bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analyzing free fatty acids in seminal plasma from asthenozoospermia patients undergoing antioxidant therapy
Authors: Amirjannati Naser , Asl Mahdieh Aghabalazadeh , Hosseini Elham , Henkel Ralf , Agharezaee Niloofar , Kafaeinezhad Raheleh , Rezadoost Hassan , Gilany Kambiz
Published: April 2024

Objective
Different aspects of the functions of free fatty acid (FFA) in seminal plasma and their implications on male fertility are known. However, the profile of FFA in seminal plasma in asthenozoospermic patients following antioxidant therapy has not been studied.
Methods
In this case-control study, the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and FFA profile of the seminal plasma were determined in 80 patients (29 normozoospermic volunteers and 51 asthenozoospermic men) who were treated with antioxidants for three months.
Results
The TAC level in normozoospermic men was significantly higher than in asthenozoospermic men before and after antioxidant therapy with even lower values after the treatment (P=0.0001). The most abundant identified FFAs in seminal plasma were palmitic acid, vaccenic acid, eicosatrienoic acid, stearic acid, and myristoleic acid. Palmitic acid was lower in asthenozoospermic patients (P=0.0001), and antioxidant treatment restored its level to near-control levels. Compared to normozoospermic controls, the level of eicosatrienoic acid is significantly lower in asthenozoospermia patients before (P=0.01) and after treatment (P=0.0001). Additionally, following oral antioxidant supplementation, the FFA pattern in asthenozoospermic patients changes to the pattern observed in normozoospermic men. However, these changes are not statistically significant.
Conclusion
The TAC level in asthenozoospermic patients after antioxidant treatment did not change to the levels in the control group; it even dropped to a lower level following three months of treatment. Antioxidant treatment can change the level of the FFA compositions of seminal plasma.
Clinical Efficacy of Endoscopic Interlaminar Decompression in Lumbar Spinal Stenosis:A Retrospective Study
Authors: Qu Xiao , Zhang Lin , xie Zhou , Zhang Jun , Huang Yanran , Li Ningdao , Luo Xiaoji
Published: April 2024

This study aims to assess the clinical effectiveness of endoscopic interlaminar decompression for lumbar spinal stenosis. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 40 patients who underwent lumbar decompression via an interlaminar approach under spinal endoscopy in our institution from February 2020 to January 2022. The early therapeutic outcome was evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Japanese Orthopaedic Association Evaluation score (JOA), and modified Macnab efficacy criteria.Results: All 40 patients successfully underwent the decompression operation. One patient experienced a dural sac injury, while the others had no complications such as dural, nerve root, or vascular injuries. The VAS and JOA scores were significantly improved post-operation (P < 0.05). At the last follow-up, the modified Macnab criterion indicated an excellent and good rate of 87.5%. None of the 40 patients underwent revision surgery during the follow-up period.Conclusion: Decompression surgery conducted via an endoscopic interlaminar approach demonstrates commendable clinical efficacy, safety, and contributes to an earlier resumption of activity post-surgery.
Enhanced production of ‘spilanthol’ through elicitation of cell suspension cultures in Acmella ciliata (Kunth) Cass. and spilanthol characterization by HPLC-HRMS analysis
Authors: NeethuMohan S , Hemanthakumar AS , Preetha TS
Published: April 2024

The study presented here has established a cell suspension culture system for the in vitro production of the high value bioactive alkamide ‘spilanthol’ in Acmella ciliata. White, purple, friable callus procured from leaf explants in MS medium containing 0.5 mgl-1 BA and 1.0 mgl-1 NAA have succeeded in fourfold increase in cell mass after 25 days of culture upon 120 rpm agitation in a gyratory shaker and the presence of ‘spilanthol’ in the harvested cells was detected using HPLC coupled with HRMS. Here, high spilanthol content (239.512 µgg-1) was noticed in embryogenic callus cultures established in NAA-BA combination followed by in vitro plant (193.935 µgg-1) as well as cells harvested from suspension culture (173.702 µgg-1). In A. ciliata flower heads 102.730 µgg-1 spilanthol content was recorded, while the leaves and stem contained 96.69 and 61.146 µgg-1 spilanthol respectively. The least quantity of spilanthol was noticed in the in vivo plant (92.198 µgg-1) that was the absolute control. Thus quantification of spilanthol in the in vitro system revealed more amount of the same in it especially in embryogenic callus than in vivo plant (control). Elicitation was attempted using both biotic and abiotic elicitors to scale up the production of spilanthol in cell suspension culture system. Elicitation using biotic elicitors showed maximum 34.61-fold increase with Yeast extract (YE) in 24 hrs exposure; while the abiotic elicitor MeJA (Methyl jasmonate) treatment evoked the production of spilanthol to 41.02 fold in 72 hrs treatment. Comparatively more time of exposure was required in abiotic elicitation than with biotic elicitors. By considering the merit of perceiving maximum yield in short duration, treatment with YE for 24 hrs period can be suggested as the choice of elicitation for improved production of the alkamides particularly spilanthol in cell suspension cultures of A. ciliata. The established system can be extended for the bioproduction of the bioactive alkamide ‘spilanthol’ using bioreactor technology with suitable refinement thus benefiting the phyto-pharma needs.
6-months mortality predictors easily recognizable upon inpatient geriatric rehabilitation admission
Authors: Sawicki Amitai Avnon , Feldman Itamar , Justo Dan
Published: April 2024

