bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Epicardial adipose tissue as an independent predictor of long-term outcome in patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement
Authors: Schulz Alexander , Beuthner Bo E. , Böttiger Zoé M. , Gersch Svante S. , Lange Torben , Gronwald Judith , Evertz Ruben , Backhaus Sören J. , Kowallick Johannes T. , Hasenfuß Gerd , Schuster Andreas 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
Accurate risk stratification is important to improve patient selection and outcome of patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). As epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is discussed to be involved in cardiovascular disease, it could be useful as a marker of poor prognosis in patients with severe AS undergoing TAVR.

Methods
A total of 416 patients diagnosed with severe AS by transthoracic echocardiography were assigned for TAVR and enrolled for systematic assessment. Patients underwent clinical surveys and 5-year long-term follow-up, with all-cause mortality as the primary endpoint. EAT volume was quantified on pre-TAVR planning CTs. Patients were retrospectively dichotomized at the median of 74 cm3 of EAT into groups with low EAT and high EAT volumes. Mortality rates were compared using Kaplan-Meyer plots and uni- and multivariable cox regression analyses.

Results
A total number of 341 of 416 patients (median age 80.9 years, 45% female) were included in the final analysis. Patients with high EAT volumes had similar short-term outcome (p = 0.794) but significantly worse long-term prognosis (p = 0.023) compared to patients with low EAT volumes. Increased EAT volumes were associated with worse long-term outcome (HR1.59; p = 0.031) independently from concomitant cardiovascular risk factors, general type of AS, and functional echocardiography parameters of AS severity (HR1.69; p = 0.013).

Conclusion
Increased EAT volume is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in patients with severe AS undergoing TAVR. It can be easily obtained from pre-TAVR planning CTs and may thus qualify as a novel marker to improve prognostication and management of patient with severe AS.

Trial registration
DRKS, DRKS00024479.

Graphical abstract
AS, aortic stenosis; TAVR, transcatheter aortic valve replacement; EAT, epicardial adipose tissue
Comparison of hearing performance in patients with borderline indication for active middle ear or cochlear implants: clinical outcomes to guide preoperative counseling and decision making
Authors: Herr Constanze , Stöver Timo , Baumann Uwe , Weissgerber Tobias 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Purpose
The aim of the presented study was to compare the audiological benefit achieved in cochlear implant (CI) patients who, in principle, could still have been treated with an active middle ear implant (AMEI) with a group of AMEI users.

Methods
Results of 20 CI patients with a pure-tone average (PTA) of 70 dB HL prior to surgery were compared with a group of 12 subjects treated with a Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB). Pre-surgical comparison included PTA for air conduction and bone conduction, maximum speech recognition score for monosyllabic words (WRSmax), and aided monosyllabic word recognition at 65 dB SPL. One year after surgery, aided monosyllabic speech recognition score at 65 dB SPL was compared.

Results
Mean PTA for air conduction in the VSB group was significantly lower than in the CI group (4.8 dB, Z =  − 2.011, p < 0.05). Mean PTA for bone conduction in the VSB group was also significantly lower than in the CI group (23.4 dB, Z =  − 4.673, p < 0.001). WRSmax in the VSB group was significantly better than in the CI group (40.7%, Z =  − 3.705, p < 0.001). One year after treatment, there was no significant difference in aided speech perception in quiet between both subject groups.

Conclusion
Comparison of the two methods showed equivalent results for both treatments in subjects with a borderline indication. Not only pure-tone audiometry results but, particularly, speech perception scores pre-surgery should be taken into account in preoperative counseling.
Parasites alter food-web topology of a subarctic lake food web and its pelagic and benthic compartments
Authors: Moore Shannon E. , Siwertsson Anna , Lafferty Kevin D. , Kuris Armand M. , Soldánová Miroslava , Morton Dana , Primicerio Raul , Amundsen Per-Arne 
Published: February 2024

