bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Challenges of conducting a randomised placebo-controlled trial of spinal surgery: the SUcceSS trial of lumbar spine decompression
Authors: Ho Emma Kwan-Yee , Mobbs Ralph Jasper , van Gelder James Montague , Harris Ian Andrew , Davis Gavin , Stanford Ralph , Beard David John , Maher Christopher Gerard , Prior Joanna , Knox Michael , Anderson David Barrett , Buchbinder Rachelle , Ferreira Manuela Loureiro 
Published: December 2023

AbstractAlthough placebo-controlled trials are considered the gold standard for evaluating the efficacy of healthcare interventions, they can be perceived to be controversial and challenging to conduct for surgical treatments. The SUcceSS trial is the first placebo-controlled trial of lumbar decompression surgery for symptomatic lumbar canal stenosis. The SUcceSS trial has experienced common issues affecting the implementation of randomised placebo-controlled surgery trials, accentuated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the SUcceSS trial as an example, we discuss key challenges and mitigation strategies specific to the conduct of a randomised placebo-controlled surgical trial. Overall, the key lessons learned were (i) involving key stakeholders early and throughout the trial design phase may increase clinician and patient willingness to participate in a placebo-controlled trial of surgical interventions, (ii) additional resources (e.g. budget, staff time) are likely required to successfully operationalise trials of this nature, (iii) the level of placebo fidelity, timing of randomisation relative to intervention delivery, and nuances of the surgical procedure under investigation should be considered carefully. Findings are based on one example of a placebo-controlled surgical trial; however, researchers may benefit from employing or building from the strategies described and lessons learned when designing or implementing future trials of this nature.
Lipid accumulation mechanism of Amphora coffeaeformis under nitrogen deprivation and its application as a feed additive in Carassius auratus aquaculture
Authors: Cui Yulin , Wang Kang , Zhou Xiuzhi , Meng Chunxiao , Gao Zhengquan 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
Amphora coffeaeformis, a unicellular diatom, can significantly accumulate lipids under nitrogen (N) limitation. However, the molecular mechanism underlying lipid accumulation in A. coffeaeformis remains unknown and its application development is lagging.

Results
This work analyzed the lipid composition of A. coffeaeformis under N deprivation and investigated its mechanism underlying lipid accumulation using RNA-seq. The results showed that the total lipid content of A. coffeaeformis increased from 28.22 to 44.05% after 5 days of N deprivation, while the neutral lipid triacylglycerol (TAG) content increased from 10.41 to 25.21%. The transcriptional profile showed that N deprivation induced wide-ranging reprogramming of regulation and that most physiological activities were repressed, while the upregulation of glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase directly determined TAG accumulation. Moreover, we explored the effect of A. coffeaeformis as a food additive on the lipid composition of crucian carp. The results showed that the contents of unsaturated fatty acids in the meat of fish supplemented with A. coffeaeformis were significantly increased, indicating its potential application in animal nutrition for improving meat quality indicators.

Conclusion
The findings shed light on the molecular mechanisms of neutral lipid accumulation and revealed the key genes involved in lipid metabolism in A. coffeaeformis. Moreover, we also confirmed that A. coffeaeformis can be used as feed additive for improving the lipid composition of crucian carp meat, which provided evidence for the biotechnology application of this high-oil microalgae.
Evaluation of subclinical left ventricular systolic dysfunction in obese patients by global myocardial work
Authors: Huang Jun , Li Guang-an , Wang Jing , Jiao Yu-wen , Qian Zhi-feng , Fan Li , Tang Li-ming 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Objective
To evaluate subclinical LV systolic dysfunction in obese patients by global myocardial work (MW).

Methods
A total of 589 obese patients and 100 normal controls were enrolled in the study. The global longitudinal strain (GLS), global work index (GWI), global constructive work (GCW), global wasted work (GWW) and global work efficiency (GWE) were generated by a noninvasive pressure-strain loop (PSL) in apical 3-, 4- and 2-chamber views acquired by two-dimensional echocardiography. All obese patients were divided into three groups: class I obesity (mild) 30–35 kg/m2, class II obesity (moderate) 35–40 kg/m2 and class III obesity (severe) > 40 kg/m2. These values were compared among the three groups. The independent influencing factors of subclinical LV systolic dysfunction in obese patients were explored by constructing a multiple regression model. ROC analysis was performed to determine the performance of MW to detect subclinical LV systolic dysfunction in obese patients.

