bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Development and Validation of a Supplementary Grading Scale for Outcomes of Brainstem Cavernous Malformations
Authors: Li Zongze , Lu Junlin , Liu Mingjian , Ma Li , Quan Kai , Zhang Hongfei , Liu Peixi , Shi Yuan , Dong Xuchen , You Chao , Tian Rui , Zhu Wei 
Published: June 2024

BACKGROUND:
Surgical risk assessment is intriguing for clinical decision-making of brainstem cavernous malformation (BSCM) treatment. While the BSCM grading scale, encompassing size, developmental venous anomaly, crossing axial midpoint, age, and timing of intervention, is increasingly utilized, the clinical relevance of neurological fluctuation and recurrent hemorrhage has not been incorporated. This study aimed to propose a supplementary grading scale with enhanced predictive efficacy.

METHODS:
Using a retrospective nationwide registry of consecutive patients with BSCMs undergoing surgery in China from March 2011 to May 2023, a new supplementary BSCM grading scale was developed from a derivative cohort of 260 patients and validated in an independent concurrent cohort of 67 patients. The primary outcome was unfavorable neurological function (modified Rankin Scale score >2) at the latest follow-up. The performance of the supplementary grading system was evaluated for discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility and further compared with its original counterpart.

RESULTS:

Over a follow-up of at least 6 months after surgery, the unfavorable outcomes were 31% in the overall cohort (101/327 patients). A preoperative motor deficit (odds ratio, 3.13;
P
=0.001), recurrent hemorrhage (odds ratio, 3.05;
P
<0.001), timing of intervention (odds ratio, 7.08;
P
<0.001), and crossing the axial midpoint (odds ratio, 2.57;
P
=0.006) were associated with the unfavorable outcomes and composed the initial Huashan grading variables. A supplementary BSCM grading system was subsequently developed by incorporating the Huashan grading variables into the original BSCM grading scale. The predictive capability of the supplementary scale was consistently superior to the original counterpart in either the derivative cohort (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.68–0.80] for the supplementary versus 0.68 [95% CI, 0.61–0.74] for the original) or the validation cohort (0.75 [95% CI, 0.62–0.87] versus 0.64 [95% CI, 0.48–0.81]).

