bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Classifiers
Authors: Aikhenvald Alexandra Y
Published: February 2025

Almost all languages have some grammatical means for the linguistic categorization of nouns. Well-known systems such as the lexical numeral classifiers of South-East Asia, on the one hand, and the highly grammaticalized gender agreement classes of Indo-European languages, on the other, are the extremes of a contiuum. They can have a similar semantic basis, and one can develop from the other. Classifiers come in different morphological forms; they can be free nouns, clitics, or affixes. Some languages combine several varieties of classifiers. Different types of classifiers show varying correlations with other grammatical categories. In addition, they differ in their semantics, in the way they develop, and in the way they become obsolescent and disappear. These parameters are the basis for the typology of classifiers presented here. This book is almost certainly the most substantial cross-linguistic account of classifiers ever published. Its range of exemplification includes major and minor languages from every continent (several from the author's own fieldwork). The work combines original research with innovative analysis and will interest typologists, those working in the field of morphosyntactic variation and lexical semantics, and exponents of formal theories who wish to explain the range of linguistic diversity found in natural language.
Noun Classifiers
Authors: Aikhenvald Alexandra Y
Published: February 2025

Noun classifiers characterize the noun and cooccur with it in a noun phrase. They have been recognized in Australian (Dixon 1977; 1982; Wilkins 1989; Sands 1995: 269-70) and in Mesoamerican languages (Craig 1986b; 1986c). Their properties have been discussed by Craig (1992; forth coming; §3.2.3 below). In the Australianist tradition, they are called ‘generic classifiers’, or ‘generics’ (Sands 1995: 269-70; Harvey and Reid 1997: 9-10).The definitional property of noun classifiers is that their presence in a noun phrase is independent of other constituents inside or outside it. Their ‘scope’ is a noun phrase. They are a type of non-agreeing noun categorization device, their choice being determined by lexical selection, and not by matching any inflectional properties of nouns with any other constituents of a noun phrase.
Numeral Classifiers
Authors: Aikhenvald Alexandra Y
Published: February 2025

Numeral classifiers are perhaps the most commonly recognized type of classifier system.They appear contiquous to numerals in numeral noun phrases and expressions of quantity. Numerical classifiers do not have no agreement in numeral classifier between the noun and another constitutent.
Multiple Classifier Languages
Authors: Aikhenvald Alexandra Y
Published: February 2025

The same, or almost the same, set of morphemes can be used in more than one classifier environment. These morphemes may have different grammatical properties, or be more or less obligatory depending on what classifier environment they are in. We label them ‘multiple classifier’ systems. Noun categorization in multiple classifier languages is discussed in §9.1. In §9.2 the multiple classifier systems are compared with noun class agreement on different targets. In §9.3 we discuss some borderline cases.
Semantics of Noun Categorization Devices
Authors: Aikhenvald Alexandra Y
Published: February 2025

All noun categorization devices have some semantic basis. Different classifier types tend to correlate with different semantic parameters. Many systems allow variable choice of classifiers; then classifiers may specify the meaning of a polysemous noun. The semantic parameters employed in noun categorization are discussed in §11.1. The semantics of each type of classifier is considered in §11.2. The semantic organization of classifier systems and their functions are considered in the next chapter.
Semantic Organization and Functions of Noun Categorization
Authors: Aikhenvald Alexandra Y
Published: February 2025

This chapter considers various aspects of the semantics of noun categorization devices and their implications for the study of human cognition and culture. Semantic features encoded in noun categorization reflect principles of human cognition and world perception. This is why it has often been argued that classifiers offer ‘a unique window’ into studying how humans construct representations of the world and encode them into their languages (Lakoff 1986; Craig forthcoming). The semantics of classifiers is often conditioned by the socio-cultural and physical environment in which a language is spoken and is often affected by social changes, language planning, and cultural obsolescence.
Origin and Development of Noun Categorization Devices
Authors: Aikhenvald Alexandra Y
Published: February 2025

This chapter deals with the origin, evolution, and decay of classifiers of different kinds which may have different language-internal-lexical or grammatical-sources and may involve different grammaticalization paths. I also discuss the paths of evolution and restructuring of noun categorization devices, and the development and loss of agreement on different targets. Language-internal and language-external motivation for the emergence, restructuring and decay of classifiers are considered next. Further on, I analyse the semantic changes within classifier systems which take place in the course of grammaticalization-from a lexical source to a classifier--as well as within an already established classifier system. Appendix 2 provides further examples of semantic changes in classifiers. Different kinds of classifiers tend to have different language-internal sources-some have lexical sources (see §13.1), while others come from closed grammatical classes; for instance, a demonstrative can become a gender agreement affix, or an adposition can become a locative classifier (see §13.2).
Conclusions
Authors: Aikhenvald Alexandra Y
Published: February 2025

