bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of hospital-acquired pneumonia on the Medicare program
Authors: Baker Dian L. , Giuliano Karen K. , Desmarais Mark , Worzala Chantal , Cloke Annie , Zawistowich Lu
Published: October 2023

Objective:

Patient safety organizations and researchers describe hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) as a largely preventable hospital-acquired infection that affects patient safety and quality of care. We provide evidence regarding the consequences of HAP among 2019 Medicare beneficiaries.

Design:

Retrospective case–control study.

Patients:

Calendar year 2019 Medicare beneficiaries with HAP during an initial hospitalization, defined by International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) coding on inpatient claims (n = 2,457). Beneficiaries with HAP were matched using diagnosis-related group (DRG) codes with beneficiaries who did not experience HAP (n = 2,457).

Methods:

The 2019 calendar year Medicare 5% Standard Analytic Files (SAF), for inpatient, outpatient, physician, and all postacute hospital settings. The case group (HAP) and control group (non-HAP) were matched on disease severity, age, sex, and race and were compared for hospital length of stay, costs, and mortality during the initial hospitalization and across settings for 30, 60, and 90 days after discharge. The 2019 fiscal year MedPAR Claims data were used to determine Medicare costs.

Results:

Medicare beneficiaries with HAP were 2.8 times more likely to die within 90 days compared with matched beneficiaries who did not develop HAP. Among those who survived, beneficiaries with HAP spent 6.6 more days in the hospital (69%) and cost the Medicare program an average of $14,487 (24%) more per episode of care across initial inpatient and postdischarge services.

Conclusions:

The findings of higher mortality and cost among Medicare beneficiaries who develop HAP suggest that HAP prevention should be prioritized as a patient safety and quality initiative for the Medicare program.
Dynamics, experiences and political meaning of the black market in Second World War Italy
Authors: Sambuco Patrizia
Published: October 2023

Rationing and illegal food trade in Second World War Italy have received very little scholarly attention in comparison to the scale and impact they had on people's daily life. This article contributes to filling this gap, first by providing an overview of the dynamics that already in the early years of the war determined the development of an illegal system of food trade. It then considers the experience of the black market through two wartime diaries, one published and the other unpublished, written by women of opposite political views, both living in Rome and its outskirts. The analysis of the diaries considers women's attitudes towards the black market. The article argues that the Fascist propaganda of duty to the homeland, so intensively practised through domestic literature during the 1920s and 1930s, was again exploited in wartime in the discourse around the black market and hid the political responsibilities of the government.
Find the river: Discovering the Tsangpo-Brahmaputra in the age of empire
Authors: Simpson Thomas
Published: October 2023

Despite the enormous size and economic and scientific significance of the Tsangpo-Brahmaputra River, questions of where and what it was generated successive waves of dispute from the mid-eighteenth to early twentieth centuries. Geographical discovery in the eastern Himalayan borderlands neither entailed the application of fixed theories and techniques, nor resulted from consistent flows of information along established channels. Europeans instead understood the region’s rivers in many different ways, influenced by sporadic deluges of data, competing forms of expertise, shifting imperatives of colonial political economy, unsettling encounters with various bodies of water, and heterogeneous Asian knowledge structures. Informants, infrastructures, and cosmologies of often-overlooked communities at imperial margins fundamentally reshaped European knowledge. Under these conditions, practitioners of spatial sciences came to thrive on the proliferation of models and objects of discovery rather than seeking definitive closure.
For the Greater Individual and Social Good: Justifying Age-Differentiated Paternalism
Authors: Pedersen Viki Møller Lyngby
Published: October 2023

What justifies differences in the acceptance of paternalism towards competent minors and older people? I propose two arguments. The first argument draws on the widely accepted view that paternalism is easier to justify the more good it promotes for the paternalizee. It argues that paternalism targeting young people generally promotes more good for the people interfered with than similar paternalism targeting older people. While promoting people's interests or well-being is essential to the justification of paternalism, the first argument has certain unfair implications in that it disfavours paternalism towards the worse off. The second argument caters to such fairness concerns. It argues that priority or inequality aversion supports age-differentiated paternalism because young people, who act imprudently and thereby risk their interests or well-being, are worse off than older people who act in similar ways. I suggest that both arguments are pertinent in evaluating specific paternalistic acts and policies.
Discourse-based pronoun resolution in non-native sentence processing
Authors: Puebla Cecilia , Felser Claudia
Published: October 2023

Personal pronouns can potentially be resolved in logical syntax by means of variable binding (VB) or at the discourse-representational level through coreference assignment (CR). Previous research suggests that real-time reference resolution is guided more strongly by discourse-level cues in a non-native language (L2) than in a native language (L1). Here we use the VB/CR distinction to further test this hypothesis. Using eye-movement monitoring during reading and a complementary questionnaire task, we compared L1 German and L1 Russian/L2 German speakers’ resolution of object pronouns. While both our participant groups ultimately preferred CR over VB interpretations, only the L2 participants showed evidence of favouring a sentence-external CR antecedent from early on during processing. Our L1 group, by contrast, favoured a VB antecedent during processing. The observed L1/L2 processing differences reveal divergent antecedent search strategies, with L2 but not L1 speakers being primarily guided by discourse-level cues during real-time comprehension.
Conceptualising the Relationship Between Formal and Informal Social Protection
Authors: Mumtaz Zahid
Published: October 2023

