bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of genital Mycoplasma in pregnancies with shortened cervix
Authors: Rauh Maximilian , Werle Franziska , Schmidt Börge , Litzka Christian , Solano Maria Emilia , Köninger Angela 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Objective
To determine whether colonisation with genital Mycoplasma species (spp.) in patients presenting with a shortened cervix before 34th week of pregnancy is associated with preterm birth.

Methods
The collection of this retrospective study consisted of 100 pregnant women who presented to a German Tertiary Perinatal Center between 2017 and 2020 due to a shortened cervix defined as a cervical length of 25 mm or shorter measured by transvaginal ultrasound before 34 weeks of gestation. At the time of admission, gestational age ranged from 18 + 4 to 33 + 3 weeks (+ days) of pregnancy. All patients underwent urine polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for genital Mycoplasma [Ureaplasma (U.) urealyticum, U. parvum, M. hominis or M. genitalium]. Patients who were tested positive underwent a therapy with macrolides (azithromycin or clarithromycin).

Results
37% of the patients were positive for Ureaplasma spp., whereas 5% (5 patients) were Mycoplasma spp.-positive. All the latter were simultaneously colonised with Ureaplasma spp. Ureaplasma-positive patients were significantly younger than those who were tested negative. Median maternal age at examination was 30 years (a) versus 31a (p = 0.04). There was no difference between Ureaplasma-positive and -negative patients regarding median maternal body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2) (23.4 versus 22.3, p = 0.41), cervical length at admission (mm) (15 versus 17, p = 0.17), gestational age at examination (days, d) (198 versus 197, p = 0.97) or gestational age at birth (d) (250 versus 257, p = 0.33), respectively. Comparing U. parvum-positive and U. urealyticum-positive patients, there was some weak indication that U. parvum-positive patients may get a shortening of the cervix earlier in pregnancy, as the median gestational age at examination was 196d versus 215d (p = 0.06). Regarding Mycoplasma-positive and -negative patients, there was no difference in all examined parameters.

Conclusions
Overall, one-third of all women in our study with a shortened cervix before 34th week of pregnancy were colonised with genital Mycoplasma spp. We were able to show that pregnant women, who were treated with antibiotics when tested positive for genital Mycoplasma, gave birth at the same gestational age as patients with a shortened cervix without detected Mycoplasma. This raises the question of whether routine testing and early antibiotic treatment should be established in prenatal care.
Nerve identification during open inguinal hernia repair: a systematic review and meta-analyses
Authors: Moseholm Viktor Bay , Baker Jason Joe , Rosenberg Jacob 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Purpose
Inguinal hernia repair is one of the most common operations worldwide and despite this, the incidence of chronic pain remains high after inguinal hernia repair. The optimal nerve handling strategy is controversial and the rate at which nerves are identified remains uncertain. This study aimed to determine the identification rates of the ilioinguinal, iliohypogastric, and genitofemoral nerves as well as nerve handling strategies.

Methods
This review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD 42023416576). PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central were systematically searched. Studies with more than 10 patients were included if they reported an identification rate for at least one of the nerves during elective open inguinal hernia repair in adults. Studies requiring nerve identification in their study design were excluded. Bias was assessed with the JBI critical appraisal tool and Cochrane’s RoB-2 tool. The overall estimate of the prevalence was analysed with prevalence meta-analyses.

Results
A total of 22 studies were included. The meta-analyses included 18 studies, which resulted in an identification rate of 82% (95% CI: 76–87%) for the ilioinguinal nerve, 62% (95% CI: 54–71%) for the iliohypogastric nerve, and 41% (95% CI: 27–55%) for the genitofemoral nerve. Nerves were spared in 82% of all repairs.

