bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in older adjuvant early breast cancer patients: cardiac safety analysis and final results of the COLTONE study
Authors: Coltelli Luigi , Finale Chiara , Musettini Gianna , Fontana Andrea , Barletta Maria Teresa , Lucarini Alessandra Renata , Fabiani Iacopo , Scalese Marco , Bocci Guido , Masini Luna Chiara , Soria Giulia , Cupini Samanta , Arrighi Giada , Barbara Cecilia , De Maio Ermelinda , Salvadori Barbara , Marini Andrea , Pellino Antonio , Stasi Irene , Emdin Michele , Giaconi Stefano , Marcucci Lorenzo , Allegrini Giacomo 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
Aims
To explore the cardiac safety of adjuvant Non-Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin (NPL-DOX) plus Cyclophosphamide (CTX) followed by weekly Paclitaxel, in elderly women (≥ 65 years) with high-risk breast cancer. Previously, we described no symptomatic cardiac events within the first 12 months from starting treatment. We now reported the updated results after a median follow-up 76 months.

Methods
The cardiac activity was evaluated with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) echocardiograms assessments, before starting chemotherapy and every 6 months, until 30 months from baseline, then yearly for at least 5 years.

Results
Forty-seven women were recruited by two Units of Medical Oncology (Ethics Committee authorization CESM-AOUP, 3203/2011; EudraCT identification number: 2010-024067-41, for Pisa and Pontedera Hospitals). An episode of grade 3 CHF (NCI-CTCAE, version 3.0) occurred after 18 months the beginning of chemotherapy. The echocardiograms assessments were performed comparing the LVEF values of each patient evaluated at fixed period of time, compared to baseline. We observed a slight changed in terms of mean values at 48, 60, 72 and 84 months. At these time points, a statistically significant reduction of − 3.2%, − 4.6%, − 6.4% and − 7.1%, respectively, was observed. However, LVEF remained above 50% without translation in any relevant clinical signs. No other cardiac significant episodes were reported. To this analysis, in 13 patients (28%) occurred disease relapse and, of them, 11 (23%) died due to metastatic disease. Eight patients died of cancer-unrelated causes.

Conclusions
The combination including NPL-DOX in elderly patients revealed low rate of cardiac toxic effects. Comparative trials are encouraged.
Development of the breeding bird community of a silvoarable agroforestry system with short rotation coppice strips over a 16-year period
Authors: Zitzmann Felix , Langhof Maren 
Published: August 2023

