bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Synchronization in a higher-order neuronal network with blinking interactions
Authors: Deivasundari Parvathysankar , Natiq Hayder , He Shaobo , Peng Yuexi , Hussain Iqtadar 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe synchronization of higher-order networks presents a fascinating area of exploration within nonlinear dynamics and complex networks. Simultaneously, growing research interest focuses on uncovering synchronization dynamics in time-varying networks with time-dependent coupling structures, reflecting their prevalence in real-world systems like neuronal networks. Motivated by this, the present study delves into the synchronization phenomenon within a higher-order network incorporating a blinking coupling scheme. Blinking coupling is an on–off switching coupling that has been demonstrated to enhance synchronization effectively. Its efficacy stems from ensuring synchronization, as the master stability function (MSF) follows a linear pattern. In this study, our objective is to investigate such a time-varying coupling scheme in a higher-order network configuration. We investigate the influence of coupling parameters and blinking frequency on synchronization behavior. Notably, our findings demonstrate that as the blinking frequency increases, the network exhibits a gradual convergence toward the behavior of the average network. Furthermore, leveraging the analytical framework of MSF and the average synchronization error, we provide analytical and numerical evidence confirming that the MSF pattern within the average network transforms into a linear function. The synchronous and asynchronous regions also exhibit a clear separation demarcated by a linear curve across the coupling parameter space. Moreover, our results suggest that incorporating higher-order interactions fosters enhanced synchrony by effectively scaling the synchronization patterns to lower coupling parameter values.
Misinformation as a Harm: Structured Approaches for Fact-Checking Prioritization
Authors: Sehat Connie Moon , Li Ryan , Nie Peipei , Prabhakar Tarunima , Zhang Amy X. 
Published: April 2024

In this work, we examine how fact-checkers prioritize which claims to fact-check and what tools may assist them in their efforts. Through a series of interviews with 23 professional fact-checkers from around the world, we validate that harm assessment is a central component of how fact-checkers triage their work. We also clarify the processes behind fact-checking prioritization, finding that they are typically ad hoc, and gather suggestions for tools that could help with these processes.
To address the needs articulated by fact-checkers, we present a structured framework of questions to help fact-checkers negotiate the priority of claims through assessing potential harms. Our FABLE Framework of Misinformation Harms incorporates five dimensions of magnitude---(social) Fragmentation, Actionability, Believability, Likelihood of spread, and Exploitativeness---that can help determine the potential urgency of a specific message or claim when considering misinformation as harm. The result is a practical and conceptual tool to support fact-checkers and others as they make strategic decisions to prioritize their efforts. We conclude with a discussion of computational approaches to support structured prioritization, as well as applications beyond fact-checking to content moderation and curation.
Quantitative Bounds on Resource Usage of Probabilistic Programs
Authors: Chatterjee Krishnendu , Goharshady Amir Kafshdar , Meggendorfer Tobias , Žikelić Đorđe 
Published: April 2024

Cost analysis, also known as resource usage analysis, is the task of finding bounds on the total cost of a program and is a well-studied problem in static analysis. In this work, we consider two classical quantitative problems in cost analysis for probabilistic programs. The first problem is to find a bound on the expected total cost of the program. This is a natural measure for the resource usage of the program and can also be directly applied to average-case runtime analysis. The second problem asks for a tail bound, i.e. ‍given a threshold
t
the goal is to find a probability bound
p
such that ℙ[total cost ≥
t
] ≤
p
. Intuitively, given a threshold
t
on the resource, the problem is to find the likelihood that the total cost exceeds this threshold.