Results
The absolute value of GLS in obese patients was significantly lower than that in normal controls (P < 0.001). The values of GWI, GCW, GWE and GCW/GWW in obese patients were significantly lower than those in normal controls (P < 0.05), while GWW was significantly larger than that in normal controls (P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis and trend analysis showed that the values of GWI, GCW, GWE and GCW/GWW in severe obese patients were lower than those in moderate obese patients and lower than those in mild obese patients (P < 0.01), while GWW in severe obese patients was larger than that in moderate obese patients and larger than that in mild obese patients (P < 0.05). Female sex, BMI and SBP were independent influencing factors of impaired GWI (β = 0.15, P < 0.001) (β=-0.18, P < 0.001) (β = 0.50, P < 0.001) and GCW (β = 0.17, P < 0.001) (β=-0.19, P < 0.001) (β = 0.57, P < 0.001). ROC analysis showed that the AUC of the combined global MW was significantly higher than the AUCs of the individual indices (P < 0.05).

Conclusion
In this study, we conclude that subclinical LV systolic dysfunction was detected by the novel global MW technique in obese patients. Elevated BMI in obese patients results in an increased risk of subclinical LV systolic dysfunction, although the LVEF is normal. Controlling BMI in obese patients may reduce the impairment to the LV myocardial systolic function. Global MW is a novel and reproducible technique that can be well applied in the clinical evaluation of subclinical LV systolic dysfunction.
Antimicrobial growth promoters approved in food-producing animals in South Africa induce shiga toxin-converting bacteriophages from Escherichia coli O157:H7.
Authors: Ngoma Nomonde F. N. , Malahlela Mogaugedi N. , Marufu Munyaradzi C. , Cenci-Goga Beniamino T. , Grispoldi Luca , Etter Eric , Kalake Alan , Karama Musafiri 
Published: December 2023

