bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
getphylo: rapid and automatic generation of multi-locus phylogenetic trees
Authors: Booth T. J. , Shaw S. , Cruz-Morales P. , Weber T.
Published: January 2025

Background

The increasing amount of genomic data calls for tools that can create genome-scale phylogenies quickly and efficiently. Existing tools rely on large reference databases or require lengthy de novo calculations to identify orthologues, meaning that they have long run times and are limited in their taxonomic scope. To address this, we created getphylo, a python tool for the rapid generation of phylogenetic trees de novo from annotated sequences.

Results

We present getphylo (
Ge
nbank
t
o
Phylo
geny), a tool that automatically builds phylogenetic trees from annotated genomes alone. Orthologues are identified heuristically by searching for singletons (single copy genes) across all input genomes and the phylogeny is inferred from a concatenated alignment of all coding sequences by maximum likelihood. We performed a thorough benchmarking of getphylo against two existing tools, autoMLST and GTDB-tk, to show that it can produce trees of comparable quality in a fraction of the time. We also demonstrate the flexibility of getphylo across four case studies including bacterial and eukaryotic genomes, and biosynthetic gene clusters.

Conclusions

getphylo is a quick and reliable tool for the automated generation of genome-scale phylogenetic trees. getphylo can produce phylogenies comparable to other software in a fraction of the time, without the need large local databases or intense computation. getphylo can rapidly identify orthologues from a wide variety of datasets regardless of taxonomic or genomic scope. The usability, speed, flexibility of getphylo makes it a valuable addition to the phylogenetics toolkit.
Gender inequalities in prescribing and initiation patterns of guideline-recommended drugs after acute myocardial infarction
Authors: López-Ferreruela Irene , Malo Sara , Obón-Azuara Blanca , Rabanaque María José , Gamba Adriana , Castel-Feced Sara , Aguilar-Palacio Isabel
Published: January 2025

Background

European guidelines recommend the prescription of certain drugs after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The existence of gender differences in pharmacological treatment after an AMI has been described. This study aims to describe and analyse, using real-world data (RWD), whether there are gender differences in the prescribing patterns and initiation of treatment in secondary prevention after a first AMI, and which are the factors that explain these differences.

Methods

A population-based observational study of RWD was conducted in the CARhES (CArdiovascular Risk factors for hEalth Services research) cohort. The study included subjects who had experienced a first episode of AMI between 2017 and 2022, had survived the event, and had a minimum follow-up of 180 days.

Results

3,975 subjects were followed 180 days after a first AMI. Women (27.8% of the study population) were older and had more comorbidities. Of the main guideline-recommended drugs, antiplatelets, lipid modifying agents and beta-blockers, were prescribed less often in women. Comedications such as rivaroxaban and calcium channel blockers were more likely to be prescribed in women. The proportion of subjects initiating treatment was similar in both genders.

Overall, age and morbidity burden were the main contributors to differences in the prescribing patterns. Living in an urban area seemed to be a protective or mitigating factor. There were controversial results regarding socioeconomic level.

Conclusion

In our study population, women are older, have greater comorbidities and lower socioeconomic status. Despite this, gender inequalities in the prescribing patterns after a first AMI remains, as women appear to experience less therapeutic effort. It is crucial to analyse them from an intersectional perspective, considering the influence of multiple axes of inequality on health, in order to develop gender-sensitive strategies with a multidisciplinary approach.
Influence of pelvic position on shoulder range of motion
Authors: Lobbos Bishoy S. , Essa Mohamed M. M. , Khaireldin Alaaeldin , Gamal El-Din Mohamed Y. , Rizkallah Phillips , Samy Heba Allah
Published: January 2025

Background

pelvis and shoulder are deeply integrated. They are connected by myofascial slings. The pelvic and spinal posture affects the position of the scapula and the activity of its muscles and affects acromio-humeral distance and so that affects shoulder movement. The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of pelvic position on the shoulder range of motion.

Methods

The full active range of motion (flexion/extension, abduction, and external/internal rotation) of both shoulders was measured by digital goniometer for 33 normal adult subjects. Measurements were taken from a standing position in the following pelvic positions: 1- Neutral posture, 2- Evoked anterior and posterior pelvic tilt, 3- Evoked right and left pelvic rotation, 4- Evoked right and left lateral pelvic tilt. For every shoulder movement, One-Way ANOVA including Tukey post hoc test was used to compare between different positions.

Results

Anterior pelvic tilt leads to a significant increase in flexion and a significant decrease in extension of both shoulders (P value was < 0.001). Posterior pelvic tilt leads to the opposite. Pelvic rotation leads to a significant decrease in shoulder flexion on the same side of rotation and shoulder extension on the opposite side of rotation (P value was < 0.001). Lateral pelvic tilt leads to a significant decrease in abduction on the same side of lateral tilt (P value was < 0.001).

Conclusion

pelvic position affects shoulder range of motion.
Development of Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) for Hepatitis C Virus genotype 4: a novel approach for vaccine development in Egypt
Authors: Ali Ahmed A. , Azouz Rasha A. M. , Hussein Nahla A. , El-Shenawy Reem , Helmy Naiera M. , El-Abd Yasmine S. , Tabll Ashraf A.
Published: January 2025

Background

Egypt has the highest global prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection, particularly of genotype 4. The development of a prophylactic vaccine remains crucial for HCV eradication, yet no such vaccine currently exists due to the vaccine development challenges. The ability of Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) to mimic the native virus and incorporate neutralizing and conformational epitopes, while effectively engaging both humoral and cellular immune responses, makes them a promising approach to addressing the challenges in HCV vaccine development.