First, for expectation bounds, a major obstacle in previous works on cost analysis is that they can handle only non-negative costs or bounded variable updates. In contrast, we provide a new variant of the standard notion of cost martingales, that allows us to find expectation bounds for a class of programs with general positive or negative costs and no restriction on the variable updates. More specifically, our approach is applicable as long as there is a lower bound on the total cost incurred along every path.
Second, for tail bounds, all previous methods are limited to programs in which the expected total cost is finite. In contrast, we present a novel approach, based on a combination of our martingale-based method for expectation bounds with a quantitative safety analysis, to obtain a solution to the tail bound problem that is applicable even to programs with infinite expected cost. Specifically, this allows us to obtain runtime tail bounds for programs that do not terminate almost-surely.
In summary, we provide a novel combination of martingale-based cost analysis and quantitative safety analysis that is able to find expectation and tail cost bounds for probabilistic programs, without the restrictions of non-negative costs, bounded updates, or finiteness of the expected total cost. Finally, we provide experimental results showcasing that our approach can solve instances that were beyond the reach of previous methods.
Iterative-Epoch Online Cycle Elimination for Context-Free Language Reachability
Authors: Xu Pei , Lei Yuxiang , Sui Yulei , Xue Jingling 
Published: April 2024

Context-free language reachability (CFL-reachability) is a fundamental framework for implementing various static analyses. CFL-reachability utilizes context-free grammar (CFG) to extend the expressiveness of ordinary graph reachability from an unlabeled graph to an edge-labeled graph. Solving CFL-reachability requires a (sub)cubic time complexity with respect to the graph size, which limits its scalability in practice. Thus, an approach that can effectively reduce the graph size while maintaining the reachability result is highly desirable. Most of the existing graph simplification techniques for CFL-reachability work during the preprocessing stage, i.e., before the dynamic CFL-reachability solving process. However, in real-world CFL-reachability analyses, there is a large number of reducible nodes and edges that can only be discovered during dynamic solving, leaving significant room for on-the-fly improvements.
This paper aims to reduce the graph size of CFL-reachability dynamically via online cycle elimination. We propose a simple yet effective approach to detect collapsible cycles in the graph based on the input context-free grammar. Our key insight is that symbols with particular forms of production rules in the grammar are the essence of transitivity of reachability relations in the graph. Specifically, in the graph, a reachability relation to a node v_i can be "transited" to another node v_j if there is a transitive relation from v_i to v_j, and cycles formed by transitive relations are collapsible. In this paper, we present an approach to identify the transitive symbols in a context-free grammar and propose an iterative-epoch framework for online cycle elimination. From the perspective of non-parallelized CFL-reachability solving, our iterative-epoch framework is well compatible with both the standard (unordered) solver and the recent ordered solver, and can significantly improve their performance. Our experiment on context-sensitive value-flow analysis for C/C++ and field-sensitive alias analysis for Java demonstrates promising performance improvement by our iterative-epoch cycle elimination technique. By collapsing cycles online, our technique accelerates the standard solver by 17.17× and 13.94× for value-flow analysis and alias analysis, respectively, with memory reductions of 48.8% and 45.0%. Besides, our technique can also accelerate the ordered solver by 14.32× and 8.36× for value-flow analysis and alias analysis, respectively, with memory reductions of 55.2% and 57.8%.
Gas Transport Resistance of Hydrocarbon-Based Catalyst Layers in Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
Authors: Liepold Hannes , Nguyen Hien , Heizmann Philipp A. , Klose Carolin , Vierrath Severin , Münchinger Andreas 
Published: April 2024

