bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The role of the Mediterranean diet in reducing the risk of cognitive impairement, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease: a meta-analysis
Authors: Fekete Mónika , Varga Péter , Ungvari Zoltan , Fekete János Tibor , Buda Annamaria , Szappanos Ágnes , Lehoczki Andrea , Mózes Noémi , Grosso Giuseppe , Godos Justyna , Menyhart Otilia , Munkácsy Gyöngyi , Tarantini Stefano , Yabluchanskiy Andriy , Ungvari Anna , Győrffy Balázs 
Published: January 2025

AbstractAge-related cognitive impairment and dementia pose a significant global health, social, and economic challenge. While Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has historically been viewed as the leading cause of dementia, recent evidence reveals the considerable impact of vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID), which now accounts for nearly half of all dementia cases. The Mediterranean diet—characterized by high consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and olive oil—has been widely recognized for its cardiovascular benefits and may also reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. To investigate the protective effects of the Mediterranean diet on cognitive health, we conducted a systematic literature review using PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, focusing on studies published between 2000 and 2024. The studies included in the meta-nalysis examined the adherence to the Mediterranean diet and the incidence of dementia and AD. We applied a random-effects model to calculate pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and assessed heterogeneity through I-square statistics. Forest plots, funnel plots, and Z-score plots were used to visualize study outcomes. Of the 324 full-text records reviewed, 23 studies met the inclusion criteria. The combined HR for cognitive impairment among those adhering to the Mediterranean diet was 0.82 (95% CI 0.75–0.89); for dementia, the HR was 0.89 (95% CI 0.83–0.95); and for AD, the HR was 0.70 (95% CI 0.60–0.82), indicating substantial protective effects. Significant heterogeneity was observed across studies, though Z-score plots suggested sufficient sample sizes to support reliable conclusions for each condition. In conclusion, this meta-analysis confirms that adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with an 11–30% reduction in the risk of age-related cognitive disorders, including cognitive impairment, dementia, and AD. These findings underscore the Mediterranean diet’s potential as a central element in neuroprotective public health strategies to mitigate the global impact of cognitive decline and dementia and to promote healthier cognitive aging.
Ethnicity-specific patterns of epigenetic age acceleration in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Sharma-Oates Archana , Dunne Niall , Raza Karim , Padyukov Leonid , Rivera Natalie , van der Helm-van Mil Annette , Pratt Arthur G. , Duggal Niharika A. , Jones Simon W. , Lord Janet M. 
Published: January 2025

AbstractRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an age-related chronic inflammatory disease which may include accelerated biological ageing processes in its pathogenesis. To determine if increased biological age is associated with risk of RA and/or is present once disease is established. We used DNA methylation to compare biological age (epigenetic age) of immune cells in adults at risk of RA and those with confirmed RA, including twins discordant for RA. The established RA studies were secondary analyses of existing DNA methylation data. Sub-group analysis considered the influence of ethnicity. Four epigenetic clocks were used to determine DNA methylation age. DNA methylation age was no different in adults at risk of RA in the Leiden Clinically Suspect Arthralgia (CSA) cohort (n = 38 developed RA, n = 24 did not), and there was also no difference in DNA methylation age between 77 UK twins discordant for RA, or adults with established RA from the Swedish EIRA cohort (n = 342) compared to healthy controls (n = 328). A sub-group analysis of RA patients of South Asian ethnicity (10 RA patients, 14 healthy controls) showed DNA methylation age acceleration of 3.3 years (p = 0.00014) using the mean DNA methylation age of four epigenetic clocks. Our study suggests that epigenetic age acceleration may be differentially influenced by South Asian ethnicity, but that RA was not generally associated with accelerated epigenetic age. The higher epigenetic age in the South Asian patients may explain the earlier age of onset in this minority ethnic population.
Impact of backpack load during walking: an EMG and biomechanical analysis
Authors: Matur Fırat , Alnamroush Fatma , Büyüksaraç Bora 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
This study aims to understand the impact of backpack carriage, a regular activity for many, on back muscles and joint mobility during walking so that clinicians can develop strategies or products to ensure individuals’ safety and well-being. Surface electromyography (EMG) and XSENS Awinda motion capture systems were used to analyze the effects of carrying a backpack (12% of body weight) on erector spinae and multifidus muscles, as well as spinal, hip, knee, and ankle joints. Subjects walked at 4 km/h on flat and inclined surfaces. Paired t-tests compared backpack loads to baseline measurements. Carrying a backpack reduced activation levels in erector spinae and multifidus muscles and restricted spinal joint range of motion (axial and lateral bending,

