bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Standardized papillary muscle relocation for type IIIb secondary mitral regurgitation improves 2-year outcome
Authors: Pausch Jonas , Sequeira Gross Tatiana M , Bhadra Oliver D , Hua Xiaoqin , Müller Lisa , Conradi Lenard , Reichenspurner Hermann , Girdauskas Evaldas 
Published: April 2022

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The major drawback of isolated annuloplasty for treatment of secondary mitral regurgitation (SMR) with restricted leaflet motion during systole (type IIIb) is the recurrence of SMR, leading to adverse clinical outcome. Additional papillary muscle relocation (PMR) specifically addresses leaflet tethering to restore mitral valve geometry. We aimed to compare the 2-year outcome of annuloplasty with additional PMR vs isolated annuloplasty.

METHODS
A total of 105 consecutive type IIIb SMR patients with preoperative left ventricular (LV) ejection faction &lt;45%, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter &gt;55 mm and a tenting height &gt;10 mm reached 2-year postoperative follow-up after mitral valve repair and were included in the current analysis. A total of 51 patients underwent annuloplasty and additional PMR (study group). A total of 54 patients underwent isolated annuloplasty (control group). Primary composite study end point comprised death or recurrence of mitral regurgitation ≥2 at 2 years postoperatively.

RESULTS
Echocardiographic baseline variables indicating the severity of LV dysfunction and mitral leaflet tethering were similar. Procedural and periprocedural outcome was comparable in both groups. The primary composite end point was significantly improved in the study group (19.6% [10/51]) in comparison to the control group (44.4% [24/54]; P = 0.009). Two-year all-cause mortality was 7.8% [4/51] in the study group vs 18.5% [10/54] in the control group (P = 0.098). After 2 years, a significant improvement in New York Heart Association functional class as compared to the baseline values was observed in the study group.

CONCLUSIONS
Additional PMR to treat SMR type IIIb resulted in an improved 2-year outcome in comparison to isolated annuloplasty. PMR specifically addressing mitral leaflet tethering represents a valid therapeutic option for heart failure patients with SMR type IIIb.
The Crisis of COVID-19 and the Political Economy of China's Vaccine Diplomacy
Authors: Chen Ian Tsung-yen 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
As the global shortage of Western vaccines persisted during the COVID-19 crisis, many severely affected countries become more susceptible to China's vaccine diplomacy, which involves trading vaccines for political concessions. The main focus of this article is to identify the factors that make China's vaccine diplomacy more effective. Using a mixed method, this study finds that political factors matter more than the severity of the health crisis. Countries are more likely to welcome China's vaccines if they enjoy higher geopolitical affinity with China, receive more Belt and Road Initiative investments, have no diplomatic ties with Taiwan, and are more authoritarian. No strong evidence can be found that the factor of crisis level is significant. This study also finds that China's donations of vaccines are less politically discriminatory than its sales. They can be used to bring countries closer into China's political orbit during the crisis.
Alfalfa (Medicago sativaL.)pho2mutant plants hyperaccumulate phosphate
Authors: Miller Susan S , Dornbusch Melinda R , Farmer Andrew D , Huertas Raul , Gutierrez-Gonzalez Juan J , Young Nevin D , Samac Deborah A , Curtin Shaun J 
Published: April 2022

AbstractIn this article, we describe a set of novel alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) plants that hyper-accumulate Phosphate ion (Pi) at levels 3- to 6-fold higher than wild-type. This alfalfa germplasm will have practical applications reclaiming Pi from contaminated or enriched soil or be used in conservation buffer strips to protect waterways from Pi run-off. Hyper-accumulating alfalfa plants were generated by targeted mutagenesis of PHOSPHATE2 (PHO2) using newly created CRISPR/Cas9 reagents and an improved mutant screening strategy. PHO2 encodes a ubiquitin conjugating E2 enzyme (UBC24) previously characterized in Arabidopsis thaliana, Medicago truncatula, and Oryza sativa. Mutations of PHO2 disrupt Pi homeostasis resulting in Pi hyper-accumulation. Successful CRISPR/Cas9 editing of PHO2 demonstrates that this is an efficient mutagenesis tool in alfalfa despite its complex autotetraploid genome structure. Arabidopsis and M. truncatula ortholog genes were used to identify PHO2 haplotypes in outcrossing tetraploid M. sativa with the aim of generating heritable mutations in both PHO2-like genes (PHO2-B and PHO2-C). After delivery of the reagent and regeneration from transformed leaf explants, plants with mutations in all haplotypes of PHO2-B and PHO2-C were identified. These plants were evaluated for morphology, Pi accumulation, heritable transmission of targeted mutations, segregation of mutant haplotypes and removal of T-DNA(s). The Agrobacterium-mediated transformation assay and gene editing reagents reported here were also evaluated for further optimization for future alfalfa functional genomic studies.
From Single-Player Games to Metaverse: A Futuristic Analysis of Challenging Legal Issues in the Video Game Industry in China
Authors: He Tianxiang 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
The video game industry in China is developing rapidly, and as the technologies behind games evolve many legal problems have arisen. This paper provides a detailed account of the legal problems related to legal determination of virtual objects, game modding, cloning, cracking, webcasting and machinima. It points out that the current trend in both court judgments and scholarship is to focus merely on addressing specific problems through the lens of application of the current laws lacks a holistic and futuristic perspective that needs to be considered in conjunction with the future trends in the development of the games industry. This paper suggests that we must watch game developments carefully and assess the potential impact of related legislative moves and legal decisions. The paper concludes that the disruptive power of new technologies will be better regulated by a network of regulatory tools rather than law alone.
Delivering physiotherapy services in developing countries for children with cerebral palsy: An example from North Uganda
Authors: Alberghina Laura , Ochola Emmanuel , Turibamwe Cosmas , Omona Venice , Stacchiotti Silvia , Malloggi Chiara 
Published: April 2022