AbstractModern silvoarable agroforestry systems (AFS) with short rotation coppice strips (CS) are considered as a potential measure to increase structural diversity in agricultural landscapes and to promote biodiversity while simultaneously producing arable crops and woody biomass. However, studies investigating the actual potential of these novel land use systems to promote biodiversity are scarce. We therefore investigated the importance of a silvoarable AFS with different CS variants as habitat for breeding birds on an experimental site in northern Germany, which was studied several times over a 16-year period since its establishment. In addition, the habitat function and quality of CS was compared with hedgerows. The results show that establishing CS on arable land creates additional habitats for shrub and tree breeding species and thus increases species numbers and territory densities. Tree harvest resulted in a decrease in species numbers and densities. However, since Aspen rows (for timber production) or native woody species were retained during harvesting in some CS, suitable nesting opportunities for some species remained. A sharp decline in Skylark territories was observed within the open land of the AFS, from nine breeding pairs in the year after establishment (2009) to only two breeding pairs each in 2022 and 2023. Compared to CS, hedgerows were more species-rich and had much higher territory densities. We conclude that the integration of CS into croplands can promote some species of woody habitats, especially if measures such as the integration of trees of different heights or native woody species and sectional harvesting are implemented. However, CS still clearly lag behind hedgerows in terms of their habitat quality. Furthermore, the establishment of CS may have negative effects on threatened open land species like the Skylark. The requirements of these species should therefore be considered when planning AFS. Establishing AFS with CS could especially be an option in cleared, intensively used agricultural landscapes, where CS could represent a trade-off between the promotion of birds and agricultural production.
African indigenous vegetables, gender, and the political economy of commercialization in Kenya
Authors: Hackfort Sarah , Kubitza Christoph , Opiyo Arnold , Musotsi Anne , Huyskens-Keil Susanne 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThis study investigates the increased commercialization of African indigenous vegetables (AIV)—former subsistence crops such as African nightshade, cowpea leaves and amaranth species grown mainly by women—from a feminist economics perspective. The study aims to answer the following research question: How does AIV commercialization affect the gendered division of labor, women’s participation in agricultural labor, their decision-making power, and their access to resources? We analyze commercialization’s effects on gender relations in labor and decision-making power and also highlight women’s agency. Based on a mixed method design and analyzing household-level panel data and qualitative focus groups from Kenya, we observe an economic empowerment of women that we relate to women’s individual and collective strategies as well as their retention of control over AIV selling and profits. Yet, while we see economic empowerment of women through commercialization—how they broaden their scope of action and are empowered by generating revenue—that does not contribute to a redistribution of labor or land rights, which are key for gender equality, instead it increases women’s labor burden.
Quality of Care is Perceived to be High with Community-based Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Services for Female Sex Workers in Tanzania: Qualitative Findings from a Pilot Implementation Science Study
Authors: Tun Waimar , Conserve Donaldson F. , Bunga Catherine , Jeremiah Kidola , Apicella Louis , Vu Lung 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThis qualitative study reports on female sex workers’ (FSWs) perceptions of the quality of antiretroviral therapy (ART) services they received as part of a community-based ART distribution intervention compared to services received by FSWs in the standard of care (SOC) arm. In-depth interviews were conducted with 24 participants to explore their perceptions of the quality of ART services. Data was analyzed using a quality-of-care framework that included but was not limited to, domains of accessibility, effective organization of care, package of services, and patient-centered care. Overall, FSWs in the intervention arm reported community-based ART services to be highly accessible, organized, and effective, and they highly valued the patient-centered care and high level of privacy. Community-based ART programs for FSWs can have high quality-of-care, which can have a positive effect on HIV treatment outcomes for FSWs.
Alien flora of Nigeria: taxonomy, biogeography, habitats, and ecological impacts
Authors: Borokini Israel T. , Kortz Alessandra , Anibaba Quadri A. , Witt Arne , Aigbokhan Emmanuel I. , Hejda Martin , Pyšek Petr 
Published: August 2023

AbstractBiological invasions remain one of the greatest threats to biodiversity and livelihoods, and are predicted to increase due to climate change and globalization. In this study, we produced a comprehensive checklist of alien plants in Nigeria from online flora databases, herbarium records, published field surveys, and questionnaires administered to botanical gardens. The resulting alien flora was classified into naturalized, invasive, and cultivated plants. We then fitted a random forest model to identify the attributes which facilitate the naturalization of alien plants in Nigeria. We also used separate chi-squared tests to investigate if the frequency of these attributes is significantly different between the naturalized and invasive plants. The results include 1,381 alien plant taxa, comprising 238 naturalized, 190 invasive, and 953 cultivated species. The naturalized and invasive plants (428 species) are from 91 families, with Fabaceae and Poaceae having the highest representations. The random forest model showed that life forms and local economic uses were the most important drivers of alien plant naturalization in Nigeria. Chi-squared tests revealed a non-random distribution of life forms, higher frequencies of naturalized plants from the Indomalaya and the Neotropics, greater introductions during the British colonial rule, and that naturalized species are mostly used for medicinal, ornamental, food, or animal fodder purposes. Naturalized and invasive plants were recorded in all regions of Nigeria and are mostly found in urban and agricultural landscapes. This baseline information can support further ecological studies and conservation actions in Nigeria.
Seasonal variation and importance of catchment area composition for transport of bioavailable carbon to the Baltic Sea
Authors: Jones Kevin , Berggren Martin , Sjöstedt Johanna 
Published: August 2023

