bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
What is the quantity, quality and type of systematic review evidence available to inform the optimal prescribing of statins and antihypertensives? A systematic umbrella review and evidence and gap map
Authors: Shaw Liz , Briscoe Simon , Nunns Michael P , Lawal Hassanat Mojirola , Melendez-Torres G J , Turner Malcolm , Garside Ruth , Thompson Coon Jo 
Published: February 2024

ObjectivesWe aimed to map the systematic review evidence available to inform the optimal prescribing of statins and antihypertensive medication.DesignSystematic umbrella review and evidence and gap map (EGM).Data sourcesEight bibliographic databases (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CINAHL, EMBASE, Health Management Information Consortium, MEDLINE ALL, PsycINFO, Conference Proceedings Citation Index—Science and Science Citation Index) were searched from 2010 to 11 August 2020. Update searches conducted in MEDLINE ALL 2 August 2022. We searched relevant websites and conducted backwards citation chasing.Eligibility criteria for selecting studiesWe sought systematic reviews of quantitative or qualitative research where adults 16 years+ were currently receiving, or being considered for, a prescription of statin or antihypertensive medication. Eligibility criteria were applied to the title and abstract and full text of each article independently by two reviewers.Data extraction and synthesisQuality appraisal was completed by one reviewer and checked by a second. Review characteristics were tabulated and incorporated into an EGM based on a patient care pathway. Patients with lived experience provided feedback on our research questions and EGM.ResultsEighty reviews were included within the EGM. The highest quantity of evidence focused on evaluating interventions to promote patient adherence to antihypertensive medication. Key gaps included a lack of reviews synthesising evidence on experiences of specific interventions to promote patient adherence or improve prescribing practice. The evidence was predominantly of low quality, limiting confidence in the findings from individual reviews.ConclusionsThis EGM provides an interactive, accessible format for policy developers, service commissioners and clinicians to view the systematic review evidence available relevant to optimising the prescribing of statin and antihypertensive medication. To address the paucity of high-quality research, future reviews should be conducted and reported according to existing guidelines and address the evidence gaps identified above.
BIOSKIN: A Protocol for the Copenhagen Translational Skin Immunology Biobank and Research Programme
Authors: Løvendorf Marianne Bengtson , Johansen Jeanne Duus , Skov Lone 
Published: February 2024

IntroductionPsoriasis, atopic dermatitis and contact dermatitis are common chronic inflammatory skin diseases that have a significant impact on individuals and society.Methods and analysisThe Copenhagen Translational Skin Immunology Biobank and Research Programme (BIOSKIN) is a translational biobank and research study that aims to prospectively collect high-quality biological samples and clinical data from 3000 patients with psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and contact dermatitis over a minimum period of 5 years. The longitudinal open design allows participants to enter and leave the study at different time points depending on their disease and treatment course. At every visit, the investigator collects biological samples, conducts interviews and assembles self-reported questionnaires on disease-specific and general health-related information. Clinical examination and biological sampling will be conducted at enrolment, during and after disease flare, before and after initiation of new treatment and at least once per year. The clinical examination includes dermatological verification of diagnosis, evaluation of disease severity and detailed information on phenotype. The biological samples include blood and when accessible and relevant, skin biopsies, tape strips and skin swabs. The data collected will undergo rigorous statistical analysis using appropriate analytical methods. As of December 2023, 825 patients have been enrolled in the study.Ethics and disseminationThe study is approved by the Scientific Ethical Committee of the Capital Region (H-21032986) and the Danish Data Protection Agency. Results will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and presented at national and international conferences.
Diagnostic performance evaluation of urine HIV-1 antibody rapid test kits in a real-life routine care setting in China
Authors: Lu Huaxiang , Chen Huanhuan , Liang Shujia , Zhu Qiuying , Tan Guangjie , Pang Xianwu , Ruan Yuhua , Li Jianjun , Ge Xianmin , Huang Yunxian , Chen Zhenqiang , Zhang Shizhen , Cai Wenlong , Lan Guanghua , Lin Mei 
Published: February 2024