Purpose
To study 6-months mortality predictors upon inpatient geriatric rehabilitation admission.
Methods
A single-center retrospective study of all patients admitted for inpatient geriatric rehabilitation during 2018–2020. Logistic regression analysis and Chi-squared automatic interaction detection (CHAID) decision tree were used to study which variables were independently associated with 6-months mortality upon rehabilitation admission including: age, gender, chronic co-morbidities, prior functional status, and rehabilitation indication.
Results
The final cohort included 993 patients: 588 (59.2%) females, median age 82.0 years (IQR 75.0–87.0 years). Overall, 101 (10.2%) patients died within six months of rehabilitation admission. Logistic regression analysis showed that mortality was independently associated with male gender (OR 1.9, 95%CI 1.2–3.1), symptomatic severe aortic stenosis (OR 3.6, 95%CI 1.4–9.6), chronic kidney disease (OR 2.0, 95%CI 1.3–3.3), active cancer (OR 3.3, 95%CI 1.8–6.1), prior mild dependency (OR 5.3, 95%CI 2.3–12.4), prior severe dependency (OR 5.8, 95%CI 2.4–14.0), and deconditioning indicating rehabilitation (OR 2.2, 95%CI 1.2–3.9). CHAID decision tree showed that chronic kidney disease was the first splitting variable (p < 0.001) followed by male gender (p < 0.001) and age > 81 years (p = 0.027).
Conclusion
Symptomatic severe aortic stenosis and chronic kidney disease are presented herein, for the first time, as 6-months mortality predictors upon geriatric rehabilitation admission.
Perspectives of Pharmacy Students on Ethical Issues Related to Artificial Intelligence: A Comprehensive Survey Study
Authors: Hasan Hisham E. , Jaber Deema , Khabour Omar F. , Alzoubi Karem H.
Published: April 2024

Background
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into pharmacy education and practice holds the potential to advance learning experiences and prepare future pharmacists for evolving healthcare practice. However, it also raises ethical considerations that need to be addressed carefully. This study aimed to explore pharmacy students’ attitudes regarding AI integration into pharmacy education and practice.
Methods
A cross-sectional design was employed, utilizing a validated online questionnaire administered to 702 pharmacy students from diverse demographic backgrounds. The questionnaire gathered data on participants’ attitudes and concerns regarding AI integration, as well as demographic information and factors influencing their attitudes.
Results
Most participants were female students (72.8%), from public universities (55.6%) and not working (64.2%). Participants expressed a generally negative attitude toward AI integration, citing concerns and barriers such as patient data privacy (62.0%), susceptibility to hacking (56.2%), potential job displacement (69.3%), cost limitations (66.8%), access (69.1%) and the absence of regulations (48.1% agree), training (70.4%), physicians’ reluctance (65.1%) and patient apprehension (70.8%). Factors including country of residence, academic year, cumulative GPA, work status, technology literacy, and AI understanding significantly influenced participants' attitudes (p < 0.05).
Conclusion
The study highlights the need for comprehensive AI education in pharmacy curricula including related ethical concerns. Addressing students' concerns is crucial to ensuring ethical, equitable, and beneficial AI integration in pharmacy education and practice.
Long-term Survival Comparison of Patients Admitted to Icu Following in-hospital Cardiac Arrest in Perioperative and Ward Settings: a Multicentre Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Ueno Ryo , Chan Rachel , Reddy Mallikarjuna Ponnapa , Jones Daryl , Pilcher David , Subramaniam Ashwin
Published: April 2024

Purpose: Perioperative in-hospital cardiac arrests (Perioperative IHCAs) may have better outcomes than IHCAs in the ward (ward IHCAs), due to enhanced monitoring and faster response. However, quantitative comparisons of their long-term outcomes are lacking, posing challenges for prognostication.
Methods: This retrospective multicentre study included adult ICU admissions from theatre/recovery or wards with a diagnosis of cardiac arrest between January 2018 and March 2022. We used data from 175 ICUs in the ANZICS Adult Patient Database. The primary outcome was a survival time of up to four years. We used the Cox-proportional hazards model adjusted for SOFA score, age, sex, comorbidities, hospital type, and ICU treatments. Subgroup analyses examined age (≥65 years), intubation within the first 24 hours, elective vs emergency admission, and survival on discharge.
Results: Of 702,675 ICU admissions, 5,659 IHCAs were included (Perioperative IHCA 38.0%; ward IHCA 62.0%). Perioperative IHCA group were younger, less frail, and less comorbid. Perioperative IHCA were most frequent in patients admitted to ICU after cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, or trauma surgeries. Perioperative IHCA group had longer four-year survival (59.9% vs. 33.0%, p<0.001) than the ward IHCA group, even after adjustments (adjusted HR: 0.63, 95%-CI: 0.57-0.69). This was concordant across all subgroups. Of note, older patients with Perioperative IHCA survived longer than both younger and older patients with ward IHCA.
Conclusions: Patients admitted to the ICU following Perioperative IHCA had longer survival than ward IHCA. Future studies on IHCA should distinguish these patients.
Staffing level in the discharge planning department and average length of stay in acute care wards: A cross-sectional study using a nationwide hospital- and ward-level data in Japan
Authors: Machida Ako , Morioka Noriko , Kashiwagi Masayo
Published: April 2024