AbstractTransport of terrestrial carbon through riverine systems to coastal water has a negative impact on oxygen concentration in coastal areas. However, information on seasonal variation and the impact of catchment composition on the bioavailability of allochthonous carbon is lacking. In this project we address this knowledge gap by investigating the reactivity of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) at river mouths which originate from agricultural or forested dominated catchments over a year. Using a high-capacity oxygen sensing system biological oxygen demand (BOD) was measured and converted to carbon utilization rate. This allowed a spatial and temporal resolution necessary to understand how concentrations of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, DOC, as well as carbon composition influence carbon bioavailability. Seasonality and the differing catchment compositions yielded variable results about which factors were significantly contributing to reactivity. In addition, we found that carbon utilization rate was highest during April, June, and October for most rivers. The bioavailable fraction (BFc) was significantly higher in rivers with agricultural compared to forest dominated catchments during January, April, June, and October. However, rivers with agricultural dominated catchment had a significantly higher carbon utilization rate in August. This indicate that rivers dominated by forest transport larger and more refractory pools of carbon, while rivers with agricultural dominated catchments have a higher percentage of BFc. Based on these results we suggest that management efforts, to reduce the transport of bioavailable carbon, would be most efficient during spring and autumn with equal importance on rivers with catchment areas dominated by agriculture and forest.
Variable screening for Lasso based on multidimensional indexing
Authors: Żogała-Siudem Barbara , Jaroszewicz Szymon 
Published: August 2023

AbstractIn this paper we present a correlation based safe screening technique for building the complete Lasso path. Unlike many other Lasso screening approaches we do not consider prespecified values of the regularization parameter, but, instead, prune variables which cannot be the next best feature to be added to the model. Based on those results we present a modified homotopy algorithm for computing the regularization path. We demonstrate that, even though our algorithm provides the complete Lasso path, its performance is competitive with state of the art algorithms which, however, only provide solutions at a prespecified sample of regularization parameters. We also address problems of extremely high dimensionality, where the variables may not fit into main memory and are assumed to be stored on disk. A multidimensional index is used to quickly retrieve potentially relevant variables. We apply the approach to the important case when multiple models are built against a fixed set of variables, frequently encountered in statistical databases. We perform experiments using the complete Eurostat database as predictors and demonstrate that our approach allows for practical and efficient construction of Lasso models, which remain accurate and interpretable even when millions of highly correlated predictors are present.
A tale of two roles: exploring topic-specific susceptibility and influence in cascade prediction
Authors: Chen Ninghan , Chen Xihui , Zhong Zhiqiang , Pang Jun 
Published: August 2023

AbstractWe propose a new deep learning cascade prediction model CasSIM that can simultaneously achieve two most demanded objectives: popularity prediction and final adopter prediction. Compared to existing methods based on cascade representation, CasSIM simulates information diffusion processes by exploring users’ dual roles in information propagation with three basic factors: users’ susceptibilities, influences and message contents. With effective user profiling, we are the first to capture the topic-specific property of susceptibilities and influences. In addition, the use of graph neural networks allows CasSIM to capture the dynamics of susceptibilities and influences during information diffusion. We evaluate the effectiveness of CasSIM on three real-life datasets and the results show that CasSIM outperforms the state-of-the-art methods in popularity and final adopter prediction.
Application of the class-balancing strategies with bootstrapping for fitting logistic regression models for post-fire tree mortality in South Korea
Authors: Hwang Kyungrok , Kang Wonseok , Jung Yugyeong 
Published: August 2023