$$\varvec{p<0.05}$$

p
<
0.05

). Hip joint rotation increased (

$$\varvec{p<0.05}$$

p
<
0.05

). Moderate to strong correlations were observed between muscle activity and spinal joint ROM, notably with left erector spinae and L5-S1 lateral bending (

$$\varvec{r=0.723}, \varvec{p<0.001}$$

r
=
0.723

,

p
<
0.001

). Backpack carriage decreases back muscle activation and alters the joint range of motion. Asymmetric correlations show that the subjects adapt muscle activity and gait patterns asymmetrically to manage external loads.

Graphical abstract
Generation of high-resolution MPRAGE-like images from 3D head MRI localizer (AutoAlign Head) images using a deep learning-based model
Authors: Tagawa Hiroshi , Fushimi Yasutaka , Fujimoto Koji , Nakajima Satoshi , Okuchi Sachi , Sakata Akihiko , Otani Sayo , Wicaksono Krishna Pandu , Wang Yang , Ikeda Satoshi , Ito Shuichi , Umehana Masaki , Shimotake Akihiro , Kuzuya Akira , Nakamoto Yuji 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Purpose
Magnetization prepared rapid gradient echo (MPRAGE) is a useful three-dimensional (3D) T1-weighted sequence, but is not a priority in routine brain examinations. We hypothesized that converting 3D MRI localizer (AutoAlign Head) images to MPRAGE-like images with deep learning (DL) would be beneficial for diagnosing and researching dementia and neurodegenerative diseases. We aimed to establish and evaluate a DL-based model for generating MPRAGE-like images from MRI localizers.

Materials and methods
Brain MRI examinations including MPRAGE taken at a single institution for investigation of mild cognitive impairment, dementia and epilepsy between January 2020 and December 2022 were included retrospectively. Images taken in 2020 or 2021 were assigned to training and validation datasets, and images from 2022 were used for the test dataset. Using the training and validation set, we determined one model using visual evaluation by radiologists with reference to image quality metrics of peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity index measure (SSIM), and Learned Perceptual Image Patch Similarity (LPIPS). The test dataset was evaluated by visual assessment and quality metrics. Voxel-based morphometric analysis was also performed, and we evaluated Dice score and volume differences between generated and original images of major structures were calculated as absolute symmetrized percent change.

Results
Training, validation, and test datasets comprised 340 patients (mean age, 56.1 ± 24.4 years; 195 women), 36 patients (67.3 ± 18.3 years, 20 women), and 193 patients (59.5 ± 24.4 years; 111 women), respectively. The test dataset showed: PSNR, 35.4 ± 4.91; SSIM, 0.871 ± 0.058; and LPIPS 0.045 ± 0.017. No overfitting was observed. Dice scores for the segmentation of main structures ranged from 0.788 (left amygdala) to 0.926 (left ventricle). Quadratic weighted Cohen kappa values of visual score for medial temporal lobe between original and generated images were 0.80–0.88.

