bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The “wild west” of carbon offsets: Farmer perspectives on carbon markets incentivizing agricultural soil carbon sequestration
Authors: Strong Aaron , Barbato Clare 
Published: January 2023

Abstract

Climate change mitigation efforts to achieve net-zero emissions require not only decreasing current greenhouse gas emissions, but also the deployment of negative emissions technologies. Soil organic carbon sequestration in agricultural lands is one such negative emissions strategy, currently being incentivized predominantly through voluntary carbon offset markets. Here, through semi-structured interviews, we assess both conventional and organic farmer perspectives on soil carbon offset programs that have been created in the United States since 2017. The perspectives of farmers both participating and not participating in agricultural soil carbon markets were similar and consistent. Farmers in both groups expressed concerns about the convoluted, burdensome and unpredictable nature of receiving offset credits and emphasized that they were implementing practices for their own business interests and sustainability concerns, not the financial incentive of the generation of carbon credits. Based on our research, carbon offset credit payments for agricultural soil carbon sequestration are largely reaching farmers who were already implementing these beneficial practices or were already strongly interested in implementing these practices, and the payments for the offset credits are seen as a ‘gravy on top’, suggesting that these offset markets face strong challenges of ensuring true additionality essential to effective climate mitigation.
A rare Egyptian case report of rectal neuroendocrine tumour polyp
Authors: Badwei Nourhan , Mostafa Ahmed 
Published: January 2023

Abstract

Background: Neuroendocrine neoplasms NENs represent rare malignancies in the elderly group. They comprise a heterogeneous group including neuroendocrine tumors NETs, neuroendocrine carcinomas NECs and mixed neuroendocrine non-neuroendocrine neoplasms MiNENs.
Case presentation: A rare case of NET presenting as a bleeding rectal polyp.
Conclusion: we aimed to summarize the diagnostic approach for such a rare entity.
Predictive value of enhanced CT and pathological indicators in lymph node metastasis in patients with gastric cancer based on GEE model
Authors: Yang Ling , Ding Yingying , Zhang Dafu , Yang Guangjun , Dong Xingxiang , Zhang Zhiping , Zhang Caixia , Zhang Wenjie , Dai Youguo , Li Zhenhui 
Published: January 2023

Abstract

Objectives
A predictive model was developed based on enhanced computed tomography (CT), laboratory test results, and pathological indicators to achieve the convenient and effective prediction of single lymph node metastasis (LNM) in gastric cancer.
Methods
Sixty-six consecutive patients (235 regional lymph nodes) with pathologically confirmed gastric cancer who underwent surgery at our hospital between December 2020 and November 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. They were randomly allocated to training (n = 38, number of lymph nodes = 119) and validation (n = 28, number of lymph nodes = 116) datasets. The clinical data, laboratory test results, enhanced CT characteristics, and pathological indicators from gastroscopy-guided needle biopsies were obtained. Multivariable logistic regression with generalised estimation equations (GEEs) was used to develop a predictive model for LNM in gastric cancer. The predictive performance of the model developed using the training and validation datasets was validated using receiver operating characteristic curves.
Results
Lymph node enhancement pattern, Ki67 level, and lymph node long-axis diameter were independent predictors of LNM in gastric cancer (p < 0.01). The GEE-logistic model was associated with LNM (p = 0.001). The area under the curve and accuracy of the model, with 95% confidence intervals, were 0.944 (0.890–0.998) and 0.897 (0.813–0.952), respectively, in the training dataset and 0.836 (0.751–0.921) and 0.798 (0.699–0.876), respectively, in the validation dataset.
Conclusion
The predictive model constructed based on lymph node enhancement pattern, Ki67 level, and lymph node long-axis diameter exhibited good performance in predicting LNM in gastric cancer and should aid the lymph node staging of gastric cancer and clinical decision-making.
Plating microstructure control by ultrasonic application to hot-dip galvanizing
Authors: Singh Selvaraj Manova Raja , Choi Yong bum , Koshiba Takuya , Hoshino Katsuya , Miyata Mai , Okumura Yusuke 
Published: January 2023

