bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Anchor-based minimal important difference values are often sensitive to the distribution of the change score
Authors: Vach Werner , Saxer Franziska 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Anchor-based studies are today the most popular approach to determine a minimal important difference value for an outcome variable. However, a variety of construction methods for such values do exist. This constitutes a challenge to the field. In order to distinguish between more or less adequate construction methods, meaningful minimal requirements can be helpful. For example, minimal important difference values should not reflect the intervention(s) the patients are exposed to in the study used for construction, as they should later allow to compare interventions. This requires that they are not sensitive to the distribution of the change score observed. This study aims at investigating to which degree established construction methods fulfil this minimal requirement.

Methods
Six constructions methods were considered, covering very popular and recently suggested methods. The sensitivity of MID values to the distribution of the change score was investigated in a simulation study for these six construction methods.

Results
Five out of six construction methods turned out to yield MID values which are sensitive to the distribution of the change score to a degree that questions their usefulness. Insensitivity can be obtained by using construction methods based solely on an estimate of the conditional distribution of the anchor variable given the change score.

Conclusion
In future the computation of MID values should be based on construction methods avoiding sensitivity to the distribution of the change score.
Inference serving with end-to-end latency SLOs over dynamic edge networks
Authors: Nigade Vinod , Bauszat Pablo , Bal Henri , Wang Lin 
Published: February 2024

AbstractWhile high accuracy is of paramount importance for deep learning (DL) inference, serving inference requests on time is equally critical but has not been carefully studied especially when the request has to be served over a dynamic wireless network at the edge. In this paper, we propose Jellyfish—a novel edge DL inference serving system that achieves soft guarantees for end-to-end inference latency service-level objectives (SLO). Jellyfish handles the network variability by utilizing both data and deep neural network (DNN) adaptation to conduct tradeoffs between accuracy and latency. Jellyfish features a new design that enables collective adaptation policies where the decisions for data and DNN adaptations are aligned and coordinated among multiple users with varying network conditions. We propose efficient algorithms to continuously map users and adapt DNNs at runtime, so that we fulfill latency SLOs while maximizing the overall inference accuracy. We further investigate dynamic DNNs, i.e., DNNs that encompass multiple architecture variants, and demonstrate their potential benefit through preliminary experiments. Our experiments based on a prototype implementation and real-world WiFi and LTE network traces show that Jellyfish can meet latency SLOs at around the 99th percentile while maintaining high accuracy.
Web Consequence Untangled
Authors: Krämer Stephan 
Published: February 2024

AbstractUnder the standard modal explication of consequence, a conclusion is a consequence of some premises just in case necessarily, if the latter are true, so is the former. Notoriously, this explication yields some results that at first glance are counter-intuitive. In particular, a necessary truth is a consequence of arbitrary premises, and premises that cannot all be true together entail arbitrary conclusions. In his paper ‘On Ground and Consequence’ (Synthese, 2021), Benjamin Schnieder introduces a novel notion of web consequence, defined on the basis of the concept of ground, which, he argues, fits our intuitive conception better. Building on his idea, the present paper examines the concept of web consequence in more detail. In particular, I provide three alternative, and simpler semantic characterizations of Schnieder’s propositional logic of web consequence, two within a form of truthmaker semantics, one within a many-valued setting. I then consider some natural variations on that logic and establish their connections to well-known subclassical logics such as FDE, $$\hbox {K}_3$$

K
3

, and LP. Finally, I provide sound and complete tableaux-based proof systems for each of the logics of web consequence so obtained.
Do animal husbandry operations contaminate groundwater sources with antimicrobial resistance: systematic review
Authors: Meyer Cameron , Price Skyler , Ercumen Ayse 
Published: February 2024

AbstractAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a critical global health concern. Animal husbandry operations are AMR hotspots due to heavy antibiotic use and dissemination of animal waste into the environment. In this systematic review, we examined the impact of swine, poultry, and cattle operations on AMR in groundwater. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, CAB Direct, and the North Carolina State University Agricultural and Environmental Science databases in June 2022. The search returned 2487 studies. Of the 23 eligible studies, 17 were conducted in high-income countries (primarily the USA, also Canada, Saudi Arabia, Cyprus), and 6 were conducted in a single upper-middle-income country (China). Studies investigated facilities for swine (13), poultry (4), cattle (3), and multiple types of animals (3). The sampling distance ranged from onsite to > 20 km from facilities; the majority of studies (19) sampled onsite. Most studies collected samples from monitoring wells; only 5 studies investigated private drinking water wells. AMR in groundwater was associated with animal husbandry operations in 74% (17/23) of all studies, 65% (11/17) of studies in high-income countries, and 100% (6/6) of studies in China. Contamination was mostly found in onsite wells, especially downgradient of waste lagoons, but also in offsite private wells up to 2–3 km away. Few studies reported weather data, but AMR contamination appeared to increase with rainy conditions. Future studies should sample private wells at varying distances from animal husbandry operations under different weather conditions and include low- and middle-income countries where food animal production is intensifying.
Potential of stable isotope analysis to deduce anaerobic biodegradation of ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) in groundwater: a review
Authors: van der Waals Marcelle J. , Thornton Steven F. , Rolfe Stephen A. , Rock Luc , Smith Jonathan W. N. , Bosma Tom N.P. , Gerritse Jan 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Understanding anaerobic biodegradation of ether oxygenates beyond MTBE in groundwater is important, given that it is replaced by ETBE as a gasoline additive in several regions. The lack of studies demonstrating anaerobic biodegradation of ETBE, and its product TBA, reflects the relative resistance of ethers and alcohols with a tertiary carbon atom to enzymatic attack under anoxic conditions. Anaerobic ETBE- or TBA-degrading microorganisms have not been characterized. Only one field study suggested anaerobic ETBE biodegradation. Anaerobic (co)metabolism of ETBE or TBA was reported in anoxic microcosms, indicating their biodegradation potential in anoxic groundwater systems. Non-isotopic methods, such as the detection of contaminant loss, metabolites, or ETBE- and TBA-degrading bacteria are not sufficiently sensitive to track anaerobic biodegradation in situ. Compound- and position-specific stable isotope analysis provides a means to study MTBE biodegradation, but isotopic fractionation of ETBE has only been studied with a few aerobic bacteria (εC −0.7 to −1.7‰, εH −11 to −73‰) and at one anoxic field site (δ2H-ETBE +14‰). Similarly, stable carbon isotope enrichment (δ13C-TBA +6.5‰) indicated TBA biodegradation at an anoxic field site. CSIA and PSIA are promising methods to detect anaerobic ETBE and TBA biodegradation but need to be investigated further to assess their full potential at field scale.

Graphical abstract
Towards authentic purposes for student science writing using culturally relevant pedagogy
Authors: Sedlacek Quentin C. , Lomelí Karla 
Published: February 2024