To date, practical and scholarly work on the interaction between formal and informal social protection has focused on crowding in and crowding out of informal social protection by formal social protection. However, little is known about the relationship between both forms of social protection in conditions where one form of social protection is more effective than the other, or both forms of social protection are effective and ineffective. This article empirically examines how both forms of social protection interact and conceptualises this relation under these conditions by drawing on ninety semi-structured interviews with households across fourteen cities in Pakistan. The study theorises the interaction of formal and informal social protection in five different ways. Based on this, the article argues for further research to explore the relationship between formal and informal social protection in different contexts for building scholarship and policy interventions to improve the lives of the vulnerable.
Advancing deliberative reform in a parliamentary system: prospects for recursive representation
Authors: Alnemr Nardine , Ercan Selen A. , Vlahos Nick , Dryzek John S. , Leigh Andrew , Neblo Michael
Published: October 2023

Recent theories of democratic representation push beyond ‘minimalist’ notions that only rely on periodic elections to connect officials and constituents. For example, Jane Mansbridge (2019) calls for ‘recursive representation’, which seeks ongoing, two-way interaction between representatives and their constituents. Given the scale and complexity of modern representative democracies, how can such ambitious proposals be translated into practice? We analyze two Deliberative Town Halls (DTHs) convened with a Federal Member of Australian Parliament in 2020 to discuss a complex issue, mitochondrial donation, ahead of a parliamentary debate and conscience vote on this issue. Drawing on interviews with participants, we argue that democratic innovations such as DTHs can contribute to realizing recursive representation when three criteria are met: authenticity, inclusion, and impact. We discuss the significance of each criterion and the role of DTHs in advancing recursive representation in a parliamentary system.
Songs to Revitalise Community Solidarity among the Indigenous Mah Meri of Malaysia
Authors: CHAN CLARE SUET CHING
Published: October 2023

Mah Meri musicians in Malaysia are calling for a revitalisation of community solidarity by adding fragments of new song text to their traditional songs. Intrinsic to the new song texts are narratives of working together, sharing and unity in the community. Through a reexamination of my personal interviews and fieldnotes with these musicians over the past two decades, I posit that their new song texts address social issues that emerged as the village adopted values of modernisation introduced by policies to integrate these people into mainstream society. Rather than outwardly protesting these policies, I argue that Mah Meri musicians challenge top-down hegemonies through a subtle approach of metaphor, rhetoric, and sympathetic appeal in their songs. They direct their efforts inward to their community to rejuvenate and sustain their indigenous values of egalitarianism.
CNN‐Based ENSO Forecasts With a Focus on SSTA Zonal Pattern and Physical Interpretation
Authors: Sun Ming , Chen Lin , Li Tim , Luo Jing‐Jia
Published: October 2023

Deep learning (DL) has achieved notable success in El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) forecasts. Most DL‐based models focused on forecasting ENSO indices while the zonal distribution of sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) over the equatorial Pacific was overlooked. To provide accurate predictions for the SSTA zonal pattern, this study developed a model through leveraging the merits of the cosine distance in constructing the convolutional neural network. This model can skillfully predict the SSTA zonal pattern over the equatorial Pacific 1 year in advance, remarkably outperforming current dynamical models. Moreover, the physical interpretation of the model prediction reveals that the sources for ENSO predictability at different lead times are distinct. For the 10‐month‐lead predictions, the precursors in the north Pacific, south Pacific and tropical Atlantic play critical roles in determining the model behaviors; while for the 16‐month‐lead predictions, the initial signals in the tropical Pacific associated with the discharge‐recharge cycle are essential.
Synthesis‐Style Auto‐Correlation‐Based Transformer: A Learner on Ionospheric TEC Series Forecasting
Authors: Yuan Yuhuan , Xia Guozhen , Zhang Xinmiao , Zhou Chen
Published: October 2023

Accurate 1‐day global total electron content (TEC) forecasting is essential for ionospheric monitoring and satellite communications. However, it faces challenges due to limited data and difficulty in modeling long‐term dependencies. This study develops a highly accurate model for 1‐day global TEC forecasting. We utilized generative TEC data augmentation based on the International Global Navigation Satellite Service (IGS) data set from 1998 to 2017 to enhance the model's prediction ability. Our model takes the TEC sequence of the previous 2 days as input and predicts the global TEC value for each hourly step of the next day. We compared the performance of our model with 1‐day predicted ionospheric products provided by both the Center for Orbit Determination in Europe (C1PG) and Beihang University (B1PG). We proposed a two‐step framework: (a) a time series generative model to produce realistic synthetic TEC data for training, and (b) an auto‐correlation‐based transformer model designed to capture long‐range dependencies in the TEC sequence. Experiments demonstrate that our model significantly improves 1‐day forecast accuracy over prior approaches. On the 2018 benchmark data set, the global root mean squared error (RMSE) of our model is reduced to 1.17 TEC units (TECU), while the RMSE of the C1PG model is 2.07 TECU. Reliability is higher in middle and high latitudes but lower in low latitudes (RMSE < 2.5 TECU), indicating room for improvement. This study highlights the potential of using data augmentation and auto‐correlation‐based transformer models trained on synthetic data to achieve high‐quality 1‐day global TEC forecasting.
Skin sodium content as a predictor of blood pressure response to renal denervation
Authors: Guenes-Altan Merve , Schmid Axel , Kannenkeril Dennis , Linz Peter , Ott Christian , Bosch Agnes , Schiffer Mario , Uder Michael , Schmieder Roland E.
Published: October 2023

