bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
On the origin of F-wave: involvement of central synaptic mechanisms
Authors: Özyurt M Görkem , Nascimento Filipe , Brownstone Robert M , Beato Marco 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Neurophysiological methods are used widely to gain information about motor neuron excitability and axon conduction in neurodegenerative diseases. The F-wave is a common biomarker used to test motor neuron properties in the diagnosis of neurological diseases. Although the origin of the F-wave is a subject of debate, the most widely accepted mechanism posits that the F-wave is generated by the backfiring of motor neurons stimulated antidromically from the periphery.
In this study, we developed an ex vivo mouse sciatic nerve-attached spinal cord preparation with sensory axons severed.
In this preparation, stimulation of the whole sciatic nerve or its tibial branch evoked responses with the electrophysiological signatures of F-waves. Manipulations of synaptic transmission by either removal of extracellular calcium or block of post-synaptic glutamate receptors abolished these responses.
These results suggest that F-waves are mediated by spinal microcircuits activated by recurrent motor axon collaterals via glutamatergic synapses.
Cerebral perfusion in post-stroke aphasia and its relationship to residual language abilities
Authors: Ivanova Maria V , Pappas Ioannis , Inglis Ben , Pracar Alexis L , Herron Timothy J , Baldo Juliana V , Kayser Andrew S , D’Esposito Mark , Dronkers Nina F 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Stroke alters blood flow to the brain resulting in damaged tissue and cell death. Moreover, the disruption of cerebral blood flow (perfusion) can be observed in areas surrounding and distal to the lesion. These structurally preserved but suboptimally perfused regions may also affect recovery. Thus, to better understand aphasia recovery, the relationship between cerebral perfusion and language needs to be systematically examined. In the current study, we aimed to evaluate (i) how stroke affects perfusion outside of lesioned areas in chronic aphasia and (ii) how perfusion in specific cortical areas and perilesional tissue relates to language outcomes in aphasia. We analysed perfusion data from a large sample of participants with chronic aphasia due to left hemisphere stroke (n = 43) and age-matched healthy controls (n = 25). We used anatomically defined regions of interest that covered the frontal, parietal, and temporal areas of the perisylvian cortex in both hemispheres, areas typically known to support language, along with several control regions not implicated in language processing. For the aphasia group, we also looked at three regions of interest in the perilesional tissue. We compared perfusion levels between the two groups and investigated the relationship between perfusion levels and language subtest scores while controlling for demographic and lesion variables. First, we observed that perfusion levels outside the lesioned areas were significantly reduced in frontal and parietal regions in the left hemisphere in people with aphasia compared to the control group, while no differences were observed for the right hemisphere regions. Second, we found that perfusion in the left temporal lobe (and most strongly in the posterior part of both superior and middle temporal gyri) and inferior parietal areas (supramarginal gyrus) was significantly related to residual expressive and receptive language abilities. In contrast, perfusion in the frontal regions did not show such a relationship; no relationship with language was also observed for perfusion levels in control areas and all right hemisphere regions. Third, perilesional perfusion was only marginally related to language production abilities. Cumulatively, the current findings demonstrate that blood flow is reduced beyond the lesion site in chronic aphasia and that hypoperfused neural tissue in critical temporoparietal language areas has a negative impact on behavioural outcomes. These results, using perfusion imaging, underscore the critical and general role that left hemisphere posterior temporal regions play in various expressive and receptive language abilities. Overall, the study highlights the importance of exploring perfusion measures in stroke.
Before the Nation-State: Civilizations, World Orders, and the Origins of Global International Relations
Authors: Acharya Amitav 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
The dominant perspectives on International Relations (IR) focus on the rise of the Western civilization and the global expansion of the European Westphalian system as their starting point. This leads to a narrow Eurocentric understanding of IR that obscures the role and contribution of other civilizations to the evolution of world order. However, during the last 5000 years, many civilizations have risen, fallen, and survived. This essay focuses on five world orders that made their mark before the “rise of the West” or the advent of European colonialism around roughly the 16th century AD: Near Eastern, Indian, Chinese, Islamic, and Indian Oceanic. A study of classical civilizations and world orders can help IR scholars to more fully engage history and reshape the study of IR theories and concepts in several ways. It helps us to understand, and if necessary, challenge, the dominance of certain key ideas that claim to be universal and have been taken for granted as such. Moreover, studying IR from a historical–civilizational perspective opens the door to understanding both material and ideational relationships among states and societies. It also encourages a shift in IR thinking from the conventional state-centric category of the “international system” to the broader framing of world order.
Androgen Excess and Deficiency: Analytical and Diagnostic Approaches
Authors: Heijboer Annemieke C , Hannema Sabine E 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Background
Androgens are synthesized from cholesterol through sequential conversions by enzymes in the adrenal glands and gonads. Serum levels of androgens change during the different phases of life and regulate important developmental and maturational processes. Androgen excess or deficiency can therefore present at various ages in various ways.