Conclusion
The ilioinguinal, iliohypogastric, and genitofemoral nerves were identified in 82%, 62%, and 41% of surgeries, respectively. Most studies used a nerve-preserving strategy. The role of nerve identification in the development of chronic pain remains uncertain, as well as the optimal nerve handling strategy.
Großtechnische experimentelle Forschung im Digital Waste Research Lab und Digitale Abfallanalytik und -behandlung
Authors: Kandlbauer Lisa , Sarc Renato , Pomberger Roland 
Published: October 2023

ZusammenfassungMit dem Digital Waste Research Lab konnte eine neue Forschungsinfrastruktur in Betrieb genommen werden. Die innovative Versuchsanlage für großtechnische experimentelle Forschung im Bereich digitaler Abfallanalytik und -behandlung ist modular aufgebaut und besteht grundsätzlich aus förder- und verfahrenstechnischen Aggregaten, verschiedenen Sensoren, einer Sortiereinheit und einer digitalen Datenmanagementplattform. Die Anlage ist mit folgenden Sensoren zur Partikel- und Stoffstromcharakterisierung ausgestattet: Eine Nahinfrarot-Kamera ermöglicht die Erfassung von Materialarten und eine RGB-Zeilenkamera dient zur farblichen Charakterisierung von Objekten. Mit der Technologie der 3D-Lasertriangulation werden Volumeninformationen detektiert und zur Erkennung von metallischen Objekten ist eine Induktionsleiste installiert. (Semi-)mobile Förder- und Maschinentechnik ermöglichen neben der internen Kreislaufführung auch eine Linienschaltung der Anlage, um diverse Aufbereitungsaggregate im Verfahrensprozess der Sortieranlage vor- bzw. nachzuschalten. In der Anlage wurden bereits erste Untersuchungen durchgeführt, um diese für die Online-Ontime-Qualitätssicherung zu kalibrieren. Zusätzlich wurde das mobile Modul Nahinfrarot-Sensor in einer realen mechanischen Abfallaufbereitungsanlage installiert, um Materialdaten an unterschiedlichen Positionen in der Anlage während des üblichen Betriebs zu messen. Dabei wurden umfangreiche Daten gewonnen, mit denen der digitale Grundstein gelegt wurde, das Prozessverhalten in der Anlage zu beschreiben. Dies ist unter anderem auch Ziel der Forschungsvision „Smart Waste Factory“ für nicht gefährliche gemischte Abfälle, in der unter anderem die gleichzeitige Überwachung der Materialqualität und der Maschinenperformance sowie daraus resultierende dynamische Maschinensteuerung und optimale Abfallbehandlung einen wichtigen Stellenwert haben.
Electrochemical determination of thiethylperazine using semi-graphitized carbon nanofibers-MnO nanocomposite
Authors: Smajdor Joanna , Zambrzycki Marcel , Marzec Mateusz , Paczosa-Bator Beata , Piech Robert 
Published: October 2023

AbstractA new voltammetric method is proposed for high sensitive thiethylperazine (THP) determination, using a glassy carbon electrode modified with semi-graphitized carbon nanofibers/MnO nanocomposite (eCNF/MnO/GC). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first electrochemical assay of THP determination, and the first use of the eCNF/MnO as the electrode modifier. The proposed method using eCNF/MnO/GC is characterized by high repeatability and sensitivity of measurements, with the linearity of THP in the range from 0.05 to 2.2 µmol L−1. The lowest detection limit achieved on the eCNF/MnO/GC electrode for 30 s of preconcentration was 6.3 nmol L−1 THP in 0.05 mol L−1 acetate buffer of pH 5.6. The proposed method was successfully applied to highly sensitive THP determination in complex matrices, such as tablets and plasma with good recovery (98–103%). The RSD value obtained for THP measurement at a concentration of 0.1 µmol L−1 was 1.3%. Amperometric measurements of THP under the flow injection conditions were also performed to indicate the possibility of its fast and accurate determination (103% and 95% for unmodified and modified electrode, respectively), with the duration of single analysis of approx. 30 s.
Graphical Abstract
Accessibility first: detecting frustration in web browsing for visually impaired and sighted smartphone users
Authors: Abdelaal Yasmin , Al-Thani Dena 
Published: October 2023

