bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Contrast-enhanced CT radiomics features to preoperatively identify differences between tumor and proximal tumor-adjacent and tumor-distant tissues of resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Gao Dan , Tan Bang-guo , Chen Xiao-qian , Zhou Chuanqinyuan , Ou Jing , Guo Wen-wen , Zhou Hai-ying , Li Rui , Zhang Xiao-ming , Chen Tian-wu 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Background
Esophagectomy is the main treatment for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and patients with histopathologically negative margins still have a relatively higher recurrence rate. Contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) radiomics might noninvasively obtain potential information about the internal heterogeneity of ESCC and its adjacent tissues. This study aimed to develop CECT radiomics models to preoperatively identify the differences between tumor and proximal tumor-adjacent and tumor-distant tissues in ESCC to potentially reduce tumor recurrence.

Methods
A total of 529 consecutive patients with ESCC from Centers A (n = 447) and B (n = 82) undergoing preoperative CECT were retrospectively enrolled in this study. Radiomics features of the tumor, proximal tumor-adjacent (PTA) and proximal tumor-distant (PTD) tissues were individually extracted by delineating the corresponding region of interest (ROI) on CECT and applying the 3D-Slicer radiomics module. Patients with pairwise tissues (ESCC vs. PTA, ESCC vs. PTD, and PTA vs. PTD) from Center A were randomly assigned to the training cohort (TC, n = 313) and internal validation cohort (IVC, n = 134). Univariate analysis and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator were used to select the core radiomics features, and logistic regression was performed to develop radiomics models to differentiate individual pairwise tissues in TC, validated in IVC and the external validation cohort (EVC) from Center B. Diagnostic performance was assessed using area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) and accuracy.

Results
With the chosen 20, 19 and 5 core radiomics features in TC, 3 individual radiomics models were developed, which exhibited excellent ability to differentiate the tumor from PTA tissue (AUC: 0.965; accuracy: 0.965), the tumor from PTD tissue (AUC: 0.991; accuracy: 0.958), and PTA from PTD tissue (AUC: 0.870; accuracy: 0.848), respectively. In IVC and EVC, the models also showed good performance in differentiating the tumor from PTA tissue (AUCs: 0.956 and 0.962; accuracy: 0.956 and 0.937), the tumor from PTD tissue (AUCs: 0.990 and 0.974; accuracy: 0.952 and 0.970), and PTA from PTD tissue (AUCs: 0.806 and 0.786; accuracy: 0.760 and 0.786), respectively.

Conclusion
CECT radiomics models could differentiate the tumor from PTA tissue, the tumor from PTD tissue, and PTA from PTD tissue in ESCC.
Comparison of factors influencing landslide risk near a forest road in Chungju-si, South Korea
Authors: Moon Seong-Woo , Noh Jeongdu , Kim Hyeong-Sin , Kang Seong-Seung , Seo Yong-Seok 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Background
The study aimed to identify the influential factors required to prepare landslide vulnerability maps and establish disaster prevention measures for mountainous areas with forest roads. The target area is Sancheok-myeon, Chungju-si, where several landslides have occurred in a narrow area of approximately 3 km × 4 km. As the area has the same rainfall and vegetation conditions, the influences of the physico-mechanical characteristics of the soil in accordance with compaction and topographic characteristics could be analyzed precisely.

Methods
Geological surveying, sampling, and laboratory testing assessed landslide risk in the study area, and data including unit weight, specific gravity, porosity, water content, soil depth, friction angle, cohesion, slope angle, profile/plan curvature, TWI were obtained. Preprocessing and screening such as min-max normalization and multicollinearity were conducted for the data in order to eliminate overestimation of each factor’s effectiveness. The influence of each factor was analyzed using logistic regression (LR), structural equation modeling (SEM), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM).