AbstractWe compared three sets of highly resolved food webs with and without parasites for a subarctic lake system corresponding to its pelagic and benthic compartments and the whole-lake food web. Key topological food-web metrics were calculated for each set of compartments to explore the role parasites play in food-web topology in these highly contrasting webs. After controlling for effects from differences in web size, we observed similar responses to the addition of parasites in both the pelagic and benthic compartments demonstrated by increases in trophic levels, linkage density, connectance, generality, and vulnerability despite the contrasting composition of free-living and parasitic species between the two compartments. Similar effects on food-web topology can be expected with the inclusion of parasites, regardless of the physical characteristics and taxonomic community compositions of contrasting environments. Additionally, similar increases in key topological metrics were found in the whole-lake food web that combines the pelagic and benthic webs, effects that are comparable to parasite food-web analyses from other systems. These changes in topological metrics are a result of the unique properties of parasites as infectious agents and the links they participate in. Trematodes were key contributors to these results, as these parasites have distinct characteristics in aquatic systems that introduce new link types and increase the food web’s generality and vulnerability disproportionate to other parasites. Our analysis highlights the importance of incorporating parasites, especially trophically transmitted parasites, into food webs as they significantly alter key topological metrics and are thus essential for understanding an ecosystem’s structure and functioning.
Labormessungen im Maßstab 1:1 und Modellentwicklung zur Verformung und Rauigkeit flexibler Vegetation in Fließgewässern
Authors: Klösch M. , Waygand M. , Buchinger M. , Busch E. , Dunst R. , Egger G. , Habersack H. 
Published: February 2024

ZusammenfassungDie Vegetation gewinnt im Hochwasserschutz zunehmend an Bedeutung, da aktuelle Wasserbauprojekte auch ökologische Ziele verfolgen und die Vegetation integraler Bestandteil natürlicher und renaturierter Flüsse ist. Darüber hinaus werden Funktionen der Vegetation – wie jene der Beschattung und fließenden Retention – bewusst eingesetzt, die im Zusammenhang mit dem Klimawandel angesichts steigender Wassertemperaturen und zunehmender Hochwasserabflüsse an Bedeutung gewinnen. Die Vegetation steht bei Hochwasserereignissen in Wechselwirkung mit der Strömung und dem Sedimenttransport und die durch die Wechselwirkung hervorgerufenen Sohlhöhenänderungen und Strömungswiderstände beeinflussen die Wasserspiegelhöhen und somit die Hochwassersicherheit. Bisher werden die Strömungswiderstände in hydrodynamisch-numerischen Modellen durch einen Rauigkeitsbeiwert berücksichtigt. Dieser wird meist als konstant angenommen, während flexible Vegetation aber ihre Form und somit den Strömungswiderstand anpasst.Wir stellen Entwicklungen zu einem numerischen Modell der mechanischen Verformung einer Pflanze unter Strömungsbelastung vor, welches die Pflanze als Stabmodell mithilfe der Finite-Elemente-Methode diskretisiert. Die Geometrie der untersuchten Pflanzen wurde mittels Fotogrammmetrie erfasst und mit Messungen zu den Stamm- und Astdurchmessern und der Belaubung ergänzt. Parameter betreffend die Steifigkeit gegenüber Biegung und Torsion wurden in Abhängigkeit von den Durchmessern der Äste erfasst. Der im BOKU-Wasserbaulabor gegebene Durchfluss von bis zu 10 m3s−1 erlaubt Versuche im 1:1-Maßstab an einzelnen Pflanzen und ganzen Pflanzenverbänden. Messungen zur Verformung und Strömungswiderstandskraft einzelner Pflanzen sowie zu den Fließgeschwindigkeiten in Pflanzenverbänden bilden die Grundlage für die Überprüfung des Modells. Eine Umrechnung der Strömungswiderstandskraft in einen Rauigkeitsbeiwert ermöglicht die Einbindung des Modells in zweidimensionale hydrodynamisch-numerische Modelle, die eine häufige Anwendung in der Simulation von Hochwasserabflüssen finden.
Two-year clinical performance of dual- and light-cure bulk-fill resin composites in Class ӀӀ restorations: a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Elawsya Mohamed Elshirbeny , Montaser Marmar Ahmed , El-Wassefy Noha Abdel-Mawla , Zaghloul Nadia Mohamed 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Objective
This study aimed to compare the clinical performance of dual- and light-cure bulk-fill resin composites (BFRCs) in Class ӀӀ restorations after 2 years.