AbstractSmartphone adoption has become increasingly prevalent in modern society, reflecting the widespread integration of these devices into various aspects of daily life, yet accessibility and usability problems persist. Smartphones pose numerous challenges to individuals with visual impairments (VI). This is due to smaller screen sizes, lack of physical buttons, and prevalent problems. These challenges frustrate users as they are unable to accomplish their goals. In this paper, the physiological response of VI and sighted individuals are compared and examined. The participant's frustration is measured through physiological signals. The GSR is the signal captured to detect the user's frustration caused by the superimposed accessibility and usability web-related issues. GSR, being less obtrusive, is an effective way to measure frustration. There were 13 VI and 16 sighted participants. Using a within-subject and between-subject design, participants completed four tasks, each was completed under frustrating and non-frustrating conditions while wearing an Empatica E4 wristband to collect GSR data. Challenges were both group-specific and mutual. A slowed internet connection and constant page refreshes are frustrating tasks for sighted participants. VI participants faced an unsearchable drop-down list and an inaccessible menu. Pop-up ads and session timeout are common tasks. Among VI participants, there was no significant difference between frustrating and non-frustrating tasks. When VI participants experienced a session timeout, they significantly showed a higher level of arousal. When comparing the physiological responses of sighted and VI participants in the page refresh and session timeout tasks, the results show that the arousal level is significantly higher in VI participants, primarily due to accessibility issues.
Long-term data in agricultural landscapes indicate that insect decline promotes pests well adapted to environmental changes
Authors: Ziesche Tim M. , Ordon Frank , Schliephake Edgar , Will Torsten 
Published: October 2023

AbstractIncreasing evidence suggests that land-use intensification contributes to destabilization of trophic networks of insect communities in agriculture resulting in a loss of biodiversity. However, a more detailed understanding of the causes and consequences of the widely reported insect decline is still lacking. Here, we used standardised daily long-term data on the activity of flying insects (~ 250 d/year) to describe the interactive effects of climate warming in intensively cultivated regions and changes in predatory taxa on the general long-term trend of insects and the regulation of herbivores. While the intensely managed landscapes examined in this study show a substantial decline in several taxonomic groups (95.1% total biomass loss in 24 year), the data on aphids support a general assumption that biodiversity loss is often closely associated with arising pest problems. Aphids being pests in agroecosystems develop earlier in spring in overall higher annual abundances. The data highlight that regional insect abundances have declined over recent decades in agricultural landscapes, thus indicating fundamental effects on food webs and insect herbivore performance.
Nitrogen fixation rates in the Guinea Dome and the equatorial upwelling regions in the Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Fernández-Carrera Ana , Kiko Rainer , Hauss Helena , Hamilton Douglas S. , Achterberg Eric P. , Montoya Joseph P. , Dengler Marcus , Brandt Peter , Subramaniam Ajit 
Published: October 2023

AbstractBiological nitrogen fixation is a key process balancing the loss of combined nitrogen in the marine nitrogen cycle. Its relevance in upwelling or high nutrient regions is still unclear, with the few available studies in these regions of the ocean reporting rates that vary widely from below detection limit to > 100 nmol N L−1 d−1. In the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean, two open ocean upwelling systems are active in boreal summer. One is the seasonal equatorial upwelling, where the residual phosphorus associated with aged upwelled waters is suggested to enhance nitrogen fixation in this season. The other is the Guinea Dome, a thermal upwelling dome. We conducted two surveys along 23° W across the Guinea Dome and the Equator from 15° N to 5° S in September 2015 and August–September 2016 with high latitudinal resolution (20–60 nm between stations). The abundance of Trichodesmium colonies was characterized by an Underwater Vision Profiler 5 and the total biological nitrogen fixation in the euphotic layer was measured using the 15N2 technique. The highest abundances of Trichodesmium colonies were found in the area of the Guinea Dome (9°–15° N) with a maximum of 3 colonies L−1 near the surface. By contrast, colonies were almost absent in the Equatorial band between 2° N and 5° S. The highest nitrogen fixation rate was measured at the northern edge of the Guinea Dome in 2016 (ca. 31 nmol N L−1 d−1). In this region, where diazotrophs thrived on a sufficient supply of both phosphorus and iron, a patchy distribution was unveiled by our increased spatial resolution scheme. In the Equatorial band, rates were considerably lower, ranging from below detection limit to ca. 4 nmol N L−1 d−1, with a clear difference in magnitude between 2015 (rates close to zero) and 2016 (average rates around 2 nmol N L−1 d−1). This difference seemed triggered by a contrasting supply of phosphorus between years. Our study stresses the importance of surveys with sampling at fine-scale spatial resolution, and shows unexpected high variability in the rates of nitrogen fixation in the Guinea Dome, a region where diazotrophy is a significant process supplying new nitrogen into the euphotic layer.
Effects of metal amendment and metalloid supplementation on foliar defences are plant accession-specific in the hyperaccumulator Arabidopsis halleri
Authors: Putra Rocky , Tölle Max , Krämer Ute , Müller Caroline 
Published: October 2023

