bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sample size determination: A practical guide for health researchers
Authors: Althubaiti Alaa 
Published: December 2022

AbstractAlthough sample size calculations play an essential role in health research, published research often fails to report sample size selection. This study aims to explain the importance of sample size calculation and to provide considerations for determining sample size in a simplified manner. Approaches to sample size calculation according to study design are presented with examples in health research. For sample size estimation, researchers need to (1) provide information regarding the statistical analysis to be applied, (2) determine acceptable precision levels, (3) decide on study power, (4) specify the confidence level, and (5) determine the magnitude of practical significance differences (effect size). Most importantly, research team members need to engage in an open and realistic dialog on the appropriateness of the calculated sample size for the research question(s), available data records, research timeline, and cost. This study aims to further inform researchers and health practitioners interested in quantitative research, so as to improve their knowledge of sample size calculation.
Quantitative Analysis of Ultrasonography for de Quervain's Disease: Comparison of the Affected Side With the Asymptomatic Side
Authors: Morisaki Shinsuke , Tsuchida Shinji , Oda Ryo , Takahashi Kenji 
Published: December 2022

ObjectivesThe pathology of de Quervain's disease affects the tenosynovium and rarely the tendons. The ultrasonographic features of de Quervain's disease unresponsive to conservative treatment are unknown. The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the morphological differences between patients with de Quervain's disease that is refractory to conservative treatment and patients who respond to conservative treatment.Methodsde Quervain's disease unresponsive to conservative treatment was evaluated in 51 patients. The bilateral wrists underwent preoperative ultrasonographic assessments. The asymptomatic side was presumed to be the patient's anatomical baseline and was used for comparison. We measured the diameter and cross‐sectional area of the tendons of the abductor pollicis longus (APL) and extensor pollicis brevis (EPB), and the thickness of the tendon sheath and the intercompartmental septum, if present. The affected side and asymptomatic side were compared.ResultsThe APL and EPB cross‐sectional area was significantly larger on the affected side than on the asymptomatic side (APL: 13 mm2 versus 8.3 mm2; P < .0001; EPB: 5.4 mm2 versus 3.9 mm2; P = .031). The tendon sheath was significantly thicker on the affected side (1.5 mm) than on the asymptomatic side (0.95 mm) (P < .0001). The intercompartmental septum was significantly thicker on the affected side (1.1 mm) than on the asymptomatic side (0.72 mm) (P = .0004). Operative findings revealed 41 (80%) patients had an intercompartmental septum.ConclusionsThe ultrasonographic features of de Quervain's disease requiring surgical treatment were a significantly thickened tendon sheath, an intercompartmental septum, and increased cross‐sectional area of the APL and EPB.
Effect of cropland withdrawal on soil organic carbon in China, 1990–2018
Authors: Yan Ziyan , Tan Minghong 
Published: December 2022

AbstractSoil organic carbon (SOC) is one of the most important soil attributes responsible for the sustainable maintenance of soil quality. In recent years, cropland withdrawal (CWD) (i.e., conversion into natural landscapes) in China has become a remarkable phenomenon of land use changes, driven by the spontaneous cropland abandonment by rural households and government‐led conversion of cropland to forest and grassland. The CWD may affect SOC content and storage in China. Therefore, this study estimated the variation in SOC caused by CWD between 1990 and 2018 based on the grid data of land use and soil organic matter (SOM). The results showed that CWD had a significant effect on SOC. (1) From 1990 to 2018, the total area of CWD was about 358 × 103 km2, an area that represented about 20% of the total area of cropland in China in 1990. In addition, within the total area of CWD, the proportions represented by the conversion of cropland to forest and grassland were the highest, reaching 58% and 39%, respectively. The former was mainly distributed in the southern part of China, especially in the southwestern mountainous area. The latter was largely concentrated in the northern part of China, especially in the Loess Plateau; (2) From 1990 to 2018, the average SOC content of CWD increased by about 10%, representing an increase of 193 Tg in soil organic carbon storage (SOCS). This is equivalent to six times the carbon emissions from agricultural land in China in 2019; (3) Among eight agricultural regions in China, the middle‐lower Yangtze Plain had the largest area of CWD, which accounted for 19.9% of the total CWD of the whole country.
Preparation and properties of poly(lactic acid)/g‐titanium dioxide electrospinning membranes based on thiol‐ene click chemistry
Authors: Shao Tengfei , Zhen Weijun , Chen Junwu 
Published: December 2022

