bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Greater income and financial well-being are associated with higher prosocial preferences and behaviors across 76 countries
Authors: Vanags Paul , Cutler Jo , Kosse Fabian , Lockwood Patricia L 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
Prosocial preferences and behaviors—defined as those that benefit others—are essential for health, well-being, and a society that can effectively respond to global challenges. Identifying factors that may increase or decrease them is therefore critical. Wealth, in the form of income or subjective financial well-being (FWB), may be crucial in determining prosociality. In addition, individuals’ experience of precarity (inability to meet basic needs) or country-specific factors could change how wealth correlates with prosociality, yet this impact is unknown. Here, we tested how self-reported household income (HHI) and FWB were associated with seven measures of prosociality in a global, representative sample of 80,337 people across 76 countries. We show a consistent positive association between wealth and prosociality, across both measures and for both financial and nonfinancial prosocial preferences and behaviors. HHI was positively associated with altruism, positive reciprocity, donating money, volunteering, and helping a stranger, but negatively associated with trust. FWB was positively associated with all aspects of prosociality, including trust. Individuals’ experience of precarity reduced the strength of wealth associations for prosocial preferences but increased them for prosocial behaviors. Positive associations between wealth and prosociality were found around the world and across country-level wealth and cultural factors. These findings could have important implications for enhancing prosociality, critical for a healthy and adaptive society.
Isotope geolocation and population genomics in Vanessa cardui: Short- and long-distance migrants are genetically undifferentiated
Authors: Reich Megan S , Shipilina Daria , Talla Venkat , Bahleman Farid , Kébé Khadim , Berger Johanna L , Backström Niclas , Talavera Gerard , Bataille Clément P 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
The painted lady butterfly Vanessa cardui is renowned for its virtually cosmopolitan distribution and the remarkable long-distance migrations as part of its annual, multigenerational migratory cycle. In winter, V. cardui individuals inhabit breeding grounds north and south of the Sahara, suggesting distinct migratory behaviors within the species as individuals migrate southward from Europe in the autumn. However, the evolutionary and ecological factors shaping these differences in migratory behavior remain largely unexplored. Here, we performed whole-genome resequencing and analyzed the hydrogen and strontium isotopes of 40 V. cardui individuals simultaneously collected in the autumn from regions both north and south of the Sahara. Our investigation revealed two main migratory groups: (i) short-distance migrants, journeying from temperate Europe to the circum-Mediterranean region and (ii) long-distance migrants, originating from Europe, crossing the Mediterranean Sea and Sahara, and reaching West Africa, covering up to over 4,000 km. Despite these stark differences in migration distance, a genome-wide analysis revealed that short- and long-distance migrants belong to a single intercontinental panmictic population extending from northern Europe to sub-Saharan Africa. Contrary to common biogeographic patterns, the Sahara is not a catalyst for population structuring in this species. No significant genetic differentiation or signs of adaptation and selection were observed between the two migratory phenotypes. Nonetheless, two individuals, who were early arrivals to West Africa covering longer migration distances, exhibited some genetic differentiation. The lack of genetic structure between short- and long-distance migrants suggests that migration distance in V. cardui is a plastic response to environmental conditions.
Classical Continuum Limit of the String Field Theory Dual to Lattice Gauge Theory
Authors: Kawana Kiyoharu 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
We discuss the classical continuum limit of the string field theory dual to the SU(N) lattice gauge theory and investigate various fundamental phenomena in the continuum theory at the mean-field level. Our construction of the continuum theory is based on the concept of area derivative, which can be regarded as a generalization of the ordinary derivative ∂/∂xμ to operators acting on functional fields φ[C] on the loop space. The resultant continuum theory has a $\mathbb {Z}_N^{}$ 1-form global symmetry, which originates in the $\mathbb {Z}_N^{}$ center symmetry in the gauge theory. We find that the confined and deconfined phases of the gauge theory are identified by the unbroken and broken phases of the $\mathbb {Z}_N^{}$ symmetry respectively by showing the Area/Perimeter law of the classical solution. In the broken phase, the low-energy effective theory is described by a BF-type topological field theory and has a emergent $\mathbb {Z}_N^{}$ (D − 2)-form global symmetry. The existence of the emergent symmetry is deeply related to (D − 2)-dimensional topological configurations (i.e. center vortex for D = 4), and we explicitly construct such a topological defect in the continuum theory. Finally, we also comment on the upper and lower critical dimensions of the gauge theory/string field theory.
The effect of culture on the benefits of awake prone positioning for adults with COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome
Authors: Karanth Sowmyashree Kota , Azhar Saajid Z. , Corrales-Martinez Maria J. , Krishnamoorthy Vijay , Wongsripuemtet Pattrapun T. , Cobert Julien , Hashemaghaie Mona , Raghunathan Karthik 
Published: February 2025

BACKGROUND
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) conducted early during the pandemic showed that awake prone positioning (APP) significantly reduced the risk of intubation among adults with COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), but more recent studies have questioned this benefit. We hypothesise that the effects of APP may vary with the national Power Distance Index (PDI), a measure of hierarchy in local culture.