ObjectivesTo evaluate the diagnostic performance of urine HIV antibody rapid test kits in screening diverse populations and to analyse subjects’ willingness regarding reagent types, purchase channels, acceptable prices, and self-testing.DesignsDiagnostic accuracy studiesParticipantsA total of 2606 valid and eligible samples were collected in the study, including 202 samples from female sex workers (FSWs), 304 persons with injection drug use (IDU), 1000 pregnant women (PW), 100 subjects undergoing voluntary HIV counselling and testing (VCT) and 1000 students in higher education schools or colleges (STUs). Subjects should simultaneously meet the following inclusion criteria: (1) being at least 18 years old and in full civil capacity, (2) signing an informed consent form and (3) providing truthful identifying information to ensure that the subjects and their samples are unique.ResultsThe sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve (AUC) of the urine HIV-1 antibody rapid test kits were 92.16%, 99.92% and 0.960 (95% CI: 0.952 to 0.968, p<0.001), respectively, among 2606 samples collected during on-site screenings. The kits showed good diagnostic performance in persons with IDU (AUC, 1.000; 95% CI, 1.000 to 1.000, p<0.001), PW (AUC, 0.999; 95% CI, 0.999 to 1.000, p<0.001) and FSWs (AUC, 1.000; 95% CI, 1.000 to 1.000, p<0.001). The AUC of the urine reagent kits in subjects undergoing VCT was 0.941 (95% CI: 0.876 to 0.978, p<0.001). The ‘acceptable price’ had the greatest influence on STUs (Pi=1.000) and PW (Pi=1.000), the ‘purchase channel’ had the greatest influence on subjects undergoing VCT (Pi=1.000) and persons with IDU (Pi=1.000) and the ‘reagent types’ had the greatest influence on FSWs (Pi=1.000).ConclusionsThe rapid urine test kits showed good diagnostic validity in practical applications, despite a few cases involving misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis.
Bone age assessment based on three-dimensional ultrasound and artificial intelligence compared with paediatrician-read radiographic bone age: protocol for a prospective, diagnostic accuracy study
Authors: Chen Li , Zeng Bolun , Shen Jian , Xu Jiangchang , Cai Zehang , Su Shudian , Chen Jie , Cai Xiaojun , Ying Tao , hu bing , Wu Min , Chen Xiaojun , Zheng Yuanyi 
Published: February 2024

IntroductionRadiographic bone age (BA) assessment is widely used to evaluate children’s growth disorders and predict their future height. Moreover, children are more sensitive and vulnerable to X-ray radiation exposure than adults. The purpose of this study is to develop a new, safer, radiation-free BA assessment method for children by using three-dimensional ultrasound (3D-US) and artificial intelligence (AI), and to test the diagnostic accuracy and reliability of this method.Methods and analysisThis is a prospective, observational study. All participants will be recruited through Paediatric Growth and Development Clinic. All participants will receive left hand 3D-US and X-ray examination at the Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital on the same day, all images will be recorded. These image related data will be collected and randomly divided into training set (80% of all) and test set (20% of all). The training set will be used to establish a cascade network of 3D-US skeletal image segmentation and BA prediction model to achieve end-to-end prediction of image to BA. The test set will be used to evaluate the accuracy of AI BA model of 3D-US. We have developed a new ultrasonic scanning device, which can be proposed to automatic 3D-US scanning of hands. AI algorithms, such as convolutional neural network, will be used to identify and segment the skeletal structures in the hand 3D-US images. We will achieve automatic segmentation of hand skeletal 3D-US images, establish BA prediction model of 3D-US, and test the accuracy of the prediction model.Ethics and disseminationThe Ethics Committee of Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital approved this study. The approval number is 2022-019. A written informed consent will be obtained from their parent or guardian of each participant. Final results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international conferences.Trial registration numberChiCTR2200057236.
Canadian Addiction Treatment Centre (CATC) opioid agonist treatment cohort in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Morin Kristen A , Tatangelo Mark , Marsh David 
Published: February 2024