Abstract

Objectives
This study aims to test the feasibility of a mixed outpatient/home physiotherapy programme on a sample of children with cerebral palsy screened at St. Mary’s Hospital Lacor in Gulu, Uganda from January to December 2017.

Methods
Improvement in motor function was investigated using the Gross Motor Function Measure 66-item version (GMFM-66, range: 0 to 100, the higher the score, the better the condition). Physiotherapy treatment and home exercise training for the caregivers of children were carried out at baseline and then every 2 weeks for 3 months to follow. Changes in GMFM-66 score were collected in week six and twelve.

Results
Patients who attended at least one of these visits were analysed. Fifty-five children aged 0.5–12 years were enrolled, 67% (37/55) were lost at follow-ups. The eighteen participating children throughout the programme scored a median GMFM-66 score of 13.5 at baseline, 16.0 in week six, and 19.7 in week twelve (P = 0.02).

Conclusions
This programme can lead to clinical improvement. Feasibility, however, depends on the accessibility of physiotherapy services and on community-based interventions.
An objective framework for evaluating unrecognized bias in medical AI models predicting COVID-19 outcomes
Authors: Estiri Hossein , Strasser Zachary H , Rashidian Sina , Klann Jeffrey G , Wagholikar Kavishwar B , McCoy Thomas H , Murphy Shawn N 
Published: April 2022

Abstract

Objective
The increasing translation of artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) models into clinical practice brings an increased risk of direct harm from modeling bias; however, bias remains incompletely measured in many medical AI applications. This article aims to provide a framework for objective evaluation of medical AI from multiple aspects, focusing on binary classification models.

Materials and Methods
Using data from over 56 000 Mass General Brigham (MGB) patients with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), we evaluate unrecognized bias in 4 AI models developed during the early months of the pandemic in Boston, Massachusetts that predict risks of hospital admission, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and death after a SARS-CoV-2 infection purely based on their pre-infection longitudinal medical records. Models were evaluated both retrospectively and prospectively using model-level metrics of discrimination, accuracy, and reliability, and a novel individual-level metric for error.

Results
We found inconsistent instances of model-level bias in the prediction models. From an individual-level aspect, however, we found most all models performing with slightly higher error rates for older patients.

Discussion
While a model can be biased against certain protected groups (ie, perform worse) in certain tasks, it can be at the same time biased towards another protected group (ie, perform better). As such, current bias evaluation studies may lack a full depiction of the variable effects of a model on its subpopulations.

Conclusion
Only a holistic evaluation, a diligent search for unrecognized bias, can provide enough information for an unbiased judgment of AI bias that can invigorate follow-up investigations on identifying the underlying roots of bias and ultimately make a change.
Estimation of spin and mass of the black hole in MAXI J1348–630 from the soft state using NICER and NuSTAR observations
Authors: Kumar Raj , Bhattacharyya Subir , Bhatt Nilay , Misra Ranjeev 
Published: April 2022

ABSTRACT
Black holes are characterized by their mass and spin. X-ray observations can be used to estimate these two quantities in black hole systems such as black hole X-ray binaries (BHXRB). Here we analysed near-simultaneous data of BHXRB MAXI J1348–630 from Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) (0.6–10.0 keV) and Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) (3.0–79 keV) during the soft and hard states. Considering the distance of the source to be 2.2 kpc, the spin and mass of the black hole were estimated from the modeling of the soft state spectrum of the source. The spin and mass of the black hole were found to be $0.80_{-0.02}^{+0.02}$ and $8.7_{-0.3}^{+0.3}\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$, respectively. The inclination of the source was determined to be $36.5^{\circ}\, \pm \, 1.0^{\circ}$. Using these quantities in the hard state spectral model, the inner radius of the accretion disc was constrained for all three hard states of the source.
A unified model for the evolution of cataclysmic variables
Authors: Sarkar Arnab , Tout Christopher A 
Published: April 2022

