bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Accelerometer-measured physical activity, sedentary behavior, and risk of incident pelvic organ prolapse: a prospective cohort study in the UK Biobank
Authors: Si Keyi , Cao Zhi , Liu Qianqian , Yang Yingying , Dai Qingqiang , Yao Yuting , Qiao Yingying , Xu Chenjie , Wu Guizhu 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
Previous studies on physical activity (PA) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) were largely limited to self-reported PA in athletes, soldiers, and women in postpartum. We aimed to investigate the association of accelerometer-measured PA and sedentary behavior with the risk of POP in middle-aged and elderly women.

Methods
In this prospective cohort derived from the UK Biobank, the intensity and duration of PA and sedentary behavior were measured with wrist-worn accelerometers over a 7-day period in 2013–2015 for 47,674 participants (aged 42.8–77.9 years) without pre-existing POP. Participants were followed up until the end of 2022, during which incident POP was ascertained mainly by the electronic health records. Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic splines were used to assess the associations of interest. Isotemporal substitution models were applied to test the effects of substituting a type of activity with equivalent duration of others.

Results
During a median follow-up of 8.0 years, 779 cases of POP were recorded. The duration of light-intensity PA (LPA) was positively whereas sedentary time was negatively associated with the risk of POP. Every additional 1 h/day of LPA elevated the risk of POP by 18% (95% confidence interval [CI], 10%–26%). In contrast, the risk decreased by 5% (95% CI, 0–8%) per 1 h/day increment in sedentary behavior. No associations were found between moderate-intensity PA (MPA) or vigorous-intensity PA (VPA) and POP, except that women who had a history of hysterectomy were more likely to develop POP when performing more VPA (53% higher risk for every additional 15 min/day). Substituting 1 h/day of LPA with equivalent sedentary time was associated with a 18% (95% CI, 11%–24%) lower risk of POP. The risk can also be reduced by 17% (95% CI, 7%–25%) through substituting 30 min/day of LPA with MPA.

Conclusions
More time spent in LPA or less sedentary time was linked to an elevated risk of POP in middle-aged and elderly women, while MPA or VPA was not. Substituting LPA with equivalent duration of sedentary behavior or MPA may lower the risk of POP.
Yams (Dioscorea spp.) in shellmounds and swiddens: ancient history in Babitonga Bay, Santa Catarina State, southern Brazil
Authors: da Silva Souza Dalzemira Anselmo , da Bandeira Dione Rocha , Peroni Nivaldo 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
In Babitonga Bay, southern Brazil, records of yam consumption exist among shellmound builders from at least 4000 years ago. Shellmounds (sambaquis) are anthropogenic structures in the form of mounds with layers of shells associated with other faunal remains, as well as with charcoal, artefacts and burial. Larger sambaquis are considered to be funerary monuments. The indigenous Jê and Guarani people also lived in the region before the European invasion and cultivated yams. Currently, exotic and domesticated yams are cultivated in the region by farmers. Our aim is to describe the long-term history between the people and Dioscorea in the Babitonga Bay region based on its consumption and occurrence in shellmounds and swiddens.

Methods
Surveys of Dioscorea spp. and host were carried out in the vegetation of shellmounds and in the surrounding area using visual detection through intensive searches in transects using the walking method. The survey of Dioscorea species used and cultivated in the precolonial, colonial and current periods was carried out based on the literature. In the present study, only Dioscorea trifida cultivations were recorded.

Results
Dioscorea cayennensis, Dioscorea chondrocarpa, Dioscorea dodecaneura, Dioscorea laxiflora, Dioscorea olfersiana, and Dioscorea scabra, all recorded in associated vegetation of shellmounds, in different combinations of the species. In swiddens, D. trifida is most common, followed by Dioscorea alata and, to a lesser extent, Dioscorea bulbifera and D. cayennensis. Records of food use prevail, but they are used as medicinal plants. Yams are integrated on anthropogenic soils of shellmounds and in swiddens in monoculture systems or in intercropping with Zea mays or Colocasia esculenta. The presence of exotic food trees and D. cayennensis in some shellmounds indicates the influence of colonizers on the composition of the vegetation. In sambaquis, there are overlapping processes of construction of cultural niches by different human groups at different times.

