bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The impact of ultrasound-guided vascular access for catheter ablation of left atrial arrhythmias in a high-volume centre
Authors: Krimphoff Amelie , Urbanek Lukas , Bordignon Stefano , Schaack David , Tohoku Shota , Chen Shaojie , Chun K. R. Julian , Schmidt Boris 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Background
Vascular complications are a common occurrence during atrial fibrillation ablation. Observational studies indicate that the utilization of ultrasound (US)-guided puncture may decrease the incidence of vascular complications; however, its routine use is not established in many centres.

Methods
Patients undergoing catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation were included sequentially. All patients receiving US-guided punctures were prospectively enrolled (US group), while patients who underwent the procedure with standard puncture technique served as control group (No-US group). Periprocedural vascular complications requiring intervention within 30 days of the procedure were defined as the primary endpoint.

Results
A total of 599 patients (average age: 69 ± 11 years, 62.9% male) were analysed. The incidence of vascular complications was lower with the US-guided puncture than with the anatomic landmark-guided puncture (14/299 [4.7%] vs. 27/300 [9%], p = 0.036). The US-guided vascular access significantly reduced the rate of false aneurysms (3/299 [1%] vs. 12/300 [4%], p = 0.019). In addition, the occurrence of arteriovenous fistula (2/299 [0.7%] vs. 4/300 [1.3%], p = 0.686) and haematoma requiring treatment (9/299 [3%] vs. 11/300 [3.7%], p = 0.655) were also lower in the US group. US-guided puncture did not prolong the procedure time (mean procedure time: 57.48 ± 24.47 min vs. 56.09 ± 23.36 min, p = 0.478). Multivariate regression analysis identified female gender (OR 2.079, CI 95% 1.096–3.945, p = 0.025) and conventional vascular access (OR 2.079, CI 95% 1.025–3.908, p = 0.042) as predictors of vascular complications.

Conclusions
The implementation of US-guided vascular access for left atrial catheter ablation resulted in a significant decrease of the overall vascular complication rate.
Uranium (VI) sorption from aqueous solution using commercial anion exchange resins; kinetics, isotherm, and thermodynamic investigations
Authors: Youssef Walid M. , Masoud Ahmed M. , Elmaadawy Mahmoud M. , Khawassek Yasser M. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractCommercial strong anion exchange resins provided by Purolite, namely MTA4801PF, and MTA4601PFSO4, were utilized for extracting uranium from sulfate leach liquor. The study focused on investigating the kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamics of the sorption process. Both resins demonstrated similar kinetics and isotherm performance, with sorption capacities of approximately 66 and 71 mg g−1respectively. The sorption process was proven to be endothermic, feasible, and spontaneous, and U(VI) desorption of around 95% was achieved using 0.5 M sulfuric acid. Commercial resins showed excellent sorption performance when applied to sulfate leach liquor of Egyptian ores despite the complexity of the solution.
A new contact and road model for multi-body dynamic simulation of wheeled vehicles on soft-soil terrain
Authors: Koutras Evangelos , Moretti Leila Felipe , Ribaric Adrijan , Natsiavas Sotirios 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
In this paper, a new high-performance and memory-efficient contact and road model is developed. Specifically, the road is modeled as a rectangular structured grid of deformable springs in the vertical direction, thus enabling fast execution. The new road model stands out due to its ability to handle large road scenarios by allocating computer memory dynamically for each spring, resulting in efficient memory utilization. Furthermore, each spring represents a small road patch that entails various information, such as the soil elevation, the soil properties, and the soil compaction, allowing for complicated simulations incorporating spatially varying soil properties and phenomena related to the multi-pass effect. In addition, using the new contact model, complex terrain geometries are handled in a computationally efficient way by approximating locally the irregular road profile with a suitable equivalent plane. For this, two different strategies are proposed, namely the radial basis function (RBF) interpolation method and the 3D enveloping contact model. Finally, the proposed techniques are implemented in Altair MotionSolve, a comprehensive multi-body simulation software for complex mechanical systems. In particular, a single-wheel test bed is initially examined followed by a four-wheeled rover model and the next-generation NATO reference mobility model (NG-NRMM). In all cases, the proposed model is validated by using available experimental data. Lastly, a case involving both wheeled and tracked vehicles is also examined by using a shared road model.
Kernel embedding of measures and low-rank approximation of integral operators
Authors: Gauthier Bertrand 
Published: April 2024