This concluding chapter recapitulates and summarizes the general themes which have emerged from a cross-linguistic study of noun categorization devices. An overview of established classifier types used in different morphosyntactic environments and of their synchronic and diachronic properties-which cover their morphological realization and role in agreement, principles of assignment, interaction with other grammatical categories, semantics, and functions, as well as their origin and role in language acquisition and dissolution-are summarized in §15.currence of different classifiers in one language, multiple classifier languages, and the problem of prototypes and continua in noun categorization are discussed in §15.2. The last section, §15.3, considers further prospects for the study of noun categorization devices. Properties of classifier types In this section I present an overview of the established types of classifiers.
Selective inhibitors of the TrkC.T1 receptor reduce retinal inflammation and delay neuronal death in a model of retinitis pigmentosa
Authors: Brahimi Fouad , Nassour Hassan , Galan Alba , Guruswamy Revathy , Ortiz Christina , Nejatie Ali , Nedev Hinyu , Trempe Jean-Francois , Saragovi H Uri
Published: February 2025

The heterogeneity of receptor isoforms can cause an apparent paradox where each isoform can promote different or even opposite biological pathways. One example is the neurotrophin receptor TrkC. The trkC mRNA translates a full-length receptor tyrosine kinase (TrkC-FL) whose activation by the growth factor NT3 promotes neuronal survival. In some diseases, the trkC mRNA is spliced to a kinase-truncated isoform (TrkC.T1) whose activation by NT3 up-regulates tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) causing neurotoxicity. Since TrkC.T1 expression is significantly increased at the onset of neurodegeneration, we hypothesized that in disease TrkC.T1-mediated toxicity prevails over TrkC-FL-mediated survival. To study this, we developed small molecules that selectively antagonize NT3-driven TrkC.T1 neurotoxicity without compromising TrkC-FL survival. In a genetic mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa, therapeutic administration of TrkC.T1 antagonists prevents elevation of TNF-α and reduces photoreceptor neuronal death. This work demonstrates the importance of accounting for functional and structural heterogeneity in receptor–ligand interactions, illustrates chemical biology strategies to develop isoform-selective agents, validates TrkC.T1 as a druggable target, and expands the therapeutic concept of reducing neurotoxicity as a strategy to achieve neuroprotection.
Global consistency of urban scaling evidenced by remote sensing
Authors: Xu Zhibang , Xu Gang , Lan Ting , Li Xi , Chen Zuoqi , Cui Hao , Zhou Zhengzi , Wang Haowei , Jiao Limin , Small Christopher
Published: February 2025

The urban scaling theory (UST) strives for a universal taxonomy that depicts relationships among urban indicators (e.g. energy consumption, economic output) with city size. However, the lack of international agreement on city definitions and statistics complicates cross-country comparisons of urban scaling performance. Remote sensing provides a uniform standard for measuring cities around the world. To scrutinize the consistency of UST, we quantified changes in remotely sensed urban built-up areas (UBA) and nighttime lights (NTL) distributions from 11,581 cities in 61 countries spanning 2000–2020, representing urban physical elements and socioeconomic activities, respectively. We find that UBA is well described by UST in all analyzed countries, while NTL aligns with 98% of them. UST quantified by remote sensing shows greater robustness than country-dependent aggregate statistics. We also observed disparities of scaling exponents (β) among countries, with UBA all being sublinear (β < 1), and NTL ranging from 0.46 to 1.22 with a median of 0.94. Both UST and rank-size distributions of urban area and population show stronger scaling relationships for countries with larger networks of built environments, (Brazil, China, Germany, Japan, Russia, United States) suggesting that both size and evolution of urban systems impact the underlying scaling processes. Comparison of scaling properties of remotely sensed UBA and NTL captures complementary physical characteristics of built environments while minimizing the Modifiable Area Unit Problem introduced using spatially aggregated metrics within administrative units. Our findings highlight the consistency of urban growth patterns while confirming the systematic socioeconomic disparities among urban systems of varying size and growth trajectory.
Feeding of a high protein, low carbohydrate diet leads to greater postprandial energy expenditure and fasted n6: n3 fatty acid ratio in lean, adult dogs compared to a moderate protein, moderate carbohydrate diet
Authors: Banton Sydney , Pezzali Júlia G , Richards Taylor , Hillyer Lyn M , Ma David W L , Pisco Jesús M , Templeman James R , Shoveller Anna K
Published: February 2025