AbstractA growing body of research demonstrates the value of asking students to write about science for authentic purposes. But which purposes–and, just as importantly, whose purposes–count as authentic? In this theoretical article, we review several conceptions of authentic purpose drawn from science education and literacy education and use these to question the meaning and significance of authenticity in student science writing. Next, we examine the framework of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) and ask how it might be used to define authentic purposes for science writing. We offer an additional conception of authentic purpose, one focused on situations where students’ purposes for writing about science directly overlap with teachers’ purposes for asking students to write. We share an illustrative example from our work as teacher educators that demonstrates how CRP can focus our attention on the types of classrooms and interactions that might create conditions where students becoming increasingly likely to pursue their own purposes through writing. Finally, using CRP as a framework, we offer seven strategies that might help create such situations, and discuss their implications for science educators and science education researchers. We argue that using CRP to operationalize science writing for authentic purposes can push the field forward by suggesting new directions for research and practice.
Controlling Plasmonic Field Enhancement via the Interference of Orthogonal Plasmonic Modes
Authors: Bánhegyi Balázs , Tóth Lázár , Dombi Péter , Budai Judit , Hanus Václav , Rácz Péter , Pápa Zsuzsanna 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Optical nanoantennas concentrate light into their local fields. The field concentration property is governed by the plasmonic resonances and their interference. Here, we present a method for controllable local-field interferences in the hot spot of nanorods and experimentally demonstrate that the field enhancement can be tuned in a wide range. For this, we design nanoparticles with given phase relations between their plasmonic eigenmodes and at the same time tune the phase between the components of the external field by changing its polarization state to achieve in-phase excitation of the plasmon modes. Strong-field photoemission is applied to probe the field enhancement property of the nanorods employing femtosecond pulses of different polarization states. Our findings provide a new degree of freedom in plasmonic resonance tuning and may inspire diverse designs of local-field responses and expand the applications in nanoscale sensing, spectroscopy, and dynamically tunable devices.
Study rationale and design of the PEOPLHE trial
Authors: Milanese Gianluca , Silva Mario , Ledda Roberta Eufrasia , Iezzi Elisa , Bortolotto Chandra , Mauro Letizia Antonella , Valentini Adele , Reali Linda , Bottinelli Olivia Maria , Ilardi Adriana , Basile Antonio , Palmucci Stefano , Preda Lorenzo , Sverzellati Nicola ,   the PEOPLHE consortium, Aliotta Lorenzo , Barbarino Sebastiano , Borzì Santo , Casotto Virginia , Catalano Marco , Cavalieri Domenico Maria , Clemenza Mariangela , Contino Martina , Crimi Luca , Curia Bruno , Favia Pasquale , Gallone Vita Ida , Guicciardi Giulia , La Rosa Giuliana , Leo Ludovica , Mura Rebecca , Priore Antonella , Ruongo Lidia , Scavone Carlotta , Zilioli Carlotta 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Lung cancer screening (LCS) by low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) demonstrated a 20–40% reduction in lung cancer mortality. National stakeholders and international scientific societies are increasingly endorsing LCS programs, but translating their benefits into practice is rather challenging. The “Model for Optimized Implementation of Early Lung Cancer Detection: Prospective Evaluation Of Preventive Lung HEalth” (PEOPLHE) is an Italian multicentric LCS program aiming at testing LCS feasibility and implementation within the national healthcare system. PEOPLHE is intended to assess (i) strategies to optimize LCS workflow, (ii) radiological quality assurance, and (iii) the need for dedicated resources, including smoking cessation facilities.

Methods
PEOPLHE aims to recruit 1.500 high-risk individuals across three tertiary general hospitals in three different Italian regions that provide comprehensive services to large populations to explore geographic, demographic, and socioeconomic diversities. Screening by LDCT will target current or former (quitting < 10 years) smokers (> 15 cigarettes/day for > 25 years, or > 10 cigarettes/day for > 30 years) aged 50–75 years. Lung nodules will be volumetric measured and classified by a modified PEOPLHE Lung-RADS 1.1 system. Current smokers will be offered smoking cessation support.

Conclusion
The PEOPLHE program will provide information on strategies for screening enrollment and smoking cessation interventions; administrative, organizational, and radiological needs for performing a state-of-the-art LCS; collateral and incidental findings (both pulmonary and extrapulmonary), contributing to the LCS implementation within national healthcare systems.
StatePol – Eine Datenbank zu den Mitgliedern von Regierungen und Parlamenten in den 16 Bundesländern
Authors: Koch Elias , Kuhlen Daniel , Müller Jochen , Stecker Christian 
Published: February 2024

