bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
How Elections to the European Parliament Depress Turnout
Authors: Franklin Mark N. , Hobolt Sara B. 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Why has turnout in European Parliament elections remained so low, despite attempts to expand the parliament’s powers? One possible answer is that because little is at stake in these second‐order elections only those with an established habit of voting, acquired in previous national elections, can be counted on to vote. Others argue that low turnout is an indication of apathy or even scepticism towards Europe. This chapter conducts a critical test of the ‘little at stake’ hypothesis by focusing on a testable implication: that turnout at these elections will be particularly low on the part of voters not yet socialized into habitual voting. This proposition is examined using both time‐series cross‐section analyses and a regression discontinuity design. The chapter's findings show that EP elections depress turnout as they inculcate habits of non‐voting, with long‐term implications for political participation in EU member states.
How European Elections Affect National Party Systems
Authors: Markowski Radosław 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
The aim of the chapter is to analyse the electoral fate of new parties established during the elections to the European Parliament. The analyses cover the 1999 through 2009 elections and distinguishes between party systems of the stable and fragile European democracies. A set of sociological and political factors are accounted for as potential determinants of the fate of those new parties. The results indicate that EP elections provide an ‘opportunity structure’ for new parties to emerge. And indeed some of these parties survive the first demanding test at the national elections that follow. However, such parties are in minority—out of forty‐two new parties identified in 1999, 2004, and 2009 elections only ten recorded success in forthcoming national elections. Successful parties are those that show higher coherence of their electoral base, higher quality of representation, more temporal electoral loyalty, and more political–attitudinal consistency of their followers.
Campaigning on or Downplaying European Union Integration?
Authors: Adam Silke , Maier Michaela 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
The chapter analyses parties’ public campaign communications in the run‐up to the 2009 European election. The chapter asks how much salience parties attach to issues with a European dimension, which parties do so, and which factors help us understand whether they do so. Empirically we combine a content analysis of parties’ televised campaign spots with secondary data on parties, citizens as well as electoral timing in eleven EU countries; seven of these Western countries (Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom) and four Eastern European countries (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland). Our findings show that salience regarding Europe varies among parties, issues, and countries, thereby communicating Europe turns out to be an evasion strategy of parties that are weak on the national level and to be shaped by co‐orientation towards the other parties in the same country.
From data to diagnosis: how machine learning is revolutionizing biomarker discovery in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies
Authors: McLeish Emily , Slater Nataliya , Mastaglia Frank L , Needham Merrilee , Coudert Jerome D 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) are a heterogeneous group of muscle disorders including adult and juvenile dermatomyositis, polymyositis, immune-mediated necrotising myopathy and sporadic inclusion body myositis, all of which present with variable symptoms and disease progression. The identification of effective biomarkers for IIMs has been challenging due to the heterogeneity between IIMs and within IIM subgroups, but recent advances in machine learning (ML) techniques have shown promises in identifying novel biomarkers. This paper reviews recent studies on potential biomarkers for IIM and evaluates their clinical utility. We also explore how data analytic tools and ML algorithms have been used to identify biomarkers, highlighting their potential to advance our understanding and diagnosis of IIM and improve patient outcomes. Overall, ML techniques have great potential to revolutionize biomarker discovery in IIMs and lead to more effective diagnosis and treatment.
sRNAfrag: a pipeline and suite of tools to analyze fragmentation in small RNA sequencing data
Authors: Nakatsu Ken , Jijiwa Mayumi , Khadka Vedbar , Nasu Masaki , Deng Youping 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Fragments derived from small RNAs such as small nucleolar RNAs are biologically relevant but remain poorly understood. To address this gap, we developed sRNAfrag, a modular and interoperable tool designed to standardize the quantification and analysis of small RNA fragmentation across various biotypes. The tool outputs a set of tables forming a relational database, allowing for an in-depth exploration of biologically complex events such as multi-mapping and RNA fragment stability across different cell types. In a benchmark test, sRNAfrag was able to identify established loci of mature microRNAs solely based on sequencing data. Furthermore, the 5’ seed sequence could be rediscovered by utilizing a visualization approach primarily applied in multi-sequence-alignments. Utilizing the relational database outputs, we detected 1411 snoRNA fragment conservation events between two out of four eukaryotic species, providing an opportunity to explore motifs through evolutionary time and conserved fragmentation patterns. Additionally, the tool’s interoperability with other bioinformatics tools like ViennaRNA amplifies its utility for customized analyses. We also introduce a novel loci-level variance-score which provides insights into the noise around peaks and demonstrates biological relevance by distinctly separating breast cancer and neuroblastoma cell lines after dimension reduction when applied to small nucleolar RNAs. Overall, sRNAfrag serves as a versatile foundation for advancing our understanding of small RNA fragments and offers a functional foundation to further small RNA research. Availability: https://github.com/kenminsoo/sRNAfrag.
MHCLMDA: multihypergraph contrastive learning for miRNA–disease association prediction
Authors: Peng Wei , He Zhichen , Dai Wei , Lan Wei 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe correct prediction of disease-associated miRNAs plays an essential role in disease prevention and treatment. Current computational methods to predict disease-associated miRNAs construct different miRNA views and disease views based on various miRNA properties and disease properties and then integrate the multiviews to predict the relationship between miRNAs and diseases. However, most existing methods ignore the information interaction among the views and the consistency of miRNA features (disease features) across multiple views. This study proposes a computational method based on multiple hypergraph contrastive learning (MHCLMDA) to predict miRNA–disease associations. MHCLMDA first constructs multiple miRNA hypergraphs and disease hypergraphs based on various miRNA similarities and disease similarities and performs hypergraph convolution on each hypergraph to capture higher order interactions between nodes, followed by hypergraph contrastive learning to learn the consistent miRNA feature representation and disease feature representation under different views. Then, a variational auto-encoder is employed to extract the miRNA and disease features in known miRNA–disease association relationships. Finally, MHCLMDA fuses the miRNA and disease features from different views to predict miRNA–disease associations. The parameters of the model are optimized in an end-to-end way. We applied MHCLMDA to the prediction of human miRNA–disease association. The experimental results show that our method performs better than several other state-of-the-art methods in terms of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and the area under the precision-recall curve.
scKWARN: Kernel-weighted-average robust normalization for single-cell RNA-seq data
Authors: Hsu Chih-Yuan , Chang Chia-Jung , Liu Qi , Shyr Yu 
Published: January 2024