Methods

Lentiviral-based vectors were constructed and employed to integrate the full-length sequence of Core, E1, E2, and P7 genes of HCV genotype 4 into the genome of Human Embryonic Kidney cells (HEK293T). Upon the expression, HCV structural proteins can oligomerize and self-assemble into VLPs mimicking the structure of HCV native virus. VLPs were purified and characterized for the development of a potential VLPs-based vaccine.

Results

In this study, mammalian cells were successfully engineered to stably express HCV structural proteins and generate non-infectious VLPs for HCV genotype 4. The expression of HCV-integrated genes resulted in a successful production of HCV structural proteins, which oligomerized and self-assembled into two layers enveloped VLPs. Electron microscopy analysis of purified VLPs revealed spherical particles with an average diameter of 60–65 nm, closely resembling mature HCV virions. These results highlighted the potential of these VLPs as a vaccine candidate for HCV genotype 4.

Conclusions

HCV genotype 4 remains an underexplored target in vaccine development, despite its significant public health burden, especially in Egypt. The successful generation of VLPs for this genotype represents a promising avenue for further vaccine development. The established system provides a robust platform for the production and study of VLP-based vaccines targeting HCV genotype 4.
Tissue-specific roles of de novo DNA methyltransferases
Authors: Tóth Dániel Márton , Szeri Flóra , Ashaber Mária , Muazu Muhyiddeen , Székvölgyi Lóránt , Arányi Tamás
Published: January 2025

DNA methylation, catalyzed by DNA methyltransferases (DNMT), plays pivotal role in regulating embryonic development, gene expression, adaption to environmental stress, and maintaining genome integrity. DNMT family consists of DNMT1, DNMT3A, DNMT3B, and the enzymatically inactive DNMT3L. DNMT3A and DNMT3B establish novel methylation patterns maintained by DNMT1 during replication. Genetic variants of DNMT3A and DNMT3B cause rare diseases such as Tatton-Brown-Rahman and ICF syndromes. Additionally, somatic mutations cause common conditions such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP), hematologic malignancies, and cancer. While DNMTs have been extensively studied in vitro, in early development and in disease, their detailed physiologic roles remain less understood as in vivo investigations are hindered by the embryonic or perinatal lethality of the knockout mice. To circumvent this problem, tissue-specific Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b knockouts were engineered. This review explores their diverse molecular roles across various organs and cell types and characterizes the phenotype of the knockout mice. We provide a comprehensive collection of over forty tissue-specific knockout models generated by cre recombinase. We highlight the distinct functions of DNMT3A and DNMT3B in germ cells, early development, uterus, hematopoietic differentiation, musculoskeletal development, visceral organs, and nervous system. Our findings indicate that DNMT3A primarily regulates hematopoietic differentiation, while DNMT3B is crucial for cartilage homeostasis and ossification. We emphasize the context-dependent roles of DNMT3A and DNMT3B and demonstrate that they also complement DNMT1 maintenance methyltransferase activity. Overall, the expression patterns of DNMTs across tissues provide insights into potential therapeutic applications for treating neurologic diseases, cancer, and osteoporosis.
Creative Potential of a Hotel Enterprise: Essence, Structure, System of Evaluation of Indicators of Its Efficiency
Authors: Gadimova F.
Published: January 2025

The purpose of this study is to specify creativity in the context of economic and managerial factors, as well as the approach to measuring the components of the creative potential of a hotel enterprise. The scientific result of the study is the expansion of scientific ideas about the essence and specificity of the creative potential of a hotel enterprise. Also, a systemic relationship of the components of creativity that can be integrated into the creative potential of a hotel enterprise has been formed, which made it possible to form a list of indicators for their assessment. The integration of creative potential into economic and managerial practice is a multi-level process aimed at optimizing solutions and achieving sustainable growth.
How to Manage an Individual Living with Parkinson’s Disease Who Acutely Cannot Swallow
Authors: Teranaka Mayu , Teranaka Wakana , Jones Howell T
Published: January 2025

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative condition that can lead to problems swallowing. Individuals living with PD may be unable to take medications orally for various reasons including acute or chronic dysphagia, non-PD related causes and being placed nil-by-mouth for elective reasons. This article outlines a five-step approach to managing an individual living with PD who is unable to take oral medication acutely. This includes assessment for the appropriateness of nasogastric tube insertion and the conversion of an individual’s usual medication regimen to either a dispersible one or to a topical patch if a nasogastric tube is not possible. A patient-centred multidisciplinary approach is important, with shared decision-making involving the individual and their next of kin with key members including the Speech and Language Therapy and dietetic teams. The patient should be reviewed daily with their medication titrated according to clinical response, aiming to restart their usual regimen as soon as possible.
The Connection Between Comparative Advantage and Product Survival in India’s Textile Exports
Authors:   Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Jaypee University of Information Technology, Waknaghat, Solan, India, Srivastava Amit , Khanna Sakshi ,   University College of Business Studies, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, India, Gaur Manoj ,   Apex Institute of Technology, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali, Punjab, India
Published: January 2025