CONCLUSIONS:
This study highlights the neurological relevance of BSCM hemorrhage in surgical risk assessment. Via compositing preoperative motor function and recurrent hemorrhages, a supplementary grading scale may improve a dynamic risk assessment for clinical decisions in the management of BSCMs.
Quantile Effects in Discrete Choice with Social Interactions
Authors: Lin Zhongjian 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
This paper provides a method to study quantile effects in discrete choice with social interactions. The method is based on a behavioral social interactions model from quantile preference in decision making and demonstrates peer effects on different quantiles of discrete outcomes. The peer effects parameters are estimated by a nested pseudo score (NPS) approach, which is developed to tackle the computational burden pertaining to the social interactions model. Consistency and asymptotic normality are established for the proposed NPS estimator. We illustrate the finite sample performance of the model and the estimator by Monte Carlo experiments and an application of peer effects among students on exercise decisions, using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health dataset.
Democracy Doesn't Always Happen Over Night: Regime Change in Stages and Economic Growth
Authors: Boese-Schlosser Vanessa , Eberhardt Markus 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
How substantial are the economic benefits from democratic regime change? We argue that democratisation is often not a discrete event but a two-stage process: autocracies enter into ‘episodes’ of political liberalisation which eventually culminate in regime change or not. To account for this chronology and the implicit counterfactual groups, we introduce a repeated-treatment difference-in-difference implementation capturing non-parallel trends and selection into treatment. We find that modelling regime change in two stages rather than a single event yields stronger long-run growth effects. Among democratizers, experiencing repeated episodes without regime change reduces growth in democracy whereas length of episode does not.
Crusade against Bolshevism
Authors: Bressler Jonas 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
During the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), many conservatives and fascists in Western Europe supported the Francoist rebels. This paper will outline how conservatives and fascists in Great Britain, France, and Belgium worked together to support the rebellion in Spain. Regarding Great Britain, the pressure group Friends of Nationalist Spain (FNS) will be studied, while for France and Belgium several different groups and individuals will be examined. In all countries, these networks were managed by the Francoist Ambassadors. This paper sheds light on an extensive pro-Francoist network that operated across Western Europe in which conservatives and fascists worked side-by-side. Their cooperation was facilitated by a shared anti-communism and the use of common structures, such as conservative parties. It draws from sources located in archives in Spain, Great Britain, France, and Belgium and includes publications written by the individuals who were involved in this network.
The Duce’s Cheerleaders and the Führer’s Vanguard
Authors: Citrigno Flavia 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Regimes in the interwar years went to great lengths to educate young girls into their ideology. Fascist Italy had a few years head start—its Accademia fascista di educazione fisica femminile [Fascist Academy of Female Physical Education] was regarded as innovative from likeminded governments of the time, including Nazi Germany, and was the object of visits and attention. This article explores the arc drawn by relationships between Italian and German girl organizations, focusing on encounters between Orvietine and Bund Deutscher Mädel (BDM) members. It focuses on two exemplary moments in the history of the network: the 1937 trip to Berlin by 150 students of the Orvieto Academy, and the one-month observation visit in winter 1941 by Ursel Stein, a rising star of the BDM administration. By analyzing and comparing the dynamics, rituals, and actors of the two occasions the article points out at the different roles given to girl organizations by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy and raises questions concerning the agency of the members of this women network.
Safety and feasibility of third-party cytotoxic T lymphocytes for high-risk patients with COVID-19
Authors: Grosso Dolores , Wagner John L. , O’Connor Allyson , Keck Kaitlyn , Huang Yanping , Wang Zi-Xuan , Mehler Hilary , Leiby Benjamin , Flomenberg Phyllis , Gergis Usama , Nikbakht Neda , Morris Michael , Karp Julie , Peedin Alexis , Flomenberg Neal 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) destroy virally infected cells and are critical for the elimination of viral infections such as those caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Delayed and dysfunctional adaptive immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 are associated with poor outcomes. Treatment with allogeneic SARS-CoV-2–specific CTLs may enhance cellular immunity in high-risk patients providing a safe, direct mechanism of treatment. Thirty high-risk ambulatory patients with COVID-19 were enrolled in a phase 1 trial assessing the safety of third party, SARS-CoV-2–specific CTLs. Twelve interventional patients, 6 of whom were immunocompromised, matched the HLA-A∗02:01 restriction of the CTLs and received a single infusion of 1 of 4 escalating doses of a product containing 68.5% SARS-CoV-2–specific CD8+ CTLs/total cells. Symptom improvement and resolution in these patients was compared with an observational group of 18 patients lacking HLA-A∗02:01 who could receive standard of care. No dose-limiting toxicities were observed at any dosing level. Nasal swab polymerase chain reaction testing showed ≥88% and &gt;99% viral elimination from baseline in all patients at 4 and 14 days after infusion, respectively. The CTLs did not interfere with the development of endogenous anti–SARS-CoV-2 humoral or cellular responses. T-cell receptor β analysis showed persistence of donor-derived SARS-CoV-2-specific CTLs through the end of the 6-month follow-up period. Interventional patients consistently reported symptomatic improvement 2 to 3 days after infusion, whereas improvement was more variable in observational patients. SARS-CoV-2–specific CTLs are a potentially feasible cellular therapy for COVID-19 illness. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT04765449.
Autotetraploidy of rice does not potentiate the tolerance to drought stress in the seedling stage
Authors: Yu Shunwu , Li Tianfei , Teng Xiaoying , Yang Fangwen , Ma Xiaosong , Han Jing , Zhou Li , Bian Zhijuan , Wei Haibin , Deng Hui , Zhu Yongsheng , Yu Xinqiao 
Published: June 2024

AbstractPolyploid is considered an advantage that has evolved to be more environmentally adaptable than its diploid. To understand if doubled chromosome of diploid rice can improve drought tolerance, we evaluated the diploid (2X) and autotetraploid (4X) plants of threeindicaand threejaponicavarieties. Drought stress in the plastic bucket of four-leaf stage revealed that the drought tolerance of 4X plants was lower than that of its diploid donor plants. The assay of photosynthetic rate of all varieties showed that all 4X varieties had lower rates than their diploid donors. The capacity for reactive oxygen species production and scavenging varied among different 2X and 4X varieties. Further, transcriptomic analysis of 2X and 4X plants of four varieties under normal and drought condition showed that the wide variation of gene expression was caused by difference of varieties, not by chromosome ploidy. However, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed that the severe interference of photosynthesis-related genes in tetraploid plants under drought stress is the primary reason for the decrease of drought tolerance in autotetraploid lines. Consistently, new transcripts analysis in autotetraploid revealed that the gene transcription related with mitochondrion and plastid of cell component was influenced most significantly. The results indicated that chromosome doubling of diploid rice weakened their drought tolerance, primarily due to disorder of photosynthesis-related genes in tetraploid plants under drought stress. Maintain tetraploid drought tolerance through chromosome doubling breeding in rice needs to start with the selection of parental varieties and more efforts.
Transcriptome variations in hybrids of wild emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccoides)
Authors: Ziv Alon , kashkush Khalil 
Published: June 2024