AbstractMotivationSingle-cell RNA-seq normalization is an essential step to correct unwanted biases caused by sequencing depth, capture efficiency, dropout, and other technical factors. Existing normalization methods primarily reduce biases arising from sequencing depth by modeling count-depth relationship and/or assuming a specific distribution for read counts. However, these methods may lead to over or under-correction due to presence of technical biases beyond sequencing depth and the restrictive assumption on models and distributions.ResultsWe present scKWARN, a Kernel Weighted Average Robust Normalization designed to correct known or hidden technical confounders without assuming specific data distributions or count-depth relationships. scKWARN generates a pseudo expression profile for each cell by borrowing information from its fuzzy technical neighbors through a kernel smoother. It then compares this profile against the reference derived from cells with the same bimodality patterns to determine the normalization factor. As demonstrated in both simulated and real datasets, scKWARN outperforms existing methods in removing a variety of technical biases while preserving true biological heterogeneity.Availability and ImplementationscKWARN is freely available at https://github.com/cyhsuTN/scKWARN.
Corrigendum to: Adaptive FEM with quasi-optimal overall cost for nonsymmetric linear elliptic PDEs
Authors: Brunner Maximilian , Innerberger Michael , Miraçi Ani , Praetorius Dirk , Streitberger Julian , Heid Pascal 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Unfortunately, there is a flaw in the numerical analysis of the published version [IMA J. Numer. Anal., DOI:10.1093/imanum/drad039], which is corrected here. Neither the algorithm nor the results are affected, but constants have to be adjusted.
Ecological and morphological correlations in the setation patterns of Gammarus Fabricius, 1775 (Amphipoda) from the southern Zagros Mountains, Iran
Authors: Zamanpoore Mehrdad , Pöckl Manfred , Schiemer Friedrich 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
The southern limits of the Zagros Mountains (Iran) include various aquatic habitats ranging from cold purely fresh to warm saline springs, many of them in isolated watershed basins. Diverse habitats could be correlated with morphological variation in freshwater taxa, as in for example, highly variable patterns of setation in amphipods. We measured length and density of the setae on selected appendages in six species of Gammarus Fabricius, 1775 collected from 14 locations (two species being sympatric) and tested for correlation with seasonal mean water temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and pH of their respective habitats. The results were analyzed using analysis of variance, linear model, and correlation analysis. These regions showed significant variation in the selected ecological factors, and the species had significantly different patterns of setation. It may be supposed that increasing setation in gammarids can improve ventilating activity and hence their respiratory efficiency at higher temperatures and salinity conditions. This correlation may reflect selective pressure on the speciation of gammaridean amphipods in the southern Zagros region.
The relationship of pain catastrophizing with postoperative patient-reported outcome measures in adults with pre-arthritic hip disease
Authors: Pacheco-Brousseau Lissa , Poitras Stéphane , Ricard Marc-Antoine , Kashanian Koorosh , Carsen Sasha , Wilkin Geoffrey , Grammatopoulos George , Beaulé Paul E 
Published: January 2024

