bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The earliest large carpenter bee (Xylocopa) and its adhering pollen (Araliaceae, Theaceae)
Authors: Geier Christian , Engel Michael S. , Bouchal Johannes M. , Ulrich Silvia , Grímsson Friðgeir , Wedmann Sonja , Wappler Torsten 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe association of pollinators with their host plants is a critical element of ecosystem functioning and one that is usually determined indirectly in the fossil record from specific morphological traits of flowers or putative pollinating animals. The exceptionally fine preservation at Messel, Germany, offers an excellent source of data on pollen from fossil flowers as well as preserved adhering to insects as direct evidence of their association with specific floral lineages. Here, we report on pollen recovered from the body and legs of a large carpenter bee (Apidae: Xylocopinae: Xylocopini) from the Eocene of Messel. The fossil is the earliest occurrence of the tribe Xylocopini and represents an extinct subgenus and species, described as Xylocopa (Apocolyx) primigenia subgen. et sp. nov. Two eudicot pollen types were recovered from the bee, one of the family Theaceae (Asterids: Ericales) and another of Araliaceae (Euasterids: Apiales). The pollen grains are compared with various extinct and extant pollen types, and data on floral visitors to modern theaceous and araliaceous flowers are explored in relation to understanding the association of the fossil carpenter with these floral types in the paratropical Eocene biota of Messel.
The Calibrated Bayesian Hypothesis Test for Directional Hypotheses of the Odds Ratio in $$2\times 2$$ Contingency Tables
Authors: Kelter Riko 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe $$\chi ^{2}$$

χ
2

test is among the most widely used statistical hypothesis tests in medical research. Often, the statistical analysis deals with the test of row-column independence in a $$2\times 2$$

2
×
2

contingency table, and the statistical parameter of interest is the odds ratio. A novel Bayesian analogue to the frequentist $$\chi ^{2}$$

χ
2

test is introduced. The test is based on a Dirichlet-multinomial model under a joint sampling scheme and works with balanced and unbalanced randomization. The test focusses on the quantity of interest in a variety of medical research, the odds ratio in a $$2\times 2$$

2
×
2

contingency table. A computational implementation of the test is developed and R code is provided to apply the test. To meet the demands of regulatory agencies, a calibration of the Bayesian test is introduced which allows to calibrate the false-positive rate and power. The latter provides a Bayes-frequentist compromise which ensures control over the long-term error rates of the test. Illustrative examples using clinical trial data and simulations show how to use the test in practice. In contrast to existing Bayesian tests for $$2\times 2$$

2
×
2

tables, calibration of the acceptance threshold for the hypothesis of interest allows to achieve a bound on the false-positive rate and minimum power for a prespecified odds ratio of interest. The novel Bayesian test provides an attractive choice for Bayesian biostatisticians who face the demands of regulatory agencies which usually require formal control over false-positive errors and power under the alternative. As such, it constitutes an easy-to-apply addition to the arsenal of already existing Bayesian tests.
Cerebral Metastases in Breast Cancer Patients: a Narrative Review
Authors: Müller Carolin , Schmidt Gilda , Solomayer Erich-Franz , Popp Ilinca , Grosu Anca-Ligia , Juhasz-Böss Ingolf , Jung Lisa , Huwer Sarah 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Purpose of the Review
The purpose of this review is to address the rising incidence of cerebral metastases in breast cancer patients, which is now estimated to affect 30–40% of advanced breast cancer (ABC) patients.

Recent Findings
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remains the gold standard for brain metastases (BM) diagnosis, with follow-up scans recommended every 3 months. Treatment options for BM include neurosurgery, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), stereotactic fractionated radiation therapy (SFRT), or whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT), selected based on BM number, size, and location. Local therapies like SRS or neurosurgery are preferred for single or oligo metastases, while SRS or WBRT may be used for multiple BM. Concurrent systemic treatment tailored to tumor biology is crucial, particularly with recent advancements in HER2-positive patient management..