High protein, low carbohydrate (HPLC) diets are often sought out by dog owners. They are reported to have beneficial effects on energy expenditure (EE), fat oxidation, and may alter the serum fatty acid profile. However, there is little to no data to support the feeding of HPLC diets to healthy adult dogs. Thus, the objective of the present study was to interrogate the health claims related to the feeding of HPLC diets to healthy adult dogs using a commercially available HPLC diet (48% of metabolizable energy (ME) from protein, 10% of ME from nitrogen-free extract; NFE), a moderate protein, moderate carbohydrate (MPMC) diet (28% of ME from protein, 39% of ME from NFE) formulated with the same ingredients as HPLC, and a commercially available, MPMC, high fiber, ‘metabolic’ (MET) diet (30% of ME from protein, 37% of ME from NFE) as a commercial control. Diets were fed to 9 healthy, large breed dogs for 42 days in a Latin square design. Fasted blood samples were collected on days -2 (baseline), 12, 26 and 40, and indirect calorimetry was performed on 8 dogs on days 20 and 39 to measure respiratory quotient (RQ) and EE. Statistics were performed in SAS Studio (version 9.4). Dogs fed HPLC had a lower RQ at fasted (0.76), 0-4 hrs (0.78) and 5-10 hrs (0.83) post-meal compared to dogs fed MET (0.80, 0.83, 0.90) and MPMC (0.80, 0.84, 0.91; P<0.05). All dogs had a similar EE at fasted but dogs fed HPLC had a greater postprandial EE at 0-4 hrs (5.36 kcal/kg0.75) and 5-10 hrs (5.46 kcal/kg0.75) compared to dogs fed MPMC (4.79 and 4.84 kcal/kg0.75; P<0.05). Dogs fed MET (4.98, 4.96 kcal/kg0.75) were similar to both (P>0.05). Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA; 18:3n3), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA; 22:5n3) and total n3 were all greater in dogs fed MET at each week (P<0.05). In contrast, total n6: n3 and arachidonic acid (ARA; 20:4n6): eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5n3) were both greater (P<0.05) in dogs fed HPLC and MPMC compared to dogs fed MET at each week. This study represents the first to assess EE and serum fatty acids in adult large breed dogs consuming a HPLC diet for 6 weeks. Consuming a HPLC diet led to potential beneficial effects of increased EE and fat oxidation after a meal, which has the potential to be useful in managing obesity, a common health concern in dogs.
Genomic surveillance and evolution of Getah virus
Authors: Shen Jiaqi , Liu Shaogui , Liu Shiqiang , Shen Shiyi , Lei Mingkai , Xu Qian , Li Wentao , He Qigai , Xu Xiaojuan , Cai Xuwang
Published: February 2025

Getah virus (GETV), a member of the Alphaviruses, has spread widely and is expanding its host range worldwide, posing a serious threat to public health safety and the farming industry. However, genetic monitoring of GETV is inadequate, and its evolution and transmission remain unclear. This study employed reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction to screen pig tissue samples for the presence of GETV. Subsequent steps included DNA sequencing, phylogenetic analysis, and selection pressure assessments to elucidate the evolutionary history and transmission patterns of the virus. A total of 1382 samples were examined, with a positivity rate of 4.12% (95% confidence interval: 3.07%–5.17%) from 2022 to 2023. Subsequently, seven GETV strains were isolated and identified. A phylogenetic tree was constructed, which showed that all seven strains belonged to Group III. Phylodynamic analysis revealed that GETV evolved rapidly. Additionally, eight amino acid sites within the GETV E2 protein were identified as being under positive selection. These data provide insight into the epidemiology and evolution of GETV.
Host range and molecular characterization of the four races of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae
Authors: Waqas Muhammad , Gilardi Giovanna , Guarnaccia Vladimiro , Spadaro Davide
Published: February 2025

Vascular wilt of lettuce is caused by strains of the Fusarium oxysporum species complex. According to their biological activity, these strains are members of the forma specialis lactucae (FOL). The aim of this study was to characterize strains of Fusarium oxysporum isolated from lettuce in Italy and other countries, belonging to the four currently known races. Strains were analyzed based on pathogenicity on different hosts and a combined phylogenetic analysis of rpb2, tef-1α, cmdA and tub2 genes. For uncharacterized strains, the race was determined through pathogenicity test with a set of differential lettuce cultivars for races 1 and 4. To assess the host range, pathogenicity tests were performed on five species: lettuce (Lactuca sativa), lamb's lettuce (Valerianella locusta), spinach (Spinacia oleracea), wild rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) and cultivated rocket (Eruca sativa). Most FOL strains were pathogenic on lettuce with different levels of disease severity; in particular, FOL races 3 and 4 showed the highest level of virulence on lettuce. FOL races 3 and 4 were pathogenic both on lettuce and lamb’s lettuce, whereas races 1 and 2 only on lettuce. Furthermore, this study identified the first occurrence of FOL race 4 in Italy to 2016, as the strain FOL 1/16 was assigned to race 4. Results of multigene phylogenetic analysis showed that FOL races 1 and 4 cluster with the species F. curvatum, strains of race 2 with F. curvatum and F. odoratissimum and strains of race 3 with F. cugenangense. Phylogenetically, race 4 is very close to race 1, but it showed more similarities to race 3 for host range and virulence. This study shows for the first time a broader host range for the races 3 and 4 of FOL. The results demonstrate that phylogenetic analysis permits the separation of some races of FOL, but phylogenetic classification alone is insufficient for conclusive separation of races, therefore it should be accompanied by biological assays based on pathogenicity.
Ecofriendly Control Strategies Against Clavibacter michiganensis, the Causal Agent of Bacterial Canker of Tomato
Authors: Sedighian Nasim , Guineheux Anaelle , Van der Wolf Jan , Déziel Eric
Published: February 2025

Bacterial canker of tomato, caused by the pathogenic Gram-positive bacterium Clavibacter michiganensis, represents a serious threat to tomato growers worldwide. Diverse approaches have been reported to control this infectious and aggressive bacterium. Current control strategy mostly relies on the application of copper-based products, and to some extent mancozeb and streptomycin, which are leading to growing concerns about resistance promotion, phytotoxicity effect and environmental pollution. In this paper, we present a comprehensive overview on ecofriendly management strategies to control this phytopathogen. New technologies, including the application of biological and non-biological inducers integrated with conventional preventive measures, represent a new approach in plant protection to develop a sustainable strategy to fight this devastating disease.
Evidence-based treatment approaches for adolescent electronic cigarette use
Authors: Solano Laura
Published: February 2025

