bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Incidence and risk factors of hypothyroidism after treatment for early breast cancer: a population-based cohort study
Authors: Digkas Evangelos , Smith Daniel Robert , Wennstig Anna-Karin , Matikas Alexios , Tegnelius Eva , Valachis Antonios 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Purpose
An increased incidence of hypothyroidism among breast cancer survivors has been observed in earlier studies. The impact of the postoperative treatment modalities and their potential interplay on hypothyroidism development needs to be studied.

Methods
We conducted a population- and registry-based study using the Breast Cancer Data Base Sweden (BCBaSe) including females diagnosed with breast cancer between 2006 and 2012. In total, 21,268 female patients diagnosed with early breast cancer between 2006 and 2012, with no previous prescription of thyroid hormones and no malignant diagnosis during the last ten years before breast cancer diagnosis, were included in the final analysis.

Results
During the follow-up (median follow-up time 7.9 years), 1212 patients (5.7%) developed hypothyroidism at a median time of 3.45 years from the index date. No association of the systemic oncological treatment in terms of either chemotherapy or endocrine therapy and hypothyroidism development could be identified. A higher risk (HR 1.68;95% CI 1.42–1.99) of hypothyroidism identified among patients treated with radiation treatment of the regional lymph nodes whereas no increased risk in patients treated only with radiation therapy to the breast/chest wall was found (HR 1.01; 95% CI 0.86–1.19). The risk of hypothyroidism in the cohort treated with radiotherapy of the regional lymph nodes was present irrespective of the use of adjuvant chemotherapy treatment.

Conclusions
Based on the results of our study, the implementation of hypothyroidism surveillance among the breast cancer survivors treated with radiotherapy of the regional lymph nodes can be considered as reasonable in the follow-up program.
Screening history and risk of death from prostate cancer: a nested case–control study within the screening arm of the Finnish Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (FinRSPC)
Authors: Talala Kirsi , Walter Stephen , Taari Kimmo , Tammela Teuvo L. J. , Kujala Paula , Auvinen Anssi 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Purpose
We assessed the risk of death from prostate cancer (PCa) in relation to men’s screening histories, i.e., screening attendance among men who were offered screening.

Methods
Men in the Finnish Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (FinRSPC) screening arm were invited to up to three screening rounds with the serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test at 4-year intervals during 1996–2007.
Case subjects (n = 330) were men who died from PCa. Each case was matched to five controls (n = 1544) among the men who were free of PCa.
Screening history was defined as (1) never/ever attended screening prior to the case diagnosis; (2) attended at the first screening round; and (3) recency of screening, calculated as the time from last screening attendance to the date of case diagnosis.
The association between screening history and the risk of death from PCa was estimated by odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using conditional logistic regression.

Results
Having ever attended screening versus never attended was associated with a reduced risk of PCa death (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.45–0.81) and a similar association was found for those attended (versus not attended) the first screening round (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.51–0.87).
The effect by time since last screen for the risk of PCa death was significantly lower 2–7 years since last screen.