Content
The diagnostic approach for atypical genitalia, premature pubarche, delayed pubertal onset or progression, and hirsutism or virilization, including measurement of androgens (testosterone, androstenedione, 17-OHprogesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, and dihydrotestosterone) is discussed in the current review. Androgens can be measured in serum, saliva, urine, or dried blood spots. Techniques to measure androgens, including immunoassays and LC–MS, have their own advantages and pitfalls. In addition, pre- and postanalytical issues are important when measuring androgens.

Summary
During clinical interpretation of androgen measurements, it is important to take preanalytical circumstances, such as time of blood withdrawal, into account. As immunoassays have major drawbacks, especially in samples from women and neonates, concentrations measured using these assays should be interpreted with care. Reference intervals can only be used in relation to the measurement technique and the standardization of the assay. In the near future, new androgens will probably be added to the current repertoire to further improve the diagnosis and follow-up of androgen excess or deficiency.
Paediatric and adolescent ectopic Cushing's syndrome: systematic review
Authors: Yami Channaiah Chethan , Karlekar Manjiri , Sarathi Vijaya , Lila Anurag Ranjan , Ravindra Shruthi , Badhe Padma Vikram , Malhotra Gaurav , Memon Saba Samad , Patil Virendra Ashokrao , Pramesh C S , Bandgar Tushar 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Objective
The data on clinical, biochemical, radiological characteristics, and outcomes in paediatric ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone syndrome (EAS) are limited owing to rarity of the condition. We report three new cases and perform a systematic review of paediatric EAS.

Design and Method
Case records of paediatric and adolescent EAS patient's ≤20 years presenting at our centre between 1997 and 2021 were retrospectively reviewed, and a systematic review of the literature published between January 1970 and December 2022 was performed.

Results
A total of 161 patients including 3 new patients from our centre were identified. Bronchial neuroendocrine tumours (NET) (28.5%), thymic NET (22.9%), primitive cell-derived tumours (18.6%), and gastro-entero-pancreatic-NET (13.7%) were the common causes. Primitive cell-derived tumours were the most common in the first decade (24/45, 53.4%) and were the largest (82 [60-100] mm), whereas bronchial NETs predominated during the second decade (42/116, 36.2%) and were the smallest (15 [10-25] mm). Computed tomography localized 92.9% (118/127) of paediatric EAS patients. Immediate postoperative remission was attained in 77.9% (88/113) patients, whereas 30.4% (24/79) relapsed over a median (IQR) period of 13 (8-36) months. Over a median (IQR) follow-up of 2 (0.6-4.6) years, 31.4% of patients died. The median survival was higher in bronchial NET than in other tumour groups. Distant metastasis and tumour size were independent negative predictors of survival.