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are the most commonly used tobacco product by adolescents. This article describes the harmful effects of e-cigarette use in adolescents and how to evaluate for severity of nicotine dependence. It also provides an overview of treatment approaches, including behavioral interventions, contingency interventions, pharmacologic options, school-based programs, combination and emerging approaches, and transcranial magnetic stimulation.
General Anesthesia Combined with Quadratus Lumborum Block Reduces Emergence Delirium in Children after Laparoscopic Surgery
Authors: Xie Haihang , Wei Wei , Xu Yingyi , Zhang Na , Li Bilian , Fan Yanting , Huang Fa , Gao Yu , Ma Daqing , Tan Yonghong , Zhao Tianyun
Published: February 2025

Background:

Emergency delirium (ED) is a common and serious postoperative complication especially after pediatric surgery. Quadratus lumborum block (QLB) are critical components of the multimodal, opioid-sparing analgesia regimens, which provide effective analgesia, reduce opioid consumption, and attenuate surgical stress response. Therefore, this trial was designed to validate the hypothesis that the adjunctive use of QLB reduces the incidence of ED after laparoscopic surgery in children.

Methods:

Children aged 1-6 years who underwent laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia were randomly divided into general anesthesia combined with QLB group (Group G+Q) or general anesthesia group (Group G). The primary outcome was the incidence of ED in postanesthesia care unit (PACU), the incidence of delirium 24 hrs postoperatively, extubation time, length of stay in PACU, opioid consumption and pain score were recorded.

Results:

From July 2020 to October 2022, 292 children were randomized and 287 completed the study. The incidence of delirium in Group G+Q were significantly lower than that in Group G in PACU (16.1% vs 47.9%, P<0.001) and 24 hrs postoperatively (3.4% vs 11.1%; P<0.05). The time of extubation time (21.2±11.4 min vs 18.2±11.8 min; P<0.05) and PACU stay in Group G were significantly longer than Group G+Q (57.2±20.3 min vs 48.9±20.4 min, P<0.01) compared with Group G.

Discussion:

General anesthesia combined with QLB can significantly reduce the incidence of ED, shorten the extubation time and PACU residence time, and improve the quality of resuscitation.
Diagnosis and management of concurrent metastatic melanoma and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia
Authors: Bhatt Kishan A. , Vaynrub Anna J. , Cham Jason , Iyer Sunil G. , Izar Benjamin
Published: February 2025

While the association between chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and a higher incidence of melanoma is well documented, the diagnosis of concurrent high-risk chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) and metastatic melanoma (MM) has not previously been described. Moreover, the treatment of MM and CMML differ greatly in the mechanism of action of their corresponding antineoplastic therapies: treatment of MM frequently involves immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), while patients with CMML receive myelosuppressive agents. Simultaneous management of these malignancies can be nuanced due to the potential impact of one treatment’s constituents on the activity of the other and the broad and nonoverlapping array of potential adverse effects of these agents. Here, we describe the clinical course of a patient who was diagnosed with concurrent MM and CMML and our approach to the challenging balance of delivering ICI concurrently with the hypomethylating agent azacitidine and the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax.
Audit on physicians’ adherence with the WHO analgesic ladder to treat postoperative pain
Authors: Asrat Banchayehu Enawgaw , Temesgen Mamaru Mollalign , Tawuye Hailu Yimer , Gebremedhn Endale Gebreegziabher
Published: February 2025

Background:

Poorly controlled postoperative pain has many adverse effects on the patients. Pain management can be improved using the World Health Organization (WHO) analgesic ladder. However, the adherence of physicians with the WHO analgesic ladder remains unexplored in our hospital.

Objective:

To assess physicians’ adherence with WHO analgesic ladder to treat postoperative pain.

Methods:

Hospital-based cross-sectional clinical audit was conducted. Data were collected using checklist and interview. The SPSS version 25 was used for analysis and descriptive statistics used.

Results:

A total of 120 patients were included in this audit. A total of 18 (15%), 51 (42.5%), and 51 (42.5%) patients experienced mild, moderate, and severe pain, respectively. However, pain assessment was done for 3 (2.5%) of the patients. Only 33 (27.5%) of the patients with postoperative pain were treated according to the WHO analgesic ladder. Patients with mild 6 (5%) and moderate pain 63 (52.5%) were treated in accordance with the WHO analgesic ladder. About 45 (37.5%) of patients did not receive analgesia despite they experienced mild to severe pain. None of the patients with severe pain received strong opioids. Similarly, 56 (46.6%) and 21 (17.5%) of patients who experienced moderate and severe postoperative pain did not receive analgesia, respectively.

