bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
“Reflection on language”
Authors: Pedrazzini Luciana 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
At the end of the 1970s, the conservative Italian
scenario of foreign language teaching witnessed various innovations.
The process of change was prompted by a reform of the national
school syllabus for lower secondary school that advocated a new and
comprehensive approach to language education. After an overview of
the main tenets underlying this approach, the chapter focuses on
“reflection on language”, one of the cornerstones of the reform. It
then reports on an investigation of how reflection on language was
implemented in a corpus of communication-oriented ELT school
textbooks published in Italy in the 1980s and 1990s. In an attempt
to understand the perspectives of those involved, leading figures
and textbook authors of the period were also interviewed. In spite
of the authors’ claims about introducing new features of language
reflection, textbook analysis shows how their implementation in fact
swung between innovative and traditional options.
Curriculum innovation through concept borrowing
Authors: Pu Shi 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
This chapter analyses how the concept of learner
autonomy was incorporated into the national college English
curricula in China between 1978 and 2007. Adopting Quentin Skinner’s
intentionalist approach, it examines this concept in relation to
linguistic convention and practical context in China, discussing its
meaning in the Chinese context and the intentionality of promoting
this concept for curriculum innovation. The findings reveal that
learner autonomy was taken to refer mainly to students’ ability to
learn on their own outside the classroom. The importation of this
concept has pushed teachers and policy makers to attend to students’
individual needs, but it has also manipulated dominant academic and
pedagogical discourse in China in a way that steered curriculum
innovation away from its original aim.
Scale anchoring methodology for developing revised performance
level descriptors for the TOEFL iBT® test
Authors: Wang Lin , Papageorgiou Spiros 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
A scale anchoring approach (Beaton & Allen, 1992) was initially used to
develop empirically-based listening and reading performance descriptors
for the TOEFL iBT® test, to help interpret scores. To further
facilitate score interpretation, scores were also mapped to the Common
European Framework of Reference (CEFR) levels through a standard setting
study (Tannenbaum & Wylie,
2008), with revision to the score mapping results as
additional data became available and feedback from score users was
received (Papageorgiou et al.,
2015). Although the two approaches, score mapping and scale
anchoring, helped score interpretation from distinct perspectives, they
also created some confusion for score users in that the performance
levels from the two approaches were not fully aligned. The current study
adopted a unified approach (Powers
et al., 2017) to revise the performance descriptors of the
scale anchoring approach by defining the proficiency levels based on the
most recent CEFR score mapping results (Papageorgiou et al., 2015). The performance
descriptors evolving from this unified approach aimed to help us to
address score users’ needs for score interpretation by referencing the
widely known CEFR proficiency levels and by developing performance
descriptors that were meaningful and relevant to the TOEFL iBT test.
Mapping TOEFL® Essentials™ speaking and writing scores
to the CEFR levels
Authors: Davis Larry , Gomez Pablo Garcia , Li Shuhong , Manna Venessa F. 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
This chapter describes a study to map scores from a new
English language proficiency assessment, the TOEFL®
Essentials™ test, to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
The project started with a comparison of content between the TOEFL
Essentials test and the CEFR descriptors, which established a claim that
scores were relevant to language ability as described in the CEFR. A
standard setting study, using the Performance Profile method, was then
conducted to establish cut scores for each CEFR level. Additional
information to support the reasonableness of these cut scores is also
reported.
The Effect of Decision Aid on Satisfaction With Decision and Anxiety Among Women With Abnormal Cervical Screening Results
Authors: Baharvand Saba , Asghari-Jafarabadi Mohammad , Nourizadeh Roghaiyeh , Sattarzadeh Jahdi Niloufar , Mehrabi Esmat , Vaezi Maryam 
Published: June 2023

