bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Gamification as a tool to teach key concepts in microbiology to bachelor students in biology: a case-study using microbial interactions and soil functioning
Authors: Estoppey Aislinn , Tinguely Camille , Cravero Melissa , Blandenier Estelle , Brand Lucie , Court Julien , Zaninetti Marie , Bindschedler Saskia , Junier Pilar 
Published: November 2023

Microbiology is a difficult topic to teach given that the objects of study are mostly invisible to the learner. The majority of university students beginning their training in biology are more interested in natural objects that can be seen with the naked eye. Nonetheless, microorganisms are key components of the biosphere and a good microbiological background is required for a thorough training in natural sciences. Lecturing is still a common teaching format in universities. However, it is a passive learning format that is no longer considered the most adequate approach in most teaching situations. Instead, alternatives consisting of more active teaching formats have been recognized to better motivate students to acquire and consolidate knowledge. In addition, other transferable skills such as effective communication, critical thinking, and time management, are acquired simultaneously. A similar engagement can be obtained using games as part of the teaching experience. In this study, we designed a card game to teach key concepts in basic bacteriology and mycology to bachelor level students. The first task consists of creating and designing microbial characters based on a list of species. This proved very useful for second-year bachelor students to learn concepts such as cell morphologies, taxonomy, and life cycles. In the second task, third-year students used the characters created in the second-year class to develop a game based on an ecological function, namely forest litter degradation. In addition, they also considered experimental validation of the microbial activities and incorporated knowledge acquired in other fields.
Unexpected contribution to the prevailing trend of positive results for 40 Hz light flicker
Authors: Carstensen M. , Pedersen J. T. , Carstensen J. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThis comment addresses the potential influence of sample size on the conclusions drawn from a study investigating the beneficial effects of neuropathology in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). By examining the existing literature and employing statistical reasoning, we argue that an increase in sample size by factor of 2-4 would have led the authors to arrive at a different conclusion. Contrary to expectations, their findings unexpectedly contribute to the prevailing trend of positive results regarding the advantageous impacts of neuropathology in AD, with nine out of ten of their immunohistochemistry experiments showing a consistent ∼30 % reduction of amyloid plaque. We demonstrate that the quantity and quality of the data presented by Soula et al. 2023 do not support the paper’s conclusions on amyloid neuropathology. Based on a thorough statistical analysis of the available data, we therefore submit that given a larger sample size, the conclusion would have been positive towards possible improvements in neuropathology.
Identification and functional analysis of eRNA markers for hepatocellular carcinoma based on high-throughput data
Authors: Chen Zhengxin , Chen Jiaqi , Zhang Ruijie , Zhu Yuxi , Feng Dehua , Han Huirui , Li Tianyi , Liu Xinying , Wang Xuefeng , Wang Zhenzhen , Wang Hongjiu , Wang Limei , Li Bing , Li Jin 
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACTHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common type of liver cancer with a high mortality rate. enhancer RNA (eRNA) has been proved to play an important role in cancer progress and development. However, the eRNA studies in HCC are still limited. In this study, we attempted to identify some eRNA biomarkers for HCC diagnosis and analyzed their biological function. First, we identified three eRNA biomarkers (CAP2e, COLEC10e, and MARCOe), which were significant differentially expressed between tumor and normal tissues in 115 HCC patients across three datasets. CAP2e demonstrated upregulation in tumors while COLEC10e and MARCOe were downregulated. These results could be validated in TCGA-LIHC data. There were significant positive correlations between the expression of these eRNAs and their host genes. Then, functional enrichment analysis of protein-coding genes associated with the eRNA biomarkers revealed their involvement in cancer-related pathways. MARCOe was suggested to be a potential target for therapeutic drugs in HCC by a drug related study. The next, survival analysis demonstrated significant prognostic values of these eRNAs in prediction of overall survival. Immune infiltration analysis revealed a positive correlation between MARCOe expression and immune cell infiltration level. Finally, we found similar expression patterns of these eRNA biomarkers in other cancers, such as cholangiocarcinoma, through a pan-cancer comparison. CAP2e and COLEC10e in HCC were validated by other studies. However, the studies about MARCOe in HCC were limited. In conclusion, as best as our knowledge, it is the first time to identify three eRNA biomarkers for HCC diagnosis. These biomarkers are proved to be involved in HCC progress and development, have prognosis prediction values, and are potential to be therapeutic targets.
A bibliometrics analysis about male prepuce with Machine Learning
Authors: Lan Bibo , Nian Mengling , Liu Qian , Cai Xinyi 
Published: November 2023