Abstract

The application of ultrasonic to molten metal has many effects, such as improving its wettability and fracturing the oxide layer. However, a few research studies have been done to apply ultrasound to the Hot-Dip Galvanizing plating method. This study focuses on improving the interfacial bonding strength and removing the oxide layer using ultrasonic waves. In this study, a high-tensile steel plate will be plated with ultrasonic waves, and the plated steel will be examined by microstructure observation and the mechanical properties of the interfacial bonding structure between SUS310S and Zn-Al alloy. It was confirmed that ultrasound waves affect the removal of impurities and pores between the SUS310S steel plate and the interface of the Zn-0.13 wt.% Al alloy during Hot-Dip galvanizing process. Furthermore, to observe the effect of ultrasonic waves on the removal of oxides, a kind of impurity, from the surface of SUS310S, an oxide layer having a thickness of 2 µm was deposited on the surface of SUS310S by Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD). When ultrasonic waves were applied to the oxide-coated SUS 310S surface for 60 seconds, a part of the oxide layer was fractured by the cavitation effect of ultrasonic.
Multi-scale Coefficients Fusion Strategy for Enhancement of SAM Image in Solder Joints Detection
Authors: Lu Xiangning , Wang Zengxiang , He Zhenzhi , Liao Guanglan , Shi Tielin 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
IC packaging technology becomes more complex with the increase of package density, and defect diagnosis of IC devices is getting more challenging. Scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM) is widely used in electronic industry. But the detection resolution is limited by the penetration depth of ultrasound. So it is of great necessity finding a way to improve the resolution and accuracy. A new strategy of multi-scale decomposition and fusion based on the wavelet transform has been proposed to enhance the image resolution in SAM detection. The original SAM image was subjected to wavelet decomposition at different scales. Two recombined images A and B were decomposed into a low frequency band (cAd1 and cAd2) and three high frequency bands (cHd1, cVd1, cDd1, and cHd2, cVd2, cDd2), which were then fused respectively based on the local area energy. The derived new coefficients were used to reconstruct a high resolution SAM image. A genetic algorithm modified back propagation network (GA-BP) was used for classifying the solder joints. The proposed scheme achieved highest recognition accuracy (97.16%) compared with other methods. The new strategy of image enhancement provides a stable and effective solution for SAM inspection of electronic devices.
Lebanese Population Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice Regarding Cholera Disease and their Knowledge and Attitude Regarding the Cholera Vaccine Following an Outbreak in Lebanon
Authors: Jamaleddine Youssef , Tashjian Hagop , Mahmoud Mahmoud , Azzam Wael , Daher Amira , Salameh Pascale 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
The objective was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the Lebanese population towards cholera and its vaccination. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire among a sample of Lebanese residents. The questionnaire consisted of questions about the participants' demographics, knowledge, attitudes, and practice towards cholera and vaccination. The final sample size was 691 respondents. The proportion of female and male participants was 68.7% and 31.3%, respectively. The results showed that the majority had a good knowledge of cholera, with 97.4% identifying severe diarrhea as the main symptom. Young age, different governorate of residence, and higher education were associated with better knowledge. Most participants had positive attitude, which was correlated with being female and having children under the age of 5 in the same household. Regarding practices, the majority reported engaging in some form of cholera prevention, such as always cooking (90.8%) and washing (88.3%) food. Being older, female, and homemaker was associated with better practice. Most participants expressed good knowledge and a positive attitude towards the vaccine, with 55.5% indicating that they would surely be willing to be vaccinated if freely available. However, 14.2% participants rejected and expressed concerns about the vaccine. Higher cholera knowledge was significantly predictive of vaccination willingness (B = 0.091). In conclusion, this study has provided insights into the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the Lebanese population towards cholera and its vaccination. The findings can be used to inform the development of public health interventions aimed at improving cholera prevention and control in Lebanon.
Technical Advantages of Modified Day Surgical Procedures for Penile Reconstructive Surgery During COVID-19
Authors: Yang Haoxuan , Fu Shengjie , Yang Mingxuan , Wang Yaxuan , Xue Wenyong , Du Lei , Ma Ziyue , Zhang Lin , Qi Jinchun 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Objective The modified day surgical procedure was compared with traditional inpatient procedures and standard day surgical procedures to explore the technical advantages of the modified day surgical procedures during COVID-19.
Methods The clinical data of 135 children who underwent the day operation (the day group) and 101 children who underwent the traditional inpatient procedures (the inpatient group) were collected in the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University during COVID-19. The patients' satisfaction surveys were divided into three groups: standard process group, modified process group, and inpatient group. The standard and modified process groups form the day surgical group. The degree of satisfaction among the groups was compared.
Results The average ages of the inpatient and day surgical groups were 8.92 years old and 11.85 years old, respectively. There was no significant difference between these two groups in operation time, bleeding volume, and postoperative complications (P>0.05). Compared with the inpatient group, the average inpatient time and the hospitalization cost of the day group decreased by 69% and 27%, respectively (P < 0.05). The patient's family members in the modified procedure group had the highest satisfaction among the three groups.
Conclusion The penile reconstructive plastic performed by modified day surgical procedures has advantages over the standard and traditional inpatient surgical procedures during COVID-19. The modified day surgical procedure benefits hospitals and patients, which is suitable for being popularized on a large scale during COVID-19.
Optimum Adaptive Bandwidth Selection Method of Local Fitting in Kernel Regression Analysis for Non-uniform Data
Authors: Patil Mahendra Deoraji , Sarate G. G. 
Published: January 2023

