bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Intralymphatic immunotherapy with birch and grass pollen extracts. A randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled clinical trial
Authors: Ahlbeck Lars , Ahlberg Emelie , Stuivers Linn , Björkander Janne , Nyström Ulla , Retsas Pavlos , Govindaraj Dhanapal , Jenmalm Maria C. , Duchén Karel 
Published: April 2023

AbstractIntroductionThere is a need to evaluate the safety and efficacy of intralymphatic immunotherapy (ILIT) for inducing tolerance in patients with allergic rhinitis.MethodsThirty‐seven patients with seasonal allergic symptoms to birch and grass pollen and skin prick test >3 mm and/or IgE to birch and timothy >0.35 kU/L were randomized to either ILIT, with three doses of 0.1 mL of birch pollen and 5‐grass pollen allergen extracts on aluminium hydroxide (10,000 SQ‐U/ml; ALK‐Abelló) or placebo using ultrasound‐guided intralymphatic injections at monthly intervals. Daily combined symptom medical score and rhinoconjunctivitis total symptom score were recorded during the peak pollen seasons the year before and after treatment. Rhinoconjunctivitis total symptom score, medication score and rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire were recorded annually starting 2 years after treatment. Circulating proportions of T helper cell subsets and allergen‐induced cytokine and chemokine production were analysed using flow cytometry and ELISA.ResultsThere were no differences between the groups related to daily combined symptom medical score the year before and after treatment. Two years after ILIT (after unblinding), the actively treated group reported significantly fewer symptoms, lower medication use and improved quality of life than did the placebo group. After the pollen seasons the year after ILIT, T regulatory cell frequencies and grass‐induced IFN‐γ levels increased only in the actively treated group.ConclusionIn this randomized controlled trial, ILIT with birch and grass pollen extract was safe and accompanied by immunological changes. Further studies are required to confirm or refute the efficacy of the treatment.
ARAP Revisited Discretizing the Elastic Energy using Intrinsic Voronoi Cells
Authors: Finnendahl Ugo , Schwartz Matthias , Alexa Marc 
Published: April 2023

AbstractAs‐rigid‐as‐possible (ARAP) surface modelling is widely used for interactive deformation of triangle meshes. We show that ARAP can be interpreted as minimizing a discretization of an elastic energy based on non‐conforming elements defined over dual orthogonal cells of the mesh. Using the intrinsic Voronoi cells rather than an orthogonal dual of the extrinsic mesh guarantees that the energy is non‐negative over each cell. We represent the intrinsic Delaunay edges extrinsically as polylines over the mesh, encoded in barycentric coordinates relative to the mesh vertices. This modification of the original ARAP energy, which we term iARAP, remedies problems stemming from non‐Delaunay edges in the original approach. Unlike the spokes‐and‐rims version of the ARAP approach it is less susceptible to the triangulation of the surface. We provide examples of deformations generated with iARAP and contrast them with other versions of ARAP. We also discuss the properties of the Laplace‐Beltrami operator implicitly introduced with the new discretization.
3D Generative Model Latent Disentanglement via Local Eigenprojection
Authors: Foti Simone , Koo Bongjin , Stoyanov Danail , Clarkson Matthew J. 
Published: April 2023

AbstractDesigning realistic digital humans is extremely complex. Most data‐driven generative models used to simplify the creation of their underlying geometric shape do not offer control over the generation of local shape attributes. In this paper, we overcome this limitation by introducing a novel loss function grounded in spectral geometry and applicable to different neural‐network‐based generative models of 3D head and body meshes. Encouraging the latent variables of mesh variational autoencoders (VAEs) or generative adversarial networks (GANs) to follow the local eigenprojections of identity attributes, we improve latent disentanglement and properly decouple the attribute creation. Experimental results show that our local eigenprojection disentangled (LED) models not only offer improved disentanglement with respect to the state‐of‐the‐art, but also maintain good generation capabilities with training times comparable to the vanilla implementations of the models. Our code and pre‐trained models are available at github.com/simofoti/LocalEigenprojDisentangled.
Are We There Yet? A Roadmap of Network Visualization from Surveys to Task Taxonomies
Authors: Filipov Velitchko , Arleo Alessio , Miksch Silvia 
Published: April 2023

