bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Poor Reporting Quality and High Proportion of Missing Data in Economic Evaluations Alongside Pragmatic Trials: A Cross-sectional Survey
Authors: Xin Yu , Song Ruomeng , Hao Jun , Li Wentan , Wu Changjin , Zuo Ling , Cai Yuanyi , Zhang Xiyan , Wu Huazhang , Hui Wen 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Objectives
To assess the reporting quality of missing data in economic evaluations conducted alongside pragmatic randomized controlled trials (pRCTs).
Design
Cross-sectional survey.
Setting
Data were extracted from PubMed and OVID (Embase, CENTRAL, HTA database, and NIH EED) from January 1, 2010, to April 24, 2022. Economic evaluations conducted with pRCTs were included and secondary analyses, abstracts, comments, letters, notes, editorials, protocols, subgroup analyses, pilot and feasibility trials, post-hoc analyses, and reviews were excluded. Two groups of two independent reviewers identified the relevant articles, and data were extracted from three groups of two reviewers.
Main outcome measures
Descriptive analyses were performed to assess characteristics of the included studies, missingness in the included studies, and handling of missing data.
Results
A total of 715 studies were identified, of which 152 met the inclusion criteria. Overall, 113 articles reported missing data, 119 reported missing costs, and 132 reported missing effects. More than 50% (58/113) of the articles reported the proportion or quantity of overall missingness, and 64.71% and 54.55% reported missing costs and effects, respectively. The proportion of missingness of < 5% in the overall group was 3.45%, whereas the proportions of missing costs and effects were both lower than 10% (5.26% vs. 8.45%). In terms of the proportion of missing data, the overall missingness rate was 30.22% in 58 studies, whereas the median proportion of missing data was slightly higher than that of the missing effects (30.92% vs. 27.78%). For details on dealing with missing data, 56 (36.84%) studies conducted a sensitivity analysis on handling missing data. Of these studies, 12.50% reported missing mechanisms, and 83.93% examined handling methods.
Conclusions
Insufficient description and reporting of missing data, along with a high proportion of missing data in pRCT-based economic evaluations, could decrease the reliability and extrapolation of conclusions, leading to misleading decision-making. Future research should include an increased sample size by fully considering the potential proportion of missing data and enhance the transparency and evidence quality of economic evaluation alongside pragmatic trials.
Green Solutions for Soil Contamination: Sustainable Production and Characterization of Nano-Biochar from Sugarcane Bagasse and Olive Mill Waste
Authors: Radwan Salah , Hussien El-Husieny Abou , Ahmed Basma , Ali Nehal 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Purpose This study examines the production of biochar from sugarcane bagasse and olive mill waste, focusing on its elemental composition, form, and functional groups, and its impact on soil immobilization. Methods The study utilized various techniques like SEM, TEM, and FTIR to describe the biochars produced from SCB and OMW, which were prepared through ball-milling and activation treatments. Results The study explores KOH interaction pathways during biomass pyrolysis, revealing larger surface areas and consistent decrease in soil trace element levels. Conclusions This study introduces ZnCl2chemical activation and activated carbon samples, enhancing understanding of activation procedures and biochar nanoparticles' benefits. It offers a green, sustainable solution to soil contamination.
Incidence of Toxic Anterior Segment Syndrome and refractive outcomes after sequential bilateral cataract surgery
Authors: Ibañez-Esparza Miguel Omar , Mora-González Fernando , Alvarado-Castillo Beatriz , -Elizalde Gabriela Estefanía Ibarra , Castro-Monreal Miguel Angel , González-Salinas Roberto , Ibañez-Hernández Miguel Ángel 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Purpose: This study reports the incidence of Toxic Anterior Segment Syndrome (TASS) in simultaneous bilateral cataract surgery (SBCS) and evaluates its effectiveness as distance visual acuity and postoperative refraction.
Methods: Observational, cross-sectional, descriptive, and retrospective study. The study included patients diagnosed with bilateral cataracts who underwent SBCS between January 2018 and April 2020 in the Ophthalmology Unit, Hospital de Especialidades Puerta de Hierro Norte, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico. Those with unilateral cataracts or who did not want to undergo bilateral surgery were excluded. The effectiveness of the procedure was evaluated based on postoperative visual acuity and final refraction four weeks after surgery.