Conclusions
The sambaquis and the associated vegetation and swiddens form part of a domesticated landscape. The native species of Dioscorea recorded in shellmounds and surrounding vegetation do not depend on human action to perpetuate themselves in the environment. However, this does not rule out human influence in the past, but it does not indicate horticulture among the Sambaquianos. Greater investment in genetic, archaeobotanical and ethnobotanical research can contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between people and yams over thousands of years.
A unilateral external fixator combined with bone transport and tibio-talar fusion for the treatment of severe postoperative infection of peri-ankle fractures: retrospective analysis of 32 cases
Authors: Li Qinghu , Wang Xin , Wang Yonghui , Liu Fanxiao , Fu Baisheng 
Published: February 2024

AbstractBackgroundTo investigate the clinical effects of a unilateral external fixator combined with bone transport and tibio-talar fusion in the treatment of severe postoperative infection of peri-ankle fractures.MethodsThe clinical data of 32 patients (22 men and 10 women) with severe postoperative infection of peri-ankle fractures were retrospectively analyzed. Patients’ age ranged from 26 to 62 (mean, 42 ± 9.5) years old. The types of fractures were distal tibia fracture (25 cases), distal tibia and fibula fracture (5 cases), and talus fracture (2 cases). All patients underwent treatment with unilateral external fixation combined with bone transport and tibio-talar fusion. 6 patients with severe infection received two-stage treatment involving focal debridement and external fixation, osteotomy, and bone transport. The remaining 26 patients underwent debridement, external fixation, and osteotomy simultaneously. The length of bone transport, total fixation time of the external fixator, and postoperative complications were recorded for all patients. The efficacy of the treatment was assessed using the American Association of Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle–hindfoot score.ResultsPatients were followed up for 16–36 months, with an average follow-up time of 24 months. The length of tibia bone transport ranged from 5 to 15 cm, with a mean length of 8.5 cm. The external fixator was applied for 12–24 months, with an average duration of 16 months. One patient suffered from refracture at tibio-talar fusion site, and one patient had external fixation pin-tract infection. No complications, such as recurrent infections (especially the MRSA infection), poor mineralization, refracture, iatrogenic nerve damage or fusion failure, were found in the remaining patients. The preoperative AOFAS ankle–hindfoot function score was 40.0 ± 3.8 (range, 30–52) points, and it increased to 75.0 ± 3.0 (range, 67–78) points at the last follow-up.ConclusionA unilateral external fixator combined with bone transport and tibio-talar fusion is an effective method for treating severe postoperative infection of peri-ankle fractures. This approach is capable of reconstructing large bone defects that remain after clearing the infected lesion. Additionally, it provides stability to the ankle, enhances ankle–hindfoot function, and improves the patient’s quality of life.
mini-MED: study protocol for a randomized, multi-intervention, semi-controlled feeding trial of a Mediterranean-amplified vs. habitual Western dietary pattern for the evaluation of food-specific compounds and cardiometabolic health
Authors: Hill Emily B. , Tang Minghua , Long Julie M. , Kemp Jennifer F. , Westcott Jamie L. , Hendricks Audrey E. , Reisdorph Nichole A. , Campbell Wayne W. , Krebs Nancy F. ,   the mini-MED Trial Team, Schaefer Claudia , Glime Gabrielle , Doenges Katrina A. , Reisdorph Richard M. , Rasolofomanana Rajery Sakaiza , Garvey Kathryn , Shandas Robin , Borengasser Sarah J. , Frank Daniel N. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractBackgroundDiet is among the most influential lifestyle factors impacting chronic disease risk. Nutrimetabolomics, the application of metabolomics to nutrition research, allows for the detection of food-specific compounds (FSCs) that can be used to connect dietary patterns, such as a Mediterranean-style (MED) diet, to health. This validation study is based upon analyses from a controlled feeding MED intervention, where our team identified FSCs from eight foods that can be detected in biospecimens after consumption and may therefore serve as food intake biomarkers.MethodsIndividuals with overweight/obesity who do not habitually consume a MED dietary pattern will complete a 16-week randomized, multi-intervention, semi-controlled feeding study of isocaloric dietary interventions: (1) MED-amplified dietary pattern, containing 500 kcal/day from eight MED target foods: avocado, basil, cherry, chickpea, oat, red bell pepper, walnut, and a protein source (alternating between salmon or unprocessed, lean beef), and (2) habitual/Western dietary pattern, containing 500 kcal/day from six non-MED target foods: cheesecake, chocolate frozen yogurt, refined grain bread, sour cream, white potato, and unprocessed, lean beef. After a 2-week washout, participants complete four, 4-week intervention periods, with biospecimen sampling and outcome assessments at baseline and at intervention weeks 4, 8, 12, and 16. The primary outcome is change in the relative abundance of FSCs from the eight MED target foods in participant biospecimens from baseline to the end of each intervention period. Secondary outcomes include mean change in cardiometabolic health indicators, inflammatory markers, and adipokines. Exploratory outcomes include change in diversity and community composition of the gut microbiota.DiscussionOur stepwise strategy, beginning with identification of FSCs in whole diets and biospecimens, followed by relating these to health indicators will lead to improved methodology for assessment of dietary patterns and a better understanding of the relationship between food and health. This study will serve as a first step toward validating candidate food intake biomarkers and allow for assessment of relationships with cardiometabolic health. The identification of food intake biomarkers is critical to future research and has implications spanning health promotion and disease prevention for many chronic conditions.Trial registrationRegistered at ClinicalTrials.gov:NCT05500976; Date of registration: August 15, 2022.
Efficacy of unregulated minimum risk tick repellent products evaluated with Ixodes scapularis nymphs in a human skin bioassay
Authors: Burtis James C. , Ford Shelby L. , Parise Christina M. , Eisen Rebecca J. , Eisen Lars 
Published: February 2024