PurposeThe Canadian Addiction Treatment Centre (CATC) cohort was established during a period of increased provision of opioid agonist treatment (OAT), to study patient outcomes and trends related to the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) in Canada. The CATC cohort’s strengths lie in its unique physician network, shared care model and event-level data, making it valuable for validation and integration studies. The CATC cohort is a valuable resource for examining OAT outcomes, providing insights into substance use trends and the impact of service-level factors.ParticipantsThe CATC cohort comprises 32 246 people who received OAT prescriptions between April 2014 and February 2021, with ongoing tri-annual updates planned until 2027. The cohort includes data from all CATC clinics’ electronic medical records and includes demographic information and OAT clinical indicators.Findings to dateThis cohort profile describes the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients being treated in a large OAT physician network. As well, we report the longitudinal OAT retention by treatment type during a time of increasing exposure to a contaminated dangerous drug supply. Notable findings also include retention differences between methadone (32% of patients at 1 year) and buprenorphine (20% at 1 year). Previously published research from this cohort indicated that patient-level factors associated with retention include geographic location, concurrent substance use and prior treatment attempts. Service-level factors such as telemedicine delivery and frequency of urine drug screenings also influence retention. Additionally, the cohort identified rising OAT participation and a substantial increase in fentanyl use during the COVID-19 pandemic.Future plansFuture research objectives are the longitudinal evaluation of retention and flexible modelling techniques that account for the changes as patients are treated with OAT. Furthermore, future research aims are the use of conditional models, and linkage with provincial-level administrative datasets.
Design and rationale of the Post-Intensive Care Syndrome – paediatrics (PICS-p) Longitudinal Cohort Study
Authors: Curley Martha A Q , Watson R Scott , Killien Elizabeth Y , Kalvas Laura Beth , Perry-Eaddy Mallory A , Cassidy Amy M , Miller Erica B , Talukder Mritika , Manning Joseph C , Pinto Neethi P , Rennick Janet E , Colville Gillian , Asaro Lisa A , Wypij David 
Published: February 2024

IntroductionAs paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) mortality declines, there is growing recognition of the morbidity experienced by children surviving critical illness and their families. A comprehensive understanding of the adverse physical, cognitive, emotional and social sequelae common to PICU survivors is limited, however, and the trajectory of recovery and risk factors for morbidity remain unknown.Methods and analysisThe Post-Intensive Care Syndrome–paediatrics Longitudinal Cohort Study will evaluate child and family outcomes over 2 years following PICU discharge and identify child and clinical factors associated with impaired outcomes. We will enrol 750 children from 30 US PICUs during their first PICU hospitalisation, including 500 case participants experiencing ≥3 days of intensive care that include critical care therapies (eg, mechanical ventilation, vasoactive infusions) and 250 age-matched, sex-matched and medical complexity-matched control participants experiencing a single night in the PICU with no intensive care therapies. Children, parents and siblings will complete surveys about health-related quality of life, physical function, cognitive status, emotional health and peer and family relationships at multiple time points from baseline recall through 2 years post-PICU discharge. We will compare outcomes and recovery trajectories of case participants to control participants, identify risk factors associated with poor outcomes and determine the emotional and social health consequences of paediatric critical illness on parents and siblings.Ethics and disseminationThis study has received ethical approval from the University of Pennsylvania Institutional Review Board (protocol #843844). Our overall objective is to characterise the ongoing impact of paediatric critical illness to guide development of interventions that optimise outcomes among children surviving critical illness and their families. Findings will be presented at key disciplinary meetings and in peer-reviewed publications at fixed data points. Published manuscripts will be added to our public study website to ensure findings are available to families, clinicians and researchers.Trials registration numberNCT04967365.
Silver toxicity to the earthworm Eisenia fetida is inconsistent in natural and artificial soils amended with wastewater biosolids
Authors: Lemtiri Aboulkacem , Jia Yu , Ejack Leanne , Akaram Ismail S. , Dórea Haroldo S. , Colinet Gilles , Francis Frederic , Ghosal Subhasis , Sunahara Geoffrey I. , Whalen Joann K. 
Published: February 2024