AbstractIn this study, four antimicrobial growth promoters, including virginiamycin, josamycin, flavophospholipol, poly 2-propenal 2-propenoic acid and ultraviolet light, were tested for their capacity to induce stx-bacteriophages in 47 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 isolates. Induced bacteriophages were characterized for shiga toxin subtypes and structural genes by PCR, DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) and morphological features by electron microscopy. Bacteriophages were induced from 72.3% (34/47) of the STEC O157:H7 isolates tested. Bacteriophage induction rates per induction method were as follows: ultraviolet light, 53.2% (25/47); poly 2-propenal 2-propenoic acid, 42.6% (20/47); virginiamycin, 34.0% (16/47); josamycin, 34.0% (16/47); and flavophospholipol, 29.8% (14/47). A total of 98 bacteriophages were isolated, but only 59 were digestible by NdeI, revealing 40 RFLP profiles which could be subdivided in 12 phylogenetic subgroups. Among the 98 bacteriophages, stx2a, stx2c and stx2d were present in 85.7%, 94.9% and 36.7% of bacteriophages, respectively. The Q, P, CIII, N1, N2 and IS1203 genes were found in 96.9%, 82.7%, 69.4%, 40.8%, 60.2% and 73.5% of the samples, respectively. Electron microscopy revealed four main representative morphologies which included three bacteriophages which all had long tails but different head morphologies: long hexagonal head, oval/oblong head and oval/circular head, and one bacteriophage with an icosahedral/hexagonal head with a short thick contractile tail. This study demonstrated that virginiamycin, josamycin, flavophospholipol and poly 2-propenal 2-propenoic acid induce genetically and morphologically diverse free stx-converting bacteriophages from STEC O157:H7. The possibility that these antimicrobial growth promoters may induce bacteriophages in vivo in animals and human hosts is a public health concern. Policies aimed at minimizing or banning the use of antimicrobial growth promoters should be promoted and implemented in countries where these compounds are still in use in animal agriculture.
Feature-enhanced fusion of U-NET-based improved brain tumor images segmentation
Authors: Nizamani Abdul Haseeb , Chen Zhigang , Nizamani Ahsan Ahmed , Shaheed Kashif 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe field of medical image segmentation, particularly in the context of brain tumor delineation, plays an instrumental role in aiding healthcare professionals with diagnosis and accurate lesion quantification. Recently, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have demonstrated substantial efficacy in a range of computer vision tasks. However, a notable limitation of CNNs lies in their inadequate capability to encapsulate global and distal semantic information effectively. In contrast, the advent of Transformers, which has established their prowess in natural language processing and computer vision, offers a promising alternative. This is primarily attributed to their self-attention mechanisms that facilitate comprehensive modeling of global information. This research delineates an innovative methodology to augment brain tumor segmentation by synergizing UNET architecture with Transformer technology (denoted as UT), and integrating advanced feature enhancement (FE) techniques, specifically Modified Histogram Equalization (MHE), Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE), and Modified Bi-histogram Equalization Based on Optimization (MBOBHE). This integration fosters the development of highly efficient image segmentation algorithms, namely FE1-UT, FE2-UT, and FE3-UT. The methodology is predicated on three pivotal components. Initially, the study underscores the criticality of feature enhancement in the image preprocessing phase. Herein, techniques such as MHE, CLAHE, and MBOBHE are employed to substantially ameliorate the visibility of salient details within the medical images. Subsequently, the UT model is meticulously engineered to refine segmentation outcomes through a customized configuration within the UNET framework. The integration of Transformers within this model is instrumental in imparting contextual comprehension and capturing long-range data dependencies, culminating in more precise and context-sensitive segmentation. Empirical evaluation of the model on two extensively acknowledged public datasets yielded accuracy rates exceeding 99%.
Sensitivity of non-conventional electro-diagnostic techniques to detect neuropathy in patients with hepatitis “C” viral infection
Authors: Gabr Reem M. , Elkholy Saly H. , Basheer Mye A. , Khairy Marwa , El Salmawy Dina A. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
Hepatitis “C” virus (HCV) infection has become a growing global health concern. Chronic HCV infection is usually accompanied by extra-hepatic manifestations. Peripheral neuropathies are the most common neurological complications. Electrophysiological tests play an important role in diagnosing polyneuropathy and identifying its pathophysiology. This study aimed at highlighting the sensitivity of non-conventional, quantitative, electrophysiological techniques in the detection of neuropathy in patients having HCV infection. Forty-five HCV patients were recruited for this study. Conventional motor and sensory conduction studies (NCS) were initially performed followed by interference pattern analysis (IPA). Two quantitative nerve conduction scores were also studied: motor amplitude score (MAS) and sensory amplitude score (SAS).

Results
In the two patients’ subgroups (having numbness versus having no numbness), MAS showed a significant difference, while the SAS showed a non-significant difference. In the two subgroups (with normal NCS versus those with abnormal/suspected NCS), the MAS and the SAS mean values were significantly different. Also, there was a positive significant correlation found between the IPA mean amplitude and the SAS parameter. Finally, we presented the results of the diagnostic performance of the MAS and the SAS in detecting abnormal NCS.

Conclusions
MAS and/or SAS scores could be used as good screening tools for the detection of neuropathy. We here recommend expanding the non-conventional NCSs to other etiologies of polyneuropathy.
Land cover, land use, climate change and food security
Authors: Bununu Yakubu Aliyu , Bello Ashiru , Ahmed Adamu 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe article discusses the intricate relationships between land cover and land use change on the one hand and climate on the other. It explores the current state of the climate change debate and submits that evidence abounds that human-induced climate change is indeed happening. It further explains the concepts of land cover and land use and the similarities, differences and relationships between them. The article then goes on to explore the subject of land use and land cover changes and modifications and how these processes can occur as a consequence of climate change and can also be the drivers of climate change. It then discusses how land cover, land use and climate interact to impact food security using secondary data from Nigeria and also outlines other impacts of climate change and their consequences on food security.
Continuous-time modeling of the multivariate relationships between physical activity levels and stationary time in preschool-aged children: an investigation of the ActivityStat hypothesis
Authors: Lamboglia Carminda Goersch , Ruissen Geralyn R. , Kuzik Nicholas , Carson Valerie , Spence John C. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
The ActivityStat hypothesis proposes that an increase or decrease in physical activity (PA) greater than a certain set point activates behavioural and/or energy compensatory responses to maintain a stable level of total energy expenditure. Few studies have tested this hypothesis in children and even fewer have focused on young children. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the ActivityStat hypothesis by examining the presence and timeframe of the relationships among PA levels and stationary time (ST) in preschool-aged children.