AbstractThe g‐titania functional additives were prepared via thiol‐ene click chemical reaction, and then the polylactic acid/g‐titania nanofiber membrane was prepared via electrospinning technology. Characterization via scanning electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption/desorption showed that the average fiber diameter of the TP4 fiber membrane was 489 nm, the specific surface area was 34.69 m2·g−1, and the average pore size was 22.31 nm. The adsorption mechanism, photocatalytic degradation performance, and reusability of polylactic acid/g‐titania nanofibrous membranes were characterized. The results showed that the adsorption of methylene blue by TP4 nanofiber membrane followed a pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model, which could be represented by the Langmuir isotherm model, and the maximum adsorption capacity was 35.44 mg·g−1. In addition, the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue by TP4 nanofiber membrane followed a first‐order kinetic model and exhibited high reusability. Therefore, polylactic acid/g‐titania nanofiber membrane, as an efficient dye removal material, shows a good application prospect in wastewater treatment.
Incorporating historical information to improve dose optimization design with toxicity and efficacy endpoints: iBOIN‐ET
Authors: Zhao Yunqi , Liu Rachael , Takeda Kentaro 
Published: December 2022

AbstractIn modern oncology drug development, adaptive designs have been proposed to identify the recommended phase 2 dose. The conventional dose finding designs focus on the identification of maximum tolerated dose (MTD). However, designs ignoring efficacy could put patients under risk by pushing to the MTD. Especially in immuno‐oncology and cell therapy, the complex dose‐toxicity and dose‐efficacy relationships make such MTD driven designs more questionable. Additionally, it is not uncommon to have data available from other studies that target on similar mechanism of action and patient population. Due to the high variability from phase I trial, it is beneficial to borrow historical study information into the design when available. This will help to increase the model efficiency and accuracy and provide dose specific recommendation rules to avoid toxic dose level and increase the chance of patient allocation at potential efficacious dose levels. In this paper, we propose iBOIN‐ET design that uses prior distribution extracted from historical studies to minimize the probability of decision error. The proposed design utilizes the concept of skeleton from both toxicity and efficacy data, coupled with prior effective sample size to control the amount of historical information to be incorporated. Extensive simulation studies across a variety of realistic settings are reported including a comparison of iBOIN‐ET design to other model based and assisted approaches. The proposed novel design demonstrates the superior performances in percentage of selecting the correct optimal dose (OD), average number of patients allocated to the correct OD, and overdosing control during dose escalation process.
YOLOv4‐tiny‐based robust RGB‐D SLAM approach with point and surface feature fusion in complex indoor environments
Authors: Chang Zhanyuan , Wu Honglin , Li Chuanjiang 
Published: December 2022

AbstractAlgorithm frameworks based on feature point matching are mature and widely used in simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). However, in the complex and changeable indoor environment, feature point matching‐based SLAM currently has two major problems, namely, decreased accuracy of pose estimation due to the interference caused by dynamic objects to the SLAM system and tracking loss caused by the lack of feature points in weak texture scenes. To address these problems, herein, we present a robust and real‐time RGB‐D SLAM algorithm that is based on ORBSLAM3. For interference caused by indoor moving objects, we add the improved lightweight object detection network YOLOv4‐tiny to detect dynamic regions, and the dynamic features in the dynamic area are then eliminated in the algorithm tracking stage. In the case of indoor weak texture scenes, while extracting point features the system extracts surface features at the same time. The framework fuses point and surface features to track camera pose. Experiments on the public TUM RGB‐D data sets show that compared with the ORB‐SLAM3 algorithm in highly dynamic scenes, the root mean square error (RMSE) of the absolute path error of the proposed algorithm improved by an average of 94.08%. Camera pose is tracked without loss over time. The algorithm takes an average of 34 ms to track each frame of the picture just with a CPU, which is suitably real‐time and practical. The proposed algorithm is compared with other similar algorithms, and it exhibits excellent real‐time performance and accuracy. We also used a Kinect camera to evaluate our algorithm in complex indoor environment, and also showed high robustness and real‐time. To sum up, our algorithm can not only deal with the interference caused by dynamic objects to the system but also stably run in the open indoor weak texture scene.
Silver Nanoparticles, Synthesized using Hyptis suaveolens (L) Poit and their Antifungal Activity against Candida spp.
Authors: Malathi Selvaraj , Manikandan Dhayalan , Nishanthi Ramasami , Jagan Enthai Ganeshan , Riyaz Savaas Umar Mohammed , Palani Perumal , Simal‐Gandara Jesus 
Published: December 2022