Background The transition from hospital to the next care setting is when care fragmentations are likely to occur, making discharge planning essential; however, the relationship between discharge planning and length of stay is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between staffing levels, particularly the number of nurses and medical social workers in the discharge planning department, and the average length of stay at the ward level in acute care hospitals in Japan.Methods Applying a cross-sectional approach, we used nationwide administrative hospital- and ward-level data from the fiscal year 2021. A total of 5,580 acute care wards in 1,101 hospitals across 206 secondary medical areas were included. A two-level multilevel regression analysis with random intercept stratified by three types of acute care ward functions was performed by adjusting ward, hospital, and regional characteristics.Results A total of 1,017 wards in 70 designated special function hospitals, 3,828 general acute care wards with a 7:1 patient-to-nurse ratio in 596 hospitals, and 735 general acute care wards with a 10:1 patient-to-nurse ratio in 435 hospitals were included in the final analysis. The average length of stay was 12.5 days, 11.5 days, and 18.0 days, respectively. There was a significant association between the total number of nurses and medical social workers per 100 hospital beds in acute care wards with a 7:1 patient-to-nurse ratio, but not in special function wards or in acute care wards with a 10:1 patient-to-nurse ratio. Sensitivity analysis that separately analysed the number of nurses and medical social workers showed that the number of nurses per 100 hospital beds was associated with the average length of stay in acute care wards with a 7:1 patient-to-nurse ratio. Medical social workers per 100 hospital beds showed no association in any ward model.Conclusions A greater number of nurses and medical social workers per 100 hospital beds in the discharge planning department, especially greater nurse staffing, was associated with short lengths of stay in acute care wards with a 7:1 patient-to-nurse ratio.
Proteus faecis: a putative pathogen of the freshwater Yangtze finless porpoise
Authors: McLaughlin Richard William , Wang YaLu , Zhang ShuYa , Xie HaiXia , Wan XiaoLing , Liu Hui , Hao YuJiang , Wang ChaoQun , Zheng JinSong
Published: April 2024

Proteus faecis is a Gram-negative facultative anaerobic rod-shaped bacterium capable of swarming motility. It has been isolated from numerous sources such as humans, animals, and refuse and is considered a putative human pathogen. In this study, bacteria were isolated from the blowhole of a Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis; YFP) living in captivity in China. One bacterium, P. faecis porpoise, was isolated and whole genome sequencing done. Biofilm formation, motility and antimicrobial resistance were also investigated. To find putative virulence factors, the genome of P. faecis strain porpoise was compared to the genomic sequences of eight other P. faecis isolates using the Bacterial and Viral Bioinformatics Resource Center (BV-BRC) (https://www.bv-brc.org/). The goal of this study was to initially characterize the pathogenicity of this bacterium isolated from a cetacean species using both pathogenomics and conventional approaches.
Pressure versus volume assist-control ventilation in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: a randomised clinical trial.
Authors: Richard Jean Christophe Marie , Beloncle Francois , Beduneau Gaetan , Mortaza Satar , Ehrmann Stephan , Diehl Jean-Luc , Prat Gwenael , Jaber Samir , Rahmani Hassene , Reigner Jean , Boulain Thierry , Yonis Hodane , Richecoeur Jack , Thille Arnaud W , Declercq Pierre-Louis , Antok Emmanuel , Carteaux Guillaume , Vielle Bruno , Brochard Laurent , Mercat Alain
Published: April 2024

Background: To compare the effect of a pressure-controlled strategy allowing non-synchronized unassisted spontaneous ventilation (PC-SV) to a conventional volume assist-control strategy (ACV) on the outcome of patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).
Methods: Open-label randomized clinical trial in 22 ICUs in France. Seven hundred adults with moderate or severe ARDS (PaO2/FiO2 < 200 mmHg) were enrolled from February 2013 to October 2018. Patients were randomly assigned to PC-SV (n=348) or ACV (n=352) with similar objectives of tidal volume (6 mL/kg predicted body weight) and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). Paralysis was stopped after 24h and sedation adapted to favour patients’ spontaneous ventilation. The primary endpoint was in-hospital death from any cause at day 60.
Findings: Hospital mortality (34.6% vs 33.5%, p=.77, RR=1.03 (95% CI, 0.84-1.27)), 28-day mortality, as well as the number of ventilator-free days and organ failure-free days at day 28 did not differ between PC-SV and ACV groups. Patients in the PC-SV group received significantly less sedation and neuro-muscular blocking agents than in the ACV group. A lower proportion of patients required adjunctive therapy of hypoxemia (including prone positioning) in the PC-SV group than in the ACV group (33.1% vs 41.3%, p=.03, RR=0.80 (95% CI, 0.66-0.98)). The incidences of pneumothorax and refractory hypoxemia did not differ between the groups.
Interpretation: A strategy based on a pressure-controlled mode that favours spontaneous ventilation did not significantly reduce mortality compared to ACV with similar tidal volume and PEEP levels but reduced the need for sedation and adjunctive therapies of hypoxemia.
Funding: French Ministry of Health (PHRC 49RC-09-04-01)
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01862016
Ethnozoological scatology: A situational report on the utilization of animal excrement in traditional medicine in Ghana
Authors: Ameade Evans Paul  Kwame , Gmawurim Stephen , Adom Emmanuel
Published: April 2024

