costs.
A systematic review of chatbots in inclusive healthcare: insights from the last 5 years
Authors: Grassini Elia , Buzzi Marina , Leporini Barbara , Vozna Alina 
Published: May 2024

AbstractHealthcare is one of the most important sectors of our society, and during the COVID-19 pandemic a new challenge emerged—how to support people safely and effectively at home regarding their health-related problems. In this regard chatbots or conversational agents (CAs) play an increasingly important role, and are spreading rapidly. They can enhance not only user interaction by delivering quick feedback or responses, but also hospital management, thanks to several of their features. Considerable research is focused on making CAs more reliable, accurate, and robust. However, a critical aspect of chatbots is how to make them inclusive, in order to effectively support the interaction of users unfamiliar with technology, such as the elderly and people with disabilities. In this study, we investigate the current use of chatbots in healthcare, exploring their evolution over time and their inclusivity. The study was carried out on four digital libraries (ScienceDirect, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, and Google Scholar) on research articles published in the last 5 years, with a total of 21 articles describing chatbots implemented and actually used in the eHealth clinical area. The results showed a notable improvement in the use of chatbots in the last few years but also highlight some design issues, including poor attention to inclusion. Based on the findings, we recommend a different kind of approach for implementing chatbots with an inclusive accessibility-by-design approach.
Long-term monitoring of dwarf eggs in clutches of Yellow-legged Gulls (Larus michahellis) breeding in a western Mediterranean colony
Authors: Bosch Marc 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe present study provides data on clutches with dwarf eggs from a large sampling in a colony of Yellow-legged Gulls (Larus michahellis) over 31 years. Their occurrence was very low, with a global percentage of 0.26%. Significant variations were not detected among periods of 10 or 11 years. In all the cases, only one dwarf egg was found per clutch. Mean volume of dwarf eggs was 34% of that of non-dwarf eggs. Their content was mostly albumen and a very reduced quantity of yolk, and they were infertile. Several results of the study (the laying order of the dwarf eggs, their mean clutch size and the mean size of the non-dwarf eggs from clutches with dwarf eggs) support the hypotheses that runt eggs occur from a temporary disturbance to the reproductive tract.
Mechanistic microclimate models and plant pest risk modelling
Authors: Mosedale Jonathan R. , Eyre Dominic , Korycinska Anastasia , Everatt Matthew , Grant Sam , Trew Brittany , Kaye Neil , Hemming Deborah , Maclean Ilya M. D. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractClimatic conditions are key determining factors of whether plant pests flourish. Models of pest response to temperature are integral to pest risk assessment and management, helping to inform surveillance and control measures. The widespread use of meteorological data as predictors in these models compromises their reliability as these measurements are not thermally coupled to the conditions experienced by pest organisms or their body temperatures. Here, we present how mechanistic microclimate models can be used to estimate the conditions experienced by pest organisms to provide significant benefits to pest risk modelling. These well-established physical models capture how landscape, vegetation and climate interact to determine the conditions to which pests are exposed. Assessments of pest risk derived from microclimate conditions are likely to significantly diverge from those derived from weather station measurements. The magnitude of this divergence will vary across a landscape, over time and according to pest habitats and behaviour due to the complex mechanisms that determine microclimate conditions and their effect on pest biology. Whereas the application of microclimate models was once restricted to relatively homogeneous habitats, these models can now be applied readily to generate hourly time series across extensive and varied landscapes. We outline the benefits and challenges of more routine application of microclimate models to pest risk modelling. Mechanistic microclimate models provide a heuristic tool that helps discriminate between physical, mathematical and biological causes of model failure. Their use can also help understand how pest ecology, behaviour and physiology mediate the relationship between climate and pest response.
“Historical signs in the landscape”: Ecosystem services, motivation and challenges of pollarding in Western Norway
Authors: Milford Anna Birgitte , Johansen Jørund , Kårstad Signe , Schei Fride Høistad 
Published: May 2024