Results: The study evaluated 152 eyes from 76 patients who underwent SBCS at a single center. Two cases of TASS were reported, one moderate and one mild, both unilateral and successfully treated medically. Visual outcomes were favorable in all cases and we did not have any refractive surprises.
Conclusion: The study identified only two cases of TASS, aligning with the literature that classifies SBCS as effective and safe. It reinforces the idea of performing this surgery if the patient wishes or the context warrants it, emphasizing that this procedure is no longer seen as high-risk for the patient therefore it can be considered a viable and safe option in the management of bilateral cataracts offering the same refractive results as delayed sequential bilateral cataract surgery (DSBCS).
A Machine Learning Approach to Stochastic Frontier Modeling
Authors: Kutlu Levent , Mao Xi 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

We propose a two-stage stochastic frontier model that can handle complex non-linear patterns. In the first stage, we apply a panel data neural network to predict the demeaned composed error term. In the second stage, we apply traditional Stochastic Frontier Analysis to the residuals to obtain efficiency estimates. To illustrate our methodology, we employ quarterly data to estimate the technical efficiencies of large US banks from the first quarter of 1984 to the second quarter of 2010. The mean efficiency of US banks during this time period is 93.97%. The second quarter of 2004 through the fourth quarter of 2008, the median efficiencies of these banks are significantly lower than the overall average, with an average of 87.86%. This is in line with the financial conditions experienced during this time period.
JEL Classification: C23, C45, D24, G21.
Rhynchosia capitata driven bioproduction of Zinc oxide nanoparticles, characterization and multifaceted therapeutic applications
Authors: Ullah Zakir , Iqbal Javed , Abbasi Banzeer Ahsan , Gul Farhat , Ijaz Shumaila , Kanwal Sobia , Mahmoodi Mahboobeh , Kazi Mohsin , Mahmood Tariq 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

The current study aimed to formulate zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) employing an aqueous extract derived from Rhynchosia capitata (RC). Utilizing several spectroscopic methods (UV-visible spectroscopy, XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDX, DLS), the synthesis of ZnONPs was evaluated. ZnONPs have a mean crystallite size of about 32.15 nm, as determined by the Scherrer equation. Moreover, in vitro, biological assessments showed notable therapeutic potential. Furthermore, the disc diffusion method was precisely employed with antibacterial and antifungal properties across a range of concentrations (100–1500 µg/ml). Among the bacteria, B. subtilis displayed a prominent inhibition zone, measuring 24 mm at 1500 µg/ml. Similarly, susceptible fungal strains demonstrated a zone of inhibition measuring 29 mm. Antioxidant potentials were determined using different assays. The radical-scavenging capabilities were quantified using a DPPH assay and revealed a significant result of 73%. Further, reducing power was calculated and found to be 69 ± 1.77%, and the total antioxidant capacity was found to be 88 ± 4.8. Brine shrimps cytotoxicity assay was performed and displayed an LC50 value of 2.20 µg/mL, affirming biocompatibility. The biocompatibility potential of ZnONPs was determined against red blood cells, HEK, and VERO cell lines at different concentrations to confirm their biosafety and biocompatibility. An alpha-amylase (AA) inhibition assay was performed and showed a percent inhibition of 70%. Particularly noteworthy was the ZnONPs efficacy against (Hep-2 liver) cancer cells (IC50:44.90). The ZnONPs exhibited promising non-toxic attributes and displayed substantial potential for diverse biological applications in various domains. The outcomes of this study are anticipated to contribute valuable insights and open new avenues for further research and development of ZnONPs in a multitude of biomedical applications.