ABSTRACT
The association between preoperative pain catastrophizing and postoperative patient-reported outcome measures of patients with pre-arthritic hip disease was evaluated. All patients scheduled for joint-preserving surgeries of the hip (JPSH) at our institution were approached. Patient demographics (age, sex, body mass index (BMI)), pain intensity (Numeric Pain Scale (NPS)) and pain catastrophizing (Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS)) were collected preoperatively. Patient function (12-Item International Hip Outcome Tool (iHot-12)) and physical and mental health (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS-10) mental/physical) were collected preoperatively, three-month and one-year postoperatively. The analysis consisted of multivariate linear regression models fitted for continuous scores of outcome measures at three-month and one-year. Correlation between preoperative PCS and iHot-12 was assessed using the Pearson correlation coefficient. A total of 274 patients completed the PCS and were included in the multivariate linear regression models. Most patients were females (66.8%), mean age was 33 (SD 9), mean BMI was 26.5 (SD 5.8) and most were diagnosed with femoro-acetabular impingement (46.0%) and underwent arthroscopy (77.0%). There were statistically significant correlations between PCS and iHot-12 (preoperatively −0.615, P &lt; 0.001; three-month −0.242, P = 0.002). Statistically significant associations were found for function (three-month PCS P = 0.046, age P = 0.014, NPS P = 0.043; one-year BMI P = 0.005, NPS P = 0.014), physical health (three-month BMI, P = 0.002, NPS P = 0.008; one-year BMI P = 0.002, NPS P = 0.013) and mental health (three-month BMI P = 0.047; one-year BMI P = 0.030). There is an association between function and preoperative pain catastrophizing in patients with pre-arthritic hip disease undergoing JPSH. When considering confounding variables, preoperative pain catastrophizing is associated with short-term recovery.
Race Does Not Affect Rates of Surgical Complications at Military Treatment Facility
Authors: West Erin , Jackson Laurinda , Greene Howard , Lucas Donald J , Gadbois Kyle D , Choi Pamela M 
Published: January 2024

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Racial minorities have been found to have worse health care outcomes, including perioperative adverse events. We hypothesized that these racial disparities may be mitigated in a military treatment facility, where all patients have a military service connection and are universally insured.

Materials and Methods
This is a single institution retrospective review of American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data for all procedures collected from 2017 to 2020. The primary outcome analyzed was risk-adjusted 30-day postoperative complications compared by race.

Results
There were 6,941 patients included. The overall surgical complication rate was 6.9%. The complication rate was 7.3% for White patients, 6.5% for Black patients, 12.6% for Asian patients, and 3.4% for other races. However, after performing patient and procedure level risk adjustment using multivariable logistic regression, race was not independently associated with surgical complications.

Conclusions
Risk-adjusted surgical complication rates do not vary by race at this military treatment facility. This suggests that postoperative racial disparities may be mitigated within a universal health care system.
dECM restores macrophage immune homeostasis and alleviates iron overload to promote DTPI healing
Authors: Zhang Ju , Si Ruijuan , Gao Yu , Shan Hui , Su Qi , Feng Zujian , Huang Pingsheng , Kong Deling , Wang Weiwei 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Due to its highly insidious and rapid progression, deep tissue pressure injury (DTPI) is a clinical challenge. Our previous study found that DTPI may be a skeletal muscle injury dominated by macrophage immune dysfunction due to excessive iron accumulation. Decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) hydrogel promotes skeletal muscle injury repair. However, its role in polarizing macrophages and regulating iron metabolism in DTPI remains unclear. Here, porcine dECM hydrogel was prepared, and its therapeutic function and mechanism in repairing DTPI were investigated. The stimulus of dECM hydrogel toward RAW264.7 cells resulted in a significantly higher percentage of CD206+ macrophages and notably decreased intracellular divalent iron levels. In mice DTPI model, dECM hydrogel treatment promoted M1 to M2 macrophage conversion, improved iron metabolism and reduced oxidative stress in the early stage of DTPI. In the remodeling phase, the dECM hydrogel remarkably enhanced revascularization and accelerated skeletal muscle repair. Furthermore, the immunomodulation of dECM hydrogels in vivo was mainly involved in the P13k/Akt signaling pathway, as revealed by GO and KEGG pathway analysis, which may ameliorate the iron deposition and promote the healing of DTPI. Our findings indicate that dECM hydrogel is promising in skeletal muscle repair, inflammation resolution and tissue injury healing by effectively restoring macrophage immune homeostasis and normalizing iron metabolism.
Beyond Bites: Differential Role of Fall Armyworm Oral Secretions and Saliva in Modulating Sorghum Defenses
Authors: Shinde Sanket , Kundu Pritha , Louis Joe 
Published: January 2024

