bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
In Search of Status: China and the USA in United Nations Speeches, 1970–2020
Authors: Parent Joseph M , MacDonald Paul K 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
What is China’s status? The answer has major repercussions for China’s rights, responsibilities, and risk acceptance in international disputes. Although definitions of status are contested, there is broad agreement that it is socially constructed and relative to peer states, which makes measuring it difficult. We aim to address definitional and measurement problems by using text as data from United Nations General Debates speeches, 1970–2020. This allows one to see the language China uses to refer to itself, the language by which others refer to China, and how that compares to the USA. Contrary to conventional wisdom, we find that China is not more status obsessed than its peer, is not more status obsessed over time, and is not gaining in status over time. The implications for world politics are complex but suggest that status will not be a primary cause of conflict in the foreseeable future.
Biomarkers vs Machines: The Race to Predict Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Ghazi Lama , Farhat Kassem , Hoenig Melanie P , Durant Thomas J S , El-Khoury Joe M 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

Background
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a serious complication affecting up to 15% of hospitalized patients. Early diagnosis is critical to prevent irreversible kidney damage that could otherwise lead to significant morbidity and mortality. However, AKI is a clinically silent syndrome, and current detection primarily relies on measuring a rise in serum creatinine, an imperfect marker that can be slow to react to developing AKI. Over the past decade, new innovations have emerged in the form of biomarkers and artificial intelligence tools to aid in the early diagnosis and prediction of imminent AKI.

Content
This review summarizes and critically evaluates the latest developments in AKI detection and prediction by emerging biomarkers and artificial intelligence. Main guidelines and studies discussed herein include those evaluating clinical utilitiy of alternate filtration markers such as cystatin C and structural injury markers such as neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and tissue inhibitor of metalloprotease 2 with insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7 and machine learning algorithms for the detection and prediction of AKI in adult and pediatric populations. Recommendations for clinical practices considering the adoption of these new tools are also provided.

Summary
The race to detect AKI is heating up. Regulatory approval of select biomarkers for clinical use and the emergence of machine learning algorithms that can predict imminent AKI with high accuracy are all promising developments. But the race is far from being won. Future research focusing on clinical outcome studies that demonstrate the utility and validity of implementing these new tools into clinical practice is needed.
A Retrospective Study of Factors Contributing to the Performance of an Interferon-Gamma Release Assay Blood Test for Tuberculosis Infection
Authors: Song Junhyup , Kim Sinyoung , Park Younhee 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

Background
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant global health concern. Accurate detection of latent TB infection is crucial for effective control and prevention. We aimed to assess the performance of an interferon-gamma release assay blood test (QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus [QFT-Plus]) in various clinical contexts and identify conditions that affect its results.

Methods
We conducted a retrospective analysis of 31 000 QFT-Plus samples collected from 26 000 subjects at a tertiary hospital in South Korea over a 4-year period and compared the rates of positivity and indeterminate results across diverse clinical situations. We also analysed the contribution of the QuantiFERON TB2 tube to the test’s sensitivity and determined optimal cutoff values for 3 hematologic parameters to distinguish false-negative results. These cutoff values were validated in a separate cohort of subjects with microbiologically confirmed subclinical TB.

Results
Rates of QFT-Plus positivity and indeterminate results were disparate across diagnoses. The TB2 tube increased QFT-Plus sensitivity by 4.1% (95% CI, 1.1%–7.0%) in patients with subclinical TB. Absolute lymphocyte count ≤1.19 × 109/L, absolute neutrophil count ≥5.88 × 109/L, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio ≥4.33 were effective criteria to discriminate false-negative QFT-Plus results. Application of the hematologic criteria, individually or combined with mitogen response &lt;10 IU/mL, substantially improved performance in the main study cohort and the validation cohort.

Conclusions
These findings highlight the influence of clinical context and patient hematologic profiles on QFT-Plus results. To minimise neglected latent TB infections due to false-negative QFT-Plus results, serial retesting is advisable in patients with severe lymphopenia or neutrophilia, particularly when the mitogen response is &lt;10 IU/mL.
Complex percutaneous transcatheter closure of incomplete surgical ligation of the left atrial appendage: a case report
Authors: Tomaselli Michele , Verolino Giuseppe , Sganzerla Paolo , Gavazzoni Mara 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

Background
Incomplete surgical left atrial appendage (LAA) closure, in the form of incompletely surgically ligated LAA (ISLL), increases thrombo-embolic risk in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Although its management is not standardized, the percutaneous closure of ISLL could be an alternative in patients with contraindication for anticoagulants. We present the case of a percutaneous transcatheter LAA device implantation in a patient with AF and ISLL, complicated by severe anaemia.