BackgroundMost women in the face of stressful situations such as risk of a cancer diagnosis (abnormal Papanicolaou smear results) need guidance to choose the appropriate method to follow the diagnosis process, but few studies have identified appropriate interventions to support these women.ObjectiveTo determine the effect of decision aid on anxiety and satisfaction with decisions (SWD) regarding the type of follow-up method after receiving an abnormal Papanicolaou smear result.MethodsThis interventional study was conducted on women referred to the oncology clinic in Tabriz, Iran. Women were assigned to the intervention (n = 27) and control groups (n = 27) in a ratio of 1:1 using blocked randomization. The intervention group received a decision aid booklet. Participants in both groups completed questionnaires assessing demographic and obstetric characteristics, anxiety, SWD, and shared decision-making before and after the intervention.ResultsThe mean score for SWD in the intervention group was significantly higher than that in the control group after the intervention (median, 6.43 with 95% confidence interval of 3.11–7.76;P= .03). There was no significant difference between groups in the mean score of anxiety after intervention (median, 1.14; 95% confidence interval, −0.5 to 2.70;P= .19).ConclusionA decision aid can increase SWD among women with abnormal results in their cervical cancer screening.Implications for PracticeIt is recommended that healthcare providers use decision aid tools to support and guide patients.
Biology: historical and developmental trends
Authors: Ozurumba-Dwight Leo , Ibemenuga Keziah Nwamaka , Kalu Ukpai , Udosen Edward 
Published: June 2023

<p>The history of Biology at its earliest periods cannot be described without mentioning the roles played by Aristotle, Hippocrates, Galen and, Theophrastus in ancient Greco-Roman world, and Leonardo DaVinci in Italy among others, who did studies that helped ignite and consequently shape the early periods of the study of Biology as a field of natural science. </p>
<p>This underwent progress in growth, developments of new and advanced tools, and methods in its study. It enhanced emergence of the era of seeking to understand life much better from the cellular and sub-cellular levels. Biology has grown over the scores of decades from mare study of organisms in their gross structure and functions. This was accompanied with correlating them with functions that are observed into seeking to understand these organisms at deeper perspectives from their molecules and ultra-structures, such as through emerged fields like Molecular Biology, Metabolomics and Synthetic Biology and Cell Biology)features. It has opened up deeper insights to support better understanding of life features. The resultant effects have been emergence of new fields under Biology, using advanced techniques to study life. These has supported biological investigations with improved drugs, varieties of crops and animals, industrial bio-products like enzymes, hormones, bio-polymers that are more environmentally friendly and more robust ways to study our ecosystem and tackle emerging environmental problems. </p>
<p>In this review we present its historical overview, developments are presented to provide an overview for trends in biology over the ages.</p>
Dark-Field Chest Radiography Outperforms Conventional Chest Radiography for the Diagnosis and Staging of Pulmonary Emphysema
Authors: Urban Theresa , Sauter Andreas P. , Frank Manuela , Willer Konstantin , Noichl Wolfgang , Bast Henriette , Schick Rafael , Herzen Julia , Koehler Thomas , Gassert Florian T. , Bodden Jannis H. , Fingerle Alexander A. , Gleich Bernhard , Renger Bernhard , Makowski Marcus R. , Pfeiffer Franz , Pfeiffer Daniela 
Published: June 2023

Abstract

Objectives
Dark-field chest radiography (dfCXR) has recently reached clinical trials. Here we compare dfCXR to conventional radiography for the detection and staging of pulmonary emphysema.

Materials and Methods
Subjects were included after a medically indicated computed tomography (CT) scan, showing either no lung impairments or different stages of emphysema. To establish a ground truth, all CT scans were assessed by 3 radiologists assigning emphysema severity scores based on the Fleischner Society classification scheme.
Participants were imaged at a commercial chest radiography device and at a prototype for dfCXR, yielding both attenuation-based and dark-field images. Three radiologists blinded to CT score independently assessed images from both devices for presence and severity of emphysema (no, mild, moderate, severe).
Statistical analysis included evaluation of receiver operating characteristic curves and pairwise comparison of adjacent Fleischner groups using an area under the curve (AUC)–based z test with a significance level of 0.05.

Results
A total of 88 participants (54 men) with a mean age of 64 ± 12 years were included. Compared with conventional images (AUC = 0.73), readers were better able to identify emphysema with images from the dark-field prototype (AUC = 0.85, P = 0.005). Although ratings of adjacent emphysema severity groups with conventional radiographs differed only for trace and mild emphysema, ratings based on images from the dark-field prototype were different for trace and mild, mild and moderate, and moderate and confluent emphysema.