Methods
A secondary analysis was performed on repeated measurement data (i.e., day-to-day activity) involving 98 preschool-aged children (age: 4.5 ± 0.7 years) in Edmonton, Canada. Participants were asked to wear an ActiGraph wGT3X-BT on the waist for 7 consecutive days to assess PA levels (i.e., light PA [LPA], and moderate-to-vigorous PA[MVPA]) and ST. Bayesian continuous-time structural equation modeling (CT-SEM) was used to examine the relationship between behaviours over time and the timeframe during which these relationships occur.

Results
Each behaviour (i.e., LPA, MVPA, and ST) positively and meaningfully predicted itself at a later time. These relationships persisted up to 0.5 days later, at which point past behaviour no longer meaningfully predicted future behaviour. In contrast, no relationships were observed between the three behaviours.

Conclusions
This is the first study to investigate the ActivityStat hypothesis using Bayesian CT-SEM in preschool-aged children. When simultaneously taking into account all dynamic relationships suggested by the ActivityStat, the findings fail to support the hypothesis.
Genetic Characterization of Primary Mediastinal B-Cell Lymphoma: Pathogenesis and Patient Outcomes
Authors: Noerenberg Daniel , Briest Franziska , Hennch Cornelius , Yoshida Kenichi , Hablesreiter Raphael , Takeuchi Yasuhide , Ueno Hiroo , Staiger Annette M. , Ziepert Marita , Asmar Fazila , Locher Benjamin N. , Toth Erika , Weber Thomas , Amini Rose-Marie , Klapper Wolfram , Bouzani Maria , Poeschel Viola , Rosenwald Andreas , Held Gerhard , Campo Elías , Ishaque Naveed , Stamatopoulos Kostas , Kanellis George , Anagnostopoulos Ioannis , Bullinger Lars , Goldschmidt Neta , Zinzani Pier Luigi , Bödör Csaba , Rosenquist Richard , Vassilakopoulos Theodoros P. , Ott German , Ogawa Seishi , Damm Frederik 
Published: December 2023

PURPOSE Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL) is a rare aggressive lymphoma predominantly affecting young female patients. Large-scale genomic investigations and genetic markers for risk stratification are lacking. PATIENTS AND METHODS To elucidate the full spectrum of genomic alterations, samples from 340 patients with previously untreated PMBCL were investigated by whole-genome (n = 20), whole-exome (n = 78), and targeted (n = 308) sequencing. Statistically significant prognostic variables were identified using a multivariable Cox regression model and confirmed by L1/L2 regularized regressions. RESULTS Whole-genome sequencing revealed a commonly disrupted p53 pathway with nonredundant somatic structural variations (SVs) in TP53-related genes ( TP63, TP73, and WWOX) and identified novel SVs facilitating immune evasion ( DOCK8 and CD83). Integration of mutation and copy-number data expanded the repertoire of known PMBCL alterations (eg, ARID1A, P2RY8, and PLXNC1) with a previously unrecognized role for epigenetic/chromatin modifiers. Multivariable analysis identified six genetic lesions with significant prognostic impact. CD58 mutations (31%) showed the strongest association with worse PFS (hazard ratio [HR], 2.52 [95% CI, 1.50 to 4.21]; P < .001) and overall survival (HR, 2.33 [95% CI, 1.14 to 4.76]; P = .02). IPI high-risk patients with mutated CD58 demonstrated a particularly poor prognosis, with 5-year PFS and OS rates of 41% and 58%, respectively. The adverse prognostic significance of the CD58 mutation status was predominantly observed in patients treated with nonintensified regimens, indicating that dose intensification may, to some extent, mitigate the impact of this high-risk marker. By contrast, DUSP2-mutated patients (24%) displayed durable responses (PFS: HR, 0.2 [95% CI, 0.07 to 0.55]; P = .002) and prolonged OS (HR, 0.11 [95% CI, 0.01 to 0.78]; P = .028). Upon CHOP-like treatment, these patients had very favorable outcome, with 5-year PFS and OS rates of 93% and 98%, respectively. CONCLUSION This large-scale genomic characterization of PMBCL identified novel treatment targets and genetic lesions for refined risk stratification. DUSP2 and CD58 mutation analyses may guide treatment decisions between rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone and dose-adjusted etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and rituximab.
John Bunyan in Abolitionist Print Culture
Authors: Kolding Isaac 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress (1678) was enormously popular in the nineteenth-century United States. This article shows that abolitionists appropriated that text, as well as the reputation and biography of its author, as a guide to their own political action. References to Bunyan and The Pilgrim’s Progress in abolitionist print culture, including newspapers and book-length responses to The Pilgrim’s Progress, reveal that abolitionists saw Bunyan as a virtuous progenitor who helped to legitimate and unify their political movement while representing both political commitment and religious toleration.
Unpacking Overconfident Behavior When Betting on Oneself
Authors: Abdellaoui Mohammed , Bleichrodt Han , Gutierrez Cédric 
Published: December 2023

