bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Association between US city firearms dealers and firearm suicide rates, 2015–2021
Authors: OToole Megan J , Szkola Jay , Burd-Sharps Sarah , Kim Byoungjun , Spoer Benjamin R , Fingar Kathryn R 
Published: January 2025

BackgroundFirearm suicides are more prevalent in cities than many recognise. Extant research—though conducted at different geographic levels or on different types of firearm deaths—suggests that firearms dealers may play a role in city firearm suicides. This study examines the relationship between rates of city firearms dealers and firearm suicides.MethodsData from the Center for Disease Control’s National Vital Statistical System and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Federal Firearms Listing included 284 cities in 2015–2021. Types, locations and rates of firearms dealers as well as firearm suicide rates were examined. Poisson regression models tested associations between city firearms dealer and firearm suicide rates, controlling for city characteristics. Models were stratified by city size and poverty level, and results were examined for firearms dealers overall and by type.ResultsFirearms dealer rates were highest in cities in the Midwest, South and West; with populations less than 500 000; and with the most veterans or white residents. Firearm suicide rates were 3.4 times higher in cities with the highest firearms dealer rates (9.8 per 100 000 population) than the lowest (2.9). In adjusted regression models, city firearms dealer rates were associated with firearm suicide rates, and results depended on dealer type, city size and poverty level.Discussion and conclusionsCity firearms dealers play an important role in access to lethal means, especially in small cities and through pawnshops. These findings hold implications for how cities can engage firearms dealers as suicide prevention partners.
Ethnic group, socioeconomic position and pregnancy outcome: a mediation model through latent class
Authors: Henderson Ian , Quenby Siobhan 
Published: January 2025

BackgroundPreterm birth (PTB) and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) disproportionately affect women who are Black or Asian. Structural racism produces health inequalities. Identifying latent socioeconomic classes may help to understand the role socioeconomic position (SEP) plays in this inequality.MethodsWe included women from the baseline survey of the UK-based Millennium Cohort Study who had a live singleton pregnancy and gave birth from 1 September 2000 to 11 January 2002. Relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for PTB and SGA were estimated for ethnic groups compared with women who were white, with adjustment for SEP. Latent SEP classes were then identified using diverse prospective socioeconomic data. Mediation of health inequality via SEP and latent SEP class was tested.ResultsAmong 17 701 included women, 6.7% (95% CI 6.2%, 7.1%) experienced PTB and 7.0% (6.5%, 7.5%) SGA. We found evidence that the association between ethnic groups and PTB was mediated by latent SEP class for women who were Bangladeshi, Black African, Black Caribbean and Pakistani, with indirect ‘effects’ of RR 1.08 (1.01, 1.16), 1.07 (1.01, 1.14), 1.06 (1.00, 1.12) and 1.06 (1.00, 1.13), respectively, relative to White. When using the simple measures of maternal education, household income and marital status, we found no evidence of mediation except for a potential protective effect among Indian women, relative to White. We found similar evidence for SGA, with indirect effects through latent SEP class of RR 1.35 (1.19, 1.52), 1.32 (1.17, 1.48), 1.26 (1.12, 1.41), 1.27 (1.13, 1.42), respectively. When using the simple measures, we found evidence of mediation only among Black African and Black Caribbean women, with RR 1.16 (1.04, 1.30) and 1.12 (1.00, 1.26), respectively, relative to White.ConclusionThe determinants of inequality appeared to differ by ethnicity. We demonstrated the mediating role of individual-level SEP and a role for latent class analysis to interpret complex combinations of socioeconomic data.