Does a product’s comparative advantage alone determine whether it can be exported profitably over the long term? Does a product with less comparative advantage necessarily have a lower chance of surviving on the global market? These issues affect the domestic export policy of exporting countries. In this article, we use the Kaplan-Meier estimator to investigate the trade duration of Indian textiles for export over the years 1992-2021, based on their comparative advantage. Surprisingly, some products with declining comparative advantages had higher mean survival times, and vice versa. We determine that India should not exclusively rely on the comparative advantage theory and instead should consider product survival rates.
Adaptation optimizes sensory encoding for future stimuli
Authors: Mao Jiang , Rothkopf Constantin A , Stocker Alan A
Published: January 2025

Sensory neurons continually adapt their response characteristics according to recent stimulus history. However, it is unclear how such a reactive process can benefit the organism. Here, we test the hypothesis that adaptation actually acts proactively in the sense that it optimally adjusts sensory encoding for future stimuli. We first quantified human subjects’ ability to discriminate visual orientation under different adaptation conditions. Using an information theoretic analysis, we found that adaptation leads to a reallocation of coding resources such that encoding accuracy peaks at the mean orientation of the adaptor while total coding capacity remains constant. We then asked whether this characteristic change in encoding accuracy is predicted by the temporal statistics of natural visual input. Analyzing the retinal input of freely behaving human subjects showed that the distribution of local visual orientations in the retinal input stream indeed peaks at the mean orientation of the preceding input history (i.e., the adaptor). We further tested our hypothesis by analyzing the internal sensory representations of a recurrent neural network trained to predict the next frame of natural scene videos (PredNet). Simulating our human adaptation experiment with PredNet, we found that the network exhibited the same change in encoding accuracy as observed in human subjects. Taken together, our results suggest that adaptation-induced changes in encoding accuracy prepare the visual system for future stimuli.
Study protocol for a multi-center stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial to explore the usability and outcomes among young people living with HIV in Kiambu and Kirinyaga counties of Kenya, using an online health portal
Authors: Nturibi Eric , Mecha Jared , Kubo Elizabeth , Orwa Albert , Kaara Florence , Musau Faith , Wamuyu Christine , Kilonzi Justus , Gill Randeep , Roels Sanne
Published: January 2025

While the incidence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection is decreasing in most age groups worldwide, it is rising among adolescents and young adults, who also face a higher rate of HIV-related deaths. This tech-savvy demographic may benefit from an online patient portal designed to enhance patient activation—empowering them to manage their health independently. However, the effectiveness of such digital health interventions on young HIV patients in Kenya remains uncertain. We will conduct a 12-month stepped wedge cluster randomized trial involving 15-24-year-old HIV patients with smartphone access. The primary outcome will be patient activation, with secondary outcomes including self-reported adherence, social engagement and viral suppression. We will also evaluate the portal’s functionality, usability, fidelity, and costs. Participants will be recruited from 47 antiretroviral treatment (ART) sites with electronic medical records (EMR), forming 16 clusters of 30 participants each. Clusters will be randomized into three sequences for intervention every three months. Baseline measurements (patient activation, adherence, social engagement and viral suppression) will be collected over two weeks, followed by checks at 3, 6, and 12 months. Data will be analyzed using generalized linear mixed models and adjusted for cluster effects and potential confounders. Results will be disseminated through stakeholder forums, scientific conferences, peer-reviewed publications, and the media.
Central venous pressure as a method of optimising atrio-ventricular delay after cardiac surgery
Authors: Tindale Alexander , Cretu Ioana , Gomez Naomi , Haynes Ross , Meng Hongying , Mason Mark J. , Francis Darrel P.
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Haemodynamic atrioventricular delay (AVD) optimisation has primarily focussed on signals that are not easy to acquire from a pacing system itself, such as invasive left ventricular catheterisation or arterial blood pressure (ABP). In this study, standard clinical central venous pressure (CVP) signals are tested as a potential alternative.

Methods

Sixteen patients with a temporary pacemaker after cardiac surgery were studied. AV delay optimisation was performed by alternating between a reference AVD of 120ms and tested settings ranging from 40 to 280ms, with 8 replicates for each setting. Alongside (a) the raw data, three methods of correcting for respiration were tested: (b) limiting analysis to a respiratory cycle, (c) asymmetric least squares (ALS) and (d) discrete wavelet transform (DWT). The utility of a quality control step was tested.

Results

CVP signals were a mirror image of the systolic ABP signals: The four R values were -0.674, -0.692, -0.631, -0.671 respectively (all p<0.001). With quality control, the mirror image was best for DWT (R = -0.76, p<0.001), with the CVP and ABP optima agreeing well (R = 0.78, p<0.001). The automated quality control signal correctly predicted the gap between the AVD optima calculated from ABP and CVP (R = 0.8, p<0.001).