Overconfident behavior, the excessive willingness to bet on one’s performance, may be driven by optimistic beliefs and/or ambiguity attitudes. Separating these factors is key for understanding and correcting overconfident behavior, as they call for different corrective actions. We present a method to do so, which we implement in two incentivized experiments. The first experiment shows the importance of ambiguity attitudes for overconfident behavior. Optimistic ambiguity attitudes (ambiguity seeking) counterbalanced the effect of pessimistic beliefs, leading to neither over- nor underconfident behavior. The second experiment applies our method in contexts where overconfident behavior is expected to vary: easy versus hard tasks. Our results showed that task difficulty affected both beliefs and ambiguity attitudes. However, although beliefs were more optimistic for relative performance (rank) and more pessimistic for absolute performance (score) on easy tasks compared with hard tasks, ambiguity attitudes were always more optimistic on easy tasks for both absolute and relative performance. Our findings show the subtle interplay between beliefs and ambiguity attitudes: they can reinforce or offset each other, depending on the context, increasing or lowering overconfident behavior. Yuval Rottenstreich, behavioral economics and decision analysis. Funding: This work was supported by HEC Paris research budget and Bocconi junior researchers’ grants. Supplemental Material: The data and online appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2021.00165 .
Ultrahigh-speed imaging for high-impact concrete deformation analysis in pre- and post-cracking stages
Authors: Duran Vergara Laura Camila , Liebold Frank , Maas Hans-Gerd 
Published: December 2023

The evaluation of high-speed camera image sequence analysis results in concrete material testing under high-impact loading necessitates the consideration of the effect of the image quality on the measurement accuracy and thus on the potential of the geometric measurements derived from the image sequences. In this contribution, we evaluate the application potential of three ultrahigh-speed cameras with frame rates up to 10 Mfps to analyze the deformation of concrete specimens before and after main crack formation in bending and compression tests. Specifically, we evaluate the Kirana 7M and Shimadzu HPV-X2 cameras with ISIS sensor architecture, and the Phantom TMX 7510 camera with BSI CMOS sensor technology. Three-point bending tests and split-Hopkinson pressure bar tests are performed on 160×40×40mm3 cuboids and on 80 mm long, 50 mm diameter cylinders. Prior to main crack formation, the displacement vector field represents the specimen deformation, with higher values indicating the position where main cracks will initiate and propagate. Deformations of 80 µm in 54 µs for a bending test and of 154 µm in 36.67 µs for a compression test could be measured. The main cracks are then detected using displacement vector field discontinuity analysis techniques, and their evolution is followed to estimate the crack propagation velocity. Average velocities in bending tests between 603 and 854 m/s have been determined over a time interval up to 40 µs. An investigation of the camera sensor operation of the three optical devices is presented to assess their suitability for deformation analysis. Laboratory tests and real experimental results show that the quality of the propagation vector field, the crack detection, and the crack tip tracking are obviously affected by the image quality, but more significantly by the spatial and temporal resolution due to the small relative step deformations.