Results
All methods showed that soil depth has the greatest impact on landslide occurrence. Friction angle, slope angle, and porosity were also selected as influential factors, although each method ranked them slightly differently. Topographic factors, such as plan curvature, profile curvature, and the topographic wetness index, had minimal influence. This appears to be because landslides near forest roads are more affected by how well compaction was performed during banking than by the concave or convex shape of the slope. This study presents analysis results for an area with the same rainfall and vegetation conditions; therefore, the analysis of the influence of the physico-mechanical characteristics of the soil and topography was more precise than when comparing landslides occurring in different regions. Our results may be helpful in preparing landslide vulnerability maps.
Impact of recapitalisation and dividend payout policies on financial sustainability of rural and community banks in Ghana
Authors: Oduro Richard 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe study examines the effect of bank recapitalization and dividend policies on the financial sustainability of rural and community banks (RCBs) in Ghana. Data from 135 RCBs from 2011 to 2020 revealed an average financial sustainability index of 0.525 over the past decade, suggesting that RCBs can finance their operations and liabilities without diminishing shareholder value. Recapitalization and dividend payouts positively impact financial sustainability, with well-capitalized, highly pay-out RCBs showing faster improvements in sustainability compared to those with retention policy. This highlights the importance of RCBs bolstering their capital base, even when not mandated by regulators, to enhance financial sustainability. Furthermore, adopting a relaxed pay-out policy can signal operational efficiency and sustainability to shareholders.
Hypoxia-Directed Treatment of Human Papillomavirus–Related Oropharyngeal Carcinoma
Authors: Lee Nancy Y. , Sherman Eric J. , Schöder HeiKo , Wray Rick , Boyle Jay O. , Singh Bhuvanesh , Grkovski Milan , Paudyal Ramesh , Cunningham Louise , Zhang Zhigang , Hatzoglou Vaios , Katabi Nora , Diplas Bill H. , Han James , Imber Brandon S. , Pham Khoi , Yu Yao , Zakeri Kaveh , McBride Sean M. , Kang Jung J. , Tsai C. Jillian , Chen Linda C. , Gelblum Daphna Y. , Shah Jatin P. , Ganly Ian , Cohen Marc A. , Cracchiolo Jennifer R. , Morris Luc G.T. , Dunn Lara A. , Michel Loren S. , Fetten James V. , Kripani Anuja , Pfister David G. , Ho Alan L. , Shukla-Dave Amita , Humm John L. , Powell Simon N. , Li Bob T. , Reis-Filho Jorge S. , Diaz Luis A. , Wong Richard J. , Riaz Nadeem 
Published: January 2024

PURPOSE Standard curative-intent chemoradiotherapy for human papillomavirus (HPV)–related oropharyngeal carcinoma results in significant toxicity. Since hypoxic tumors are radioresistant, we posited that the aerobic state of a tumor could identify patients eligible for de-escalation of chemoradiotherapy while maintaining treatment efficacy. METHODS We enrolled patients with HPV-related oropharyngeal carcinoma to receive de-escalated definitive chemoradiotherapy in a phase II study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03323463 ). Patients first underwent surgical removal of disease at their primary site, but not of gross disease in the neck. A baseline 18F-fluoromisonidazole positron emission tomography scan was used to measure tumor hypoxia and was repeated 1-2 weeks intratreatment. Patients with nonhypoxic tumors received 30 Gy (3 weeks) with chemotherapy, whereas those with hypoxic tumors received standard chemoradiotherapy to 70 Gy (7 weeks). The primary objective was achieving a 2-year locoregional control (LRC) of 95% with a 7% noninferiority margin. RESULTS One hundred fifty-eight patients with T0-2/N1-N2c were enrolled, of which 152 patients were eligible for analyses. Of these, 128 patients met criteria for 30 Gy and 24 patients received 70 Gy. The 2-year LRC was 94.7% (95% CI, 89.8 to 97.7), meeting our primary objective. With a median follow-up time of 38.3 (range, 22.1-58.4) months, the 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 94% and 100%, respectively, for the 30-Gy cohort. The 70-Gy cohort had similar 2-year PFS and OS rates at 96% and 96%, respectively. Acute grade 3-4 adverse events were more common in 70 Gy versus 30 Gy (58.3% v 32%; P = .02). Late grade 3-4 adverse events only occurred in the 70-Gy cohort, in which 4.5% complained of late dysphagia. CONCLUSION Tumor hypoxia is a promising approach to direct dosing of curative-intent chemoradiotherapy for HPV-related carcinomas with preserved efficacy and substantially reduced toxicity that requires further investigation.
Understanding Household Dynamics From the Ground Up: A Longitudinal Study From a Rural South African Setting
Authors: Yu Shao-Tzu , Houle Brian , Schatz Enid , Angotti Nicole , Kabudula Chodziwadziwa W. , Gómez-Olivé Francesc Xavier , Clark Samuel J. , Menken Jane , Mojola Sanyu A. 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Investigations into household structure in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) provide important insight into how families manage domestic life in response to resource allocation and caregiving needs during periods of rapid sociopolitical and health-related challenges. Recent evidence on household structure in many LMICs contrasts with long-standing viewpoints of worldwide convergence to a Western nuclearized household model. Here, we adopt a household-centered theoretical and methodological framework to investigate longitudinal patterns and dynamics of household structure in a rural South African setting during a period of high AIDS-related mortality and socioeconomic change. Data come from the Agincourt Health and Socio-Demographic Surveillance System (2003–2015). Using latent transition models, we derived six distinct household types by examining conditional interdependency between household heads’ characteristics, members’ age composition, and migration status. More than half of households were characterized by their complex and multigenerational profiles, with considerable within-typology variation in household size and dependency structure. Transition analyses showed stability of household types under female headship, while higher proportions of nuclearized household types dissolved over time. Household dissolution was closely linked to prior mortality experiences—particularly, following death of a male head. Our findings highlight the need to better conceptualize and contextualize household changes across populations and over time.
Does Tighter Glycemic Control Beyond Hemoglobin A1c of 8% Improve Outcome for Lumbar Spine Surgery? A MSSIC Study
Authors: Telemi Edvin , Mansour Tarek R. , Brennan Matthew , Simo Leticia , Hu Jianhui , Schultz Lonni , Nerenz David R. , Khalil Jad G. , Easton Richard , Perez-Cruet Miguelangelo , Aleem Ilyas , Park Paul , Soo Teck , Tong Doris , Abdulhak Muwaffak , Schwalb Jason M. , Chang Victor 
Published: January 2024

