bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Low-level language processing in brain-injured patients
Authors: Jain Parul , Conte Mary M , Voss Henning U , Victor Jonathan D , Schiff Nicholas D 
Published: March 2023

AbstractAssessing cognitive function—especially language processing—in severely brain-injured patients is critical for prognostication, care, and development of communication devices (e.g. brain–computer interfaces). In patients with diminished motor function, language processing has been probed using EEG measures of command-following in motor imagery tasks. While such tests eliminate the need for motor response, they require sustained attention. However, passive listening tasks, with an EEG response measure can reduce both motor and attentional demands. These considerations motivated the development of two assays of low-level language processing—identification of differential phoneme-class responses and tracking of the natural speech envelope. This cross-sectional study looks at a cohort of 26 severely brain-injured patient subjects and 10 healthy controls. Patients’ level of function was assessed via the coma recovery scale–revised at the bedside. Patients were also tested for command-following via EEG and/or MRI assays of motor imagery. For the present investigation, EEG was recorded while presenting a 148 s audio clip of Alice in Wonderland. Time-locked EEG responses to phoneme classes were extracted and compared to determine a differential phoneme-class response. Tracking of the natural speech envelope was assessed from the same recordings by cross-correlating the EEG response with the speech envelope. In healthy controls, the dynamics of the two measures were temporally similar but spatially different: a central parieto-occipital component of differential phoneme-class response was absent in the natural speech envelope response. The differential phoneme-class response was present in all patient subjects, including the six classified as vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome by behavioural assessment. However, patient subjects with evidence of language processing either by behavioural assessment or motor imagery tests had an early bilateral response in the first 50 ms that was lacking in patient subjects without any evidence of language processing. The natural speech envelope tracking response was also present in all patient subjects and responses in the first 100 ms distinguished patient subjects with evidence of language processing. Specifically, patient subjects with evidence of language processing had a more global response in the first 100 ms whereas those without evidence of language processing had a frontopolar response in that period. In summary, we developed two passive EEG-based methods to probe low-level language processing in severely brain-injured patients. In our cohort, both assays showed a difference between patient subjects with evidence of command-following and those with no evidence of command-following: a more prominent early bilateral response component.
Greed and Grievance: Corporations, States and International Investment Law in Times of Conflict
Authors: Sattorova Mavluda 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
For those on the ground, conflict brings about devastation and displacement. For foreign investors who frequently seek commercial opportunities far and wide, conflict is not just a fellow traveller but also a crucial element of the environment in which international investment law was conceived and later took shape. This review essay seeks to uncover some of the fundamental and overarching themes underpinning the relationships between foreign corporations, states and local communities in times of conflict. By focusing on the distinct roles played by the corporation in situations of conflict – as a victim, contributor, beneficiary, perpetrator and accomplice – the essay aims to cast light on international law’s troublesome origins, biases and complicities and to highlight a growing concern over the enduring lack of effective avenues for corporate accountability.
Towards decolonizing L2 writing pedagogy: translingual and transmodal resources
Authors: Rabbi Shakil 
Published: March 2023