Conclusion
Images generated using our DL-based model can be used for post-processing and visual evaluation of medial temporal lobe atrophy.
Farming the sun: the political economy of agrivoltaics in the European Union
Authors: Vezzoni Rubén 
Published: January 2025

AbstractWhat kind of agricultural practices do agrivoltaic systems incentivise? Under what circumstances can they deliver the promised benefits, and who is likely to bear the costs? Presented as a win–win solution for developing solar energy while enhancing farmland productivity, agrivoltaics offer several advantages—including decentralised electrification, improved crop yield, and thus increased farmers’ income. Compared to traditional utility-scale solar, however, agrivoltaics generally entail higher installation costs and material requirements, lower energy generation, and thus increased cost of electricity production. Drawing on William Kapp’s theory of social costs and ecological political economy, this article examines agrivoltaics developments within the latest EU-level policy initiatives on energy, agriculture, and climate change. Despite room for optimism regarding the comparative advantages of agrivoltaics, the findings reconcile these benefits with multiple trade-offs inherent in alleged ‘win–win’ solutions. Addressing the dual objectives of energy and agricultural transitions, the uncritical deployment of agrivoltaics risks perpetuating the prevailing ‘cheaper food paradigm’, characterised by capital and energy-intensive agricultural techniques, trade globalisation, wage compression, and the displacement and/or deferral of environmental harm. Additionally, rent-seeking behaviour among landowners leasing to energy developers could inflate agricultural land prices, thus exacerbating land ownership intensification and the financialisation of European farmland. This article concludes by advancing a few avenues to reinvest the rental income of agrivoltaics to facilitate the transition to agroecological farming practices.
“The Brain is…”: A Survey of the Brain’s Many Definitions
Authors: Bolt Taylor , Uddin Lucina Q. 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
A reader of the peer-reviewed neuroscience literature will often encounter expressions like the following: ‘the brain is a dynamic system’, ‘the brain is a complex network’, or ‘the brain is a highly metabolic organ’. These expressions attempt to define the essential functions and properties of the mammalian or human brain in a simple phrase or sentence, sometimes using metaphors or analogies. We sought to survey the most common phrases of the form ‘the brain is…’ in the biomedical literature to provide insights into current conceptualizations of the brain. Utilizing text analytic tools applied to a large sample (> 4 million) of peer-reviewed full-text articles and abstracts, we extracted several thousand phrases of the form ‘the brain is…’ and identified over a dozen frequently appearing phrases. The most used phrases included metaphors (e.g., the brain as a ‘information processor’ or ‘prediction machine’) and descriptions of essential functions (e.g., ‘a central organ of stress adaptation’) or properties (e.g., ‘a highly vascularized organ’). Comparison of these phrases with those involving other bodily organs (e.g. the heart, liver, etc.) highlighted common phrases between the brain and other organs, such as the heart as a ‘complex, dynamic system’. However, the brain was unique among organs in the number and diversity of analogies ascribed to it. The results of our analysis underscore the diversity of qualities and functions attributed to the brain in the biomedical literature and suggest a range of conceptualizations that defy unification.
From Craftsman to Vocational Teacher: A Narrative Study of Tacit Knowledge and the Nexus between Complex Cultures
Authors: Lensjø Marit 
Published: January 2025

AbstractThis narrative study followed 11 vocational teachers in the Building and Construction program and examined factors that influenced their transition from the construction site to upper secondary school. The recruitment path for most technical vocational teachers means moving directly from the construction site to the school, where they begin work as substitute teachers. The study shed light on three important transition phases. First, the study highlights the significance of craftsmen’s intangible, embodied knowledge and how the cultural building heritage creates a professional community that the craftsmen strongly identify with. Second, the participants experienced the transition from being skilled workers to vocational teachers as intense and transformative. Without any teacher training or support from school management, they were suddenly expected to take on class leadership responsibilities and teach vocational subjects, often in classes with major behavioral challenges. Third, the participants managed gradually to establish a feeling of safety and an effective class environment. The experience of successfully gaining the trust of young students and helping them begin their vocational education revealed a new and meaningful dimension to the teaching role, inspiring them to remain in the school system and pursue a career as a vocational teacher.
Efficient uniformly convergent numerical methods for singularly perturbed parabolic reaction–diffusion systems with discontinuous source term
Authors: Jaiswal Aishwarya , Kumar Sunil , Ramos Higinio 
Published: January 2025