AbstractWe describe a natural coisometry from the Hilbert space of all Hilbert-Schmidt operators on a separable reproducing kernel Hilbert space $$\hbox { (RKHS)}\, \mathcal {H}$$

(RKHS)

H

and onto the RKHS $$\mathcal {G}$$
G
associated with the squared-modulus of the reproducing kernel of $$\mathcal {H}$$
H
. Through this coisometry, trace-class integral operators defined by general measures and the reproducing kernel of $$\mathcal {H}$$
H
are isometrically represented as potentials in $$\mathcal {G}$$
G
, and the quadrature approximation of these operators is equivalent to the approximation of integral functionals on $$\mathcal {G}$$
G
. We then discuss the extent to which the approximation of potentials in RKHSs with squared-modulus kernels can be regarded as a differentiable surrogate for the characterisation of low-rank approximation of integral operators.
The Effects of Capital Controls on Housing Prices
Authors: Zhou Yang 
Published: April 2024

AbstractPolicymakers increasingly use capital control policies (i.e., capital flow management) to manage capital flows. However, whether the implementation of such policies can effectively affect housing prices and to what extent is less discussed. In this paper, I study the effects of four types of granular capital control policies on housing prices using a large cross-country panel of 53 economies from 1995 to 2017. I find that the estimated effects of capital controls are distinct for different capital flow types and flow directions, but all capital control inflow indices appear to reduce housing prices in the long-run. Additionally, I find that capital controls have asymmetric effects on housing prices for advanced economies and emerging markets. The negative effects of capital controls on housing prices are mainly driven by pre-crisis subsample, which means capital controls have been in effect several times before the Global Financial Crisis. I also estimate the effects for boom and slump periods respectively and find that capital control policies are implemented in an acyclical way. Since there exists endogeneity for capital control on real estate transactions, I further use IPWRA method to rebalance capital control actions and find that IPWRA estimators can weaken the negative effects on housing prices, and the attenuation effects can be attributed to endogenous factors.
A Critical View on the Quantification of Model Catalyst Activity
Authors: Reich Johanna , Kaiser Sebastian , Heiz Ueli , Grunwaldt Jan-Dierk , Kappes Manfred M. , Esch Friedrich , Lechner Barbara A. J. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe conversion of reactants, reaction rate referred to catalyst mass, and turnover frequency (TOF) are values typically employed to compare the activity of different catalysts. However, experimental parameters have to be chosen carefully when systems of different complexity are compared. In order to characterize UHV-based model systems, we use a highly sensitive sniffer setup which allows us to investigate the catalytic activity by combining three different measurement modes: temperature-programmed desorption, continuous flow, and pulsed-reactivity experiments. In this article, we explore the caveats of quantifying catalytic activity in UHV on the well-studied and highly defined reference system of CO oxidation on Pt(111), which we later compare to the same reaction on Pt19 clusters deposited on Fe3O4(001). We demonstrate that we can apply fast heating ramps for TOF quantification, thus inducing as little sintering as possible in the metastable clusters. By changing the reactant ratio, we find transient reactivity effects that influence the TOF, which should be kept in mind when comparing catalysts. In addition, the TOF also depends on the surface coverage that itself is a function of temperature and pressure. At a constant reactant ratio, in the absence of transient effects, however, the TOF scales linearly with total pressure over the entire measured temperature range from 200 to 700 K since the reaction rate is dependent on both reactant partial pressures with temperature-dependent reaction order. When comparing the maximum TOF at this particular reactant ratio, we find a 1.6 times higher maximum TOF for Pt19/Fe3O4(001) than for Pt(111). In addition, pulsed-reactivity measurements help identify purely reaction-limited regimes and allow for a more detailed investigation of limiting reactants over the whole temperature range.
Physician self-reported knowledge of and barriers to indication of alternative therapies for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea
Authors: Braun M , Stuck BA 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Background
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disease with significant implications for individual physical and mental wellbeing. Though in theory, OSA can be effectively treated with positive airway pressure therapy (PAP), many patients cannot adhere chronically and require alternative treatment. With sleep physicians being relevant stakeholders in the process of allocation of OSA treatments, this research aims to study their knowledge and perceptions of alternative therapies available in routine care in Germany.