Conclusions
Dark-field chest radiography is superior to conventional chest radiography for emphysema diagnosis and staging, indicating the technique's potential as a low-dose diagnostic tool for emphysema assessment.
Postoperative Spinal 18F-FDG PET Pseudoprogression Mimicking Malignancy
Authors: Liu Penghao , Huang Jing , Lu Jie , Chen Zan , Duan Wanru 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
A 60-year-old woman presented with left upper limb weakness. Spinal MRI revealed C2–C3 heterogeneous mass with no hypermetabolic foci on 18F-FDG PET. Total resection was performed, and the pathology showed gliosis. Her limb weakness worsened 3 months after surgery. Spinal MRI revealed long intramedullary mass from medulla oblongata to C5, which showed obvious hypermetabolism under 18F-FDG PET with an SUVmax of 7.11, but 18F-FET PET indicated mild hypermetabolism with an SUVmax of 2.29. Malignancy was suspected, and C2–C4 biopsy was performed. The pathology results confirmed the diagnosis of gliosis, and the postoperative spinal 18F-FDG PET results were considered pseudoprogression.
Association between Healthcare Resources Inputs and Intravenous Tissue Plasminogen Activator Adherence Rate among Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Kang Bo , Zheng Suxi , Yang Xin , Wang Chun-Juan , Gu Hong-Qiu , Li Zi-Xiao , Wang Yong-Jun 
Published: June 2023

ABSTRACTBackgroundIntravenous Tissue Plasminogen Activator (IV rt-PA) significantly improves AIS patients’ functional outcomes within the treatment window, yet the usage of IV rt-PA among AIS patients are substantially lower in China than in developed countries. Healthcare resource utilization manages effective treatment patterns for patients who are adherent to IV rt-PA. This study investigates the association between healthcare resource inputs and IV rt-PA adherence and the impact of Gross Regional Product (GRP) on IV rt-PA.Methods1,456 hospitals from 31 provinces with 158,003 acute ischemic stroke patients who had received IV rt-PA between 2015-2019 were recruited by the Chinese Stroke Center Alliance. The study outcome was the adherence rate of IV rt-PA in each hospital. Healthcare resource input was identified from three aspects: human, material, and economic. Multivariable linear regression was conducted by adjusting healthcare system characteristics and by further adjustment of GRP.ResultsThe median (interquartile range) of IV rt-PA rate was 19.1% (8.6% -34.6%). Physician-nurse ratio (ß=0.023, p<0.001), nurse-bed ratio (ß=0.0343, p<0.001), and total health expenditure (ß=0.00002, p<0.001) were positively associated with the IV rt-PA adherence rate after controlling healthcare system factors. Through additional adjusting of GRP, only health expenditure was significantly positively associated with IV rt-PA adherence rate (ß=0.000018, p<0.001).ConclusionsMore health spending and being equipped with equally proportional physician-nurses and nurse-bed combinations in the provincial hospital will increase adherence to IV rt-PA among AIS patients. The difference in GRP among provinces may stimulate hospitals to provide more healthcare input from the workforce, thus indirectly increasing the usage of IV rt-PA.
Molecular Investigation of DENV serotypes in the dengue outbreak of 2022 in Nepal
Authors: Katuwal Nishan , Shrestha Aastha , Ranjitkar Urusha , Jakibanjar Suraj , Madhup Surendra Kumar , Tamrakar Dipesh , Shrestha Rajeev 
Published: June 2023