AbstractScholarly conversations in writing pedagogy increasingly centre our roles in reproducing epistemic and structural biases, and consequently the need to decolonize our curriculum. These conversations can be especially informative for L2 writing instruction, given its focus on the academic socialization of ESL for non-Western students. This article argues for translingual and transmodal resources as a way towards decolonizing L2 writing pedagogy. Framing these approaches to writing instruction in terms of ‘border thinking’, I argue that they open the classroom space for L2 and L1 students during process-based writing instruction. They enable students to use the various semiotic and material resources to produce knowledge and learn authentically. I end by illustrating pedagogic activities I use in the classroom shaped by these paradigms in terms of their alignment with Indigenous and non-Western traditions, and how they position L2 writers in the academy as resourceful learners.
Strong habitat-specific phenotypic plasticity but no genome-wide differentiation across a rainforest gradient in an African butterfly
Authors: Zhen Ying , Dongmo Michel A K , Harrigan Ryan J , Ruegg Kristen , Fu Qi , Hanna Rachid , Bonebrake Timothy C , Smith Thomas B 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Habitat-specific thermal responses are well documented in various organisms and likely determine the vulnerability of populations to climate change. However, the underlying roles of genetics and plasticity that shape such habitat-specific patterns are rarely investigated together. Here we examined the thermal plasticity of the butterfly Bicyclus dorothea originating from rainforest and ecotone habitats in Cameroon under common garden conditions. We also sampled wild-caught butterflies from forest and ecotone sites and used RADseq to explore genome-wide population differentiation. We found differences in the level of phenotypic plasticity across habitats. Specifically, ecotone populations exhibited greater sensitivity in wing eyespot features with variable development temperatures relative to rainforest populations. Known adaptive roles of wing eyespots in Bicyclus species suggest that this morphological plasticity is likely under divergent selection across environmental gradients. However, we found no distinct population structure of genome-wide variation between habitats, suggesting high level of ongoing gene flow between habitats is homogenizing most parts of the genome.
Drivers of bacterial and fungal root endophyte communities: understanding the relative influence of host plant, environment, and space
Authors: Brigham Laurel M , Bueno de Mesquita Clifton P , Spasojevic Marko J , Farrer Emily C , Porazinska Dorota L , Smith Jane G , Schmidt Steven K , Suding Katharine N 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Bacterial and fungal root endophytes can impact the fitness of their host plants, but the relative importance of drivers for root endophyte communities is not well known. Host plant species, the composition and density of the surrounding plants, space, and abiotic drivers could significantly affect bacterial and fungal root endophyte communities. We investigated their influence in endophyte communities of alpine plants across a harsh high mountain landscape using high-throughput sequencing. There was less compositional overlap between fungal than bacterial root endophyte communities, with four ‘cosmopolitan’ bacterial OTUs found in every root sampled, but no fungal OTUs found across all samples. We found that host plant species, which included nine species from three families, explained the greatest variation in root endophyte composition for both bacterial and fungal communities. We detected similar levels of variation explained by plant neighborhood, space, and abiotic drivers on both communities, but the plant neighborhood explained less variation in fungal endophytes than expected. Overall, these findings suggest a more cosmopolitan distribution of bacterial OTUs compared to fungal OTUs, a structuring role of the plant host species for both communities, and largely similar effects of the plant neighborhood, abiotic drivers, and space on both communities.
Stem cell therapy: light in the tunnel for penetrating Crohn's disease
Authors: Lan Nan , Wu Xianrui , Shen Bo 
Published: March 2023

AbstractPatients with Crohn's disease frequently suffer from fistula resulting from adverse sequelae of persistent complicated active disease or surgical intervention. Fistula affects a patient's quality of life and is directly associated with the need for surgical intervention. Diagnosis of fistula can be made through CT enterography, MR enterography, gastrograffin-based imaging, and transanal ultrasound. Treatment for fistula mainly consists of medication, endoscopic procedures, and surgery. There are emerging approaches under current investigation, such as stem cell therapy. The results showed a decent response in patients with perianal and rectovaginal fistula with minimal side effects. Further investigation is still needed for other internal fistula.
The Impact of Wages on Care Home Quality in England
Authors: Allan Stephen , Vadean Florin 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesIn many countries, a large proportion of long-term care staff are paid at, or near, minimum wage, leading to concerns of negative effects on care outcomes. This study analyzed the effect of staff wages on care home quality ratings in England.Research Design and MethodsA national staffing database of long-term care providers was matched with local-area information on needs and supply to construct a 3-year panel (2016–2018) of English care home observations. Using multiple imputation methods to address missing data provided a data set of 12,055 observations of 5,556 care facilities (both residential and nursing homes). We analyzed the effect of the facility-level average hourly wage of care staff on national regulator quality ratings. A measure of the impact of exogenous changes in the national minimum wage on care facilities was used as an instrument for wage.ResultsWe find that wages positively affect care home quality ratings. Other things equal, a 10% increase in the average hourly wage of direct care workers would lead to a 7.1% increase in the likelihood that a care home will have a high-quality rating. The wage effect on quality was significant when controlling for staff skill mix, measured as the share of registered nurses in nursing home staff.Discussion and ImplicationsThis study provides important evidence of the positive impact that staff pay can have on the quality of long-term care. Our finding has important implications for appropriate levels of pay and the funding of long-term care.
Real time Gutenberg–Richterb-value estimation for an ongoing seismic sequence: an application to the 2022 marche offshore earthquake sequence (ML 5.7 central Italy)
Authors: Spassiani I , Taroni M , Murru M , Falcone G 
Published: March 2023

SUMMARYWe estimate the b-value parameter of the Gutenberg–Richter law for earthquake magnitudes in the early stage of the Costa Marchigiana (Italy) seismic sequence, starting on 2022 November 9, with an ML 5.7 event in the Adriatic sea. In particular, we estimate both the completeness magnitude Mc and the b-value within the first 4 and 7 d after the initial strong event in the sequence. Our work represents a practical example of b-value estimation in ‘true’ real time, that is, during the seismic sequence, and its possible interpretation in terms of short-term forecasting. We highlight some critical issues to consider both in estimating/intepreting the b-value, and in evaluating the real time estimation of Mc. These issues are mainly due to the fact that preliminary catalogues available in real time are quite different from the revised ones, which are usually delivered after a few months. The criticalities are linked to the raw data recorded at an early-stage, an unreliable evaluation of the Mc with statistical approaches, the Short Term Aftershock Incompleteness entailed after the initial strong event, and the magnitude binning. Our results show that real time estimation of the b-value can give insights into the evolution of an ongoing seismic sequence, when attention is paid to data quality and quantity.
Assessing the inequalities in demand for family planning satisfied in Ghana: evidence from the 1993–2014 Demographic and Health Surveys
Authors: Azure Simon Agongo , Budu Eugene , Okyere Joshua , Mensah Felix , Ahinkorah Bright Opoku , Seidu Abdul-Aziz , Ameyaw Edward Kwabena 
Published: March 2023