ZusammenfassungDiese Research Note stellt mit StatePol eine neue Datenbank vor, die Informationen über die Mitglieder der Landesparlamente und -regierungen enthält. Die Informationen umfassen sowohl soziodemografische Merkmale als auch Karrieredaten wie Mitgliedschaften und Ämter in Fraktionen, Ausschüssen, Parlamentspräsidien und Regierungskabinetten. Der Mehrwert von StatePol besteht insbesondere darin, dass diese Daten weitestgehend tagesgenau vorliegen und somit auch Dynamiken innerhalb von Legislaturperioden erfassen. Auf diese Weise umfasst StatePol Informationen zu 6946 individuellen Entscheidungsträger:innen in den deutschen Bundesländern und insgesamt 22.379.186 tagesweise Datenpunkte mit Informationen über ihre Ämter und Mandate in Legislative und Exekutive.Wir illustrieren das Potenzial von StatePol, indem wir uns explorativ der deskriptiven Repräsentation von Gender, Alter und regionaler Herkunft (Ost‑/Westdeutschland) widmen und hierbei Schlaglichter auf tagesgenaue Veränderungen werfen. Es zeigt sich, dass der Frauenanteil in den Länderparlamenten seit den 2000er-Jahren bei etwa 30 % stagniert, wobei erhebliche Unterschiede zwischen Parteien bzw. Fraktionen erkennbar sind. Die Daten konstatieren auch einen stetigen Anstieg des Durchschnittsalters der Abgeordneten, insbesondere bei Bündnisgrünen und Linken. Während Menschen ostdeutscher Herkunft zwar in den Landtagen und Regierungen der ostdeutschen Länder dominieren, sind sie in westdeutschen Landesparlamenten und -regierungen kaum vertreten. Demgegenüber stellen in Westdeutschland geborene Menschen in allen Landesregierungen kontinuierlich einen substanziellen Anteil der Entscheidungsträger:innen. Mithilfe der hochaufgelösten Daten, die mit der Veröffentlichung der Allgemeinheit zur Verfügung stehen, können künftig wichtige Fragen der Repräsentationsforschung im deutschen Kontext umfassend untersucht werden. Zur Research Note steht ein Onlineangebot bereit, das es ermöglicht, die präsentierten Daten eingehend zu erkunden und herunterzuladen.
Long-term prescribed drug use in stage I–III rectal cancer patients in Sweden, with a focus on bowel-regulating drugs after surgical and oncological treatment
Authors: Boman Sol Erika , Fuentes Stina , Nordenvall Caroline , Martling Anna , Chen Lingjing , Glimelius Ingrid , Neovius Martin , Smedby Karin E. , Eloranta Sandra 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Purpose
To describe long-term prescribed drug use after rectal cancer treatment.

Methods
We identified 12,871 rectal cancer patients without distant metastasis between 2005 and 2016 and 64,341 matched population comparators using CRCBaSe (a Swedish nationwide register linkage of colorectal cancer patients). Mean defined daily doses (DDDs) of drug dispensing during relapse-free follow-up were calculated by Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical drug categories. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) from negative binomial regression were used to compare drug dispensing between patients and comparators.

Results
The overall pattern of drug dispensing was similar among cancer survivors and comparators, although patients had higher mean DDDs of drugs regulating the digestive system. Excess dispensing of drugs for constipation (IRR, 3.35; 95% CI, 3.12–3.61), diarrhea (IRR, 6.43; 95% CI, 5.72–7.22), functional gastrointestinal disorders (IRR, 3.78; 95% CI, 3.15–4.54), and vitamin and mineral supplements (IRR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.24–1.50) was observed up to 10 years after surgery. Treatment with Hartmann’s procedure was associated with higher dispensing rates of digestive drugs compared to surgery with anterior resection and abdominoperineal resection but the association was attributed to higher use of diabetic drugs. Additionally, excess digestive drug dispensing was associated with more advanced cancer stage but not with (chemo)radiotherapy treatment.

Conclusions
Excess drug use after rectal cancer is primarily driven by bowel-regulating drugs and is not modified by surgical or oncological treatment.