Conclusions

Central venous pressure signals could be used to optimise AVD, because they have a reliable inverse relationship with ABP when pacemaker settings undergo protocolised testing. However, protocols need careful design to circumvent spontaneous biological variability.
Food groups, macronutrient intake and objective measures of total carotenoids and fatty acids in 16-to-24-year-olds following different plant-based diets compared to an omnivorous diet
Authors: Groufh-Jacobsen Synne , Larsson Christel , Mulkerrins Isabelle , Aune Dagfinn , Medin Anine Christine
Published: January 2025

Background

Knowledge about the diet quality among youth who follow different types of plant-based diets is essential to understand whether support is required to ensure a well-planned diet that meets their nutritional needs. This study aimed to investigate how food groups, macronutrient intake, and objective blood measures varied between Norwegian youth following different plant-based diets compared to omnivorous diet.

Methods

Cross-sectional design, with healthy 16-to-24-year-olds (n = 165) recruited from the Agder area in Norway, following a vegan, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, pescatarian, flexitarian or omnivore diet. Participants completed an electronic questionnaire, a dietary screener, 24-hour dietary recalls and provided dried blood samples for analysis of carotenoids and fatty acids.

Results

Vegans reported the highest mean intake (g/d, g/MJ) of vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds and substitutes to dairy and meat (compared to all, p<0.001), fruit and berries (compared to omnivores, p = 0.004 and pescatarians, p = 0.007), and vegetable oil (compared to omnivores, p<0.001, pescatarians, p = 0.003 and flexitarians, p = 0.004) and vegetable products (compared to omnivores, p = 0.007). No difference was found between groups in mean intake (g/d, g/MJ) of any of the confectionary foods or sweet pastries, beverages (sugar-sweetened, non-sugary, alcoholic), or salted snacks, neither in g/MJ of convenience foods. The energy percentage (E%) of protein, carbohydrates and total fat were within the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 across groups. However, all groups, except vegans, exceeded the E% for saturated fatty acids. All groups exceeded recommendations for added and free sugar. Furthermore, all groups consumed <25g/d of dietary fibre, except vegans and pescatarians. For omega-3, lacto-ovo-vegetarians had intakes below recommendations. Blood marker of total carotenoids did not differ between groups, neither did the reported mean intake (g/MJ) of carotenoid-rich foods. Vegans showed the lowest blood level of palmitic acid compared to all (p<0.001), but highest level of linoleic acid (compared to flexitarians, p = 0.022, and omnivores, p<0.001). The lowest blood levels of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid were found in vegans and lacto-ovo-vegetarians.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that all groups had risk of dietary shortcomings. However, vegans consumed the most favorable diet. All groups should increase their consumption of vegetables, fruits and berries, and reduce their total sugar intake.
Comparison of mortality in people with type 2 diabetes between different ethnic groups: Systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies
Authors: Chaudhry Umar Ahmed Riaz , Fortescue Rebecca , Bowen Liza , Woolford Stephen J. , Knights Felicity , Cook Derek G. , Harris Tess , Critchley Julia
Published: January 2025

Aims

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is more common in certain ethnic groups. This systematic review compares mortality risk between people with T2D from different ethnic groups and includes recent larger studies.

Methods

We searched nine databases using PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO CRD42022372542). We included community-based prospective studies among adults with T2D from at least two different ethnicities. Two independent reviewers undertook screening, data extraction and quality assessment using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The primary outcome compared all-cause mortality rates between ethnic groups (hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence intervals).

Results

From 30,825 searched records, we included 13 studies (7 meta-analysed), incorporating 573,173 T2D participants; 12 were good quality. Mortality risk was lower amongst people with T2D from South Asian [HR 0.68 (0.65–0.72)], Black [HR 0.82 (0.77–0.87)] and Chinese [HR 0.57 (0.46–0.70)] ethnicity compared to people of White ethnicity. Narrative synthesis corroborated these findings but demonstrated that people of indigenous Māori ethnicity had greater mortality risk compared to European ethnicity.

Conclusions

People with T2D of South Asian, Black and Chinese ethnicity have lower all-cause mortality risk than White ethnicity, with Māori ethnicity having higher mortality risk. Factors explaining mortality differences require further study, including understanding complication risk by ethnicity, to improve diabetes outcomes.
Convolutional neural network (CNN) configuration using a learning automaton model for neonatal brain image segmentation
Authors: Sarafraz Iran , Agahi Hamed , Mahmoodzadeh Azar
Published: January 2025

CNN is considered an efficient tool in brain image segmentation. However, neonatal brain images require specific methods due to their nature and structural differences from adult brain images. Hence, it is necessary to determine the optimal structure and parameters for these models to achieve the desired results. In this article, an adaptive method for CNN automatic configuration for neonatal brain image segmentation is presented based on the encoder-decoder structure, in which the hyperparameters of this network, i.e., size, length, and width of the filter in each layer along with the type of pooling functions with a reinforcement learning approach and an LA model are determined. These LA models determine the optimal configuration for the CNN model by using DICE and ASD segmentation quality evaluation criteria, so that the segmentation quality can be maximized based on the goal criteria. The effectiveness of the proposed method has been evaluated using a database of infant MRI images and the results have been compared with previous methods. The results show that by using the proposed method, it is possible to segment NBI with higher quality and accuracy.
The artificial intelligence-based agricultural field irrigation warning system using GA-BP neural network under smart agriculture
Authors: Wang Xiying
Published: January 2025