Abstract

Background
Family planning is essential in promoting the well-being of women and their families and communities and ensuring quality of care in contraceptive use. This study sought to assess the trend and inequalities in the demand for family planning satisfied (DFPS) in Ghana from 1993 to 2014.

Methods
The World Health Organization's Health Equity Assessment Toolkit was employed to analyse the data. We disaggregated DFPS by five equity stratifiers: age, economic status, education, residence and region. Inequality was measured using difference (D), population attributable risk (PAR), ratio (R) and population attributable fraction (PAF).

Results
The study showed an increment in DFPS from 17.8% to 38.7% between 1993 and 2014. With respect to age, we noted substantial inequality in 2003 (D=21.9 [95% confidence interval {CI} 15.2 to 28.7]), 1993 (D=4.8 [95% CI −1.8 to 11.4]) and 2014 (D=15 [95% CI 3 to 26.9]). The greatest economic inequality occurred in 1993 (PAF=69.7 [95% CI 50.8 to 88.6]; D=20.1 [95% CI 14.8 to 25.4]). Regarding education, significant inequality existed in 1993 (PAF=112 [95% CI 100.8 to 123.2]; D=29.7 [95% CI 21.9 to 37.4]). Ashanti and the Upper West regions reported significant inequalities (PAF=55.6 [95% CI 33.1 to 78.2]; D=16.1 [95% CI 8.9 to 23.3]).

Conclusions
There are age-, education-, wealth-, residence- and region-related inequalities with respect to DFPS. Policymakers will have to prioritize the needs of women with no formal or low educational attainment in order to improve DFPS coverage. Special attention needs to be given to adolescent girls since they suffer greater inequalities than adult women.
Spatial distribution of sexual network locations used by long-distance truck drivers along the Northern Corridor highway, Kenya
Authors: Mutie Cyrus , Kairu-Wanyoike Salome , Mambo Susan , Ngoge Reagan , Gachohi John 
Published: March 2023

Abstract

Background
In Kenya, long-distance truck drivers (LDTDs) using the Northern Corridor highway have a high prevalence of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) due to their risky sexual networks. However, the spatial distribution of the sexual network locations used by LDTDs is not well understood. Consequently, healthcare stakeholders have found it difficult to provide spatially targeted HIV/STI interventions among LDTDs. Thus, the study sought to establish the spatial distribution of sexual network locations used by LDTDs along the Northern Corridor highway, to inform efficient distribution and use of limited HIV/STI-prevention resources.

Methods
A cross-sectional study design was used. The study adopted a systematic sampling technique. 296 LDTDs were interviewed using interviewer-administered questionnaires at the Mlolongo weighbridge in Kenya. The LDTDs listed their history of sexual interactions and highway stopovers used during the week preceding data collection. Geospatial modelling techniques, using R statistical software packages for spatial mapping, were employed. Shapefiles were created and overlaid over a map of Kenya using R statistical software to create maps of sexual networks.

Results
Forty-two highway stopovers used by LDTDs were spatially distributed along the highway, from the Kenya coast to the Kenya–Uganda border. In general, LDTDs’ sexual network hotspots were restricted to the outskirts of major cities along the Northern Corridor highway (Nairobi, Mombasa and Nakuru) as well as the Kenya–Uganda international border.

Conclusions
On the Northern Corridor highway, stopovers situated proximal to major urban areas, as well as those at international border points, frequently serve as sexual network hotspots among LDTDs and their sexual partners. Thus, healthcare stakeholders should improve access to HIV/STI-prevention services targeted for LDTDs at the sexual network hotspots identified in this study.
Assessing the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes and birth defects reporting in women exposed to ganciclovir or valganciclovir during pregnancy: a pharmacovigilance study
Authors: Contejean Adrien , Leruez-Ville Marianne , Treluyer Jean-Marc , Tsatsaris Vassilis , Ville Yves , Charlier Caroline , Chouchana Laurent 
Published: March 2023

Abstract

Objectives
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the leading cause of congenital infection worldwide. Reference anti-CMV treatment is valganciclovir/ganciclovir, which is contraindicated in pregnancy given questions about teratogenicity.