AbstractLimited research has been conducted on the male prepuce. Despite its ana-tomical complexity and role as an erogenous structure that interacts with adjacent penile structures, there is a dearth of information on this topic. To address this gap, this study employs bibliometric analysis to identify primary research areas and trends related to the male prepuce over the past two decades. A systematic search was performed on the Web of Science core collection to identify publications related to the male prepuce that were published between 2003 and 2022. Following this, bibliometric analysis and visualization were conducted utilizing the bibliometrix R package, the text2vec R package, Citespace, and VOSviewer software. This study presents a novel compilation and review of the authors, country, institutions, journals, and keywords pertaining to the male prepuce in the literature. The scarcity of adult and child prepuce pathologies, likely due to the prevalence of circumcision in many societies, may have hindered previous recognition of the academic significance of this anatomical feature. Through bibliometric analysis, this study investigates research trends and highlights current areas of interest, as well as identifying the most prolific authors, countries, institutions, and journals in this field.
Prognostic impact and causality of age on oncological outcomes in women with endometrial cancer: a multimethod analysis of the randomised PORTEC-1, -2 and -3 trials
Authors: Wakkerman Famke , Wu Jiqing , Putter Hein , Jürgenliemk-Schulz Ina M. , Jobsen Jan J , Lutgens Ludy C.H.W. , Haverkort Marie A.D. , de Jong Marianne , Mens Jan Willem M. , Wortman Bastiaan G. , Nout Remi A. , Léon-Castillo Alicia , Powell Melanie E. , Mileshkin Linda R. , Katsaros Dionyssios , Alfieri Joanne , Leary Alexandra , Singh Naveena , de Boer Stephanie M. , Nijman Hans W. , Smit Vincent T.H.B.M. , Bosse Tjalling , Koelzer Viktor H. , Creutzberg Carien L. , Horeweg Nanda 
Published: November 2023

AbstractBackgroundNumerous studies have shown that elderly women with endometrial cancer (EC) have a higher risk of recurrence and cancer-related death. It is, however, unclear whether aging is a causal prognostic factor, or whether other risk factors become increasingly common with age. We address to this with a unique multi-method study design using state of the art statistical and causal inference techniques on datasets of three large randomised trials.MethodsData of 1801 women participating in the randomised PORTEC-1, -2 and -3 trials were used for statistical analyses and causal inference. The cohort included 714 patients with intermediate-risk EC, 427 high-intermediate risk EC patients and 660 high-risk EC patients. Associations of age with clinicopathological and molecular features were analysed using non-parametric tests. Multivariable competing risk analyses were performed to determine the independent prognostic value of age. To analyse age as a causal prognostic variable a deep learning Causal Inference model called AutoCI was used.FindingsMedian follow-up was 12·3 years for PORTEC-1, 10·5 years for PORTEC-2 and 6·1 years for PORTEC-3. Both overall recurrence and EC-specific deaths significantly increased with age. Moreover, elderly women had a higher incidence of deep myometrial invasion, serous tumour histology and p53abn tumours. Age was an independent risk factor for both overall recurrence (HR 1·02 per year, 95%CI 1·01-1·04; p=0·0012) and EC-specific death (HR 1·03 per year, 95%CI 1·01-1·05; p=0·0012), and was identified as a significant causal variable.InterpretationThis study shows that advanced age is associated with more aggressive tumour features, and independently and causally related to worse oncological outcomes. Therefore, treatment for endometrial cancer in elderly women should not be de-escalated based on their age alone.FundingThe PORTEC-1, -2 and -3 trials and the associated translational studies are supported by the Dutch Cancer Society.
“I have to be always on” – managerial role and experience of work-life balance and regeneration practices during remote work
Authors: Mikołajczyk Katarzyna , Molek-Winiarska Dorota , Kleszewski Emily 
Published: November 2023