This work explores an intelligent field irrigation warning system based on the Enhanced Genetic Algorithm—Backpropagation Neural Network (EGA-BPNN) model in the context of smart agriculture. To achieve this, irrigation flow prediction in agricultural fields is chosen as the research topic. Firstly, the BPNN principles are studied, revealing issues such as sensitivity to initial values, susceptibility to local optima, and sample dependency. To address these problems, a genetic algorithm (GA) is adopted for optimizing the BPNN, and the EGA-BPNN model is used to predict irrigation flow in agricultural fields. Secondly, the EGA-BPNN model can overcome the local optimization and overfitting problems of traditional BPNN through the global search ability of GA. Moreover, it is suitable for the irrigation flow prediction task with complex environmental factors in smart agriculture. Finally, comparative experiments compare the prediction accuracy of BPNN and EGA-BPNN using single and dual water level flow prediction models respectively. The results reveal that as the number of nodes in the hidden layer increases, the model’s Mean Squared Error (MSE) and Relative Error (RE) show a decreasing trend, indicating an improvement in model prediction accuracy. When the number of nodes in the hidden layer increases from 6 to 16, the MSE of the single and dual water level flow prediction models decreases from 4.53×10−4 to 3.68×10−4 and 2.38×10−4 to 1.66×10−4, respectively. Under a standalone BPNN, the absolute relative error in flow prediction is 1.09%. In contrast, the EGA-BPNN model achieves a significantly lower mean absolute relative error of 0.41% for single-flow prediction, demonstrating superior prediction performance. Furthermore, compared to the BPNN, the EGA-BPNN model exhibits a 2.11 reduction in MSE, further emphasizing the positive impact of introducing the GA on model performance. The research outcomes contribute to more accurate water resource planning and management, providing a more reliable basis for decision-making.
Exploration and verification of the therapeutic mechanism of shenfu injection in sepsis-induced myocardial injury
Authors: Yuan Hua-jing , Xiang Guo-han , Liu Yang , Li Yan , Liu Wen-li , Wei Jiu-xiang , Xue Yi-tao , Hao Hao
Published: January 2025

Background

Shenfu injection (SFI), derived from a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, is an effective drug for the treatment of sepsis-induced myocardial injury (SIMI) with good efficacy, but its exact therapeutic mechanism remains unclear.

Methods

SwissTargetPrediction and GeneCards database were used to obtain relevant targets for SFI and SIMI. STRING 11.5 and MCODE were used to analyse potential therapeutic targets for SFI. DAVID 6.8 database was used to perform enrichment analysis. In addition, the SIMI model was constructed by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) on Sprague Dawley rats and the related protein expression levels were verified by AutoDock Vina 1.1.2 and experiment.

Results

SFI has a total of 10 main active compounds and treats SIMI through 52 potential targets, among which LGALS3, STAT3, FGF1, and AKT1 were the core targets for treatment. Based on enrichment analysis, STAT3, FGF1, and AKT1 in the core targets were experimentally validated. The experimental results showed that SFI effectively ameliorated the inflammatory response and myocardial injury and inhibited apoptosis in SIMI. And SFI improved SIMI by decreasing caspase-9, STAT3 and phospho-AKT1 (p-AKT1) expression, and enhancing FGF1 expressions.

Conclusions

This study showed that SFI effectively reduced the expression of caspase-9, STAT3 and p-AKT1, enhanced the expression of FGF1, reduced the inflammatory response, inhibited apoptosis and attenuated cardiac injury to SIMI.
Toll-like receptor 2/6-stimulated HMC-1 mast cells promote keratinocyte migration in wound healing
Authors: Kwon Jiyun , Cho Kyung-Ah , Woo So-Youn
Published: January 2025

Mast cells, immune sentinels that respond to various stimuli in barrier organs, provide defense by expressing pattern recognition receptors, such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs). They may affect inflammatory responses and wound healing. Here, we investigated the effect of TLR2/6-stimulated mast cells on wound healing in keratinocytes. The human mast cell line HMC-1 was treated with the TLR2/6 agonist FSL-1, and the conditioned medium (CM) was collected from untreated cells (HMC-1 CM) and FSL-1-stimulated cells (FSL-1-HMC-1 CM). Cell migration was evaluated in keratinocyte cells (HaCaT) treated with HMC-1 CM and FSL-1-HMC-1 CM via scratch and Transwell assays. Mice were treated with HMC-1 CM, FSL-1-HMC-1 CM, and FSL-1. Wound closure was measured, and tissue regeneration was assessed using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Growth factor expression levels were evaluated to identify the factors affecting wound healing. The tryptase inhibitor APC 366 was treated with HMC-1 CM and FSL-1-HMC-1 CM in a scratch assay. This study revealed that HMC-1 CM affected HaCaT cell migration, which was facilitated by FSL-1-HMC-1 CM. HMC-1 CM promoted tryptase-dependent HaCaT migration. Moreover, FSL-1-HMC-1 CM enhanced wound healing in C57BL/6J mice in vivo. Our findings indicated that TLR2/6-stimulated mast cells contributed to skin homeostasis by promoting tryptase-dependent wound healing.
Editorial
Authors: King Andrew
Published: January 2025