AbstractPollarding in agroforestry systems was traditionally an important practice for fodder acquisition in Western Norway, as well as in many other parts of the world. The practice has long been in decline, but to maintain cultural landscapes and biodiversity enhancement from pollarding, farmers now receive a public grant for each tree they pollard. In this interdisciplinary study we investigate which ecosystem services modern pollarding practices provide, under the influence of the current pollarding policy. We have performed both in-depth interviews and a quantitative survey targeting all pollarding farmers in the county of Vestland in Western Norway. We find that bioresources obtained from the branches from pollarding are to some extent still taken into use, mainly in the form of tree fodder for farm animals and firewood, but a lot of the branches remain unused. Biodiversity benefits are obtained from preserving old trees that often are located on agricultural land as solitary trees, as these trees provide important habitats, particularly for species growing on the bark, such as lichens and mosses, or within the decaying wood, such as, for example, fungi and insects. The modern practice of letting branches rot in the field provide habitats for insects and hence additional benefits to biodiversity. For the farmers, the main motivations to pollard are the cultural, aesthetic and historical values of pollarded trees. They see few disadvantages with pollarding, and most of them plan to continue in the future. The grant provides an incentive for pollarding, but our results indicate that the practice would continue without it, although less than now, especially with the establishment of new pollards.
Semantic matching in GUI test reuse
Authors: Khalili Farideh , Mariani Leonardo , Mohebbi Ali , Pezzè Mauro , Terragni Valerio 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Reusing test cases across apps that share similar functionalities reduces both the effort required to produce useful test cases and the time to offer reliable apps to the market. The main approaches to reuse test cases across apps combine different semantic matching and test generation algorithms to migrate test cases across apps. In this paper we define a general framework to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of different choices of semantic matching with approaches on migrating test cases across apps. We offer a thorough comparative evaluation of the many possible choices for the components of test migration processes. We propose an approach that combines the most effective choices for each component of the test migration process to obtain an effective approach. We report the results of an experimental evaluation on 8,099 GUI events from 337 test configurations. The results attest the prominent impact of semantic matching on test reuse. They indicate that sentence level perform better than word level embedding techniques. They surprisingly suggest a negligible impact of the corpus of documents used for building the word embedding model for the . They provide evidence that semantic matching of events of selected types perform better than semantic matching of events of all types. They show that the effectiveness of overall approach depends on the characteristics of the test suites and apps. The replication package that we make publicly available online (https://star.inf.usi.ch/#/software-data/11) allows researchers and practitioners to refine the results with additional experiments and evaluate other choices for test reuse components.
Fundamental groups and group presentations with bounded relator lengths
Authors: Zamora Sergio 
Published: May 2024

AbstractWe study the geometry of compact geodesic spaces with trivial first Betti number admitting large finite groups of isometries. We show that if a finite group G acts by isometries on a compact geodesic space X whose first Betti number vanishes, then $${\text {diam}}(X) / {\text {diam}}(X / G ) \le 4 \sqrt{ \vert G \vert }$$

diam

(
X
)

/
diam

(
X
/
G
)

≤
4

|
G
|

. For a group G and a finite symmetric generating set S, $$P_k(\varGamma (G, S))$$

P
k

(
Γ

(
G
,
S
)

)

denotes the 2-dimensional CW-complex whose 1-skeleton is the Cayley graph $$\varGamma $$
Γ
of G with respect to S and whose 2-cells are m-gons for $$0 \le m \le k$$

0
≤
m
≤
k

, defined by the simple graph loops of length m in $$\varGamma $$
Γ
, up to cyclic permutations. Let G be a finite abelian group with $$\vert G \vert \ge 3$$

|
G
|
≥
3

and S a symmetric set of generators for which $$P_k(\varGamma (G,S))$$

P
k

(
Γ

(
G
,
S
)

)

has trivial first Betti number. We show that the first nontrivial eigenvalue $$-\lambda _1$$

-

λ
1

of the Laplacian on the Cayley graph satisfies $$\lambda _1 \ge 2 - 2 \cos ( 2 \pi / k ) $$