Conclusions
Aetiological profile of paediatric and adolescent EAS is distinct from that of adults. Bronchial NETs have the best long-term survival, whereas distant metastasis and tumour size predict poor survival.
Are multi-detector computed tomography and cone-beam computed tomography exams and software accurate to measure the upper airway? A systematic review
Authors: Templier Laura , Rossi Cecilia , Lagravère Vich Manuel , Fernández Pujol Ramón , Muwanguzi Michelle , Gianoni-Capenakas Silvia 
Published: October 2023

Summary

Background
Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) has several applications in various fields of dental medicine such as diagnosis and treatment planning. When compared to computed tomography (CT), CBCT’s radiation exposure dose is decreased by 3%–20%. However, CBCT produces more scattered signals and may present poorer image quality when compared to medical CT.

Objectives
To review the findings regarding the accuracy of multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) and CBCT and to compare the different software programs that segment the upper airway.

Search methods
Three databases (PubMed, Medline, and Web of Science) were searched for articles and a manual search was performed.

Selection criteria
The inclusion criteria were defined following the PICO framework: P—any patient with a CBCT or CT; I—dimensional evaluation of the upper airway using MDCT or CBCT; C—phantoms; O—the primary outcome was MDCT and CBCT accuracy, the secondary outcome was the evaluation and comparison of software programs used to segment the upper airway.

Data collection and analysis
Articles that met eligibility criteria were assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program Checklist.

Results
Among the 16 eligible studies, 6 articles referred to the accuracy of MDCTs or CBCTs and 10 to the accuracy of the software. Most articles were qualified as high quality.

Conclusions
MDCT and CBCT scans’ accuracy in upper airway dimensional measurements depends on machine brand, parameters, and segmentation technique. Regarding the segmentation technique, 12 programs were studied. Most either underestimated or overestimated upper airway measurements. In particular, OnDemand3D and INVIVO showed poor accuracy. On the contrary, Invesalius, and MIMICS were accurate in assessing nasal cavities when using an interactive threshold. However, results varied due to methodological differences among the studies. Finally, fully automatic segmentation based on artificial intelligence may represent the future of airway segmentation because it is faster and seems to be accurate. However, further studies are necessary.

Registration
This study was registered in Prospero (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews) with the ID number CRD42022373998.
Assessment of late gadolinium enhancement in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy improves risk stratification based on current guidelines
Authors: Wang Jiaxin , Yang Shujuan , Ma Xuan , Zhao Kankan , Yang Kai , Yu Shiqin , Yin Gang , Dong Zhixiang , Song Yanyan , Cui Chen , Li Jinghui , Wang Chuangshi , Hao Jun , Lu Minjie , Chen Xiuyu , Zhao Shihua 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Background and Aims
Identifying patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) who are candidates for implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation in primary prevention for sudden cardiac death (SCD) is crucial. The aim of this study was to externally validate the 2022 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) model and other guideline-based ICD class of recommendation (ICD-COR) models and explore the utility of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in further risk stratification.

Methods
Seven hundred and seventy-four consecutive patients who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging were retrospectively enrolled.

Results
Forty-six (5.9%) patients reached the SCD-related endpoint during 7.4 ± 2.5 years of follow-up. Patients suffering from SCD had higher ESC Risk-SCD score (4.3 ± 2.4% vs. 2.8 ± 2.1%, P &lt; .001) and LGE extent (13.7 ± 9.4% vs. 4.9 ± 6.6%, P &lt; .001). Compared with the 2014 ESC model, the 2022 ESC model showed increased area under the curve (.76 vs. .63), sensitivity (76.1% vs. 43.5%), positive predictive value (16.8% vs. 13.6%), and negative predictive value (98.1% vs. 95.9%). The C-statistics for SCD prediction of 2011 American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA), 2014 ESC, 2020 AHA/ACC, and 2022 ESC models were .68, .64, .76 and .78, respectively. Furthermore, in patients without extensive LGE, LGE ≥5% was responsible for seven-fold SCD risk after multivariable adjustment. Whether in ICD-COR II or ICD-COR III, patients with LGE ≥5% and &lt;15% showed significantly worse prognosis than those with LGE &lt;5% (all P &lt; .001).