This Special Double Issue includes work on mobile applications, human–computer interaction and digital audio workstation applications, teacher’s perceptions and use of technology, instrumental learning, distance learning, maker cultures, synthesizers and artificial intelligence.
An exploratory study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on music teacher engagement with Soundtrap
Authors: Dockan David , Knapp David , Clauhs Matthew , Powell Bryan
Published: January 2025

The COVID-19 pandemic caused many changes in music education, including an increased use of Soundtrap, a digital audio workstation (DAW), in classrooms around the world. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on music teacher engagement with Soundtrap. We invited members of a Facebook community of teachers who use Soundtrap to participate in a survey. Of the survey participants (N = 43), most taught grades 6–12 (n = 33). Few participants had previously used Soundtrap in their classrooms before the pandemic (n = 15), but most stated that they would continue using it after (n = 37). Notable emergent themes were a lack of previous experience using DAWs and the need to learn this technology at the onset of the pandemic quickly. Participants also expressed that students’ creativity, collaboration and autonomy were integral to a positive student experience. We suggest that teacher preparation programmes may want to include more coursework on teaching DAW skills and pedagogy.
Teachers’ and students’ perceptions of learning goals in secondary technology-based music classes in the United States
Authors: Dorfman Jay
Published: January 2025

A deep understanding of learning goals in technology-mediated learning is necessary for improving lesson design and student performance. Learning goals form the foundation of classes in all content areas including technology-based music. The purpose of this study was to examine the musical learning goals of several technology-based music classes in the United States and how perceptions of those goals might vary between teachers and students. Data were collected through observations of technology-based music classes and interviews with a teacher and three to four students from each of four varied and geographically disparate secondary schools in the United States. Findings suggest that students and most teachers in this study perceived the learning goals of technology-based music classes to emphasize technological learning rather than musical achievement. Teachers with deeper music technology experience focused the goals of their classes more on musical content than those with less experience. Additional emergent themes included the importance of analytical listening, development of students’ self-confidence and improvement in improvising. Suggestions for further research are provided regarding analysis of students’ project work and further development of educational standards.
Editorial
Authors: Allison Katherine
Published: January 2025

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Alfabetização corporal
Authors: Silva Correia Mesaque , Ferreira Borges Carlos Nazareno
Published: January 2025

Neste estudo ensaístico, o objetivo é refletir de forma problematizadora sobre o lugar que o corpo ocupa no complexo processo de alfabetização para que possamos repensar a finalidade da Educação Física na escola e seu lugar no processo de alfabetização corporal das educandas/os. A alfabetização corporal é um processo que compreende a pessoa em sua integralidade e envolve a aquisição de capacidades, de habilidades e de conhecimentos necessários para compreender e para analisar a existência humana como corporal. Partindo do legado de Santin (2001a), sistematizamos nossa argumentação no sentido de elucidarmos que, historicamente, os processos de alfabetização foram relacionados à formação da inteligência humana, desconsiderando as dimensões corporais. Isso nos permite inferir que o objetivo da Educação Física na escola seja a alfabetização corporal das sujeitas/os. Para tanto, apresenta-se o conceito de alfabetização corporal, sua centralidade e o papel da professora/o nesse processo. Compreende-se o corpo como produção social e vivenciador das aprendizagens, portanto, no processo alfabetizador, deve ser tomado como método de ensino. Aponta-se para a necessidade da área da Educação Física caminhar na direção de pedagogias dos corpos. Pedagogias que, de fato, elejam o corpo como método de ensino e como eixo norteador da aprendizagem.
Alfabetização e diversidade étnico-racial
Authors: Barros Soares Batista Patrícia
Published: January 2025

Neste artigo são tecidas reflexões sobre o ensino da língua escrita pautando-se na diversidade étnico-racial. Para isso, analisamos a BNCC e apresentamos algumas práticas de ensino realizadas junto a crianças de uma turma do 2º ano do Ensino Fundamental de uma escola federal mineira focando o gênero biografia.  Por meio da interlocução com o campo de estudos de Alfabetização (Soares, 2003) e de Letramentos (Street, 2010), tomando-se como prisma epistemológico os letramentos de reexistência (Souza, 2011), buscamos identificar a presença/ausência da temática étnico-racial na atual legislação curricular e algumas das estratégias de ensino que possibilitam ressignificar a alfabetização com foco na diversidade. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, que toma a análise documental e a investigação sobre a própria prática como principais procedimentos metodológicos. Os resultados revelam que há lacunas no tocante à temática racial na atual legislação que orienta o ensino de Língua Portuguesa nos Anos Iniciais do Ensino Fundamental. Revelam ainda, que práticas de ensino pautadas em ações discursivas afrocentradas, configuram-se como um modo disruptivo de reexistir,  potencializando os processos de alfabetização e de letramentos e estimulando os sujeitos aprendizes a ampliarem o seu olhar para o mundo, reconhecendo e valorizando, por meio da palavra, os diferentes discursos e existências humanas.
Alfabetização Matemática em Cursos de Pedagogia
Authors: Bahia e Castro Samira , Claudia dos Santos Silvana , Helena Ladeira Fonseca Karla
Published: January 2025