Case summary
A 83-year-old woman, with permanent AF and a history of previous surgical LAA ligation, was referred to our hospital for fatigue and worsening dyspnoea. Laboratory tests showed severe microcytic anaemia, with a haemoglobin level of 4.9 g/dL (normal reference: 13.8–18.0 g/dL). Oesophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy excluded signs of either recent or ongoing haemorrhage. After achieving clinical improvement by haemotransfusions, we performed a transoesophageal echocardiography that showed an ISLL with a narrow neck of 5 mm. Since the patient had high thrombo-embolic and haemorrhagic risk (CHA2DS2-VASc risk score of 4 and a HAS-BLED score of 4), we decided to discontinue anticoagulant therapy and perform elective percutaneous transcatheter LAA occlusion (LAAO) with an Amplatzer Amulet device. Patient was discharged in good clinical status. After three months, the stability of haemoglobin level and the absence of device thrombosis allowed the discontinuation of antithrombotic therapy.

Discussion
We described the first experience of percutaneous ISLL closure with Amulet device (Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, CA, USA), a commercially available device for LAAO. The procedure was feasible and safe, without long-term complications.
Predicting heart failure outcomes by integrating breath-by-breath measurements from cardiopulmonary exercise testing and clinical data through a deep learning survival neural network
Authors: Ross Heather J , Peikari Mohammad , Vishram-Nielsen Julie K K , Fan Chun-Po S , Hearn Jason , Walker Mike , Crowdy Edgar , Alba Ana Carolina , Manlhiot Cedric 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

Aims
Mathematical models previously developed to predict outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF) generally have limited performance and have yet to integrate complex data derived from cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), including breath-by-breath data. We aimed to develop and validate a time-to-event prediction model using a deep learning framework using the DeepSurv algorithm to predict outcomes of HF.

Methods and results
Inception cohort of 2490 adult patients with high-risk cardiac conditions or HF underwent CPET with breath-by-breath measurements. Potential predictive features included known clinical indicators, standard summary statistics from CPETs, and mathematical features extracted from the breath-by-breath time series of 13 measurements. The primary outcome was a composite of death, heart transplant, or mechanical circulatory support treated as a time-to-event outcomes. Predictive features ranked as most important included many of the features engineered from the breath-by-breath data in addition to traditional clinical risk factors. The prediction model showed excellent performance in predicting the composite outcome with an area under the curve of 0.93 in the training and 0.87 in the validation data sets. Both the predicted vs. actual freedom from the composite outcome and the calibration of the prediction model were excellent. Model performance remained stable in multiple subgroups of patients.

Conclusion
Using a combined deep learning and survival algorithm, integrating breath-by-breath data from CPETs resulted in improved predictive accuracy for long-term (up to 10 years) outcomes in HF. DeepSurv opens the door for future prediction models that are both highly performing and can more fully use the large and complex quantity of data generated during the care of patients with HF.
Post-cardiac arrest temporal evolution of left ventricular function in a rat model: speckle-tracking echocardiography and cardiac circulating biomarkers
Authors: De Giorgio Daria , Olivari Davide , Fumagalli Francesca , Novelli Deborah , Cerrato Marianna , Motta Francesca , Ristagno Giuseppe , Latini Roberto , Staszewsky Lidia 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

Aims
There is little information from experimental studies regarding the evolution of post-resuscitation cardiac arrest [post-return of spontaneous circulation (post-ROSC)] myocardial dysfunction during mid-term follow-up. For this purpose, we assessed left ventricular (LV) function and circulating cardiac biomarkers at different time points in a rat model of cardiac arrest (CA).

Methods and results
Rats were divided into two groups: control and post-ROSC rats. Eight minutes of untreated ventricular fibrillation were followed by 8 min of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Conventional and speckle-tracking echocardiographic (STE) parameters and cardiac circulating biomarkers concentrations were assessed, at 3, 4, 72, and 96 h post-ROSC. At 3 and 4 h post-ROSC, LV systolic function was severely impaired, and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T and N-terminal pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (NT-proANP) plasma concentrations were significantly increased, compared with control rats (P &lt; 0.0001 for all). At 72 and 96 h post-ROSC, LV ejection fraction (LVEF) normalized. At 96 h, the following variables were significantly different from control rats: early trans-mitral peak velocity, 56.8 ± 3.1 vs. 87.8 ± 3.8 cm/s, P &lt; 0.0001; late trans-mitral peak velocity, 50.6 ± 4.7 vs. 73.7 ± 4.2 cm/s, P &lt; 0.0001; mean s′ wave velocity, 4.6 ± 0.3 vs. 5.9 ± 0.3 cm/s, P &lt; 0.0001, global longitudinal strain (GLS) −7.5 ± 0.5 and vs. −11 ± 1.2%, P &lt; 0.01; GLS rate (GLSR) −0.9 ± 0.4 and −2.3 ± 0.2 1/s, P &lt; 0.01; and NT-proANP concentration, 2.5 (0.2; 6.0) vs. 0.4 (0.01; 1.0) nmol/L, P &lt; 0.01.

