bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Environmental and economical optimization of reinforced concrete overhang bridge slabs
Authors: Khouri Chalouhi Elisa , Zelmanovitz Ciulla Gustavo , García-Brioles Bueno Jorge , Pacoste Costin , Karoumi Raid 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThe dimensioning of overhang slabs in bridge decks is usually based on simplified, thus conservative methods. The resulting over-dimensioned overhang bridge slabs can also affect the design of the girders. In this paper, an optimization procedure for the design of this structural element is presented. The aim is to minimize investment cost and global warming potential in the material production stage simultaneously while fulfilling all safety requirements. The design variables used in this study are the thicknesses of the overhang slab and the height of the edge beam. However, a complete detailed design of reinforcement is performed as well. Both a single-objective and a multi-objective formulation of the nonlinear problem are presented and handled with two well-known optimization algorithms: pattern search and genetic algorithm. The procedure is applied to a case study, which is a bridge in Sweden designed in 2013. One single solution minimizing both objective functions is found and leads to savings in investment cost and CO2-equivalent emissions of 4.2% and 9.3%, respectively. The optimization procedure is then applied to slab free lengths between 1 and 3 m. The outcome is a graph showing the optimal slab thicknesses for each slab length to be used by designers in the early design stage.
Controversial aspects of imaging in child abuse: a second roundtable discussion from the ESPR child abuse taskforce
Authors: Paddock Michael , Choudhary Arabinda K. , Jeanes Annmarie , Mankad Kshitij , Mannes Inès , Raissaki Maria , Adamsbaum Catherine , Argyropoulou Maria I. , van Rijn Rick R. , Offiah Amaka C. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThis second roundtable discussion was convened at the 56th European Society of Paediatric Radiology (ESPR) 2022 Annual Meeting in Marseille, France, to discuss controversial aspects of imaging in child abuse. The following topics were discussed:

Fracture dating—the published literature is broadly similar with respect to the identification of the radiographic stages of bony healing. The non-expert/general radiologist is encouraged to use broad descriptors of fracture healing (acute, healing or old) within their reports, rather than attempting to date fractures. The more experienced/expert radiologist, who may provide a timeframe/range to assist the courts, should be aware that any published timeframes are not absolute and that recent research indicates that the rate of healing may differ according to the bone affected and the age of the patient.

Whole spine imaging in suspected abusive head trauma—this is recommended to enable a complete assessment of the neuraxis when abusive head trauma is suspected or diagnosed, particularly in the presence of intracranial and cervical subdural haemorrhage and cervical ligamentous injury.

Cranial imaging in suspected physical abuse—both computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remain complimentary depending on the clinical context in which they are used with CT remaining first-line in the assessment of children with (suspected abusive) head trauma prior to an early MRI. MRI is superior in its assessment of parenchymal injury and may be employed as first-line in age appropriate asymptomatic siblings of a child with suspected physical abuse.
Pseudotargeted Metabolomics Reveals the Effects of High Root-Zone Temperature Stress on Leaves and Roots of Medicago sativa
Authors: Zhang Yuwen , Li Xuejiao , Zhao Yan 
Published: March 2023

AbstractAlfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is the most widely planted forage, which have higer economically valuable and better ecological benefits in the world. However, it’s sensitive to high root-zone temperature in tropical and subtropical areas. In order to explore the changes of metabolites in alfalfa under heat stress, the study applied the unique alfalfa landrace ‘Deqin’ to explored the mechanisms on the basis of pseudotargeted metabolomics. The results showed that the phenotype of leaves and roots were changed remarkly, leaf chlorophyll content, electrolyte leakage, H2O2 content and soluble sugar also changed at different treatments. Meanwhile, heat stress may stimulate the germination of new alfalfa roots in response to adverse environment. Metabonomics analysis showed that a total of 809 and 749 metabolites were detected in leaves and roots respectively, which treated with four different ways. Of these, 343 and 383 were identified as differential metabolites in the leaves and roots, respectively; they mainly belongs to phenylpropanoids, polyketides, organic acids and derivatives, organic acids and derivatives. Among them, the differential metabolites were mainly enriched in glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, citrate cycle, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, flavone and flavonol biosynthesis, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Meanwhile, some metabolites such as phenylpropanoids, polyketides, organic acids and derivatives may play an important role in response to heat stress in M. sativa ‘Deqin’. Overall, this study reports the differential metabolites and pathways in the roots and leaves of ‘Deqin’ in response to high root-zone temperature, which provides new insights into the heat stress mechanisms of alfalfa.
Defecation status, intestinal microbiota, and habitual diet are associated with the fecal bile acid composition: a cross-sectional study in community-dwelling young participants
Authors: Saito Yosuke , Sagae Toyoaki 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Purpose
Bile acid (BA) metabolism by intestinal bacteria is associated with the risk of gastrointestinal diseases; additionally, its control has become a modern strategy for treating metabolic diseases. This cross-sectional study investigated the influence of defecation status, intestinal microbiota, and habitual diet on fecal BA composition in 67 community-dwelling young participants.

Methods
Feces were collected for intestinal microbiota and BA analyses; data about defecation status and dietary habits were collected using the Bristol stool form scales and a brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire, respectively. The participants were categorized into four clusters based on their fecal BA composition, according to cluster analysis, and tertiles based on deoxycholic acid (DCA) and lithocholic acid (LCA) levels.

Results
The high primary BA (priBA) cluster with high fecal cholic acid (CA) and chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) levels had the highest frequency of normal feces, whereas the second BA (secBA) cluster with high levels of fecal DCA and LCA had the lowest. Alternately, the high-priBA cluster had a distinct intestinal microbiota, with higher Clostridium subcluster XIVa and lower Clostridium cluster IV and Bacteroides. The low-secBA cluster with low fecal DCA and LCA levels had the lowest animal fat intake. Nevertheless, the insoluble fiber intake of the high-priBA cluster was significantly higher than that of the high-secBA cluster.

Conclusion
High fecal CA and CDCA levels were associated with distinct intestinal microbiota. Conversely, high levels of cytotoxic DCA and LCA were associated with increased animal fat intake and decreased frequency of normal feces and insoluble fiber intake.

Clinical trial registry
University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN) Center system (UMIN000045639); date of registration: 15/11/2019.
Relationships of BMI, muscle-to-fat ratio, and handgrip strength-to-BMI ratio to physical fitness in Spanish children and adolescents
Authors: Manzano-Carrasco Samuel , Garcia-Unanue Jorge , Haapala Eero A. , Felipe Jose Luis , Gallardo Leonor , Lopez-Fernandez Jorge 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThis study aimed to determine the relationship of body mass index (BMI), muscle-to-fat ratio (MFR), and handgrip strength-to-BMI ratio to physical fitness parameters in an active young population according to sex across four different time points. A total of 2256 Spanish children and adolescents (aged 5–18) from rural areas participating in an extracurricular sport in different municipal sports schools participated in this study. Participants were divided into children (5–10 years) and adolescents (11–18 years), boys and girls, and across four different time points (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021). Data on anthropometric measures (BMI, MFR, appendicular skeletal muscle mass) and physical fitness (handgrip strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, and vertical jump) were collected. Boys who were overweight, but especially boys with obesity, had higher absolute handgrip strength in children and adolescents than their normal weight counterparts in 2020 and 2021. Boys and girls with normal weight presented higher cardiorespiratory fitness and vertical jump than their overweight and obese peers over the years. The MFR was directly correlated with the cardiorespiratory fitness and vertical jump variables, but not with handgrip strength, in boys and girls. The handgrip strength-to-BMI ratio in both sexes was positively correlated to the different physical fitness parameters. Conclusion: BMI, MFR, and handgrip strength-to-BMI can be used as health and physical fitness indicators in this population.