Materials and methods
A double-blinded, prospective, randomized clinical trial (RCT) was conducted following the CONSORT (Consolidated Standard of Reporting Trials) guidelines. Forty patients were enrolled in the study. Each patient received three compound Class ӀӀ restorations. One dual-cure (Fill-Up; Coltene Waledent AG) and two light-cure (QuiXfil; Dentsply, and Tetric N-Ceram Bulk Fill; Ivoclar Vivadent) BFRCs were used for 120 Class ӀӀ restorations. A universal adhesive (ONE COAT 7 UNIVERSAL; Coltene Waledent AG) was used with all restorations. Restorations were clinically evaluated after 1 week (baseline), 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, and finally after 24 months using the FDI World Dental Federation (FDI) criteria. The Kruskal–Wallis test was used for comparison between BFRCs groups at baseline and at each recall period, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for comparing different follow-up times of each BFRC to baseline. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05.

Results
All BFRCs restorations showed only minor changes and revealed no statistically significant differences between their clinical performance for all evaluated parameters at all recall periods; also, there was no statistically significant difference between all recall periods and baseline for all evaluated parameters.

Conclusion
The two-year clinical performance of dual-cure BFRC was comparable to light-cure BFRCs in Class ӀӀ restorations.

Clinical relevance
Dual- and light-cure BFRCs showed excellent clinical performance in Class ӀӀ restorations after a 2-year clinical follow-up.
The United Kingdom, the Belt and Road Initiative, and policy amalgams
Authors: Ashbee Edward 
Published: February 2024

AbstractAlthough it never formally participated, the British government described the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and relations with China more broadly in strikingly positive terms between 2015 and 2019. Nonetheless, by late 2019 and amidst a sharp deterioration in relations, the prospect of the UK joining the BRI had more or less disappeared from the government’s agenda. This article argues that there was not a ruptural policy break. While there was a turnaround, there were also significant numbers of short-run policy zigzags. The principal reason for this instability, the article argues, lies in the relatively weak character of the UK-China policy regime which was an amalgam that sought to accommodate and integrate three different ideational clusters. Such amalgams are inherently unstable and policies drawn from them are likely to change quickly in response to internal tensions as well as exogenous events and developments. Given this, British policy towards China moved quickly and erratically between a “golden era”, a repudiation of this as “naïve”, and the designation of China as a “systemic challenge”. Within this context, expressions of enthusiasm for the BRI were displaced by uninterest or scepticism.
Gravitational Fields of Polyhedral Bodies with 3D Polynomial Density Contrast
Authors: D’Urso M. G. , Di Lieto D. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractFor polyhedral mass bodies having arbitrary shape and density distribution of polynomial type we present a tensorial approach to derive analytical expressions of the gravitational potential and gravity vector. They are evaluated at an arbitrary point by means of formulas, referred to a Cartesian reference frame having an arbitrary origin, that are shown to be singularity-free whatever is the position of the observation point with respect to the body. The solution is expressed as a sum of algebraic quantities depending solely upon the 3D coordinates of the polyhedron vertices and the coefficients of the polynomial density function. Hence, no recursive expression needs to be invoked as in the recent contribution by Ren et al. (Surv Geophys 41:695–722, 2020). Moreover, the tensorial formalism developed in the paper allows one to obtain more concise, coordinate-free expressions that can also be extended to address polynomial functions of greater order. The analytical expressions of the gravitational potential and gravity vector are numerically validated and compared with alternative methods retrieved from the literature.
A Multi-strategy Enhanced Arithmetic Optimization Algorithm and Its Application in Path Planning of Mobile Robots
Authors: Deng Xuzhen , He Dengxu , Qu Liangdong 
Published: February 2024