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are present in biosolids from wastewater treatment facilities, a common soil amendment. Exposing earthworms ( Eisenia fetida) to AgNP and AgNO3 in soil with 0 and 7.5 g biosolids kg−1 for 28 days showed AgNO3 was more lethal to earthworms in artificial soil (LC20 ≤ 325 mg Ag kg−1) than natural soil (LC20 ≥ 573 mg Ag kg−1). In contrast, AgNPs were more lethal in natural soil (LC20 ≤ 425 mg Ag kg−1) than artificial soil (LC20 ≥ 653 mg Ag kg−1). Earthworm response to silver in artificial soil may not reflect toxicity in biosolids-amended natural soils.
Background studies for the HOLMES experiment
Authors: Borghesi Matteo 
Published: February 2024

AbstractDetermining the mass of neutrinos is one of the most compelling topics in particle physics. HOLMES, an experiment for a direct measurement of the neutrino mass, is addressing this subject through a calorimetric approach, exploiting arrays of Low-Temperature Transition-Edge Sensor Detectors (TESs) loaded with $$^{163}$$

163

Ho. The experiment has entered its first phase in 2023, implanting approximately 1 Bq per pixel in an array of 64 detectors. In this work, I present the measurement made before this stage, in order to determine the expected background arising from natural radioactivity and cosmic rays. The significance of this background depends on the activity per pixel, which has yet to be defined based on the result of the first phase.
The Complexity of Finding Fair Many-to-One Matchings
Authors: Boehmer Niclas , Koana Tomohiro 
Published: February 2024