OBJECTIVE
To conduct a meta-analysis examining the effects of APP in adults with COVID-19 ARDS and examine whether effects differ between nations with a PDI less than 80 versus at least 80 (low versus high deference to authority).

DESIGN
Systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs.

DATA SOURCES
Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), the Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline and Scopus were searched to November 2024.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
All RCTs that compared APP with standard care in adults with COVID-19-related ARDS or Acute Hypoxaemic Respiratory Failure (AHRF) were included.

RESULTS
Twenty-two RCTs were identified with 3615 patients having valid data. APP reduced the risk of intubation [relative risk (RR) 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.72 to 0.90]. Effects were greater in nations with a PDI at least 80 (RR 0.67, 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.82), and there was equipoise in nations with a PDI less than 80 (RR 0.89, 95% CI, 0.75 to 1.05). Intubation rates in the high PDI nations decreased from 32.3% (n = 512) with standard care to 21.2% (n = 508) with APP. The reduction in intubations with APP was less pronounced in nations with low PDI, from 20.1% (n = 1012) with standard care to 17.1% (n = 1084). The risk of mortality reduced with APP (RR 0.86, 95% CI, 0.74 to 0.99). Fidelity of APP, specifically, adherence to the recommended duration, was higher in nations with PDI at least 80 (P = 0.04).

CONCLUSION
APP reduces the risk of intubation and mortality, but the significance of this benefit varies with the cultural context. Effects are strong in nations with a higher PDI, where intubation rates are lower and adherence to APP higher.
Multicenter, retrospective GUIDANCE001 study comparing transarterial chemoembolization with or without tyrosine kinase and immune checkpoint inhibitors as conversion therapy to treat unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: Survival benefit in intermediate or advanced, but not early, stages
Authors: Yang Da-Long , Ye Lin , Zeng Fan-Jian , Liu Jie , Yao Hong-Bing , Nong Jun-Liang , Liu Shao-Ping , Peng Ning , Li Wen-Feng , Wu Pei-Sheng , Qin Chuang , Su Ze , Ou Jun-Jie , Dong Xiao-Feng , Yan Yi-He , Zhong Teng-Meng , Mao Xian-Shuang , Wu Ming-Song , Chen Yao-Zhi , Wang Guo-Dong , Li Mian-Jing , Wang Xue-Yao , Yang Fu-Quan , Liang Yong-Rong , Chen Shu-Chang , Yang Yong-Yu , Chen Kang , Li Fu-Xin , Lai Yong-Cheng , Pang Qing-Qing , Liang Xiu-Mei , You Xue-Mei , Xiang Bang-De , Yu Ya-Qun , Ma Liang , Zhong Jian-Hong ,   on behalf of the GUIDANCE investigators
Published: February 2025

Background and Aims:
Various conversion therapy options have become available to patients with unresectable HCC, but which conversion therapy is optimal for which type of patient is controversial. This study compared the efficacy and safety of TACE alone or combined with immune checkpoint and tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Approach and Results:
Data were retrospectively compared for patients with initially unresectable HCC who underwent conversion therapy consisting of TACE alone (n=459) or combined with immune checkpoint and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (n=343). Compared to the group that received TACE alone, the group that received triple conversion therapy showed significantly higher rates of overall survival (HR 0.43, 95%CI 0.35–0.53). In addition, triple therapy was associated with significantly longer median progression-free survival (15.9 vs. 8.0 mo, p<0.001). These results were confirmed in matched subsets of patients from each group. However, subgroup analysis confirmed the results only for patients with HCC in intermediate or advanced stages, not in an early stage. Those who received triple conversion therapy had a significantly higher rate of hepatectomy after conversion therapy (36.4 vs. 23.5%, p<0.001). Among those who underwent hepatectomy after conversion therapy, triple therapy was associated with a significantly higher rate of complete tumor response (32.1 vs. 11.1%, p<0.001). However, it was also associated with a significantly higher frequency of serious adverse events (35.6 vs. 27.0%, p=0.009).