Conclusions
The 2022 ESC model performed better than the 2014 ESC model with especially improved sensitivity. LGE enabled further risk stratification based on current guidelines.
Paid care among older adults with long-term care needs declined in the first year of COVID-19 while families stepped in
Authors: Truskinovsky Yulya , Wiemers Emily E 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Separate strands of research have documented impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in nursing homes and among paid and family caregivers, yet there is little evidence connecting changes in the residential decisions of older adults with the provision of paid and family care, limiting our ability to identify potential substitutions and gaps in care. Using the 2020 wave of the Health and Retirement Study linked to county-level COVID-19 mortality rates, we found that, among older adults with long-term care needs, higher county-level mortality rates were associated with a decline in nursing home residence and an increase in co-residence with adult children. These changes were coupled with a decline in the likelihood of receiving paid care and in the number of paid caregivers and an increase in the hours of unpaid care received. This analysis documents a reduction in nursing home residence and paid care during the first year of the pandemic and shows that families filled some of the resulting care gaps. Policymaking around long-term care should consider whether declines in the use of paid care are permanent and how they will affect the health of older Americans and their caregivers over the next decade.
Establishing a framework for the ethical and legal use of web scrapers by cybercrime and cybersecurity researchers: learnings from a systematic review of Australian research
Authors: Logos Katie , Brewer Russell , Langos Colette , Westlake Bryce 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
The Internet has become an increasingly attractive location for collecting data about cyber threats, driven by the abundance of quality data available and accessible online. As such, researchers and practitioners have turned to automated data collection technologies (ADCT), including ‘web crawlers’ and ‘web scrapers’, to study these threats. The rapid proliferation of ADCT has meant directions for their ethical and legal operation have been slow to adapt, with no clear guidelines regulating their use for research. This article identifies the relevant ethical and legal frameworks guiding the deployment of ADCT in Australia for cybersecurity research. This is accomplished through a systematic review of research within this context, coupled with ethical and jurisprudential analysis. We argue that the use of ADCT can be both ethical and legal, but only where mitigating measures are implemented. We provide a series of practical directions to guide researchers and practitioners when navigating this novel terrain.
Modified beluga whale optimization with multi-strategies for solving engineering problems
Authors: Jia Heming , Wen Qixian , Wu Di , Wang Zhuo , Wang Yuhao , Wen Changsheng , Abualigah Laith 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
The beluga whale optimization (BWO) algorithm is a recently proposed metaheuristic optimization algorithm that simulates three behaviors: beluga whales interacting in pairs to perform mirror swimming, population sharing information to cooperate in predation, and whale fall. However, the optimization performance of the BWO algorithm still needs to be improved to enhance its practicality. This paper proposes a modified beluga whale optimization (MBWO) with a multi-strategy. It was inspired by beluga whales’ two behaviors: group gathering for foraging and searching for new habitats in long-distance migration. This paper proposes a group aggregation strategy (GAs) and a migration strategy (Ms). The GAs can improve the local development ability of the algorithm and accelerate the overall rate of convergence through the group aggregation fine search; the Ms randomly moves towards the periphery of the population, enhancing the ability to jump out of local optima. In order to verify the optimization ability of MBWO, this article conducted comprehensive testing on MBWO using 23 benchmark functions, IEEE CEC2014, and IEEE CEC2021. The experimental results indicate that MBWO has a strong optimization ability. This paper also tests MBWO’s ability to solve practical engineering optimization problems through five practical engineering problems. The final results prove the effectiveness of MBWO in solving practical engineering optimization problems.
Protecting the Habitats of Endangered Species Through Environmental Public Interest Litigation in China: Lessons Learned from Peafowl Versus the Dam
Authors: Chu Juan 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Green Peafowl stands as a landmark lawsuit in China where environmental NGOs successfully halted a project threatening habitat of endangered species. By examining this case, this analysis evaluates the promise and limitations of China’s civil environmental public interest litigation (EPIL) in protecting habitat. Under civil EPIL’s broad and flexible framework, environmental NGOs can convince the courts that a government-approved project would destroy the ‘biological habitat’ for endangered species and hold project developers accountable. By arguing that the environmental impact assessment (EIA) institution is jointly liable by preparing a flawed report, environmental NGOs can also use civil EPIL as an alternative avenue to challenge the quality of an approved EIA report. However, the timing of judicial intervention, uncertainties of litigation outcomes, the scope of protection, and the court’s attitude towards EIA claims limit the effectiveness of civil EPIL. This analysis highlights the need to address regulatory failures revealed by Green Peafowl.
Photometric redshift estimation for gamma-ray bursts from the early Universe
Authors: Fausey H M , van der Horst A J , White N E , Seiffert M , Willems P , Young E T , Kann D A , Ghirlanda G , Salvaterra R , Tanvir N R , Levan A , Moss M , Chang T-C , Fruchter A , Guiriec S , Hartmann D H , Kouveliotou C , Granot J , Lidz A 
Published: October 2023