Animal excrement although may be considered as a waste product, has since ancient days found use in the management of several physical disorders and sometimes for spiritual or mystical purposes. This study assessed the extent of use and the attitude towards the use of animal excrement in traditional medicine among the Ghanaian public. Data was collected from 399 persons in the Tamale metropolis of the Northern Region of Ghana using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data analysis involved the use of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, Version 26 and the results presented in the form of tables and charts. The multivariate logistic regression model was used to assess predictors. Using a confidence interval of 95%, an association between variables was assumed to be significant when p ≤ 0.05. Whereas 44 (11.6%) indicated a personal use of animal excrement for traditional medicine, up to 234 (58.6%) knew some other person who had ever used animal excrement as medicine. For users of animal excrements, the majority, 42 (97.7%) used them for therapeutic reasons with only 1 (2.3%) claiming to use them for spiritual or mystical purposes. The top two most cited excrements were from the Dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) and the cow (Bos taurus). Statistically significant associations were found between the use of animal excrement for traditional medicine and respondents’ ages (p-value < 0.001), religious affiliation (p-value < 0.001), employment status (p-value = 0.018), highest educational attainment (p-value = 0.003) and knowing someone who used animal excrement (p-value < 0.001). The predictors of the use of animal excrement for traditional medicine were age, religious affiliation and knowing a user. The attitude towards the use of animal excrement for traditional medicine is barely average (51.8%) with the worst attitude towards the therapeutic use of human excreta. This attitude towards animal excrement in traditional medicine was significantly associated with the age of respondents, their religious affiliation, their educational attainment, ever used animal excrement or knowing a user.
Sevoflurane exposure triggers ferroptosis of neuronal cells initiated by the activation of ATM/p53 in the neonatal brain via JNK/p38 MAPK-mediated oxidative DNA damage
Authors: Gu Wanping , Pan Tingting , Wang Xuedong , Kang Liheng , Liu Nan , Piao Meihua , Feng Chunsheng
Published: April 2024

The safety of volatile anesthetic exposure in an early life has attracted widespread concern on its potential developmental neurotoxicity. Neuronal death has been regarded as the pivotal pathological factor related to neurotoxic effect caused by volatile anesthetic sevoflurane in the neonatal brain, but the detailed mechanism remains controversial. Ferroptosis is a novel type of regulated cell death driven by excess lipid peroxidation secondary to intracellular iron overload, and implicated in the pathogenesis progression of various neurological disorders. Acting as a death messenger, p53 is mainly activated by ATM during DNA damage, and functions to mediate diverse types of cell death including apoptosis, autophagy and ferroptosis. JNK/p38 MAPK have been proposed important stress-responsive pathways to exacerbate intracellular ROS production, linking DNA damage to many pathological conditions such as neurodegeneration and ischemic injury. Here, we focused on the role of activated ATM/p53-mediated ferroptosis in neuronal death caused by sevoflurane in neonatal brain and elucidated its underlying mechanisms. Our present study demonstrated that sevoflurane exposure-triggered neuronal death was correlated with intracellular iron overload and lipid peroxidation in vitro and in vivo, which was in accordance with the typical features of ferroptosis. Furthermore, we found that neuronal death caused by sevoflurane was associated with ATM/p53 activation in response to DNA damage. Suppressing ATM/p53 pathway counteracted iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, which inhibited neonatal neuronal ferroptosis triggered by sevoflurane. Additionally, sevoflurane exposure resulted in JNK/p38 MAPK activation, followed by intracellular ROS accumulation, leading to DNA damage. Mechanistically, ATM/p53 contributed to neonatal neuronal ferroptosis caused by sevoflurane via two pathways, one is to increase intracellular ferrous iron through upregulating TFR and downregulating FPN, the other is to promote lipid peroxidation via activating NOX4, ALOX12 and ALOX15 and suppressing SLC7A11. Collectively, these findings demonstrated that sevoflurane exposure induced ferroptosis of neuronal cells in the neonatal brain, which was triggered by the ATM/p53 activation via JNK/p38 MAPK-mediated ROS accumulation and resultant DNA damage.
Successful Management of DVT and PE in IVC-Agenesis and FVL Mutation with Direct Oral Anticoagulation (Factor Xa inhibitor): A Case Report
Authors: Siddiqui Abid , Waris Waris , Hatfield Tara , Nguyen Quynh
Published: April 2024