Conclusions:
Combining TACE with immune checkpoint and tyrosine kinase inhibitors was associated with significantly better survival and conversion efficacy than TACE alone among patients with intermediate or advanced unresectable HCC.
Conditioned pain modulation: controlling for the order of baseline and conditioning
Authors: Lautenbacher Stefan , Horn-Hofmann Claudia , Kunz Miriam 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
Conditioned pain modulation (CPM) is assumed to capture endogenous pain modulation. In standard CPM designs, the evaluation of a painful test stimulus (TS) (baseline) is followed by a second evaluation of the TS during/after application of a painful conditioning stimulus (CS) (treatment). However, these standard CPM within designs (baseline always preceding treatment) do not control for order effects, which might help to distinguish specific CPM inhibition from general habituation. To tackle this issue, we conducted 2 separate studies where we controlled for order effects to investigate whether CPM effects depend on the order of baseline and treatment. In both studies, a sample of 60 participants underwent 2 CPM test blocks: one standard order block (baseline before treatment) and one reversed order block (treatment before baseline), separated by a 20-minute break (randomized order across participants). Pain thresholds and pain ratings of phasic heat stimuli served as measures of TS. Cold water (study 1) and cuff pressure algometry (study 2) served as CS. We found significant CPM order effects in both studies and for both measures of TS (pain threshold and ratings). Only the standard CPM order (baseline before treatment) yielded robust pain inhibition effects, whereas the reversed order (treatment before baseline) led to no modulation or seeming pain facilitation. Because control for order effects is otherwise mandatory in within designs, it is surprising that it has been neglected in standard CPM protocols. Finding pain inhibition only in the standard CPM order suggests that CPM inhibition is at least partially confounded with habituation.
Standardizing research methods for opioid dose comparison: the NIH HEAL morphine milligram equivalent calculator
Authors: Adams Meredith C. B. , Sward Katherine A. , Perkins Matthew L. , Hurley Robert W. 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
We developed the National Institutes of Health helping to end addiction long-term initiative morphine milligram equivalent (MME) calculator to standardize MME calculations across pain research studies, addressing a critical barrier to effective research synthesis and meta-analysis. The tool provides evidence-based mapping factors for 29 opioids through a research electronic data capture-based calculator and companion Web site (research-mme.wakehealth.edu). Development involved systematic evidence evaluation of literature from 1949 to March 2024, following PRISMA guidelines. From an initial screening of over 170,050 articles, we identified 24 studies providing evidence for conversion factors. The calculator incorporates 4 standardized time-window calculation methods aligned with current research approaches and includes traditional full agonists, partial agonists, and mixed-mechanism agents. Using modified GRADE methodology, we evaluated evidence quality for each conversion factor, documenting levels from high-quality randomized controlled trials to pharmacokinetic extrapolation. Our tool replicates most existing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conversion factors while expanding coverage to 7 additional opioids and 6 formulations not included in the 2022 CDC conversion table. The calculator features options to analyze results with or without buprenorphine, accommodating its emerging role in pain research. This standardized framework enables researchers to map opioid doses using consistent, evidence-based ratios and harmonize data collection across research networks. While the tool represents a significant advance in standardizing MME calculations for research, limitations in the underlying evidence base highlight the need for continued validation through clinical research.
The impact of lifestyle factors across the life course on sarcopenia and physical frailty
Authors: Yang Daphne Zihui , Kua Joanne , Lim Wee Shiong 
Published: February 2025

Purpose of review
Muscle health helps maintain locomotor capacity, a key component of intrinsic capacity, which is required for healthy ageing. Sarcopenia is characterized by the age-related decline in muscle mass and strength leading to impaired physical performance, and has been described as a biological substrate of physical frailty. Both sarcopenia and physical frailty share phenotypic features of weakness and slowness, lead to common adverse outcomes, and have potential for reversal through early identification and intervention. The purpose of this review is to present recent evidence for the impact of lifestyle interventions across the life course on sarcopenia and physical frailty.

Recent findings
Resistance exercise alone or combined with balance and aerobic training as part of a multicomponent exercise program and high-quality diets incorporating adequate protein remain the mainstay of treatment for sarcopenia and physical frailty. Reducing sedentary time and increasing physical activity, adherence to Mediterranean diet, increasing vegetable and caffeinated beverage intake, cardiovascular risk factor modification, improving sleep hygiene and depressive symptoms may also contribute to slowing down age-related decline in muscle health.

Summary
Lifestyle interventions such as physical activity, diet, sleep and mental health are effective against sarcopenia and physical frailty. Targeting lifestyle modifications in early to midlife may retard further decline in locomotor capacity and optimize intrinsic capacity of older persons, reducing the risk of sarcopenia, physical frailty and their attendant negative health outcomes.
Liquid biopsies for early detection and monitoring of cancer: advances, challenges, and future directions
Authors: Qureshi Zaheer , Altaf Faryal , Khanzada Mikail , Safi Adnan , Asghar Zoha , Warraich Daniyal , Shah Shivendra 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
The article offers an extensive survey of the progressions, problems, and future trends of liquid biopsies in the early discovery and surveillance of cancer. Liquid biopsies can detect signals associated with cancer by looking at biological fluids like cerebrospinal fluid, blood, or urine, making them a less invasive alternative to traditional tissue biopsies.

