bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Palliative prognostic scores for survival prediction of cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Yoong Si Qi , Bhowmik Priyanka , Kapparath Sreerag , Porock Davina 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

Background
The palliative prognostic score is the most widely validated prognostic tool for cancer survival prediction, with modified versions available. A systematic evaluation of palliative prognostic score tools is lacking. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the performance and prognostic utility of palliative prognostic score, delirium–palliative prognostic score, and palliative prognostic score without clinician prediction in predicting 30-day survival of cancer patients and to compare their performance.

Methods
Six databases were searched for peer-reviewed studies and grey literature published from inception to June 2, 2023. English studies must assess palliative prognostic score, delirium–palliative prognostic score, or palliative prognostic score without clinician-predicted survival for 30-day survival in adults aged 18 years and older with any stage or type of cancer. Outcomes were pooled using the random effects model or summarized narratively when meta-analysis was not possible.

Results
A total of 39 studies (n = 10 617 patients) were included. Palliative prognostic score is an accurate prognostic tool (pooled area under the curve [AUC] = 0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.79 to 0.84) and outperforms palliative prognostic score without clinician-predicted survival (pooled AUC = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.71 to 0.78), suggesting that the original palliative prognostic score should be preferred. The meta-analysis found palliative prognostic score and delirium–palliative prognostic score performance to be comparable. Most studies reported survival probabilities corresponding to the palliative prognostic score risk groups, and higher risk groups were statistically significantly associated with shorter survival.

Conclusions
Palliative prognostic score is a validated prognostic tool for cancer patients that can enhance clinicians’ confidence and accuracy in predicting survival. Future studies should investigate if accuracy differs depending on clinician characteristics. Reporting of validation studies must be improved, as most studies were at high risk of bias, primarily because calibration was not assessed.
Medical financial hardship between young adult cancer survivors and matched individuals without cancer in the United States
Authors: Li Lihua , Zhang Donglan , Li Yan , Jain Mayuri , Lin Xingyu , Hu Rebecca , Liu Junxiu , Thapa Janani , Mu Lan , Chen Zhuo , Liu Bian , Pagán José A 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

Background
Young adult cancer survivors face medical financial hardships that may lead to delaying or forgoing medical care. This study describes the medical financial difficulties young adult cancer survivors in the United States experience in the post–Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act period.

Method
We identified 1009 cancer survivors aged 18 to 39 years from the National Health Interview Survey (2015-2022) and matched 963 (95%) cancer survivors to 2733 control individuals using nearest-neighbor matching. We used conditional logistic regression to examine the association between cancer history and medical financial hardship and to assess whether this association varied by age, sex, race and ethnicity, and region of residence.

Results
Compared with those who did not have a history of cancer, young adult cancer survivors were more likely to report material financial hardship (22.8% vs 15.2%; odds ratio = 1.65, 95% confidence interval = 1.50 to 1.81) and behavior-related financial hardship (34.3% vs 24.4%; odds ratio = 1.62, 95% confidence interval = 1.49 to 1.76) but not psychological financial hardship (52.6% vs 50.9%; odds ratio = 1.07, 95% confidence interval = 0.99 to 1.16). Young adult cancer survivors who were Hispanic or lived in the Midwest and South were more likely to report psychological financial hardship than their counterparts.

Conclusions
We found that young adult cancer survivors were more likely to experience material and behavior-related financial hardship than young adults without a history of cancer. We also identified specific subgroups of young adult cancer survivors that may benefit from targeted policies and interventions to alleviate medical financial hardship.
Hierarchical clustering analysis of musculoskeletal stress factors and their risk level in cardboard manufacturing: research from PLIBEL
Authors: Contreras-Valenzuela Martha Roselia , Martínez-Ibanez Carlos Alejandro 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Objective: A hierarchical cluster analysis for the cardboard manufacturing industry was developed with the aim of identifying similarities between workstations in terms of musculoskeletal stress factors (MSFs) and their impact on workers’ bodies.