Methods
We analysed reports from VigiBase, the world’s largest safety database, and performed a disproportionality analysis of adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with (val)ganciclovir compared with any other drugs or with (val)aciclovir as comparators.

Results
Among 3 104 984 reports related to childbearing-age women or to pregnancy topics, 6186 were exposed to (val)ganciclovir or (val)aciclovir including 251 adverse pregnancy outcomes with (val)ganciclovir (n = 34) or (val)aciclovir (n = 217). We did not evidence any increased reporting of any adverse pregnancy outcome [miscarriage, stillbirth, small weight for gestational age, preterm birth (&lt;37 weeks of gestation)] or birth defects with (val)ganciclovir compared with the use of (val)aciclovir during pregnancy. Four cases of oesophageal and anorectal atresia were identified with (val)ganciclovir, which may be related to concomitant drugs/medical conditions and require further analyses.

Conclusions
These preliminary results require confirmation but suggest the possibility for trial evaluation of val(ganciclovir) in severe maternal or fetal CMV infections.
Treadmill Versus Overground Gait Training in Patients with Lower Limb Burn Injury: A Comparative Study
Authors: Arshad Zunera , Rehan Muhammad , Iqbal Tariq , Waheed Usman , Zafar Hirza , Pervaiz Sehrish , -ain Qurat-ul , Shais Khan Muhammad , Hassaan Tariq Muhammad 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
The primary goal of the rehabilitation services offered to patients with lower limb burns is to enhance gait function. Exercise on a treadmill and conventional overground gait training are the two most widespread gait-training methods. Numerous studies have been published in the literature that claim treadmill training helps people walk more easily. Therefore, it would be intriguing to investigate whether treadmill gait training affects the progress made by post-lower limb burn patients compared to traditional overground gait training.
The goal of the current study was to compare the effectiveness of treadmill training and traditional physical therapy therapies for improving gait after lower limb burn injury.
A comparative study was conducted between January to August 2022 at a burns care unit, in Islamabad. All the participants were informed about the study procedure and consent was taken before initiating the study. All the participants received the set standard of Burn Rehabilitation by the American Burn Association (ABA). The program consists of ROM exercises, mobilization, functional mobility, stretching, balance training, and resisted exercises for enhancing muscle power. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS 24.0 software.
The study subjects selected were 30 burn patients, aged above 18 years, vitally stable, and had lower limb burn injuries with an average TBSA (total burn surface area) of 20-30%. The mean for the Experimental is 18.86 and for the control group is 21.13. Patients were randomly either assigned to an experimental group or a control group. The Experimental group had a lower Time Up and Go test score of 11.86 ± 3.58 (9.50-24.07) as compared to the control group’s TUG score (of 12.78 ± 4.41 (6.30-24.07). Functional mobility significantly improved as the P &lt; 0.05. The total mean scores calculated on the Tampa Kinesiophobia scale for the Experimental group were 35.66 ± 6.32 which was less compared with those of the control group 37.93 ± 6.36. It demonstrates that fear of movement was reduced for treadmill training participants. Comparison of pre-distance (350.9 ± 86.82), pre-velocity (62.78 ± 20.20), and post-distance (385.02 ± 32.29), post-velocity 40.48 ± 21.91 of the experimental group with the control group pre-distance (339.26 ± 98.17), pre-velocity (55.07 ± 22.63), post-distance (383.07 ± 36.914), and post-velocity (40.57 ± 21.95) showed significant changes in results.
In contrast to traditional gait training, treadmill training significantly improves walking ability in burn patients with lower limb damage.
Efficacy of four systemic insecticides for reducing Nantucket pine tip moth (Rhyaciona frustrana) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) infestation levels and improving growth metrics in loblolly pines
Authors: McCarty E , Cassidy V C , Clabo D , Dickens D , Asaro C , Gandhi K J K 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
The Nantucket pine tip moth (NPTM) (Rhyacionia frustrana Comstock) is a native, regeneration pest of young loblolly pines (Pinus taeda L.), causing shoot dieback, tree deformity, and growth and volume declines. Soil applications of systemic insecticides may be an effective strategy to suppress NPTM populations. The study objective was to assess the efficacy of four systemic insecticide treatments (chlorantraniliprole, dinotefuran, fipronil, and imidacloprid) for two growing seasons in outplanted bareroot and containerized seedling trials. Response variables included NPTM infestation rates, along with tree height, groundline diameter, volume index, and stem form. Infestation rates significantly decreased for each systemic insecticide treatment during the first year compared to controls, although dinotefuran and imidacloprid provided season-long control in one trial. Chlorantraniliprole reduced NPTM infestation rates for two growing seasons in both trials. While imidacloprid treatments did not alter growth metrics except for one comparison, fipronil and dinotefuran treatments improved several growth metrics. Chlorantraniliprole consistently improved growth metrics throughout the study.