AbstractNetworks are abstract and ubiquitous data structures, defined as a set of data points and relationships between them. Network visualization provides meaningful representations of these data, supporting researchers in understanding the connections, gathering insights, and detecting and identifying unexpected patterns. Research in this field is focusing on increasingly challenging problems, such as visualizing dynamic, complex, multivariate, and geospatial networked data. This ever‐growing, and widely varied, body of research led to several surveys being published, each covering one or more disciplines of network visualization. Despite this effort, the variety and complexity of this research represents an obstacle when surveying the domain and building a comprehensive overview of the literature. Furthermore, there exists a lack of clarification and uniformity between the terminology used in each of the surveys, which requires further effort when mapping and categorizing the plethora of different visualization techniques and approaches. In this paper, we aim at providing researchers and practitioners alike with a “roadmap” detailing the current research trends in the field of network visualization. We design our contribution as a meta‐survey where we discuss, summarize, and categorize recent surveys and task taxonomies published in the context of network visualization. We identify more and less saturated disciplines of research and consolidate the terminology used in the surveyed literature. We also survey the available task taxonomies, providing a comprehensive analysis of their varying support to each network visualization discipline and by establishing and discussing a classification for the individual tasks. With this combined analysis of surveys and task taxonomies, we provide an overarching structure of the field, from which we extrapolate the current state of research and promising directions for future work.
The future of yak farming and herding culture in Bhutan: A case of the Brokpa herders of Merak and Sakteng
Authors: Wangchuk Dorji 
Published: April 2023

AbstractThis article explores the impacts of recent trends in yak farming on yak herding culture among the Brokpa of Merak and Sakteng in eastern Bhutan. It assesses the challenges experienced by herders in the context of climate variability and socioeconomic development. The data were collected through participant observation and semi‐structured interviews with 20 Brokpa in Merak and Sakteng and through analysis of livestock census records of six consecutive years (2013–2018). The results of the study reveal a number of significant issues: a labor shortage resulting from Brokpa youths leaving villages for better job opportunities, overgrazing and shrinking of rangelands, and declining yak populations due to disease and predation. In addition, study respondents worried about the unpredictable displacement of Brokpa and a possible loss of identity as a result. Unless alternative policies and interventions are adopted to ensure the sustainability of yak farming and rangelands, the future of yak herding culture is uncertain.
Threats of land use to the global diversity of vascular plants
Authors: Moreira Hadassa , Kuipers Koen J. J. , Posthuma Leo , Zijp Michiel C. , Hauck Mara , Huijbregts Mark A. J. , Schipper Aafke M. 
Published: April 2023

AbstractAimLand use is a main driver of biodiversity loss worldwide. However, quantifying its effects on global plant diversity remains a challenge due to the limited availability of data on the distributions of vascular plant species and their responses to land use. Here, we estimated the global extinction threat of land use to vascular plant species based on a novel integration of an ecoregion‐level species‐area model and the relative endemism richness of the ecoregions.LocationGlobal.MethodsFirst, we assessed ecoregion‐level extinction threats using a countryside species–area relationship model based on responses of local plant richness to land use types and intensities and a high‐resolution global land use map. Next, we estimated global species extinction threat by multiplying the relative endemism richness of each ecoregion with the ecoregion‐level extinction threats.ResultsOur results indicate that 11% of vascular plant species are threatened with global extinction. We found the largest extinction threats in the Neotropic and Palearctic realms, mainly due to cropland of minimal and high intensity, respectively.Main ConclusionsOur novel integration of the countryside species–area relationship and the relative endemism richness allows for the identification of hotspots of global extinction threat, as well as the contribution of specific land use types and intensities to this threat. Our findings inform where the development of measures to protect or restore plant diversity globally are most needed.
Association of glycation gap with all‐cause and cardiovascular mortality in US adults: A nationwide cohort study
Authors: Gu Lingfeng , Wang Sibo , Du Chong , Deng Bo , Ma Yao , Yang Tongtong , Shan Tiankai , Sun Jiateng , Wang Hao , Wang Liansheng 
Published: April 2023

AbstractAimTo investigate the relationship of the glycation gap (GGap) with all‐cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality in US adults.MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study comprising 12 909 individual participant data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2004 and their mortality data through 31 December 2019. Weighted Cox proportional hazards regression models and restricted cubic splines were used to investigate the associations between GGap and mortality.ResultsDuring a median follow‐up of 16.8 years, 3528 deaths occurred, including 1140 CV deaths. The associations of GGap with risk of all‐cause and CV mortality were U‐shaped (both P for non‐linearity < .001). Compared with individuals with a GGap of 0.09%‐0.38% (61st‐80th centiles), the multivariable‐adjusted HRs and 95% CIs for individuals with a GGap less than −0.83% (first‐fifth centiles) and individuals with a GGap greater than 0.90% (96th‐100th centiles) were 1.36 (1.10, 1.69) and 1.21 (1.00, 1.45) for all‐cause mortality, and 1.77 (1.16, 2.71) and 1.43 (1.04, 1.95) for CV mortality. The GGap value associated with the lowest risk of all‐cause and CV mortality was 0.38% in the general population and 0.78% among individuals with diabetes.ConclusionsWe found a U‐shaped association between GGap and all‐cause and CV mortality, with significant positive or negative GGap values associated with increased mortality risk, probably because of glycaemic variability and fructosamine‐3‐kinase activity.
Plant residues do not have an immediate impact on soil bacterial community composition and abundance
Authors: Yuan Chaolei , Sun Zhaoyang , Li Jing 
Published: April 2023