Este artigo tem como objetivo apresentar os resultados de uma investigação sobre como a alfabetização matemática é entendida e trabalhada em cursos de Pedagogia de universidades federais mineiras. Para isso, baseados em Goldenberg (2015), adotamos uma abordagem qualitativa e realizamos entrevistas com os professores, aplicamos questionários a estudantes de quatro instituições mineiras, além disso, analisamos os projetos políticos pedagógicos desses cursos, bem como as ementas das disciplinas relacionadas ao ensino de matemática. Na análise dos dados, utilizamos a triangulação das diferentes fontes. Os resultados apontaram que a alfabetização matemática é trabalhada no âmbito das disciplinas analisadas e que todas as universidades participantes se mostravam preocupadas em oferecer a seus estudantes uma formação matemática contextualizada. Porém, não há um consenso entre elas sobre o que seria, de fato, a alfabetização matemática. Mesmo assim, todos os docentes e boa parte dos discentes acreditavam que a alfabetização matemática é algo que vai além do ensino dos algoritmos, e que deveria ser trabalhada de forma contextualizada à realidade dos alunos, para que eles conseguissem fazer uso da matemática no seu cotidiano, de forma crítica.
Alternativas remotas às práticas de Biologia no Ensino Médio: relato de experiência
Authors: Stephanny Aguiar Mendes Endgel , Christie Hermelinda Pena Dárlen , Marques-Marinho Flávia Dias
Published: January 2025

Em 2020 e 2021, devido à pandemia por SARS-CoV-2, o projeto visando contribuir no ensino de ciências aos estudantes do Ensino Médio por meio de práticas presenciais foi adaptado ao formato remoto mediante a incorporação de tecnologias digitais. As atividades estabelecidas nas reuniões semanais da equipe resultaram na produção mensal, com base em temas dos Programas de Estudos Tutorados de 2020 e 2021, de 25 (14 + 11) vídeos, 17 (8 + 9) orientações de atividades e 25 (10 + 15) atividades de assimilação do conteúdo; um folder sobre Covid-19 (2020) e uma participação em evento das Escolas Estaduais do município (2021). A disponibilização do material nas mídias Facebook® da Escola do Ensino Médio, sítio e canal YouTube® do projeto revelou uma baixa participação dos estudantes com base no retorno das atividades. Fato justificado pela indisponibilidade de acesso às ferramentas digitais. Em 2020 e 2021, 27 e 97 usuários visitaram 304 e 1.422 páginas do sítio do projeto e o canal YouTube® teve entre 19-557 e 22-282 acessos, respectivamente. Houve preferência dos usuários por vídeos exclusivamente práticos, com menor duração, e o alcance de público além do alvo. As ações de extensão, ainda que remotas, aproximaram a Universidade da comunidade.
Formação em ação: o papel da pesquisa no contexto do professor alfabetizador
Authors: Duarte de Andrade Maluf Resende Hebe , Suzana Ribeiro Martins Aira
Published: January 2025

Este texto, de caráter autobiográfico, narra a trajetória realizada por uma professora dos anos iniciais, com atuação no 1º ano da alfabetização. Desafiada a repensar sua prática pedagógica e dialogar com teorias educacionais, a professora buscou se tornar uma pesquisadora, refletindo sobre o papel da pesquisa em sua prática pedagógica. Sua jornada de transformação foi marcada pela inserção em grupos de estudos e em comunidades de prática, em que compartilhou experiências e descobertas, consolidando sua identidade como pesquisadora. A colaboração com a universidade proporcionou acesso a novas perspectivas teóricas e metodológicas, fortalecendo a pesquisa na formação do professor alfabetizador. Os resultados revelaram que a pesquisa vai além de técnicas, buscando compreender o processo de ensino-aprendizagem.
Effects of defined voluntary running distances coupled with high‐fat diet consumption on the skeletal muscle transcriptome of male mice
Authors: Brishti Afrina , Johnson Sarah J. , Palmer Daniel G. , Raihan Md Obayed , Yan Lin , Casperson Shanon L.
Published: January 2025

Exercise counters many adverse health effects of consuming a high‐fat diet (HFD). However, complex molecular changes that occur in skeletal muscle in response to exercising while consuming a HFD are not yet known. We investigated the interplay between diverse exercise regimes and HFD consumption on the adaptation of skeletal muscle transcriptome. C57BL/6 male mice were randomized into five groups—one sedentary control group and four exercise groups. The exercise groups consisted of an unrestricted running group (8.3 km/day) and three groups that were restricted to 75%, 50%, or 25% of unrestricted running (6.3, 4.2, and 2.1 km/day, respectively). Total RNA was extracted from frozen gastrocnemius muscle for transcriptome analyses. DEG counts were 1347, 1823, 1103, and 1107 and there were 107, 169, 67, and 89 unique genes present in the HFD‐25%, HFD‐50%, HFD‐75%, and HFD‐U, respectively. Comparing exercise groups, we found that exercising at 50% resulted in the most differentially expressed transcripts with the MAPK and PPAR signaling pathways enriched in down‐ and up‐regulated genes, respectively. These results demonstrate that running distance impacts the adaptation of the skeletal muscle transcriptome to exercise and suggest that middle‐distance running may provide the greatest protection against high‐fat diet‐induced stress coupled with exercise.
Social isolation increases impulsive choice with minor changes on metabolic function in middle‐aged rats
Authors: Venegas Jassmyn J. , Weisz Jacob M. , Choi Chan Young , Herringshaw Ren E. , Nabelsi Omar A. , Liang Nu‐Chu
Published: January 2025