Recent developments in hydrocarbon-based proton exchange membrane fuel cells have significantly narrowed the performance gap compared to state-of-the-art cells using perfluorosulfonic acid ionomers (PFSA). However, balancing protonic resistance and gas transport resistance in the catalyst layer remains a challenge at low humidity. This study investigates gas transport resistance and its components in sulfonated phenylated polyphenylene-based catalyst layers using various limiting current methods. Results show that increasing the dry ionomer to carbon (I/C) ratio from 0.2 to 0.4, a measure to catch up with protonic resistance of PFSA-based catalyst layers, significantly increases gas transport resistance in the cathode catalyst layer by 28 %. The data suggest a strong correlation between local gas transport resistance and IEC. A high IEC is beneficial for the gas transport through the ionomer film. However, at low ionomer volume fractions the local gas transport resistance is dominated by the I/C independent interfacial resistance. Furthermore, a low IEC hydrocarbon ionomer, such as Pemion® PP1-HNN4–00-X (IEC = 2.5 meq g−1), not only exhibits a beneficial interfacial resistance, but also suppresses excessive ionomer swelling, which typically occurs during operating conditions where liquid water is forming.
A Phase II Study of ERK Inhibition by Ulixertinib (BVD-523) in Metastatic Uveal Melanoma
Authors: Buchbinder Elizabeth I. , Cohen Justine V. , Tarantino Giuseppe , Lian Christine G. , Liu David , Haq Rizwan , Hodi F. Stephen , Lawrence Donald P. , Giobbie-Hurder Anita , Knoerzer Deborah , Sullivan Ryan J. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Purpose:
Uveal melanoma is a rare and aggressive subset of melanoma that is minimally responsive to traditional therapies. Greater than 80% of uveal melanomas have a mutation in GNAQ or GNA11 which lead to downstream signaling through the MAPK pathway. Ulixertinib (BVD-523) is a potent and reversible small-molecule ATP-competitive inhibitor of both ERK1 and ERK2 protein kinases.

Materials and Methods:
We performed a phase II study to determine the efficacy and safety of BVD-523 in patients with metastatic uveal melanoma. This was conducted as a Simon two-stage design with a sample size of 25 patients and an initial evaluation of efficacy after 13 patients.

Results:
From April 2018 to April 2019, 13 patients were enrolled. Patients were predominantly female (69%) with a median age of 64 years (34–76). Sites of metastases included liver (84.6%) and lung (30.8%). Grade 3 and 4 toxicities associated with therapy were consistent with ERK inhibitors and included liver function test (LFT) elevation, hyponatremia, pruritis, amylase elevation, anemia, and rash. The best response, per RECIST 1.1, was stable disease in 4 patients, and disease progression in 7 patients. Two patients were unevaluable for response due to withdrawal from study. Median time to progression was 2.0 months. There were eight deaths due to disease progression with a median overall survival of 6.9 months.

Conclusions:
ERK inhibition with ulixertinib (BVD-523) did not demonstrate activity in patients with metastatic uveal melanoma. The toxicities observed were consistent with what would be expected with MAPK pathway inhibition.

Significance:
Uveal melanoma is a difficult to treat disease with minimal therapy options. The majority of uveal melanomas have mutations in GNAQ or GNA11 leading to activation of the MAPK pathway. Efforts to target MEK in uveal melanoma has had mixed results. This phase II trial of ERK inhibition with BVD-523 examined the potential role of this agent in uveal melanoma therapy.
Association Between Coronary Assessment in Heart Failure and Clinical Outcomes Within a Safety-Net Setting Using a Target Trial Emulation Observational Design
Authors: Durstenfeld Matthew S. , Thakkar Anjali , Ma Yifei , Zier Lucas S. , Davis Jonathan D. , Hsue Priscilla Y. 
Published: April 2024

BACKGROUND:
Ischemic cardiomyopathy is the leading cause of heart failure (HF). Most patients do not undergo coronary assessment after HF diagnosis. There are no randomized clinical trials of coronary assessment after HF diagnosis.

METHODS:
Using an electronic health record cohort of all individuals with HF within the San Francisco Health Network from 2001 to 2019, we identified factors associated with coronary assessment. Then, we studied the association of coronary assessment within 30 days of HF diagnosis with all-cause mortality and a composite of mortality and emergent angiography using a target trial emulation observational comparative-effectiveness approach. Target trial emulation is an approach to causal inference based on creating a hypothetical randomized clinical trial protocol and using observational data to emulate the protocol. We used propensity scores for covariate adjustment. We used national death records to improve the ascertainment of mortality and included falsification end points for the cause of death.