Implications for Cancer Survivors
The excess use of bowel-regulating drugs after rectal cancer indicated long-standing postsurgical gastrointestinal morbidity and need of prophylaxis. Reassuringly, no excess use of other drug classes was noted long term.
Remote Ischemia Postconditioning Mitigates Hippocampal Neuron Impairment by Modulating Cav1.2-CaMKIIα-Aromatase Signaling After Global Cerebral Ischemia in Ovariectomized Rats
Authors: Wang Lu , Gao Fujia , Chen Lingling , Sun Wuxiang , Liu Huiyu , Yang Wei , Zhang Xin , Bai Jing , Wang Ruimin 
Published: February 2024

AbstractBrain-derived estrogen (BDE2) is gaining attention as an endogenous neurotransmitter. Recent research has revealed that selectively removing the aromatase gene, the pivotal enzyme responsible for BDE2 synthesis, in forebrain neurons or astrocytes can lead to synaptic loss and cognitive impairment. It is worth noting that remote ischemia post-conditioning (RIP), a non-invasive technique, has been shown to activate natural protective mechanisms against severe ischemic events. The aim of our study was to investigate whether RIP triggers aromatase-BDE2 signaling, shedding light on its neuroprotective mechanisms after global cerebral ischemia (GCI) in ovariectomized rats. Our findings are as follows: (1) RIP was effective in mitigating ischemic damage in hippocampal CA1 neurons and improved cognitive function after GCI. This was partially due to increased Aro-BDE2 signaling in CA1 neurons. (2) RIP intervention efficiently enhanced pro-survival kinase pathways, such as AKT, ERK1/2, CREB, and suppressed CaMKIIα signaling in CA1 astrocytes induced by GCI. Remarkably, inhibiting CaMKIIα activity led to elevated Aro-BDE2 levels and replicated the benefits of RIP. (3) We also identified the positive mediation of Cav1.2, an LVGCC calcium channel, on CaMKIIα-Aro/BDE2 pathway response to RIP intervention. (4) Significantly, either RIP or CaMKIIα inhibition was found to alleviate reactive astrogliosis, which was accompanied by increased pro-survival A2-astrocyte protein S100A10 and decreased pro-death A1-astrocyte marker C3 levels. In summary, our study provides compelling evidence that Aro-BDE2 signaling is a critical target for the reparative effects of RIP following ischemic insult. This effect may be mediated through the CaV1.2-CaMKIIα signaling pathway, in collaboration with astrocyte-neuron interactions, thereby maintaining calcium homeostasis in the neuronal microenvironment and reducing neuronal damage after ischemia.
Deep learning-based PET image denoising and reconstruction: a review
Authors: Hashimoto Fumio , Onishi Yuya , Ote Kibo , Tashima Hideaki , Reader Andrew J. , Yamaya Taiga 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThis review focuses on positron emission tomography (PET) imaging algorithms and traces the evolution of PET image reconstruction methods. First, we provide an overview of conventional PET image reconstruction methods from filtered backprojection through to recent iterative PET image reconstruction algorithms, and then review deep learning methods for PET data up to the latest innovations within three main categories. The first category involves post-processing methods for PET image denoising. The second category comprises direct image reconstruction methods that learn mappings from sinograms to the reconstructed images in an end-to-end manner. The third category comprises iterative reconstruction methods that combine conventional iterative image reconstruction with neural-network enhancement. We discuss future perspectives on PET imaging and deep learning technology.
Comparing corporate giving and individual giving: evidence from Chinese foundations
Authors: Wang Qun , Boden Daniel 
Published: February 2024

AbstractNonprofit organizations receive charitable contributions from both institutional donors and individual donors. Existing studies have traditionally focused on factors related to nonprofits’ total donation income rather than exploring similarity and difference in the two types of donors’ preference for donation recipients. Following Wang’s in Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 52(3), 787–816 (2023) call for the distinction between institutional donors (i.e., corporations) and individual donors, this study regresses corporate giving and individual giving separately on four themes of explanatory variables, namely organizational legitimacy, political connections, organizational attributes, and environmental factors, of a sample of 2,021 Chinese foundations for the year 2013. The results showed that multiple variables are related to corporate giving and individual giving differently to varying degrees. This study suggests future research (1) consider the potentially different effects of predictors on multiple sources of giving when analyzing nonprofits’ total donation income and (2) theorize the different preferences of the two types of donors.