The effects of social isolation (SI) during middle age remain unclear, so we tested the hypothesis that SI would lead to an increase in impulsive choice (IC), anxiety‐like behavior, and metabolic dysfunction in middle‐aged rats. Male and female rats were housed individually or in groups of four with same‐sex housing mates at 11 months of age. Two months later, IC behavior was assessed using a delay‐discounting task and anxiety‐like behavior through a novelty‐suppressed feeding (NSF) task. Lastly, glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity following exposure to a high‐fat diet were assessed using an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and an insulin tolerance test (ITT). The results showed that socially isolated rats displayed more IC behavior than did group‐housed rats of both sexes. However, no significant effect of housing was evident in the NSF task, OGTT, or ITT. Male rats had a higher plasma insulin concentration and insulin resistance index compared to females. Our findings demonstrate that SI in middle age is sufficient to increase IC behavior and highlight inherent sex‐specific differences in metabolic profiles. These findings underscore the importance of investigating mechanisms that underlie the effects of social isolation during different stages of life.
Integrating testing and modeling methods to examine the feasibility of blended waste materials for the compressive strength of rubberized mortar
Authors: Amin Muhammad Nasir , Nassar Roz-Ud-Din , Khan Kaffayatullah , Ul Arifeen Siyab , Khan Mubasher , Qadir Muhammad Tahir
Published: January 2025

This research integrated glass powder (GP), marble powder (MP), and silica fume (SF) into rubberized mortar to evaluate their effectiveness in enhancing compressive strength (

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). Rubberized mortar cubes were produced by replacing fine aggregates with shredded rubber in varying proportions. The decrease in rubberized mortar’s

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was controlled by substituting cement with GP, MP, and SF. Although many literature studies have evaluated the suitability of industrial waste, such as MP, SF, and GP, as construction material, no studies have yet included the combined effect of these wastes on the

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of rubberized mortar. This study aims to provide complete insight into the combined effect of industrial waste on the

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of rubberized mortar. By substituting cement, GP, MP, and SF were added to rubberized mortar in different proportions from 5 to 25%. Furthermore, artificial intelligence prediction models were developed using experimental data to assess the

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of rubberized mortar. The study determined that the optimal substitution levels for GP, MP, and SF in rubberized mortar were 15, 10, and 15%, respectively. Similarly, partial dependence plot analysis suggests that SF, MP, and GP have a comparable effect on the

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of rubberized mortar. The machine learning models demonstrated a significant resemblance to test results. Two individual techniques, support vector machine and random forest, generate R
2 values of 0.943 and 0.983, respectively.
Structural Transformation and Inequality: A Sectoral Analysis for Low- and Middle-income Countries
Authors: Magwedere Margaret Rutendo , Marozva Godfrey
Published: January 2025

The study examined the impact of structural transformation to inequality using a panel of low- and middle-income countries from 1996 - 2018. The system generalised method of moments was used to determine the effect of value-added of each sector to income inequality for the countries in the study. Increase in value-added for the mining and construction sectors reduces inequality whilst inequality increased with an increase in value-added for the agriculture and manufacturing sectors. Thus, for the countries in this study mining and construction driven structural transformation has an inequality reducing effect whereas there is a possibility that further structural transformation has no effect to reducing inequality. This implies that there is a probability of an increase in inequality due to further structural transformation. The implication for policy is a consideration of a channel of structural transformation that is suitable for a specific economy.
ЛОКАЦИЯ НЕОДНОРОДНОСТЕЙ В ОКРЕСТНОСТИ ГОРНОЙ ВЫРАБОТКИ ПО ФАЗОВОЙ СКОРОСТИ ПОВЕРХНОСТНОЙ СЕЙСМИЧЕСКОЙ ВОЛНЫ
Authors: СКАЗКА В.В. , КУРЛЕНЯ М.В. , АЗАРОВ А.В. , СЕРДЮКОВ А.С.
Published: January 2025

Представлен один из методов обнаружения и контроля параметров низкоскоростных породных включений в окрестностях туннелей и выработок, использующий рассчитанные фазовые скорости поверхностных волн. В качестве исходных данных взяты синтетические сейсмограммы, полученные путем численного моделирования распространения сейсмических волн вдоль горной выработки в радиально-симметричной постановке. Показано, что перекрытие низкоскоростного включения слоем пород с повышенной скоростью сейсмических волн не препятствует его локализации предложенным способом. На основе наблюдения фазовых скоростей распространения поверхностных сейсмических волн возможно оценивать состояние массива горных пород в окрестности подземных сооружений, что является значимым результатом с практической точки зрения.

This article describes a method to detect and control low-velocity intercalations in rock mass in neighborhood of tunnels and underground mine workings using calculated phase velocities of surface seismic waves. Initial data are synthetic seismograms from numerical modeling of radially symmetric propagation of seismic waves along a mine working. It is shown that overlapping of a low-velocity heterogeneity in rock mass by a higher velocity layer brings no obstacles to the identification of the heterogeneity by the proposed method. Observations over phase velocities of surface seismic waves make it possible to assess rock mass adjacent to underground structures, which is a relevant result from the practical point of view.