Synthesis, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of 3-Alkyl(aryl)-4-(3-methoxy-4-hydroxybenzylideneamino)-4,5-dihydro-1H-1,2,4-triazol-5-one Derivatives
Authors: Gören Kenan , Manap sevda , Yüksek Haydar 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

8 Pieces 3-alkyl(aryl)-4-(3-methoxy-4-hydroxybenzylideneamino)-4,5-dihydro-1H-1,2,4-triazol-5-one (3) compounds have been obtained from reacting with 3-methoxy-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (2) of 3-Alkyl(aryl)-4-amino-4,5-dihydro-1H-1,2,4-triazol-5-one (1) compounds. Synthesized compounds have been obtained 8 pieces 1-(morpholin-4-yl-methyl)-3-alkyl(aryl)-4-(3-methoxy-4-hydroxybenzylideneamino)-4,5-dihydro-1H-1,2,4-triazol-5-one (4) compounds from reaciton with morpholine and 7 pieces 1-(4-piperidinecarboxamide-1-yl-methyl)-3-alkyl(aryl)-4-(3-methoxy-4-hydroxybenzylideneamino)-4,5-dihydro-1H-1,2,4-triazol-5-one (5) compounds from reaciton with 4-piperidinecarboxamide ın formaldehyde environment, based on the Mannich reaction. IR, 13C NMR and 1H NMR spectroscopy methods have been utilized to analyze the structures of obtained 15 molecules. Additionally, the in-vitro antioxidant properties of the obtained potentially biologically active Mannich bases have been examined using, metal chelate activity, reducing power methods and free radical scavenging activity, and the outcomes obtained have been contrasted with the standard antioxidant compounds used. The final section of the study examined the invitro antimicrobial effects of the synthesized molecules in opposition to six distinct microorganisms (Bacillus cereus, Bacillius Subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus) utilizing the Agar Well Technique. Those findings were assessed.
Bacillus megaterium controls melon Fusarium wilt disease through its effects on keystone soil taxa
Authors: Lu Xiujun , Li Qiingmei , Li Bowen , Liu Fang , Wang Yeqing , Ning Wenshuo , Liu Yanan , Zhao Hongbo 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Aims
Melon Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium. oxysporum f. sp. melonis, is a severe soil-borne disease that reduces melon yield. Biological control approaches have been shown to be effective for the control of melon Fusarium wilt and could contribute to the sustainable development of the melon industry. Bacillus megaterium (BM) is a biocontrol strain that has been shown to promote plant growth and control plant diseases. However, few studies have examined the mechanism by which BM controls melon wilt disease.
Methods
In this study, we investigated the effect of BM on the growth of melon plants, as well as on soil microbial communities, the soil microbial co-occurrence network, and keystone soil taxa.
Results
Using a pot experiment, we showed that the incidence of melon Fusarium wilt decreased from 68.33% (CK, inoculated with sterile water) to 26.67% (inoculated with BM), and the control efficiency was 60.00%. In the field experiment, the incidence of melon Fusarium wilt was reduced from 5.56% (naturally occurring) to 1.67% after BM treatment, and the control efficiency was 69.44%. BM treatment also promoted the growth of melon plants and increased the yield of melon to 20.35%. The abundance of potentially beneficial microbes (e.g., Flavobacterium, Nocardioides, Streptomyces, and Chaetomium) and potentially pathogenic microbes (e.g., Alternaria, Aspergillus, Mortierella, and Plectosphaerella) was higher and lower in the BM treatment than in the CK, respectively. Co-occurrence network complexity was higher in the BM treatment than in the CK, and the keystone taxa OTU2869 (Pseudomonas), OTU3763 (Sphingobacterium), and OTU2440 (Streptomyces) play key roles in the BM treatment than in the CK.
Conclusions
The results of our study indicated that BM could be an effective biocontrol agent for the control of Fusarium wilt that could increase melon yield. BM also altered the composition of keystone soil taxa, indicating that it could alter the composition of the soil microbial community, which could promote plant growth and decrease the incidence of melon Fusarium wilt.
Facilitators of and barriers to continued recording of patient-reported outcomes based on qualitative interviews of patients with gynecological cancer
Authors: Higashiyama Nozomi , Yamaguchi Ken , Wakabayashi Naofumi , Koike Ayami , Inayama Yoshihide , Yamamoto Yosuke , Yamanoi Koji , Taki Mana , Murakami Ryusuke , Hamanishi Junzo , Nishiike Noriyoshi , Mandai Masaki 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Backgroud:
The systematic monitoring of patients based on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) has positive effects on patient–physician communication, symptom management, and quality of life; however, a major problem with PRO recording is the lack of adherence. The factors that affect patient adherence with PRO recording remain unclear. This study aimed to provide qualitative insights by identifying facilitators of and barriers to PRO adherence in patients with gynecological cancer.