Methods: The hierarchical clustering analysis was conducted using data from 44 workstations, which included 6 body part divisions and 51 stress factors as variables with 36 answer options. Firstly, the content of the dataset was defined. Secondly, the data were agglomerated and classified into 3 clusters using Ward’s method based on the presence or absence of stress factors. Finally, the multivariable matrix was reduced to 2 factors: the x-axis representing the risk level of the workstation, and the y-axis representing the impact on the workers’ health.
Results: The study found that workers’ knees were the most affected body parts, with 47 cases. The resulting work-related musculoskeletal disorders included tendinitis, arthralgia, chondromalacia, and gonarthrosis. The MSF with the most significant impact on the body’s health was fatiguing work that involves repeated jumps, prolonged squatting, or kneeling, present in cluster 1 and cluster 3. Moreover, two of the most common MSFs associated with repeated work positions were identified: a mild forward flexion of the back (63 cases) in combination with one leg being used more often to support the body (56 cases).
Conclusions: It was possible to identify the main work-related musculoskeletal disorders and the associated stress factors for the cardboard manufacturing industry by using hierarchical cluster classification and analysis, enabling the classification of risk levels and the impact on body health for each workstation.
The association between work interval regularity and sleep regularity: a 2-week observational study in daytime employees
Authors: Ikeda Hiroki , Kubo Tomohide 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Objectives: Several health issues are associated with irregular sleep patterns. However, it is unclear what causes workers to sleep irregularly. The work interval (WI) between the end of one day’s working hours and the start of the next day’s working hours contains sleep opportunities, and an irregular WI may result in irregular sleep. This study investigated this association among Japanese daytime workers.
Methods: This study recruited 141 daytime workers without shiftwork for a 14-day observational study. Participants reported the WI duration, WI timing, time in bed (TIB: difference between bedtime and wake-up time), and bedtime timing every day before bedtime. The SD over 14 days was used to calculate the regularity scores. Logistic regression analysis was performed. The dependent variables were ≥60 minutes of TIB SD and bedtime timing SD, whereas the independent variables were WI duration and timing SD.
Results: The odds ratios (ORs) (95% CIs) for ≥60 minutes of TIB SD across categories of WI duration SD were 1.000 (reference) for &lt;30 minutes, 1.344 (0.337-5.360) for 30-60 minutes, and 4.743 (1.441-15.607) for ≥60 minutes. The ORs (95% CIs) for ≥60 min of bedtime timing SD across categories of WI timing SD were 1.000 for &lt;30 minutes, 4.154 (1.574-10.965) for 30-60 minutes, and 7.714 (2.124-28.015) for ≥60 minutes.
Conclusions: Regularity of WI was associated with regularity of sleep. To ensure worker health, workers should have regular WI, and if they are exposed to irregular WI, they should make every effort to maintain regular sleep.
Langer and the claim for the social value of art
Authors: Barchana-Lorand Dorit 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Susanne Langer sees the ‘the public importance of art’ as one of ‘the ultimate questions in a philosophy of art’. Indeed, Langer is often referred to as an authority on the justification of art education and is cited as providing good reasons for incorporating the arts in the curriculum. It is therefore surprising to note, as Elliot Eisner does, that Langer’s theory has had little influence on actual art education. For while many theoreticians in the social sciences and education have found Langer’s contribution to the understanding of the arts highly significant, Eisner laments that ‘alas, the lesson Susanne Langer was trying to teach … in her remarkable book, never took hold in … American public schools’. It seems that policy-makers outside of art education circles remain sceptical regarding the need for art education. The substantiation of art education requires firm ground against scepticism. It is therefore important to understand the ways in which Langer’s project fails to fulfil its promise. In examining Langer’s aesthetic theory, I will show that despite its philosophical acuity, Langer’s argument fails to persuade the art education sceptic who believes that art occupies a minor role in education and should therefore remain marginal in the school curriculum.
Bayesian smoothing for time-varying extremal dependence
Authors: Lee Junho , de Carvalho Miguel , Rua António , Avila Julio 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
We propose a Bayesian time-varying model that learns about the dynamics governing joint extreme values over time. Our model relies on dual measures of time-varying extremal dependence, that are modelled via a suitable class of generalized linear models conditional on a large threshold. The simulation study indicates that the proposed methods perform well in a variety of scenarios. The application of the proposed methods to some of the world’s most important stock markets reveals complex patterns of extremal dependence over the last 30 years, including passages from asymptotic dependence to asymptotic independence.