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:
Diabetes mellitus is associated with increased risk of postoperative adverse outcomes. Previous studies have emphasized the role of glycemic control in postoperative complications. This study aims to ascertain whether controlling hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) lower than 8% preoperatively results in meaningful risk reduction or improved outcomes.

METHODS:
We used patient-level data from the Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative registry, focusing on patients who underwent elective lumbar spine surgery between 2018 and 2021. The primary outcomes were length of stay and the occurrence of postoperative adverse events. Secondary outcomes included patient satisfaction, achievement of a minimum clinically important difference (MCID) of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Physical Function, the EuroQol-5D and NRS of leg and back pain, and return to work.

RESULTS:
A total of 11 348 patients were included in this analysis. Patients with HbA1c above the thresholds before surgery had significantly higher risks of urinary retention for all 3 possible threshold values (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.30, P = .015; IRR = 1.35, P = .001; IRR = 1.25, P = .011 for the HbA1c cutoffs of 8%, 7.5%, and 7%, respectively). They also had longer hospital stay (IRR = 1.04, P = .002; IRR = 1.03, P = .001; IRR = 1.03, P < .001 for the HbA1c cutoffs of 8%, 7.5%, and 7%, respectively) and had higher risks of developing any complication with HbA1c cutoff of 7.5% (IRR = 1.09, P = .010) and 7% (IRR = 1.12, P = .001). Diabetics with preoperative HbA1c above all 3 thresholds were less likely to achieve Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System MCID at the 90-day follow-up (IRR = .81, P < .001; IRR = .86, P < .001; IRR = .90, P = .007 for the HbA1c cutoffs of 8%, 7.5%, and 7%, respectively) and less likely to achieve EuroQol-5D MCID at the 2-year follow-up (IRR = .87, P = .027; IRR = .84, P = .005 for the HbA1c cutoffs of 7.5% and 7%, respectively).