Background:Inferior vena cava (IVC) agenesis is a rare congenital condition identified as a primary cause of unprovoked deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in up to 5% of young men under 30. This case report is significant due to the rare co-occurrence of IVC agenesis and a heterozygous Factor V Leiden (FVL) mutation, contributing to extensive venous thromboembolisms (VTE). The literature has not previously documented cases with this specific combination treated with direct Factor Xa oral anticoagulation, adding to its novelty and clinical importance.
Case Presentation: A 28-year-old obese Caucasian male presented with significant pain and swelling in his right lower extremity. Initial diagnostics included a venous Doppler ultrasound which revealed extensive right lower extremity DVT. Further CT scans of his chest and abdomen confirmed IVC agenesis and detected pulmonary emboli in his left central pulmonary arteries. Laboratory tests showed a positive result for heterozygous Factor V Leiden mutation. Treatment involved an intravenous heparin drip followed by a transition to direct Factor Xa oral anticoagulation.
Conclusions: This case highlights the clinical complexity of treating patients with multiple risk factors for VTE and illustrates the potential for direct Factor Xa inhibitors as a successful long-term management strategy. It opens a discussion on the continuous use of direct Factor Xa oral anticoagulation in managing similar cases, which could influence future treatment protocols and provide a foundation for further research in this area.
Co-Designing Planning Interventions to Facilitate Participation in Mail-Out Bowel Cancer Screening
Authors: Anderson Laura E , Myers Larry , Collins Katelyn , Vicario Jazmin , Viljoen Bianca , Ireland Michael J , Goodwin Belinda C
Published: April 2024

Background
Population mail-out bowel cancer screening programs save lives through prevention and early detection; however, their effectiveness is constrained by low participation rates. Most non-screeners intend to screen but fail to do so, often procrastinating and forgetting to complete the screening kit. This study aimed to co-design interventions to increase screening participation in the Australian National Bowel Cancer Screening Program with kit recipients.
Methods
Studies were informed by the Health Action Process Approach to behaviour change, and included three semi-structured interviews, and one online cross-sectional survey, all conducted between August 2021 and December 2022. Logistic regression of survey data was used to analyse strategies used to participate in bowel cancer screening. All three semi-structured interviews were analysed using the framework approach of codebook thematic analysis to describe consumers’ preferences on strategies and to develop interventions to improve bowel screening participation.
Results
Interview participants who returned their kit shared their effective planning strategies—such as putting the kit in a visible place or by the toilet, planning a time at home to complete the kit, and using reminders. Survey participants who reported using such strategies were more likely to have completed their screening kit when compared to those who did not report using planning strategies. Finally, interview participants who intended to use their kits—but did not—worked with researchers to adapt these strategies into interventions to facilitate screening participation. Interventions included providing a prompt to place the kit—or a sticker—near the toilet as a reminder, a deadline for kit return, the option to sign up for reminders, a bag to store the sample in the fridge, and gloves for sample collection.
Conclusions
These novel, consumer-centred interventions that are built upon the needs and experience of screening invitees provide promising solutions for improving participation in population bowel cancer screening.
Identifying heterogeneous subgroups of systemic autoimmune diseases by applying a joint dimension reduction and clustering approach to immunomarkers
Authors: Chang Chia-Wei , Wang Hsin-Yao , Lin Wan-Ying , Wang Yu-Chiang , Lo Wei-Lin , Lin Ting-Wei , Yu Jia-Ruei , Tseng Yi-Ju
Published: April 2024

Background
The high complexity of systemic autoimmune diseases (SADs) has hindered precise management. This study aims to investigate heterogeneity in SADs.
Methods
We applied a joint cluster analysis, which jointed multiple correspondence analysis and k-means, to immunomarkers and measured the heterogeneity of clusters by examining differences in immunomarkers and clinical manifestations. The electronic health records of patients who received an antinuclear antibody test and were diagnosed with SADs, namely systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and Sjögren’s syndrome (SS), were retrieved between 2001 and 2016 from hospitals in Taiwan.
Results
With distinctive patterns of immunomarkers, a total of 11,923 patients with the three SADs were grouped into six clusters. None of the clusters was composed only of a single SADs, and these clusters demonstrated considerable differences in clinical manifestation. Both patients with SLE and SS had a more dispersed distribution in the six clusters. Among patients with SLE, the occurrence of renal compromise was higher in Clusters 3 and 6 (52% and 51%; p < 0.001) than in the other clusters. Cluster 3 also had a high proportion of patients with discoid lupus (60%; p < 0.001) than did Cluster 6 (39%). Patients with SS in Cluster 3 were the most distinctive because of the high occurrence of immunity disorders (63%) and other and unspecified benign neoplasm (58%) with statistical significance compared with the other clusters (all p values < 0.05).
Conclusions
The immunomarker-driven clustering method could recognise more clinically relevant subgroups of the SADsand would provide a more precise diagnosis basis.
The digital witness: Exploring gestural misinformation in tele-forensic interviews with 5-8-year-old children
Authors: Johnstone Kirsty L. , Martin Chris , Blades Mark
Published: April 2024

In 2016, approximately half of children aged 2–17 worldwide experienced child abuse. This number increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, with timely face-to-face eyewitness interviews disrupted due to social distancing. While live-link interviews have been successful in legal and medical contexts, its potential for eyewitness interviews remains insufficiently studied, particularly in terms of non-verbal misinformation. This study explored tele-forensic interviewing (tele-FI) as an alternative to face-to-face interviews, with a focus on the gestural misinformation effect (GME). Forty-seven children were recruited ranging in age from 5- to 8-years-old (M = 6 years 11 months). Comparisons to face-to-face conditions were based on prior work by the author (N = 63, M = 7 years 2 months). Results find support for the GME during tele-FI, with 1.23 misinformation details recorded on average and tele-FI showing a similar response pattern as face-to-face interviews. Accuracy was shown to be comparable in tele-FI (M = 16.21) compared to face-to-face interviews (M = 14.02), with a notable increase in the amount of relevant information provided in the tele-FI condition. Age did not affect interview outcomes. This study provides further evidence for tele-FI as a viable alternative to face-to-face interviews and offers the first exploration of the GME in tele-FI. Discussion focuses on the benefits of tele-FI and the implications for police interview guidelines.
Minimizing control dependencies of pipelining through optimizing branch selection
Authors: Gao Fei , Shao Jingbo
Published: April 2024