Unusual visual impairment after enhancement refractive surgery
Authors: Li Xia , Gu Yong 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
We reported a case of rapidly developed corneal epithelial in-growth (EI) deteriorating visual acuity (VA) within the initial postoperative day. A 37-year-old male presented with decreased VA for 2 years. He underwent LASIK surgery 13 years ago. After enhancement surgery, postoperative VA was much worse than preoperative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) 20/20 and decreased rapidly. VA of OD was 20/40 on Day 1, and 20/70 on Day 5, OS 20/20 on Day 1, 20/25 on Day 10, and 20/50 on Day 13 postoperatively. Corneal topography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) showed distinctive features. The patient was diagnosed with corneal EI postoperatively. After scraping ectopic corneal epithelial cells, the cornea became transparent and VA improved. Despite its rarity, early postoperative EI can occur within 1 day after enhancement surgery and can progress rapidly. OCT and corneal topography provide distinctive manifestations aiding diagnosis.
HOMEOBOX2, the paralog of SIX-ROWED SPIKE1/HOMEOBOX1, is dispensable for barley spikelet development
Authors: Thirulogachandar Venkatasubbu , Govind Geetha , Hensel Götz , Kale Sandip M , Kuhlmann Markus , Eschen-Lippold Lennart , Rutten Twan , Koppolu Ravi , Rajaraman Jeyaraman , Palakolanu Sudhakar Reddy , Seiler Christiane , Sakuma Shun , Jayakodi Murukarthick , Lee Justin , Kumlehn Jochen , Komatsuda Takao , Schnurbusch Thorsten , Sreenivasulu Nese 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
The HD-ZIP class I transcription factor Homeobox 1 (HvHOX1), also known as Vulgare Row-type Spike 1 (VRS1) or Six-rowed Spike 1, regulates lateral spikelet fertility in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). It was shown that HvHOX1 has a high expression only in lateral spikelets, while its paralog HvHOX2 was found to be expressed in different plant organs. Yet, the mechanistic functions of HvHOX1 and HvHOX2 during spikelet development are still fragmentary. Here, we show that compared with HvHOX1, HvHOX2 is more highly conserved across different barley genotypes and Hordeum species, hinting at a possibly vital but still unclarified biological role. Using bimolecular fluorescence complementation, DNA-binding, and transactivation assays, we validate that HvHOX1 and HvHOX2 are bona fide transcriptional activators that may potentially heterodimerize. Accordingly, both genes exhibit similar spatiotemporal expression patterns during spike development and growth, albeit their mRNA levels differ quantitatively. We show that HvHOX1 delays the lateral spikelet meristem differentiation and affects fertility by aborting the reproductive organs. Interestingly, the ancestral relationship of the two genes inferred from their co-expressed gene networks suggested that HvHOX1 and HvHOX2 might play a similar role during barley spikelet development. However, CRISPR-derived mutants of HvHOX1 and HvHOX2 demonstrated the suppressive role of HvHOX1 on lateral spikelets, while the loss of HvHOX2 does not influence spikelet development. Collectively, our study shows that through the suppression of reproductive organs, lateral spikelet fertility is regulated by HvHOX1, whereas HvHOX2 is dispensable for spikelet development in barley.
Gene regulatory networks underlying sulfate deficiency responses in plants
Authors: Fernández José David , Miño Ignacio , Canales Javier , Vidal Elena A 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Sulfur (S) is an essential macronutrient for plants and its availability in soils is an important determinant for growth and development. Current regulatory policies aimed at reducing industrial S emissions together with changes in agronomical practices have led to a decline in S contents in soils worldwide. Deficiency of sulfate—the primary form of S accessible to plants in soil—has adverse effects on both crop yield and nutritional quality. Hence, recent research has increasingly focused on unraveling the molecular mechanisms through which plants detect and adapt to a limiting supply of sulfate. A significant part of these studies involves the use of omics technologies and has generated comprehensive catalogs of sulfate deficiency-responsive genes and processes, principally in Arabidopsis together with a few studies centering on crop species such as wheat, rice, or members of the Brassica genus. Although we know that sulfate deficiency elicits an important reprogramming of the transcriptome, the transcriptional regulators orchestrating this response are not yet well understood. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge of gene expression responses to sulfate deficiency and recent efforts towards the identification of the transcription factors that are involved in controlling these responses. We further compare the transcriptional response and putative regulators between Arabidopsis and two important crop species, rice and tomato, to gain insights into common mechanisms of the response to sulfate deficiency.