Patients with treatment resistant hypertension (TRH) are known to have elevated sodium (Na) content in muscle and skin. Renal denervation (RDN) emerged as an adjacent therapeutic option in this group of patients. This analysis aimed at evaluating whether tissue Na content predicts blood pressure (BP) response after RDN in patients with TRH. Radiofrequency-device based RDN was performed in 58 patients with uncontrolled TRH. Office and 24-h ambulatory BP were measured at baseline and after 6 months. To assess tissue Na content Na magnetic resonance imaging (Na-MRI) was performed at baseline prior to RDN. We splitted the study cohort into responders and non-responders based on the median of systolic 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) reduction after 6 months and evaluated the association between BP response to RDN and tissue Na content in skin and muscle. The study was registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01687725). Six months after RDN 24-h ABP decreased by −8.6/−4.7 mmHg. BP-Responders were characterized by the following parameters: low tissue sodium content in the skin (p = 0.040), female gender (p = 0.027), intake of aldosterone antagonists (p = 0.032), high baseline 24-h night-time heart rate (p = 0.045) and high LDL cholesterol (p < 0.001). These results remained significant after adjustment for baseline 24-h systolic BP. Similar results were obtained when the median of day-time and night-time ABP reduction after 6 months were used as cut-off criteria for defining BP response to RDN. We conclude that in addition to clinical factors including baseline 24-h ABP Na-MRI may assist to select patients with uncontrolled TRH for RDN treatment.
Deep learning visual field global index prediction with optical coherence tomography parameters in glaucoma patients
Authors: Kim Dongbock , Seo Sat Byul , Park Seong Joon , Cho Hyun-kyung
Published: October 2023

The aim of this study was to predict three visual filed (VF) global indexes, mean deviation (MD), pattern standard deviation (PSD), and visual field index (VFI), from optical coherence tomography (OCT) parameters including Bruch's Membrane Opening-Minimum Rim Width (BMO-MRW) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) based on a deep-learning model. Subjects consisted of 224 eyes with Glaucoma suspects (GS), 245 eyes with early NTG, 58 eyes with moderate stage of NTG, 36 eyes with PACG, 57 eyes with PEXG, and 99 eyes with POAG. A deep neural network (DNN) algorithm was developed to predict values of VF global indexes such as MD, VFI, and PSD. To evaluate performance of the model, mean absolute error (MAE) was determined. The MAE range of the DNN model on cross validation was 1.9–2.9 (dB) for MD, 1.6–2.0 (dB) for PSD, and 5.0 to 7.0 (%) for VFI. Ranges of Pearson’s correlation coefficients were 0.76–0.85, 0.74–0.82, and 0.70–0.81 for MD, PSD, and VFI, respectively. Our deep-learning model might be useful in the management of glaucoma for diagnosis and follow-up, especially in situations when immediate VF results are not available because VF test requires time and space with a subjective nature.
How to “inoculate” against multimodal misinformation: A conceptual replication of Roozenbeek and van der Linden (2020)
Authors: Neylan Julian , Biddlestone Mikey , Roozenbeek Jon , van der Linden Sander
Published: October 2023

Building misinformation resilience at scale continues to pose a challenge. Gamified “inoculation” interventions have shown promise in improving people’s ability to recognize manipulation techniques commonly used in misinformation, but so far few interventions exist that tackle multimodal misinformation (e.g., videos, images). We developed a game called Cat Park, in which players learn about five manipulation techniques (trolling, emotional manipulation, amplification, polarization, and conspiracism), and how misinformation can spread through images. To test the game’s efficacy, we conducted a conceptual replication (N = 380) of Roozenbeek and van der Linden’s 2020 study about Harmony Square, with the same study design, item set, and hypotheses. Like the original study, we find that people who play Cat Park find misinformation significantly less reliable post-gameplay (d = 0.95, p < 0.001) compared to a control group, and are significantly less willing to share misinformation with people in their network (d = 0.54, p < 0.001). These effects are robust across different covariates. However, unlike the original study, Cat Park players do not become significantly more confident in their ability to identify misinformation (p = 0.204, d = − 0.13). We did not find that the game increases people’s self-reported motivation and confidence to counter misinformation online.
Assessment of groundwater aquifer using geophysical and remote sensing data on the area of Central Sinai, Egypt
Authors: Araffa Sultan A. S. , Hamed Hamed G. , Nayef Alaa , Sabet Hassan S. , AbuBakr Mostafa M. , Mebed Mohamed El.
Published: October 2023