Abstract﻿
Background
The majority of vector-borne disease cases in the USA are caused by pathogens spread by ticks, most commonly the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis. Personal protection against tick bites, including use of repellents, is the primary defense against tick-borne diseases. Tick repellents registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are well documented to be safe as well as effective against ticks. Another group of tick repellent products, 25(b) exempt or minimum risk products, use alternative, mostly botanically derived, active ingredients. These are considered to pose minimal risk to human health and therefore are exempt from EPA registration; efficacy testing is not mandated for these products.

Methods
We used a finger bioassay to evaluate the repellency against I. scapularis nymphs for 11 formulated 25(b) exempt products together with two positive control DEET-based EPA registered products. Repellency was assessed hourly from 0.5 to 6.5 h after product application.

Results
The DEET-based products showed ≥ 97% repellency for all examined timepoints. By contrast, an average of 63% of ticks were repelled in the first 1.5 h after application across the 11 25(b) exempt products, and the average fell to 3% repelled between 2.5 and 6.5 h. Ten of the 11 25(b) exempt products showed statistically similar efficacy to DEET-based products at 30 min after application (repellency of 79–97%). However, only four 25(b) exempt products maintained a level of repellency similar to DEET-based products (> 72%) at the 1.5-h mark, and none of these products were effective in repelling ticks at the timepoints from 2.5 to 6.5 h after application.

Conclusions
Neither the claims on the labels nor specific active ingredients and their concentrations appeared to predict the duration of efficacy we observed for the 25(b) exempt products. These products are not registered with the EPA, so the methods used to determine the application guidelines on their labels are unclear. Consumers should be aware that both the level of efficacy and the duration of repellency may differ among unregulated 25(b) exempt repellent products labeled for use against ticks. We encourage more research on these products and the 25(b) exempt active ingredients they contain to help determine and improve their efficacy as repellents under different conditions.

Graphical Abstract
Effects of a randomized-controlled and online-supported physical activity intervention on exercise capacity, fatigue and health related quality of life in patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome
Authors: Kerling Arno , Beyer Sebastian , Dirks Meike , Scharbau Michèle , Hennemann Ann-Katrin , Dopfer-Jablonka Alexandra , Lampe Viktoria , Salzmann Jakob Heinrich Wolfgang , Tegtbur Uwe , Drick Nora , Pink Isabell , Haufe Sven 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
The Post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS), which can occur after acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, leads to restrictions in everyday activity. Our study assessed the impact of an online-guided intervention which intended to facilitate physical activity on the mental and physical capability of PCS patients.

Methods
We randomized 62 patients with PCS (20 male/ 42 female; age: 46 ± 12 years; body mass index: 28.7 ± 6.7 kg/m2) with a score ≥ 22 in the fatigue assessment scale (FAS) to a 3-month exercise-focused intervention (IG n = 30) or control period (CG n = 32). We assessed changes in exercise capacity (bicycle exercise test with measurements of gas exchange), fatigue, markers of health-related quality of life (HrQoL) and mental health.

Results
The FAS score decreased significantly in both study groups (IG: 35.1 ± 7.4 to 31.8 ± 8.5 points; CG: 35.6 ± 7.4 to 32.6 ± 7.5 points, both p < 0.01). Exercise capacity did not increase in the CG or IG (within-group changes for IG: peak oxygen uptake: 0.9 ± 2.6 ml/min/kg, p = 0.098; peak power output: 6.1 ± 17.8 W, p = 0.076) with no significant changes in HrQoL and work ability. Patients with a FAS score at baseline ≥ 35 (severe fatigue) showed no change in exercise capacity with the 3-month intervention whereas the sub-group of patients with FAS < 35 points (moderate fatigue) showed improvements, independent of the study group.

Conclusions
Our 3-month intervention seems appropriate for patients with moderate fatigue, whereas those with more severe fatigue appear to be too restricted with respect to their mental or physical health status to perform exercise at a level which is sufficient to improve markers of physical performance.