Summary
Symptomatic BM warrants local treatment alongside systemic therapy, considering patient condition and prognosis.
Constraint programming for reservoir operation optimization of Bhumibol dam
Authors: Sawangphol Wudhichart , Kraisangka Jidapa , Rittima Areeya , Phankamolsil Yutthana , Tabucanon Allan Sriratana , Talaluxmana Yutthana , Vudhivanich Varawoot 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe modern constraint programming (CP) was adopted to minimize water scarcity and excessive water which are the critical issues in reservoir operation of Bhumibol Dam (BB) to solve consecutive droughts in the Chao Phraya River Basin (CPYRB), Thailand. The situations of the severe droughts have been frequently occurred in a broad area of CPYRB due to an extremely low rainfall leading to unusually low water levels and inflow in major reservoirs. Therefore, multi-objective optimization was conducted to characterize the actual operation and physical reservoir system of BB Dam. Two different CP models with seasonal and yearly constraints were manipulated using MiniZinc programming language and the constraint solver IPOPT to find the optimal daily release scheme from 2000 to 2018 of BB Dam. The potential of downstream flow conditions was also considered to partially supply downstream water demand and store savable water in a reservoir for subsequent use during possible future droughts. The results reveal that CP models can diminish some extent of yearly reservoir release, while daily long-term release scheme conforms well with the actual operation particularly during dry and wet seasons in specific drought years. These mean that amount of reservoir water of approximately 47.12–103.83 MCM/year can be saved and stored in reservoir for subsequent use in CPYRB when CP models are deployed. This results in a reservoir storage increase of 7.10–7.94% at the end of the wet season for seasonal and yearly CP models, respectively. When potential side flow is considered, the increase climbs up to 10.49%. This envisages the higher possibility of supplying reservoir water for agricultural water needs over the dry season in the Greater Chao Phraya Irrigation Scheme. As the potential hydraulic head is subject to increased reservoir water storage, therefore, the increase in hydropower production is definitely found of ranging from + 6.10% to + 13.79% by these two sorts of CP models. In addition, handling with huge volumes of flood and drought by CP models is well managed as the specific release constraints during refilled and drawdown periods are used to define the constraint satisfaction problem.
Oleogels for the ocular delivery of epalrestat: formulation, in vitro, in ovo, ex vivo and in vivo evaluation
Authors: Kattar Axel , Vivero-Lopez Maria , Concheiro Angel , Mudakavi Rajeev , Chauhan Anuj , Alvarez-Lorenzo Carmen 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe ocular administration of lipophilic and labile drugs such as epalrestat, an aldose reductase inhibitor with potential for diabetic retinopathy treatment, demands the development of topical delivery systems capable of providing sufficient ocular bioavailability. The aim of this work was to develop non-aqueous oleogels based on soybean oil and gelators from natural and sustainable sources (ethyl cellulose, beeswax and cocoa butter) and to assess their reproducibility, safety and efficiency in epalrestat release and permeation both ex vivo and in vivo. Binary combinations of gelators at 10% w/w resulted in solid oleogels (oleorods), while single gelator oleogels at 5% w/w remained liquid at room temperature, with most of the oleogels displaying shear thinning behavior. The oleorods released up to 4 µg epalrestat per mg of oleorod in a sustained or burst pattern depending on the gelator (approx. 10% dose in 24 h). The HET-CAM assay indicated that oleogel formulations did not induce ocular irritation and were safe for topical ocular administration. Corneal and scleral ex vivo assays evidenced the permeation of epalrestat from the oleorods up to 4 and 2.5 µg/cm2 after six hours, respectively. Finally, the capacity of the developed oleogels to sustain release and provide significant amounts of epalrestat to the ocular tissues was demonstrated in vivo against aqueous-based niosomes and micelles formulations loaded with the same drug concentration. Overall, the gathered information provides valuable insights into the development of oleogels for ocular drug delivery, emphasizing their safety and controlled release capabilities, which have implications for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy and other ocular conditions.
Graphical abstract
DSBAV-Net: Depthwise Separable Bottleneck Attention V-Shaped Network with Hybrid Convolution for Left Atrium Segmentation
Authors: Ocal Hakan 
Published: May 2024