Methods
Data were collected from nine patients diagnosed with gynecological cancer and admitted for treatment at the Kyoto University Hospital via semistructured interviews. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Coding and qualitative content analysis of the transcripts were completed by two independent researchers.
Results
Eight categories, including five facilitators and five barriers to PRO adherence, were identified. The five facilitators were “adopting a healthier lifestyle,” “perceiving the benefits of PRO recording,” “desiring communication with the physician,” “having a trustful relationship with the physician,” and “understanding functions and benefits of PRO recording.” The five barriers were “cumbersome nature,” “unnecessary exercise,” “fear of cancer recurrence,” “lack of suitable format,” and “poor relationship with the physician.”
Conclusions
Suitable interventions to improve adherence to PROs may enable patient-centered care by enhancing facilitators of and eliminating barriers to such adherence.
DAMRN: Deep attention mechanism residual network for deepfake audio detection using cepstral coefficient features
Authors: Zhou Feng , Yang Haitao , Yan Xiai , Xiong Yingzhuo 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

In order to further curb the misuse of Deepfake audio technology, we proposed deep attention mechanism residual network (DAMRN) that can effectively detect forged audio. The network exhibits stable operation, low risk of gradient disappearance and gradient explosion, and high detection accuracy. The structure of proposed network mainly involves the following contents: Firstly, a data balancing strategy is adopted in the front end of the network so that the ratio of positive and negative samples in the data maintained proportional balance, which improves the network performance and reduces the overfitting phenomenon. This strategy has been effectively proven by the experiments in this article. Secondly, we compare the accuracy rates of different depths among the network models for Deepfake audio detection (DFAD), and select the network that best suits the depth of this article. Finally, we introduce an effective attention mechanism in the network structure appropriately to increase the network's sensitivity to forged speech artifact information. By obtaining the artifact information of the Deepfake audio, the network model can learn more falsification frequency features that can effectively distinguish between spoofed and bonafide audio, and the accuracy has been improved to 99.81%, with the EER reduced to 0.69%, compared to the baseline system. Experiments are conducted using three acoustic features (MFCC, LFCC, GFCC) extracted from two mainstream datasets (ASVspoof2019LA, ASVspoof2021DF) respectively, and the results show that the best EER value of the method proposed in this paper is 0.32%, which is a better performance compared with other mainstream models.
Investigation the DNA binding ability of CIA5 in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Chen Bo , Spalding Martin H. 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

CIA5 is a zinc-finger containing transcription regulator reported to be a master regulator of the critically important, inducible CO2-concentrating mechanism of the model, unicellular green alga, Chlamydomonas. Although mutants in the CIA5 gene facilitated identification of CIA5 more than two decades ago, we still know little about the detailed function of this important protein. Here we report the first successful over-expression of full length CIA5 proteins in E. coli, confirmed by SDS-PAGE and Western immunoblots. We also used these purified, full length CIA5 proteins to identify potential specific DNA-binding sequences using random binding site selection (RBSS), which was confirmed using a gel mobility shift assay (GMSA) to demonstrate highly specific protein-DNA interaction with purified, full-length CIA5. In addition, we identified a 9-bp GC rich (GGGGCGGGG) motif from the promoters of CIA5 dependent genes, and demonstrated using GMSA that promoter fragments containing this candidate motif from three CIA5-dependent genes also showed highly specific protein-DNA interaction with CIA5, although the GMSA interactions were somewhat weaker than with the RBSS-identified sequence. Nonetheless, this work clearly provides the first direct evidence that CIA5 can bind specific DNA sequences in vitro and thus opens the way for more extensive in vivo experiments to determine whether the specific DNA-binding of CIA5 has any biological relevance in vivo.