The study aims to assess groundwater resources in Sinai's central area using remote sensing, geoelectric, and well-logging data, utilising techniques for modelling hydrogeological frameworks and evaluating desert regions' groundwater potential. Its utilized satellite image sources, soil maps, and geological maps to map the effects of various factors on groundwater potentiality recharge, dividing it into five zones. Eighteen deep VES stations were used to examine the upper part of the groundwater aquifer in Central Sinai, Egypt, comparing it with available borehole information (Well-1, and JICA-1) to establish subsurface geology and hydro-geology positioning. Borehole data, VES interpretation results, hydro-geophysical maps, and four geoelectrical cross-sections were used to visualize the rearward expansion of eight lithological units, groundwater-bearing sections, and aquifer-filled thicknesses. From interpretation data output reveal three zones with significant recharge and storage potential, including two groundwater aquifers. The shallow aquifer has a saturation thickness of the fractured limestone of 35–250 m, while the deep aquifer Nubian sandstone is detected at depths ranging from 660–1030 m. NW–SE and NE–SW faults likely recharge conduits connecting shallow and deep aquifers, providing sites with acceptable groundwater potential for living, agriculture, and development in Sinai.
Evidence of personality-dependent plasticity in dairy calf movement behaviours derived from automated data collection
Authors: Occhiuto Francesca , Vázquez-Diosdado Jorge A. , King Andrew J. , Kaler Jasmeet
Published: October 2023

Individual consistency in behaviour, known as animal personality, and behavioural plasticity in response to environmental changes are important factors shaping individual behaviour. Correlations between them, called personality-dependent plasticity, indicate that personality can affect individual reactions to the environment. In farm animals this could impact the response to management changes or stressors but has not yet been investigated. Here we use ultra-wideband location sensors to measure personality and plasticity in the movement of 90 dairy calves for up to 56 days starting in small pair-housing enclosures, and subsequently moved to larger social housings. For the first time calves were shown to differ in personality and plasticity of movement when changing housing. There were significant correlations between personality and plasticity for distance travelled (0.57), meaning that individuals that travelled the furthest in the pair housing increased their movement more in the social groups, and for residence time (− 0.65) as those that stayed in the same area more decreased more with the change in housing, demonstrating personality-dependent plasticity. Additionally, calves conformed to their pen-mate’s behaviour in pairs, but this did not continue in the groups. Therefore, personality, plasticity and social effects impact how farm animals respond to changes and can inform management decisions.
Screening COVID-19 by Swaasa AI platform using cough sounds: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Pentakota Padmalatha , Rudraraju Gowrisree , Sripada Narayana Rao , Mamidgi Baswaraj , Gottipulla Charishma , Jalukuru Charan , Palreddy Shubha Deepti , Bhoge Nikhil Kumar Reddy , Firmal Priyanka , Yechuri Venkat , Jain Manmohan , Peddireddi Venkata Sudhakar , Bhimarasetty Devi Madhavi , Sreenivas S. , Prasad K Kesava Lakshmi , Joshi Niranjan , Vijayan Shibu , Turaga Sanchit , Avasarala Vardhan
Published: October 2023

The Advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has led to the use of auditory data for detecting various diseases, including COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 infection has claimed more than six million lives to date and therefore, needs a robust screening technique to control the disease spread. In the present study we created and validated the Swaasa AI platform, which uses the signature cough sound and symptoms presented by patients to screen and prioritize COVID-19 patients. We collected cough data from 234 COVID-19 suspects to validate our Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architecture and Feedforward Artificial Neural Network (FFANN) (tabular features) based algorithm. The final output from both models was combined to predict the likelihood of having the disease. During the clinical validation phase, our model showed a 75.54% accuracy rate in detecting the likely presence of COVID-19, with 95.45% sensitivity and 73.46% specificity. We conducted pilot testing on 183 presumptive COVID subjects, of which 58 were truly COVID-19 positive, resulting in a Positive Predictive Value of 70.73%. Due to the high cost and technical expertise required for currently available rapid screening methods, there is a need for a cost-effective and remote monitoring tool that can serve as a preliminary screening method for potential COVID-19 subjects. Therefore, Swaasa would be highly beneficial in detecting the disease and could have a significant impact in reducing its spread.
The GPCR adaptor protein Norbin regulates S1PR1 trafficking and the morphology, cell cycle and survival of PC12 cells
Authors: Johansen Valdemar B. I. , Hampson Elizabeth , Tsonou Elpida , Pantarelli Chiara , Chu Julia Y. , Crossland Laraine , Okkenhaug Hanneke , Massey Andrew J. , Hornigold David C. , Welch Heidi C. E. , Chetwynd Stephen A.
Published: October 2023