In modern computer systems, processors achieve high performance through pipelining. Therefore, the execution efficiency of the pipelining is one of the critical factors impacting processor performance. The main factors that impact pipelining efficiency are data hazards caused by data dependencies and control hazards caused by control dependencies. Regarding the control hazards present in pipelining, although a few technologies are mentioned in the literature for addressing them, they frequently require significantly high latency and may not guarantee optimal quality. This paper introduces the Functional Function (FF), derived from the Fork function; by selectively executing branch instructions based on previous calculation results, the Functional Function can minimize control dependencies in pipelining and enhance the utilization of the processor pipelining via optimizing branch selection. The Intel VTune Profiler program analyzer was employed for data collection and analysis during the experiment to facilitate an unbiased comparison with existing methods. The experimental results indicate that the Functional Function significantly outperforms the existing methods, primarily reflected in the Pipeline utilization rate, CPI rate, and Bad Speculation rate. Furthermore, the utilization of the pipelining is enhanced by approximately 20%, accompanied by a nearly 1.5% increase in branch prediction accuracy compared with existing methods.
Gut Microbiota Shifts from Onset to Remission in Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Induced Enterocolitis: A Case Report
Authors: Hirata Yuki , Tanaka Yoshiki , Yokota Haruka , Ohno Hiroshi , Nishida Koji , Shimizu Hikaru , Mizuta Noboru , Nakazawa Kei , Koshiba Ryoji , Kakimoto Kazuki , Miyazaki Takako , Nakamura Shiro , Nishikawa Hiroki
Published: April 2024

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are crucial in cancer treatment; however, they carry the risk of immune-related adverse events (irAEs), such as enteritis.
Case presentation: This study investigated the role of the gut microbiotaduring the onset and remission of irAE enteritis in a patient with stage IV melanoma undergoing anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 therapy. Following commencement of ICI treatment, the patient developed severe diarrhea and was diagnosed with grade 3 irAE enteritis. Steroid and probiotic treatments provided swift symptom relief and remission, as confirmed by reduced fecal calprotectin levels and gastrointestinal imaging. Microbiota diversity analysis conducted via 16S rRNA gene sequencing identified a decrease in Streptococcusprevalence with improvementin enteritis symptoms. Conversely, genera Fusobacterium, Faecalibacterium, Bacteroides, Prevotella, and Bifidobacteriumshowed increased representation after remission. These genera are associated with anti-inflammatory properties and fibrous substrate degradation, aiding gut health. Immunological assessment demonstrated fluctuations in cytokine expression and the modulation of costimulatory molecules, aligning with therapeutic interventions and microbiota alterations.
Conclusions: Our findings indicate a significant correlation between gut microbiota and immune responses in irAE enteritis. This underscores the potential utility of microbiome profiling in predicting irAE occurrence and in providing treatment strategies, thereby promoting a more comprehensive approach to managing the adverse effects of ICIs.
MassiveFold: unveiling AlphaFold’s hidden potential with optimized and parallelized massive sampling
Authors: Raouraoua Nessim , Mirabello Claudio , Véry Thibaut , Blanchet Christophe , Wallner Bjorn , Lensink Marc , Brysbaert Guillaume
Published: April 2024

Massive sampling in AlphaFold enables access to increased structural diversity; in combination with its powerful confidence ranking, this unlocks elevated modeling capabilities for monomeric structures and foremost for protein assemblies. However, the approach struggles with GPU cost and data storage. MassiveFold removes these restraints as an optimized and customizable version of AlphaFold that runs predictions in parallel, offering the full benefit of enhanced sampling for protein structure and assembly modeling.
Identification of core, conditional and crosstalk components of tomato heat stress response using integrative transcriptomics and orthology
Authors: Psaroudakis Dennis , Khayer Abul , Aiyesa Leke V. , Bergau Nick , Tissier Alain , Lu Yunlong , Wigge Philip A. , Israeli Alon , Teboul Naama , Bräutigam Andrea , Szymański Jędrzej J.
Published: April 2024