CONCLUSION:
Our study suggests that reducing HbA1c below 8% may have diminishing returns regarding reducing complications after spine surgery.
Towards Optimal Problem Dependent Generalization Error Bounds in Statistical Learning Theory
Authors: Xu Yunbei , Zeevi Assaf 
Published: January 2024

We study problem-dependent rates, that is, generalization errors that scale near-optimally with the variance, effective loss, or gradient norms evaluated at the “best hypothesis.” We introduce a principled framework dubbed “uniform localized convergence” and characterize sharp problem-dependent rates for central statistical learning problems. From a methodological viewpoint, our framework resolves several fundamental limitations of existing uniform convergence and localization analysis approaches. It also provides improvements and some level of unification in the study of localized complexities, one-sided uniform inequalities, and sample-based iterative algorithms. In the so-called “slow rate” regime, we provide the first (moment-penalized) estimator that achieves the optimal variance-dependent rate for general “rich” classes; we also establish an improved loss-dependent rate for standard empirical risk minimization. In the “fast rate” regime, we establish finite-sample, problem-dependent bounds that are comparable to precise asymptotics. In addition, we show that iterative algorithms such as gradient descent and first order expectation maximization can achieve optimal generalization error in several representative problems across the areas of nonconvex learning, stochastic optimization, and learning with missing data. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/moor.2021.0076 .
Demand Steering in a Last-Mile Delivery Problem with Home and Pickup Point Delivery Options
Authors: Galiullina Albina , Mutlu Nevin , Kinable Joris , Van Woensel Tom 
Published: January 2024

To increase the efficiency of last-mile delivery, online retailers can adopt pickup points in their operations. The retailer may then incentivize customers to steer them from home to pickup point delivery to reduce costs. However, it is usually uncertain whether the customer accepts this incentive to switch to pickup delivery. This setup gives rise to a new last-mile delivery problem with integrated incentive and routing decisions under uncertainty. We model this problem as a two-stage stochastic program with decision-dependent uncertainty. In the first stage, a retailer decides which customers to incentivize. However, customers’ reaction to the incentive is stochastic: they may accept the offer and switch to pickup point delivery, or they may decline the offer and stick with home delivery. In the second stage, after customers’ final delivery choices are revealed, a vehicle route is planned to serve customers via the delivery option of their choice. We develop an exact branch-and-bound algorithm and propose several heuristics to improve the algorithm’s scalability. Our algorithm solves instances with up to 50 customers, realizing on average 4%–8% lower last-mile delivery costs compared with the commonly applied approaches in the industry that do not use incentives or offer incentives to all customers. We also develop a benchmark policy that gives very fast solutions with a 2% average optimality gap for small instances and up to 2% average cost increase compared with the heuristic solutions. Funding: This project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement [Grant 765395]. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/trsc.2023.0287 .
Association between circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA and inflammation factors in noninfectious diseases: A systematic review
Authors: Zhou Min , Zhang Hao , Xu Xin , Chen Hairen , Qi Baiwen 
Published: January 2024

ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the correlation between the circulating cell-free mitochondria DNA and inflammation factors in noninfectious disease by meta-analysis of data from eligible studies.Materials and methodsThrough a comprehensive searching of pubmed, embase, web of science, cochrane from establishment of the database to October 31, 2022, studies were selected that investigated the association of circulating cell free mitochondria DNA with inflammatory factors in non-infectious diseases. Studies that met the inclusion criteria and were published in English or Chinese were included. Data of each correlation coefficients were extracted from the paper and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Sensitivity and heterogeneity tests were carried out for each data.ResultsA total of 660 articles were retrieved and 22 were included in this meta-analysis, including 2600 patients. A fixed effects model was employed to examine ISS and IL-8, others were analyzed using random effects models. The correlation coefficient between mtDNA and ISS score was 0.37 (95%CI = [0.232;0.494]), p<0.0001, heterogeneity I2= 46%, p = 0.11). The correlation coefficients between mtDNA and inflammatory factors are as follows: TNFα, 0.405 [(95%CI = [0.253;0.538], p<0.0001, heterogeneity I2= 77%, p = 0.0001]. IL-6, 0.469 [(95%CI = [0.296;0.612]), p = 0.0001, heterogeneity I2 = 93%, p<0.0001]. CRP, 0.333[(95%CI = [0.149;0.494]), p = 0.005, heterogeneity I2 = 85%, p<0.0001]. IL-8, 0.343[(95%CI = [0.233;0.524]), p = 0.001, heterogeneity I2= 50%, p = 0.09]. PCT, 0.333 [(95%CI = [0.06;0.64]), p = 0.09,heterogeneity I2= 64%,p = 0.06]. There were no significant publication bias for TNFα, IL-6 and CRP.ConslusionCirculating cell free mtDNA was moderate positively correlated with the expression of inflammatory factors and the degree of trauma.
Sexual activity in a large representative cohort of Polish men: Frequency, number of partners, correlates, and quality of life
Authors: Przydacz Mikolaj , Chlosta Marcin , Chrobak Adrian Andrzej , Rajwa Pawel , Dudek Przemyslaw , Wiatr Tomasz , Gronostaj Katarzyna , Czech Anna Katarzyna , Miszczyk Marcin , Skalski Michal , Dudek Dominika , Chlosta Piotr 
Published: January 2024