λ
1

≥
2
-
2
cos

(
2
π
/
k
)

. We also give an explicit upper bound on the diameter of the Cayley graph of G with respect to S of the form $$O (k^2 \vert S \vert \log \vert G \vert )$$

O
(

k
2

|
S
|
log
|
G
|
)

. Related explicit bounds for the Cheeger constant and Kazhdan constant of the pair (G, S) are also obtained.
Detectability of Seamount Eruptions Through a Quantum Technology Gravity Mission MOCAST+: Hunga Tonga, Fani Maoré and Other Smaller Eruptions
Authors: Braitenberg Carla , Pastorutti Alberto 
Published: May 2024

AbstractSeamount eruptions alter the bathymetry and can occur undetected due to lack of explosive character. We review documented eruptions to define whether they could be detected by a future satellite gravity mission. We adopt the noise level in acquisitions of multi-satellite constellations as in the MOCAST+ study, with a proposed payload of a quantum technology gradiometer and clock. The review of underwater volcanoes includes the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai (HTHH) islands for which the exposed surface changed during volcanic unrests of 2014/2015 and 2021/2022. The Fani Maoré submarine volcanic eruption of 2018–2021 produced a new seamount 800 m high, emerging from a depth of 3500 m, and therefore not seen above sea surface. We review further documented submarine eruptions and estimate the upper limit of the expected gravity changes. We find that a MOCAST+ type mission should allow us to detect the subsurface mass changes generated by deep ocean submarine volcanic activity for volume changes of 6.5 km3 upwards, with latency of 1 year. This change is met by the HTHH and Fani Maoré volcanoes.
Regulation of Alternative Splicing of Lipid Metabolism Genes in Sepsis-Induced Liver Damage by RNA-Binding Proteins
Authors: Abuduaini Buzukela , Jiyuan Zhang , Rehati Aliya , Liang Zhao , Yunlin Song 
Published: May 2024

AbstractRNA binding proteins (RBPs) have the potential for transcriptional regulation in sepsis-induced liver injury, but precise functions remain unclear. Our aim is to conduct a genome-wide expression analysis of RBPs and illuminate changes in the regulation of alternative splicing in sepsis-induced liver injury. RNA-seq data on “sepsis and liver” from the publicly available NCBI data set was analyzed, and differentially expressed RBPs and alternative splicing events (ASEs) in the healthy and septic liver were identified. Co-expression analyses of sepsis-regulated RBPs and ASEs were performed. Models of sepsis were established to validate hepatic RBP gene expression patterns with different treatments. Pairwise analysis of gene expression profiles of sham, cecum ligation puncture (CLP), and CLP with dichloroacetate (CLPDCA) mice allowed 1208 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), of which 800 were up-regulated and 408 down-regulated, to be identified. DEGs were similar in both Sham and CLPDCA mice. The KEGG analysis showed that up-regulated genes as being involved in cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and IL-17 signaling pathway and down-regulated genes in metabolic pathways. Differences in lipid metabolism–related alternative splicing events, including A3SS, were also found in CLP and CLPDCA compared with sham mice. Thirty-seven RBPs, including S100a11, Ads2, Fndc3b, Fn1, Ddx28, Car2, Cisd1, and Ptms, were differentially expressed in CLP mice and the regulated alternative splicing genes(RASG) with the RBP shown to be enriched in lipid metabolic and oxidation-reduction-related processes by GO functional analysis. In KEEG analysis the RASG mainly enriched in metabolic pathway. The models of sepsis were constructed with different treatment groups, and S100a11 expression in the CLP group found to be higher than in the sham group, a change that was reversed by DCA. The alternative splicing ratio of Srebf1 and Cers2 decreased compared with the sham group increased after DCA treatment. Abnormal profiles of gene expression and alternative splicing were associated with sepsis-induced liver injury. Unusual expression of RBPs, such as S100a11, may regulate alternative splicing of lipid metabolism–associated genes, such as Srebf1 and Cers2, in the septic liver. RBPs may constitute potential treatment targets for sepsis-induced liver injury.