AbstractIntroductionDengue, a viral infection highly prevalent in tropical regions, exhibits local variations in risk that are influenced by a combination of climatic, socioeconomic, and environmental factors. The disease is caused by four distinct yet closely related serotypes of the dengue virus: DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4.ObjectivesThe objective of this study is to identify the different serotypes of dengue virus responsible for the 2022 outbreak in Nepal, where dengue has been prevalent since 2006 but with limited availability of molecular information on the serotypes.MethodologySerum samples from suspected dengue patients visiting Dhulikhel Hospital were analyzed using Dengue Ag and IgM/IgG Ab Kit test, for the presence of IgG/IgM antibodies or NS1 Ag. The positive samples were stored at -80 °C, and 89 samples were selected for further analysis. RNA was extracted from those positive samples using the Zymo Quick RNA Viral Kit, and RT-PCR was performed using the Sacace Dengue Real Genotype qPCR kit to identify the dengue virus serotypes present.ResultsThe study included 89 samples, of which a higher percentage of sero-positivity was observed in females (52%) compared to males. Positive cases were distributed in 14 different districts, with the highest percentage (58.4%) in Kavre. Molecular investigation, of 53 out of 89 serologically positive samples, by qPCR revealed that DENV1 was the predominant serotype, followed by DEN3 (24.5%) and DENV2 (16.9%). DENV4 was not detected in any of the samples. The average Ct value of all serotypes was 17.6, with DENV3 having the lowest Ct value of 16.6, indicating a high viremia.ConclusionOur study, although limited in its coverage of Nepal, has provided molecular information on the serotypes responsible for the 2022 dengue outbreak. The high prevalence of DENV1 was observed, while prevalence of DENV3 was accompanied by high viral load. This information provided valuable insight into the circulating serotypes of the virus in the region.
MCNET: Multi-Omics Integration for Gene Regulatory Network Inference from scRNA-seq
Authors: Tiwari Ansh , Trankatwar Sachin 
Published: June 2023

AbstractDeep learning has emerged as a powerful approach in various domains, including biological network analysis. This paper investigates the advancements in computational techniques for inferring gene regulatory networks (GRNs) and introduces MCNET, a state-of-the-art deep learning algorithm. MCNET integrates multi-omics data to infer GRNs and extract biologically significant representations from single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. By incorporating attention mechanisms and graph convolutional networks, MCNET captures intricate regulatory relationships among genes. Extensive benchmarking on diverse scRNA-seq datasets demonstrates MCNET’s superiority over existing methods in GRN inference, scRNA-seq data visualization, clustering, and simulation. Notably, MCNET accurately predicts gene regulations on cell-type marker genes in the mouse cortex, validated by epigenetic data. The introduction of MCNET paves the way for advanced analysis of scRNA-seq data and provides a powerful tool for inferring GRNs in a multi-omics context. Moreover, this paper addresses the integration of multiomics data in gene regulatory network inference, proposing MCNET as a method that efficiently analyzes and visualizes homogeneous gene regulatory networks derived from diverse omics data. The inference capability of MCNET is evaluated through extensive experiments with simulation data and applied to analyze the biological network of psychiatric disorders using human brain data.
Handling missing values in the analysis of between-hospital differences in ordinal and dichotomous outcomes: a simulation study
Authors: van Linschoten Reinier C.A. , Amini Marzyeh , van Leeuwen Nikki , Eijkenaar Frank , den Hartog Sanne J. , Nederkoorn Paul , Hofmeijer Jeannette , Emmer Bart J. , Postma Alida A. , van Zwam Wim , Roozenbeek Bob , Dippel Diederik W.J. , Lingsma Hester F. ,   MR CLEAN Registry Investigators
Published: June 2023

ABSTRACTMissing data are frequently encountered in registries that are used to compare performance across hospitals. The most appropriate method for handling missing data when analysing differences in outcomes between hospitals is unclear. We aimed to compare methods for handling missing data when comparing hospitals on ordinal and dichotomous outcomes. We performed a simulation study using data came from the MR CLEAN registry, a prospective cohort study in 17 hospitals performing endovascular therapy for ischemic stroke in the Netherlands. The investigated methods for handling missing data, both case-mix adjustment variables and outcomes, were complete case analysis (CCA), single imputation, multiple imputation, single imputation with deletion of imputed outcomes and multiple imputation with deletion of imputed outcomes. Data were generated as missing completely at random (MCAR), missing at random (MAR), and missing not at random (MNAR) in three scenarios: (1) 10% missing data in case-mix and outcome; (2) 40% missing data in case-mix and outcome; and (3) 40% missing data in case-mix and outcome with varying degree of missing data among hospitals. Validity and reliability of the methods were compared on the mean squared error (MSE, a summary measure combining bias and precision) relative to the centre effect estimates from the complete reference dataset. For both the ordinal outcome (i.e. the modified Rankin scale) and a common dichotomized version thereof, the MSE of all methods was on average lowest under MCAR and with fewer missing data, and highest with more missing data and under MNAR. The ‘multiple imputation, then deletion’ method had the lowest MSE for both outcomes under all simulated patterns of missing data. Thus, when estimating centre effects on ordinal and dichotomous outcomes in the presence of missing data, the least biased and most precise method to handle these missing data is ‘multiple imputation, then deletion’.
Tropical butterflies lose central nervous system function in the cold from a spreading depolarization event
Authors: Andersen Mads Kuhlmann , Willot Quentin , MacMillan Heath A. 
Published: June 2023