Conclusion and recommendation:

The practice of postoperative pain management is very poor in our hospital. Compared to the WHO pain management ladder, the physicians did not follow the postoperative pain management recommendation. It is recommended that training about postoperative pain assessment and management (including WHO analgesic ladder) should be provided for physicians.
Changes in Seasonal Patterns for Common Pediatric Respiratory Viruses During the COVID Pandemic
Authors: Lozy Tara , Perotte Rimma , Eigen Austin , Eigen Karen , Kourgialis Ashley , Scheinert Timothy , Nemetski Sondra Maureen
Published: February 2025

Objectives:

Observed alterations in seasonal patterns of common pediatric respiratory viruses during and immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic had far-reaching implications for the care of ill children. Here, we quantify the effects of the pandemic and related nonpharmaceutical interventions on the prevalence and seasonality of common pediatric respiratory illnesses.

Methods:

We performed a retrospective chart review within a large health network to identify incidence rates of common respiratory viruses and compared them to historical trends. Time series analyses using seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average models were utilized to identify seasonal patterns for the different virus types and quantify deviations from expected incidence rates.

Results:

Overall, we noted a steep decline in non-COVID viral infection rates at the onset of the COVID pandemic in March 2020, largely coincident with the institution of mask mandates and lockdown measures. This trend continued until the Spring of 2021, at which time non-COVID infections resurged to rates higher than pre-COVID levels. In addition, the historically observed seasonality of these viruses was significantly disrupted by the pandemic. In particular, the historical peaks for influenza A and human metapneumovirus shifted from February and March, respectively, to bimodal peaks in December 2021 and May 2022; respiratory syncytial virus demonstrated an unprecedented Spring/Summer season in 2021; parainfluenza type 1 was unusually active in 2022, an even-numbered year; and influenza B virtually disappeared during and immediately after the pandemic.

Conclusions:

Our observations add to the growing body of literature supporting the hypothesis that human interactions are one of the key drivers of pediatric respiratory viral seasonality in addition to climate. Understanding the effect of human interactions on disease spread is crucial for the development of effective mitigation measures for future pandemics while avoiding dangerous spikes of other illnesses once those interventions are lifted.
Narrative review of the efficacy and safety of the high-concentration (179mg) capsaicin patch in peripheral neuropathic pain with recommendations for clinical practice and future research
Authors: Freynhagen Rainer , Baron Ralf , Huygen Frank , Perrot Serge
Published: February 2025

High-concentration capsaicin patch (HC capsaicin patch) is a locally acting treatment option for adults with peripheral neuropathic pain (pNeP) of various etiologies. Numerous clinical trials, post hoc analyses, and meta-analyses have investigated the efficacy and tolerability of the HC capsaicin patch. Despite this extensive body of research, a comprehensive narrative review covering publications on different pNeP conditions is lacking. This narrative review aims to fill the gap by analyzing 52 studies, including randomized controlled trials and real-world evidence. The results show that the HC capsaicin patch consistently provides pain relief and improves quality of life for several pNeP conditions, with increasing benefits seen with repeated treatments. It was found to be superior to placebo and comparable to standard care, regardless of the origin of the pain. Early initiation of therapy appears to improve efficacy, although patients with more prolonged pain also benefit. While the exact mechanisms of action are still unclear, there is evidence to suggest a potential benefit from nerve regeneration in some conditions. However, limited information exists regarding the alteration of treatment intervals and the variation in the size of the painful area upon re-treatment. The review also identifies variability in response rates for different types of pNeP and a lack of reliable predictors of treatment success, indicating a need for further research. In conclusion, the HC capsaicin patch is effective and well tolerated across a range of pNeP conditions, with increasing efficacy upon retreatment. It is a valuable treatment option, although more research is needed to refine its clinical use and explore its full therapeutic potential.
Ultrasound-guided rhomboid intercostal block combined with subserratus plane block vs pectoral nerve block type-2 in analgesia for breast-conserving surgery (randomized, controlled study)
Authors: Soliman Ahmed Mohamed , Kamel Mahmoud A. , khalil Asmaa Elsayed , Kotb Tamer Ahmed , Abed Sayed Mahmoud , Abdelmoneim Noha Mohamed
Published: February 2025

Introduction:

The most frequent malignancy in women is the breast cancer, the rhomboid intercostal and subserratus plane (RISS) block is a novel regional approach.

Objectives:

This study evaluated the analgesic efficacy of the RISS block compared to type 2 Pectoral Nerve (PECS II) block in breast cancer patients following breast-conserving surgery (BCS).

Methods:

This randomized controlled trial comprised 69 women with breast cancer scheduled for unilateral BCS under general anesthesia, randomly allocated into 3 equal groups. The RISS group had unilateral RISS block using 20 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine between rhomboid major and intercostal muscles and an equal volume between external intercostal and serratus anterior muscles. The PECs Group received a PECS II block using 20 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine between pectoralis major and minor muscles and 10 mL between pectoralis major and serratus muscles. The control group did not get any blocks. The primary outcome was total postoperative morphine consumption within 24 hours. The secondary outcomes were pain score, first request for rescue analgesia, intraoperative fentanyl consumption, and hemodynamics.

Results:

Requesting rescue morphine analgesia was significantly less frequent in the RISS and PECs groups compared to controls (5, 1, and 23 patients, respectively, P < 0.001). Similar findings were found in the need for extra intraoperative fentanyl (P < 0.001). Pain scores in the RISS and PECs groups were significantly lower than the control group, while RISS and PECs groups had comparable scores throughout the postoperative period. All hemodynamic readings were within the clinically acceptable ranges.