Heat stress significantly affects global agricultural yield and food security and as climate change is expected to increase the frequency and severity of heatwaves, this is a growing challenge. Tomato plants are prone to heat stress exposure both in the field and in greenhouses, making heat stress resilience a key trait for breeding. While the identification of heat-associated genes has been addressed in multiple individual studies, the quantitative integration of data from these studies holds potential for low-cost, high-value knowledge gain about the complex network of actors involved in heat stress response mechanisms. To address this challenge, we have compiled a comprehensive data resource containing both novel and publicly available RNA-seq data on tomato in heat stress spanning multiple tissues, genotypes, and levels and durations of stress exposure. We show that in each individual dataset the large majority of responses originates from an interaction between the stimulus and the specific experimental setup. Conversely, by intersecting differentially expressed genes across experiments, we identify a tomato-specific core response of only 57 genes encoding heat shock proteins, transcriptional regulators, enzymes, transporters and several uncharacterized proteins. 17 of these genes lie within previously identified genetic loci associated with heat tolerance traits. Applying the same approach to all publicly available RNA-seq data on drought and salt stress in tomato, we find large overlaps in the conditional parts of the stress responses but the robust and sustained core responses are mostly stress-specific. Finally, we show that the core responses to these stresses are enriched with evolutionarily ancient genes with orthologs across all domains of life and that the heat core response genes form identifiable co-evolving clusters within the Streptophyta. Our study exemplifies the importance and advantage of using FAIR public data to interpret results of new stress experiments, and provides tools to perform such analyses in a relatively short time.
Die Mobile Experience Sampling Methode (MESM) in der Kinder- und Jugendmedienforschung
Authors: Fecke Malin , Fehr Ada , Schlütz Daniela
Published: April 2024

Für die Erforschung von Verhaltensweisen, die in Verbindung mit dem Smartphone stehen, eignet sich insbesondere die Mobile Experience Sampling Methode (MESM). Sie wurde mit dem Ziel entwickelt, menschliches Verhalten unmittelbar und direkt in der natürlichen Umgebung der Befragten zu erheben. Damit hat sie besonders für den Einsatz in der Kinder- und Jugendmedienforschung Potenzial: Heranwachsende sind in Deutschland beinahe flächendeckend mit Smartphones ausgestattet und tragen sie fast immer bei sich. Die Methode ermöglicht durch wiederholte Messungen nicht nur die Erfassung situativer Effekte in der Mediennutzung, sondern auch die Analyse intraindividueller Unterschiede. Gerade in Bezug auf Minderjährige als besonders vulnerable Gruppe sind bei solchen stark in die Privatsphäre eingreifenden Forschungsdesigns unbedingt forschungsethische Aspekte zu berücksichtigen. Unser Beitrag befasst sich daher mit dem Mehrwert der MESM hinsichtlich ihres Einsatzes in der Kinder- und Jugendmedienforschung und beleuchtet die spezifischen Herausforderungen, die sich aus dieser Zielgruppe ergeben. Diesen Themen widmen wir uns sowohl auf einer projektübergreifenden Ebene als auch in Form eines Werkstattberichts, in dem wir konkrete Fallstricke aufgreifen, die uns in der Forschungspraxis begegnet sind.
Efficacy and Optimal Timing of Warm-white or Red + Far-red LED Lamps in Regulation of Flowering in Long-day Ornamentals
Authors: Meng Qingwu , Kelly Ian
Published: April 2024

When natural days are short, photoperiodic lighting at the end or beginning of the day (day extension) or in the middle of the night (night break) promotes flowering of long-day plants. The objective of this study was to compare broad-spectrum warm-white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and red (R) + far-red (FR) LEDs at flowering regulation when delivered at different timings in the night period. We performed a greenhouse experiment on four long-day ornamentals [coreopsis (Coreopsis grandiflora) ‘Early Sunrise’, snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) ‘Liberty Classic Yellow’, petunia (Petunia ×hybrida) ‘Easy Wave Burgundy Star’, and petunia ‘Wave Purple Improved’]. We grew plants under a truncated 8-hour photoperiod with or without low-intensity (∼2 μmol·m−2·s−1) nighttime lighting from warm-white or R+FR LEDs. For each light quality, we delivered four timings: 1) 8 hours after dusk; 2) 8 hours before dawn; 3) 4 hours after dusk + 4 hours before dawn; and 4) 4-hour night break. The effectiveness of floral promotion was determined by time from the treatment onset to the first open flower. Coreopsis flowered similarly under all lighting treatments, irrespective of light quality and timing, but did not flower under the short-day treatment by the end of the experiment. At flowering, coreopsis was 18% to 19% shorter under white than R+FR LEDs. In contrast, snapdragon flowered 9 to 20 days later under white than R+FR LEDs, when delivered for 8 hours at night, but flowered similarly under these two lamp types as a 4-hour night break. Compared with the short-day treatment, white and R+FR LEDs promoted flowering of both petunia cultivars, although flowering generally occurred later under white than R+FR LEDs. Snapdragon and petunia ‘Easy Wave Burgundy Star’ developed 30% to 122% more lateral branches under white than R+FR LEDs, when delivered for 8 hours at night. The effectiveness of warm-white LEDs was generally unaffected by timing, although it was most promotive of flowering in snapdragon when delivered for 8 hours before dawn. For R+FR LEDs, 8-hour day-extension lighting was generally more effective than 4-hour night-break lighting, irrespective of timing. We conclude when delivered for 8 hours at night, warm-white LEDs are generally less effective than R+FR LEDs at promoting flowering of long-day ornamentals but similarly effective as 4-hour night-break lighting. The effectiveness of day-extension lighting is generally independent of timing, although for R+FR LEDs, 8 hours after-dusk and/or before-dawn lighting was generally more effective than 4-hour night-break lighting.
Evaluation of Select Monarda Taxa in Montane and Piedmont Regions of Georgia: I. Horticultural Performance and Disease Tolerance
Authors: Smith Rachel S. , Pennisi Svoboda V. , Affolter James , Alley Heather
Published: April 2024