ABSTRACT
We give an updated version of the analytical equation of state used in the Cambridge stellar evolution code (stars) as a free to use open-source package that we have used to model cool white dwarfs (WDs) down to temperatures $\log _{10}(T_\mathrm{eff}/\mathrm{K})\, =\, 3$. With this update in the stars code, we model the secular evolution of cataclysmic variable (CV) stars using a double dynamo model wherein there is an interplay between two α − Ω dynamos, one in the convective envelope and the other at the boundary of a slowly rotating shrinking radiative core and the growing convective envelope. We confirm that this model provides a physical formalism for the interrupted magnetic braking paradigm. In addition, our model also provides a mechanism for extra angular momentum loss below the period gap. We construct the relative probability distribution of orbital periods Porb using the mass distribution of WDs in CVs and find that our model excellently reproduces the period gap and the observed period minimum spike in CV distribution. We also compare the evolutionary trajectories from our model with those of other empirical models and find agreement between the two. We also report good agreement between our modelled systems and observational data.
Toward a Notion of Embodiment: Gestures, Sign Language, and Sexuality
Authors: Stamp Rose 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Signers employ different articulators of the body—hands, head, face, torso—to signal aspects of their social identities, including sexuality and gender. Yet few studies to date have integrated the study of social meaning in sign languages with the study of embodiment. This chapter presents an overview of two research fields and how they interconnect: sociolinguistic research on sexuality-indexed sign varieties used by deaf signers, and gestural research on the perception and production of sexual identity by hearing speakers. Although movement features by gay signers have traditionally been described as an aspect of gay sign variation, a comparison of movement features produced by signers of Israeli Sign Language to those produced by speakers of Hebrew suggests that deaf and hearing individuals may exploit similar movements of the body to index gay identities, regardless of language modality. The chapter therefore highlights the importance of a deeper consideration of embodiment when it comes to analyzing gender and sexuality in sign languages.
Imagining Performances: Entangled Temporalities and Corporalities in Drag King Encounters
Authors: Greco Luca 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
This chapter examines the imaginative aspects of performance, drawing on fieldwork conducted in drag king workshops in Brussels. To collectively imagine a future performance, participants navigate between several possible chronotopes, including a present space-time (the here-and-now of the interaction, in which participants think of a performance that has not yet taken place) and a past space-time (in which participants recruit cultural models in order to think about an upcoming performance). The ethnographic, linguistic, and interactional analysis sheds light on “staged” and “everyday” performances, refreshes the debate between performance and performativity, and highlights creative assemblages of bodies, spatialities, and temporalities. The chapter suggests that a consideration of imagination in the analysis of performance will enhance language and sexuality research by reframing gender through the idea of a body that exceeds itself and carries the power to transform lives.
Enacting New Worlds of Gender
Authors: Steele Ariana J. 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Nonbinary and gender-nonconforming people resist normative binary gender by identifying themselves and inhabiting their bodies in ways that are less rigid and less tied to social expectations than seen in dichotomous understandings of gender. This review of nonbinary language practices considers the ways that Black nonbinary speakers use language to resist the modern Western gender binary that emerged from colonialism and slavery. Their various ways of pushing back against binary views of gender complicate theories of language, gender, and sexuality. A sociophonetics study on the variables of pitch and /s/ among both Black and white nonbinary speakers in the United States demonstrates how Black nonbinary speakers challenge colonialist legacies of racialized binary gender to create new ways of expressing gender. The chapter calls for further investigation by scholars of language, gender, and sexuality into the gender binary and the influence of race on gender expression.
SMAX1 Integrates Karrikin and Light Signals into GA-Mediated Hypocotyl Growth during Seedling Establishment
Authors: Kim Jae Young , Park Young-Joon , Lee June-Hee , Park Chung-Mo 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Morphogenic adaptation of young seedlings to light environments is a critical developmental process that ensures plant survival and propagation, as they emerge from the soil. Photomorphogenic responses are facilitated by a network of light and growth hormonal signals, such as auxin and gibberellic acid (GA). Karrikins (KARs), a group of butenolide compounds produced from burning plant materials in wildfires, are known to stimulate seed germination in fire-prone plant species. Notably, recent studies support that they also regulate seedling growth, while underlying molecular mechanisms have been unexplored yet. Here, we demonstrate that SUPPRESSOR OF MAX2 1 (SMAX1), a negative regulator of KAR signaling, integrates light and KAR signals into GA–DELLA pathways that regulate hypocotyl growth during seedling establishment. We found that SMAX1 facilitates degradation of DELLA proteins in the hypocotyls. Interestingly, light induces the accumulation of SMAX1 proteins, and SMAX1-mediated degradation of DELLA is elevated in seedling establishment during the dark-to-light transition. Our observations indicate that SMAX1-mediated integration of light and KAR signals into GA pathways elaborately modulates seedling establishment.
Time Course and Risk Profile of Work-Related Neck Disability: A Longitudinal Latent Class Growth Analysis
Authors: Xie Yanfei , Coombes Brooke K , Thomas Lucy , Johnston Venerina 
Published: April 2022