AbstractSilver nanoparticles (AgNPs), due to their interesting properties and many potential applications have attracted enormous interests in recent years. An attempt has been made in this present study to synthesize AgNPs through biological reduction of silver nitrate, with leaf extract of Hyptis suaveolens (L) Poit serving as a reducing agent. AgNPs formed were characterized with spectral (UV‐Vis, XRD, FTIR) and electron microscopic investigations. Dispersed spherical nanosilver particles in the range of 2 nm–85 nm were observed through microscopic analysis and the crystalline nature was evidenced through XRD analyses. Anticandidal activity of biosynthesised AgNPs was evaluated against two Candida albicans strains. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for AgNPs against the two clinical strains were 0.27±0.03 μg/ml and 0.97±0.13 μg/ml. AgNPs were found to be more effective than the amphotericin‐B used as control against the strains of the test pathogens. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analyses of the Candida cells treated with AgNPs shows change in the surface morphology, suggesting cell wall disruption to be a potential mode of anticandidal activity. Based on our observations, AgNPs synthesized with leaf extract of Hyptis suaveolens could be potentially used in combating candidal infections.
Effects of Electron‐Withdrawing and ‐Donating Substituents in N‐Donor Scorpionate Ligands and the Metal 5 f/4 f Orbitals on Am(III)/Eu(III) Complexation and Separation
Authors: Wu Shouqiang , Zhang Yiying , Li An Yong 
Published: December 2022

AbstractThe separation of trivalent lanthanides and actinides remains a challenge in the processing of nuclear waste because of their chemical similarities. Revealing the bonding nature of the lanthanide/ actinide ions with ligands in the complexes is essential for designing robust ligands for lanthanides/ actinides separation. In this work, the bonding and separation properties of the scorpion‐type ligands (tri(1H‐pyrazol‐3‐yl)methane) with Am(III)/Eu(III) were studied using a relativistic density functional method. To study the substituent effect the electron‐withdrawing (−Br and −CF3) and electron‐donating (−CH3 and −OCH3) substituents are introduced into the pyrazole ring to regulate the electron density of the coordinating N atom. The NBO, AIM and thermodynamic analyses show that Am(III) formed stronger bonds with the ligands than Eu(III), and the difference between Am(III) and Eu(III) was mainly due to the stronger bonding ability of Am 5 f orbitals than Eu 4 f orbitals. Analysis of the properties of the ligand and the metal‐N bond in the complex shows that the electron‐donating substituents increase the electron density on the donor N atom and thus make the formed metal‐N bond shorter and stronger, while the electron‐withdrawing substituents have the opposite effect. Thermodynamic analysis showed that these ligands had good separation effect for Am and Eu.
Synthesis and Biological Activities Assessment of 4‐, 6‐, and 9‐Phenylphenalenone Derivatives
Authors: Song Xun , Ku Chuen‐Fai , Si Tong‐Xu , Jaiswal Yogini S. , Williams Leonard L. , Lu De‐Yu , Huang Jia‐Jun , He Zhen‐Dan , Wang Ming‐Zhong 
Published: December 2022