AbstractThis article is concerned with the construction and analysis of efficient uniformly convergent methods for a class of parabolic systems of coupled singularly perturbed reaction–diffusion problems with discontinuous source term. Due to the discontinuity in the source term, the solution to this problem exhibits interior layers along with boundary layers, which are overlapping and interacting in nature. To achieve an efficient numerical solution for the coupled system under consideration, at interior points (excluding the interface point) we employ a special finite difference scheme in time (where the components of the approximate solution are decoupled at each time level) and the central difference scheme in space; for mesh points on the interface, a special finite difference scheme decoupling the components of the approximate solution is developed. A rigorous error analysis is provided, establishing the method’s uniform convergence. In terms of computational cost, our numerical methods are more efficient than existing approaches for solving this class of problems. Finally, we provide numerical results to substantiate the theory and showcase the efficiency of our methods.
Local treatment strategies in oligometastatic colorectal cancer
Authors: Kupferthaler Alexander 
Published: January 2025

Summary
Management of oligometastatic disease in colorectal cancer is increasingly focused on local treatment strategies that can significantly enhance survival outcomes. The integration of surgical resection, thermal ablation and catheter-directed therapies, as well as ablative radiotherapy, and the combination with systemic therapy are critical components of a multidisciplinary approach to optimize patient care. The purpose of this manuscript is to review current definitions of oligometastatic cancer and summarize the current literature describing treatment and outcomes of local therapy in patients with oligometastatic colorectal cancer.
Synthetic satellite telemetry data for machine learning
Authors: Schefels Clemens , Schlag Leonard , Helmsauer Kathrin 
Published: January 2025

AbstractFor many machine learning tasks, labeled data are crucial. Even though there are methods that can be trained with data with only few labels, most of the tasks require many labels. In satellite operations, a huge amount of data are generated by the telemetry parameters of a satellite that keep track of its status. Modern satellites collect telemetry data of thousands of parameters. For example, the GRACE Follow-On satellites, operated by the German Space Operations Center (GSOC) at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), define about 80,000 unique housekeeping parameters each. However, all these telemetry data lack a complete/holistic set of labels. These data are usually unpredictable, hard to reproduce, and very diverse. As a consequence, expert knowledge is necessary to label these data, e.g., with anomalies. Moreover, labeling data by hand can be very time-consuming and, therefore, expensive. To overcome these obstacles, we implemented a synthetic satellite telemetry data library that is able to (a) generate a large variety of telemetry-like data, (b) add a plethora of well-defined anomalies to these data, and (c) deliver the labels for these injected anomalies. With these data, we are now able to train, validate, and test our machine learning models. Furthermore, we can compare different models with reproducible data. Since satellite telemetry data are often strictly confidential, we can share these synthetic data easily with our research partners.
A Study on the Effects of Welding Parameters on Weld Bead Geometry in TIG Welding Process of Zircaloy Fuel Pins Using Response Surface Methodology
Authors: Das Shibashankar , AnanthaKrishna K. V. , Rajkumar J. V. , Kumar Binay , Arora Umesh Kumar , Tewari Raghvendra 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
This paper investigates influences of welding parameters on weld bead geometry in the tungsten inert gas welding process of Zircaloy-2. Initially, a “Definitive screening design” was employed for identifying the key factors affecting weld bead geometry. Subsequently, response surface methodology was utilized to generate an experimental matrix, and experiments were conducted to analyze the effects of each welding parameter on weld bead geometry. Mathematical models were developed using analysis of variance for two-weld bead geometrical parameters, and their validity was assessed by comparing experimentally obtained values with those predicted by the model. Finally, a dimensionless parameter, the aspect ratio, indicative of the weld quality, was optimized.
Clinical genetic services in the Emilia-Romagna region, Italy: current activity and open issues: a mixed-method study
Authors: Godino Lea , Ambrosini Enrico , Barili Valeria , Graziano Claudio , Garavelli Livia , Calabrese Olga , Neri Marcella , Sangiorgi Luca , Bertonazzi Benedetta , Innella Giovanni , Turchetti Daniela , Percesepe Antonio 
Published: January 2025