AbstractA multi-strategy enhanced arithmetic optimization algorithm called MSEAOA is proposed to address the issues of low population diversity, imbalanced exploration and exploitation capabilities, and low accuracy of optimal solution in the Arithmetic Optimization Algorithm. Firstly, using the good point set strategy for population initialization to improve population diversity and thus accelerate convergence speed. Secondly, we integrate the exploration and exploition capabilities of differential self-learning strategy, best example learning strategy, and second-order differential perturbation strategy balancing algorithm. Finally, the introduction of somersault foraging strategy improves the accuracy of the optimal solution. We select 14 classical benchmark test functions and the CEC2019 function test set to test the optimization ability of MSEAOA, and apply MSEAOA to the path planning problem of mobile robots. MSEAOA is compared with other meta-heuristic optimization algorithms, and the experimental results are statistically analyzed by the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. The simulation experimental results show that MSEAOA performs the best among 14 benchmark functions, but for 10 CEC2019 functions, MSEAOA has the best optimization performance among 5 of them (50%). In the path optimization problem of mobile robots, the path obtained by MSEAOA is also the best among all algorithms, its path shortening rate exceeds 8.8% in 83% of environments. The results indicate that MSEAOA is a reliable algorithm suitable for function optimization and practical optimization problems.
BIKAGCN: Knowledge-Aware Recommendations Under Bi-layer Graph Convolutional Networks
Authors: Li Guoshu , Yang Li , Bai Sichang , Song Xinyu , Ren Yijun , Liu Shanqiang 
Published: February 2024

AbstractRecommender systems are a popular solution for the problem of information overload, offering personalized recommendations to users. Recent years, research has aimed to enhance recommender systems by employing knowledge graphs in conjunction with Graph convolutional network (GCN) to extract user and item features. Although GCN possess a great potential, they are still far from reaching their full capability in recommender systems. This paper introduces a novel approach—knowledge-aware recommendations under bi-layer graph convolutional networks (BIKAGCN) that combines attention and bi-layer GCNs to improve performance. The first layer of the BIKAGCN model trains embedding representations of users and items based on user-item interaction graphs. The second layer introduces a novel knowledge-aware layer of attention and graph convolutional network (KAGCN) layer that leverages both the first layer’s user-item embeddings and item knowledge graph embeddings. Experimental results on three publicly available datasets (MovieLens-20M, Last-FM, and Book-Crossing) demonstrate that BIKAGCN leads to significant performance improvements in recall@20 metric (14.41%, 8.86%, and 20.90%, respectively) compared to currently available state-of-the-art approaches. Moreover, the model maintains satisfactory performance in cold-start cases.The research provides some guidance for the direction of subsequent research on recommender systems.
Nonlinear double-mass pendulum for vibration-based energy harvesting
Authors: Cai Qinlin , Zhu Songye 
Published: February 2024