AbstractPlant residues are often used as soil amendments in laboratory experiments, but they can reportedly release compounds interfering with soil DNA extraction and subsequent molecular biological analyses. Theoretically, for accurate comparison of microbial community composition in soils with and without added plant residues after a period of incubation, no significant difference at the beginning of the experiment is required between the amended and unamended control soils. We mixed plant residue into soil and immediately (within 10 min) commenced DNA extraction, and then performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing and quantitative PCR (qPCR) to determine bacterial community composition and abundance. Soil without plant residue addition served as a control. Five commonly used DNA extraction kits, 16S rRNA gene primer pairs, and soils, and two types (rice straw and alfalfa shoots) and three addition rates (2%, 4%, and 6%; w/w) of plant residue, were tested. In all cases, we found no significant difference in measured bacterial community composition or abundance between the treatments with and without added plant residue.
A history of net debt as a reflection of Canadian federal government fiscal management
Authors: Baker Ron , Rennie Morina D. 
Published: April 2023

AbstractCanada entered the COVID‐19 pandemic with a strong fiscal position, which gave it room to mitigate its economic impacts. Of interest in this paper is the history of Canada's financial position in terms of net debt as reported in the Government of Canada's annual financial statements. Net debt is a measure of fiscal sustainability that has been reported in the Government of Canada's public accounts since the country's earliest days. It created (and continues to create) a particular visibility of the “effectiveness” of the federal government's financial management and of the country's financial position at a particular point in time but also impacts future political policy. Although there were periods of sharp increases in the federal net debt over the country's history, the federal government was always able to regain control, and this has resulted in the reasonable level of net debt the country has today. This study shows how this net debt changed, was sustained over time, and was influenced by the political and economic context in which it was situated. We find evidence of its use for supporting government accountability to the population but also as an accounting measure employed by the government to influence public opinion and thereby gain support for government policy.
Spatial heterogeneity of global forest aboveground carbon stocks and fluxes constrained by spaceborne lidar data and mechanistic modeling
Authors: Ma Lei , Hurtt George , Tang Hao , Lamb Rachel , Lister Andrew , Chini Louise , Dubayah Ralph , Armston John , Campbell Elliott , Duncanson Laura , Healey Sean , O'Neil‐Dunne Jarlath , Ott Lesley , Poulter Benjamin , Shen Quan 
Published: April 2023

AbstractForest carbon is a large and uncertain component of the global carbon cycle. An important source of complexity is the spatial heterogeneity of vegetation vertical structure and extent, which results from variations in climate, soils, and disturbances and influences both contemporary carbon stocks and fluxes. Recent advances in remote sensing and ecosystem modeling have the potential to significantly improve the characterization of vegetation structure and its resulting influence on carbon. Here, we used novel remote sensing observations of tree canopy height collected by two NASA spaceborne lidar missions, Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation and ICE, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite 2, together with a newly developed global Ecosystem Demography model (v3.0) to characterize the spatial heterogeneity of global forest structure and quantify the corresponding implications for forest carbon stocks and fluxes. Multiple‐scale evaluations suggested favorable results relative to other estimates including field inventory, remote sensing‐based products, and national statistics. However, this approach utilized several orders of magnitude more data (3.77 billion lidar samples) on vegetation structure than used previously and enabled a qualitative increase in the spatial resolution of model estimates achievable (0.25° to 0.01°). At this resolution, process‐based models are now able to capture detailed spatial patterns of forest structure previously unattainable, including patterns of natural and anthropogenic disturbance and recovery. Through the novel integration of new remote sensing data and ecosystem modeling, this study bridges the gap between existing empirically based remote sensing approaches and process‐based modeling approaches. This study more generally demonstrates the promising value of spaceborne lidar observations for advancing carbon modeling at a global scale.
Prognosis of home‐cared or hospital‐treated acute fever in older adults: A prospective multicenter case‐control study
Authors: Arai Yasuyuki , Suzuki Takao , Jeong Seungwon , Ohta Hideki 
Published: April 2023