RESULTS:

Among 14 829 individuals with HF (median, 62 years old; 5855 [40%] women), 3987 (26.9%) ever completed coronary assessment, with 2467/13 301 (18.5%) with unknown coronary artery disease status at HF diagnosis assessed. Women, older individuals, and people without stable housing were less likely to complete coronary assessment. Among 5972 eligible persons of whom 627 underwent early elective coronary assessment, coronary assessment was associated with lower mortality (hazard ratio, 0.84 [95% CI, 0.72–0.97];
P
=0.025), reduced risk of the composite outcome (hazard ratio, 0.86 [95% CI, 0.73–1.00]), higher rates of revascularization (odds ratio, 7.6 [95% CI, 5.4–10.6]), and higher use of medical therapy (odds ratio, 2.5 [95% CI, 1.7–3.6]), but not the falsification end points.

CONCLUSIONS:
In a safety-net population, disparities in coronary assessment after HF diagnosis are not fully explained by coronary artery disease risk factors. Early coronary assessment is associated with improved HF outcomes possibly related to higher rates of revascularization and guideline-directed medical therapy but with low certainty that this finding is not attributable to unmeasured confounding.
Variability in Intracranial Vessel Diameters and Considerations for Neurovascular Models: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Mirza Mahmood , Kummer Katie , Touchette Jillienne , McCarthy Ray , Rai Ansaar , Brouwer Patrick , Gilvarry Michael 
Published: April 2024

Background
In vitro experiments are critical for understanding the impact of medical devices and techniques on blood vessels and blood flow. However, their interpretation is often limited by anatomical models’ inability to capture the wide range of vessel sizes observed in real‐world practice. The current study aims to address this limitation by describing the distribution of vessel diameters in a real‐world population.

Methods
This systematic literature review using the PubMed database analyzed cerebral vessel diameters in patients from 2000 to 2022. The diameter measurements of various vessels within the neurovasculature were extracted. Random‐effects meta‐analyses were performed to synthesize vessel diameters across studies. Predicted distributions were generated from the meta‐analytical results.

Results
Seventy‐six studies were included in the analysis. The M1 segment, internal carotid artery (cervical and communicating segments), A1 segment, V2 segment, V4 segment, and basilar artery had sufficient data for generating predicted distributions of vessel diameters. Predicted mean diameters were as follows: M1 segment, 2.55 ± 0.42 mm (95th interpercentile range [IPR]: 1.71–3.38); internal carotid artery‐cervical segment, 4.74 ± 0.64 mm (95th IPR: 3.49–5.99); internal carotid artery‐communicating segment, 3.40 ± 0.64 mm (95th IPR: 2.15–4.66); A1 segment, 1.89 ± 0.34 mm (95th IPR: 1.23–2.55); V2 segment, 3.36 ± 0.67 mm (95th IPR: 2.05–4.67); V4 segment, 2.42 ± 0.74 mm (95th IPR: 0.98–3.86); and basilar artery, 2.96 ± 0.52 mm (95th IPR: 1.94–3.97).

Conclusion
Cerebral vessel diameter measurements can vary substantially due to patient‐specific factors and imaging techniques. This literature review highlights the diverse range of vessel sizes observed in different patient populations, emphasizing the need for anatomical models that accurately represent clinical observations.
Hyperauthored papers disproportionately amplify important egocentric network metrics
Authors: Dinh Ly , Barley William C. , Johnson Lauren , Allan Brian F. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Hyperauthorship, a phenomenon whereby there are a disproportionately large number of authors on a single paper, is increasingly common in several scientific disciplines, but with unknown consequences for network metrics used to study scientific collaboration. The validity of coauthorship as a proxy for scientific collaboration is affected by this. Using bibliometric data from publications in the field of genomics, we examine the impact of hyperauthorship on metrics of scientific collaboration, and propose a method to determine a suitable cutoff threshold for hyperauthored papers and compare coauthorship networks with and without hyperauthored works. Our analysis reveals that including hyperauthored papers dramatically impacts the structural positioning of central authors and the topological characteristics of the network, while producing small influences on whole-network cohesion measures. We present two solutions to minimize the impact of hyperauthorship: using a mathematically grounded and reproducible calculation of threshold cutoff to exclude hyperauthored papers or fractional counting to weight network results. Our findings affirm the structural influences of hyperauthored papers and suggest that scholars should be mindful when using coauthorship networks to study scientific collaboration.
Comparative Analysis of Financial Inclusion in Nigeria, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the World
Authors: Obiora Kingsley I. , Ozili Peterson K. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Using six widely accepted indicators, this study compares the progress made in financial inclusion in Nigeria, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the rest of the World, with a view to deducing lessons that each entity can improve upon. We find that Nigeria outperformed Sub-Saharan Africa in three indicators of financial inclusion while Sub-Saharan Africa did better than Nigeria in one metric. Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa exceeded the world average in informal borrowings. We also constructed an index of financial inclusion and found that financial institution account ownership, formal borrowing, informal borrowing, and debit or credit card ownership are significant positive determinants of the financial inclusion index. These findings indicate that policymakers in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa have significant room for improving their financial inclusion standings towards the global average. We make recommendations on the aspects where policymakers can place their focus in pursuit of this goal.
Open Versus Minimally Invasive Emergent Colectomy for Diverticulitis
Authors: Le Nguyen K. , Cho Nam Yong , Mallick Saad , Chervu Nikhil , Kim Shineui , Sakowitz Sara , Benharash Peyman , Lee Hanjoo 
Published: April 2024