AbstractSoil pollution by metals and metalloids as a consequence of anthropogenic industrialisation exerts a seriously damaging impact on ecosystems. However, certain plant species, termed hyperaccumulators, are able to accumulate extraordinarily high concentrations of these metal(loid)s in their aboveground tissues. Such hyperaccumulation of metal(loid)s is known to act as a defence against various antagonists, such as herbivores and pathogens. We investigated the influences of metal(loid)s on potential defence traits, such as foliar elemental, organic and mechanical defences, in the hyperaccumulator plant species Arabidopsis halleri (Brassicaceae) by artificially amending the soil with common metallic pollutants, namely cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn). Additionally, unamended and metal-amended soils were supplemented with the metalloid silicon (Si) to study whether Si could alleviate metal excess. Individuals originating from one non-/low- and two moderately to highly metal-contaminated sites with different metal concentrations (hereafter called accessions) were grown for eight weeks in a full-factorial design under standardised conditions. There were significant interactive effects of metal amendment and Si supplementation on foliar concentrations of certain elements (Zn, Si, aluminium (Al), iron (Fe), potassium (K) and sulfur (S), but these were accession-specific. Profiles of glucosinolates, characteristic organic defences of Brassicaceae, were distinct among accessions, and the composition was affected by soil metal amendment. Moreover, plants grown on metal-amended soil contained lower concentrations of total glucosinolates in one of the accessions, which suggests a potential trade-off between inorganic defence acquisition and biosynthesis of organic defence. The density of foliar trichomes, as a proxy for the first layer of mechanical defence, was also influenced by metal amendment and/or Si supplementation in an accession-dependent manner. Our study highlights the importance of examining the effects of co-occurring metal(loid)s in soil on various foliar defence traits in different accessions of a hyperaccumulating species.
Racial and socioeconomic disparities in survival among women with advanced-stage ovarian cancer who received systemic therapy
Authors: Washington Caretia J. , Karanth Shama D. , Wheeler Meghann , Aduse-Poku Livingstone , Braithwaite Dejana , Akinyemiju Tomi F. 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to assess the association between race/ethnicity and all-cause mortality among women with advanced-stage ovarian cancer who received systemic therapy.

Methods
We analyzed data from the National Cancer Database on women diagnosed with advanced-stage ovarian cancer from 2004 to 2015 who received systemic therapy. Race/ethnicity was categorized as Non-Hispanic (NH) White, NH-Black, Hispanic, NH-Asian/Pacific Islander, and Other. Income and education were combined to form a composite measure of socioeconomic status (SES) and categorized into low-, mid-, and high-SES. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess whether race/ethnicity was associated with the risk of death after adjusting for sociodemographic, clinical, and treatment factors. Additionally, subgroup analyses were conducted by SES, age, and surgery receipt.

Results
The study population comprised 53,367 women (52.4% ages ≥ 65 years, 82% NH-White, 8.7% NH-Black, 5.7% Hispanic, and 2.7% NH-Asian/Pacific Islander) in the analysis. After adjusting for covariates, the NH-Black race was associated with a higher risk of death versus NH-White race (aHR: 1.12; 95% CI: 1.07,1.18), while Hispanic ethnicity was associated with a lower risk of death compared to NH-White women (aHR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.80, 0.95). Furthermore, NH-Black women versus NH-White women had an increased risk of mortality among those with low-SES characteristics (aHR:1.12; 95% CI:1.03–1.22) and mid-SES groups (aHR: 1.13; 95% CI:1.05–1.21).