AbstractBackgroundWild emmer wheat is a great candidate to revitalize domesticated wheat genetic diversity. Recent years have seen intensive investigation into the evolution and domestication of wild emmer wheat, including whole-genome DNA and transcriptome sequencing. However, the impact of intraspecific hybridization on the transcriptome of wild emmer wheat has been poorly studied. In this study, we assessed changes in methylation patterns and transcriptomic variations in two accessions of wild emmer wheat collected from two marginal populations, Mt. Hermon and Mt. Amasa, and in their stable F4 hybrid.ResultsMethylation-Sensitive Amplified Polymorphism (MSAP) detected significant cytosine demethylation in F4 hybrids vs. parental lines, suggesting potential transcriptome variation. After a detailed analysis, we examined nine RNA-Seq samples, which included three biological replicates from the F4 hybrid and its parental lines. RNA-Seq databases contained approximately 200 million reads, with each library consisting of 15 to 25 million reads. There are a total of 62,490 well-annotated genes in these databases, with 6,602 genes showing differential expression between F4 hybrid and parental lines Mt. Hermon and Mt. Amasa. The differentially expressed genes were classified into four main categories based on their expression patterns. Gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes are associated with DNA/RNA metabolism, photosynthesis, stress response, phosphorylation and developmental processes.ConclusionThis study highlights the significant transcriptomic changes resulting from intraspecific hybridization within natural plant populations, which might aid the nascent hybrid in adapting to various environmental conditions.
Effects of cigarette smoking associated with sarcopenia in persons 60 years and older: a cross-sectional study in Zhejiang province
Authors: Lin Junfen , Hu Meiyu , Gu Xue , Zhang Tao , Ma Haiyan , Li Fudong 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Smoking is a risk factor for sarcopenia. Nevertheless, few studies analyzed the independent effects of various smoking dimensions (duration, intensity, cumulative dose) on sarcopenia risk. This is a cross-sectional study based on an older population in Zhejiang Province to determine which smoking dimensions are mainly important for sarcopenia risk and to explore the dose–response relationship between them.

Methods
Our study included 783 patients with sarcopenia and 4918 non-sarcopenic individuals. Logistic regression and restricted cubic with logistic regression (for nonlinear dose effects) were used to obtain odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals as well as restricted cubic splines (RCS) curves.

Results
Compared with never-smokers, current smokers had an increased risk of sarcopenia (OR = 1.786; 95% CI 1.387–2.301) after adjusting for confounders such as age, sex, education, alcohol consumption, disease history, etc. There was no significant association between smoking intensity and sarcopenia after more than 20 cigarettes per day (OR = 1.484; 95% CI 0.886–2.487), whereas the risk of sarcopenia increased significantly with increasing duration of smoking after more than 40 years (OR = 1.733; 95% CI 1.214–2.473). Meanwhile, there was a significant non-linear dose–response relationship between smoking duration or intensity and the risk of sarcopenia. However, the risk of sarcopenia increased linearly with the number of pack-years of smoking, which is not a significant nonlinear dose–response relationship.

Conclusions
This study indicated the association between smoking and sarcopenia. Both smoking duration and cumulative dose were significantly and positively associated with sarcopenia. These findings reflect the important role of the number of years of smoking in increasing the risk of sarcopenia and provide scientific evidence that different smoking dimensions may influence the risk of the sarcopenia.
Validating the Delone and Mclean’s model in a developing country’s infectious disease pandemic context.
Authors: Ikenyei Uche , Haggerty Nicole 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Background
This study aimed at validating the updated DeLone and McLean’s information systems success model (D&MISS) in a developing country’s infectious disease pandemic preparedness and response context. The findings from this study are relevant to inform policies and actions for enhancing developing countries’ the Health Information System’s (HIS) performance, and specifically to improve their future pandemic readiness and response. The study sought to respond to a key research question: to what extent can the D&MISS model provide evidence to enhance the HIS’s infectious disease pandemic readiness and response in developing countries?