Effect of radiotherapy exposure on fruquintinib plus sintilimab treatment in refractory microsatellite stable metastatic colorectal cancer: a prospective observation study
Authors: Cheng Mingxia , Jin Min , Yang Shengli , Zhao Lei , Yu Dandan , Lin Zhenyu , Li Pindong , Huang Chuying , Liu Junli , Wang Jing , Xue Jun , Ma Hong , Hu Jianli , Yang Kunyu , Zhang Tao , Liu Hongli 
Published: January 2025

BackgroundImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in combination with antiangiogenic drugs have shown promising outcomes in the third-line and subsequent treatments of patients with microsatellite stable metastatic colorectal cancer (MSS-mCRC). Radiotherapy (RT) may enhance the antitumor effect of immunotherapy. However, the effect of RT exposure on patients receiving ICIs and targeted therapy remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between RT exposure and clinical responses to fruquintinib (a highly selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor) plus sintilimab (an anti-programmed death 1 antibody; F&S) in previously treated patients with MSS-mCRC and to explore predictive biomarkers.MethodsIn this prospective observational study, patients with mCRC receiving F&S as third-line or subsequent treatment were enrolled. Eligible patients were divided into the RT cohort (RTC) and the non-RT cohort (NRTC) according to their RT history. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints included disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. Pretreatment fecal and serum samples were collected for microbiome analysis, metabolome analysis, and immune signatures to identify biomarkers for treatment.ResultsA total of 55 patients were included, of which 25 were in the RTC and 30 in the NRTC. Better ORR (28.0% vs 6.7%, p=0.048), DCR (80.0% vs 36.7%, p=0.002), median PFS (6.2 vs 2.7 months, p<0.001), and median OS (14.8 vs 5.9 months, p=0.019) were noted in patients with RTC than those with NRTC. The enrichment ofLactobacillus,Bifidobacterium, and PC(20:5(5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z,17Z)/20:3(8Z,11Z,14Z)) in RTC significantly predicted better DCR and PFS, whereas guanosine and interleukin-10 predominated in patients with NRTC were negatively correlated with PFS and OS.ConclusionsPatients with RT exposure benefited significantly from F&S in the third-line or subsequent treatment for MSS-mCRC. Gut microbiota, metabolites, and cytokines may help predict F&S outcomes for mCRC, which may be helpful in treatment decision-making.Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov identifier:NCT05635149.
Bleomycin sclerotherapy for venous vascular malformations of the tongue
Authors: Agid Noa , Itsekzon Ze'ev , Hendriks Eef J , Terbrugge Karel , Agid Ronit 
Published: January 2025

BackgroundVenous vascular malformations (VVMs) are congenital vascular anomalies, often impacting quality of life due to discomfort, swelling, and functional impairments. This study evaluates the efficacy of bleomycin sclerotherapy as a treatment for symptomatic VVMs of the tongue.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective review of all patients treated with this method in our institution between 2004 and 2024. Sclerotherapy procedures were performed under general anesthesia in the neuroangiography suite with fluoroscopic guidance using a negative subtraction technique. Outcomes were assessed through subjective patient reports and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) where available.ResultsIn total, 140 percutaneous bleomycin sclerotherapy procedures were performed on 36 patients (aged 19–80) with tongue VVMs. On average, patients required 2.06±1.8 treatment sessions and 2.29±1.4 procedures per session. The average interval between treatment sessions was 28.6±19.4 months. Per procedure, the total units of bleomycin injected was 11.2±3.9 mg/mL (2–15 mg/mL). Results revealed that 93.8% of procedures yielded subjective symptom improvement. Follow-up imaging was available in 14 patients and confirmed lesion reduction in nine (64.3%). Post-procedural complications were minimal, with transient swelling as the most common.ConclusionPercutaneous bleomycin sclerotherapy presents an effective, well-tolerated treatment for tongue VVMs, offering significant symptom relief. To our knowledge, this study represents the largest retrospective series of bleomycin sclerotherapy for tongue VVMs to date. Our findings support bleomycin sclerotherapy as a valuable option for managing VVMs in this challenging anatomical site.
Educational Quality Evaluation Model Based on Deep Learning Theory
Authors: Yu Liu , Fang Wang 
Published: January 2025

In order to solve the problem that the expression ability and generalization ability of shallow learning networks to complex functions are limited, and to improve the accuracy of college education quality evaluation, a college education quality evaluation method based on a deep learning network is proposed. Starting from the three aspects of the educational environment, educational quality, and student development, this paper constructs an educational quality evaluation index system including three primary indicators and nine secondary indicators. Take the secondary index in the evaluation index system as the input of the deep learning network, optimize the weights of each layer of the deep learning network by using the unsupervised pre-training model, determine the conditional probability distribution and joint probability distribution of each layer in the restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM) based on the bottom-up unsupervised learning process, and the output layer optimizes the parameters of each layer according to the input differential mean opinion score (DMOS) value and constructs the regression model between the abstract primary index and DMOS value, The objective evaluation results of education quality are obtained according to the prediction of a regression model. The test results show that the linear correlation coefficient and grade correlation coefficient between the evaluation results of this method and the subjective evaluation results are closer to 1.