We analyze the (parameterized) computational complexity of “fair” variants of bipartite many-to-one matching, where each vertex from the “left” side is matched to exactly one vertex and each vertex from the “right” side may be matched to multiple vertices. We want to find a “fair” matching, in which each vertex from the right side is matched to a “fair” set of vertices. Assuming that each vertex from the left side has one color modeling its “attribute”, we study two fairness criteria. For instance, in one of them, we deem a vertex set fair if for any two colors, the difference between the numbers of their occurrences does not exceed a given threshold. Fairness is, for instance, relevant when finding many-to-one matchings between students and colleges, voters and constituencies, and applicants and firms. Here colors may model sociodemographic attributes, party memberships, and qualifications, respectively.
We show that finding a fair many-to-one matching is NP-hard even for three colors and maximum degree five. Our main contribution is the design of fixed-parameter tractable algorithms with respect to the number of vertices on the right side. Our algorithms make use of a variety of techniques including color coding. At the core lie integer linear programs encoding Hall like conditions. We establish the correctness of our integer programs, based on Frank’s separation theorem [Frank, Discrete Math. 1982]. We further obtain complete complexity dichotomies regarding the number of colors and the maximum degree of each side.
Development Aid Institutions in International Investment Law: towards a Holistic Approach to Development Financing Flows
Authors: Mottola Milena 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Many investment arbitrations have arisen out of investments financed through aid resources. Yet, the legal framework governing aid disbursements remains mostly unexplored in investment awards and in the literature on international investment law. This article is an initial attempt at identifying the interactions between these two legal orders. It finds that 1) multilateral and bilateral aid institutions are not perfect third parties to the investor-State relationship; rather, they influence the content of investment contracts, supervise contract implementation and have a role to play in dispute prevention and resolution; 2) uncertainties surround the jurisdiction of investment tribunals over aid-financed ‘investments’; 3) development institutions may participate as disputing and non-disputing parties in the arbitrations arising out of aid-financed projects. More broadly, the article suggests that the increasing trend of leveraging aid to incentivize private investments warrants an integrated and hence more realistic approach to the different development finance flows.
Towards Foreign Direct Investment for Development in the Host State? Revisiting Charter Cities
Authors: Forere Malebakeng Agnes 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
The phenomenon of population growth, scramble for employment, congestion in cities coupled with underdevelopment has been a cause for concern over the years. Many solutions, such as aid and conclusion of international investment agreements with a view to attract foreign direct investment, have been explored and tried with no real changes. In recent years, there is a strong movement on charter cities, championed by the former World Bank Chief Economist, Paul Romer. Romer’s grand charter city would be developed on a vacant land, offered by the host State, for free, to the developer of the city. The city adopts a constitutive act, spelling out basic rights of the residents and the responsibilities of the city government but then imports functional rules from a developed country/countries being guarantor(s), and the latter ensure(s) enforcement of these rules. This paper explores charter cities as a panacea to poverty and underdevelopment in Africa and it lays bare the problematic conceptual issues on charter cities. Thus, it finds that charter cities could be another vehicle facilitating scramble for land in Africa as seen in Madagascar where the idea was explored. In addition, a need for uninhabited land threatens relocations and removals, which have often been forceful and impacts on the socio-economic conditions of communities as witnessed in Lesotho when the highlands water project, serving South Africa with water, began construction. Relocations are not only economically debilitating; they are highly emotive to many Africans based on the past experiences. Further, substituting the host state’s control with that of developed nation/s (sponsor/guarantor) can only be regarded as neo-liberal colonialism. Another problem is in relation to freedom to reside in the city, thereby extending free residency to everyone from anywhere in world, compromising sovereignty for the host and not solving employment crisis. While charter cities can solve poverty and underdevelopment in Africa, these conceptual problems need to be addressed; otherwise, we are facing neoliberal land dispossessions.
The Theories of “Differential Optimums” and “Vertical Integration” and Their Implications for China
Authors: Huang Philip C. C. 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Chayanov, outside of his theoretical analysis of how peasant households are distinctive for being at once a production and a consumption unit, and the multiple implications of that fact, has made two other major theoretical contributions, one making clear that peasant economies observe the logic of “differential optimums” rather than the simple logic of economies of scale, the other having to do with the need for co-operatives for “vertical integration” of small peasant economies, in order to preserve for the peasants more of the value of their products in the BIG MARKET. The former can be readily observed in the “new agriculture revolution” of the Chinese economy in the past few decades; the latter can be readily seen in the striking modernization of the “East Asian” (i.e. Japan, South Korea, and the Taiwan area) economies since 1945. China’s annual “Number One Documents” about agriculture of the past two decades have shown how the country first mistakenly tried to imitate the simple scale-economy logic of the United States, and then shifted since 2018 toward a new emphasis on the peasants as the principal agents of agricultural development and of peasant villages as the basic unit for agricultural co-ops. Those have been the basis for new advances as well as for reinterpretations and modifications of Chayanov’s two major theoretical visions.
What Is Minimalist Governance?
Authors: Ouyang Jing 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
“Informality” and “semiformality” are the primary characteristics of minimalist governance. The operation of minimalist governance assumes a boundary between state and society and some amount of autonomous space between them at the ground level. Whether in a traditional or modern form, minimalist governance stands in contrast to the formal, hierarchical bureaucracy of the state. Minimalism is a pragmatic approach to governance tailored to local conditions, a form of semiformal or informal government that emphasizes operational effectiveness over elaborate bureaucratic procedures. Since minimalist governance does not rely entirely on the hierarchical power of the state apparatus, this semiformal approach is simple and effective, hence its “minimalist” appearance. The key to solving the problem of formalism at the basic level of government lies in managing the relationship between “a thousand threads above” and “a single needle below.” Autonomy and self-governance must be granted to the basic level of the government so that party committees may fulfill their integrative political functions and their role in minimalist governance. Ultimately, this will allow the “needle” of grassroots organizations to connect with “a thousand threads above” while also penetrating deeply into local society. There is significant practical and theoretical importance in understanding the uniqueness of Chinese-style modernization, and the modernization of rural governance, from the perspective of “social foundations,” but to achieve this Chinese-style modernization we must learn from the West and from China’s own traditional and contemporary experiences.