PurposeThe main aims of the paper were to explore the role of information and communication technology (ICT) in shaping the work-life balance of managers working remotely and to identify individual recovery strategies and organisational interventions to support digital managers. The theoretical background was based on the work-family border theory and the effort-recovery model.Design/methodology/approachA semi-structured individual in-depth interview (IDI) was used as the research method. The research group consisted of 13 managers from companies in Poland representing various industries. In all, 560 min of recordings and 201 pages of text were obtained and subsequently coded and categorised.FindingsThe results showed that remote managers struggle with the work-life imbalance and blurred boundaries between work and private roles, as well as difficulties in maintaining digital hygiene. The use of ICT enables high flexibility but contributes to work-life conflict. Managers who work from home experience a constant workload and suffer from impaired recovery. The use of ICT creates a need to recover and maintain digital hygiene. However, there are constraints that impede managers' recovery attempts. Many feel that their work does not allow to recover but requires to be “always on” to help their subordinates fulfil their responsibilities, even though they do not expect their subordinates to work after hours. Finally, managers perceive organisational support as insufficient or inappropriate for their needs. They admit that they do not participate in organisational interventions due to lack of time and do not believe that they help them to maintain or restore their well-being.Originality/valueThe role of ICT in blurring the boundaries between work and private roles was explored in depth, as was the “always on” phenomenon as a factor contributing to the tension between the need to recover and the inability to engage in recovery activities. The study has practical implications for integrating individual and organisational approaches to well-being and identifies solutions to encourage managers to maintain digital hygiene and mental health.
Transforming the nature of trust between banks and young clients: from traditional to digital banking
Authors: Melnyk Valeriia 
Published: November 2023

Purpose
This study aims to explore how the shift from traditional to digital banking transforms the nature of trust between banks and their younger clients (aged 18–35) from the perspective of bank employees.

Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative semi-structured interviews with representatives of Ukrainian classical banks and neobanks were conducted. The interviews were analysed using the theoretical approach of institution-based and social network-based trust to identify the key distinctions between the nature of trust in traditional and digital banking.

Findings
The employees of the banks reported that digitalization processes have helped to mitigate trust issues; as a result, their banks have not experienced any difficulties in this regard among young people. Furthermore, social networks, particularly social approval, were found to be significant factors for establishing trust in digital banking among young people.

Research limitations/implications
The results of this study could assist bank managers in adapting their strategies for cultivating trust among younger clients and aiding international law regulators and government institutions in preventing unintended circumstances in financial services. These contributions were shaped by the study’s limitations, including its focus on only two concepts of trust building: institution-based and social network-based, as well as its specific Ukrainian context.