AbstractIn 2002, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, a comprehensive strategic plan was developed with the aim of improving the integration and efficiency of the genetic services. Two decades later, this report aims to explore the current functioning of the regional network, with special focus on clinical genetics in the evolving scenarios. To this aim, we analyzed the activity data of the medical genetics services in the region, to identify and possibly improve currently open issues. This is a mixed-method study, analyzing quantitatively and qualitatively the activities of seven medical genetics services in Emilia-Romagna region. Quantitative analysis considered the number of consultations and the composition of the staff in the year 2021. Qualitative analysis examined a focus group of directors of the services through reflexive thematic analysis. A total of 14,925 counseling sessions have been delivered by the medical genetics services, staffed with 22.4 full-time equivalent clinical geneticists. A physician performed an average of 14.5 consultations per week and approximately 1166 h of patient care per year. The clinical geneticists/inhabitants ratio was 0.54 per 100,000 inhabitants, and it is estimated that one every 278 inhabitants, on average, underwent a genetic counseling session in 2021. Qualitative analysis highlighted issues concerning patients’ access to service, general organization and staff composition. In order to meet the growing demand for genetic counseling services, expansion of the workforce and adjustment of current practice models are required to increase the access to genetic services and the application of test results to clinical management.
Is corn still king? Unravelling time-varying interactions among soft commodities
Authors: Sayed Ayesha , Auret Christo 
Published: January 2025

AbstractThis paper explores correlation dynamics among agricultural commodities, crucial for risk mitigation and portfolio management, particularly within volatile soft commodities. Previous studies have found a significant increase in correlations among soft commodities, with corn found to exhibit the largest correlation with other commodities Recently, soft commodities have experienced both increasing price volatility and increasing liquidity. This paper examines twelve commodities from January 2013 to September 2023 using a dynamic connectedness framework. The results confirm agricultural commodity market integration as a high level of interconnectedness is found. Soybeans, canola and corn are found, on average, to be the net transmitters of volatility in the network, with corn being the only commodity to remain a net transmitter with positive net directional connectedness values for the full sample period. The influencing role of corn on soft commodity price volatility is therefore confirmed. Coffee and wheat are also found to be net transmitters of volatility. Significantly, the paper underscores the growing influence of edible oils like canola, palm oil and soybean oil in network analyses, a contribution yet to be documented. Given the diverse industrial and cross-sector applications of these commodities as raw materials, these findings have important implications for various stakeholders across agribusinesses, as well as for both hedgers and speculators active in commodity futures markets.
A Constructive Critique: Advancing Positive Psychology with Equity and Justice
Authors: Villalobos Jennifer P. , Cabrera Victoria 
Published: January 2025

AbstractThis paper reflects on the evolution of Positive Psychology (PP) during the last 25 years, emphasizing its growth, influence, and widespread application in diverse contexts. Despite substantial growth and a proliferation of scholarship, PP faces criticism for not dedicating enough self-examination to how the field might unknowingly perpetuate some of the societal injustices it purports to help undo. While interventions rooted in positive principles have demonstrated efficacy in various settings, the field must be more intentional in evaluating their alignment with inclusive and equitable standards to educate, cultivate, and serve more diverse populations. Social Justice refers to the fair division of resources, opportunities, and privileges in society. Given the global awakening to systemic oppression throughout Western societies, the paper argues that PP practitioners must actively engage with social justice theories and race scholarship to address systemic inequities in the spaces in which we operate. The critique highlights several issues that limit PP’s accessibility and inclusivity for practitioners and recipients, including reliance on practice models incongruent with transformative social change, challenges with not incorporating systemic inequities into practice frameworks, and reluctance to challenge existing structures that perpetuate oppression. Embracing PP’s growth mindset concept, the authors propose solutions and strategies that underscore a need for strategic alignment with espoused values to effect genuine transformation within the PP field.