Method
A cross-sectional study design that involved a multi-stage probability sampling approach to select eligible healthcare workers was applied. Conducted in Nigeria and Liberia, 576 primary healthcare workers, out of the proposed 600, participated, representing a response rate of 96%. The D&MISS model served as the theoretical underpinning for this study, and nine hypothesized relationships were stated before the study based on the interconnectedness of the model’s six dimensions. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) data analysis using the Partial Least Square approach was used to determine if hypothesized relationships were supported.

Results
70% of the observed variance in the Net Benefit construct was explained by the predictive influence of the Use and User Satisfaction constructs. The Use construct had a slightly more substantial predictive influence than the User Satisfaction construct. Eight of the nine hypothesized relationships were supported, except for the relationship between Information Quality and Use. The relationships between System Quality and Use and User Satisfaction and Net Benefit had the highest beta coefficient, statistically significant at p < 0.05.

Conclusion and relevance
The D&MISS model demonstrated its relevance in providing evidence on the gaps of the HISs regarding future pandemic preparedness and response. However, from a future research opportunity, its enhancement and modifications with context-specific dimensions peculiar to developing countries will improve its ability to provide more context-specific evidence to improve pandemic preparedness and response for developing countries.
Effects of cutaneous leishmaniasis on patients’ quality of life
Authors: Yizengaw Endalew , Nibret Endalkachew 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Introduction
Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is caused by protozoan parasite called Leishmania. It is endemic in more than 100 countries globally. Despite its vast prevalence and impact on quality of life, it is one of the most neglected tropical dermatological diseases. The CL burden has often been expressed based on the physical disfigurement caused by the disease. However, considering the impact of the disease beyond physical impairment and changes in patients’ appearance would help to better understand the disease as a public health problem. The effect of CL on patients’ quality of life was determined in this study.

Methods
The data that were related to quality of life were collected using Standard one-week Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire. The questions were categorized under seven domains: symptoms & feelings, daily activities, work and school, leisure, personal relationships, and treatment. Each question was scored on a three-point scale: Very much (3), A lot (2), A little (1), Undecided (0), and Not at all (0). The sum of the scores lied between 0 and 48. A higher score shows worse quality of life. The data were entered and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science 23. Frequencies and proportions were used to describe the data. Differences were considered statistically significant at p < 0.05.

Results
The lives of the majority of CL patients (60.7%) were significantly affected by CL. The quality of life of patients was moderately impacted by CL in 25% of the CL patients. In 32.1% of the CL patients, the effect of CL on patients’ quality of life was very large. The quality of one CL patient’s life was extremely largely affected. The disease had a small effect on 32.1% of the CL patients. Personal relationship was the most affected domain followed by symptoms and feelings and treatment. Future study including rural regions is required.

Conclusion
The Dermatology Life Quality Index demonstrates that CL has a small to extremely very large negative effect on the quality of life of patients.
Identifying mental health outcomes and evidence-based psychological interventions for supporting pediatric gunshot wound patients: A systematic review and proposed conceptual model
Authors: Hale Molly E. , Pinkman Kahyah , Quinoy Alexis M. , Schoffner Kindell R. 
Published: June 2024

AbstractBackgroundAccidental and assault gunshot wounds (GSWs) are the second leading cause of injury in the United States for youth ages 1- to 17-years-old, resulting in significant negative effects on pediatric patients’ mental health functioning. Despite the critical implications of GSWs, there has yet to be a systematic review synthesizing trends in mental health outcomes for pediatric patients; a gap the present review fills. Additionally, this review identifies evidence-based psychological interventions shown to be effective in the treatment of subclinical symptoms of psychological disorders in the general population.MethodsA comprehensive search was conducted using five databases: American Psychological Association (APA) PsycInfo, APA PsycArticles, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Education Resource Information Center (ERIC), and Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval Systems Online (MEDLINE). Twenty-two articles met inclusion criteria.ResultsFindings suggest pediatric GSW patients are at a significantly elevated risk for mental health disorders when compared to other- (e.g., motor vehicle collision) and non-injured youth. Disorders include post-traumatic stress, disruptive behavior, anxiety, depression, and substance use. Hospital-based violence intervention programs, cultivating supportive relationships with adults in one’s community, and trauma-focused outpatient services were identified as effective interventions for treating subclinical psychological symptoms.ConclusionsDepicted in the proposed conceptual model, the present study delineates a direct association between pediatric GSWs and subsequent onset of mental health disorders. This relation is buffered by evidence-based psychological interventions targeting subclinical symptoms. Results suggest brief psychological interventions can help treat mental health challenges, minimizing risk for significant long-term concerns. Cultural adaptations to enhance the utility and accessibility of interventions for all patients are recommended.