Originality/value
This study highlights social approval as a valuable constituent of the trust-building process that influences trust in institutions. Furthermore, while gaining social approval – particularly through digital platforms – can promote trust-building among young people, this “easy way” may have negative societal consequences by endorsing unscrupulous institutions.
Dispersal limitation predicts the spatial and temporal filtering of tropical bird communities in isolated forest fragments
Authors: Ausprey Ian J. , Newell Felicity L. , Robinson Scott K. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThe link between dispersal traits and patterns of community assembly remains a frontier in understanding how vertebrate communities persist in fragmented landscapes. Using experimental release trials and intensive field surveys of bird communities in fragmented forests of the Peruvian and Colombian Andes, we demonstrate that morphological traits related to movement (1) predict experimental flight performance and (2) exhibit dispersal‐mediated environmental filtering at the community scale.After correcting for body size, four traits hypothesised to influence flight ability (wing length, wing pointedness, wing loading, and eye size) predicted distance flown across a hostile experimental landscape, with successful species having significantly longer pointed wings, carrying less mass per unit wing area (i.e. lower wing loading), and having smaller eyes. Species with larger eyes also displayed increased flight latency, potentially due to disability glare.At the community scale, we detected a gradient of dispersal‐mediated environmental filtering in fragments compared to reference forest within the same landscape, with relative differences in trait values explained by the temporal and spatial extent of patch isolation. In the Colombian landscape where fragments had been isolated for >60 years, communities were filtered for species with long and narrow wings and small eyes, especially within the most spatially isolated fragments. We observed the opposite pattern in the more recently fragmented Peruvian landscape (15–30 years): communities within fragments tended to have shorter and more rounded wings compared to those in nearby contiguous forests, suggesting that dispersal‐limited species accumulate in the initial years following patch isolation due to “restricted dispersal” and represent an extinction debt yet to be paid.Our results (1) experimentally validate the use of morphological traits as proxies for movement ability in fragmented landscapes, (2) demonstrate that visual acuity functions as a novel dimension of dispersal limitation and (3) quantify how the spatial and temporal components of patch isolation produce a gradient in dispersal‐mediated environmental filtering and extinction debt for communities inhabiting fragments.Read the freePlain Language Summaryfor this article on the Journal blog.
Introducing the Berggruen Governance Index III. Implications for theory and policy
Authors: Anheier Helmut K. , Kononykhina Olga 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThis article looks at some of the major implications for theory and policy that follow from the Berggruen Governance Index (BGI). After discussing the BGI's quality as an indicator in more general terms, the article explores two types of implications. The first are conceptual implications that relate to an improved understanding of governance, democracy and economic development. They illustrate the highly contingent patterns that emerge from the Governance Triangle—the basis of the BGI's conceptual framework—for high‐, middle‐ and low‐income countries as well as political regimes, and caution against any notions of simple causalities in how countries develop. Second, we address policy implications in terms of managing the tensions inherent in the Governance Triangle in view of longer‐term sustainability and resilience based on insights that can be gained with the help of the BGI.
Debunking the autocratic fallacy? Improving public goods delivery in Russia
Authors: Fröhlich Christian 
Published: November 2023

AbstractRussia's invasion of Ukraine has not only deeply challenged Russia's international standing but has also endangered its fragile domestic order. Data from the 2022 Berggruen Governance Index reveals that overall state capacity has been stagnating at a fairly low level since the beginning of the millennium, while democratic accountability has been declining steadily and profoundly. In contrast, the provision of public goods has strongly increased during the same period. This puts the assumption of the ‘autocratic fallacy’—the idea that sustained public goods delivery relies on democratic accountability in the long run—to the test. We argue that Russia's resource abundance allowed for the maintenance of a regime‐supporting social contract with the population. However, the basis of that contract has changed significantly due to economic decline, fired by, among other factors, several waves of sanctions and the costs of war and will press the Russian government to find urgent solutions to sustain a high level of public goods provision under such unfavourable conditions.
Laparoscopic modified mesh rectopexy: medium‐term results of a novel approach for external rectal prolapse
Authors: Thomas G. P. , Wong F. , Vaizey C. J. , Warusavitarne J. H. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractAimRectal prolapse is a common and significantly debilitating condition. Surgical correction is usually required. The two most common abdominal approaches are ventral mesh rectopexy and posterior suture rectopexy. Both may be complicated, respectively, by either mesh‐related complications or significant postoperative constipation. We report the outcome of a novel rectopexy operation which combines aspects of both the aforementioned approaches, for the treatment of external rectal prolapse (ERP).MethodThe technique involves laparoscopic partial posterior‐lateral rectal mobilization of the rectum with posterior suture fixation to the sacral promontory and placement of an absorbable mesh in the rectovaginal space. Data were collected on postoperative complications, prolapse recurrence, mesh‐related complications and the assessment of quality of life.ResultsEighty patients underwent a modified mesh rectopexy for ERP. Seventy‐seven were women. The median age was 67.5 years. Almost a third had undergone a previous rectal prolapse repair. Recurrences were seen in 11 (13.8%). No mesh‐related complications were seen. Eleven patients reported postoperative constipation.ConclusionThe laparoscopic modified mesh rectopexy may be a safe and effective operation for the treatment of ERP.
Fish aggregating devices could enhance the effectiveness of blue water marine protected areas
Authors: Bode Michael , Game Edward T. , Wegmann Alex , Pollock Kydd 
Published: November 2023