Conclusion
s′ velocity, GLS, and GLSR indicated that LV systolic function was still impaired 96 h post-ROSC. These findings agree with NT-proANP concentrations, which continue to be high. Normalization of LVEF supports the use of STE for its greater sensitivity for monitoring post-CA cardiac function. Further investigations are needed to provide evidence of the post-ROSC LV diastolic function pattern.
Divergence in evolutionary potential of life history traits among wild populations is predicted by differences in climatic conditions
Authors: Chantepie Stéphane , Charmantier Anne , Delahaie Boris , Adriaensen Frank , Matthysen Erik , Visser Marcel E , Álvarez Elena , Barba Emilio , Orell Markku , Sheldon Ben , Ivankina Elena , Kerimov Anvar , Lavergne Sébastien , Teplitsky Céline 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Short-term adaptive evolution represents one of the primary mechanisms allowing species to persist in the face of global change. Predicting the adaptive response at the species level requires reliable estimates of the evolutionary potential of traits involved in adaptive responses, as well as understanding how evolutionary potential varies across a species’ range. Theory suggests that spatial variation in the fitness landscape due to environmental variation will directly impact the evolutionary potential of traits. However, empirical evidence on the link between environmental variation and evolutionary potential across a species range in the wild is lacking. In this study, we estimate multivariate evolutionary potential (via the genetic variance–covariance matrix, or G-matrix) for six morphological and life history traits in 10 wild populations of great tits (Parus major) distributed across Europe. The G-matrix significantly varies in size, shape, and orientation across populations for both types of traits. For life history traits, the differences in G-matrix are larger when populations are more distant in their climatic niche. This suggests that local climates contribute to shaping the evolutionary potential of phenotypic traits that are strongly related to fitness. However, we found no difference in the overall evolutionary potential (i.e., G-matrix size) between populations closer to the core or the edge of the distribution area. This large-scale comparison of G-matrices across wild populations emphasizes that integrating variation in multivariate evolutionary potential is important to understand and predict species’ adaptive responses to new selective pressures.
Telepsychology revolution in the mental health care delivery: a global overview of emerging clinical and legal issues
Authors: Sablone Sara , Bellino Mara , Lagona Valeria , Franco Tamara Patrizia , Groicher Matthew , Risola Roberta , Violante Maria Grazia , Grattagliano Ignazio 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote healthcare delivery by technological devices has become a growing practice. It represented an unprecedented change in personal and professional activities, allowing health specialists to continue working online by assisting their patients from home. Psychological practice greatly benefited from this innovation, guaranteeing diagnostic and therapeutic effectiveness through cyber counseling. However, in many countries there have been no enactments of specific laws nor adaptations of the professional deontological code aimed at regulating this new psychological practice dimension, generally defined as telepsychology. This article aims to briefly review the scientific literature on this tool’s effectiveness and especially analyze the legal and operational framework in which telepsychology has been to date practiced in Italy and other national realities, thus providing a global overview that may be useful to understand how to improve this valuable but still immature practice.