Conclusion:

In patients undergoing BCS, RISS and PECs II block are comparable, safe, and effective regional analgesic alternatives.
Tossing the coin of ESBL: Prevalence of ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from patients with sepsis.
Authors: Achan Beatrice , Luggya Tonny , Ebwongu Robert Innocent , Sekyanzi Simon , Kajumbula Henry
Published: February 2025

Background.

Klebsiella pneumoniae is part of the ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter spp) group of MDR pathogens. It is the second leading cause of nosocomial bloodstream infections, and it has a propensity to be drug resistant. Therefore, it was aimed to determine the antibiotic resistance patterns of K. pneumoniae isolated from blood cultures of patients with features of sepsis at Mulago National Referral Hospital, Uganda.
Methods
The cross-sectional study on patients with features of sepsis utilised K. pneumoniae (N= 30) isolated from positive blood culture specimens. The antibiotic resistance profile was determined by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute’s Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method, which was used to classify the isolates as susceptible, intermediate, and resistant. K. pneumoniae isolates that were resistant to third generation cephalosporins were subjected to extended spectrum b-lactamase (ESBL) screening and confirmation using the double-disk synergy test using cefotaxime, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime-clavulanic acid, and ceftazidime-clavulanic acid. The results were analysed for frequencies.

Results.

K. pneumoniae isolates showed minimum resistance to imipenem 13% (4/30) followed by amikacin 17% (5/30). There was intermediate resistance to gentamycin 60% (18/30). However, K. pneumoniae showed the highest resistance to piperacillin; 100% (30/30) followed by sulphamethoxazole-trimethoprim and cefepime both showing a percentage of 97% (29/30). Up to 16/30 (53.3%) of K. pneumoniae were positive for ESBL production while 14/30 (46.7%) were negative.
Conclusion.
There was a high prevalence of antibiotic resistant ESBL-producing K pneumoniae isolates from bloodstream infection of patients with features of sepsis in Uganda’s Mulago National Referral Hospital.
Diastolic Perfusion Pressure Predicts Response to Inotropes/Vasopressors and Benefit from Mechanical Circulatory Support in Cardiogenic Shock?
Authors: Lim Hoong Sern , Vondrakova Dagmar , Belohlavek Jan , Rokyta Richard , Ostadal Petr
Published: February 2025

Background

Hemodynamic response to escalation of vasoactive drugs has not been well-characterized in patients with cardiogenic shock CS. We tested the hypothesis that lower diastolic perfusion pressure (DPP=diastolic blood pressure-right atrial pressure) was associated with more limited hemodynamic response to up-titration of vasoactive drugs and with possible benefit from early mechanical circulatory support (MCS) in patients with CS.

Methods

This study consisted of two parts. (i) We evaluated the relationship between baseline DPP and changes in cardiac power output index (CPOI) in response to increase in vasoactive drugs in a cohort of patients with CS (n=93). (ii) We compared all-cause mortality based on baseline DPP in a post hoc analysis of the ECMO CS trial. CPOI responders were defined as post-escalation CPOI≥0.28 W/m2.

Results

Vasoactive inotrope score escalated from 11.2±3.9 to 24.5±4.7. Escalation of vasoactive drugs was associated with increases in CPOI to 0.23±0.06 W/m2(all p<0.001).

Post-escalation CPOI was directly related to baseline cardiac index and DPP. Baseline DPP discriminated CPO responders from non-responders with optimal cutoff of 37mmHg. Patients with baseline DPP≥37mmHg had greater CPOI increase and lactate clearance. In the ECMO-CS trial, patients with DPP˂37mmHg had lower mortality (HR 0.37, 95% CI 0.14-0.97, P=0.044) with immediate VA ECMO compared to early conservative management, but no significant difference in the subgroup with DPP≥37mmHg.

Conclusion

Lower DPP was associated with more limited hemodynamic response to escalation of vasoactive drugs and potentially greater benefit from early VA-ECMO in CS.
Targeting non-canonical NF-κB signalling in CYLD cutaneous syndrome by selective inhibition of IκB kinase alpha
Authors: Hodgson Kirsty , Inns Joseph , Reynolds Gary , Stephenson Emily , Paul Andrew , Sinclair Naomi , Berretta Giacomo , Lawson Christopher , Frey Andrew Michael , Ivanova Iglika , Adam Eva , Lord Christopher J. , Cockell Simon , Coxhead Jonathan , Nagy Nikoletta , Adams David , Szell Marta , Trost Matthias , Haniffa Muzlifah , Mackay Simon P. , Perkins Neil , Rajan Neil
Published: February 2025

CYLD cutaneous syndrome (CCS) skin tumors develop from puberty onwards, can number in the hundreds and progressively grow over time. CCS patients lack medical therapies and require repeated surgery to control tumor burden.CYLDloss of heterozygosity (LOH) drives tumor growth, and CCS tumors have previously been shown to demonstrate increased canonical NF-κB and Wnt signalling. Here, we demonstrate evidence of non-canonical NF-κB signalling in CCS tumor keratinocytes, with increased p100 to p52 processing and RelB protein expression compared to normal skin. Utilizing complementary transcriptomics and proteomics on patient derived CCS tumor cell fractions, we identify IκB kinase alpha (IKKα) as a candidate target in the non-canonical NF-κB signalling pathway. A novel, highly selective, IKKα inhibitor (SU1644) used in patient derived CCS tumor spheroid cultures demonstrated that IKKα inhibition reduced tumor spheroid viability. These data provide the pre-clinical rationale for the assessment of topical IKKα inhibitors as a novel preventative treatment for CCS.