Prime editing in plants: prospects and challenges
Authors: Vats Sanskriti , Kumar Jitesh , Sonah Humira , Zhang Feng , Deshmukh Rupesh 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Prime editors are reverse transcriptase (RT)-based genome-editing tools that utilize double-strand break (DSB)-free mechanisms to decrease off-target editing in genomes and enhance the efficiency of targeted insertions. The multiple prime editors that have been developed within a short span of time are a testament to the potential of this technique for targeted insertions. This is mainly because of the possibility of generation of all types of mutations including deletions, insertions, transitions, and transversions. Prime editing reverses several bottlenecks of gene editing technologies that limit the biotechnological applicability to produce designer crops. This review evaluates the status and evolution of the prime editing technique in terms of the types of editors available up to prime editor 5 and twin prime editors, and considers the developments in plants in a systematic manner. The various factors affecting prime editing efficiency in plants are discussed in detail, including the effects of temperature, the prime editing guide (peg)RNA, and RT template amongst others. We discuss the current obstructions, key challenges, and available resolutions associated with the technique, and consider future directions and further improvements that are feasible to elevate the efficiency in plants.
BOSS quasar outflows traced by C iv
Authors: Gillette Jarred , Hamann Fred 
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACT
We investigate possible factors that drive fast quasar outflows using a sample of 39 249 quasars at median redshift 〈z〉 ≈ 2.17. Unique to this study, the quasar redshifts are re-measured based on the Mg ii emission line, and explore unprecedented outflow velocities (&gt;6000 km s−1), while maintaining statistical significance. We measure reliable C iv blueshifts for 1178 quasars with velocities &gt;2500 km s−1. From those, 255(13) quasars have blueshifts above 4000(6000) km s−1, with the highest C iv velocity ≈7000 km s−1. Several correlations are observed, where higher C iv blueshifts in general are in quasars with broader, weaker C iv emission profiles, weak He ii emission, larger Eddington ratios, and bluer ultraviolet (UV) continuum slope across the rest-frame UV to near-infrared. Analysis reveals two primary factors contributing to faster outflows: higher Eddington ratios, and softer far-UV continuum (hν &gt;24.6 eV). We find supporting evidence that radiative line driving may generate extreme outflow velocities, influenced by multiple factors as suggested by the aforementioned correlations. This evidence highlights the importance of considering a multidimensional parameter space in future studies when analyzing large C iv blueshifts to determine the fundamental causes of outflows.
Spatially resolved microlensing time-scale distributions across the Galactic bulge with the VVV survey
Authors: Kaczmarek Zofia , McGill Peter , Evans N Wyn , Smith Leigh C , Golovich Nathan , Kerins Eamonn , Specht David , Dawson William A 
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACT
We analyse 1602 microlensing events found in the VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) near-infrared (NIR) survey data. We obtain spatially resolved, efficiency-corrected time-scale distributions across the Galactic bulge (|ℓ| &lt; 10°, |b| &lt; 5°), using a Bayesian hierarchical model. Spatially resolved peaks and means of the time-scale distributions, along with their marginal distributions in strips of longitude and latitude, are in agreement at a 1σ level with predictions based on the Besançon model of the Galaxy. We find that the event time-scales in the central bulge fields (|ℓ| &lt; 5°) are on average shorter than the non-central (|ℓ| &gt; 5°) fields, with the average peak of the lognormal time-scale distribution at 23.6 ± 1.9 d for the central fields and 29.0 ± 3.0 d for the non-central fields. Our ability to probe the structure of the bulge with this sample of NIR microlensing events is limited by the VVV survey’s sparse cadence and relatively small number of detected microlensing events compared to dedicated optical surveys. Looking forward to future surveys, we investigate the capability of the Roman telescope to detect spatially resolved asymmetries in the time-scale distributions. We propose two pairs of Roman fields, centred on (ℓ = ±9, 5°, b = −0.125°) and (ℓ = −5°, b = ±1.375°) as good targets to measure the asymmetry in longitude and latitude, respectively.