Serially Quantifying TERT Rearrangement Breakpoints in ctDNA Enables Minimal Residual Disease Monitoring in Patients with Neuroblastoma
Authors: Hollander Jan F. , Szymansky Annabell , Wünschel Jasmin , Astrahantseff Kathy , Rosswog Carolina , Thorwarth Anne , Thole-Kliesch Theresa M. , Chamorro González Rocío , Hundsdörfer Patrick , Hauptmann Kathrin , Schmelz Karin , Gürgen Dennis , Rogasch Julian M.M. , Henssen Anton G. , Fischer Matthias , Schulte Johannes H. , Eckert Cornelia , Eggert Angelika , Lodrini Marco , Deubzer Hedwig E. 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Telomerase is reactivated by genomic TERT rearrangements in ∼30% of diagnosed high-risk neuroblastomas. Dismal patient prognosis results if the RAS/MAPK/ALK signaling transduction network also harbors mutations. We present a liquid biopsy–based monitoring strategy for this particularly vulnerable pediatric patient subgroup for which real-time molecular diagnostic tools are limited to date. Droplet digital PCR assays quantifying patient-individualized TERT rearrangement breakpoint copies, ALK copy numbers, and allelic ALK p.R1275Q mutation frequencies were applied to longitudinally collected liquid biopsies (peripheral blood and bone marrow [BM] plasma, n = 44 biosamples), the mononuclear cell fraction from BM and matched tumor samples. Marker detection was compared with current gold-standard diagnostics. Reanalysis of whole-genome and targeted panel sequencing data from 169 patients identified 64 TERT-rearranged neuroblastoma samples collected at initial and/or relapse diagnosis from 55 patients (254 total TERT rearrangement events). Detection and quantification of unique TERT rearrangement breakpoints in as little as 1 ng of total cell-free DNA in peripheral blood plasma improved therapy response assessment and early relapse detection in individual patients. Proof-of-concept is provided for minimal residual disease detection in the BM niche, from which relapses frequently arise, by analyzing unique TERT rearrangement breakpoints in BM plasma–derived cell-free DNA. TERT rearrangement breakpoints, as a single marker or combined with mutations in the RAS/MAPK/ALK signaling transduction network, can serve as robust and highly sensitive biomarkers for disease activity and spatially and temporally resolve disease better than current gold-standard diagnostics in individual patients with TERT-driven neuroblastoma.

Significance:
Real-time molecular monitoring of TERT-rearranged high-risk neuroblastoma is an unmet clinical need. We tested liquid biopsy-based assays for patient-individualized TERT breakpoint sequences to monitor disease in pediatric patients. Our digital PCR approach provides high resolution of spatial and temporal disease quantification in individual patients and is applicable for clinical routine.
Situating Muslims' trust in parliament from a cross-national
perspective: Islamic religiosity's impact in Western Europe
Authors: Geurts Nella , Spierings Niels 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Across Western Europe, politicians and media express concerns about whether Muslims feel part of liberal democracies and trust national parliament. Although often assumed, research is actually inconclusive on whether Islamic religiosity hampers such political trust. Current study dives into this complex association by studying over 5000 Muslims across 17 Western European countries. It makes two core contributions. First, instead of comparing Muslims to non-Muslims, we address Muslims in specific to gain understanding in how various religiosity dimensions – mosque attendance, religious identification and praying - relate to trust in national parliament. Second, we theorize and test how exclusionary conditions buffer or aggravate Islamic religiosity's impact on political trust. We theorize how formal boundaries (e.g. restrictive citizenship policies) and informal boundaries (e.g. hostile public attitudes) affect Muslims' political trust and the role of Islamic religiosity herein. After uniquely harmonizing ESS, EVS and WVS data, multilevel analyses show that Islamic religiosity can relate negatively to political trust, yet its importance is gendered and contextualized. For example, Muslim men who more often attend a mosque experience less trust, and more so in exclusionary societies, whereas we find indications that mosque attendance among women stimulates such trust in the least hostile environments. Moreover, Muslims' political trust is in general lower in societies with more hostile public attitudes towards migrants and where political participation is restricted for some. Our study has thus illustrated that Islamic religiosity matters for Muslims' political trust in Western Europe but neither in clear-cut simple ways nor being all explanatory.
Perceived Societal Discrimination among Immigrants across 17 European Countries: Extending the Integration Paradox?
Authors: van Tubergen Frank 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
This study contributes to the literature on immigrants' perceived discrimination in two ways. First, while earlier work focused on personal or group-level discrimination, this paper develops and tests a theory of perceived societal discrimination, i.e., immigrants' perceptions of how prevalent different types of discrimination are in their society. Importantly, immigrants’ views of societal discrimination encompass ‘out-group empathy’, i.e., beliefs about the frequency with which out-groups experience discrimination. Second, whereas existing literature relied on single-country designs, this study provides a cross-national examination, offering insights into the effects of country-level conditions on perceived discrimination. Based on survey data from 12,000 first- and second-generation immigrants in 17 European countries, results show differences between minority groups, with Muslim immigrants perceiving higher religious discrimination and black immigrants being more attuned to skin color discrimination in society. The study further reveals a positive association between immigrant integration and perceived societal discrimination. Evidence suggests that this ‘integration paradox’ holds for both Muslim and non-Muslim immigrants, black and non-black immigrants, and also for Muslim immigrants who wear traditional religious clothing and those who don't. Finally, the study supports the ‘Tocqueville paradox,’ indicating that in countries with more extensive anti-discrimination laws, the relationship between integration and perceived societal discrimination is amplified.