Methods
This work is part of a larger research project which aims to assess the state of sleep medical care in Germany. Items relevant to this study included self-reported knowledge, indication volumes, and perceptions of five alternative treatments for OSA, which are available for routine care in Germany.

Results
A total of 435 sleep physicians from multiple medical disciplines and both care sectors participated in the study. Self-reported knowledge on alternative OSA treatments was moderate and correlated with the consultation volume. Self-reported adoption of alternative therapies was higher in nonsurgical methods, and only 1.1% of participants reported not utilizing any of the alternative treatments. The most relevant perceived barriers to indication were “reimbursement issues” for mandibular advancement devices and positional therapy; “evidence insufficient” for upper airway surgery, and “no demand from patients” for hypoglossal nerve stimulation and maxillomandibular Advancement.

Conclusion
Self-reported knowledge of alternative OSA treatments is moderate and indication of alternative OSA therapies varies substantially. Sleep physicians often perceive barriers that limit provision or referrals for provision of these treatments. Additional research is required to further understand barriers and factors influencing creation of those perceptions and decision-making among physicians.
ALK-positive large B-cell lymphoma (ALK + LBCL) with aberrant CD3 expression
Authors: Baker Jess , Zadeh Sara L. , Aguilera Nadine S. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractALK-positive ( +) large B cell lymphoma (ALK + LBCL) is a rare distinct subtype of diffuse large B cell lymphoma presenting with high stage and aggressive behavior. Although B cell markers such as CD20, CD19, and CD22 are generally negative, plasmacytic markers including CD138, CD38, and MUM1 are positive. T cell markers are negative with rare exceptions. We report an unusual case of ALK1 + LBCL in a 58-year-old man with partial expression of CD3 without other T cell antigen expression. The tissue was evaluated with flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, fluorescent in situ hybridization, and gene rearrangement studies. Gene rearrangement studies for IGH and TCR gamma were performed. Flow cytometry did not demonstrate any abnormal lymphoid populations. Tissue sectioning shows a malignant plasmacytic large cell neoplasm which expresses CD45 but is negative for CD20, CD79a, and PAX5. Plasmacytic markers CD138 and MUM1 are positive with kappa light chain restriction. Strong granular cytoplasmic expression of ALK is present. FISH showing disrupted ALK supports the diagnosis while MYC, BCL6, and BCL2 are intact. Gene rearrangement studies show coexisting IGH and TCR gamma clones; however, the TCR peak was present within a polyclonal background suggesting the disputed cells are likely only a subset of the T cell population. ALK + LBCL can present with an ambiguous immunophenotype, which warrants the use of multiple B cell, T cell, and plasmacytic antibodies. CD3 expression in this entity is rare and of uncertain clinical significance, but warrants further study.
Slope stabilization through groundwater management with limited hydrogeological data: a case study from Majes, southern Peru
Authors: Stein Shaked , Dugan Brandon , Gonzales Zenteno Edgard , Ticona Javier , Minaya Armando 
Published: April 2024