Trial registration
German Clinical Trials Register (registration trial number: DRKS00026245) on September 2 2021.
Acoustical feature analysis and optimization for aesthetic recognition of Chinese traditional music
Authors: Xie Lingyun , Wang Yuehong , Gao Yan 
Published: February 2024

AbstractChinese traditional music, a vital expression of Chinese cultural heritage, possesses both a profound emotional resonance and artistic allure. This study sets forth to refine and analyze the acoustical features essential for the aesthetic recognition of Chinese traditional music, utilizing a dataset spanning five aesthetic genres. Through recursive feature elimination, we distilled an initial set of 447 low-level physical features to a more manageable 44, establishing their feature-importance coefficients. This reduction allowed us to estimate the quantified influence of higher-level musical components on aesthetic recognition, following the establishment of a correlation between these components and their physical counterparts. We conducted a comprehensive examination of the impact of various musical elements on aesthetic genres. Our findings indicate that the selected 44-dimensional feature set could enhance aesthetic recognition. Among the high-level musical factors, timbre emerges as the most influential, followed by rhythm, pitch, and tonality. Timbre proved pivotal in distinguishing between the JiYang and BeiShang genres, while rhythm and tonality were key in differentiating LingDong from JiYang, as well as LingDong from BeiShang.
Blockchain-cloud privacy-enhanced distributed industrial data trading based on verifiable credentials
Authors: Fang Junli , Feng Tao , Guo Xian , Ma Rong , Lu Ye 
Published: February 2024

AbstractIndustrial data trading can considerably enhance the economic and social value of abundant data resources. However, traditional data trading models are plagued by critical flaws in fairness, security, privacy and regulation. To tackle the above issues, we first proposed a distributed industrial data trading architecture based on blockchain and cloud for multiple data owners. Subsequently, we realized implemented distributed identity management by the distributed verifiable credentials scheme that possesses the desirable properties, i.e., selective disclosure, multi-show unlinkability, threshold traceability, and public verifiability. Finally, we presented a fair trading mechanism without trusted third parties based on smart contracts, and we employed blockchain and multi-signature to ensure data integrity during data storage and trading. The security and performance analysis shows that our proposal is feasible for sensitive data trading for multiple data owners and provides a useful exploration for future industrial data trading and management.
Carotid wave analysis in young adults with a history of adolescent anorexia nervosa: a case control study
Authors: Springall Gabriella A. C. , Goldsmith Greta , Zannino Diana , Cheong Jeanie , Mynard Jonathan P. , Yeo Michele , Cheung Michael M. H. 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is associated with abnormalities that may increase the risk of future cardiovascular disease. This study assessed the cardiovascular health of individuals who recovered from AN during adolescence by conducting wave power analysis.

Methods
Former AN patients discharged from the Royal Children’s and Monash Children’s Hospitals (N = 17) in Melbourne, Australia underwent ultrasound imaging of the right carotid artery. Wave power analysis was conducted to assess biomechanical interactions of the cardiovascular system. Patient measures were compared to healthy controls (N = 51).

Results
Eighty-eight percent of the former AN patients and controls were female, aged approximately 25 years, with a healthy body mass index. Mean carotid flow and pulsatility index were not different between groups. Carotid arterial strain and distensibility were lower, and the wave speed and beta stiffness index higher in the former AN patients. Characteristic impedance was not different nor were the forward and backward wave amplitudes. However, wave reflection indices (ratios of backward-to-forward compression wave area, and wave-related effect on pressure and hydraulic power) were 12–18% lower in the former AN patients (p < 0.05).

Conclusions
Increased carotid artery stiffness and reduced wave reflection are evident in young adults who recovered from adolescent AN. This may relate to an adaptive process that helps to maintain or restore flow and characteristic impedance despite increased vessel stiffness, with this warranting future investigation.
Dunhuang murals image restoration method based on generative adversarial network
Authors: Ren Hui , Sun Ke , Zhao Fanhua , Zhu Xian 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Murals are an important part of China’s cultural heritage. After more than a 1000 years of exposure to the sun and wind, most of these ancient murals have become mottled, with damage such as cracking, mold, and even large-scale detachment. It is an urgent work to restore these damaged murals. The technique of digital restoration of mural images refers to the reconstruction of structures and textures to virtually fill in the damaged areas of the image. Existing digital restoration methods have the problems of incomplete restoration and distortion of local details. In this paper, we propose a generative adversarial network model combining a parallel dual convolutional feature extraction depth generator and a ternary heterogeneous joint discriminator. The generator network is designed with the mechanism of parallel extraction of image features by vanilla convolution and dilated convolution, capturing multi-scale features simultaneously, and reasonable parameter settings reduce the loss of image information. A pixel-level discriminator is proposed to identify the pixel-level defects of the captured image, and its joint global discriminator and local discriminator discriminate the generated image at different levels and granularities. In this paper, we create the Dunhuang murals dataset and validate our method on this dataset, and the experimental results show that the method of this paper has an overall improvement in the evaluation metrics of PSNR and SSIM compared with the comparative methods. The restored resultant image is more in line with the subjective vision of human beings, which achieves the effective restoration of mural images.