What is Known:• BMI is the main indicator commonly used as a proxy for obesity for many years. Nevertheless, it cannot differentiate between fat mass and fat-free mass.• There are other indicators such as MFR and handgrip strength-to-BMI that might be more accurate and can serve to monitor the health and fitness of children and adolescents.

What is New:• MFR showed a positive and significant correlation with cardiorespiratory fitness and vertical jump in both sexes. On the other hand, the handgrip strength-to-BMI presented a positive correlation with cardiorespiratory fitness, vertical jump, and handgrip strength.• The use of these indicators obtained through different parameters of body composition and physical fitness can serve as a tool to identify the relationships of the paediatric population with physical fitness.
VIsoQLR: an interactive tool for the detection, quantification and fine-tuning of isoforms in selected genes using long-read sequencing
Authors: Núñez-Moreno Gonzalo , Tamayo Alejandra , Ruiz-Sánchez Carolina , Cortón Marta , Mínguez Pablo 
Published: March 2023

AbstractDNA variants altering the pre-mRNA splicing process represent an underestimated cause of human genetic diseases. Their association with disease traits should be confirmed using functional assays from patient cell lines or alternative models to detect aberrant mRNAs. Long-read sequencing is a suitable technique to identify and quantify mRNA isoforms. Available isoform detection and/or quantification tools are generally designed for the whole transcriptome analysis. However experiments focusing on genes of interest need more precise data fine-tuning and visualization tools.Here we describe VIsoQLR, an interactive analyzer, viewer and editor for the semi-automated identification and quantification of known and novel isoforms using long-read sequencing data. VIsoQLR is tailored to thoroughly analyze mRNA expression in splicing assays of selected genes. Our tool takes sequences aligned to a reference, and for each gene, it defines consensus splice sites and quantifies isoforms. VIsoQLR introduces features to edit the splice sites through dynamic and interactive graphics and tables, allowing accurate manual curation. Known isoforms detected by other methods can also be imported as references for comparison. A benchmark against two other popular transcriptome-based tools shows VIsoQLR accurate performance on both detection and quantification of isoforms. Here, we present VIsoQLR principles and features and its applicability in a case study example using nanopore-based long-read sequencing. VIsoQLR is available at https://github.com/TBLabFJD/VIsoQLR.
Exponential tractability of L2-approximation with function values
Authors: Krieg David , Siedlecki Paweł , Ullrich Mario , Woźniakowski Henryk 
Published: March 2023

AbstractWe study the complexity of high-dimensional approximation in the L2-norm when different classes of information are available; we compare the power of function evaluations with the power of arbitrary continuous linear measurements. Here, we discuss the situation when the number of linear measurements required to achieve an error ε ∈ (0,1) in dimension $d\in \mathbb {N}$
d
∈
ℕ
depends only poly-logarithmically on ε− 1. This corresponds to an exponential order of convergence of the approximation error, which often happens in applications. However, it does not mean that the high-dimensional approximation problem is easy, the main difficulty usually lies within the dependence on the dimension d. We determine to which extent the required amount of information changes if we allow only function evaluation instead of arbitrary linear information. It turns out that in this case we only lose very little, and we can even restrict to linear algorithms. In particular, several notions of tractability hold simultaneously for both types of available information.
Does Professional Development Effectively Support the Implementation of Inclusive Education? A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Donath Johanna L. , Lüke Timo , Graf Elisabeth , Tran Ulrich S. , Götz Thomas 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Inclusive education is a reform aimed at educating all students in general classrooms, independent of diversity features such as special educational needs, giftedness, or migration. Its successful implementation requires teachers with professional knowledge about inclusive education, skills to address the diverse needs in the classroom, and positive beliefs toward inclusive education. Teachers are provided with professional development opportunities, but are these effective in improving their learning process and positively impacting students’ behavior? We conducted a meta-analysis to address this question. The screening of 12,050 search results revealed 342 eligible studies with more than 155,000 participants and 1123 effects from four outcome categories: teachers’ knowledge, skills, and beliefs and students’ behavior. We observed positive, though varying, effects on all four outcome categories: large effects on teachers' knowledge regarding inclusive education (g = 0.93), moderate effects on teachers’ skills (g = 0.49), small effects on teachers’ beliefs (g = 0.23), and small-to-moderate effects on student behavior (g = 0.37). We also examined factors that might explain the differences in the strength of training effects. The data suggest that long-term training with high practical relevance and active learning opportunities facilitates transfer to schools.
Geospatial variations in socioeconomic conditions and health outcomes in COVID-19 era: insights from South Africa (2020–2022)
Authors: Wand Handan , Vujovich-Dunn Cassandra , Derrick Kate , Moodley Jayajothi , Reddy Tarylee , Naidoo Sarita 
Published: March 2023