Norbin is an adaptor protein that binds numerous G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), is highly expressed in neurons, and is essential for a functioning nervous system in rodent models. Yet, beyond its control of neurite outgrowth and synaptic plasticity, few cellular roles of Norbin have been investigated to date. Furthermore, while Norbin is known to regulate the steady-state cell surface levels of several GPCRs, only in one case has the protein been shown to control the agonist-induced receptor internalisation which serves to attenuate GPCR signalling. Here, we generated a Norbin-deficient PC12 cell line which enabled us to study both the cellular functions of Norbin and its roles in GPCR trafficking and signalling. We show that Norbin limits cell size and spreading, and is required for the growth, viability and cell cycle progression of PC12 cells. We also found that Norbin regulates both the steady-state surface level and agonist-induced internalisation of the GPCR sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1) in these cells, suggesting that its role in agonist-dependent GPCR trafficking is more widespread than previously appreciated. Finally, we show that Norbin limits the S1P-stimulated activation of Akt and p38 Mapk, and is required for the activation of Erk in PC12 cells. Together, our findings provide a better understanding of the cellular functions of Norbin and its control of GPCR trafficking.
Multifractal foundations of biomarker discovery for heart disease and stroke
Authors: Mangalam Madhur , Sadri Arash , Hayano Junichiro , Watanabe Eiichi , Kiyono Ken , Kelty-Stephen Damian G.
Published: October 2023

Any reliable biomarker has to be specific, generalizable, and reproducible across individuals and contexts. The exact values of such a biomarker must represent similar health states in different individuals and at different times within the same individual to result in the minimum possible false-positive and false-negative rates. The application of standard cut-off points and risk scores across populations hinges upon the assumption of such generalizability. Such generalizability, in turn, hinges upon this condition that the phenomenon investigated by current statistical methods is ergodic, i.e., its statistical measures converge over individuals and time within the finite limit of observations. However, emerging evidence indicates that biological processes abound with nonergodicity, threatening this generalizability. Here, we present a solution for how to make generalizable inferences by deriving ergodic descriptions of nonergodic phenomena. For this aim, we proposed capturing the origin of ergodicity-breaking in many biological processes: cascade dynamics. To assess our hypotheses, we embraced the challenge of identifying reliable biomarkers for heart disease and stroke, which, despite being the leading cause of death worldwide and decades of research, lacks reliable biomarkers and risk stratification tools. We showed that raw R-R interval data and its common descriptors based on mean and variance are nonergodic and non-specific. On the other hand, the cascade-dynamical descriptors, the Hurst exponent encoding linear temporal correlations, and multifractal nonlinearity encoding nonlinear interactions across scales described the nonergodic heart rate variability more ergodically and were specific. This study inaugurates applying the critical concept of ergodicity in discovering and applying digital biomarkers of health and disease.
Differentiation of workers into soldiers is associated with a size reduction of higher-order brain centers in the neotropical termite Procornitermes araujoi
Authors: Valadares Lohan , da Silva Iago Bueno , Costa-Leonardo Ana Maria , Sandoz Jean-Christophe
Published: October 2023

Comparing the size of functionally distinct brain regions across individuals with remarkable differences in sensory processing and cognitive demands provides important insights into the selective forces shaping animal nervous systems. We took advantage of the complex system of worker-to-soldier differentiation in the termitidProcornitermes araujoi, to investigate how a profound modification of body morphology followed by an irreversible shift in task performance are translated in terms of brain structure and size. This behavioural shift is characterised by a reduction of the once wide and complex behavioural repertoire of workers to one exclusively dedicated to nest defence (soldiers). In accordance with soldier’s reduced cognitive and sensory demands, we show here that differentiation of workers into soldiers is associated with a size reduction of the mushroom body (MB) compartments, higher-order brain regions responsible for multimodal processing and integration of sensory information, as well as learning, memory, and decision-making. Moreover, in soldiers, we found an apparent fusion of the medial and lateral MB calyces likely associated with its volume reduction. These results illustrate a functional neuroplasticity of the MB associated with division of labour, supporting the link between MB size and behavioural flexibility in social insect workers.
Visfatin in the porcine pituitary gland: expression and regulation of secretion during the oestrous cycle and early pregnancy
Authors: Szymanska Karolina , Zaobidna Ewa , Rytelewska Edyta , Mlyczynska Ewa , Kurowska Patrycja , Dobrzyn Kamil , Kiezun Marta , Kaminska Barbara , Smolinska Nina , Rak Agnieszka , Kaminski Tadeusz
Published: October 2023

Visfatin is a multifunctional protein which, besides the control of energy homeostasis, seems to be also involved in the regulation of female fertility through the influence on the endocrine hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis, including the pituitary. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of visfatin mRNA and protein in the anterior (AP) and posterior pituitary lobes of the pig during the oestrous cycle and early pregnancy. In AP, we also examined colocalisation of visfatin with pituitary tropic hormones. Moreover, we aimed to evaluate the in vitro effects of GnRH, FSH, LH, and insulin on visfatin protein concentration and secretion in AP cells during the cycle. The study showed that visfatin is present in all types of porcine pituitary endocrine cells and its expression is reliant on stage of the cycle or pregnancy. GnRH, FSH, LH and insulin stimulated visfatin secretion by AP cells on days 17 to 19 of the cycle, while on days 2 to 3 visfatin release was enhanced only by LH. Summarising, visfatin is locally produced in the pituitary in a way dependent on hormonal milieu typical for reproductive status of pigs. Further research is required to clarify the role of visfatin in the pituitary gland.
Dynamic characteristics and reinforcement mechanism of silty soil improved by regenerated fiber polymer
Authors: Liu Lulu , Zhao Jinpeng , Liu Xiaoyan , Lv Shixin
Published: October 2023