JWST spectroscopy of z ∼ 5–8 UV-selected galaxies: new constraints on the evolution of the Ly α escape fraction in the reionization era
Authors: Chen Zuyi , Stark Daniel P , Mason Charlotte , Topping Michael W , Whitler Lily , Tang Mengtao , Endsley Ryan , Charlot Stéphane 
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACT
We describe JWST/NIRSpec prism measurements of Ly α emission in z ≳ 5 galaxies. We identify Ly α detections in 10 out of 69 galaxies with robust rest-optical emission-line redshift measurements at 5 ≤ z &lt; 7 in the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) and DDT-2750 observations of the Extended Groth Strip field. Galaxies at z ≃ 6 with faint continuum (F150W=27–29 mag) are found with extremely large rest-frame Ly α equivalent widths (EWs; ranging up to 286 Å). Likely Ly α detections are also seen in two new z &gt; 7 galaxies (z = 7.49 and 7.17) from the second epoch of CEERS observations, both showing large Ly α EWs that likely indicate significant transmission through the intergalactic medium (IGM). We measure high Ly α escape fractions in the 12 Ly α emitters in our sample (median 0.28), two of which show $f_{\rm esc}^{ {\rm Ly}\alpha }$ near unity (&gt;0.80). We find that $50_{-11}^{+11}$ per cent of z ≃ 6 galaxies with [O iii] + H β EW&gt;1000 Å have $f_{\rm esc}^{ {\rm Ly}\alpha }$ &gt;0.2, consistent with the fractions found in lower redshift samples with matched [O iii] + H β EWs. While uncertainties are still significant, we find that only $10_{-5}^{+9}$ per cent of z &gt; 7 galaxies with similarly strong rest optical emission lines show such large $f_{\rm esc}^{ {\rm Ly}\alpha }$, as may be expected if IGM attenuation of Ly α increases towards higher redshifts. We identify photometric galaxy overdensities near the z ≳ 7 Ly α emitters, potentially providing the ionizing flux necessary to create large ionized sightlines that facilitate Ly α transmission. Finally, we investigate the absence of Ly α emission in a comparable (and spectroscopically confirmed) galaxy overdensity at z = 7.88 in the Abell 2744 field, discussing new prism spectra of the field obtained with the UNCOVER program.
Neutron star mergers as the dominant contributor to the production of heavy r-process elements
Authors: Chen Meng-Hua , Li Li-Xin , Chen Qiu-Hong , Hu Rui-Chong , Liang En-Wei 
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACT
The discovery of the radioactively powered kilonova AT2017gfo, associated with the short-duration gamma-ray burst GRB 170817A and the gravitational wave source GW170817, has provided the first direct evidence supporting binary neutron star mergers as crucial astrophysical sites for the synthesis of heavy elements beyond iron through r-process nucleosysthesis in the universe. However, recent identification of kilonovae following long-duration gamma-ray bursts, such as GRB 211211A and GRB 230307A, has sparked discussions about the potential of neutron star–white dwarf mergers to also produce neutron-rich ejecta and contribute to the production of heavy r-process elements. In this work, we estimate the contribution of binary neutron star mergers to the total mass of r-process elements in the Milky Way and investigate the possibility of neutron star–white dwarf mergers as alternative astrophysical sites for r-process nucleosynthesis through an analysis of the total mass of the r-process elements in the Milky Way. Our results reveal that binary neutron star mergers can sufficiently account for the Galactic heavy r-process elements, suggesting that these events are the dominant contributor to the production of heavy r-process elements in the Milky Way. Considering the total mass of r-process elements in the Milky Way and the higher occurrence rate of neutron star–white dwarf mergers, it is unlikely that such mergers can produce a significant amount of neutron-rich ejecta, with the generated mass of r-process elements being lower than $0.005\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$.