AbstractSouth Africa also has the highest burden of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) related comorbidities in Africa. We aimed to quantify the temporal and geospatial changes in unemployment, food insecurity, and their combined impact on depressive symptoms among South Africans who participated into several rounds of national surveys. We estimated the population-attributable risk percent ($$PAR\%$$

P
A
R
%

) for the combinations of the risk factors after accounting for their correlation structure in multifactorial setting. Our study provided compelling evidence for immediate and severe effect of the pandemic where 60% of South Africans reported household food insecurity or household hunger, shortly after the pandemic emerged in 2020. Despite the grants provided by the government, these factors were also identified as the most influential risk factors (adjusted odds ratios (aORs) ranged from 2.06 to 3.10, p < 0.001) for depressive symptoms and collectively associated with 62% and 53% of the mental health symptoms in men and women, respectively. Similar pattern was observed among pregnant women and 41% of the depressive symptoms were exclusively associated with those who reported household hunger. However, aORs associated with the concerns around pandemic and vaccine were mostly not significant and ranged from 1.12 to 1.26 which resulted substantially lower impacts on depressive symptoms (PAR%:7%-and-14%). Our findings suggest that South Africa still has unacceptably high rates of hunger which is accelerated during the pandemic. These results may have significant clinical and epidemiological implications and may also bring partial explanation for the low vaccine coverage in the country, as priorities and concerns are skewed towards economic concerns and food insecurity.
Asking the Right Questions? A Critical Overview of Longitudinal Survey Data on Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse Among Adults and Young People in the UK
Authors: Skafida Valeria , Feder Gene , Barter Christine 
Published: March 2023

AbstractPurposeWe undertake a critical analysis of UK longitudinal and repeated cross-sectional population surveys which ask about experiences of intimate partner violence and abuse (IPVA).MethodSeven relevant UK representative population-based surveys which ask about IPVA among adults and/or young people (16–17 years old) were identified. We critically engage with the questionnaires to analyse the strengths and limitations of existing UK data on IPVA.ResultsSeveral limitations in UK surveys are identified. Many questions still show a bias, partly historical, towards collecting more data about physical abuse. Few surveys ask about financial abuse, abuse post-separation or through child contact, or through technologies, though improvements are under way. Surveys still seek to count incidents of abuse, instead of enquiring about the impact of abusive behaviours on victims. Ethnicity and other demographic variables are not always adequately captured (or accessible to data users), making it difficult to explore aspects of inequality. Potentially useful comparisons within the UK are difficult to undertake given the increasingly divergent questionnaires used in different UK nations.ConclusionsWe discuss how future iterations of existing surveys or new surveys can improve with regards to how questions about IPVA are asked. Given that surveys across geographical contexts often suffer similar weaknesses, our findings will be relevant for IPVA survey methodology beyond the UK context.
Ethical challenges of clinical trials with a repurposed drug in outbreaks
Authors: Klas Katarzyna , Strzebonska Karolina , Waligora Marcin 
Published: March 2023