AbstractInsects are ectotherms and their physiological functions are therefore directly influenced by the environmental temperature. By extension, their ability to tolerate thermal extremes is directly linked to their thermal niche and distribution. Understanding the physiological mechanisms that limit insect thermal tolerance is therefore crucial for our ability to predict biogeography and range shifts. Recent studies on fruit flies and locusts suggest that the loss of coordinated movements at the critical thermal minimum is due to a loss of central nervous system function via a spreading depolarization. We hypothesized that a similar mechanism limits nervous function in other insect taxa. Here, we use electrophysiology to investigate whether the same spreading depolarization event occurs in the brain of butterflies exposed to stressful cold. Supporting our hypothesis, we find that exposure to stressful cold induced spreading depolarization in all species tested. This reinforces the idea that loss of central nervous function by a spreading depolarization is a common mechanism underlying the critical thermal minimum in insects. Furthermore, our results highlight how central nervous system performance is finely tuned to match species’ environments. Further research into the physiological mechanisms underlying the spreading depolarization event is likely to elucidate key mechanisms determining insect ecology.
Dicarboxylic acid supplementation protects from acute kidney injury via stimulation of renal peroxisomal activity
Authors: Barbosa Anne C. S. , Pfister Katherine E. , Chiba Takuto , Bons Joanna , Rose Jacob P. , Burton Jordan B. , King Christina D. , O’Broin Amy , Young Victoria , Zhang Bob , Sivakama Bharathi , Schmidt Alexandra V. , Uhlean Rebecca , Schilling Birgit , Goetzman Eric S. , Sims-Lucas Sunder 
Published: June 2023

IntroductionLysine succinylation is a post-translational modification associated with the control of several diseases, including acute kidney injury (AKI). It is suggested that hypersuccinylation favors peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation (FAO) instead of mitochondrial. In addition, the medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) dodecanedioic acid (DC12) and octanedioic acid (DC8), upon FAO, generate succinyl-CoA, resulting in hypersuccinylation. DC8is convenient, inexpensive, easily administered, and efficient. We believe this study could be translated in the future to clinical settings, which would highly benefit patients at high risk of AKI.Methods and ResultsTo test the protective roles of MCFAs during AKI, mice were fed with control, 10% DC12, or 10% DC8diet, then, subjected to either ischemic-AKI, or cisplatin-AKI models. Supplementation was provided until sacrifice. Biochemical, histologic, genetic, and proteomic analysis were performed, the latter involving a lysine-succinylome-based analysis. Both DC8and DC12prevented the rise of AKI markers in mice that underwent renal injury. However, DC8was even more protective against AKI than DC12. Finally, succinylome analysis evidenced that the kidneys of DC8-fed mice showed an extensive succinylation of peroxisomal activity-related proteins, and a decline in mitochondrial FAO, in comparison to control-fed mice.ConclusionDC8supplementation drives renal protein hypersuccinylation, promoting a shift from mitochondrial to peroxisomal FAO, and protecting against AKI.Significance StatementLysine succinylation of proteins is shown to control several diseases, including acute kidney injury (AKI). Here we show that mice supplemented with the medium-chain fatty acid octanedioic acid successfully presented a high level of succinylation and were protected from both ischemia-reperfusion- and cisplatin-induced AKI. Moreover, our study demonstrates that peroxisomal activity was increased while mitochondrial activity was preserved, suggesting that the metabolism of diet-obtained medium-chain fatty acids by peroxisomes is renoprotective.