Teaser

Topical IKKα inhibition emerges as a potential therapy for CYLD cutaneous syndrome by targeting non-canonical NF-κB signalling

Graphical abstract
Novel Pipelines to Extract Differences in Proteome Dynamics Based on Health Status
Authors: Xu Bowen , Zhao Jiaying , Huang Tianhui , Honfo Sewanou Hermann , Trumpff Caroline , Picard Martin , Cohen Alan A. , Liu Molei
Published: February 2025

Understanding dynamics and co-regulatory patterns in the human proteome is a promising path for unraveling the molecular basis of health and disease. Nevertheless, there remains an open challenge in extracting concise information from high-throughput proteomic data that can effectively characterize and predict health. We develop novel statistical and computational pipelines to tackle this problem in a longitudinal saliva proteomics data set collected throughout the awakening response in six healthy controls and six subjects with severe mitochondrial disease (MitoD), a clinical condition caused by genetic mitochondrial defects that affects cellular energy transformation and alters multiple dimensions of health.

We undertook three independent unsupervised approaches to characterize proteome dynamics and assessed their ability to separate MitoD individuals from controls. First, we designed a permutation test to detect the global difference in the proteomic co-regulation structure between healthy and unhealthy subjects. Second, we performed non-linear embedding and cluster analysis on elasticity to capture a more complicated relationship between health and the proteome. Third, we developed a machine learning algorithm to extract low-dimensional representations of the proteome dynamic and use them to cluster subjects into healthy and unhealthy groups without any knowledge of their true status. All three methods showed clear differences between MitoD individuals and controls.

Our results revealed a significant and consistent association between MitoD status and the saliva proteome at multiple levels during the awakening response, including its dynamic change, co-regulation structure, and elasticity. This connection is not restricted to a few MitoD-specific proteins but spreads over a wide range of proteins from many body functions and pathways. Pipelines such as those shown here are the first step toward establishing interpretable and accurate prediction rules for health based on proteome dynamics.
Molecular and Immunological Signatures of Long COVID: Implications for Diagnosis and Personalized Treatment Strategies
Authors: Hammink Jorine KN , van Elst Tim R
Published: February 2025

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has led to an emerging health challenge known as long COVID, also known as PASC, post-acute sequelae of COVID-19, characterized by symptoms that persist beyond the acute phase of infection. While acute COVID-19 has been extensively studied, the molecular and immunological mechanisms underlying long COVID remain poorly understood. This study aims to investigate these mechanisms by examining the presence of the viral nucleocapsid (N) and spike (S) genes, their mRNA expression, associated immunoglobulins (IgG), and immune regulation via IDO-2 activity in blood of individuals suspected of long COVID. Here we show that a unique patterns of test results contributes to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of long COVID, ultimately leading to improved diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for this condition. This study focuses on four key objectives: detecting viral or vaccin induced genetic material, quantifying mRNA expression of the N and S genes, profiling immunoglobulin levels, and measuring IDO-2 activity. These objectives aim to differentiate long COVID from other post-infectious conditions and provide insights into prolonged symptoms. The study population comprised 72 participants, 31 of whom were suspected of having long COVID based on defined symptomatology. Viral genetic material was detected in both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, Immunoglobulin levels varied, with symptomatic males exhibiting lower anti-Spike IgG levels than females, suggesting possible gender differences in immune response. Logistic regression models revealed that mRNA spike data alone in this small group was insufficient to predict symptoms presence, but the inclusion of immunoglobulins and inflammatory markers significantly improved predictive accuracy. Overall, this study highlights the complexity of long COVID and suggests that a multi-variable approach, combining mRNA and genomic spike data with inflammatory markers and demographic factors, provides a basis for effective prediction of symptoms, helping refine diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for long COVID
Comparative Analysis of Machine Learning Libraries for Neural Networks: A Benchmarking Study
Authors: Eid Aws Ismail Abu , Mjlae Salameh A. , Rababa’h Suzie Yaseen , Hammad Ahmed , Rababah Mahmoud Ali Ibrahim
Published: February 2025