AbstractAccurate and precise segmentation of the left atrium (LA) is crucial in the early diagnosis and treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF), which is the most common heart rhythm disease in cases. The size of fibrotic tissue in patients with AF is based on manual examination of images obtained from the gadolinium-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique. However, manual examination of the acquired images is time-consuming and has many difficulties, such as LA thickness between observers and resolution according to MR devices. To overcome the challenges of manual segmentation of images obtained from MRI devices, end-to-end, fully automated deep learning-based segmentation architectures have become extremely important today. In this study, an encoder–decoder-based V-shaped deep learning architecture is proposed for precise segmentation of LA. In the proposed architecture, standard convolution and depthwise separable convolution are used together. Thus, sparsely connected blocks with fewer parameters and deeply separable convolutions learn the feature representations better, increasing the robustness of the model. In addition, the bottleneck attention module has been added to each encoder layer, allowing the network to learn which features to focus on and which features to suppress in images by attention mapping channel and spatially. The proposed architecture obtained 0.915 dice and 0.844 Jaccard scores in the STACOM 2018 challenge dataset. The obtained results draw attention to the robustness of the model.
The impact of the Mediterranean diet on immune function in older adults
Authors: Ecarnot Fiona , Maggi Stefania 
Published: May 2024

AbstractDiet is one of the lifestyle factors that is most amenable to intervention, and has a substantial effect on the potential for successful aging and mitigation of the risk of disease. Good nutrition is a pillar of healthy aging, and a large body of evidence attests to the benefits of the Mediterranean diet on the quality of the aging process. The Mediterranean diet comprises a wide range of nutrients which, both individually and collectively, exert positive effects on immunity, in large part mediated by the gut microbiota. In this article, we review the effect of the Mediterranean diet on immunity, and how its beneficial effects are mediated by the gut microbiota. We review the effects of certain key components of the Mediterranean dietary pattern, including vitamins, zinc, selenium, and polyphenols. Overall, the existing body of evidence convincingly demonstrates that the Mediterreanean diet affects immune health by maintaining a healthy body weight and reducing the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases; by reducing inflammation and by promoting a healthy gut microbiota profile.
Safety and efficacy of tixagevimab/cilgavimab for pre-exposure prophylaxis in kidney transplant recipients: a multicenter retrospective cohort study
Authors: Simone Simona , Pronzo Virginia , Pesce Francesco , Bavaro Davide Fiore , Infante Barbara , Mercuri Silvia , Schirinzi Annalisa , Panaro Antonella , Conte Eleonora , Belati Alessandra , Troise Dario , Pontrelli Paola , Conserva Francesca , Gallo Pasquale , Panico Maddalena , Spilotros Marco , Lucarelli Giuseppe , Saracino Annalisa , Stallone Giovanni , Di Serio Francesca , Ditonno Pasquale , Gesualdo Loreto 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Background
Immunocompromised patients show an impaired vaccine response and remain at high risk of severe COVID-19, despite vaccination. Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been developed for prophylaxis and treatment. The combination tixagevimab/cilgavimab (AZD7442) has been authorized for emergency use as pre-exposure prophylaxis for COVID-19, but data on safety and efficacy in kidney transplant recipients during the Omicron period are limited.

Methods
We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study including 253 kidney transplant recipients, of whom 98 were treated with tixagevimab/cilgavimab 150 mg/150 mg and 155 who received only four doses of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine.

Results
Only 13.3% of patients developed SARS-CoV-2 infection after the administration of tixagevimab/cilgavimab; in comparison, 34.2% of patients had been infected after the fourth dose of vaccine (p = 0.00013). Most infected patients in the AZD7442 group remained asymptomatic (92.3% vs 54.7%), 7.7% had mild symptoms and none had severe disease, need for hospitalization or died, while in the control group, 9.4% of patients had moderate or severe disease (p = 0.04). Using Kaplan–Meier curves we demonstrated that the controls presented early infection compared to the AZD7442 group (p = 0.000014). No changes in eGFR or proteinuria, assessed before and after the administration, were observed.