Conclusions
Among women with advanced-stage ovarian cancer who received systemic therapy, NH-Black women experienced poorer survival compared to NH-White women. Future studies should be directed to identify drivers of ovarian cancer disparities, particularly racial differences in treatment response and surveillance.
Smart cities as a testbed for experimenting with humans? - Applying psychological ethical guidelines to smart city interventions
Authors: Zimmermann Verena 
Published: October 2023

AbstractSmart Cities consist of a multitude of interconnected devices and services to, among others, enhance efficiency, comfort, and safety. To achieve these aims, smart cities rely on an interplay of measures including the deployment of interventions targeted to foster certain human behaviors, such as saving energy, or collecting and exchanging sensor and user data. Both aspects have ethical implications, e.g., when it comes to intervention design or the handling of privacy-related data such as personal information, user preferences or geolocations. Resulting concerns must be taken seriously, as they reduce user acceptance and can even lead to the abolition of otherwise promising Smart City projects. Established guidelines for ethical research and practice from the psychological sciences provide a useful framework for the kinds of ethical issues raised when designing human-centered interventions or dealing with user-generated data. This article thus reviews relevant psychological guidelines and discusses their applicability to the Smart City context. A special focus is on the guidelines’ implications and resulting challenges for certain Smart City applications. Additionally, potential gaps in current guidelines and the limits of applicability are reflected upon.
Holomorphic differential forms on moduli spaces of stable curves
Authors: Fontanari Claudio 
Published: October 2023

AbstractWe prove that the space of holomorphic p-forms on the moduli space $$\overline{\mathcal {M}}_{g,n}$$

M
¯

g
,
n

of stable curves of genus g with n marked points vanishes for $$p=14, 16, 18$$

p
=
14
,
16
,
18

unconditionally and also for $$p=20$$

p
=
20

under a natural assumption in the case $$g=3$$

g
=
3

. This result is consistent with the Langlands program and it is obtained by applying the Arbarello–Cornalba inductive approach to the cohomology of moduli spaces.
Inspecting the quality of care: a comparison of CUSUM methods for inter hospital performance
Authors: Gomon Daniel , Sijmons Julie , Putter Hein , Dekker Jan Willem , Tollenaar Rob , Wouters Michel , Tanis Pieter , Fiocco Marta , Signorelli Mirko 
Published: October 2023

AbstractDuring the past 14 years, a clinical audit has been used in the Netherlands to provide hospitals with data on their performance in colorectal cancer care. Continuous feedback on the quality of care provided at each hospital is essential to improve patient outcomes. It is unclear which methods should be used to generate most informative output for the identification of potential quality issues. Our aim is to compare the commonly employed funnel plot with existing cumulative sum (CUSUM) methodology for the evaluation of postoperative survival and hospital stay outcomes of patients who underwent colorectal surgery in the Netherlands. Data from the Dutch ColoRectal Audit on 25367 patients in the Netherlands who underwent surgical resection for colorectal cancer in 71 hospitals between 2019 and 2021 is used to compare four methods for the detection of deviations in the quality of care. Two methods based on binary outcomes (funnel plot, binary CUSUM) and two CUSUM charts based on survival outcomes (BK-CUSUM and CGR-CUSUM) are considered. A novel approach for determining hospital specific control limits for CUSUM charts is proposed. The ability to detect deviations as well as the time until detection are compared for the four methods. Charts were constructed for the inspection of both postoperative survival and hospital stay. Methods using survival outcomes always yielded faster detection times compared to approaches employing binary outcomes. Detections between methods mostly coincided for postoperative survival. For hospital stay detections varied strongly, with methods based on survival outcomes signalling over half the hospitals. Further pros and cons as well as pitfalls of all methods under consideration are discussed. Methodology for the continuous inspection of the quality of care should be tailored to the specific outcome. Properly understanding how the mechanism of a control chart functions is crucial for the correct interpretation of results. This is particularly true for CUSUM charts, which require the choice of a parameter that greatly influences the results. When applying CUSUM charts, consideration of these issues is strongly recommended.