ABSTRACT
Future detection of high-redshift gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) will be an important tool for studying the early Universe. Fast and accurate redshift estimation for detected GRBs is key for encouraging rapid follow-up observations by ground- and space-based telescopes. Low-redshift dusty interlopers pose the biggest challenge for GRB redshift estimation using broad photometric bands, as their high extinction can mimic a high-redshift GRB. To assess false alarms of high-redshift GRB photometric measurements, we simulate and fit a variety of GRBs using phozzy, a simulation code developed to estimate GRB photometric redshifts, and test the ability to distinguish between high- and low-redshift GRBs when using simultaneously observed photometric bands. We run the code with the wavelength bands and instrument parameters for the Photo-z Infrared Telescope (PIRT), an instrument designed for the Gamow mission concept. We explore various distributions of host galaxy extinction as a function of redshift, and their effect on the completeness and purity of a high-redshift GRB search with the PIRT. We find that for assumptions based on current observations, the completeness and purity range from ∼82 to 88 per cent and from ∼84 to $\gt 99~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$, respectively. For the priors optimized to reduce false positives, only $\sim 0.6~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of low-redshift GRBs will be mistaken as a high-redshift one, corresponding to ∼1 false alarm per 500 detected GRBs.
Marginal post-processing of Bayesian inference products with normalizing flows and kernel density estimators
Authors: Bevins Harry T J , Handley William J , Lemos Pablo , Sims Peter H , de Lera Acedo Eloy , Fialkov Anastasia , Alsing Justin 
Published: October 2023

ABSTRACT
Bayesian analysis has become an indispensable tool across many different cosmological fields, including the study of gravitational waves, the cosmic microwave background, and the 21-cm signal from the Cosmic Dawn, among other phenomena. The method provides a way to fit complex models to data describing key cosmological and astrophysical signals and a whole host of contaminating signals and instrumental effects modelled with ‘nuisance parameters’. In this paper, we summarize a method that uses masked autoregressive flows and kernel density estimators to learn marginal posterior densities corresponding to core science parameters. We find that the marginal or ‘nuisance-free’ posteriors and the associated likelihoods have an abundance of applications, including the calculation of previously intractable marginal Kullback–Leibler divergences and marginal Bayesian model dimensionalities, likelihood emulation, and prior emulation. We demonstrate each application using toy examples, examples from the field of 21-cm cosmology, and samples from the Dark Energy Survey. We discuss how marginal summary statistics like the Kullback–Leibler divergences and Bayesian model dimensionalities can be used to examine the constraining power of different experiments and how we can perform efficient joint analysis by taking advantage of marginal prior and likelihood emulators. We package our multipurpose code up in the pip-installable code margarine for use in the wider scientific community.