Background The role of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) in the acute management of diverticulitis remains controversial. Using a national cohort, we examined the relationship between operative approaches with acute clinical and financial outcomes. Methods Adults undergoing emergent colectomy for diverticulitis were tabulated from the 2015-2020 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. Regression models were developed to analyze the association between open and MIS approaches with major adverse events (MAE), as well as secondary endpoints. A subgroup analysis was conducted to compare outcomes between open and MIS requiring conversion to open (CTO). Results Of 9194 patients, 1580 (17.3%) underwent MIS colectomy. The proportion of MIS resection increased from 15.1% in 2015 to 19.1% in 2020 (nptrend<.001). Compared to Open, MIS patients were younger, equally likely to be female, had a lower proportion of patients with ASA class ≥3, and a higher BMI. Preoperatively, MIS patients were less frequently diagnosed with sepsis. Following adjustment with open as reference, MIS approach had reduced odds of MAE (AOR .56), ostomy creation (AOR .12), shorter postoperative length of stay (LOS; β −1.63), and a lower likelihood of nonhome discharge (AOR .45, all P < .001). Additionally, CTO was linked to decreased likelihood of MAE (AOR .78, P = .01), ostomy creation (AOR .02, P < .001), comparable LOS (β −.46, P = .41), and reduced odds of nonhome discharge (AOR .58, P < .001), relative to open. Discussion Compared to planned open colectomy, MIS resection was associated with improved clinical and financial outcomes, even in cases of CTO. Our findings suggest that whenever possible, MIS should be attempted first in emergent colectomy for diverticulitis. Nevertheless, future prospective studies are likely needed to further elucidate specific patient and clinical factors.
Spironolactone for Preventing Contrast-Induced Nephropathy After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction and Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Lu Yucheng , Ni Weicheng , Qu Xiang , Chen Changxi , Shi Sanling , Guo Kun , Lin Ken , Zhou Hao 
Published: April 2024

Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at high risk of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN), which can subsequently worsen the overall prognosis. To evaluate the efficacy of spironolactone for CIN prevention, 410 patients with AMI and CKD receiving percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 240 and 170 patients were enrolled in the standard treatment and spironolactone groups (spironolactone was administered 2 days before and 3 days after PCI), respectively. The primary endpoint of CIN was defined as a 0.5 mg/dL or >25% increase from the baseline serum creatinine level within 48-72 h post-PCI. CIN incidence was significantly lower in the spironolactone group than in the standard treatment group (11.2 vs 26.7%, P < .001). Further, cardiac re-hospitalization (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.515; 95% CI: 0.382–0.694; P < .001) and cardiac death (HR: 0.612; 95% CI: 0.429–0.872; P = .007) risks were significantly lower in patients who received long-term spironolactone with a median treatment duration of 42 months after discharge. Spironolactone might lower the risk of CIN, and long-term use of spironolactone reduces the risk of cardiac re-hospitalization and cardiac death in patients with AMI and CKD undergoing PCI.