AbstractObjectiveGiven the economic burden of work-related neck pain and disability, it is important to understand its time course and associated risk factors to direct better management strategies. This study aimed to identify the 1-year trajectories of work-related neck disability in a high-risk occupation group such as sonography and to investigate which baseline biopsychosocial factors are associated with the identified trajectories.MethodsA longitudinal study was conducted among 92 sonographers with neck disability assessed at 3 time points—baseline, 6 months, and 12 months—using the Neck Disability Index. Baseline biopsychosocial measures included individual characteristics (demographics and physical activity levels), work-related physical and psychosocial factors (eg, ergonomic risk, workplace social support, job satisfaction), general psychological features (depression, anxiety, pain catastrophizing, and fear-avoidance beliefs), and quantitative sensory testing of somatosensory function (cold and pressure pain thresholds at neck and tibialis anterior, and temporal summation).ResultsTwo distinct trajectories of neck disability were identified, including a “low-resolving disability” trajectory showing slow improvement toward no disability (64.8%) and a “moderate-fluctuating disability” trajectory characterized by persistent moderate disability with a small fluctuation across time (35.2%). The trajectory of moderate-fluctuating disability was associated with more severe symptoms, lower vigorous physical activity, higher ergonomic risk, remote cold hyperalgesia, widespread mechanical hyperalgesia, heightened pain facilitation, and several psychosocial factors such as anxiety, depression, lower job satisfaction, and lower workplace social support at baseline.ConclusionOver one-third of sonographers were at risk of developing a moderate-fluctuating disability trajectory. This unfavorable trajectory was associated with low physical activity level, poor ergonomics, psychosocial distress, and central sensitization at baseline.ImpactThis study has important implications for the management of neck disability in workers. Addressing modifiable factors including low vigorous physical activity, poor ergonomics, anxiety, depression, and lack of workplace social support may improve the trajectory of work-related neck disability.
Motivic Limits for Fano Varieties of k-Planes
Authors: Park Soohyun 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
We study the probability that an $(n - m)$-dimensional linear subspace in $\mathbb{P}^n$ or a collection of points spanning such a linear subspace is contained in an m-dimensional variety $Y \subset \mathbb{P}^n$. This involves a strategy used by Galkin–Shinder to connect properties of a cubic hypersurface to its Fano variety of lines via cut-and-paste relations in the Grothendieck ring of varieties. Generalizing this idea to varieties of higher codimension and degree, we can measure growth rates of weighted probabilities of k-planes contained in a sequence of varieties with varying initial parameters over a finite field. In the course of doing this, we move an identity motivated by rationality problems involving cubic hypersurfaces to a motivic statistics setting associated with cohomological stability.
How Do You Want Your Eggs? The Medical Management of Kin-Making and Reproductive Inequalities in the United States and India
Authors: Mukherjee Meghna 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Scholarship establishes that assisted reproductive technology (ART) implementation often stratifies the logics of who can (and should) reproduce. However, we know less about how social inequalities inform practices and reproductive logics within fertility clinics and across contexts. Mobilizing the concept of strategic naturalization and denaturalization (SN/SD) – the conceptual reconfiguration of an egg’s heritable components – this article addresses that gap. Examining clinic-based egg donation arrangements in Kolkata, India, and the United States’ San Francisco Bay Area, it addresses when and why reproductive logics are developed using SN/SD and how this development varies based on a country’s race, class, and gender dynamics. Using participant observation and in-depth interviews, this study explains why certain traits are conceptualized as genetic versus social during donor-patient matching and highlights variation across sociocultural sites. In both sites, actors use SN/SD to reimagine eggs to confer social advantage, navigating three structural and contextual axes while doing so: (1) clinical structures and policies, (2) donor pool characteristics, and (3) degree of technological reliance. Though resulting logics to reimagine donor eggs vary, reproductive strategies in both sites ultimately reflect existing social hierarchies that prioritize norms associated with hegemonic upper middle-class families.