We evaluated several horticultural cultivars and species of Monarda, a genus native to North America with a center of diversity in the Southeast and advertised as beneficial to wildlife, to assess landscape performance with respect to vegetative habit, flower production, and disease tolerance in Georgia Piedmont and montane habitats. We established two experimental sites: the State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens (USDA Zone 8b) and the Georgia Mountain Education and Research Center in Blairsville (USDA Zone 7b). We then tracked plant performance over 2 years after establishment. Our study included 10 samples of Monarda, representing five cultivars and four species. Estimated height and width at flowering showed M. bradburiana, M. Sugar Buzz® Grape Gumball, and the M. punctata ecotypes were smaller than other tested taxa. M. fistulosa had the most flowers at the Blairsville site and equal flowering with M. punctata at the Athens location, but most taxa flowered for 2 to 3 months with ∼100 flowering stems per stand. All samples were susceptible to powdery mildew, but M. bradburiana displayed the highest level of tolerance. Otherwise, cultivars tended to be more tolerant to powdery mildew than species. The observed variations in horticultural characteristics and performance highlight the high value of this genus for Georgia landscapes.
Management of budget flows under martial law
Authors: Romenska Kateryna , Datsenko Viktoriia , Samoday Valentyna , Puhach Yurii , Dudchyk Oksana
Published: April 2024

Managing budget flows under martial law is important to ensure the security and financial stability of the state, helping to mobilize the necessary resources and concentrate them on financing key needs. This paper aims to identify and outline possible measures to balance the movement of budget flows in order to harmonize them with the goals of state policy in the field of national security. The movement of budget flows of income and expenses was assessed, and trends and changes were identified using economic and statistical methods. The assessment results confirmed the need for reasonable planning of budget flows in the context of the impact of unforeseen military events on the process of budget execution in terms of revenues and expenditures, which leads to failure to meet expenditure indicators, causes a lack of financial resources and an increase in the budget deficit. One of these measures is the improvement of budget planning, which is based on the analysis, detection, and assessment of the probability of occurrence and countering the risks related to the state’s financial system. Correlation-regression analysis confirmed the growing dependence of revenues on official transfers from the EU, foreign governments, international organizations, donor institutions, and government bodies. The results obtained are basic for developing measures to balance incoming and outgoing budget flows under martial law. They provide for the obligation to create a financial support system (including international financial aid) while strengthening state financial control measures for the timely, targeted, effective direction of budget flows, including for the security and defense of the state.
Understanding Local Perspectives on Climate Change and Its Impacts on Small-Scale Fishing Communities in Honda Bay, Palawan, Philippines
Authors: Vicente Jesusito , Mecha Niño Jess Mar , Jontila Jean Beth
Published: April 2024

Climate change's adverse impacts are already evident, particularly in coastal areas. However, local perception that is essential in formulating policies for mitigating its impacts remains limited. Thus, this study evaluated the level of perception of small fishing communities on climate change and its impacts on livelihood and the environment. The data were obtained using a face-to-face survey with the aid of a structured questionnaire. They were interpreted and analyzed using the  Likert point scale, descriptive statistics, and chi-square. A total of 308 male fisherfolks participated in the survey. Majority belong to age 51-60 years old (38%) and 61 years old and above (32%). Most of them (65%) finished elementary and generally (94%) rely on fishing for main source of living. As for income, 47%  earned an estimated monthly income of Php 2,501-5,000 and 28% got  Php 5,001-7,500. Most of the respondents are full-time fishers (89%) for more than 11 years (87%), and fishing within the municipal water (92%). Majority  (90%) have an idea about climate change as reflected by their very high score in Likert Perception (24.3±2.3%). The climate change impacts perceived by the respondents include: increasing sea surface temperature (87%); fish are sensitive to changing climate (87%); and fossil fuel consumption contributes to climate change (84%). They said they got the information from TV/ Radio (99%) and social media (10%). The age (p-value < 0.0032) and source of information (p-value < 0.0348)  are among the variables with significant  relationship to the perception of respondents on climate change impacts. In total, it appears that majority of fishers are aware of the impacts of climates. It is suggested that effective management actions, such as emergency preparedness schemes and livelihood diversification should be explored to address the specific needs of fishing communities that are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Furthermore, an ecosystem-based approach that focuses on socio-economic dynamics and climate-induced changes in assessments and management is essential for the sustainable use of fisheries resources amidst the changing climate.
Gallium Sulphide (Ga2S3): Green, Reusable, and Efficient Nanocatalyst for
the Synthesis of 3,3-(arylmethylene)-bis-(4-hydroxycoumarin) Under
Solvent-free Condition
Authors: Parhad Amol R. , Aute Dilip S. , Gadhave Anil G. , Uphade Bhagwat K.
Published: April 2024

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Our current work's primary goal is to create novel heterogeneous gallium sulfide (Ga2S3)
nanocatalysts and investigate their catalytic activity in the synthesis of 3,3-(arylmethylene)-bis-(4-
hydroxycoumarin) derivatives without use of solvent. FT-IR, XRD, SEM, and EDX analysis characterized
the synthesized gallium sulfide (Ga2S3) nanomaterial catalysts. This method's main benefits
are its short reaction time, solvent-free conditions, extremely mild reaction conditions, good product
yield, and, most importantly, its ability to recover catalysts after at least four runs.