This comprehensive benchmarking study explores the performance of three prominent machine learning libraries: PyTorch, Keras with TensorFlow backend, and Scikit-learn with the same criteria, software, and hardware. The evaluation encompasses two diverse datasets, “student performance” and “College Attending Plan Classification,” supported by Kaggle platforms utilizing feedforward neural networks (FNNs) as the modeling technique. The findings reveal that PyTorch and Keras with TensorFlow backend excel on the “College Attending Plan Classification” dataset, with PyTorch achieving impeccable precision, Recall, and F1-score for both classes. While Scikit-learn demonstrates commendable performance, it trails behind these libraries in this context. On the “Student Performance” dataset, all three libraries deliver comparable results, with Scikit-learn exhibiting the lowest accuracy at 16%. Keras with TensorFlow backend and PyTorch attain accuracy rates of 23%, respectively. Moreover, this study offers valuable insights into each library’s unique strengths and weaknesses when confronted with diverse dataset types. PyTorch emerges as the go-to choice for demanding tasks requiring high performance, while Scikit-learn proves advantageous for simpler tasks with modest computational demands. Keras with TensorFlow backend strikes a balance between performance and user-friendliness. This benchmarking endeavor equips machine learning practitioners with valuable guidance for selecting the most suitable library or framework tailored to their project requirements. It underscores the pivotal role of library choice in achieving optimal results in machine learning endeavors.
Early recovery during stroke rehabilitation predicts the functional outcome at discharge: a retrospective clinical study
Authors: Anziano Marco , Cusinato Riccardo , Tzovara Athina , Spierer Lucas , Chabwine Joelle N.
Published: February 2025

Background

Models predicting functional recovery upon stroke rehabilitation (SR) are not implemented in clinical practice due to their complexity and limited power in patients with moderate/severe deficits.

Objectives

To obtain preliminary evidence supporting the predictive value of a single measure of early recovery on SR discharge functional status.

Methods

We tested simple predictive models based on the functional independence measure (FIM) changes during the first three weeks of SR (3wFIMgain) in 81 patients with moderate/severe impairment.

Results

Patients with poor or good 3wFIMgain featured similar admission impairment, rate of complications, presence of aphasia or dominant-sided hemisyndrome, while poor early recovery was associated with lesions to the left sensory-motor cortex, temporo-parietal junction, and superior longitudinal fasciculus.

The 3wFIMgain effectively predicted the discharge FIM gain in patients with ≥ 6 weeks of SR stay. Combined with the admission FIM, the 3wFIMgain improved a predictive model for the discharge FIM.

Conclusions

The 3wFIMgain bears strong discharge prognostic value and synthetizes complex information about the early recovery of stroke patients that cannot be described by individual clinical predictors. Measures of early recovery might improve the power of models and simplify them, thus favoring application in clinical practice. Future validation in confirmatory studies is required.
Geometry-driven asymmetric cell divisions pattern cell cycles and zygotic genome activation in the zebrafish embryo
Authors: Mishra Nikhil , Li Yuting I. , Hannezo Edouard , Heisenberg Carl-Philipp
Published: February 2025

Synchrony in early embryonic cell cycles, followed by gradual desynchronization at the midblastula transition (MBT), is a widely conserved feature across animal phylogeny. Embryos that fail to maintain synchrony during these early stages do not develop properly, highlighting the critical importance of this process. However, the mechanisms underlying the initial synchronization and subsequent desynchronization of cell cycles - and their developmental significance - remain poorly understood. Here we show that the initial cell cycles in zebrafish embryos are synchronized primarily through cell-autonomous mechanisms. Furthermore, we reveal that their gradual desynchronization is spatially patterned by the geometry of the dividing embryo, which establishes a cell volume gradient through unequal cell divisions. This volume gradient translates into a cell cycle gradient by unequal S-phase lengthening due to volume-dependent changes in the nucleocytoplasmic ratio. Importantly, we find that this volume gradient, and the resulting cell cycle gradient, also spatiotemporally patterns the initiation of zygotic genome activation (ZGA) - a hallmark of MBT - within the embryo, thereby serving as a key symmetry-breaking event in animal development. Thus, our findings uncover a previously unrecognized role for early embryonic geometry in establishing an axis of transcriptional asymmetry during the transition to developmental autonomy.
Entanglement enabled intensity interferometry in ultrarelativistic ultraperipheral nuclear collisions
Authors: Brandenburg James Daniel , Duan Haowu , Tu Zhoudunming , Venugopalan Raju , Xu Zhangbu
Published: February 2025

An important tool in studying the subfemtoscale spacetime structure of matter in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions is Hanbury Brown–Twiss (HBT) intensity interferometry of identical particles in the final state of the collisions. We propose that a variant of the entanglement enabled intensity interferometry (E2I2) framework introduced by Cotler and Wilczek can provide a powerful alternative to HBT interferometry in extracting fundamental nonperturbative features of quantum chromodynamics at high energies. We apply this framework to demonstrate that the spatial distributions of color singlet (pomeron) configurations in nuclei are sensitive to measurements of exclusive resonant decays of ρ mesons into π± pairs in ultrarelativistic ultraperipheral nuclear collisions (UPCs) at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and the Large Hadron Collider. A preliminary analysis suggests that the model-independent extraction of pomeron distributions will require careful treatment of the interplay of E2I2 in the vector meson exclusive decay with the incoherent cross section for exclusive vector meson production. The E2I2 framework developed here is quite general. It can also be employed as a tool to extract information on the spin structure of pomeron couplings as well as enhance the discovery potential for rare odderon configurations from exclusive vector meson decays into few-particle final states both in UPCs and at the Electron-Ion Collider.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025