AbstractDrug repurposing is a strategy of identifying new potential uses for already existing drugs. Many researchers adopted this method to identify treatment or prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, despite the considerable number of repurposed drugs that were evaluated, only some of them were labeled for new indications. In this article, we present the case of amantadine, a drug commonly used in neurology that attracted new attention during the COVID-19 outbreak. This example illustrates some of the ethical challenges associated with the launch of clinical trials to evaluate already approved drugs. In our discussion, we follow the ethics framework for prioritization of COVID-19 clinical trials proposed by Michelle N Meyer and colleagues (2021). We focus on four criteria: social value, scientific validity, feasibility, and consolidation/collaboration. We claim that launching amantadine trials was ethically justified. Although the scientific value was anticipated to be low, unusually, the social value was expected to be high. This was because of significant social interest in the drug. In our view, this strongly supports the need for evidence to justify why the drug should not be prescribed or privately accessed by interested parties. Otherwise, a lack of evidence-based argument could enhance its uncontrolled use. With this paper, we join the discussion on the lessons learned from the pandemic. Our findings will help to improve future efforts to decide on the launch of clinical trials on approved drugs when dealing with the widespread off-label use of the drug.
International research collaboration: is Africa different? A cross-country panel data analysis
Authors: Cerdeira Jorge , Mesquita João , Vieira Elizabeth S. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractInternational research collaboration (IRC) has been relevant for the development of national scientific systems. In Africa, given the limited resources devoted to research and development (R&D) activities and the crucial role that scientific knowledge generated through research activities can have in socioeconomic development, IRC may be an opportunity to strengthen scientific capabilities. While geographical, economic, political/governance, cultural, intellectual and excellence distance hampers IRC in other regions, we argue that economic and excellence distances actuate differently in Africa. We explored the impact of the variables above in addition to the information and communication technologies (ICTs), and social distances on the IRC of these countries. Using panel data for 54 African economies, our results show that economic distance fosters IRC while governance and excellence distances are non-significant. Past collaborations (one out of two proxies for social distance) and speaking the same language have the highest effect on IRC, and ICTs distance the lowest. The results have implications for science policy in Africa. For instance, we argue that science policies need to be adapted to each environment as the scientific landscape in each country is unique.
Addressing racial misinformation at school: a psycho-social intervention aimed at reducing ethnic moral disengagement in adolescents
Authors: D’Errico Francesca , Cicirelli Paolo Giovanni , Corbelli Giuseppe , Paciello Marinella 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThe present study aims to examine whether by promoting the socio-analytic thinking it is possible to intervene in the reliance on ethnic moral disengagement as a negative consequence of racial misleading news, that can seriously contribute to the diffusion of ethnic prejudice. We focus on the neglected phenomenon of racial hoaxes, which can be defined as misleading news stories dealing with health or safety threats, in which the protagonist is described in terms of ethnicity or nationality. The intervention procedure has been created starting from the well-established literature focused on media biases’ reflection, integrated with the recent studies on ‘mediated intergroup contact’ where the observation of the person belonging to the outgroup is crucial for prejudice reduction. The intervention involved 83 adolescents (Mage = 13.9; SDage = 0.9) and it was composed of two different parts, one focused on the analytical racial hoax reading, and the other focused on racial hoax rewriting after the ‘mediated contact’, represented by an alternative story given by the African protagonist. The results show that in dealing with misleading news, the promotion of this social-analytic processing reduces ethnic biases of moral disengagement. In particular, it was found that analytical processes are supported by the participants’ level of propensity for analytical reasoning and that these processes directly hinder distorted ethnic beliefs. Overall, these results suggest that improving social-analytic processes related to reflexivity could be an effective intervention to counter those distorted beliefs, such as ethnic disengagement beliefs, associated with discrimination and racial prejudice.