The development of economical and efficient roadbed silt reinforcement technology not only guides the proficient utilization of silt resources but also fosters the green development of geotechnical engineering construction. Ensuring the robust dynamic stability of the roadbed is pivotal for the safe operation of vehicular traffic. In this context, employing recycled polyester fibers and inorganic curing agents, this paper leverages dynamic triaxial testing and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods to scrutinize the dynamic characteristics and microscopic mechanisms of recycled fiber polymer modified roadbed silt. The findings indicate that: (1) with a fiber content of 0.2%, the fiber-modified soil sample exhibits minimal damage, maximal dynamic strength and dynamic elastic modulus, and optimum resilience to dynamic loads; (2) akin to fiber-reinforced sand, an elevation in confining pressure can induce the creation of a quasi-cohesive force in fiber-reinforced soil, equivalently enhancing the confining pressure and thereby amplifying its strength; and (3) the surfaces of microparticles in the enhanced soil structure are enveloped with cementitious substances, while smaller soil particles coalesce to form aggregates that fill inter-particle pores, cultivating a denser and more stable improved soil structure and augmenting the dynamic characteristics of the improvement investment.
Thermal acclimatisation to heatwave conditions is rapid but sex-specific in wild zebra finches
Authors: Pessato Anaïs , Udino Eve , McKechnie Andrew E. , Bennett Andrew T. D. , Mariette Mylene M.
Published: October 2023

Under climate change, increasing air temperature average and variability pose substantial thermal challenges to animals. While plasticity in thermoregulatory traits could potentially attenuate this impact, whether thermal acclimatisation can occur quickly enough to track weather variability in hot climates is unknown in any endotherm, and sex differences have never been tested. We investigated acclimatisation responsiveness of male and female wild zebra finches to short-term (< 2 weeks) summer temperature fluctuations in the Australian desert. Hotter weather before respirometry trials triggered a typical acclimatisation response (especially at chamber temperature Tchamb ≥ 40). However, acclimatisation occurred remarkably rapidly: metabolic rate responded within just one day, while body temperature (Tb) and evaporative cooling capacity (EHL/MHP) were best predicted by weather on the trial day; whereas evaporative water loss responded more slowly (1 week). Nonetheless, rapid acclimatisation only occurred in males, and females had higher Tb and lower EHL/MHP than males, potentially increasing hyperthermia risk. Furthermore, acclimatisation did not translate into greater acute heat tolerance (i.e. ability to tolerate Tchamb = 46 °C). Our results therefore reveal surprisingly rapid acclimatisation and even anticipatory adjustments to heat. However, with no changes in acute heat tolerance, and in females, phenotypic flexibility may provide only limited buffering against the detrimental impact of heatwaves.
Diabetes knowledge predicts HbA1c levels of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus in rural China: a ten-month follow-up study
Authors: Wang Xiaoying , Tian Bo , Zhang Shengfa , Zhang Jinsui , Yang Weiping , Li Jina , Wang Weiwei , Wang Yuchen , Zhang Weijun
Published: October 2023

Improving diabetes self-management (DSM) is facing real-world challenges among people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who have a low education level in resource-limited areas. This study aimed to investigate whether diabetes knowledge could predict glycemic levels in people with T2DM in rural China. This analytical cross-sectional study recruited 321 people with T2DM from eight villages by purposive sampling at baseline. After 10 months, 206 patients completed the follow-up survey and HbA1c tests, with a response rate of 64.17% (206/321). Multiple regression analysis was employed to explore the correlation between diabetes knowledge and HbA1c levels. The patient's diabetes knowledge was significantly negatively correlated with HbA1c levels before and after controlling for covariates in both hierarchical multiple regression and multiple logistic regression (p < 0.01). In addition, other influencing factors, including sex, age, marital status, employment status, income, and HbA1c levels at baseline, were also identified. Diabetes knowledge could predict HbA1c levels significantly among patients with low education levels in rural China. Therefore, interventions on improving diabetes knowledge need to be strengthened for patients in rural China so that they can improve their health outcomes and reduce the disease burden.
Multiple green spectroscopic methods for erdosteine determination in bulk and dosage form with extensive greenness evaluation
Authors: Khalil Hadeel A. , El-Kimary Eman I. , El-Yazbi Amira F. , Belal Tarek S.
Published: October 2023