Disability, gender and hiring discrimination - a field experiment
Authors: Bjørnshagen Vegar , Rooth Dan-Olof , Ugreninov Elisabeth 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
This article examines disability discrimination in the hiring process and explores variation in how the intersection of disability and gender shapes employers' hiring behavior. We use data from a field experiment in which 2,048 job applications with randomly assigned information about disability were sent to Swedish employers with vacancies. Nondisabled applicants receive 33 percent more callbacks than similarly qualified wheelchair users despite applying for jobs where the impairment should not interfere with performance. The results indicate no heterogeneity in disability discrimination against men and women on average across occupations or by occupational gender segregation. However, discrimination rates differ considerably among occupations, varying from no evidence of disability discrimination to discrimination against both disabled men and disabled women as well as cases where disability discrimination is found only against women or only against men. The results indicate that discrimination based on disability, and the intersection between disability and gender, is highly occupation-specific.
Intra-couple gaps in retirees’ financial resources: Their extent and predictors across Eastern and Western Germany
Authors: Kapelle Nicole , Weiland Andreas P. 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Intra-couple disparities in economic resources are often downplayed, yet they substantially affect power dynamics, marital satisfaction, and financial well-being during the marriage and have lasting economic consequences in the event of separation. With the growing privatization of old-age security amidst population aging and welfare cuts, understanding economic intra-couple disparities among retired couples and their life-course drivers is increasingly important. Expanding on previous research that predominantly focused on either singular economic resources or life-course contexts, we use data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (2002-2017) to examine intra-couple gaps in both pension wealth and personal net wealth between older spouses in Eastern (n=846) and Western Germany (n=2331). We find pronounced regional disparities: Pension wealth gaps of 12% in Eastern and 53% in Western Germany, contrasted with net wealth gaps of 21% and 8%, respectively. Regression analyses reveal that differences in spouses' employment histories primarily account for pension wealth disparities within couples, but do not explain net wealth inequalities. This suggests that couples may view net wealth, particularly housing wealth, as a shared asset. Our findings underscore the need for continued monitoring of intra-couple economic inequalities, especially as evolving marital norms and increasing individualization may reshape financial dynamics within marriages.
Reference Group Effects and Parental Educational Expectations: Can Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effects Explain Immigrant Parents’ High Expectations?
Authors: Huth-Stöckle Nora , Schunck Reinhard , Zschirnt Eva 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Taking the well-documented high educational expectations among immigrant parents as a point of departure, we explore how average achievement in a class influences parental educational expectations. Specifically, we investigate whether reference group (i.e., big-fish-little-pond) effects can account for immigrant parents' higher educational expectations for their children compared to nonimmigrant parents. We address this question by applying a multilevel (mediation) analysis to a representative sample of German fourth graders and their parents. To test how robust our findings are to our data-analytical decisions, we additionally conduct a multiverse analysis. We find consistent evidence across 4,608 model specifications that parents' educational expectations are higher when their child attends a low-achieving class compared to a high-achieving class, even after controlling for students' individual school performance, socioeconomic background, and a variety of performance related confounders. Furthermore, (average) class achievement partially mediates the relationship between immigrant status and parental expectations. Students with immigrant parents are more likely to attend low-achieving classes, which is positively related to higher parental expectations. Our results suggest that big-fish-little-pond effects also operate in parents' evaluation processes of their children's educational attainment.
Overeducation among EU and Third-Country Immigrants in Europe: The role of Institutions, Policies and Culture
Authors: Broschinski Sven , Heidenreich Martin 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Faced with the demographic shift to a smaller and older labour force, the recruitment of migrants and their successful integration into the labour force is an essential challenge for all European countries. This article discusses the immigrant-native gap regarding the risk of overeducation for 28 European countries on the basis of the EU-LFS 2021 ad hoc module. Immigrants' higher overeducation risks are interpreted as the result of processes of legal closure as well as statistical and taste-based discrimination. Higher overeducation rates of third country nationals (TCN) in contrast to EU migrants indicate that EU citizenship reduces discrimination and facilitates the recognition of educational certificates - they are skill-preserving devices for EU citizens but not for TCN. The large overeducation rates in particular in Southern Europe can be explained by segmented labour markets with higher unemployment and lower skill requirements increase overeducation risks, in particular for TCN. Moreover, it can be shown that EU citizenship, a higher educational level of the population, and more inclusive labour markets facilitate the occupational integration of immigrants.