AimsThis study aimed to investigate the differences in the prognosis of older patients who received home care or hospitalized care to treat acute fever in Japan.MethodsThis prospective case–control study screened 192 registered acutely pyrexic older patients who received home care at 10 medical institutions in Japan, and enrolled 15 and 30 patients who were treated in the hospital (hospitalized group) and at home (home‐care group), respectively, matched for fever and the physical conditions before fever onset. Intergroup differences in the 90‐day mortality from fever onset and changes in patients' disability and dementia from the pre‐fever to 90 days post‐fever onset were determined.ResultsNo significant intergroup difference in the 90‐day mortality rate was detected (26.7% vs 13.3% for hospitalized and home‐care groups, respectively, P = 0.41). Disability tended to worsen in the hospitalized group compared with the home‐care group (54.5% vs 23.1%, respectively, P = 0.06), whereas dementia significantly worsened in the hospitalized group compared with the home‐care group (45.5% vs 3.8%, respectively, P = 0.02).ConclusionsHome care confers a better prognosis for treating acute fever in older people whose daily functions have deteriorated enough to necessitate regular home care. This study assists those people in making informed choices about where to receive treatment for acute fever. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2023; 23: 355–361.
Applying self‐determination theory towards motivational factors of physical activity in people undergoing haemodialyses: A qualitative interview study
Authors: Huang Mei , Lv Honghong , Lv Aili , Yang Feng , Tang Yuning , Li Yang , Hua Yan , Liu Hongbao , Ni Chunping 
Published: April 2023

AbstractIntroductionThe level of physical activity of people undergoing haemodialyses is low, so understanding what factors underlie the motivation to be physically active in people undergoing haemodialyses is important. Therefore, this qualitative study aims to explore the different motivation types and corresponding basic psychological needs (BPNs) of people undergoing haemodialyses based on self‐determination theory.MethodsWe adopted the objective sampling method to select 19 patients with the end‐stage renal disease aged from 28 to 66 years old from a tertiary hospital in Xi'an. They underwent haemodialyses five to six times every 2 weeks for more than 3 months. Then, we conducted semistructured one‐on‐one interviews with 19 people undergoing haemodialyses using qualitative content analysis. All interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed on a thematic analysis.ResultsWe analyzed four motivation types of patients, namely four themes, including entrenching in physical inactivity (Amotivation), breaking physical inactivity (Controlled motivation), finding one's way (Autonomous regulation) and enjoying the positive effects of physical activity (Intrinsic motivation). Each motivation is dominated by one or more BPNs. For example, inadequate Competence such as decreased physical function is the reason why the patient does not perform physical activities. Due to the lack of health education on physical activity, people undergoing haemodialyses often lack the motivation for controlled regulation. The motivation for self‐regulation is generated by the patients' promotion of meeting BPNs, such as normal social interactions. The formation of patients' autonomous motivation can't be separated from the effective understanding felt by other patients, because their situations are similar. Enjoying physical activity promotes the formation of patients' intrinsic motivation and the maintenance of this behaviour.ConclusionPerceived Competence, Relatedness and Autonomous Motivation are important determinants for physical activity in people undergoing haemodialyses. Patients need to internalize the changed values and skills, so as to generate the motivation of self‐regulation, rather than external or controlled forms of motivation regulation, to better maintain behaviour change.Patient or Public ContributionPeople undergoing haemodialyses were involved in the development of the interview topic guide to ensure all relevant topics were explored.
PU.1 is a useful nuclear marker to distinguish between histiocytosis and histiocyte‐rich tumours
Authors: Ungureanu Irena Antonia , Cohen‐Aubart Fleur , Héritier Sébastien , Haroche Julien , Donadieu Jean , Emile Jean‐François 
Published: April 2023

AimsThe aim was to test the expression of PU.1 on different types of histiocytoses and to test the utility of PU.1 in confirming or excluding a histiocytic origin in tumour samples with suspicion of histiocytosis.Methods and ResultsWe analysed 66 biopsies of nonmalignant histiocytoses represented by Langerhans‐cell histiocytosis (n = 13), Erdheim–Chester disease (ECD) (n = 19), Rosai–Dorfman disease (RDD) (n = 14), mixed ECD‐RDD (n = 3), ALK‐positive histiocytosis (n = 6), and juvenile xanthogranuloma (n = 11). All cases were positive for PU.1 in reactive and neoplastic histiocytes. In addition, 39 cases of tumours with high‐grade cytological atypia were referred to our center as suspicion of malignant histiocytosis/histiocytic sarcoma and only 18 were confirmed. Indeed, more than half of these tumours (21/39) were either undifferentiated malignant tumours with a stroma rich in histiocytes, diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma, or high‐grade dedifferentiated liposarcoma. PU.1 was useful to distinguish between the negativity of large atypical nuclei and the positivity of stromal reactive histiocytes.ConclusionPU.1 is expressed by all types of histiocytosis. It distinguishes histiocytosis from histiocyte‐rich tumours with an easy interpretation due to its sharp nuclear staining. Its negativity in lesional/tumour cells in histiocyte‐like lesions is useful to eliminate a histiocytosis.