Four simple, sensitive, economical, and eco-friendly spectrophotometric and spectrofluorimetric methods for the assay of erdosteine (ERD) in bulk and dosage form have been developed and validated as per the current ICH guidelines. Method I involved the addition of the powerful oxidizing agent, potassium permanganate to ERD and measuring the oxidation product at 600 nm. Another oxidizing agent; ceric ammonium sulfate was used in Method II where ERD is oxidized resulting in a decline in the absorbance intensity of cerium (IV) ions, measured at 320 nm. Similarly, Method III employed the use of ceric ammonium sulfate, However, the fluorescence intensity of the resulting cerium (III) ions was recorded at λex/λem 255/355 nm, respectively. Whereas in Method IV, ERD was added to acriflavine leading to a proportional decrease in its native fluorescence. Various reaction conditions affecting the intensity of measurement were attentively investigated, optimized, and validated. All the suggested methods did not require any tedious extraction procedures nor organic solvents. The implementation of the proposed methods in ERD assay resulted in linear relationships between the measured signals and the corresponding concentrations of ERD in the range of 1–6, 0.1–1.0, 0.01–0.1, and 10–100 μg/mL with LOD values 0.179, 0.024, 0.0027 and, 3.2 μg/mL for methods I, II, III and IV respectively. The suggested methods were successfully applied to ERD analysis in pure form and in commercial capsules. Furthermore, the eco-friendliness of the proposed methods was thoroughly checked using various greenness testing tools. Lastly, this work, not only presents highly sensitive, green, mix-and-read methods for ERD determination, but also, describes the determination of ERD spectrofluorimetrically for the first time in the literature.
HPV16E1 downregulation altered the cell characteristics involved in cervical cancer development
Authors: Sasivimolrattana Thanayod , Chaiwongkot Arkom , Bhattarakosol Parvapan
Published: October 2023

The primary causes of cervical cancer are human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) and/or other high-risk (Hr −) HPV infections. Hr-HPVE5, E6, and E7 have been identified as oncoproteins that play roles in the development of cancer. However, other HPV proteins, especially E1, may also be involved in cancer development. In this study, the role of HPV16E1 in cervical carcinogenesis was examined by siRNA knockdown experiments using SiHa cells as a model. The results showed that HPV16E1 regulated P-FOXO3a and HPV16E7 expression. Various cell functions associated with the hallmarks of cancer, including cell viability, colony formation, invasion, and anchorage-independent cell growth, were altered when HPV16E1 was downregulated. However, no effect on cell migration and apoptosis properties was found. Moreover, HPV16E1 downregulation resulted in an increase in cisplatin susceptibility. In conclusion, this is the first demonstration that HPV16E1 might be regarded as a possible novel oncoprotein involved in several processes related to oncogenesis.
Thrust enhancement and degradation mechanisms due to self-induced vibrations in bio-inspired flying robots
Authors: Deb Dipan , Huang Kevin , Verma Aakash , Fouda Moatasem , Taha Haithem E.
Published: October 2023

Bio-inspired flying robots (BIFRs) which fly by flapping their wings experience continuously oscillating aerodynamic forces. These oscillations in the driving force cause vibrations in the motion of the body around the mean trajectory. In other words, a hovering BIFR does not remain fixed in space; instead, it undergoes oscillatory motion in almost all directions around the stationary point. These oscillations affect the aerodynamic performance of the flier. Assessing the effect of these oscillations, particularly on thrust generation in two-winged and four-winged BIFRs, is the main objective of this work. To achieve such a goal, two experimental setups were considered to measure the average thrust for the two BIFRs. The average thrust is measured over the flapping cycle of the BIFRs. In the first experimental setup, the BIFR is installed at the end of a pendulum rod, in place of the pendulum mass. While flapping, the model creates a thrust force that raises the model along the circular trajectory of the pendulum mass to a certain angular position, which is an equilibrium point and is also stable. Measuring the weight of the BIFR and the equilibrium angle it obtains, it is straightforward to estimate the average thrust, by moment balance about the pendulum hinge. This pendulum setup allows the BIFR model to freely oscillate back and forth along the circular trajectory about the equilibrium position. As such, the estimated average thrust includes the effects of these self-induced vibrations. In contrast, we use another setup with a load cell to measure thrust where the model is completely fixed. The thrust measurement revealed that the load cell or the fixed test leads to a higher thrust than the pendulum or the oscillatory test for the two-winged model, showing the opposite behavior for the four-winged model. That is, self-induced vibrations have different effects on the two BIFR models. We felt that this observation is worth further investigation. It is important to mention that aerodynamic mechanisms for thrust generation in the two and four-winged models are different. A two-winged BIFR generates thrust through traditional flapping mechanisms whereas a four-winged model enjoys a clapping effect, which results from wing-wing interaction. In the present work, we use a motion capture system, aerodynamic modeling, and flow visualization to study the underlying physics of the observed different behaviors of the two flapping models. The study revealed that the interaction of the vortices with the flapping wing robots may play a role in the observed aerodynamic behavior of the two BIFRs.
Impact of C- and N-terminal protection on the stability, metal chelation and antimicrobial properties of calcitermin
Authors: D’Accolti Maria , Bellotti Denise , Dzień Emilia , Leonetti Carlotta , Leveraro Silvia , Albanese Valentina , Marzola Erika , Guerrini Remo , Caselli Elisabetta , Rowińska-Żyrek Magdalena , Remelli Maurizio
Published: October 2023