Conclusion
Among men invited to screening, subjects who attended any PSA screening during the previous 19 years had a 40% reduction in PCa mortality compared to non-screened men.
HOXA9 transcription factor is a double-edged sword: from development to cancer progression
Authors: Shenoy U Sangeetha , Adiga Divya , Alhedyan Faisal , Kabekkodu Shama Prasada , Radhakrishnan Raghu 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe HOXA9 transcription factor serves as a molecular orchestrator in cancer stemness, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), metastasis, and generation of the tumor microenvironment in hematological and solid malignancies. However, the multiple modes of regulation, multifaceted functions, and context-dependent interactions responsible for the dual role of HOXA9 as an oncogene or tumor suppressor in cancer remain obscure. Hence, unravelling its molecular complexities, binding partners, and interacting signaling molecules enables us to comprehend HOXA9-mediated transcriptional programs and molecular crosstalk. However, it is imperative to understand its central role in fundamental biological processes such as embryogenesis, foetus implantation, hematopoiesis, endothelial cell proliferation, and tissue homeostasis before designing targeted therapies. Indeed, it presents an enormous challenge for clinicians to selectively target its oncogenic functions or restore tumor-suppressive role without altering normal cellular functions. In addition to its implications in cancer, the present review also focuses on the clinical applications of HOXA9 in recurrence and drug resistance, which may provide a broader understanding beyond oncology, open new avenues for clinicians for accurate diagnoses, and develop personalized treatment strategies. Furthermore, we have also discussed the existing therapeutic options and accompanying challenges in HOXA9-targeted therapies in different cancer types.
Graphical Abstract
EmoTwiCS: a corpus for modelling emotion trajectories in Dutch customer service dialogues on Twitter
Authors: Labat Sofie , Demeester Thomas , Hoste Véronique 
Published: December 2023

AbstractDue to the rise of user-generated content, social media is increasingly adopted as a channel to deliver customer service. Given the public character of online platforms, the automatic detection of emotions forms an important application in monitoring customer satisfaction and preventing negative word-of-mouth. This paper introduces EmoTwiCS, a corpus of 9489 Dutch customer service dialogues on Twitter that are annotated for emotion trajectories. In our business-oriented corpus, we view emotions as dynamic attributes of the customer that can change at each utterance of the conversation. The term ‘emotion trajectory’ refers therefore not only to the fine-grained emotions experienced by customers (annotated with 28 labels and valence-arousal-dominance scores), but also to the event happening prior to the conversation and the responses made by the human operator (both annotated with 8 categories). Inter-annotator agreement (IAA) scores on the resulting dataset are substantial and comparable with related research, underscoring its high quality. Given the interplay between the different layers of annotated information, we perform several in-depth analyses to investigate (i) static emotions in isolated tweets, (ii) dynamic emotions and their shifts in trajectory, and (iii) the role of causes and response strategies in emotion trajectories. We conclude by listing the advantages and limitations of our dataset, after which we give some suggestions on the different types of predictive modelling tasks and open research questions to which EmoTwiCS can be applied. The dataset is made publicly available athttps://lt3.ugent.be/resources/emotwics.
Latent class profiles of teacher use of digital tools in PISA 2018 data
Authors: Lee Jihyun 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThis study examined teachers’ digital tool use through latent class analysis (LCA) and identified predictors that separated the emergent subgroups of teachers. Data from the PISA 2018 teacher questionnaire were employed to analyze the teachers’ digital tool behaviors in ICT (Information and Communications Technology) strong countries: Germany, Korea, and USA. The LCA suggested three subgroups of teachers, with similar percentages in each country: ‘minimal users’ (Class 1: 22–33%); ‘moderate users’ (Class 2: 46–60%); and ‘versatile users’ (Class 3; 17–21%). Cross-national similarities were also found in the profile patterns of ‘minimal users’ and the variables predicting the subgroup membership. The single most important factor of digital tool use across the three countries was teacher training in ICT, either during pre-service training or through in-service professional development programs. Notable cross-national differences were found, however, in the profiles of ‘moderate’ users and their use of specific types of digital tools. Discussion concludes with practical suggestions to enhance teacher use of digital tools.
University teaching skills in ICT and disability. The case of the Autonomous Community of Madrid
Authors: Román-Graván Pedro , Fernández-Cerero José , Montenegro-Rueda Marta , Reyes-Rebollo Miguel María 
Published: December 2023