Key points
The evolution and scope of Medicaid Section 1115 demonstrations to address nutrition: a US survey
Authors: Hanson Erika , Albert-Rozenberg Daniel , Garfield Kathryn M , Broad Leib Emily , Ridberg Ronit A , Hager Kurt , Mozaffarian Dariush 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Poor nutrition and food insecurity are drivers of poor health, diet-related diseases, and health disparities in the US. State Medicaid Section 1115 demonstration waivers offer opportunities to pilot food-based initiatives to address health outcomes and disparities. Several states are now leveraging 1115 demonstrations, but the scope and types of utilization remain undefined. To fill this gap, we conducted a systematic analysis of state Medicaid Section 1115 applications and approvals available on Medicaid.gov through July 1, 2023. We found that 19 approved and pending 1115 waivers address nutrition, with 11 submitted or approved since 2021. Fifteen states provide or propose to provide screening for food insecurity, referral to food security programs, and/or reporting on food security as an evaluation metric. Thirteen provide or propose to provide coverage of nutrition education services. Ten provide or propose to provide direct intervention with healthy food. The primary target populations of these demonstrations are individuals with chronic diet-sensitive conditions, mental health or substance use disorders, and/or who are pregnant or postpartum. Since 2021, state utilization of Medicaid 1115 demonstrations to address nutrition has accelerated in pace, scope, and population coverage. These findings and trends have major implications for addressing diet-related health and health equity in the United States.
Comparing Medicare plan selection among beneficiaries with and without a history of cancer
Authors: Jazowski Shelley A , Achola Emma M , Nicholas Lauren H , Wood William A , Friese Christopher R , Dusetzina Stacie B 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Individuals aging into Medicare must choose among plans that vary in their scope of benefits, access to health care providers, and exposure to out-of-pocket expenses. When faced with complex coverage decisions, it is unclear whether older adults consider their experiences with prior serious illness or current medical conditions. We estimated the association between a self-reported history of cancer and initial plan selection among 3811 Health and Retirement Study participants aging into Medicare between 2008 and 2020. The proportion of individuals with and without a history of cancer who chose Medicare Advantage was similar; however, the probability of selecting traditional Medicare plus supplemental coverage was 8.03 percentage points (95% confidence interval, 2.99–13.07) higher for respondents with a history of cancer compared with those without a history of cancer. Individuals with a history of cancer may have accounted for their previous experiences with high-cost health care services and prioritized plans with robust benefits (eg, greater financial protections). Raising awareness of and enhancing educational resources could ensure that older adults select plans that meet their current and evolving health care needs.
Why rights should not be considered (entirely) constricted and why identities are not exactly imagined: A reply to Alma Begicevic and Jennifer Balint
Authors: Sahadžić Maja 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
In their recent article “Constricted Rights and Imagined Identities: Peace and Accountability Processes and Constitution-Making in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Alma Begicevic and Jennifer Balint argue that underlying reasons for the seemingly sudden establishment of the complex constitutional arrangements in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) are associated with the abrupt adoption of the Dayton Peace Agreement and its Annex IV (the Constitution of BH) that introduced the ethnoterritorial setup and the lack of accountability of the neighboring countries for the atrocities committed during the Bosnian War. As a consequence, the country cannot effectively (re)construct a nation state and, instead, suffers from a lack of homogeneity. Moreover, post-conflict institutional and procedural arrangements appear to be comparatively uncharted territory. This article scrutinizes and counters these claims with the thesis that territorial accommodation of differences is a rather frequent approach in fragmenting systems with competing identities. To substantiate the thesis, the article draws on the concepts of cohesion and stability linked to adaptiveness and coordination. It then analyzes the role of the power ratio during the Bosnian War and the internal building blocks that contributed to the ethnoterritorial setup. Finally, the article focuses on the concept of equality in complex systems linked to mutual respect, solidarity, and trust to analyze the necessity for plural equality in BH.
Bivariate reliability analysis for floating wind turbines
Authors: Gaidai Oleg , Yakimov Vladimir , Wang Fang , Sun Jiayao , Wang Kelin 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Wind turbines are designed to withstand extreme wind- and wave-induced loads, hence a reliability study is vital. This study presents a bivariate reliability approach, suitable for accurate assessment of critical forces and moments, occurring within the wind turbine’s critical mechanical parts, such as the drivetrain. A ecently developed bivariate modified Weibull method has been utilized in this study. Multivariate statistical analysis is more appropriate than a univariate one, as it accounts for cross-correlations between different system components. This study employed a bivariate modified Weibull method to estimate extreme operational loads acting on a 10-mega watt (MW) semi-submersible type floating wind turbine (FWT). Longitudinal, bending, twisting, and cyclic loads being among typical load types that FWTs and associated parts are susceptible to. Furthermore, environmental loads acting on an operating FWT being impacted by incoming wind’s stochastic behavior in terms of wind speed, direction, shear, vorticity, necessitates accurate nonlinear extreme load analysis for FWT critical parts such as the drivetrain. Appropriate numerical methods were used in this study to model dynamic, structural, aerodynamic, and control aspects of the FWT system. Bending moments acting on the FWT drivetrain have been obtained from SIMPACK (Multibody Simulation Method), given realistic in-situ environmental conditions. For a 5-year return period of interest, a bivariate modified Weibull method offered robust assessment of FWT’s coupled drivetrain’s bending moments.
Big data analysis and evaluation for vitality factors of public space of regenerated industrial heritage in Luoyang
Authors: Ye Ping , Kweon Jihoon , He Jie 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
The regeneration of idle industrial heritage buildings needs to take into account many factors such as history, science, art, and social aspects. Current research on industrial heritage regeneration
has not developed quantitative research in each factor of assessment, and cannot provide clear guidance and program reference for industrial building regeneration weighting ratios. In this study, we put forward a spatial vitality factor range prediction method based on big data analysis for the regeneration of an industrial heritage public space in Luoyang, aiming to establish a model for the regeneration of industrial heritage abandoned industrial buildings and to provide implementation and regeneration planning. The specific evaluation process and regeneration evaluation design scheme based on Luoyang’s industrial heritage were restored. The weights and percentages of the key domain indicators and branch indicators of the idle industrial building regeneration model were predicted, which provided clear guidance and reference for the planning of regeneration of public spaces of industrial heritage. The prediction accuracy of each key assessment factor was maintained above 90%, and the sequential ranking result of the assessment factors was given. The spatial regeneration prediction scheme provided an effective guide and indicator reference for the case design, highlighting the effectiveness of our approach.