Abstract

Selection of a global bandwidth is common in kernel regression. On the other hand, the point wise choice of a local bandwidth can lead to better results in kernel regression because it has direct effect on smoothing of the signal. These smoothing bandwidths affect the filtering capacity of any signals and systems. It shows the higher adaptability to number of analysis varying from various problems in one-dimensional to multidimensional as well as different class of engineering branches of human-machine interactions. In this paper, we have proposed a new method called optimum adaptive local bandwidth selection method (OALB) depending on bias-variance optimization ratio. It is based on Stankovic optimization of bias-variance of the signal [3]. The bandwidth is calculated independently for every points based on intersection of confidence interval.
Alcohol consumption may be associated with postoperative delirium in the elderly: the PNDABLE study
Authors: Wu Xiaoyue , Zhang Ning , Zhou Bin , Liu Siyu , Wang Fei , Wang Jiahan , Tang Xinhui , Lin Xu , Wang Bin , Bi Yanlin 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Objectives: The aim of this study was to reveal the relationship between alcohol consumption and Postoperative delirium (POD) in the elderly.
Methods: A total of 284 patients were enrolled in this study (mean age was 69.38 (65-90) years and 7.1% were female). Those who had measurements of CSF Aβ40, Aβ42，P-tau, and tau protein and drinking characteristics were included from the Perioperative Neurocognitive Disorder And Biomarker Lifestyle (PNDABLE ) study. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to assess preoperative mental status of patients. POD was diagnosed using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) and assessed for severity using the Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale (MDAS). The two independent samples t-test was used for comparison between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to explore the association of alcohol consumption with POD. What’s more, We also performed sensitivity analysis by adding corrected confounders and the results were almost unchanged. Linear regression analysis was used to study the relationship between alcohol consumption and CSF biomarkers. Mediation analyses with 10000 bootstrapped iterations were used to explore the mediation effects. A two-factor ANOVA was used to explore the impact of gender and alcohol consumption on CSF biomarkers. Finally, we constructed the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the nomogram model to evaluate the efficacy of alcohol consumption and CSF biomarkers in predicting POD.
Result: The incidence of POD was 17.5% (44/252). Logistic regression showed that alcohol consumption (OR = 1.016, 95%CI 1.009-1.024, P < 0.001) is a risk factor for POD. In particular, alcohol consumption >24 g (heavy) is more likely to cause POD. What’s more, Aβ42 is a protective factor for POD (OR = 0.993, 95%CI 0.989-0.997, P < 0.05) and P-Tau was a risk factor for POD (OR = 1.093, 95%CI 1.022-1.168, P < 0.05). Linear regression analysis revealed that alcohol consumption was negatively associated with CSF Aβ42 (β = -0.638, P < 0.001) in POD patients. The two independent samples t-test showed that the non-postoperative delirium (NPOD) group had higher Aβ42 levels than the POD group; the POD group had more alcohol consumption than the NPOD group (P < 0.001). Mediation analyses show that alcohol consumption is likely to mediate POD through Aβ42 (proportion:14.21%) partially. ROC curve showed that alcohol consumption (AUC=0.904; P<0.001) exhibited a relative better discriminatory ability in POD prediction compared to Aβ42 (AUC=0.798; P<0.001). The calibration curve indicated good prediction of the nomogram(P=0.797).
Conclusion: Alcohol consumption is a risk factor for POD (particularly for those with >24 g a day on average) in the elderly, and contributes to POD through the mediation of Aβ42.
Association between Low-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Sudden Cardiac Arrest in People with Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Kim Yun Gi , Jeong Joo Hee , Han Kyung-Do , Roh Seung-Young , Min Kyongjin , Lee Hyoung Seok , Choi Yun Young , Shim Jaemin , Choi Jong-Il , Kim Young-Hoon 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Background