AbstractTeachers must be prepared to serve all learners, regardless of their abilities or needs in this information and communication society. This implies developing the necessary competences to provide inclusive education to all students. The purpose of this study was to investigate the opinion of university teachers in the Autonomous Community of Madrid on their training in the use of technologies to support students with disabilities. To carry out this research, a descriptive approach combining both quantitative and qualitative methods was used. The final sample consisted of 106 university teachers (information collected through questionnaires) and 8 professionals from ICT Production Resource Centres and Services for People with Disabilities in the respective universities (information collected through interviews). Two data collection instruments were used: an ad-hoc questionnaire as a data collection instrument, and a semi-structured interview. The results of the study showed that university teachers have a low level of competence in the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to support students with disabilities. The lack of teacher training negatively affects the inclusion process in university education institutions. Higher education institutions need to promote the training of teachers in the use of technologies to cater for diversity.
Investigating the Impact of Varying Sand Content on the Physical Characteristics of Expansive Clay Soils from Syria
Authors: Alnmr Ammar , Ray Richard 
Published: December 2023

AbstractExpansive clayey soils often pose challenges for construction projects due to their low bearing capacity, swelling, and shrinkage properties. While previous research has explored additives to enhance these soils’ properties, the potential of sand remains underexplored. This study investigates the impact of varying sand percentages on expansive clayey soils’ consistency, compaction, and permeability. This study examines how adding different percentages of sand influences the physical properties of expansive clayey soils. Laboratory tests involved systematic testing of texture, compaction, and permeability. Findings reveal a notable improvement in the physical properties of the soil with the addition of sand. Results from the laboratory tests provided data for empirical equations that facilitate the prediction of soil properties based on the sand content. The enhancement in soil properties underscores the potential of sand as an additive for expansive clayey soils. The empirical equations presented here provide practical benefits to geotechnical engineers and practitioners engaged in construction projects involving these soils, offering them valuable insights into the benefits of sand additives to improve physical characteristics. The insights gained from this research hold promising prospects for improving construction practices and addressing the challenges associated with these soils.
Automatic model generation for material flow simulations of Third-Party Logistics
Authors: Steinbacher Lennart M. , Düe Tim , Veigt Marius , Freitag Michael 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe use of Third-Party Logistics (TPL) is a common practice among manufacturing companies seeking to increase profitability. However, the tender process in selecting a TPL service provider can be challenging, requiring significant effort from both the tendering company and the service provider. The latter must meticulously plan processes and calculate pricing positions while running the risk of losing the bid. This risk impedes verifying logistical feasibility and comparing different logistic concepts extensively, such as layouts, which are often work-intensive. With the ongoing progress of research toward automatic simulation model generation for material flow, it is left to answer whether such approaches can improve the planning processes of TPL service providers by using planning data to generate simulation models. Therefore, this work presents a system with an underlying ontology to generate material flow simulations by developing a model transformation methodology. The system’s functions are tested to determine whether they can support the planning process using defined case studies that cover everyday planning decisions. As a result, the system is capable of verifying the performance of planned logistic systems with minimal manual modelling efforts. This encompasses the evaluation of alternative logistical concepts for configuring the planned systems.
Hypocoercivity in Algebraically Constrained Partial Differential Equations with Application to Oseen Equations
Authors: Achleitner Franz , Arnold Anton , Mehrmann Volker 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe long-time behavior of solutions to different versions of Oseen equations of fluid flow on the 2D torus is analyzed using the concept of hypocoercivity. The considered models are isotropic Oseen equations where the viscosity acts uniformly in all directions and anisotropic Oseen-type equations with different viscosity directions. The hypocoercivity index is determined (if it exists) and it is shown that similar to the finite dimensional case of ordinary differential equations and differential-algebraic equations it characterizes its decay behavior.
Fecal Deployment: An Alternative Way of Defensive Host Plant Cardenolide Use by Lilioceris merdigera Larvae
Authors: Baum Michael , Dobler Susanne 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe brilliant red Lilioceris merdigera (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) can spend its entire life cycle on the cardenolide-containing plant Convallaria majalis (lily of the valley) and forms stable populations on this host. Yet, in contrast to many other insects on cardenolide-containing plants L. merdigera does not sequester these plant toxins in the body but rather both adult beetles and larvae eliminate ingested cardenolides with the feces. Tracer feeding experiments showed that this holds true for radioactively labeled ouabain and digoxin, a highly polar and a rather apolar cardenolide. Both compounds or their derivatives are incorporated in the fecal shields of the larvae. The apolar digoxin, but not the polar ouabain, showed a deterrent effect on the generalist predatory ant Myrmica rubra, which occurs in the habitat of L. merdigera. The deterrent effect was detected for digoxin both in choice and feeding time assays. In a predator choice assay, a fecal shield derived from a diet of cardenolide-containing C. majalis offered L. merdigera larvae better protection from M. rubra than one derived from non-cardenolide Allium schoenoprasum (chives) or no fecal shield at all. Thus, we here present data suggesting a new way how insects may gain protection by feeding on cardenolide-containing plants.
An ITPA Enzyme with Improved Substrate Selectivity
Authors: Burgis Nicholas E. , VanWormer Kandise , Robbins Devin , Smith Jonathan 
Published: December 2023