Reconsidering neurogenetic indication in the human brain: Broad expression of doublecortin transcript in hippocampal and cortical cell populations
Authors: Kim Miri , Cho Tae-Hyeon , Kim Shin Hyung , Lee Jong Eun , Kim Se Hoon , Kim Hyun Jung , Hong Ju-Eun , Yeo In-Seung , Yang Hun-Mu 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Adult neurogenesis may help overcome Alzheimer’s disease; however, knowledge concerning neurogenic markers in the human brain remains limited. Herein, we compared the hippocampal single-nucleus transcriptome to other cortical regions to verify the neurogenic markers exclusive to the dentate gyrus. We analyzed 26,189 of the 40,691 nuclei initially extracted from four human brains within 16 hours of death. Analyses were performed after clustering and annotation to elucidate differential expression, gene ontology, pseudo-time trajectory, and intercellular communication. Immature markers, including doublecortin (DCX), CALB2, NES, SOX2, PAX6, DPYSL3, and TUBB3, were widely expressed in both the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex, with higher expression levels in the prefrontal cortex. DCX appears to not only play a role in neurogenesis but also in the neuroprotective or restorative pathways. This study revealed that neurogenic markers are not definitive indicators of adult neurogenesis as their cellular makeup is more nuanced than previously thought.
Parametric analysis and normality assumption in phase 3 trials with small sample sizes
Authors: Kim Seong Kyung , Kim Soeun , Park Jisu , Han Eojin , Kim Hayeon , Choi Young-Geun , Kim Myeong Gyu , Kim Kyungim 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Background
In studies with small sample sizes, the use of nonparametric methods is generally recommended for statistical analysis. However, various studies continue to employ parametric analysis without verifying the assumption of a normal distribution.
Objectives
To assess the current utilization of parametric and nonparametric methods for primary outcomes, as well as the reporting of normality assumptions, in phase 3 clinical trials with small sample sizes.
Methods
All phase 3 trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov until September 12, 2023, were collected. After undergoing a two-step selection process, only publications with a sample size per group of less than 30, involving two or more groups, and specifying the statistical methods used to compare the means or medians of primary outcomes between groups were selected. Statistical methods were categorized as nonparametric, parametric, and either parametric or nonparametric. The reporting of normality assumptions was also evaluated.
Results
A total of 317 studies were assessed in this study. Among these studies, 164 (51.7%) studies conducted parametric analysis, and 111 (35.0%) studies employed nonparametric analysis; however, 42 (13.2%) studies conducted parametric or nonparametric analysis without specifying which method was used. In addition, 63.1% of the total studies did not report normality assumptions. Specifically, within the subset of studies with parametric analysis, 70.1% of studies did not report normality assumptions.
Conclusions
This research demonstrated that most studies with small sample sizes employed parametric analysis without reporting normality assumptions. The findings emphasize the need for increased awareness of and compliance with statistical principles in the analysis of phase 3 clinical trials with limited sample sizes.
The causality between chronic rhinosinusitis and inflammatory bowel disease: a bi-directional two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis
Authors: Huang Junyu , Liu Zan 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Background: Prior studies have shown that chronic rhinosinusitis(CRS) was associated with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) consisted of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the causality needs to be further verified. We performed a bi-directional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the causal effect between CRS and IBD.
Methods: We obtained CRS database from the IEU Open GWAS project and IBD database from FinnGen. Inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was used as the primary statistical method, while weighted median and MR-Egger methods were used to examine the robustness of our results. Furthermore, Cochran’s Q test, MR-Egger intercept, MR-PRESSO and leave-one-out methods were used to examine pleiotropy and heterogeneity.
Results:IVW method revealed that CRS was associated with an increased risk of UC(OR=3.44E+08, 95% CI=3.01-3.94+16, p=0.038). Reverse MR analysis revealed that IBD was associated with a decreased risk of CRS(OR=0.999, 95% CI=0.998-1.000, p=0.020).
Conclusion: Our findings revealed that CRS was associated with an increased risk of UC, while IBD was associated with a decreased risk of CRS and the effect is mild. We suggested that clinicians should pay attention to the intestinal symptoms in CRS patients and a timely screening colonoscopy to detect early lesions.