Conclusions
In conclusion, our study showed that tixagevimab/cilgavimab 150/150 mg is effective and safe in preventing infection and severe disease when administered to patients with weak or no response to COVID-19 vaccine.

Graphical abstract
Achieving Negatively Charged Pt Single Atoms on Amorphous Ni(OH)2 Nanosheets with Promoted Hydrogen Absorption in Hydrogen Evolution
Authors: Liu Yue , Liu Gui , Chen Xiangyu , Xue Chuang , Sun Mingke , Liu Yifei , Kang Jianxin , Sun Xiujuan , Guo Lin 
Published: May 2024

AbstractSingle-atom (SA) catalysts with nearly 100% atom utilization have been widely employed in electrolysis for decades, due to the outperforming catalytic activity and selectivity. However, most of the reported SA catalysts are fixed through the strong bonding between the dispersed single metallic atoms with nonmetallic atoms of the substrates, which greatly limits the controllable regulation of electrocatalytic activity of SA catalysts. In this work, Pt–Ni bonded Pt SA catalyst with adjustable electronic states was successfully constructed through a controllable electrochemical reduction on the coordination unsaturated amorphous Ni(OH)2 nanosheet arrays. Based on the X-ray absorption fine structure analysis and first-principles calculations, Pt SA was bonded with Ni sites of amorphous Ni(OH)2, rather than conventional O sites, resulting in negatively charged Ptδ−. In situ Raman spectroscopy revealed that the changed configuration and electronic states greatly enhanced absorbability for activated hydrogen atoms, which were the essential intermediate for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction. The hydrogen spillover process was revealed from amorphous Ni(OH)2 that effectively cleave the H–O–H bond of H2O and produce H atom to the Pt SA sites, leading to a low overpotential of 48 mV in alkaline electrolyte at −1000 mA cm−2 mg−1Pt, evidently better than commercial Pt/C catalysts. This work provided new strategy for the controllable modulation of the local structure of SA catalysts and the systematic regulation of the electronic states.
Perceptual Learning of Fine Contrast Discrimination Under Non-roving, Roving-Without-Flanker, and Roving-with-Flanker Conditions and its Relation to Neuronal Activity in Macaque V1
Authors: Thiele Alexander , Chen Xing , Sanayei Mehdi , Chicharro Daniel , Distler Claudia , Panzeri Stefano 
Published: May 2024

AbstractPerceptual learning refers to an improvement in perceptual abilities with training. Neural signatures of visual perceptual learning have been demonstrated mostly in mid- and high-level cortical areas, while changes in early sensory cortex were often more limited. We recorded continuously from multiple neuronal clusters in area V1 while macaque monkeys learned a fine contrast categorization task. Monkeys performed the contrast discrimination task initially when a constant-contrast sample stimulus was followed by a test stimulus of variable contrast, whereby they had to indicate whether the test was of lower or higher contrast than the sample. This was followed by sessions where we employed stimulus roving; i.e. the contrast of the sample stimulus varied from trial to trial. Finally, we trained animals, under ‘stimulus roving-with-flanker’ conditions, where the test stimuli to be discriminated were flanked by ‘flanking stimuli’. Perceptual discrimination abilities improved under non-roving conditions and under roving-with-flanker conditions as training progressed. Neuronal discrimination abilities improved with training mostly under non-roving conditions, but the effect was modest and limited to the most difficult contrast. Choice probabilities, quantifying how well neural activity is correlated with choice, equally increased with training during non-roving, but not during either of the roving conditions (with and without flankers). Noise correlations changed with training in both monkeys, but the changes were not consistent between monkeys. In one monkey, noise correlations decreased with training for non-roving and both roving conditions. In the other monkey, noise correlations changed for some conditions, but lacked a systematic pattern. Thus, while perceptual learning occurred under non-roving and roving-with-flanker conditions, the changes in neural activity in V1 were overall modest and were essentially absent under the different roving conditions.
Design, Development, and Formative Evaluation of a Hybrid Remote Quantum Laboratory Supporting HBCU Partnerships
Authors: Clark-Stallkamp Rebecca , Reis Nikita 
Published: May 2024