AbstractRecent clinical data have identified infant patients with lethal ITPA deficiencies. ITPA is known to modulate ITP concentrations in cells and has a critical function in neural development which is not understood. Polymorphism of the ITPA gene affects outcomes for both ribavirin and thiopurine based therapies and nearly one third of the human population is thought to harbor ITPA polymorphism. In a previous site-directed mutagenesis alanine screen of the ITPA substrate selectivity pocket, we identified the ITPA mutant, E22A, as a gain-of function mutant with enhanced ITP hydrolysis activity. Here we report a rational enzyme engineering experiment to investigate the biochemical properties of position 22 ITPA mutants and find that the E22D ITPA has two- and four-fold improved substrate selectivity for ITP over the canonical purine triphosphates ATP and GTP, respectively, while maintaining biological activity. The novel E22D ITPA should be considered as a platform for further development of ITPA therapies.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Design and simulate the demultiplexer using photonic crystal ring resonator for DWDM system
Authors: Nivethitha V. , Sivasubramanian A. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractIn this study, a new four channel de-multiplexer with a ring resonator design is proposed. The bus waveguide and drop waveguide that make up the Ring Resonator are ring-shaped. In the proposed four channel demultiplexer design, one bus waveguide and four drop waveguides were built using a photonic crystal ring resonator. To improve output efficiency, the proposed demultiplexer was built with distinct inner radius values for each channel. With the resonance wavelengths for each channel in the range of 1552.4 nm, 1553.2 nm, 1554.1 nm, and 1555.4 nm, the suggested demultiplexer average quality factor was 7870.90, and its average transmission efficiency was 98.67%. The demultiplexer was created with a 0.8 nm narrow channel spacing with a − 15 dB to − 25 dB crosstalk range. The proposed ring resonator structure is made of silicon, which has a refractive index of 3.47, a center wavelength ranges of 1550 nm, and a lattice constant that varies with the radius range of 540 nm. To examine the performance, one can simulate the suggested demultiplexer structure using the FDTD (Finite-Difference Time-Domain) approach. The proposed work 198.7 µm2 footprint is appropriate for DWDM applications.
Can we compare health states when our standards change?
Authors: Bykvist Krister 
Published: December 2023