AbstractBy means of a facile method, sixty analogs of 4‐, 6‐, and 9‐phenylphenalenone were synthesized, of which forty‐nine compounds are novel. These synthesized compounds were first evaluated for their biological activities against phytopathogenic fungi(Alternaria solani,Cercospora arachidicola,Fusarium omysporum,Gibberella zeae, andPhysalospora piricola), tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), as well as human cancer cells (p53‐wild‐type HCT‐116 colon cancer cells, p53‐mutated HT‐29 colon cancer cells, PANC‐1 pancreatic cancer cells, and PC‐3 prostate cancer cells) systematically.9 owas sufficiently effective against all the tested phytofungal strains and is worth further structural optimization for developing into a more potent fungicidal agent. Some effects of6 oand9 d(inactivation, curing, or protection) against TMV infection were more efficient than the commercial antiviral agents ribavirin and ningnanmycin. These could be selected as potential antiviral lead compounds. With regards to cytotoxicity, the cytotoxic compounds6 p(IC501.6 μM in HCT‐116 cells) and9 c(IC502.6 μM in PC‐3 cells) are worth further structural modification to achieve a higher antitumor potency.
Simulating the influences of bat curtailment on power production at wind energy facilities
Authors: Hayes Mark A. , Lindsay Stephen R. , Solick Donald I. , Newman Christian M. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractThe development and expansion of wind energy is considered a key threat to bat populations in North America and globally. Several approaches to mitigating the impacts of wind energy development on bat populations have been developed, including curtailing wind turbine operation at night during lower wind speeds when bats are thought to be more active. Blanket curtailment approaches have shown substantial promise in reducing bat fatalities at wind energy facilities, but they also reduce the amount of energy extracted from the wind by turbines. A related approach, referred to as smart curtailment, uses bat activity and other variables to predict when bats will be at the greatest risk at a given wind facility. In some contexts, a smart curtailment approach might reduce bat fatalities while also reducing energy loss relative to blanket curtailment. However, it has not been clear how to compare blanket curtailment and smart curtailment approaches in terms of annual energy production at wind facilities. Here, we describe a new approach to simulating the influence of blanket and smart curtailment approaches on energy production at wind energy facilities, and demonstrate the approach using 6 wind energy development areas in the Canadian province of Alberta. We show how stakeholders involved can explore the potential influences of various kinds of bat activity on energy production. We present the results of our Alberta analysis and conclude with some caveats and recommendations for future work on simulating the influences of bat curtailment on energy production at wind energy facilities.
Linoleic acid functions as a quorum‐sensing molecule in Monascus purpureus–Saccharomyces cerevisiae co‐culture
Authors: Shi Ruoyu , Gong Pengfei , Liu Yutong , Luo Qiaoqiao , Chen Wei , Wang Chengtao 
Published: December 2022

AbstractWhen Monascus purpureus was co‐cultured with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we noted significant changes in the secondary metabolism and morphological development of Monascus. In yeast co‐culture, although the pH was not different from that of a control, the Monascus mycelial biomass increased during fermentation, and the Monacolin K yield was significantly enhanced (up to 58.87% higher). However, pigment production did not increase. Co‐culture with S. cerevisiae significantly increased the expression levels of genes related to Monacolin K production (mokA–mokI), especially mokE, mokF, and mokG. Linoleic acid, that has been implicated in playing a regulating role in the secondary metabolism and morphology of Monascus, was hypothesized to be the effector. Linoleic acid was detected in the co‐culture, and its levels changed during fermentation. Addition of linoleic acid increased Monacolin K production and caused similar morphological changes in Monascus spores and mycelia. Exogenous linoleic acid also significantly upregulated the transcription levels of all nine genes involved in the biosynthesis of Monacolin K (up to 69.50% higher), consistent with the enhanced Monacolin K yield. Taken together, our results showed the effect of S. cerevisiae co‐culture on M. purpureus and suggested linoleic acid as a specific quorum‐sensing molecule in Saccharomyces–Monascus co‐culture.
Insights into an Action-Oriented Training Program to Promote Sustainable Entrepreneurship
Authors: Bohlayer Carina 
Published: December 2022