AbstractQuantum information science and engineering are expanding and scaling worldwide. As government and industry push to expand quantum applications around the world, education institutions scramble to train the next generation of quantum-aware engineers in the Quantum pipeline. However, as educational institutions seek to expand the pipeline, not all learners have access to Quantum training or equipment. Quantum laboratories, an expensive component of STEM education, often remain exclusively accessible to institutions with affluence and funding, thus creating systemic barriers for underrepresented learners to the Quantum pipeline. This design-based case study describes the three-year design and development of a hybrid remote online Quantum laboratory in partnership with historically black colleges and universities across the US with the goal of expanding access for underrepresented learners to Quantum training. The study describes the prototypical design, development, and formative evaluation of the prototype’s iterations and reflects on design decisions made resulting from formative feedback during the design process.
Biochar soil addition alters ant functional traits as exemplified with three species
Authors: Liu Sha , Li Jinsuo , Zhou Zhaomin , Steinberg Christian E. W. , Pan Bo , Tao Shu , Xing Baoshan 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThe response of soil microorganisms and plants in soil ecosystems to biochar is well recognised. However, biochars’ impact on large soil animal, such as ants, is inadequately understood, with only limited studies focusing on the abundance and mortality rates of some specific ant species. In this study, soil physicochemical properties, and ant community diversity and functional characteristics were compared between experimental plots with and without biochar application. No significant differences in soil (soil physicochemical properties) or ants (ant community richness, species abundance, and morphological characteristics) were observed between the two plots before biochar application. However, the biochar-treated plot soil surface temperatures, pH, and soil water content were significantly higher after 48 weeks. Biochar application promoted Cardiocondyla nuda (by 426%) and Formica japonica abundance (by 93%), but decreased Solenopsis invicta invasive ant species richness (by 54%), consistent with the fact that changes in soil properties were more beneficial to the former two species. In addition, in biochar-treated plots, F. japonica and S. invicta generally showed larger body size (18% and 6.7%), larger eyes (2.7% and 4.0%), and longer femurs (6.3% and 7.9%), which enabled them to respond better to potential barriers, such as plants. Our results highlighted that, besides species abundance and community structure, certain ant functional morphological indicators were also informative in evaluating biochar ecological implications.
Graphical abstract
Sustainable Implementation of Physician-Pharmacist Collaborative Clinics for Diabetes Management in Primary Healthcare Centers: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Xiao Jie , Huang Shuting , Wang Qing , Tan Shenglan , Chen Lei , Yuan Haiyan , Xiang Daxiong , Zhang Bikui , Li Xia , Guo Yan , Huang Haiying , Li Qun , Liao Yaqi , Tan Yuhan , Cheng Yining , Lu Hao , Xu Ping 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Background
Although physician-pharmacist collaborative clinics for diabetes management have been shown to be effective and cost-effective worldwide, there is limited understanding of the factors that influence their sustainable implementation. This study aims to identify the associated factors and provide sustainability strategy to better implement physician-pharmacist collaborative clinics for diabetes management in primary healthcare centers in China.

Methods
A sample of 43 participants were participated in face-to-face, in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was used to identify facilitators and barriers to implementing physician-pharmacist collaborative clinics for diabetes management in primary healthcare centers, and to explore discriminating factors between low and high implementation units. A sustainable strategy repository based on dynamic sustainability framework was established to inform further implementation.

Results
This study demonstrated that clear recognition of intervention benefits, urgent needs of patients, adaptive and tailored plan, highly collaborative teamwork and leadership support were the major facilitators, while the major barriers included process complexity, large number and poor health literacy of patients in primary areas, inappropriate staffing arrangements, weak financial incentives and inadequate staff competencies. Six constructs were identified to distinguish between high and low implementation units. Sixteen strategies were developed to foster the implementation of physician-pharmacist collaborative clinics, targeting Intervention, Practice setting, and Ecological system.

Conclusion
This qualitative study demonstrated facilitators and barriers to implementing physician-pharmacist collaborative clinics for diabetes management in primary healthcare centers and developed theory-based strategies for further promotion, which has the potential to improve the management of diabetes and other chronic diseases in under-resourced areas.