AbstractAmong health economists, who think that preferences are the correct standard of the value of health states, it is common to assume, at least implicitly, that the correct criterion of this value takes the following schematic form: H1 is a better health state than H2 iff the members of group S prefer (on average) being in H1 to being in H2. Various candidates for members of S have been proposed, including medical experts, the general public, H1-patients, H2-patients, former H1-patients, former H2-patients, or combinations of these groups. I shall argue that criteria of this form run into serious problems, if we consider cases where people’s fundamental preferences change from one health state to another. I shall also show that these problems afflict hybrid views, according to which preferences are only one determinant of the value of health, the objective value of health states being another. Finally, I shall argue that a better subjectivist criterion would be something like this: H1 is a better health state than H2 iff the H1-patients would want to be in H1 more than the H2-patients would want to be in H2. According to this criterion, the value of a health state is determined by the absolute attitudes (favouring, disfavouring, neutrality) people would have towards a health state were they to be in it. Along the way, I will also present and make use of an attitude matrix framework that enables us to represent in a simple way complex information about attitudes. With this framework at hand, we can easily see the advantages and disadvantages of different subjectivist accounts of the value of health.
The association of tumor-expressed REG4, SPINK4 and alpha-1 antitrypsin with cancer-associated thrombosis in colorectal cancer
Authors: Buijs Jeroen T. , van Beijnum Robin , Anijs Rayna J. S. , Laghmani El Houari , Sensuk Lily , Minderhoud Cas , Ünlü Betül , Klok Frederikus A. , Kuppen Peter J. K. , Cannegieter Suzanne C. , Versteeg Henri H. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractNovel biomarkers are needed to improve current imperfect risk prediction models for cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT). We recently identified an RNA-sequencing profile that associates with CAT in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, with REG4, SPINK4, and SERPINA1 as the top-3 upregulated genes at mRNA level. In the current study, we investigated whether protein expression of REG4, SPINK4 and alpha-1 antitrypsin (A1AT, encoded by SERPINA1) in the tumor associated with CAT in an independent cohort of CRC patients. From 418 patients with resected CRC, 18 patients who developed CAT were age, sex, and tumor stage-matched to 18 CRC patients without CAT. Protein expression was detected by immunohistochemical staining and scored blindly by assessing the H-score (percentage positive cells*scoring intensity). The association with CAT was assessed by means of logistic regression, using patients with an H-score below 33 as reference group. The odds ratios (ORs) for developing CAT for patients with A1AThigh, REG4high, SPINK4high tumors were 3.5 (95%CI 0.8–14.5), 2.0 (95%CI 0.5–7.6) and 2.0 (95%CI 0.5–7.4) when compared to A1ATlow, REG4low, SPINK4low, respectively. The OR was increased to 24.0 (95%CI 1.1–505.1) when two proteins were combined (A1AThigh/REG4high). This nested case–control study shows that combined protein expression of A1AT and REG4 associate with CAT in patients with colorectal cancer. Therefore, REG4/A1AT are potential biomarkers to improve the identification of patients with CRC who may benefit from thromboprophylaxis.
Elaboration and characterization of molybdenum titanium tungsto-phosphate towards the decontamination of radioactive liquid waste from 137 Cs and 85Sr
Authors: Abdel-Galil Ezzat A. , Kasem Abeer E. , Mahrous Sara S. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe crystalline phase of molybdenum titanium tungsto-phosphate (MoTiWPO4) as an inorganic sorbent material was synthesized via the sol–gel method. The physicochemical characteristics of MoTiWPO4 were evaluated by using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), thermal analysis (TGA-DTA), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). MoTiWPO4 sorbent material exhibits a high chemical resistance to HNO3, HCl, and alkaline media. MoTiWPO4 has good thermal stability as it retained about 75.63% of its saturation capacity upon heating at 500 °C. The sorption studies for several metal ions revealed marked high sorption efficiency of MoTiWPO4 towards Cs+ and Sr2+ ions which reached 99% and 95%, respectively. The saturation capacity of MoTiWPO4 for Cs+ and Sr2+ is 113 and 109 mg/g, respectively. MoTiWPO4 is approved to be successfully eliminating both 137Cs and 85Sr from liquid radioactive waste streams by %eff. of 92.5 and 90.3, respectively, in the presence of competing ions from 60Co(divalent) and 152Eu (trivalent), confirming the batch experiment results for the removal of Cs+ and Sr2+ metal ions. Furthermore, the decontamination factor exceeds 13.3 in the case of 137Cs and 10.3 for 85Sr.