Dyslipidemia measured as low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol is an established risk factor of cardiovascular disease, which is more pronounced in diabetes population. Less is known about the association of LDL-cholesterol level and sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) risk in diabetes mellitus patients. This study investigated the association of LDL-cholesterol level and SCA risk in diabetes population.
Methods
This study was based on Korean National Health Insurance Service database. Patients who received general examination from 2009 to 2012 and diagnosed as type 2 diabetes mellitus were analyzed. Primary outcome was defined as SCA event identified with International Classification of Disease code.
Results
A total of 2,602,577 patients were included, with total follow-up duration of 17,851,797 person*year. Mean follow-up duration was 6.86 years, and 26,341 SCA cases were identified. Overall incidence of SCA was highest in the lowest LDL-cholesterol group (< 70mg/dL) and decreased in a linear manner as LDL-cholesterol rises, till 160mg/dL. Adjustment of covariates resulted in U-shape association, with highest risk of SCA in the highest LDL-cholesterol group (≥ 160mg/dL) followed by lowest LDL-cholesterol group (< 70mg/dL). In subgroup analysis, U-shape association between SCA risk and LDL-cholesterol was more pronounced in male, non-obese people, and those who did not use statins.
Conclusions
In diabetes population, the association between SCA and LDL-cholesterol level was U-shaped with highest and lowest LDL-cholesterol group having higher risk of SCA than others. Paradoxically increased SCA risk in lower LDL-cholesterol population should be recognized and extended to clinical preventive measures.
Epigenetic age deacceleration in youth at familial risk for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
Authors: Mas Sergi , Segura Alex , Serna Elena de la , Sugranyes Gisela , Baeza Inmaculada , Valli Isabel , Díaz-Caneja Covadonga , Martín-Martínez Nuria , Moreno Dolores , Gasso Patricia , Rodriguez Natalia , Castro-Fornieles Josefina 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Epigenetic modifications occur sequentially during the lifespan, but their pace can be altered by external stimuli. The onset of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder is critically modulated by stressors that may alter the epigenetic pattern, a putative signature marker of exposure to environmental risk factors. In this study, we estimated the age-related epigenetic modifications to assess the differences between young individuals at familial high risk (FHR) and controls and their association with environmental stressors.
The sample included 117 individuals (6-17 years) at FHR (45%) and a control group (55%). Blood and saliva samples were used estimate the epigenetic age with six epigenetic clocks through methylation data. Environmental risk was measured with obstetric complications, socioeconomic statuses and recent stressful life events data.
For all epigenetic clocks except Horvath, estimated epigenetic ages were older than the chronological. Stratified analysis showed that Hannum epigenetic clock reported younger epigenetic age only in the FHR group. Epigenetic age was found deaccelerated in the FHR individuals in three epigenetic clocks. No effect of the environmental risk factors on the epigenetic age acceleration could be detected.
Epigenetic age asynchronicities were found in the young at high risk, suggesting that offspring of affected parents follow a slower pace of biological aging than the control group. It still remains unclear which environmental stressors orchestrate the changes in the methylation pattern. Further studies are needed to better characterize the molecular impact of environmental stressors before illness onset, which could be critical in the development of tools for personalized psychiatry.
Understanding the prevalence and manifestation of the anxiety and social difficulties experienced by children with Developmental Language Disorder.
Authors: Burnley Annabel , Clair Michelle St , Bedford Rachael , Wren Yvonne , Dack Charlotte 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Background
It is well-documented that children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) experience socio-emotional difficulties. Despite this, there is little consensus as to how these difficulties manifest. This study aims to understand their prevalence, and inform intervention development by understanding the relationships between them.