AbstractIn the past two decades, drifting fish aggregation devices (FADs) have revolutionized pelagic fisheries, and are now responsible for the majority of tuna purse seine catches. Here, we argue that by taking advantage of the same proven aggregative properties, FADs could be used to enhance the benefits provided by blue water marine protected areas (MPAs). Using models of commercially targeted fish populations, we explore the potential benefits that could be achieved if unfished conservation FADs—designed as self‐powered devices capable of remaining semi‐stationary—were deployed within blue water MPAs. By increasing the residence time of exploited species in MPAs, conservation FADs will reduce average mortality rates. By increasing the local density of exploited species, they may also improve the function of ecosystems in blue water MPAs. Conservation FADs could, therefore, amplify the benefits of blue water MPAs. We find this amplification is largest in those contexts where blue water MPAs have attracted the most criticism—when their area is small compared to both the open ocean and the distribution of fish stocks that move through them.
Asymptomatic parenchymal haemorrhage following endovascular treatment: Impact on functional outcome in patients with acute ischaemic stroke
Authors: Toscano‐Prat Clara , Martínez‐González José Pablo , Guasch‐Jiménez Marina , Ramos‐Pachón Anna , Martí‐Fàbregas Joan , Blanco‐Sanroman Nerea , Coronel‐Coronel Melissa Fabiola , Domine María Constanza , Martínez‐Domeño Alejandro , Prats‐Sánchez Luis , Marín‐Bueno Rebeca , Aguilera‐Simón Ana , Lambea‐Gil Álvaro , Ezcurra‐Díaz Garbiñe , Camps‐Renom Pol 
Published: November 2023

AbstractBackground and purposeIn patients with acute ischaemic stroke (AIS), haemorrhagic transformation (HT) following endovascular treatment (EVT) is associated with poor functional outcome. However, the impact of asymptomatic HT, not linked to neurological deterioration in the acute phase, is unknown. We aimed to investigate the impact of asymptomatic PH1 (aPH1) and PH2 (aPH2) subtypes of HT on the functional outcome of patients treated with EVT.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective study of patients with AIS who were consecutively admitted to our comprehensive stroke centre between January 2019 and December 2022, and who underwent EVT. We collected clinical, radiological, and procedural data. HTs were categorized according to the Heidelberg classification. The primary outcome was the shift on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 3 months of follow‐up. We performed bivariate and multivariable ordinal regression analyses to test the association between aPH1/aPH2 and the primary outcome.ResultsWe included 314 patients (mean age = 72.5 years [SD = 13.6], 171 [54.5%] women). We detected 54 (17.2%) patients with HT; 23 (7.3%) were classified as PH2 (11 asymptomatic) and 17 (5.4%) as PH1 (16 asymptomatic). The adjusted common odds ratio for aPH2 of worsening 1 point on the 3‐month mRS was 3.32 (95% confidence interval = 1.16–9.57, p = 0.026). No association was observed for aPH1. aPH2 was also independently associated with lower odds of achieving a favourable outcome (mRS = 0–2). Neither aPH1 nor aPH2 was associated with mortality.ConclusionsIn patients with AIS treated with EVT, aPH2 is independently associated with unfavourable functional outcome.