AbstractWe aimed to tackle a common problem in post-fire tree mortality where the number of trees that survived surpasses the number of dead trees. Here, we investigated the factors that affect Korean red pine (Pinus densiflora Siebold & Zucc.) tree mortality following fires and assessed the statistical effects of class-balancing methods when fitting logistic regression models for predicting tree mortality using empirical bootstrapping (B = 100,000). We found that Slope, Aspect, Height, and Crown Ratio potentially impacted tree mortality, whereas the bark scorch index (BSI) and diameter at breast height (DBH) significantly affected tree mortality when fitting a logistic regression with the original dataset. The same variables included in the fitted logistic regression model were observed using the class-balancing regimes. Unlike the imbalanced scenario, lower variabilities of the estimated parameters in the logistic models were found in balanced data. In addition, class-balancing scenarios increased the prediction capabilities, showing reduced root mean squared error (RMSE) and improved model accuracy. However, we observed various levels of effectiveness of the class-balancing scenarios on our post-fire tree mortality data. We still suggest a thorough investigation of the minority class, but class-balancing scenarios, especially oversampling strategies, are appropriate for developing parsimonious models to predict tree mortality following fires.
Soil moisture reduces egg mortality during wildfires in the Madeiran green bush-cricket
Authors: Rhee Howon , Hochkirch Axel 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThe increasing frequency of fires is a major threat to biodiversity around the world, further facilitated by global warming. Fires usually affect insect populations directly, but insect eggs may partly be protected from wildfires when oviposited into the ground. Madeira belongs to the Macaronesian islands which experience wildfires annually. The Madeiran Green Bush-Cricket (Psalmatophanes barretoi) is endemic to the island and listed on the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable with wildfires being named as the major threat to the species. However, it remains unclear whether the eggs of P. barretoi may be partly protected from fires due to the oviposition substrate (soil). It also remains unknown whether increased temperature alone or increased drought are more important drivers of mortality when fires are approaching or surpassing an oviposition site. We hypothesized that drought might have a significant effect on mortality when heat levels remain slightly below or above mortal temperatures. Therefore, we tested the effects of temperature and drought on egg survival in two laboratory experiments by incubating eggs at different temperatures (49 °C, 55 °C) for six hours with and without water replacement. Our results show that the combination of drought and heat affected egg mortality significantly stronger than heat alone. As a result, we conclude that egg mortality is strongly mediated by soil desiccation and that eggs might be buffered from fire effects in moist habitats or after increased rainfall.
Using defects as a ‘fossil record’ to help interpret complex processes during additive manufacturing: as applied to raster-scanned electron beam powder bed additively manufactured Ti–6Al–4V
Authors: O’Donnell Katie , Quintana Maria J. , Kenney Matthew J. , Collins Peter C. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractDefects in parts produced by additive manufacturing, instead of simply being perceived as deleterious, can act as important sources of information associated with the complex physical processes that occur during materials deposition and subsequent thermal cycles. Indeed, they act as materials-state ‘fossil’ records of the dynamic AM process. The approach of using defects as epoch-like records of prior history has been developed while studying additively manufactured Ti–6Al–4V and has given new insights into processes that may otherwise remain either obscured or unquantified. Analogous to ‘epochs,’ the evolution of these defects often is characterized by physics that span across a temporal length scale. To demonstrate this approach, a broad range of analyses including optical and electron microscopy, X-ray computed tomography, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and electron backscatter diffraction have been used to characterize a raster-scanned electron beam Ti–6Al–4V sample. These analysis techniques provide key characteristics of defects such as their morphology, location within the part, complex compositional fields interacting with the defects, and structures on the free surfaces of defects. Observed defects have been classified as banding, spherical porosity, and lack of fusion. Banding is directly related to preferential evaporation of Al, which has an influence on mechanical properties. Lack-of-fusion defects can be used to understand columnar grain growth, fluid flow of melt pools, humping, and spattering events.
Graphical abstract
Female education and social change
Authors: Bühler Mathias , Vollmer Leonhard , Wimmer Johannes 
Published: August 2023