AbstractWater table rise near a cliff may trigger a landslide due to the associated increase pore pressure and decrease in frictional resistance. One main cause of water table rise is intense irrigation for agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions. One such case is in Majes, southern Peru, where a landslide has evolved near an intensively irrigated agricultural area. Mitigation strategies for landslides exist, such as physical strengthening of the cliff, but can be expensive. We describe a groundwater management approach to reduce the pore pressure in the vicinity of the cliff to either slow the propagation of an existing landslide or prevent the initiation of a new landslide. A 3D numerical groundwater flow model was built for the Majes area which employs the limited data existing on the local hydrogeology. Simulations were run to understand the connection between the hydraulic properties and the water table level change due to irrigation and pumping. Results show that through a series of pumping wells near the cliff edge, the pore pressure can be decreased effectively. Moreover, decreasing the water table via pumping can be accomplished in 25–35% of the time it took to elevate the water table level by irrigation. In addition, the pumping can capture water that could be reused for irrigation. Thus, based on our analysis, we conclude that wells could provide a groundwater management approach that keeps the pore pressure at low levels to mitigate landslide processes and simultaneously supplies water for irrigation existing and future irrigation-heavy agriculture in semi-arid environments.
Exploring how quality dimensions enhance videoconferencing platform benefits from an information systems success perspective
Authors: Alhusban Mohammad Issa , Sarhan Nael , Khatatbeh Ibrahim N. , Al Shbail Mohannad Obeid 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe rapid growth of videoconferencing technology in e-learning has gained significant attention in recent years. However, the literature lacks focus on the quality aspects contributing to the success of videoconferencing platforms in online learning. To fill this gap, this study used the DeLone and McLean information system success model to assess how three quality aspects (system, information, and service) of Microsoft Teams videoconferencing platform influenced students’ learning outcomes in online learning. The study involved surveying 261 students and found that all three quality dimensions significantly impacted students’ usage and satisfaction with Microsoft Teams. Remarkably, information quality had the most pronounced influence, and system use also positively affected student satisfaction, whereas student satisfaction played more significant role in their perceived benefits compared to system use. The study concluded that Microsoft Teams’ three quality dimensions contribute to enhancing student-perceived benefits in e-learning environment, confirming its success as an e-learning platform for students.
Chronology of the early transgressive phase of Lake Bonneville
Authors: Oviatt Charles G. , Pedone Vicki A. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractRadiocarbon and uranium-thorium dating of microbialites and penecontemporaneous cements in a microbialite mound at Death Point at Lakeside, Utah, on the shore of Great Salt Lake, Utah, call for a revision of the Lake Bonneville hydrograph. At about 30,000 cal yr BP, the lake experienced an abrupt rise of about 20 m, then dropped back down to levels near or slightly higher than the modern average elevation of Great Salt Lake. Over the ensuing ~6000 yr the lake experienced a series of fluctuations, up to levels a few tens of meters higher than the modern average Great Salt Lake, then down again. The exact timing and amplitudes of those fluctuations are not known, but importantly, the lake did not rise to levels near the Stansbury shoreline (~80 m higher than Great Salt Lake) until after about 24,000 cal yr BP. After the Stansbury shoreline, the lake rose almost 200 m to its highest level at the Bonneville shoreline by about 17,500 cal yr BP. This interpretation is different from previously published hydrographs, many of which show a relatively steady rise to near the Stansbury shoreline between 30,000 and 25,000 cal yr BP.
Uncertainties beyond preparedness: COVID-19 vaccination in Senegal
Authors: Desclaux Alice , Sow Khoudia , Sams Kelley 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Vaccination is one of the most recognised strategies in public health for preventing the spread of epidemics, and the availability of a vaccine is often expected by health actors to be a ‘game-changer’. However, the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) vaccine in Senegal was not the magic bullet that the international community expected. A very low vaccination coverage rate (less than 10% by April 2023) was observed in this country, once considered a model in West Africa for its epidemic response. Beyond the population’s alleged hesitancy to be vaccinated, was a lack of preparedness to blame? Previous analyses show that outbreak preparation limited to standard interventions is not sufficient in the face of the social, cultural, and political configurations of each epidemic context and that uncertainty limits response capacity. This paper examines the social life of the COVID-19 vaccine to identify the forms and contextual dimensions of uncertainty related to immunisation in Senegal. The authors explore how vaccination was implemented and compare experiences with the preparedness process, to offer insight on uncertainties. Using Stirling’s theoretical model that defines various expressions of incertitude, the authors identify four nexuses at various stages of the social life of COVID-19 vaccine in Senegal: (1) material uncertainty related to vaccine availability, (2) ambiguity of the population about the purpose of vaccination and the risks of the disease, (3) uncertainty related to side effects, and (4) uncertainty about vaccination strategies shared by scientific and health authorities. These uncertainties were only partly considered in the preparedness process, for they are related to systemic structural dimensions and reflect the impact of global/regional powers on the local level. The findings of this research are relevant not only to support better communication around vaccines in Senegal but also more generally to the prevention of emerging epidemics shaped by human behaviours.
When Does Lethal Repression Fail? Unarmed Militancy and Backfire in Bolivia, 1982–2021
Authors: Bjork-James Carwil 
Published: April 2024