The main limitation to the use of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as regular drugs, against antibiotic and antifungal resistance, mainly relates to their rapid degradation by proteolytic enzymes. The introduction of suitable structural changes in the peptide chain can make the peptide less susceptible to the action of proteases, thus overcoming this problem. To improve the plasma stability of calcitermin, a metal-chelating AMP present in the human respiratory tract and investigated in the present study, C- and/or N- terminal modifications have been introduced in the native sequence. Evaluation of peptide stability has been performed to determine the half-life times in human plasma of both native calcitermin and its derivatives. However, the protection of the peptide termini can also affect its metal coordination behaviour. Thus, the characterization of Zn2+ and Cu2+ complexes has been performed by means of several techniques, including potentiometry, high-resolution mass spectrometry, UV–Vis, circular dichroism and EPR. On the basis of the obtained results, it was possible to compare the biological activity of the studied systems, taking into account both the metal-binding ability and the peptide stability to search for a link among them. A significant result of this study is that the N-terminal protection increases the calcitermin half-life over seven times and the formation of metal complexes confers resistance towards degradation almost doubling its half-life.
Synthesis of potent MDA-MB 231 breast cancer drug molecules from single step
Authors: Govindaraj Senthilnathan , Ganesan Kilivelu , Dharmasivam Mahendiran , Raman Lakshmisundaram , Alam Mohammed Mujahid , Amanullah Mohammed
Published: October 2023

We have prepared novel potent breast cancer drug molecules from non-toxic and inexpensive method. Column chromatography is not necessary for purification of target molecules. The value of overall atom economy, environmental factor, environmental catalyst and product mass intensity gives additional merits for this synthetic method. Synthesized flexible dimeric imidazolium bromides showed less toxicity and gives excellent anticancer response against normal mammary epithelial cells. Novel dimeric pyridinium bromides showed excellent anticancer response against tested cancer cell lines. In cell cycle, novel flexible dimeric pyridinium bromides showed significant arrest in the G2/M phase by nearly three folds, when compared with control drug. We have studied the targeting epidermal growth factor receptor for all the synthesized flexible amino substituted and methyl substituted dimeric pyridinium bromides.
Analysis of proteins released from osteoarthritic cartilage by compressive loading
Authors: Tsuno Hirotaka , Tanaka Nobuho , Naito Masashi , Ohashi Satoru , Iwasawa Mitsuyasu , Kadoguchi Tomoyasu , Mitomi Hiroyuki , Matsui Toshihiro , Furukawa Hiroshi , Fukui Naoshi
Published: October 2023

In osteoarthritis (OA), synovial pathology may be induced by proteins released from degenerated cartilage. This study was conducted to identify the proteins released from OA cartilage. OA cartilage was obtained from OA knees at macroscopically preserved areas (PRES) and degenerated areas (DEG), while control cartilage (CONT) was collected from non-arthritic knees. Released proteins were obtained from these cartilage samples by repeatedly applying compressive loading, which simulated loading on cartilage in vivo. The released proteins were analyzed comprehensively by antibody array analyses and a quantitative proteomic analysis. For several proteins, the exact amounts released were determined by Luminex assays. The amount of active TGF-β that was released was determined by an assay using genetically-engineered HEK cells. The results of the antibody array and proteomic analyses revealed that various biologically active proteins are released from OA cartilage, particularly from DEG, by loading. The Luminex assay confirmed that several alarmins, complement proteins C3a and C5a, and several angiogenic proteins including FGF-1, FGF-2 and VEGF-A were released in greater amounts from DEG than from CONT. The HEK cell assay indicated that active TGF-β was released from DEG at biologically significant levels. These findings may be helpful in understanding the pathology of OA.
Cocaine-induced loss of LTD and social impairments are restored by fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibition
Authors: Alegre-Zurano Laia , Caceres-Rodriguez Alba , Berbegal-Sáez Paula , Lassalle Olivier , Manzoni Olivier , Valverde Olga
Published: October 2023

A single dose of cocaine abolishes endocannabinoid-mediated long-term depression (eCB-LTD) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) within 24 h of administration. However, it is uncertain whether this altered neuroplasticity entails a behavioral deficit. As previously reported, after a single dose of cocaine (20 mg/kg), mice displayed impaired eCB-LTD in the NAc. Such cocaine-induced neuroplastic impairment was accompanied by an altered preference for saccharin and social interactions and a reduction in mRNA levels of the anandamide-catabolizing enzyme NAPE-PLD. The pharmacological increase of anandamide through the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitor URB597 (1 mg/kg) reversed the cocaine-induced loss of eCB-LTD in the NAc and restored normal social interaction in cocaine-exposed mice, but it did not affect saccharin preference. Overall, this research underlines the neuroplastic and behavioral alterations occurring after the initial use of cocaine and suggests a potential role for anandamide.