Methods:
The review explores the molecular biology and techniques behind liquid biopsy, including circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulatory tumor cells (CTCs), and exosomes. It evaluates clinical applications of liquid biopsy across different cancer types, showing their potential for early diagnosis, monitoring disease progression, and therapy response prediction.

Results:
The article identifies several critical issues with liquid biopsies, including achieving a balance between high sensitivity and specificity, standardizing protocols, addressing technological heterogeneity, and ensuring cost-effectiveness and accessibility. Also, ethical issues about informed consent, data privacy, incidental findings management, and equal testing access have been examined in this context.

Conclusion:
Finally, this article sheds light on future developments in liquid biopsies, such as enhanced specificity, sensitivity, and integration with artificial intelligence methods.
Investigating the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on the sperm parameters
Authors: Maleki Hadi , Bazrafkan Mahshid , Fatahi Behrouz , Moradi Mohsen 
Published: February 2025

Background:
COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, may impact male reproduction by affecting spermatogenesis and testicular function. This study analyzes semen parameters, including volume, total count, motility, viability, morphology, and concentration, before and after the pandemic over a 3- to 12-month period postinfection.

Methods:
This cross-sectional study was conducted at infertility and urology clinics. Demographic and medical history data, including age, BMI, number of children, underlying diseases, smoking, and alcohol consumption, were extracted from medical records. Parameters analyzed include semen volume, total sperm count, progressive motility, vitality, sperm morphology, and sperm concentration. The timeframe for sperm analysis ranges from three months to one-year postinfection.

Results:
A study of 150 men (mean age: 36.4 ± 6.6) compared semen parameters before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Semen volume showed no significant change (P = 0.73). Sperm concentration and total sperm count significantly decreased (P < 0.000). Sperm morphology also declined significantly (P = 0.043). However, sperm motility and motility percentage showed no significant changes (P = 0.427 and P = 0.306, respectively).

Conclusion:
SARS-CoV-2 infection can adversely affect male reproductive health, emphasizing the need for targeted treatment strategies to mitigate these effects. Understanding the virus’s impact on semen parameters will help in developing effective therapies, thereby reducing disease-related costs and improving fertility rates.
Trauma center proliferation in the United States: concerns and potential solutions
Authors: Dehghan Niloofar , Cannada Lisa K. , El Naga Ashraf N. , Miller Anna , Schlatterer Dan ,   on behalf of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association Health Policy Committee
Published: February 2025

Abstract
There has been an increase in the number of Level I and II trauma centers across the United States in the past few decades. However, data suggest that access to trauma care remains poor in rural areas of the country, while in many urban areas, trauma center density may be too high. Excessive trauma center proliferation in urban areas has the potential for negative effects on patient care and increased trauma system costs. The efficiency and competency of each trauma center may be decreased by having less access to patients, with research, surgeon experience, and training programs for residents, fellows, medical students, and other allied health providers all affected. Because of these concerns, the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) Health Policy Committee reviewed trauma center trends and trauma system needs and considered the potential effect of the increase in the number of centers on patient care as well as surgeon experience and training. This article reviews the different types of trauma centers and their designation process, as well as the growth in trauma centers during the past few decades. The committee identified and explored each of these issues and provides suggestions for improvement. Potential solutions identified include developing and applying strict criteria for determining the number of trauma centers needed within a given region, considering the needs of the local population, cost containment, and impact on adjacent trauma centers and their educational and research missions. There is opportunity for the OTA to work even more collaboratively with the American College of Surgeons to develop such criteria and to be involved with the orthopaedic accreditation and orthopaedic requirements. Collaboration between professional medical societies such as the OTA and American College of Surgeons and state and federal agencies is needed to help optimize the distribution of trauma centers.
Short-term management of kelp forests for marine heatwaves requires pre-emptive action
Authors: Hopf Jess K. , Giraldo-Ospina Anita , Caselle Jennifer E. , Kroeker Kristy J. , Carr Mark H. , Botsford Louis W. , Hastings Alan , White J. Wilson 
Published: February 2025

AbstractHeatwaves are now pervasive stressors to marine ecosystems globally and it is urgent to consider mitigation tools that support ecosystem resilience and persistence in the immediate future. We modeled a system of kelp, herbivorous urchin, and predatory fish to compare how potential management mitigation actions (kelp seeding, urchin removal, and fishery closures) could reduce the likelihood of a heatwave shifting a kelp forest into a degraded urchin barren state. We found that those interventions must commence at or before the start of a heatwave to be effective. Closing the predatory fish fishery was more effective when done earlier and for longer while urchin removal and kelp seeding needed to be undertaken immediately before, and continue throughout the heatwave. Our results suggest the need for improved heatwave forecasting and nimble management protocols to enact mitigation actions quickly if a heatwave is forecasted or occurs.