Methods
A mixed-methods, case-control study was conducted. First, an online survey was completed by 107 parents of either children with DLD (‘DLD sample’; n = 57), or typically developing children (‘typical sample’; n = 50), aged 6–12 years old. The online survey comprised of standardised psychosocial measures, binary psychosocial statements (generated from previous qualitative work) and both family stress and coping mechanisms. Two separate mediation models were run to understand the underlying mechanisms behind (1) anxiety, and (2) social frustration; separate correlation analyses were used to determine the relationships between other psychosocial and familial variables. Qualitative interviews were then carried out with a small subset of the survey respondents (n = 4).
Results
The DLD sample scored significantly higher on all psychosocial statements than the typical sample. Experiencing anxiety (80.7%, p < 0.05), requiring routine and sameness (75.4%, p < 0.001) and emotional dysregulation (75.4%; p < 0.001) were the most common difficulties for children with DLD. Family stress and coping mechanisms only correlated with the manifestation of psychosocial difficulties in the typical group, not the DLD group. ‘Intolerance of uncertainty’ was found to fully mediate the relationship between DLD diagnosis and symptoms of anxiety. Emotion regulation was found to moderately mediate the relationship between DLD diagnosis and social frustration.
Conclusions
Parents appear to cope well with their children’s complex psychosocial needs. Intervention focussing on intolerance of uncertainty and emotion dysregulation may help the management of psychosocial difficulties. Further research is needed to understand the children’s preference for routine.
Feasibility of Artificial Intelligence Assisted Quantitative Muscle Ultrasound in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Authors: Kim Sun Woong , Kim Sunwoo , Shin Dongik , Choi Jae Hyeong , Baek Seungjun , Yoon Joon Shik , Sim Jung Sub 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Background: In case of focal neuropathy, the muscle fibers innervated by the corresponding nerves are replaced with fat or fibrous tissue due to denervation, which results in increased echo intensity (EI) on ultrasonography. EI analysis can be conducted quantitatively using gray scale analysis. Mean value of pixel brightness of muscle image defined as EI. However, the accuracy achieved by using this parameteralone to differentiate between normal and abnormal muscles is limited. Recently, attempts have been made to increase the accuracy using artificial intelligence (AI) in the analysis of muscle ultrasound images. CTS is the most common disease among focal neuropathy. In this study, we aimed to verify the utility of AI assisted quantitative analysis of muscle ultrasound in CTS.
Methods: This is retrospective study that used data from adult who underwent ultrasonographic examination of hand muscles. The patient with CTS confirmed by electromyography and subjects without CTS were included. Ultrasound images of the unaffected hands of patients or subjects without CTS were used as controls. Ultrasonography was performed by one physician in same sonographic settings. Both conventional quantitative grayscale analysis and machine learning (ML) analysis were performed for comparison.
Results: A total of 47 hands with CTS and 27 control hands were analyzed. On conventional quantitative analysis, mean EI ratio (i.e. mean thenar EI/mean hypothenar EI ratio) were significantly higher in the patient group than in the control group, and the AUC was 0.76 in ROC analysis. In the analysis using machine learning, the AUC was the highest for the linear support vector classifier (AUC=0.86). When recursive feature elimination was applied to the classifier, the AUC value improved to 0.89.
Conclusion: This study showed a significant increase in diagnostic accuracy when AI was used for quantitative analysis of muscle ultrasonography. If an analysis protocol using machine learning can be established and mounted on an ultrasound machine, a noninvasive and non-time-consuming muscle ultrasound examination can be conducted as an ancillary tool for diagnosis.