Introduction
Sexual activity of men has been evaluated at the population-level in different regions of the world. However, reliable data are lacking for Eastern Europe. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the frequency of sexual activity and the number of sexual partners in a large representative cohort of Polish men.

Methods
We performed a cross-sectional investigation with computer-assisted web interviews. Participants were stratified by age (≥18 years) and place of residence. The most recent population census was used to produce a population-representative sample of respondents. Men’s sexual activity was then correlated with multiple variables.

Results
We enrolled 3001 men, representative for age and place of residence, including adequate proportions of respondents from urban and rural areas. Most Polish men were sexually active, predominantly having had sex at least weekly with one partner. Almost 18% of respondents declined sexual intercourse and/or sexual partner in the prior year. The highest sexual activity was observed for men 35-44-years-old (for sex frequency) and 18-24-years-old (for partner number), living in medium-sized cities, employed, and married (for sex frequency) or divorced (for partner number). Erectile dysfunction negatively affected the frequency of sexual activity and lowered the number of sexual partners, although premature ejaculation did not have any effect. Frequency of sexual activity and number of sexual partners correlated well with psychological distress, quality of sex life, and overall life quality. Whereas lifestyle habits including smoking and alcohol intake decreased the likelihood of sexual activity, all analyzed comorbidities did not affect sex life.

Conclusions
This study of men’s sexual activity was the first population-representative and nationwide investigation performed in Poland. Most Polish men were sexually active and sexual activity correlated with multiple variables including sociodemographic factors, erectile functioning, mental distress, overall and sex-specific quality of life, and lifestyle habits.
A remote-controlled automatic chest compression device capable of moving compression position during CPR: A pilot study in a mannequin and a swine model of cardiac arrest
Authors: Suh Gil Joon , Kim Taegyun , Kim Kyung Su , Kwon Woon Yong , Kim Hayoung , Park Heesu , Wang Gaonsorae , Park Jaeheung , Hur Sungmoon , Sim Jaehoon , Kim Kyunghwan , Lee Jung Chan , Shin Dong Ah , Cho Woo Sang , Kim Byung Jun , Kwon Soyoon , Lee Ye Ji 
Published: January 2024

Background
Recently, we developed a chest compression device that can move the chest compression position without interruption during CPR and be remotely controlled to minimize rescuer exposure to infectious diseases. The purpose of this study was to compare its performance with conventional mechanical CPR device in a mannequin and a swine model of cardiac arrest.

Materials and methods
A prototype of a remote-controlled automatic chest compression device (ROSCER) that can change the chest compression position without interruption during CPR was developed, and its performance was compared with LUCAS 3 in a mannequin and a swine model of cardiac arrest. In a swine model of cardiac arrest, 16 male pigs were randomly assigned into the two groups, ROSCER CPR (n = 8) and LUCAS 3 CPR (n = 8), respectively. During 5 minutes of CPR, hemodynamic parameters including aortic pressure, right atrial pressure, coronary perfusion pressure, common carotid blood flow, and end-tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure were measured.

Results
In the compression performance test using a mannequin, compression depth, compression time, decompression time, and plateau time were almost equal between ROSCER and LUCAS 3. In a swine model of cardiac arrest, coronary perfusion pressure showed no difference between the two groups (p = 0.409). Systolic aortic pressure and carotid blood flow were higher in the LUCAS 3 group than in the ROSCER group during 5 minutes of CPR (p < 0.001, p = 0.008, respectively). End-tidal CO2 level of the ROSCER group was initially lower than that of the LUCAS 3 group, but was higher over time (p = 0.022). A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis for ROSC also showed no difference between the two groups (p = 0.46).

Conclusion
The prototype of a remote-controlled automated chest compression device can move the chest compression position without interruption during CPR. In a mannequin and a swine model of cardiac arrest, the device showed no inferior performance to a conventional mechanical CPR device.