AbstractDoes access to education facilitate the emergence of a human capital elite from which social activists, and thus, social change can emerge? Assembling a city-level panel of the political, intellectual, and economic elite throughout German history, we find that the opening of schools providing secondary education for women increased their representation among the human capital elite. These elites challenged the status quo and developed critical ideas that resonated in cities with higher human capital, connecting women to form a social movement. We find no evidence of other city-specific indicators of economic and gender-specific cultural change affecting our results. Differential returns to education are also unrelated to the increasing representation of women among the human capital elite, as the opening of gender-specific schools has no impact on the opposite gender.
The Effect of Ultrasonication on the Fibrillar/ Oligomeric Structures of Aβ1−42 at Different Concentrations
Authors: Faridi Nassim , Sanjari-Pour Maryam , Wang Ping , Bathaie S. Zahra 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThe number of disease states linked the aberrant regular protein conformations to oligomers and amyloid fibrils. Amyloid beta 1–42 (Aβ1−42) peptide is very hydrophobic and quickly forms the β-rich structure and fibrillar protein aggregates in some solutions and buffer conditions. Ultrasonication pulses can disrupt amyloid fibrils to smaller fragments and produce Aβ1−42 peptides of different sizes and oligomers. Herein, we investigated the effects of buffer and ultrasonication on Aβ1−42 structure at low and high concentrations. After ultrasonication, the Western blot results showed that Aβ1−42 fibrils were disaggregated into different sizes. The transmission electron microscopy results indicated Aβ1−42 at low concentration (25 µM) in Ham’s/F12 phenol red-free culture medium formed short-size fragments and oligomers. In comparison, Aβ1−42 at higher concentration (100 µM) formed fibrils that break down into smaller fragments after ultrasonication. However, after regrowth, it formed mature fibrils again. Cell viability assay indicated that Aβ1−42 oligomers formed at a low concentration (25 µM) were more toxic to PC12 cells than other forms. In conclusion, by applying ultrasonication pulses and controlling peptide concentration and buffer condition, we can rich Aβ1−42 aggregates with a particular size and molecular structure.
Why Chaplaincy at Asylum Centers is a Good Idea: A Care Ethics Perspective on Spiritual Care for Refugees
Authors: Dronkers Pieter , Wojtkowiak Joanna , Smid Geert 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThis article argues in favor of introducing chaplaincy care at asylum centers and develops three arguments for doing so. First, chaplaincy is one way to protect the right to health of refugees and to improve their spiritual well-being. The positive contribution of chaplaincy services to mental health care is increasingly recognized, especially in the domain of PTSD. Second, chaplaincy services support asylum seekers in exercising their freedom of religion while entrusted to state care. Chaplains can create a safe space for asylum seekers to reflect on their spiritual and religious needs, orientation and belonging. Third, chaplains are well positioned to help asylum seekers in rebuilding their life-sustaining web, while at the same time promoting a climate of inclusion and respect in and outside the asylum center.
Lost in Transduction: From Law and Code’s Intra-actions to the Right to Explanation in the European Data Protection Regulations
Authors: Tedeschi Miriam , Viljanen Mika 
Published: August 2023

AbstractRecent algorithmic technologies have challenged law’s anthropocentric assumptions. In this article, we develop a set of theoretical tools drawn from new materialisms and the philosophy of information to unravel the complex intra-actions between law and computer code. Accordingly, we first propose a framework for understanding the enmeshing of law and code based on a diffractive reading of Barad’s agential realism and Simondon’s theory of information. We argue that once law and code are understood as material entities that intra-act through in-formation, the concept of transduction allows us to trace how they push each other towards change. After developing the theoretical tools, we deploy them to make sense of how law and code have changed in response to increasing automation of decision-making and the appearance of unexplainable artificial intelligence (AI) code. Thus, we employ a case study to trace transformations of the right to explanation under the European data protection regulations. This provides the backdrop for our account of how law transduces into code (and vice versa) and a proving ground for our framework.