AbstractTo enhance the performance of a vibration-based energy harvester, typical approaches employ frequency-matching strategies by either using nonlinear broadband or frequency-tunable harvesters. This study systematically analyzes the nonlinear dynamics and energy harvesting performance of a recently emerging tunable low-frequency vibration-based energy harvester, namely, a double-mass pendulum (DMP) energy harvester. This energy harvester can, to some extent, eliminate frequency dependence on pendulum length but exhibit vibration-amplitude-dependent softening nonlinearity. The natural frequency of the DMP structure is theoretically derived, showing several unique characteristics compared with the typical simple pendulum. The DMP energy harvester exhibits alternate single-period, multiple-period, and chaotic vibration behaviors with increase in excitation amplitudes. The analysis of gross output power indicates that the rotating motion, regardless of chaotic or periodic rolling motions, improves the energy harvesting performance in terms of power leap and broader bandwidth. Based on the parameter space analysis, the rotating motions usually occur at the shift-left locations of frequency ratios 1 and 2; a smaller damping ratio corresponds to a lower on-demand excitation amplitude for the rotating-motion occurrence. Numerical results confirm that the DMP is suitable for low-frequency energy harvesting scenarios, suggesting the realization of rotating motion for improving energy harvesting performance. Moreover, a shake table test was performed, and the experimental results validated the accuracy and effectiveness of the DMP modeling analysis. Practical issues related to DMP energy harvesters under different types of excitations are finally discussed. Although the analysis is for the DMP, the corresponding conclusions may shed light on other pendulum-type energy harvesters.
Representative Functions, Variational Convergence and Almost Convexity
Authors: Eberhard A. , Wenczel R. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractWe develop a new epi-convergence based on the use of bounded convergent nets on the product topology of the strong topology on the primal space and weak star topology on the dual space of a general real Banach space. We study the propagation of the associated variational convergences through conjugation of convex functions defined on this product space. These results are then applied to the problem of construction of a bigger-conjugate representative function for the recession operator associated with a maximal monotone operator on this real Banach space. This is then used to study the relationship between the recession operator of a maximal monotone operator and the normal–cone operator associated with the closed, convex hull of the domain of that monotone operator. This allows us to show that the strong closure of the domain of any maximal monotone operator is convex in a general real Banach space.
Targeting exercise intensity and aerobic training to improve outcomes in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Panassollo Tone Ricardo Benevides , Mawston Grant , Taylor Denise , Lord Sue 
Published: February 2024

AbstractAerobic training is popular for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) given its potential to improve aerobic capacity, relieve symptoms, and to stabilise disease progression. Although current evidence supports some of the assertions surrounding this view, the effect of exercise intensity on PD is currently unclear. Reasons for this include inconsistent reporting of exercise intensity, training regimes based on general guidelines rather than individualised physiological markers, poor correspondence between intended exercise intensities and training zones, and lack of awareness of autonomic disturbance in PD and its impact on training regimes and outcome. We also consider the selective effect of exercise intensity on motor symptoms, function and disease progression. We review aerobic training protocols and recent guidelines for people with PD, highlighting their limitations. Considering this, we make suggestions for a more selective and discerning approach to aerobic training programming.
Higher heavy metal contamination indoors than outdoors during COVID-19 in Mexico City
Authors: Aguilera Anahí , Gallegos Ángeles , Luna Víctor , Hernández Luciano , Gutiérrez Margarita , Amaro Daniel , Goguitchaichvili Avto , Quintana Patricia , Bautista Francisco 
Published: February 2024

AbstractPeople spend most of their time indoors, especially during the coronavirus disease. Prolonged exposure to heavy metal-contaminated dust can be harmful to human health. The objectives of this study were to identify the contamination level in outdoor and indoor dust, compare contamination in both environments, and assess the human health risk. Two-hundred thirty-nine samples of dust were taken by Mexico City citizens in 38 homes on the weekends of May 2020. Heavy metal concentrations were measured through XRF. The contamination level was set using the contamination factor with a local and global background value, mixed linear models were used to identify indoor and outdoor differences, and USEPA human health risk methodology was used. Pb, Zn, and Cu had the highest contamination levels, followed by Sr and Mn, using both the local and global background values. The Pb, Zn, and Cu contamination was greater indoors, while higher Mn, Sr, and Fe were detected outdoors. According to the outdoor/indoor ratios, the main sources of Ca, Pb, Zn, and Cu must be indoors, while the main sources of Fe, Mn, Sr, Y, and Ti are outdoors. A human health risk was not detected, as the hazard index was lower than one. However, ailments can be developed due to exposure to Pb, Mn, and Fe in children (hazard index > 0.1). A higher risk due to Pb exposition was found indoors. Indoor environments in Mexico City were more contaminated by heavy metals and represented a higher risk to human health than outdoors during the pandemic isolation.