Flavonoids are major plant secondary metabolites that provide defense against several insect pests. Previously, it has been shown that sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor) flavonoids are required for providing resistance to fall armyworm (FAW; Spodoptera frugiperda), which is an important chewing insect pest on several crops. We demonstrate here the role of FAW oral cues in modulating sorghum flavonoid defenses. While feeding, chewing insects release two kinds of oral cues: oral secretions (OS)/regurgitant and saliva. Our results indicate that FAW OS induced the expression of genes related to flavonoid biosynthesis and total flavonoids, thereby enhancing sorghum's defense against FAW larvae. Conversely, FAW saliva suppressed the flavonoid-based defenses and promoted FAW caterpillar growth, independent of the FAW salivary component, glucose oxidase (GOX). Thus, we infer that different oral cues in FAW may have contrasting roles in altering sorghum defenses. These findings expand our understanding of the precise modes of action of caterpillar oral cues in modulating plant defenses and help in designing novel pest management strategies against FAW in this vital cereal crop. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Gastric Volume and Antral Area in the Fasting State: A Meta-analysis of Individual Patient Data
Authors: Perlas Anahi , Arzola Cristian , Portela Natalia , Mitsakakis Nicholas , Hayawi Lamia , Van de Putte Peter 
Published: January 2024

Background
Pulmonary aspiration of gastric content is a serious anesthetic complication. Gastric point-of-care ultrasound can determine the type and volume of gastric content when clinical information is equivocal. However, a cutoff value of either antral cross-sectional area or volume that may be considered as the upper limit of normal in fasting subjects is still controversial. The aim of this study is to characterize the distribution of baseline antral area and volume in fasting adult subjects and to identify an upper limit (95th percentile) of these distributions.

Methods
The authors conducted a meta-analysis of individual participant data of primary studies from an academic research network of investigators collaborating in gastric ultrasound. Studies between January 2009 and December 2020 were included.

Results
Twelve primary studies met inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis with a sample size of 1,203 subjects. The 95th percentile of area values (measured in the right lateral decubitus) was 9.9 cm2 (95% CI, 9.4 to 10.4), and of volume, 2.3 ml/kg (95% CI, 2.3 to 2.4). In addition, an antrum grade 0 or 1 indicates a 98% probability of an antral area below the 95th percentile.

Conclusions
An area of 10 cm2 measured in the right lateral decubitus could be a simple, data-driven upper limit of antral area that could serve as a surrogate of upper limit of normal gastric volume values in fasting adults. These results are limited by the highly selected sampling of the studies included.

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Considering the Influence of Social Determinants of Health on Parent Feeding Practices
Authors: LaManna Stefanie , Hatfield Brooke , McCann Eileen 
Published: January 2024

Background:
Social determinants of health (SDOH) are the nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes. SDOH can be grouped into 5 domains: economic stability, education access and quality, healthcare access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context. SDOH impact people's health and quality of life but may also contribute to disparities in access to food, education, and healthcare. SDOH uniquely influence parent feeding practices in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in a variety of ways, ranging from logistical considerations for parent visitation to cultural beliefs such as family perception of human milk feeding.

Evidence Acquisition:
A hypothetical case example of a preterm infant with a feeding disorder in the NICU is used to connect SDOH that influence prenatal health, parental lived experience, and postnatal medical care to maternal and infant outcomes with implications for feeding practices. Barriers and facilitators to successful feeding practices in the NICU and at discharge are considered for each SDOH domain.

Results:
This case example increases awareness of SDOH and how they influence parent feeding practices in the NICU, focusing on the intersection of SDOH, parent stress, and oral feeding outcomes. Examples were provided for how to support applying findings into practice.

Implications for Practice and Research:
By being creating a culture of SDOH awareness, NICU staff can assist families in overcoming barriers by putting supports in place to increase equitable participation in developmentally supportive feeding practices during the NICU stay.