AbstractRepressive state violence, intended to tamp down collective mobilisation, sometimes inspires greater participation by protesters. When popular and/or elite reactions cause the repressing party to concede, civil resistance scholars define the failure of state repression as ‘backfire’. Some have proposed that movements’ nonviolent discipline is essential to backfire. This article demonstrates that movements that practise ‘unarmed militancy’ – forceful, combative tactics less damaging than armed violence – can also succeed through backfire, achieving policy concessions and even presidential resignations, and presents a qualitative comparative analysis of the outcomes of 48 protest events with multiple deaths in Bolivia between 1982 and 2019, and a case-based analysis of how either movements or repressors prevailed. Movements that confronted deadly repression succeeded in 57–8 per cent of cases. Whether or not protesters engaged in lethal defensive violence did not affect their likelihood of success. However, state repression of guerrillas and paramilitary groups, and during polarised partisan conflicts, was consistently successful. Current understandings of backfire need to be reconsidered in light of successful unarmed militant protest in Bolivia and numerous other locations worldwide.
Chinese copy raising and its implications for predication
Authors: Wu Hsiao-Hung Iris 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThis study examines the copy raising constructions in Chinese and proposes an integrated analysis built on the insights of the prominent proposals from recent years. It argues that the matrix subject in Chinese copy raising is base-generated and requires a coindexed copy in the complement. Though concurring with Landau’s (2011) predication theory that recognizes theta assignment and predication as two ways of semantically licensing an argument, this squib differs from him in assuming that languages like Chinese can be parametrized in not treating the perceptual source as thematic. It is further argued that in Chinese, the perceptual source construal of the subject does not come from theta assignment but rather as an implicature which interprets the matrix subject to be involved in the topic event denoted by the perception verb.
Gymnocranius indicus, a new large-eye seabream from the Indian Ocean
Authors: Chen Wei-Jen , Miki Ryohei , Nevill John , Borsa Philippe 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Gymnocranius indicus sp. nov. is described as a new species of the fish subfamily Monotaxinae (Sparoidea: Lethrinidae), a group of commercially important species distributed throughout the Indo-West Pacific, on the basis of 16 specimens collected from the Indian Ocean. The new species shares the following characters with its western Pacific sibling, the eyebrowed large-eye seabream, G. superciliosus: elongate body, distinctive and conspicuous dark patch above the eye, prominent forehead, moderately forked caudal fin, its lobes slightly convex inside, flank silvery, and reddish-to-red dorsal, pectoral, anal and caudal fins. However, principal component analysis based on seven morphological variables distinguished most specimens from the Indian Ocean from G. superciliosus. The most influential variable in the analysis was the eye diameter, significantly larger in the new species than in G. superciliosus. All specimens of the new species that were examined also lacked blue ornamentation on the snout and cheek. At the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit-I locus, the mean genetic p-distance between the two species was 0.039. With Gymnocranius indicus sp. nov., the genus now includes 12 valid nominal species; three additional species remain undescribed.
ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7E3750AB-D82B-4E36-B591-85C49261C379