AbstractRecent research has highlighted the ability of entrepreneurs to create sustainable impact and bring about the change required for solving today’s social and environmental challenges. It has also been pointed out that existing entrepreneurship training programs need to be transformed to effectively promote individuals in tackling these challenges and contributing to sustainable development. To address this matter, I developed a training course on sustainable entrepreneurship that builds on an action-oriented entrepreneurship training program (Student Training for Entrepreneurial Promotion (STEP)), which has been shown to increase short- and long-term entrepreneurial actions among students in various contexts. I integrated sustainability as a crosscutting theme into the training program to empower individuals to identify sustainable business opportunities and manage the increasing complexity of sustainable ventures. Pilot studies in Uganda and South Africa show promising results, indicating that STEP Sustainability (STEP S) can increase students’ sustainability-oriented and entrepreneurial mindsets.
Transdisciplinary Learning Experiences in an Urban Living Lab: Practical Seminars as Collaboration Format
Authors: Unger Alexandra , Alcorta de Bronstein Antonieta , Timoschenko Tatjana 
Published: December 2022

AbstractTransdisciplinary research projects offer practical learning environments and great opportunities for students and project partners to collaborate. This chapter presents two examples of practical seminars that provide open spaces for collaboration within the ENaQ Project in the Helleheide Urban Living Lab in Oldenburg, Germany. In these seminars, students worked directly with the project partners finding answers to actual research questions from within the project. Based on the reflections from all stakeholders and the takeaways from the seminars’ format, the authors introduce an iterative collaboration process. Transdisciplinary research projects can use it to develop the theory-practice interactions further and create a win-win collaboration in a long-term profit for all parties.
Prediction of distal tibial articular extension in tibial shaft fractures: both posterior malleolar fracture and non posterior malleolar fracture intra-articular extension
Authors: Myatt Darren , Stringer Howard , Chapman James , Fischer Ben , Mason Lyndon 
Published: December 2022

Abstract
Background
Multiple authors have highlighted the increased incidence of occult posterior malleolar fractures (PMFs) with spiral tibial shaft fractures, although other reported associated risks of intra-articular extension have been limited. The aim of our study is to investigate both PMFs and non-PMFs intra-articular extensions associated with tibial diaphyseal fractures to try to determine any predictive factors.

Methods
We undertook a retrospective review of a prospectively collected database. The inclusion criteria for this study were any patient who had sustained a diaphyseal tibial fracture, who had undergone surgery during the study period and who had also undergone a CT scan in addition to plain radiographs. The study time period for this study was between 01/01/2013 and 9/11/2021.

Results
Out of 764 diaphyseal fractures identified, 442 met the inclusion criteria. A total of 107 patients had PMF extensions (24.21%), and a further 128 patients (28.96%) had intra-articular extensions that were not PMF’s. On multivariate analysis, spiral tibial fracture subtypes of the AO/OTA classification (OR 4.18, p < 0.001) and medial direction of tibial spiral from proximal to distal (OR 4.38, p < 0.001) were both significantly associated with PMF. Regarding intra-articular fractures, multivariate analysis showed significant associations with non-spiral (OR 4.83, p < 0.001) and distal (OR 15.32, p < 0.001) tibial fractures and fibular fractures that were oblique (OR 2.01, p = 0.019) and at the same level as tibia fracture (OR 1.83, p = 0.045) or no fracture of the fibular (OR 7.02, p < 0.001).

Conclusion
In our study, distal tibial articular extension occurs in almost half of tibial shaft fractures. There are very few fracture patterns that are not associated with some type of intra-articular extension, and therefore, a low threshold for preoperative CT should be maintained.

Level of evidence
4.
From Quantum Curves to Topological String Partition Functions
Authors: Coman Ioana , Pomoni Elli , Teschner Jörg 
Published: December 2022

AbstractThis paper describes the reconstruction of the topological string partition function for certain local Calabi–Yau (CY) manifolds from the quantum curve, an ordinary differential equation obtained by quantising their defining equations. Quantum curves are characterised as solutions to a Riemann–Hilbert problem. The isomonodromic tau-functions associated to these Riemann–Hilbert problems admit a family of natural normalisations labelled by the chambers in the extended Kähler moduli space of the local CY under consideration. The corresponding isomonodromic tau-functions admit a series expansion of generalised theta series type from which one can extract the topological string partition functions for each chamber.